Council approves two ordinances

The Tea City Council met March 2 and approved two ordinances.

The council held two public hearings on ordinances. No one from the public was present to comment. City community development director Albert Schmidt said they did not have any changes from the first reading on ordinance 335, zoning ordinance.

They approved the ordinance 335. In R-1, the ordinance updates it to have permitted special uses already in the ordinance rather than people having to come in for conditional use permits all the time.

The council also approved ordinance 331, subdivision ordinance. The ordinance looks at park land and green space. The ordinance enacted 3 times the fee instead of 1.5 times the fee for money in lieu payments if developers want to pay a fee instead of donating the land for parks.

Schmidt provided information on resolution 26-03-04, comprehensive plan amendment. The council approved amending the green space map to include a space in the area by Orthopedic Institute. Schmidt noted that the map is not set in stone and can be changed.

They held a first reading of ordinance 336, recodification of the city of Tea municipal code of ordinances. City administrator Justin Weiland said finance officer Dawn Murphy has been working on updating their code book for a while and worked with American Legal Publishing. They helped to get everything into one document and will be online now. The council will hold a second reading at the March 16 meeting.

The council approved the 2025 cash transfer and contingencies.

The council took time to discuss the proposals from Lennox Ambulance on an ambulance district. The council also has their EMS study to review to help with decision making. 

Weiland said Lennox provided two options - a taxing district that would have a levy or an equal share model that would include townships, cities and counties.

Councilman Lynn DeYoung, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter, said the city of Tea had 506 calls from the volunteer fire department with 325 of those calls being medical related. The city’s fire department has about 40 volunteers. They do not have full-time staff. 

Right now the city is serviced by PCEMS, who loses money every time they come to town. Weiland said they do not have a contract with PCEMS. 

Lennox Ambulance also responds to calls in Tea, as well as many other areas of Lincoln and Turner counties.

DeYoung said Lennox has indicated they will not respond outside the city of Lennox after Jan. 1, 2027 if they don’t get funding.

DeYoung said someone is always dispatched because they do not have an ambulance in town. However, the fire department or police do not always get the information needed to appropriately respond to a call. Many times they go into it with unknown medical as their only information.

Fire chief Mike Bartell said from 2024 to 2025 the number of calls the department went on went up 15 percent. This year they went on 37 calls in January and 42 in February.

DeYoung asked the group what level of service do they want to provide. The current model show they’re understaffed and under qualified. 

The city has three options when they decide to make a choice - Lennox Ambulance with a taxing district that would have a levy, Lennox Ambulance with an equal share model that would include townships, cities and counties or creating their own ambulance service.

In his report, Schmidt asked for feedback on burning. The council suggested he come back with something that would say no garbage or hydrocarbons.

Schmidt also asked for feedback on properties that were built for one purpose and then bought to be redeveloped. At the next meeting, he will have something to present.

In his report, Weiland said there will be an 85th Street meeting at Sioux Falls Lutheran on March 19 at 5 p.m. In Pinnacle Park, they are going to cut a drainage ditch. Before the March 16 council meeting, they will be meet as the board of equalization at 6 p.m.

The Chamber is working on an economic development committee, a hotel study and working on their structure.

The council adjourned at 8:13 p.m.