By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
An invitation to join the dozen or so women who gather each day during the summer for water aerobics at the Flandreau Aquatic Center perhaps wasn’t what the Flandreau City Council was expecting this past week. Former council member Anna Duncan extended the invitation during the public comment portion of its last regularly scheduled meeting.
But what council members took away from the conversation was more than the invitation.
Duncan was there to let them know, as she does most summers, what sort of condition she believes the city pool is in. This year, she came with a laundry list of updates she feels are needed — some of which she isn’t sure others have noticed.
“We have found many problems. Right now there are four dead trees on the boulevards. Those leaves have been coming into the pool,” Duncan said.
“The ropes that hold the floats that divide the different sections, they definitely need to be replaced. They’re in bad condition, very frayed, and they’re hard to get undone.”
“There’s been a leak at the four-foot marker spraying water up all year,” she said, along with reporting other cleaning and general maintenance concerns including in the restroom and shower areas.
Duncan, who was on the Flandreau City council when the pool was established, also reminded council members why she believes the pool is something to continue investing in.
“We’ve got a beautiful pool. We have water aerobics here that even Sioux Falls doesn’t have,” she said.
“Let’s take care of it.”
City Administrator Cohl Turnquist said he would look into Duncan’s concerns and see that they are addressed as needed.
Also heard during the council’s regularly scheduled July 20 meeting:
Mayor Dan Sutton said the city has heard from residents concerned about access to their homes during construction on the utility improvement project. City staff and the project engineer are reviewing those concerns and looking for solutions.
The overall project remains on schedule, with all phases expected to be completed by October. The next public meeting will be held Wednesday, July 29, at noon at the city office. Project notes are also available on the city’s website.
Sutton also raised concerns about the growing use of electric bicycles and scooters in Flandreau, particularly when operated unsafely. He said the city may need to review its regulations or policies to keep everyone safe.
The sidewalk leading to the west auxiliary parking lot at the William Janklow Community Center has been installed, and city crews are constructing a retaining wall there. The center’s exterior emergency exit doors have also been replaced.
A public meeting on the future of emergency services in Moody County, including 911 dispatch and the possibility of countywide law enforcement, will be held Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Colman Fire Hall. Representatives from Watertown will explain the dispatch services they could provide as Flandreau considers whether to renew its agreement with Moody County or pursue another option. The planned airport expansion remains on hold while the city awaits Federal Aviation Administration approval. Once approved, the project can be advertised for bids.
Several local families have also wondered what happened to park benches they or their loved ones donated to the city. The question comes as crews replace benches that are worn or deteriorating.
Sutton recommended retaining donated benches whenever feasible and suggested future purchases include an option for commemorative name plaques.
Sutton and Turnquist also recommended developing a formal donation policy with clearer guidelines for accepting, maintaining and eventually replacing donated items.
Turnquist plans to include additional funding for park bench replacements in the proposed 2027 budget. The council will continue discussing the benches and a possible donation policy during upcoming budget workshops.