By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                A sawmill ordered by the previous Williston utilities director and deputy city manager was declared surplus and ordered sold Tuesday by the city council, but City Manager Jackie Gorman’s request to use money from the sale to replace doors on the city barn was shelved for now.

            City Council President Debra Jones said Gorman’s request to use the $12,600 from the sawmill sale plus an additional $5,065 to replace three doors on the city barn wasn’t on the agenda and couldn’t be heard. Jones didn’t rule out Gorman bringing the request back later as an agenda item.

            The sawmill was purchased by the council last November at the request of former City Utilities Director and Deputy City Manager C.J. Zimoski for the purpose of reducing costs when performing concrete formwork and for replacing decking on walls, but Zimoski abruptly resigned on May 13 and the sawmill was never removed from its shrink wrapping.

            Gorman made a request that went well beyond declaring the sawmill surplus and getting quotes from buyers. She said the city also had ordered two interior doors for the fire department that arrived painted the wrong color and two feet shorter than was needed. Actually, she said three doors were received rather than two and all were the wrong size and color.

            The city manager said she wanted to install the three doors on the city barn rather than ship them back to the supplier. She said an additional $5,065 was needed to install the doors on the city barn. She said the doors have long been needed and would make the barn more secure.

            “We have new public works management now that says no way do we need that (sawmill). That’s why we’re bringing it to you. Our budget is tight and we need to do the best with what we have,” Gorman said. “That (city barn) has not been secure for a long time and it is dangerous for our workers, so I’d rather take the money from the sawmill and do that and make our security better than have the sawmill, and public works management agrees.” 

            Gorman said she also wants to increase the loan for renovating the second floor of the police department from $75,000 to $100,000 and use the money to add five doors to the fire department and complete the entire public safety building, which includes fire and police.

            “We should have thought about that when we talked renovations. I was focused on the police department but that didn’t come up,” she said. “So when all this came up we started talking about it and said we need to get this done and make it right while we have the opportunity.”

            Jones said the council hasn’t approved the increase in the loan and Gorman’s request would have to be brought back to the council.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting June 22, 2021; Posted June 24, 2021