The Bismarck City Commission wants to hire a replacement for outgoing Civic Center manager Dick Petersen, rather than outsource management of the facility.

The commission took up the discussion on how to handle the Civic Center at Tuesday's meeting. With Petersen officially retiring later this fall, Human Resources Director Chuck Klein was directed to begin the process to find a replacement.

Mayor John Warford put the issue on the agenda, looking for commission direction on whether to advertise for the central manager position or outsource, which he considers the other alternative to management of the Civic Center.

"It's my understanding there is a trend away from outsourcing by smaller-size civic centers," Warford said. "The Grand Forks Alerus Center had Compass Inc., and has elected not to continue, and go with a manager."

Warford said, that should the city outsource the management, another entity would have to be created to act as an intermediary between the city commission and the company doing the work. This would create another layer of government in the form of a Civic Center authority.

Commissioner Sandi Tabor said that a fact-finding group had traveled to Grand Forks some time back to look into outsourcing management and came back believing that it wasn't a good idea.

"Two years ago, we did look into the situation, and our conclusion was the Civic Center did not warrant going that way," Warford said. "My recommendation is that we have our Human Resources director, Chuck Klein, move forward to find a replacement."

"If Grand Forks attempted private management and it ended up in quite a mess, I'm not interested in following their footsteps," Tabor said. "The problem is really market size, and if you don't have a substantial market, you can't warrant private management. I can't imagine why we'd outsource."

Warford also said that should the city choose to outsource, Civic Center employees would have the option of being city employees or working for the private management company.

Commissioner Connie Sprynczynatyk said that she had not heard a lot of positive comments from the experience of Grand Forks, which has roughly the same size of market as Bismarck.

Commissioner Steve Schwab said he believes a local manager will be more in tune with what the community wants, versus an out-of- state company that didn't have direct ties to the city.

"It then becomes a corporate Civic Center and not a center for our citizens," Schwab said, in making a motion directing the Human Resources director to start the process of hiring a manger. The motion was unanimously approved.

In other activity the Bismarck City Commission:

3 Heard from Klein that terms had been reached in hiring Keith Witt as the city's new police chief. The commission unanimously confirmed Witt's hiring. The commission, at a special meeting held Friday, offered a contract to Witt.

3 Approved the 2008 preliminary budget and set a hearing and second reading for the Sept. 25 meeting.

3 Heard that Fall Cleanup Week will be held Sept. 24-29 and the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup will be on Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Public Works building.

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