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Sioux Falls council approves multiple appropriations, grants and programming; sends two animal-code ordinances to Dec. 17 second reading
Summary
The City Council approved a package of routine and capital measures — including a $500,000 supplemental appropriation, a $2M bridge grant application and a recreation programming plan — and advanced two animal-code ordinances (dog-vicious standard and community cat TNR) to second reading on Dec. 17, all by unanimous votes.
The Sioux Falls City Council on Dec. 10 approved a series of routine and capital items and set second readings for two proposed changes to the city’s animal code.
On the financial side, Public Works reported collections of arterial street planning fees exceeded the $3.2 million budgeted and recommended a $500,000 supplemental appropriation; the council approved the second reading and final adoption vote, recorded as 7-0. Council also authorized the mayor to submit the 2025 Bridge Improvement Grant application for deck and approach work on two bridges, a request of just over $2 million with a required 20% city match already included in the capital program; that resolution passed unanimously.
The council amended the 2024–2028 capital program to add previously discussed Plat fees and to replace a buried fuel tank at the water reclamation plant with a mobile cube fuel system (presenters estimated roughly $10,000 cost for the cube system, compared with larger repair estimates), and it approved release of a storm-sewer/drainage easement in Bedrock Park as no longer needed after prior drainage relocation.
Parks and Recreation leaders presented the Westside Recreation Center programming plan and conceptual programming for a future Frank Olson Recreation Center, emphasizing indoor aquatics, multiuse meeting rooms and tiered pass/pricing structures; the council approved the plan 7-0. Staff said basic pass benefits will be preserved while some programs may require supplemental fees, and staff will report routine performance metrics.
On animals, the council set second readings for two code changes. Public safety and legal staff presented proposed language clarifying how officials declare a dog "vicious," removing some reliance on uncommon medical measurements and adding criteria for serious injury and incidents involving multiple dogs; the measure was set for second reading on Dec. 17. Separately, councilors introduced an ordinance to allow trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating and returning community cats (a TNR approach) to align with recent state law changes; the Humane Society and community TNR groups described how caretakers would be approved and monitored, and the council set second reading for Dec. 17.
There were no dissents on the floor; all agenda motions recorded unanimous approval. A lengthy general-public-input period followed, dominated by concerns from multiple residents about content in teen sections of local libraries and various neighborhood and housing concerns. The council adjourned after the public-input block.
