Sioux Falls City Council approves budget — with 3 changes related to downtown

The Sioux Falls City Council passed the city’s proposed 2025 budget largely unchanged — but with two additions related to nuisance issues downtown and a change in how property for a future convention center could be purchased.

The recommended $781 million budget included few amendments from the council, but a separate resolution will affect how the city moves ahead with plans to purchase almost 8 acres of land on the east edge of downtown.

The cost of the property, dubbed the Riverline District, is estimated at $8 million and is included in the 2025 budget.

At its Tuesday meeting, the City Council approved a resolution brought by council member Rich Merkouris that would guide a purchase agreement, project timeline, final design, cost estimate and timeline for an advisory election.

The 10-person committee will include the City Council chair and vice chair as well as eight individuals: four appointed by the mayor and four appointed by the council.

“We’re focused on a vision that literally impacts every citizen in our community but also impacts citizens outside of our community as we’re expecting it to bring them here,” Merkouris said. “Because of the magnitude of the vision that’s brought before us … we wanted to bring before us a plan … that would take this vision to the next step forward so we can see it to fruition.”

The idea is to use a more public process to “take the fabulous work that’s been done and help us continue to move forward to the point of a public vote,” he said. “We’re being asked to spend serious public funds, and as we appropriate serious public funds, now’s the time to bring in a public committee.”

The City Council also added two appropriations to the budget, both proposed by council member Ryan Spellerberg, including $150,000 to support a two-year Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. ambassador program to promote safety, cleanliness and hospitality downtown. The funds would come from proceeds from liquor license sales.

“I think we’ve seen this summer firsthand the importance of the ambassador program,” Police Chief Jon Thum said. “Our relationship with this group has obviously paid dividends.”

Officers work closely with the ambassadors, and they’ve engaged with the public and helped address nuisance issues, he said.

Information from them “has been key in framing some of our police response and how we’ve been able to work on issues,” Thum said, adding that “there’s likely a way to pursue additional coordination with the ambassadors.”

The program was piloted in 2021 and has grown as it has shown its effectiveness, DTSF president Joe Batcheller said.

“We launched this program to be proactive,” he said. “With Sioux Falls growing as it is … downtown is becoming more and more popular, and we feel like the ambassador program has done a pretty good job getting in front of these issues.”

Another $150,000 appropriation was added to the budget for an outreach campaign to educate the public on steps residents can take to address similar issues. That includes messaging around not giving cash to those soliciting money.

“We have to find new ways to communicate with the public,” Thum said, comparing it to similar campaigns reminding residents to lock their vehicles.

“I think many people are looking at downtown as the central focus area of these issues … but these issues are everywhere as far as what we’re experiencing,” he continued.

The need is to use “targeted intelligence marketing and messaging,” Thum added.

“Give to charities, give to the great nonprofits … but also understand the whole system of care that’s in place and how we can help.”

City spells out next steps for downtown convention center, including advisory vote