Commission recognizes POW/MIA Day, moves forward with airport and road projects

The Lincoln County Commissioners met Thursday, Sept. 11. 

Chairwoman Tiffani Landeen read the first reading for an Ordinance of Lincoln County, SD, changing the zone of the property described as Tract 2, Spielman’s Addition, E1/2 NE1/4, Section 5-T99N-R50W from the A-1 Agricultural District to the PD Planned Development District and amending the Official Zoning Map of Lincoln County. The Planning Commission recommends approval (4-0).

Highway Superintendent, Terry Fluit requested the commission consider a motion to authorize the chair to execute an agreement with the South Dakota Department of Transportation for a preliminary engineering grant for structure # 42-080-193 located on CR117. 

“If you recall a few months ago, you signed an application for preliminary engineering on this structure, and we found out a couple weeks ago that we were awarded it. This is the agreement with the state for the awarding of that project and once it is signed and we have the paperwork back, we can start that work next year,” Fluit said. 

A motion to approve the authorization by Doug Putnam, seconded by Jim Schmidt, motion carried.

Airport Manager, David Myers requested the commission consider a motion to authorize the chair to sign an agreement with the State of South Dakota Department of Transportation to seek Federal grant funding for taxiway construction at the Lincoln County Airport. 

“As our next major project at the Lincoln County Airport would be the construction of the South 20 acres and half of that would be the taxi lane and that’s what this agreement is. It’s an agreement with the state, kind of a channeling agreement where it’s kind of a checks and balances to make sure that we’re getting funding. It’s the South 20 acres, and this will be the first phase of that, hopefully, in the next two months we’ll know if we get that grant money from the FAA,” Myers said. 

Chairwoman Landeen asked Myers how much will be matched on the grant. 

“Ninety-five percent of the grant would be paid by the FAA, 2.5 per cent would be from the state, and the county would cover the other 2.5 percent,” he responded. 

Motion to approve the authorization made by Schmidt, seconded by Putnam, motion carried. 

Assistant Commission Administrative Officer, Paul Anderson, was present to speak for Veteran Services Officer, David Ekle, who requested the commission consider a resolution to recognize Friday, September 19th as POW/MIA Day in Lincoln County. 

“We are here today to request a resolution recognizing September 19 as POW MIA recognition day. Last week, the governor’s office announced that they will be recognizing September 19 as POW MIA recognition day to honor those prisoner of was and those still missing in action,” Anderson said. 

The resolution reads: A RESOLUTION BY THE LINCOLN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO NAME SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 AS POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY WHEREAS, SDCL Ch. 7-18 provides that the powers of a County shall be exercised by a board of county commissioners; and WHEREAS, SDCL 7-18A-2 provides that Counties have the authority to enact such resolutions as may be proper and necessary to carry into effect the powers granted to it by law; and WHEREAS, Governor Rhoden has recognized September 19, 2025 as POW/MIA Recognition Day; and WHEREAS, Lincoln County is forever indebted to those POW/MIA and the sacrifice they made for our country; and WHEREAS, Lincoln County honors the six veterans unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 33 from the Korean War, and 310 from World War II; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County, South Dakota, in recognition of their sacrifice for their country, wish to name September, 19, 2025 as POW/MIA Recognition Day. A motion to approve by Putnam, seconded by Schmidt, motion carried.

Chairwoman Landeen opened the floor for public comment for items not on the agenda. Linda Montgomery was the first to speak.

“I’d like to make a request. Last week the commission meeting fell short of what I believe the commission standards should be. On the agenda was the budget, that item was a public hearing item. The budget is truly one of the most important topics to be decided here. My concerns were that questions were asked, but no answers to discussion happened. Public hearing, as I understand it, should promote communication between the commission and the public. Public hearing should and can promote trust in the procedure and improve communication between the commissioners and the public. I want to thank Auditor Lund for emailing me on Thursday after the meeting where she answered my questions. The gesture, I appreciated, but falls short of the intent of what a public hearing is and how that information should be given to the public. My request is that future public hearings be used in the manner as it was designed for,” she said.

Dale Bowlette also chose to speak during public comment. “My concern is, I have been going by the Lake Alvin dam and spillway on a road that had to get redone because of the flood, but there’s still no guard cable or guard rail along that road and it’s a pretty deep plunge if a car goes off, especially on the East side of the road. Now maybe it’s waiting for the ground to settle yet, but there’s not a lot of shoulder there to work with. So I’m wondering if it’s going to happen,” he said.