COMBINED NOTICE
NOTICE TO PUBLIC OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
Date: October 29, 2021
City of Brookings
520 3rd St., Suite 230
Brookings, SD 57006 Telephone: (605) 692-6281
TO ALL INTERESTED AGENCIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS:
The purpose of this notice is to identify two separate but related actions to be taken by the City of Brookings. On or about November 15, 2021, the above-named City will request the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) to release Federal funds under Title I of the Housing & Community Development Act of 1974 as amended (PL 97‑35) for the following project:
Brookings Food Insecurities Facility Construction Project
The proposed will construct a new Food Insecurities Facility to house the local Food Bank, United Way and several other food related service organizations. The proposed project will include leasing land; site preparation; unclassified excavation; construction of the new building; installation of utilities; landscaping; installation of parking lot, driveway and sidewalks; seeding plus any other necessary appurtenances to complete this project. The facility will be located adjacent to the First Lutheran Church. The project will consolidate food services into one location, increase the efficiency/effectiveness of the services and bring the services into compliance with Feeding SD regulations. The project site is in Brookings County, South Dakota. The project has an estimated total cost of approximately $2,000,000. The City will use a $1,615,000 CDBG grant and approximately $400,000 of local funds to finance the project.
It has been determined that such request for release of funds will not constitute an action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and, accordingly, the above-named City has decided not to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91‑190).
The reason for such decision not to prepare such Statement is as follows: It has been determined that there will be no significant impact to the environment due to the above‑stated project.
An Environmental Review Record of the project has been made by the City of Brookings, which documents the environmental review of the project and more fully sets forth the reasons why such Statement is not required. This Environmental Review Record is on file and is available for public examination at the Brookings City Office in Brookings, South Dakota, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM and 12:00 Noon on Friday. No further environmental review of such project is proposed to be conducted prior to the request for release of Federal funds.
All interested agencies, groups, and persons disagreeing with this decision are invited to submit written comments for consideration by the City of Brookings. Comments should specify which notice‑‑Finding of No Significant Impact, or Intent to Request Release of Funds‑‑is being addressed. Such written comments will be received at c/o Paul Briseno, City Manager and Certifying Officer, 520 3rd St., Suite 230, Brookings, SD 57006 on or before November 15, 2021. All comments received will be considered, and the City of Brookings will not request the release of Federal grants or take any administrative action on the project prior to the date specified in the preceding sentence.
The City will undertake the project described herein with Community Development Block Grant funds from the Governor's Office of Economic Development under Title I of the Housing & Community Development Act of 1974. The City of Brookings is certifying to the Governor's Office of Economic Development that the City and Chief Executive Officer or other Certifying Officer approved by the Governor's Office of Economic Development in his/her official capacity as Project Environmental Certifying Officer, consent to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to environmental reviews, decision‑making, and action; and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The legal effect of the certification is that upon its approval, Brookings may use the Block Grant funds, and the State will have satisfied their responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
The Governor's Office of Economic Development will accept an objection to its approval only if it is on one of the following basis: (a) that the certification was not in fact executed by the Environmental Certifying Officer approved by the GOED, or (b) that applicant's environmental review record for the project indicates omission of a required decision, finding, or step applicable to the project in the environmental review process. Objections may be addressed to the Governor's Office of Economic Development, Community Development Block Grant Program, 711 East Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501‑3369.
Objections to the release of funds on basis other than those stated above will not be considered by the GOED. No objection received after December 6, 2021, will be considered by the State.
Paul Briseno
City Manager and Certifying Officer
520 3rd St., Suite 230
Brookings, SD 57006
