By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
In order to meet a growing demand for new fire equipment and ambulances in Watford City, the Watford City City Council, at its Jan. 7 meeting, gave its blessing to construct a new six bay facility next to the Watford City Post Office.
The 46’x140’ new facility would provide housing for two ambulances and four fire trucks, as well as provide a training room, offices and storage space for the Watford City Fire Department and the McKenzie County Ambulance.
According to Shawn Baker of Swank Enterprises and Rory Young of Jackola Engineering and Architecture, the cost of the facility would range from $500,000 to $1 million to construct, depending upon the level of interior work.
“A $500,000 building would shell the entire building and include heat and the basics,” stated Baker. “A completed full building would run in the neighborhood of $800,000 to $1 million. We’re trying to meet the middle ground and to meet the immediate needs.”
But according to Councilman Shane Homiston, even though the fire department and ambulance services don’t have $1 million, now may be the right time for the entire project to be built.
“We believe we should try to do the whole project,” stated Homiston, who serves on the city’s buildings and grounds committee. “We should try to find the extra money needed. We could ask the Roughrider Fund and the county for help. And if we need to, use city funds. We believe that we will come up with a better project if we do it all at once.”
Ben Weltikol, Watford City fire chief, believes that between the fire department and the ambulance service, they have approximately $850,000 that could be used for the new facility, which would mean that between $150,000 and $200,000 would have to come from other sources.
According to Weltikol, the new facility would ease the congestion at the existing fire hall and allow for both the ambulance service and the fire department to add new units.
During Monday night’s meeting, the city council also granted Coburn’s off-sale beer and liquor licenses and granted them a Sunday opening permit for the sale of beer and alcohol.
In other business, the city council:
• Approved a resolution of sponsorship for the Wolf Pup Daycare Center.
• Approved payment of Task Order #8 from Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, (Sanitary Sewer Flow Monitoring) for $3,400.
• Approved Change Order #2 from Glacier Construction Company, Inc. (WWT Phase I Improvements) for $43,888.
• Approved Pay Estimate #5 from Glacier Construction Company, Inc. (WWT Phase I Improvements) for $386,200.57.
• Approved Pay Estimate #3 from Williams Plumbing and Heating, Inc. (WWT Phase I Improvements) for $29,700.
• Approved Pay Estimate #4 from SJ Louis Construction, Inc. (Area 2B Utilities Extension & Improvements) for $237,072.62.
• Approved Change Order #1 from Williams Plumbing and Heating, Inc. (Area 2A & 2B Equipment & Improvements) for $22,323.
• Approved Pay Estimate #4 from Williams Plumbing and Heating, Inc. (Area 2A & 2B Equipment & Improvements) for $59,050.39.
• Approved Change Order #1 from Merryman Excavation (Area 5 Sanitary Sewer Extensions) for $5,537.25.
• Approved Pay Estimate #6 from Merryman Excavation (Area 5 Sanitary Sewer Extensions) for $5,426.51.
• Approved Change Order #1 from R.S. Bennett Construction, Inc. (Area 6 Sanitary Sewer Extensions) for $13,619.80.
• Approved Pay Estimate #5 from R.S. Bennett Construction, Inc. (Area 6 Sanitary Sewer Extensions) for $164,496.33.
• Approved holding a public hearing on March 4, 2013 for public input on a Petition to Vacate Street (3rd Ave. SE, Dahl’s Addition) submitted by Wolf Run Village, Inc.
• Approved holding a public hearing on March 4, 2013 for public input on a Petition to Vacate Street (2nd Street SE, Dahl’s Addition) submitted by Wolf Run Village, Inc.
• Approved purchasing in-car computer equipment for police vehicles in the amount of $33,327.91.
• Approved a zone change application submitted by Doug Kesler on property located at 1402 Main St. South, from A-2 to C-1 contingent on the applicant transitioning the property to employee only housing by July 1, 2013.
• Approved an amendment to the zoning change application submitted by Wolf Run Village, Inc./Bakken Housing Partners, LLC to rezone the property located at 301 2nd Street SE from C-1 to R-4.
• Approved a zoning variance application submitted by Wolf Run Village, Inc./Bakken Housing Partners, LLC, for property located at 301 2nd Street SE reducing setbacks along site boundary to 12½ feet.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by CKW Properties/Kirk Wold for South Park Addition, Block 1, Lot 4.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by CKW Properties/Kirk Wold for South Park Addition, Block 2, Lot 1.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by CKW Properties/Kirk Wold for South Park Addition, Block 3, Lot 1.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by CKW Properties/Kirk Wold for South Park Addition, Block 4, Lot 1.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by CKW Properties/Kirk Wold for South Park Addition, Block 4, Lot 2.
• Approved a simple lot split application submitted by Jarvis Sorenson/ Bakken Development Solutions on property located at NW1/4 Section 22, T150N, R98W.
• Approved a preliminary subdivision map submitted by Auto Property Solutions, LLC./Robin Greenhagen on property located at Section 18, T150N, R98W.
• Approved a preliminary subdivision map submitted by Wolf Run Village, Inc./Bakken Housing Partners, LLC., on property located at 301 2nd Street SE.
• Approved a preliminary subdivision map submitted by Wolf Creek Business Community/John Tennant III on property located at SW1/4 Section 18, T150N, R98W.
• Approved a subdivision final map submitted by Farmers Union Oil Company on property located at NE1/4SW1/4 Section 19, T150N, R98W.
• Approved replacement of the broken tree on Main Street in front of the City Bar.
• Approved accepting the cleaning bid submitted by Rebecca Cundiff for $2,500 per month starting in February for two months.
• Approved the purchase of four vehicles for the assessor/office staff, planning department, building inspector and public works. Vehicle to be purchased will be a 2011 Ford Escape, $19,200, from S & S Motors; 2013 Chevy Silverado, $29,809, from Puklich Chevy; 2013 Chevy Silverado, $28,779, from Puklich Chevy; and 2013 Chevy 2500HD, $36,027 from Puklich Chevy.
• Approved the following step increases: Slade Herfindahl from Category 11, Step 1 to Category 11, Step 2 effective Jan. 16, 2013; Andrew Langowski from Category 4, Step 1 to Category 4, Step 2 effective Feb. 1, 2013; Curtis Moen from Category 10, Step 4 to Category 10, Step 5 effective Feb. 16, 2013.
• Approved publishing the 2012 annual salaries for city employees.
• Approved changing the wording in the Employee Policy Manual under Reasonable Suspicion Test.
• Approved a raffle permit application submitted by the McKenzie County Hockey Club.
• Approved Energy Impact Grants for the Fire Department, $60,853.89; Police Department, $4,448.00; and Ambulance, $7,017.70.
• Approved creating Unit Fee fund accounts and approved reimbursement and disbursement of Unit Fees in the amount of $51,000 to the Park Board, Police Department, Ambulance, and Fire Department.
• Approved amendments to the city’s 2012 budget.
• Approved Mayor Sanford’s reappointment of Leah Voll to the McKenzie County Public Library board for a three-year term from Jan. 1, 2013 to Jan. 1, 2016.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Watford City City Council will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4.