Okay.

I call this meeting to order.

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Okay.

Welcome everyone this evening.

Will the city clerk please take attendance?

All council members are present, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Item three is the approval of the agenda.

I entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

So move.

Second.

Are there any comments on the agenda from the public?

Any comments, questions from council.

Was city clerk please call the roll.

Doran.

Aye.

Hager.

Aye.

Neymar.

Tilton Byrne.

Aye.

Wendell.

Aye.

Avery.

Aye.

All right.

Item four open forum.

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

Thank you, Mayor.

Members of council.

I just wanted to make you aware of some damage we experienced over this last weekend.

A three-year-old tree in one of our boulevards was killed due to people hanging and pulling on it.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

Last year we experienced about 23 or 20 trees lost with similar damage, with this estimated cost to the city of about 10,000.

It's not just about the financial impact, it's also about the environmental impact.

Trees are one of the iconic elements of what makes our city great.

So having healthy trees purposely destroyed is both disheartening and unacceptable in my eyes.

And we know that most residents care deeply about protecting and preserving them.

Several departments within the city of Brookings are working together to raise awareness, monitor park and boulevard areas, and share reminders to the public about the value of trees and the long-term impacts of those losses.

Staff are also reviewing strategies to prevent and address this type of damage moving forward.

Any other comments?

Holly Tiltenbird.

Um I just wanted to say thank you to Kristen and the team for the work that they do to make sure we do have awesome trees, healthy trees in our community.

Um you mentioned last year that about 20 trees suffered this damage, and I know I've seen uh similar damage happen to trees on private property, so the 20 would only reflect those that are on the public property.

And so I appreciate the work that's being done to raise awareness around this and then to replant trees when this damage is happening.

So thank you to you and your team.

Um these trees really do make a difference for the beauty of our community.

I just want to take a quick moment to make sure the public also understands, as we always should, that we still have rebates available for people to plant trees, and the fall time is the best is one of the best times to plant trees.

So please, if you're interested, check out our parks website, come and see Kristen.

She'd love to talk to you more about planting trees in the community of Brookings.

Okay, I think our deputy mayor has comment.

Yeah.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

I I was just gonna make a note about um what had been some sort of troubling trends around um access to local media in our community over the last year, of course.

We've seen kind of a removal of local coverage through Brookings Radio, and what ended up being a temporary closure at the Brookings Register.

I think the community really came out with strong concern around that, and the concern was encouraging.

Um, and I think the response that we've seen indicates that our community is a viable media marketplace.

Um last week, uh Paul and I had an opportunity to sit down with Brookings Radio.

Jay Rowe at Brookings Radio is going to re-engage some of those kind of long-form local conversations as a city that gives us an opportunity to be on the radio in a broadcast-free environment discussing um the activities this city and our priorities and making sure folks are aware of when we're meeting and the activity of those meetings and certain initiatives that the city is undertaking.

And the Brookings Register uh emerging now as a twice weekly printed publication on Tuesdays and Thursdays is another promising sign that folks in our community will have access to the work that we do as a city, access to public notices and recaps of meetings and and notices of when public meetings are occurring.

I think as a local um elected body, uh that's a crucial part of the work we do.

Uh, and our local media outlets play a crucial role, not just in community building, but really in the functioning of society.

Uh and so as we see maybe a swing back toward um locally based media with expanded local coverage through Brookings Radio, and now the register returning to two days print publication a week.

I I just want to remind us all that that's a really great sign, and I feel optimistic about that.

But we have a role to play in ensuring they continue to be viable options for folks to have access to the work that we do in coverage in our community.

So if you see an ad in the register, let that business know you saw their ad.

If you hear an ad on Brookings Radio, let that know that business know you heard their ad.

If you can afford to subscribe to the register, please do that because as much as they are a part of community good and a part of the public function, they're also businesses and they need to generate revenue to exist today and into the future.

So I think there are promising signs in terms of access to local coverage both through the radio and the newspaper, but we're all in it together.

And after we came away from the radio show, I was just reminded of just how valuable some of those conversations are when they're based in our community with folks who understand our community.

Thanks.

Good to have our media back.

It's the only way we got any information for our community to begin with.

Um move on to consent agenda.

Are there any items to to be removed from consent agenda?

Seeing none entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

So moved second.

Is there any public comment on this item?

Council have any questions, comments?

Councilmember Specker.

I have a quick question on the surplus.

Um does the city actually have that sale?

Because I know there's a lot of bikes on that.

And that might be something that students that are here might be interested in attending.

Certainly.

So we the city no longer holds a surplus sale.

We do list several items on public surplus.com, and we have a local church that the Brookings Police Department has partnered with with the bikes, and they take the bikes, they refurbish them, and then they give them to members of the community.

Okay, so those bikes that are listed on the surplus list are already given to a community organization.

Correct.

Once the resolution has been approved.

Thank you.

Any other questions, comments from council?

Please call the role.

Hi.

Neymar.

Hi.

Specker.

Hi.

Tildenburn.

Hi.

Wendell.

I Avery.

Hi.

Doran.

Hi.

Okay.

Presentations and reports.

Introduction of promoted city employee.

Our fire chief Troy Heels Hughes will uh introduce our newly uh promoted employee.

Well, Mr.

Mayor, members of the council, it does this is a great honor to come up and introduce Jeremy Scott as our deputy chief of fire.

Um Jeremy's been with the uh fire department for 25 years.

He's been a city employee for 19 of those years.

And uh, you know, my first opportunity to meet Jeremy was maybe seven or eight, ten months ago when I was first out in Brookings visiting, considering taking the job.

Uh and uh Jeremy was one of the reasons that I I said yes to the offer.

Uh he I got a spend a day with him seeing all the stations.

Uh he knew all about the trucks, how old they were, when they were due for replacement.

He just had a passion for the fire department, he had a passion for the people.

So uh and he does have his wife here too, so I'd like him to introduce her and say a few things, but it's a great honor to be here with Jeremy, and and he's really uh you know a great part of the department, been that for a long time and will be for into the future.

All right.

Hello everyone.

Um great to see everybody.

I just wanted to take a quick second to thank um Chief and Paul for the opportunity to fill this position and serve the community.

Um graduated from SDSU back, managed myself a little bit, but 98.

Um I had an opportunity in back in Minnesota, so I had left for I don't know, three months, I suppose, and it just didn't uh didn't feel like home, so I came back.

And uh anyways, here we are.

Um my wife, I think you all probably know her, Deshaun.

She uh was the deputy city clerk for some time.

Um so we settled down and had our family here, and um yeah, so that's what what I've got from you.

But just want to say thank you.

So yeah, just a few words for those that don't know.

Jeremy's really been filling in here in a leadership role within the uh fire department, almost a police fire department uh for quite some time, even with the transition between chiefs.

Uh, there was a lot of calls that Jeremy was running, and and many times we were all asleep.

I think Deshaun probably tried to sleep at times too, and Jeremy would always be there at the call.

And he's earned the support of the volunteers quite some time ago, uh, but more importantly, the entire organization community.

So we're really excited to have you here as the deputy and uh under the leadership of Troy, and excited for the future of our our fire department.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

I'd like to make one more comment about that level of support.

Uh when I first got here, I told Paul, I said, I think this guy's the guy we want to promote to deputy chief.

I don't think we need to do a search.

And Paul's like, just give it some time.

You know, you only got here this week.

And so one of the things I was able to do is I, you know, we have our monthly meetings, and it's always on the first Tuesday of the month with all the volunteers.

And so I asked Jeremy to step out.

I said, you know, I just want to get some feedback from the volunteers, and uh the praise went on for well over an hour, and uh I we finally had to say, man, that's enough.

You know, we've heard it and it's great, and and we brought him back in, and and he he came into a standing ovation in that room, so it was proud moment for him and me too.

Cool.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Okay, item 6B, SDSU Student Association, Anna Hunt.

Hi, everyone.

I am back after summer.

I did go home for about three months, so I'd just like to thank you guys for welcoming me back.

This past weekend we did host Meet State, so on Friday, our freshmen moved in, and then Saturday, our sophomores and juniors moved in.

I had been there for about a week, so I did move in on the 18th.

Our uh student association exec board actually did help with Meet State as state mates.

We helped Ben Reif and Abbott move in.

And then if you did not see my message uh that I sent to the city clerk in about mid-June, we did ask for a student promotion fund increase, so I look forward to talking more with you guys about that.

And then on Monday night, yesterday we hosted our annual student association training for all of our new and old returning senators.

So we hosted that and then had a couple guest speakers, and then just things that we want to look forward to this week and next week in the SDSU world is obviously the Jack's Bash on Thursday with Thomas Rett and Blake Shelton, and then SDSU football is hosting Sacramento State on Saturday, and then next Friday.

Our volleyball team is actually hosting Ole Miss, so that's a pretty exciting thing.

Yeah.

Do you guys have any questions?

Councilmember Tilton Burton.

Um, I don't have any questions first.

I just want to say welcome back, and then uh also um I would probably be remiss if I didn't mention that next Thursday is one day for state at SDSU.

So for community members, uh, you can go down to the SDSU Foundation building and uh participate in the yellow and blue block party and of course um go online and and learn a little bit about that.

Councilmember Specker.

Yeah, Anna, I'm not sure if the student association, if this is the right, if you're the right people to talk to, but with Kristen's presentation regarding the trees.

Is there any way the student association could talk to collegian to maybe do an article about the trees?

Potentially, I could definitely speak to President Spear about that.

That would be the person who's in the most contact with the collegian.

I could definitely speak with her about it.

Because I think it would be good to get that information out to campus folks as well.

Yes, absolutely.

Thank you.

All right, thanks, Anna.

All right, we have no contracts or change orders this evening.

We have first readings.

Item 8A, introduction and first reading on ordinance 25 030.

An ordinance certifying the 2026 City of Brookings property tax levy to the Brookings County Finance Officer.

Ashley Ranch will present this item.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

This is the first reading of ordinance 25-030.

Certifying the 2026 property tax levy to the Brookings County Finance Officer.

State law requires municipalities to certify tax levies included in the annual appropriation ordinance to the county finance officer by October 1st each year.

The city's levy is computed by taking the amount that was certified last year plus factors for growth and consumer price index, which are both provided to us by Brookings County.

To calculate the levy for 2026, the growth factor is 2.09%, and the consumer price index factor is 2.9%.

The total property tax increase for 2026 is 209,516 for a total of $4,408,219.

The second reading of this ordinance will be on September 9th, and with that, I'll stand by for questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there any questions from the public on this item?

Council, have any questions or comments right now?

Councilmember Specker.

Yeah, Ashley, I just think it's important to clarify a couple things.

I mean, the consumer price index takes into account inflation.

So the city budget, this part, and I you'll go into this, I'm sure, in the next couple months.

These property tax, Brookings only gets less than 20% of the tax actually goes to the city.

And then it's my understanding it goes into the general fund and covers things like police, public works, a lot of the costs that are also inflated every year.

So you have to keep up with those expenses.

A couple years ago, when inflation was say at 6%, we're capped at that 3%.

So during that period, we actually fall behind on our budget essentially to maintain those public services and public works, right?

That is exactly right.

And um, after the legislative session in 2025, um now the growth is also capped at 3%.

Okay.

So we want Brookings to grow, but if we grows at more than 3%, then it's going to end up having uh adverse effect on our the city's budget and what it can supply to the public or provide for the public.

That is correct.

Councilmember Hager Souncilmember Specker brought up one thing that I was looking to talk about, which is kind of the context of the property tax levy that we have here, where she mentioned how the city really doesn't take a large chunk of anyone's property tax dollars.

But with that, too, I think it's also useful to kind of talk about how does the city of Brookings' property tax levy compare to other cities in South Dakota.

So I was wondering if you could speak a little bit to that today.

Sure.

So we'll talk about this a little bit more in the workshops that we'll be having starting at the next meeting.

But um the city of Brookings has one of the lowest um property tax levies um in like our 10 um kind of most comparable peers in South Dakota.

Um we are um the only ones with the lower than us would be Spearfish and Watertown.

Thanks so much.

I think that's really helpful for the public when they're learning a little bit more about this issue.

Thank you.

All right, any other comments, questions from council?

Thank you.

Second reading will be on the September 9th meeting, and we move on to item 8B, introduction of first reading on ordinance 25-030, an ordinance authorizing amendment number seven to the 2025 budget.

Ashley will present this item also.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is the first reading of ordinance 25-031, amendment number seven to the 2025 budget.

This amendment transfers 100,000 in general fund reserves from the city council priority projects fund to the fire facility capital project fund to initiate the engineering and soil testing for replacing the downtown fire station.

According to the preliminary schedule, um council and public presentations and community engagement, as well as the design phase will occur this fall with bidding planned for next spring and pending to site uh pending site determination.

Uh the second reading of this ordinance will be on September 9th, and I will stand by for questions.

All right, thank you.

Any public questions?

Council have any questions, comments on this item.

All right.

Um this is for the fire facility.

Um Troy, I think you're gonna give a quick brief outline of the timing for the public so we understand uh what that looks like, not only for council, but for the public to engage in this process.

Yeah, Paul, we're uh you know, just really getting started on this.

Uh we've just had uh really a couple of uh introductory meetings with some design team members, and and we're really looking to get the property right next to the existing fire station.

So not a big move throughout the neighborhoods, it's uh currently uh the police department parking lot for their um personal vehicles and some department vehicles.

They've got a garage there.

So uh uh probably we're looking at uh sometime in September that we'll do some uh you know neighborhood uh meetings, uh door-to-door flyers on the immediate neighborhood, some stuff through Sherry, social media through the paper to invite people over to the fire station so they can actually see the existing fire station and then also see some preliminary drawings of what we think we're gonna need for that that new fire station replace that.

And uh, I think our next meeting with the design team is September 2nd, so sometime shortly after that is when we'll schedule those and get get this thing kicked off.

Thank you, Troy.

Okay, and then we'll have uh second second hearing on that on September 9th.

Also, item nine, second readings and public hearings, item nine A, second reading in action on ordinance 25-029, an ordinance authorizing Benjamin budget amendment number six to the 2025 budget.

Ashley Rynch will also present this item.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is the second reading of ordinance 25-029 authorizing amendment number six to the 2025 budget.

This ordinance has two parts.

Part one increases grant revenue and grant expenditures in the library to account for the 120,000 dollar lows hometown grant that was received to enhance youth and teen areas in the library with new shelving.

And part two increases the city county administration buildings budget by $54,900 for a preliminary development agreement with Johnson Controls to develop a chiller replacement project for the building.

The City of Brookings is responsible for 48% of the costs, while Berkings County is responsible for a 40 52 percent per the joint powers agreement.

The primary development agreement has been approved by the joint powers board and the Brookings County Commission.

No changes have been made since the first reading, and staff recommends approval of this ordinance as presented.

That'll stand by for questions.

Thanks.

Thank you, Ashley.

Entertain a motion to approve.

So moved.

Second.

Is there any public comment on this item?

Council, any questions, comments?

Please call the roll.

Neymar.

Aye.

Specker.

Aye.

Tilton Byrne.

Aye.

Wendell?

Aye.

Avery.

Aye.

Doran?

Aye.

Hager.

Aye.

All right.

Item nine B, public hearing and action on a request to transfer an on-off sale malt license for the address of 4300 South Main Avenue.

I'll let Bonnie take it from here.

Mayor and Council members, items 9B and 9C are both related to the transfer of the existing alcoholic beverage licenses for the location on Maine Avenue South.

This would be transferring the licenses formerly used for Jessica's.

We're going to transfer those to Rebecca Salais.

She's gonna she is already open to her business.

It's Oybull Restaurant.

Rebecca is here this evening.

If you have any questions for her, but staff does recommend approval.

All right, thanks, Barney.

Entertain a motion to approve.

So moved.

Second.

Is there any public comment on this item?

This is your time for free advertising if you want to come up, Rebecca.

We may have a few questions.

So comments from council?

Questions.

Okay.

Please call the roll.

Specker.

Aye.

Tilton Byrne.

Aye.

Wendell.

Aye.

Avery.

Aye.

Doran.

Aye.

Hager.

Aye.

Nee Meyer.

Aye.

Item 9C, public hearing and action on resolution 25-070.

A resolution authorizing the city manager to end in enter into a tenure on off sale wine operating agreement with Rebecca Maria Solas.

I don't know how to pronounce this restaurant.

What are we calling it?

Cube?

All right.

Restaurant LLC.

Bonnie, you want to go from there?

Certainly.

Mayor and Council members.

This is to transfer the existing on-off sale wine license from Yesica's to CUBE Restaurant.

And with all on-sale wine licenses, we enter into operating agreements.

So approval would authorize the city manager to enter into a 10-year operating agreement with Rebecca Salais.

Staff does recommend approval.

All right.

Entertain a motion to approve.

So moved.

Second.

Open the public hearing on this or any public comment.

Public hearing is now closed.

Does Council have any questions or comments on this item?

Please call the roll.

Tilton Byrne.

Aye.

Wendell?

Aye.

Avery.

Aye.

Doran.

Aye.

Hager.

Aye.

Neemeyer.

Aye.

Specker.

Aye.

All right.

We have no other business this evening, but we do have the highly anticipated Brookings Progress Report.

Samantha Beckman, our assistant to the city manager, will present this item.

Hello.

We had a fast meeting tonight.

So this is the August 2025 Progress Report.

And starting off, the Dakota Bank Center will host 11 event days in August.

One of those event days included the Brookings Police Department leading an active shooter response training for the full-time staff out there.

Renovations on all four pairs of the arena restrooms are progressing and anticipated to be completed in late August as well.

And some upcoming events to keep your eye on.

We've got Coleswindell on September 25th, the Monster Truck Nitro Tour with two shows on November 15th, Chicago on November 16th, quick turnaround for them there.

And Manaheim Steamroller Christmas Show on December 6th.

The Public Works Department's engineering division had several completed and near-completed projects done in uh August, including the airport parallel taxiway project and the 12th Street South and Main Avenue South Signal, a traffic signal and ramp replacement project, and then the 12th Street South Shared Use Project is currently in progress with work beginning on the South Side of the 12th Street South.

As well.

And projects that we're still trying to wrap up before the snowfalls includes the first phase of the 20th Street South Shared Use Path, which includes the main avenue to Branch Creek segment and the 2025 Asphalt Mainten Project, as well as the Arrowhead Park Trail and Drainage Improvements, which will start in September and wrap up in October.

The police department had a few different fun community policing activities this month, including uh safety town wrapping up at the end of July.

Officers were present at all of the downtown at Sundown events and the National Night Out event, which was held on August 5th in Pioneer Park.

And just a reminder to apply for the 2025 Citizens First Responder Academy by September 1st.

The first session will begin on September 4th.

And that one again is just an engaging and hands-on course that's held over 11 weeks, and participants will hear from kind of every form of first responder in Brookings County, including the police department, highway patrol, criminal investigations, fire department, EMS, and many more in there.

And then again, another reminder that the community service unit offers free bike registration year-round, and uh this will help if your bike gets lost or stolen throughout the year to help uh quickly identify that it's yours.

And you can stop by the police department to register your bike.

Hopping back over to the public works department and the solid waste division.

Uh they held their annual household hazardous waste event at the Dakota Bank Center this month with a record-breaking turnout of 431 vehicles participating, which is 50 more than last year.

And in addition to collecting the hazardous materials, we also raised 2,000 and filled a trailer with food donations for the book Brookings Food Pantry.

And we want to extend our sincere thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers for helping make that a successful event.

And just a reminder, going back to that route optimization study.

We had SDCU students conduct for us last school year.

This one will allow us to collect garbage and recycling from around the city in a more effective way.

And in 2026, we will be purchasing route technology to go in each of the collection trucks.

And this technology will give the drivers turn-by-turn directions on how best to complete their routes, which will then allow drivers to step into any route and complete them in a more effective way.

And that will be in conjunction with those stormwater improvements that will be beginning on September 1st.

We had a swing replacement project at Hillcrest Park.

And the Hillcrest Aquatic Center is now closed for the season.

And at Rotary Park, which is the one at 6th Street and 22nd Avenue.

They did have some dead and dying spruce trees, which were removed due to stress of being planted too closely together, and they were reaching the end of their life cycle.

New trees will be planted this fall to replace the ones that were removed.

And we will also continue removing the boulevard ash trees that Kristen mentioned earlier per our emerald ash borer management plan this fall.

And we'll be continuing that from about September into October once weather conditions are really favorable for those replantings.

Removals of those ash trees will start in zone four, which is primar primarily focusing on dirt all, elmwood, and old wine, and then along those connecting avenues as well.

The Edwick water sourcing project at the golf course received about a 60% complete design drawing.

And staff recently did a walkthrough of the project with Banner.

And then lastly, just wanted to point your guys' attention to the Parks Department is working with the fire department right now to work on a prescribed burn at the Dakota Nature Park in late September, early October, kind of pending those weather conditions, and just wanted to have everybody keep an eye out for more information on that.

And that's all.

Stand by for any questions.

Thank you, Samantha.

Any questions, Councilmember Wendell?

Thank you, Mayor.

I don't have a question for Sam, but you touched on some public works projects, specifically some near the middle school.

And I thought this might be a good opportunity to remind folks that the construction project near the middle school that happened to coincide with the first day of school and back to school activities.

I know was frustrating for some folks in the community.

But if I understand correctly, that project was funded through a state grant and was actually implemented by the state.

So we were somewhat at their mercy.

They were obviously working in a lot of other communities trying to prioritize projects.

And I think we had a wet August compared to most August, which probably shifted their schedule some.

So I know for folks trying to get to the middle school around back to school days, that was challenging and frustrating.

Not necessarily the design of our streets department or public works department, but really trying to work with the state on coordinating that.

Any other details about that, or did I note that correctly?

You nailed it.

Um what we do know is they're anticipating mid-September, so here in a few more weeks before that project is complete.

So just bear with us just a little bit longer.

Thanks.

Councilmember Avery.

You mentioned that there was going to be a controlled burn at the nature park if it was possible.

Is there any plans for doing anything with the uh the uh Brookings prairie?

Let Kristen, our parks director come up.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

And council members, yes, Brookings Prairie is on our radar, and it'll likely happen next, not this fall, but next fall.

Um, what we need to burn at the nature park is a lot larger in scope than what the fire department originally thought.

Um, so we'll just try to keep it under nuggets that we can handle it any given year.

Okay, thank you.

Thanks, Kristen.

Any other comments, questions from council?

All right, thank you, Samantha.

And we'll talk about uh next meeting, September 9th.

We have uh uh a little bit on the consent agenda, and we have a student report or STSU student report, ex official reports.

Uh we do have a proclamation uh National Suicide Prevention Week.

Uh bid award for sanitary sewer and road project.

Uh first reading on joint city county zoning item.

And then second readings what we had this evening, and then uh there is a liquor transfer, um, and then temporary alcohol uh for the uh downtown STSU watch party.

Otherwise, there's nothing else so far on the agenda.

There may be more.

Entertain a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

We are adjourned.