City reviews candidates for Ward III vacancy: Council proclaims October Fire Prevention Month and recognizes Oriole Pride Marching Band for successful 2026 season
The Lennox City Council met Monday, October 26. Mayor, Danny Fergen opened the meeting with two Mayoral Proclamations — one for Fire Prevention Month and the second for Oriole Pride Marching Band Day.
The Fire Prevention Month proclamation read: MAYORAL PROCLAMATION City of Lennox, Lincoln County, South Dakota OFFICE OF THE MAYOR WHEREAS, the Lennox Volunteer Fire Department is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting Lennox; and WHEREAS, the Lennox Volunteer Fire Department has bravely and selflessly served the Lennox area for 129 years; and WHEREAS, fire remains a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and the presence of lithium-ion batteries in many household devices introduces fire risks; and WHEREAS, most of the rechargeable electronics used in homes daily, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, power tools, e- bikes, e-scooters, and toys, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which if misused, damaged, or improperly charged, can overheat, start a fire, or explode; and WHEREAS, the National Fire Protection Association reports an increase in battery-related fires, underscoring the need for public education on the safe use of lithium-ion batteries and devices; and WHEREAS, the way lithium-ion battery devices are charged can make a difference in helping prevent home fires; and WHEREAS, safe charging includes using the cord and charger that came with your device or one approved by the manufacturer, charging on a hard, flat surface, watching for warning signs like devices that are very hot or start to swell, unplugging when fully charged, and charging larger devices like e-bikes outside and away from exits; and WHEREAS, residents are encouraged to understand that safe charging means making smart choices every time they plug in; and WHEREAS, Lennox first responders remain dedicated to reducing the occurrence of fires through prevention, safety education, and community outreach; and WHEREAS, the 2026 Fire Prevention Week™ theme, “Charge into Fire Safety™: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” serves to remind all residents that safe charging can help reduce the risk of fires in homes and communities; NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Danny Fergen, Mayor of Lennox, South Dakota, do hereby proclaim October, 2026, as Fire Prevention Month throughout Lennox, and urge all residents to learn about and practice safe charging habits.
The second proclamation for the Oriole Pride read: MAYORAL PROCLAMATION City of Lennox, Lincoln County, South Dakota OFFICE OF THE MAYOR WHEREAS, the Lennox Oriole Pride Marching Band and its 67 students have competed in several competitions throughout the 2026 season; and WHEREAS, the Oriole Pride Marching Band staff designed a show titled ‘Time Machine’; and WHEREAS, the Oriole Pride Marching Band has scored an average of 10 points higher than previous years and has consistently outscored larger schools; and WHEREAS, the Oriole Pride Marching Band achieved the following awards during the 2026 season: At the Harrisburg Tiger Marching Invitational • 5th Place At the Marshall, MN Pursuit of Excellence: • 2nd Place, Crimson Class • Best Color Guard, Crimson Class At the Brandon, SD Big Sioux Review • 1st Place, Class A • Best Winds, Class A • Best Color Guard, Class A • People’s Choice Award, All Classes At the Sioux Falls, SD Festival of Bands: • 1st Place, Class AA • Outstanding Drum Majors, Class AA • Outstanding Percussion, Class AA • Outstanding Winds, Class AA • 7th Place, All Classes At the Orange City, IA Dutchmen Field Championship • 1st Place, Class 2A • Best Musical Performance, Class 2A • Best Percussion, Class 2A • Best Color Guard, Class 2A • Best Visual Performance, Class 2A • Best General Effect, Class 2A • 4th Place, All Classes WHEREAS, the Oriole Pride Marching Band has represented the community of Lennox with distinction; and NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Danny Fergen, Mayor of Lennox, South Dakota, do hereby proclaim October 27, 2026, as Lennox Oriole Pride Marching Band Day throughout Lennox, and urge all residents to express their appreciation for the staff and students of the Oriole Pride Marching Band. Councilman Bill Daugherty presented the proclamation at the Indoor Marching Band Concert on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The second reading of Ordinance 672 – Park Board Budget was held to update the timeline of the park board budget estimate to be more in line with the new budget timeline.
No changes have been made to the Ordinance since the first reading on October 13. Motion to approve by Daugherty, seconded by Lauren Van Driel, motion carried unanimously.
The City of Lennox must find a suitable replacement for the soon-to-be vacated position of Building & Code Official.
“The agreement you have in front of you as well as the job description for the posting are not ready for action tonight as we are still working through a couple of suggested changes, but this gives you a good idea the direction we are going. By and large, this agreement is pretty much the same agreement that we have with Hartford. We’re moving from 50% to 40%, and the agreement will change to a perpetual agreement unless either of us end that agreement,” City Administrator, Nate Vander Plaats said.
No action was taken on the item.
The Council was asked to consider Resolution 2026-10-26-01 – Street Maintenance Assessment: This assessment is approved annually by the City Council to secure the following year’s assessment that funds street maintenance throughout the community. We are proposing no increase in the cost per linear foot for 2027 and Resolution 2026-10-26-02 – Nuisance Abatement Assessment: This assessment allows the City to add the costs of unpaid nuisance abatement on properties throughout the community to those property’s respective property tax bill. “These resolutions are actually fairly routine, we pass them each year, but they are included on the New Business section of the agenda in case there are any objections to the placement of these amounts on next year’s property tax bills for property owners,” VanderPlaats said. Motion to approve by Daugherty, seconded by Billy Welch, motion carried.
The City Council must fill a vacancy in Ward III for the upcoming City Council to be seated in December.
“As you will recall, there were no petitions for that open seat and you decided to seek applications to appoint to that seat. Deadline was October 19 and three applications were received before that deadline. Those applications are included in your packets for review and the applicants have been asked to attend tonight’s meeting to speak on their own behalf and answer any questions you may have. Following tonight’s discussion, we have scheduled discussion for the November 9 meeting and a decision at the November 23 meeting,” Vander Plaats said.
Christine Olsen, Joseph Pratt, and Levi Winkels each applied for the position. Olson was the first to be interviewed by the council.
“I moved here June of last year and I am a military vet. I am in the financial realm of life, I started as a teller in 1982 and now I’m in personal trust at Mariner. I have four children, three son-in-laws, three grandchildren and I think that the biggest reason I applied is because during the darkest time in my life, this season of my life, Lennox saved me. She welcomed me home and made me feel welcome and now I want to repay that, I want to serve and give back to her,” Olson said.
Alderman Daughery asked Olsen how familiar she is with data centers in the banking industry.
“I’m only knowledgeable because I’m the conspiracy theorist in the household and that’s where my knowledge has come from. My son is a carpenter with the carpenter’s union and his next job will be going to Fargo to build one,” she responded.
Joseph Pratt was next to interview with the council.
“You can call me JD, I’ve lived in Lennox since 2013. In ’22 we moved to the Countryside addition. We got to watch our house be built and be a part of the process and now seeing obviously the community grow to the west, it’s nice to see. I have four of my own kids, as long as two twins living with us who are 18 months. We have a full house and because of that I think it’s time to give back to the community, so I started coaching baseball with Parks and Rec and helped coach for four years. As time has progressed, it has turned into looking for more to do where I can share my insights and different perspectives,” he said.
Alderman Rob Peterson asked Pratt what in his background would make him the best candidate for the position.
“I’m a systems administrator and operations manager for a business in Sioux Falls which gives me the ability to compartmentalize a lot of things so right now we are working on updating our customer software and management soft. I’m heading the project so it involves a lot of researching and learning about all of those things. I got my degree in political science and history. My political science degree was focused more on grants management, nonprofit management, and things along those lines and the direction I would like to push myself. We’re a community, not everyone’s got the same opinion. We so really need to look at different perspectives,” he responded.
The third candidate, Levi Winkels was the final interview of the night.
“I grew up in Watertown as the youngest of four, went to SDSU for computer science, and I’ve been in the Sioux Falls area since 2016. My wife and I were married last year in October before moving here June. The reason I threw my hat into the ring is I really care about the community, my wife is now pregnant which puts a little more skin in the game as I’m going to be here for the foreseeable future. My biggest thing is how do we grow while keeping the culture that we already have. I want to be an asset in helping however I can,” he said.
Alderman Welch asked Winkels what his thoughts are on the speed limits in town.
“This might just be me, but coming out of the street right by Sunshine, you usually have to take a left and if you’ve ever pulled onto that street at 7:30 in the morning, it’s pretty difficult and we have older people living in Ward III and with the elderly people living in the neighborhood, they may not have as quick of a reaction time like someone younger like me,” he responded.
Mayor Fergen thanked all the candidates for coming and sharing more about themselves and entered into executive session for further discussions.