Commissioners hears zoning administration’s plans for future CAFOs

Moody County Commissioners met in normal session on Tuesday, June 21 and discussed CAFOs, a bike path, ARPA and new hires.
The commissioners discussed a Zoning Violation hearing for a Class C Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation’s (CAFO), landowner Brian Felt. Mr. Felt was not present at the meeting. Kendra Eng, County Zoning Administrator, explained Mr. Felt did not have the necessary soil samples at this time to move forward with the hearing. The samples he needs to provide would show that his planned location for a Class C CAFO is not located on the shallow aquifer as the County has zoned it to be. The hearing will now be postponed until later this summer or early fall. The Class C CAFO, is a planned feeding lot for cattle.
Acting as the Joint Board of Commissioners and Planning, Eng went on to present to the commissioners a letter and surveys she has prepared to send out to Township Chairmen and Supervisors of CAFO’s located within Moody County. The letter is asking for any information from local townships on any new planned CAFOs located on township roads. The letter will also provide information on the different classifications of CAFOs allowed within the County as well as the zoning regulations for those businesses. The letter addresses the issues and concerns that have occurred in past CAFO projects within the county as it pertains to road usage and maintenance within the townships. Eng’s hope with this letter and survey is to keep the conversation moving forward by gathering input on the subject matter.

There will be one survey sent to Township Chairmen and another sent to the CAFOs operating within the County. The survey being sent to the townships include questions mostly asking the townships feelings on CAFOs pertaining to their road usage, size of CAFOs, locations and the current zoning requirements. The survey questions asked to the CAFO operations are similar apart from the questions asking about the CAFOs future business plans. The Commissioners approved the letter and survey to be sent out with a 30-day deadline to be added.
Moody County Auditor Tawny Heinemann explained to the commission the restrictions that would be in place when spending ARPA (American Relief Plan Act) money. The biggest restriction is that ARPA money cannot be used within any other sort of federal funding. Heinemann suggested to use the ARPA money to pay wages for 2022. She explained this was the cleanest way to track the money should the county ever be audited and that it would also take away any chance of the county doubling up on federal funding if used for another project. The Commissioners agreed and made the motion to proceed with using the ARPA money for wages. This motion now frees up money in the general fund to allow for different projects within the county. Heinemann’s only other comment on the matter was that the county would need to make sure to not go over the 40% unassigned funds within the general fund. Marty Skroch, Human Resources did suggest the money now in the general fund could potentially cover any overages with current projects as well.
Kelley Ramsdell, representing the Flandreau Development Corporation, presented the new bike path project the FDC is currently working on with the City of Flandreau and Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. The project would develop a bike bath at the west entrance of town and eventually make its way down Veterans Street to join with the sidewalk/bike path FSST already has in place. Ramsdell explained in the future the project would need the Commissioners blessings to proceed down Veterans Street since the path will lay within the right of way. Ramsdell and the Commissioners decided to revisit the issue as the project gets closer to make any formal motions. All parties felt the project is necessary to improve not only the aesthetic of the entrance in town, but also the safety with residents walking down Veterans Street.
Sheriff Wellman asked for a motion to approve a new dispatcher and sheriff deputy, the motions were approved.  Sheriff Wellman went on to present a USPCA grant opportunity to the commissioners that would allow the County to only pay $2,500 to receive $10,000 to help pay for a cost of a drug/bite dog. The Commissioners made the motion to approve the grant application. Skroch ended the meeting with approvals of travel request for training.