Codington County approves additional $60K for parking lot

Codington County commissioners approved an additional $60,000 payment to the engineering firm Banner Associates of Brookings for expenses related to reconstruction of a parking lot at the county’s Extension Complex in Watertown.

The action came during the commission’s regular Tuesday meeting on June 11. The county’s original payment to Banner was $73,000 for general development and the bidding process. The low bid on the project was slightly more than $515,000.

County Facilities Manager Steve Mohlengraaf said the payment to amend the original contract was due to several reasons, including what the City of Watertown requires for a sidewalk along the property and the approach to the lot.

Other reasons for the price increase, Mohlengraaf said, included decaying timbers along the building, handling administrative duties, observation of construction, staking the project and 24 hours of work each week for 10 weeks.

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Tuesday’s meeting lasted only 25 minutes and included reports from Auditor Brenda Hanten and Director of Equalization Shawna Constant.

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Hanten said she is assisting the Watertown School District for its school board election on June 18. Ballots will be counted by the county’s electronic equipment. She also reported that a recount will be held June 17 for the District 2 county commission race where Tyler McElhany defeated incumbent Charlie Waterman 207-201.

Because of the recount, random recounts of three other county races are not needed.

Constant said summer reappraisals are being completed in the City of Henry and Phipps Township and will soon start in Graceland Township. She said the state’s property tax methodology is the subject of a legislative summer study.

In other actions, the commissioners approved six hours of job shadowing in the Community Services Department by a Southeast Technical College student, and noted that the courthouse and all county offices will be closed June 19 in observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day.

In other news, the patio at the golf course was approved.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Codington County approves additional $60K for parking lot