Alcester adopts resolution to seek LWCF grant for picnic shelter and restrooms

The City of Alcester adopted Resolution 2026-02 on April 21, 2026, authorizing Mayor Lisa Hodgson to submit an application to the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) through the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks for a new picnic shelter and restroom building at the city park. The chair, who opened the special meeting at 5:34 p.m., read the resolution aloud and moved for its adoption.

The chair said the town’s engineer is currently estimating the combined shelter and restrooms will cost "around $400,000," and noted the LWCF requires a 50% local match. "Anything that we can cut off of that would be fantastic," the chair said while describing the project scope. The resolution authorizes the mayor to execute and file the application and directs the city to provide the required local match and to assume operation and maintenance responsibility for the facility after construction.

The resolution text also contains standard certification language confirming the resolution was recorded in the city's journal; the chair instructed that the certification date in the draft should be changed to April 21, 2026. A motion to adopt the resolution was seconded, the members voted by voice ('Aye'), and the chair announced the motion carried and the resolution adopted.

Next steps discussed in the meeting were procedural: filing the application through the state division named in the resolution and ensuring the application materials and local match commitment are in order. The city did not set a specific construction schedule or appropriation at this meeting; those details and any separate appropriation would require further action.