JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Stutsman County Commission has given Sheriff Chad Kaiser the approval to begin bidding for a proposed building for storage and use.

Sheriff Kaiser informed the commission earlier this year they would request American Rescue Plan Spending (ARPA) to build and use it to house the department’s equipment after being pushed out of the National Guard Building.

Sheriff Kaiser says they could also use it for a temporary dispatch if there was need and he had worked with Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking on that portion.

Darin Peterka with Interstate Engineering estimates the project between $1.3 to $1.5 million at this time. Peterka informed the commission that cost of lumber, cement, and other supplies are up about 30%, echoing the issues many other developers and projects are facing nationwide.

The building is being proposed near the Game & Fish Department Offices, which Sheriff Kaiser says provides a high-visibility area to prevent any theft or vandalism.

Sheriff Kaiser says specifications are completed and he requested letting out for bids to get actual cost estimates for the project.

Commissioner Steve Cichos stated they should field all requests from county entities who are requesting ARPA funding for use before moving forward with the project. No motion was made.

In other commission business, Human Resources Director Shannon Larson requested advertising for the Road Superintendent Position after Mickey Nenow announced his retirement date of May 28th.

Commission Chair Mark Klose says in talks with Nenow, it’s believed there may be some internal candidates for the position. He added they could go that route before deciding if they should post the position for external hires.

Larson added there’s hope someone could cross-train with Nenow before he retires. The commission unanimously approved for internal advertisement for five days.

County Auditor and COO Jessica Alonge informed the commission of their update working with the city of Medina to establish a physical polling location for the 2022 Primary Election in June.

The decision was previously tabled so residents could find a location and the necessary connections to conduct polling with the new machines.

The commission approved to have the American Legion building in Medina as a physical polling location for just the Primary Election. Alonge added they can add the fall if everything goes smoothly this summer.

You can watch the full Stutsman County Commission meeting below: