Grant County Commission Proceedings

      March 17, 2020

The Grant County Commission met at 8 AM with Commissioners Buttke, Mach, Stengel, Street and Tostenson. Chairman Mach called the meeting to order. Motion by Stengel and seconded by Buttke to approve the minutes of the March 3, 2020 meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Minutes filed. Motion by Buttke and seconded by Street to approve the agenda as presented.  Motion carried 5-0. 

Members of the public present were Ben Wollschlager, Darwin Johnson, Raynelle Mueller, Jim DeVaal, Tom Zych, James Zych, Tim Carlsgaard, Bobbie Bohlen and John Schwagel.  

The Auditor’s Account with the Treasurer for the month of February was noted.

AUDITOR’S ACCOUNT WITH THE COUNTY TREASURER

To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners, Grant County:

I hereby submit the following report of my examination of the cash and cash items in the hands of the County Treasurer of the County of Grant as of the last day of February, 2020.

Cash on Hand, $3,795.25 

Checks in Treasurer’s possession less than 3 days, $41,993.89 

Cash Items, $0.00 

TOTAL CASH ASSETS ON HAND

$45,789.14 

RECONCILED CHECKING First Bank & Trust, $2,385.23; Interest, $0.00; Credit Card Transactions/TIF Fee, $1,250.96; First Bank & Trust (Svgs), $5,411,196.00. 

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT First Bank & Trust, $0.00; First Bank & Trust (TIF), $0.00. 

TOTAL CASH ASSETS

$5,460,621.33  

GENERAL LEDGER CASH

BALANCES:

General, $1,822,688.61; General restricted cash, $1,500,000.00; Cash Accounts for Offices General Fund, $605.00; Sp. Revenue, $1,276,963.36; Sp. Revenue restricted cash, $0.00; Henze Road District, $0.00; TIF Apportioning Northern Lights, $0.00; TIF Milbank, $0.00; TIF Northern Lights, $0.00; Special assessment Land Rent, $0.00;  Trust & Agency, $860,364.36; (schools 264,846.01, twps 15,387.35, city/town 41,829.64)

TOTAL GENERAL LEDGER CASH

$5,460,621.33 

Dated this 6th day of March, 2020

Karen M. Layher

County Auditor

The Register of Deeds fees for the month of February were $5,794.00, the Clerk of Courts fees for the month of February were $18,626.36 and the Sheriff Fees for the month of February were $4,520.23 with $3,478.23 receipted into the General Fund. 

The Chairman called for public comment. No member of the public present addressed the Commission. 

Drainage: Chairman Mach adjourned the Board of Commissioners and convened the commission acting as the Drainage Board. The Drainage Officer presented the following permits.

Drainage Permit DR 2020-01 by Darwin Johnson in the NE1/4 and SE 1/4 in 31-118-50 (Troy Township). The request, if granted, would provide for the erosion control through settlement dams. The project drains to the north and the outlet is in the blue line.  No comments offered by the public or the applicant. Commissioner Street reported he had been on site to look at the project with no issues to report. Motion by Street and seconded by Buttke to approve the permit DR 2020-01 as presented. Motion carried 5-0.  

Drainage Officer Krista Atyeo-Gortmaker presented an overview of the timeline and information collected on the Wollschlager/Mueller cleanout of the drainage run in Section 29 of Big Stone Township. The Drainage Officer advised the Board no action is recommended as this is a clean out of a drainage run and does not require a permit. Raynelle Mueller asked to address the Board and reiterated their land has a wetland determination and is a wildlife protection area and was told the run could not be cleaned. Ben Wollschlager, Tom Zych and James Zych all addressed the Board with obtaining a 404 no permit needed from the Corps that does allow a run to be maintained. The Board advised those present to work together to address the issue of cleaning out the run or the other option is to file in Circuit Court.    

This concluded the business for the Drainage Board. Chairman Mach adjourned the Drainage Board and reconvened the Board of Commissioners. 

X-cel Energy: Present was Tim Carlsgaard who updated the Commission on the Dakota Range wind farm project now owned by X-cel Energy. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2021.  

Highway: A discussion was held on the size of culverts the township is responsible to maintain.  As per state statute a culvert diameter of 48” and smaller is the responsibility of the township, including maintenance of clearing debris. 

BIDS FOR FUEL

2/03, UPI, 2.02 (Ethanol), 2.460 (Diesel #2); Cenex, 2.22 (Ethanol), 2.375 (Diesel #2); UPI was the low bidder for Ethanol at 2.02 and Cenex was the low bidder for a blend of Diesel 1 and 2 at 2.375.

02/10, UPI, 2.37 (Diesel #2); Cenex, 2.375 (Diesel #2); UPI was the low bidder for a blend of Diesel 1 and 2 at 2.37.

02/14, UPI, 2.28 (Diesel #2); Cenex, 2.375 (Diesel #2); UPI was the low bidder for Ethanol at 2.28.

02/20, UPI, 2.175 (Ethanol), 2.28 (Diesel #2); Cenex, 2.22 (Ethanol), 2.275 (Diesel #2); UPI was the low bidder for Ethanol at 2.175 and Cenex was the low bidder for a blend of Diesel 1 and 2 at 2.275.

Land Lease: The land lease sale was held and the following bids were received:

1. Part of the NW ¼ NW ¼ 33-120-47 (About 15 Acres) Alban Twp. leased to Mielitz Brothers for $600.00.

2. S ½ NE ¼ of 8-120-51 (40 Acres) Mazeppa Twp. The lease will be offered to John Moes, who has leased the land in prior years.

Economic Development: Bobbie Bohlen reported on apartment units being built. Currently, the annual meeting is set for April 30 with the DSU President as keynote speaker.  

Exhibit Building: 4-H Agent Advisor Sara Koepke and Building Committee member John Schwagel were present to discuss the two quotes received for the proposed exhibit building. One quote from Holton Engineering from Sisseton is for general engineering services, surveying services required for the design specification, bid document for construction, construction inspection and contract administration of the project for a cost of $65,000. The other quote is from Malone Engineering to provide mechanical and electrical engineering service at a quote of $18,500. Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to move forward with Holton Engineering for the building of the Exhibit building.  A discussion was held on term length of the contract as it may be a year or longer before the building is ready to be constructed. Chairman Mach called for the vote. Motion failed 0 to 5. Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to invite a representative from Holton Engineering to attend the April 7 Commission meeting to discuss the proposal. Motion carried 5-0.

  Dept Reports: Treasurer Mueller reported she is preparing a letter to property owners on delinquent taxes. The Dept of MV is closed and staff is working from home. No indication on how long this will continue or how it will affect the work load. DOE Kathy Steinlicht reported the assessment notices were mailed out on February 27. The office has had only a few calls concerning assessments. Register of Deeds Becky Wellnitz reported maintenance work is being done by her and her staff on the deeds program to allow a more comprehensive search by names. HB 1097 was passed to lengthen the time frame the marriage license is valid from 20 to 90 days. P & Z Administrator Krista Atyeo-Gortmaker reported four building permits were issued in January and one in February. Also, sixteen building permits for turbines. She reported on SB 157. Auditor Karen Layher reported her office is providing information to the State Auditor for the 2017-2018 audit. 

Ordinance: The first reading of the campground ordinance was done by Auditor Layher reading the title only for Ordinance 2020-01. Motion by Stengel and seconded by Tostenson to set the second reading of Ordinance 2020-01 for campgrounds for April 7 at 9:00 AM. Motion carried 5-0. 

EM: Director Kevin Schuelke reported on the procedures the State Office of EM has in place regarding the COVID-19 crisis.  He stressed the importance of social distancing and sanitation. Also present were Community Health Nurse, Jen Meyer, and ICAP office personnel, Val Van Lith, who reported on the office procedures they have implemented. The County will continue operations, but encourages the public to call, email or use mail to contact county offices.     

Cash Transfers: Motion by Stengel and seconded by Tostenson to approve the cash transfer as per the 2020 budget.  Motion carried 5-0.

FROM TO AMOUNT

101 General, 226 EM Fund, $40,000.00

101 General, 766 Law Library, $4,100.00

Executive Session: Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to enter executive session at 11:35 AM for the purpose of a personnel issue pursuant to SDCL 1-25-2 (1). Motion carried 5-0. Auditor Layher was present. Chairman Mach declared the meeting open at 12:25 PM. Action taken as a result of the executive session. Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to establish the office hours for the Veterans Service Office to 30 hours per week with the office open Monday through Friday for 6 hours per day beginning May 4, 2020. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Street and seconded by Buttke to establish the office hours for the Planning and Zoning Office to 30 hours per week with the office open Monday through Friday for 6 hours per day beginning May 4, 2020. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioner Tostenson excusing himself from the motion.

Unfinished Business: None 

New Business: The 2019 911 Annual report was presented to the Commission. 

Correspondence: Letter received from DENR advising the public of the underground tank removal program.  Application is online through the State of South Dakota website.   

Consent: Motion by Stengel and seconded by Tostenson to approve the consent agenda.  Motion carried 5-0.

1. Approve plat: 2020-08

I hereby certify that the following is a correct copy of the resolution duly passed by the Board of Commissioners of Grant County, South Dakota at a meeting held on the 17th day of March, 2020. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF GRANT COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA, THAT THE PLAT SHOWING LOT 1, JURGENS AND MILBANK AIRPORT ADDITION IN GOVERNMENT LOTS 3 AND 4 ALL IN THE N ½ NW ¼ OF SECTION 3, T120N R48W OF THE 5TH P.M., GRANT COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA, having been examined, is hereby approved in accordance with the provisions of SDCL 11-3, and any amendments thereof. 

Karen M. Layher, County Auditor

Grant County, South Dakota

2. Declare surplus: Sharp CS 1194H calculator, serial number 9D001421; (8) two section Cole Steel File 5 X 8 inch card holders

3. Approve step increase to 1 year at a rate of $17.85 for Deputy Auditor Stephanie Pauli effective 4-1-2020

4. Approve step increase to 6 months at a rate of $22.55 for Deputy Sheriff Ryan Bakeberg effective 3-24-2020

Claims: Motion by Stengel and seconded by Buttke to approve the claims as presented.  Motion carried 5-0. A-OX WELDING, supplies 16.49; ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, supplies 195.07; BERENS, supplies 119.76; BIEN PHARMACY, prisoner RX 23.46; BOB BARKER, supplies 248.05; BORNS GROUP, mailing expense 3,115.71; BUTLER MACHINERY, parts 61.03; CENTER POINT, books 134.23; CENTURYLINK, phones 592.39; CHS, diesel fuel 1,474.20; CITY OF MILBANK, rubbish site 280.00; CITY OF WATERTOWN, 911 surcharge 6,302.09; COLEPAPERS, supplies 247.11; CONSOLIDATED READY MIX, supplies 2,274.38; CRAIG DEBOER, car wash 70.96; DEMCO, supplies 58.77; DEUTSCH PRINTING, periodicals 100.00; FIRST BANK & TRUST, supplies 141.64; FREMAREK, supplies 214.76; FOOD-N-FUEL, inmate meals 661.50; GRANT CO SOIL CONSERVATION, allocation 12,000.00; GRANT-ROBERTS RURAL WATER, water usage 40.60; HARTMAN'S, inmate meals & supplies 490.35; INTER-LAKES COMM ACTION, service worker 2,414.42; ITC, phone & internet 1,482.43; JOHNSON FEED, supplies 2,799.90; KENNEDY PIER KNOFF LOFTUS, prof. services 103.00; LEON'S CLEANING SERVICE, prof. services 2,895.00; LEWIS FAMILY DRUG, supplies 36.90; LINCOLN COUNTY AUDITOR, prof. services 346.25; MICROFILM IMAGING SYSTEMS, scanner rent 562.00; MICROMARKETING, audio/visuals 93.78; MILBANK AREA HOSPITAL AVERA, BLABS 428.00; MILBANK AUTO PARTS, parts & supplies 1,427.98; MILBANK COMMUNICATIONS, radio 598.00; MT LIBRARY SERVICES, books 72.00; NORTHERN TRUCK EQUIP, parts & supplies 1,513.75; NORTHWESTERN ENERGY, natural gas 338.35; OTTER TAIL POWER, electricity 3,711.01; PETTY CASH, postage 3.80; POSTMASTER, postage 155.00; QUICK PRO LUBE, repairs 412.99; RC TECHNOLOGIES, 911 transport & tower rent 95.96; RELX, online charges 725.00; ROGER A. BRIGGS, parts 19.80; SCANTRON, prof. services 4,610.46; SD ASSN CO WEED/PEST BDS, dues 150.00; SD DEPT OF HEALTH, BLABS 75.00; SDACES, dues 45.00; SDSU EXTENSION, registration 60.00; SIRCHIE ACQUISITION, supplies 167.07; ST WILLIAMS, inmate laundry 229.50; STAR LAUNDRY, prof. services 53.51; TOWN OF STRANDBURG, internet 275.28; TRAPP PLUMBING, prof. services 389.64; UPI PETROLEUM, gas & diesel fuel 4,279.73; VALLEY OFFICE PRODUCTS, supplies 1,056.13; VERIZON, hotspot 38.52; VISA, books, gas, commissary 1,376.12; WHETSTONE HOME CENTER, supplies 66.91; WHETSTONE VALLEY ELECTRIC, electricity 1,002.76; WITTROCK & SON, garbage service 157.50; XEROX, copier rent 759.96; TOTAL: 63,890.96.  

Monthly fees: SDACO, ROD modernization fee 194.00; SD DEPT OF REVENUE, monthly fees 142,969.06; SD DEPT OF REVENUE, sales & use tax 174.24. TOTAL: $143,337.30.

Payroll for the following departments and offices for the March 14, 2020 payroll are as follows: Commissioners 2,708.40; AuditoR 9,178.22; Treasurer 4,970.86; States Attorney 5,871.95; Custodians 2,698.05; Dir. Of Equalization 3,603.35; Reg. of Deeds 3,582.86; VET. SERV. OFFICER 653.25; Sheriff 12,506.63; Communication CTR 6,024.40; Public HEALTH Nurse 746.40; ICAP 342.20; Visiting Neighbor 1,325.50; Library 6,428.83; 4-H 2,689.52; Weed Control 1,695.00; PLAN & ZONING 1,080.80; Road & Bridge 27,527.90; EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 1,568.00. TOTAL: $95,202.12.

Payroll Claims: FIRST BANK & TRUST, Fed WH 7,563.93; FIRST BANK & TRUST, FICA WH & Match 11,595.08; FIRST BANK & TRUST, Medicare WH & Match 2,711.76; American Family Life, AFLAC ins. 1,390.26; WELLMARK-Blue Cross of SD, Employee and Commission health ins. 686.72; OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT, child support 210.00; SDRS SUPPLEMENTAL, deduction 1,195.83; SDRS, retire 10,434.24. TOTAL: $35,787.82.

It is the policy of Grant County, South Dakota, not to discriminate against the handicapped in employment or the provision of service.

The next scheduled meeting dates will be April 7, 14 (equalization) and 21, 2020 at 8 AM.  Motion by Stengel and seconded by Buttke to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Meeting adjourned.

 /s/ Mike Mach, Chairman, Grant County Comm.

/s/ Karen M. Layher, 

Grant County Auditor