Highway superintendent details capital plan, drainage design and software options

Joe Miller, superintendent of the Pennington County Highway Department, briefed the commission on FY2027 highway priorities and a review of the department's software needs.

Miller said operating expenditures were kept flat while one‑time capital outlays account for the budget increase (about 5%). The department plans routine equipment replacements for motorgrader blades and pickup trucks, and noted purchases this year included a mastic patching machine and a used paving machine acquired for $2,500 to pilot in‑house paving. Miller reported $5.6 million in bridge funding secured through a combination the county called "the big grant," tied to the wheel tax; total bridge project costs are estimated at about $8.9 million if done in-house.

On drainage, Miller said the county and Rapid City intend to split the design cost for a drainage basin between Reservoir and Radar Hill 50/50; the estimated design cost is $250,000–$350,000 and would draw from county drainage reserves.

Miller also described a multi‑year software dilemma: the highway department currently uses PubWorks (now owned by GWorks) for asset tracking and GASBY‑34 reporting, but staff explored building a custom in‑house solution with Omnitech at an estimated $350K–$400K or adopting Tyler modules at much higher license and implementation costs. Commissioners requested a full presentation comparing costs, integrations with Tyler financial systems, and long-term support models before any commitment.

Commissioners and staff also discussed fleet management, vehicle insurance and a county‑wide fleet inventory project being coordinated with SDPAA and other departments.