Stark County Commission silent on library funding request

Nov. 3—DICKINSON — The Stark County Commission denied a request to fund the Dickinson Public Library's expansion project at the regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 1.

Library Director Rita Ennen approached the commission to request that Stark County commit to $300,000 per year, over the 10 years. According to Ennen, the contribution would mirror that of the City of Dickinson for the project.

"We just, as a board, we can't support all the projects that are going on in the city, because we also support all of Stark County... where the city doesn't," Stark County Commission Chairman Carla Arthaud said.

Ennen noted that Stark County residents use the library frequently, have an active interest in it and a real concern for it.

"Our facility does absolutely support all of the citizens of Stark County," Ennen argued.

Commissioners Neal Messer and Ken Zander both agreed that the expansion will be a great project, but when Arthaud asked whether commissioners wanted to support the funding request no support was forwarded.

Tensions ran high as commissioners disagreed over how to address some recent issues brought forward by a group of concerns residents who live along a Stark County road, three miles northeast of Dickinson.

During the October meeting, a few residents spoke to address what they say are safety concerns caused by an ongoing road construction project on 107th Avenue Southwest and 34th Street Southwest. The complaints argue that dangerous blind spots and other safety concerns have been created by the project and seek county action to address them.

Commissioners agreed to lower the speed limit and install signage for a hidden driveway in October, but on Tuesday Arthaud raised another concern with the commission. She said that she spoke with residents living along the road and that they had said they wouldn't speak before the commission in-person because the last meeting's discussion on the subject got "heated."

"They were very disappointed and I think they feel like there was a Band-Aid put on the problem," Arthaud said.

Stark County Road Superintendent Al Heiser, addressing the commission, said the road was engineered to be safe at 55 mph, and that by lowering the speed limit to 45 mph the roadway should be even more safe.

Commissioner Bernie Marsh argued that residents should seek a second opinion if concerns remain.

"We put our faith in our engineer, we had the DOT out there," Marsh said. "If there are still concerns and they want to hire an engineer to come and give them a second opinion, that's fine. But we're not going to stick any more money into it. I think we've done our due diligence on it."

Arthaud counted that saving a life would be worth spending extra money.

Commissioner Dean Franchuk said he thinks the road is safer now than it was before.

David Bauer, a resident who lives near the construction area, said he and others who live there want to see additional measures taken.

"As tax paying citizens who uses the road numerous times a day, we'd like to have the road re-engineered to add more reaction time, greater visibility of the traffic and an overall safer finished product for 107th," Bauer said. "We all want the same goal: roads paved and safe to travel. And now's the time to not just design to minimum specs, which has been done, but rather reevaluate it and maybe add some more safety margin into the design of 107th."

The commission ultimately decided to have additional engineering options considered for the road to be discussed further at a special meeting at a later date.

Later in the meeting, the commission reversed their decision and unanimously agreed to add a four-way stop at the intersection instead. With this decision Arthaud said that a special meeting would still be scheduled for Nov. 7 at 9 a.m. to address the matter in greater detail.

Another resident addressed the commission on his concerns about political signage. Andrew Kordonowy, who lives near Dickinson, said a property owner should be able to put any sign they want on any part of their property, whether it's in a right of way area or not.

"Now, on the way over here, just from my office, just north of the interstate here, I've seen beer ads, Blue Hawk signs, business ads, realty ads — all these in the right of way," Kordonowy said. "But for some reason, we only have selective enforcement of political ads. And not only political ads... but political ads that get complained about and that's it. If no one complains about your ad, no one's gonna do anything about it."

Commissioner Neal Messer said that the enforcement of issues related to political signage is a state statute issue. Messer explained that N.D.C.C. prohibits political signs on any state or county properties, which includes easements onto private owned land.

"Basically it says no person may use any property belonging to or leased by or any service which was provided to or carried on by either directly or by contract, the state or any agency, department, bureau, board, commission, or any political subdivision thereof for any political purpose," Messer said.

He added it's a misdemeanor to violate the statute, which prompted Sheriff Corey Lee to address the commission.

"We will not be citing people for putting signs there because we don't know who put that sign there," Lee said. "Certainly a political candidate is responsible for their sign, but someone could grab one of my signs, your signs, whoever, and stick it wherever they dang well please. So we would certainly contact whoever that candidate is and ask them to remove their sign, and if it's not removed within a certain amount of time then maybe we would take action, remove it ourselves, whatever. But the last course of action would be to cite somebody."

Messer noted that signage can get confusing as different agencies have different right of way easements near roadways, depending on which entity is responsible for the roadway.

"The issue I see here on this is it's private property rights and the freedom of speech rights, because those individuals pay property taxes to the center of the road which we've already established," Kordonowy said. "Now we do have Highway 10, which is kind of a special situation on there, but when you own that property, you should be allowed to speak however you want in that property."

Messer said that the matter was too late in the season to make any changes, noting that the election was nearly over. He did say that he wanted to get clarification for the next election.

"I believe that people got petty this year," Arthaud said. "I mean, there was a sign yesterday, where this gal got called. She had to move it two inches. It's been up for a month — over a month."

The commission agreed to try to find ways to clarify where political signs can and cannot go before the next election.