OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting - February 24, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, February 24, 2026
BodyBrookings, South Dakota
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, February 24, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:01:08

Transcript — Verbatim
0:49

All right.

0:49

Call this meeting to order.

0:51

We stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:16

Okay.

1:17

Will the city clerk please take attendance?

1:19

All council members are present, Mr.

1:21

Mayor.

1:22

Thank you.

1:22

Item three, the approval of the agenda.

1:24

Entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

1:27

So moved.

1:28

Any public comments on the agenda for this evening.

1:36

Please call the roll.

1:38

Avery.

1:43

Tilton Byrne.

1:44

Aye.

1:44

Wendell.

1:45

Aye.

1:46

All right.

1:46

On to open forum in order to provide equal access to all during the open forum and public comment portions of the meeting.

1:53

Each individual offering comments shall not exceed the allotted three minute period.

1:58

The podium light turns green to yellow when there is one minute remaining.

2:06

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

2:15

All right, we'll move on to the next item of business.

2:19

Action on the consent agenda.

2:21

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

2:26

Seeing none, entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

2:30

So moved.

2:30

Second.

2:33

Any public comment on the consent agenda items.

2:44

Doran.

2:45

Aye.

2:46

Haker?

2:46

Aye.

2:47

Neymar.

2:47

Aye.

2:48

Specker.

2:48

Aye.

2:49

Tylko Byrne.

2:50

Aye.

2:50

Wendell?

2:51

Aye.

2:51

Avery.

2:52

Aye.

2:54

Okay.

2:55

On to presentations and reports.

2:57

I invite Anna Hunt, SDSU Student Association Government Affairs Chair.

3:02

Come up and present today.

3:04

Good evening.

3:06

Last time I was here, I talked to you guys about House Bill 1325 that President Spear and Vice President Sierra and I traveled to Pier to testify on.

3:15

We are proud to say that it was moved to the 41st day in an eight-seven vote.

3:19

So that requirement to live on campus is still in effect, and hopefully that bill is not coming back.

3:24

Today is crossover day, so they can't introduce any more bills, guys.

3:28

Um our student promotion fund committee also met and we voted to fund uh AISA's Wachipe event that happens March twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth this year.

3:38

So we hope you all are in in attendance.

4:03

Comments.

4:41

And as a student association's association, government affairs chair.

4:45

That's a mouthful.

4:46

From March 2025 to March 2026.

4:49

Thank you very much.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development████████████████████████████28%
Technology and Innovation██████████████████████22%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Procedural██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Historic Preservation██2%
Tax Increment Financing██2%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting - February 24, 2026

The Brookings City Council met on February 24, 2026, to conduct regular business including approval of the consent agenda, first readings of several ordinances, public hearings, and a key discussion on a proposed sales tax incentive for an edge computing center. The meeting also featured a student association update and the Mayor's State of the City address.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved consent agenda items without removal.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Craig Jorgensen (Aurora resident) expressed concerns about the Sequitur Edge project, including potential cost shifting to residents, e-waste, and state-level legislative developments; recommended tabling the incentive request.

Discussion Items

  • SDSU Student Association: Anna Hunt reported on House Bill 1325 (on-campus living requirement) and funding for an AISA event.
  • Mayor's State of the City Address: Pre-recorded video highlighting 2025 achievements including downtown fire response, new businesses (Target, Aldi, Quake Star), TIF districts adding 378 housing units and 86 jobs, infrastructure projects, sustainability efforts, and national rankings.
  • First Readings:
    • Ordinance 26-006 (2025 budget amendment #10) – increases expenditure authority by $153,614.60.
    • Ordinance 26-007 (2026 budget amendment #1) – carries forward surplus funds.
    • Ordinance 26-008 (projecting signs in B1 district) – allows one projecting sign per 25 feet; planning commission recommended unanimously.
    • Ordinance 26-009 (sidewalk dining and parklets) – codifies parklet program; limits parklets to side streets.
  • Public Hearings & Second Readings:
    • Shorties Burgers and Brew: Approved on/off malt license (unanimous) and 10-year on-sale wine operating agreement (unanimous).
    • Resolution 26-019: Amended consolidated fee schedule to add $0.25/lb fee for electronic waste at landfill; approved unanimously.
    • Preliminary plat for South Haven (Block 1) – approved unanimously.
    • Preliminary plat for Legacy Addition (Lots 1-2, Block 2; Lots 1-3, Block 3) – approved unanimously.
  • Sales Tax Incentive Grant for Sequitur Edge:
    • Victoria Blatchford and Stephanie Mason presented the proposed edge computing center, emphasizing economic development, job creation, and regional digital infrastructure. They requested a one-time sales tax rebate for construction and equipment.
    • Councilmembers raised concerns about power consumption (2 MW initially, up to 10 MW), noise, water usage, e-waste, and potential cost shifts to ratepayers. Councilmember Specker cited a University of Michigan report against data center incentives.
    • The applicant offered to table the request, but council proceeded to vote.
  • Progress Report: Assistant City Manager Samantha Beckman provided updates on engineering projects, police and fire department activities, library programs, solid waste, parks, and the Dakota Bank Center survey.

Key Outcomes

  • First readings of Ordinances 26-006, 26-007, 26-008, and 26-009 were introduced; second readings scheduled for March 10, 2026.
  • Shorties Burgers and Brew license and operating agreement approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 26-019 (e-waste fee) approved unanimously.
  • Preliminary plats for South Haven and Legacy Addition approved unanimously.
  • Resolution for Sequitur Edge sales tax incentive failed 0-7 (all councilmembers voted no).
  • Council directed staff to research residential noise ordinances.
  • Next regular meeting: March 10, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Call this meeting to order. We stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay. Will the city clerk please take attendance? All council members are present, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Item three, the approval of the agenda. Entertain a motion to approve the agenda. So moved. Any public comments on the agenda for this evening. Please call the roll. Avery. Tilton Byrne. Aye. Wendell. Aye. All right. On to open forum in order to provide equal access to all during the open forum and public comment portions of the meeting. Each individual offering comments shall not exceed the allotted three minute period. The podium light turns green to yellow when there is one minute remaining. Is there any member of the public who wishes to address the council on an item not listed on tonight's agenda? All right, we'll move on to the next item of business. Action on the consent agenda. Are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda? Seeing none, entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. So moved. Second. Any public comment on the consent agenda items. Doran. Aye. Haker? Aye. Neymar. Aye. Specker. Aye. Tylko Byrne. Aye. Wendell? Aye. Avery. Aye. Okay. On to presentations and reports. I invite Anna Hunt, SDSU Student Association Government Affairs Chair. Come up and present today. Good evening. Last time I was here, I talked to you guys about House Bill 1325 that President Spear and Vice President Sierra and I traveled to Pier to testify on.

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