Polk & Merrick Counties – Nebraska
Regional Opportunity Assessment
Background
In 2020, the Polk County Rural Public Power District got curious about how communities in their service area might work together to improve the quality of life for their current residents – retaining or even growing their populations down the road. Atlas Community Studios, a team built to help do this work, committed to working with six communities in the Power District’s footprint to identify opportunities in the region to support this type of investment and growth.
With some initial input from the Power District and a little more specific feedback from local leaders, the Atlas team has identified a few possible focus areas. The next step is to hear directly from residents in Shelby, Osceola, Polk, Stromsburg, Silver Creek, and Clarks about what makes these communities special and the challenges they feel keep the region from growing.
Community Survey
This survey is an opportunity for residents of Polk, Shelby, Osceola, Silver Creek, Clarks, and Stromsburg to engage in a regional strategic planning process funded by the Polk County Rural Public Power District.
When responding to this survey, we ask that you answer the questions honestly and thoughtfully to lay the framework for the resulting recommendations. Your participation and input is a valuable resource for city leadership and your fellow residents.
Be assured this survey is completely anonymous.
Visioning/Site Visits
Stay tuned for more information or reach out to the point of contact for more information.
Regional Steering Committee
Thank you to the following people for volunteering their time and efforts during this process.
Name | Community/Organization |
---|---|
Donn Graff | Mayor, City of Osceola |
Tasha Weller | Osceola Community Action Group |
Jason Lavely | Osceola Public Schools |
Ken Everingham | Mayor, City of Stromsburg |
Chris Tordrup | Stromsburg Chamber of Commerce |
Cale Pallas | Pallas Seeds |
Brent Holinger | Cross County Schools |
Justin DeWitt | Cross County Schools |
Dean Thomas | Chairman, Village of Polk |
Kathie Carlstrom | Clerk, Village of Polk |
Randy Rinkol | Silver Creek |
Travis | Silver Creek |
James Parsons | Board Member, Village of Clarks |
Judy Rieken | Village of Clarks |
Pat Davis | Mayor, Village of Shelby |
Jeff Willis | Board Member, Village of Shelby |
Shelly Nekl | Pinnacle Bank |
Lisa | Shelby Lumber |