Banner Engineering closing and eliminating 311 jobs in Aberdeen is a “heckuva blow,” but Mayor Travis Schaunaman said he’s optimistic about job opportunities for those people.
Schaunaman, during the Monday, March 4 meeting of the Aberdeen City Council at the Municipal Building, said he’s already had multiple conversations with local employers, and he’s confident there are opportunities in town for Banner workers losing their jobs.
“There’s a pent up demand for employees,” he said.
MORE:Â Banner Engineering closing Aberdeen plant, 311 jobs to be lost
Banner announced last week that it plans to close its Aberdeen plant by the end of the year, but how the jobs will be phased out and what that means to employees are still unknown, Schaunaman said. The first step is connecting those people with other employment opportunities, he said.
“We’re beginning to assemble a list of hiring companies, and we’re going to try and connect the two and make sure people have as many opportunities as they can to stick around,” he said.
Following the meeting, Schaunaman said the city is working with the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce and the Aberdeen Development Corp., and a job fair will eventually be organized. Meanwhile, Amber Schwab, the city’s new economic development manager, is collecting details about employment opportunities, he said. She can be reached by calling the mayor’s office at 605-626-7025.
Resolution approved to tap $5 million water grant
The council, during the meeting, approved a resolution designating City Manager Robin Bobzien as the person to handle documents for a $5 million State Water Resources Management Systems grant. The money was approved by the South Dakota Legislature during the 2023 session for the Water Investment in Northern South Dakota project, often referred to as WINS.
WINS is a joint project involving WEB Water, Aberdeen and BDM Rural Water. The aim is to draw water from the Missouri River to expand capacity for all three entities.
MORE:Â WINS agreement aims for 4 million gallons of water for Aberdeen
The SWRMS grant could not be accessed without a memorandum of agreement approved by all three groups, which is now in place, Bobzien said. The money will be used for WINS engineering work.
In other action, the council:
- Approved the purchase of two buses for Aberdeen Ride Line. Each is a 12-passenger bus with two wheelchair-accessible spaces. The city will cover 20% of the cost of each bus, which amounts to $29,231 and $29,345, respectively. They are two of six new vehicles being added to the Ride Line fleet in 2024.
- Approved payments of $76,628 and $167,596 to Sharpe Enterprises for concrete replacement on the general aviation apron at the Aberdeen Regional Airport. Transportation Director Rich Krokel said the payments reduce the retainage portion of the contract, which is a percentage withheld until work is done. In other words, the entire contract is not paid as the result of what are called “liquidated damages.” Following the meeting, Krokel said the liquidated damages are related to work that wasn’t completed on time.