BROOKINGS — A pilot program introduced last year to incentivize the purchase of rain barrels and native plants in Brookings has proven to be a success, so much so that it will be expanded this year to include rain gardens.

In his presentation to the City Council on Tuesday night, city engineering technician Sean Doremus said 439 native plants were purchased last year, and that 93 rain barrels were sold as well. Those efforts will continue this year, along with the new rain garden component, which he detailed:

• It will be available to city residents and businesses.
• Four vouchers will be available starting April 22.
• The landscape architecture program at South Dakota State University will conduct site surveys and assist with design.
• Participants will receive up to a $1,000 reimbursement.

“Would HOAs be included in that as a potential applicant?” City Council Bonny Specker asked.

“It’s a great question. We didn’t really think about that until now,” Doremus said. “I don’t see us excluding them in the fact that if we’re opening up to any business in town … to help with their hardscaping and stuff like that and the stormwater runoff, that I would think an HOA would be an acceptable client as well, that they could take advantage of that.”

On a related note, a rain garden workshop is planned for April 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at McCrory Gardens, 631 22^nd Ave. It’s being hosted by SDSU Extension, SDSU Landscape Architecture and the city of Brookings.

As for the returning components, specifically rain barrels:

• Available to city residents.
• Any style may be purchased.
• Residents will receive up to a $50 reimbursement with proof of purchase (must be purchased on or after April 22).
• The city’s maximum total reimbursement available is $2,000 (40 barrels).

On the native plants side of the program:

• Available to city residents.
• Forty vouchers are available for eligible purchases from local nurseries, including Norm’s Greenhouse & Nursery in Aurora and Medary Acres and Six Mile Nursery, both in Brookings.
• Each voucher provides up to 50% reimbursement on purchases between $250 and $500, with a minimum purchase of $250.
• A list of eligible plants will be posted on the city’s website — https://www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/ — before this year’s program launches.
• Availability of vouchers begins April 22, and they must be requested before purchasing native plants.

Slurry sealing

On a 6-0 vote, councilors awarded a $1,203,814.04 slurry seal contract to Asphalt Surface Technologies Corp. of St. Joseph, Minnesota. This year’s project will focus on residential streets between Sixth Street and the railroad tracks, and west of Medary Avenue.

The slurry seal approach, piloted last year in Brookings on a portion of 22^nd Avenue South, replaces the old chip seal practice since, according to the city, its benefits include quick curing and fully embedding aggregate chips. This shortens durations for street closings, reduces labor requirements and means a better experience for motorists.

Finally, the cost came in under budget, which was projected to be $1.3 million.

In other business at Tuesday night’s meeting, councilors:

• The Brookings Regional Landfill force main construction project received a green light in the form of a 6-0 vote approving a $2,591,403.76 contract with Metro Construction of Tea. This came in under the engineer’s cost estimate of $2,711,400, while the city had a total of $3 million appropriated.
• Approved, on a 6-0 vote, an ordinance amending the city’s existing floodplain ordinance in order to comply with new findings and updated language from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• Agreed, on a 6-0 vote, to accept an annexation petition involving land at 1501 U.S. Highway 14 Bypass, which is generally located southeast of the intersection of 34^th Avenue and U.S. Highway 14.

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.