BISMARCK N.D.
Legislators have approved changes in the financing of repair projects at Minot State University and the North Dakota State College of Science.
The Legislature’s Budget Section, which met at the Capitol Wednesday, agreed to allow Minot State to shift $44,500 from its deferred maintenance fund to replace the floor at the Minot State Dome.
The floor is in such poor shape that indoor track meets are no longer held in the building for safety reasons. The 2007 Legislature set aside $387,000 to replace the floor, but when the project was advertised for bids, the lowest was $431,500.
Members of the Budget Section said Wednesday that rebidding the project would not result in a lower price.
Rep. Matt Klein, R-Minot, said he had advised college officials to seek permission to use deferred-maintenance money to make up the gap. Sen. Bill Bowman, R-Bowman, agreed with the idea.
“I don’t like to see them spend more money than what they have to … but that is a facility that can generate wealth, not take wealth,” Bowman said, referring to the dome’s capacity for hosting events. “Any time you have a floor that doesn’t have the ability to do what it is supposed to do, it is costing you money.”
