Sioux Falls council approves lease and fenced barrier at lot adjacent to Bishop Dudley House after weeks of debate

The Sioux Falls City Council voted 8-0 on March 4 to approve an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter a lease with Saint Joseph Catholic Housing Inc. for the parking lot north of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and to allow installation of a fenced barrier on that lot.

City planning and shelter staff framed the measure as a public-safety action tied to long-running problems at the site. "This part of the lease is really about public safety," said Jeff Beckhoff, Planning and Development Services, who summarized the city’s position and the housing investments the council has backed in recent years. Chief John Ting of the Sioux Falls Police Department said the fence would let officers "respond quicker rather than having to wait for an owner designee of the diocese" and that a physical barrier can deter the ease of congregating that has driven repeated emergency calls.

Why it matters: The lot has been the focus of repeated police, fire and EMS calls and public concern about assaults and disorder, while the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and other service providers operate nearby. Supporters said the barrier is a narrowly targeted tool to reduce immediate safety problems at that location and to make it easier for outreach teams and law enforcement to intervene.

What city staff presented: Beckhoff and Michelle Treasure, the city’s Homelessness Services…