Aberdeen City Council Meeting Summary - August 3, 2026

The Aberdeen City Council met on August 3, 2026, to address several agenda items, including the final adoption of three zoning ordinances, approval of construction pay requests, a building permit fee waiver for an affordable housing project, and a detailed presentation of the proposed 2027 city budget. All matters were approved unanimously, with one abstention on two rezoning items. The meeting also included updates on ongoing road construction and upcoming public engagement sessions regarding data centers.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda with a correction to the spelling of "Dakota" on line 25 of page 1900 (corrected to D-A-C-O-T-A-H).
• Approved two consent calendar items: an application to permit alcoholic beverages on city property and setting a bid date for the street maintenance concrete repair project. Both approved by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ben (last name not provided), representing Benjamin Ideas (developer), spoke in support of the request to waive building permit fees for a 20-unit affordable housing project. He noted the project is competing for scarce federal tax credits and that the fee waiver would improve Aberdeen's competitiveness. He also confirmed that the project would be retained and managed by a third-party company, with construction by a local contractor.

Discussion Items

• Second Reading and Final Adoption of Rezoning Ordinance (Item A): Rezone property at 210 and 316 Roosevelt Street North (industrial park addition). No public input or changes since first reading. Approved by roll call vote: 7 ayes, 1 abstention (Councilmember Ward).
• Second Reading and Final Adoption of Rezoning Ordinance (Item B): Rezone adjacent property to the east (industrial segment of the park). No public input or changes. Approved by roll call vote: 7 ayes, 1 abstention (Councilmember Ward).
• Second Reading and Final Adoption of Ordinance 260703 (Item C): Rezone a house near the old public works facility on Third Avenue Southwest from municipal to R3. No public input or changes. Approved unanimously (8-0).
• Pay Request – Aberdeen Public Works Maintenance Building: Approval of $449,034.98 to Quest Construction for general requirements, bonds, insurance, mobilization, concrete rebar, structural steel, stockpile materials, and special construction items (paint booth). Approved unanimously.
• Pay Request #1 – Sanitary Sewer Lining Improvements: Approval of $179,708.67 to Municipal Pipe Tool of Hudson, Iowa. Project near completion, anticipated under budget. Approved unanimously.
• Building Permit Fee Waiver Request for Affordable Housing: Consideration of waiver of the initial $20,001 in building permit fees for a 20-unit income- and rent-restricted housing project (10 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom units) with an estimated construction cost of $5.2 million. Councilmember Chad Nelson expressed full support for the project and affordable housing. Approved unanimously.
• Claims and Payroll: Approval of claims and payroll for period July 26 to August 8. Approved with Mayor Shoneman abstaining on a payment to Sewerduck but voting yes on the remainder.
• City Manager's Budget Report: Dave presented the proposed 2027 budget, emphasizing a conservative approach. Total budget: $182,721,458. General fund budget increased from $44.3 million in 2026 to $48.2 million in 2027. Department heads' requests were reduced by $2.6 million to match revenues. Key investments: water reclamation project (Phase 1 estimated $94 million, Phase 2 estimated $30 million), aquatic center pool relining ($1.01 million), airport snow removal equipment building ($4 million), and continuing road maintenance. Jordan presented revenue projections: sales tax expected to increase by 2.2% over 2026 projections. The budget includes a new department budget section with key performance indicators and will be posted online via OpenGov.

Key Outcomes

• Approved all three rezoning ordinances (final adoption) with Ward abstaining on the first two; all other council members voted aye.
• Approved pay requests for the Public Works Maintenance Building ($449,034.98) and Sanitary Sewer Lining Improvements ($179,708.67).
• Approved the waiver of the initial $20,001 in building permit fees for the affordable housing project.
• Approved claims and payroll (with one abstention on a specific payment).
• Set dates and announced upcoming meetings: August 17 work session on license plate readers and data center industry presentations; August 31 special meeting (5:30 p.m.) for business input on data centers; September 14 special meeting for citizen input on data centers (venue to be determined).
• Budget timeline: Council to submit promotional fund priority lists by August 28; budget ordinance resolution prepared by September 8.

Road Construction Update

• 8th Avenue Corridor: The railroad completed plank installation, and 8th Avenue east of Roosevelt is open to traffic between 3M and Roosevelt. Concrete work on Roosevelt itself is underway, with an anticipated opening in two weeks (weather dependent), targeting completion before school starts on August 18. The levee crossing west of Roosevelt (between Lancelot and Camelot) is also targeted for completion in two weeks.

City Manager's Report Highlights

• Housing: Dave acknowledged the housing shortage and noted that while no CIP allocations are yet made, staff are working on affordable housing projects.
• Water Reclamation & Treatment: Ongoing major investments, including rate studies and water compatibility studies with WINDS partners.
• Public Safety: Two aging ambulances to be replaced.
• Infrastructure Studies: Interior drainage and sewer system studies to inform future spending.

Note: The meeting was adjourned by unanimous voice vote.