Mitchell City Council to consider tabbing contractor for window replacements on former Crafty Fox building

May 15—MITCHELL — The Mitchell City Council will consider tabbing a contractor to replace a large number of windows along the west and south sides of the former Crafty Fox building on Main Street.

While the

223 N. Main St. building was recently purchased by California real estate developer

John Adamo — who is bringing over $1.5 million in improvements to the aging building — the city had applied for a pair of Deadwood grants to help repair the windows prior to transferring the property.

At Monday's 6 p.m. meeting, the council will consider approving Doug Driggs to take on the $34,417 window replacement project. If approved, Driggs would replace the windows along the west and south sides of the building on the third and fourth floors. Although Adamo owns the building and is in the process of remodeling it, the Mitchell City Council is tasked to approve the contractor who will repair the windows with the grant funds due to the city being awarded the Deadwood grants.

The city has been awarded $40,000 worth of grants from the Deadwood grant funds for the window restoration project over the past few years. According to Public Works Director Joe Schroeder's memo to the council, the city will then pass the grant funds on to the Mitchell Area Development Corporation (MADC) to allow the organization to provide the funds for the window restoration project. The MADC acquired the Main Street building from the city in 2021 and sold it to Adamo for him to remodel the building into a mixture of loft apartments and retail space.

Prior to the building being transferred to Adamo,

the city and MADC were in a long legal battle with the former owners of the 223 N. Main St. property, Ronald and Janice Christensen,

who alleged the city of Mitchell took ownership of the then-nuisance building through threats and conspiracy that violated their civil rights. When Janice Christensen was operating her craft shop out of the building, the

city issued a number of orders to correct, some of which asked her to repair the large number of windows

on the property.

According to Schroeder's memo to the council, the city received two quotes for the west and south side window replacement project. Mitchell-based Puetz Design Build submitted a quote for $218,589, while Driggs' quote amounted to $72,500.

The former property owners recently reached a settlement agreement with the city, which brought the legal battle over the building to a close. The Christensens were seeking up to $500,000 in damages, but it's unclear what the settlement ultimately amounted to.

After the settlement was reached in 2021, it freed up the property to be transferred over to Adamo. As part of Adamo's plans, the top floors of the downtown building will transform into 30 loft apartments while the main floor is being remodeled to welcome businesses.

Remodeling the 223 N. Main St. building is one of several major moves that Adamo has been making in downtown Mitchell over the past year. The California developer recently purchased the Cherrybees building on Main Street and the buildings on the corner of Third Avenue and Main Street and Fifth Avenue and Main Street.

The following items will be considered as part of the consent agenda:

* Approve the minutes and reports from the following meetings: May 2 City Council meeting; April 25 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

* Approve department reports.

* Approve the following raffle permits: Mitchell Regional Habitat for Humanity with the drawing to be held on June 3, 2022; Mitchell Heart and Sole Cancer Walk with the drawing to be held on June 17, 2022.

* Approve special event permit for Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo slated for July 16.

* Set the date for the following alcohol license applications: June 6, 2nd & Lawler Co. doing business as Main Street Mercantile, located 615 North Main St. is applying for a new Retail (On-Off Sale) Malt Beverage & SD Farm Wine (does not include video lottery) that would be effective on July 1, 2022; 2nd & Lawler Co. doing business as Main Street Mercantile, located at 615 North Main Street, is applying for a new Retail (On-Off Sale) Wine and Cider (does not include video lottery) that would be effective July 1, 2022.

* Set the date for a bid opening for a nuisance mowing project. The bid opening will take place at 1:30 p.m. on May 19.

* Set the date for a bid opening for a paving and overlay project. The bid opening will take place at 1:30 p.m. on May 26.

* Approve May 16 pay estimates.

* Approve bills, payroll, salary adjustments, new employee hires, authorization of recurring payments and other expenses.

Other business

* Recite pledge of allegiance and receive invocation from Grace Reform Church.

* Hear citizens input.

* Meet as Board of Adjustment.

* Set the date for the following June 6 hearing: Tara Volesky's application for a front yard setback variance of 19 feet vs. 25 feet for a front porch addition, located at 409 E. Seventh Ave., legally described as lot 4, block 4, Burrs Addition, in the city of Mitchell. The property is zoned in a R-2 Single Family Residential District.

* Reconvene as the city council.

* Approve applications to renew malt beverage licenses.

* Approve special event permit for the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Community Kickoff slated to take place July 12 at the Corn Palace Plaza.

* Approve request by the Mitchell Area Housing Inc. asking the city to waive two nuisance property abatement assessments.

* Approve request for release of easement in Woods First Addition, block 2, lots 9 and 10.

* Approve agreement No. A2022-22, a Public Safety maintenance contract.

* Approve Phase II of the Lake Mitchell dredging design with Barr Engineering. The Phase II dredging design will cost $767,500.

* Approve appointing Mayor Bob Everson as applicant agent for a hazard mitigation grant. The grant would help fund the city's goal to build a 158-person safe room at the Lake Mitchell Campground if a disaster occurs.

* Approve Resolution No. R2022-26, a plat of lots 2A and 2B of Rocky Todd Addition, a Subdivision of Lot 12A-3 in the southwest quarter of Section 10, township 103 north, range 60 west of the fifth prime meridian, in the city of Mitchell, as requested by Todd Boyd.

* Approve Resolution No. R2022-27, a plat of lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, block 1 of Stardust Subdivision, in the city of Mitchell, as requested by Jensen Capital and Development LLC.

* Hold public hearing for the Mitchell wastewater treatment facility headworks and equalization basin project with the implementation of non-point source measures.

* Approve Resolution No. R2022-30 for the North wastewater treatment plant.

* Consider entering into executive session, citing personnel and legal matters.

* Approve Resolution No. R2022-29, transfer of lot 1, block 1, Fullerton properties Second Addition.