By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
Questions regarding the future of emergency dispatch and law enforcement services in Moody County remain unresolved, but officials hope a joint meeting next month will bring everyone to the same table.
Officials from the City of Flandreau, Moody County, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and local fire departments are invited to meet Aug. 4 during the county’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting in Colman.
The agenda will include discussion about the future of 911 dispatch services. Sheriff Troy Wellman has also argued the conversation should expand to whether Moody County should again consider a countywide law enforcement system, saying that if cost savings are the city’s goal, the discussion should include more than dispatch alone.
The meeting follows several weeks of discussion at both city and county meetings, where officials acknowledged they remain at somewhat of an impasse over how best to move forward.
As previously reported by the Moody County Enterprise, the City of Flandreau has been exploring whether contracting with the Watertown Police Department for 911 dispatch services could reduce costs while maintaining or improving services. City officials have said they’re looking for ways to provide reliable emergency communications while also addressing rising expenses.
During last week’s Flandreau City Council meeting, no motion was made to remove the proposed 2027 Moody County Dispatch Agreement from the table, leaving the agreement unchanged.
County officials, however, continue to question whether outsourcing dispatch is the best way forward or if there may be a better solution.
Sheriff Troy Wellman, during a Flandreau City Council meeting this past month, said that if local governments are serious about improving services and controlling costs, the discussion should not focus solely on dispatch. Instead, he believes it should include whether Moody County should return to a countywide law enforcement system rather than maintaining separate city and county departments.
County officials have also expressed frustration that much of the recent discussion has centered on additional meetings with Watertown representatives before broader conversations have taken place locally.
To help answer those questions, Watertown representatives are expected to be invited to the Aug. 4 LEPC meeting. The goal is to allow them to explain how their dispatch system operates, answer questions from local emergency responders and provide additional information before any decisions are made.
Among the questions county officials hope to discuss are the long-term capacity of Watertown’s dispatch center, particularly as it continues adding partner agencies, and what would happen if Moody County ever chose—or needed—to bring dispatch services back locally after dismantling its own center.
The discussion follows city and county leaders successfully working together to transition ambulance services to the City of Flandreau. While officials on both sides have continued extending invitations to meet together, recent discussions suggest there are differing views about both the process and the direction of future public safety services.