Commissioners hear highway updates, tourism fund report and back mandatory active-shooter training

Commissioners at the Nov. 25 Dawes County meeting received updates on road maintenance, tourism fund balances and public-safety training.

Highway Superintendent Wade Yada told the board that crews are grading roads, hauling gravel (notably on Squaw Creek and Table roads), installing culverts and auto gates, and finishing a Squaw Creek project; shoulder work continues and one motor grader blade is being repaired. Employee evaluations are scheduled for next week, with raises to be discussed in December.

In board reports, Commissioner Jake Stewart said NW Development reorganized its board and is pursuing weatherization and a Department of Energy grant; Stewart also reported regional dispatch call volumes (Chadron 1,111 calls; Dawes County 393; Sioux County dispatch center 31). Chairman Vic Rivera reported SWANN approved Sept. and Oct. claims, presented an audit from Casey Petersen Audit Firm, and provided status on a baler and building project that is "about 85% completed" with two days of planned training for operators. Rivera gave the Tourism Board fund balances recorded in the minutes: Improvement Fund $235,240.32 and Promotion Fund $51,168.12.

Rivera also said active-shooter training delivered by Officer Chrisman was well received; the board unanimously agreed the county should require that training for all employees. Rivera raised facility security items including adding inside locks to vault doors and repairing a roll-down window in the Clerk’s vault to better protect records.

The board assigned no formal policy changes beyond the direction that training be mandated and noted follow-up facility repairs; no votes on capital expenditures or binding personnel policy language appear in the meeting minutes.

The meeting adjourned at 10:12 a.m.