Whether you are a visitor looking for information about Miller, South Dakota and the surrounding area, or you are a resident searching for the latest information about our community, you've come to the right place. This site has information on our local economic development office, the Miller Civic and Commerce Association, and the City of Miller. We also have a community calendar that highlights all of the upcoming events. Be sure to visit our Facebook page or check our blog to interact with others on all topics related to Miller, SD. Thanks for visiting our website - we hope you drop by again soon!
Miller C&C Members
From the desk of Kecia Beranek
Support Local
A while back ago, I had someone tell me that it is too bad I am not involved in women’s golf league because it’s a great way to support our local community. I explained that this year I had to give something up and unfortunately golf didn’t make the top of my priorities. That conversation got me thinking about supporting local and I am glad that someone realizes that supporting local isn’t just about shopping. What does support local mean to you? To me it’s more than just buying shoes at Polly’s shoe store or getting your clothes from Clothes Garden. (Although that is also supporting local and it’s important)
Last week, I was visiting with a friend from the cities and she mentioned how much she loves visiting Miller and how she much loves it here. I asked why don’t you think about relocating? She replied with, “Oh I could NEVER live without a Target.”
As we are approaching our annual CRAZY days here in Miller, Buy Local or Bye-Bye Local is something we all need to remember and it shouldn’t be just for CRAZY days. As I am visiting with people around town, they don’t like to see local businesses close their doors or to see vacant buildings scattered throughout the community; however, it is rare that those community members consider that their own buying patterns may have attributed to those very losses.
Most readers already know my passion for rural and for Hand County. I believe that all of the leaders in Hand County share that passion for our community and they back that passion up with the necessary funding.
Several weeks ago, all the talk around Miller was how many homes were for sale. Now, the talk around town is how many homes have sold. Are people on the move to rural areas like Miller? I believe so.
I got a call from a business owner that is looking to replace their awning. Since starting in May, I haven’t talked a lot about our awning and sign program so I thought this would be the prefect opportunity.
On Hand Would Like to Welcome our Newest Board Member, Jason Wilhelm
On Hand Would Like to Welcome our Newest Board Member, Jason Wilhelm
Jason Wilhelm is the newest face to the On Hand Development Corporation Board Of Directors. Jason was selected by the On Hand Board at the most recent board meeting on Wednesday, June10. Jason is taking the seat of Tiffany Hofer who served on the board for the past eleven years.
My Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Consider Owning Your Own Bar
My Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Consider Owning Your Own Bar!
Most readers probably already know that I have some experience in the bar world. I have been working at bars since I was 13. (Back then there wasn’t rules about how old you had to be to work in a bar.)
Behind many great organizations and governing bodies is usually a dedicated board of directors, and believe me they are not bored! Their job is to guide and direct their various organizations, businesses, and government entities to the best of their ability representing children, constituents, citizens and customers.
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the many hats that I wear for my position in Economic Development. I came up with ten different hats that I wear to work on a weekly basis and sometimes I have to wear more than one hat!
As I sit at my kitchen counter attending countless COVID-19 webinars, the number one topic Economic Development Professionals are talking about is how to help businesses during this strange time. Below is a small list of resources available at this time.
Do you have a BIG idea for a new business but often think… that will never work in a small town like Miller? I hear that a lot and I disagree. There is no idea too big for our small town.
On Hand Development Corporation has been talking about a new hotel development for years. That talk is now turning into progress. In 2019, we hired a hospitality consulting firm to conduct a hotel study. To help cover costs for that study, we utilized an economic development grant from our city’s power supplier, Heartland Consumers Power District.
On Hand Would Like to Welcome our Newest Face, Sarah DeHaai
Sarah DeHaai is the newest face to the On Hand Development Corporation Board Of Directors. Sarah was selected by the On Hand Board at the most recent board meeting on Wednesday, February 12. Sarah is taking the seat of Pete DeGeest who served on the board for the past nine years.
On Hand Development is excited to announce, “Bring Your A Game” workshop to Miller on Thursday, March 12th from 11:00 am -1 :00 pm. What is that? Bring Your A Game is a workshop filled with topics including Attitude, Attendance, Appearance, Ambition, Acceptance, Appreciation, and Accountability. They also include "life examples" as well as "work experiences".
If you didn’t attend the ask a council member question and answer session last week, you sure missed out. Everyone in the area had the opportunity to attend and let their voice be heard. If you didn’t attend and you have questions, shame on you. I personally invited people who complain about city or economic development issues and they didn’t show up. It’s like my mother in-law says, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Over 75 people attended the session and the city council answered questions about the surcharges, phases of the projects, grants, funding, snow removal, roads, code enforcement, and lots of other topics.
Ask a city council member… They can’t hear you if you don’t ask them.
I can’t tell you how many people I have talked to in Miller about questions that they have for the city council. I ask them, “Do you go to the city meetings?” Or, “Have you asked your council member?” I usually get, “No, I don’t know when the meetings are, I don’t want to be in the paper, I don’t want to bother them,” or some other excuse. The truth is, the City of Miller does an excellent job of staying transparent with Miller residents. They hold two monthly meetings every month that are open to the public, the meeting minutes are posted in the Miller Press, and they hold special meetings during the year. On the other hand, Miller residents don’t always do an excellent job of attending city meetings, asking questions, or getting involved. At the last city council meeting, one resident came with concerns. A lot of city meetings, no one comes. My question to everyone, if you have all these questions, why not address? They can’t hear you if you don’t ask them.
I know a lot of people who are very happy to say goodbye to 2019! It was a tough year, but 2019 brought a lot of good things to On Hand Development.
In May 2019, I was hired and had the opportunity to train with Tammy Caffee. Mike Huether also made a call to our office and featured Rexall on his popular show. I also had the opportunity to attend a housing gathering in Wall, SD to learn more about housing troubles in rural communities.
On Hand Development and the Miller School are looking for businesses who are interested in participating in a very exciting state wide event. The South Dakota Week of Work is April 20-24 and Miller is looking to host locations for 26 10th graders.
The South Dakota Week of Work will introduce 10th graders to career opportunities in their own communities through job shadows, industry tours, and other business-classroom connections. It’s a week of exploration, with the aim of guiding students, engaging local businesses, and introducing employers to their future workforce. Think of it as a long-term investment in South Dakota’s future.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to the Miller Elementary students about shopping local. I decided not to do a PowerPoint presentation or a long drawn out speech. I am better when I can throw a few jokes in and make it fun so I had a role-playing activity that not only involved a few of my friends who are affected by shopping local, but also the students.
Here at On Hand Development, we celebrate the small and big wins. I define the small wins as the progress points on the way to our goals.
Progress points on economic development projects with long-term and far-off goals can be difficult, if not impossible, to track -particularly for the many community members who are not actively involved in the actual development operations.
Last week I had the opportunity to speak to the St. Lawrence city council. I introduced myself at their monthly meeting and told them a little history and background about On Hand Development Corporation. Why is this important for me to do? On Hand Development is bigger than Miller. We work with all of Hand County and lots of organizations outside of the area.
Why does Economic Development Have a Youth Leadership Program?
Economic development constantly looks towards the future. On Hand Development has been involved with a youth leadership group the past couple of years to get students involved in their community and hopefully have a sense of ownership and enough to bring them back as adults. Miller Youth Leaders are made up of students in grades 7-12 who want to be part of a community project. What happened along the way was that as they planned and launched these events, they became leaders in their own right!
Hunting season in Hand County is so much more than how many birds you get. It’s about relationships, traditions, and the experience.
When pheasant hunters come to our area, they don’t just spend money on ammunition. Local businesses from hunting lodges to bars and restaurants to convenience stores to shops to car repairs, and everything in between, all benefit when pheasant hunters arrive in our community. Many family farms not only enjoy renewed friendships over the years but also extra income.
COVID-19 Assistance Programs