Box Elder

Box Elder preparing for B-21 with new subdivision

Ellsworth and the surrounding region will be undertaking big changes and growth in the next decade, with the coming arrival of the B-21 bomber. Box Elder is getting ahead of the growth with what’s being called “a city within a city.”

Alpha Land Company has big plans for the 1,400 acres in the southwest corner of Box Elder. The Alpha and Omega Subdivision is located between the west side of Radar Hill Road to the Northern Lights development on the Rapid City Border. The company’s plans would allow for the population of Box Elder to double in the coming years.

The company’s plans would allow for the population of Box Elder to double in the coming years.

We're continuing to work with other City Clerks in South Dakota and region directors on organizing a Municipal Clerk Association for South Dakota.  We are also continuing our work on completing the City Council videos that are found within the webpage and adding the very convenient timestamps which will enable you to skip directly to a specific topic during the meeting.  We're currently working the meetings from 2020 and once those are complete, we will begin 2018 and work backwards through the years.  Additionally, the meetings are now categorized by year.

Box Elder GIS creating maps to document years of undocumented Public Works infrastructure

GIS staff provides mapping services, data, and technical support to all City Department and to the public.  GIS is developing databases for the streets, water and sewer systems, parks, and other public features.  GIS staff works with both Meade and Pennington Counties GIS department to provide accurate data and mapping.

Welcome to the Box Elder Police Department Officer Grove!

Tom Grove joined the BEPD on September 1, 2021. Tom was born and raised in the Black Hills and graduated from Western Dakota Tech with an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement Technology in May of 2016. Tom migrated to the eastern side of the state in September of 2017 having accepted a position with the Gregory Police Department. Tom is excited to have found his way back to his home turf and the City of Box Elder.

Tom is a big fan of many sports including baseball, basketball, and football. He enjoys just about anything outdoors such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping.

Tom said he is known for being taller than he looks in his photos so; keep an eye out and a hand up for a waive to the new guy in town!

Community and Economic Development works to make the City of Box Elder a vibrant community that attracts families, business, and industry to a growing City that is innovative and progressive.  We are looking to provide opportunities for all community members to live, work and play.

The Box Elder Police Department would like to congratulate Officer Carter Smith for being recognized as the Officer of the year by the American Legion, Post 315 Box Elder.

Officer Smith is a valued member of the BEPD and we are proud of his accomplishments and contributions to our community mission.

The investigations division is excited to welcome Sergeant Joshua Campbell as the new leader. He replaces Sergeant Duane Peyrot who is retiring after 29 years in law enforcement. Congratulations to both of you on these new chapters in your lives!

This month the Wastewater Department leveraged their partnership with a local excavation contractor in conducting a critical repair to the sewer system under Box Elder Rd. This sewer main damage was identified during the camera inspection that was conducted in the summer of 2019 and while the details were being worked out the team closely monitored the issue until these repairs could be made. Now, these repairs have been completed and the department is working on getting the next repair done.

Recently while performing a water shut off to a home that was being vacated, Mike discovered that the family had a dead battery in there moving truck. Rather than shutting the water off and leaving, Mike went the extra mile and assisted with the battery change. This small act of kindness speaks volumes about Mike and the way he operates. A great example of how Box Elder Public Works personnel supports their community. Well Done Mike!  

Welcome to the Box Elder Police Department Officer Grove!

Tom Grove joined the BEPD on September 1, 2021. Tom was born and raised in the Black Hills and graduated from Western Dakota Tech with an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement Technology in May of 2016. Tom migrated to the eastern side of the state in September of 2017 having accepted a position with the Gregory Police Department. Tom is excited to have found his way back to his home turf and the City of Box Elder.

Tom is a big fan of many sports including baseball, basketball, and football. He enjoys just about anything outdoors such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping.

Tom said he is known for being taller than he looks in his photos so; keep an eye out and a hand up for a waive to the new guy in town!

On July 20, 2021, Nicole Schneider, was appointed & sworn in as the Chief Finance Officer of Box Elder.  Her commitment to the city and the accuracy of the financials has been outstanding.   We are excited to report 0 findings during the 2020 audit review for the third consecutive year! 

We have since moved right into preparing the 2022 Budget.  As we were collaborating and meeting with City departments and members of Council, it became apparent that road improvements are being asked for by you, the residents!   On July 20^th, Resolution 21-17 was approved by City Council to focus on road improvements throughout the City and Finance worked diligently to provide a feasible financing plan for these needed improvements (Resolution 21-18).

Box Elder will be working hard on cracking down on Nuisance issues 2020-2021

The Box Elder Code Enforcement Division in cooperation with the Public Works department will be cracking down on nuisance issues as the City works towards the goals of their City beautification plans.

This month our Box Elder Streets Department has been involved in different types of projects. The first was the Douglas School District’s Arboretum walking trail between Tower and Prairie Rd. This trail was reconstructed and has been restored for accessibility for use to the public. The team has also been working to complete an engineered pad for our future sand/salt hoop structure. The plans were designed in-house by our Engineering Department and are utilizing recycled materials from the recent I-90 service road removal. This prep work has saved the city over $10K in contractor costs and the result will allow the city to provide a better-quality product to be spread on our roads during the coming winter months. Finally, the department worked on updating the school zone signage as well as additional property clean-ups and is continuing to address road patching and gravel road grading as well.

There are not any news updates regarding munipical elections.  There will not be any upcoming municipal election in the 2022 year (unless there is a vacancy created).  Thank you to everyone who voted in the municipal election on June 8th!

This month the Parks Department has been very busy with their assigned maintenance and the prep work that went into this year's Patriot Day. They also pivoted and shifted their focus in mowing all city lots, comprising over 55 acres for the last time this year. These maintenance actions help reduce weed growth for the following year as well as aiding in the prevention of snow drifting during the coming winter season.

This month the Water Department has continued responding to water system breaks along with conducting their preventive maintenance inspections. The team has also been working with Water Systems Drilling out of Gillette, Wyoming. This well drilling outfit has been contracted by the city to drill the new Well #10 with a targeted completion of Spring 2022. The water production from the new well is expected to greatly help support the fast-growing community of Box Elder.