Hot Springs council appoints agents, seeks hazard-mitigation grants for generators at pumping station and treatment plant

The Hot Springs City Council on May 19 approved a resolution and related motions to pursue hazard-mitigation grant funding for emergency generators at the Hot Brook Pumping Station and the city wastewater treatment plant.

Council voted to adopt Resolution 2025-12 appointing Finance Officer Misty Summers Walton and City Administrator Jacqueline Kelsey as the city’s designated applicant agents for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The council also approved motions authorizing the mayor to sign the designation of applicant agents and a separate commitment letter addressed to Jim Poppin at the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management committing the city to meet local matching-fund requirements for the generator projects.

“It's required, through FEMA GO that you designate appointed agents to ensure that all the grant requirements are met in a timely fashion,” a staff member told the council during the discussion.

Council members said the designations will allow city staff to complete required FEMA GO online submissions and advance grant applications. The city later moved and passed a motion authorizing the mayor to sign the designation paperwork and the commitment letter so the applications can proceed.

Meeting discussion noted the generators would support resilience of critical wastewater infrastructure during emergencies. No funding award was announced at the meeting; the actions approved are steps to apply for federal assistance and to confirm the city’s intent to provide required local matching funds if the grants are awarded.

The motions passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes for these items. The council did not specify exact match amounts in the motions recorded at the meeting; those details will be provided in the formal grant applications and supporting documents handled by the appointed agents.