City allows residential property fence to remain

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HURON — A residential fence installed on the property line in southeast Huron without a building permit will be allowed to remain, but will have to be moved should an alley be dedicated, the City Commission decided Monday.
In a unanimous vote, the board approved a variance requested by Rose Roth, project address 404 and 414 26th St. S.E., to allow the fence to remain zero feet from the south property line where code requires a five-foot setback to provide room for solid waste containers and snow.
Roth said she had relied on her contractors to install the fence correctly. She only learned a building permit was needed after the fence had been installed in 2017.
Had a building permit been obtained, City Planner Ralph Borkowski said he would have visited the site and pointed out the required setbacks.
Last week, a hearing examiner recommended that the fence be relocated by May to meet the proper setback.
Greater Huron Development Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer David McGirr, however, said he believes it was an honest mistake because the plat doesn’t show the presence of an alley along the south side of the Roth property.
Also, he said the city hasn’t been in the business of building alleys for decades. GHDC owns property in that area, but it is unclear what kind of development may come along in the future.
Meanwhile, commissioners approved second and final reading of a $31,500,878 appropriation ordinance for 2019, which is about 1 percent higher than the 2018 budget of $31,330,122.
Mayor Paul Aylward noted that health insurance costs came in with a decrease with total savings citywide of $69,456. He and other board members praised city employees at a time when other organizations are seeing health insurance rates rise.

Commissioners also viewed photos of the nearly complete public works building in the West Industrial Park.
The project is 85 to 90 percent complete and should be done in mid-October, about a month overdue. The contractor will face liquidated damages, but is moving as quickly as possible.
Assistant City Engineer Dennis Bennett pointed out a number of the features of the $5.1 million structure, which will replace a century-old facility.
Aylward said the city will schedule an open house at some point so the public can view the new facility firsthand.
Commissioners also:
• Accepted the resignation of Warren Lotsberg from the Airport Board and appointed Gary Hofer to serve the remainder of the term.
• Approved the hiring of Sonia Caban as a 911 telecommunicator.
• Accepted the voluntary resignation of Kurt Kohlman volunteer firefighter.
• Reappointed Jim Borszich to the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance Board.
• Approved a $20,000 final payment to Dahme Construction Co. of Aberdeen for water main replacement work.
• Approved a progress payment of $156,060 to Rexwinkel Concrete of Corsica for concrete replacement work.
• Set Oct. 16 as the bid-opening date for Third Street Dam site improvements.
In a related matter, commissioners OK’d a construction administration amendment with Stockwell Engineers of Sioux Falls. The amendment is to the company’s current design agreement to provide construction administration services and construction staking for no more than $62,459.
That fee is in addition to Stockwell’s current contract amount of $60,000 for design services for the Third Street Dam improvements.
• Approved raffle requests filed by Holy Trinity Catholic School for October through May 2019 and Huron Elks #444 for Nov. 23 at at the Elks Lodge.
• Approved a special event on-sale alcoholic beverage license filed by Top Floor Events for a chamber mixer Oct. 9 at Cornerstones Financial Services.
• Approved a request for alcoholic beverage consumption in a public area from Kiara Jimenez and Alexis Maldanado for a birthday party on Friday at Prospect Park Glide and Slide Shelter.