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Box Elder City Council approves REPI-backed greenway resolution to pursue floodway land acquisitions
Summary
The Box Elder City Council voted to adopt Resolution 24-20, authorizing a city representative to work with the REPI program and partners to pursue acquisition of Box Elder Creek floodway properties toward a community greenway; council members clarified that any city expenditures or matches would return to council for approval.
The Box Elder City Council on a voice/roll-call vote adopted Resolution 24-20, authorizing the mayor to enter an encroachment management agreement tied to a Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) partnership aimed at securing Box Elder Creek floodway property for a proposed Box Elder Creek Greenway.
Rob Timm, city grants administrator, told the council the REPI portion of the project has already allocated $2,000,000 and that the National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund is expected to consider a separate $2,000,000 award "within the next month or so." He described the greenway as a project to "provide flood protection, utilize properties within the floodway, and preserve the agricultural heritage of the properties along the valley bottom" while creating trails connecting parks and neighborhoods.
The proposal on the table is an acquisition-focused agreement: Timm said the repurposed funding would be used to acquire real property or permanent easements in the Box Elder Creek floodway to limit future development there. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city of Box Elder," Timm said, urging approval of the resolution.
Several council members asked whether signing the encroachment management agreement would allow the city administrator to obligate city funds without council review. Nicole Schneider, city administrator and chief finance officer, responded that while the agreement designates an authorized representative to certify and sign payment requests if financial assistance is awarded, "everything is based on council approval. Any expenditure that comes from the city has to be approved by council." A city attorney (on the record during discussion) reiterated that each proposed acquisition or any required local match would be brought to council before funds are spent.
Council members also asked technical questions about flood prevention; staff clarified the acquisition project is intended to "prevent stuff from being built in that area" rather than to physically stop flood events. Timm noted the project team is coordinating with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and that the effort is consistent with the city's master park plan.
Council moved to adopt Resolution 24-20. The roll call showed Beauchamp, Bixell, Schubert, Tallent, Davis and Knight voting Aye; the motion passed.
Next steps described by staff include finalizing the REPI grant documentation, returning to council for approval on any individual land acquisitions or local-match decisions, and pursuing the National Park Service funding in a separate resolution and grant agreement."
