Sioux Falls City Council approves fence around Bishop Dudley parking lot

The city of Sioux Falls will move forward with leasing a parking lot that supports the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and putting a secured fence around it.

Councilors voted 8-0 to approve an agreement with St. Joseph Catholic Housing, a division of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, to lease the parking lot in front of the shelter for the homeless at 121 N. Indiana Ave.

“It allows us to deal with nuisance behavior and also bad behavior in a different way,” Police Chief Jon Thum said, adding that alcohol-related issues are particular drivers of problems around the lot.

There were 700 calls for service in the area last year, he said, “many of these being assaultive or destructive behavior.”

The parking lot has been challenging for the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House staff to attempt to manage, said Madeline Shields, executive director.

“It is a problem. It is a problem because people choose to be out there, and it’s unsafe,” she said. “It’s unsafe for them. It’s unsafe for our guests who are walking over to The Banquet for their meals and coming back to the Bishop Dudley, and there are predators out there. We cannot forget that not everyone has the best intentions for people who are vulnerable. There are people who will take advantage of these folks as they are just trying to go get a meal or get their mail or make it to the bus stop.”

People congregating on the lots generally are not staying overnight at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, she added. Bishop Dudley also is open during the day and offers a library, medical room and case management.

Additionally, “good-hearted citizens of Sioux Falls drop off items at that lot every single day,” Shields added, including mattresses, garbage bags full of clothes and pizzas.

“Our staff goes out every day and picks up trash,” she continued, adding that some of her guests pick up the trash as a chore in return for a locker. “We are trying our best to be good neighbors. We cannot be responsible for that lot 24 hours a day, and it is dangerous.”

The city will evaluate calls for service in the area once a fence is up and has a plan to provide continued neighborhood outreach and street-level services, city officials said.

“I truly believe the best pathway forward is for non-law enforcement engagement with the population that’s most vulnerable in our community,” Councilor Rich Merkouris said.

The ordinance provides for a five-year lease with the option to extend an additional five years at $1 per year. Within the fenced area, Bishop Dudley Hospitality House staff will be able to access about 20 percent of the parking stalls through an electronic gate.

The city will be responsible for building and maintaining the fence.

“We do not expect this to solve every issue that is happening in this neighborhood,” Thum said. “It takes a comprehensive approach.”

The city and the diocese also agreed to an option that would give the city the first opportunity to purchase the parking lot as well as the building should the shelter decide to leave the location, though the diocese has said it has no plans to do so.

The meeting drew dozens of advocates testifying against a fence and requesting more housing and resources for the population served by the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.

“Putting up the fence doesn’t stop any of that,” Merkouris said. “We could meet tomorrow and push forward on multiple initiatives. … We’re not miles apart in this community on this issue.”