Mitchell City Council to consider $13.9M in bonds

Talk about it

The Mitchell City Council plans to move ahead on four major projects during tonight’s meeting. On Aug. 20, the council voted to invest $13.9 million in the Corn Palace, City Hall, the Mitchell Public Library and the Mitchell Activities Center. After months of debate and discussion, the council voted for $6.5 million in improvements and renovations to the Corn Palace, $2.6 million for a new City Hall, $2.5 million for a second ice rink at the Mitchell Activities Center and $2.3 million for upgrades to the Mitchell Public Library.

The council will discuss retaining the services of Dougherty & Company LLC for underwriting associated with the proposed $13.9 million sales tax revenue bond for the community projects.

The Sioux Falls firm is the only underwriting agency in the state, according to a letter from its senior vice president, Thomas Grimmond, and has worked for South Dakota municipalities for more than 35 years.

Grimmond wrote that while the city has $2.6 million in cash on hand, it can borrow money now at 2.84 percent interest. It would be wise to pay off existing bonds that are at a higher interest rate, he said, and issue bonds for much of the city improvements.

The council has also discussed raising money through donations and possibly by forming a business improvement district (BID), in which businesses such as hotels and motels agree to tax themselves to help fund a project.

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 612 N. Main St.

Arnie’s

Two long-simmering issues involving alcohol, a closed bar and a convenience store will also return to the council table.

Arnie’s First and Foster convenience store is once more seeking a license to sell alcohol to be consumed on the premises.

The council will set an Oct. 1 date for a hearing on the application to transfer a retail (on- and off-sale) malt beverage license from Bathke Enterprises LLC, doing business as Two-Eyed Jack’s Casino at 1401 N. Main St., Suite 108B, to LAB LLC, dba Arnie’s First & Foster C-Store at 1218 E. First Ave.

The business has been in a very public battle over alcohol for two years. Opponents tried to prevent the business from getting a license and the battle raged on in Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, City Council meetings and in other public and private forums.

In the end, the council allowed the business to sell malt beverages off-sale. Obtaining an on-sale license would allow Arnie’s to offer video lottery.

The council has discussed adopting new zoning regulations, including ones that govern businesses like Arnie’s in neighborhood shopping districts, but has yet to take final action on them.

The council will also once more consider Resolution 3003, the purchase of the old Longhorn Bar property for $1.

The council has discussed and debated this for months. The bar closed in November after part of a wall and the ceiling collapsed. The building has been deemed unsafe and it is uninsured.

The council will also consider approving an agreement with Earth Services & Abatement (ESA) for Longhorn Bar demolition for asbestos abatement and review a pay estimate of $1,250 for architect L.L. Jirsa for the project.

Other business

In other agenda items, the council will:

• Hear reports from the Traffic Commission and Finance Committee, which will meet before the council meeting.

The Finance Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. to go into a closed-door executive session to discuss contract negotiations with the three unions representing city workers, then to come out to discuss a cost-of-living pay increase for them, followed by a discussion of the 2013 annual appropriation ordinance.

The council will hold a second hearing and consider adopting Ordinance 2409, the 2013 annual appropriation ordinance.

The Traffic Commission will meet at 6:40 p.m. to review a request to close Eighth Street from Main to Rowley on Sept. 29 for a community consignment auction, as well as blockades to the Slumberland parking lot; hear a request for two crosswalks at the intersection of 23rd and Ohlman; hear a request to close Main from Sixth to Seventh avenues from noon to 8 p.m. on Oct. 16 for the POD clinic; review a request to reinstate the overnight parking restriction in the 100 block of East Third; hear a request to make the first and last parking spots on the south side of Midtown Plaza be 15- or 20-minute parking and consider a request to block off the city parking lot in the 100 block of North Rowley Street, on the east side, for a private auction from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13.

• Approve committee reports from the Finance Committee’s July 2 meeting, the Traffic Commission’s Aug. 20 meeting and the Public Health and Safety Committee’s Sept. 4 meeting.

• Sit as the Board of Adjustment to:

Set an Oct. 1 date for a hearing on the application of Bailey Metal Fabricators for a variance to construct an addition at 807 N. Rowley St. The request is being made because the front yard setback is not being met

Hold a hearing on the application of Jordan and Masondra Metzger for two variances to construct an accessory building at 901 E. Fourth Ave. The request is being made because the side yard corner and backyard setbacks are not being met.

Set an Oct. 1 date for a hearing on proposed resolution of necessity for hazardous and miscellaneous sidewalks.

Set an Oct. 1 date for a hearing on the application to transfer a retail (on- and off-sale) malt beverage license from VV Inc., doing business as Sudz at 508 E. Havens St., to VV Inc. dba Sudz at 508 and 510 E. Havens St.

• Consider adopting Resolution 3024, declaring 601 N. Wisconsin as having a hazardous sidewalk.

• Consider Resolution 3025, the plat of R.H. Swenson Tract 1.

• Consider Resolution 3026, which would transfer Lot 5 of Cabela’s Addition from the city to the Mitchell Area Development Corporation.

• Consider Resolution 3027, the plat of Lot B, a subdivision of Lots 10, 11 and 12, in Block Six, except that portion thereof lying between the west boundary line of Lot A and the east boundary line of Lot 9, in the original town (now city) of Mitchell.

• Hold the first reading on Ordinance 2410, supplemental appropriations of $175,000 from reserve funds to buy land for a new city hall; $38,605 for compensated absences, and $1,800 for traffic signs.

• Authorize the Police Division to accept a grant from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety to fund the South Central Alcohol Task Force for $18,441 with no matching monies required.

• Authorize the Police Division to accept a grant from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety for speed enforcement overtime of $11,520 with no matching monies from the city of Mitchell and $5,065.00 for a speed board which is an 80/20 match, with the city paying $1,013.

• Consider a request from the Senior Services Department’s RSVP program to apply for the Corporation for National Community Service Senior Corps RSVP grant in the amount of $71,579, applying for South Dakota Opportunity 1 serving 675 volunteers in Bon Homme, Clay, Davison and Yankton counties.

• Review the applications of the Palace City Lions Club for the following special event licenses at the Corn Palace and City Hall: special event malt beverage and wine license on Oct. 7 for the Night to Remember show; special event malt beverage and wine license on Nov. 10 for the Boogie Wonderland show; and special event malt beverage and wine license on Dec. 20 for the Oak Ridge Boys concert.

• Review these raffle requests: Mitchell Area Lawn Bowling Association, with the drawing to be held in May 2013; John Paul II School PTO, with the drawing to be held on Oct. 13; Mitchell High School boys and girls basketball, with the drawing to be held in December; Corn Palace Shrine Club, with the drawing to be held on Nov. 3; and My Fishing Pond Inc., with the drawing to be held on Oct. 19.

• Approve July reports from the Finance Department and Mitchell Public Library and August reports from the Police and Fire divisions, Mitchell Regional Ambulance, the Water Division, Mitchell Regional Airport, the Airport Board, and the Golf and Cemetery Department, as well as August building permits.

• Approve these pay estimates:

WWTP Service pumps and controls project 2011-41 contracted to SPN & Associate. Pay estimate 6 in the amount of $6,400.

Ash and Langdon sidewalk project 2012-4A contracted to Colwell Concrete Inc. Pay estimate 6 in the amount of $3,821.68.

Gamble /Eighth/Mentzer/Foster sidewalk project 2012-4B contracted to Big “O” Concrete. Pay estimate 4 in the amount of $12,724.08.

Water meters and transmitters project 2012-11 contracted to HD Supply. Pay estimate 7 in the amount of $23,685 and pay estimate 8 in the amount of $610.50.

Curb and gutter project 2012-14B contracted to Rexwinkle Concrete. Pay estimate 1 in the amount of $27,700.18.

Paving and overlay project 2012-15 contracted to Commercial Asphalt. Pay estimate 5 in the amount of $33,608.56.

Seventh Street from Sanborn to Montana project 2012-21 contracted to Schoenfelder Construction. Pay estimate 2 in the amount of $32,349.29.

Norway lift station project 2012-33 contracted to SPN & Associates. Pay estimate 6 in the amount of $3,800.

Old Longhorn Bar demolition project 2012-36 contracted to L.L. Jirsa, architect. Pay estimate 1, final, in the amount of $1,250.

Airport snow removal equipment building project AIP 25 contracted to Helms & Associates. Pay estimate 2 in the amount of $5,157.

• Hear an invocation from a Northridge Baptist Church representative.

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