3:44 p.m. - Bismarck and Burleigh County commissioners spent some time together Tuesday discussing some common issues and making plans to meet again before the summer ends.

The Northern Plains Commerce Centre topped the short agenda and Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson project engineer Brian Eiseman gave the commissioners an update on the Bismarck-sponsored transloading-multi-modal transportation facility.

"We're proceeding quite rapidly," Eiseman said. "We're 80 percent complete on the master plan for the facility."

Plans are being developed for external components for the center such as roads, utilities and rails. Yegen Road which connects Expressway with Lincoln Road-Airway Avenue will be a major route for NPCC. The county is currently using $300,000 in safety funds to reconstruct Yegen's connection with Expressway.

County Commissioner Claus Lembke noted that Burleigh plans call for designing a standard 24-foot, two-lane paved county road, but questioned whether that would be adequate for the truck traffic expected to be generated by NPCC. Eiseman said NPCC plans call for the road to be widened to either 36 feet or 48 feet and is looking at it being concrete pavement.

"We anticipate the county will construct what they can and the NPCC would help with the rest," Eiseman said.

Bismarck Commissioner Sandi Tabor added the city will probably recommend the center bear the additional costs with road reconstruction,

"I think the county should be somewhat obligated to do something more, we'll benefit from the growth provided by the center, too," Lembke said. "I'll advocate that we'll try to do a little more than $300,000. We're all looking for fairness and we can probably do a little more."

Eiseman said the NPCC would like to be ready for utility project bids in 30 days and road improvements by late July. Bobcat is expected to start construction on its 100,000-square-foot manufacturing support center this year and Eiseman expects the Montana-Dakota Utilities -sponsored administration building also to be built. Plans for a large MDU-sponsored warehouse may be put on hold with indications a larger building will be needed.

"We're waiting on the logistics' consultant, UPS (United Parcel Service), since it appears there is a greater demand for the NPCC than anticipated. The warehouse may be undersized and could get larger, so that's why it's being scheduled a little further out," Eiseman said.

Eventually, Airway Avenue, running through the property on which the NPCC is being built, will be vacated, while Morrison Avenue will be extended from 26th Street to Yegen Road and become the major east-west route for traffic.

Commissioners took up the issue of the Missouri Valley Complex, located just east of Bismarck adjacent to Expressway Avenue. Plans are in the works to have the city, county, county park board and the Bismarck Park District enter into an agreement giving the park district management of the fairgrounds.

Bismarck has hesitated signing the Memorandum of Understanding for management of the complex wanting a review of the proposed budget each year. Bismarck is being asked to commit $25,000 to the complex each of the next three years. Burleigh is providing $270,000 for the complex, but Burleigh Commissioner Marlan Haakenson also has wanted language in the agreement spelling out review of the budget.

City attorney Charlie Whitman explained that the commissions' problems with the agreements was that it is in fact two separate agreements. One for management of the complex with the Park District and the other a joint powers agreement which binds the four jurisdictions together as the complex authority.

"What you should be doing is entering into management with the Park District and amend the joint powers agreement to include the contributions," Whitman said.

Mayor John Warford asked whether they could expect to see any developments at the fairgrounds this year?

County Commissioner Scott Johnson, who chairs the complex authority, said they've received several requests including the building of an indoor pistol-rifle range, expansion of the motocross facility, expansion of the 4-H facility and a grandstand. He pointed out permission has been given to hold a four-day concert at the fairgrounds, formerly held as Party in the Pasture. The concert's promoter has promised to clean up the fairgrounds in exchange for permission to hold the concert which should save the authority an estimated $10,000.

Commissioners also briefly touched on the combined communications contract existing between Bismarck and Burleigh. City Commissioner Bryce Hill recommended ending the contract saying it had done what it had set out to do.

But county commissioners said they were surprised by the recommendation and wanted more time to study it.

The commissioners tentatively set 3:30 p.m. Aug. 30 for their next meeting. Among some of the items expected to be on the agenda are: the preservation of the existing Liberty Memorial Bridge, due for demolition when the new Liberty Memorial Bridge is completed in 2007; the combined communications contract; and fringe roads and community growth.

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