May 7, 2019
The Miner County Board of Commissioners met in regular session May 7, 2019 in the Miner County Courthouse. Members present: Roger Wentland, Garrett Gassman, Tom Reisch, Voni Durant and Alex Protsch. Absent: none. Chairman Wentland called the meeting to order. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Motion by Durant, seconded by Gassman and carried to approve the agenda. The minutes of the April 9th and 16th meetings were approved. No one appeared for Public Comment.
The auditor’s account with the county treasurer showed an April 30, 2019 balance of $8,973,803.33 in all state, county, civil, school and trust accounts.
The following correspondence was received: Miner County Sheriff & Dispatch February & March Reports; SD Dept. of Transportation-Transportation Alternatives Funding.
It was moved by Gassman, seconded by Reisch and carried to authorize the auditor to pay the following claims: Road & Bridge $54,941.08, United Health Care $37,423.43, Retirement $6,992.26, OASI $10,185.74, Commissioners $4,327.25, Auditor $7,146.25, Treasurer $6,664.75, States Attorney $5,534.75, Govt Building $2,796.80, Director of Equalization $7,142.65, Register of Deeds $6,471.56, Vet Service $872.00, Sheriff $11,358.80, Contract Law $3,646.25, Welfare $432.68, Co Nurse $1,272.50, Ambulance $10,051.82, WIC $86.50, Extension $1,272.50, Weed $1,166.75, Dispatch $10,044.80 (includes Deborah Gibson at $17.61/hr), Emergency Mgt $5,943.53 APR PAYROLL; Darcy Albert $11.00, Mike Clary $11.00, Tami Severson $11.00, Grant Stevens $11.00, Ethan Weisz $11.00 PAYROLL TRAVEL. SD Dept. of Revenue $1,814.04 PREDATORY ANIMAL CONTROL FUND.
Alliance $150.00, Santel $55.12, Triotel $173.53 911 CHARGES; SD Office of Child & Family Services $1,563.50 CO NURSE PAYMENT TO STATE; Central Electric Coop $62.30, Xcel Energy $15.36 ELECTRICITY; Northern Truck Equipment $47,143.00 EQUIPMENT; HFCA $1,046.61, Ron Krempges $46.19 FUEL; Northwestern Energy $956.32 GAS SERVICE; Miner Co Conservation District $7,000.00 GRANTS; Emergency Safety Education $113.61 IN SERVICE EDUCATION; Co Employee $2,000.00 INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT; Axon Enterprise $90.00 INVESTIGATION EXPENSE; Mark Katterhagen $15.00, Lucy Lewno $165.00, Lincoln Co Auditor $67.50, Darcy Lockwood $15.00, Minnehaha Co $157.60, Yankton Co Sheriff $50.00 MENTAL ILLNESS HEARING EXPENSE; Miner Co Treasurer $132.00 POSTAGE; Miner County Pioneer $154.72 PUBLISHING; Microfilm Imaging Systems $950.00 RENT; 911 Datamaster $1,300.00, Al’s Service $43.03, Badger Oil $176.94, Dakota Body Shop $350.00, HFCA $176.30, MES Companies $125.00, Midwest Fire & Safety $376.00, Office Peeps $100.88, S&S Contracting $344.40, Sturdevant’s $42.21, Ultra $1,370.59 REPAIRS; Greg Protsch $900.00 STATE’S ATTY OFFICE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE; AED Superstore $185.00, Boyer Trucks $216.03, Bright Arrow $250.00, Dakota Data Shred $78.30, Gall’s $134.97, Krug Products $380.45, Lyle Signs $70.24, Mac’s $7.59, Matheson Tri Gas $102.74, Mid-American Research $293.51, Midwest Fire & Safety $437.50, Miner Co Treasurer $91.64, Office Peeps $335.59, Rockmount Research $676.17, Rusty’s $26.87, S&S Contracting $186.00, Kent Terwilliger $44.60, Vander Haag’s $26.42 SUPPLIES; Alliance $906.91, Colleen Arens $30.00, AT&T $109.60, Century Link $25.48, Mike Clary $30.00, Rob Eggert $30.00, Ethan Weisz $30.00 TELEPHONE; Bob Calmus $34.44, Kari Jo Carlson $5.88, Michael Connor $7.56, Voni Durant $50.40, Rob Eggert $134.00, Denise Gassman $4.80, Garrett Gassman $26.46 Iowa Emergency Mgt Assn $150.00, Ron Krempges $682.32, Alex Protsch $50.40, Tom Reisch $50.40, SD Assn of Assessing Officers $700.00, SD Sheriff’s Assn $85.00 TRAVEL; City of Howard $1,458.45 UTILITIES.
The board considered issuance of malt beverage licenses to operate outside of a municipality for the 2019-2020 licensing period. It was moved by Gassman, seconded by Protsch and carried to approve the Retail (on-off sale) malt beverage license application for CC & F Retail Inc. (Jake’s Corner) for Tract A of Bessman’s First Addition NW ¼ Section 12-106-55 Clearwater Township. It was moved by Gassman, seconded by Protsch and carried to approve the retail (on-off) sale malt beverage license application for Sandy Scheuren (Coonhunter Inn) for Lot 1 of Lot 3 SW ¼ Section 34-105-57, Rock Creek Township.
Emergency Management Director Kent Terwilliger informed the board that the repeater on the Hwy 25 tower was inoperable. After inspection of the site it was found that the roof housing the equipment at the base of tower had been leaking allowing water to short out the equipment. Sioux Falls Two Way has rebuilt the equipment and will be installing it next week. Terwilliger will install a new roof on the building and cleanup the site. Terwilliger also reported that batteries that operate the sirens in Canova and Howard have been recharged or replaced. Due to computer issues within his office he made a request to purchase a new system. The commissioners granted his request.
It was moved by Durant and seconded by Reisch to add the following to the Miner County Personnel Policy section 6.3.6 Emergency or Severe Weather Leave: Employees who are deemed necessary to stay on duty, by the Chairperson, will receive time-for-time credit for working during the normal business hours (8 AM – 5 PM). For the purposes of this section, time-for-time credit means ‘1 hour of compensatory leave for each hour worked when the courthouse is closed during normal business hours’.
Director of Equalization Tami Severson reviewed current agreements for purchase of Miner County Government Geographic Information System and for Computer Generated Public Records. Severson also informed the commission that she has had requests for access to Miner County’s GIS website. At this time the Board of Commissioners will not authorize public access to the GIS website until further updates are complete.
Welfare Director Gibi Page presented the following case for consideration. It was moved by Durant, seconded by Reisch and carried to deny Poor Relief Case 19-01 according to SDCL 28-13-27(6) applicant is indigent by design.
Highway Superintendent Ron Krempges met with the commission informing them of high water levels in the northeast corner of the county. After receiving approval from Evan Meyer with SD Game, Fish and Parks, Krempges hired Dawson Construction to use their long reach excavator to remove 2 beaver dams located in section 25 of Belleview Township. Removal of the dams has helped the water flow in the area. Krempges is still worried about the rising water levels and informed the board that a few of the county roads will need to be closed if levels keep rising.
Load limits will be removed within the next week. No shoulder work will be done this year. Krempges also reviewed other highway matters including culvert replacement, bridge replacement, and equipment repairs.
Ambulance Manager Cora Schwader joined the meeting informing the board that Kelli Smith has submitted her letter of resignation. Schwader is currently interviewing applicants for Smith’s replacement and asked direction for salary. It was moved by Reisch, seconded by Gassman and carried to set the new full-time on-call EMT at $25,000/year. Once the EMT has completed the 6 month probationary period an evaluation will be done. With a positive evaluation the ambulance manager will meet with the Board of Commissioners for an increase in salary (to $28,404/year).
The board considered the application for abatement of 2018 real estate taxes (payable 2019) from Barry Callies for a structure that was removed after the November 1, 2017 legal assessment date. Director of Equalization Tami Severson presented the application and informed the board the structure has been removed as of the November 1, 2018 assessment date. Callies is asking for an abatement ($124.34) for the structure that was removed from the property on July 15th 2018. It has been the practice of this & previous commissions to only grant abatements for structures in which a loss occurred because of flood, fire, storm, or other unavoidable casualty (SDCL 10-18-2(4)). It was moved by Durant, seconded by Gassman and carried to deny the application of Barry Callies due to the structure being present on the November 1, 2017 legal assessment date for 2018 taxes due in 2019.
The board recessed as a Board of Commissioners and reconvened as a Planning and Zoning Board. Alex Protsch assumed the chair. Auditor Connor distributed the draft of the Agricultural District portion of the zoning ordinance. This portion will be further reviewed at the June 4th meeting at 10:30. The board adjourned as a Planning and Zoning Board and reconvened as a Board of Commissioners.
Having no further business the meeting adjourned until May 21st. Dated this 7th day of May, 2019.
Roger Wentland, Chairman
Miner County Board of Commissioners
Attest: Susan Connor, Miner County Auditor