OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Study Session - May 21, 2024

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, May 21, 2024
BodyBrookings, South Dakota
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, May 21, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:37

Okay, call this meeting to order.

0:39

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:01

Okay, thank you all for attending this evening.

1:03

Hopefully everybody's watching us online.

1:05

This is important.

1:07

Um please uh take the role, Deputy Clerk.

1:10

Six council members are present, Mr.

1:12

Mayor.

1:12

Councilmember Tilton Burton is absent.

1:14

Thank you, Deshaun.

1:16

Action or yeah, action to approve the agenda.

1:19

Entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

1:21

So move.

1:22

Second.

1:22

Move to second.

1:23

Please call the roll.

1:26

Duran.

1:27

Hi.

1:27

Meyer.

1:28

Hi.

1:28

Rasmussen.

1:29

Hi.

1:30

Specker.

1:31

Aye.

1:31

Wendell.

1:32

Hi.

1:32

Avery.

1:33

Hi.

1:35

Okay.

1:36

Open forum.

1:37

Is there any member of the public who wishes to address the council on an item not on tonight's agenda?

1:44

Yes, I am Dre Breeling.

1:46

Right next to Wash Fago with the button you post across the road.

1:50

Yes, it really present we do hard.

1:51

It's really a talk to plus.

1:53

So I mean I understand that lately when I've been questioning the vote.

1:57

Thank you, Grandma.

2:01

Any other comments?

2:03

All right.

2:04

We'll move on.

2:05

Item five is a presentation on Brookings Inclusive Play Project at the Fishback Fishback Soccer Complex.

2:11

Presenting this item is Victoria Schmidt Babb, Cunningham Recreation and Play for All, and then Terry Strong, Cunningham Recreation, and Kristen Zimmerman, our park and rec and forestry director.

2:28

Thank you, Mayor and members of council.

2:31

Um we are very excited to make a formal announcement today to officially unveil the designs of the new inclusive play playground and play spaces at the Fishback Soccer Complex.

2:43

It's really important for our community to have to provide inclusive play experiences, and our people up here will go more into detail on what that will mean to our community.

2:53

Um it really builds a sense of community though.

2:56

I've been in communities that have built playgrounds and play spaces like this, and it's really a hallmark of what it shows our community of what we value.

3:05

Um hi Victoria, it's so nice to be back here in Brookings.

3:18

I um part of a division of Cunningham Recreation called Play for All.

3:22

I'll explain a little bit about that in just a moment, but I want to focus on inclusion as Kristen had said it.

3:27

You know, you hear the word inclusive and inclusion so so much.

3:31

I just put a a fantastic description of it on the slide about it's the act of supporting the diversity of people within a society.

3:41

And you all know this because I from what I've seen, my first visit, my second visit, um, as well as just a lot of your marketing materials and your Facebook, you do this already in Brookings.

3:52

And so this is nothing new to you.

3:55

Um as we talk about this playground, most often people go to how it's gonna benefit their children.

4:00

But I want to remind you that up to one in four adults also have a disability in our community um across the country.

4:08

And so when we talk about this playground, it's not just gonna benefit the children, but as well as adults.

4:15

Thank you.

4:16

So three things.

4:18

Play spaces, what do they do?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation███████████████████████23%
Economic Development████████████████████20%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████17%
Parks And Recreation███████████11%
Procedural████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Fundraising Strategy██████6%
Technology and Innovation█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Study Session - May 21, 2024

The Brookings City Council held a study session on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included presentations on the Brookings Inclusive Play Project, Edgebrook Golf Course water sourcing, and the Economic Development Master Plan Dashboard. Council heard one public comment, discussed each agenda item in depth, and entered executive session to consult with legal counsel. No formal votes were taken on the presentations, but the agenda was approved and a motion to enter executive session passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dre Breeling (Brookings resident) addressed the council on an item not on the agenda. The content of their remarks was unclear due to garbled audio, but they referenced questioning the vote.
  • John (last name not provided, former park board member) commented on the Edgebrook Golf Course water sourcing project. He expressed frustration with delays, questioned the extent of discussions with LG Everest, noted a $14,000 consultant fee with little visible progress, and stated that the project should have been completed in 2024 as originally budgeted. He urged council to keep pressure on city staff to expedite the project.

Discussion Items

  • ID 24-0267 Brookings Inclusive Play Project at Fishback Soccer Complex

    • Victoria Schmidt Babb (Cunningham Recreation/Play for All), Terry Strong (Cunningham Recreation), and Kristen Zimmerman (Parks, Rec & Forestry Director) presented the design for an inclusive playground at the Fishback Soccer Complex. The playground is approximately 12,000 square feet, with equipment emphasizing physical, social-emotional, sensory, cognitive, and communication domains. The project includes a splash pad, mini pitch (convertible to hockey rink), outdoor fitness equipment, walking trail, pavilions, and restrooms with adult changing stations.
    • Total project cost is estimated at $3.1–$3.2 million. The city has earmarked $900,000 in the 2025 CIP and has applied for a $500,000 federal grant, leaving a funding gap of about $1.7–$1.8 million. A fundraising strategy involving sponsorship, individual donations, corporate giving, and grants will be led by the Community Foundation. The site is designated as a National Demonstration Site, providing data collection and reporting at no charge.
    • Council Member Specker asked about future dome enclosure and annual maintenance costs (surfacing replacement ~$200,000 after 10 years). Council Member Doran inquired about fundraising details and data collection methods (goal of 50 QR code scans per survey, with paper alternatives). Council Member Wendell asked about other National Demonstration Sites (Mitchell, SD) and staff training for unique equipment (staff already have Playground Safety Inspector certifications). Council Member Rasmussen requested economic impact data from similar projects and noted the timeline aims for groundbreaking in mid-2025. Council Member Avery questioned wheelchair accessibility; presenters explained that the merry-go-round is flush to the ground for wheel-on access, but swings cannot accommodate mobility devices due to safety concerns.

  • ID 24-0268 Edgebrook Golf Course Water Sourcing

    • Kristen Zimmerman and Josh Bowman (Parks & Rec) presented on water sourcing for Edgebrook Golf Course. Test wells in 2021–2022 found shallow clay layers and poor water quality (high minerals causing orange staining and equipment corrosion). After consulting with experts, the city identified the LG Everest ponds (east of the golf course) as the most feasible off-site water source. Water samples collected in October 2023 were deemed viable pending further testing for total dissolved solids.
    • A construction estimate of $812,000 was received in February 2024; the 2024 budget includes $800,000. In April 2024, the city contracted with Banner to conduct a feasibility study on the ponds (sustainability, environmental impact, wetland effects, permitting, and engineering design). The USGA will conduct a course-wide assessment in July 2024, including irrigation and turf management recommendations. Monthly updates are provided to the public via bulletin board, email, and social media; council will receive quarterly updates.
    • Council Member Specker raised concerns about PFAS contamination in the Everest ponds, noting that initial tests did not fully address this. She also suggested that USGA recommendations on drought-resistant grass should inform water sourcing decisions. Council Member Wendell asked how the Banner study would differ from prior water tests; staff explained it will evaluate long-term viability and wetland impacts. Council Member Avery asked about using city well water; staff noted that tying into BMU’s system would cost over $77,000 per month for irrigation, making the LG Everest option more cost-effective.

  • ID 24-0254 Economic Development Master Plan Dashboard

    • Deputy City Manager Jake Meshke presented the newly launched public dashboard for the Economic Development Master Plan. The plan, adopted in January 2023, includes 7 goals, 37 strategies, and 109 tasks, each led by a partner agency (Chamber, BEDC, Research Park, Downtown Brookings, Visit Brookings). The dashboard tracks progress on each item, with data points and metrics updated twice a year. Council can view overall goal progress (e.g., Goal 1: 47% on track, 17.6% disrupted, remainder upcoming).
    • Council Member Specker asked if the dashboard identifies lead agencies; staff said it is implied in task descriptions but could be added in future iterations. Council Member Wendell suggested refining language to include more measurable goals; staff agreed and noted that annual partner presentations in September will provide further context.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Agenda: Motion and second, approved unanimously by voice vote (6-0, with Councilmember Tilton Byrne absent).
  • Executive Session: Motion to enter executive session under SDCL 1-25-2.3 (legal counsel) and SDCL 1-25-2.5 was made, seconded, and approved unanimously by voice vote. No business followed; the study session adjourned immediately after exiting executive session.
  • No formal decisions were made on the Inclusive Play Project, Edgebrook water sourcing, or the Economic Development Dashboard; these items were presented for council discussion and feedback. Next steps include continued fundraising and design refinement for the playground, feasibility study and USGA assessment for the golf course, and ongoing dashboard updates.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, call this meeting to order. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay, thank you all for attending this evening. Hopefully everybody's watching us online. This is important. Um please uh take the role, Deputy Clerk. Six council members are present, Mr. Mayor. Councilmember Tilton Burton is absent. Thank you, Deshaun. Action or yeah, action to approve the agenda. Entertain a motion to approve the agenda. So move. Second. Move to second. Please call the roll. Duran. Hi. Meyer. Hi. Rasmussen. Hi. Specker. Aye. Wendell. Hi. Avery. Hi. Okay. Open forum. Is there any member of the public who wishes to address the council on an item not on tonight's agenda? Yes, I am Dre Breeling. Right next to Wash Fago with the button you post across the road. Yes, it really present we do hard. It's really a talk to plus. So I mean I understand that lately when I've been questioning the vote. Thank you, Grandma. Any other comments? All right. We'll move on. Item five is a presentation on Brookings Inclusive Play Project at the Fishback Fishback Soccer Complex. Presenting this item is Victoria Schmidt Babb, Cunningham Recreation and Play for All, and then Terry Strong, Cunningham Recreation, and Kristen Zimmerman, our park and rec and forestry director. Thank you, Mayor and members of council. Um we are very excited to make a formal announcement today to officially unveil the designs of the new inclusive play playground and play spaces at the Fishback Soccer Complex. It's really important for our community to have to provide inclusive play experiences, and our people up here will go more into detail on what that will mean to our community. Um it really builds a sense of community though. I've been in communities that have built playgrounds and play spaces like this, and it's really a hallmark of what it shows our community of what we value. Um hi Victoria, it's so nice to be back here in Brookings. I um part of a division of Cunningham Recreation called Play for All. I'll explain a little bit about that in just a moment, but I want to focus on inclusion as Kristen had said it.

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