City Commissioners Receive New Assignments
Todd Johnson is the city’s new Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Vona Johnson will take on the role of Public Safety Commissioner. City Commissioners Blake Barringer and Jamie Huizenga will remain, respectively, the Public Utilities and Engineering Commissioners.
The assignments were handed down by Mayor Steve Harding during this week’s commission meeting. By ordinance, the City’s elected leaders are assigned to different areas of City operations; throughout the assignment, they focus their energies on their particular assigned areas.
“We’re fortunate to have a diverse set of commissioners to provide oversight of city operations,” said Mayor Harding. “I talked with each of the commissioners before making assignments, and I think everyone is happy with where they landed.”
New assignments are often given following an election. This June, Huizenga was re-elected to the commission, and Todd Johnson was elected to fill Jim Mehlhaff’s seat; Mehlhaff didn’t seek re-election.
Commission department and board assignments are as follows.
Commissioner Blake Barringer
- Public Utilities (Water, Street, Sewer, Electric)
- Expo Board
- River Cities Transit
- Deer Management Task Force
Commission President Jamie Huizenga
- Engineering (engineering, planning, zoning, airport, landfill, garbage)
- PEDCO
- Business Improvement District #2
Commissioner Todd Johnson
- Parks and Recreation (parks, recreation, cemetery, golf, aquatic center, swimming pool)
- Park Board
- Golf Board
- Arbor Board
Commissioner Vona Johnson
- Public Safety (police, fire, library)
- Ambulance Committee
- Central South Dakota Communication Users Board
- Traffic Safety Committee
- Library Board
Mayor Steve Harding
- Business Office
- Human Resources
- Oahe TV
- Public Buildings
- Chamber of Commerce Board
- Capitol Complex Beautification Commission
- Capital City Campus Board
- Business Improvement District #1