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Owners say Rapid City landfill has contaminated pasture; board leaves Johnson assessment unchanged
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Summary
Fern and Ross Johnson told Pennington County commissioners that trash from the Rapid City landfill has chronically contaminated 518 acres adjacent to proposed Cell 15; despite owners’ photos and a veterinarian report, the board voted to leave the assessed values unchanged after appraiser testimony and commissioner deliberation.
Property owners Ross and Fern Johnson appealed the county’s land assessment on April 29, saying material from the Rapid City landfill has blown onto and contaminated much of their pasture and that the condition reduces land value.
Fern Johnson told commissioners the problem is chronic and growing: “The trash is thrown against the fence on a chronic basis... we pick it 1 day. The very next day, it’s the same, if not worse.” She cited recent photos and said a veterinarian examined a dead calf, which she attributed to plastic contamination.
Senior appraiser Shannon Champion described the appraisal basis and told the board staff found no evidence supporting the owners’ requested soil or shelter-belt adjustment. Champion noted the county could not confirm shelter-belt locations from the photos provided and recommended no change to the land valuation.
Commissioners and the Johnsons disputed several technical points: the admissibility and timing of comparables, the legal limits on acceptable comps, and whether county reports complied with appraisal standards. One commissioner said the Department of Revenue had verified staff certifications and that staff continuing education records are current; the Johnsons challenged that and said documentation in their packet shows missing course records.
After discussion, a commissioner moved for no change to the Johnson property’s assessed values; the motion passed.
The board recorded that staff will retain documentation of the appeal and that the owners may pursue further legal options outside the BOE process.
