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Council directs staff to end picnic grounds agreement, retains design IP; EDC governance debate continues
Summary
After extended debate over the Dickinson Economic Development Corporation’s projects and accountability, council voted to terminate the picnic grounds agreement (keeping project designs) and discussed EDC governance; an effort to remove two EDC directors failed.
The Dickinson City Council voted to direct staff to terminate the picnic grounds agreement while retaining the design and engineering intellectual property for future reuse.
David Funk, who presented the picnic grounds project history, told the council the development originated from a 2023 strategic plan and had evolved with expanded scope and rising construction costs. Funk said the city has spent approximately $280,000 on design and engineering and has a remaining $50,000 contract obligation; terminating the agreement now would leave an approximate sunk cost of $330,000 but preserve the design materials for later use.
Council members discussed fiscal priorities and the city’s low commercial tax base. Supporters of terminating the agreement argued the city must prioritize essential services and building fund balance before starting a $2.2 million recreation project with ongoing maintenance costs; others, including the EDC president Colin Coker and former councilmember Fred Linton, argued the picnic grounds and other destination projects drive long-term economic development and community amenities.
A motion to change the council’s direction language from terminating the “project” to terminating the “agreement” (preserving the city’s right to restart the project later) was made, and the amended motion carried on a voice vote.
Separately, a motion to remove two EDC directors (Colin Coker and Walter Wilson) failed after council discussion and a vote; the transcript records that the motion did not pass and that there were four nays. Council members also debated broader governance options for the EDC, including whether the council should place the EDC function under city management or retain a separate board. Staff and council noted that the EDC sales-tax funding has legal limits under state law and that abolishing the corporation could temporarily remove the dedicated quarter-cent of sales tax until voters reauthorize collection.
Council asked staff to preserve the picnic grounds design materials and to return with precise contract-exposure figures and recommendations on next steps for EDC oversight and project prioritization.
