Rapid City Council Meeting - March 16, 2026

The Rapid City Council met on Monday, March 16, 2026, for a regular meeting. The agenda included general public comments, consent items, and several public hearings, most notably the special alcohol permit for the Summer Nights event on the 600 block of 6th Street and 500/600 block of Kansas City Street. After extensive public testimony and council debate, the permit was approved by a 5-4 vote with a condition from the mayor.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1-25 were approved en bloc except for items 8, 9, 18, and 20, which were pulled for separate consideration.
• Item 8: Authorized advertising bids for Bocce Complex Phase 3 (estimated $900,000). Approved.
• Item 9: Authorized advertising bids for No Wood Park redevelopment (estimated $2,700,000). Approved. Councilmember Strowman and Roberts highlighted long planning and community benefits.
• Item 18: Authorized a broker services agreement with Marsh & McLennan Agency for insurance brokerage services for $100,000 for March 17, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Approved after HR Director explained competitive bid process and need to switch brokers.
• Item 20: Declared emergency repairs for city server room. Approved. IT Director explained equipment malfunction and cost-effectiveness of on-premise vs. cloud storage.
• Item 26: Second reading of supplemental appropriation ordinance for $3,923,272.47. Approved.
• Item 27: First reading of rezoning at 810 Fairview Street from General Commercial to Medium Density Residential. Approved.
• Item 28: Preliminary subdivision plan for lots at 3317 Stone Drive. Approved.
• Item 30: Approved consent public hearing item (no details given).
• Items 31-33: Rezonings and annexation approved.
• Items 34-35: Bill lists approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• William Sean Wagner: Delivered a formal notice alleging constitutional violations regarding unauthorized salary increases for city officials, citing South Dakota Constitution Article 12, Section 3. He demanded transparency and compliance.
• Doug Hannerman: Requested infrastructure repairs for the area between West Boulevard and 9th Street, citing deteriorating curbs, rebar issues, and sewer backups. He noted $20,000 in sidewalk repairs needed and asked for prioritization.
• Leanne Schumacher (former council member): Expressed concern about council direction, alleging bias against the Liberty Land project (entertainment district) and favoritism toward developer Hanny Shafey. She accused council of allowing misinformation and urged reconsideration of tax incentives.

Public Hearing: Summer Nights Special Alcohol Permit (Item 29)

• Julie Freimuller (owner of Roger Fry's paint building): Requested postponement, stating businesses were kept in the dark. She noted negative impact on renters and suggested alternative locations like Memorial Park. She provided a map.
• Mike Mueller (property manager): Read a letter from a tenant (Brianna Mendenhall, massage therapist) who estimated $1,000/month lost income and 20 hours of lost appointments. She stated she would have to close Thursdays from 1-7:30 PM due to parking closures and noise.
• Carl Koth (Hey Camp Brewing Co.): Stated he had worked with Summer Nights and city leadership but was taken by surprise by the alcohol permit vote. He requested removal of the item to allow stakeholder meetings.
• Ron Koth (co-owner, 601 Kansas City Street): Emphasized that Summer Nights would harm small businesses, particularly Hey Camp, which relies on Thursday summer business. He suggested alternative locations such as Memorial Park, Main Street Square, or near the Performing Arts Center.
• Sandy Schwan (President of Summer Nights): Defended the process, stating that since fall 2024, they researched locations and engaged stakeholders. She distributed flyers with contact info. She noted the parks permit was approved, and they need to move forward due to contracting deadlines.
• Alex Massa (resident and nonprofit operator): Expressed support for Summer Nights but opposed the location. He described failed attempts at compromise, including Hey Camp's offer to sell beer and involvement of his youth program. He said placing a stage in front of residential building would force cancellation of youth programming.
• Nathan Harding (owner, Heroes and Villains/Rushmore Coin): Said the process was too quick and he is considering closing his business due to the impact. He asked to remove item 29 from the agenda.
• Jason Kingsbury (small business owner): Questioned the lack of transparency regarding alcohol vendor placement. He urged postponement for more collaboration.
• David Goodwin (Summer Nights representative): Presented a map showing beverage trailer, food vendor, and entry point locations. He clarified street closure times (3:30 PM and 5:00 PM, not 1:00 PM). He said the stage would be in front of Hay Camp.

Discussion Items (Summer Nights)

• Councilmember Evans: Opposed the current location, citing harm to businesses. Suggested exploring the new Elevate building site as alternative. Voted against.
• Councilmember Meyer: Supported the event as a community builder. Acknowledged potential harm but believed inconvenience is cost of community. Encouraged collaboration. Voted in favor.
• Councilmember Bieberdorf: Defended the process, noting no nefarious intent. Parks Director Biegler explained permit process: parks permit approved first to allow alcohol permit application, and they were unaware Carl Koth was out of town.
• Councilmember Secrest: Torn because businesses are not on board. He cited known harms to small businesses and sided with business owners. Voted against.
• Councilmember Strowman: Moved to continue the item for two weeks to allow further discussion. He noted all speakers support summer nights, just need more time.
• Councilmember Temang: Opposed continuance, saying constituents overwhelmingly want summer nights back (heard from 30 people during campaign). He believed no alternative location will be found and voted for approval.
• Mayor: Asked Summer Nights President whether a two-week delay would cripple them. She responded that it could end the event due to planning and ordering deadlines. Mayor also asked Carl Koth if progress could be made; Koth said yes, and submitted solutions. Mayor then voted no on continuance, and later voted to approve permit with condition to continue working with affected businesses.

Key Outcomes

• Summer Nights special alcohol permit (Item 29) was approved by a vote of 5-4 (Maher yes, Roberts no, Strowman no, See Chris no, Bieberdorf yes, Temang yes, Evans no, Meyer yes, Mayor yes) with the condition that organizers continue to work with impacted business owners for reasonable accommodations.
• All other consent and public hearing items were approved as noted.