BROOKINGS – The Brookings City Council authorized finances for the 20th Street South interchange over Interstate 29.
The meeting was Tuesday, and Councilors Dan Hansen and Leah Brink were absent.
City Engineer Jackie Lanning and Chief Financial Officer Erick Rangel explained the changes to the budget. The change will account for the 20% match to the BUILD grant the city was awarded to help pay for the interchange, Rangel said.
“This is gonna be added to the budget; $1.2 million is expected to be funded from the restricted economic reserves,” Rangel said. The rest will be from the unrestricted cash reserves.
Councilor Patty Bacon asked if this was an appropriate expenditure from the economic reserves.
“We determined it is an economic development project,” Rangel said.
“The way the grant was written it will open up economic opportunities to get people from the west side to the east side for industry, so a great opportunity to utilize your economic development fund that’s been built up over the years,” City Manager Paul Briseno said.
Lanning explained the resolution to authorize Briseno to sign documents for the 20th Street South BUILD project so the city can “quickly move the project along administratively,” she said.
This is in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines the responsibilities of the state, and the city designated the city manager as the city’s representative for the project, she said.
The documents would be passed along to the state Department of Transportation to handle with the federal highway department, Lanning said.
Rezoning
The council approved rezoning a lot in the Joint Jurisdiction area in Krogman First Addition along Highway 14.
“It’s somewhat unique in that the property is surrounded by B-3 zoning on all sides. It’s actually one parcel but it had split zoning; there is a residential house on the property,” explained Mike Struck, director of community development.
He asked that the property be rezoned from an R-1B to a 3-B zoning.
In other news:
• Greg Redenius has been promoted to superintendent for Edgebrook Golf Course, announced Dusty Rodiek, director of Brookings Parks, Recreation & Forestry. Redenius replaces long-time golf course superintendent Bruce Hovelson, who retired.
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
