2008-07-22

Where to ride out a gas crunch

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2008-07-21

Hub City population grows

Census Bureau estimates influx of more than 150 people in last year By James Kruger, jkruger@aberdeennews.com Published on Friday, July 11, 2008, in the Aberdeen American News.

Aberdeen added 150 people in the last year, amounting to its largest population growth in the last seven years, new data from the Census Bureau estimates.

The city experienced a 0.64 percent increase from July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2007, adding 156 people for a total population of 24,410, according to the report.

The Census Bureau estimates the population declined by 398 from 2000 to 2003, and the population had another slight drop from 2005 with 24,257 people to 2006 with 24,254 people.

Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen said he isn't too excited about the data because it is just an estimates, and he will wait for formal Census Bureau numbers.

"Until, somebody actually does a count, I don't know how much validity those numbers actually have," he said. "Get back to me in 2010."

In terms of economic development, not much credence can be given to the number of people living within Aberdeen's city limits because many who work in the town live in surrounding areas, Levsen added.

Other major cities in South Dakota also grew in population, according to the estimates.

With a population growth of 2.2 percent, Sioux Falls led the state in growth of cities with more than 20,000 people, adding 3,421.

Rapid City followed with an increase of 1.5 percent, and Watertown increased by an estimated 109 people, or 0.53 percent.

Aberdeen's population estimates according to the data were: 24,636 in 2000; 24,417 in 2001; 24,255 in 2002; 24,238 in 2003; 24,252 in 2004; 24,257 in 2005; 24,254 in 2006; and 24,410 in 2007.

Area cities' population and the change from last year include: Britton, 1,264 in 2007, an 11-person decrease; Gettysburg, 1,088, a 40-person decrease; Mobridge, 3,134, 67-person decrease; Redfield, 2,290, 33-person decrease; Webster, 1,718, a 29-person decrease.

2008-07-21

TIFs not hurting county

Record growth more than offsetting impact of special tax districts, assessor finds By Scott Waltman, swaltman@aberdeennews.com Published on Wednesday, July 09, 2008, in the Aberdeen American News.

Brown County has seen record growth in recent years, even when increased property values within tax increment financing districts is not considered, according to information compiled by the county's director of equalization.

Marie Worlie shared the information during the county commission meeting on Tuesday.

Even without the new value in TIF districts, Brown County saw an increase of $27.8 million in taxable value between 2007 and 2008, Worlie said. That's an increase of 68 percent.

TIF districts were discussed because commission chairman Mike Wiese asked Karl Alberts, Aberdeen's city finance officer, to recap the TIF districts approved by the City Council.

With a TIF, a portion of the property taxes generated by new developments are used to pay for certain improvements on that property - generally roads, curb and gutter - for a period of no longer than 20 years.

At times, the talk centered on whether TIFs were philosophically appropriate, a debate Alberts didn't get involved in. Commissioner Dennis Feickert, though, doesn't like TIFs because the government bodies sacrifice new property taxes for a time while the districts are being developed. And, he said, the county needs to increase services while that money is going to TIF districts.

Other county commissioners, though, have favored TIFs because they offer chances for economic development and, at least theoretically, should provide increased property taxes in the future.

TIF districts are ideal when they spark projects that couldn't be built otherwise, commissioner Tom Fischbach said.

Exact numbers cannot be figured because future mill levies are not known, but the Brown County Auditor's Office estimated that just more than $900,000 in 2008 property taxes payable next year will be used not by local governments, but will go to pay for TIF district-related expenses. Here's how the money would break down:

Aberdeen city: $165,174.

Brown County: $164,044.

Aberdeen Township: $9,809.

James River Water Development District: $3,724.

Those numbers include the county TIF districts for Northern Beef Packers and the city TIFs for the Ward Hotel and ACS, downtown Aberdeen, the Herman Hotel and the first Homes Are Possible Inc. development. TIF money isn't yet being collected for more recent TIFs, including one passed Monday night for a housing development.

More than $558,000 in property taxes for the Aberdeen public school district would also be given to TIF districts, although school districts get their money even when TIFs are in place. Those taxes are ultimately assessed either statewide or locally.

Worlie said growth in Brown County's taxable value in 2007 was 6 percent. It was 16 percent the year before. Many cities have only 2 to 3 percent growth a year, she said.

From 1995 through 2007, taxable values increased $41.1 million in Brown County, according to Worlie's numbers. This year, the amount of growth jumped to $68.9 million. Worlie used the totals from the two most recent years to determine 68 percent growth.

Commissioner Deb Knecht said it's not really fair that cities can approve TIF districts that impact counties when the county doesn't get to vote on them.

Aberdeen council members have approved 10 TIF districts, all but one since 2002. The only Brown County TIF - for the beef plant - was approved by voters in April 2007.

2008-06-26

Tourism Numbers High In Aberdeen

By Lisa May, originally published on KSFY.com on June 25, 2008

Gas prices may be high, but that hasn't had a negative affect on tourism in Aberdeen and that's because of the price.

"Our attractions are all free. It's very cost effective place to come and have some fun, so we think that really contributes," says Nancy Krumm, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director.

Julie Conlon is from Eureka and decided to have her family vacation in Aberdeen instead of driving across the state to the the Black Hills.

"It definitely affected our decision as far as going on vacations or anything. It's a lot cheaper to go closer and this is free. There's a lot of stuff for the kids to do here," said Conlon.

Basketball tournaments like the State B's also drive up tourism and now over 2,000 kids are headed to Aberdeen for summer camp.

"A lot of those kids come back every year no matter if the gas prices are up or the gas prices are down. Is it surprising? I think it is surprising for anybody to know that the tourism is up when gas prices are doing what they are doing," said

Wachs Arena at Northern State University is a big part of the high tourism numbers.

The arena is the largest in the state, holding 8,200 people, so many groups choose to hold events there.

2008-06-20

Grants Awarded; Improve Downtown Storefronts

The Aberdeen Downtown Association has shown its commitment to restoring the excellence some downtown facades by offering grants to three Main Street buildings. The grants will assist these downtown businesses in financing the facelifts of their business storefronts, bringing them back to their original state.

Seven buildings in the community applied for the grants according to Margot Gillette, Economic Manager for the Aberdeen Downtown Association. The money, totaling $30,000, will be awarded to the three building owners that were chosen.

Scott Mosey, who owns 117 S. Main St., was awarded $6,500 for his project; Scott Sauer, who owns Pauer Sound and Music Inc., 216 S. Main St., was awarded $10,000; and Jeff Rich and Mark Rich, who own Dakota Unlimited Inc., 214 S. Main St., were awarded $13,500.

In order to receive the grant money, the building owners must commit to funding at least 10 percent of the project themselves, submit a photograph of the building in its original state, create a contract estimate that details the materials and design to be used and a description of what the property owners were trying to accomplish with the program.

By reconditioning some existing buildings, the Aberdeen Downtown Association hopes the program will make downtown more historically accurate.

"The goal is to enhance the look of our historic buildings, to clean them up and make them visually attractive while attempting to stay within the historic guidelines," Gillette said.

2008-06-13

No second best here

NSU tops in Division II basketball home attendance

From staff reports Published in the Thursday, June 12, 2008 edition of the Aberdeen American News. Reprinted with permission from the Aberdeen American News

Both NSU men and women ranked first in the nation in Division II home attendance last season, according to NCAA basketball home attendance reports for its three divisions.

During the 2007-08 season, the NSU men drew 58,869 fans to 18 home games for an average of 3,270 fans per game. The NSU women had 12 home games last season and drew 29,803 fans for an average of 2,483 per game.

"It really says something for the region, the community and the people involved," said Robert Olson, NSU director of men's and women's athletics. "I think people appreciate quality programs - programs done the right way."

Second in the Division II men's attendance race was Morehouse College in Atlanta with 3,058 fans per game. Second in women's attendance to Northern State was Emporia (Kan.) State with 2,272 fans per game.

In the last few years, NSU has been a leader in NCAA Division II basketball attendance. The Northern men won their first national attendance title in 2006, when the Wolves drew a school record 70,499 fans to Wachs Arena for 18 home games (3,917 fans per game).

This is the first such title for the NSU women.

And while women's basketball coach Curt Fredrickson said he was happy, he was not surprised by the news.

"I guess it's not a shock to me. We know we have very loyal fans here in Aberdeen," he said.

Fredrickson also said because there is such local support, the NSU program has used that as leverage to recruit local talent, which also brings in the fans. And he said the student athletes' behavior away from the game helps.

"I think when you impress people off the basketball court, you want to watch them on the basketball court," he said.

The NSU men's attendance last season was better than 172 of the roughly 330 Division I schools across the nation. That includes South Dakota State University (2,186 fans per game) and North Dakota State (3,034).

NSU's conference, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, finished third in both the men's and women's national attendance race by conference last season. NSIC schools drew a combined average of 1,378 fans per men's game and 727 per women's game.

The nearby North Central Conference, which includes Augustana and the University of South Dakota, led both categories with 1,946 fans per men's game and 1,382 fans per women's game.

American News File Photo by John Davis

Ready and rowdy: The racous fans in the Northern State University student section get rowdy as tip-off at a NSU home game approaches.

WOLVES NO. 1 IN ATTENDANCE