Mitchell City Council members handled a slate of administrative and project votes during the meeting, approving construction and professional-service contracts, several engineering amendments, a grant resolution, and an ordinance to extend hours for medical cannabis dispensaries.

The council awarded the low construction bid for the Second, Fourth and Main streetscape improvement project to Schonefelder Construction for $936,218.29, with staff noting the project remains under budget overall after accounting for contingency items. The vote to award the bid was moved and seconded from the chamber and carried without recorded opposition.

On the city’s annual spring-cleanup curbside collection, Councilman Mercado moved to remove the $10 per-residence curbside fee; after debate the motion that the fee be retained carried. City staff told council the city collects roughly $5,000–$8,870 in fees in recent years and estimated the city’s incremental labor/equipment cost for the spring collection at about $36,500 last year. A public commenter urged keeping the curbside pickup option, noting not all residents have trailers.

The council approved multiple engineering amendments and consulting agreements that staff said are needed to keep utilities and street projects on schedule:
- Amendment 2 with HDR Engineering for continued services on the North Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project: $55,175 addition (new contract $1,806,325). Staff said the contractor is in liquidated damages and additional professional services were required.
- Amendment 1 to HR Green for design/coordination work so Moose Electric can add the First and Main intersection into its current contract; amendment $12,900 (new contract $79,409.60). Staff noted an additional supplemental appropriation would be requested for about $300,000 of additional funding drawn from project contingencies.
- Amendment 1 with SPN Associates to add lighting design to the six-court pickleball project at Hitchcock Park: $9,500, increasing engineering services to $62,500.
- Agreement with HDR for the EPA-required chlorine system risk-management compliance audit for $5,200; staff said the plant stores chlorine as a contingency but does not currently produce potable water.

The council approved a construction-phase services agreement with McClory Engineering for construction administration, testing and staking on the Second/Fourth/Main streetscape project at a not-to-exceed $164,400.

A resolution authorizing the city to apply for a South Dakota Dept. of Agriculture/Natural Resources grant to replace the landfill scraper (the city requested up to a 50% grant, up to $603,865) was approved and the mayor authorized to sign the application.

Personnel and code items passed on the consent/regular agenda: the council adopted a resolution amending the 2025 compensation plan to reorganize Corn Palace staffing, and it advanced an ordinance amending hours of operation for medical cannabis dispensaries from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. to 8 a.m.–10 p.m. (council conducted a roll call and adopted the ordinance on the reading presented).

Other contract votes carried by voice vote: additional tree removal near the Highway 37 DOT project (city crews to haul away; staff recommended using city crews at a $6,000 quote), and a contract amendment for construction professional services tied to the wastewater plant improvements. The council recessed to sit as the Board of Adjustment to set a hearing date on a conditional-use permit application for an Ashbrook Trail apartment project, then reconvened and approved the date.

Several items were noted as recommended by staff with recorded motions and carried by voice vote; individual roll-call tallies were only recorded in a few cases (notably the cannabis-hours ordinance). The council moved into an executive session at the end of the meeting on SDCL 1-25-2(3) (legal); no action followed the executive session.