Our annual Christmas issue features drawings by the 6th grade class and letters to Santa by the 2nd graders at the Garretson School. Plus, a new redevelopment effort at the former senior citizen's center building is nearing a partial completion, and will be having an open house on Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to showcase the apartments that have been built, the Gazette goes in-depth into the last City Council meeting, and basketball is off to a good start.
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When the newest development off Sarah C Street was purchased by Nielsen Construction of Harrisburg, the Garretson City Council was enthusiastic about the new housing that would be built. Since then, it’s been an interesting journey, with issues around drainage, run-off, and lot sizes. The latest issues involved ordinance violations surrounding setbacks, both from the sides and from the front.
Subdivision layout preliminary plans submitted by Nielsen Construction in June 2019 and approved by the City Council show 60' lot width with a 30' setback. Six foundations already laid were found to have a 25' setback.
In October, City Maintenance Supervisor Craig Nussbaum noted that four of the newly-laid foundations didn’t seem right.
“He was down there to install gas lines and saw that the houses were closer together than they should have been,” said Mayor Beaner in an interview with the Gazette. “So, he got out his tape measure and discovered that four of the houses had side setbacks of only five feet instead of the required seven.”
Nielsen submitted a variance request that was heard at a special meeting in October, for which the council granted approval for the side setbacks. Even at that meeting, the decision was challenged by community member Dale DeBoer, who felt the city had given enough to Nielsen with an initial variance request to change lot sizes from 66-foot width to 60 foot.
Initial subdivision layout plans submitted by Nielsen Construction in 2019 had the setbacks for 7 feet on the side and 30 feet in the front, which followed city ordinance.
Kelly Nielsen, CEO of Nielsen Construction, stated during the October special meeting that he was certain the side setbacks had been changed to five feet when the council granted a variance on lot size, which went from an initial 66 feet to 60-foot width. Though this was not the case, the council granted that variance.
Later, newly-appointed building inspector JR Hofer discovered that the foundations had a setback of only 25 feet instead of the required 30 feet.
On Monday, the council had a hearing for a variance to change the front setbacks on the new homes from 30 feet to 25 feet. At the end of the hearing, Mayor Greg Beaner broke a tie vote with a “no,” ensuring that Nielsen Construction would be forced to remove six foundations that have already been laid.
The Parade of Lights will be this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. along Main Avenue from 2nd Street to 5th Street. After, participants are encouraged to enjoy Light the Park with Santa! The Meals on Wheels program has taken back off in Garretson, and the City Council split on a vote to allow setback variances on the lots in the new housing development. The winter sports season has also begun, with wrestlers placing well in their first match of the season, plus more!
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The Parade of Lights in 2019 was a huge hit, despite the cold weather. This week Saturday, the Parade of Lights will be held on Main Ave at 6:30 p.m.
Hometown Christmas will look different this year. For the safety of all during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Garretson Commercial Club has canceled the Annual Community Breakfast and any/all in-person activities.
The Parade of Lights is still scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. Commercial Club President John Brinkman has asked that people follow Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for masking and social distancing while enjoying the parade downtown, keeping 6 feet apart in family clusters. Vehicles in the parade will gather at Devil’s Gulch Entrance and will drive from City Hall to Second Street by the school, then will turn back toward the Fire Department on Center Ave. Though it’s not part of the official parade route, Brinkman also encourages anyone who wants to take their mobile light display along city streets to residential areas to do so. People can tour the town to see personal light displays and of course, after the parade, people can get into their own automobiles and enjoy the Light the Park festivities.
One exciting addition to Light the Park is “Letters to Santa,” where children of all ages can write a letter to Santa and drop it in the mailbox located near the bathhouse. All envelopes with a return address will receive a response from Santa before the holidays. Letters will only be accepted until Saturday, December 12.
The Garretson Fire Department display for 2020 went all out, dazzling park-goers.
If the weather permits, Santa plans to visit the park and wave to park-goers after the Parade of Lights on December 12. Due to the pandemic, visitations will be discouraged, but Santa said he’s excited to see all the happy faces of good little girls and boys. The team is still accepting volunteers to help open and close the gates during December. Interested volunteers can visit http://GrowGarretson.com/light-the-park.
Any proceeds to Light the Park will be going towards the shade structure that is planned near the playground at Split Rock Park. A donation box is located at the entrance to the park, and an on-line donation link is also available at the web address above. Visitors to the website can see a list of sponsors and decorators, and is being published in this newspaper on the back page in a thank you ad this week.
The final winners of the Hometown Christmas Shop Local drawings will be drawn this Saturday as well. Last week’s winners were: Tanya Facile, Trista Vandersnick, Beth Braa, Kristen Johnson.
They’ve got a list and they’re checking it twice! Delivery drivers Maretta and Dick Dubbelde and Rachel Danielson prep the Meals on Wheels in Garretson for launch. O So Good Restaurant was en- listed to help restart the Garretson Meals On Wheels program back in September, and the seniors enrolled get a huge selection of food produced by O’s, with over 50 menu options that they can cus- tom order.
Garretson Area meals on wheels has been defunct for several years, since the Garretson Senior center closed.
Rebecca Behnke, head of Nutrition at the Center for Active Generations in Sioux Falls is no stranger to setting up these programs.
“I am responsible for managing the meals on wheels program in 5 counties in this greater region,” she said. “The former meals on wheels program for Garretson became defunct before I started here, but I understand that it was valued in the community and a loss when it went under. So, this process of bringing it back started when I made a trip up to Garretson, and talked to the local business community. I researched Garretson and met Chef Omar, and well, he said yes. We worked with people at the Treasure Chest to find our initial volunteer drivers, we started the program up and by word of mouth it got popular very quickly.”
The new Meals on Wheels for the Garretson area was kicked into gear just this past September.
“There is no question in my mind all that this was a need in our community,” said Omar Thornton of O So Good Restaurant. “My thought was that I could make the food happen, we only need to be able to get it to the people. Rebecca and volunteers handled the paperwork, and Dave Greenly, a longtime friend and fellow local business owner volunteered to organize the volunteer delivery drivers.”
“Chef Omar and his staff gone above and beyond what most chefs do for this program,” Behnke said. “Instead of just giving people a steady rotating menu, O’s gives participants in the programs a lot of meal options that they order in advance. Seven different meat options, choice of soups or salads and desserts. All healthy, covering all the food groups. This is just one of many ways we can keep people more secure in their homes, instead of going into a nursing home or an assisted living center.”
“Taking care of people is part of my job,” said Thornton. “This is just another means of doing that. These are my customers and I want to provide them the O’s experience, which means the best food I can make. I want them to have something they enjoy getting and eating, while being nutritious and satisfying. Yes, this helps the restaurant too. We do get paid for this, and it keeps us busy and working during otherwise slow hours, but we’re also doing it because these are our friends and neighbors, who we care about. Especially this year when things have been so bad for everybody, and a lot of these folks are afraid to leave their homes. Our volunteer drivers are the real heroes here. Sometimes they are the only face someone will see on a given week. This is why I encourage anyone who wants to help, to talk to Dave. We can always use more drivers!”
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They’ve got a list and they’re checking it twice! Delivery drivers Maretta and Dick Dubbelde and Rachel Danielson prep the Meals on Wheels in Garretson for launch. O So Good Restaurant was en- listed to help restart the Garretson Meals On Wheels program back in September, and the seniors enrolled get a huge selection of food produced by O’s, with over 50 menu options that they can cus- tom order.
Garretson Area meals on wheels has been defunct for several years, since the Garretson Senior center closed.
Rebecca Behnke, head of Nutrition at the Center for Active Generations in Sioux Falls is no stranger to setting up these programs.
“I am responsible for managing the meals on wheels program in 5 counties in this greater region,” she said. “The former meals on wheels program for Garretson became defunct before I started here, but I understand that it was valued in the community and a loss when it went under. So, this process of bringing it back started when I made a trip up to Garretson, and talked to the local business community. I researched Garretson and met Chef Omar, and well, he said yes. We worked with people at the Treasure Chest to find our initial volunteer drivers, we started the program up and by word of mouth it got popular very quickly.”
The new Meals on Wheels for the Garretson area was kicked into gear just this past September.
“There is no question in my mind all that this was a need in our community,” said Omar Thornton of O So Good Restaurant. “My thought was that I could make the food happen, we only need to be able to get it to the people. Rebecca and volunteers handled the paperwork, and Dave Greenly, a longtime friend and fellow local business owner volunteered to organize the volunteer delivery drivers.”
“Chef Omar and his staff gone above and beyond what most chefs do for this program,” Behnke said. “Instead of just giving people a steady rotating menu, O’s gives participants in the programs a lot of meal options that they order in advance. Seven different meat options, choice of soups or salads and desserts. All healthy, covering all the food groups. This is just one of many ways we can keep people more secure in their homes, instead of going into a nursing home or an assisted living center.”
“Taking care of people is part of my job,” said Thornton. “This is just another means of doing that. These are my customers and I want to provide them the O’s experience, which means the best food I can make. I want them to have something they enjoy getting and eating, while being nutritious and satisfying. Yes, this helps the restaurant too. We do get paid for this, and it keeps us busy and working during otherwise slow hours, but we’re also doing it because these are our friends and neighbors, who we care about. Especially this year when things have been so bad for everybody, and a lot of these folks are afraid to leave their homes. Our volunteer drivers are the real heroes here. Sometimes they are the only face someone will see on a given week. This is why I encourage anyone who wants to help, to talk to Dave. We can always use more drivers!”
Dave Greenlee said that he has been awed and pleased with the success of the program so far. In many cases, and with the Covid-19 Pandemic still raging across the globe, he said this has made the difference between hope and despair in the lives of a lot of people.
“Certainly, we’re delivering delicious meals here, but a lot about this job is human contact,” Greenlee said. “We’re wearing masks and taking protective measure of course, but we’re also making these people’s day in many cases. They are hungry for lunch, but they’re hungry for human contact too. I will deliver a lunch, but then there are times I will come back after all the meals are delivered for a chat for a few minutes too. It means so much theses senior citizens. I’m a senior myself, I’m 70 years old, and we deliver to folks that are my age, and older and younger. People have told me that’s it’s not just a wonderful, nutritious meal, but it’s a God-send. Many who used to get the service years ago were devastated when it stopped. Now families have told me that they feel better, knowing that their loved one is getting a hot meal.”
This said, Greenlee said that drivers are needed. The program goes for Every lunchtime from Tuesday to Saturday.
“So far, I’ve gotten some great volunteers, and right now I’ve got 12 on my roster. But they’re like substitute teachers, I have to call them in. Let’s make an example one of my best and most regular volunteers, Bruce Brown, who I want to give a shout of appreciation out to. He’s been doing deliveries for three days a week. He’s also a prime example of why we need more volunteer drivers. He’s been doing three days a week, even though he’s got plenty of other things going on in his life. I don’t want to burn up my volunteers, so more regular volunteers is exactly what we need, especially as the program gets more and more popular. Right now, we have two routes, that we deliver hot and fresh meals to. If the program continues to grow like it has, we’re soon going to need to expand that to three routes. That being the case we’re going to need more drivers than ever. So, if you can help, please do! Tom Williams was telling me that in the old days, Alliance Communications or Zion Lutheran would take a hand in deliveries to folks. If we could see some of that come back, that would be great, Churches and Church groups, community groups, businesses and the like taking a hand. And when the kids don’t have school, youth groups could step up as well, and I know that would make the day of many of our senior citizens!”
It’s not all been sunshine and roses, they have faced logistical and culinary challenges. Initially, Omar’s cuisine noted for unique and spiciness, was too hot for some folk’s pallets. Also, many of the more exotic regional dishes he’s brought up from the bayou are things some South Dakotans had never sampled before.
“People ask me what grits are,” said Greenlee. “It’s hominy of course, but I tell people it’s like cream of wheat. Omar toned down some of the spicy dishes of course, but even toned down it’s a lot of flavor and kinds of spices many people have never tried before. Some of our customers really like it spicy too, and more than once I’ve heard, ‘I really like it, but it didn’t like me.’ The great thing is that each time the order is made to order for that person, so as they get more meals they get a better understanding of what they like and what they want Omar and his staff to make for them.”
“In total we’re giving these customers more than 50 options with their meals,” said Thornton. “Again, I want them to have the highest quality possible which for me means giving them options. I’m proud to be helping with this program, and it helps me as much as it helps the community.”
In other news, Omar let the Gazette know before our photographer left the building Tuesday as they were prepping meals for launch that his upcoming feature on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives will be happening on January 1st, New Year’s Day 2021!
Daily COVID-19 case numbers in Minnehaha County have continued trending down, though leaders are still calling for diligence in following all CDC guidelines so those trends do not reverse.
Statewide, active case numbers were at 16,783. In Minnehaha County, active cases were at 3,923. Since March, over 87,038 people in South Dakota have tested positive.
Of those, 4,921 people have required hospitalization and 1111 have died.
South Dakota crossed the 1,000-death threshold on Thursday, December 3, when the SD Dept of Health posted 38 new deaths. So far in December, over 160 people have died from COVID-19 in South Dakota.
Across the United States, over 283,000 people have died, leaving the US with a 1.9% mortality rate, according to Johns Hopkins. With over 14 million positive cases, the US has the highest case rate in the world.
Sanford CMO Dr. Mike Wilde cautioned on Monday that data from Thanksgiving is likely to start being seen this week. He’s hopeful there won’t be a large increase in South Dakota, but encouraged people to start talking about their holiday travel plans, understanding the risks involved with gatherings.
At the same time, while he said there is capacity at Sanford, they’re still seeing 70-90 people enter inpatient care daily.
Avera’s CMO Dr. Mike Elliot noted that overall, caseloads are 3x their normal, and inpatients are staying much longer than most other types of cases.
Dr. Elliot and Dr. Wilde spoke at a press conference Monday that was held with Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Public Health Director Jill Franken.
All were looking to the future with optimism as the reality of a vaccine starts to settle in. An FDA advisory committee will meet today (Thursday) to decide whether the application from Pfizer for emergency approval will be granted. The first doses in South Dakota may be given as early as next week. South Dakota will only be receiving 7,800 doses initially.
The same advisory committee will be meeting on December 17 to decide whether to grant approval for Moderna’s vaccine. A third vaccine from AstraZeneca/Oxford is still in development and has not applied for an emergency use application yet.
Both vaccines will be given via injection, and at this time, require two doses 28 days apart to ensure full immunity. Vaccine experts and trial participants are warning that 1 in 10 people may experience flu-like side effects after each dose, including soreness at the injection point, headaches, chills, or body aches. However, those side effects should only last a short time, and both Pfizer and Moderna’s studies have not shown any safety concerns.
Both vaccines have shown a 95% rate of effectiveness. In the Moderna study, of 196 positive COVID-19 cases, 185 were in the placebo group. All of the severe cases were only in the placebo group.
Dr. Elliot cautions that it will still be a while before vaccinations are widespread enough to significantly drop illness rates, however.
“It’s a tool in our toolbox,” Dr. Elliot said. It is not, as people want to believe, a magic bullet, he said. Over 70%, or 230 million people, in the United States will have to be vaccinated before herd immunity will take effect. It is projected that vaccination will be widespread by the end of March or April.
This means utilizing all of the CDC guidelines, including social distancing, limiting gatherings, masking, and handwashing, will still need to happen for the foreseeable future. Each measure provides one more layer of protection against giving or acquiring the virus.
TenHaken acknowledged that leaders are dealing with three issues in this environment: the pandemic itself, misinformation/disinformation about the pandemic, and the politicization of the pandemic.
“Each of those things requires a different strategy,” he said. “My talking point all along has been, hey, we’re not asking people to join the draft, we’re not asking people to give up their children, we’re asking you to cover your face when you go into a restaurant for a little while.”
Dept of Health COVID trend-line through Dec 7, 2020
When the newest development off Sarah C Street was purchased by Nielsen Construction of Harrisburg, the Garretson City Council was enthusiastic about the new housing that would be built. Since then, it’s been an interesting journey, with issues around drainage, run-off, and lot sizes. The latest issues involved ordinance violations surrounding setbacks, both from the sides and from the front.
Subdivision layout preliminary plans submitted by Nielsen Construction in June 2019 and approved by the City Council show 60' lot width with a 30' setback. Six foundations already laid were found to have a 25' setback.
In October, City Maintenance Supervisor Craig Nussbaum noted that four of the newly-laid foundations didn’t seem right.
“He was down there to install gas lines and saw that the houses were closer together than they should have been,” said Mayor Beaner in an interview with the Gazette. “So, he got out his tape measure and discovered that four of the houses had side setbacks of only five feet instead of the required seven.”
Nielsen submitted a variance request that was heard at a special meeting in October, for which the council granted approval for the side setbacks. Even at that meeting, the decision was challenged by community member Dale DeBoer, who felt the city had given enough to Nielsen with an initial variance request to change lot sizes from 66-foot width to 60 foot.
Initial subdivision layout plans submitted by Nielsen Construction in 2019 had the setbacks for 7 feet on the side and 30 feet in the front, which followed city ordinance.
Kelly Nielsen, CEO of Nielsen Construction, stated during the October special meeting that he was certain the side setbacks had been changed to five feet when the council granted a variance on lot size, which went from an initial 66 feet to 60-foot width. Though this was not the case, the council granted that variance.
Later, newly-appointed building inspector JR Hofer discovered that the foundations had a setback of only 25 feet instead of the required 30 feet.
On Monday, the council had a hearing for a variance to change the front setbacks on the new homes from 30 feet to 25 feet. At the end of the hearing, Mayor Greg Beaner broke a tie vote with a “no,” ensuring that Nielsen Construction would be forced to remove six foundations that have already been laid.
At Monday’s meeting, Nielsen again defended his company’s actions, stating the plans submitted for the building permit had the 25-foot setback and were approved.
The inspector signed off on the permit on August 25, 2020. The initial lot layout plans that followed city ordinance were submitted to the council and approved in June 2019.
Since August, there has also been turnover with regards to the building inspector.
A new inspector was appointed by Mayor Beaner at the end of October, after long-time building inspector Dave Swier ended his term. The council unanimously approved the appointment of Hofer and Bill Pearson, though community members have questioned it. At the November council meeting, council member Dave Bonte stated he had received a phone call asking why someone with more experience hadn’t been appointed, to which the Mayor responded that he also appointed Pearson, who is acting in an advisory capacity and has over 34 years of experience in Crooks and Baltic.
No matter who signed off on the building permit, however, it is still the builder’s responsibility to ensure all ordinances and zoning requirements are met, and that variances are requested prior to the first shovelful of dirt being turned or footing is placed.
“The building inspector does not have the authority to override the council,” said Mayor Beaner during the hearing.
“Anytime you do something outside of law without a variance the city can come and tear it out,” said Mayor Beaner in a later interview with the Gazette. He noted at the beginning of the interview that court action by Nielsen was a possibility, so he didn’t want to say too much. “Having a variance hearing after the fact is not how it’s supposed to work.”
Until Monday, the council had been more than willing to work with Nielsen Construction on prior requests. This front setback request, however, split the council in half. Council members Dave Bonte, Tom Godbey, and Bill Hoskins voted for the variance, while Greg Franka, Jodi Gloe, and Richelle Hofer voted no.
“It was an error on both ends,” said council member Jodi Gloe. “It’s everyone’s fault.”
Council member Bill Hoskins called it a “series of unfortunate circumstances.”
“I feel bad for all of us having to make that decision,” said Mayor Beaner the next day. He noted that the council had already done the work re-setting zoning and ordinances before Nielsen entered the picture. “Council should’ve never been put in that position to make that decision in the first place.”
With a company as large as Nielsen’s, Mayor Beaner acknowledged that it’s entirely possible Nielsen himself didn’t make the mistake, as that was the fault of the engineer who drew up the building permit plans. However, as CEO and as the contractor, it is his responsibility to ensure ordinances are followed before beginning the project.
This was part of what the council struggled with during the hearing.
“I think we all appreciate that Mr. Nielsen has invested in our community, and I don’t want to disparage him in any way from doing that,” said council member Hoskins. “But we’ve got a problem, and we’ve just gotta figure out what that solution is.”
“When I built my grain bin and messed up on my grain bin foundation, they made me rip it up, the County did, and this is the same thing,” said hearing attendee Randy Hoogland.
Council member Bonte pointed out that if the variance requests were approved, it would mean the rest of the lots on that side of the street would also need to be approved for 25-foot setbacks in order to match. He attempted to make a motion including the other lots, but that was against regulation.
Council member Richelle Hofer suggested that if this was approved, the ordinance as a whole should be changed.
“I think we have to follow the rules we have set,” said Mayor Beaner after casting his vote for no. He later noted that it was a very difficult decision for him to make, especially since it involved errors on both sides, but that the City needs to start ensuring it’s working with the codes and ordinances it has set.
“When I was asked if I would be willing to become the Building Inspector, it was explained to me that our current system was flawed,” wrote JR Hofer in a letter to the council. “I feel that knowing the code and knowing the local ordinance is more relevant in the enforcement side than knowing how to build it myself. Learning the code and enforcing it without bias is the basis of this job. The one thing that you cannot judge as an inspector is the quality of the contractor’s work or the method chosen to accomplish it. If it meets the requirements of the code and ordinance(s) it passes.”
SIOUX FALLS – In getting ready to end 2020 and begin 2021, at their Tuesday, Dec. 8, meeting, the Minnehaha County Commissioners focused on next year’s salaries and fee schedules.
With their discussion on salaries of elected officials, commissioners provided guidance to Human Resource Director Carey Deaver for drafting a formal proposal.
The county board seemed to agree on a $7,000 raise for the states attorney in order to put his salary above that of his chief deputy, bringing his pay to around $137,000.
For the sheriff and register of deeds, they agreed that a 5% increase would be in order, as both Sheriff Mike Milstead and ROD Julie Risty have been in their current positions for many years.
Under this proposal, their salaries would go up to approximately $143,800 and $98,700, respectively.
Newly elected Minnehaha County Treasurer Kris Swanson. The position was moved back to its base salary of $86,662. (Photo by Dave Baumeister)
Because Kris Swanson is newly elected as Minnehaha County Treasurer, the salary of that office will be reduced to the base of $86,662. Swanson will be replacing long-time Treasurer Pam Nelson.
They did not finalize any salary recommendations at this time for Ben Kyte, as he is being appointed to fill the term of current elected auditor Bob Litz. Also, he will be starting his duties prior to the other elected officials.
Deaver said, based on the discussion, she will put together the formal salary proposal which was voted on at the Dec. 14 meeting.
Again, looking ahead to next year, commissioners voted unanimously on a recommendation by County Highway Superintendent DJ Buthe to increase road access fees for county residents and businesses.
These fees are mainly for landowners who need to access roadways with heavy equipment.
Currently, permits are granted at costs between $20 and $150. The increase for most permits in 2021 would be $5, but commercial permits will go up $25 to a cost of $175.
Buthe said the county usually only sells around 14 of these permits per year, but this year that number has gone up to 23, which brought in around $2,200 in revenue.
Commissioners also voted to update the Highway Utility Guidebook and Fees, but only a few of the highway fees listed in that book changed.
During the time for public input, a county resident talked about how a nuisance being created by his neighbor’s manure pile violates the county’s zoning set-back ordinance.
Although he said he has tried to work things out with different people who owned that land, nothing has been done. Commissioner Jeff Barth, the liaison with the county planning and zoning board, said he would look into the matter for the resident.
The Minnehaha County Commission meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
All meetings are open to the public, and public comments are encouraged.
PIERRE — South Dakota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has put it on a sounder financial footing than many other states. That was part of the message Tuesday from Gov. Kristi Noem as she presented her annual budget address to a joint session of the Legislature.
Rather than issuing orders for lockdowns and mask mandates, Noem has emphasized personal responsibility, often criticized for her approach to the coronavirus. At the start of her address, she contrasted the state of South Dakota’s finances with other states that will be raising taxes or seeking federal assistance.
“South Dakota is entering 2021 in one of the strongest financial positions in the country,” Noem said. “South Dakota won’t be raising taxes on our citizens or our businesses. We will not be borrowing billions of dollars to cover our budget shortfall. And we won’t be looking to Congress to send us stimulus money.”
Noem noted that the state closed the 2020 budget year in June with a $19 million surplus and general fund revenues are up 19.4% compared with the same time last year.
For the fiscal year 2022, Noem offered her suggestions for the state’s $5 billion budget. It will be funded by $1.7 billion in general funds, $1.8 billion in federal funds and $1.4 billion in other funds. She broke the state’s budget needs into three categories: paying off debt from 2010, retiring and reinvigorating the state’s infrastructure and strengthening communities.
Highlights of the budget included:
Dedicating $21 million to pay off two technical college bonds resulting in $1.7 million in ongoing debt service savings.
“Unburdening the tech schools from this debt will allow them to refocus their attention,” Noem told legislators. “Their dollars can instead be used to further improve the caliber of their programs.”
Investing $100 million over the next few years to fully connect the state to broadband internet. Federal, state and industry funds have already invested $89 million in South Dakota, Noem said.
Noem estimates the cost of connecting all South Dakotans to broadband at $200 million. She said the state’s $100 million investment should be enough to leverage more federal and private investments to pay for the project.
Proposing $12 million to help replace the State Fair Livestock Complex that was destroyed by fire in October. With a $3 million insurance payment and $4 million from fundraising, Noem said the new 200,000 square foot facility should be open in time for the State Fair in 2022.
“Like an old-fashioned barn raising, it will take all of us to get this project done, but I know it’s worth it,” Noem said.
Recommending $10 million for the Bureau of Information Technology to fight cyber crime.
South Dakota state government computers had 14 billion attacks from 165 countries in July, according to Noem. The funding would be used for system upgrades to protect state and employee data from cyber attacks.
“This will also allow us to develop a comprehensive plan to replace many of our oldest and most critical applications,” Noem said.
Spending $3.2 million on upgrades for the State Radio system, particularly in Rockerville, Keystone, Hill City, Hot Springs and Reliance. Upgrading the system in the Black Hills is important for better communication between responders during wildfires, Noem said.
Investing $3.4 million for equipment upgrades at the state’s four technical colleges. That funding would be matched by $1.6 million from the tech colleges for a $5 million investment.
“It will include programs identified as both high-need and high-demand, ensuring that we are investing in the careers we need most in the coming years,” Noem said.
Starting a grant program with $5 million in one-time funds for processors to upgrade their facilities and increase capacity.
Allocating $5 million for dam maintenance including $4 million for repairs to the Elk Lake Dam in Brown County.
Using $5 million to purchase a new state airplane and selling two other state planes.
Providing 2.4% inflationary increases for medical providers, K-12 education, technical colleges and state employee salaries.
In addition to the inflationary increase for K-12 education, Noem’s budget offers a one-time investment of $11 million to offset funds schools would lose because of lower enrollments due to the effects of COVID-19.
“Our hope is this will help provide a final bridge for schools past the pandemic,” Noem said.
Using $1 million to expand the Access Critical Nursing Facility Program to facilities in Platte, Sisseton and Madison.
Recommending $8.3 million to establish small-scale, private, adult intermediate care facilities in Rapid City and Sioux Falls for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Investing $3.2 million for the creation, in partnership with the Department of Defense and Pennington County, of a $12.7 million recreation center near Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Noem is also recommending an extra 2% on top of the usual 10% budget reserves as well as $50 million for a trust fund to protect the state from future economic hardships.
The governor predicted states would have a tough time under the Biden administration. She said she expects Biden to try to raise taxes, eliminate fossil fuels and “drown us in new regulation.”
In the new administration, “I expect federal agencies will see South Dakota not as a partner but as a subordinate,” Noem said.
