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Sioux Falls council approves routine items, schedules hearings; multiple measures pass unanimously
Summary
The Sioux Falls City Council on March 18 approved the consent agenda and a slate of licenses, set hearings and reading dates for several land-use items and appointments, and passed a resolution to begin a lease extension process for a downtown diner. All recorded votes were 7–0.
The Sioux Falls City council approved multiple routine and calendar items on Tuesday night, casting unanimous 7–0 votes on the consent agenda, new liquor and malt-beverage license transfers, a lease-notice resolution and several calendaring and appointment items.
The council approved the consent agenda and then the regular agenda by 7–0 votes. Councilors also voted unanimously to approve four licensing items (two new 2025 retail wine licenses and two transfers of 2024–2025 retail liquor/malt-beverage licenses). The council set dates for further hearings and readings on development and right-of-way items and confirmed three citizen-board appointments.
Among the items the council acted on: the first reading and setting of a second-reading date for a rezoning application (item 25), a resolution of intent to lease municipal real property for the Phillips Avenue Diner (item 26), and a resolution vacating part of an abandoned railroad right-of-way with a second hearing date set for April 8 (item 28). The council also approved three appointments to citizen advisory boards and received a notice of transfer of appropriations (item 29).
City staff and council members gave little debate on the listed motions; most actions moved, were seconded, and were adopted with no roll-call commentary beyond the yes votes. Planning staff noted the rezoning application was for a roughly 4.37-acre site and that the planning commission had recommended approval. Staff said a forthcoming ordinance will attach the proposed lease for downtown Phillips Avenue Diner after the resolution of intent completes the required public-notice steps.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: approved, motion by McCouris, seconded by Cole; vote 7–0. - Regular agenda approval: approved, motion by Sale, seconded by Branco; vote 7–0. - Licenses (items 21–24: two new 2025 retail wine licenses and two transfers of retail liquor/malt-beverage licenses): approved; vote 7–0. - Item 25 (rezoning — first reading; set second reading for April 1): motion to set second reading passed 7–0. - Item 26 (resolution of intent to enter into a lease for Phillips Avenue Diner): approved 7–0; staff said a follow-up ordinance with the lease will be brought forward. - Item 27 (appointments to Board of Health, Solid Waste Planning Board, Infrastructure Review Advisory Board — Annie Mello, Cindy Neurath, Jordan Arendt): approved 7–0. - Item 28 (right-of-way vacation — set second hearing for April 8): approved 7–0. - Item 29 (notice of transfer of appropriations, memorandum dated 02/28/2025): acknowledged; no separate roll-call discussion recorded.
The unanimous roll-call votes recorded “Yes” from Councilor Spellerberg, Thomason, Barranco, Cole, McCouris, Sigourney and Sale on the motions shown in the transcript.
The council then moved to general public input, where several residents raised concerns ranging from housing and homelessness to budget transparency and emergency-dispatch resource usage. The meeting adjourned following public comment.
The council’s actions tonight were largely procedural and calendaring; staff noted required next steps such as the publication and ordinance attachments needed to finalize leases or advance rezoning requests to final readings.
