Little Falls council rejects petition to halt Southwest Pond fence after safety debate

The Little Falls City Council on Oct. 6 upheld its prior action to install a fence around the Southwest Holding Pond after a lengthy public discussion and a failed petition to cancel the earlier decision.

The debate centered on competing views of safety and neighborhood notice. Council member (speaking for neighbors) said many residents who live adjacent to the pond did not want a fence and that earlier outreach had missed some neighbors; another council member stressed the risk, recounting that a friend’s sister once fell through a cattle pond and drowned. “We put a pond right in the middle of the neighborhood,” one council member said, arguing that the city must consider safety precautions and liability.

Staff reminded the council that the fence material had already been purchased and was on a pallet ready to install. Supporters of the fence cited safety, liability and past incidents in comparable ponds; opponents raised concerns about aesthetics, maintenance, and the feeling of being excluded from the original decision. One council member urged better neighborhood notice after several speakers said they learned of the project only when neighbors contacted them.

After discussion, the council voted on the motion that would have adopted the petition’s “no fence” request; the motion failed, leaving the previously approved fence order intact. Council members directed staff to continue outreach and clarify maintenance and placement so the fence is not located directly at the waterline where it would be difficult to maintain.

The council moved on to other items after the vote; the purchased fence remains in city inventory awaiting installation.