Courtesy photo

Auditor Prepares For Year End; Tribes Seek Letter of Support For Scenic Byway

The Board of the Jackson County Commissioners met on Nov. 12, 2019 for the regular monthly meeting. Commissioners present for the meeting included Ken Graupmann, Gerard Magelky, Jeff Page, Brett Prang and Tom Zickrick.
Chairman Graupmann called the meeting to order and the Board approved the meeting minutes for the October meetings. At this time, the Board noted and, in fact, encouraged their constituents to come by during any regular meeting as any “public comment or discussion is welcomed by the Board.” 
The Board approved wine license renewal applications submitted for 2020. Another matter of business included discussion of the cost of technology and doing business in the 21st century. Board members approved an update to all of the existing computer hardware in the county offices to support computer software updates to Windows version 10 on the Microsoft platform.
Vicki Wilson, auditor presented and received approval for bills, except for recurring bills for mental illness. She submitted and received approval of financial reports, the highway fund analysis, the secondary road report and balance of available funds as of Oct. 31. After reviewing departmental budget balances, the Board voted to conduct a hearing at 10 a.m. on Dec. 9 to supplement the budget for payment of 2019 expenditures. The Board voted to conduct a special meeting on Dec. 30 for the purpose of reviewing and approving invoices for payment in the 2019 fiscal year. The Board also discussed the governor granting administrative leave to employees for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays. The courthouse shall be closed on those holidays and close early at noon on Christmas Eve, Dec. 23, and New Years Eve, Dec. 31.   
Jackson County Sheriff Matt Haugen provided his report to the Board. Haugen noted that he and Deputy Jon Beck plan to attend a training course to learn how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The Helmsley Foundation provides AED equipment at no cost to municipalities upon completion of training. He presented options for the purchase of another vehicle for the JCSD due to the high number of miles traveled each month for general patrol, calls for service and prisoner transports. Haugen entered into executive session with the Board. Afterwards, the Board recessed for lunch. 
Dave Kelley, director of the Oglala Sioux Tribes Transportation and Highway Safety Department (OST-THSD) and Tonya Huber, an engineer with the firm Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson Engineering (KLJ), requested a letter of support for the Crazy Horse Scenic Byway. The byway traverses approximately 300 miles on state highways and tribal roadways. Huber noted the historical and cultural significance of sites on the route in addition to the various geographical features of the byway from the “plains to the Black Hills”. She noted that the Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School received upwards of 15,000 visitors annually, a significant factor in planning the byway route to include the center. 
Bridget Holcomb, office manager for the Jackson County Highway Department (JCHD), and Aaron Richardson, foreman for the JCHD provided the road report to the Board. The Board discussed the need to mitigate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Board authorized a hydrology and hydrography study by KLJ for CS-8 and CS-44.  
The next meeting of the Jackson County Commissioners will be Dec. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Jackson County courthouse. The public is invited and encouraged to attend these meetings.

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
E Mail: ads@pioneer-review.com

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Newsletter feed
Comment Here