Pipestone County Commissioners: In brief




Fiber optic line project bid less than expected

Pipestone County Commissioners during their June 2 meeting accepted a bid of $57,339.90 from Engbarth Directional Drilling (EDD) to install fiber optic line from the Courthouse to the Emergency Services Building and the blue building at the Fairgrounds. The County Board included $150,000 for the project in the 2015 budget and the project’s engineer estimated the cost at around $96,000.

“I was really surprised with the low bidder,” said Bill Folger, Pipestone County information technology coordinator. “They really want this job it looks like.”

The five bids received for the project ranged from EDD’s low bid to a high bid of $105,265.23. With permitting, equipment, engineering and other costs associated with the project, Folger said he expects the total cost to be around $70,000.

Several new county employees hired in May

Cathy Feste, Pipestone County personnel coordinator, announced during the board’s June 2 meeting the hiring of several new county employees in April and May.

Matti Boomgaarden was hired as the county’s 4-H seasonal program assistant in the Extension Office; Trent Tinklenberg was hired as a fulltime jailer/dispatcher, replacing Dustin Seiler, who became a fulltime deputy; and Derek Claar and Cole Nordmeyer were hired as part time jailer/dispatchers, replacing Zach Schafer and Amy Lape.