City Commission - Regular Meeting

ready. Okay. Are there any additions or corrections to the consent calendar? I got a question on the Okay. Are we just got one in line or Yes, there was one that was a return that was ready to go so brought them early. Motion. We have a motion. We have a motion. Commissioner York. Second. Go roll. Commissioners Garbers. Hi Peterson. Hi York. Hi Carlson. Hi Mayor Lester. Hi. A little brain fart there.

Okay. Um, next we're going to before we go into um visitors to be heard, um, we're going to convene as the board of equalization and we will have our meeting tomorrow night and this is going to need a motion in a second and I'm going to read it to you. The annual meeting of the local board of equalization is 3rd Monday March as per South Dakota codified law 10-11-13. Motion is needed for the equalization board to assertain that all taxable properties in the city of Canton have been properly placed upon the assessment role and has been duly valued by the director of equalization. This needs a motion in a second. Motion.

Second. Call roll. Member Zodkin. Hi. Garbers. Hi. Peterson. Hi. York. Hi. Carlson. Hi. Mayor Lstrom. Hi. So, um, next we're going to need a mo a motion to recess until 6 PM tomorrow night for the actual going through the equalization. Second. Motion in a second. Call. Commissioners Garver. Hi, Peterson. Hi, York. Hi, Carlson. Hi, member Atkin. Hi, Mayor Lstro. Hi. So, we will reconvene tomorrow night at six o'clock. Thanks, guys. Thank you, Josh. See you tomorrow night. Here.

Yes.

Okay. Um, next, do we have any visitors to be heard tonight on something that is not on the agenda? If not, we have a um presentation tonight from um Jessica Meyers to discuss the Porch Light and the strategic plan proposal for the city of Canton. Hi everyone. Uh my name is Jessica Myers. I'm CEO of Porch Light. Uh we had the great pleasure at the end of last year of doing your housing study. Um that was completed at the end of the year and um if you want a really stirring read of about 67 pages of Canton in your housing um I think Andrew has that attached to some of your documentation. Um, one of the things that had um that had bubbled up while we were doing interviews with um when talking about housing was having an actual plan and goals to move forward to and work towards with Canton. Canton sits in a really unique position right now, especially as Harrisburg is growing south and Canton is moving north. It's an opportunity for Canton to really get on the same page on what growth looks like, what um some of these strategic plans or what the strategic steps will take to reach those goals. Um when it comes to strategic planning, um we've sent a proposal over and Andrew, was it attached to meeting notes or not?

It was. Yeah.

Okay. So the way that we work with strategic planning um we we have a steering committee made up of individuals in Canton. Um it's about five individuals. Um we will determine if it's needs to be a three or a five-year goal and then we start doing input sessions. So, we will determine I I will actually we um have a certain amount of input sessions that we'll put together um where we just sit down and we ask questions to community members. They can be some of you, prominent business owners, people that have um that you think would be important for us to talk to. um we'll go through do all the input uh interviews and then we put together a community survey based on some of the topics that come forward in those in in those input sessions. So we'll do a community survey that goes out to everyone. Um we'll make the survey, we will distribute the survey, we'll do all the maintenance of it. We just ask that you tell us where we should be sending it to and what the proper channels are. We'll get that information and then we will um have a p public input session where the public can come in give us direct feedback. So, and we'll maintain all of the stuff. Then we'll find like usually between three to five different core subjects that have been repeatedly been coming up and then that's where we will come back and we'll start working with the steering committee on actionable steps that make sense. um we'll have them put together, but then we'll come back and say, "Does this, you know, does this make sense? You know, your community the best." And then we will have a stepby-step plan with under those core themes, we'll have, you know, three different tangible goals that will need to be met to hit

that that common goal with a person or entity that is attached to that goal and a deadline to it. So, it's not a strategic plan that just gets put together and is put on a shelf, but it is an actionable step um step-by-step process for all of you. Um, we've done multiple strategic plans. We're currently working in Chamberlain and Oklahoma right now working on their strategic plan. We just spent the last uh two days last week in Chamberlain um doing a bunch of input sessions for them and now we're putting those questions together and preparing for their survey, too. So, um we have experience doing it and we'd we'd love to partner with you guys as well. would love to answer any questions that you guys might have.

Jessica, you focus on small towns. Yes. So, Porch Light specifically works in rural Sou Falls and Rapid are not our clients. We work everywhere else. What's uh what are some of the core issues that you see come out of these strategic plans in small towns or is there is there a theme to it or is it really just different everywhere?

It's um no as soon as we start talking to people that is when we start finding out what's happening. The biggest thing and the biggest takeaway or the biggest feedback that we get from the communities that we've worked with is that it has allowed all of the different entities in the community to get on the same page and agree on what growth looks like, what is tangible in the next three to five years. It allow instead of having one group have one plan and another um group have another, everybody's on the same page. So you're able to move forward together and really accomplish those actionable steps. So your group gets us to the strategic plan and then we roll from it from there.

Yes. We've done this before when I was on the commission previously. We did this exact same thing with Dakota Resources. Oh, sure. And it within a year and a half it just fizzled away. So our strategic plan looks a little different from Dakota Resources. We it we have a great relationship with Dakota Resources. Um was theirs multiple pages or was it just one sheet of a strategic plan? Do you remember? I think it was a a booklet. Okay, good. We still have it around.

So, we will continue to we're available to also help you continue on with it too once you have those actionable steps in place. It's really good, especially when you're in growth mode like Canton is, that you're wanting to grow. Your housing study shows um that people want to move back. There's just not a housing stock to come back to. And so knowing that with your housing study and knowing that people want to come back, there's got to be a plan in place to make it happen. and and it you're at a chicken or an egg moment right now where you need to you need to have houses get built or reshuffle what workforce housing looks like whether you're building multi-unit or you're building senior living facilities you know whatever that is also the perfect time to start doing a strategic plan so you can start saying okay if this is happening this is how we attract new industry this is the amenities that we need to also have this is the community engagement we need to have. So it all wraps up. It all comes in together.

So the Dakota resources plan from not having been here. The pool was a spin-off. Trails committee was a spin-off. Community center was a spin-off. Were there weekend warriors? Weekend warriors. Um committee. Okay. Yeah. So we've had the pool come to fruition in the last year. Community center is trying to pass the finish line. Trails committee is out still dredging trudging away trying to build trails here and there. They there but it's all dumped on the citizens. The citizens have the citizens have kept these committees alive.

Yeah. And that's when we had those meetings that was the main force was to get the citizens involved. Yeah. But I think the city was supposed to help keep an, you know, a concerted effort. And so do you help provide a a glue or connective tissue between the owner the kind of ownership groups that you identify and and and the city so that it

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So we did um we did the city of Madison strategic plan in 20 I think it was 2021. Uh we did that and we're still they're I want to say 70% through their five-year plan. Um and we've I know that they've gotten millions of dollars because of that strategic plan that they were able to do grant writing because all of that information was in one spot. They knew their key economic drivers. They knew their inflow and outflow of residents. They knew their commute patterns. They knew all of that stuff. So it's easier to have all of that information in one spot. But it's also as they have continued on we continue they meet I think I think they chose to meet specifically for their strategic plan every six months and we are there to help clarify things because the farther you get away from those planning sessions the more you forget and you need that refresher. So, we're there to help with that to make sure that they're staying on task. If something um you know, if the timeline was too aggressive or something got done sooner than we had anticipated, we can alter that stuff, too, to just make sure that they're they're checking that box. We do not want our strategic plans to be put on a shelf. We want them to be used. We're not going anywhere. We want to be that resource for the communities so so you don't have hard feelings and the citizens don't have volunteer fatigue, too, because that happens. And I think that's where we're at.

Oh yeah, for sure. And we don't want that to happen either. So listening what you would do. So I got a couple examples and you tell me what you would do. Why aren't people maybe coming to town? Okay. High water, high taxes, just like you hear all the time. Do you help with those solutions? And then I also heard you just talking about senior senior living and I myself got a forplex no steps built it for seniors. All right. I'd love to build more but by the time you're done with and I'm not sitting here complaining. I'm just telling you way it is.

By the time you're done with an insurance and taxes you're at like a three or 4% return on your money. you're way ahead. I'm way ahead to just leave it at the bank or sure Edward Jones or whatever. So, what are you what are you gonna do when it comes to that example or what could you add to make me want to build more? Make anybody else want to build senior living? Because it's got to be a affordable for the developer or for the owner also. Sure.

Of course. I mean, you're you're not building things for altruism, right? There's got to be some margins that make sense to you. So when it comes to the strategic plan, so the housing study addresses a lot of that stuff as far as like what the feedback we got and what the data says because we're using the US census data and the American community survey data. That's the kind of the addendum to the survey or to the census. Um, the housing study addresses a lot of the housing stuff with the strategic plan that comes more into the implementation and execution of what is it going to take to help get residents to either move here or come back home. Uh, one of the things that we did in the survey is we had um sent out a survey to um Canton high school alum that don't live in the state anymore, do not live in Canton. and we had asked the questions, you know, if you could find housing, would you be interested in coming home? And some, of course, said, "No, I'm gone." I would have I would have said the same thing. My my husband and I left for 10 years after we we after we graduated, too. We were like, "Goodbye." Um, however, there were some that said, "If we're coming home, we want to come to Canton, but there's not a house for my family and I now because they're not 18-year-olds anymore. They're spouses with children." And so the strategic plan comes in and that's where it starts to talk about how are we attracting these people? What what is it going to take to do that? Who's responsible for that? When do we want these plans to be put in place by? So that is that is what the strategic plan is working on. The housing study is talking about what kind of housing stock should be put in place.

You mentioned the community center too and you've done research. We're in the middle of fundraising, decide what we want, all that stuff. Does it kind of wrap all that together then and come with a final report or what part? The the Are you doing a capital campaign right now? Well, I ain't that part. Yeah. We got to decide what we want. Oh, sure. So that I mean I go to if you send out a study. Yep. Especially if you talk to people with kids from sixth grade to 10th grade looking for gym space. Huge huge huge want and need in this town.

We just got to figure out how to build it. But we sent we sent out a survey. I'm ready for a community center, but not if my taxes are going to go up. That's where you're stuck. Sure. That's what I'm talking about is we need if we're going to spend this kind of money, we're not asking you to be the the biggest savior, but almost.

Well, I wish I had like an unlimited pot of money that I could just say, "Here, let's solve all your problems." Um, but but I will say it this reminds me very much of some of the work that we had done in Lamar's, Iowa. We spent the last year working on multiple projects over there and that was one of the things that had come up in their conversation was needing more gym space because they wanted to bring tournaments to town. They want to be able to do multiports. They wanted and not just basketball but everything. They need that space. And it was a collaboration of talking with the schools and the different entities and how they're going to raise the money. And that was a part of their plan too was figuring out what that was. I mean, we don't come in and say, "If you raise this much money, this will happen." We're not an engineering firm. We're not going to build it. But we can help we can help identify and help look at what other options are other than raising your taxes. I mean, it's the natural thing would be to raise taxes, but if it's not going to get passed, it's not going to get passed, right? Like, you got to just take that off the table. So, that that's what we've got to figure out in the strategic plan. I don't have a a perfect answer for you the second, but that's what we if that's something that you want us to look at, we can throw it into the plan and take a look at it.

Have you helped out directly with capital campaigns before? We try not to. Okay, fair enough. Capital campaigns. Well, cap and I say that because capital campaigns take a very specific skill. Yeah. And I would rather steer you to a partner organization that does that full-time for a living to get a better result than us trying to wing it. Gotcha. Like, no, we're we would like to leave that to the experts. Fair enough. Any other questions?

Well, you'll see. Yeah, I didn't, you know, it's not on the agenda for voting. So, let's talk about it. Um, you know, give me your feedback and we're ready to bring it back to the agenda, we'll we'll do that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay. Now, we'll move on move on to new business. Um, tonight we have some raffle requests from the Canton Chamber and Celebrate Canton. And um the first one is uh Canton Chamber of Celebrate Canton submitted a raffle request and tickets um are sold on Fridays until the ace of hearts is drawn and tickets can be purchased for $5 each or five for $20. They would like this to start is the week after the current pot goes out and it's 10% payout weekly and if the ace of hearts is not drawn and and large pot to winner. Okay. So, do you have any questions for Lisa on this before we make a motion to okay the raffle

and all this proceeds are going to celebrate camp? Yes. And then is you said you're interested in doing this one more and then you're gonna I'm going to take a break. I've been doing it every Friday now for Oh, this is year three. All right. What's the pot up to? Starting well after the deposits this weekend. 17,86 and some change. Seven cards left. Seven cards left and three of them are aces. How funny. Only one ace has been drawn. Yep. But you need the ace of hearts. Need the ace of hearts. And the winner gets 60% of that 17. No, they would get that. That's their share.

Yep. That's their share. Gotcha. All right. We've already deducted the Are you still doing the food on Friday nights? We food Lori Cafe has been through the winter months and she's ready for her break and starting this Friday, we've got food trucks coming back. She sits at a table with an order pad, takes orders, and walks them down. I I really liked I mean, I understand she needs a break. I really really really like that we were using somebody local. Understand if she wants a break. I just me and food trucks were taken away from our local Yeah.

people is what I don't like about food trucks. I know that. But tell you been requested to bring them in for events by our community. I try to do 5050. food truck in Harrisburg was so good they put a building up. Yeah, they're paying taxes. Great. Plus, they're also booked here quite a bit this summer, too. Okay, motion. Second. And we have a motion in a second. You want to call roll? Commissioners Peterson. I York. Hi. Carlson. Hi. Garbers. Hi. Mayor Lstrom.

I. The next raffle request is from the K chamber and they request uh for the annual golf tournament. Is this in conjunction with Sanford anymore or No, no. Sanford has stepped away. Okay. As being partners, they will still be a large supporter, but they don't have the staff any longer to help ah plan and promote it. Okay. And you'll be selling 500 tickets from April 1st to June 9th with the winner being announced on June 9th. Correct. Correct. The winner will be determined by a ball drop with the ball closest to the hole winning. Tickets are $20 each for with $5,000 going to the winner and $5,000 going to the chamber. Up to up to Yeah. Okay. Up. All right.

In case we don't sell all the tickets. Okay. So, a motion and second is required to pass this. Second. Motion is second. Cobra. Commissioners York. Hi. Carlson. Hi. Garbers. Hi. Peterson. Hi. Mayor Lundstrom. Hi. Okay. Next. You're on here a lot tonight, Lisa. Yeah. And I'll be back in a couple weeks with the whole list more.

Okay. Next is a street closure request for the camp chamber and the celebrate camp and the car show board for gen or show for generations have requested street closures for town and country night and the car show. And the chamber um it's chamber of commerce. The town of country nights is July 23rd. It's from 4:00 to 9:00. They'd like to close Main Street from Third Main Street, Third and Broadway. Just Third Street. Yeah. Yeah. Between the Yeah.

Main and Broadway. Yeah. And the Canton Car Show for Generations is July 26th. And that's closing First Street, Second Street, and Third Street between Main and Broadway. Correct. And Fourth Street in those areas where Fourth is around the park. Okay. Okay. First and Fifth. Okay. And um a motion is required to approve these street closures for these event city events. Motion bless you. Second. A motion and a second. Call you again. Commissioners Carlson Ibers. Hi. Peterson. Hi. York. Hi. Mayor Lstrom.

Hi. So, um, next is this a special liquor retail license application hearing for the car show. And that's just for the car show, correct? Yep. Just for that Sunday.

Okay. Um, they've requested uh an application. They've submitted an application for a special liquor license for July 26th on First, and this is how I'm going to read it. If it's not correct, you're going to have to tell me. first, second, and third streets between Lincoln and Cedar and Maine and Broadway between First and Fifth Streets for the car show. It is noted on the application that the wristbands will be given to those old enough to drink and a committee member will be patrolling committee members will be controlling patrolling the area. So, and I need to um we need to have a special hearing on that. So, I will do that now.

Where do you purchase booze from? We did the order through the wheel. So it's still goes through the city and everything. Y we had them build us separately from what the wheel was easiest doing it that way.

Okay. This is the time and place for the hearing on the special events on sale liquor license application from the Canton Chamber of Commerce for the Canton car show for generations. The public hearing is now open. The purpose of this hearing is to hear the request for a special event on sale on sale liquor license for the Can Chamber of Commerce for July 26th, 2026 in the area of First, Second, and Third Streets between Lincoln and Cedar Streets and Maine and Broadway between First and Fifth Streets and to take in public comment and to and in to take public comment. If any member of the commission here has a conflict of interest with this issue, they should so state and abstain from participation in this hearing. Anyone have an issue? Okay. And you can present your case if you wish to discuss it if it's you want to add more than what was read here.

No. No. Okay. Um last year when we did you gave us the opportunity to do it the first time. Um, we I'm not aware of any problems and when we were doing our tear down and cleanup. We had people coming out and thanking us for for doing such a good job. So, I don't think any I'm not aware of any complaints and I don't know if Corbin maybe got any at the police department. He never told me any. No, I haven't heard of any. Was it something just nice to have or did it actually generate some revenue for you? It did actually generate some revenue for the car show committee.

Nice. Anything else for Lisa? Okay. Does anyone on the board have any questions? And if so, now would be the time to ask. Are there any proponents to this issue? Well, are there any opponents to this issue? If there are no further questions, the hearing, nothing further from the public. The hearing is now closed and I will entertain a motion regarding the application be the special events on on sale liquor license. A motion. Second. A motion and a second. Call roll. Commissioners Garver.

Hi. Peterson. Hi. York. Hi. Carlson. Hi. Mayor Lindstöm. Hi.

Thank you very much. Thanks, Lisa. A couple weeks for some more. Thanks. Okay, next on the agenda is uh the Easter holiday and the governor has declared that the state government offices close on Good Friday and April 3rd and Easter Monday on April 6th in observance of the Easter of Easter and is granted administrative leave for each of those days. Our personal manual policy 7.11 states, "Other holidays proclaimed non-working holidays by the president of the United States or the governor of South Dakota will be at the discretion of the city commission." So, we're Is it our discretion? Have at it.

I'd make a motion to get Friday afternoon off. I'll second that. Okay, we have a motion and a second to allow um half day on Good Friday. Pardon? Say does it need to be clear the afternoon? Like when does afternoon start? Noon. Well, at noon because they take their lunch break then. So half day half day. Is that is that what you're thinking? Noon. Yep. Work 8 to 8 to 12 and then out of there. Okay, we have a motion in a second. You want to call roll? Commissioners Peterson. York. Hi Garlson. I Garbers. Hi. Mayor Lstrom.

Hi. Next in the agenda is a surplus mower. It's recommended to declare the surplus of the 2000 what is Gravaly. Gravely Gravely PMZ260 mower and order its trade in. Valuations have been received from three different shareholders for the city of Canton. The appraised value is $966.67 and is based on the average. And a motion and second is required to declare this item as surplus. Say new one ordered already or what?

Looking at trading it in on a new one. Yes. Do we know what the new one is? How much it is? Uh I think with trading was a little over 10 11 nine I want to say. Um I we I know we have some big dog big dogs. Bad boys. Bad boys. Yes. That's what they're looking at trading it in for. So we're getting away from gravely. Yes. This is one of the last few. I think we might have one or two more. It's getting to be an old mower. 20 some years old. Stop it. 12, 1200 and some. I was in high school in 2000. Stop it.

I was not. I was too like that. You see that? Do not go. Come on. I'm saying that it was like 26 years ago, guys. Yeah. 26 years old lawn mower. Denial. Denial. Still worth 966 bucks. Can we go to one person? Are we kind of looking around or what do we do? Dealer for the bad boys. Yeah, I think that's where he went. Jason with the parks department went and looked. So, who's it to? Jason. No, the dealer is I don't remember where the dealer was. I saw south of town. I feel like

Yeah. Is it Andy's is that where he went? Can't remember. I just I thought I remember the engines and the the representative himself maybe lived south of town. I can't remember though. I don't remember where what he showed me exactly. One dealer for these bad boys around here. I'm I'm not disagreeing with the purchase one. I just if there's somebody that lives in this town, I'm hoping we are using at least looking to see if there'sbody a business or somebody that pays taxes have been asked if their interest.

Oh, we should be checking with Decker. We should be checking with Engines and more there. Oh, yeah. I don't I mean I think we're just saving our skin by doing that before we Okay. I even wouldn't be surprised if uh Jason Bryant can't sell mowers. I think he has some hardware store in town does sell mowers and still got to be careful about getting into a commercial, right? Well, and that could be make those notes. Make those notes. You got you getting them. I'd like to table this until we check with local people. You don't want to sell it as surplus first?

No, it's going to be traded in. It's trade or Oh, it's trade in. Okay. And how would you with me checking with mowers? I've never had good luck. I mean, the dealer actually tells me just sell your mower on a sale because you're going to get a lot more than we're going to give you for it. So, this is kind of surprises me that we're trading it in. I mean, if you you if you would like us to just try to when we bring it back to you after checking local purchase options, but ultimately if you want us to discard it by auction, we certainly can do that.

Yeah. I'd like to know what are you getting just $966 in? No, that's because that's what I'd like to know is what are we getting? The 966 is basic is appraised value which is three people from the community that give an estimate. So I just would I'd like to know what the they're going to give us getting a trade in value 1,200. I don't know if you can sell it to 1200. So so make a motion to table that. Is that what you wanted to do? Yes. I just I I want to check with local people. That's what they pay their taxes for. Okay, you have a motion. We have a second. Second.

Okay, call. Commissioners York. Hi, Carlson. I garbers. Hi, Peterson. Hi, Mayor L. Hi. And the next item is al is a surplus loader. It's recommended to declare it as it surplus. It's a 2021 John Deere 624P loader and order its tradein. valuations have been received from three different shareholders for the city of Canton. And the appraised value of $178,000 is based on the average. We already did this, didn't we? No, we uh signed a purchase order for the new one. This is surplus and the old one to trade in for the new one.

Well, we've already agreed on price and everything, right? But we still have the surpluses the old one. And we're getting a good value for trade in versus trying to sell it. 194,000. Yeah, pretty good. We paid 204 for it when we bought it. That's a pretty good deal. That's a pretty good deal. It is. But new laws have gone up significantly in price, too. Well, there's that. 194. Well, they went up 84,000. Is it It was 288, I think, and we've paid 19 or 204 for this one. So, motion. We have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Okay. You want to call roll? Commissioner Scarlson.

Hi. Garver. Hi. Peterson. Hi. York. Hi. Mayor Lstrom. Hi. Okay. That everything that was in the agenda. And now we'll move for commissioner dialogue. Chris, do you have anything? I do not. you, Sarah. Um, I would just say if anybody's out there listening, um, reach out to us and let us know what your guys's thoughts are on our on doing a strategic plan. I'd like to hear from people and what their thoughts are. Like review online and like reach out to us and let us know what your thoughts are. And then other than that, I don't have anything. Yes, both.

Do you Doug Peterson? Nope. Nope. I'm a quiet one. Um, yesterday there was a snowfall angel in our neighborhood. I don't know how far you went around town or if there was more, but it's sure nice to see these people just acting pushing this wet snow that snow blowers didn't like. Yeah. Helping with the blade. Just if that person was listening, thank you personally and thank you for doing it for the

I had Yeah, we had an act of kindness in our neighborhood too. My son-in-law came up and this four-wheeler with a plow and did the neighborhood both sides of the street and the driveway. So, we appreciate that. And other than that, I don't have anything. Do you have anything?

Um, we have gotten in some of the crosswalk signs. Um, the first ones that we got in and put up, we put in around the high school and elementary school. We have seven more on order from the city and we'll be getting an additional four more with the chamber and what that Lisa had presented about previously. Um, the when the school year ends, we'll take the ones that we have around the the schools and move them closer to parks. Um, and we have one at top Dakota Street. Um, so we've gotten a lot of good feedback already. Um, I think it took less than a day for people to start calling and asking if they can get more of them around. Um, you know, they we don't want to just put them up anywhere, but we do want people to tell us what they're seeing with them and where they think they might be best utilized. So, we do still encourage people to reach out and tell us where they they think they would be well used. We just can't commit to being able to put them that everybody where everybody would like them.

Okay. Do you have anything, Kyle? Nope. Nope. Okay. That concludes the meeting and we are going to hold an executive sess session um according to South Dakota codified law 1-25-2 and South Dakota codified law 9-34-9. So someone want to make a motion to go in exec roll. Commissioners Garver. Hi. Peterson. Hi York. Hi Carlson. Hi. Mor. Hi. Thank you guys. Thank you.