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2026-05-12 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official approved minutes (adjourned 6:12 PM). No agenda or video on file.

  • Present: Thomason, Barranco (by tele-com), Brown, Merkouris, Sigette, Soehl, Spellerberg and Mayor TenHaken. Absent: Basye.
  • Invocation by Pastor Erich McCandless of Empire Baptist Temple.
  • Consent agenda approved 7-0 by roll call (moved by Merkouris, seconded by Thomason). It included the minutes of the May 5 informational and regular meetings, the contracts over $100K memorandum dated May 8, the notice of contracts under $100K and change orders over $100K through April 30, two requests to consume (not sell) alcohol at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum (June 11 and June 18), a special one-day liquor license for T Slat Inc. at the Old Courthouse Museum (wedding, May 16), a special one-day malt beverage license for BLRR Sioux Falls LLC on Lake Lorraine (hobby horse relay, June 20), and the 2026-2027 retail malt beverage renewals (Exhibit B).
  • Regular agenda approved 7-0 by roll call (Merkouris, Thomason).
  • Ordinance 35-26, second reading of the rezoning of 3001 N. Van Eps Ave., adopted 6-0 with Soehl excused under City Ordinance 30.017.
  • Resolution 55-26 giving consent to Mayoral appointments to citizen boards adopted 7-0.
  • New business: none.
  • General public input touched on mass surveillance systems, making good decisions, paying attention to noxious needs, and testing the soil around the Smithfield location.
  • Adjourned 6:12 PM on a voice vote, 7-0 (moved by Thomason, seconded by Spellerberg). Minutes signed by Assistant City Clerk Tamara Jorgensen.

Van Eps Avenue Duplex Rezoning

  • Item 14, second reading of Ordinance 35-26 (case 22593-2026), deferred from the May 5 meeting: rezones 3001 N. Van Eps Ave. from RA-1 Apartment Residential-Low Density to RD-1 Twin Home/Duplex Residential-Suburban and amends the Official Zoning Map. The Planning Commission recommended approval 4-0. Private applicant: Ehrhart Griffin & Associates, represented by Shannon Johnson.
  • Spellerberg moved and Thomason seconded adoption; roll call 6-0 (Thomason, Barranco, Brown, Merkouris, Sigette, Spellerberg). Soehl was excused from the meeting and the vote on this item under City Ordinance 30.017.

Citizen Board Appointments

  • Item 15, Resolution 55-26 (sponsor: Mayor), adopted 7-0 by roll call. Thomason moved and Brown seconded.
  • Planning Commission, each for a term from June 2026 to June 2031: Bradley Jans and Ryan Olson. Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA): Michelle Erpenbach, reappointed for a term from August 2026 to August 2031.
  • Attested by City Clerk Jermery J. Washington; dated 05/12/26.

Public input

  • Topics: mass surveillance systems (see Flock Cameras for the later surveillance-camera discussion; the minutes of this meeting do not name a specific system), making good decisions, paying attention to noxious needs, and testing the soil around the Smithfield location. No Council action.

Sources