Dave Baumeister | County Correspondent
The Minnehaha County Highway Department got preliminary approval to start three bridge improvement projects during this week’s county commission meeting.
Highway Supt. DJ Buthe asked for and received the go-ahead on the projects, which he expects to be finished in 2021.
The projects will only cost the county around $20,000, as they will be done under an 80/20 matching grant with the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
These improvements will be on bridges north of Hartford, north of Renner and northeast of Sherman, Buthe said.
He also received permission to adjust two different speed zones.
One would extend the 45-m.p.h. zone on east side of Renberg School. And the other would be on the east side of Baltic.
He explained that currently, the speed limit going into Baltic from the goes from 55- to 25-m.p.h.
The newly approved change would put in a 40-m.p.h. buffer zone between the existing limits.
Buthe said the change will be posted for a week on a message board where the limit drops when it goes into effect.
Local law enforcement
Chief Deputy Joe Bosman received approval for new law enforcemen5t contracts with the Minnehaha County municipalities of Baltic, Colton, Crooks, Dell Rapids, Garretson, Hartford, Humboldt and Valley Springs.
The contracts call for the Minnehaha Sheriff’s Department to provide patrols to all of these towns.
For these services, the communities pay varying rates, based on their populations.
He’s back!
Fresh off a difficult general election and a bout with COVID-19, Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz was back to talk to the commission for the first time since the election.
He was requesting permission to purchase a used vote tabulating machine for future elections.
Litz explained that during a final equipment check three days prior to the recent election, two of the county’s three tabulating machines “broke down.”
While one was able to be repaired on-site prior to the voting, another had to be taken in for repairs, and the county had to use a “loaner” machine.
For this reason, he asked commissioners to let him buy a fourth tabulation machine.
The used DS-850 machine would help ensure the county always had at least three working tabulating machines available.
Commissioners unanimously approved the $98,500 purchase.
The Minnehaha Commission has its regular meetings each Tuesday at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
These meetings are open to all, and public comment is always encouraged.