Votes at a glance: Minnehaha County Commission actions on Jan. 21, 2025

The Minnehaha County Commission conducted routine business and approved a series of motions on Jan. 21. The items below summarize motions, movers/seconds when recorded, vote outcomes and tallies as recorded in the meeting transcript or by voice vote. When the transcript recorded a roll call, the item includes the commissioners’ recorded 'aye' responses; for several routine approvals the commission used a voice vote.

1) Approve agenda - Motion: Approve meeting agenda (procedural). - Mover/Second: Motion and second recorded on the record (names not specified in transcript at motion moment). - Outcome: Approved by voice vote (“Aye; Opposed, same sign. Motion carries.”)

2) Approve consent agenda (Commissioner Benenga recused from action) - Motion/Second: Motion and second recorded. Public was invited to comment; none affected consent. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote (“Aye… Motion carries.”). Commission noted recusal by Commissioner Benenga on specified consent items.

3) Authorize chair to sign agreement between Minnehaha County and IMEG Corp for construction administration of project MC 2,306, structure 51 81 34 (bridge replacement) - Motion: Support and approve (mover not specifically named in transcript). - Second: Recorded as second (name not specified). - Vote: Roll call recorded; commissioners called as (transcript spelling): Bennegga (Aye), Kipley (Aye), Blindberg (Aye), Heisey (Aye), Kursky/Karski (Aye). - Tally: yes:5, no:0, abstain:0 - Outcome: Approved.

4) Declare highway department scrap as surplus and authorize disposal by recycling - Motion: Approve disposal of full scrap bin at the Highway Department. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Roll call recorded; ayes read in transcript (variations of names appear). Tally recorded as yes:5, no:0. - Outcome: Approved.

5) Recognition/appointment of a second Veterans Service Officer (appointment of Doug Roderick) - Motion: Approve appointment of veterans service officer(s). - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Voice/roll-call recorded; commissioners voted aye. Outcome: Approved; new VSO Doug Roderick introduced and will serve as county VSO.

6) Authorize IT department to purchase computers for 2025 (quote from Dell Technologies) - Motion: Approve purchase (roughly 61 desktops, 16 laptops, 30 tablets as quoted in presentation). - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Voice vote recorded (“Aye… Motion carries.”) - Outcome: Approved.

7) Authorize chair to sign amendment to MOU between Minnehaha County and South Dakota State University Extension for 4-H programming (cost-share $27,270) - Motion: Approve amendment and county share of $27,270 toward the 50/50 cost share for a second 4-H educator. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Roll call recorded; commissioners voted aye. Tally yes:5, no:0. - Outcome: Approved.

8) Establish appointment to Minnehaha-Lincoln County Board of Mental Illness and Minnehaha County Review Board for Developmental Disabilities - Motion: Approve appointment of a Minnehaha County resident to fill vacancy. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Roll call recorded; aye votes entered. Outcome: Approved.

9) Resolution appointing commissioners to the Siouxland Heritage Museum Board and the Accessible Housing Advisory Board - Motion: Approve appointment of Commissioner Blindberg to Accessible Housing Advisory Board and Commissioner Heisey to Siouxland Heritage Museum Board (liaison appointments). - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Roll call recorded; ayes. Outcome: Approved.

10) Authorize auditor to publish hearing notice for adoption of the Envision Comprehensive Plan (hearing date set for Feb. 18) - Motion: Approve publishing of hearing notice and set Feb. 18 hearing date. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Voice vote recorded (“All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed… Motion carries.”) - Outcome: Approved.

11) COSAP interfund transfer: move $110,000 from COSAP fund back to general fund (grant completed, reimbursements received) - Motion: Approve transfer to close out COSAP fund and return assigned money to the general fund. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Roll call recorded with commissioners’ ayes read in transcript (names transcribed variably); tally yes:5. - Outcome: Approved.

12) Annual review of Rules of Procedure (no changes recommended at this time) - Action: Briefing/review only; commissioners discussed potential changes (Commissioner Heisey proposed allowing a single commissioner to place items on the agenda; others opposed). No formal change adopted at this meeting. - Outcome: No action required.

13) Briefing on updated Power Outage Response Protocol - Action: Briefing only; policy substantially rewritten and will return at next meeting for formal action because it affects personnel. - Outcome: No vote taken.

14) Legislative update (briefing): staff presented bills under monitoring (no vote) - Action: Briefing; commissioners asked follow-ups on specific bills (e.g., drone use for assessments and EMS funding bills). - Outcome: No action.

15) Motion to enter executive session under South Dakota codified law (transcript reference to statutes for executive session) - Motion: Move into executive session for cited statutory purposes. - Second: Recorded. - Vote: Voice vote recorded: Aye. Motion carries; the commission proceeded to executive session.

Notes on vote counts and names: The meeting transcript recorded roll calls with commissioners saying “Aye” for many items; spellings of commissioner names vary in the transcript (examples: Bennegga/Bennigan/Bennegga; Kipley/Kipli; Blindberg; Heisey; Karski/Kursky/Kerske). Where the transcript recorded a roll call, tally counts above reflect the recorded unanimous ayes; where only a voice vote occurred, the item is noted as approved by voice vote in the transcript.