Votes at a glance: Council approves golf‑fee increases, year‑end transfers, construction pay requests and personnel steps

Beresford City Council approved multiple fiscal, contracting and personnel items in a single meeting, including new golf‑course fees, year‑end transfers, construction payments and pay‑step increases. Below are the outcomes and key details from the meeting.

Why it matters: these votes affect the city’s budget, maintenance responsibilities for capital projects and planned service levels; they also change fee structures and staff compensation that will be reflected in upcoming operations and public offerings.

Summary of votes and actions

- Temporary malt‑beverage license for Beresford Volunteer Fire Department (casino night fundraiser, Feb. 1, 2025): motion to approve carried (motion and second on the record; council set the event to end at midnight). (Approval recorded; no roll‑call tally provided.)

- Resolution 2025‑02: Bridges Golf Course fees — approved. Council adopted revised rates for rounds, memberships and cart storage; the council discussed adding a distinct “couple” rate in future committee work and asked staff to compare peer courses before any additional change. (Motion and second on the record; approved.)

- Resolution 2025‑03: contingency fund transfers — approved. Council transferred contingency funds into other professional services codes to track 2024 expenses; motion carried.

- Ordinance 2025‑02: supplemental appropriation (first reading) — first reading held; no final action. The ordinance would appropriate $320,790 from unassigned fund balance for several overages, including purchase and remodel of a building and other year‑end amounts; council scheduled further consideration on a subsequent meeting.

- 2024 year‑end transfers to the general fund — approved. Council approved transfers totaling $865,000 from utility and enterprise funds (electric: $500,000; telephone: $325,000; solid waste: $40,000) into the general fund.

- 2024 year‑end transfers to reserves (South Dakota Fit/reserves) — approved. Council approved a $45,000 transfer into reserves (includes an initial $40,000 repayment related to a fire truck purchase and $5,000 to solid waste reserves).

- Parks & Golf maintenance building HVAC change order — approved. Council approved a change‑order request to modify the HVAC approach for the parks/golf maintenance building (the vendor’s estimate for a furnace/AC with ductwork was discussed as an alternative to multiple mini‑split units). The meeting transcript references an extra cost figure of $3,391.80 as a contractor estimate; the council approved a change order and asked staff to confirm final paperwork. (Approved; amount and paperwork to be clarified by staff.)

- Pay request #6 — Perfect Construction (new ball fields) — approved. Council approved pay request #6 to Perfect Construction in the amount of $125,468.69 and retained a previously discussed $20,000 holdback pending spring inspections and punch‑list completion.

- Change order #3 — Gil Agan Construction (Bridges patio addition) — approved as a deduction of $4,218.38 (a reduction to the contract amount); motion carried.

- Contract for engineering services — Banner Associates (multi‑community asphalt/road surface projects) — approved. Council authorized a contract in the lump sum amount of $7,000 plus applicable taxes to prepare bidding documents and administer the shared asphalt project.

- Personnel actions: step increases and pay adjustments — approved. The council approved a step pay increase for Marcus (Marcus Cooper) to $24.82 per hour effective Jan. 24, 2025, and approved a pay increase for Police Chief Michael Church (motion amended on the record to a $1.50 per hour increase plus a 3% adjustment; effective Jan. 1 as described in the motion). Other step increases and personnel motions were carried.

- Volunteer Fire Department: “State of the Department 2024” report — accepted. Council approved receipt of the volunteer fire department’s annual report.

- Travel approvals — approved. Council approved travel and training for officers, including Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training in Sioux Falls (Jan. 27–31 and Feb. 3–7, 2025) and DRE certification testing in Sacramento, Calif. (Mar. 18–25, 2025). Training costs are funded by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office drug forfeiture funds; only wages are a city cost.

- Pay the bills — approved.

- Motion to enter executive session for personnel — approved; council convened into executive session at the time recorded in the minutes.

Details, clarifications and process notes

- Many motions on routine budget and contracting matters were moved and seconded without named roll‑call; the minutes record unanimous “ayes” and the chairman’s announcement that motions carry. Where specific dollar totals were discussed in the meeting, those totals are listed above. If the transcript referred to an estimate or committee homework (for example, the HVAC change order estimate of $3,391.80), staff were asked to return with final documentation.

- On construction closeout items (new ball fields): council approved pay request #6 but retained $20,000 against the contract pending spring verification of punch‑list items (batting‑cage turf, shade‑structure tensioning and an irrigation pump winterization concern were flagged in discussion).

- On golf fees: council approved Resolution 2025‑02 with a small across‑the‑board increase in some categories and asked the parks/golf committee and manager Ben to provide comparative rate data to reconsider a separate “couple” rate before the next season.

- On supplemental appropriation: ordinance 2025‑02 was read for the first time; council will hold a future meeting for final passage. The ordinance lists purchases and overages funded from unassigned fund balance.

What happens next

Staff will return to the council with final paperwork on the HVAC change order, documentation and photos for the ball‑fields punch list, a draft letter and outreach plan regarding the South Third Street grant (separate discussion at the meeting), and committee follow‑up on golf‑membership categories. The supplemental appropriation ordinance will be considered at a later meeting for final action.

Vote provenance and meeting evidence: each item above is supported by the meeting transcript; staff asked for additional documentation where contractor estimates or holdbacks were discussed.