Water issue continues to boil at City Hall

Tim Wakefield started the GoFundMe.com account Saturday night.

In just three days, 32 people had donated a total of $865 toward Wakefield’s cause: to get a copy of the city’s purchase agreement and appraised value of land earmarked for a 1.25 million-gallon water tower.

Upon receiving Wakefield’s Freedom of Information Act request Nov. 8, the city of Brandon referred its most outspoken water task force member to South Dakota codified law and estimated the production cost associated with his request to be $680.  

As of Monday night, 32 people had donated to Wakefield’s account – a testament, perhaps, to the support he has drawn from fellow residents in his attempts to shed light on Brandon’s water system. 

“I’m the point man for this. I have a lot on my shoulders,” Wakefield said at Monday’s council meeting.  

It wasn’t Wakefield’s first request. Maintaining that the quality of Brandon’s water is foremost of his concerns, he asked for and received additional well water test results at the water development committee’s first meeting last week. And, maintaining that transparency of information between city and citizens is key, Wakefield has also put in requests at recent city council meetings that all water related projects be put on hold until the water development committee gathers enough data to make an informed recommendation to council on the city’s water system needs. 

Don Wells admonished Wakefield for speaking out of turn at last week’s water committee meeting. The city alderman grew more heated at Monday’s council meeting following Wakefield’s comment, “Mr. Wells called me out on something, and I didn’t appreciate it.”  

Mayor Larry Beesley intervened and returned focus to the agenda. That agenda included a lengthy discussion of social media and the city’s role in it – or lack thereof. 

The city of Brandon maintains a website and a Facebook page. There’s a more popular Facebook page, however: Brandon Ask and Tell, and it surfaced Monday night. 

“How do we best get information out? What I say here may be heard by 50 to 100 people. One comment on social media can be read by 2,000 people,” said alderman Jon McInerney. 

City administrator Bryan Read said he knew of no other cities that addressed chatter on other websites – just the city’s own and its Facebook page. 

“I agree. We need more of a presence on Facebook,” said alderwoman Jo Hausman. “I’m not going to respond to negativity. I’m not going to respond to mistruths. Call us, email us – that’s what we’re here for.”

Wells said he’d looked at Brandon Ask and Tell twice. 

“There’s a lot of information on there that is absolutely not true. A lot of people are giving misleading information, and it’s destroying the community. It’s sad. Absolutely sad,” Wells said. 

Three residents recently stated on the Facebook page that they are selling their homes due to Brandon’s water quality. 

McInerney said he didn’t want to see misinformation on Facebook cause the city to slow down decisions or become fearful to act.