Harrisburg refuses to accept money for state prison sewage plan

HARRISBURG – A packed gymnasium erupted in loud applause Tuesday night after the Harrisburg City Council rejected a contract with the state to provide sewage disposal for a proposed new state prison for men.

That prison would be located a few miles south of the city, between Harrisburg and Canton. And even though the rural, mostly agricultural homes surrounding the proposed site are not places of residence for Harrisburg city voters, many Harrisburg voters came out to reject not just the contract, but the entire concept of building the new 1,500-inmate facility in the middle of the state's fastest-growing county.

Two dozen people testified during the public hearing — almost all of them opposed to the contract and the prison. They had a variety of reasons for doing so — some citing recent comments by Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken that the South Dakota State Penitentiary contributes to crime and homelessness in Sioux Falls. Several speakers said they don't want that for Harrisburg and Canton.