Aberdeen City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025
Aberdeen City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025
The Aberdeen City Council met on September 2, 2025, at 5:30 PM. The meeting included a proclamation, public comments on the proposed Main Street two-way conversion, approval of a consent calendar, final reading of a rezoning ordinance, and several new business items including a public hearing on the 2026 appropriations ordinance, a council handbook amendment, a police vehicle purchase, and a bridge construction pay request.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Leanne Fredrickson spoke against the proposed conversion of Main Street from one-way to two-way. She stated she has shopped in Aberdeen for over 50 years, noted the aesthetic improvements made since the change to one-way, expressed concern about taxpayer costs (which she estimated at "a billion dollars or more"), and claimed that not one person she spoke to supported the change.
- Don Shepherd agreed with Ms. Fredrickson, emphasizing that Main Street is beautiful, peaceful, and safe as a one-way. He argued that studies cited for two-way conversions are from much larger cities and that a simple stop sign addition could address speed concerns. He also suggested that the Downtown Association and Chamber of Commerce could improve their websites to promote local businesses rather than spending taxpayer money on the road change.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved a consent calendar that included:
- A proclamation declaring September 2025 as Library Card Sign-Up Month, presented by K.O. Lee Library Director Anna Lily Moser.
- A daycare license with an administrative exception for Nicole Fuller.
- New daycare licenses and a daycare license renewal.
- A bid date for snow removal services.
- A community event permit for the Dakota Prairie Museum's Harvest Stroll Festival on September 27.
- Lottery notices for the Dakota Prairie Museum and the YMCA.
- The motion to approve the consent calendar passed unanimously.
Discussion Items
Old Business: Rezoning at 511 Arch Street
- Ordinance 250801, rezoning property at 511 Arch Street, received a second reading and final approval. No changes were made since the previous meeting. The motion passed unanimously (9-0).
New Business: 2026 Appropriations Ordinance (Budget)
- A public hearing was held for the proposed 2026 budget (ordinance 250901), totaling $178 million. City Manager Robin Woodby and Finance Director Jordan provided an overview, noting it includes capital projects like wastewater treatment plant, public works facility, Dakota Street reconstruction, Moccasin Creek cleanup, and water tower and transmission line, as well as a cost-of-living increase and promotion fund allocation.
- Councilman Johnson moved to table the first reading until the September 15 meeting to allow more time for discussion on the Main Street two-way conversion (item G on page 46 of the capital improvement plan). The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Liebelt. After closing the public hearing, the council voted unanimously to table the first reading.
New Business: Council Handbook Amendment
- The council considered amending Article 17 of the council handbook regarding vacancies, with two options: spoken ballot or written ballot. Councilman Nordstrup moved to adopt the spoken ballot option, seconded by Councilman Ward. The motion passed unanimously.
New Business: Police Vehicle Purchase
- Police Chief McNeil requested approval to purchase a 2025 Ford Explorer Interceptor from Carl Ford in Story City, Iowa, for $44,143.20. The vehicle will be used for the K-9 unit, funded by a $66,710 grant from the South Dakota Attorney General's Office drug control fund. The current K-9 is eight years old (national average lifespan is seven). The motion passed unanimously.
New Business: 10th Street Bridge Pay Request
- Approval of pay request #5 for $241,274.10 for the 10th Street Bridge replacement project. The contractor (Sleeton, Minnesota) has completed the west abutment and most wood pilings. The engineering department recommended approval. The motion passed unanimously.
Claims and Payroll
- The council approved claims and payroll for the period August 24 to September 6. The motion passed unanimously.
City Manager's Report
- Robin Woodby reported on National Night Out (well-attended despite rescheduling), warning residents about unsolicited water test kits (marketing for water softeners, not city-endorsed), and noting that service line warranty mailers (with City of Aberdeen logo) are from a National League of Cities program, not city-promoted. She also recognized Brian Jarvis for 10 years of service at the water reclamation facility.
Key Outcomes
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 250801 (rezoning at 511 Arch Street) was adopted on final reading (9-0).
- The public hearing on the 2026 budget was closed, and the first reading was tabled to September 15, 2025 (9-0).
- The council handbook was amended to adopt the spoken ballot option for vacancies (9-0).
- The purchase of a 2025 Ford Explorer Interceptor for the K-9 unit was approved (9-0).
- Pay request #5 for the 10th Street Bridge project was approved (9-0).
- Claims and payroll were approved (9-0).
- The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time.
Meeting Transcript
With sound this time, it's five thirty, so we'll call to order this meeting. Jordan, would you start us off with a roll call, please? Please respond by stating present Council Member Ronane. Present. Present. Please stand for me for the Pledge of Allegiance. So move. Second Libelt. All in favor, please say I. Don, would you like to go first? Lynn would like to go first. Here we have Leanne Frederickson. Is the little green light on, Leanne? On the speaker there. That's on. It's perfect. We can hear you. All right, go ahead. The floor is yours. I'm Leanne Frederson, and I have been shopping in Aberdeen for over 50 years. Upon reading the first on the front page of the insider last week, I became aware of the planned change in the direction of the Aberdeen Main Street from one way to two-way. This change was made several years ago from a two-way to a one way. Many nice effects have been added, including the very pretty planters and some really nice trees. The appearance of our main street is very satisfying to the eye. The billion dollars or more that it will cost the taxpayer money, that they could well could well be spent on more useful projects. Of the people that I have talked to, both the younger and the older generations, the majority is not in favor of the change. In fact, not one person that I talked to was for it. The only people that I talked to, or the one that I talked to on the phone from the Aberdeen City Council. Those who I talked to, here's what they say. Let's keep the one the way let's keep it the way it was. Let's keep it the way it is, one way. Thank you, Leanne. Appreciate that. Very decisive commentary from Leanne. We've got Dawn as well. Don, would you like to say a few words of Don Shepherd? Welcome to the main street. Yes, my name is Don Shepherd from Aberdeen. Um I I agree with Leanne. I think the main street is beautiful. I think the years of work and money that the city has put into it and the merchants, I think we have a beautiful main street. It's peaceful, it's friendly. Um I feel I feel it's safe, and I believe that it should also stay one way. Um I don't I know that there are a lot of talk about studies that were talking about one ways are now turning to two ways on downtown streets, uh, main streets, cross country. And I did a lot of research this weekend, and there are a lot of them that are doing it. But they're all larger cities, anywhere from five to ten to twenty times the size of Aberdeen. And most of those I looked at them, I saw videos, I saw pictures of these places, and these streets are four, five, six lanes wide. They kind of are more comparable to our Sixth Avenue. And I think that our sixth Avenue is more what these studies were geared to. And unfortunately, I think with that um people in Aberdeen just need to accept that our main street is never going to be Sixth Avenue.
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