County looks at increasing building permit fees

By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent

Steve Lindquist, the new project director for the Minnehaha County Triage Center, and Jeff Griffin, the new president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce talked to County Commissioners on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Griffin was introduced by Holly Rader (left), who was at the meeting to give a briefing on the Chamber's Agri-Business Division. (Photos by Dave Baumeister) 

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SIOUX FALLS – At their Tuesday, Feb. 25, meeting, Minnehaha Commissioners were given a briefing by Kevin Hoekman from the Planning and Zoning Department on a 5.6% increase in the cost of building permit fees.

While this marks the first time in five years an increase in these fees is being considered, according to Hoekman, it also marks a change in the way permits will be issued.

He said that in the past, more of a “flat fee” was charged for permits, but now the costs will vary, depending on the type of structure being built.

So, while some projects will see an increase, permit costs to others may decrease.

However, overall, the requested increase will be an average of $65 or 5.6%.

What Hoekman reported on this week was just giving a “heads-up” to commissioners, as the formal hearing for the rate change will not be held until Tuesday, March 10.

County residents with questions or concerns about this will be able to speak about it then.

There was also a good deal of information presented about two other areas of concern to the county.

Frist, Steve Lindquist talked about work being done toward the Community Triage Project.

Lindquist, the former director of Avera Behavioral Health and a former administrator at the Mickelson Center for the Neurosciences (Human Services Center) in Yankton, is now the project director for the triage facility.

He explained that the triage project will mainly be for people in need of services who don’t know where else to go.

On Friday, Feb. 21, Lindquist said they put out a request for proposals to build the center, and that they hope “to get the doors open” by this fall.

Commissioner Dean Karsky acts as the liaison for the triage project.

Also, Holly Rader of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business Division discussed their main events for the year.

A successful 67^th annual Livestock Show was held at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in January, and plans are already on the books to be back at the Sioux Empire Fair on Aug. 5 for Ag Appreciation Day.

For that event, the chamber gets sponsorships from area ag-related businesses and puts on the yearly complimentary lunch for about 3,500 producers.

After talking about the Ag Committee, Rader introduced the new president and CEO of the Chamber, Jeff Griffin, who said he was happy to be attending his first county commission meeting.

Because Commissioners Cindy Heiberger and Jeff Barth will be attending a national conference in Washington, D.C. next week and only three commissioners will be present, it is expected that business at that meeting will be light.

Even still, the meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 3, in the commission chambers on the second floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6^th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.

And, as always, there will be an opportunity for any comments from the public.