Codington County Reports $174K in Park Revenue, Renews Memorial Park Contract for 2027

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County Facility Manager Steve Molengraaf delivered a wide‑ranging monthly report Tuesday, covering building maintenance issues, park revenue, weed control operations, and West Nile activity. Commissioners also approved the 2027 seasonal management agreement for Memorial Park.

Ag Building: Fire Panel Continues to Lose Connection

Molengraaf said the Ag Building’s fire panel has been repeatedly losing its phone connection for extended periods, causing persistent alarm beeping during events.

“We’ve been working with ABC Solutions, Midco, and Two Trees trying to resolve this issue,” Molengraaf said. “We’re going to try a new communicator to see if that can resolve the problem.”

He added that the building’s new firewall has not yet arrived and may be contributing to the connectivity failures.

Commissioner Randy Schweer raised concerns about the impact on weddings and receptions.

“It’s been ongoing now for a long time,” Schweer said. “This alarm keeps going off. It’s really annoying.”

Molengraaf acknowledged the frustration.

“Some days it might go off twice, then it might go four days with nothing, and then boom — a couple of times,” he said. “Usually it’s on a weekend activity.”

Commissioners confirmed the panel is tied to off‑site monitoring.

“Just so people know, we’re working on it,” Schweer said. “It’s a hard problem to solve.”

Government Building: Drain Line Repairs Completed; More Work Ahead

Molengraaf reported that the floor drain lining in the first‑floor restrooms has been completed, resolving leakage into the Clerk of Courts office.

However, he warned that the men’s restroom may soon need similar work.

“Some of those pipes are starting to rust through,” he said. “Down the road we might have to line that one also.”

He also noted repeated drain clogs in the detention center.

“A lot of stuff is getting plugged,” Molengraaf said. “Some of it might be due to inmates.”

County Park: 1,723 Reservations and $174,379 in Revenue

The county park continues to see strong usage.

·         1,723 reservations so far this season

·         $174,379.46 in revenue

·         Final booking night: September 30

·         Park closes: October 1

Commission Chair Troy VanDusen joked:

“Such a sad time. We’ve got to close our parks.”

Weed Control: Slow Start, State Fair Booth, and West Nile Update

Molengraaf said weed spraying began at the end of August but progressed slowly due to weather.

He staffed the weed booth at the South Dakota State Fair on September 2.

“It was actually a fair crowd,” he said. “Probably the coolest day at the fair this year.”

West Nile Activity Down

Molengraaf reported 35 human cases statewide as of last week — lower than recent years.

“It’s really odd,” he said. “With some of the weather conditions we had, we would have thought it would be higher.”

He will attend the South Dakota West Nile Conference next week in Aberdeen.

Commission Chamber Computer Needs Replacement

Commissioner Lee Gabel noted that the commission chamber’s streaming computer can no longer update to Windows 11.

“It’s roughly about $2,000 to replace,” Gabel said. “We’ve had it for a good five years.”

He said he will check whether the commissioners’ budget can cover the cost this year.

Memorial Park Contract Renewed for 2027

Commissioners approved the 2027 seasonal Memorial Park Campground Management Services Agreement, continuing the long‑standing arrangement with the Walls family.

“The Walls have said they would like to be back next year,” Molengraaf said. “No changes.”

Commissioner Myron Johnson moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Tyler McElhany. The motion passed unanimously.