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Union County approves highway contract, wetlands credit purchase and several administrative actions
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Summary
At its Sept. 16 meeting, the board approved a low bid for a highway structure, a wetlands mitigation-credit purchase, a personnel hire and recorded auction and claims approvals along with discussions about EMA space and courthouse plans.
The Union County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 16 approved several administrative and procurement actions, including a highway contract award, purchase of wetlands mitigation credits, a personnel hire and the results of a public auction for fairground leases.
Personnel and travel: Commissioners approved travel for Deputy Gardini to attend training in Pierre Sept. 23–24. The board approved abatement 2025-089 (flood) for $91.28. A motion recorded in the minutes shows the board approved hiring Tina Swigert at $22.13 per hour; the minutes record the motion as moved and seconded by Commissioner Mike Dailey and show a 4-aye, 1-nay vote.
Highway contracting and wetlands mitigation: For highway structure 64-042-050, the board accepted the low bid of $274,733.23 from Persing Excavating. The board also approved a Wetlands Functional Capacity Unit (FCU) Credits Sale and Purchase Agreement to purchase 2.28 FCU credits at $23,000 per credit (total $54,440) to satisfy mitigation requirements contingent on issuance of a Section 404 Permit; the minutes record that this item passed 4 ayes, 1 nay. The sale agreement text in the minutes notes the transfer of mitigation responsibility and the conditions tied to Corps issuance and permit acceptance.
Fairgrounds auction and claims: A public auction for fairground building and land leases produced recorded winning bids: Hoop Barn to Tristan Rhodes ($500); Farmland to Larry Donnelly ($175/acre; total $1,751.05); Beef Barn to David VanEngen ($450); Meeting Room to TriCity Hay Sale ($100/month, prorated $700 total); Showring to Lance Sogn ($1,200). The parking lot received no bid. The board also approved claims and warrants as presented; the minutes list extensive claim line items and vendors and record the motion to approve claims carried.
Other business: Sheriff Prouty discussed license-plate-reader (LPR) camera matters with the board. The board heard an update on a Dakota Dunes traffic study from a CID representative, discussed issues at the Spink EMA building and revisited plans for a courthouse addition. The board entered and exited an executive session for personnel under SDCL 1-25-2(1) (11:22–11:36 a.m.).
What to watch: procurement and mitigation approvals may require follow-up filings or permit confirmations (Section 404 Permit and related Corps approvals). The minutes do not name which commissioner voted ‘nay’ on the 4–1 tallies, and the minutes do not provide further detail of the executive session.