BROOKINGS The seven-member City Council in Brookings has been one person short since former Councilor Andrew Rasmussens resignation in late February, but thats no longer the case as of Tuesday night with a 6-0 vote in favor of appointing Brookings resident Lisa Hager to the open position.
Im very excited. Im looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work for the city of Brookings, Hager, who is an associate professor at South Dakota State University, told the Brookings Register after the vote. It was very overwhelming to hear all of the types of public comment that was received by all of the council members. It was really nice to hear all those wonderful things and, more importantly, the faith that the citizens of Brookings have in me to serve as a City Council member.
She was one of several hopefuls for the position that included Al Austreim, Larry Ayres, Michael Lambertus and Zeno Wicks.
Id like to thank all the people that did apply for the appointment, Mayor Oepke Ope Niemeyer said. You put yourself out there when you do that. Ive been involved in a few appointments in the past, and its very difficult to get up in front of somebody sometimes and tell them youre the best person to do the job.
The council chamber, which was quite crowded for a City Council meeting, was mostly quiet afterward, with some murmuring here and there leading up to a mix of praise and concern from some audience members.
Ayres, one of the aforementioned contenders, spoke first.
I just want to say that I think you guys made an excellent decision, he said. I left that night very impressed with her and I think you made a very, very good choice. Good work guys. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Brookings resident Doug Smith looked at the vote in a different light.
Not to say I disagree, but I think Al would have been a really good choice, he said. Hes a businessman. He ran for the office and didnt miss it by much. I think therell be a lot of people that are kind of upset that he wouldnt be selected.
Austreim shared his two cents as well.
I dont think the citizens of Brookings were represented in the vote, he told the Register, adding that he plans to run again next year. Absolutely! Take out the petition today if I could.
The open seat was Austreims third attempt at joining the City Council. He ran twice before earlier in April of this year and last year in April just coming up shy of winning each time by anywhere from a few dozen votes to slightly over 100 votes.
Councilor Nick Wendell made the motion to appoint Hager, and it was seconded by Councilor Wayne Avery. Both made their cases for why she was the best choice to fill the seat, and also told of the community involvement in the selection process.
First, I want to thank the candidates who expressed interest in the position. Id also like to thank the members of the community that reached out, Wendell said. It was helpful to receive feedback from a wide variety of community members who provided us lots of insight encouraging us to appoint certain council members, discouraging us from appointing other applicants. The insight and feedback and experiences folks shared with us helped influence ultimately the reason that I make this motion this evening.
Wendell also pointed out that Hagers working style was another reason for supporting her appointment to the City Council. She served as the vice-chair of the Brookings City Charter Review Commission over the past year and, Wendell said, in that role the council saw how she interacted via collaboration with a variety of community stakeholders, public forums and how she treated her colleagues and the public when there were questions.
Wendell said her interview was impressive as well, where she spoke about the councils current initiatives and strategic work.
It really demonstrates that she has an understanding of and appreciation for the work of municipalities, he said. For those reasons, I make the motion that we appoint Dr. Hager to the vacancy.
Avery spoke along similar lines.
The council has received a large volume of emails, calls and visits from individuals in support of their preferred applicant, he said. I applaud all of those who came forward to apply for this open council position. Its sometimes daunting to decide to enter public service, so all of your efforts to secure this position are admirable.
The majority of the correspondence we received started out by sharing the strengths of their preferred applicant and why that person would be the best fit for the job, Avery continued. All of the applicants have notable strengths and all have leadership qualities and (a) strong work ethic.
He finished, The job of the council is to determine who would be the best person to move the council forward. I believe that we have a rare opportunity to select a person who has a strong interest in local government, an unparalleled educational background and has demonstrated a willingness to serve. I believe that Dr. Lisa Hager is the best candidate to fill the open position on the Brookings City Council.
Avery went on to tick off a list of compliments for Hager that councilors had received from email correspondence, including: She is well researched, is familiar with the Brookings city master plan, has Brookings Economic Development Corp. experience, is an excellent researcher, is articulate, a critical thinker, very reliable, has knowledge of city policies and is empathetic.
Hager will be sworn into office at the May 13 City Council meeting. The remainder of the term officially ends April 30, 2026, but a new law in South Dakota has injected some uncertainty as to when the next city election will be.
Basically, the new law which arises from House Bill 1130 in this years session of the South Dakota Legislature states that municipal and school elections must occur either in June or November. The specifics on how that affects Brookings and other communities and schools in the state will be determined in the months ahead.
Fifth Street Gym
Following votes taken earlier in the Fifth Street Gym process by the Brookings County Commission and the Brookings School Board, the City Council approved their part: the transfer of the gyms ownership from the school district to the city from at no cost.
This acquisition of the Fifth Street Gym is an opportunity for us to preserve a valued community asset, expand recreational access for all of our Brookings residents, Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Kristin Zimmerman said. Through strong partnerships and strategic planning, were ensuring that this facility continues to serve as a hub for programs, events and community connections.
Smith, who also earlier in the meeting praised the roles the council and city staffers have taken in the journey, was overjoyed by the decision. Thanks again. Its terrific!
Councilor Holly Tilton Byrne and the mayor spoke up as well.
Im excited about the opportunity that we have here, and I appreciate the partnership with the school district and their willingness to transfer this property over to the city so that the members of our community can continue to use this indoor space, Tilton Byrne said.
I look forward to us taking care of this building for the years to come, Niemeyer added. Its not that old of a building, and its definitely being used by the community now. Im glad that Kristin figured out how (through her budget) so she could put this building back together a little bit. It needs some tender loving care.
That it does, too. Earlier reporting by the Register indicates that roughly $2.6 million in work is needed to bring the Fifth Street Gym up to spec, including items such as:
- $1 million for an air handler
- $350,000 for sprinkler and fire alarm systems
- $300,000 for a roof membrane
- $300,000 to make the bathrooms Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant
Thats just a partial list, too, and doesnt include such things as possibly replacing the floor at some point or ongoing operational costs, estimated at $100,000 to $150,000 per year.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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