Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Finance And Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buffalo County approves temporary contract labor, hires bridge inspection consultant and moves $300,000 into staggered CDs
Summary
Buffalo County Commissioners voted to hire a contractor for interim highway coordination at $300 a week, authorized a bridge reinspection contract that carries a 20% county match and approved placing $300,000 into staggered certificates of deposit.
Buffalo County Commissioners on Tuesday approved three measures to keep highway projects moving and to bolster the county’s short-term reserves.
The board voted to hire a contractor for interim highway and grant coordination at $300 a week, approved a resolution to hire IMAG for county bridge reinspections that will require a 20% county match, and authorized putting $300,000 into staggered certificates of deposit to earn higher interest income.
The measures came during a wider discussion of several bridge projects and federal aid work. Tanner, who offered to continue county FEMA and bridge coordination on a contract basis, told the board: “I would do a contract labor or whatever for $300 a week, and I’ll keep up with all the emails and the the grama work and the FEMA stuff that I’m working right now.” The commissioners voted to accept the contract-labor arrangement and instructed Tanner to provide weekly email updates and status reports.
County staff described two bridge efforts needing county funds. Kenny Miller, identified in the meeting as a county presenter, said the county has been approved for restoration work on the Bumpies Road bridge that is “estimated at a $900,000 restoration. Of that 900,000, our county has to come up with 90,000.” He said the Larson Road bridge is in a preliminary design stage and likely will need replacement; preliminary work on Larson was estimated at about $12,000 but could be higher.
Separately, the board presented and signed a resolution to join a bridge reinspection program and hire IMAG to perform inspection work; according to staff summary the South Dakota Department of Transportation will pursue federal approvals and make payments to the consulting engineer, and the county must provide 20% of the project cost as local match. Commissioners moved and approved the resolution during the meeting.
On county cash management, commissioners debated whether to invest some of the county’s idle checking balance. After discussion about cash flow, fiduciary accounts that are not available for general use (including 911 and road & bridge earmarks), and penalties for early CD withdrawal, the board approved placing $300,000 into staggered CDs to try to raise interest income while keeping some liquidity.
Votes at a glance
- Temporary contract labor for highway/grants coordination: motion to approve contract labor at $300 per week; mover not specified; second by Commissioner Danita Loudner; outcome: approved. - Bridge reinspection program (hire IMAG): motion to join the program and sign the resolution authorizing IMAG to do inspection work and acknowledging a required 20% county match; mover and second not specified in transcript; outcome: approved. - Invest $300,000 in staggered certificates of deposit: motion passed; mover and second not specified in transcript; outcome: approved.
The commissioners directed the contractor and relevant county staff to provide weekly status reports on the FEMA and bridge work and to coordinate schedules with engineers doing inspections and designs. The board also asked Treasurer Janice to work with the county’s bank to structure the CDs in staggered maturities and to allocate any earned interest according to statutory allocations and existing fund percentages.
