The Webster County Board of Supervisors appointed Tina Eldal as deputy auditor and Derek Christie as chief deputy Tuesday morning.

The appointments are made annually and were recommended by Auditor Shaunna Abrams and Sheriff Luke Fleener.

“Luke and I have had a lot of accomplishments over these past four years, a lot of successes,” said Christie. “Obviously we’re hoping to build on that in the coming four years. We’ve had a lot of support from the board. We wouldn’t have a lot of the training or the equipment that we have now, the people that we have now, if it weren’t for the support of the board, so thank you for your support of public safety.”

Supervisor Niki Conrad thanked Fleener and Christie for aiding officers in Storm Lake for a barricaded individual call over the weekend.

“I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you, Sheriff Fleener and your department for all that you do, but specifically your assistance with the incident in Storm Lake recently,” said Conrad. “It’s much appreciated and heart-warming to know that your team goes and helps other communities when it’s needed most.”

The supervisors were set to appoint Paige Wheeler to the MIDAS Council of Governments board, but Supervisor John Cochrane asked that the agenda item be tabled to allow for additional applicants.

At the supervisors’ regular meeting, they also heard from Webster County Treasurer Brenda Angstrom, who discussed the county’s semi-annual report of assets which includes 49 different funds, nine of those being motor vehicle related.

According to Angstrom, the county’s auto fund started July 1, 2024, with a beginning treasurer’s balance of $568,898.80 with total revenues of $4,556,630.66 which created a total of $5,125,529.46.

Total expenses were $4,141,578.46 which led to an ending treasurer’s balance for the close of 2024 at $983,951.00.

“However, a bill passed Jan. 1, 2025, where we now get to keep more money into the county,” said Angstrom. “It has raised some cost on a title to register a vehicle. It used to be $25 and it’s now $35. Anything to do with a title, $10 is added on. We do get to keep more of the funds from the Road Use Tax also. Just at the beginning of the year so far, our auto fund is up $983,000 for just that short period. Before we only kept 10 percent of the funds that we make in the motor vehicle department, so I’m really excited to see what the funds are going to be for this next six months to see how much more we have made to keep with the county for us as a county to be able to use.”

Funds from the county’s opioid settlement fund in the amount of $5,153.90 were also transferred to the public health fund.

“Just to clarify this was found in an audit that we had paid the funds from the public health fund and just needed to get them moved over to the appropriate fund to pay for them,” said Supervisor Austin Hayek.

Resident Daphne Willwerth also asked the supervisors Tuesday to consider revisiting the county’s ordinance on windfarms as she reported that residents in the Gowrie area were being approached for wind farm easements.

Conrad said that she will look into the previous ordinance and also encouraged Willwerth to speak with the Planning and Zoning Department.