Commission reviews airport rates, zoning ordinance, and legislative updates

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, August 12 in the Lincoln County Boardroom. 

With all members present, the commission heard agenda items. 

Chairwoman Tiffani Landeen read the first reading for an Ordinance of Lincoln County, SD, changing the zone of the properties described as Lots 1, 2, and 3, Ninemile View Addition, NE1/4, Section 4-T99N-R49W from the RC Recreation/Conservation District and the A-1 Agricultural District to the PD Planned Development District and amending the Official Zoning Map of Lincoln County. 

The Planning Commission recommends approval (4-0-1). Location: Parcels: 099.49.04.J001, 099.49.04.J002, and 099.49.04.J003. Second reading and public hearing are to occur at the August 26 Board of Commissioners meeting.

Assistant Commission Administrative Assistant, Paul Anderson was present with a notice of intent from Good Earth Farm for Bingo per SDCL 22-25-25. 

“They have been doing their Bingo throughout the summer and they are looking to extend through September including the 6th, 7th, 14th, and no action is required unless you object,” Anderson said. 

With no objections, Chairwoman Landeen thanked Anderson for the report.

Airport Manager, David Myers was present to report on the Marv Skie/Lincoln County airport and give recommendations on land lease rates for hangars owned by tenants. Myers reported to the commission that the airport is 134 acres in total and one of 69 public use airports in the state. 

“I believe we are one of the busiest general aviation airports in the state. There’s Sioux Falls, Rapid City, the bigger airports, but we are really really busy because of we have a lot of enthusiasm for aviation. We’re really close-knit to Sioux Falls and we also have a flight school that’s very busy with training students,” he said. 

North and South ramp replacement, a new beacon tower, improved taxi-ways, functional security gates, fuel island removal, abandon house removal, and the development of the South 20 acres are just some of the accomplishments Myers has achieved in his time as manager. Myers is hopeful to improve the runway lighting system and increase security cameras to combat any unwanted visitors. Funding for the airport comes from two different places, the Airport Improvement Plan (AIP) funding and Airport Infrastructure Grant (BIL) Funding. 

“AIP funding is where you apply an application for grant money through the FAA where the breakdown is funded 90 percent Federal, five percent state and five per cent local. The BIL is a pot of money that’s been used from fiscal year 2022 to 2026, and that ends in 2026 and the money can be used for the same projects, but they come from two different pots of money,” he said. 

Myers goal for the airport is to attempt to get the facility as revenue neutral as possible. 

James Cole, a member of the Lincoln County Airport Advisory Board was present to ground lease rates and terms for hangar tenants. 

“We took it upon ourselves to do the research and look at the lease rates around the country, mostly focusing in the Midwest, but a little in the South too throughout eight states. It’s all readily available public information and it’s ranging between 12 cents and 80 cents per square foot, and that really depends on the type of airport,” he said. 

Hangar space continues to be the biggest need across the state as businesses are opting for other transportation options due to lack of hangar availability.

 “When we gathered as an advisory board and tried to understand what’s realistic for a ground lease rate that’s sustainable and palatable to the community, but also gets us to that goal of more revenue neutral for taxpayer dollars supporting the airport and we came up with 35 cents. It’s above Sioux Falls, and many of the airports in the market as you can see, but we’re currently averaged at about 17 cents,” he continued. 

Cole advised that all current leases would be upgraded incrementally as they come due, but advises any new leases or hangars that change hands be stated at the 35 cents per square foot. Commissioner Arends expressed his concerns on the price increase. 

“We currently fund the airport off property taxes and then we get some revenue from these hangar rents and some grants and things like that, but it’s time for users to start supporting the operations out there, not property taxpayers. If we do the $300,000 airport improvement that we wanted to do in this year’s currently proposed budget that we advertised, we’re running a deficit of $412,334. But if we raise all the hangar rent up to what you all proposed with a total of 50 hangars, that only puts us at $220,483. So in my mind to get this revenue neutral, we’re going to have to charge more than 35 cents,” Arends said. 

Chairwoman Landeen thanked Myers for his presentation and asked for public comment on the agenda item. Mick Baruth was the first to express his opinion. 

“Every time I come to one of these commission meetings, it just amazes me how backwards everything in government operates compared to the private sector. These numbers don’t add up. If this airport can’t subsidize itself, why is the taxpayer doing it? I see all these building going up all around the Sioux Falls area for people putting up buildings to charge parents for kids for athletic training and stuff like that. What if they came to the County Commission and said we’d sure appreciate if you subsidize us? They’d get laughed out of the place. You say Sanford and Avera are using this airport? Those people have money sticking out of their ears. They spend it like water. I don’t ever turn on the TV, but if I do, what’s the first thing I see? Sanford and Avera spending money on advertising. They’re building buildings across the whole upper Midwest. They have no conscience when it comes to spending money. How about start charging them to use the airport then? This is just ridiculous. If you went to a private entity and asked for money and you can’t come up with the exact figures you need, whoever owns that private entity is going to laugh you out of the room. You have to answer to the shareholders. You have to make money for the shareholders. When are we going to change? You said money is coming back from the FAA so it’s not costing the county taxpayers, where do you think that money came from? They didn’t grow it off of a tree, that came out of our pockets, too. Lets change the whole agenda and make sure people understand where this money is really coming from. FAA, federal government, state, whatever, it’s coming out of our pockets and I’m sick and tired of the Chamber of Commerce crowd coming here and asking for more money to line their pockets. Start standing up for the taxpayers. We the people, the little guys,” Baruth said. 

Two citizens took to the podium to echo Baruth’s opinion and thanked Commissioner Doug Putnam and Joel Arends for their comments throughout the meeting. No action was required for the agenda item, and Chairwoman Landeen thanked all the parties for their participation.

Assistant Commission Administrative Officer, Paul Anderson updated the commission on legislative changes from the 2025 Legislative Session. 

“From the Commission Office perspective, HB1059 and SB74 both deal with open meetings violations for the state. 1059 clarifies the meaning of teleconference for purposes of open meeting requirements just to update the legal language regarding email communications and teleconferences to fall within the requirements of open meetings. SB74 says the state open meetings commission will publish a review of the open meetings laws and they’ve also required that local governments attend a training on open meetings laws that will be certified and sent to the open meetings commission. SB84 extends the timeframe for filling a vacancy in the board of county commissioners. It changes that vacancy from immediately to 35 days or after the second regular meeting. HB1218 addresses the imposition of firearm restrictions on certain employees, officers, volunteers, or other individuals and that is for courthouses that aren’t subject to U.JS administration,” he said. 

Anderson also reported on SB216 which limits the increase of the total assessed value of owner-occupied single-family dwellings to three per cent for five years, HCR6003 which will provide an interim study regarding property tax reduction and preservation of the American dream to own a home, SB5 which permits a sheriff to charge a fee for satisfied or unsatisfied service of process, and more that the commission would need to uphold in the upcoming years. Chairwoman Landeen thanked Anderson for the updates. 

Landeen asked for public comment not on the agenda and three citizens stood to speak about the election software company Lincoln County currently uses. Linda Montgomery was the last of the three to speak. 

“I have been coming to you trying to tell you truth for about four and a half years. Truth about our elections and truth about the vendor. I and we have been met with ears that do not hear, eyes that do not see, and hearts that are hardened against the truth. When I stand here over the years, I have spoken truth regarding that we have researched and uncovered regarding our elections. Again, today you have heard truth being presented by fellow citizens. Free, fair, and transparent elections are our greatest freedom. Many men and women have laid down their lives for that freedom. I pray that you hear us and take action. As the song goes, God Bless America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. It takes bravery to get up here. It takes you as legislatures, as commissioners, as auditors, and state’s attorney’s to listen to truth and facts and do what is right for the citizens you represent. That’s what I tried to do for the citizens in my precinct and for an oath I took as a soldier to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against enemies foreign and domestic. Right now to me, the vendor that we have been using, we have been trying all this time to prove, and we have proved, that they are not legit, they are fraudulent and I think the greatest thing of all is that we use their certified equipment and I don’t believe that you guys were really informed about that, that’s what I want to believe. But what they did was make you complicit in our elections. The last six elections run on that equipment are in question and I don’t think that’s acceptable. I want you to stand up for the citizens and for this country,” she said.