Mitchell City Council to vote on campaign finance reports

• Mel Olson

Mel Olson

Talk about it

The Mitchell City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on requiring candidates and ballot committees to file campaign finance reports.

Councilman Mel Olson has been pushing the concept and it has been discussed at two council meetings, on July 18 and on Sept. 6.

The council will hold the first reading of Ordinance 2376, Adopting Campaign Finance Law Disclosure Requirements, tonight and, if it passes, a second reading and possible adoption is set for Oct. 3.

Olson, a former legislator, has said repeatedly he was amazed to discover when he filed to run for council that no campaign finance reports were

required. All other local politicians, for school, county or state offices, must do so.

Olson has generated support from several members of the council, but

one councilman, Dan Allen, has spoken out against the law and other councilmen have raised questions.

Mayor Lou Sebert said he worries that adding this level of paperwork may chase away prospective city candidates and also raised the question of how the law could be enforced.

Olson originally called for candidates to report donations of $100 or more from a person or group but Enterprises LLC, dba One-Eyed Jack’s Casino of Mitchell at 1401 North Main St., Suite 108 A & B.

• Award a bid on a Fire Division emergency medical vehicle.

Premier Specialty Vehicles, of Sioux Falls, submitted the sole bid of $149,756.

Award a bid on City Project 2011-38; a three-year deal on airport farmland. There are six bids, ranging from $307,500 to $424,500.

City Project 2012-5, a threeyear airport pastureland deal, City Project 2012-6. There is one bid, from Don Blindauer, for $500 per year.

• Consider adopting Resolution 2945, creating Tax Increment District 16.

It was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission last week.

• Consider Resolution 2946, relocation of a historic bridge, Phase III. The city is applying for a grant of $180,290, with the city pledging a $39,710 on the $220,000 project.

• Consider Resolution 2947, declaring two hazardous sidewalks and the city’s intent to repair or replace them and bill the property owner.

They are at 427 E. 14th Ave. and 1123 E. Second Ave.

• Consider Resolution 2948, the plat of lots 1 and 2 of MTI Trades Center Addition, and a portion of MTI Drive.

• Hold the second reading of Ordinance 2372, rezoning real property from public lands district to highway oriented business and amending the Official Zoning Map of the city of Mitchell.

The Planning Commission tabled this request last week because no one attended the meeting to answer questions and made no recommendation.

• Consider Ordinance 2373, the city’s 2012 annual appropriation ordinance.

• Consider Ordinance 2374, amending Mitchell City Ordinance 8-9-6-B(1) regarding sewer rates and charges.

• Consider Ordinance 2375, supplemental appropriations for projects in the city cemetery, in city parks and the golf course.

• Consider approval of automatic supplement to the Special Revenue Fund, Parks & Recreation, in the amount of $556 for Recreation Center supplies and repairs, from a refund.

• Consider the application of the ParTee Bar for a Special Event Liquor License at the Corn Palace on Oct. 14 for the Pheasant Country banquet.

• Notice of Acceptability for Phase I Bike Path — City Project 2010-1 to Commercial Asphalt, dba Spencer Quarries Inc.

• Review raffle requests from SoDakSACA, with the drawing to be held Oct. 8; Avera Brady Assisted Living, with drawing to be held Dec. 15; LB Williams PTO, with the drawing to be held Oct. 23; and Dakota Wesleyan University men’s and women’s basketball programs, with the drawings to be held at home basketball games.

• Approve these pay estimates:

South Side Water Tower Project 2009-30 contracted to SPN & Associates. Pay estimate 22 in the amount of $3,633.40.

Bide Path Phase I 2010-1 contracted to Commercial Asphalt. Pay estimate 7, final, in the amount of $27,540. Change order 4 in the amount of $21,276.20, which reduces the original contract amount to $441,142.06.

Pebble Beach sidewalk project 2011-4A contracted to Big O Concrete. Pay estimate 2 in the amount of $28,503.12.

Sidewalk hazardous project 2011-4C contracted to Big O Concrete. Pay estimate 6 in the amount of $2,545.27.

Mentzer sidewalk project 2011-4D contracted to Big O Concrete. Pay estimate 3 in the amount of $1,908.

Curb and gutter project 2011-14A & B contracted to Rexwinkel Concrete. Pay estimate 4 in the amount of $12,144.35.

Paving and overlay project 2011-15 contracted to Commercial Asphalt. Pay estimate 8 in the amount of $96,895.76.

Spruce corridor study 2011-20 contracted to Rexwinkel Concrete. Pay estimate 6 in the amount of $5,637.50.

• The Public Works Committee, Traffic Commission and Finance Committee will meet before the council meeting.

No information on the meetings was provided with the council agenda.

• A Northridge Baptist representative is scheduled to give the invocation.

raised that total to $250 in a calendar year at the Sept. 6 meeting and had now used that figure in the proposed ordinance.

It calls for candidates and ballot committees to file reports within 10 days after an election. They must list the name and address of anyone who donated $250 or more to their campaign either in cash or through in-kind contributions.

A failure to do so would mean a successful candidate could not be seated or paid, and a sitting member of the council or mayor would also not be paid.

Under the proposed ordinance, if a ballot committee does not file, the result of the public vote would not be certified until the report is filed.

The Focus 2020 Government Structures Committee recommended creating laws to require municipal candidates to file campaign finance reports.

The City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 612 N. Main St. The meeting is open to the public and is also shown live on The Daily Republic website, www.mitchellrepublic.com

In other business, the council will:

• Hold a discussion on the Davison County Local Emergency Operations Plan.

• Review and accept a July report from the Finance Department and August reports from the Police and Fire divisions, Mitchell Regional Ambulance, Palace Transit, the Water Department, Mitchell Regional Airport, Golf and Cemetery Department and the Parks and Recreation Department as well as August building permits.

• Set an Oct. 3 hearing on the application of the S & H Marketing LLC, doing business as Signatures, for a Special Event Malt Beverage and Wine License at the Pepsi Cola Theatre on Oct. 23 for the Sherwin Linton concert.

• Hold a hearing on the application to transfer a Retail (on-sale) Liquor License (RL-5764) to include Sunday sales from Bathke Enterprises LLC, dba One-Eyed Jack’s Casino Suite 108A, to Bathke

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