Local Politics
  1. Home
  2. US
  3. South Dakota
  4. Sioux Falls
  5. Meetings

2026-05-19 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official approved minutes (adjourned 6:46 PM). No agenda or video on file.

  • Present: Basye, Brown, Merkouris, Sigette, Soehl, Spellerberg and Thomason. Absent: Barranco and Mayor TenHaken. Council Chair Merkouris presided.
  • Invocation by Rev. Constanze Hagmaier, Bishop of the South Dakota Synod, ELCA.
  • Consent agenda approved 7-0 (Brown, Spellerberg). It included the minutes of the May 12 informational and regular meetings, the contracts over $100K memorandum of May 15, two surplus property dispositions (memoranda of April 30 and May 12), three requests to consume (not sell) alcohol at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum (June 26, July 17 and September 26), special one-day liquor and malt beverage licenses for T Slat Inc., and Great Bear Recreation Park Inc., and renewals of malt beverage licenses for Yummy Crab and Cenex Zip Trip.
  • Hearings set for Wednesday, June 3, 2026 on new retail malt beverage and wine licenses for EB Sioux Falls LLC (Early Bird Brunch) and Alo Nail Bar LLC, a wine and malt license for Fernson Taphouse LLC (Totally Rad Pizza), and a liquor and wine license transfer from River Greenway Hospitality LLC to Crave SD LLC at 201 East 8th Street.
  • Regular agenda approved 7-0 (Sigette, Brown).
  • Unfinished business, Items 23 to 28 approved together 7-0 (Basye, Spellerberg): new wine licenses for Hacienda Jalisco LLC, Diamond Dogs LLC (Ken's Korner) and PTLS Distribution LLC (Loud Smoke and Brews, which also received a malt beverage license); transfer of a malt beverage license with video lottery placement from Honesty Counts LLC (Aces Casino) to Commonwealth Gaming & Holdings Inc; and a transfer and a renewal for Plum's Cooking Company LLC.
  • Costco rezoning (Ordinance 22595-2026) second reading deferred to the June 3 regular meeting, 7-0.
  • Seven rezoning ordinances and two zoning ordinance amendments had first readings, each with a second-reading date set (all passed).
  • Resolutions 56-26 and 57-26 (right-of-way vacations) adopted 6-0 with Spellerberg excused; Resolution 58-26 (annexation legal description correction) and Resolution 59-26 (Arts and Cultural Plan) adopted 7-0.
  • General public input: homelessness, housing, and resources for the homeless.
  • Adjourned 6:46 PM on a voice vote, 7-0 (Brown, Soehl). Minutes signed by City Clerk Jermery J. Washington.

Costco Grange Avenue Rezoning

  • Item 29, second reading: rezoning 3800 S. Grange Ave. from I-1 Light Industrial to C-4 Commercial-Regional (22595-2026). Applicant Costco Wholesale Corporation, Lawrence Dziurdzik. Planning Commission recommended approval 4-0.
  • Soehl moved and Brown seconded deferral to the June 3 regular meeting; 7-0. The minutes give no reason.

Joint Zoning Ordinance Amendments

  • Item 30, first reading of the Chapter 159 (Comprehensive Extraterritorial Zoning Regulations, General Provisions) amendment: second reading set for May 26. Spellerberg moved, Basye seconded; 7-0.
  • Item 31, first reading of the Section 159.002 (Purpose) amendment: second reading set for May 26. Sigette moved, Brown seconded; 7-0.
  • Both were adopted a week later at the 2026-05-26 - Joint Sioux Falls City Council - Minnehaha County Commission Meeting.

First readings of rezonings (second reading set for June 3 unless noted)

Section Line Right-of-Way Vacations

  • Item 41, Resolution 56-26 (north/south 66-foot section line right-of-way, Sections 11 and 12, Township 101 North, Range 49 West) and Item 42, Resolution 57-26 (east/west 66-foot right-of-way, Sections 1 and 12). Applicant representative T.J. Nelson of Redstone Law Firm.
  • Both heard May 19; testimony in support and none in opposition; the land had not been used for public travel for at least 20 years. Soehl moved each, Sigette seconded Resolution 56-26 and Brown seconded Resolution 57-26; 6-0 each, Spellerberg excused under City Ordinance 30.017.

Sunset Creek Annexation Correction

  • Item 43, Resolution 58-26 (sponsor: Mayor) corrects the legal description in annexation Resolution 29-26 (adopted April 7, 2026), Annexation 022482-2026, Sunset Creek 2nd Addition. Spellerberg moved, Brown seconded; 7-0.

Arts Plan Adoption

  • Item 44, Resolution 59-26 (sponsor: Mayor) adopts the City of Sioux Falls Arts and Cultural Plan as a guiding document. Brown moved, Sigette seconded; 7-0. New business: none.

Sources