Issue 4 | August 2023

Please continue to abide by the Level 2 Water Restrictions. The further we move into summer, our aquifer continues to be drawn down and does not recharge as quickly with dry spells. If you have received a watering permit earlier this year, please re-evaluate your sprinkler system to adjust to a lesser amount of watering as your lawn becomes more established. All efforts are appreciated!

From your City Administrator, Michael Schulte

Water Tower Tank Raised

The new water tower tank was finally raised on July 13. It's not everyday that you are able to see a 750,000 gallon tank be raised to the sky! If you missed the raising, we have a time-lapse video on our Facebook page that covered the raising. It took approximately 45 minutes. There were no interruptions or delays when they started so the process went fairly quickly! We also have some aerial photos taken during the process.

The roof was installed in the past two weeks, along with internal work and components. A painting crew will be onsite (possibly by the time you are reading this) in early August to paint the roof and seal the inside of the tank. Work will continue into the fall months with the tank in operation in October or November.

Our two new wells continue to be worked on. As with every city project, the project has not gone according to plan. The first two drillings resulted in more then normal sand seeping through which resulted in digging out the casings and restarting. A new method of drilling was conducted. Test pumping and ordering infrastructure based on the results of the test pumping continues. We will be ready to take on the additional pumping of water to then be able to fill the new water tower!

Thank you for a fantastic summer park & rec season!

We want your feedback!

Please watch for a park & rec survey

coming soon!

The South Dakota Department of Health offers suggestions to control mosquitos in your yard.

• Empty water from buckets, tarps, toys, water troughs, or other containers.
• Get rid of old tires.
• Change water every other day in birdbaths, fountains, rain barrels, and potted plant trays.
• Drain or fill puddles and low spots with dirt or landscape to reduce standing
• water.
• Treat and clean swimming pools and keep them circulating.
• Make sure windows and door screens are "bug tight."
• Turn off lights that attract mosquitoes.
• Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug lights".
• Get rid of old cans, containers, pots or other water-holding containers on your property.
• Check your roof gutters and adjust to eliminate standing water.
• Turn over children’s wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows, or keep them where they will not collect water.
• Fix leaky taps, faucets and sprinklers.
• Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.
• Keep weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.
• Use a flyswatter or household spray to kill mosquitoes inside buildings.
• Limit time outdoors from dusk to midnight when Culex mosquitoes are most active.
• Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 when necessary, following label directions and precautions carefully.

For more information, visit the South Dakota Department of Health's website here.

Does My Project Need a

Building Permit?

Are you planning a project before the school year starts? Building permits are to benefit the property owners to ensure projects meet any city setbacks or ordinances and ensure safe and reliable construction. A building permit is needed for, but not limited to, the following types of projects:

-New House

 -New Commercial or Industrial Building

 -New Additions

 -Finishing Basements

 -Remodels where Interior Walls or Structures are Significantly Modified

 -New Egress Windows or New Differently-Sized Windows (where walls are modified)

 -New Fencing

 -New Shingling/Roofing

 -New Siding

 -Detached or Attached Garages

 -Accessory Structures such as Garden Sheds

To learn how to apply or to learn more about the process, click here to visit our website.