Mayor Alan Hanks was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to continue lobbying South Dakota's congressional staff for federal help with nearly $140 million worth of local projects, including Canyon Lake Dam and Skyline Drive.

Hanks and public works director Robert Ellis flew to the nation's Capitol Tuesday afternoon and returned to Rapid City on Wednesday evening after spending most of Wednesday in meetings with the office staffs of Sens. Tim Johnson and John Thune and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

"We're going to follow up and see if we can get some federal help on Canyon Lake Dam. We're also going to discuss Skyline Drive, since we have major issues with Skyline Drive. The condition of the road has dramatically deteriorated since the last time we talked to the federal delegation, so we're hoping we can make some headway there," Hanks said.

The mayor met with the three officials in Washington in March. At that meeting, he also sought federal participation on a water-protection initiative, a water-treatment project and construction of a new fire interagency dispatch center.

On this trip, Hanks said he was seeking an indication that federal officials believe the projects have merit and will be considered. Personal contact may make a difference, he said.

"If you show up in their office, and you talk to them face to face and ask them personally, sometimes you get an awful lot of mileage out of that versus a phone call," Hanks said. "Typically, when you make a phone call, you end up getting a staffer, and you don't know if you're talking to the right staffer."

Hanks said the trip to Washington was done as cheaply as possible. He said they flew in, met with as many people as possible from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then flew back at about 5:30 p.m.

"Then we get back here to do the work of the citizens. They don't pay me to be out of town," Hanks said.

Projects the city is seeking federal help for include:

- Source Water Protection Initiative: Removal of more than 2,400 septic tanks and installation of sanitary sewer systems over the Madison Aquifer. The project is estimated at $36 million over 10 years, with local match.

- Drinking Water Treatment Initiative: Construction of a new water-treatment facility at Jackson Springs, estimated at $35 million to $40 million, and reconstruction or replacement of the water-treatment plant at Mountain View, estimated at $55 million to $60 million (over two to five years, with local match).

- Skyline Drive Restoration Project: Requesting $1.36 million for an environmental study, design development and preliminary right-of-way acquisition for the reconstruction and enhancement of Skyline Drive.

- Northern Great Plains Interagency Dispatch Center: To construct a new fire-dispatch center, estimated at $4 million to $6 million.

- Canyon Lake Dam Project: Repair and improve Canyon Lake Dam and the surrounding park facilities, estimated at $4 million to $6 million.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com