Small Town News

County contributes to economic efforts

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Officals agree to divide $10K among four towns upon request

A $60,000 request for funds to establish a general tourism, industrial and recreational development fund in Hutchinson County was met by the approval of just a fraction of that amount by commissioners.

Representatives of the Parkston and Menno development corporations were in attendance at the county's budget hearing last week Tuesday, Sept. 7 after requesting that $60,000 - $15,000 for each of the county's four major communities -- be added to the 2011 budget.

However, citing a rough economy, the Hutchinson County Commission voted to ease into the fund slowly and with caution.

"If we look at our budget in three years, we're going to be in trouble," said commissioner Gil-las Stern.

Commissioner Brad Henke, who proposed the approved one-time $10,000 contribution, agreed.

"We'll see where we're at in a year," Henke said. "Maybe things will turn around; who knows."

Commissioners also were opposed to an immediate differentiation of funds.

"I'm not in favor of distinguishing and giving each town $2,000," Stern said. "I think they need to make a request for some of the $8,000. There are guidelines that we need to follow. We can't just say, 'Here's $8,000. Do what you want.'"

Hutchinson County Auditor Jeanie Simonsen said the state of South Dakota actually recommends a representative of the commission sit on the development boards to help determine how the funds are used. Stern suggested that be a duty of the commission chair. Following the $60,000 request by the local development corporations, Simonsen had researched whether the county was capable of making such a contribution.

"It can be done," she said.

Simonsen also inquired with other counties across the state regarding their per capita contributions to community development corporations. On average, the South Dakota counties polled contributed 59 cents per man, woman and child annually.

As of the 2000 Census, Hutchinson County had 8,052 residents. Based upon the 2000 numbers, the $10,000 contribution equates to $1.24 per person; that's 65 cents more per capita than the average contribution across the state.

The requested donation of $60,000 would have meant a contribution of $7.45 per person.

The 2010 census figures are not yet available, although Simonsen anticipated a bit of a decrease in population. The commissioners said part of their reasoning behind approving the funding was that they previously had contributed $4,000 to the Southeast Facilitators Project (SEFP), but withdrew their involvement with that program last year.

Prior to approval of the $10,000 contribution, figures of $5,000 and $8,000 had been suggested by commissioners.

"We gave $4,000 the year before to SEFP. We dropped out of SEFP last year and this year, and we've saved $8,000," Stern said. "I know that's not near what they want, but we're going to a four-day week with the highway department to save money. We gave a 30-cent per hour raise, which isn't a substantial amount, because of the budget. I don't know how I can justify giving $60,000 to economic development without somewhere making some other adjustments for our own people who work for us in the courthouse and in the highway department. We can always look at it again next year."

Dale Weiss, representing the Menno Development Corporation, questioned whether the fund would roll over from year to year. Simonsen confirmed that any leftover funds at the end of 2011 would, indeed, be available to the development corporations in 2012.

Schmidt penalized for lack of drainage permit

The Hutchinson County Commission made it clear last week that, when they enact an ordinance, they intend to follow it. Last month, Allen Schmidt of rural Marion came before the commission to discuss drainage work on his property along Highway 81, which had been done on his property without first obtaining a drainage permit. According to a 2009 drainage ordinance, doing so is subject to a $500 inspection fee.

"My biggest concern is that, if we don't do some type of thing, everyone is just going to do it and say, 'Well, I can come back later and (get a permit),'" said commissioner Betty Bauer. "We, as a commission, we started this ordinance, and we need to carry through on it, or we're going to lose control of it."

The violation was the first since the county's enactment of its new drainage ordinance Dec. 1, 2009.

Schmidt had been in attendance at both the first and second readings of the ordinance, had participated in the discussion and was in opposition of it. Because of that fact, commissioners indicated they thought Schmidt had been well aware of the procedure and ramifications of the drainage ordinance. He also had contacted Stern prior to commencing his project, and had been advised to first check with Hutchinson County Drainage Supervisor Lon-nie Mayer, to be sure he was following procedure.

"He knew he had to get the permit first, so I feel that we should enforce the inspection fee of $500, then approve what he has done," said commissioner Dallas Laffey. "He hasn't done anything bad. He just didn't get his permit."

At the Aug. 3 commissioners' meeting, however, Schmidt said he had followed Stern's advice after completing the work because he claimed he had thought the work he had done was permitted by his vested drainage permit.

Laffey's recommendation at last week's meeting was followed by the commission.

"Nobody downstream is complaining," Stern said. "I concur with Dallas with the assessment of $500. If we don't issue the permit, the project was $4,000, and it wouldn't make sense to have him go through and tear it out and re-do it"

Had the permit been denied, Schmidt would have had to undo the project and reapply.

An additional $500 also could have been assessed to Schmidt for exceeding the allowable work in that ditch, based on his vested drainage permit. The commission did not add that fee, however. Schmidt's project, which was completed by a private company, had drained a quarter-mile of water, three feet deep.

Based on the ordinance, draining water without a permit is a Class 1 misdemeanor and punishable by up to $1,000 per day of violation. That option was not pursued by the Commission at this time.

Hazmat trailer

Following a house explosion that reportedly was linked to a natural gas leak in Menno last month, Northwestern Energy gifted $3,000 to Hutchinson County for their efforts in the cleanup. An additional $10,000 was given to the City of Menno, and the Menno Fire Department received $5,000 for their respective involvements in cleanup of the disaster.

Emergency Manager Dave Hoffman requested permission to create a hazardous materials trailer for the county with the money.

"Hutchinson County does not have a trailer to handle ... emergencies," Hoffman said. "The fire departments have stuff, but they don't have enough stuff. I'd like to

get a trailer put together." He said he would like to see a single-axle cargo trailer, filled with such things as floor dry, to help clean up hazardous materials in the event of an accident or other catastrophe.

"It doesn't have to be a great, big trailer. Just something I can put stuff in to supplement the fire department," he said. "The fire department's got a lot of stuff, but they don't have a lot of that type of material."

The commission approved Hoffman's request and recommended the trailer be shedded and kept in Parkston so it would be easily accessible to him in the event of an emergency.

Hoffman said he would look into whether additional funds from a Homeland Security grant previously received by the county could be used to supplement the project.

He said he would work on trailer and materials proposals to present to the commission at a later date.



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© 2011 Freeman Courier Freeman, South Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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