The Mitchell City Council held a public hearing on the North Olman Street Utility Improvement Project and directed staff to proceed with a roundabout design after hearing public questions about cost, truck access and future traffic.

City staff said the project would upgrade sanitary sewer and storm sewer along North Olman Street from 203rd Avenue to Kemper Avenue and that the city will seek up to $3,930,000 from the South Dakota Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). Staff said expected loan terms would be about 4 percent for 30 years and that the Board of Water and Natural Resources could forgive all or part of the principal when it reviews the application.

Public commenters raised questions about vehicle mix and cost. Truck driver and resident John Guard asked whether large tractor-trailer trucks could navigate a roundabout; staff and the project engineer with SPN said the design accommodates tractor trailers and double-trailer combinations and that detailed turning templates would be used in design. Guard also highlighted differences between published cost estimates and the figures used in the city budget.

Jacob Sonny, project engineer with SPN, explained the footprint for a roundabout and why costs differ between options. "The circle itself is proposed at about a 150 feet in diameter," Sonny said, and he described transitions and the extent of road replacement needed to tie into existing street sections. Sonny said the stop-sign alternative is not simply two signs; staff compared full intersection rebuilding footprints for each option to produce apples-to-apples estimates.

Councilmembers and staff discussed sidewalks and long-term corridor improvements. City staff said council directed moving forward with the roundabout option and that the city would fund the difference between a sidewalk and a bike path; staff said the budget was increased by $615,003.95 to reflect the council's direction to include sidewalks in the design.

Staff stressed that the ultimate contractor would be selected through a competitive bid process. Council did not award construction contracts at the hearing; the action was direction to proceed with design and to include the roundabout in the city's 2026 budget request and SRF application.

Next steps: staff will submit the SRF application, continue design work with SPN, meet with affected industry stakeholders on turning templates, and later return to council with recommended bids and a formal construction contract award.