Aberdeen City Council Meeting - October 5, 2026

This regular meeting of the Aberdeen City Council began at 5:30 PM with a roll call and pledge of allegiance. The council addressed public comments on data centers and homelessness, approved routine consent items, adopted a budget ordinance, and took initial steps to extend the data center moratorium. Several contractor payments were approved, while one professional services agreement was tabled for further review.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda with minor modifications and the minutes from the previous meeting.
• Approved seven routine items of city business by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Vicky Wilson expressed strong concerns about data centers, citing a perceived lack of transparency by city and county officials. She stated that quality of life has declined with each major industry, referenced unmet promises regarding road improvements near the beef plant, and urged the council to slow the data center process and conduct thorough research before making decisions. She also questioned the city's recent push for a three-mile jurisdiction at city limits, suggesting it is tied to a data center purchase south of Aberdeen.
• Todd Campbell shared his personal negative experience living near a large data center in Frederick County, Virginia (2100 acres, 1 gigawatt phase of 5 gigawatts planned). He described a 25-30% loss in property value, disruptive noise (including bone conduction that even affected his sleep despite his deafness), increased dust requiring frequent filter changes, and heavy traffic. He recommended the city establish baseline measurements for sound (full spectrum) and air quality before approving any data center, and to enforce strict mitigation measures.
• Melanie Bobby (Vice Chair of Aberdeen New Start) reported that 26 people are currently living outdoors in tents or vehicles as winter approaches. She requested the council prioritize an emergency shelter and noted that numbers have increased compared to previous years. She detailed ongoing efforts by local nonprofits, including a car repair program, but emphasized the need for permanent shelter funding. The city manager responded later in the meeting (see City Manager's Report).
• Janelle Meyer spoke against data centers, highlighting housing impacts (citing Allendale, ND where construction workers doubled or tripled rental rates), water concerns (mentioning flush and fill operations trucking nearly a million gallons of Aberdeen water to Allendale since June 9th, and risks of bacteria and chemicals), and the short functional lifespan of data centers (5-7 years). She advocated for a one-year or permanent moratorium. She stayed for the new business agenda item on extending the moratorium.

Discussion Items

• Extension of Data Center Moratorium (New Business): City Attorney Ron presented a proposal to publish a notice of public hearing to consider extending the existing moratorium on data center building permits (set to expire November 18, 2026) to July 1, 2027. He explained the legal limits on moratoriums (maximum one year plus extension for extenuating circumstances, not to exceed two years). The council approved the notice of public hearing with a roll call vote (all ayes). Councilwoman David emphasized the council's commitment to transparency and noted ongoing conversations about housing and emergency shelter, urging the public to engage with council members directly.
• HKG Architects Agreement Tabled (New Business): A proposed agreement for $426,000 in professional services during construction of the public works maintenance building was tabled after Councilman Ronane raised concerns about prior overruns on the original design contract (which he stated had reached $1,045,000 vs. an undetermined original amount). The motion to table was approved by voice vote, with direction to staff to provide a detailed breakdown of past and current costs and to compare against the project budget.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Notice of public hearing to extend the data center moratorium (published in newspaper, public hearing set for the next regular meeting in two weeks).
• Approved (Unanimous Roll Call): Second reading and final adoption of Ordinance supplementing the 2026 budget for Parks and Recreation.
• Approved (Roll Call): Payment of $20,000 retainage to Reedy Construction for North Soda Roadway Improvements (project complete).
• Approved (Roll Call): Two payments for water tower transmission lines: $108,686.49 to Dominic Construction (Schedule A) and $99,892.52 to Landmark Structures (Schedule B). Both projects are ahead of schedule.
• Approved (Roll Call): Two payments totaling $270,000 to Skinner Roofing for water treatment plant roof project (76% complete).
• Tabled (Voice Vote): Agreement with HKG Architects ($426,000) for public works maintenance building construction services; staff to provide cost history and budget comparison.
• Approved (Roll Call): Payment of claims and payroll for period September 20 - October 3.

City Manager's Report

• City Manager Dave reported that a meeting has been scheduled with Brown County to discuss collaborative emergency shelter options for the homeless. He also noted he and Ron will attend the Brown County Commission meeting the next day to propose a joint data center task force. He highlighted the groundbreaking of Roosevelt Business Park and the new public works facility, and reminded that Aberdeen is hosting the South Dakota Municipal League conference that week, thanking staff and local business donors.