VS Commission agrees to invest in housing study

Valley Springs Mayor Rick Larsen gained the Commission’s support to invest $2,000 in a PorchLight housing study that he believes could help the community better understand its housing needs and position itself for future development.

Larsen told the Valley Springs City Commission on Sept. 8 that the city has been trying to pursue a housing study through SECOG and the state, but that process has been slow moving. He said the city had requested the study but has yet to the see the finished document. The SECOG study would cost approximately $10,000, with the city’s share expected to be $2,500, and could take about a year to complete once the process begins.

The PorchLight option should provide a much quicker alternative, Larsen said.

The proposed study is based on the size of the community, and based on that, the Valley Springs study will cost $8,000. However, $4,000 can be covered through a PorchLight grant, while another $2,000 grant is available through Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, bringing the city’s cost down to $2,000.

Larsen said the PorchLight grant opportunity expires at the end of September, prompting the timing of the Commission’s quick decision.

He also said this particular study could be completed in approximately 12 weeks, compared with the much longer timeline associated with the SECOG study.

The study will serve as more than simply providing the city with information about its current housing situation, Larsen said. It also could help Valley Springs when applying for future grants.

“That’s the purpose of this,” he said. “Plus, once we get this in place, when I talk to the contractors in the area … they want something like this so they see where we’re at and where we’re going.”

Larsen said the information also could help the city make its case to contractors and developers who may be considering future housing projects in Valley Springs.

He pointed to other communities that have completed similar studies and have used the information to guide their housing efforts.

Agreement with Siouxland Libraries

The relationship between the City of Valley Springs and Siouxland Libraries has been in place for years, but until now, much of the arrangement has been based on a verbal agreement.

That will soon change.

Sharon Hall, supervising librarian for Siouxland Libraries, attended the Valley Springs City Commission’s Sept. 8 meeting to discuss a proposed operating agreement between the city and Siouxland Libraries for the Valley Springs branch, which operates out of space in Valley Springs City Hall. Hall said agreements have been finalized in two other Minnehaha County communities – Crooks and Hartford – that had a similar arrangement.

“This is pretty much a duplication, except for the things that you have asked for us to pick up taking coverage of things such as hand soap and paper towels. That’s added in,” Hall said.

Hall said the proposed agreement is intended to put in writing what has essentially been a longstanding verbal arrangement.

“I went back; it’s been verbal forever,” she said. “The last time I saw something was 2001, and it was talked about as just a verbal agreement from all the rural municipalities.”

The agreement outlines the use of space in City Hall by the library, including office space, areas used for storing books and other common areas used by the library.

One question raised by commissioners involved the amount of space included in the agreement. The square footage section of the agreement had been left blank.

Hall said the exact square footage needed to be measured, but noted that the state library reporting process asks for an approximate size of each library.

Commissioners discussed whether areas near the back bathroom and an entrance used by people with disabilities should be included in the space available to the library.

Hall said the library would want to continue using the accessible entrance.

“We would want that as an entrance for anybody needing assistance,” Hall said.

Commissioners also discussed an area that has been used for children’s activities and previously housed a public computer. While the area is not exclusively used by the library, commissioners noted that much of its use is library-related.

Hall said the city-library relationship has been a positive one.

“We’ve always worked really well together to make this all work,” she said.

The agreement also states that no rental fee will be charged by the city for the library’s use of the space. Commissioners questioned a provision concerning the possibility of additional space or renovations.

Hall said Siouxland Libraries is not asking the city to expand City Hall for the library.

“We can’t expand on the building. We have no say on the building,” she said. “This is what the city of Valley Springs provides for the library. It’s the space that you, as the city, determine we should be using.”

If the city eventually decides to renovate City Hall or otherwise changes the space available to the library, the parties could work together to determine how those changes would affect the library.

Hall also emphasized that the library and city have found ways to share the space over the years.

“We’ve done story times in the area where the table is,” she said. “We push the table up towards the counter, and then use the tile area along with the carpet to do story time.”

The shared space also benefits City Hall visitors, Hall said. 

“We do have guests who do come in sometimes to read the paper that you guys provide,” Hall said. “They’ll come in on a Saturday morning and sit and read the paper at the table. It’s kind of a mutual benefit for everybody.”

Hall said the Valley Springs branch has seen significant growth in recent months.

“We’ve seen an over 30% increase in visitors this year, and our circulation is up almost 45% already,” she said.

The library has also benefited from adding Saturday hours, Hall said. Some patrons who previously traveled to Brandon to use the library are now able to use the Valley Springs branch on Saturdays.

“Once we added Saturday, we had people that were coming to Brandon that actually transferred their holds back (to Valley Springs),” Hall said. “They’re like, ‘Why do we need to go to Brandon when we can pick them up on a Saturday morning here now?’”

Hall said Siouxland Libraries staff members enjoy working in the Valley Springs location and interacting with the community.

“My staff that rotates through on Saturdays, and then the regulars who are here during the week, they enjoy visiting with everybody and trying to help them find what they need,” she said.

Following the discussion, the commission conditionally approved the operating agreement, subject to final details, including determining the square footage.

Hall said the proposed agreement still must be reviewed by the Siouxland Libraries Board of Trustees before it can be finalized and signed.

Hall thanked the commission for its cooperation and said she is hopeful the formal agreement will provide a written framework for a relationship that has already benefited the community for years.

Discussion continues on e-bike, scooters

Commissioners continued their discussion on how electric bicycles and electric scooters should be regulated during its recent meeting, with commissioners considering where the devices should be allowed to operate and how violations could be handled.

Their discussion centered in part on the fact that e-bikes and electric scooters are not considered motor vehicles under state law, as told by City Attorney Patrick Glover, which means cities have the ability to establish local rules governing their use.

Some communities have chosen to keep the devices on sidewalks, while others require them to be operated on streets. Possible restrictions may include where they can be ridden, speed limits and requirements for riding on the right-hand side of a roadway, close to the curb.

“There’s nothing in the statute for these electric bikes depending on the size of them,” Glover noted, with some limited restrictions already contained in state law.

Commissioners expressed concern about the speed at which electric bikes and scooters can travel and the potential danger when riders move between sidewalks and roadways.

One concern discussed was riders leaving a sidewalk and entering a controlled intersection without following the traffic controls. Commissioners also noted the difficulty motorists may have seeing riders.

Once rules are established, commissioners also need to discuss enforcement and consequences for violating the guidelines. Because the rules would be city ordinances, enforcement would fall to local law enforcement, which in Valley Springs falls to the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Violations would be at the discretion of the deputies on patrol on whether to issue a warning or a ticket. Any violations that are prosecuted would also create costs for the city.

Commissioners questioned if an ordinance could be structured so officers could issue warnings rather than automatically writing citations.

The decision to warn or issue a ticket would ultimately be left to the officer, according to Glover. If a citation is issued and remains unpaid, the case can proceed through the court process, potentially requiring an initial appearance, dispositional conference and additional proceedings, Glover explained.

The violation could carry a Class 2 penalty, with a fine of up to $250, Glover informed.

Commissioners also considered ways to educate young riders rather than relying solely on enforcement.

One suggestion was to contact the Brandon Valley School District to determine whether they might be willing to offer some type of safety class or educational program concerning e-bikes and scooters.

Another idea discussed by other municipalities involves positive reinforcement by officers awarding free treats, like an ice cream cone.

With no established ordinance in place, Commissioners will continue to weigh how Valley Springs can establish reasonable rules for e-bikes and electric scooters while addressing safety concerns, particularly as the devices become more common and some are capable of traveling at relatively high speeds.

No parking on Sunnyside Avenue lifted

Parking will once again be allowed on Sunnyside Avenue in Valley Springs following action by the Valley Springs City Commission.

The commission voted to reverse a previous restriction that prohibited street parking on Sunnyside Avenue after a resident contacted Commissioner Sandy Severtson.

During discussion, commissioners noted that portions of Sunnyside are relatively narrow, which had been a factor in previously restricting parking. They also discussed allowing parking on one side of the street and possibly addressing the width of the roadway in the future.

The commission considered waiting until a planned road project is completed next year before determining the appropriate signage for the street, but instead opted to allow parking on one side of the street from Dunham to Maple.