OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting - August 11, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, August 11, 2026
BodyBrookings, South Dakota
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, August 11, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:40
Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

I think I'm settled now.

0:41

Okay.

0:42

Call this meeting to order.

0:44

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:07

Thank you all for coming this evening.

1:09

Will the city clerk please take attendance?

1:12

There are six council members present, Mr.

1:14

Mayor.

1:15

Councilmember Hager is absent this evening.

1:17

City Attorney is joining us via conference line.

1:21

Thank you.

1:22

Entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

1:25

So moved?

1:26

Second.

1:27

Moving second, is there any comments on the agenda from the public?

1:32

Any comments uh from council?

1:36

Please call the roll.

1:38

Doran.

1:39

Aye.

1:39

Neymar.

1:40

Aye.

1:41

Specker.

1:41

Aye.

1:42

Tiltenburn?

1:43

Aye.

1:43

Avery.

1:44

Aye.

1:45

Okay.

1:45

On to item four, the open forum.

1:48

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, then to yellow where it is one minute remaining.

2:03

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

2:07

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

2:15

Please come forward.

2:24

I'm from the Brookings Multicultural Center.

2:28

I'm Michelle Dudash Spenster, 704 Fifth Avenue Brookings, and I'm with the BMC as well.

2:42

It's next Wednesday from 7 to 9 at Goodroots Farm and Gardens.

2:47

Hopefully, Mayor will be there.

2:51

Hope you make it.

2:52

Um it's a family friendly event, and it's to acquaint the inner the new international faculty, students, and their families with our community.

3:01

We have 22 vendors, including the Park and Rec department, who is gonna be there that will acquaint them with all the services and support they can get within the community.

3:13

We have volunteers serving SDSU ice cream.

3:16

We have 22 vendors, hopefully music, dancing, games, and the kids can feed the goats and jump in the bouncy house weather permitting.

3:24

So about how many countries are usually represented when we do that.

3:33

It's become a great event.

3:36

Yeah, about ice cream, they had to bring more.

3:39

There, yeah.

3:40

We couldn't get them started dancing, but we're we're trying to survive if anybody can do line dancing.

3:45

I thought that'd be a good way to start.

3:47

So we'll see.

3:48

And this is our fifth annual, so we're really excited that this be has become um I think part of our community.

3:56

Both at the inst at the university and and our community.

3:59

I look forward to it.

4:00

And the folks who come to the center, that's how they send find out about it, and they're very appreciative of of all the things that we do.

4:08

Thank you.

4:09

Okay, thank you.

4:13

Anyone else uh want to approach the council on a certain item?

4:19

All right, we'll move on.

4:20

Uh consent agenda.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Works████████████████████████████28%
Procedural████████████████16%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Public Transportation████████████12%
Senior Citizen Programs███████████11%
Conditional Use Permit█████████9%
Community Engagement█████5%
Zoning Regulations████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Brookings City Council Meeting - August 11, 2026

The Brookings City Council met on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Brookings City & County Government Center. Mayor Oepke Niemeyer presided with Councilmembers Wayne Avery, Holly Tilton Byrne, Bonny Specker, Brianna Doran, and Nick Wendell present; Councilmember Lisa Hager was absent. The city attorney participated via conference line. The meeting covered a proclamation, reports, contract awards, two public hearings, a budget appropriation, and a future topic discussion.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the City Council meeting minutes from July 30, 2026.
  • Approved Resolution 26-049, authorizing a 10-year On-Sale Liquor Operating Agreement with W&P of Brookings LLC dba Buffalo Wild Wings.
  • Approved Resolution 26-051, authorizing a 10-year On-Sale Liquor Operating Agreement with Nine Inc. dba 9 Bar Nightclub.
  • Approved Temporary Alcohol / Special Event Alcoholic Beverage Licenses from existing license holders.
  • All consent items were approved unanimously without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Michelle Dudash Spenster (Brookings Multicultural Center, 704 Fifth Avenue, Brookings) announced the fifth annual welcome event for new international faculty, students, and their families, scheduled for August 19, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Goodroots Farm and Gardens. The event will feature 22 vendors, including Park and Rec, SDSU ice cream, music, dancing, games, and activities.

Presentations/Reports

  • Proclamation: Senior Companions of South Dakota Day – Mayor Niemeyer proclaimed Friday, August 14, 2026, as Senior Companions of South Dakota Day. The proclamation recognized volunteers Connie Hageman (1,465 hours) and Sharon Klosterman (1,639 hours) for their combined gift of more than 3,100 hours to the community, providing transportation, errands, and companionship to older adults and adults with disabilities. Connie Christensen spoke on behalf of the volunteers, thanking the council.
  • City Council Ex-Officio Reports – Councilmember Wayne Avery reported on two pillars of Brookings Municipal Utilities (BMU): enhanced customer experience (deploying automated metering, energy portal for real-time usage, maintaining 90% customer satisfaction benchmark) and financial sustainability (maintaining reserves above 50% of annual operating revenue, rate studies every three years, keeping rates within 10% of regional median, and consistent transfer to the city general fund). He also noted BMU's capital improvement budget coordination with city street projects.

Contracts/Change Orders

  • Resolution 26-048 – Airport Snow Removal Equipment Building Project – City Engineer Charlie presented the bid award for a drive-through building with concrete approaches, water service, and an underground tank for floor drain water. Six bids were opened July 30, 2026. Lloyd Construction Company submitted the low base bid plus alternate A1 of $656,036.02, approximately 13% below the engineer's estimate. Funding is 95% FAA grant, 2.5% state funds, with the city's total cost (construction and engineering) estimated at $49,300, appropriated in the airport budget. The next lowest bid was about $6,000 higher. The contract award is contingent upon FAA grant funding. The motion passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 26-052 – Fire Department Hydraulic Rescue Tool Replacement – Fire Chief Troy requested approval to replace rescue tools (Jaws of Life) that are 10-15 years old with new battery-operated units. Two sealed bids were received: one from Genesis (Sioux Falls) and one from TNT Tools / MNT Fire Equipment (Volga). The recommended vendor, TNT Tools, offered a significantly lower price. The budget line was $75,000; the total for two spreaders, two cutters, and two rams with mounting brackets is approximately $74,000. The new tools are expected to reduce setup time by 3-4 minutes, improve efficiency, and come with a true lifetime warranty. The motion passed unanimously.

Public Hearings and Second Readings

  • Ordinance 26-018 – Conditional Use Permit for Off-Street Parking (816 and 820 9th Avenue) – Community Development Director Mike Struck presented the ordinance for the SDSU Foundation to create off-site parking and a garage facility for their offices. The foundation acquired the properties, demolished one home, and moved another to Madary Avenue. The garage will be designed to resemble a residential home from the street, with garage doors facing east. Approximately 30-32 parking spaces will be provided. The Planning Commission recommended approval unanimously. Councilmember Tilton Byrne recused herself due to employment with the SDSU Alumni and Foundation. The ordinance passed 6-0-1 (Byrne abstaining).
  • Ordinance 26-023 – Rezoning from B-4 Highway District to B-2 Business District (West Lodge, formerly Sunshine Inn) – The new ownership group requested rezoning to align with the parcel size and proposed use. The B-4 zone is intended for large highway commercial uses, while B-2 better suits the smaller site. The Planning Commission recommended approval unanimously. The ordinance passed unanimously.

Other Business

  • Resolution 26-050 – Supplemental Appropriation of Grant Funds – Finance Director Ashley Wrench presented a resolution to appropriate a $7,000 Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Wildland Fire Division. The grant will help purchase five portable radio packages (radio, charger, spare battery) totaling $22,842, with the remaining $15,842 funded from the fire department's existing capital budget. This is the first phase of standardizing portable radios across different manufacturers. The resolution increases both grant revenue and expenditure authority by $7,000 with no impact on city reserves. The motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent agenda items were approved unanimously.
  • The airport snow removal equipment building contract was awarded to Lloyd Construction Company, contingent on FAA funding.
  • The fire department hydraulic rescue tool replacement contract was awarded to TNT Tools / MNT Fire Equipment.
  • Ordinance 26-018 (conditional use permit for SDSU Foundation parking) passed 6-0-1 (Byrne abstaining).
  • Ordinance 26-023 (rezoning to B-2) passed unanimously.
  • Resolution 26-050 (supplemental appropriation for fire radios) passed unanimously.
  • A motion by Councilmember Nick Wendell to discuss the school resource officer funding model with the Brookings School District during the upcoming budget cycle was approved unanimously. Wendell explained that the current funding split (75% district for one officer, 100% city for the second) may not align with industry standards, and the conversation is intended to sustain the program, not reduce or eliminate SROs.
  • The council entered executive session (pursuant to SDCL 1-25-2(4)) to prepare for contract negotiations with employees.

Meeting Transcript

I think I'm settled now. Okay. Call this meeting to order. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you all for coming this evening. Will the city clerk please take attendance? There are six council members present, Mr. Mayor. Councilmember Hager is absent this evening. City Attorney is joining us via conference line. Thank you. Entertain a motion to approve the agenda. So moved? Second. Moving second, is there any comments on the agenda from the public? Any comments uh from council? Please call the roll. Doran. Aye. Neymar. Aye. Specker. Aye. Tiltenburn? Aye. Avery. Aye. Okay. On to item four, the 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, then to yellow where it is one minute remaining. Your time for comment is expired at the 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? Please come forward. I'm from the Brookings Multicultural Center. I'm Michelle Dudash Spenster, 704 Fifth Avenue Brookings, and I'm with the BMC as well. It's next Wednesday from 7 to 9 at Goodroots Farm and Gardens. Hopefully, Mayor will be there. Hope you make it. Um it's a family friendly event, and it's to acquaint the inner the new international faculty, students, and their families with our community. We have 22 vendors, including the Park and Rec department, who is gonna be there that will acquaint them with all the services and support they can get within the community. We have volunteers serving SDSU ice cream. We have 22 vendors, hopefully music, dancing, games, and the kids can feed the goats and jump in the bouncy house weather permitting. So about how many countries are usually represented when we do that. It's become a great event. Yeah, about ice cream, they had to bring more. There, yeah. We couldn't get them started dancing, but we're we're trying to survive if anybody can do line dancing. I thought that'd be a good way to start.

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