Lincoln County commission says any proposed prison must meet county comprehensive plan after large public hearing

Commissioner Arons, a member of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, moved on Tuesday to send a reply to Lieutenant Governor Tony Van Heysen saying any proposed state prison built in Lincoln County must be consistent with the county's comprehensive plan. "A prison at the proposed site is inconsistent with our comprehensive plan," Arons said, arguing the site is better suited for rural residential uses and that a prison would "do nothing to alleviate the housing shortage in the Sioux Falls area."

The motion followed an extended board discussion and a 45-minute public-comment period in which dozens of residents, municipal officials and task-force members told commissioners they oppose locating a new state penitentiary in Lincoln County. Carla Lembs, a task-force member representing part of southern Lincoln County, urged the board to provide information to the task force and to submit local views: "We are now being told that we need even more than was proposed before," she said, and encouraged residents to provide input to the task force.

Supporters of the motion cited the county's recent comprehensive plan and the economic role of rural residential and industrial growth areas. Commissioner Arons asked that the county attach a copy of the video record of tonight's testimony to the reply so state officials could see resident statements firsthand. Several commissioners said they were not refusing to discuss locations but wanted any state project to respect local land-use plans.

Opponents in the room and some speakers from neighboring counties also argued the state should keep the prison near Sioux Falls, where infrastructure and workforce already exist; others raised broader concerns about incarceration alternatives and recidivism. Gary Meyer of Minnehaha County told the board he would prefer no new prison in the state: "I think that South Dakota ought to stand up and say no prison in South Dakota," he said.

After discussion, the board modified the motion to a narrower statement: any proposed prison in Lincoln County must be built consistent with the county comprehensive plan, and the county would attach the video of tonight's public input. The motion passed on a roll call vote with a majority in favor. The commission did not endorse a particular alternative site; it recorded the public comments and transmitted them, along with the video, to the lieutenant governor's office.