SERC approves redistribution of LEPC grant funds after county split; defers three rosters and appoints representatives for inactive counties
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Summary
The South Dakota State Emergency Response Commission approved redistributing LEPC grant money after the Hughes–Stanley district split, approved most submitted LEPC rosters with several abstentions, deferred action on three counties to June, and voted to appoint county officials to fill seats in largely inactive LEPCs.
The South Dakota State Emergency Response Commission on Wednesday voted to redistribute grant money tied to a split LEPC district and to approve most Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) rosters submitted for review.
Kelsey Noling, LEPC program staff at the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said a January split of the Hughes–Stanley district into two standalone LEPCs left previously awarded district money tied to the old district rather than evenly split between the new LEPCs. Noling recommended redistributing the split funds among the LEPCs that had already been awarded grants so those awardees would retain their original amounts plus an additional share from the split. “We will disperse the grant money that was awarded to them throughout the rest of the LEPCs that were awarded their grants,” she told commissioners.
Dave Ackerman moved to approve redistributing the Hughes–Stanley funds; Jason Humphrey seconded. The commission conducted a roll‑call vote; multiple members voted aye and one member abstained because they serve on the local LAPC in question. Chair Tina Tootsie declared the motion passed.
Noling also reported that South Dakota has 61 designated LEPCs, and that 15 counties had not submitted rosters. She asked the commission to review 46 submitted rosters and to defer three counties (Beadle, Bon Homme and Custer) until the June meeting, noting some counties are in the process of hiring emergency managers or reorganizing membership.
The commission voted to approve the reviewed rosters as submitted and to defer action on the three counties until the June meeting. Several commissioners abstained from votes where they were listed on those local rosters; those recusals were noted during the roll call. The commission also approved a motion to appoint individuals to serve as LEPC members for counties judged not to be active, designating the emergency manager, the state's attorney, the county sheriff and the county commission chair as typical appointees for those counties.
The actions do not change the requirement that counties submit final rosters before they can be considered fully active; Kelsey Noling said staff will follow up with contact and roster collection ahead of the June meeting. The commission will revisit the deferred counties at its June 30 meeting, scheduled to be held online and at the Matthews Training Center.
Budgetary and membership details were discussed but no further funding amounts beyond redistribution mechanics were specified during the meeting.
