HURON — A new campground ordinance that Mayor Paul Aylward says would focus on public safety and not penalties is in the beginning stages of being drafted, but is likely two years from being enacted.
City commissioners scheduled a work session on the issue Monday after city department heads met last week with campground owners.
Building Inspector Chris Newman told commissioners that city officials heard a number of good points from the owners, but need more time to consider what might be proposed in an ordinance.
“We’re a long way from putting anything together,” he said. But he said “quite a few” of the owners are willing to work with the city.
He said 2021 is likely the most realistic time frame in terms of enacting an ordinance. He recommends owners be given a minimum of a year to make changes that would be included in the ordinance.
Meanwhile, commissioners postponed for one week a variance request for construction of a three-vehicle garage at 975 Illinois Ave. S.W.
The agenda item was deferred because two of the commissioners, Doug Kludt and Mark Robish, were not in attendance. It takes two-thirds, or four votes, to pass a variance request.
Applicant Dan Kight is proposing to build a new garage that would be 452 square feet over code. An existing detached garage and shed would be removed.
In other action, commissioners awarded a bid for an anaerobic lagoon cleaning project to Olson Construction of Huron, the second lowest bidder. City Engineer Brett Runge said the lowest bidder, Premier Contracting of Huron, was determined to be a non-responsible bidder.
In a memo to the board, he said current city projects contracted with Premier still remain incomplete and are past the completion date.
They include a 2018 water main replacement project and a 2018 sludge drying bed improvement project.
The water main replacement project is estimated to be 62 percent complete and is past the final completion date. Phase one of the sludge drying bed project is 91 percent complete and has significantly exceeded the substantial completion date, he said.
Also, phase two of the project is 14 percent complete with a substantial completion date of Aug. 31, 2019, but Runge said there are serious concerns that it will also exceed the completion date.
Olson Construction was awarded the bid for $154,411. The Premier bid came in at $125,000.
Commissioners also:
• Congratulated Finance Director Paullyn Carey, who was named the 2019 Governmental Finance Officer of the Year in South Dakota. The award was presented to her at a meeting of the South Dakota Municipal League earlier this month.
• Presented Kara Bult with a Heroism Award for performing the Heimlich Maneuver on an individual who was choking on May 29.
• Announced that the rubble site would be closed Thursday, July 4, and Saturday, July 6, due to the holiday. The Thursday routes will be collected on Wednesday, July 3. Containers should be out the night before.
• Hired Randy Neuharth and Brittney Priebe-Neuharth as volunteer firefighters.
• Authorized the Employee Safety Committee to apply for a grant to purchase automated external defibrillators.
• Approved closing documents for the Splash Central/Central Park New Market Tax Credit Structure that includes the transfer of the property from Greater Huron Development Corporation to the city.
