The People’s Pulse w/ Deputy Mayor Councilman Kyle Peters (News Article - Video/Audio)
- Steve Jurrens
- Mar 3
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Watertown Deputy Mayor and Councilman Kyle Peters joined news broadcaster Steve Jurrens on Northeast Radio SD’s The People’s Pulse to recap a City Council meeting that saw the approval of two new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and a shift in how the city discusses its housing crisis.
Safeguarding the Public: The “Good vs. Bad” TIF Debate
The Monday night meeting was led by the creation of TIF Districts #21 and #22, which aim to add nearly 200 housing units to Watertown. Addressing common public concerns about developer incentives, Peters stated: “There are no such things as bad TIFs, but there are bad TIF plans.”
Peters highlighted that the newly approved plans for The Oaks II and Dakota Commons Reserve include rigorous guardrails. Unlike controversial “upfront” TIFs, these are structured so the developer assumes the initial risk.
“We like the ones where the developer has to put all their capital up front, pay for it, develop the project, and then they get the increment back to offset applicable expenses,” Peters explained. “Let the project prove itself, and then if they do that, give them the incentive.”
City Manager Alan Stager and municipal advisor Toby Morris also emphasized a new “annual appropriation hammer” to ensure the city can withhold funds if a developer fails to deliver on their promises.
From “Affordable” to “Compact” Housing
A notable moment in the meeting occurred during the first reading for the Harmony Hill expansion. Community Development Manager Brandi Hanten and council members discussed a shift in terminology, moving away from “affordable housing” toward “compact housing.”
Peters supported this linguistic shift, arguing that “affordable” is often a misleading term.
“Affordable housing in Lemmon, South Dakota, is way different than Watertown... and Watertown is different than downtown New York,” Peters said. “Affordable and workforce [labels] are just misleading in a lot of different ways. What we’re supportive of is bringing housing online that is within market.”
The R-1C (Compact Single-Family) zoning for Harmony Hill allows smaller lot sizes, reducing overall development costs and making homes more attainable without relying on government subsidies that don’t align with market realities.
Watertown Regional Airport: A “Brutal” Flight No More
Travelers in Watertown received an update on the Watertown Regional Airport. Peters, who travels frequently for work, celebrated a schedule change for the Minneapolis-St. Paul route starting March 8th.
Previously, flights departed at 5:00 AM and returned late, often leaving travelers stranded in layovers for hours. The new schedule shifts the departure to approximately 6:45 AM and moves the return flight earlier to around 7:11 PM.
“That 5:00 AM flight was brutal,” Peters noted. “I would just put a plug in to fly local. We’ve got a five-minute drive and free parking to an airport that can get you anywhere in the world.”
