Just last week, it was exciting to see construction starting at the Brookings Marketplace, which is the future home of Aldi and Target.
Two of the people who deserve credit for this are Brookings City Council members Bonny Specker and Holly Tilton Byrne. There was opposition to selling the land to the developer, but the breaking of ground at the Brookings Marketplace supports that this was the best decision.
Bonny Specker and Holly Tilton Byrne have been two standout members of the City Council in the last few years. Both have been receptive when I have emailed or spoken to them. They have also been part of the recent increase in the number of outreach events that the council holds in our community.
Bonny is a retired epidemiologist. Her varied experiences including serving on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club and on Governor Daugaards Task Force on Infant Mortality. She puts in the work to learn all about an issue and lets the data drive her decisions. She speaks thoughtfully and deliberately during meetings.
Holly Tilton Byrne has served on the council for eight years (after first serving on the sustainability committee). She also works for a non-profit and serves on the board of directors for Margos Place, the local domestic abuse shelter. She brings energy and enthusiasm to the council.
Both members cite economic development, affordable housing, increased access to childcare, and replacing the fire and police station as top issues. They have managed smart growth of our city within the constraints of floodplains by, for instance, increasing maximum build heights and reducing minimum parking requirements to promote compact development and strategic growth. Bonny and Holly have both been involved in funding the new Brookings Child Care Collaborative, building the new interstate/Brookings interchange, and facilitating the new development at the Brookings Marketplace.
I hope you vote to re-elect Holly Tilton Byrne and Bonny Specker to city council on April 8.
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