City approves remodel of old police station for museum, meeting room

The Tea City Council met Sept. 8 and approved updates to the old police station for use by the museum.

City administrator Justin Weiland said they met with a local contractor about remodeling the former police station at 123 South Main. Part of the space will be remodeled into an area for the museum and another area will be made into a meeting room space for around 30 people. Park and rec will continue to use part of the garage space for equipment storage. The whole building is 4,000 square feet. The construction proposal came in below $100,000 which comes in under public bid. Weiland noted they have $150,000 budgeted for this project in 2026.

The council approved the conditional use permit for off-sale alcoholic beverage establishment within the general business district for Kwik Star. They also approved the package (off-sale) liquor license, retail (on-off sale) wine and cider license and on-off sale malt beverage and South Dakota farm wine license for Kwik Star at 1940 E. Commerce Street.

They approved the pay application for LT Companies for their first pay request of $135,000 for the pickleball project. This amount covers a percentage of mobilization, dirt work, post installation and concrete. Weiland noted that the deadline for the project was Sept. 4, however, the contractor ran into supply issues with the posts. They also ran into issues with the materials for the shelter with those materials not expected to arrive until mid-October.

The council also approved the pay application for the mill and overlay project for $138,776.39 from Black Top Paving.

Weiland asked the council to consider a contract amendment an a bid alternate for the Sundowner Avenue project. The council heard from the concrete association at the Aug. 17 meeting about possibly using concrete instead of asphalt on this project. For HDR to prepare another set of plans for concrete is estimated at $7,690. Councilman Lynn DeYoung expressed his concerns that this project is not advancing toward the goal of getting the project bid in the summer. The council approved the engineering contract.

The low base bid on the Field A project at the Tea Athletic Complex came from LT Companies at $416,000. The base bid is for the netting system behind home plate and dugouts, plus the surrounding grass that gets disturbed. The council approved the base bid plus a prefab pitching mound ($22,500), bullpen renovation ($16,000) and double tunnel batting cage ($62,800). 

The council approved the city hall office remodel for two offices at $41,275 from Cosand. This project is included in the 2026 budget. Councilman Aaron Otten said a rough timeline would be to start on the project 2-3 weeks after approval and then 5-7 weeks to complete.

The Tea Chamber for Development requested $50,000 in the 2027 budget that would help pay for expanded contracted services with expanded professional and economic development capacity. Discussion turned to council members asking if the economic development arm of the chamber should be asking for the funding. Otten noted that committee has not been set up. Otten said he is not opposed to giving money to the chamber but wants to have a clear vision. Councilman Jim Erck said the city has put money in the budget for the chamber even if that money has not gone to them in the past. 

The council did not take any action on the request.

In his report, Weiland said they are going to do as much work on Pinnacle Park before the snow flies. The city followed up with a contractor noise complaint from the last meeting by talking with the contractors in the complaint area to be mindful of their hours of operation. He said an ordinance would be cumbersome. They are looking at having a special meeting on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. to discuss the Hammerhead Development.

The council went into executive session at 7:50 p.m.