The Burleigh County Commission was provided some food for thought regarding what the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds might bring on the open market.

At Monday's meeting, Tax Director-Assessor Sue Finneman provided a report on the property, which the commission had requested in November. The commission will come back to the issue at its Dec. 18 meeting and possibly decide on a course of action.

The property consists of three commercially zoned lots comprised of about 50 acres on the southwest side of the fairground complex, Finneman said.

"One of the three lots is in the floodplain, which would have effect on its value," Finneman said. "I've provided the commission with a sales grid based on six sales of property in the area. I did not come up with an opinion of the value because I don't feel capable of setting it."

Finneman suggested that the county either hire an appraiser or put out a request for proposal for a real estate broker to market the property. She added the county could split off and sell a smaller tract of the land to see what it would bring.

The report did provide a broad range of possible asking prices, anywhere from $4 to $6 per square foot for commercial property in a good location to $2 to $3.50 a square foot for less desirable locations.

Properties closer to the Wal-Mart Supercenter have been said to have brought as much as $10 to $12 per square foot, Finneman said, but she doesn't believe that's indicative of what the county property could bring.

Commissioner Marlan Haakenson did point out that the property has access to a sanitary sewer system with a pressurized line. There also are power lines crossing the property. So some of the utility infrastructure is in place.

"There are some things there. What we need to do is take this information, digest it and come back at the Dec. 18 meeting and make some suggestions on the proper way to market it," commission Chairman Doug Schonert said.

In other action, the Burleigh County Commission:

- Authorized the submission of an application for a State Court Facility Grant. Approximately $11,000 will be requested to improve the jury room adjacent to courtroom 301.

Judge Gail Hagerty described the conditions of the jury room as in very bad shape, with a filthy carpet, terrible chairs and a table with its finish chipped off.

Grant money also would be used to convert a former library into two offices, one for a judge and the other for a court reporter. If the grant is received, the county will be responsible for 25 percent of the grant.

- Appointed Terry Fleck and Reinold Kellar to the Burleigh County Water Resource Board, replacing Buck Maher and Bruce Lange. Maher and Lange have each served 12 years on the board, which is the maximum number of years as provided by county policy.

- Reappointed Ray Grabar and Georgia Schulz to the Human Resource Council and Helen Schatz to the Dakota Prairie Regional Development Council.

- Reappointed department heads and other county appointed officials. Newly elected sheriff Pat Heinert was appointed jail administrator. Heinert takes office next month.

- Denied Social Services Director Sherry Doe's request that the county take over administration of the Independent Living Program.

Doe said that Sioux County is declining to continue administration of the eight-county program and it is the request of the Department of Human Resources that Burleigh take over the program since most of the juveniles participating are wards of Burleigh County.

While Doe said she would be able to administer the program with no problem, commissioners expressed concerns about future federal funding of the program.

The program, which seeks to help foster care juveniles ages 14 to 21 to become independent, has two employees and a budget of about $144,000.

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