Commissioners approve disaster declaration, and infrastructure bids

The Lincoln County Commission met Tuesday, July 2 in the Lincoln County Boardroom. Commissioners heard agenda items including temporary on-sale beverage license changes, disaster declarations, bid acceptance and more.

The first order of business was a public hearing to consider an application for a temporary on-sale malt beverage license to operate outside the municipality for Lincoln County Fairgrounds Foundation Inc. for an event to occur on July 7, 2024, Located at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, 27711 Hwy 17, Lennox, SD 57039, legally described as 34.12 Acres in NE Quarter including railroad property Section 29-Township 99- N Range 51 West of the 5th principal meridian Lincoln County SD. The event will be for the third annual tractor pull on July 7. Motion approved.

Chief Civil Deputy State’s Attorney, Drew DeGroot took to the podium to ask for board action in adopting a resolution amending the rules, regulations, and restrictions of the issuance of special event alcohol beverage licenses pursuant to SDCL 35-4-124. 

“This would be an amendment to the County’s current special event liquor and malt beverage licenses. The last one was adopted by the County Commission in 2011 and since that time chapter 35-4 has had numerous amendments, namely being one of those being under 35-4-111 full-service restaurants can receive full liquor licenses, so this would be putting that regulation into a new resolution for the county,” he said.

 The law does still limit an applicant to six licenses per year. With no public input, the motion was approved.

Emergency Management Coordinator, Harold Timmerman joined the meeting to request board action to declare Lincoln County a disaster area. 

“Before you today I have a disaster declaration resolution. It is a format we have used before, just re-worded for the situation we’re facing at this point in time,” he said. 

After each county has sent the Governor their disaster declarations, she will send it along to the President to grant relief money to the state. Motion approved.

Highway Assistant Superintendent, Jared Narum requested board action to approve the Highway Department to rent a payloader, long stick excavator, dozer and sheep foot packer for use in repairing flood damages to roads and bridges. 

“We’ve got three or four bridges that are completely sitting on islands, so we are going to need some bigger equipment to get the job done,” he said. 

Narum explained to the Commission that not all the equipment would be needed at once, but things like the dozer would be needed for the duration of the project. Narum is hoping through the emergency management declaration that reimbursement for the equipment will be provided. Motion approved.

Assistant Commission Administrative Officer, Paul Anderson stood in for Airport Manager, David Myers to request board action to authorize the chair to accept the bid of Soukup Construction Inc. for $878,878 for the construction of the South ramp at the Marv Skie Lincoln County Airport. 

“The South ramp was bid and that occurred on May 15. Soukup Construction was the lowest bidder at $878,878 for the South ramp. Accepting this notice is contingent on the CIP funding, from what we understand from Helms engineering, our consultant, it will be approved and we’ll be getting 90 percent funding on this from the FAA and the SDDOT will provide five percent and that would be for reimbursement,” he said. Motion approved.

Human Resources Director, Traci Humphrey joined the meeting to request board action to authorize the State’s Attorney to hire replacement employees before their predecessors have vacated the position. 

“They have three positions that will be made vacant by the end of July, they’re requesting permission to fill these positions prior to being made vacant if there is a qualified candidate. The overlap would require one to three weeks, there would be no modification to the annual budget but since we do not have a policy to hire overlapping staff, I am bringing that to you on their behalf,” she said. 

Commissioner Mike Poppens asked how the addition of two to three people would be handled to safely fit that many people in one room. 

“Normally for staffing purposes when you are training, you’re going to have someone sit at the desk with them, so I know they will just share an office space which helps with the goal of training and passing over that information,” she said. 

Motion approved.