City formulating plan to get rid of unclaimed vehicles in impound

Last month, commissioners discussed how to clear the impound lot, which is full of nuisance and abandoned vehicles. City attorney Travis Peterson conducted research on the matter and came to the conclusion that the current city ordinance is not consistent with state law.

As a result, Peterson recommended that the city proceed by following the state law that directs the process for disposal of abandoned vehicles.

According to Chapter 23.1-15 of the North Dakota Century Code, if an abandoned vehicle is more than seven model years old, is lacking vital components, AND lacking current license plates, the city can immediately take the vehicle to a scrap yard for processing.

Vehicles that do not meet the above criteria must be held a bit longer, however. The city must provide notice to the owner, lienholder or secured party within 10 days of taking the vehicle, notifying them that the city is in possession of the property and intends to sell it. The owner or lienholder then has 30 days to claim the vehicle upon payment of towing, storage and publication costs.

If the vehicle is not claimed, the city can sell it and retain proceeds to recoup towing, storage and publication costs. The remaining funds from the sale would then be turned into the state’s abandoned property fund.

As some of the vehicles were taken due to nuisance, Peterson said that he will continue to research and work on proposed changes to the city ordinances to at least reflect state law.

The slough of ordinance changes, first read at the November meeting, were reviewed for a second time. With no changes requested by commissioners, the slate of changes was approved. Any changes that affect penalty clauses will be published in a future edition of the Transcript, and will be effective upon publication.

A company offering garbage collection and recycling services gave a short presentation. Ralph Friebel, co-owner of Recycle North Dakota, said his company provides automated collection services via side load or front load trucks, which are equipped with RFID and surveillance cameras. The company has a recycling contract with the City of Jamestown and collects both garbage and recyclables in Edgeley, a small community 60 miles south of Jamestown.

The city’s contract with Waste Management is effective until October 1, 2022. The company’s rep, Paul Kalibabky, was also present. He noted that Waste Management also offers recycling services, and said he would prepare a proposal if requested. The city must give a three-month notice of non-renewal should they decide to contract with another company.

City Auditor Becki Schumacher said she has gotten several requests to allow residents to use ACH, or automated clearinghouse, to pay their utility bills. Schumacher outlined the costs with commissioners, including $995 to purchase a module in her billing software that would allow her to process ACH payments. There is also a $195 annual service contract for the software. In addition, the bank charges $25 per month and 10 cents per transaction.

The key benefit to the city would be getting paid on time, Schumacher noted. For the residents, the benefit is convenience. As for the auditor, she might save time processing payments.

Commissioner Belquist asked her to look into direct deposit as well, for paychecks. The matter will be brought back to the commission in January.

Resident Corrina Pierce approached the commission about a parking issue. Her neighbors are blocking her driveway with their vehicles. She is concerned that should she have an emergency, she will not be able to get out of her driveway.

As city attorney Peterson explained, the New Rockford city ordinance prohibits parking in front of public or private driveways. Peterson and the commissioners urged her to contact the sheriff’s office and report violations, then document both the violation and her contact with officers.

“I’m trying to take care of it myself,” Pierce said, adding that she doesn’t want to call the police for minor issues.

“That is your recourse,” Peterson said. “The only way (the officers) may know about it is if you call them. They must witness the violation.”

The sewer fund is low, as the system has required a bit of maintenance and repair over the past few years. In January, commissioners will consider a proposal to raise rates to shore up the fund. The preliminary proposal calls for a $1 increase per user added to the monthly base rate, then another incremental increase for properties with greater usage.

Commissioner Belquist outlined a proposal for 2022 staff wages. His recommendations were based on evaluations conducted by the auditor and public works superintendent, as well as commissioners’ evaluations of the supervisors. Raises ranged from three percent to more than five percent, with larger increases going to the staff members who are now responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the Brown Memorial. Each employee also received Chamber bucks as a Christmas gift, $200 per full-time, and $100 per part-time employee.

The next meeting is set for Monday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.