Commissioners approve roadway agreement

By Jennifer Harms

The Lincoln County Commission met Tuesday, December 27 in the Canton Board room. All members were present for the meeting.

Sheriff Steve Swenson joined the meeting to discuss the new rate increase of rates for the 2023 fiscal year that will be paid to Minnehaha County. The new rate will be $106.15 per inmate per day with a minimum of 45 beds. Motion passed.

4-H advisor, Wendy Sweeter joined the meeting to give an update on the 2022 Lincoln County 4-H program. 264 active members were enrolled in the program this year with 47 volunteers.

“We are in the process of re-enrolling right now, we on track to be about the same and we will see when we get final numbers in,” Sweeter said.

Sweeter shared with the Commissioners the various programs that the 4-H offers to its participants.

“Outside of some of the traditional 4-H programs, we held workshops this year, hosted an artificial insemination clinic in March and we were over full with 33 participants, we held a jam and bread making workshop, a photography workshop in July, two 4-H participants went on the Citizenship Washington focus trip, among other opportunities,” Sweeter added.

Highway Superintendent, Terry Fluit asked to board to approve an agreement regarding multiple segments of roads around the City of Tea.

“We are looking for your approval to execute this and send to the City of Tea,” Fluit said.

The agreement will give control and jurisdiction of roadway segments to Tea and the County shall perform maintenance duties for each segment of the asphalt roadways. Motion passed.

Fluit presented the Commission with Rural Infrastructure Access Funds applications and asked the Chair to sign letters of notification regarding the same.

“The review committee met a few weeks ago and went through the 15 applications split up between eight townships, they are the eight townships that submitted five year plans, so they are the only ones that are eligible,” Fluit said.

The Commission has reviewed the applications and approved them as Fluit presented. Motion passed.

Chief Civil Deputy State’s Attorney, William Golden brought a request to the Commission on leasing the County Fairgrounds parking lot.

“A company would like to lease the fairgrounds to be able to use the parking lot to train their drivers for commercial CDL’s,” Golden said.

The company would lease the ground between April and November and are offering $600 during that period of time for the lease.

“They are looking to use the parking lot at random intervals throughout that time and it is written into the contract that it can’t interfere with any of the 4-H activities that take place,” he said.

Commissioner Tiffani Landeen asked about liability insurance for the company during use of the property, stating their contracts usually has verbiage that requires them to carry insurance.

“Since it’s a motor vehicle they should be carrying motor vehicle insurance as well at the time,” she said.

The Committee asked the company and Golden to nail down final details and return once everything was concrete. Motion tabled.