BROOKINGS Interest in an open seat on the Brookings City Council led to a nearly two-hour study session on Tuesday night where councilors listened, asked questions and took feedback from the public.
Councilors originally planned to hear from eight candidates, but two dropped out before the study session, while two others changed their minds during the meeting, throwing their support to other candidates who persevered:
- Al Austreim
- Larry Ayres
- Lisa Hager
- Michael Lambertus
The four who dropped their bids or supported other candidates were:
- Eric Griggs (dropped)
- Hannah Markley (dropped)
- Blake Stevens (dropped, then supported Hager)
- Zeno Wicks III (he didnt officially drop, but supports Austreim)
Councilors plan to make a decision on appointing someone to fill the vacancy at the City Council meeting on April 22, but its not set in stone. The seat became available when former Councilor Andrew Rasmussen officially resigned on Feb. 28 to take a job in Washington, D.C.
The four remaining candidates made their cases, pointing to a variety of backgrounds, experiences, ideas and priorities.
Al Austreim
He has made two runs for a seat on the City Council, coming up just short each time. He said his commitment to Brookings is seen in the three decades he has lived in the city, along with the fact that he owns and operates a successful and growing landscaping business, Austreim Landscaping.
Theres no experience like operating (a) business making payroll, planning strategy and overseeing people, he said. I currently employ over 20 people and do my very best to keep as much revenue as possible in the Brookings community.
He said those skills are applicable to being a city councilor, and that he would also provide more diversity in viewpoints. His priorities include affordable housing, both in providing it and in helping employees find it, and says he has a proven track record of working with others via his roles serving on youth sports boards and establishing a large network of business contacts.
I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective to the Brookings City Council and sharing my experience and knowledge in the coming year as this council faces a number of major decisions, Austreim said.
In closing, he pointed out that his previous runs for a seat on the City Council show that he has deep community support, especially among folks who took the time to vote.
Larry Ayres
He and his wife moved to Brookings in 1996 so his wife could open a veterinary clinic. They raised three daughters here. He graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in elementary education and, later, a masters degree in special education. He spent 33 years in education 10 in Mitchell, one in Hendricks and 22 years in Brookings.
Ayres said his community involvement includes the family being rental property owners for about 25 years; seven years on the South Dakota Department of Educations special education advisory panel; nine years with the Brookings Area Inter-Agency Board, whose efforts included the STARS and the Camp Adventure programs (the former is a horse-riding program for people with disabilities, and the latter is camping experience for people with disabilities). He also served on the Special Olympics Brookings-area governing board for about eight years, where he was the treasurer.
He said when he was considering applying, he saw a quote thats been attributed to Denzel Washington: Theres three phases in your life: A learning phase, an earning phase and then a returning phase.
Ayres said hes now in the latter phase, and that his priorities include affordable housing, recreational opportunities amid funding cuts, childcare and supporting existing businesses in Brookings while also attracting new businesses to the city.
Lisa Hager
She originally hails from Grundy Center, Iowa which is near the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area and earned her bachelors degree in political science from Wartburg College in 2009, then earned her masters and Ph.D degrees from Kent State College (2013 and 2016, respectively). Prior to her arrival at South Dakota State University, she spent time as a staffer with now-retired U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Illinois.
She been at South Dakota State for nine years and is an associate professor of political science.
I honestly found my forever home the minute that I walked on SDSUs campus here in Brookings. I felt so incredibly welcomed, she said.
That said, moving to Brookings did come with some obstacles, one of which was finding appropriate housing. Those experiences, she said, drove her to help with networking opportunities for young professionals while also becoming involved with the Brookings Economic Development Corp., the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce and joining the Brookings Rotary Club.
Her most recent public-service position was serving as the vice-chair of the Brookings City Charter Review Commission.
Im very passionate about this community its my forever home, Hager said. I do like the way in which Brookings is moving as a community, and I would like to participate in allowing that to continue to happen.
Her priorities include affordable housing because thats something I experienced moving here, she said workforce recruitment/retention and childcare.
Michael Lambertus
He has lived in Brookings since 2004 and joined the Brookings Fire Department in 2006. He worked his way up from being a probie to officer to state instructor to lead evaluator and president of the volunteer association. He retired from the fire department in 2022.
After being out of the service for a couple of years now, Im looking for a way to get back in, Lambertus said of public service. I want to continue being part of something bigger than myself to serve, to lead and to help move Brookings forward in a way that reflects the values this community holds dear.
Hes currently in a management role with Avera, where he leads teams, supports others and helps find practical solutions to real-world problems.
Married since 2011, he has a daughter who will be a freshman this fall.
We built our life here as homeowners, neighbors, part of the community, Lambertus said. At the core of who I am is the belief that good will always win over evil. That might sound simple, but its a principle Ive seen play out time and time again whether (in) emergency situations on the fire line, leadership roles or in day-to-day interactions with others.
He noted that while affordable housing is an issue, he said it was relative as well. If you want affordable housing, you cant live beyond your means. Thats just me.
Public testimony
Councilors heard from the public after the candidates spoke, and it was evident Austreim was popular, considering all seven spoke on his behalf. They included John Mills, David Kneip and Mike McClemans all names well-known in and around Brookings.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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