# City Council Meeting - 11/02/2026

The Watertown City Council meeting on November 2, 2026, included approval of a three-year agreement with Retail Strategies at $45,000 per year to analyze the local retail market and help recruit retailers. The agreement passed unanimously; the city said the firm would represent Watertown exclusively in the area during the contract and emphasized that success would depend on sustained participation by the city and community partners. Council also unanimously approved an estimated $18,000 agreement with the South Dakota Department of Transportation for a roadway safety improvement project, with final costs dependent on bids and installed quantities. A final change order for a street reconstruction project, involving additional cement-treated base after poor subgrade was found, was also approved; the transcript’s amount is unclear.

The council held the first reading of the 2027 budget appropriation, which proposes a budget just under $80 million, including $25.3 million in capital outlay. The budget presentation identified a planned street-facility purchase (referenced in discussion at roughly $11 million), street and utility work, zoo habitat improvements, playground replacements, snow-removal equipment, police radios and pistols, a new ambulance, and a used Zamboni. It also proposes a 5% wage increase and fee increases at the golf course; the budget was not finally adopted at this meeting. The city manager said future funding for outside organizations would be evaluated through a competitive process, while a council member’s suggestion to commission pre-approved entry-level home plans was discussion only, with no action taken.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Professional Services, Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** November 02, 2026

### Sources
- [City Council Meeting - 11/02/2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9oK70vMo_s) - City of Watertown