Building Community
Through Dialogue:
Miner County Case Study
Pepin and Stockholm Community Dialogue Project
Monday, October 12, 2009
Lindsey Karlson, Community Outreach Coordinator

Miner County
Historical Population Trend
9000 8560 8376
7661
8000 6836
7000 6268
5864 5398
6000 5165
5000 4454
3739
4000 3272
2884
3000
2000
1000
0
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000

Economy was
agriculturally
dependent
Second highest
percentage of elderly
people in South
Dakota
62nd out of 66
counties in age of
housing stock
Highest outmigration
of youth in the state
of South Dakota
our challenges

Community
revitalization work
began in 1996 at
Howard High School
work began with students

Students measured
the percentage of
disposable income
residents were
spending in Miner
County, and then
derived what impact a
10% increase would
have on gross sales
cash flow study

students and business leaders develop survey
residents receive surveys and respond
students analyzed surveys in school classes
students share results with business owners, and
then the community as a whole
community residents understand, and spend more
disposable income in Miner County

Community visioning
process involved a
broad cross-section of
the community, and
engaged people
around specific issues
whole community visioning

Several working
committees were
formed around
specific issues,
including:
agriculture, economic
development, seniors,
housing, etc.
strategic community planning

People and
Organizations
Economic
Development
Housing
a multi-dimensional approach

Miner County
Economic Engines
• Renewable Energy
• Kosher Beef
• Health Care
(seniors,
telemedicine)
• School System
• Rural Learning
Center
Growing our economy
required a multi-
dimensional
approach—including a
look at what kinds of
businesses would
compliment existing
industry and regional
skills
our results: a diversified economy

247 new jobs have
been created in Miner
County since 2002
87 jobs have been
retained in Miner
County
Sales tax figures
continue to increase
in Howard—from
2007 (a record setting
year) to 2008, sales
tax grew by 24%
17.61% Job Growth in
Miner County
compared to -0.27%
average in rural SD
between 2002-2008
our results: job and sales tax growth

Miner County
Historical Population Trend
9000 8560 8376
7661
8000 6836
7000 6268
5864 5398
6000 5165
5000 4454
3739
4000 3272
2884
3000
2000
1000
0
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000

Miner County Population
3,500 3,272
3,000 2,884 2,814
2,806
2,629
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
-
1990
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2010 est

Miner County Taxable Growth
350,000,000
300,000,000
250,000,000
200,000,000
150,000,000
100,000,000
50,000,000
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

10
12
0
2
4
6
8
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Miner County Tax Levies
2006
2007
2008

Howard Sales Tax Revenue
550,000.00
494,591.49
500,000.00
450,000.00
397,570.84
400,000.00
350,000.00
306,893.22
300,000.00
218,464.71 282,532.51
250,000.00
200,000.00
195,359.92
150,000.00
100,000.00
1996 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Jonathan Eig Story
appeared in the March
25, 2005 edition of
the Wall Street
Journal
Wall Street Journal

lessons learned: young people are
critical

lessons learned: see our mental
models

lessons learned: see the whole
community

lessons learned: new ways of thinking
are required to do something different

lessons learned: know your
community, inside and out

lessons learned: build on existing
relationships

Questions?

Rural Learning Center
Howard,
Howard, SD
www.rurallearningcenter.org
www.ReImagineRural.com