The Bismarck City Commission covered a wide range of topics on its agenda this week.

SWAT team vehicle

Bismarck Police Chief Keith Witt was given permission to jointly a purchase a Lenco BearCat vehicle through the General Services Administration 1122 Counterdrug Procurement Program with the city of Minot.

Regional Homeland Security funds will be pooled to pay for the vehicle. It will be used by the West Dakota SWAT team.

The vehicle will be able to respond to emergency situations in the western part of the state. Another has been purchased for eastern North Dakota.

Details of memorandum of understanding are still being negotiated with Minot.

"The worst-case scenario would be somebody who shoots somebody - a citizen, a family member or a police officer. It's how you get there to get them out safely," Witt said. "A vehicle such as this allows you an easy means to drive out there and protect the person on the ground, drag them in and get them out of there."

Witt said another use could be if someone were barricaded in an isolated area the edge of town, the vehicle could provide the safest access.

Cost of the vehicle is $256,643. Bismarck's share of the Homeland Security Grant will pay half.

Renaissance and

CORE projects

Two Bismarck companies benefited from Renaissance Zone and Community Opportunities and Revitalization Efforts Incentive Funding projects this week at the Bismarck City Commission.

Broadway Floral of Hearts at 411 Broadway Ave. was awarded a signage grant through the CORE program.

It will receive a 50 percent reimbursement grant for its new $4,845 sign.

Magi-Touch Carpet and Furniture at 800 E. Sweet Ave. benefited from two grant sources Tuesday.

It will receive $68,000 property tax exemptions over five years and an estimated $485,000 state income tax exemption over five years for its investment as part of a Renaissance Zone project.

The business must still pay land value taxes.

The $2.14 million expansion will add 11,732 square feet in new retail and office space to Magi-Touch.

Magi-Touch also received a CORE grant for a facade improvement project involving new masonry walls with supporting foundation for the 30-year-old building. The south facade will cost $160,000 and the west facade is an estimated $18,000.

It will receive a $25,000 incentive grant in reimbursement for the total facelift.

Jason Tomanek of the Bismarck Planning Department explained the CORE program offers two incentives. A signage project can receive up to $3,000 reimbursement for half of a project. A facade project can receive up to $25,000 in repayment. Completion of projects is confirmed before a business is reimbursed.

Joint county meeting

The Burleigh County Commission and the Burleigh County Water Resource District will hold a joint working session on flood-related issues at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the City/County Building.

Objectives of the meeting are to:

n Inform, educate and update Burleigh commission ers and the Burleigh Water Resource Commission on ongoing issues.

n Increase awareness of flood issues that can be addressed efficiently and effectively.

Burleigh County Engineer Marcus Hall and Michael Gunsch of Houston Engineering Inc. will give presentations on the issues.

No action will be taken. The assembly is open to the public, but it is not a forum.

Board vacancies

The Burleigh County Commission is seeking applicants for one unexpired five-year term for the Burleigh County Board of Health and one six-year unexpired term for the Burleigh County Special Assessment Commission. Deadline for applications is June 10.

A short job description for each auxiliary board and the required auxiliary board application form are available on the Burleigh County Web site at www.co.burleigh.nd.us, or you may contact Auditor-Treasurer Kevin Glatt at 222-6695.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@bismarcktribune.com.)