The Mandan Park District is willing to work with the city if it decides to move forward with a new water main and reservoir, which will serve the southern part of the community and Memorial Highway.

The park board got a first look at the proposed water project at its meeting Monday.

Lisa Ansley, representing Advanced Engineering, reported that the city is considering the water project, and Advanced Engineering will likely be recommending a route for the water main that will run through a portion of the Prairie West Golf Course.

"We're in the preliminary phase of looking at site location for a reservoir and water main," Ansley said. "We've dealt with a number of alternatives for routing the line. We have some archeological issues and are dealing with a number of different landowners."

Advanced Engineering plans on giving its recommendation at the Mandan City Commission's first meeting in February. It's possible the project could be bid this year with construction to start in the fall at the golf course in the fall, so it interferes as little as possible with the golfers.

District Director Cole Higlin said that the water line project does coincide with the removal of a portion of the dike near Prairie West. Mitzel Home Builders is planning a subdivision for the area and, along with removing the dike, is looking at providing irrigation with Missouri River water. Higlin said he's hoping the trenching for the city's water line could also accommodate the irrigation line, which would serve the golf course.

Ansley said that the proposed dike removal and irrigation system will have to get approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as will tsaid they are hoping the park district project can be piggybacked with the city project.

"I'd like to make sure we can coordinate these projects. If the city water project can go this fall, I'd like to see the water, sewer and street project proposed for the district also go ahead," Higlin said.

Tracy Porter, park board president, said the district would work the best it can with the city. No action by the park board was taken.

In other activity the Mandan Park Board:

n Heard 2008 golf rates will go up slightly.

n Approved hiring the firm of Malhum Goodhart for the district's annual audit. It was explained that the firm was estimating a cost of $6,000, which is about $1,500 less than what the state charges. The report will be done in a time period of four to six weeks.

n Heard an update on the park district getting its own computer network, which would be separate from its current Web site. Higlin described it as an administrative network with its own server at a cost of about $6,600.

n Heard that in 2007 tax revenues accounted for about 32 percent of the district's budget. The majority of district projects are funded through self-generated revenues.

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