Codington County commissioners approve bridge grant, DOT weed contract and $1,500 website redesign; delay burn ban

Codington County commissioners on March 18 authorized the chair to sign a bridge improvement grant agreement and a separate engineering contract for the ice-damaged structure identified as Bridge ID 15-240-155, approved the county’s annual weed-spray contract with the South Dakota Department of Transportation and accepted a $1,500 quote to redesign the county website. Commissioners also heard from emergency management and agreed to leave a possible burn ban on future agendas rather than adopt one immediately.

The action on the bridge and the engineering contract follows notification that a grant applied for last year was approved. Commissioners voted to authorize the chair to execute the grant agreement for Bridge ID 15-240-155 and to sign a contract with Banner Associates Inc. for engineering services on the same bridge. The board also approved right-of-way and utility certificates needed to advance the Fourteenth Avenue bridge project.

Why it matters: repairing a county bridge damaged by winter ice and securing engineering services are necessary steps to move state-funded repairs into design and construction. Approving right-of-way and utility certificates keeps the Fourteenth Avenue project on schedule.

Most important actions

• Bridge grant and engineering: Commissioners authorized the chair to sign a bridge improvement grant agreement for Bridge ID 15-240-155 and separately authorized a contract for engineering services with Banner Associates Inc. The actions were presented as connected steps: the grant provides funding and Banner will provide the engineering work to design repairs for ice damage.

• Fourteenth…