BRITTON COUNCIL OKs TAX LEVY, TALKS LEAD SURVEY

    At the Britton City Council meeting last Tuesday, the 2024 tax levy was discussed. Finance Officer Jennifer Athey noted that the city will request $565,053 in taxes for the next year. 
    The council talked about the Lead Free Initiative. In the upcoming months, the city will start a survey, asking people to report if they have lead pipes in the home. This is part of a nationwide health initiative under EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act. It was noted that other South Dakota towns have been offering monetary incentives to respond to such surveys. The council did not plan to do that at this time. See the flyer elsewhere in the paper for more information about the survey.
    Athey read a letter from the State awarding the city a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. The LWCF is a federal aid assistance program to help states provide outdoor recreation facilities. The grant for the Ballpark Improvement Project will be forwarded to the National Park Service for final approval. If  approved, the grant would provide $144,000 to help pay for lighting at the ballfields. This is half the estimated amount of the project with the city having to put up the other half as matching funds. 
    Sewer generator project bids had been opened earlier in the day before the meeting. Davidson Plumbing and Heating was the only bid at around $40,000 for work  on the project that will total around $100,000. The council decided not to require a bid bond for the project since the company who will be working on it is local.
    The Jay Marx property was briefly discussed. Earlier this summer, Marx sent a letter requesting to be paid for his property that has been encroached on by 14th Avenue. No decisions were made and the matter was tabled. 
    The new blade for the public works department will be financed for five years at a cost of around $7,800 per year. Public Works Supervisor George Flanery asked the council to consider developing an ordinance that would prohibit large truck traffic in residential areas. The council asked the city attorney to look into the matter.
    In other council business, Snappers Dry Bean was granted special liquor licenses for two events at the Event Center. The group voted to extend the airport lease with Ray Effling for taking hay off the airport land until the end of the year. The Booster Club asked the city for permission to use temporary paint on the streets and driveways for homecoming. The council said they were fine with this. 
    An executive session was held at the end of the meeting.