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Minnehaha County committee considers standard office rules, enforcement and space-heater policy
Summary
Committee members reviewed proposed county office standards, debated allowances for personal items and shared-space flexibility, and heard recommendations that enforcement be assigned to a specific office and that adoption occur by resolution.
The Minnehaha County Building Committee reviewed proposed countywide office standards at its March 23 meeting, discussing what should be required in new or remodeled spaces versus existing offices and who would enforce the rules.
Craig Dewey, assistant commission administrative officer, presented the draft standards and described distinctions the proposal draws between new or remodeled spaces and existing spaces. Committee members raised questions about whether employees should be allowed personal items such as coffee pots, mini-fridges and space heaters in county offices.
Sheriff Mike Milstead urged the committee to maintain flexibility for shared facilities such as the Law Enforcement Center, saying operational needs in shared buildings can differ from those in single-agency offices. Auditor Ben Kyte recommended the standards explicitly designate which person or department would be responsible for enforcement.
Julie Hofer, public advocate, relayed feedback from her staff that raised the same issues, and specifically said her office was interested in standardizing the county's approach to space heaters. State's Attorney Dan Haggar advised the committee that the appropriate way to adopt the standards would be by resolution, rather than informal administrative action.
No formal vote was taken on the substance of the standards during the meeting; the committee heard the presentation and collected feedback for next steps. The committee later approved the previous meeting's minutes and adjourned.
The committee did not specify a timeline for bringing a resolution to adopt the standards back to the committee; enforcement arrangements and any specific prohibitions or allowances for personal items were not finalized at the March 23 meeting.
