The Rapid City City Council convened on February 2, 2026, to discuss updates on the Park Ranger program, alternative sites for the Indoor Sports Complex, and various infrastructure and administrative matters. The meeting featured significant deliberation regarding the relocation of the sports complex following the withdrawal of the original Liberty Land site, with Council members emphasizing the need to secure the correct location despite budgetary constraints. Public comments highlighted concerns regarding graffiti, trash, and inadequate bus services. Several contractual agreements and engineering studies were approved or debated, with a roll call vote concluding the traffic study discussion.
Good evening and welcome to the city council meeting for Monday, February 2nd, 2026. We will begin with a roll call and determination of quorum. Lehman Maher. Roberts. Pettigrew. Secrets. Beaverdorf. Temang. Here. Evans. Meyer. We have a quorum. Uh thank you. Next we'll have an invocation by Scott Wiley, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. If you're able and willing, would you please rise. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today with grateful hearts, acknowledging that you're the source of all wisdom and the ultimate authority over all nations and cities. We thank you for the privilege of gathering in this chamber to serve the people of this community. Lord, your word tells us in James 1 5 that if any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask you, and you will give it generously. So we ask that for that wisdom now for these council members as they deliberate on the issues before them, grant them discernment and compassion and integrity. So we commit this meeting into your hands, asking that your will be done. We pray this in the name of your son Jesus. Amen. First, we will have an update on the Park Ranger program, followed by the sports complex update. So please uh Lou, come on up here. Jarell O'Allen is the supervisor of our Park Ranger program. Really was the one who helped get it off the ground. And the floor is yours, sir. All right. Um good evening, Mayor Council and attendees. Um like like Mayor said, my name is Gerald Owellan, and I am the Rapid City Park Ranger Supervisor. Before I begin, I would like to express my gratitude to the Rapid City Police Department and the Rapid City Fire Department for their partnership and support and getting this program established and even through continued training for our new hires and such. This program was established approximately a year and a half ago to ensure the safety of the park facilities, visitors, and personnel. Currently, we have four full-time park rangers, plus one supervisor, which is myself, and we patrol the parks to ensure the safety of the green spaces and all the other facilities incorporated in that. Some of the common common issues that we're seeing in the parks is some homelessness, public intoxication, and vandalism. Since inception, we've had just over 29,000 patrol functions. Out of those patrol functions, 11,000, a little more than 11,000 total events included in those. Mainly we have the intoxicated folks that are in need and need to be trans transported to care campus. In addition, 59 incidents where we had to contact mobile medics or an ambulance to assist us in giving care for folks out on the out on the parks. Park rangers are committed to the professional stewardship of the parks, uh, open spaces and recreational assets. There some include restroom open enclosures, which is part of what this program is doing is taking over some uh external security contracts and stuff like that, closing up restrooms and making sure those places are cleared and evacuated. Um like I said, just uh general safety of the parks from playgrounds to sports fields, hiking trails, and such. Um Rapid City is a community that has values and really likes their outdoor recreation. Um safe place to be in Rapid City park systems. Long been thought to be safe places for the community to get out and explore. Um that's about all I have. Like I would be open to any questions or comments at this time. Um thank you, Lou. I of course I asked him to keep it short, but he did provide us with some uh uh fact sheets here. Um any council members wish to ask any questions.