The Meade County Commission on Tuesday, Nov. 10, appointed former Commissioner Rich Liggett as county auditor and Commissioner-elect Gary Mewes to the District 5 seat Liggett left the day before, and it agreed to pay 20% of a $3 million design effort toward a possible transfer of New Underwood Road to the state. In Rapid City, the Legal and Finance Committee the same day backed an $18.8 million loan from the Vision Fund to the airport and put off a new OneHeart lease for two weeks. Lawrence County gave a first reading to an ordinance that would put a county burn ban in place automatically when the Forest Service moves to stage two fire restrictions.
Pennington County
Rapid City Legal and Finance Committee
The committee approved by voice vote at its Nov. 10 meeting a memorandum of understanding for the city's loan to Rapid City Regional Airport for the terminal expansion. Finance Director Daniel Ainslie said the city issued $59.35 million in bonds about six weeks earlier, including $15 million for the airport to repay, and earned about $3.8 million in interest by investing the money until the airport needs it. He said the loan would therefore be about $18.8 million, repaid to the Vision Fund over 30 years at just under 5%, the same blended rate the city pays on the bonds.
The committee voted to continue Resolution 2026-085, a new lease with OneHeart, for two weeks. Phil Styles, an attorney for OneHeart, said the two sides had not settled the language on which party maintains what, and that OneHeart was not prepared to sign. The city attorney said the public hearing on the lease required by state law will still be held at the council's Nov. 16 meeting. A speaker in public comment and OneHeart's attorney gave differing figures for what the city and OneHeart have spent on the building; the figures were not verified.
The committee also approved a request for proposals to hire a consultant to rewrite the city's zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and future land use plan together. Community Development Director Vicki Fisher said the subdivision rules were last fully overhauled in 1968. The committee recommended Ordinance 6758, moving the community enrichment division to the finance department, on second reading.
The council's Nov. 16 agenda shows the Public Works Committee voted 3-2, with Laura Armstrong and Callie Meyer opposed, to recommend waiving a sidewalk requirement along Countryside Boulevard. The airport loan, 2027 fees with higher landfill tipping charges, two transit buses for $1,621,190 and the Renner Associates request to allow more than 40 homes on a single access are on the council's consent agenda.
Mayor Jason Salamun said at a Nov. 12 news conference that he will ask the Planning Commission on Nov. 25 to consider either a six-month pause on data center permits or an interim ordinance adding limits on water use, power, noise and distance from homes, KOTA reported. Either would need council approval.
Pennington County Planning Commission
At its Nov. 9 meeting, the commission recommended approval of a comprehensive plan change and a rezoning from agriculture to rural residential for 16 acres at 12175 White Horse Road, which the owner plans to split into four lots. Both votes were by voice with no opposition heard. The consent agenda, including ending two vacation home rental permits, also passed.
Hill City Common Council
The council's Nov. 9 agenda listed the second reading of its 2027 budget and Ordinance 2026-03, the 1% sales tax for water and sewer projects that voters approved Nov. 3, the Rapid City Post reported. The council's actions had not been published in sources available by Friday.
Coming up: The Rapid City Common Council will consider the airport loan and hold the OneHeart lease hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at City Hall, 300 Sixth St. The Pennington County Board of Commissioners will consider the White Horse Road requests, the house height variance it continued Nov. 4, and the revocation of a solar energy permit at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 900 Concourse Drive, according to its agenda.
Meade County
Meade County Commission
At its Nov. 10 meeting in Sturgis, the commission accepted Liggett's resignation from the District 5 seat, which he dated effective Nov. 9. It then adopted Resolution 2026-28, setting the auditor's salary at $39,479, the minimum state law allows, and appointed Liggett as auditor to replace Dawn Christenson, who left to become Sturgis' finance officer designate. Chair Gary Deering called the appointment temporary, until the county can fill the job.
With the auditor sitting in as state law requires when an even number of commissioners remain, the board appointed Mewes, who was elected to the District 5 seat Nov. 3, to serve the rest of Liggett's term. A lawyer from the state's attorney's office said the vacancy had to be filled within 35 days or two meetings, and that because Mewes was appointed, he will have to run again in two years. All of these votes were by voice with no opposition heard, and KBHB reported Liggett's resignation and Mewes' appointment Nov. 11.
The commission approved an amendment to its joint powers agreement with the South Dakota Department of Transportation for New Underwood Road. Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt said the $3 million phase would pay for design, environmental and utility work so the state can apply for a federal construction grant in about a year, with the county paying 20% and the state $2.4 million. He said two earlier federal grant applications were not funded, the cost to bring the road to state standards was estimated at well over $60 million, and an award would likely come no earlier than the first part of 2028.
The commission also:
- Rescinded the burn ban it adopted Aug. 6, at the request of Sturgis Fire Chief Scott Lensegrav and other county fire chiefs. The county ordinance still bans open fires outside towns when the grassland fire index is high or above.
- Approved the final plat for Infinity Landing, 48 lots, after the planning director said all variances were approved and a letter of credit is in place.
- Approved 2027 liquor and wine renewals except two applications from one business whose property taxes had not been shown as paid, and continued those to 10 a.m. Nov. 24.
Coming up: The commission will hold its first hearing on two proposed ambulance districts at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 24, which starts at 9 a.m. in the Erskine Office Building, 1300 Sherman St., Sturgis. Commissioners said the hearing would set the district boundaries and an election, not create the districts.
Lawrence County
Lawrence County Commission
The commission held the first reading Nov. 10 of the burn ban ordinance, Ordinance 2026-02, according to meeting video. County staff said it would put a county burn ban in place automatically when the Forest Service enacts stage two restrictions; the commission could still impose one earlier, and only the commission could lift it. It would not apply inside cities or on state or federal land. The commission also heard the first reading of an amended ordinance on utility work in county right-of-way, which adds language requiring a surety bond covering both the work and the utility lines.
The commission also:
- Approved 2027 opioid settlement grants of $50,000 to Action for the Betterment of Our Community and $35,000 to Compass Point, both by voice vote, matching the requests in the meeting packet.
- Approved on second reading a rezoning from A-1 to A-2 for a limited subdivision off Colorado Boulevard. Planning staff said the City of Spearfish recommended annexing some or all of the land so city utilities and roads could be extended.
- Continued to Nov. 24 a decision on its CloudPermit online permitting contract. Staff said the system is still not running in its second year, a $15,000 payment is due in January, and the company had offered a free year in return but had not put it in writing.
- Authorized a contract with CivicPlus for website accessibility tools, which the IT director said cost about $12,800 a year, ahead of federal accessibility rules.
Coming up: The commission will consider the burn ban and utility ordinances on second reading and the CloudPermit contract at its 8 a.m. meeting Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 90 Sherman St., Deadwood.
