Spearfish City Council Regular Session – September 21, 2026

The Spearfish City Council met for its regular session on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 625 5th Street, Spearfish. Mayor Senden presided. Councilmembers Hafner, Hourigan, Klarenbeek, Myers, and Rath were present; Councilmember Jacobs was absent. City Administrator Wysocki, Finance Officer DeNeui, Public Works Director McMahon, Police Chief Smith, Fire Chief Deaver, Parks and Recreation Director McDonald, Assistant Planning Director Ecker, Assistant Public Works Director Caron, and Streets and Solid Waste Superintendent Barrie were also present. The meeting opened with an invocation by Pastor Steve Miller of Grace Fellowship and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Council amended the agenda to remove item 13B and to change item 13E from "Ratify" to "Approve" the FMG Engineering agreement. The amended agenda was approved.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the September 2, 2026, City Council study session; the September 8, 2026, regular session; the September 9, 2026, special sessions at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.; the September 10, 2026, special session at 4:00 p.m.; and the Treasurer's Report dated August 31, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rosalie Aslesen thanked Sgt. Bush for an email response and objected to the invocation as currently conducted, saying it was not inclusive. She urged the Council to invite diverse faiths and non-religious speakers, noted the city has no written invocation policy, and expressed concern that asking people to stand could be seen as a religious test.
• Jay DeSort requested that the Council stop opening meetings with an invocation, called the practice unconstitutional, asked the city attorney to research the issue, and said he would submit a Citizen Request Form.
• Gary Smith raised concerns about the negative number in the proposed 2027 budget and about the city's variance reporting method, which he said compares a current month to year-end totals and could permit a large negative variance by December 31.
• Doug Markworth thanked city staff, personally supported Piotr "Peter" Wysocki, but opposed the city administrator pay rate and contract provisions. He called the Condrey study "rigged," objected to the severance amount and the 180-day employment protection tied to a change of mayor, and urged the Council to vote no and refine the contract.

Discussion Items

• Added and adjusted wages: Approved the budgeted wage for Parks Maintenance & Forestry Superintendent at $42.03 per hour and part-time Recreation Assistant at $22.12 per hour. This was a roll-call vote, 5-0.
• Finance – Ordinance 1431: Approved the second reading of Ordinance 1431, the 2027 Appropriations Ordinance. Finance Officer DeNeui reported total revenues just over $52 million, total expenses of $54 million, and a resulting use of cash of $1.8 million, which she said is permissible under state law for one-time purchases. She also noted the city's reserve requirement is 30% for the general fund and 20% for most other funds; the reserve requirement is about $9.6 million, while current cash and investments total $55.4 million, leaving $45.8 million above the reserve requirement.
• Finance – Ordinance 1432: Approved the first reading of Ordinance 1432, supplementing the 2026 Appropriations Ordinance. The ordinance increases budget authority by $313,067 for police/city hall camera system and rec center projects, reduces the street budget by the same amount, and provides budget authority for library furniture purchases using the library gift fund. The library gift fund balance was reported as $414,190 as of the end of August 2026.
• Human Resources – PSAP consolidation: Approved a series of items related to the consolidation of the city's communication center with Lawrence County: authorized reimbursing Lawrence County for communications officer Frances Weglin's employment costs from September 23 through December 26, 2026; authorized the sick-leave payout for communications officer Brian Vosburg despite his being 40 days short of the seven-year employment requirement, with an estimated payout of about $3,900; authorized health, dental, vision, and à la carte insurance coverage for Dawn Lolley, Brian Vosburg, and Izabel Johnson for January 2027 to avoid a coverage lapse; authorized the three transferring officers to retain city recreation memberships until they are no longer employed by Lawrence County; and authorized transferring employees to elect conversion of a portion of accrued vacation/PTO to a cash equivalent, including payroll taxes and other required costs, transferred to Lawrence County.
• Human Resources – City Administrator contract: Approved the employment contract for Piotr "Peter" Wysocki as City Administrator. HR staff highlighted compensation at grade 28, step 6, or $197,946; a tiered severance provision; and a 180-day employment protection tied to a change of mayor. The vote was 5-0.
• Parks and Recreation: Authorized city staff to advertise the bid package for the indoor baseball training facility once all necessary items are received from the Spearfish Baseball Association. Staff noted the association is funding the building and the facility will be returned to the city; insurance and utility responsibilities were discussed. The vote was 5-0.
• Public Works – Snow removal: Awarded the lowest responsive and responsible bid for Zone A Snow Removal to AusCar X, LLC, based on bids opened September 2, 2026. Assistant Public Works Director Caron said the contract covers the Rec Center parking lot; AusCar X's bid rates include $160 per hour for a payloader, $125 per hour for a skid steer, and $135 per hour for a truck with operator. The vote was 5-0.
• Public Works – Spearfish Creek Bank Stabilization Change Order: Approved Final Under/Over Change Order #1 for the Spearfish Creek Bank Stabilization Project with a net increase of $1,576.14. Adding clean rock increased costs by $1,821.84, while reduced riprap quantities decreased costs by $245.70. The original contract amount was $146,556, and the final project cost is $148,132.14. The vote was 5-0.
• Public Works – Transportation Alternatives Grant: Adopted Resolution 2026-21 authorizing submission of an application to the State Transportation Alternatives Grant Program for paving the Rad Route to School. The resolution references the 2025 Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan and authorizes required matching funds if the grant is awarded. Staff said the project would make the route ADA-compliant and would evaluate two alignments: one from the North Canyon Street cul-de-sac and one on city property connecting into the park.
• Public Works – FMG Engineering Agreement: Approved the FMG Engineering agreement for engineering services related to the Transportation Grant Alternatives application at a total cost of $2,200. The vote was 5-0.
• Bills: Approved the bill list dated September 21, 2026, totaling $844,595.28.
• Departmental Discussion – Safety Stand Down Day: The biennial Safety Stand Down Day will be held Wednesday, September 23, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Rec Center will be open 5:30-8:00 a.m. and reopen 2:00-8:00 p.m., with 24-hour access maintained; the library will be closed from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and reopen 2:00-7:00 p.m.; city offices will be closed from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; trash collection will be unchanged; and the rubble site will remain open.
• Departmental Discussion – Other updates: Wysocki was welcomed as City Administrator. A joint community open house on the Title 15 rewrite and Spearfish Creek preservation plan will be held September 30, 2026, at the City Park pavilion with consultants Clarion and ISG. Parks and Recreation staff have met with USDA and NRCS about an emergency watershed protection program related to the Lookout Mountain fire; the application window is 60 days, funding would be 75% federal with a 25% local match that could include in-kind labor, and the city is considering applying. Police Chief Smith reported that after the PSAP consolidation, there will be no dispatcher on site at the Spearfish Police Department Monday-Friday from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or on weekends; non-emergency callers should contact the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office at 605-578-2230, and a lobby phone is being installed. Finance Officer DeNeui reminded the public that the general election is November 3, 2026; the voter registration deadline is October 19 at 5:00 p.m.; absentee voting began September 18; and county staff will be at Hudson Hall October 19 through November 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Public Works Director McMahon said the downtown mill and overlay project is scheduled to begin the next week and, weather permitting, be completed before the October 2 homecoming parade.

Key Outcomes

• All action items on the amended agenda were approved; roll-call items passed 5-0, with Councilmember Jacobs absent.
• Ordinance 1431 passed its second reading. Ordinance 1432 passed its first reading and will return for a second reading.
• Resolution 2026-21 was adopted, authorizing the city to apply for the State Transportation Alternatives Grant Program and to use FMG Engineering for the application.
• The employment contract for City Administrator Piotr "Peter" Wysocki was approved, and he was welcomed by the Council and staff.
• The final change order for the Spearfish Creek Bank Stabilization Project was approved, and the snow removal contract for Zone A was awarded to AusCar X, LLC.
• Staff will proceed with advertising the indoor baseball training facility bid package once the Spearfish Baseball Association provides all necessary items, and will evaluate eligibility for the USDA/NRCS emergency watershed protection program.
• The PSAP consolidation transition is scheduled to become official in December 2026.
• The meeting adjourned at 6:36 p.m.