Sanborn County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., with Jeff Ebersdorfer, Steve Larson, Paul Larson, Gary Blindauer, and Duane Peterson 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. Steve Larson nominated Jeff Ebersdorfer. Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer that nominations cease. Motion carried. Ebersdorfer will be Chairman. Ebersdorfer called for nominations for vice-chairman. Blindauer nominated Steve Larson. Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Peterson, that nominations cease. Motion carried. Steve Larson will be the vice-chairman. Motion by Blindauer, seconded by S. Larson, to approve the minutes from the December 27, 2022, meeting as presented. Motion carried.

OATH OF OFFICE

Elected and Re-elected officials took the Oath of Office for the following positions:

Jeff Ebersdorfer – Commissioner District 1;

Duane Peterson – Commissioner District 3;

Gary Blindauer – Commissioner District 5;

Kami Moody – Auditor;

Lynn Brueske – Register of Deeds;

Tom Fridley – Sheriff.

CITIZENS INPUT

No public was in attendance for input.

  HIGHWAY

Sheri Kogel, Highway Administrative Assistant, met with the board. Kogel gave updates on how road clearing, and equipment repairs are going. Kogel had one of the two requested quotes for fuel pump replacement. The Board will wait until the next meeting in hopes that they will have another quote available. 

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Peterson to approve the three township applications for the Rural Access Infrastructure Plan. Motion carried. The Rural Access Infrastructure Plan is a State Funded Grant program, to help Townships with the cost of replacing failing structures on Township Roads.

Afton Township – $33,715;

Woonsocket Township – $23,208;

Ravenna Township – $16,976;

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: Duane Peterson; South Dakota Housing Authority Board: Jeff Ebersdorfer; Drainage Board: Gary Blindauer and Paul Larson; Planning and Zoning: Duane Peterson; Emergency Management Director: Josh Starzman. Motion by Blindauer, seconded by S. Larson, to approve the appointments. Motion carried. 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, that the following places be designated for holding chattel mortgage sales in Sanborn County for 2023: 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. Motion carried.

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

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to approve expenses for County Commissioners, County Officials, and County Employees to attend all scheduled meetings pertaining to County Business for 2023; to set mileage ($0.51 per mile) and meals ($6, $14, $20) at State rates; to pay bills at each meeting; to establish a cost of $2,400.00 for County burial or Cremation plus $0.75 per mile within the State; and to declare old iron, used bridge planks, old culverts, used tires and old parts as surplus with maximum value of $1,000. Motion carried. 

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by S. Larson, to set the commissioners’ salary at $8,250 annually, plus insurance, no mileage; to set the wage for extra part-time help for the Register of Deed, Treasurer, Auditor, Sheriff’s Office and Janitor at the wage of $15.00; to set the wages for meeting of extension, planning and zoning, and drainage at the rate of $60.00, no mileage; set the wage of election workers at $200.00 plus mileage per day and to pay $35.00 plus mileage for school of instruction, if attended; and to pay $50.00 per month for cell phone usage to Deputy Sheriff and Highway Superintendent. Motion carried. 

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by P. Larson, to use the state bid list for county purchases. Motion carried.

Motion by Peterson, seconded by P. Larson, to establish four (4) or less voting precincts. 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, Woonsocket City Ward 2 – Woonsocket Community Center;

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

By agreement of the board, the annual meeting with towns and townships will be on February 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building.

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Peterson, 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. Motion carried. 

Motion by S. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to approve the ambulance roster on file in the auditor’s office. Motion carried.

Motion by Blindauer, seconded by Peterson, to move to executive session at 9:58 a.m., for personnel matters. Motion carried. Ebersdorfer declared the end of executive session at 10:36 a.m. 

REPORTS AND BILLS

Auditor and Treasurer in all accounts $2,660,304.93

Register of Deeds $1,558.00

Motion by P. Larson, seconded by Blindauer, to approve the following salaries for staff for the year 2023. Motion carried.

Salaries including the insurance incentive are as follows:

Tom Fridley, Sheriff, Annually $60,320.00

Josh Starzman, Deputy Sheriff, Annually $45,552.00

Josh Starzman, Emergency Management, Annually $7,100.00

Mike Salathe, Deputy Sheriff, Annually $42,016.00

Naomi Terkildsen, Secretary , Annually $35,360.00

Jeff Larson, States Attorney, Annually $49,524.80

Penny Farris, Director of Equalization, Annually $48,880.00

Elizabeth Hoffman, Clerk, Annually $34,840.00

Karen Krueger, Treasurer, Annually $52,894.40

Kami Moody, Auditor, Annually $52,894.40

Abby Mathis, Deputy Auditor and Treasurer, Annually $34,840.00

Lynn Brueske, Register of Deeds, Annually $52,894.40

Jodi Schrank, Deputy Register of Deeds, Annually $34,840.00

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

Duane Peterson, Commissioner, Annually $8,250.00

Stacy Mendenhall, Highway Superintendent, Annually $54,766.40

Sheri Kogel, Office Manager, Annually $46,446.40

Jamie Miller, Janitor, Annually $36,400.00

Sherryl Rankin, Secretary, Hourly $15.25

Dayna Opsahl, Secretary, Hourly $15.50

Brian Pearson, Highway, Hourly $23.52

Heath Larson, Highway, Hourly $17.93

Alan Larson Jr., Highway, Hourly $17.93

James Gorter, Highway, Hourly $17.50

Richard Miller, Highway, Hourly $17.50

Stuart Christian, Highway, Hourly $17.50

Alex Burkel, Highway, Hourly $17.25

There being no further business before the board, motion by Blindauer, seconded by Peterson, to adjourn the meeting at 10:41 a.m. Motion carried. The next regular scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Kami Moody

Sanborn County Auditor

Jeff Ebersdorfer

Chairman of the Board, 

Sanborn County

Published once on January 19, 2023, at the total approximate cost of $88.00 and may be viewed free of charge at www.sdpublicnotices.com.