The Morton County commission extended the amount of time George Gartner has to clean up his property in Fort Rice.

Gartner has been trying to clean up the property as required by a court order, but a county-wide burning ban has kept him from wielding his torch. Gartner intends to cut apart some remaining electrical transformers he acquired as salvage before removing the debris from his land.

Sheriff Bob Erhardt and emergency manager Tammy Lapp Harris joined Gartner before the county commission at Tuesday's meeting to discuss some ways he might complete the work before the county imposed an Aug. 28 deadline.

"George has a situation where he is supposed to have his yard cleaned up come the end of the month. But there's a burning ban in place, and this includes torches, which he needs to use," Lapp Harris said. "We're wondering, if he can't meet the deadline, if he could get it extended?"

Another option, according to Lapp Harris, would be to have a rural fire department truck stationed nearby while he was cutting. The emergency manager said that the rural fire department would charge for the service, and it was uncertain who would pay and how much.

"I guarantee there'd be no fire," Gartner said. "Half the yard is just dirt, the rest of the grass I have cut real short, and I'll water it down real well before I start using the torch."

Lapp Harris said he was worried that, should Gartner be allowed to do the cutting with a manned fire truck in the vicinity, it would set an unwanted precedent.

"We could be opening a big can of worms," Lapp Harris said. "If we allowed a truck for George we'll get a lot of people calling in wanting to do some burning if they can get a truck, and we just don't have enough volunteers to man the engine."

Commissioner Jim Boehm asked Gartner if it would be a problem to wait if the commission provided an extension. Gartner said he wanted to get the work done, but said he could wait for a while.

"An extension really doesn't mean anything unless there's enough rain to lift the ban," Gartner said. "I've been working on the other yard, getting everything cleaned up. Last week we took 20-some ton out of there."

Commissioners did approve a 30-day extension for Gartner to clean up the yards, hoping that in the meantime Mother Nature will provide enough precipitation so the fire ban can be lifted.

"I'll give you a call as soon as it's lifted," Lapp Harris assured Gartner.

In other activity, the Morton County Commission:

3 Heard from Morton County park director Vern Davis on the need to extend the county multi-use path at least two miles, to north of Entzel Acres.

Davis estimated the cost of the project at $400,000 and said that a request for a $200,000 transportation enhancement grant had been approved. Auditor Paul Trauger estimated the county would need to come up with about $40,000.

Commissioner Dick Tokach said he didn't know where the money would come from. The commission will enter budget discussions in September.

"What scares me,"Davis said, "(Is) if we don't use the full amount of that grant, are we ever going to be able to get another one?"

3 Approved a resolution and called for a hearing regarding Medcenter One's request for $10 million in MIDA funding in 2007. Medcenter will ask an additional $7 million in 2008 for a Living Center project it plans for Mandan.

3 Appointed Tammy Gilstad, of New Salem, to the Morton County Library Board.

3 Approved moving voting precincts 17 and 32 from the Seven Seas Inn to the county shop and precinct 8 from the south-side fire district building to the multi-purpose building near Legion Park. These changes will be in place for the Nov. 7 general election.

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