2007 Conference in Aberdeen

Conference Report From Our Roving Reporter Allison

I just wanted to take a minute and tell everyone Thank You for the job well done at this years SDAAO Conference held in Aberdeen.  Kim Markley did a wonderful job hosting our association.  The educational sessions offered were again very informative and educational, not only in my professional life but also for my personal life as well!

Resolution SDAAO 2007-1
Resolution SDAAO 2007-2

The following are the links to the handouts Michael & Colleen had at the close of conference.

  SB173 MemoProjectionsRepeal of 150%Colleen's Info

Our time with the Department of Revenue and Regulation is always well spent.  They are able to attend our conference and keep us informed of all the up in coming and current legislation.  We were able to get information on SB173, which would phase out the 150% rule and assess all agriculture land on its production, if it passes in its current form. 

They informed us on how to deal with the changes:

  • Elderly assessment freeze.  Allowing the elderly to apply for the freeze beyond the April 1st deadline and petition the commissioners to abate the difference in the taxes if they qualified and would have applied on time. 

  •  HB 1187 has a clause for the owner occupied law, if an active military personal was unable to apply for the classification by the deadline then they are able to ask the commissioners to abate the difference in their tax bill that the classification would have allowed them. 

  • HB 1248 requires notification to the taxpayer if their assessment increases by more than 20%. 

  • SB 83 allows those who applied for the elderly assessment freeze and did not qualify because their property was worth more than $150,000 for the current assessment year, to qualify if they had applied and qualified last year. 

Those are just a few of the things that they shared with us during conference.  In turn we are able to personally interact with all of them to ask questions that may be affecting more than just our own county, and that is a wonderful resource to have.

President's Reception

The Professional Assessors Association of South Dakota, otherwise know as PAASD,  hosts our president’s reception.  The president's reception is normally held the first evening after registration, to give us  a pleasant atmosphere to network with our fellow assessors and Department of Revenue and Regulation.  PAASD provides us with fun entertainment, great snacks and I just wanted to say thank you to them for always providing us with this evening event that we would not have without them. 

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Jessica's girl & Mark dancing

Vendors & Vendor Prizes

The vendors that attend our conference are always there to educate us on what they have available to help our offices perform our duties, that we may not have been aware of, to the best of our abilities.  Technology keeps changing and without the knowledge of what is available to us we would not be able to perform our duties as well as we do.  The vendors also show their appreciation to us by bringing great door prizes that are awarded to some lucky winner at the end of our conference!  We appreciate all they do for our association.

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Sarah Ellingson with Schneider Corp

Taking a Break from Sessions

The breaks that we take between sessions are a great time to be able to talk to our fellow assessors and share information of what we just learned.  The time spent between sessions is well utilized in comparing how counties perform certain duties and learning from others in a one on one atmosphere.

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Gathered in the atrium

Sessions, General Meeting, Awards & Prizes

I have to say, I do love the way our association tries to find sessions that not only help us in the professional field but on a personal level as well.  Our motivational speaker this year was breath of fresh air.  The Attitude Doctor.  He did a great job reminding all of us that our attitude does a lot for us at work and at home.  It was a good way to remind us that not everyone who walks into our office likes what we do and his or her attitude does not have to affect ours!  His toilet paper necklace demonstration, identifying a poop, made us all wish if only we could see them around peoples necks we would be able to know how to deal with people before a word is ever said!

The presentations on the heating and air-conditioning products were a nice addition to our conference this year.  It is good to be educated on what people are putting into their homes.  It keeps us better informed of what is typical for homes to be better able to perform our duties when appraising properties of all kinds.  They gave us good information on the old versus the new systems and the types of units available to the public today. 

I do appreciate the session on the effects of meth on structures.  Not only do we learn what it does to properties but also we learn what to look for to keep ourselves safe when out in the field assessing.  It gives us a background that we would not have had without a class like this.  They teach us what to look for, like the products these people use to make the meth, the chemicals, the pharmaceuticals.  The tools they use to make the meth, the hot plates, the plastic jugs, the plastic or rubber hoses, and the blue nozzle propane tanks.  They make us aware that even if a place looks vacant it still could hold some danger to us.  You should always be aware of your surroundings.  Meth is a problem in all of our communities, even if we are unaware of it, and I am very thankful that we are able to have sessions like these to keep us all better educated and safe.

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Terry Fleck on the "Institute of Attitude"

Grassland Colony Tour

The tours offered again this year were wonderful!  The education we all receive from our tours each and every year is incredibly informative!  I attended the Grassland colony tour and it was an amazing eye opener into how other people choose to live.  How they can make their colony work with limited outside influences.  The way they work together as a group to accomplish projects and have schedules to keep everyone and everything, for that matter, in line and working well! 

On this particular tour, we got to see a completely self-sustaining community.  We viewed their businesses, from Granite works, to cabinet-making, to butcher shop.  We also viewed the buildings in which they completed projects, such as making pew cushions, clothing and furniture.  What we found interesting is that their homes do not contain their full cooking and laundry facilities.  In this colony, these features are shared, community-wide.  We also thought it was interesting that they had their own school, that they built, and the school district provides the teachers for teaching the children. 

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We had a lovely tour of the Grassland Colony.

 

Thunder Road Pictures

After Wednesday's full agenda of seminars and tours, we enjoyed a picnic supper at Wiley Park.  Then, we were excited to learn that after the picnic at Wylie Park we had free rein at Thunder Road, the time donated by the owner for our Association's Conference.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time off at the picnic then racing around the track at Thunder Road, but for some, it was back to the hotel for more meetings.

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Get ready!

 

Thursday night is time to wind down.  We have learned some valuable information, made some ties with fellow assessor's across the state, met vendors there to help us with our needs.  It is time for the Banquet.  The banquet is time to honor those who have excelled during the past year.  Below you will see pictures of CAA Recipients.  CAA Recipients have completed the necessary requirements with the Department of Revenue and Regulation to become Certified Appraiser Assessors.  This is no small feat, and deserves a round of applause.  Also, below you will find pictures of Harvey Kistler, receiving his plaque for "Instructor of the Year" from the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO).  This is an amazing accomplishment.  One of our requirements to stay Certified Assessor's through the state is to complete one IAAO course every 5 years.  Harvey is one of our best teachers, and was nominated for instructor of the year last year by our Association.  Out of all the instructors across our nation, and other countries, Harvey Kistler was selected as the best.

The Banquet is also the time for installing our new officers for the year.  We have a picture below of the new officers taking their Oath of Office.

Banquet Pictures

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2007 CAA Pin Recipients

Front row: Terry Augspurger, Blake Biggerstaff, Chad Skinner, Matt Archer

Back row: Lori Mackey, Erin Asheim, Jessica Goehring, Dawn Puckett, Madonna Costello, Carmen Symonds, Michelle Pederson, Jodi Theisen, Gina Strain

 

I also wanted to express my appreciation for a couple of others that contribute to the success of our conference.  McLeod’s from Mitchell and Farm Credit Services always help to make our Banquet a great success!!  Without them our evening would not as memorable!!  Thanks for all you do!!

Our association has always done a great job helping to keep us educated and taken great pride in that fact.  Without the networking we are able to do at these conferences we would not be able to do our jobs as well as we do.  The individual and group discussions we all have about our daily jobs give us knowledge we would not obtain if not for our annual conferences. 

Once again thank you to everyone in the association who took part in this past year’s conference!!!  You helped to make a very informative and educational time for all!!  I look forward to the next conference and the education we will receive.   

Allison Jensen, CAA
Deputy Director
Butte County Equalization

Kangaroo Court Pictures

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Uh oh! What's up?

 

Entertainment by Gary Tyson

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Gary Tyson performs a card trick with Chris' assisstance

 


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Website Contacts: Allison @ allison@buttesd.org, 605-892-3950 or
Rownea @ rownea@perkinscounty.org or Janelle @ janelle@perkinscounty.org 605-244-5623
 

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