STURGIS, S.D. – The Sturgis Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting Monday night, and the city’s revised owner-occupied citizen camping ordinance was back on the agenda.

Sturgis City Administrator Aaron Jordan presented the council with a summary of Mayor Kevin Forrester’s recent work on the ordinance. Mayor Forrester was absent from the meeting due to illness.

Jordan says residential camping during the Motorcycle Rally is a longstanding part of the Sturgis experience. It benefits many resident-owners, supports tourism, and contributes to the local economy. At the same time, large-scale camping activity in residential areas can create real and predictable conflicts with ordinary neighborhood life, especially when issues such as parking, noise, sanitation, access, and general intensity are not adequately managed.

Jordan says the revised ordinance would allow residential camping up to 3 camping units, up to 10 campers and up to 7 calendar days per year without a permit, during non-rally times. During rally, the number of camping units and number of camper stays the same, but there remains discussion over the number of days. If rally-period camping exceeds the by-right level, and a permit is needed, it is a free permit.

He says the new ordinance eliminates the constraints the previous ordinance had.

Jordan says they’ve made some changes since the earlier draft.

Jordan says adjoining or nearby vacant lots tied to an owner-occupied residential dwelling under the same ownership may continue to be used. Other vacant-lot camping phases out over time.

The council didn’t take any action, but instructed City Attorney Eric Davis to put together a draft ordinance that he could present at the next council meeting, with the potential of a first reading.