Defending Richland and Wilkin counties July 16th, 2015

Letters to Editor OHB - Oxbow Hickson Bakke Richland Wilkin JPA Wahpeton Breckenridge Daily News

Richland-Wilkin Joint Powers Authority
Original Publication Date:
July 21, 2015

Wahpeton Daily News
Republished with permission from:
Trana Rogne, Kindred, ND

Two homes bordering the City of Oxbow were recently bought out by the Cass County Joint Water Resource District (CCJWRD) as part of the FM Diversion. The properties are similar in that both are upscale residences on the Red River; both adjoin the City of Oxbow; both are outside the proposed ring dike and neither would need to be moved or demolished for construction of the ring dike.

The Kaspari residence at 17495 52nd ST. SE, Hickson, adjoins the south side of Oxbow, includes twenty acres and has a taxed assessed value of $476,800.00. This property was bought out in April by the CCJWRD for $785,747.00 which is 165% of assessed value.

The Bartram residence, 5059 Makenzie Circle, adjoins the north side of Oxbow, sits on twelve acres and has a taxed assessed value of $553,300.00. This assessment value was recently adjusted in 2014. The Bartram property was bought out in May by the CCJWRD for $2,698,226.00. This buyout was 488% of assessed value.

Click Image for Large View
Click Image for Large View

Kevin Bartram, who received the 488% buyout, has been privately represented on multiple cases by attorney Erik Johnson for nearly twenty years. Erik Johnson, of Erik Johnson and Associates, is also the City Attorney for the City of Fargo, a member of the FM Diversion Authority. Mr. Johnson and his firm also act as the FM Diversion Authority attorney and have received over $300,000.00 in attorney fees from the Diversion Authority. Erik Johnson and Associates has also represented the Cass County Joint Water Resource District on Diversion Authority law suits. The Cass County Joint Water Resource District is the FM Diversion Authority entity that gave Bartram the 488% buyout.

Erik Johnson and Associates is located at 505 Broadway N. Suite #206, in the old Ford assembly building, now an upscale office building owned by: Kevin Bartram. In Suite #207, next door to Erik Johnson, at 505 N. Broadway, and also renting from Kevin Bartram, is attorney Joseph Turman the Oxbow City Attorney. One month before Bartram got his 488% buyout, the City of Oxbow annexed Bartram’s property. Oxbow has a contract, a memorandum of understanding, with the Diversion Authority that provides for super generous buyouts for its residents. Erik Johnson was one of the attorneys involved in the creation of that contract.

Down the hall at 505 Broadway N. in Suite #201 are the offices of Mutchler Bartram Architects, Pc. and MBA Development Company, companies wholly owned by Kevin Bartram. Kevin or his companies are slated to be the construction manager for the new multimillion dollar club house for the Oxbow Golf Course and Country Club.

Kaspari got a 165% buyout, Bartram 488%. Draw your own conclusions.

Trana Rogne
Kindred, North Dakota
July 15, 2015

Views: 1050

3 thoughts on “Defending Richland and Wilkin counties July 16th, 2015

  1. Perfect example of the corruption and lavish spending of the (dis) authorities! Wake up people and look around for there are many similar spending habits of tax payer money.

  2. Anyone curious as me into why Division Authority has purchased and owns hundreds of acres west and north of West Fargo? What was the purchase? How was it paid for? What farm operators and income are involved? What is their long term intention?

  3. This is disgusting, unethical, dishonest, greedy, sickening, ABNORMAL,and beyond comprehending the minds of there people..

    Deception and the devils work first hand.

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