3 days ago
Stutsman County Park Board accepts water trail grant
Jun. 5—JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Park Board unanimously approved on Tuesday, June 3, accepting a grant from the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department's Recreational Trails Program.
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department awarded $240,000 to the Stutsman County Park Board to establish destination kayak launch sites at key recreation points along Jamestown Reservoir, according to the department's website.
The 80-20 matching grant through the Recreational Trails Program requires a match of $60,000 from the Stutsman County Park Board that can include in-kind donations and labor.
The park board has 18 months to complete the work.
Projects include purchasing concrete picnic tables and docks and installing them at various areas along Jamestown Reservoir and ordering a skidsteer.
The Jamestown Sun previously reported that 25 concrete picnic tables can be purchased at $1,000 for each one. The grant funds can also be used for docks for less than $20,000 each and a skidsteer for under $100,000.
Stutsman County Commission Chairman Levi Taylor said his only concern is agreeing to purchase items and not having the $60,000 in in-kind donations and labor.
The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved a change in boundaries for the Jamestown Rural Fire Department that won't include a parcel where the new North Dakota State Hospital will be built.
Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer, said the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is looking to annex the parcel for the new State Hospital into the city of Jamestown.
"I received the notice (from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services), verified that it was in compliance with everything that's required with the petition and then determined their proportionate percentage of taxable valuation (to the Jamestown Rural Fire District)," she said.
Alonge said the Jamestown Rural Fire Department has two loans — one for a ladder truck and another that is a 30-year building bond. She said the total balance of the truck loan would be about $425,000 and the total balance left on the building loan would be about $3.4 million beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
She said the total taxable value in 2024 for the parcel was about $9,000 and using a proportionate share of 0.02%, the total responsibility for the bonded indebtedness of the parcel that the fire district will lose out is about $700.
A public hearing will be held on the topic at the Stutsman County Commission's meeting on June 17.
In other business, the county commission unanimously approved:
* the appointment of Beth Dewald to the Great Plains Housing Authority board for a five-year term that begins July 1 and expires June 30, 2030.
* the appointment of Susan Koropatnicki as treasurer/recorder of Stutsman County.
* a request to reclaim County Road 39 east of Medina. The road would be reclaimed by adding gravel over the top of the road east from Medina to 58th Avenue and then south to Interstate 94. The total cost is about $129,000.
