Trustee questions vote after matter tabled

Keystone trustee Matt Fullilove raised concerns about an affirmative museum painting bid vote taking place while two board members were absent despite a vote rejecting the bids when the full board was present. He aired his opinions at the Oct. 22 Keystone Town Board meeting.

“I’m not complaining about the way you guys vote. It’s obvious you guys have a different viewpoint and agenda,” Fullilove said. “Now you’re complaining that we’re not here and when we are here you go and reverse a vote that should have been through normal process and normally would have been tabled until we had the historical society in front of the whole board to present their case because there were a lot of conflicts in those bids.”

The matter had been tabled Aug. 20 due to concerns that quotes were unclear. All board members were present at that meeting. The matter was put back on the Sept. 3 agenda where it was approved by the three trustees present.

Trustee David Cofoid said the matter was “time sensitive.”

“How was it time sensitive when we rejected those bids?” Fullilove asked. 

Cofoid said he then went to look at the museum and saw bare wood. 

Fullilove would not relinquish the floor, at which point board president Casey McNulty stressed he would have the same three minutes a public person would have to continue. 

“There are serious conflicts in that bid,” Fullilove continued. “I just want you guys to be held accountable for what you guys did out of process and norms. I guess the process is if we don’t show up, you guys do what you want, which you guys did, but the very next meeting you claim that we’re not here.”

Fullilove also took issue with a proposal brought up at the last meeting to create an ordinance for board members who miss too many meetings. Attorney Mitch Johnson said that in Hermosa a super majority is required to remove a board member. Fullilove said he missed previous meetings because of the busy summer season and has called in when able to.

“It seems like when we are here, like the last time we were all here to vote for the museum for the painting, we rejected it. Then, two of us missed the next meeting, and the three of you voted to go with them, which you should have tabled because it was a unanimous vote, but you didn’t. 

Fullilove motioned to reject a current proposal to replace or repair the glass in 20 broken museum windows after discussion led to more uncertainty on whether glass or plexiglass was being used by the companies who bid on the project, since the bids were not close in amount. 

However, that died to a lack of a second, and trustees approved the $4,995 bid by Century Glass.

Supervisor of public works Jerry Przybylski said the pumps the city has at the booster station are too small to handle the K Bar S expansion project. He said currently those pumps are running 24/7 at peak times. The pumps are currently located underground on an easement of land and are not up to code. The city will need to relocate them to an above ground location to upsize them, but the city does not have room to do so. Przybylski said to upsize the pumps in the same location would cost between $150,000-$200,000.

McNulty said the K Bar S tax increment finance  (TIF) district requires boring under Old Hill City Road and the railroad tracks for future development, and if the city removes that requirement, the TIF would have enough money to pay for the pump upsizing. McNulty proposed a land donation from Wheelhouse Ventures for a new pump location that would not interfere with a future hotel project  Wheelhouse Ventures is proposing. 

“That would allow us to be able to develop this without any obstructions. The only thing we would ask for for donating is that we get a stub out…for our future build,” McNulty said.

It was at this point that Johnson intervened in the discussion asking McNulty if he had an interest in the project. McNulty said he did with Johnson reminding him, because he does, he cannot discuss it at all. 

“You can’t even talk about it,” Johnson said. 

Johnson suggested someone else from the board and/or the company bring the matter before trustees. 

“Well then, we’re not willing to donate,” McNulty said. 

Fullilove said, “Did you miss that because he got found in conflict of interest  from the lawyer” now he’s not going to donate.

“That’s your president,” Fullilove said. 

McNulty said ultimately the board needed to decide if K Bar S needed to bore or not.

Trustee Will Parks said he thought the town should not have to pay the cost of upsizing the pumps. 

“Why should we incur that cost and all our people carry that burden for some other business?” Parks asked. 

Przybylski said after talking to others, “pretty much all of Rapid, Sturgis, Spearfish...they said it’s always been developers that have to pay for it. They have never heard of a town” paying to upsize the pumps. 

Przybylski added, “The pumps are gonna be bigger.  They’re gonna cost more to run.”

He noted the issue is time sensitive while Johnson suggested a special meeting may have to take place to discuss the matter, which was tabled.

Trustees approved the  $163,750 tank floor replacement of the water tank on Roy Street. The floor is supposed to be flat but instead appears concave. 

“I would be leery of repairing it,” Przybylski said, saying they don’t know what the button of the tank panel looks like.

Joe Forgey, who works for public works, called it a “ticking time bomb.” 

There is a turtle in the clarifier which Przybylski said is bad. 

“He’s pretty sneaky and hard to catch,” Przybylski said, adding if the turtle dies in there it could harm the pumps and the system would need to be drained.

The town has been meeting with SDI Architects on its combination visitor information center (VIC) and public restrooms project. The hope is to keep the same number of restrooms as it currently has. 

McNulty said the town is leading to a unisex toilet with a public vanity design. He said the first proposed design of the building was “too modern,” and the town wants to make  the 49 x 18 foot building “look more Keystone.” 

The goal is to have one entryway with restrooms on one side and the VIC on the other. The town is hoping for a Nov. 21 bid date with a spring completion. 

The next Keystone Town Board meeting takes place Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. Note the time change until daylight savings time begins again in the spring.