Committee recommends creating fund for Jamestown infrastructure projects

Jan. 24—JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee in a 4-0 vote recommended approval to establish a city development fund that will be partially funded by the city sales tax for infrastructure.

Councilman Brian Kamlitz was not present at the meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The city development fund would be used for projects not included in the public building site, construction fund, general fund and enterprise funds.

In related business, the Finance and Legal Committee in a 4-0 vote recommended approval to transfer more than $1.1 million from the city sales tax fund to the general fund. The committee also recommended approval to transfer that $1.1 million from the general fund to the city development fund.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said sales tax dollars left over from a bond issue a few years ago should have been in the general fund. He said the dollars are going into the development fund so they don't get spent for simple operations and there is a method to identify those funds.

Heinrich said roughly $500,000 will be used toward the purchase of the Melland property located at 1604 8th Ave. SW, 1620 8th Ave. SW and 1509 9th Ave. SW.

The purchase agreement between the Melland Co. and the city of Jamestown for the property was for $900,000, The Jamestown Sun reported in November.

The Melland property includes a 37,000-square-foot building and the open space between the structure and 17th Street Southwest. The property is located at the former location of Titan Machinery.

At its meeting in August, the Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee discussed plans for the property at the former Titan Machinery location. At the time, Heinrich said the property in southwest Jamestown could include a new public safety facility years down the road.

The Finance and Legal Committee on a 4-0 vote recommended approval of a one-year extension and amendment to the memorandum of agreement between Stutsman County and the city of Jamestown to provide joint library services.

The Stutsman County Commission approved the one-year extension to the agreement on Jan. 16.

If the Jamestown City Council approves the extension at its meeting on Feb. 3, it would extend by one year the date each entity may provide a notice of intent to withdraw to March 3, 2025.

The memorandum of agreement automatically extends another five years in March if either entity doesn't provide a notice of intent to withdraw or both parties don't approve a one-year extension when either entity can provide a notice of intent to withdraw.

The county commission and the Jamestown City Council extended the memorandum of agreement by one year in 2022 and in 2023.

The city of Jamestown and Stutsman County have provided joint library services under a memorandum of agreement after voters approved a measure in 2008 to combine them.

In related business, the Finance and Legal Committee in a 4-0 vote recommended approval to extend the term of office for members of the James River Valley Library System Board of Directors to comply with North Dakota Century Code.

With City Council approval, the three-year terms for library board members will expire on June 30 instead of Feb. 28 or Feb. 29. The current terms of library board members Robert Hoekstra, a city representative, and Charlotte Freeberg, a joint city/county representative, were also extended to June 30.

The James River Valley Library System Board of Directors includes appointees from the city of Jamestown and Stutsman County. Library board members are appointed by the City Council and the county commission and the terms currently end on either Feb. 28 or Feb. 29.

The Finance and Legal Committee on a 4-0 vote recommended approval of an application for Renaissance Zone incentives for J&K LLC at 201 1st Ave. N.

The Renaissance Zone incentives for J&K include five-year 100% property and state income tax exemptions pending approval by the North Dakota Department of Commerce's Division of Community Services. The Renaissance Zone incentives for J&K include a five-year 100% state income tax exemption pending approval by the Division of Community Services.

Dorene Stroh, city assessor, said about 8,000 square feet of the building is still unfinished. She said the owners plan to replace all of the plumbing and electrical items.

A business plan says 201 Aesthetics will be located in the building. The location will house a medical spa and full salon.

The Jamestown Building, Planning and Zoning Committee in a 4-0 vote recommended approval of a major subdivision, a final plat of the Stoudt Third Addition and replat of lots 1-5, block one of the Mall Woods Addition for property located at 805 23rd St. SW.

Tom Blackmore, zoning administrator, said the Jamestown Planning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary plat at its Dec. 11 meeting.

The property is located just north of Tractor Supply Co. and south of where the new Les Schwab Tire Center will be located on 23rd Street Southwest.

The staff report for the Stoudt Third Addition says Casey Stoudt, owner of R.M. Stoudt, applied for the major subdivision and a replat of lots 1-5, block one of the Mall Woods Addition. The report says he applied for the purpose of a land transfer and commercial development.

The report says the subdivision area is currently zoned as a general commercial district.

The west portion of the site — including lots 3-5, block one of the Mall Woods Addition — is undeveloped. The east portion of the site — including lots one and two, block one of the Mall Woods Addition — is developed with an automotive repair business.

"The proposed subdivision would expand the lot area/street frontage for this business and enable future site improvements/expansion," the staff report says. " The replat would also facilitate development on the west portion of the site."