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Residents urge symbolic Ukraine lighting, request park trash can; commissioner to testify on state bill
Summary
At the March 3 public forum, a Huron resident asked the city to reinstall blue-and-yellow lights to show support for Ukraine, another resident urged more trash cans at Memorial Park, and a commissioner said they may testify on House Bill 1239 as a private citizen.
HURON, S.D. — During the public forum at the March 3 City Commission meeting, residents and commissioners raised local community concerns and upcoming civic action.
John McNally, who identified himself as a Huron resident, asked the commission to reinstall portable blue-and-yellow lights at the Campbell Park benches as a quiet show of support for Ukraine. McNally said the lights had been installed after Russia’s 2022 invasion and were later removed after vandalism and community debate. "I would very much like to have this happen," McNally said, offering to pay for replacement lights if the city would permit them.
City staff explained the earlier lights were portable fixtures mounted to benches and had been vandalized; staff said the city would discuss the request and follow up with McNally. Commissioners noted the city previously decided not to take an official stance when the display drew both supportive and critical comments from residents.
Curtis Loach spoke from the public for a separate issue, requesting the city install another heavy-duty trash can on the dike area at Memorial Park to make it easier for walkers to dispose of litter. "When you mentioned parks and rec, I like to walk a lot out at Memorial Park... if you go out there often, you see a lot of trash," Loach said. Commissioners acknowledged the request and said staff would discuss placement options.
A commissioner also told the meeting they expect to travel to Pierre and may testify on House Bill 1239, which the speaker described as a measure to remove the affirmative defense for librarians in cases involving allegedly obscene material. The commissioner said if they testify, they will do so as a private citizen and not as a city representative: "If I do testify, I will state that I'm testifying on behalf of myself, and not as a representative of the city." The commissioner said the bill was scheduled for the Senate Judiciary Committee at 7:45 a.m.
The meeting also included a brief community announcement that burger-battle participants had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to turn in passports to be counted; winners will be announced Friday.
Why it matters
Public-forum remarks bring resident concerns and civic engagement to the commission’s attention. The lighting request raises questions about the line between public displays and official city positions; the trash-can request concerns maintenance and park use; the HB 1239 mention signals local involvement in a pending state policy debate affecting librarians.
Next steps
Staff said they would discuss the lighting request and follow up with the resident, evaluate options for trash-can placement at Memorial Park, and noted the commissioner will appear in Pierre, if they decide to testify, as a private citizen.
