Codington County commissioners approve alcohol sales at Camel Races, amend agenda for executive session

The Codington County Board of Commissioners on March 3 approved a request from the Boys and Girls Club to sell alcohol at its Blue Door Derby Camel Races and amended the day’s agenda to add an executive session for contractual matters under South Dakota Codified Law 1-25-2.

Kelly Jaderborg, director of development for the Boys and Girls Club, told the board the event will be held April 24 at the Codington County Center complex, said the club has staged the event there for about 10 years and estimated attendance at “over 400 people,” and said the fundraiser supports programs at the club. She told commissioners the club will contract with Dempsey’s to provide bar service.

The board considered a motion to approve the club’s request (motion by Commissioner Johnson; second by Commissioner Melhaney). After an opportunity for discussion and an oral call for votes, a commissioner voiced opposition; the chair stated the motion carried. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or exact vote count.

Earlier in the meeting the board approved a procedural amendment to the agenda to add an executive session for contractual matters under South Dakota Codified Law 1-25-2, subsection 2 (motion by Commissioner Johnson; second by Commissioner Melhaney). The board later voted to enter that executive session (motion by Commissioner Schweer; second by Commissioner Johnson) and convened in executive session; no further public action was recorded in the transcript.

The board also approved the Feb. 25 meeting minutes (motion by Commissioner Johnson; second by Commissioner Schwar). Public-comment procedures were announced at the start of the meeting, including two telephone lines for callers to provide comments.

A commissioner, not identified in the public portion of the transcript, characterized the camel-race fundraiser as “a good fundraiser” and said the county has not experienced problems with the event in prior years. The transcript does not record additional conditions, insurance requirements, or a detailed vote tally for the alcohol-sales approval.

The board proceeded into executive session for contractual matters; the public portion of the meeting ends in the available transcript at that point.