Council announces $840,000 CDBG award for East Oriole Avenue; reappoints planning commissioner, approves Lions Club event

The City Council approved its consent agenda and announced an $840,000 Community Development Block Grant award for improvements on East Oriole Avenue during the meeting. Council members also reappointed Liz Stanton to the Planning Commission and approved a special-event application for the Lions Club Firecracker Fun Run.

The grant was awarded by the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development, council members said, and adds to $600,000 the city received from the Department of Transportation. Council members stated the combined funding brings the project funding to more than $1.4 million toward what staff described as an approximately $2.2 million project for East Oriole Avenue.

On appointments, the council approved a two-year reappointment of Liz Stanton to the Planning Commission; Stanton’s term had expired and she agreed to serve another two years. The council also approved a special-event application for the Lions Club Firecracker Fun Run; staff said the application contains no major changes from prior years.

In the city engineer’s report referenced during the meeting, staff said work on the drying bed is about 60 percent complete and that the team completed a 60 percent plan review. Staff noted remaining technical issues related to how a new equalization pond will work with the existing pond and said they are obtaining pricing on a couple of solutions.

The consent agenda was approved by roll call with Councilmembers Daugherty, Peterson, Swier, Welch, Teasey and Drew recorded as voting aye. No dissenting votes were recorded.