County Commission - Regular Meeting

Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. We start the meeting. Will you please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republics, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Item number three on the agenda is approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second. I have a motion to second. Any additions, corrections, any comments? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. I.

Oppos. Same sign. Motion carried. Item number four is employee anniversary recognition. I'll ask uh Commissioner Vanderwal to handle the duties this morning. Raylin her Raylin Maher certificate of appreciation on this 18th day of November 2025 by the Brookings County Commission in recognition of 20 years of dedicated exceptional service in the Brookings County Development Department. Thank you. Appreciate

20 years. Item number five is an invitation for a citizen schedule time on the commission agenda for an item not listed. There's a five-minute time limit per person. Anyone wanting to speak during this agenda item must sign in prior to the start of the meeting. No commission action will be taken during this agenda item. Any requested action item may be scheduled for a future meeting date. Uh we'd have nobody sign in this morning. So we move on to item number six is a consent agenda items which includes minutes, travel and education requests, personnel action notices, cellular authorizations, and the human services report. Do I have a motion to approve? So moved.

Second. I have a motion, a second. Any comments? Hearing none. Will you call a roll, please? Vanderwal. I. Post. Hi. Miller. Hi. Hustler. I. Jensen. I. Motion carries. Routine business. Approval of the claims. Do I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second. I have a motion, a second. Any comments? Any additions, corrections? Hearing none, call roll. Post. Hi. Miller. Hi. Hustler. Hi. Vanderwal. Hi. Jensen. Hi. Motion carries.

Okay. Move on to department head reports. We'll start with Brian from the highway department. Good morning. Morning. Morning, Brian.

Well, last week was a fairly productive week on our couple of outlying projects that we uh are trying to get wrapped up. One is completely wrapped up, and that's a bridge or the box culvert replacement uh north of Elkton. Um, pavement was done last Wednesday. Uh, road was open to the public on Thursday. Uh, seating was completed yesterday before it rained. Uh, we have some fencing to do out there, but other than that, that one will be wrapped up completely and the road is open. Uh, Smar Avenue, uh, paving um, on is it phase two? Phase two was completed uh on Saturday. They started on Friday with the first lift and then the second lift was completed on uh Saturday and then yesterday they were working on getting some concrete poured. Uh but that roadway is not opened yet. So a reminder to people that not to go around barricades from what I've been hearing people have been. I'm sure the sheriff's department will be addressing that. Uh, aside from that, the county crews have been working on a few intersections, removing trees that been blocking the view on some intersections. One in particular was south of Elton on uh, County Road 33 and our 28 or two 486 and 219th. And lastly, uh, on Wednesday last week, we did get the lighted stop sign placed at, uh, 204th and 471st Avenue, um, or Brookings County 6th and 77. Aside from that, we locked out and the temperature stayed above freezing. We

didn't get no snow last night, so I think we we can call that a win. Indeed. Um, Brian, for our new commissioners, can you kind of go over how the plowing and sanding operations take place in the

Well, typically we wake up, you know, last night we were placed in a winter weather advisory. Uh, so we get up around 2:30, 3:00, uh, myself and the supervisors and we initially look outside and see, I look at the temps, see what the temps are doing. But uh then be prior to calling the guys in, that's how we kind of started. Um other than that, it's based on all what mother nature's throwing at us uh as far as temps go and and what the radar is showing. kind of concentrate on the highways and then go

and we have emergency routes and those emergency routes uh go to each community within Brookings County uh first uh and then we branch out from there on the pavements and then lastly the the gravels. So thank you.

Each each guy is assigned a route. So every time he goes on the same route every time he knows the area, he knows what to look for, knows where the problem areas are and and so do the motor graders. We have each rout's kind of covered by a motorgrader and a truck. Uh they work together. Um, like I said, starting off with the emergency routes, we call them, and those are the routes that traverse to the small communities within Brookings County and then branch off from there.

Okay. Um, the other thing I would ask if you could touch on the Samra Avenue, they'll complete this phase here and be shut down over the winter. Um, and then in then the spring it'll What dates are they anticipating? Uh we kind of agreed on it, the city and the county um or the vulga um they have their community event earlier on in in June and they would like to see that start date pushed back to after July 4th. Uh so any outlying work on this phase I believe they would like to get finished up. if it doesn't get finished up this year, be finished before that start date, but they wouldn't be starting until uh July 6th, I believe. And the reason we kind of chose that date is we don't know what the spring's going to do. We could have a wet spring and opening up a can of worms before uh we know what's going to happen. So, we just kind of all agreed to to push it to midsummer uh start date and I believe it's a November 1st completion date.

Actually, I think it's Isn't it Labor Day completion? Maybe it is Labor Day. I think it's Labor Day completion. I think some of that had to do with like Vulga has their um old-timers weekend too that a lot of activities are taking place over at the park on that west side and they didn't want to be in the middle of a construction zone at that point either. So kind of pushing it off until after the Fourth of July holiday helped alleviate those concerns, too. Yep. And hopefully wrap up before the bean harvest again. Right. So when's when are you thinking it's going to be done for this year? I know it's late.

Well, I was over there yesterday just to kind of overview the project and I did talk with uh the area the engineer from Banner out there. uh they are continuing to work on the entrances or the aprons to the roadway uh into the into the residences and then the the city really is has a big push to get the sidewalk done. Um I'm not sure how much they got done yesterday, but I know there was there was quite a few concrete guys over there yesterday working. I would assume they got the majority of it done, poured and covered back up, but I I would I would anticipate within the next week or two. We'll find out to tomorrow. There's another uh progress meeting at 1:00.

Very good. What does this last leg of the project entail? Or what is going to the south some? Is that what I understand? North. It'll be north. North up to the railroad tracks. Yep. So from about the where the park entrance is is that third third street I believe north up to the railroad tracks and the railroad tracks were omitted from this project because the DOT has a project coming down the pipe that'll kind of take care of the railroad tracks and the intersection at 14 and Samra, but the intentions are to have that open up yet this fall. Yes. And

it's it's uh transitioned in. That was one of my concerns as far as snow removal goes. Uh the transition between phases, it was extended out so it's a little more gradual uh to be a little more uh favorable for our plowing operations. Okay. Commissionable. Brian, I just had one comment or question, but for the new commissioners as well, but on a typical snowfall, you or the two road foreman are out and about checking different areas of the county cuz the weather can be different north of White than it can south Alton, too. Right.

Correct. And we definitely know there is a difference from the northern side of the county to the southern side. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you, Brian. Marty from Sheriff's Office.

I'd like to thank the highway department for putting that sign up right away. It took a little work to do it because they got to put it together and pre-charge it and get it up. So there's a little it's just not take it out of the box and put it up. There's a little work to it, too. So I appreciate that uh quickness. Um just give you a quick uh overview of the jail is that right now we're we're low in numbers, which is good. Uh we have 44 presently in in jail. 20 of those are are uh Brookings County inmates. Uh there's three from Duel County, one from Hamlin, one from Moody, and at the present time we have 12 US Marshall Service uh inmates. Also, the 247 area is down and down to 89 participants and 24/7, but the area still stays busy because there's 39 that come in twice a day for uh breath test. So, I mean, that area still stays busy, but the numbers are down. So, I I don't know. To me, that's a good sign right now that the the numbers are down. Um, and uh just because the numbers are down though, the the the weekends and and even during the week still stays busy, you know, with uh uh the city police in in my agency, there's a lot of come in and they're released right away. Especially on the weekends, they come in on misdemeanor charges and and uh they're bonded out right away. So, just because the numbers aren't down, doesn't mean the jail's not busy. It still continues to stay busy with with stuff going on and and bringing uh uh inmates or excuse me, arrestes in and so forth. Um had a busy weekend again for for the department. Um the fatality accidents which the troopers are are taking. Um and uh then we had the SDSU

um uh incident there uh with that uh um self-inflicted injury that uh um like to uh u commend the university police for their quick action when they uh first made contact and rendered aid right away. So that was that was um uh good uh to get him aid right away. Um we had uh some more running of stop signs. Had a accident 2011 and 474 where a person ran the stop sign and collided with another car. Just minor minor injuries with that one. Um, also the four-way stop sign by Bruce at um we had um a fireman was done with about 9:00 at night or so forth and he was approaching that stop and he saw a semi coming from the east and completely blew that stop sign. So he chased it which is probably not a good idea but he tried to get the license plate number and he did get the tanker number because it was a milk tanker. So I did call uh um Lake Nordon and they were with they got a lot of cameras in their yard so they were able to track that tanker and uh actually they said he was a new driver. That's the first time he'd ever been there

and out of Nebraska. So I don't know there's a chance maybe he didn't I don't know. It's I feel a little more at least nobody got hurt or anybody at that. But I don't know if he's coming too fast and didn't realize that was a four-way. We got that marked pretty good with twies and stuff on there. So, uh he didn't want to sign a complaint against him. So, what they were going to do is just try to get a hold of his supervisor and let him know what what's going on and stuff. So anyway, um also Dave uh has been working on the command trailer and got some of that tore down, have some water damage with it, but uh um Dave thinks he can get her get her all done, get her wrapped up with uh with minimum cost and and Bob Bob volunteered to take everything out of his budget. So thanks, Bob. I haven't talked to him yet, but I figured in front of you guys he'll he'll he'll do it. Anyway, uh the other thing is is that we have some opiate money and I would like to purchase another um uh another I call it uh uh it's a monitor that goes into the ceiling to to register heartbeat uh and that type of stuff. And uh uh we got one in and uh so I'd like to get a second one into another isolation cell which is right next to it because we're see we're start we're seeing more and more protective custodies. Just to kind of just give you a brief summary, you know, uh in 2025 or this year, my office has brought in five protective custodies. And what these are are individuals that are there's not charges for protective custody. it's they're intoxicated or under the influence of a drug or something and we can't find anybody to release them to or of course if they're under a drug. We don't sometimes we

don't know what drug it is but uh most of the time it's it's alcohol. Uh the Brookings Police Department has brought in 34 this year. Uh, bringing in protective custodies puts ex extra pressure on staff because we got to watch them and and and this helps us monitor blood pressure so we don't have to physically go in and take it because uh an intoxicated person needs to be watched to make sure that uh we keep them alive, you know. and and uh um one had vomited in there one time and was choking and staff was able to to get in there and get him on his side and stuff and we ended up taking them taking that person to the hospital. But uh uh the other thing is the cost. There's no see what on the protective custody if if uh another agency brings it in say the Flandrew brings in a protective custody and they brought in they've brought in three so far this year I charge them just like a inmate even though there's no charges. So I charge them $105 a day, you know, if they're there two days or normally on a protective custody we hold them for 48 hours or so till they're sober. depends on how much alcohol they got them in and what their blood alcohol is. It could take a while before they're sober. We wait till they're sober and then they're released. Uh but uh out of county is is uh we charge where the city is not charged with that. You know, I have to take their inmates. In other words, they're arrestes by statute. I'm responsible to take take their arrestes. But for protect custody, I'm probably going to work with uh with with Dan and see if there's if I could uh do something different with protective custodies, a bookin fee or something like that to kind of help offset the you

know the because it is does it does put a lot of pressure on my staff for that and the hospital doesn't like to take them. They'll usually we'll we'll if it's a high blood alcohol when they come in. We try to get a breath test. If it's if it's high, we'll take them to the hospital and get a get them checked out first, but 99% of the time they they release them back to the jail for my staff. So, what I'd like to do is is that I'd like to take uh some more of that opiate money or that opiate money and and put into so I can purchase a second one for the next for the second isolation cell. So, if that's okay with you guys,

the sheriff talked to me the other day about this and I said it's a good idea. I says, you know, it not only protects the inmates, but it also protects the county from liability. And the cost of the um monitor was not s I mean what was the cost of monitor installed? It it uh 65 but it's going into the next cell so they can use the same uh so it's only going they it's only going to cost 6,000 for this this particular one. Yeah. It's a small price to pay. So, in my opinion, and I know what the other commissioners feel that

yeah, you know, when an inmate comes in, of course, sheriff, it's preaching the choir, but we don't know, you know, um, on an arresty, their blood alcohol or their toxicity level could be going up. So, they could get more drunk or more intoxicated when they're in the jail. Um, so I do believe that this is a a very good idea to have more of these to really to for their for their uh help. and then of course to cover the county as well.

Okay, thank you. Any questions about the the weekend? Uh Dave was real good. Dave came out on the fatality and and we uh and then with this um I came out with the u incident with the uh firearm and stuff and uh he was quick to put media stuff in there because there was a lot of I got a lot of calls at home on on the SDSU thing but until they put that together and it's just one of those things that happened but uh SDSU handled it right on what they did right away until they figured out what was going on and and but uh there was a lot of Facebook stuff over that. So yeah,

Marty, you made comment about the flashing stop sign. Thanks for highway to get that up right away. Um I believe the rumble strips are coming shortly. I haven't gotten a timeline yet. Okay. But they were also um I was at that intersection yesterday. I was hauling gravel. I was stopped. I proceeded through the intersection and the vehicle behind me never slowed down a bit and passed me. I wasn't even through the intersection. But I mean, you have to make sure you're driving defensively, too. I mean, it people may stop, but they may go again, too. So,

yeah. And that's the thing. All, you know, it's just like the fatality accident that could have been that should have been preventable. All the accidents we've had, they're all preventable. you know, they either ran the stop sign or they stopped and pulled out in front of somebody. You know, they're all preventable. That's and I don't know, you made a statement last last week commission meeting about people needing to stop and and and and that's and he and you're right, you have to drive defensive is because you don't know if they're going to stop or not, you know. So, that's that's the big thing is driving defensively.

Yeah. I would just remind the public, Marty and I were talking about this um earlier this week. I think it was yesterday or Friday, but if you're driving through an intersection that has a stop sign and you proceed to go through that stop sign without stopping, you can be prosecuted for reckless driving, which is a class one misdemeanor, up to a year in jail, $2,000 fine. So, it's more than just failing to stop or careless driving, which are class two misdemeanors. It can rise to that reckless driving. And you know, based on the circumstances that I'm hearing about, if a deputy or highway patrol observes that and tickets you, you know, I do have discretion to enhance that charge up to reckless driving. And based on the conversations I've had with the sheriff's office, it appears that there are a few cases now that could be prosecuted as a reckless driving. So for all the folks, you know, driving out in the country on these fourways that have stop signs, you know, if law enforcement sees you drive through that, you know, our office is going to review that and and potentially prosecute you for reckless driving. Um, which like I said, I mean, it's a class one misdemeanor and and carries uh jail time. And we have seen jail time be imposed for reckless driving uh here in the last year. So, just remind the public, you know, pay attention, understand these four-way sections, and also understand that we've had what, two, three individuals killed now this year on some of these intersections in the rural county. So, it's it's becoming an issue, unfortunately. But, you know, hopefully that's not due to distracted driving with cell phones or people just being, you know, reckless in their driving. So, I would just send that reminder to the community. Yeah, thank you for making your comments. So, anything else?

Thank you. Thank you, Marty. Lori with finance.

Good morning.

Good morning. Um the only thing I have this morning, I was going to comment a little more on the um decision that was made to not combine elections with these cities and the schools um in the county. There has been a few questions lately on that. Um letters were sent out and communication done the couple in September and October on this decision. It was something I thought a lot on and I just felt the need to keep our elections as clean and transparent as they can be. And at this point, the law that was passed from House Bill 30 had a lot of things in it that were just not clear enough um or concise enough for my liking. And so I did talk to Dan about it and we decided that it best for our county and our voters to keep things as they are. Nothing is changing in any of the elections except the city will not have our use of the poll pads and tabulator for their election. Normally we use ours and we help them run their election. So that's really the only change that will happen this year. Um today there is a meeting out in pier where they are coming up with some different changes that they want to see in the laws um in for 2026 legislation and that is one of them that they are asking to be looked at uh get some clarification on that one. So, I'll be listening to that this morning and hopefully um something will get changed before 2028 because it did need a lot of cleanup so that all of the counties can be doing the same thing. Um but that that was the decision that I made on

that. So, we'll just proceed with elections as usual. Um, I'll accommodate the city as best I can. If they want to share spaces, that kind of thing. How that is going to end up looking, I don't know. But that's where we're at at this point.

Yeah. And I would only comment, you know, based on my review, the purpose intent of that new law was that these elections be held on the same day. I mean, it was primarily driven to increase voter turnout. It wasn't designed, in my opinion, to combine all the different elections on the same ballot. And so, if a person has to show up to a precinct or polling station, and individually vote in all of those different elections, municipal, school board, federal, state, they can do that. But the logistics of combining all of these elections on the same ballot and then having open vote centers across the county is just almost nearly impossible. Um, and so, you know, I I I think it's still being implemented with the intent and purpose of the law. Um, but for us, I think as a county, especially with election integrity being top of mind for a lot of people, I think it's important that we keep all these ballots separate. If there needs to be different stations at each of the vote centers, I think that can be easily accommodated. But I agree with Lor's assessment that it just needs to stay separate. So

the just to clarify the the voters will have all ballots from school, municipal, and county available at one location. I'm not sure. That will be up to the cities and the municipalities, the schools, um as to what they want to do. if they decide they want to have um Elton decides we want everybody to come to our city hall and vote, they'll go to city hall. If they want to have their um election across the gym, you know, we'll accommodate. So, it's it's going to be up to those entities where they want to hold their election. They just can't be on our ballot.

Yeah. I think the county would be open to having the municipal and school board at the same polling places, just separate tables, obviously, separate workers, separate ballots, separate dropboxes, that sort of thing. But they may not want, as Lorie said, I mean, they may want to do it at the school, they may want to do it at city hall. Um, and then that voter is just going to have to, you know, find that information on where they they vote. Um, so in my mind, I think that's the the cleanest way to do it. So, but having separate having making voters go to two different locations would be a clear violation of the intent of that law.

Well, I think the intent is that it be held on the same day. I don't think there's anything in that law that says that it has to be at the same polling place or on the same ballot. I think it has to be on the same day, which is why I think I agree with separate pieces of paper for each race in order to simplify things. But if you're going to make voters go from here to the school to somewhere else to vote at three different elections happening the same day. That's a clear violation of the intent because I've was involved with that bill.

Yeah. And so what I would tell I I I think you Doug is to talk with the school board, talk with the municipalities and make sure that all of that is being accommodated because I agree. I think it'd be much more convenient for the voter to have one location to go to. But we got to make sure that the school board intentionally trying to deride the purpose of the bill to have three different locations to go to vote.

Yeah. And I and I think the municipal Well, I hope the municipalities and school boards recognize that fact too and and make it more convenient for the voter to go to one location. I mean, if ideally you'd walk through the line and okay, you're in this county precinct and so this is your ballot and then this is your school district and this is your municipal election and you be handed all three ballots. That would be ideal as far as I'm concerned, but you need to go through one line and be I mean there's no reason to verify that you're the voter for all three of those things separately. Yeah. Again, what we don't want to happen though, especially not three different locations.

Yeah. We don't want those ballots though getting coingled though. That's the problem. And so creating separate stations, right? You don't want it on one piece of paper. No. And I, you know, our election workers obviously have

But no, there's no reason to stand in line and get checked in three different times to see that you're a verified voter. Well, it may it may come to that though, you know, and if depending on the the voting locations, you know, and what staffing is available and what logistics I mean, you know, Jenna's going to Jenna and Lori are going to have to figure all that out. But, you know, it was a lot to just put on the counties being like, "Hey, you need to, you know, also figure out which candidates are going on which ballots for municipal and school board." I mean, that that was a nearly impossible logistical lift. And so, Um, I think we're on the right path though here in Brookings. So,

but ultimately the school and the city have the decision to make for their elections. Correct. Correct. And we as a county are going to support them in whatever they decide. Correct. As well as offering to have them in the same location and that. Yep. Yep. And they've they've all been notified of that that, you know, I'm going to be as accommodating as I can on on everything else. It's just the on the same ballot. We just need to wait for some cleanup

and hopefully the p you could persuade them for instance say they were going to vote in white for the Dubrook school district and city election that they could have all all their vote within the McDite Hall. You'd have your city and school in one area and the the general election in other area. Yeah. And um I did speak with Bonnie yesterday. Um the day of the primary and the general, we will still hold our tabulating in here and um she will be in the the room right next door which I think will be convenient for the press and the public for that.

There's a lot of different scenario possibility scenarios. I think of, you know, the northern part of the county and the of the Esttoine school district, you know, they're not going to go to Bruce to vote. I don't think it it's it just, you know, on the surface the bill is an excellent idea, but there are just so many housekeeping and doors to it that it needs some more thought and to be worked out. And I think by 2028 it will all be ironed out for us as long as there's the desire to make it as convenient for the voter as possible. That's

it needs to be convenient for the voters, transparent and and as clean as it can can possibly be. Lori, is somebody initiating meetings with the different entities to talk this process all through so that instead of government is notorious for I've got I do this part and and this entity does this where I know all of those people need to be in the same room and everybody else,

right? There were meetings um in pier this fall to discuss it. Um and then next actually it's this week Jenna and Kim and I are going out to an auditor's workshop. Um I know this is going to be discussed out there at length at that and then um of course they are starting secretary of state's uh board of election is starting today with meetings on bills that need a little cleanup or better direction which is good at the state level but is that happening here in Brookings? Um the city when we get the information I do pass it on. Yeah.

Okay. So who would be the person to initiate again so that all three entities are in the same room and having this conversation of how these are going to be run? Uh usually it's Bonnie Foster at the city, Stacy Vambique from the school and either Jenna or myself from our office. Okay. Is that happening or is that communication happening? All the communication that to this point that we have to communicate. Yeah. Okay. they'll have to meet with their boards and then they'll come back with what they want to do.

Along Commissioner Miller's comments, you know, we've got the smaller outlying communities of, like I said, Arlington, you know, out of the county, Estelline out of the county. Um, and then we've got, you know, White, Bruce, Boga, and and Aurora. So, those are some complexities to this. Exactly. And I I think what Dave's kind of suggesting is, you know, a a meeting so that some of those questions can get filtered through. I I I think that'd be great. So some of those questions and other scenarios can get brought out so we can get them smoothed out as best as possible. So

yeah, and uh we can sure do that as soon as we get a little better definition from the state as to how everything is going with the other counties. Okay. So, right now you're waiting for the state to to give more information or more direction. I'm waiting for this meeting this week to see what the other counties are doing. Um, we have overlapping school districts with some of these counties and so their discussion is going to have to be, you know, how are how is that going to be handled? What those kind of things

was early voting discussed in this scenario? Well, again too, if you combine them onto our ballots, you have different um timelines. Yeah. And that's going to have to be figured out. You've got your um absentee timelines for voting. The different elections are they're different and how are you how are you going to do that? Those kind of things just weren't addressed and they're important things. Mhm. So, this commission meets again on December, too. You'll have some more information you can share with with the public. Yeah, hopefully. So,

have the other entities decided on a timeline as far as whether they're going June or November yet? I have not heard. Okay. seems like an overly complicated situation, but yes, I I think the intent of it, it wasn't meant to be that muddled, but then you start looking at it and there's layers upon layers that just muddle it to the point of I don't want to um introduce those problems into our election,

right? Yeah. None of us want to see that, but So, good. Yeah. I I would challenge you that that that communication should probably start in your office and then so that everybody's on the same page and we try to make this as seamless as possible.

I'll ask the question. What what can we as commissioners do to help Lori? Um, you know, I guess the main thing would be um if someone asked you in the public, you know, why why we are not combining. Um, this morning, Jenna had a call from someone asking and once she pointed out, well, the other schools and municipalities in this county, oh well, they were just thinking Brookings, you know, but my thought is they all need to be treated fairly. I'm not going to just offer Brookings City and Brookings School something. I'm not going to offer the rest of them. And you know, the more people who want to be on your ballot, the more complicated it's going to be. It it will get worked out. It It just needs a little time. Ultimately, I believe what needs to be kept in back of our minds is that this bill was be to address a need and a need is greater participation in all elections. I think we can all agree that the more participation in our elections is the goal here

and that everyone needs to be sitting at the same table and facilitate that goal instead of Okay, thanks for the update. Thank you.

Also with the finance officer report, we have some be it noted items. Um, otter's account with the treasur, payroll and additive totals, highway expenditure report, register of deeds, statement of fees collected. Uh, we did not have a scheduled agenda item at nine. So I ask Bob from uh, community development Good morning. I want to thank you for allowing me to call in last meeting. I had some um family emergency down south. Number one, the integrated public alert and warning system known as iP is down. There's a nationwide internet shortage intermittent. It It works about 50% of the time. It looks like FEMA did contact all emergency managers that if we needed to send out an emergency message, it it probably would not go out. And this is affecting Beacon and some other county websites that that we've got just for your information. December 3rd, Department of Transportation over at the DOT building in Brookings is going to have a winter weather meeting. They invited emergency managers, highway superintendent, law enforcement to have to attend the meeting so they can describe what their procedures are going to be for this winter. Local emergency planning committee has a meeting Thursday, November 20th. Along with that, we are in the process of submitting a local emergency planning committee grant and that grant is through the actual LEAPC committee itself. So, this this board does not get the sign off on it, but I will give the finance officer a copy of the grant when it's approved. And um that money has to

be expended into local emergency planning committee functions such as meals and we also use part of that grant to pay for the iPods that I talked about being down. I am going to my final NO board meeting in a week or two and um I want to thank the county commission for allowing me to sit on that board for the for many years. I did attend the pipeline safety trust meeting last week. I it was quite quite informative and um they I got a grant through them so they paid for the airfare hotel and um I took a pipeline 101 class which discusses literally bringing it from the from crude from the ground through various pipelines. There's more than just one type of pipeline. There's there's distribution, which if you live in a city, you get gas through a you just turn your stove on and and the burner starts. That's that's called distribution before it even gets there where you got your your pipe, your big wells, there's called gathering lines, and then you got your big transmission lines. Typically, we only focus at the county level on the transmission lines and that's where fuel goes from one one location to another and then gets distributed out to the to the local community. Brookings County, of course, we have two natural gas pipelines. We got a 10-in pipeline up north by Basin Electric that comes in from Dual County. And the city of Brookings is supplied by Northern Natural Gas, which pumps fuel just outside the city. Well, in the city limits, but over on the northern part by western and that they pump f northern natural gas brings g transmission gas into northwestern energy and they dist

distribute it through the the residences. Uh in your last week we received a report from office of emergency management talked about the um local emergency management planning grant and our participation for the year 2025. They go by fiscal year. So we're already in the fiscal year 2026 for emergency management purposes. But the report shows that we have completed all of our requirements and that they're satisfied and we will be getting as soon as FEMA gives them the money, they'll go ahead and send the money to us that they owe us. Banners associate. Our update on that is on on the Maderi Township or yeah, Maderi Township Big Sue River project. They have um the environmental assessment is ongoing along with the core of engineers 404 permits. They requested uh to be allowed on site during the last month and I called the land owner and got them permission and they went on site and did did some work for the environmental assessment. The big issue right now is the cultural survey which they had to have a state archaeologist to do some permitting. They could not get the permits from the natural conservation n natural resource conservation service because they were shut down. So now that they're back in in work, hopefully they'll be able to get those permits and we'll get that that ongoing. And banners did say that they are still ongoing. So that means we'll still have bills to pay pay to them. And last but not least, since the

good sheriff is working on the command trailer, the um I do have a disaster fund in my emergency management budget that we typically reserve for disasters. And I wanted to get your thoughts on possibly using some money from that fund to as long as it could be done by the end of the fiscal year and have the bills ready to be paid by whatever. It's coming up pretty soon that the last payment in in this year, but go ahead and pull it out of that fund. I'm I'm good with that. Yep. I think that's a good plan, Bob. Very good. I'll work with the sheriff and see what we can do. Thank you.

Just a comment, Dave. would I don't think we're going to have a lot. What do you think? That's pocket change for you. I'd like like to thank Mr. Ber for working on that also. Uh Marty had called me and we kind of talked about getting it out of the weather before this weather event and uh u kind of looked at it a little more and they started working on it and it uh we can make it functional uh uh without spending too much money. So, um, so that also since you mentioned that, that brings up a point. I'm not so sure we can put that 37 foot trailer in that shed that we designated for it.

So, for now, I talked to the sheriff. We're going to leave it in the big shop and we would have to play it by ear. It It would be Yeah, we would just have to experiment to see if we could even back it into the into the new emergency management storage area. Yeah. But yeah, once it once it's once it Dave gets done with it, we'll kind of figure out where we can park it kind of out of the way but available. Yeah. Yeah. Because we don't want to get it into an area that we can't pull it out in a hurry. So, right. Thank you very much.

Okay. With that report, thank you, Bob. We'll move on to regular business. Item A, action approve a resolution number 25-57, a plat of Carson Farms, second edition in the northeast quarter in the southeast quarter of section 34, township 112 north, range 50 west of the fifth primarinium, Brookings County, South Dakota. Do I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second. Have a motion and a second. Any comments? This plat was heard on our November 4th regularly scheduled meeting approved by the planning commission unanimously and sent to this board with a recommendation that you approve it. Okay. Any questions? Hearing none. Call the role. Miller. Hi Hustler. Hi Vanderwal. Hi Post. Hi

Jensen. Hi. Motion carries. Item B. Action to approve resolution number 25-58 of plat of Carson Farms first edition in the southeast quarter of section 3 township 111 north range 50 west of the fifth primarium in Brookings County South Dakota. I had a motion to approve. So moved. Second. Have a motion and a second. Comments once again heard November 4th regular scheduled planning meeting approved unanimously and sent to this board of the recommendation you approve it. Okay. Any other questions? Hearing none. Call a roll. Hustler. Hi. Vanderwal. Post. Hi. Miller. Hi. Jensen. I. Motion carries.

Item C. Action approve agreement number 25-86. An application for occupancy of the rightway of county highways made by Sou Valley Energy and Preston Township. Do I motion approve? So moved. Second. I have a motion to second. Any comments? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I.

I oppose. Same sign. Motion carried. Item D, action to automatically supplement for un anticipated expense incurred in reimbursement made to Brookings County in the amount of $10,128.24 24 cents for unanticipated tax revenue for the Vulga Township TIFF to GL line 251-4-721-4550. Do I have a motion to approve? Second.

I have a motion to second. Any comments? Hearing none. Any questions? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Post same sign. Motion carried. Item E, action to approve a request to fill vacancy for a full-time female correctional officer in the sheriff's department. Do I have a motion to approve? Move to approve. Second. Motion in a second. Any comments? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.

Oppose. Same sign. Motion carried. Item F, action to approve request to fill vacancy for part-time human resource assistant in the commission department. I have a motion to approve. No moved. Second. I have a motion in a second. Any comments? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. Oppos. Same sign. Motion carried. Item G. Action approve a $2,500 donation to United Way to help with food assistance programs. I have a motion to approve. So moved. Second. I have a motion to second. Any comments?

I had uh I guess I can comment here a little bit. I had a um a note from the city uh um Paul Brazino on um the shortage of the funds for the food uh bank and other such um um assistance programs within the city that were shorted and it was uh asked that we contribute to help out with for the remaining of the month and uh that's why I kind of had this on the agenda today to get a overspending money so we needed an official uh vote on this. So I don't know if anybody has any other comments.

Hearing none, call the role, please. Vanderwal. Hi. Post. Hi. Miller. Hi. Hustler. Hi. Jensen. Hi. Motion carries.

Item H. Be it noted, Chairperson Jansen signed the recipient disclosure and update report for the community development block grant for the Brookings County Behavioral Health and Wellness Ivy Center expansion project. Noted item for the minutes. And with that, move on to commission department director's report. You can see the uh veteran service officer report for October included with my staff report. Uh six DAV rides and five other rides. Um, we are now down again two volunteer drivers for DAV that weren't able to pass physical fitness requirements and so we're really down to about maybe two maybe three drivers for that DAV van. So, um, hopefully we'll still be able to utilize some of those other ride options, but just so you know, um, it's going to be more and more difficult to get those scheduled just for lack of drivers. There were three outreach events and then um Matt Pillar, our VSO, wanted to note that the government shutdown. Of course, that's has has since ended, but that wasn't affecting anything VA related for the most part during during uh that time. So, um other than that, we did uh have the general fund surplus for October. It's at 44%. It's actually down quite a bit um from the 10-year average of 51%. Uh again, we'll continue to monitor this number. Um that lower amount though means probably less likely that we'll have um as many dollars to be able to assign at year end, but again, we'll

kind of keep an eye on that here as as we get towards December. Um, the county did receive a uh closeout letter for a big grant uh 08 Y just kind of for your information. And then um there is RSVP required for the innovation campus celebration. It's coming up on Thursday, December 4th at 5. Um, I don't know if some of you just have to RSVP to Dwayne Chapel. I don't know if some of you have already done that, but if you would like me to do that for you, I certainly can. Yes. Yes. Yes. Shaking heads. No. Maybe not. No. Okay. And then, um, the other thing too that I didn't have on my staff report, but December 2nd, uh, is the egg appreciation, the chamber egg appreciation banquet. Um we if we have enough interest in the past we've done a table I think that has eight eight folks at it. Is there interest from like commission to get a table or who who from the commission I guess plans to attend and then we can kind of go from there as far as a table.

Yes. Yes. I'd like to attend but I have a zoning that evening. So Okay. Yes. I think I'm going with the conservation district. So Okay. So just so three commissioners. Okay. I'll I'll maybe reach out to some department heads and see. But otherwise we might just do individual tickets instead of getting a table because a table requires eight. So Right. And if we do get a table, make sure that we have participants that fill the chairs if

Right. Yeah. And that's that's the thing. So I'll do some additional asking on that. Um other than that, um just some upcoming things. Uh tonight is the 4 recognition event at 5:00 out at the BCOAC. Um next week offices are closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. As I had mentioned, December 2nd and two weeks from today is that uh Chamber Egg appreciation banquet out at the Dakota Bank Center that starts at 5:30. And then again, as we had talked about the innovation campus celebration um on December 4th at 5:00. And then other than that, just looking out a little bit further into December where we close at noon on uh Christmas Eve day, the 24th of December. And we're closed Christmas Day the 25th. And then of course we're closed on New Year's Day as well, January 1st. That's all I have unless you have questions for me.

Any questions? Hearing none. States Attorney's Office report. I think I've already talked way too much in this meeting, so I'm going to hold off. We appreciate the information, though. Stacy's so sad. Yeah. Thanks, Dan. Uh, commissioner reports and discussion. Commissioner Vanderwal,

thank you. Um, on Tuesday, November 4th, I attended the zoning meeting. on uh November 5th, I attended the Samra meeting in Voga. It's great to hear those updates. Thank you, Brian, for sharing those today and thank you for all your hard work with that. Um on Wednesday, I attended November 12th, I attended the 10ount meeting in Madison with several of you. I thought it was a very good meeting. It's great to visit with other county commissioners and our legislators and first district u staff as well. And then on Mon yesterday morning um November 18 November 17 I'm sorry we had the 911 uh meeting to approve the budget. That was good. Thank you.

Thank you commissioner post. Sat this past Saturday morning I attended the Republican meeting at BCAOC and that was it. Thank you Mr. Miller.

Um thank you. On the 10th, I attended a Zoom meeting for the BEEDC TIFF program. They talked about that again. Um, thought that was really good. Todd Cay did a great job. Um, the 12th was in Madison for the 10ount meeting and I would agree with Commissioner Vanderwal that it's really good to get together with other commissioners and hear what's happening out there. Uh last night the 17th I had the board meeting at behavioral health. Things are continuing to pro progress very nicely there. Building is complete and budgets all look good and everything is rolling doing very well over there and they're very very appreciative of our support. So and that's my report.

Mr. Hosler.

All right. Right. So on the five uh on the 5th we uh had the joint powers board meeting talking about uh the building here and some upgrades for the this upcoming year. On the 10th I also attended that uh Zoom meeting by the BEDC for the TIFFs. Of course uh Jacob Bremer Todd Kay's did a very good job. Unfortunately they had one of their presenters that couldn't make it. So Todd kind of had to had to jump in and and take care of that. But that was good information about TIFFs. On the 11th, I attended the Veterans Day program out at the Dakota Bank Center. Um, it's always nice to attend that and uh and celebrate our veterans uh on that day. The 12th, of course, we had the 10ount meeting in Madison. Again, great meeting with our with our local uh legislators. the 13th, we I attended the um CEO search committee uh meeting for that new merged organization. Uh update on that, we've received a few uh about 15 uh applicants uh interest interested applicants. There's a couple that actually fit the requirements. Um it looks like the um we'll start interviewing and doing that for that organization late December, maybe into January. uh and then make a decision uh middle to late January for the CEO for that merged organization. On the 13th, we had the actual board meeting for the the merged or merger organization. Uh we had a brand update uh by Upframe. Uh they're they've conducted several meetings uh throughout the community and uh and our regional communities to get ideas for for branding and naming and all of that for that new organization. Upframe is doing a great job on that. Uh on the 15th, uh then I also attended the Burkings County Republican meeting out

to OAC and that is my report.

Thank you. On the 5th, I attended the conservation district meeting. They're kind of wrapping up the year and planning for next year. Um they're already advertising if you want want trees or services from there, you can get on their timeline or schedule or order your trees. On the 10th, uh, I briefly stopped in Commissioner Oler's office and listened to a little bit of the, uh, TIFF meeting, but not a lot. He said I could report on it, though, so I did. On the 12th, uh, I attended the 10ount meeting along with the other commissioners. It's, uh, like you say, it's good to get out and see the other commissioners throughout our region. So, uh, on the 17th, uh, 10 on the E 911 meeting, uh, just a budgetary item we had to clarify here before the end of the year. And also, um, we've had, uh, some recommendation come from our director, our county association, Chris Jacobson, uh, recommending we invite some local legislators in to view our bud budget process. Um, Representative Tim Reid references Brookings County numerous times uh for doing a good job. Um, I'd like to thank uh Representative Reid for uh giving us those accolations. So, um, thanks Tim. With that, uh, wraps up my report. Um, we will now move on to item number 13, South Dakota executive session in accordance with South Dakota codified law 1-25-2 parenthesy 1 and six is personnel and security. Do I have a motion to enter?

So moved. Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor signify by saying I. I post same sign. We're in executive session.