Commissioners approve 5-year highway and bridge plan and authorize pickup snowplow purchase

Codington County commissioners voted to adopt Resolution 2025-15, the county's five-year highway and bridge improvement plan, and approved purchase of a snowplow for the highway superintendent's pickup truck during their Oct. 7 meeting.

The board approved the highway and bridge plan, which lists bridges by color-coded priority years across a five-year schedule. Highway Superintendent Randy Falvey told commissioners the colored diamonds on the plan correspond to timing: yellow will be worked next year, red in 2027, blue in 2028 (none on this plan), purple in 2029 and green in 2030. Falvey said the plan supports grant applications to fund the listed bridge projects. After a motion by Commissioner Gable and second by Commissioner McElhaney, the commissioners voted by voice to approve the resolution.

Immediately following that action, the board considered purchase of a front-mounted snowplow for Falvey's new pickup. Falvey said he and his assistant check roads early each morning and a plow on their trucks would allow them to clear small drifts and problem spots without dispatching a full-size truck. Falvey presented a single written estimate from Steve's World for $11,291.69; he explained the county's existing truck already uses the same Western plow brand and electronics, which is why only one estimate was supplied. Commissioners confirmed the purchase was budgeted. A motion to approve the purchase (mover: Commissioner Johnson; second: Commissioner Gable) carried on a voice vote.

The board did not record roll-call tallies in the meeting transcript; minutes note approval by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Clarifying details provided in the meeting include the $11,291.69 estimate for the plow, the five-year color-coded schedule for bridge work, and that the plow purchase was included in the approved budget.