Carter County approves $3,000 to cover excavator overtime at Brownfield Pit

The Carter County commissioners on Feb. 27 authorized an extra $3,000 to cover overtime charges for an excavator working at the Brownfield Pit.

Carl Knapp, introduced to the commission as Carter County’s road and bridge supervisor, told the board the crew has exceeded the 160 contracted hours and needs roughly 40 more hours of excavation to finish preparation for crushing. Knapp said he negotiated the overtime rate down from $140 an hour to $70 an hour to limit costs and estimated another week of work would cost “about $3,000.”

Knapp said the additional hours would allow the crew to stockpile more material — he estimated the extra work could produce roughly 15,000 additional yards of rock for future crushing contracts — and that the county had already spent money on stripping and setup at the site. He added the county expects a further invoice for a third month’s rental and the overage.

Commissioner Dan Dimstel moved to allow Knapp to spend an additional $3,000 for the excavator rental; Commissioner Pam Casselberry seconded the motion. The chair called for public comment, heard none, and the commissioners voted in favor. The motion carried.

The commission noted the overage will be charged to the equipment/rental line, which the county expects is already overspent due to reclamation work earlier in the year. Knapp said the stockpile measurement and reporting required for next year’s pit report will also be completed so the county can more accurately estimate material available for future bids.

The commission did not alter the rental arrangement beyond authorizing the extra funds; staff said they expect a separate bill for the third month of rental and that the hammer attachment will be returned to Rapid City to reduce transport costs.