President’s Report

What do the citizens want? The answer to that question drives many of the decisions our community leaders make. Yet, engaging the citizenry and truly understanding their perspectives is a challenge.

I’m always looking for more effective ways of communicating with community members, and I was exposed to a promising new concept at the recent National League of Cities Conference in Pittsburgh. The Mayor of Pittsburgh talked about the success his team has experienced using deliberative community forums. The forums are a tool for engaging community members in important city decisions.

What struck me most about the deliberative community forum process was its ability to arm community members with relevant information and then capture their informed opinions after they have a comprehensive understanding of the situation. The forums aren’t about building consensus or group decision-making. They are simply about understanding the public’s perspective. Important city decisions are often marred by ill-informed opinions and stymied by coffee-talk rumors. This is one way to get in front of the misinformation and truly understand what our community members want. Deliberative community forums do require quite a bit of upfront work and a specific process, but in the end, I think the process could be a very effective way of informing commission decisions.

Deliberative Community Forums are something I expect the City of Pierre to start using in coming months. If you’d like more information about how they work, visit theartofdemocracy.org.

Laurie Gill President

SDDOT Awards Economic Development Grants

At its November 18, 2016, meeting, the SD Transportation Commission awarded nearly $3.9 million in economic development grants for infrastructure improvements in smaller communities in South Dakota.

The economic development grant program funds awarded at the meeting will improve roads leading to schools, main business areas, hospitals, grain elevators and other economic areas in the communities.

The grants pay for 60 percent of the construction costs, up to a maximum of $400,000.

Communities receiving grant awards this year are:

Agri-Business Grant: j Lincoln County – $400,000 for 468th Avenue and 290th Street which will provide access to the Dakota

Plains Dairy.

Community Access Grant: j City of Bridgewater – $71,500 for Juniper Street which serves a business area. j Campbell County – $101,000 for Summit Street and A

Avenue which serves the elevator and a business area. j City of Elk Point – $290,000 for Rose Street which serves a business area. j City of Eureka – $88,000 for 9th and 10th Streets which serves the school. j City of Freeman – $400,000 for Main Street and

Railway Avenue which serves the downtown business area. j City of Gettysburg – $183,000 for Broadway and

Potter Streets which serves the elevator. j City of Kimball – $126,000 for Kiote Road which serves a business area. j City of Lake Andes – $400,000 for Main Street and 1st and 3rd Avenues which serves the downtown business area. j City of Mount Vernon – $82,000 for Railroad Avenue which serves the elevator and associated businesses. j City of Murdo – $400,000 for 3rd Street and

Cleveland Avenue which serves the school. j City of Parkston – $309,000 for Depot Street which serves the elevator and associated businesses. j Town of Peever – $45,400 for Main and Third Streets and Lincoln and Newton Avenues which serves the downtown business area. j Town of Pollock – $85,200 for Summit Street and A

Avenue which serves the elevator and a business area. j Town of Ramona – $143,400 for Railway Avenue which serves the elevator. j City of Salem – $400,000 for Main Street and Norton and Essex Avenues which serves the downtown business area. j City of Tyndall – $142,000 for Maple Street which serves the elevator. j Town of Wolsey – $203,000 for Ash Street which serves the school.

More information regarding the grant programs and the process for applying can be found at http://www.sddot.com/ business/local/economic/ or by contacting Paula Huizenga, 605–773–6253 or Doug Kinniburgh at 605–773–4284.

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