BROOKINGS – The three candidates vying for two three-year seats on the Brookings City Council discussed topics ranging from flooding and the biggest needs in Brookings to city personnel, accessibility and more at a Saturday forum.
The Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee hosted the forum featuring candidates Leah Brink, Mary Kidwiler and Holly Tilton Byrne at the Brookings City & County Government Center. The top two vote-getters will be selected in the April 9 city election, and early voting started today at the city-county building.
Flooding
Early in the forum, moderator Carey Bretsch asked the candidates if the city has done enough to address the high water table and flooding issues in the community.
Kidwiler said yes, the city is doing a good job with bad circumstances.
“We are situated geographically in a very bad spot, believe it or not. We are surrounded on three sides by flood plain. … We need to be very careful how we handle water. I think the city has done a good job. We have a drainage fund that we do so many drainage projects every year. If you check your taxes, you’ll see you pay some money to that every year.”
She said the city should consider adding a hydrologist position to city staff. “We deal with water issues every day.”
Tilton Byrne said the city has good policies in place, such as the drainage fund and city staff who were out clearing some storm drainage inlets before substantial snow melt started earlier this month.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t be doing more. As we know, some of these rain and water events are happening more frequently.”
Tilton Byrne said she wanted to see the city draft a more holistic drainage plan.
“I would love for us to hire a water and drainage specialist to help us come up with that plan and address that issue. And I would love to get creative on more sustainable ways we could manage water, whether that be permeable surfaces, rain gardens or other things like that.”
She said the council could also do more to mitigate drainage issues through ordinances dealing with development.
Brink said she felt the city had done a fairly good job in this area, “but there is likely more that we could do.”
“I think there could be room for additional drainage thoughtfulness, and that might include the way that we develop in the future. I think one way to think about this is we need to be very smart, and that needs to be incorporated into all future development that happens.
“We need to have a plan for that so we don’t make the problem worse as we go along, and then come alongside of that and mitigate the areas that do still have some concerns.”
She noted that there are drainage improvements in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, and councilors need to keep their minds and eyes open due to where Brookings is situated.
Biggest needs in community
Further along in the forum, Bretsch asked the candidates what the biggest needs in the community were and how to address them.
Brink said one of the most critical needs in Brookings is a “continued focus on workforce development.”
“If you look at the numbers through the work of Al Heuton and the BEDC, there’s a lot to be concerned about with retirements and projections of people being in the workforce in this laborshed area. … We know that our factories don’t run if we don’t have the workers here to do that.”
She said the city also needs to “continue to leverage our community partnerships effectively, work on initiatives without doubling up what others are doing.”
Brink also cited fiscal responsibility and housing.
Kidwiler said the biggest need in Brookings is “to be very concerned about how we develop in this town.”
“We are building into flood plain, and we know that we don’t have many places to go.”
She said the Joint Jurisdiction Committee, which deals with the three-mile area surrounding the city, is “trying to limit what happens in that area, because we’ve got about one direction that we can grow. It’s kind of to the northwest. … We’ve got to be very careful about how we let development help in this town.”
Tilton Byrne said the biggest needs in Brookings include affordable housing, which directly impacts workforce development.
She also cited further collaboration through public and private partnerships, as well as with other government boards and committees.
“The more that we’re able to sit around the table and have discussions about topics that are important, the better and stronger we will be.”
She further listed wise spending, open and transparent government, and focusing on the diversity, equity and inclusion of all people, as well as mental health.
Bretsch said the candidate forum will be replayed on the City of Brookings government television channel 9 at 6 p.m. tonight.
Contact Jill Fier at jfier@brookingsregister.com.
