2026-07-21 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official approved minutes (no agenda or video on file). Meeting adjourned at 7:03 PM.

First meeting of the newly seated Council: all eight Council Members (Basye, Merkouris, Okuwe, Oppenheimer, Pankonin, Sigette, Spellerberg, Thomason) and Mayor Erickson present. Every roll call was 8-0.
Consent agenda approved 8-0 (moved by Basye, seconded by Spellerberg); regular agenda approved 8-0 (Merkouris, Sigette).
Elected Merkouris Council Chair, Sigette Vice Chair and Basye Audit Committee Chair, each 8-0.
Approved 8-0 a motion letting the Council's Operations Committee appoint an interim Chief Administrative Officer for no more than six months.
Adopted Ordinance 56-26 (lease of City real property) and Resolution 76-26 (resolution of intent for the lease), each 8-0.
Adopted Resolution 77-26 appointing members to citizen boards, 8-0.
First readings, each with second reading set for August 5 (8-0): rezoning south of E. 33rd St. and east of Veterans Pkwy. to Conservation (Planning Commission recommended approval 5-0), and supplemental appropriations.
Set hearings for August 5 (liquor licenses) and August 11 (seven special assessment rolls).
Approved Items 33 to 39 (liquor license transfers and one-day licenses) 8-0.
Public input covered congratulations to newly elected officials, transparency, difficulty locating city information, educational forums, community conversations, a drainage improvement project, communication, the first female Mayor of Sioux Falls, T. Denny Sanford, and praise for elected officials.

Mayor Erickson passed the gavel to Chair Merkouris. Chair: nominated by Okuwe, seconded by Spellerberg, 8 for Merkouris. Vice Chair: nominated by Spellerberg, seconded by Okuwe, 8 for Sigette. Audit Committee Chair: nominated by Oppenheimer, seconded by Sigette, 8 for Basye.

Item 45, sponsored by Merkouris and Sigette: authorizes the Operations Committee to appoint an interim Chief Administrative Officer within existing Council budget parameters for up to six months. Merkouris moved, Sigette seconded; 8-0. No name given. See also Chief Administrative Officer Job Description and Appointment of Sara Combs as Chief Administrative Officer.

Ordinance 56-26 (second reading) approving a lease of City real property: Spellerberg, Basye; 8-0. Resolution 76-26 of intent to lease the West 85 feet of Lots 1 and 2, Block 10, J.L. Phillips' Addition (term over 120 days, annual value over $500): Sigette, Spellerberg; 8-0.

Resolution 77-26 (Oppenheimer, Merkouris), 8-0: Jarrod Otta reappointed to the Solid Waste Planning Board; Bryan Anfinson (replacing David Locke) and Marisa Foster (replacing Jesse Morris) appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment; each term August 2026 to August 2029.

First reading, Planning Commission case 022984-2026: property south of E. 33rd St. and east of Veterans Pkwy. from RS Single-Family Residential-Suburban to CN Conservation. Applicant Western Hills, LLC (Steve VanBuskirk). Oppenheimer moved and Pankonin seconded setting second reading for August 5; 8-0.

First reading of an ordinance providing supplemental appropriations (sponsor: Mayor); Sigette moved, Spellerberg seconded setting second reading for August 5; 8-0.

Consent items 25 to 31 set August 11 hearings on special assessment rolls for snow removal, litter removal, weed and grass mowing, tree trimming, repair or demolition of real property, concrete sidewalk replacement, and removal of dead, diseased or insect-infested trees.

Consent agenda also carried contracts over $100K (memorandum of July 17), surplus property disposition (memorandum of June 30), one-day liquor licenses for events from July 23 to September 16, and seven property tax abatements the Council concurred with the Minnehaha County Commission on (2023 to 2025 taxes; amounts from $481.71 to $2,922.26; reasons: owner occupancy removed in error, or Disabled Veteran exemption under SDCL 10-4-40 and 10-4-41).
Hearings set for August 5 on new retail malt beverage and wine licenses for Kwik Trip (Kwik Star, 7151 South Santa Rosa Court) and four Sodexo America venues (Midco Ice Arena, Edith Mortensen Center, Elmen Center and Ronken Field).
Unfinished business, Items 33 to 39, approved 8-0 (Sigette, Spellerberg): package license transfer from Taylor Oil Company to Casey's Retail Company (3300 South Minnesota Avenue); malt beverage transfers and a renewal for Commonwealth Gaming and Holdings Corp (1918 West 41st Street); transfer for Walter's Hi-Ho (1014 East 8th Street) from BRM Ventures LLC to GA Ventures LLC; and one-day licenses for the Taste of Goodness (August 1) and a Downtown Art and Wine Walk (August 7).
Notice of transfer of appropriations on the memorandum of June 26, 2026 received.