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September 5, 2008 11:49 PM

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Hills government structure

Rapid City is represented on the federal, state, county and city levels as outlined below:

Federal:

  • South Dakota has the standard two U.S. senators, but with fewer than 800,000 residents, the state has only one member of the House of Representatives.
  • If you wish to write to the president, the address is: Office of the President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20500. The White House Comment line is: 202-456-1111. E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov.
  • State: The entire South Dakota Legislature comes up for re-election during every even-numbered year.
  • There are 105 members — 70 in the House and 35 in the Senate.
  • The state Legislature convenes on the second Tuesday of each January. Sessions are 40 days in odd-numbered years and 35 days in even-numbered years.
  • The South Dakota Legislative Research Council is the full-time staff for the part-time Legislature. Its office is on the third floor of the Capitol in Pierre. It can provide information about the Legislature and state laws. Call 773-3251.
  • Each of the state’s 35 legislative districts has two representatives and one senator. For detailed information on the state legislature, go to the Web site: http://legis.state.sd.us.
  • The Republican Party can be contacted at 348-8396; the Democratic Party can be reached at 721-1636.
  • County: Pennington County has a commission form of government. Five county commissioners are elected by districts and serve four-year terms.
  • The commission office and commission meeting room are located on
  • the first floor of the Pennington County Courthouse addition at 315 St. Joseph St. The commission meets at 9 a.m. the first four Tuesdays of each month.
  • There is an open-forum section of the meeting. People who want to be put on the commission agenda should call the office at 394-2171.

Pennington County Commission:

  • Courthouse office — 394-2171; e-mail: countycommissioners@co.pennington.sd.us; Web site: www.co.pennington.sd.us.
  • Chairman Jim Kjerstad, Wall, 279-2584 (home); 685-4507 (work).
  • Nancy Trautman, 348-8230.
  • Vice chairman Ethan Schmidt, 341-0112.
  • Brenda Young, 342-2947.
  • Gale Holbrook, 341-4902.
  • The county Planning and Zoning committee meets at 9 a.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the commissioner’s meeting room.
  • City: Rapid City has a mayor/council form of government. The mayor and all 10 members of the common council are elected on a nonpartisan basis and serve two-year terms.
  • The city is divided into five wards, with two aldermen from each ward. To find out which ward you live in, contact the Pennington County Auditor’s Office on the first floor of the courthouse, 315 St. Joseph St., or call 394-2153. The auditor’s office also handles voter registration.
  • City elections are held annually and are held in conjunction with the school board election. Council member terms are staggered, so one alderman from each ward is up for re-election each year. There is a mayor’s race every other year. The next mayor’s race is in June 2009.
  • The Council meets the first and third Monday of each month. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of the City/School Administration Center, 300 Sixth St.
  • Aldermen also meet twice during the week before each council meeting. Five aldermen meet as the Public Works Committee at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the other five meet as the Legal and Finance Committee at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. At each committee meeting, they discuss issues and vote on recommendations that receive final action at the following Monday night’s council meeting.
  • The city has a 10-member planning commission appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council to hear planning and zoning items. The planning commission meets at 7 a.m. on Thursdays, 11 days before the council meetings.
  • Planning commission is sometimes the final authority, and at other times, makes recommendations to the city council, which makes the final decisions.
  • Other city boards appointed by the mayor and council include the Rapid City Airport Board, Rapid City Public Library Board and Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Board.

Rapid City top elected officials:

  • Mayor Jim Shaw (until July 2007), Office — City/School Administration Center, 300 Sixth St., phone 394-4110. Home — 914 West Blvd., phone 348-2179. Term expires: June 2007.
  • Ward 1 Aldermen:
  • Tom Johnson, 342-0349, e-mail tom.johnson@ rcgov.org.
  • Mike Schumacher, 3330 Palm Drive. No. 5 , 716-4065, e-mail: mike.schumacher@rcgov.org.
  • Ward 2 Aldermen:
  • Sam Kooiker, 629 St. Andrew St., 721-6282,e-mail: sam.kooiker@rcgov.org.
  • Deb Hadcock, 1203 Silverleaf Ave, 209-1320 e-mail: deb.hadcock@rcgov.org
  • Ward 3 Aldermen:
  • Karen Gundersen Olson, 348-1511 (home); 390-9440 (cell), e-mail: karen.olson@rcgov.org
  • Bill Okrepkie, 342-1689, e-mail: bill.okrepkie@rcgov.org.
  • Ward 4 Aldermen:
  • Lloyd LaCroix, 1128 Alma Street, 341-7276, e-mail: lloyd.lacroix@rcgov.org.
  • Ron Kroeger, 647 Wright Court, 348-6195, e-mail: ron.kroeger@rcgov.org.
  • Ward 5 aldermen:
  • Bob Hurlbut, 1101 St. Joseph St. 484-5856, e-mail: bob.hurlbut@rcgov.org.
  • Malcom Chapman, 5205 Pinedale Heights, 716-6210, e-mail: malcom.chapman@rcgov.org.

Other government entities in Black Hills counties and towns include:

Butte County

  • Butte County Commission: Five-member board meets at 9:30 a.m. the first Tuesday and at 1 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month in the Commissioner’s Room at Butte County Courthouse, 892-4485. Chairman: Steve Smeenk, Newell.
  • Belle Fourche City Council: Eight-member board meets at 7 p.m. first and third Mondays at Belle Fourche City Hall, 892-2494. Mayor: David E. Schneider.
  • Newell City Commission: Five-member board usually meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Newell City Hall, 456-2737. Mayor: Ken Wetz.
  • Nisland Board of Trustees: Five-member board meets at 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month in the city office, 257-2509. Chairman: Scott Turo, 257-2629.

Custer County

  • Custer County Commission: Five-member board meets 8:30 a.m. two Wednesdays a month, at courthouse annex in Custer, 673-8100. Chairman: Don Gifford, Custer.
  • Buffalo Gap Board of Trustees: Three-member board meets first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at city hall. 833-2332. Chairman: Ron Shook, Buffalo Gap.
  • Custer City Council: Seven-member council meets 5:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays at Custer City Hall, 673-4824. Mayor: Harold Stickney.
  • Hermosa Board of Trustees: Five-member board meets 7 p.m. first and third Tuesdays at town office at 230 Main St., 255-4291. Chairman: Tony Bifulco.
  • Fairburn Board of Trustees: Three-member board usually meets 7 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Fairburn Fire Hall, 255-4850. Chairman: Kathy Dillon.

Fall River County

  • Fall River County Commission: Three-member board meets 9 a.m. first and third Tuesdays at Hot Springs courthouse, 745-5132. Chairman: Michael Ortner, Hot Springs.
  • Hot Springs City Council: Nine-member board meets 7 p.m. first and third Mondays at Mueller Center, 745-3135. Mayor: Carl Oberlitner.
  • Edgemont City Council: Seven-member board meets 7 p.m. first Tuesday after first Monday at city hall, 662-7422. Mayor: James Turner.

Lawrence County

  • Lawrence County Commission: Five-member board meets 8 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays at Lawrence County Courthouse annex in Deadwood, 578-1941. Chairman: Jim Seward, Spearfish.
  • Deadwood City Commission: Five-member board meets 5 p.m. Mondays at Deadwood City Hall, 578-2600. Historic Preservation office can be reached at 578-2082. Mayor: Francis Toscana.
  • Lead City Commission: Five-member board meets 5 p.m. Mondays at Lead City Hall, 584-1401. Mayor: Tom Nelson.
  • Spearfish City Council: Six-member board meets 7 p.m. first and third Mondays at Spearfish City Hall, 642-1325. Mayor: Jerry Krambeck.
  • Whitewood City Council: Seven-member board meets 7 p.m. first and third Mondays at Whitewood City Hall, 269-2247. Mayor: Mike Weyrich.

Meade County

  • Meade County Commission: Five-member commission meets 8:30 a.m. first Tuesday and Wednesday at Meade County Courthouse in Sturgis, 347-2360. Chairman: Robert Mallow, Black Hawk.
  • Faith City Council: Six-member board council meets 7 p.m. first and third Tuesdays at City Hall, 967-2261. Mayor: Glen Haines.
  • Sturgis City Council: Nine-member council meets 7:30 p.m. first and third Mondays at Sturgis Community Center, 347-4422. Mayor: Maury LaRue.

Pennington County city councils (outside Rapid City)

  • Box Elder City Council: Six-member council meets 7 p.m. first and third Tuesdays at City Hall, 923-1403. Mayor: Al Dial.
  • Hill City Council: Five-member council meets 5:30 p.m. second and fourth Mondays at Hill City Hall. 574-2300. Mayor: Don Voorhees.
  • Keystone Town Board: Three-member board of trustees usually meets 7 p.m. third Wednesday at Keystone Community Center meeting room, 666-4827. Board president: Bob Hanson.
  • New Underwood City Council: Four-member board meets 6 p.m. first and third Wednesdays at City Hall, 754-6777. Mayor: Benita White.
  • Wall City Council: Seven-member board meets 6:30 p.m. first Thursday after first Tuesday at the Community Center, 279-2663. Mayor: David Hahn.