cityhall-488Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council’s Building, Planning & Zoning Civic Center & Promotion Fire & Police and Public Works Committee met Tuesday at City Hall. Council Members Kourajian and Gumke were not present.

FINANCE & LEGAL COMMITTEE:

The committee recommends approval of a request from JSDC for $13,336.00 from Economic Development Funds to reimburse legal and capital expenses on capital investments with the City Share to be $12,231.00, and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund.

The committee recommends approval of a request from JSDC for $3,500.00 of previously obligated Economic Development Funds to be used to update the JSDC Strategic Plan with the City Share to be $2,800.00, and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund.

The committee recommends approval of Change Order No. 1, to Schumacher Construction, Inc., on the EOC Storage Bay Heating and Insulation Retrofit Project, for an increase in the contract price of $2,600.00.

The committee recommends approval of rate adjustments for the Water, Wastewater, Sanitation and Solid Waste Disposal fees, to be effective January 1, 2016…a five percent increase in rates, in the 2016 City Budget.

The committee recommends recognizing the Jennaca Salberg Benefit as an other public spirited organization and to authorize the issuance of a raffle permit.

The committee reviewed the cost estimate and proposed assessment district to construct Paving and needed utilities on 5th Street NE from 12th Avenue NE to 27th Avenue NE. The area that will go past the new TRAC facility, behind Gussner School. Based on the progress of the TRAC construction, as soon as 2017.  The committee recommends approval of the concept.

The committee reviewed the draft Special Assessment Policy and to publish notice of a public hearing, to be held at the January 4, 2016, at the City Council meeting., to receive public comment, as required by the State of North Dakota. The committee recommends setting the public hearing.

 

The committee considered changing the retirement program for sworn police officers from the NDPERS plan to the NDPERS Law Enforcement plan. Council Member Brubakken said if approved, the city needs to look at the PERS plan for other city employees. Fraternal Order of Police James Valley Liason, Nellie Degen provided a packet of testimony on the issue at the state level. The committee recommends moving the issue to the next committee meeting, pending additional information, and a possible survey of officers.  Mayor Andersen said the program may be costly to the city.

Informational: Departmental and financial reports were presented.

Informational : Board of Adjustment Appointment.

 

BUILDING, PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE

Informational:  Planning Commission minutes from November 9, 2015. Discussion concerning consideration of amending Section 32–4.4 relative to providing notice to adjoining property owners when a variance is requested.  The committee recommends drafting an amendment to the Ordinance.

 

CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE:

Considered the request from SkyWest Airlines to list the Jamestown Civic Center as a potential Company Operational Headquarters Facility. Civic center Manager Pam Fosse said the airline is requesting a memorandum of understanding to allow the Civic Center to be used in the event of an emergency. She said it entails the use of space. The committee recommends entering into a memorandum with the airline.

The committee reviewed the Request for Proposals for a Soft Drink Vendor, Pepsi and Coke, for the Civic Center. Mayor Andersen suggested a matrix concerning level of service, and response time on the part of the vendor, along with the cost proposal.

POLICE AND FIRE COMMITTEE

The committee recommends replacement of Police Department tasers using asset forfeiture funds, in the approximate amount of $11,250.00.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

The committee recommends approving the proposed engineering agreement from CPS for the annual Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Groundwater Monitoring Task 1 and 2

Considered the proposal from Recovery Systems Co., Inc., for additional corrosion and wear repairs/parts replacement and for a hydraulic fluid filter system for the Trash Compactor at the Baler Facility for an estimated $22,061.43.  The committee recommends approving, the estimate.

The original proposal for the known repairs was around $20,000.00. This new proposal deals with additional damages that have been uncovered during disassembly of the unit to perform the initial repairs and are based on Recovery Systems concerns for continued degradation of these other parts and the possible shortened life of the current repairs without performing these partsbeing repaired and replaced.

Brent Erickson from HDR Engineering, gave a presentation on the Jamestown Sanitary Utility Operation Analysis, and Recycling Feasibility Study.

Erickson estimated the cost of operating a curbside collection recycling system in Jamestown at between $11 and $13 per residence each month. This would be on top of the current monthly sanitation fee of $13.10 per residence.

Erickson said the study indicates that Jamestown currently incurs a cost of about $51 per ton to dispose of solid waste collected in Jamestown.

The city also pays a subsidy to Renaissance Recycling, which accepts about 2,000 tons of recyclable material per year at an average cost of about $30 per ton.

Adding collection sites in Jamestown could raise costs of processing recyclable materials to between $100 and $150 per ton. Offering curbside pickup of recyclable materials further increases cost to between $170 and $190 per ton.

Andersen said she hoped the completed study would present options for cost savings in the sanitation collection process.

Council Member Buchanan requested discussion concerning the City Forester position.

Doug Wiles has resigned to accept the Bismarck City Forester’s position.  Buchanan introduced letters from various committees, asking the city to make every effort to hire a qualified City Forester. Buchanan pointed out that the search should include specific requirements in the job description.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.