With continued development in the southeast and northwest portions of Mandan the community is experiencing growing pains as it attempts to meet the needs of those residential and commercial endeavors.

"Very preliminary" plans are in the works for a combination fire station and public works facility, according to Mandan City Administrator Jim Neubauer.

"We're in the 'let's take a look and see what we can do' stage," Neubauer said. "As the southeast continues to grow and the 'Strip' (Memorial Highway) develops, emergency response (time) needs to be kept to a minimum. We know there is a need for a fire station in the southeast. Insurance rates may be affected by the nearness of a fire station, but what's important is how quickly we can get first-responders to emergency calls."

Mandan Fire Chief James Nardello concurs with Neubauer's assessment that the primary reason for a facility in the southeast is reducing response times.

"Our present station is located in the center of town, while the city continues to grow to the southeast and northwest," Nardello said, admitting that some day the city probably will have to look at a facility in the northwest for response as growth continues.

The city is looking at developing six-plus acres it owns just south of Memorial Highway near Dakotah Centennial Park. The city commission budgeted some money for the purchase of additional property in the area and for design plans. Nardello put about $600,000 in his budget for a building.

Moving the city's public works facility from its present location in south Mandan, near the softball-baseball complex, also is a big part of the preliminary plan, Neubauer notes. The public works facility is an older building, located in the midst of a residential and recreational area and generally considered an eyesore and sometimes a nuisance.

"I'm sure the people living in that area wouldn't mind seeing it moved, particularly in the winter with all the noise the machinery used for snow removal makes at an early morning hour," Neubauer said. "There are also the problems with having to store the huge sand piles, which create some drainage problems in the spring and summer. Most of our equipment has to stand outside, which ages it quicker than if it were protected inside."

The envisioned fire-public works building includes a fire station with bays for vehicles and living quarters for personnel and a public works office with a large maintenance and storage addition. The two facilities will be joined by a reception area that will include a conference room to be used by both fire and public works. There is additional room on the property for more cold storage buildings and for a facility to mix the salt and sand for winter use.

The buildings aren't a problem, according to Neubauer, staffing the fire station is.

The city commission added a new full-time position in 2004 and budgeted for another in 2005. Currently, the fire department has six full-time staff - another full- time position to be added this year to bring the number to seven - along with the chief and 30 volunteers. To staff the new fire station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Neubauer calculates it will take at least five or six full-time people.

"To fully staff the station, we'd need four firefighters per shift with three shifts, this would also provide for vacations, so that would be a total of 12 people," Nardello said. "How we're going to achieve this, well, we're still studying and researching it. I'd like to see the new fire station constructed within the next year."

Nardello is considering using the two most recent hires and perhaps another full- time position to staff the new station, and is developing options to fill the other slots.

The downtown station will remain open because it provides fire and medical reponse. This is particularly important, Neubauer explains, since residents in the downtown area tend to be senior citizens who rely on the medical response the station provides with its rescue truck.

Equipping the new station won't be a problem, adds the fire chief. The city will just place equipment it already has at the facility.

What concerns Neubauer and the city commission is that they develop a project that is adequate not only now, but 40 to 50 years down the line.

"We don't want to build this now and find out, five or 10 years down the line, it isn't what we need and then have to come up with something else," Neubauer said.

The city is studying its growth numbers. Neubauer notes that in the 2000 census Mandan became North Dakota's fifth-largest city, leapfrogging Williston and Dickinson since 1990. "We were one of the few counties that actually grew in the '90s. But it appears we'll drop to sixth in the next census with the tremendous growth West Fargo is showing."

In 2002, Mandan issued permits for 84 new single-family homes. In 2003, the number jumped to 105 and, this year, there were 105 permits issued through the end of November. "We'll likely surpass the 2003 numbers. It's been good steady growth," Neubauer said.

Hopes are the increased tax base from development will offset a need to raise taxes for the increased services demanded by the growth.

"Since Ken LaMont was elected mayor, we've been directed to keep taxes at 115 mills. We've seen some increase in taxes because of increases in property valuations," Neubauer said.

The average cost of a home in Mandan in 2000 was in the $100,000 range, Neubauer said. This year, the average is about $189,000. He said the jump can be attributed to the type of homes being built in the southeast part of town.

"These are some very nice homes. Just the other day we received a permit for a $900,000 home and another for $1.2 million. The homes in the northwest part of town have been more moderately priced," Neubauer said.

"It's important that we have the more moderately priced starter homes," Neubauer said. "The people who buy and live in these are usually younger families. It's important that we try and keep them here."