08-06-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission Minutes-August 6, 2007 3232 6. ROAD DEPARTMENT, Request for ditch clean out in Leonard Township discussed Clayton Runck, resident of Fargo, owns land in Section 23 of Leonard Township. He is requesting the county clean out a ditch on the north side of the section, which runs along the south side of Cass County Highway 36. According to Mr. Runck, the ditch is silted in with dirt and he loses 40 or 50 acres due to poor drainage. He received a quote of $6,500 from an area contractor to complete the cleaning and is willing to pay part of the cost. Mr. Runck wants to know whether the county is responsible for maintenance of the ditch. Keith Berndt, County Engineer, said 1,300 miles of county ditches exist in Cass County. The county issues permits at no cost to landowners for ditch cleaning, who in turn complete the work subject to county standards. The highway department has cleaned out ditches under extenuating circumstances as time permitted. He recommends Mr. Runck obtain a permit and his department will provide grade specifications to assist Mr. Runck during the process. Mr. Berndt said the topography in this area of the county is more difficult to deal with as the soil is light and more sediment settles in ditches. Mr. Bennett asked about the benefits the county may receive if county staff and equipment are used to clean out the ditch. Mr. Berndt said the road is functioning fine, and the project would require two weeks to complete. Mr. Pawluk feels this is a private ditch and does not see a public benefit; therefore, he does not recommend using taxpayer dollars. MOTION, passed Mr. Pawluk moved and Mr. Vanyo seconded to encourage Mr. Runck to apply for a ditch cleaning permit and work with the county engineer to obtain grade specifications for the project. On roll call vote, the motion carried unanimously. 7. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, Committee formed to draft resolution and ballot lanauaae for sales tax proposal Brian Walters, President of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC), gave a presentation on the Strategic Planning Growth Plan Initiative and discussed a request to hold an election to ask county voters to approve a one- half cent sales tax to fund the plan. He said their organization needs a vision for growth based on creating quality opportunities and better positioning area businesses to compete and win in the global economy. The presentation included an economic review and analysis; information on the growth plan process; and details regarding the sales tax funding mechanism. Mr. Walters said demographers predict a deceleration of growth in the Fargo Moorhead area and a decline in population, immigration, income and employment. The current growth strategy is not sustainable and the area needs to focus on quality versus quantity of jobs. When creating a new vision for growth, local experts from the business community, academia, and public sector participated in studying target sectors with the greatest potential for growth and high-paying jobs: industries in life sciences, physical sciences and information technology. During the study process, numerous public meetings were held with significant community input provided to create a plan that specializes on the target areas in order to be competitive. Mr. Walters said two of the three targeted sectors have no established leader and he feels the GFMEDC needs to take advantage of this opportunity.