By Dave Baumeister
County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – On March 26, another tree grinding operation was at the forefront of discussion with the Minnehaha County Commission.
This time, Delta Wood Products was seeking approval for a solid waste permit for its facility in Mapleton Township, near Renner.
Since the operation only accepts “clean, untreated, unpainted, and unstained wood,” according to standards set by the South Dakota Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources, the state does not require the business to have a solid waste permit.
However, the county definition of a site that receives tree branches fits into their requirements for a “rubble dump,” and under Minnehaha County zoning regulations, that does require a solid waste permit.
Last year, a site formerly near Tea run by Mueller Pallets, Inc. was looking for a conditional use permit to move its business near the Sioux Falls Regional Landfill on 267th St. (W. 41st St.), west of Sioux Falls.
At that time, several neighbors, including Glenn Fuerstenberg of rural Sioux Falls, objected to that business, citing noise and traffic problems.
From what was said at those 2023 meetings, the originally planned for Mueller site had been next to Fuerstenberg’s property, but the company eventually opted for land that was approximately one-half mile further west on 267th St.
However, Furstenberg still objected to the new site, even though the move put a previously existing tree-grinding service at the landfill between the new Mueller land and Furstenberg’s land.
In the end, the county commission granted Mueller Pallets a CUP for their new operation site.
Moving ahead to the March 26 meeting, Dakota Wood Products came before the commission for the approval of their solid waste permit.
This time, no neighbors spoke in opposition to the new tree-grinding operation, but Fuerstenberg was back to speak as an opponent of this new business which is around 20 miles northeast of his residence.
Although he did not really speak to the matter before the commission of the solid waste permit, Fuerstenberg did talk about tree-grinding businesses, in general, saying they should not be zoned as “A1 agricultural,” but, instead, be zoned as industrial parcels.
Land zoned as industrial pays more in property taxes than A1-ag land.
When the matter was turned back over to the commission for discussion, Commissioner Joe Kippley, the liaison to the county planning board, said, “…the public feedback has been intelligent and logically consistent, but…how property tax should be (assessed) is different than zoning.
“We could decide to change our own definition on how we zone some things, but that would be a different issue.”
Commission chairperson Dean Karsky echoed much of what Kippley said, but added, “I would be extremely reluctant to (change the zoning), because once it is zoned industrial, it is zoned industrial.
“We could have a slaughterhouse there, or a meat-packing operation. You could have all sorts of uses.”
In the end, the solid waste permit was unanimously approved.
Sheriff’s report
As part of the annual report from the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s office, jail warden Mike Mattson talked about improved numbers at the county facility.
While the occurrences of inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-staff assaults increased slightly, Mattson added that the total number of bookings in 2023 was at 15,150, a decrease of 5% from the previous year.
And that the average daily population at the jail was also down significantly.
As a result, Mattson said, the sheriff’s office would likely be able to hold off on hiring 14 new jail positions they budgeted for until at least 2025.
Also, Mattson was not anticipating any major changes to their FY2025 budget request.
The commissioners complimented Mattson on holding the line on costs, and that saving money and not needing new employees was welcomed news.
The next commission meeting will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, on the third floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
