The Rapid City Sustainability Committee presented its 2024 annual report to the City Council on Jan. 6, describing membership and leadership changes, outreach events that drew more than 1,000 attendees, and new subcommittees focused on sustainable growth and local food supply.

The committee’s vice chair, Heidi Seiberding, said the group meets twice a month, has 12 appointed members and two alternates, and uses city funding to support community engagement and education. "The purpose of this committee is to support the sustainability of Rapid City," Seiberding said, describing outreach efforts including two clothing swaps, park and road cleanups, and tabling at community events.

Nut graf: Committee leaders said they plan to concentrate in 2025 on guiding how Rapid City grows and on strengthening local food connections, work they described as practical rather than narrowly focused on climate advocacy.

Dave Holland, chair of the committee, told the council that the group selected two priority areas after surveying city leadership and residents: "sustainable growth and development" and "local and sustainable food supply." He said the committee hopes to roll out community-facing initiatives and to send members to a conference in Dubuque, Iowa, in April to learn from other cities.

Holland described the Earth Day Expo — which the committee co-hosted at Western Dakota Technical College in 2024 — as its largest event, saying more than 1,000 community members attended to learn about local resources and activities. He also said the committee plans to participate in the home show March 28–30 and to host another Earth Day event in April. "This year, the Earth Day Expo is gonna be at Western Dakota Tech, April 20 sixth, and we'll also be tabling at the home show March 28 to the thirtieth," Holland said.

Councilors who serve as liaisons praised the committee’s work. Councilor Evans said the committee "actually get[s] a lot of stuff done" and called its members forward-thinking. Councilor Seacrest and Councilor Roseland also thanked the committee and expressed support for the subcommittee structure.

The committee reported volunteers contribute substantial time — the presentation described many volunteers donating "most actually upwards of over 80 hours per year" — and listed planned 2025 activities that include educational outreach, community events, and exploring partnerships with South Dakota producers to increase local food access.

Ending: The committee did not request specific council action at the meeting. Members asked councilors and the public to watch for upcoming events and social media announcements about programs and volunteer opportunities.