[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6577301,"mediaKeyId","3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63","parentId",3157715,"title","Commission approves three county funeral assistance requests; staff outlines standardization plan","audioSeconds",498,"startMs",8782000,"endMs",9280000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63&start=8782&end=9280","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63/thumbnail_8782000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577301/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Commission-approves-three-county-funeral-assistance-requests-staff-outlines-standardization-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577301-56abc9a2af9d66adadfe48fa2c6e2e75/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172664&Signature=m0Z6ZfuR8oaC-yOyGtNf36UZNXxFOgtUGyNAiYAT4WHhL0C9YpoYKTJ1eLe03EIt8OO6tSmPXjZkX1MIRDN5K4iKr-zeP3Z39ltopsq3XqXQsc4gN5U0aPQWYdWZ~630x4bOph6yqGH35xiD9YgZp1MT18YGzwrwVrcjO6w4Yk6S3hdDFgpkzLALLOxCS1FLMQWqKePsnnCzftevttC8A~IosqCFVlaSoRAC619SttNU253J8bQ7HUm4Xy7RYfO17YlJ3VA88CPXBv9y7V-YTw2UwZ9LeKnWU21hpbBwP6mdNj3ad2PCKUYHJw1jwLfijy8MsCtY3Zv2jfXseZM7Qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clay County South Dakota","date","2025-04-30T15:23:19.633Z","article","County legal staff presented three requests for county-funded funeral (cremation) assistance that were made under the county welfare practice; the commission approved all three on April 21.

Background and action: The staff member handling welfare said Clay County historically limited assistance to cremation at a set county-funded maximum (the meeting referenced $1,900 as a common cap). Because the county recently had three such requests in a short window, staff had reviewed practices in other counties and sought an application form used by the South Dakota Association of County Welfare Officials; staff proposed adopting a streamlined application (based on a Coddington County model) and requiring applicants to provide proof of income or benefits when feasible.

Board action and rationale: Commissioners approved payment for the three cremation requests presented. Staff noted the county can place liens against estates where assets exist, but also explained that probate procedures and Medicaid claims often make estate recovery unlikely or administratively costly in many cases.

Next steps: Staff will implement a standardized application and require documentation from applicants in future cases, and will present a draft application form to the commission for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 29, 2025 County Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The county approved three requests for county-funded cremation assistance and discussed creating a standardized application and documentation process for future cases.","taxTitle","Clay County, South Dakota","taxId",55676,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577306,"Commissioners set budget limits for law-enforcement center renovation and courtroom security RFQs",1306,9594000,10900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63&start=9594&end=10900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63/thumbnail_9594000.jpg","/articles/6577306/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Commissioners-set-budget-limits-for-law-enforcement-center-renovation-and-courtroom-security-RFQs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577306-5aedd0996dd43dd1068b79faddbe812a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172664&Signature=N6BFrB5w7n8CHNV1O0~7bs0OLCxUH4sh6fD6FV0JIVKygglAleqmpUs1NZh6u8ANbftridc5k60pkqqyaUayYg0QlBDzLjr5hJfEvG~uIGBVzuiCGzwBaY4j6qe2wOdWywUppJ8N4aiQjxwvj-~vbylyOyBi~DmzXK6cc02Spvvlt0PtxBKSWKoo~jD6CT1jOuGk759JYPBkMYYfSsLhizNkFeR9fDf7MEFTANkzOc3bo~aurf8XQRfFnMRFQ93wOr0YSsTlYsyimkL94KHSeJeDaRdgz5r~PFrLozuij0Fo55aKdQaZJQfOzGG1LK4hIjD7HDYvy4frMz456~ZkOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clay County commissioners on April 21 approved budget limits to guide a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) and subsequent request-for-proposal (RFP) process for two related projects: law-enforcement center renovations and courtroom security upgrades.

Project scope and funding: committee members asked staff to use a design-build procurement approach. For the courtroom security project the county has a grant award (discussed in the meeting) and commissioners set a budget cap of $315,000 to accommodate the state grant plus county match requirements. For the larger law-enforcement center renovation and safety-center upgrades the board set a budget cap of $600,000 to allow a design-build team to scope work across sheriff and police spaces, mechanical and life-safety upgrades, and other renovation needs.

Why it matters: the RFQ/RFP sequence will be used to prequalify firms and then solicit detailed proposals and guaranteed-maximum prices; the budget caps must be published in RFQ documents so proposers understand project scale. Staff and the committee noted timing constraints and the need to keep work staged so essential functions (for example, court operations) are not displaced for extended periods.

Several commissioners and staff discussed breaking the larger renovation into work packages or ensuring the RFQ/RFP language permits separate options so the county can prioritize the sheriff side if necessary. The board approved the two budget limits and directed staff to advertise the RFQ/RFP using those figures.

Next steps: staff will publish the RFQ/RFP, evaluate qualifications and bring recommended shortlists and proposals back to the commission for selection and final contract approval.","The commission approved budget caps for a design-build procurement for law-enforcement center improvements and a separate allocated budget for courtroom security, and instructed staff to proceed with an RFQ/RFP process with those limits.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577309,"Clay County board hears multiple tax appeals, approves partial veterans abatements and several valuation recommendations",1749,2541000,4290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63&start=2541&end=4290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63/thumbnail_2541000.jpg","/articles/6577309/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Clay-County-board-hears-multiple-tax-appeals-approves-partial-veterans-abatements-and-several-valuation-recommendations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577309-3e30f5d1b7bedd1c2df9fcf369b59b7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172664&Signature=ehTZTRcmA70k2GXpOM~d8kOpfZNex-CtqP-UY104dhUyL0FyDVsmOawpJwZKwll0U8GpAPOxrMRZGs~RS8fIsooyJHYgylQNRtVWAPBLwKCXOVgPmqtt~mszIXD9Gp4O1h6W9eS8R5l1dJvhD1FFHVqfUYghxx7SrgffQqcqh~wjiVJgGHXGgh5Xt7oLkZDHriEOjFTAUbyIlv9MGkfmt3yJ5J5lfMUovTETwHhiYmwV84OQh0hIdde3NBP~ywG27nr8WgOOBll~6DdSE1YiOa60IxRRyHxdD4bUickEOLg5n5yYk0Wfx4KqVFWjQEBYMCUAkx0G-LFTxDtzJE1tHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clay County commissioners and the county board of equalization reviewed veteran exemption petitions and a series of property valuation appeals on April 21, approving partial exemptions and sustaining or adjusting assessed values in several contested cases.

A county staff member presented a veteran’s abatement application that had an effective date of Aug. 15 (after the Nov. 1 deadline for owner-occupied classification). The assessor’s office cited SDCL provisions allowing petition to the board for recalculation and recommended a partial abatement for the months the exemption would have applied. The board approved a partial exemption and ordered the county equalization office to apply the exemption going forward for taxes payable 2026.

The board then moved into the County Board of Equalization and later the Consolidated Board of Equalization to hear appeals from property owners. In a residential flood-plain appeal (the parcel at 1900 Dawson), county appraisal staff described how changes in cost tables (from Terrascan 2009 to a 2013 Marshall & Swift table used in the county’s appraisal software) and an updated grade assessment had increased the reappraised value; after reviewing comparable sales and noting uncertainty about market evidence specifically isolating flood-insurance effects, staff recommended leaving the current assessed value unchanged for 2025 and to investigate flood-insurance capitalization further in the summer. The consolidated board voted to leave the 2025 assessed value as presented by the assessor.

On commercial appeals, the assessor adjusted a storage/utility building valuation downward after an exterior inspection and recommended a new total property value; the board approved that revised value. A larger commercial appeal (a neighborhood retail/warehouse property with a recent addition) prompted extensive discussion about occupancy classification, depreciation, functional versus economic obsolescence and how to account for an owner’s recently issued construction permit and incomplete addition (reported in the meeting as 76% complete). The assessor and the property owners disputed comparable sales and the appropriate per-square-foot measure; the board approved a compromise adjustment that applied a 60% obsolescence factor in the appraisal software and changed the property’s abstract classification to commercial (NADC 2), producing a lower combined assessed value for the parcel.

Why it matters: these actions affect property tax bills for the subject taxpayers and set internal precedents about how the assessor’s office will evaluate flood-plain effects, commercial additions and location-based obsolescence going forward. Several commissioners and appellants requested additional study and follow-up; the director of equalization said staff would examine flood-insurance cost-to-cure and capitalization methods over the summer.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the partial veteran abatement, confirmed an additional late application would be added to the prior group of approved veteran exemptions, sustained the 1900 Dawson assessment for 2025, approved the storage/utility valuation adjustment, and approved the adjusted commercial assessment applying the functional/economic obsolescence as discussed.

Next steps: assessor’s staff will follow up over the summer on market evidence and flood-insurance effects and will implement the board’s direction on veterans exemptions and the commercial classification change.","The county’s regular and consolidated boards of equalization considered veteran exemption petitions, property valuation appeals including a flood-plain claim and several commercial appeals; board approved partial exemptions and accepted assessor recommendations in multiple cases after on-the-record deliberations.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577314,"Clay County commissioners table river-access planning after federal funding update",1340,833000,2173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63&start=833&end=2173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3157715-79bd2670e4bc338a910f20aa0eff3a63/thumbnail_833000.jpg","/articles/6577314/Clay-County/South-Dakota/Clay-County-commissioners-table-river-access-planning-after-federal-funding-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577314-4afa072b72c853e877de6458d1212f78/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172664&Signature=dNFatSj55ftkly6vIqM~i5gUZzsE1JyjJOTGaeqGMrtSDuu3h6fpq5N6IzE4rLcKWyApZjQqItza6GHN6aknHDG63yip-j63UeDdTur5GuaklV6df5obwSEEAnBw7v~9sjXf-KBGjs63QiI0zB4zjmhcf98vfi3aiU~1cVfj9aTTDOTLw9dj04EX4-IMyVC6uMGfFpDQNj-Yv4cORFh-vbZxku4CXrWsJ4bRONYPE--f7jnOc4KhBk5GgyARZmPZ3yxg~AER6PrF6FAKYNdvxgFcdw~oAnjJfX6eh6g8UqP8jMhbFKf9DMPjSVkvS8ffj5lpfTTTAGhT1EsxJRGHcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clay County commissioners on April 21 debated whether to ask Federal Highways to obligate previously awarded planning funds for river-access projects and then voted to table the item until the next meeting.

The county’s lead commissioner summarized recent communication with Jill Locken at Federal Highways, saying county staff had been told funds could be transferred to South Dakota and obligated for local planning work. “She also noted that the funds don't need to be used by the end of the fiscal year,” the commissioner said in the meeting transcript, adding that some proposal deadlines in the county RFP were flexible.

Why it matters: the roughly $250,000 federal planning award (the transcript refers to the “flat funds” grant) would let the county study four possible projects without spending local property tax dollars up front. The projects identified in the RFP included: adding a boat launch on the county line, improvements at Myron Grove boat launch and public access, improvements across Clay County Park (including natural-area considerations), and studying a bike route in existing rights-of-way from Vermillion to Lake County.

Commissioners and members of the public described mixed community reaction. One commissioner said public meetings and written comments showed majority support for planning work if it centered on safety and public input; another commissioner and multiple members of the public expressed concern that the RFP and subsequent planning could lead toward permanent trail construction or easement requests that landowners oppose. One resident called the project a “want, not a need” and questioned whether easements could be obtained.

County staff said that if funds were obligated into South Dakota’s coffers the county could then invite the five proposers who previously responded to the RFP to indicate whether they would revise timelines and still pursue the study. The staff member who presented the item told the commission the RFP capped eligible reimbursement at about $250,000 and emphasized the county would not commit local property tax dollars to build projects; planning could, however, create a document for state partners to use when seeking construction funds.

After extended discussion, commissioners made a procedural motion to table the item to the next meeting so a full commission could consider whether to request obligation of the federal funds. The motion carried.

What’s next: The county will revisit the question at the next regular meeting; staff proposed contacting the five prior proposers to see if they remain interested and to give them an opportunity to revise timelines if funding is secured in-state.","Commissioners debated whether to request federal obligation of previously-awarded “flat” funding for river-access planning, including possible bike path, kayak launch and park improvements, and voted to table the matter until the next full meeting so a full board could decide.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission approves three county funeral assistance requests; staff outlines standardization plan

Commissioners set budget limits for law-enforcement center renovation and courtroom security RFQs

Clay County board hears multiple tax appeals, approves partial veterans abatements and several valuation recommendations

Clay County commissioners table river-access planning after federal funding update