Dell Rapids City Council Archives - Page 9 of 20 - Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Growth in Dell Rapids Strong in 2016

January 6, 2017 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The city of Dell Rapids eclipsed the $11 million mark in improvements again through building permits in 2016. The city had $11,816,021.31 worth of improvements in 2015, which was a record year. This year, Dell Rapids had a total of $11,023,410.08 worth of improvements. The city received a total of 261 building permit requests during the year that included 12 new buildings and 11 new homes.

The numbers were presented to the Dell Rapids City Council during their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 3rd. City Administrator Justin Weiland commented, “It was a positive year in building permits. Totals were really strong again and in line with the previous year.”

Dell Rapids has seen steady growth in construction over the last few years. In 2014 the city had $6.5 million worth of improvements with the big project being the new Ace Hardware building. In 2013 the city had $9.4 million in improvements on projects such as the new County Fair store, Casey’s, and Family Dollar.

Not only were building permits strong, the city also exceeded the $1 million mark in sales tax revenue through the month of November in 2016. Currently the sales tax revenue total is $1,060,266.89. This total is about a 6.13% increase over the total during the same time last year. Weiland mentioned to the council that the final numbers for sales tax revenue for the month of December should be available in the next couple of weeks.

Sales Tax Revenue Strong in Dell Rapids

December 12, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Despite reports of decrease in sales tax revenue in Sioux Falls and a current lower-than-predicted sales tax revenue for the state of South Dakota in 2016, sales tax revenue is trending strong in Dell Rapids for 2016. Through the end of October, the city of Dell Rapids has seen a 5.7% growth in sales tax revenue over the same period in 2015.

“We’ll break that $1 million mark again for sure, unless the bottom falls out in Nov and Dec, which I don’t anticipate happening…The new Shopko Hometown is a totally new introduction into our market that will bring our numbers up. As long as people are still supporting local here, we should be okay,” said City Administrator Justin Weiland.

Dell Rapids Mayor Tom Earley also made mention of El Tapatio opening as being great for the community and sales tax revenues.

Sales tax revenues are just over $950,000 through the end of October. November numbers should be available sometime in December, and December numbers available in early 2017.

Next Phase of Dell Rapids Waste Water Rate Increase is Coming

December 8, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The next phase of increasing the waste water rates for residents of Dell Rapids took a step closer to being implemented. During the Dell Rapids City Council regular meeting on Monday, December 5th, the council approved the first reading of two new ordinances.

Ordinance 842 will be adding a waste water surcharge of $8.60 to residents’ bills. However, Ordinance 843 will be a decrease in the base amount of waste water. Currently the base amount is $18.34. The ordinance will be lowering that base amount to $16.00, which will offset some of the $8.60 surcharge. The per 1,000 gallon rate of $5.06 will remain the same.

City Administrator Justin Weiland said, “The city, at the beginning of 2016, increased our rates knowing that we would be looking at this increase for this waste water treatment facility. So we wanted the impact of the customers to be rolled in and not have to be a large increase, we could taper it in over the course of a few years.”

Councilman Mark Crisp added, “This is something that we’ve known was coming for a year and a half now.”

Weiland also pointed out during the discussion that the city received grants in a total amount of $3,372,000, which is about 55% of the total cost of $5.5 million for the new waste water treatment facility. Weiland said that without those grant dollars the residents would have had an increase of almost double what the new surcharge increase will be.

If both ordinances pass the second reading at the next city council meeting, the new rates are slated to begin with the February 2017 cycle and billed in March.

The waste water facility project is being done by the city to come into compliance with ammonia discharge.

City Receives Grant for Campground Updates

November 28, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The City of Dell Rapids has received a $75,000 grant from the Land Water Conservation Fund through the State Game Fish and Parks Department. That grant will be dedicated towards the construction of a comfort station/shower house that will be near Rickeman Field.

“We went through the process of bidding that, and that came in a little bit higher I think than we had budgeted for this year. This goes a long way towards getting that building built though,” said City Administrator Justin Weiland during the Dell Rapids City Council regular meeting on Monday, November 21st.

Part of the grant funds will be used to expanding the campground in the former tractor pull area. The city has put both of these projects in the budget for 2017. Administration will start working on the planning phase of the projects to get the projects going in the spring of 2017 as soon as federal approval for the funding is received.

Dell Rapids City Council Undergoing Changes Again

November 21, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids City Council will once again undergo a change. During the regular meeting on Monday, November 21^st, it was announce that council member Mary Klockman is resigning her Ward 4 council seat as of the meeting.

This change is the third change to the council since the last election on April 12^th, 2016. Earley was appointed Mayor of Dell Rapids on September 6^th filling the vacancy left by Scott Fiegen. When Earley moved to the mayor position that left an opening in Ward 2. The council approved Barry Berg to fill the open seat for Ward 2 also during the September 6^th meeting.

The council had two options to fill the open spot in Ward 4. The council could appoint someone to that open seat. That individual would serve until the next municipal election in April of 2017. The council could also leave the seat open until the April 2017 election.

Councilman Mark Crisp said, “I think it should be filled. We should visit with people in Ward 4 and see if we can find somebody with some interest. It’s kind of a short period, but still, I think the position should be filled if we can.”

The council did not make a decision on the open position during their meeting. This will allow time to find potential replacements and bring those names to Mayor Earley. Earley’s mayor appointment, Berg’s Ward 2 appointment, and the appointment to fill the open seat for Ward 4 will all be up for vote at the next election on April 11^th, 2017.

SD DOT Projects Could Swap Construction Dates

October 19, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

City Administrator Justin Weiland told the Dell Rapids City Council that the scheduled Highway 115 projects by the South Dakota Department of Transportation for 2017 and 2018 could be swapping dates. That announcement came during Weiland’s Administrative report at the council’s regular meeting on Monday, October 17^th.

Weiland told the council that he met with the DOT on Friday, October 14th, and said, “Because this bridge is so far behind schedule, the DOT is pretty much set in stone at this point, unless we raise a bunch of red flags, of flip-flopping the sequencing of the Highway 115 project.”

The original plan by the SD DOT was to replace the south bridge on Highway 115 and the highway south in 2016, replace the north bridge and the road northward to the four-way stop plus the highway west from the four-way stop to the interstate in 2017, and then replace the Interstate 29 interchange in 2018.

“One of the things that I pointed out here is we’re planning the utility project for 2017. We have it budgeted. We’re borrowing that money from the DENR. We can’t close on that loan until the project is done, so that will push that loan until 2018, so we’ll be paying interest on that loan until 2018, just the water portion,” Weiland said. He also mentioned that there might be something that can be worked out with DENR or the DOT and more information will be requested on that.

Council members raised other concerns as well.

Councilman Gary Haak asked, “My question is, we would have more wear and tear on Garfield, are they going to help keep that up?”

Councilman Mark Crisp added, “So you start adding it up, $25,000 in interest and wear and tear on Garfield.”

Weiland also told the council, “We got them to phase it (the project) so that the Fourth Street intersection south, before they started the interchange, all of that would totally be open before they can shut down the interstate. Well, there might be about two or three months, if they’re not done with the bridge south, that they’re going to start the interchange. My whole deal (to the DOT) was we can’t pinch this whole town through Garfield. If you can’t get down on the interstate, and you can’t get down on Fourth Street south, the whole town is going to have to go down to Garfield. There’s a possibility there might be two or three months that might happen this spring until the bridge is open. Now, there might not. The bridge might be done and open. But they are still running into problems on the bridge.”

Haak also said, “It will be interesting if that doesn’t open and have a lot of snow, and we have a lot of traffic on Garfield, how that’s going to hold up. And the spring if it’s soft, and if we have flooding.”

Weiland said he would bring these concerns to the DOT. Weiland mentioned that a potential idea would be to put into the contract that the DOT can’t start on the interchange until the traffic is open on the bridge.

Dell Rapids City Council Recognizes Former Mayor Fiegen

October 18, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Former mayor Scott Fiegen and his wife Teri were recognized for their years of service to the city of Dell Rapids by the Dell Rapids City Council during the regular meeting on Monday, October 17^th.

Mayor Tom Earley said, “We want to express our appreciation and our best wishes to Scott and Teri as they enter a new venture with their move to Sioux Falls.”

Scott served the city of Dell Rapids for 16 years. He was an Alderman from 1998-2001, and he served as Dell Rapids mayor two different times, once from 2001-2007, and then again from 2009-2016. Scott also served as a District 25 State Senator in 2016.

“Many people voice concerns, but few take steps to be involved to see if they can make a difference. Scott you can certainly be proud of your work and your accomplishments that have greatly helped make Dell Rapids the community it is today. Your willingness to work with others, to listen to all sides of an issue, to look for the right way to accomplish a goal, these skills and values have directly benefitted our community and the people who chose to make Dell Rapids their home. This city council is a better council today because of your guidance and your leadership since 2001. Thank you for your service to Dell Rapids,” stated Mayor Earley.

Teri was also recognized by Mayor Earley for the many years on the board of the Dell Rapids Society for Historical Preservation, work on documenting information about the Dell Rapids and St Mary cemeteries, restoring the markers that identify the veterans in the cemetery, as well as providing educational and entertaining tours of the cemeteries.

“Thank you for all the things you have done to make Dell Rapids what it is today,” Mayor Earley said thanking Teri.

Scott was presented with a framed letter of proclamation of his service and his name plate from the Dell Rapids City Council. The presentation was held at the beginning of the meeting and can be seen in the archived video found by clicking this link.

New Street Signs in Dell Rapids

October 6, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Work has begun in Dell Rapids to replace the street signs throughout the community. During the Dell Rapids City Council’s regular meeting on Monday, October 3rd, City Administrator Justin Weiland mentioned to the council that work on this project just began suddenly, however this project has been discussed for the past two years.

Minnehaha County received a grant to replace the signs in every community within the county and along all of the county highways and townships. The thought was this project would be completed last year, but was not able to be completed in 2015. Weiland mentioned that with it being as late as it is in 2016, he wasn’t sure this project would be completed this year.

The county hired engineers to GPS all the locations the signs need to be placed. The engineering firm has studied all of the new standards of signage, and because of the new standards, some of the signs in Dell Rapids will be placed in different locations to meet those new standards. One of the big changes will be street signs will no longer be on light poles. That is no longer an approved placement for signs. Taller posts are being installed for stop signs, and street signs will be placed on top of those posts. Weiland stated that the old signs won’t come down until all the new signs are in place.

Weiland also said that the city has been provided a map of everything that is being replaced to make sure everything is replaced correctly. He said that the biggest change is that the school zone signs around River Community Church (old elementary school building) will be coming down and will not be replaced.

Dell Rapids City Council Appoints New Mayor

September 7, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The city of Dell Rapids has a new mayor until April 11th, 2017. During their regular meeting on Tuesday, September 6th, the Dell Rapids City Council appointed an interim mayor.

Councilman Mike Geraets made a motion to nominate Tom Earley as the interim mayor of the city of Dell Rapids. The motion was seconded by Councilman Gary Haak. No other nominations were submitted to the council for vote. The motion was unanimously voted by the council.

With the move to mayor, Earley submitted his resignation as Ward 2 Alderman. The council unanimously accepted Earley’s councilman resignation. Earley was then sworn in as interim mayor of Dell Rapids.

“Thank you for your support. The only thing I want to say is that I think we have an excellent council here. My one and only goal is to continue to work with you and ask for your support as we move ahead with the city, and we do the things that need to be done and do them right. I think everyone sitting here has that goal, intention and spirit,” said Earley.

The open seat on the council left by Earley was filled by an appointment by the city council. Councilman Mark Crisp made a motion to nominate Barry Berg to fill the open seat. The council unanimously approved the appointment. Berg will serve as Ward 2 Alderman until the April 11th, 2017 election. Berg was also sworn into the council.

The council had three options on how to fill the vacant mayor role that was left when Mayor Scott Fiegen resigned on August 15th. The first option was to continue to act without a mayor and have the board president assume the duties until the April 11th, 2017 election. The second option, which is the option the council chose, was to appoint a current council member and then fill the open council seat. The third option could have been to appoint another resident of Dell Rapids as mayor until the next election in April.

10th Street Project Now Underway

August 16, 2016 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The 10th Street project has officially started. A pre-construction meeting was held on Tuesday, August 9th with T&R Contracting, their subcontractor, the city, DGR, and the property owners affected by the project.

All of the questions from the property owners were answered, and the city has received all the needed permanent and temporary easements associated with the project.

City Administrator Justin Weiland updated the Dell Rapids City Council during their regular meeting on Monday, August 15th, about the project.

“T&R Contracting is full bore and ready to go. The signs got placed, and they are starting removals. 10th Street is now officially closed. They (T&R Contracting) provided a schedule that shows them completing it this year, that’s if everything falls in place perfectly. I’d anticipate that probably won’t happen, but that’s the initial schedule they provided us with,” commented Weiland.

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