Grant County Commission Proceedings
Grant County Commission Proceedings
June 16, 2026
The Grant County Commission met at 8 a.m. with Commissioners Street, Mach, Stengel, Tostenson and Hoff present. Chairman Mach called the meeting to order. Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Street to approve May 19, June 2 and 4 2026, minutes. Motion carried 5-0. Commissioner Tostenson asked to add discussion of the Codington County Board of Adjustment meeting he and P & Z Officer Berkner attended. Commissioner Street requested to add discussion of passport processing in auditor’s office. Auditor Folk asked to add one claim for approval. Motion by Street and seconded by Hoff to approve the agenda with the additions stated. Motion carried 5-0.
Present from the public were Francis Brandenburger, Doug Wollschlager, Ryan Wollschlager, and Peter Wyatt. Staff members present were Commissioner Assistant Owen, Drainage Officer Berkner, States Attorney Schwandt, Hwy Supt Peterson, and Veteran’s Service Officer Malimanek.
Public Comment: Chairman Mach called for public comment three times. There were no comments. Chairman Mach closed the public comment.
The Auditor’s Account with the Treasurer for May was noted.
AUDITOR’S ACCOUNT WITH THE COUNTY TREASURER
To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners, Grant County:
I hereby submit the following report of my examination of the cash and cash items in the hands of the County Treasurer of the County of Grant as of the last day of May 2026.
Cash on Hand, $2,602.89
Checks in Treasurer’s possession less than three days, $34,860.10
Cash Items, $0.00
TOTAL CASH ASSETS ON HAND
$37,462.99
RECONCILED CHECKING
First Bank & Trust, $607,324.19; Interest, $0.00; Credit Card Transactions, $9,355.80; First Bank & Trust (Svgs), $9,055,441.01; Jail Bond, $548,486.64.
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT
First Bank & Trust, $0.00; First Bank & Trust (TIF), $0.00.
TOTAL CASH ASSETS
$10,258,070.63
GENERAL LEDGER CASH
BALANCES:
General, $3,728,613.41; General restricted cash, $2,669,000.00; Cash Accounts for Offices General Fund, $656.00; Sp. Revenue, $1,676,912.61; Sp. Revenue restricted cash, $0.00; Ambulance District, $9,340.07; Henze Road District, $636.96; Temporary Offage, $2,285.41; TIF Rosewood Mil-3, $30,007.51; TIF Koch, $76,646.02; Special Assessment Land Rent, $0.00; Trust & Agency, $2,063,972.64; (schools 816,331.67, twps 72,061.04, city/town 81,283.92).
TOTAL GENERAL LEDGER CASH
$10,258,070.63
Dated the 10th day of June, 2026
Kathy Folk
County Auditor
The Register of Deeds fees for the month of May were $8,104.50. The Clerk of Courts fees for the month of May were $4,202.33.
Chairman Mach adjourned the Board of Commissioners and convened the Commission acting as the Drainage Board.
Permits DR2026-10a, -10b, -10c and -10d for Doug Wollschlager for land located within the S1/2 of Section 18, and within the N1/2 of Section 19, both in Vernon East Township.
Chairman Mach called for a motion to approve DR2026-10a, to -10d for Doug Wollschlager. Motion by Street and seconded by Tostenson to approve drainage permits DR2026-10a to -10d.
Drainage Officer Berkner reported the drainage permits are for a 105 acre tile project that would drain into the south branch of the Yellow Bank River Watershed in NE1/4 of Section 19. The county’s GIS website’s watershed map layer indicates a portion of the northeast drainage map design in Section 18 is located on the boundary between the north and south branches of the Yellow Bank River Watersheds are depending on circumstances, the water could drain into either watershed. Berkner said the precise watershed boundaries as represented as a layer on the county’s GIS website are often vague estimates of the exact watershed boundaries. Slight deviations should be expected, and the drainage officer’s best judgement can be accepted.
Berkner said the drainage project would have 5 inlets in the SW1/4 of Section 18 which would have its own single 15” outlet. The NW1/4 of Section 19 drainage design would have no inlets and a single 8” out letting tile. Both out letting tiles would run parallel to and drain into a natural waterway. By using the 3/8th inch Drainage Co-efficient Formula (DCF) of the lateral tile footprint only the two outlets could flow as much as 735 gpm. Berkner said the drainage permit application is currently missing two signatures, which are also needed by the South Dakota DOT for permitting boring under SD Highway 158. Berkner concluded it is his opinion that the drainage projects conform to the county’s drainage ordinance.
Chairman Mach asked Wollschlager for any additional comments. Wollschlager said all the signatures needed are expected shortly. Mach opened the public hearing asking three separate times for comments both in favor or against the drainage projects. No one responded. Mach closed the public hearing inviting drainage board discussion.
After a brief discussion, Wollschlager was asked for additional details about the out letting design and the need for boring under the highway instead of using the existing culvert in that location. Wollschlager said it is needed to achieve enough grade to properly drain. Chairman Mach called for the vote. Motion carried 5-0.
Permits DR2026-11a and DR2026-11b for Darin Brandenburger for land located within the NE1/4 and SW1/4 of Section 8 in Adams East Township.
Chairman Mach called for a motion to approve DR2026-11a and -11b for Darin Brandenburger. Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Street to approve permits DR2026-11a and -11b.
Berkner reported the drainage permits are for tiling 245 acres located in the south branch of the Yellow Bank River Watershed. The projects would have 4 inlets and up to 4 outlets (two 6”, a 12” and an 18”). A simpler 2 outlet design is preferred if the proper elevation depths could be achieved during installation. All out letting tiles would empty into the same natural waterway. Using the 3/8th inch DCF calculator Berkner estimates the lateral tile design alone could flow at an estimated maximum rate of 1,700 gpm. The open inlets could at times flow at a greater rate limited by the out letting tile sizes. It is Berkner’s opinion that the drainage projects’ design conforms to the county’s drainage ordinance.
Chairman Mach asked Francis Brandenburger for additional comments. Brandenburger said if the proper drainage grade could be attained, they would prefer the simpler 2-outlet design. Mach opened the public hearing asking three separate times for comments both in favor or against the projects. No one responded. Mach closed the public hearing, inviting drainage board discussion. After a brief discussion Chairman Mach called for the vote. Motion carried 5-0.
Tostenson invited a possible future discussion by the county to consider creating an official drainage policy, like the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which would deal with what the objectives of the county should be for permitting drainage. Tostenson said he thinks that over time the amount of water being tiled is a significant amount and maybe it is time to have a professional study of some kind to help form a guideline for approving future drainage projects.
Stengel stated that in most cases the need for drainage was set in motion over 100 years ago when the section line roads were constructed every mile. Stengel said those roads are actually dams holding back natural drainage which greatly increases the need for drainage projects. Hoff thought the idea to review the county’s drainage policies was also needed. Especially the long-term effects of drainage within the county as the surface waters are now being quickly drained downstream and not given a chance to soak down to help fill the aquifers.
A separate concern was brought up by Hwy Supt Peterson that the SD DOT should be contacted on a road approach that was recently modified by a drainage ditching project along SD Highway 20 east of Revillo which may now be a hazard. Berkner said he would contact the Watertown DOT office to alert them of the concern.
HWY: Supt Peterson said construction on two bridges, 26-277-230 and 26-310- 149, will start after July 4. He has ordered a precast 14 x 9 box culvert for $138,420 that will be here in September that the county will install on another project. Three culverts have arrived for a different bridge. Supt Peterson requested the bid letting authorization for bridge 26-293-210 be signed today and forwarded to SD DOT in Pierre. Commissioner Street requested signs be put up on 482nd Avenue by the Bunting bridge to warn drivers of the bump. Peterson will have them installed. Auditor Folk stated $294,747.22 was received for the annual STBGP payment from SD DOT and $11,732.11 for the SD DOT pavement marking payout. Grant County will receive $141,144.84 in RAIF allocation dollars for township bridge improvements for 2026.
VSO: Scott Malimanek provided the Commission with a copy of the June 2026 What Every Veteran Should Know Supplement. There has been a total of 149 veteran claims submitted in 2026 with the veterans receiving $2,790,400. These dollars are separate from what the VA hospital covers of their medical expenses. Five claims are still outstanding and more will be submitted throughout the year. Malimanek said some veterans do not come in for support because they feel they don’t deserve it or don’t want to talk about it. Tostenson encouraged Malimanek to meet with the veteran associations to learn who they are to be able to assist them.
Travel: None
County Assistance: None
Website: Commissioner Assistant Owen requested approval of the county website hosting for $25 per month from Production Monkeys and $60 per month for maintenance of the website. Motion by Stengel and seconded by Street to approve the website hosting and maintenance contract with Production Monkeys for $85 per month. Motion carried 5-0.
Malt Beverage Licenses for 2026-2027: Commissioner Assistant Owen reported three renewals for the 2026-2027 package off-sale Malt Beverage and SD Farm Wine licenses were complete. Motion by Street and seconded by Tostenson to approve the renewal of the licenses as presented for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Chairman Mach called for the vote. Motion carried 5-0.
1. Gertje Van Lith Post 229 American Legion Club, located in Lot A NE1/4 NE1/4 (4.82A) Section 24, Township 121, Range 47, in Grant County, South Dakota for Retail (off-sale) Package Malt Beverage.
2. Whetstone Creek Golf Course with the legal description of Gov’t Lot 1 & SE1/4NW1/4 & W1/2NW1/4 EX Lot 1, Second Country Club Addn, EX W 550’ of OL A, EX PT Platted and Sold and Road; Lt 1 3rd Country Club Addn in NE1/4 & Lt 1, 4th Country Club Addn in Gov’t Lot 4 & EX LTS 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A for Retail (off-sale) Package Malt Beverage.
3. The Abbey of the Hills Inn and Retreat Center located in Lot 1 and Lot 2, Gilbert Hess Subdivision in the NE1/4 and in E1/2 NW1/4 in Section 35, Township 121 North, Range 50 West of the 5th P.M. in Grant County, South Dakota, for Retail (on-off sale) and SD Farm Wine.
Unfinished Business: None
New Business: Codington County: P&Z Officer Berkner briefed the Commission on the Codington County Board of Adjustment meeting held on June 15th. NextEra is proposing a battery storage system to be built three miles south of South Shore near the Crowned Ridge wind project. This substation would be the first in South Dakota. NextEra has expressed interest in building a similar battery storage system near the Big Stone Power Plant. Berkner said recently the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission reversed their original opinion that the Crowned Ridge battery storage project was to be permitted by the State of South Dakota as an accessory use to the existing substation. Now their opinion is it is considered a power generation facility for state permitting. According to Berkner this reversal caused a delay, and NextEra must reapply for their state permit which won’t be completed until after the current Codington County CUP for the battery storage project expires in September. Several people spoke in opposition to it. Codington County’s Board of Adjustment voted to extend the original CUP by one year to September 2027.
Passports: Auditor Folk reported her office processed 249 passports in 2025 which generated $8,206.63 in revenue before the cost of mailing the applications. This averaged 4.78 applications per week, not including renewals. There are 27 passport facilities in South Dakota and only 5 of them are county offices. The other 22 are post offices that are Level 20 or higher. The closest passport facilities are Watertown, Ortonville and Madison, MN. Day and Roberts County have closed their passport facilities. Passport processing is not a service that is mandated by the State for the county to do. Discussion was held if the service should be continued in Grant County. Stengel said we should provide the service to the county. It was suggested to only offer the service a couple days of the week. Folk will see if that is possible since it is a federal program.
Jail: Commissioner Assistant Owen stated $10,732.78 is needed for an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) for the new jail that was forgotten in GA Johnson’s scope of work. This amount will come out of the contingency balance for the jail. The remaining contingency balance is $31,654.22.
Correspondence: Commissioner Assistant Owen received a notice of retirement from Big Stone City Library Branch Manager Janelle Kelly. Her retirement will be effective 01-20-2027. A letter was received from Dept of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding a recent manure spill at Victory Farms. They have been put on a nutrient management plan with DNR. A 2027 budget request of $720 was received from Aspire. The Dept of Public Safety has reviewed the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan for Grant County, and a check will be sent to the county for $15,637.50 for completing it. Todd Kays from First District sent a letter reminding the Commissioners of the Crown Ridge Energy Kickoff meeting. Another letter was sent to the Commissioners regarding the rocks left in a ditch along a township road.
Claims: Motion by Hoff and seconded by Street to approve the claims with the addition of Provision Cleaning for $12,466.00. Motion carried 5-0. AVERA MCKENNAN, health services 113.10; AVERA MEDICAL GROUP MILBANK, health services 310.00; BANNER ASSOCIATES, contracted proj 14,984.75; BERENS MARKET, inmate groceries 314.45; BERKNER EXCAVATING, rip rap 1,453.41; CHS, diesel & ethanol 24,824.93; CITY OF MILBANK, water & sewer 598.62; CLEAR CHOICE CLEANING, prof services 2,100.00; CODY KELLY, prof services 125.00; CONNIE PETERSON, prof services 12.00; CRAIG DEBOER, car wash card 111.60; DAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, inmate housing 7,750.00; DUANE ATHEY, repair & maint 114.00; ELECTION SYSTEMS & SOFTWARE, supplies 1,360.98; FISHER SAND & GRAVEL, gravel & rip rap 99,381.00; FLAT RATE, gravel 14,524.75; GALLS, supplies 601.16; GRANT COUNTY LIBRARY, supplies 450.00; GRANT COUNTY REVIEW, publishing 1,614.96; GRANT-ROBERTS RURAL WATER, water usage 47.60; INGRAM, books 1,748.70; INTER-LAKES COMMUNITY ACTION, service worker 2,333.33; ITC, phone & internet 2,069.56; JACOB OVERBY, refund 50.00; JASON SACKREITER, garbage services 360.00; JEREMY WIESE, supplies 50.77; JURGENS PRINTING, supplies 70.00; KIBBLE EQUIPMENT, repair & maint 1,816.96; LEWIS FAMILY DRUG, supplies 35.44; MICROFILM IMAGING SYSTEMS, rentals 917.00; MILBANK AREA HOSPITAL AVERA, blabs 146.00; MILBANK AUTO PARTS, supplies 1,845.82; MILBANK WINWATER WORKS, supplies 109.94; MINNEHAHA COUNTY AUDITOR, prof services 73.20; NORTHWESTERN ENERGY, natural gas 41.32; OTTER TAIL POWER, electricity 2,960.31; PB ELECTRONICS, repair & maint 525.00; R.D. OFFUTT COMPANY, repair & maint 609.77; RC TECHNOLOGIES, 911 transport & tower rent 95.96; RELX, reference books 327.31; RONGLIEN EXCAVATING, contracted proj 7,863.00; RUNNINGS SUPPLY, supplies 1,134.48; SD SHERIFF’S ASSN, supplies 58.05; STERN OIL COMPANY, supplies 6,807.11; SUPERIOR CAPITAL HOLDINGS, repair & maint 1,046.50; SYRCO ENTERPRISES, rentals 48.39; TRI-STATE WATER, supplies 20.85; TWIN VALLEY TIRE, repair & maint 60.00; VALENTINE AWASOM, prof services 12,466.00; VALLEY OFFICE PRODUCTS, supplies 698.75; VANESSA MCFARLAND, supplies 74.00; VERIZON, hot spot 40.01; WASTE CONNECTIONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA, shredding services 226.54; WHETSTONE HOME CENTER, supplies 46.42; WHETSTONE VALLEY ELECTRIC, electricity 875.87; XEROX, copier rent 676.65. TOTAL: $219,121.32.
MAY 2026 MONTHLY FEES: SD DEPT OF HEALTH, SDACO, ROD modernization fee 244.00; SD DEPT OF REVENUE, monthly fees 202,038.50. TOTAL: $202,282.50.
Payroll for the following departments and offices for June 14, 2026, payroll is as follows: COMMISSIONERS 8,038.32; AUDITOR 12,821.75; ELECTION 2,067.83; TREASURER 6,910.46; STATES ATTORNEY 6,629.32; CUSTODIANS 4,130.40; DIR. OF EQUALIZATION 4,798.33; REG. OF DEEDS 4,331.20; VET. SERV. OFFICER 832.20; SHERIFF 16,860.21; COMMUNICATION CTR 12,193.87; VISITING NEIGHBOR 2,317.63; LIBRARY 10,221.53; 4-H 4,581.21; WEED CONTROL 2,305.10; P&Z 1,224.00; DRAINAGE 744.00; ROAD & BRIDGE 32,506.48; EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 2,732.40. TOTAL: $136,246.24.
Payroll Claims: FIRST BANK & TRUST, Fed WH 9,528.28; FIRST BANK & TRUST, FICA WH & Match 16,412.26; FIRST BANK & TRUST, Medicare WH & Match 3,838.20; ACCOUNTS MANAGEMENT, deduction 96.88; AMERICAN FAMILY LIFE, AFLAC ins. 1,902.85; RELIANCE STANDARD LIFE DENTAL, ins. 503.50; WELLMARK-BLUE CROSS OF SD, Employee health ins. 2,360.64; RELIANCE STANDARD SUPPLEMENTAL, life ins. 120.13; OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT, child support 1,200.00; SDRS SUPPLEMENTAL, deduction 1,352.50; SDRS, retire 15,210.34. TOTAL: $52,525.58.
Consent Agenda: Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried 5-0.
1. Declare surplus asset numbers 500720, 2020, 500920, 510020, computer towers.
2. Approve 1 year wage increase for Mike Burns from $30.00 to $31.40 starting on 06-03-26
Executive Session: Motion by Tostenson and seconded by Stengel to enter executive session at 10:46 AM for the purpose of personnel issue(s) pursuant to SDCL 1-25-2 (1). Motion carried 5-0. Commissioner Assistant Owen, States Attorney Schwandt, and Auditor Folk were present. Chairman Mach declared the meeting open to the public at 11:50 AM. No action was taken because of the executive session.
It is the policy of Grant County, South Dakota, not to discriminate against the handicapped in employment or the provision of service.
The next scheduled meeting dates will be July 7, 8 (Budget), 21 and 30 (Canvass), 2026, at 8 a.m. in the basement Commissioner room. Motion by Stengel and seconded by Street to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Meeting adjourned.
/s/Michael J. Mach,
Chairman,
Grant County Commissioners
/s/ Kathy Folk,
Grant County Auditor
