by April Scheinoha
Reporter

Pennington County leaders hope to count County State Aid Highway 7 as part of their summer construction projects. At their meeting Tuesday, June 13, commissioners scheduled a bid opening for Monday, July 17 at 1 p.m.

Pennington County leaders hope to complete a full depth reclamation/paving project on CSAH 7 between CSAH 17 (commonly referred to as the airport road) and Highway 59. If bids were accepted, the completion date for the project would be Sunday, Oct. 1.

The Highway Department was set to take possession of its new motor grader two days after the County Board meeting. Commissioners approved a six-year lease agreement for the John Deere motor grader from RDO Equipment Inc. The lease has annual payments of $53,562.18.

Commissioners approved a petition to clean Branch 1 of County Ditch 44. About three miles will be cleaned.

County Board approved the final payment for the shouldering project on the west side of the county. The entire project cost $137,776.10. Thygeson Construction worked on the project.

Commissioners approved an abatement for David and Diane Lee for taxes payable in 2022. County Assessor Carl Bruzek estimated the abatement would be around $700, but he didn’t have the exact amount at the meeting.

The Lees built a new home on their property in 2020. Then they moved to that home with their daughter living in their old home on the same property. The deadline for the homestead applications was Dec. 31, 2021, but they didn’t file the application by that date due to illness. The applications were submitted in April 2022. As part of the resolution, the tax abatement was approved for the old home. The Lees would have to reapply for the other home, and they have already done so.

The next County Board meeting is scheduled Tuesday, June 27 at 10 a.m. at the Justice Center.