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Building Permit Valuations up in 2020 for Dell Rapids

January 15, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The final numbers for building permits in 2020 for the City of Dell Rapids were presented to the Dell Rapids City Council during their last regular meeting. The numbers for 2020 surpassed the numbers from 2019.

The total valuation for 2020 was $7,238,823. That was a big increase from 2019, which saw a valuation of just over $4 million. There were 10 new homes built in 2020, one new four-plex, and one new two-plex. There were 12 new homes built in 2019 and 17 new homes in 2018.

Dell Rapids did not have any large scale commercial projects in 2020, but the Dell Rapids public school had over $2.5 million improvements done to the inside of the building.

“We’re looking good going into 2021. In the last year there was the acquisition of property north of 15th street, so you know we’ve got future residential multi-family and single-family homes that will be slated for building in the future,” said City Administrator Justin Weiland during the council meeting.

City of Dell Rapids Sets Sales Tax Income Record

December 27, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Even though the 2020 year has yet to come to an end, the city of Dell Rapids has already set a record for sales tax revenue during the year. The latest sales tax revenue figures through the end of November were reported at the Dell Rapids City Council’s regular meeting on Monday, December 21st.

“We had a little dip in November, not too bad though,” said Justin Weiland. The month of November showed a sales tax revenue of just under $105,000, which is down 2.74% compared to November 2019. However, the total for 2020 is just over $1.24 million which is still up 9.1% when compared to the same time frame in 2019.

“Hopefully December’s comes in strong, and we can be between 8-10% category for the year increase which is far in excess of the 30% loss we were talking about when COVID hit. The state was telling us to prepare for,” added Weiland.

The total of $1,242,135.82 collected so far in 2020 already surpasses the total collected for all of 2019 and is the highest amount ever collected in Dell Rapids.

Economy Continues to Stay Strong in Dell Rapids

August 25, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The economy in Dell Rapids has continued to be strong through the 2020 year. Justin Weiland, Dell Rapids City Administrator, reported another increase in sales tax revenues for the month of July during the Dell Rapids City Council’s last meeting on Monday, August 17th.

The month of July saw a 19.36% increase in 2020 from 2019. It was the fourth straight month, and fifth overall, of sales tax revenue having an increase this year from last year.

“We’re continuing to see those numbers stay steady. August…we’ll see how August comes in, but doesn’t seem like anything’s going to change on that front,” said Weiland.

Through the month of July of 2020, the city has seen a 10.72% increase in revenue versus the same time period from last year, which is an increase of just over $76,000.

Sales Tax Revenue Continues to Rise in Dell Rapids in 2020

July 28, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids reported a 2.1% increase in sales tax revenue through the month of May in 2020 when compared to the same time period in 2019, but the month of June provided an even bigger boost to the City of Dell Rapids.

“We are showing a 9.2% increase total for the year of 2020 compared to six months in as of June 2019. The months of April, May, and June have all been exceedingly higher than normal,” said City Administrator Justin Weiland at the last Dell Rapids City Council meeting.

The month of June saw almost a 30% increase compared to the month of June in 2019. Sales tax revenue in the month totaled $124,396.22. That is the highest collected amount since the months of July and August of 2017. It was also the third straight month of over $100,000 in collected sales tax and fourth month overall in 2020.

The city has collected just over $55,000 more in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019.

City of Dell Rapids Makes Updates to City-Owned Facilities

May 22, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The City of Dell Rapids recently announced changes to city-owned facilities related to the Covid-19 virus on their Facebook page.

City Hall will open to the public starting on Monday, June 1st at 7:00 a.m. There will also be updated hours of operations to allow for more public access in the morning outside of normal business hours. The new hours will be Monday – Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fridays will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Only two patrons will be allowed within City Hall at any one time and visitor areas will be restricted. Masks are encouraged to be worn, but will not be required. City staff still encourages the public to continue to work with them through appointments, phone calls, emails, or online services to help continue slow the spread of the virus. For any City of Dell Rapids service please call (605) 428-3595 or email cityadmin@cityofdellrapids.com.

The comfort stations at Rickeman Field and City Park are also now open as of Friday, May 22nd. The comfort stations will be supplied with soap, and the public is encouraged to continue to practice good hygiene and hand washing when using the parks, amenities, and facilities. There is also an ask to continue to practice good social distances while using the parks, trails, facilities throughout the summer months.

The city campground will not open until June 29th. Reservations are now available for that opening date. The campground, however, will be restricted. Only the north part of the campground site (the old portion) will be available for camping. The south portion of the campground (the new portion) are not completed yet due to the flooding from the fall of 2019. The comfort station and shower facility will be open and available for camper use.

The Dell Rapids Carnegie Library will be working on a phased approach to opening. Starting on Monday, June 1st, curbside pick-up of library materials will be available. The library will also host the summer reading program online through the summer months. The phased plan to opening could see a limited public opening of the building starting in early August.

The Dell Rapids City Council made the decision to keep the pool closed for the 2020 season. The decision was made due to CDC guidelines for pool operations as well as staffing and budget considerations. The pool closure will mean no swimming lessons this year, but the city is hopeful that they will be able to fully operate the pool in 2021.

Economy Strong in Dell Rapids Despite Rough 2019

December 8, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The economy in Dell Rapids is holding strong despite a rough year in 2019 with business closings and two major floods. Sales tax revenues remained on a pace to surpass 2018 totals according to a report given by City Administrator Justin Weiland at the latest Dell Rapids City Council meeting on Monday, December 2nd.

“Things are still looking good on the year. The bottom didn’t fall out on the community when we lost Shopko, which was an obvious concern. We just kind of hope that November and December months are strong, which they generally are. We haven’t really ever seen any big dips in a year in those months in the past. Hopefully that will continue strong,” said Weiland at the council meeting.

Administration was not sure what the sales tax numbers might be in 2019 with the closure of big retail businesses. Shopko closed its store at the end of February. Video Plus also closed in March, and Family Dollar shut its doors in the middle of May.

Even though the community lost some businesses this year, new ones have opened in the last year. Papa’s Pub opened in the middle of December in 2018. Pinz opened in October of this year, and The Shoppe just recently opened in early November. All three of these businesses are located in downtown Dell Rapids.

Sales tax revenue has been reported through the month of October. Dell Rapids has seen a 5.4% increase in sales tax revenues compared to the same time in 2018, which is an increase of just under $53,000. The city has surpassed the million dollar mark already this year, and only three of the reported 10 months saw a decrease from last year.

City of Dell Rapids Receives Healthy Hometown Award

October 27, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The City of Dell Rapids recently received word the community is being honored as a 2019 Healthy Hometown Powered by Welmark Community Award winner. The award comes with $5,000 to continue efforts in making Dell Rapids a healthier community.

The city plans to use the award money to enhance the trail system. One idea to enhance the trail is to install a drinking water fountain.

City staff mentioned during the Dell Rapids City Council’s regular meeting on Monday, October 21st, that the healthy hometown committee in Dell Rapids played a big part in the city receiving the award. They thanked the committee for all of their commitment towards the goals and successes that have been achieved from this program.

Wellmark established the Healthy Hometown Initiative in 2017 to help communities learn how they could positively impact the health o f their citizens. More information about the initiative can be found by visiting their website at https://goodandhealthysd.org/about/healthyhometown/

Dell Rapids City Employee Wins Award

October 17, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

An employee of the City of Dell Rapids was the recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Municipal Government Award. Diane LeBrun was presented with the award during the 2019 South Dakota Municipal Government Annual Conference held October 8th – 11th in Aberdeen.

This award is presented to one person each year. The award rotates between a municipal employee and elected officials every other year. The award is given to those that have made outstanding contributions to the betterment of municipal government.

Dell Rapids Mayor Tom Earley submitted a letter of nomination for Lebrun.

In the letter Earley says, “Diane supports the many activities and programs that enhance life in Dell Rapids. Diane has been active in almost every aspect of the Dell Rapids community.”

Earley also said, “Diane’s knowledge and experience is sought out by her peers at many city hall in South Dakota. Her attendance at training provided by the Municipal League has enabled Diane to know and understand the issues and problems other towns deal with on a daily basis. Her experience has helped other communities in their search for a solution to a particular issue. Most important, the image and credibility of local government is enhanced and strengthened by her commitment to Dell Rapids. Over her 20 years, Diane had created and fostered a positive image of city hall, the City of Dell Rapids, and all those who get to know her. She is always willing to go above and beyond in every aspect of her life.”

**All three photos submitted and used with permission by Claire Baartman, Dell Rapids City Finance Officer

Dell Rapids Community Comes Together Again

September 18, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Less than six months after major flooding in March, the Dell Rapids area was hit worse with flooding starting on September 12th. Rain totals from two nights of storms on September 10th and 11th ranged from eight to ten inches which led to historic flooding of the Big Sioux River.

The river rose to a record high of 16.72 feet during the evening of Friday, September 13th. The record level caused major water damage and displaced many families from their homes.

The community of Dell Rapids rose to action for those in need. Dell Rapids City Administrator Justin Weiland praised numerous people for all their help. The Dell Rapids City Public Works Department pulled rotating 24 hour shifts to make sure the city’s sewer system didn’t back up into people’s homes, plus they waded through flood waters to save city infrastructure. Local businesses donated property for anyone who was impacted by the flood to store items, allowed sandbags to be stored and collected from their property, and donated meals. Volunteer groups were set up to help direct those who were in need of help to get the things that they needed. Organizations also helped to provide hotel rooms for those in need, and local fundraisers have also been held for those affected by the flood.

River levels have started to drop in the last week. As of Wednesday, September 18th, the Big Sioux River level was at 14.5 feet. The river is predicted to continue to drop to near the 13-foot mark by Monday, September 23rd. As the waters recede, expectations are more damage may be revealed that is yet unknown.

Property owners and tenants affected by the two floods this year have asked the city if anything could be done during the council’s regular meeting on Monday, September 16th. They noted that some cities, such as Sioux Falls, have purchased properties prone to flooding. However, the city mentioned during the meeting that the City of Dell Rapids does not have the income to do something like that. Administration did mention that they would continue to research different options that might be available and communicate findings to the property owners. Meanwhile, members of the council said that they would do what they could legally do as a city entity to help those in need and give them guidance on how to move forward with any restoration or construction work on the homes in the future.

Dell Rapids 2018 Sales Tax Revenues Dip from 2017

January 27, 2019 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The final 2018 sales tax revenue report was shared at the latest Dell Rapids City Council regular meeting held Tuesday, January 22nd. The numbers showed a drop of 3.45% from the 2017 numbers.

The city of Dell Rapids had $1,227,419.65 of sales tax revenue in 2017. By contrast, the city had $1,185,064.63 of sales tax revenue in 2018. A drop of just over $42,000.

“It looks better than it did in July and August. $42,000 less, if you look at July and August, that’s about $40,000. That’s at the height of the construction. That’s the way I interpret those numbers,” said City Administrator Justin Weiland.

July 2018 was an 11.68% decrease from the numbers in July 2017. August 2018 had a bigger drop from 2017 at 23.24% decrease. The numbers rebounded in October, November, and December with each of those three months having positive gains in 2018 over 2017 numbers.

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