The Pierre City Commission has approved updates to three different sections of local ordinance.
A portion of the City’s new Water Treatment Facility will be paid for with a loan from the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Terms of the loan require the City put in ordinance language setting aside a portion of collected water fees for repayment of the loan. Additionally, it mapped out water rate increases through 2023.
City Utilities Director Brad Palmer says the water rate increases are the ones they’ve been talking about since before the project went to a public vote. He says when these rate increases are all in place, the average residential customer can expect to pay an additional $1 a day for water.
The Commission also approved sending 911 surcharges collected by the state directly to the City, rather than having the money funnel from the State to Hughes County and then to the City.
Police Chief Jason Jones says the change doesn’t result in cost increase for customers. He says it simply provides a more direct route for the money collected to get from point A to point B.
The City operates the 911 Dispatch Center located at the Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre. City employees at the Dispatch Center are responsible for answering 911 calls from Hughes County, as well as four other surrounding counties, in addition to dispatching for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies along with fire and emergency medical services.
The Commission also gave approval to changes to the local merchant security licensing ordinance. The changes modernize the licensing process, update the licensing fee structure and bring local ordinance into alignment with current state law.
Chief Jones says local ordinance didn’t allow security company employees to carrying a gun. He says the state has gotten less restrictive regarding open carry permits, so this updates gives local security companies those state rights.
