The city of Dickinson will soon be one big "hotspot" for city employees.
The Dickinson City Commission entered into an agreement to receive free wireless internet service from New Extend America, a Bismarck company that seeks to provide Wi-Fi service for residents and business in Dickinson, at its regular meeting Monday.
New EA will utilize city owned light poles to affix its antennas and will provide free service to the city in exchange for their use.
Former Bismarck mayor, Bill Sorenson spoke on behalf of New EA and filled the commission in on the technology that would be used.
"We think this has the potential to really change small town and rural America," Sorenson said.
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The technology has had successful tests in Silicon Valley, Sorenson said, as well as 22 foreign countries.
Dickinson's public works, engineering, public safety, information technology departments and any of their employees will be able to use the network once it goes live throughout the city free of charge.
New EA also plans to provide the service to interested businesses and residents for a monthly fee.
Also on the agenda, city engineer Shawn Soehren provided the commission with an update on what money the city can plan on receiving from the economic stimulus package recently passed by Congress.
"It looks like the city is going to receive $1.3 million in the stimulus funds," Soehren said. "Right now with our design efforts we are going to have about $1.38 million ready and obligated..."
Soehren said 50 percent of the funds need to be obligated in 120 days and the remainder within 365 days, but they will have enough designed by that time to have 100 percent obligated.
"We do have an additional $2.3 million ready that we could have in the 365 days if they open up any of those funds," Soehren said.
The commission was also provided with an update on the Badlands Activity Center project.
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Following the presentation the commission amended the 2009 budget to allow for a $1.8 million payment to be paid to the Dickinson State University Foundation for the project, instead of the originally budgeted $1.5 million.
Due to robust sales tax revenue in 2008 the commission determined it would be better for the city's various funds to make a larger payment in 2009 to lower the obligation in the future.
"I think it's fairly safe to say that the revenues that we experienced in 2008, we're likely to see declines from that for awhile," Major Dennis Johnson said, adding that even if the revenues fell to say 2005 levels, "we would still be in a cash positive position at the end of 2013.
Johnson did say that if the city experiences revenues less than 2005 there have been discussions with DSU and payments could be extended past 2013.
In other business:
* Dickinson Brownie Troop No. 86109 presented a petition to the commission regarding recycling. The troop urged the commission to subsidize or offer financial incentives for any processing recyclable materials.
* The city entered into agreements with Dakota Cab and Eldercare to provide public transportation for the residents of Dickinson.
* The approval of a city ordinance that requires servers to score a 72 percent on the alcoholic beverage server training test.
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* First reading of a city parking ordinance, which would put a 48 hour limit on parking in city lots.
* Approval of an engineering services agreement between the city and Kadrmas Lee & Jackson for the city's 2009 Mill and Overlay project.
* Approval of a water rate increase of five cents per 1,000 gallons. City public works manager for water and sewer, Skip Rapp said the change would amount to around 35 cents a month for the average family.
* City Administrator Shawn Kessel informed the commission he would be traveling to Bismarck today to testify against House Bill 1068, which would institute a sales tax exemption for clothing.
