Williston City Manager Scott Lippmann served in a dual role as city clerk Tuesday. He is seen here with City Attorney Fred Koberlein on the left.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
The Williston City Council authorized its utilities director Tuesday to offer a contract to the biggest natural gas customer the city utility has ever served.
Freddy Bell, a well-known local farmer, is the future customer. Assuming Bell signs on the dotted line, sales of natural gas to B&G would give the city a projected profit of $105,000 at the end of the first year.
“This is a very, very significant customer for our gas system,” said Utilities Director C.J. Zimoski.
Council members gave him the okay to offer a contract to Bell.
Williston Peanut is currently the city’s biggest natural gas customer.
“If connected, B&G Seed Processing would be the largest consumer of natural gas in the system with 2-3 times the demand of Williston Peanut, our largest current customer,” the council agenda packet said.
Zimoski said Bell has tentatively agreed to pay $62,025 of the $75,212 to connect to his farm operation to city natural gas.
The city has been asking Bell for several years to consider connecting his seed drying facility to city gas. City staff approached Bell a few weeks ago with a standard proposal. Bell was interested. The natural gas line the city extended to Williston Peanut runs close enough to hook B&G Seed Processing to the system.
Based on calculations, Bell’s consumption of natural gas would reduce the time needed to recover the cost of the city natural gas line on State Road 121 from 10-plus years to approximately five years.
Staff highly recommended entering into a formal agreement with B&G Seed Processors to install the equipment needed to convert B&G from propane to the city Natural Gas System. This includes conversion of current equipment.
Williston operates a municipal electric utility, natural gas utility as well as water and sewer utilities.
Sidewalk Guidance
City Manager Scott Lippmann asked council members to send him emails giving their ideas on how to develop a consistent policy for building sidewalks in the city.
Lippmann found out recently, much to his surprise, that the city’s Land Development Regulations don’t require sidewalks unless the city council decides there’s a safety issue.
“Frankly that was a surprise to me,” Lippmann said. “What kind of policy do we need for sidewalks?”
City Planner Jackie Gorman was the employee who discovered there was no requirement for sidewalks unless the city council found a safety issue.
One member of the media questioned how the public would know what the council members were thinking and if they are sending emails to the city manager offering their opinions.
Council President Nancy Wininger said the council would merely offer ideas to the city manager and he will take those ideas and boil them down to recommendations for a sidewalk policy for the full council to discuss. He said Lippmann won’t be sharing information between council members.
Lippmann said he is just looking for ideas at this point.
“I just want to get you guys (the council) thinking about this; at this point we don’t have a clear path,” Lippmann said.
Lippmann was asked by another media member who would pay the cost of installing a sidewalk in the future. He said he doesn’t know at this point but the topic would probably surface when the full council discussed sidewalk policy.
Former Mayor Gerald Hethcoat said the council should put a stop to the practice of removing damaged sidewalks instead of repairing or replacing them. For many years, he said, the city has been tearing out damaged sidewalks.
30 Acre Bronson Property
Mayor Jerry Robinson suggested the city sell a 30 acre piece of property near Bronson that’s out in the middle of nowhere and use the proceeds to retire some of the debt on City Hall.
“It’s out there in the boondocks,” Robinson said.
The property was donated by Dr. Donald McCoy’s father many years ago and has never been used for anything.
Lippmann said he has heard the property may have been given to the city in support of the hospital, but he said he would have to research any deed restrictions.
“How is it going to help the hospital if it’s out there?” said Councilwoman Marguerite Robinson.
The consensus of the council appeared to be that the property should be put on the market. Lippmann said he and Zimoski drove to the property and found it consisted of deep, loose sand.
Zimoski almost got stuck in his four wheel drive truck.
Finding Replacement Clerk
Lippmann was serving as city manager and city clerk at the meeting, which wasn’t easy.
The council hasn’t hired a replacement for former clerk Fran Taylor. The interim clerk, Latricia Wright, was asked not to attend the meeting because she is one of the applicants.
“Can we please get a city clerk,” Lippmann quipped as he prepared to start taking the minutes.
Council members weren’t prepared to engage in a detailed discussion about the clerk nor were they ready to further narrow the list of applicants as part of the selection process.
The board agreed to meet in a workshop at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23 to narrow the list of candidates. The ultimate goal is to reduce the list of applicants to a manageable number that can be interviewed by the council.
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City of Williston Regular Meeting July 16, 2019; Posted July 16, 2019
