HURON — One of the last business items of Monday evening’s Huron City Commission meeting was the approval of the first reading of Ordinance 2264-30-246, the 2025 proposed budget. No comments were received to the finance office, and the commission voted unanimously to approve the first reading of the 2025 appropriations ordinance, for a budget of $45,073,711, a 20-percent decrease from the 2024 budget.

Finance Director Paullyn Carey thanked her staff and the other city department heads who worked diligently for more than a month to put together the budget. The second reading of the ordinance will be held Sept. 30.

Huron Public Library director Angela Bailey and reference librarian Jennifer Littlefield spoke during public forum about the new book out, “Huron (Images of America)” done in conjunction with the Dakotaland Museum. The book contains details and numerous photographs of the history of the city of Huron. Bailey and Littlefield thanked all of the city staff and community members that assisted in sourcing the historical photographs for the book.

Mayor Mark Robish spoke about the upcoming Wolsey-Wessington community game night to be held on Friday at Wolsey Park, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Assistant city engineer Dennis Bennett presented three items related to the parking ramp removal and replacement at the Huron Event Center.

The first was a construction change order for restriping and reconfiguration of the parking lot for the cost of $61,571, or 50% of the entire cost of the work.

The second parking ramp item was a change order for a difference in quantities used by the company to complete work. The overall decrease in cost to the city was $35,213.66.

Finally, the final payment of the work on the lot to First Rate Excavate Inc. was approved for $86,188.

The commission also approved a pay request for work on Dakota Ave. to BX Civil and Construction Inc. in the amount of $700,998.29, a pay request for Fourth Street Reconstruction to Midland Contracting Inc for $97,219.46, and a pay request to HK Solutions Group for $16,144.46 for sewer main lining work.

Police chief Derek Layher read a request to purchase a spectrometer from DetectaChem for $40,000 to test samples for known chemicals, protecting officers from ingesting or having skin contact with potentially hazardous items. The funding for this comes from opioid settlement moneys that the city receives.

Human Resources manager Shanna Sterrett presented a recommendation to change the city’s health insurance provider to First Stop Insurance and the agent to Brenda Arteman in order to go with Avera Health Plans for 2025 for city employees. This was approved.

Commissioners also:

- Corrected the date for Crafting out Cancer Event previously approved to Oct. 12.
- Approved special event on-sale alcoholic beverage license filed by Top Floor Events for a Chamber mixer at Auto Body Clinic on Oct. 8.
- Approved part-time employment of Rusty Toupal for a volunteer firefighter position.
- Approved a 2024-2025 retail on-off sale malt beverage and South Dakota farm wine license for Crossroads Hotel at 100 4th St. SW upon completed inspection by city staff.

The commission held an executive session regarding negotiations and completed the night with a work session on the 2025 budget.