Harrisburg City Council votes on future prison's sewage system

HARRISBURG, SD (Dakota News Now) – The proposed Lincoln County men's prison is already a controversial topic in the city of Harrisburg, and now they're even more involved. The state has asked to get involved in Harrisburg's water treatment plant, but it would also benefit local residents.

“The water bills in Harrisburg have always been high. I thought they were high when I was paying $63 a month, and now I'm paying almost $120,” said Lon Bymers, a Harrisburg resident for 20 years.

The state approached the city of Harrisburg with its proposal a few weeks ago.

“We have worked out a plan to get almost $7.2 million from them as a kind of down payment,” said Derick Wenck, the mayor of Harrisburg.

The $7.2 million could be used to pay off loans, which would reduce each household's water bill by $20.

“It's not that we want the prison built south of our city, but it's one of those things where when you get lemons, you can't make lemonade instead of just pouring them down the drain,” Wenck said.

The organization NOPE Lincoln County is leading the fight against the prison, urging city councilors to vote no.

“People would save $240 a year. It adds up and makes a difference, but in the long run it's not economically viable. It really won't balance out when we look at the negative impact on the community,” said Madeline Voegeli, vice president of NOPE.

“They think this gives the state an incentive to build the prison south of the city, but it doesn't. Basically, they have to spend the money or it goes back to the federal government,” Wenck said.

NOPE added that they simply wanted to make sure the state kept its word.

“We're just making sure that they make the right decision that's best for them and their constituents and that the state helps them, because unfortunately we haven't seen that from our side,” Voegeli said.

“It seems like there's always a project that everyone is for, just not in my backyard. Well, I have no problem with it being in my backyard,” Bymers said.

The vote is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the town hall.

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