Aug 02, 2005 - 23:15:57 CDT
A recent celebration in Fort Rice had Morton County park district director Vern Davis in an uproar Tuesday morning at the regular meeting of the county commission.The district is developing a campground about a mile south of Fort Rice using an old rest area that has been abandoned by the state, and which provides access to the Missouri River for boating and fishing. The campground is still awaiting plumbing and a few other amenities before it's complete, but the 10 camper sites do have electricity. Anybody using the area for camping is asked to participate in the honor system and donate $12 a night.
"What really has my blood boiling is that it appears there is no honor among people," Davis told commissioners. "There was a celebration in Fort Rice July 23 and 24 and I figure there were 15 to 20 campers using the campground. They were all plugged into the outlets and they had to pass by the 'Iron Ranger' going in and out where we had a sign asking for some compensation. Out of the 15 or 20 campers, one left a check for $20."
Davis said he had talked to the park board about pulling the plug on the electricity on the campground until it was finished sometime this fall. When the campground is finished, the plan is to have someone check on the area each day and see that fees are paid.
"The park board said they would go along with whatever you (county commission) recommended," Davis said. "We've been leaving the electricity on to be nice to the people of Morton County, and this is how they treat us. I think we lost about $100 minimum over that weekend."
Commissioners asked Davis whether coin-operated electrical boxes could be put in, but he said it would be unlikely they would pay for themselves.
"And you know that if there isn't any electricity out there, some of those guys are just nasty enough to do some damage and that could end up costing a whole lot more," Davis said.
Commissioner Mark Bitz said the county would likely "just have to eat the cost of the electricity" until the campground is fully operational. Which was the general consensus adopted by the commission.
The campground covers nearly 18 acres and is being developed at a cost of about $150,000. Plumbing soon will be complete allowing the restrooms to be opened.
In other action, the Morton County Commission:
3 Heard from Davis that the Harmon Lake recreation development project is about 20 percent to 25 percent complete. He also noted that construction work had uncovered eight to 10 "cannonballs," stones rounded in the shape of large cannonballs by erosion.
3 Heard a presentation by the tax department's Vicki Lippert about the possibility of providing tax information, such as property values and current tax status of property, on the Internet. A company called Officials Payments would provide the service at an initial setup fee of $6,000 plus a $150 a month maintenance fee. Several financial institutions have shown an interest in paying a annual fee of $150 for access to the records. The public records are available for free by request, but the convenience of having them available over the Internet is sparking some interest. A demonstration of the system will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 11.
3 Designated Youthworks as Morton County's attendant care provider for juveniles.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)
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