OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting Summary – May 26, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, May 26, 2026
BodyBrookings, South Dakota
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, May 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:36:19

Transcript — Verbatim
0:07

Right, yeah, and I'm kind of keeping in today what we have been doing more.

0:24

Oh, John, it's right.

0:28

Right on time.

0:34

Either way, I don't want to go for the point.

0:37

All right, six o'clock.

0:38

Let's start this meeting.

0:40

Call this meeting in order.

0:42

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:03

Thank you all for attending this evening.

1:05

Will the city clerk please take attendance?

1:07

All council members are present, Mr.

1:08

Mayor.

1:09

All right.

1:10

Uh entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

1:13

So moved.

1:14

Second.

1:14

Second.

1:15

The move and second.

1:16

Is there any comments on the agenda from the public?

1:22

Consul have any comments?

1:24

Questions?

1:25

Please call the roll.

1:27

Avery.

1:27

Aye.

1:28

Doran.

1:29

Aye.

1:29

Hager.

1:30

Aye.

1:30

Neemaier.

1:31

Specker.

1:32

Aye.

1:32

Tilton Byrne.

1:33

Aye.

1:33

Wendell.

1:34

Aye.

1:34

All right.

1:35

Open forum.

1:36

In order to provide equal access to all during the open forum and public comment portions of the meeting, each individual offering comment shall not exceed the allotted three minute period.

1:46

The podium light turns green and then went to yellow.

1:48

There is one minute remaining.

1:50

Your time for comment is expired when the podium light turns red.

1:54

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

2:08

Good evening.

2:09

Please state your name and address.

2:24

A lot of experience with that.

2:34

And I guess I would just like to say that we need to take a look back at where we came from, how we got here, what can be done going forward, because it does it's a vital part of our community as far as workforce housing.

2:49

You know, we're at a point as an employer and a citizen, we're at a point where we're not gonna be able to attract workforce to Brookings because people can't live here.

2:59

I mean it's just too expensive unless we raise our wages tremendously.

3:04

But if we do that, then we're you know, that just makes everything cost more.

3:09

I mean, it it's a vicious circle, and I I wish I could tell you the answer to it, but I just wanted to say that I think I was reading the about it in the article, and something was said about having internal discussions.

3:21

And I would just like to say that I think those discussions should go outside of internal, and there should be people from the public that have experience and knowledge in like I say, where we've been, where we're going, and look at this.

3:34

And I'm not saying it's a city problem either.

3:37

Brookings County is not any better.

3:39

I own a mobile home park that's outside the city limits of Olga.

3:43

I wanted to put two dozen brand new mobile homes in there.

3:45

I can't, because it's against the zoning, even though it's already established.

3:51

Nobody will even listen.

3:52

You just walk in and the answer is no.

3:54

I just think that there needs to be some open-minded thinking and take a look at you know what where we're at with our housing needs and going at because not everybody can afford departments and stuff like that.

4:08

And like I say, we're gonna run out of workforce here real fast.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety██████████████████████████26%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████████24%
Parks and Recreation████████████████16%
Active Transportation██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management█████5%
Affordable Housing████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting Summary – May 26, 2026

The Brookings City Council met on May 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM. All council members were present. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including the adoption of the Brookings Area Transportation Plan (BATP), approval of several contracts and resolutions, and public comments on housing and golf course water sourcing.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved unanimously.
  • A special event temporary alcohol beverage application from Sodexo for the SDSU license (Frank Kirtenbach Memorial Service on June 2, 2026) was added to the consent agenda and approved.
  • The consent agenda as amended was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • A resident (name not stated) addressed the council about workforce housing challenges, stating that the community risks being unable to attract workers due to high housing costs. The speaker emphasized the need for open-minded discussions and cited personal experience with zoning restrictions on a mobile home park outside the city limits (in Olga). The speaker also expressed strong concern about the Edgebrook golf course water project cost ($1.8 million), characterizing it as a very high expense relative to their own irrigation system, and questioned the long-term value.

Presentation & Reports

  • Brookings Area Transportation Plan (BATP) – City Engineer Charlie Richter and Tom Cook from HDR presented the updated BATP, a long-range multimodal plan extending to 2050. The plan includes a major roads plan, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, a safety action plan, and illustrative road diet and complete streets concepts for downtown. Public engagement included two open houses (44 attendees each), a travel survey (470 responses), and input from SDSU student engineers. Key safety focus areas include dangerous intersections, downtown crashes, and pedestrian crossings on 6th Street. The plan positions the city for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant eligibility.
    • Council questions addressed road diet impacts on emergency response, public education on safety, connectivity of bike paths, and the need for public involvement in implementation.
    • Councilmember Avery noted that the plan is a 25-year guide and not all projects will be immediately implemented. Councilmember Tilton Byrne clarified that approval does not mean automatic construction.
    • The full plan will be made publicly accessible after finalization (expected in June 2026).

Discussion Items

  • Resolution 26-024 – Landfill Permitting Contract – Awarded Burns & McDonald Engineering a sole source contract ($398,000) for permitting the future landfill site at Brookings Regional Landfill. The current site is projected to reach capacity by 2063. The contract will prepare for a northern expansion. Councilmember Duran asked about the timeline and efforts to extend landfill life; staff noted improved compaction practices have extended capacity.
  • Resolution 26-034 – 2026 Trails Project – Awarded Timmins Construction a contract of $157,931.12 for trail maintenance and new connections (including a path near Mickelson Middle School and a Doral Drive connection to the Boys and Girls Club). Five bids were received; the low bid was significantly below estimate. Construction will be prioritized before the school year.
  • Resolution 26-036 – Edgebrook Golf Course Water Sourcing – Awarded LL and Sons Excavating a contract of $1,804,766.08 for a water source connection to the BMU raw water system. The project was rebid after original estimates came in high. Staff identified cost items (mobilization, dewatering, helical piles) that increased costs. To fund the project without immediate fee increases, staff recommended using reserves, raising golf course fees starting in 2027, pausing strategic improvements, and deferring other capital projects. Councilmember Wendell urged caution on deferred maintenance. The mayor asked about this summer's water supply; staff said greens can be kept green with available sources, but fairways may go dormant.
  • Ordinance 26-019 – Budget Amendment #3 – Authorized transfers and appropriations including: $10,000 from 3B tax fund to general fund for a temporary PIO intern; $30,000 from 3B for landscaping along 6th Street; an additional $100,000 to Brookings Regional Growth Alliance for downtown restroom improvements. Approved unanimously as second reading.
  • Resolution 26-029 – Target Wine License Operating Agreement – Approved a 10-year on-sale wine operating agreement with Target Corporation for new store T-2952.
  • On-Off Sale Malt License for Target – Approved a request for an on-off malt license for the same Target store.
  • Resolution 26-033 – Revised Capital Asset Management Policy – Updated the policy from 2007/2011 to align with current accounting standards, raising the capitalization threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, and incorporating lease accounting. Approved.
  • Revised Preliminary Plat – Sunset Lake Estates – Approved a preliminary plat for 11 residential lots along West 20th Street South, with a cul-de-sac. Councilmember Hager raised concerns about connectivity for Valley View residents during future road work; staff noted no connection is feasible. Councilmember Avery praised the transition from city to countryside.
  • Resolution 26-035 – Acceptance of Detention Basins – Approved accepting ownership of two detention basins in Arbor Hills subdivision (constructed in 2018) to ensure proper maintenance. Councilmember Wendell noted the detention basin acceptance policy may be of public interest.

Key Outcomes

  • The Brookings Area Transportation Plan will be presented for adoption at the June 9, 2026 council meeting. The accompanying Safety Action Plan will also be considered.
  • All resolutions and ordinances on the agenda were approved unanimously except as noted (all were unanimous upon roll call).
  • The contract for the Edgebrook water sourcing project was awarded despite cost concerns, with a plan to offset costs through reserves and fee increases.
  • The city will proceed with a special event alcohol license for the Frank Kirtenbach Memorial Service on June 2, 2026.
  • The next regular council meeting is scheduled for June 9, 2026, with a light agenda.

Meeting Transcript

Right, yeah, and I'm kind of keeping in today what we have been doing more. Oh, John, it's right. Right on time. Either way, I don't want to go for the point. All right, six o'clock. Let's start this meeting. Call this meeting in order. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you all for attending this evening. Will the city clerk please take attendance? All council members are present, Mr. Mayor. All right. Uh entertain a motion to approve the agenda. So moved. Second. Second. The move and second. Is there any comments on the agenda from the public? Consul have any comments? Questions? Please call the roll. Avery. Aye. Doran. Aye. Hager. Aye. Neemaier. Specker. Aye. Tilton Byrne. Aye. Wendell. Aye. All right. Open forum. In order to provide equal access to all during the open forum and public comment portions of the meeting, each individual offering comment shall not exceed the allotted three minute period. The podium light turns green and then went to yellow. There is one minute remaining. Your time for comment is expired when the podium light turns red. Is there any member of the public who wishes to address the council on an item not listed on tonight's agenda? Good evening. Please state your name and address. A lot of experience with that. And I guess I would just like to say that we need to take a look back at where we came from, how we got here, what can be done going forward, because it does it's a vital part of our community as far as workforce housing. You know, we're at a point as an employer and a citizen, we're at a point where we're not gonna be able to attract workforce to Brookings because people can't live here. I mean it's just too expensive unless we raise our wages tremendously. But if we do that, then we're you know, that just makes everything cost more. I mean, it it's a vicious circle, and I I wish I could tell you the answer to it, but I just wanted to say that I think I was reading the about it in the article, and something was said about having internal discussions.

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