What priorities do city leaders have for future of Mitchell?

Jul. 31—MITCHELL — Is a big remodel in the works at the Corn Palace? What does Mitchell's main tourist facility need to continue running smoothly?

The Mitchell City Council on Monday considered future needs and wants for the community during a work session meeting. No action was taken, but a long discussion was held on the Corn Palace.

Corn Palace Director Doug Greenway noted the HVAC units needing upgrades and updates. The aging soft seats were also discussed.

Councilman Tim Goldammer brought up the topic in hopes to learn the council's long-term goals for the Palace. The city has asked for citizen input to foster discussion about the facility's future following a February

2022 design study.

"The caution that I would always push back on is, it's helpful to know the future intended goal of the building is so we design whatever we're replacing to meet that future need as well as the current need so you're not having to duplicate expenses later," Ellwein said.

Councilwoman Susan Tjarks inquired about sponsorships at the Palace to help raise money for expansion, but those efforts have not come to fruition.

Council President Kevin McCardle believes the city could lose hosting Mitchell High School basketball games at the Corn Palace to the in-progress athletic facility that's being built with the new high school.

Other notable discussed items during the work session:

* The city has been discussing ways to improve the Firesteel watershed with Aurora and Jerauld counties and plans to meet with the James River Watershed Development District later this fall. Multiple Lake Mitchell studies have shown the 350,000-acre watershed is a major contributor to the lake's ongoing algae woes.

Additionally, the wetland project on the west end of Lake Mitchell is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by November. Ducks Unlimited is working at the site, which was acquired in 2019 as part of a $4.1 million land purchase along the Firesteel Creek. The council awarded a $583,997 bid in July 2023 to a Nebraska-based construction company that will be tasked with building the cattail-filled wetland, which will include three sediment traps.

* The Corn Palace Plaza, which sits south of the Corn Palace, could be up for a renovation sooner than later. As the Scoreboard Pub and Grille moves one door south to open in September at its new facility to become Bradley's Pub and Grille, officials discussed the future of the current brown building. Ellwein said removal of the building will occur this fall, with the possibility of selling the facility on an open-bid process. That helps the city avoid paying for the deconstruction and disposal of the building if someone else has a use for it. The city owns the land the current Scoreboard sits on, and officials could decide in 2025 how to expand the Corn Palace Plaza after the building is removed.

* Mayor Jordan Hanson suggested budgeting for better lighting at Hitchcock Park following the Arts in the Park event, July 26-28 as a maintenance overhaul city-wide. "We have tons of vandalism in tons of our parks and I think lighting helps deter people," he said. He also suggested adding cameras on the lights as a "huge benefit" for lighting and safety since security had to chase some people off at Arts in the Park.

He said there is plenty of money to have curbs redone and he noted the leaky roof at the Mitchell Activities Center skating rink. "I'm pretty sure we could fix the roof for less than a few years' worth of maintenance.

"Rather than spend all this money Band-Aiding stuff, we have all this money to put real fixes in and make real long-term impact for the community."

* A significant discussion was held on how to improve the field at Cadwell Park. The state amateur baseball tournament is underway Aug. 7-18 in Mitchell, but the tournament will take a break from the city next year and move to Brandon. That gives the city a chance to make improvements at Cadwell, officials said.

Councilman Dan Sabers said the infield needs upgrades, and the city is getting estimates for different resurfacing improvement possibilities including turf and new sod. The fence at Cadwell is also aging, officials noted.

"The infield, it's time," Sabers said. "It was time 10 years ago, 15 actually." Ellwein said the improvements will likely exceed $100,000, making it a biddable project.

* More drainage meetings will be held at upcoming Mitchell City Council meetings. A previous meeting

suggested building wider bridges over Dry Run Creek culverts to help water flow.

Tjarks asked about a retention pond that has been started at the intersection or 23rd Avenue and Ohlman to help with flooding, but more material can be excavated out to help hold more water in large rain events.

* Councilman Mike Bathke brought up enforcing future rental inspections in Mitchell. The Mitchell Republic plans to write an additional story on this topic later this week. The Mitchell City Council received an email from a citizen on Monday that outlined problems from a rental property on East Second Avenue. Hanson, who owns rental property in Huron, was in favor of a longer discussion on the topic as well.

* Statewide tourism is down, according to a presentation Mitchell city officials have seen. In Mitchell, traffic at the Corn Palace is down 7% at this point in the summer compared to the same time in 2023.