Focus 2020 ideas on agenda

A discussion of Focus 2020 recommendations regarding the creation of a city-manager position and the construction of a community center are on the agenda for this evening’s Mitchell City Council meeting at City Hall.

Focus 2020 is a volunteer, long-range local planning group that issued recommendations last year for the Mitchell area’s future. Among those recommendations was the construction of a community center which, at various points in the idea stage, has included an arena, wellness center and indoor pool.

Officials from city government, Avera Queen of Peace Health Services and Dakota Wesleyan University have been discussing possibilities for a joint project on the DWU campus, but there have been few reports to the public of late.

The recommendation to build a community center came from Focus 2020’s Regional Health Care Subcommittee, which said in its report that a community center “would benefit the citizens of Mitchell, the students at DWU, the employees of Avera Queen of Peace, and patients seeking rehabilitation services from the Mitchell region.”

The city-manager recommendation came from Focus 2020’s Government Structures Subcommittee. In its report, the subcommittee said that most South Dakota cities of Mitchell’s size have some kind of full-time administrator in addition to a mayor. Mitchell has a mayor who has traditionally served in a fulltime capacity for part-time pay.

“A city manager would be similar in many ways to a school superintendent,” the report said. “That person would be accountable to the city council and would oversee operations of city government.”

The council meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The community-center and city-manager items are listed for “discussion,” with no further elaboration, toward the beginning of the agenda.

The council meeting will be preceded by meetings of the Traffic Commission at 6 p.m., the Public Health and Safety Committee at 6:25 p.m., the Sidewalk Committee at 7:05 p.m. and the Finance Committee at 7:20 p.m.

In scheduled business this evening, council members plan to:

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from Scott Morgan that 2100 Highland Way be closed directly in front of Blarney’s between Blarney’s and the Comfort Inn for Blarney’s second annual 3-on-3 Post High School Tournament on Saturday, July 17, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Committee for a parade permit for the rodeo parade scheduled for Saturday, July 17, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Additionally, it is requested that no cars be allowed to park on either side of the streets along the parade route as well as the area on Main Street that is used to line up parade entries. This would encompass the following areas: Main Street from 12th Avenue south to First Avenue; First Avenue from Main Street east to Lawler Street; and Lawler Street north to Seventh Avenue.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from Gary Walton that a yield sign be placed on the corner of north Winsor Street and East Second Avenue.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from Mark Schilling that Sixth Avenue from Lawler Street to Main Street be closed for the Corn Palace decorating crew display. The estimated start date is June 1 with an estimated end date of Aug. 10. Schilling also would like a discussion about barrier types used for the closure.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from Jackpot Gamblin’ that the 500 block of north Main Street be closed on June 19 from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. on June 20 for a street dance. This request would be pending the City Council’s approval of a street dance and consumption permit.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from Ryan Tupper of the Corn Palace Youth Triathlon Committee to close and have no parking on Aug. 21 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on East Hanson Street from South Kittridge Street to Foster Street; east Birch Avenue that runs through Hitchcock Park; and the diagonal road running through Hitchcock Park that starts at the corner of South Gamble and East Hanson and meets with East Birch in the park; and to have no parking on either side of Foster Street from east Hanson to Seventh Avenue.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, from the Heart & Sole Cancer Walk/Run Committee to close Eighth Avenue from Minnesota Street to Iowa Street and the Cadwell Park entrance to Eighth Avenue on Friday, June 18, from 5 to 9 p.m. for the Cancer Walk/Run events.

• Hear a request, during the Traffic Commission meeting, that the following temporary traffic modifications be made for the Lowell Rang Memorial Tournament June 26 and 27: create a single entrance to Cadwell Park by modifying West Eighth Avenue to become a one-way north into the parking area, with additional signage; and creating a single exit from Cadwell Park by modifying 13th Avenue to become one-way east from the parking area until it exits onto north Minnesota Street, also requiring additional signage.

• Consider, sitting as the Public Health and Safety Committee, an item described only as city beautification.

• Consider, during the Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, applications for the following fireworks permits: Heart & Sole Cancer Walk/Run on June 18, and the Lake Mitchell fireworks on July 4.

• Consider, sitting as the Sidewalk Committee, the sidewalk at the new Pepsi-Cola Soccer Complex.

• Consider, sitting as the Sidewalk Committee, a proposed sidewalk for Muth Electric at 1717 N. Sanborn Blvd.

• Review, sitting as the Finance Committee, sales-tax collections for the first quarter of 2010.

• Open the City Council meeting with an invocation, roll call and approval of the agenda and prior meeting’s minutes.

• Invite citizens’ input on non-agenda items.

• Discuss Focus 2020 recommendations including a community center and citymanager position.

• Set, sitting as the Board of Adjustment, June 7 as the date for hearings on the application of Jason Hohn for a variance to construct a garage at 1420 E. Ash, and the application of Randy Seppala for a variance to construct an addition to an existing garage at 1521 E. Third Ave.

• Review, sitting as the Board of Adjustment, the conditional-use permit held by Roger Kulm at 1001 S. Rowley St.

• Hear oral reports from the committees that met prior to the council meeting.

• Receive and approve written reports from 11 city boards and committees, all of which are included in the agenda packet.

• Conduct a hearing on the application to transfer an onoff-sale wine license from Fredericksen Restaurants Inc., doing business as Burr Street Barbeque, to Fredericksen Motels Inc., doing business as Corn Palace Motel, located at 902 S. Burr St.

• Conduct a hearing on the application to transfer an onsale liquor license from TG Partnership to James L. and Dorothy V. Tipton, doing business as Pirogues BBX, located at 1300 S. Burr St.

• Conduct a hearing on the application to transfer an onoff-sale wine license from Kelly J. Hohn, doing business as Platinum Players Club, to Kelly J. Hohn, doing business as Platinum Players Club, located at 719 N. Sanborn Blvd.

• Consider adopting a plat of Lot 7 in Tract D, Wild Oak Golf Club Addition; a plat of Lot 3 in Replat of Tract E, Wild Oak Golf Club Addition; and a plat of Lot 12 in the Replat of Tract E, Wild Oak Golf Club Addition.

• Consider a resolution declaring lots 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12 and 16 feet of vacated alley, Block 49, less abutting vacated Davison Street, Cooley and Guernsey Addition, to be surplus property (a map in the agenda booklet indicates this is a vacant land parcel located at the southwest corner of South Burr Street and East Ash Avenue).

• Consider a resolution declaring lots B and C of Block 50 and lots 6, 7 and 8 of Block 50, except lots H-1 and H-2 of lot 6, Cooley and Guernsey Addition, to be surplus property (a map in the agenda booklet indicates this is a vacant land parcel located at the southeast corner of South Burr Street and East Ash Avenue).

• Consider a resolution declaring lots 13, 14, 15 and 16 and the west half of a vacated alley abutting said lots, Block 5, Rowley’s Second Addition, to be surplus property (a map in the agenda booklet indicates this is a land parcel near the T-intersection of North Minnesota Street and West Eighth Avenue).

• Conduct the second reading and final vote on an ordinance that would supplement the city budget with $342,061 for street overlay maintenance, with funding from the re-appropriation of a budgeted equipment item in the amount of $190,000, and from the transfer of $152,061 from the events center savings fund; and with $25,000 for a lighting upgrade at the Hitchcock Park tennis courts, with funding from an operating transfer out of the general fund in the amount of $12,500, and from a donation in the amount of $12,500.

• Conduct the first reading of an ordinance that would supplement the city budget with $20,000 for worker’s compensation, with funding from the general fund cash balance; $3,000 for retaining wall and sidewalk, with funding from the general fund cash balance; $2,300 for city beautification, with funding from a reimbursement of funds; $22,500 for insurance, from the park fund cash balance; $4,025 for RSVP/Palace Transit building repair, with funding from grant funds; and $2,636 for compensated absences in the Water Department, with funding from the water fund cash balance.

• Set June 7 as the date for a hearing on applications to renew malt-beverage licenses.

• Consider a request from Jackpot Gamblin’ for streetdance, consumption and noise permits for June 19.

• Consider a fireworks permit application for July 4 from the Exchange Club.

• Consider authorizing Public Safety Chief Lyndon Overweg to apply for an Assistance to Firefighters grant.

• Consider a $9,900 owner/engineer agreement with Roby, Quintal and Everson for a boiler-replacement project at the public library.

• Consider an $11,121 easement agreement with Charles J. Mauszycki Jr. for landed needed for a bike path.

• Consider the request of Holy Spirit Catholic Church to conduct a raffle.

• Consider an automatic supplement to the fire portion of the general fund in the amount of $1,444, from grant funds for oxygen-monitor equipment.

• Consider an automatic supplement to the parks, recreation and forestry fund in the amount of $15,200, for softball-field portable fencing at Cadwell Park, from a donation of funds.

• Consider paying estimates and bills.

Tags: focus 2020, city council, news, local