Sanborn County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., with Jeff Ebersdorfer, Steve Larson, Paul Larson, Gary Blindauer, and Rod Weber present. Auditor Kami Moody was also present. 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

This being the annual reorganization of the Board of County Commissioners, the county auditor called for nominations for chairman of the board. S. Larson nominated Jeff Ebersdorfer. Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, that nominations cease. Motion carried. Ebersdorfer will be chairman. Ebersdorfer called for nominations for vice-chairman. Weber nominated Steve Larson. Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, that nominations cease. Motion carried. Steve Larson will be the vice-chairman. Motion by Weber, seconded by Blindauer, to approve the minutes from the December 21, 2021, and December 28, 2021, meetings as presented. All ayes; motion carried.

HIGHWAY

Stacy Mendenhall, Highway Superintendent, and Sheri Kogel, Highway Administrative Assistant, met with the board. Updates on roads and the hiring process were discussed. 

BID OPENING

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by S. Larson, to sell the surplus properties to the following bidders. All ayes; motion carried. Blindauer abstained. 

Letcher Town: Lots 1-4 Inc, Block 1, Crennen and Shannon’s Addition, Letcher Town – Dane and Sarah Blindauer for $150.00;

Woonsocket City: Lots 21-24 Inc, Block 3, Dunns Addition, Woonsocket City – Woonsocket Development Committee for $4,000.00.

LIZ HOFFMAN, DOE SECRETARY

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Weber, to approve the plat as presented for Kent and Gay Swenson with the following resolution 2022-1:

Be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Sanborn County, South Dakota that the plat of LOT 1 OF PH ADDITION, A SUBDIVISION OF THE NE ¼ OF SECTION 19, T 107 N, R 62 W OF THE 5TH P.M., SANBORN COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA, which has been submitted for examination pursuant to law, is hereby approved and the County Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to endorse on such plat a copy of this Resolution and certify the same.

Dated this 4th day of January 2022.

Roll Call Vote for approval of resolution 2022-1 is as follows: S. Larson, aye; P. Larson, aye; Blindauer, aye; Weber, aye; Ebersdorfer, aye.

APPOINTMENTS AND FEES

Chairman Ebersdorfer made the following appointments: Mental Health Board/Drug – Alcohol Board, Paul Larson; District III: Jeff Ebersdorfer; 4-H Advisory Board: Steve Larson; Sanborn County Rural Development: Jeff Ebersdorfer; County Planner: Penny Farris; Economic Development Board: Rod Weber; SD Housing Authority Board: Jeff Ebersdorfer; Drainage Board: Gary Blindauer and Paul Larson; Planning and Zoning: Rod Weber. Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer to approve, the appointments. All ayes; motion carried. 

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Weber, to establish a cost of $2,400.00 for County burial or Cremation plus $0.75 per mile within the State. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, that the following places be designated for holding chattel mortgage sales in Sanborn County for 2022: Front Door of Courthouse, City of Woonsocket; Between Block Four and Five, Original Plat, Town of Letcher; The public street on the North side of the Cortrust Bank, City of Artesian. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to designate Cortrust Bank of Artesian, First National Bank South Dakota, Dakotaland Federal Credit Union, South Dakota Public Funds Investment Trust (FIT), as Legal Depositories and the Sanborn Weekly Journal as the legal newspaper. All ayes; motion carried. 

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Weber, to approve expenses for County Commissioners, County Officials, and County Employees to attend all scheduled meetings pertaining to County Business for 2022. All ayes; motion carried. 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by P. Larson, to pay bills each meeting. All ayes; motion carried

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by P. Larson, to set mileage ($0.42 per mile) and Meals ($6, $14, $20) at State Rates. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by P. Larson, to set the wage of election workers at $200 plus mileage per day and to pay $35 plus mileage for school of instruction, if attended. All ayes; motion carried. 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by P. Larson, to declare old iron, used bridge planks, old culverts, used tires and old parts as surplus with maximum value of $1,000. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Weber, to use the state bid list for county purchases. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Weber, to set the commissioners’ salary at $8,250 annually, plus insurance, no mileage. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by S. Larson, to appoint Josh Starzman as the Emergency Management Director. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by P. Larson, to establish four (4) or less voting precincts. All ayes; motion carried. Precincts will be as follows:  

Precinct #1:  Afton, Floyd, Benedict, Oneida, Artesian City, Diana, Union, Ravenna – Artesian Community Center;

Precinct #2: Butler, Letcher, Letcher City, Logan, and Elliott – Letcher Community Center;

Precinct #4: Jackson, Twin Lake, Woonsocket Township, Silver Creek Township, Ward 2 –  Woonsocket Community Center;

Precinct #5: Wards 1 and 3, Warren Township –  Woonsocket Community Center 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to set the wages for meeting of extension, planning and zoning, and drainage at the rate of $60, no mileage. All ayes; motion carried.

By agreement of the board, the annual meeting with towns and townships will be on February 15 at 1 p.m. at the 4-H Building.

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to set the wage for extra part-time help for the Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Auditor, Sheriff’s Office and Janitor at the minimum wage of $12.00. All ayes; motion carried.

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by S. Larson, that the Register of Deeds will submit the money collected in that office each month to the treasurer by the 20th of the following month and the Sheriff by the 15th. All ayes; motion carried. 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by P. Larson, to approve the ambulance roster on file in the auditor’s office. All ayes; motion carried.

REPORTS AND BILLS

Auditor and Treasurer in all accounts $3,679,144.51

Register of Deeds $6,330.50

Motion by Weber, seconded by Blindauer, to approve the following salaries for staff for the year of 2022. All ayes; motion carried.

Salaries including the insurance incentive are as follows:

Tom Fridley, Sheriff, Annually $57,803.20

Josh Starzman, Deputy Sheriff, Annually $39,436.80

Josh Starzman, Emergency Management, Annually $7,155.20

Mike Salathe, Deputy Sheriff, Annually $39,561.60

Jeff Larson, State’s Attorney, Annually $49,524.80

Penny Farris, Director of Equalization, Annually $46,280.00

Elizabeth Hoffman, Clerk, Annually $32,760.00

Karen Krueger, Treasurer, Annually $50,294.40

Kami Moody, Auditor, Annually $50,294.40

Lynn Brueske, Register of Deeds, Annually $50,294.40

Steve Larson, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Gary Blindauer, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Paul Larson, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Jeff Ebersdorfer, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Rod Weber, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Stacy Mendenhall, Highway Superintendent, Annually $52,166.40

Sheri Kogel, Office Manager, Annually $47,670.40

Jamie Miller, Janitor, Annually $34,840.00

Abby Mathis, Deputy Auditor and Treasurer, Hourly $15.75

Jodi Schrank, Deputy Register of Deeds, Hourly $15.75

Naomi Terkildsen, Secretary, Hourly $15.75

Sherryl Rankin, Secretary, Hourly $14.25

Dayna Opsahl, Secretary, Hourly $14.50

Brian Pearson, Highway, Hourly $22.52

Jim Luthi, Highway, Hourly $18.29

Heath Larson, Highway, Hourly $16.93

Alan Larson Jr., Highway, Hourly $16.93

James Gorter, Highway, Hourly $16.50

Richard Miller, Highway, Hourly $16.50

Stuart Christian, Highway, Hourly $16.50

There being no further business before the board, motion by Blindauer, seconded by P. Larson, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

Kami Moody

Sanborn County Auditor

Jeff Ebersdorfer

Chairman of the Board,

Sanborn County