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Council reappoints Ryan Johnson as Sioux Falls director to Dakota Mainstem regional water board
Summary
The council reappointed Ryan Johnson as the city director and Nicholas Born as alternate to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System board; staff said the regional effort recently received $1 million in state grant funding under Senate Bill 33 and remains in early planning stages.
The Sioux Falls City Council on March 11 approved the mayor’s reappointments of Ryan Johnson, utility administrator, as the city’s director and Nicholas Born, civil engineer, as alternate director to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System board.
Mark Cotter of Public Works told the council Dakota Mainstem now includes 56 municipal, regional and tribal water systems across South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska and is assessing long-term regional water-supply needs. Cotter said Dakota Mainstem is completing a survey of member systems’ needs, preparing environmental and cultural resources reports, and exploring governance and financing approaches to support large-scale water development.
Cotter noted the South Dakota Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 33, which made available an additional $1,000,000 in grant funding to Dakota Mainstem; the governor has signed the bill into law. "This project, much like Lewis and Clark, is in its very infancy," Cotter told the council, urging support so the city remains at the table for future regional water planning.
Council members voted 8-0 to approve the reappointments. Cotter said city staff view the appointments as a way to ensure Sioux Falls participates in regional planning and early engineering and environmental work that may be required before federal-stage studies or funding are sought.
