Jan. 16—JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved on Tuesday, Jan. 16, a one-year extension to the memorandum of agreement between Stutsman County and the city of Jamestown to provide joint library services.

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

“If the city were to give a notice of their intent to withdraw, they would have to approve that at their February City Council meeting so that’s why it’s coming to the county first,” said Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer.

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 county commission unanimously approved extending the term of office for members on the James River Valley Library System Board of Directors to comply with North Dakota Century Code.

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.

Alonge said North Dakota Century Code requires library board members to hold office from July 1 in the year they are appointed for three years through June 30.

“That’s the only board that we have appointments to that doesn’t end on either Dec. 31 or June 30,” she said.

The county commission unanimously approved the American Legion in Medina as a polling location for the 2024 election cycle.

The county commission did not previously approve the site as a polling location because it was unknown what entities were paying for two-thirds of the cost to install a ramp at the American Legion. The county already paid a third of the cost.

“I received notice from one of the Medina city councilmen that they purchased, paid for and had installed the ramp at the American Legion in Medina which was the polling location we used in 2022,” Alonge said.

The vote center in Medina was formerly located at Medina City Hall and was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. When the vote center moved to the American Legion, the primary expense was for a ramp.

Alonge said installing the ramp decreases the cost per vote from $13.59 to $6.11, a difference of $7.48.

The county commission unanimously approved purchasing an additional 20 feet of property in Buchanan to construct a building to store its new $500,000 blade.

The county commission previously approved the purchase of a 100-by-215-foot lot on the south side of Buchanan for $8,500.

The purchase also includes any other costs associated with buying the property.

Jim Wentland, road superintendent, said the county needs 20 more feet of room to have enough space for its shop with the variances and right of ways. He said the landowner is willing to sell the property for an additional $1,000.

“They (Buchanan) need to rezone and we need to get the buffer that’s required for the zoning .. ,” said Fritz Fremgen, Stutsman County state’s attorney.

Commission Chairman Mark Klose told Wentland to make sure the zoning is up to date before the money changes hands.