Jamestown parks commission to make decision to sell administrative, shop building

Masaki Ova / The Jamestown Sun By Masaki Ova Today at 6:25 AM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission will make a decision on selling its administrative and shop building at a future meeting. Amy Walters, executive director of the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District, told the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday, Nov. 9, that the district has received three inquiries for the bid specifications for the administrative and shop building located at 1002 2nd Ave. SE. ADVERTISEMENT “One entity came down and toured the property,” she said. The Jamestown Parks and Recreation District will hold a public bid opening on Monday, Nov. 16, for the administrative and shop building. At its meeting in October, the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission declared the administrative and shop building as surplus property and authorized the advertisement for bids to purchase the building. If we're looking at bids, we (will) know if it's in line with what the property is valued at. Amy Walters, executive director, Jamestown Parks and Recreation District, referring to a commercial real estate appraiser who will appraise the district's administrative and shop building The Jamestown Parks and Recreation District is also exploring selling its property at Feton Park located at 4th Avenue and 8th Street Northeast and Little Meidinger Park, which includes six lots, along 16th Avenue and 15th Street Southwest A comprehensive planning process indicated that the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District has $33 million in deferred maintenance, The Jamestown Sun reported in February. The planning process also identified that the district has more than the recommended acres of green space per resident. Walters said the district contracted with a commercial real estate appraiser to appraise the administrative and shop building. “If we're looking at bids, we (will) know if it's in line with what the property is valued at,” she said. ADVERTISEMENT Walters said she toured one property and will tour another property this week to see if the locations would be suitable for the district’s administrative office and shop if the existing facility was sold. “Both of those property owners have expressed interest in selling but have requested confidentiality until we get further on into the process,” she said. “I think they're both very viable.” District’s attorney working on sales tax MOU The Jamestown Parks and Recreation District’s attorney is working on the language for the sales tax memorandum of understanding between the city and the district. The Jamestown City Council tabled a resolution to approve the sales tax memorandum of understanding at its meeting on Nov. 2. Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Harty said one item that needs more clarification includes getting Jamestown City Council approval if the Parks and Recreation Commission makes changes to the district’s capital improvement plan. “I think that's really probably the biggest sticking point right now is essentially the city's ability to veto the park district's capital improvement plan,” Walters said, referring to what needs to be reviewed and clarified. If the Jamestown City Council approves a proposed amendment to the city of Jamestown sales and use tax ordinance, the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District and the city of Jamestown would have a 50-50 split on a new 1.5% sales tax. The city of Jamestown and the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District would each receive a 0.75% sales tax with the 50-50 split. ADVERTISEMENT The Jamestown City Council wants to use the sales tax revenue for infrastructure projects or other projects that benefit the city. The Jamestown Parks and Recreation District wants to use the sales tax revenue to fund construction, operation and maintenance of projects in its capital improvement plan that focuses on constructing new facilities or renovating existing ones. The estimated cost of the projects is about $95.3 million in the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District's capital improvement plan. The new 1.5% sales tax would occur after the bond for the Two Rivers Activity Center is expected to be paid off in the third or fourth quarter of 2027. Jamestown voters approved the 1% sales tax for the construction of the Two Rivers Activity Center in 2015. The $28.6 million facility opened in 2017. The Jamestown City Council held the first reading on the proposed amendment in August but tabled the second reading in September. The sales tax in Jamestown will be 8% — a 5% state sales tax and a 3% city sales tax — after an amendment to Article VII of Section 25.5 of the Jamestown Code of Ordinances to create the sales tax is approved by the Jamestown City Council. The current sales tax rate in Jamestown is 7.5% — a 5% state sales tax and 2.5% city sales tax. Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags JAMESTOWN STUTSMAN COUNTY JAMESTOWN PARKS AND RECREATION GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS By Masaki Ova Masaki Ova joined The Jamestown Sun in August 2021 as a reporter. He grew up on a farm near Pingree, N.D. He majored in communications at the University of Jamestown, N.D. 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