Meeting | Unsplash by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
Meeting | Unsplash by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
Check out this link regarding the current air quality conditions in Rapid City.
Click to see the current Air Quality Index
**CITY COMMITTEE AGAIN HOSTING ALL ABILITY SKATING DAY: The City’s Disability Awareness and Accessibility Committee, in partnership with Main Street Square, will host the second annual All Ability Ice Skating Day Saturday, January 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Square’s ice rink.
The event is free and open to the public with an emphasis on providing people with disabilities the opportunity to skate and learn to skate. The event will include appearances by Rapid City Rush players, free refreshments and assistance will be provided for participants learning to skate. Temporary free parking passes for the period 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be available for event attendees and can be obtained from the Committee booth on-site.
“We are looking to build on the success of last year’s event,” said Patrick Czerny, Committee chairman. “It’s designed to be a family-fun event for people of all abilities. There will be free skates, free parking and free hot chocolate with plenty of warming stations and adaptive equipment available.
“We are again encouraging those with disabilities who want to skate or to learn to skate to come out and have a fun, great and memorable experience.”
The City’s Disability Awareness and Accessibility Committee has been a standing volunteer citizen committee within the city for nearly 50 years, established in 1975 with a mission to advance, support and promote equal inclusion status and well-being of persons with disabilities in all aspects of community life in Rapid City.
For more information about the All Ability Ice Skating Day event, contact Main Street Square at (605) 716-7979.
**WORK ON DOWNTOWN PARKING STRUCTURE EXPANDS JANUARY 30: With the preconstruction efforts completed, phase one work on the City’s downtown parking structure is set to begin.
Effective Monday, January 30 and until further notice, contractors will be working on the south side of the first and second floors of the downtown parking structure adjacent to Main Street Square. During this period, the east stair tower accessed from Fifth Street will be closed for reconstruction. Pedestrian access to the upper levels of the parking structure will be available by using the west stair tower from the Sixth Street access.
In addition, public parking on the first floor of the structure will be accessed from the Fifth Street entrance. Access to leased and upper-level parking will be available from the Sixth Street entrance.
Officials advise the public should expect periodic detours within the parking structure during this phase and throughout much of the renovation process. Drivers are advised to reduce speed and use caution around the work areas.
The downtown parking structure renovation project will occur in multiple phases. The project is estimated for completion in late fall. The project includes needed repairs and renovations aimed at improving the structural integrity of the parking structure and improving the ramp’s stairwells
Updates on the project will be provided on the City’s website at https://www.rcgov.org/news/parking-structure-construction-status-11420.html
SECO Construction is the contractor on the project. Parking questions can be directed to City Parking Operations Manager Anna Gilligan at the parking hotline at 605-394-6098. Questions regarding the construction project can be directed to SECO Construction at 605-390-3634.
**SALES TAX REPORTS ISSUED FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER: Rapid City’s sales tax receipts for September and October came in at record levels and are holding close to the consumer price index numbers for the Midwest region.
The City’s tax receipts for October came in at $3.15 million, a record for the month, eclipsing the previous mark set in October 2021 of $2.99 million. September receipts came in at $3.42 million, also a record. The previous September record was set the previous year with $3.17 million in sales tax receipts in September 2021.
Through 10 months of 2022, City sales tax receipts total $31.76 million ($31,769,316), a 7.39 percent increase over the first 10 months of 2021 when City sales tax receipts totaled $29.58 million ($29,582,094). The consumer price index for the Midwest Region, which includes South Dakota, was set at 7.4 percent for October.
“The sales tax receipts continue to hold steady against the rate of inflation,” said the City’s interim finance director, Tracy Davis. “Spending in the city remained solid as we moved into the fall months. We continue to experience good numbers and are currently holding the line with the inflationary numbers.”
Davis said the final two months of receipts will determine how the city fared in overall sales tax receipts, especially when taking into account the rate of inflation.
**CITY ISSUES DECEMBER BUILDING PERMIT REPORT: Building permit valuation totals for 2022 reached the second-highest level in the City’s history. The City issued 2,866 building permits last year with a combined valuation total of $364.6 million ($364,635,584).
Most of the higher-valued permit activity was issued by the City’s Building Services Division in the first six months of the year. The permit and valuation total for last year compares to 4,166 permits issued in 2021 with a record valuation total of $393.5 million.
The City has achieved $300 million or more in building permit valuation in six of the past seven years, with the exception of 2020 which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the City first surpassed the $300 million mark in building permit valuation in 2016, the City has issued 27,488 permits with a combined valuation total of nearly $2.3 billion ($2,298,707,746).
“The overall valuation total was solid for last year,” said Community Development Director Vicki Fisher. “Activity leveled off during the second half of the year, with the impacts of inflation, supply costs and availability as some of the main reasons.
“We will be monitoring those impacts as we move into 2023. There are many projections for huge growth in our community in the years ahead and with it is the continuing need for housing, retail and commercial development. The opportunities are there and we look forward to working with developers, contractors and residents on meeting the needs of our growing community.”
The City issued 45 building permits last year with a valuation total exceeding $1 million, including 10 over $5 million in valuation. By comparison, the City issued 61 permits in 2021 with a valuation total exceeding $1 million, including 10 over $5 million in valuation.
Below is a list of the top 10-valued permits issued in 2022.
- SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL: Rapid City Area School District with Scull Construction as the contractor for the new South Middle School at 2 Indiana Street. Permit valued at $61 million.
- MONUMENT HEALTH: Monument Health with MJ Construction as contractor for the Rehab and Critical Care Hospital at 2115 Promise Road. Permit valued at $24,655,300.
- CATHEDRAL ADDITION: Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Rangel Construction Company as contractor for the Cathedral addition at 520 Cathedral Drive. Permit valued at $8,378,000.
- THE RADIANT: CB Rapid City Holdings with RCS Construction as contractor for The Radiant at 28 Racine Street. Permit valued at $8.3 million
8) SURGERY EXPANSION: Monument Health with Layton Construction as contractor for phase two surgery expansion at 353 Fairmont Boulevard. Permit valued at $7,463,000.
9) HEARTLAND HEIGHTS APARTMENTS: CR Lloyd Associates with Lloyd Companies as contractor for the Heartland Heights Apartments at 413 Degeest Drive. Permit valued at $5,416,035
10) MIDCONTINENT ALTERATIONS: Midcontinent Communications with Sunkota Construction as contractor for facility alterations. Permit valued at $5.4 million
**CITY HIRES UNITED WAY'S JAMIE TOENNIES TO MANAGE NEW GRANTS DIVISION: Mayor Steve Allender announced today Jamie Toennies has been named manager of the City’s new grants division.
Toennies has served as director of the United Way of the Black Hills since 2016. She has more than 18 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations, including museums, YMCA, and in United Ways.
“We are excited to welcome Jamie as the manager of our new grants division,” said Allender. “The grants division will provide a more coordinated effort in the administration of grants and is being developed to identify specific needs as well as research and apply for grants that can assist and support City operations and services. Jamie’s extensive experience with nonprofit organizations, including her well-respected work with the United Way of the Black Hills, will serve the City and its citizens well with this needed effort.”
Toennies will begin her position in early February. The grants division will be part of the City’s Finance Department under the direction of finance director Tracy Davis.
“We look forward to working with Jamie as she develops the new grants division and explores opportunities for funding and resources that will assist the City in providing services and support for our growing community,” said City Finance Director Tracy Davis.
Toennies is excited about joining the City of Rapid City and the challenges of the new grants division.
“Over the past six and a half years, it has been my honor to work with our local partners including the City, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, to find long-term solutions to our community’s greatest needs,” said Toennies. “I can’t wait to continue that work with the City to ensure Rapid City continues to be an amazing place for our residents and visitors.”
Allender says the grants division is an important addition to the City in responding to the community’s current and anticipated growth.
“As Rapid City continues to grow, there will be an increased demand on essential services and developing and growing certain functions to respond to the growth,” said Allender. “We need to be in position to search, apply for and obtain funding that will assist in those efforts. We won’t be applying for every grant that comes along, but we want people in place that can search out possible funding sources that make sense and will assist in achieving the city’s comprehensive plan for the future.”
Toennies is a native of Tampa Bay and has degrees from South Dakota Mines and the University of Iowa.
**CITY PROVIDES HELPFUL HINTS FOR TREE DISPOSAL, HOLIDAY RECYCLING, EXCESS TRASH: The City’s Solid Waste Division provides the following helpful advice for holiday trash and recycling collection, along with important information about disposal of holiday trees:
**Natural trees, wreaths and garland can be taken to the remote site at Fitzgerald Stadium or the Rapid City Landfill for disposal and should be cleaned of ornamentation and not be placed in tree bags. No yard waste allowed at the tree disposal sites. The remote site will be available through January.
**Items such as wrapping paper, packing items, cellophane, ribbons, bows, artificial decorations along with cardboard items should be placed in the regular trash containers.
**Homeowners are routinely advised to bag and tie their garbage and it’s especially important during the holiday season. Solid Waste officials advise the public to avoid ‘hay stacking’ -- piling up or overflowing the trash in their containers. As alternatives, the public can place some of the trash items in the following week’s collection or bring excess garbage to the landfill.
**Do not place cardboard boxes or excess trash next to the household trash and recycling containers. Trash collection drivers will not stop and pick up the excess trash.
**Cardboard items can also be taken to remote disposal site at Fitzgerald Stadium or to the Landfill.
**The remote disposal site at Fitzgerald Stadium is only for recycle items and not for dumping trash and other discarded household items. Solid Waste officials advise the public to take other items to the Landfill. Also if remote site recycle containers are full, do not place the items on the ground. Take the items to the landfill.
**Strings of non-working holiday lights should not be placed in trash containers but taken to one of 17 sites in the community through January 31. These sites include City Hall, Rapid City Public Library, Roosevelt Swim Center, the Ace Hardware stores at E. St. Patrick Street and W. Main Street, Western Dakota Tech, Boyd’s Drug Stores at Baken Park and E. St. Patrick Street, Runnings, Fleet Farm, Rapid City Restore, RC Hardware, Menards, Granite Buick GMC, Granite Nissan and Carstar Collision Center and the Rapid City Landfill’s Education Center.
**'YOUTH RIDE FREE' PROGRAM SEES BIG INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP IN 2022: More than 35,000 youth passenger trips were recorded on Rapid Transit System’s (RTS) RapidRide program in 2022, a 9.6 percent increase over 2021.
The ‘Youth Ride Free’ program reported increases in seven of the nine months youth were in school during the 2022 calendar year. A total of 35,114 youth passenger trips were recorded from January through May, and September through December, a nearly 10 percent hike over the 31,896 trips recorded for the same period in 2021.
The only ridership decreases came in April and December. Last month, a total of 2,147 youth passenger trips were recorded, down from the 2,722 trips recorded in December 2021. School was out of session 13 of the 22 week days in December.
“It was a great year overall for the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program,” said Megan Gould-Stabile, Rapid Transit System manager. “December was a tough month with most students out for up to two weeks.
“Any time you have an increase in ridership over the year before in most of the months, it shows the program continues to be a success.”
Gould-Stabile reminds youth and parents the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program serves as a convenient option during the cold winter months. “It’s a great option when roads are snow packed and icy, or the school car doesn’t want to start,” said Gould-Stabile.
For more information about the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program, contact RTS at 605-394-6631.
**PUBLIC REMINDED TO REPORT NON-WORKING STREET LIGHTS: The City’s Traffic Operations Division is reminding the public to contact city staff if they see a non-working street light or a light not working properly, whether the light is in the city’s downtown or well-trafficked areas, or especially in residential areas. The public is advised to call the Traffic Operations Division at 394-4118.
“We rely on the public in many instances to notify us of a non-working street light, especially in a residential area,” said Mark Preble of the City’s Traffic Operations Division. “We want to respond as soon as possible to get the light changed out or make any repairs if necessary.”
With later sunset and earlier sunrise times, the public may be the first to observe non-working street lights and their assistance in reporting the issue to the City is appreciated, say officials.
“They may be out walking their dog later in the evening or taking a stroll around their neighborhood and see a light flickering or out of service,” said Preble. “We appreciate the call so crews can get the light checked out and changed or repaired.”
Officials request callers to provide as much information as possible about the location of the non-working light so crews can be dispatched to fix the light or make any repairs in a timely manner. If possible, the caller should note the light pole number that is marked on the pole. Callers are advised to leave a message in the evenings or weekends.
**PUBLIC ENCOURAGED TO CHECK OUT 'PENNINGTON OUTDOORS!': Looking for details on recreational opportunities in Rapid City and Pennington County? Residents and visitors to the area have a quick tool to access information through an interactive map that helps users explore local recreational facilities and opportunities.
The site, Pennington Outdoors!, was launched last year by the City’s Geographic Information (GIS) Division, can be accessed at rapidmap.org and is one of many valuable map and informational tools available on the GIS Division page which includes access to City and County voting precincts, the City's air quality zone, downtown parking map, the City's major street plan and much more.
Pennington Outdoors! site users can zoom in, zoom out or pan across a map to view different park facilities; Rapid City, Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands trail systems; location of statues; the Rapid City bike path; park amenities and recreational sites in Pennington County and the communities of Rapid City, Box Elder, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Wall, Hill City, Keystone, New Underwood, Wasta and Quinn. Once a desired site is visible, users can click on it using the 'identity' tool to see details, website and a photo associated with the recreation site.
As an example, clicking on Wilson Park will yield information indicating the Park includes a flowering garden, gazebo, ice skating area, tennis courts, playground, restrooms, basketball court and other amenities. Users can easily identify the location of the Park. Clicking on Robbinsdale Park will yield information including locations of the BMX Track, several baseball fields, location of picnic shelters, playgrounds, restrooms and walking paths.
Users wanting to know the location of specific downtown and area statues can access the site for the actual location
The City's GIS Division provides mapping services, data and technical support to the public as well as staffs of City and County government. the GIS Division page which includes access to City and County voting precincts, the City's air quality zone, downtown parking map, the City's major street plan. RapidMap services offers information on land parcels, aerial photos, address points and other map information. Survey Points provides information on area survey points.
**CITY REMINDS RESIDENTS OF UTILITY RATE RELIEF PROGRAM: Rapid City utility customers can apply for a reduction of their monthly utility charges through a decade-long program administered by the City's Public Works Department.
The program, entitled the Utility Rate Relief Program, is designed to lower the monthly utility expense for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The program recently underwent an update, to make the qualification process more straightforward.
Under the City's updated Utility Rate Relief Program, applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria: they must be 65 or older or disabled as defined by the Social Security Act; they must fall below the “very low income” limit criteria outlined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Rapid City Metro Area; the applicant must be the person who is responsible for payment of the utility bill directly to the City; the property must be the applicant’s primary residence.
If qualified, the rates charged for utility services billed to the applicant will be reduced by 25 percent for a period of two years or until the renewal date established by the Public Works Director. New applications are accepted at any time, but renewal requests must be received by April 30, 2021 in order for current participants to remain on the program.
For more information and an application, visit https://www.rcgov.org/departments/public-works/water-division/urr-587.html or call the City's Public Works Department at 394-4165.
**PUBLIC REMINDED TO SIGN UP FOR COLLECTION ALERTS: Officials with the City's Solid Waste Division remind residents to sign up for alerts about curbside collections and adjustments in pickups due to holidays and weather.
"We've had great response since launching our website back in January," said Jancie Knight, Solid Waste community outreach coordinator. "The site is an excellent way to receive alerts and reminders on trash collections and other updates."
Knight says residents can visit www.rapidcityrecycles.org to register in the 'Stay Informed' section. Other informational items on the page include a color-coded map of the city to determine specific curbside pickup days, where to dispose of specific items, and hours and contact information.
**GOT A POTHOLE? CALL THE POTHOLE HOTLINE: The City Street Department's pothole patching crews are at it as the calendar flips toward summer. If you see a pothole that needs to be fixed, call the Pothole Hotline at 394-4152 and provide a location and crews will be on it quickly.
**CONSTRUCTION MAP FEATURE ALLOWS DRIVERS TO STAY UPDATED ON PROJECTS: To stay updated on local construction projects, City officials remind the public they can utilize a newly-launched road construction site feature on the City's website which provides detailed site, map and project information.
The City's Geographic Information System (GIS) Division launched the 'Rapid City Road Construction Site' link on the GIS page last month, accessed by visiting rapidmap.org and clicking on the orange construction barrel. It is also available by clicking on 'Road Construction Updates' on the City's home page at rcgov.org . Once on the site, users can click on a highlighted segment and get additional information such as the project's location, the start date and estimated end date of the project, listing of the contractor and other useful information. Each segment on the map will also have the public service announcement attached to it and there will be a link provided for State Department of Transportation projects.
The site will be updated as active projects begin and sites will remain on the map through the duration of the specific projects.
With local construction season well underway, City officials are also reminding drivers to slow down and use caution when driving near and through all road construction areas, allow additional time to reach their destinations and to consider alternate routes.
**DIGITAL MEDIA POLICY: The City is advising the public of a requirement for digital media material for presentations at City Council and City Committee meetings. Effective May 1, 2017, digital media submissions must be provided at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting where the material will be presented. In addition, no digital media containing music will be accepted.
"This new guideline will allow for more efficient presentation of the item, ensuring there are no compatibility or virus issues with the item and the City's display system, as well as providing sufficient time for City staff to contact individuals for any changes that may be needed to the item prior to the meeting," said Darrell Shoemaker, City Communications Coordinator. "Too often, items are brought in a few moments before the start of a meeting, even after the meeting has started, and there is not sufficient time to ensure compatibility with our system, make sure there are no viruses, problems or issues with the item and for effective presentation of the item."
Digital media items can be submitted to the appropriate department division at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. For Monday's Council meetings, the item should be provided no later than Friday at 5 p.m. The City reserves the right to reject any items for presentation due to digital compatibility issues or content appropriateness.
**CITY HALL KIOSK WELCOMES VISITORS: A kiosk in the lobby of the City/School Administration Center welcomes visitors. There are four blocks of information, including a block for daily meetings and locations; a block explaining the location of meetings rooms in the building; a 'what am I looking for' block that provides a brief explanation of specific offices and their missions; and a date/time/temperature block.
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