‘One-road-out’ concept discussed

Dec. 18--In Bill Welk's neighborhood, there are more than 8 miles of township road that don't go anywhere, he told Brown County commissioners Tuesday.

To him, that just doesn't make sense.

Welk suggested that Jan Weismantel, highway superintendent, gather "one-route-out" plans from each township in the county. Unnecessary township roads could be posted as minimum maintenance, which would save the townships money because they'd have to spend less for upkeep, he said.

Simply put, a one-way-out plan would eliminate unnecessary roads -- those that don't lead anywhere of consequence, are rarely used or are duplicate routes to county roads or other main feeder roads.

Welk owns property in Carlisle Township, where he says there are a number of such roads the township oversees.

In Carlisle Township, for instance, he said County Road 6 could become the main feeder along which a bus route could be established. That would keep buses from beating up township roads, he said. When people would build homes in the future, they would do so along a feeder route for the best road access, he said.

"And if the county could (implement a one-way-out route), we're taking a small step in the right direction," Duane Sutton, county commission chairman, said.

And that, Welk said, is all he wants.

Sutton, though, stopped short of endorsing the idea. The commission doesn't like it when the state imposes requirements on counties, he said.

Ongoing road debate

A few weeks ago, Welk discussed with commissioners creating a tax or fee on ag commodities as a way to give counties more money to care for roads. In some way, shape or form, the county has to come up with a plan for better road care, he said.

Folks need to be willing to let go of some of what they've grown accustomed to, Commissioner Mike Wiese said. But, he granted, that's tough to do, especially when they've become accustomed to having access to so many roads.

"If we could start with a fresh sheet of paper (and implement a county road plan), it'd look a whole lot different" than the one that's now in place, Wiese said.

Ultimately, Sutton said, counties need more freedom to raise the amount of revenue they take in to better care for roads. And that authority has to come from the Legislature, he said. For instance, state lawmakers would have to give counties the authority to impose a per-bushel commodity fee, a point Welk understands.

In Welk's eyes, were that authority to be granted, the extra money for road care should be paid by the ag community as the prime users of rural county roads.

Welk and state Rep. Dennis Feickert, D-Aberdeen, sparred briefly at the meeting when Feickert balked at Welk's one-route-out suggestion. Cutting off people from services by caring for fewer roads is not the right answer, said Feickert, who has backed failed bills to give counties more money for roads. Welk said he was just presenting ideas to try and help the county.

More business

-- Commissioners learned that the county and employees will have to pay $36,000 more a year for health insurance as a result of the federal health care act.

A new administration fee of $14.25 per month per person will be imposed on the county health care plan, including beneficiaries. Commissioners decided they will pay the fee for county employees, but that workers will have to foot the bill for their family members covered by county health insurance.

The county had no control over the increase, Sutton said. Instead, it came from the federal government and Wellmark, the county's insurance provider, he explained.

-- An engineering agreement was approved with Helms and Associates of Aberdeen involving engineering work and bidding services for a new cell at the Brown County Landfill. The agreement pays the engineering firm $221,040.

Mike Scott, landfill manager, said the new cell will be built east of the existing landfill cell. The cost of the project is estimated to be $1.73 million. The county has applied for a state grant, but might wind up paying for the project with a grant-loan combination, he said.

-- Rates were set to house out-of-county offenders at the jail and juvenile detention center. The 2014 daily rate for the jail will be $50. The JDC rate will be $220.

-- A handful of used, surplus stun guns was approved to be transferred to the Faulk County Sheriff's Office, which doesn't have any.

-- Commissioners approved applying for an Aberdeen Downtown Association facade grant for renovation of the stained glass window at the courthouse. The project is expected to cost $51,150. Previously, the local Questers chapter donated $2,000 to the work. The county has also applied for a Deadwood Historic Preservation grant of as much as $25,000.

-- A new policy was approved and goes into effect Jan. 1. Under it, employees hired after the new year will not be entitled to sick leave payouts when they resign or otherwise leave their jobs. The benefit is grandfathered in for current employees.

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