By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – The Minnehaha County Commission Chamber was mostly full on Tuesday, Nov. 19, to hear a final report of the Facilities Task Force.
The commissioners and others heard about needs for main facility projects – the highway department, the administration building, the extension offices and the Juvenile Detention Center.
The task force, made up of local people from the building and construction sector, as well as three commissioners and other county employees, met several times over the summer, and with a team from the University of South Dakota, to look at the county’s needs.
And while commissioners realized that much work needed to be done on some aging facilities, they seemed happy to hear a plan from the task force that could bring about all necessary improvements with no, or very little, need to increase property taxes beyond existing levels.
Keith Severson, who spoke for the task force, gave a detailed briefing on the group’s findings.
He pointed out that with interest rates being historically low, the county’s “cash on hand,” and their ability to sell surplus property, the ability to do debt service and make payments on any building bonds could be taken care of without any increases to taxes.
Severson gave details on what needed to be done and methods of finance that could be used.
The specific areas Severson and the task force put together were $8 million for the Highway Shop, $234,000 for the Extension Building, $4.6 million for the Administration Building, $1.9 million for Metro Communications, $2 million for other equipment replacement, as well as between $200,000 and $841,000 for the Juvenile Detention Center.
The task force recommended that the JDC needs be taken care of with funds available, and according to figures presented, the other needs could be taken care of over the next 20 years.
Severson explained that the county currently has $2.89 million budgeted for debt service on previous bonds, but those would be expiring soon, and that money would be available to service another bond.
He also said that if another bond issue were necessary to get necessary funds, the cost to local taxpayers would only be $4.33 per $100,000.
However, he emphasized the task force did not believe that a new bond issue was needed.
No action on any of this was taken by the commission at this time, but Commissioner Gerald Beninga said, “The longer we wait there’s a good chance the projects will cost more. There is no question we need to do this, and now we have a roadmap to get us there.”
Prior to the Facilities Task Force presentation, commissioners held the regular weekly meeting.
While it was very brief, Jay Masur of MedStar Ambulance in Brandon did have a brief message during the public comments.
Over past months, Masur had asked the county commission for a “stand-by” fee to help off-set some of his costs.
At those times, it was said that Masur needed to complete certain paperwork to request that money, although Masur was refusing then, as he said he did not want to provide financials for his other business.
(MedStar looks at its ambulance business and medical transport business separately, Masur explained in the past.)
From later conversations, though, Masur said he was in the process of doing the paperwork and doing what the county required, but according to one commissioner, even right up to the day the budget needed to be finalized, Masur still hadn’t turned in completed paperwork requesting funds to the level commissioners felt was necessary.
However, at the regular meeting on Nov. 19, Masur said, “We weren’t funded again…and my family makes that up with our personal income.
“That’s the way it is, and I’m not here to fight that anymore… For those areas that are funding us, I want them to know that if the county decides to lower its standards, which is what this new ordinance would have done, MedStar Ambulance would never have a decrease in services.
“In fact, some of our services will continue to increase, with or without a subsidy from this county.
“MedStar is going to continue to work hard, and I am not going to be here anymore requesting anything from this county, because, obviously, as far as this county is concerned, we’re not worth the help."
In regard to the “ordinance” Masur spoke of, he seemed to be referring to an ambulance ordinance which had the first reading on Nov. 4, but will not have the second reading, public hearing and vote until Tuesday, Dec. 3.
When that issue comes up on the agenda, all people present for public comment will be heard.
One of the proposed changes would bring county requirements in line with state law, which only requires that one EMT be on any ambulance run. Currently, in Minnehaha County, two EMTs are required.
The Minnehaha County Commission has its regular meetings each Tuesday at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
These meetings are open to all, and public comment is always encouraged.
