Feb. 28, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

From one side of South Dakota to the other, the new city administrator in Dell Rapids is off to a fast start.

Steve McFarland took on the job earlier this year after serving as the city administrator in Spearfish. Before that, he served as the finance director in Lafayette, Colorado, and the finance officer of Estes Park, Colorado.

McFarland, his wife, Ginny, who is an architect, and their twins, Nic and Sam, are already making Dell Rapids their home.

We caught up with him to learn more about what he believes could be ahead for the growing community.

What attracted you to your new role?

I was attracted by the opportunity of joining a small but hardworking, ambitious staff; reporting to a diverse yet positive council/mayor; and immersing my family in a community with traditional values.

What have been some of your first impressions of the community during your initial weeks on the job? What sort of potential do you see for Dell Rapids?

Everyone I’ve met has been very warm and straightforward. I’ve been made to feel very welcome! I think Dell Rapids has great potential to be the premier small community in which to live, work and visit. We are uniquely positioned to move forward with balanced housing development, parks and recreation opportunities, downtown attractions and economic development.

What are some of your first priorities as you begin your role?

The mayor, council and I have identified a few strategic areas to address, including improving communication avenues between city government and the community, remaining focused on our strong fiscal position, which in turn allows us to implement our robust long-term capital improvement program, overseeing completion and opening of the new City Hall and Event Center — scheduled for summer 2024 — working with our economic development staff and partners to bring new business to the area and completing our park master plan — summer 2024.

What kind of development activity do you anticipate in Dell Rapids this year?

This city is committed to a balanced approach to growth that particularly focuses on infrastructure and quality-of-life improvements. Downtown, the new City Hall and Event Center will open this summer, providing staff and the public with adequate space for meetings and events. The city is also finishing a five-block complete reconstruction of Third Street downtown, allowing for better access to our grain co-op and truck traffic from the quarry. Seven projects have been approved for the 2024 Facade Improvement Program sponsored by the Dell Rapids Economic Development Corp. to improve our historic downtown.

We anticipate multiple new residential construction projects to begin in the various housing developments. The city has been averaging 10 new homes a year. Finally, the Dell Rapids Economic Development Corp. is planning to grade the Fiegen Industrial Park to attract businesses to town. 

What are some of the community gaps that you see an opportunity to fill?

One gap Dell Rapids is working to fill is for organized recreational space. To meet this gap, Dell Rapids is completing a park master plan to assess where the community should invest. The Dell Rapids baseball team has won back-to-back state titles, and the youth program has only continued to grow. More than 10 percent of our population actively participates in baseball or softball, and that does not include the parents or other family members. The Dell Rapids Baseball Association has begun fundraising to improve our current facilities and brainstorm future opportunities. The city has started a rock-climbing partnership with Great Plains Climbing Cooperative to allow rock climbing in the Dells of the Big Sioux. Being from Colorado, I know the value high-quality outdoor recreation provides for a community. We want to make Dell Rapids a go-to place for those opportunities. 

If people or businesses would like to learn more about opportunities in Dell Rapids, what do you suggest?

We have an economic development director, Sheldon Jensen, who is well connected in the area, having worked for the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance before coming to Dell Rapids. We also have an energetic and ambitious economic development corporation — Dell Rapids Economic Development Corp. — as well as an active Chamber of Commerce that has just brought on a new executive director. Depending on your area of interest, these are all great resources.

Economic development manager grows into full-time role in Dell Rapids