Not wanting to let fairgrounds development sit on a back burner any longer, the Burleigh County Commission plans to address the issue at its mid-July meeting.

A group representing the diverse interests of the Missouri Valley Complex met on Friday to discuss how to fund further infrastructure development of the fairgrounds.

Bismarck Park District Director Steve Neu set up the meeting to look at fairground projects for the following year as the various jurisdictions involved in the fairgrounds begin preparing their 2008 budgets.

Most of those attending the meeting also are members of the Missouri Valley Complex Authority, but only a portion of that group was represented.

"I think we've got the correct people in this room to put together a budget and what we need to get done," said Dwayne Wahl, a Burleigh County Park District member. "We need development ideas and costs that we can take to the county commission as soon as possible."

A master plan to develop the fairgrounds was last updated in 2003. In order to help fund those projects, the county commission has proposed selling a portion of the fairgrounds, about 22 acres west of Yegen Road, with the revenues from the sale put back into development.

Sale of the property was brought to the table early in June, but commissioners decided to wait until after an auction of nearby school trust land was held, to get an idea of what they might expect.

"The commission wasn't against a sale, but wanted to put it on hold until after the state sale," county Commissioner Doug Schonert said.

But there was no sale, as only one person registered for the auction and failed to make a bid on the property. Schonert, who is a real estate agent, believes the county property is much more appealing than the school trust land and doesn't foresee problems selling it.

The county commission passed a motion to develop the property that will be put up for sale, but Schonert believes the commission will probably change its decision and sell the property as raw land.

"I've been on the county commission for seven months now," Jim Peluso said. "In that time, there hasn't been a week that someone hasn't asked me about what was happening with the complex. They've also been telling me we should not be developing that land."

Schonert said the comments were split on whether the county should become a developer in order to get a greater return from the property. He now believes the county shouldn't go into competition with private developers. Schonert said the best process will be to put the property up for bid. The county had the property appraised, and it was expected to bring in between $1 million and $2 million.

There is also a question of up-front costs to provide the necessary infrastructure, which Schonert says the county may have a tough time raising.

Park board president Mark Zimmerman said that a recommendation to sell the land should be accompanied by a development plan when it is presented to the county commission.

"That's what the public will want to see," Schonert said.

Neu proposed that the Complex Authority meet during the week of July 9 to put together recommendations for the county commission. Schonert said the discussion can be put on the July 16 Burleigh agenda.

Neu said he is confident that development plans can be pulled together in time for the meetings. He said that they are currently part of the master plan.

"I would hope that we wouldn't be trying to develop another plan. The master plan goes back to 2003. The priorities are there, and I hope we would want to continue with them," Neu said.

"The plan is in place," Peluso agreed. "I think we need to come up with an agreement on selling the land. We're hung up on how we're going to do it."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)