BROOKINGS The recent ban on open burning in Brookings County was repealed by commissioners in a 5-0 vote during Tuesday mornings county commission meeting.
Recent rains have led to improved soil moisture conditions, along with better greenery, since the ban was enacted at a special county commission meeting on May 9.
Hopefully we continue to get some moisture and we can leave this off for a while, Commissioner Larry Jensen noted.
He might get his wish, as the National Weather Service forecast through the weekend includes the possibility of rain in and around Brookings, with chances maxing out at 50% on Saturday and Saturday night. That could change, though, between now and then. After all, the Brookings area was projected to get storms Monday night into Tuesday morning, but that didnt materialize for the most part.
The request to lift the open burning ban came from the Brookings County Fire Chiefs Association.
They felt that its greening up enough, Emergency Manager Bob Hill said.
Commissioner Doug Post pointed out that even when a ban on open burning is in effect, some burning is still permissible, so long as the appropriate authorities, such as fire chiefs, are contacted.
Several people had called and contacted me and they werent aware that during a burn ban you can still get permission to burn if, like with this, the conditions change drastically, he said. There were some good opportunities to clean up some of the rougher areas after wed gotten 2 inches of rain.
Samara Avenue project
A long-planned project to greatly improve Samara Avenue in Volga received a big boost on Tuesday, with commissioners approving bids from Brookings-based Bowes Construction on a 5-0 vote.
The winning bids by Bowes covers two completion dates for the project:
- Bid Alternate #1: Priced by Bowes at $2,299,640.30, this version assumes project completion yet this year.
- Bid Alternate #2: This version assumes project completion in 2026, and was priced by Bowes at $2,345,657.10.
A total of 11 companies bidded on the project, with the winning bids by Bowes each coming in well under an engineers cost estimate of $2.8 million for Bid Alternate #1 and $2.7 million for Bid Alternate #2.
It was impressive to see how many bids we got for that project, Highway Superintendent Brian Gustad said. Afterward, when we discussed it, I think getting it done this year would be very beneficial to both the city of Volga residents and Brookings County residents. I think we got a pretty fair bid, considering the amount of bids we received.
As for whos providing money for the Samara Avenue work, well, its a mix of sources:
- Brookings County: $1 million.
- City of Volga: $1 million.
- Volga Housing & Redevelopment Committee: $703,000.
- South Dakota Department of Transportation Community Access Grant: $450,000.
Thats a grand total of $3,153,000 available. Based on Bowes winning bids, the countys share of the project costs is expected to be in the ballpark of $540,000.
The scope of work planned for Samara Avenue is impressive, too, including things like installation of sewer main, storm sewer, curb and gutter, and street surfacing. The installation of an 8-foot sidewalk is also planned on the west side of the avenue.
Tax refunds
Finance Officer Lori Schultz took time at Tuesdays meeting to draw attention to a state-level tax refund program that can benefit South Dakota senior citizens and citizens with disabilities.
The deadline to file for refunds which apply to sales taxes or property taxes is July 1. Eligible individuals may receive a portion of the sales or property taxes they paid from the previous year, according to documentation provided at the meeting.
There are certain restrictions to participation in the program as well, such as income limits. Full details can be found at https://sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/2050.
It is (a program) that not many people know about, Schultz noted.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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