Bismarck Tribune

By GORDON WEIXEBy GORDON WEIXEL

The special committee created to look at proposals involving Burleigh County parks and the Bismarck Park District is still looking for a name, but Errol Behm is providing the focus.

The committee held its second meeting Tuesday and Burleigh County Commissioner Marlan Haakenson led off questioning whether it was a consensus group or a concessions group.

At its first meeting, the committee - with two representatives each from the county, Bismarck Park Board and county water resource district - agreed an unbiased individual from outside their groups should be found to chair the committee.

Bis-Man Reel & Rec provided that individual in the form of one its members, Behm. He works for the North Dakota Department of Transportation and has for the past 44 years. He intends to retire in three months.

"I've worked with a lot of city, county and private organizations," Behm said. "Right now, at NDDOT, I'm in charge of county programs that provide funding for farm-to-market roads."

Haakenson and park board Chairman Mark Zimmerman provided Behm with a synopsis of what has occurred so far with the committee.

"It started out with the Burleigh County Commission and water resource board talking back and forth about relinquishing the deed to McDowell (recreation area) to the Bismarck park district with some funding," Haakenson said. "Subsequently, the park district came back with a comprehensive plan to take over all the county parks, boat ramps, etc., along with a funding plan. It was suggested to form this committee for preliminary talks before it goes to the commissions."

Zimmerman said it was the district's feeling that the county was attempting to deed over McDowell without a secure way of funding it, so a counterproposal was developed that involved all of the county properties, including the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds, along with a funding proposal involving the sale of fairground property, with the revenue used for fairground capital improvements and operation of the other county facilities.

The water board's Gailen Narum said there is a long-range master plan for McDowell and it does require funding greater than the water district has been able to provide.

Further discussion showed the division of the groups. Haakenson said that the county, while willing to consider the park district's proposal, wants to keep that separate from turning McDowell over to the park district, or possibly even selling it to private concerns.

Park district concerns related mainly to funding of county properties should they be turned over to the district. Haakenson did indicate the county is willing to provide up to a full mill, about $150,000 annually, to go along with McDowell. Zimmerman said this would leave the county no other funding source for its other park facilities and boat ramps.

Meanwhile, Narum said the water district has no problem in deeding over the property to a proper entity.

"As far as funding goes, it's not an issue the water board has any control of,"Narum said. "If a proper agreement is reached on funding and an agreement can be made on transfer of property, we don't have any problem in transferring."

"From what I'm hearing, this joint board needs to come together with a plan for several park entities in Burleigh County. We have to have a time frame, budget and incorporate master plans," Behm said. "An item for the next meeting will be the county park levy and how it will be split."

The committee also discussed the need for public input. Zimmerman suggested that the committee develop a proposal and then invite the public to comment at one or two meetings. He also noted that things will have to be done quickly if the park district wants to include it in the 2008 budget, with deliberations beginning in April.

But Haakenson said there was no great hurry and any transfers could be put off for a year or more if need be. He said the first public meetings might take place in February.

"I think you're all on the right track," Behm said. "We need to bring all the concerns together at future meetings. I will set up an agenda, and some of the issues we'll start with are funding issues, legal issues, deeding and a time frame."

Haakenson indicated that the county was interested in selling off some of the fairground land.

"If we do sell, what I think will shake out is that we'll market it more strongly and the money will end up in the county coffers and we'll decide how it will be used," Haakenson said. "Perhaps it could be used for the fairgrounds or shunted over to McDowell and the rest of the parks. I think we're doing a pretty good job out in the county."

Buck Maher, representing the water board, said he will probably no longer be a participant since he was not reappointed to the water board. But he expressed his interest in the committee and Behm invited him to continue.

Narum added that, besides the main topics of funding and legalities of transfer, topics should involve water quality at McDowell as well as dam safety.

The next meeting of the committee was set for 11 a.m. Dec. 19.

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