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CITY, ND – The Barnes County Commission approved a request by the Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation to begin the process of using ,000 in economic development money to assist in the construction of the proposed million Valley City Health, Wellness & Physical Education Center.
Barnes County Economic Development Director Jennifer Feist said funds would be sourced from the Barnes County Mill Levy Fund dedicated for economic development.
The request was approved on a 4 to one vote to use $50,000 annual over the next five years for a total of $250,000 pending annual board approval. Rodger Berntson voted against the motion. He believes a number of county residents had no voice or vote on whether or not to accept or reject this project.
Barnes County residents Jack Ertelt and Keith Colville told the commission that funding from the county economic development fund should not be used being county residents didn’t have a chance to vote up or down on this issue.
Here’s Jack Ertelt
Here’s Keith Colville
Meanwhile Valley Development board president Paige Bjornson told the commission that the wellness center will be a positive form of economic development to keep and attract people into the community.
Valley City State University president Tisa Mason told the board that students made a major commitment to support this project during a campus wide vote last year.
Barnes County Commissioner John Froehlich supports the proposed Wellness Center in Valley City.
Meanwhile Jamestown area residents came to hear more about the proposed Two Rivers Activity Center during a public informational meeting on April 21.
Several TRAC Board Members told the public what the new $40 million dollar center would bring to the community and financial costs to build what has been proposed.
Residents asked why the vote was just a city vote and not a countywide vote.
Executive Director of James River Family Fitness Frank Conlin says there is no plan B if the vote to raise a portion of the city sales tax fails in the June 2 special election in Jamestown.
Also on Tuesday, April 21 Minot voters defeated a measure that would have used a portion of the city sales tax to help build an $88 million dollar Wellness Center in the Magic City.