BROOKINGS – The Brookings City Council approved zoning for cannabis at Tuesday’s meeting and purchasing a new landfill compactor.

Councilor Joey Collins was absent.

Charlie Richter was introduced as the new city engineer.

Ord. 21-025

Mike Struck, director of Community Development explained some changes to Ordinance 21-025, which pertains to zoning for cannabis establishments.

“With a cultivation facility, we wanted to add in one of the criteria is all of the operations shall be in a completely enclosed building,” Struck said.

Those who have dealt with cannabis in peer cities in Colorado have said the cultivation side of the business “can really have some pretty extreme smells,” so it’s best to keep it within an enclosed building, Struck said.

“It also provides additional security,” he added.

The other change included input from the county after a discussion on which entity would have authority to issue a license in the joint jurisdiction zoning area.

“We decided it was best at this time to prohibit any type of cannabis establishments within the joint jurisdiction area,” Struck said.

Technically, the city would have the zoning jurisdiction, “but there were questions about who would have the administration rights to issue the actual license since it would be outside of municipal corporate boundaries,” Struck said.

Ord. 21-029

The council approved Ordinance 21-029, which authorizes supplemental appropriation No. 4 to the 2021 budget.

Erick Rangel, CFO, explained the nine parts of Ordinance 21-029.

Part 1: Transfer of $1.4 million from the City Council Priority Projects Fund (CCPPF) to the Capital Improvements Fund for facility repairs identified in the McKinstry Study performed in 2019. 

Part 2: Transfer of $11,863.74 from the General Fund reserves to close the Marketplace Capital Project Fund. 

Part 3: Transfer a total of $3 million from the General Fund Economic Development Reserves, Special Assessments Fund, and Storm Drainage Fund to the 15th and 7th Streets Capital Project Fund (TIF 10) for engineering and construction expenditures. 

Part 4: Transfer of $522,200 from the CCPPF to fund the first two steps in the renovation or rebuild of the Public Safety Center. 

“This is just to get started with the project,” Rangel said, adding any other future costs would be brought forward to the council.

Part 5: Allocate $41,000 from the capital sinking fund to address deficiencies in the City’s tool supply for fleet maintenance. 

Part 6: Provide $975,000 from landfill reserves to fund a new landfill compactor to mitigate further expenses repairing catastrophic failures of the current equipment. 

“This item was originally budgeted for 2022, but given the current need, we’re asking to move it to 2021,” Rangel said.

Part 7: Transfer of $35,000 from the CCPPF to Brookings Economic Development Corporation to partially fund a county housing study. 

Part 8: Provide $40,000 from expected 2021 revenue surplus to fund the 10-year Financial Management Plan Initiative. 

Part 9: Allocate $17,500 from the capital sinking fund to perform urgent roof repairs to the Old Armory. 

Mayor Ope Niemeyer asked for clarification on the landfill’s compactor, what size it is and the function it performs.

“It’s actually a payloader that’s got wheels on it that packs the landfill material down, correct?” Niemeyer asked.

“Correct,” Rangel said.

“This was up for a CIP budget item for next year, correct?” Niemeyer asked.

“Yes,” Rangel said.

“So, we’re just bringing it ahead just because the repairs on the existing one are just getting carried away,” Niemeyer said.

“It’s already beyond … its life expectancy, and we’ve been having a lot of breakdowns,” Rangel said.

In related business, the council approved Resolution 221-073, which approved the purchase of a 2022 Caterpillar Compactor through Sourcewell.

Jacob Meshke, assistant city manager, explained in more detail why a new compactor was needed.

“The landfill compactor, which was purchased in 2010, has been experiencing increasingly costly service repairs, amounting to over $180,000 in the last three years,” Meshke said.

The new 2022 Caterpillar Compactor from Butler Machinery Company in Sioux Falls costs $921,666, which is under the initial estimates of $975,000, Meshke said.

Niemeyer asked if the old one will be put up for surplus or if it was part of the trade in.

“We would explore the opportunity for surplussing, given its current condition,” Meshke said.

Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.