Investigation Continues In County Gravel Purchases
Roosevelt County Attorney Frank Piocos is continuing his investigation whether a county commissioner had a potential conflict of interest when he voted in favor of gravel purchases during a span of several years.
Piocos has interviewed several persons of interest. After receiving an official complaint regarding the matter on Oct. 21, he says he has 90 days to determine whether it’s warranted or not to turn the matter over to state investigators.
The information provided by a group of area taxpayers reflects that Roosevelt County Commissioner Duane Nygaard approved the county purchasing gravel from Co Pay Inc., even though Nygaard or his family members were involved with Co Pay Inc.
County commissioner Gary Macdonald said he was made aware of the concerns when he was asked to meet with the taxpayers at a local residence many months ago. He then turned the information over to the county attorney’s office. Macdonald says that he didn’t know Nygaard’s alleged involvement with Co Pay when commissioners approved payments to Co Pay for gravel.
Nygaard told this newspaper that he did inform other commissioners about his family’s involvement with Co Pay. He said he even offered to take commissioners out to look at the property. He added that during his time on the commission he has been the commissioner most interested in matters involving gravel.
According to the information researched by the taxpayers based on county records, a friend of Nygaard’s obtained the warranty deed for lot S3 T27N R47E SE 1/4 on Sept. 15, 2015. The document was not recorded in the clerk and recorder’s office until July 3, 2019. On Sept. 16, 2015, an agreement to sell gravel was signed by her and the county’s road foreman Ken Norgaard. The agreement included a lease for a minimum of three years. The county approved a check for $25,000 to her in December 2015. She then sold the warranty deed to Payden and Lindsay Nygaard, children of Duane Nygaard, on Sept. 28, 2015.
Payments from the county to Co Pay have included $25,000 on Nov. 25, 2016; $31,212.50 on March 26, 2017; and $27,695 on June 23, 2017. The June 23, 2017, check was deposited and endorsed by Duane Nygaard. There was a $25,000 check to Co Pay on March 21, 2019. That check was also deposited and endorsed by Duane Nygaard.
Of those four checks, Nygaard was one of the commissioners who signed off on the claim on three of the checks. He said he regrets signing those claims, but he explained that commissioners stamp a large amount of claims every month and don’t always review each one. When projects cost less than $80,000, department heads don’t need commissioners’ approval as long as the funds are in the department’s budget based on state law.
