Brookings County commission approves supplemental budget, vehicle and construction purchases, contractor and abatements; discusses TIF fee

The Brookings County Commission on Tuesday approved a supplemental budget resolution and a package of procurement actions, contract approvals and tax abatements, and held a separate discussion about establishing administrative fees for tax-increment financing districts.

The commission approved Resolution No. 25-16, a supplemental budget resolution that county staff said will help cover outstanding amounts on the Samara Avenue project; staff reported the county has about $358,000 remaining to obligate toward an earlier $1,000,000 commitment on that project after payments from the city of Volga and prior set-asides.

Commissioners also approved several procurement and contracting measures during the meeting. The highway department was authorized to purchase corrugated metal pipe and related materials off the Beadle County, S.D. bid; the commission approved a $144,637 order for a 2025 Freightliner cab/chassis to be used by the highway department (hydraulic components and snowplow equipment will come to a later meeting); and the commission awarded a low bid of $460,960 to Casper Concrete Inc. of Sioux Falls for structure and approach grading on structure 06-320-118. The county’s portion of a multi-county striping contract was reported at $117,438.25; the highway department said the low overall striping bid was $1,044,250.25 and that that agreement will be brought forward in March.

In separate business the commission approved Agreement 25-26, an application for occupancy of the county highway right-of-way by Sioux Valley Energy in Oslo Township, and Agreement 25-27, an independent-contractor agreement with Warrior Monk Academy LLC (listed in the agenda as Jacob Little and Natalie Weidner) for firearms and safety instruction at the Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC). OAC director Joe Salvati told commissioners attendance has been strong and that the contract should allow the center to offer a steadier schedule of classes.

Two property tax abatements were approved: Abatement 25-04 (Prairie Hills LLC) in the amount of $4,342.89 and Abatement 25-05 (Heron Cove LLC) in the amount of $615.41. County staff explained the Prairie Hills abatement corrects a parcel-mapping/platting issue that had resulted in construction value being taxed on a parent parcel instead of a new parcel; the Heron Cove abatement removes the tax on structures that the owner removed earlier in 2024. The two abatements total $4,958.30.

Other actions included approval of the consent agenda and claims, authorization to fill a budgeted seasonal ATV driver position in the weed and pest department, and appointment of Kaitlyn Brand to a one-year term on the extension board (term expiring Jan. 9, 2026).

During staff reports and discussion the commission heard these notable updates: the highway director said striping bids came in significantly lower than last year and that the county will seek a formal agreement; Sheriff Murray reported 51 inmates in the county jail (32 county inmates and 19 housed for other jurisdictions, including 10 from U.S. Marshals Service with 5 more expected) and said some counties are using opioid-settlement monies to buy monitoring equipment for detox cells — "It's about $6,500 to put this instrument into the detox cell," the sheriff said — and said he would bring a clearer proposal if he pursues that purchase. Treasurer Laurie reminded eligible residents that the senior citizen valuation freeze application is due April 1 and warned of potential service delays tied to the state's new 605 Drive system for plates and titles.

Commissioners spent roughly 20–30 minutes discussing whether to establish an administrative fee for creation of county TIF (tax-increment financing) districts. Staff recommended an upfront, one-time administrative fee rather than an annual charge to avoid ongoing billing and recordkeeping; commissioners discussed a sliding scale tied to the number of parcels in a district or project size and noted work increases with parcel count. Commissioners suggested a one-time fee in the $2,500–$5,000 range as a starting point for further drafting, but no resolution or ordinance was adopted at the meeting.

The meeting record shows roll-call votes on each action and the commission carried motions as presented. The commission also scheduled and announced upcoming public meetings and events, including county participation in an April intercounty meeting to be hosted at the BCOAC (Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center). The meeting later recessed to an executive session under South Dakota Codified Law 1-25-2(1) and (4) for personnel and contract negotiations.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 25-16 (supplemental budget; Samara Avenue project): approved (motion carried). - Resolution 25-17 (purchase of corrugated metal pipe, Beadle County bid): approved (motion carried). - Resolution 25-18 (purchase of 2025 Freightliner cab/chassis via Minnesota bid): approved (motion carried). Price for chassis: $144,637 (hydraulics/plow to follow). - Agreement 25-26 (Sioux Valley Energy occupancy of county ROW, Oslo Township): approved (motion carried). - Agreement 25-27 (Warrior Monk Academy LLC contractor for OAC instruction): approved (motion carried). - Abatement 25-04 (Prairie Hills LLC): approved; $4,342.89. - Abatement 25-05 (Heron Cove LLC): approved; $615.41. - Low bid award to Casper Concrete Inc. for structure 06-320-118: approved; $460,960. - Authorization to fill seasonal ATV driver (Weed & Pest): approved. - Appointment of Kaitlyn Brand to county extension board (term to 01/09/2026): approved.

(Where roll-call detail in the transcript did not list each individual vote by name, the minutes record the motions as carried by the commission.)

Ending County staff said some of these procurement items will return for final contract approvals and that more detail will be provided on the Samara Avenue budget obligation and the jail detox proposal. The commission plans further work on the proposed TIF administrative fee in coming meetings.

Quotes used in this article come from the March 4, 2025 Brookings County Commission meeting transcript and are attributed to the speakers who made them.