County will cost share for drain

The question of whether or not the county will cost share for the Drain No. 1 Assessment District has been answered.

A motion was passed at the Foster County Commission meeting after much discussion to allot 60 percent of the remaining 55 percent for the installation of culverts in northeast Foster County.

During the meeting held on Tuesday, September 20, the board heard from Foster County Water Board member Doug Zink about the drain.

The amount the water board is asking for is about $8,500.

Initially, commissioners Alan Scanson and Becky Hagel both said they don’t want to cost share with the water board because they don’t want to set a precedent.

Hagel said the state auditor told them not to spend taxpayers’ money if they are not legally bound.

Commissioner David Utke first said he didn’t want to set a precedent, but then changed his mind and said he was in favor of sharing the cost of the culvert installation.

Foster County State’s Attorney Kara Brinster explained that she didn’t think they would be setting a precedent if they are clear about why they are agreeing to the cost share.

After hearing Brinster’s explanation, Scanson and Hagel voted in favor of the cost share.

A motion to fund 60 percent of the remaining 55 percent of the cost of installing the culverts was passed.

In other business:

• Foster County Engineer Mike Rivinius attended the meeting to present the board with federal aid applications.

He said he believes the Prairie Dog Bill will be distributing money to counties in December or January and Foster County’s share is expected to be about $1,344,000.

• With Rivinius at the meeting, Utke asked about the county highway five-year plan.

Rivinius explained the process of grinding asphalt, but it was not discussed which road or roads would be ground. Rivinius said they will have to take core samples first.

• In another discussion about NDPHIT, a health insurance option for the county instead of NDPERS, Hagel explained how the program works and how it could benefit the county, but also how it could hurt the county to leave NDPERS at this time.

The board agreed to wait and table the discussion for awhile.

• Utke said he heard from architects EAPC and they told him the next building project would be leveling the basement floor.

• Finally, Scanson said he found someone, through Kelly Hagel, who would come and look at the crumbling block on the old shop building.