By: Sheila Crowley Staffwriter The Murray County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 24th. After reviewing auditor warrants, the Commissioners approved ditch bills including Rinke Noonan – $3542.50 and $1350.00 for Bolton & Menk, $2324.10 to Gislason & Hunter LLP as well as $4435.00 to Rinke Noonan, attorneys at Law (legal fees regarding Hwy. 30 as well as CD 22 improvement). A final acceptance hearing for Judicial Ditch 8 was set for May 15th at 11:00 a.m. Auditor Heidi Winter spoke and asked for approval to continue the joint powers agreement with Mid-State Computer Collaborative and Computer Professionals Unlimited, Inc. Included is software for real estate tax billing and related modules, real estate tax billing web data access and file creation, computer aided mass appraisal, integrated financial system, payroll, payroll web data access, payroll e-time, treasurer’s financial, human resource, cash receipts, highway costing, capital assets, and sewer billing package. Discussion revolved around this with Aurora Heard and Ronda Radke expressing their dis-satisfaction in regards to the human resource software. Heard explained she feels there has been no service deliverables. She wants to have the option of being able to have people apply online…just as one example. Radke spoke up and said they also had problems with employees being able to do open enrollment requests. Heard feels there should be something in place to make CPY accountable. She shared her concerns in committing to this three year package. County attorney Smith spoke saying even with Murray County agreeing to the coalition, there is an addendum in which the county elects the different software packages. This commitment is for three years unless there’s a non-remedied breach. Winter said Murray County has been a part of the colaborative since the early 90’s and feels it’s a good thing. Heard plans to come up with a list of items other vendors have and reach out to CPY and see if these are items they are planning to add to the software and when. Winter explained the Department of Revenue is very demanding so CPY is constantly upgrading and changing according to what they are requiring. The Commissioners chose to put it on hold until the next meeting with hopes to reach out to CPY to see if there is a way to help out with HR. It was Winter’s recommendation to stay with CPY. There was some question if HR were to purchase a different software package how it would interface with the CPY. Howard Konkol came before the board with his ditch inspection report regarding CD65, Holly Township, Section 32 and also gave a review of the Murray County Buffer Ordinance – particularly Section 4.5 requiring alternative practices – this includes public ditches. Currently the ordinance calls for an owner of land that is used for cultivation farming may demonstrate compliance with subsection 4.1. by establishing and maintaining an alternative riparian water quality practice(s), or combination of structural, vegetative, and management practice(s) which provide water quality protection comparable to the water quality protection provided by a required buffer as defined in section 4.1 to 4.3. Konkol has spoken with several land owners and stated he’d like to see 16 1/2’ buffer for public ditches. However, according to the current ordinance, Konkol must allow for alternative practices. With this in place, Konkol can’t enforce the 16 1/2’ buffer if they get a validation from the Soil and Water District. If the ordinance were to be changed, there will need to be a meeting with Planning and Zoning and have a public hearing. According to Jean Christoffels the process time line is approximately three to four months. The Board feels the ordinance needs to be changed and asked Konkol to reach out to Kurt Dieter to see what needs to be done to have the ordinance changed. Heard made requests to approve the hiring of season workers including Dennis Lickness, Tyler Groves, Cole Ahlers and Cameron Boerboom as seasonal parks along with Anita Gaul as museum curator with a start date of May 8, 2018. Heard also made a request to transfer Cathy Magnus to the museum department effective April 27, 2018 to assist due to the museum site coordinator’s resignation. Terry Nelson, vice president of Woodstock Communications, appeared before the Board to share their current broadband service availability and future plans for Murray County. The power point presentation shared. Woodstock Communications is approximately 75 years and was started by Bernice and Rosetta Knuth. The company remains family operated to this day. Over the past five years the company has expanded their operations to include some wireless and have reached into Slayton, Chandler, Lake Wilson, Edgerton, Balaton, Tracy, and Westbrook. According to Nelson they’ve picked up several businesses in the area. Woodstock Communications joined with six other companies to form a ring that encompasses from Sioux Falls to the Cities and back around. Their current expansion in 2017 included grant money to overbuild Westbrook city with fiber to the homes. In 2018 Woodstock received a grant to overbuild Balaton with fiber to the homes as well as a grant to help expand their wireless area to the western half of Pipestone County. He commented on the broadband study recently done by Finley Engineering. In it, he said, part of it included bringing television to customers as well as broadband. Nelson feels this isn’t so important because of so many online services such as Direct TVnow, Sling TV, Hulu Live, and YouTube. According to him, these are presently available over broadband and offer local channels. Nelson continued on speaking in regards to their wireless venture. Several years ago the wireless project began around the Lake Shetek area. In this last year, Woodstock Communications has added eight new towers and the plans are to have 18-22 towers by the end of the year. This includes 4-5 towers in Ellsborough township, Iona, Chandler and Avoca to help fill in some gaps. The wireless service, according to Nelson, can reach approximately six miles. Nelson pointed out the key to the wireless is having fiber to the tower. He commented they have customers that are seven or eight miles away from the tower and are getting 50 meg reception. Nelson said they’ve added nearly 400 customers as a result of this broadband product. He commented on the complete fiber to home solution is realistic in the study costing approximately 22 million dollars. Nelson said his company figures fiber costs $20,000 per mile. He does, however, feel the highbred fiber wireless solution is a very good alternative. Nelson feels it doesn’t make sense for the County to put fiber in. “There is fiber already there,” he said. “We are 7-8 miles from having a complete ring already.” Nelson went on to comment on the CAFII project which is government money set aside to bring broadband out to the rural areas. Woodstock Communications is pursuing several grant options to help provide broadband in various areas. “The market is very competitive as other providers are also applying for them,” says Nelson. He went on to state that if wireless is built correctly, it can be a viable solution. “Fiber,” he said, “is huge dollars and I don’t know if out in this rural area if that makes sense.” Woodstock Communications plans to build out fiber where they can and still receive a return for their dollar. Nelson shared thoughts on the study. In it, the comment was made that wireless wasn’t going to improve anymore. Nelson feels this isn’t true. “They said 10 years ago and we were pushing 1-3 meg per customer. Now we’re doing 50-75 meg. I think technology is going to keep improving.” Heard recently attended a spring conference and shared demographics regarding labor force. In it, the report detailed the data trends show that by 2030 there won’t be enough people to work. The report said the millenials are the largest population and this will be changing according to them. Randy Groves and Jean Christoffels presented the Board with the Stoneray Wind Farm Project agreements. The agreement outlined the area the project encompassed including three towers to be built in Murray County, however, the majority will be in Pipestone County. The agreement included a road maintenance bond where as the County will receive $10,000 for use of the roads. Groves explained is quite unique in the fact that no additional permitting will need to be done for the use of township roads. The Board met in closed session for labor negotiations.

by ffpadmin | @ | May 3, 2018 11:05 am

By: Sheila Crowley

Staffwriter

The Murray County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 24th.

After reviewing auditor warrants, the Commissioners approved ditch bills including Rinke Noonan – $3542.50 and $1350.00 for Bolton & Menk, $2324.10 to Gislason & Hunter LLP as well as $4435.00 to Rinke Noonan, attorneys at Law (legal fees regarding Hwy. 30 as well as CD 22 improvement). A final acceptance hearing for Judicial Ditch 8 was set for May 15th at 11:00 a.m.

Auditor Heidi Winter spoke and asked for approval to continue the joint powers agreement with Mid-State Computer Collaborative and Computer Professionals Unlimited, Inc. Included is software for real estate tax billing and related modules, real estate tax billing web data access and file creation, computer aided mass appraisal, integrated financial system, payroll, payroll web data access, payroll e-time, treasurer’s financial, human resource, cash receipts, highway costing, capital assets, and sewer billing package.

Discussion revolved around this with Aurora Heard and Ronda Radke expressing their dis-satisfaction in regards to the human resource software. Heard explained she feels there has been no service deliverables. She wants to have the option of being able to have people apply online…just as one example. Radke spoke up and said they also had problems with employees being able to do open enrollment requests. Heard feels there should be something in place to make CPY accountable. She shared her concerns in committing to this three year package. County attorney Smith spoke saying even with Murray County agreeing to the coalition, there is an addendum in which the county elects the different software packages. This commitment is for three years unless there’s a non-remedied breach. 

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