HURON — The Huron City Commission on Monday evening approved the bid for the new solid waste transfer station. The bid was awarded to North Star Logistics LLC, also known as Sentry, in the amount of $8,009,000. This is under the estimated budget of $8,720,000.

Later in the meeting, a resolution was passed to amend the bonding resolution for the transfer station.

The previous resolution dedicated the full two percent of sales tax that the city collects. Instead, the city will oblige the second penny taxing only, not both the first and second penny. This was approved.

The city heard annual reports Monday from the South Dakota State Fair and from the Beadle County Humane Society.

Peggy Besch, the manager of the fairgrounds, presented the annual report for the State Fair. She noted that the DEX building will meet substantial completion soon and hold a ribbon cutting at the fair on Aug. 31.

Along with the DEX project, the fair is also raising funds for the new SHED building for sheep. The SHED is slated to break ground at the 2024 fair and open in time for 2025’s fair.

Besch explained that the lack of open class beef and sheep families on the grounds the past two years has been evident in the attendance numbers.

On those numbers, Besch stated that 190,000 attended the 2022 fair, with new marks set in carnival revenue and overall guest spending, which reached a figure of $2.8 million.

The fairgrounds hosted 280 events last year for a total of 437 event days. Overall, that is up 40% over 2021, though Besch did acknowledge that many usages of the grounds are by non-profits and 4-H groups that generate no revenue for the fair.

The new DEX building has already drawn in shows for this fall, but Besch was pleased to announce that the National Red Power Roundup would return to the fairgrounds in 2026, news that the fair received recently. She also noted that the addition of the DEX will add a marketing position to the SDSF office.

The fair is currently looking for employees, specifically in maintenance.

Kim Krueger, the Beadle County Humane Society (BCHS) executive director, presented numbers for BCHS in 2022.

She stated that there were 937 animal control calls in 2022 and have been 443 such calls in the first half of 2023.

Overall, the Humane Society serviced 767 animals in 2022. The majority of these were dogs and cats, as felines made up 412 of the animals serviced, and BCHS hosted 248 dogs. The remainder were a mix of wild and domestic animals and pets.

Krueger stated that the shelter adopted out 101 dogs, 140 cats, and nine other animals during 2022. She also restated what a “no-kill” shelter requirement was, which is that less than 10% of all animals serviced are euthanized. In 2022, Krueger noted 40 animals that were euthanized out of the 767 that the shelter serviced, which would be a 5% euthanization rate.

Krueger finished by encouraging all residents to license their animals. Currently, the shelter has sold 740 licenses this year, and she noted that a licensed animal found running at large gives BCHS the opportunity to return the animal without it having to be impounded.

City engineer Brett Runge presented a pay request for Gridor Construction, Inc, in the amount of $132,600 for work on the wastewater treatment facility. This was approved.

Runge also shared a utility easement with Northwestern for one spot in the West City Parking Lot. The easement also brings in a one-time payment from Northwestern in the amount of $2,500. Northwestern will place an electric transition cabinet in the space. This was approved.

Commissioners also:
• Approved a raffle for the Huron Elks for September 30 at the Elks Lodge.
• Approved raffles for the South Dakota State Fair Foundation at the fairgrounds, one to be held Aug. 25-27 and another to be held Aug. 25-Dec.  31.
• Reappointed Darrell Raschke to the Mid-Dakota Rural Water Board of Directors.

The commission closed the meeting in a work session to introduce the 2024 budget.