License renewals strictly cash & carry

Spurred by a recommendation of the State Audit conducted for Spink County, the Spink County Commissioners addressed a change in routine with Spink County Treasurer Kathy Ludwig at their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 19.

At that meeting it was pointed out that according to South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL)7-11-9 receipts shall be issued whenever the County Treasurer receives any money, warrants, or orders on any account. According to the audit, several instances were noted in 2010 where the County Treasurer’s Daily Cash Account recorded a receipt being issued for motor vehicle collections but payment was not received from the individual the same day. In some instances payment was not made until several days later. Because of this, the Spink County Commissioners have asked that payment be made the same day plates are issued. This will mean no more mailing out of plates or renewals until the amount due is collected by the Spink County Treasurer. In other Treasurer’s office news, Deputy Clerk Yvonne Stulken received her 6 month step increase.

In other Commission news, a county road/township exchannge was approved between Spink County and Richfield Township for a portion of county road #20 being exhanced with a township road. Richfield Township has agreed to maintain the three miles of road they are receiving and will also take care of the mowing of the road ditches along those three miles.

At 10am the Commissionerss adjourned as the Commission and met as Planning and Zoning. At that time they approved the plats (#12-25) Jungwirth Tract 1 as well as plats (#12-26) and (#12-27) School first and second additions to the City of Conde in Spink County and a special exception for Hillside Colony in Capitola Township for Hillside Colony Trailer Sales and Repair.

At 10:30am the board adjourned as the Planning and Zoning and moved into the Drainage Board at which time a hearing on Bixler-Peterson Tiling project was removed from the table, ammended and a hearing held.

In attendance were the members of the Drainage Board, Jeff Albrecht, Brian Johnson, Jerry Zerbel, Dave Albrecht, and Craig Johnson as well as Director of Equalization Kim Markley

Public present for the hearing included Jim Millar of Precision Soil Management, Lenny Peterson, Mitch Peterson, Mike Sentell and Richard Rathjan.

Markley addressed those gathered stating that she had received communication from the Bureau of Reclaimation who stated that they did not have a position for or against the stated project. An evaluation map of the project was sent to Clark Engineering of Aberdeen who studied the data and reviewed it with concerned parties. There was no further objection from the proposal on that issue.

Millar addressed the Board stating that they would be working on the project with the Army Corp of Engineers and would get the neccessary 404 certification for the project.

Mike Sentell addressed the Drainage Board next stating that in years when there is lots of flooding water backs up onto his pasture and floods into his cattle dugouts. He has concern that if the project was approved that it would only be a matter of time before more was done and wanted to go on public record as having stated his concerns. He felt that by doing so, any future liability problems in the future in association with the project, his concerns would already be noted.

Sentell went on to question the matter of chemicals, in particular nitrogen, being released into his dugouts.

Millar addressed this concern stating that Precision Soil has been doing nitrogen testing on completed tiling projects in Spink County and that in most cases the water met drinking quality standards. He stated that water on the ground will run through several layers to get to the drain tile that will act as a natural filter. Again Sentell spoke of his concerns saying that the size of the current project does not affect his pasture as it stands but he can see what it is going and stated, “When we comin in in the future with his next project I want you to remember I brought this up.”

Upon a motion and a second, the Peterson tiling project was approved.

At that, the Drainage Board aj\djourned and moved back to the County Commission were they discussed budget issues.