HURON — As part of the regular Huron City Commission meeting Monday evening, Mayor Gary Harrington read a proclamation naming April 10-16 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Huron.

Within his proclamation, Mayor Harrington cited the exemplary work that dispatchers do on a daily basis both in serving the public and in assisting emergency service personnel in doing their jobs correctly.

Commissioner Mark Robish noted that local dispatchers not only answer calls for the city of Huron and Beadle County, but also for multiple other counties through contracts that the city has put into place, and he praised the staff in the dispatch office for handling situations with professionalism, despite the fact that often the dispatcher is handing off the call with no idea what the resolution will be to that call.

City engineer Brett Runge presented a pay request for $886,405.75 from Gridor Construction Inc as part of the wastewater treatment facility improvements. Runge reports that construction continues to be on pace and work is going well. This was approved.

Runge also brought a 2021 bid to the commission on a 3/4-ton pickup for the water department. The original quote from Iverson’s was from state fleet bid, and that price is no longer valid. The original cost quoted was $30,589, and the price that Iverson’s is quoting for the current truck is $40,544. Runge explained that future vehicles will also no longer be able to be bid at fleet rate.

During commission approval of this bid, Commissioner Robish encouraged department heads in attendance to do a vehicle inventory and replacement schedule with this new information as the costs will change, and that could change budgeting going forward.

The commission also approved going to bid on concrete replacement work for 2022 with bids to be opened on May 3 at 2 p.m. Runge explained that the city had roughly $225,000 of concrete work in the budget, so the amount of work that can get done will depend on what is bid.

A public hearing was held regarding transferring a 2021-2022 retail on-off sale malt beverage and South Dakota farm wine license from Marta Enriquez, LaPatrona, 208 Dakota Ave S to LaPatrona Restaurant LLC, LaPatrona, 208 Dakota Ave S. With no public objections, this was approved.

Contracts for disposal of corrugated cardboard with Dakota Provisions and for irrigation at the Huron Country Club were both renewed. The irrigation contract carried a three percent increase to match increases in water rates paid by the city.

The commission heard the second reading of Ordinance No. 2235-6-4 prohibiting scavenging and with no changes, this was approved.

Commissioners also:
• Approved a fireworks display permit for Danny Hofer for July 4 at Ravine Lake.
• Approved internal posting for a Fire Captain position.
• Approved hiring Josh Nelson for Park Maintenance I position.

• Approved hiring Kieran Crain for Street Maintenance I position.
• Approved hiring 18 seasonal positions for Park and Recreation.
• Removed Matt Dooley from the volunteer fire fighter roster.
• Approved the appointment of Joy Peterson to serve on the election board for the municipal election.

The commission ended the regular meeting and went into a work session to discuss the previously discussed pretreatment study with Dakota Provisions.