Council awards bid for new basketball floor for Jamestown Civic Center

JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown City Council unanimously approved on Monday, June 5, awarding a bid for a basketball floor for the Jamestown Civic Center to Baseman Floors for more than $99,000.

The city of Jamestown received three bids for the basketball floor.

Baseman's base bid was more than $147,000 and includes a trade-in value of $41,500 for the old basketball floor and an additional deduction of $7,000 to purchase the preferred drop-pin system, said Jeffrey Morrau, principal/president of ARTEKTA Architects, who worked with the city on the basketball floor bids.

The other two bids came from Connor Sports with a base bid of more than $175,000 with a trade-in value of $20,000 for a total of more than $155,000 and H2I Group with a bid of $253,000.

Morrau said Baseman and Connor Sports expressed the ability to meet an October timeline to get the basketball court to Jamestown in October, which is far ahead of the March delivery requirement.

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The North Dakota High School Activities Association finalized its schedule where state basketball tournaments will be played. The Jamestown Civic Center will be the host site for the next two Class B girls basketball state tournaments.

In other business, the City Council approved in a 4-1 vote a request from Central Sales Inc. to enter into a license agreement to locate a stormwater pond in the right of way located on the Jamestown Southwest Second Addition. Councilman Dan Buchanan was opposed.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said Central Sales is constructing a new building south of Interstate 94 and to the east of the new Anne Carlsen Center campus and needs a stormwater pond. He said on the east side of Central Sales’ property there is a right-of-way that hasn't been used.

"They asked for the ability to use a little bit of that right-of-way for an embankment for the pond," he said.

Heinrich said the agreement includes a stipulation that Central Sales will be required to remove all encroachments, barriers, earth and banks if the city of Jamestown ever needs to use that right-of-way.

Buchanan said he visualizes a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"Are they going to agree that this won't become a mosquito base," he said. "I think we should require them to do that otherwise we take on some additional obligations and … a person has to go out there and take care of that. I don't think we should have to start to add responsibility to the city because they want to have a retention pond."

City Administrator Sarah Hellekson said an aerator or a fountain put into a retention pond will help keep the water moving and help control or prevent mosquitoes.

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A Jamestown Area Youth Baseball request to set off fireworks near Jack Brown Stadium after the completion of the American Legion Post 14 baseball game on June 13 failed due to the lack of a motion.

Buchanan said he was uncomfortable having a fireworks show in McElroy Park. He said allowing the fireworks on June 13 will open the door for other organizations to make similar requests.

Fire Chief Jim Reuther agreed with Buchanan. He also asked about liability insurance. He said when the Civic Center holds an event that includes pyrotechnics, it has to have up to $1 million in liability insurance in case something goes wrong.

Heinrich said the fireworks display would be done by a proper person. He said he likes the idea but understands the problems with it.

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