Watertown City Council to Review Plan for Modernizing City Limits Records

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council will hold the first reading of an ordinance on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, that aims to streamline how the city maintains its official corporate boundaries.

Ordinance No. 25-25 proposes amending Title 7, Chapter 7.01 of the City Government code, specifically regarding City Limits and Datum Line.

Stager noted in the agenda background that the current city code includes a lengthy "metes and bounds" legal description of the boundaries that has not been updated since 1999. Maintaining this approach requires a costly new survey and legal description every time the city annexes property.

The City's consultant, MuniCode/CivicPlus, and City staff recommend removing the outdated metes-and-bounds description. Instead, the ordinance proposes that the city limits be established by referring to an official City map maintained by the City Engineer’s office. This map would be adopted by reference and incorporated into the City Code as the official map of the City's boundaries and limits.

This change is expected to streamline updates and ensure the accuracy of the city's boundaries. The City staff report indicated that there are no significant financial considerations tied to this item.

Ordinance No. 25-25 will delete the existing sections detailing the physical boundaries and outdated references, and replace them with new language referring to the official map.

As a First Reading, no formal action is required at the November 19 meeting. The item is currently scheduled for its Second Reading and final adoption review on December 1, 2025.

Ordinance No. 25-25 city limits.pdf

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