Brookings City Council Meeting Summary - December 9, 2025

The Brookings City Council convened on December 9, 2025, with six members present, to address a wide range of administrative, financial, and legislative matters. Key highlights included the promotion of Samantha Beckman to Assistant City Manager, updates on the 34th Avenue Water Treatment Plant and 3M's PFAS mitigation efforts, and a contentious decision to move the municipal election date from April to November to comply with new state legislation. The meeting concluded with the Council approving a market-based salary increase for City Manager Paul Racino following an executive session on personnel matters.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved the consent agenda, including all routine approvals and administrative items without public removal requests or council questions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councilmember Holly Tilton Byrne: Expressed opposition to the June election date option, citing concerns about potential partisan sentiments and voter turnout. After the June motion failed, she expressed discomfort with being forced to move to November due to unknown cost increases and the risk of ballot fatigue, though she acknowledged the city has historically succeeded with April elections.
• Councilmember Avery: Stated that the legislation forcing the election change was an unfortunate state-level decision that created a non-ideal situation, noting the city is now faced with increased costs and uncertain logistical outcomes for odd-year elections.
• Councilmember Hager: Expressed concern that a June election date would make it difficult for SDSU students to participate, a view reinforced by the SDSU Student Association. However, after reviewing data on turnout, she stated she expected higher turnout in November and supported the move to November to align with general election cycles and ensure community accessibility.
• Councilmember Duran: Emphasized that improving voting turnout is a shared responsibility beyond just the date, citing attitudinal disenchantment as a major factor. She supported the November move to align with higher turnout cycles and ensure college student participation, while expressing concern about the potential for "down-ballot" fatigue and the need for careful implementation regardless of the ballot pairing with partisan races.

Discussion Items

• Employee Promotion: City Manager Wayne Avery introduced and Council member Dave Hager congratulated Samantha Beckman on her promotion from a leadership team member to Assistant City Manager. Hager noted as a former professor at South Dakota State University that Beckman was an integral part of the organization and expressed high confidence in her future leadership capabilities.
• Water Treatment Plant Update: Utility Commissioner Wayne Avery reported that the 34th Avenue Water Treatment Plant's contractual substantial completion date was October 13, 2025. While the contractor is still working toward this milestone, the seven-day demonstration period concluded successfully on November 17, with staff having three weeks of operational experience as of the meeting date. The total investment is approximately $114.7 million, with costs for pipeline projects expected to decrease due to increased market competition.
• 3M PFAS Mitigation Update: Jim Burkhard, Site Director at Solventum, presented progress on PFAS mitigation. He reported that monitoring data shows improvement and detailed the installation of a stormwater treatment system (filtration via granulated activated carbon and resin) operational in spring 2025, which treated 5.5 million gallons of stormwater with a >99.9% removal rate. He confirmed that third-party consultants (Bar Engineering) and labs manage sampling and analysis, with reports due to the state in April 2026.
• Sidewalk Maintenance Change Order: City Engineer Charlie Richter requested approval for Change Order No. 1 for the 2025-01 SWR sidewalk project to cover additional sidewalk replacements and boulevard tree damage identified post-bid. The change order totaled $9,649, an 18% increase to the original contract.
• Budget Amendment: Financial Director Ashley Rynch presented Ordinance 25-042, the ninth budget amendment for 2025, which included $54,254 in fire insurance premium reversion, $20,000 for the Chamber of Commerce, and $45,500 from General Fund reserves for downtown parking acquisition costs.
• Rezoning and Conditional Uses:
  • Item 10A: Unanimously recommended rezoning Lot 3, Block 2 of Tel Camp Industrial Edition from I1R (Industrial Restricted) to I1 (Industrial Light) to remove stricter landscaping and lot coverage requirements.
  • Item 10B: Unanimously recommended a Conditional Use Permit for an office and residence at 709 Main Avenue within the R22 Family District, limiting usage to three suites and noting the non-transferable nature of the permit.
  • Item 10C: Unanimously recommended rezoning a 30+ acre parcel from R3 (Apartment) back to R1A (Single Family) to allow for 12-15 lot development with flexible lot sizes, acknowledging the shift in the applicant's development vision.
• Election Date Ordinances:
  • June Date (Item 10D): Council voted 0-6 (All Nays) to reject holding the annual election on June 2nd.
  • November Date (Item 10E): Council voted 5-0 (with Mayor casting the tie-breaking vote or abstention clarified as part of the majority) to approve holding the election on November 3rd. Discussions centered on cost-sharing models with the County/School District (proposed 25% fixed + 75% pro-rated), the potential for increased costs in odd years (estimated $20k-$30k), and the impact of merging with partisan ballots on local nonpartisan races.
• Financial Transfers:
  • Item 11A: Approved a $34,000 contingency transfer from City Manager funds to the Forestry Department to cover employee compensation, workers' comp, and equipment maintenance related to Emerald Ash Borer remediation.
  • Item 11B: Approved allocating $634,111 from the Capital Improvement Plan Sinking Fund toward the city's 48% share of the $1.32 million chiller replacement and boiler upgrades for the City-County Administration Building.
• Legal Services Agreement: Council unanimously approved extending the 2026 legal services agreement with Woods Fuller Schultz Smith PC, budgeting approximately $200,000 plus $4,000 for mentorship, acknowledging the firm's improved performance and quick turnaround times.
• City Manager Compensation: Following an executive session regarding personnel qualifications, the Council reviewed a market study by MGT Consultants which found the City Manager's pay range was 15% below peer communities. The study recommended raising the salary grade from 48 to 51 and increasing 457 contributions.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted Ordinance 25-038: Officially set the 2026 municipal annual election date for November 3rd. Terms for newly elected officials will begin at the first regular meeting in December. A tentative agreement was noted for a joint election with the County and School District with a proposed cost-sharing model of 25% fixed plus 75% pro-rated.
• Approved Resolution 25-101: Approved the $9,649 change order for the 2025-01 SWR sidewalk maintenance project with Brock Contracting.
• Approved Resolution 25-100: Authorized the transfer of $34,000 in contingency funds to the Forestry Department for Emerald Ash Borer remediation needs.
• Approved Resolution 25-099: Allocated $634,111 from the CIP Sinking Fund for the City-County Administration Building chiller and boiler replacement project.
• Approved City Manager Compensation Increase: Increased City Manager Paul Racino's salary from a maximum of $207,272.45 to a new maximum of $239,944 (Range 51). The actual offer for 2026 was set at $224,001.99, representing an 8% total increase (2% merit + 6% for moving three grades). Additionally, 457 contributions were increased to 11% with a catch-up provision for employees over age 50.
• Unanimous Rezoning Decisions: Approved the following zonings: I1R to I1 (Tel Camp), Conditional Use for office/residence (709 Main Ave), and R3 to R1A (1115 West 20th Street South).
• Approved Resolution 25-102: Extended the legal services contract with Woods Fuller Schultz Smith PC for 2026.
• Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned immediately following the personnel action in executive session.