The Pierre City Commission took action at the Oct. 26 meeting to move two projects forward and deregulate business.
Pickleball MOU
The Capital Area Pickleball Association now has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Pierre. The commission approved the agreement at last night’s meeting. The MOU formalizes the relationship between the two groups as they work together to build pickleball courts in Griffin Park. As outlined in the MOU, the city will contribute $50,000 toward the project, oversee the construction, and retain ownership of the completed courts. The association will serve as a fundraiser for the project.
In a related move, the commission also approved a design and project administration contract with Brosz Engineering for the development of the courts. The $250,000 project cost estimate is preliminary until a design is complete and the project is bid.
YMCA Lease Expansion
The city is modifying its 1996 lease agreement with the Oahe Family YMCA to extend through 2051.The YMCA sits on city-owned land, and its planned expansion will also be on city-owned land. The lease modification is a loan requirement of the YMCA’s financing package needed for its expansion project.
Business Deregulation
The Pierre City Commission approved repealing sections of ordinance that require auctioneers, movie theaters, and bowling alleys to be licensed annually by the city. The change will be effective before the end of this year.
Twila Hight, City Finance Officer, says that the ordinances are archaic and don’t meet their intended purpose of protecting the community and consumers.