South Central Dakota Regional Council CI Report – Final

What has been most instrumenta to your progress?

Our Community Discussions and Educational Meeting were instrumental in learning those issues that need to be addressed in each community. This process told us what is being done currently and what needs to be changed for the future.

Gathering information from individuals providing inspector services and learning the steps that need to be in place to make a lasting change for the communities. Authority lies with the jurisdictions themselves, not with the state.

Key lessons learned

Consistent staffing is important to keep the project running smoothly. Staff turnover diverts focus from moving the project forward to training. Maintaining a continued vision through multiple staff changes is challenging.

It is important to continue ongoing discussions within the communities as the project progresses to keep our project in the forefront of the region.

Reflections on the community innovation process

Increase collective understanding of the issue.

Other key elements of Community Innovation

Relationship building through our informational meeting brought jurisdictions together with current building inspectors and building officials.

Progress toward an innovation

We identified that ordinances need to be in place to establish authority within jurisdictions to sustain change. The focus of the project changed to authority and enforcement per jurisdiction rather than a regional building inspector.

What it will take to reach an innovation?

Work needs to be continued with jurisdictions to establish and administer affordable ordinances while educating jurisdictions on their authority.

What’s next?

Establish funding methods that will decrease costs to jurisdictions and supply them with updated ordinances and comprehensive plans.

If you could do it all over again…

Continue to move the project forward, keeping any down time minimal to keep the public engaged. Re-evaluation of the budget, making necessary changes as the project progresses. Required staff time was more than originally budgeted.