BROOKINGS — Changing federal rules and advances in technology have finally caught to and brought about the end of the long-standing Traffic Safety Committee in Brookings.

“At this time, staff is proposing the dissolution of the committee along with process changes that will improve our responsiveness to requests and ensure that all requests are heard and appropriately vetted,” Public Works Director John Thompson said.

City Council members agreed with the request, voting 7-0 to approve Resolution 24-026 to dissolve the committee. The panel, comprised of 10 volunteers and three city staffers, was first approved on Feb. 17, 1987 — years before the advent of the internet and in a time when federal regulations differed from now.

In the committee’s obsolescence — and now absence — city residents are being urged to use the Engage Brookings app to submit traffic safety concerns directly to the engineering division of the city’s Public Works Department.

“The Engage Brookings app creates a permanent record of the concern and expedites the review process,” according to a memo from the city. “The app also ensures all submitted concerns are responded to in a reasonable timeframe.”

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Heard first reading of Ordinance 24-008, which seeks to eliminate drive-thru services for permitted special uses in the Business B-2A Office District zoning designation.
• Approved, on a 7-0 vote, Ordinance 24-005, which will make it easier for the Brookings Public Arts Commission to find members. The nine-member board, established in 2016, currently has two openings.
• Gave the go-ahead via a 7-0 vote for a new on-off sale malt license for Classic Convenience, doing business as Classic Corner at 916 Sixth St. This is the former Bozied’s Corner, and the new owners also have locations in Baltic, Colman, Colton and Madison.

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.