Flandreau City Council members heard an update on the city’s ongoing utility improvement project from staff and contractor representatives and voted not to act on a planned change order at the meeting.

City engineering staff said the project has encountered delays from weather and difficulties locating reliable valves to isolate sections of the water system. Staff described two temporary shut-off methods under consideration — a double line stop (a sleeve-and-balloon technique) and an AVT/EZ-style strapped valve that mills a slot into an existing pipe so a gate valve can be inserted — and said both must meet American Iron and Steel (AIS) requirements tied to the project’s funding. “That’s why we’re taking the change order off the agenda,” a staff presenter said.

The discussion matters because the chosen approach will determine whether crews can safely and temporarily stop flow to install valves where existing shutoffs are unreliable, and because AIS-compliant equipment can increase costs. Staff described a range of technical and cost tradeoffs and said they will work with the contractor to produce scoped options and pricing, then bring a formal change order back for council action or call a special meeting if a decision is needed before the next regular meeting.

Council and staff reported outreach with property owners and community groups along the construction route. Staff said they met with the nearby church to coordinate around funerals and other events and are assembling a list of about a dozen property owners to confirm service-line conditions and ownership before crews dig. Staff also said rain has periodically stopped work in the area south of Park Avenue.

Councilors pressed staff on scope and budget. One councilor said the water-side budget had been tight but that a previously restricted bond balance of about $240,000 was discussed as a potential reinvestment source; staff said they are evaluating options and timing. Staff estimated that if several valve locations need work, individual site costs could run from low tens of thousands and that multiple locations could raise the total toward six figures, though final numbers were not provided.

No formal change to the project was approved at the meeting. Staff will continue negotiations with the contractor, refine options and costs, confirm AIS-eligible equipment and funding eligibility, and return to the council with a formal change order when details are finalized.

Less critical details: staff asked whether the council wished to hold a special meeting to approve a change order if one is ready before the next regular meeting; councilors said they were open to a special meeting rather than delay critical work, depending on cost and timing.