BELLE FOURCHE-Public comments were pointed to the spending of the Butte County Commission during the July 116, 2024 commission meeting. Dale Simanton spoke first and asked to see billing from attorney Sarah Frankenstein, who spoke at a previous commission meeting about legalities surrounding voting. He said the commissioners needed a scale to weigh what they need and what they want. He continued by saying that he thought the sheriff is “irresponsible to want new offices.” He added that he thought money is being “frittered away.”
“Spend money on what you need,” he said.
Travis Ismay echoed some of the input from Simanton had said. He added that it seemed there was a “consistent vibe” that if it’s in the budget, it should be spent.
He encouraged thee commissioners to do the research to see what is being spent.
Before Public Comments, the commissioners entered into Executive Session to discuss Legal Matters. They voted to have Attorney Bob Morris advise on various legal matters.
The Executive Director of the Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce, Michaela Horn, presented a funding request for the Chamber. She listed several areas the Chamber had been active in doing and what the future may hold.
Joel Porch, GAR Controls, reported on the progress of the new HVAC system being installed in the courthouse. The plan is to be done by Christmas. The chillers have been ordered and will be installed when the weather is cooler. Presently, the heating system is being updated, the boilers have been ordered and have arrived. He pointed out that several beams needed to be updated in order to handle the heavier equipment, but the company “figured out how to simplify” the process.
The application fee for a new 911 address was changed to $250 from $200. The cost to the county has been in excess of $200, which caused the commissioners to raise the fee. The fee for revision of a 911 address is $75.
The renewal for High Plains Cannabis LLC Cultivation was approved with one Nay vote from Chad Erk.
The DA Peterson Company asked for an extension to break ground on the Lensgrav Addition Agreement. The company is planning to break ground in 2025. The request was tabled until the commission could do more research.
The committee to research a new sheriff’s office reported on the tour of the old jail house east of the county courthouse. According to Commissioner Terry Batterman, the old jail is “a mess.” The building has housed bats for many years. Although the building had been cleaned and painted several times, the odors had only been masked. Further research will be done to find ways to rid the building of the pests. The committee will continue to look.
Commissioner Chad Erk reported on extensive damage done the previous weekend with high winds and hail in the Castle Rock area of Butte County. He said that damage was extensive with hail that even took some sagebrush. There were snapped trees and large round hay bales were moved across fields. Livestock also moved with the storm. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Budget time is growing closer, there was a Special Budget meeting held with Department Heads July 23.
The next regular meeting of the County Commission will be August 6 at 9:30 a.m. in the Butte County Courthouse. Meetings are available via live video on the Butte County website buttesd.org. Recordings are also available at the website.
