Hello Callie,

 

This is the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce, Pierre Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Pierre Economic Development Corporation's August 2022 E-Newsletter.

 

Take a few moments to enjoy an update from the Chamber as we promote prosperity, growth, and our way of life in the lower Oahe region. 

 

-Your Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce Staff

Do you ever have moments in life where it feels like you are surfing? Now I realize that when someone says they are headed to the beach at farm island, bringing a surfboard is probably not on the list of items to bring.  Growing up with grandparents located on the East coast and West coast I spent many summers on the beach, but I have never gone surfing.  However, if it is similar to water skiing, I am guessing it involves a lot of falling down, swallowing some water, getting up and trying again. 

 

We have spent a lot of time getting up on our surfboard, and then falling over. There are times when you take in some water when you fall.  Other times you might fall and feel sore from the impact.  No matter how hard we try to balance, there are waves that hit and there is nothing we can do but brace for impact.  

 

It feels that right now throughout the country and right here in Central South Dakota we are experiencing things in waves. Businesses are struggling with staffing shortages, increased costs, supply shortages and burnout. The waves have been rough. But there have also been plenty of high fives and thumbs up as well.

 

Despite some various falls, I am thankful our community for continuing to get back up and doing everything they can with what they have. Especially when it involves things out of their control.

 

I am thankful for our chamber staff. Despite being new, they have hit the ground running, doing everything they can to support our local businesses. They have tried to make life normal with so many changes and disruptions. And, they have done so with grace.

 

Thank you for being patient.  When someone falls down, encourage them to get back up. All of us just need to keep getting up onto that board and riding the wave.  You never know how much a friendly smile or words of encouragement can help strengthen someone?s confidence. 

Some people think chamber membership is outdated, like it's something their grandparents used to do. Maybe you and your friends even feel that way. You might think that you can do all the networking you need to do online. You may even have hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and figure chamber membership is the last thing you need for your career or for your business.

 

But chamber membership is one of the strongest Investments you can make in your future and it's also one of the least expensive with the best reputation and return on investment.

 

No, it's not your grandpa's chamber but membership can be essential to your personal and business growth for about what you pay for a cup of coffee every day. 

 

Here's a glimpse of amazing payoff you can expect from chamber membership:

 

Enjoy Amazing Experiences and Make Things Happen

 

By getting involved with the chamber you'll meet people nearby in every stage of their careers. You can find a mentor and be one if you'd like. You can attend young professionals events and possibly have a hand in the economic development of your community.

Have you traveled recently to another city and witnessed something really cool in their community? Did you wish your town had the same thing? It won't happen with wishes alone. You need to align yourself with a group that has the power to make things happen. The chamber is well-connected and can help bring your ideas to fruition.

 

Develop Partnerships

Today's businesses use all sorts of influencer marketing and other non-traditional partnerships that help market products and help them grow. Being a member of the chamber can help you meet business professionals who can take your business to the next level.

 

Don't have your own business?

The chamber is also an excellent way to network for career advancement and hear about positions that are open before they hit the internet giving you a jump on the application process.

 

Chamber members are also helpful in assisting you to start your own business. They can give you advice on things to avoid as well as government policies and best practices you should be following. When starting a business you need a lot more expertise than what?s found in a YouTube video. With chamber membership, you can connect with people who have ?been there and done that?, sometimes multiple times successfully and some not so successfully.

 

Find Your Tribe

As you become more established in your career, you may notice that some of your earlier friends from school begin to drift away. You may also notice that making new friends is more difficult now that you're out of school. The chamber is another way that you can meet like-minded professionals outside of work. There are often several specialized groups within the chamber that you can join. Groups like those with a women's or a young professional?s focus can help you find the kind of people you want to spend time with.

 

Establish a Reputation

If you're just starting your business--or you operate a business online--you may quickly realize the hesitancy some people have in ordering from someone they know nothing about. If you sell on the internet, there can be even more of a hesitation because no one wants to hand over their credit card information to an entity they're not sure will be around to deliver. Joining the chamber can lend legitimacy to your business while you create a reputation for yourself.

 

Get Free Learning

Sure, you can learn a lot from YouTube. But there are some professional skills and topics that you just want to hear an expert in the industry talk about. The problem with that is that it costs a lot of money to attend these experts sessions. If you're just starting out, you likely don't have that kind of money in your budget or if you do it's often allocated to something you'll see a more immediate return on like marketing or advertising.

 

One of the chamber?s best kept secrets is that they offer sessions on topics that are important to professionals. Most of them are free to members. Some may have a small cost for lunch or breakfast. And unlike a YouTube video, these sessions allow you to interact with the speakers. Sometimes that interaction can be the beginning of a business friendship.

If you are a young professional who is eager to succeed in your company or business, consider a chamber membership. It's one of the best ways to grow your network and one of the least expensive. The return on investment and the experiences you'll receive as a chamber member far outweigh the minimum cost of membership.

 

It's possible to grow your business without it, but think of chamber membership as a Fast Pass to business success. Membership can help you get to the front of the line a whole lot faster than standing around with the rest of your peers watching videos.

 

We are entering budget season at City Hall; I?m happy to report ?so far, so good!

 

As with personal budgets, wants and needs generally outweigh the available resources. That?s true for the City this year, but our wants and needs column is a whole lot closer to our available resource column than most years. That?s thanks to prudent financial management and strong sales tax receipts. So far this year, we?re up 6.8% over last year. 

 

What exactly this means for City projects in 2023 remains to be seen. In mid-July, each department put forth it?s ask list for 2023. By the end of July, each department head will meet with his or her respective commissioner to explain their budget requests and scrub their numbers, and I?ll get an aggregated look at the City wish list too.

 

You?ll get your first look at it during the August 2 Commission Meeting. From there, we start our budget work sessions. That?s where we start to see some real clarity on City priorities. Though I don?t have specifics yet, my goal has always been to take care of our infrastructure and our assets. My priorities will remain steadfastly in that territory. Included in that commitment is the outdoor pool.

 

While a budget is almost always a limiting factor, it hasn?t been our biggest challenge as of late. We have usually had funding to get things done; we haven?t always been able to get the supplies and people to accomplish all the work we have planned. That lends to project delays, increased costs, and ultimately some accounting transfers; we have to move money to the budget year in which the work is actually done or the supplies are actually received. You?ll likely hear some talk of that during budget discussions.

 

We?re never without a challenge, but per state law, we?ll have it all sorted out by the end of September. You can expect updates at commission meetings throughout the remaining summer and early fall and a balanced budget by Oct. 1.

 

Admittedly, the government budgeting process can be a bit hard to follow if you?re not familiar with our revenue sources and how those sources can be used. Here?s a quick primer. Our major revenue sources are sales tax and utility rates; government grants and a small sliver of property tax fill a few small gaps for us.

 

Our general fund is primarily supported by sales tax receipts. That money is used to fund the Fire Department, the Police Department, Parks and Recreation, Rawlins Library, City Administration, and Streets. It also supports capital improvements, and can support community development and promotion efforts. The utility rates are used to fund operations, maintenance, and improvements in each of their respective utilities.

 

If you?d like to follow the process, I invite you to tune into the City Commission meetings. They are broadcast live every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on Oahe Channel 8 or HD 608.  They can also be seen live and on demand at OaheTV.com.

As the time draws near for adoption of the 2023 City of Fort Pierre budget, we turn our attention to all the factors that impact it.  The second meeting in July is traditionally the meeting where the Council hears requests for subsidies from the City.

 

 In all cases, none of the organizations listed below receive an amount that would equal their total budget.  The City?s share is often insignificant in comparison.  But Fort Pierre has established a tradition of supporting organizations that enhance our residents? health and safety, life?s necessities, or quality of life.  

 

The major entities supported by the City of Fort Pierre are the Fort Pierre Volunteer Fire Department, Stanley County Law Enforcement and Fort Pierre Development Corporation.   The City of Fort Pierre pays the entire expense of the 4th of July fireworks display, through the Fire Department.  

 

 Some of the entities subsidized by the BBB sales tax and not the general fund are Future Fort Pierre, Fort Pierre Chamber, Fort Pierre Recreation Association, Community & Youth Involved Center, and Short Grass Arts Council.   

 

Many of the organizations headquarter in Pierre, but serve Fort Pierre residents.  They are Central SD Enhancement District, Pierre Area Referral Service, Missouri Shores Domestic Violence Center, The Right Turn, Capital City Campus, River Cities Transit, Rawlins Library, and Oahe Cable Channel.  

 

We also support the Pierre/Fort Pierre Rescue Squad and share in the cost of a Medical Director.  One subsidy that will see a significant increase is that of our ambulance service. The two cities and two counties are meeting regularly to resolve the issue.  

 Some of the smaller subsidies go to support organizations such as Prairie Winds 4-H and Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition.  

 

There is often lively discussion surrounding this list as the Council works to be good stewards of our residents? tax dollars, and at the same time, help support the organizations that help make Fort Pierre a great place to live.   Any organization that applies for a subsidy must submit complete financial records, as well as specific information on how their subsidy will be used.  Many provide information on how many Fort Pierre residents use their service.  

The next step will be committee meetings where the members will receive information on projected revenue and budget numbers recommended by the staff.  Any changes suggested by the committees will be reflected in the full budget to be considered by the Council at the first reading and introduction.  Then the budget will be adopted in final form at the second meeting in September.   

Summer has been a busy season for life on the Missouri River! We have had lots of travelers come through and stop at our Visitors center for information on the town. Our team has loved connecting with them and learning about their travels. In the month of July we had the opportunity to connect with a social media influencer and media journalist, Sherry Ott on her Capitol to Capitol biking project. We were able to collaborate via social media and give her recommendations on where to eat, stay and play while she was in Pierre. To check out more of her travels and learn more about the project, click here!

 

As we are closing out July, our team is working on sending out our 2023 Pierre Visitor Guide advertisement letters. If you are interested in being a part of this guide, give our office a call at 605-224-7361. We will help you through the process. We have distributed over 10,000 Visitor Guides this year to people interested in coming to our area. You don?t want to miss out on being a part of this important marketing tool. Check out our digital version here! 

 

We have LOVED summertime and there is still a lot of time left to get out and enjoy all the summertime activities. As you prepare for the school year to begin and hunting season to arise, make sure to keep tagging us (@visitpierresd) and using our hashtags #VisitPierre #Pierradise in your social posts. We love interacting with you and seeing how you enjoy life as a local or visitor! 

Summer is not over! I hope everyone has been able to keep cool with the melting temps this summer. The reality is, there are still many fun days of summer to be had and we should take full advantage of them. We have 5 weekends of summer left before Labor Day?use them wisely!

 

Mark your calendars for Crazy Days in Pierre, Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31. This is a longtime standing tradition that many look forward to every year! I encourage you to get to know our local businesses ? there are some real treasures in our communities. Supporting our local industries creates a stronger economy, a closer community, and an overall great place to live.

 

The Oahe Blue?s Fest at the Grey Goose Roadhouse is this weekend, as well as BACA Oahe Chapter will be hosting a poker run before the event. A great fund raiser for an even better cause, you can find more information on their Facebook page.

 

Fort Pierre First Thursdays event is August 4th from 5:30-8 pm at Fischers Lilly Park. There will be kids activities, vendors, live music by The Homestretch Band, and a walking taco fundraising meal for The Oahe JO Fastpitch Softball Association. Don?t miss the Hydrant Party, cool down with the Fort Pierre First Department. Also taking place in Fischers Lilly Park is Trader Days August 13-15! Live music, food trucks, vendors, BBQ contest and many more activities! The festivities will start at 5pm on Friday, and the full schedule of events can be found on the Traders Days Facebook page.

 

Check out more events like: the Summer patio sessions at Drifters on Thursday nights throughout August, Central SD 4-H Rodeo starts August 20, and the Summer Concert Series at the American Legion every Sunday in August. These events and much more can be found on our website at www.pierre.org. If you have an event coming up that you would like the community to know about, please add it to our calendar!

 

Grab your family, friends, neighbors and get out and enjoy all the wonderful opportunities that are available to us in the lower Oahe region ? it truly is a wonderful place to live!

 

Clarissia Drefs

Program & Events Director

Providing education resources, support and training to individuals dealing with dementia, caregivers, community, along with businesses/organizations.

LifeServe Blood Center is your non-profit, community-based blood center. Your blood donation with LifeServe goes to your hospital to help your neighbors.

Dakota Spirits Distillery, LLC ? Bickering Brothers 

3601 Airport Road

Pierre SD 57501

605.494.1009

www.dakotaspirits.com

Dakota Spirits Distillery is South Dakota's first legal distillery. We are a small family run artisan distillery located in Pierre, South Dakota, on a plateau a couple of miles north of the Missouri.

Business After Hours 

Ribbon Cutting

The Lodge at Broken Arrow Farms

July 21, 2022

Griffin Skate Park

July 28, 2022

Save the Date

• Early Head Start & Head Start programs (5/16/2022 to 12/30/2022)
• Feeding South Dakota Needs VOLUNTEERS (8/1/2022)
• 2022 - 2023 Leadership Pierre Application Deadline July 15 (8/1/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/1/2022)
• Summer Camp: Animator (8/1/2022 to 8/4/2022)
• Canvasback Art Club (8/1/2022)
• Rawlins Library Knitting and Crochet Club (8/2/2022)
• Summer Camp: Ready, Set, Science! (8/2/2022)
• River City Toastmasters (8/3/2022)
• Fort Pierre First Thursday Event Series (8/4/2022)
• Common Sense Parenting Class (8/4/2022)
• Roadhouse Bike Nights (8/4/2022)
• Tales on the River - Presented by Short Grass Arts Council (8/4/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/5/2022)
• Riverman Triathlon (8/6/2022)
• Itty Bitty Einsteins (8/6/2022)
• Sundays at the Legion 2022 (8/7/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/8/2022)
• Prairie Winds 4-H Achievement Day (8/8/2022)
• Summer Camp: Mechanical Engineer (8/8/2022 to 8/11/2022)
• Stately Stitchers Guild Meeting (8/8/2022)
• Rawlins Library Knitting and Crochet Club (8/9/2022)
• Capital Area Networking Group meeting (8/10/2022)
• Mobile Food Distribution - Volunteers needed (8/10/2022)
• River City Toastmasters (8/10/2022)
• Growing Up Together Breastfeeding Class (8/11/2022)
• Growing Up Together Breastfeeding Class (8/11/2022)
• Roadhouse Bike Nights (8/11/2022)
• Common Sense Parenting Class (8/11/2022)
• Tales on the River - Presented by Short Grass Arts Council (8/11/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/12/2022)
• Women's Cancer Support (8/12/2022)
• BBQ Competition-Verendrye Museum (8/12/2022 to 8/13/2022)
• Rhyolite Sound (8/12/2022)
• Starry Saturday (8/13/2022)
• Sundays at the Legion 2022 (8/14/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/15/2022)
• PIERRE PLAYERS AUDITIONS: The Crucible (8/15/2022)
• Rawlins Library Knitting and Crochet Club (8/16/2022)
• River City Toastmasters (8/17/2022)
• Memory Connections (8/18/2022)
• Common Sense Parenting Class (8/18/2022)
• Roadhouse Bike Nights (8/18/2022)
• Tales on the River - Presented by Short Grass Arts Council (8/18/2022)
• Oceans of Possibilities! (8/19/2022)
• SD 4-H Rodeo Finals (8/19/2022 to 8/21/2022)
• TAYLOR HERNLY (8/19/2022)
• Sundays at the Legion 2022 (8/21/2022)
• Rawlins Library Knitting and Crochet Club (8/23/2022)
• River City Toastmasters (8/24/2022)
• Roadhouse Bike Nights (8/25/2022)
• Tales on the River - Presented by Short Grass Arts Council (8/25/2022)
• Sundays at the Legion 2022 (8/28/2022)
• Rawlins Library Knitting and Crochet Club (8/30/2022)
• River City Toastmasters (8/31/2022)
• 2022 - 2023 Leadership Pierre Application Deadline July 15 (9/1/2022)