Today marked the first day of several meeting with people from North Dakota to discuss the oil boom and how it has impacted the state.  I lived in the state, and I loved it, so I think I am a little more connected than many to what's happened here.  That said, I lived on the other side of the state from the oil boom, and I only spent five (largely great) years in North Dakota, so while I'm informed, I have hardly "lived the boom."  I've just been watching and trying to pay attention. 

A few things I was told tonight struck me as significant: 

1. Housing costs are still a huge issue. Building a new house in Dickinson can run upwards of $250 per square foot. A one-bedroom apartment can easily run $1300.

2. In 1997, there were 698 hotel rooms in the city, largely for tourism jumping off for the North Dakota Badlands.  By 2004, that number was 754.  As of 2013, that number has increased to 1632. (The number is true of 2014, too.) 

3. In 2005, the average daily rate for a hotel room was $53.96

By 2008: $68.95

2009: $75.57

2010: $87.59

2011: $109.52

2012 :$124.03

2013: $112.37 (280 rooms were added in 2013).

This does not likely mean that things are slowing down, thought perhaps they are stabilizing.  More permanent housing has also been going up at a significant rate, so the increased number of hotel rooms, combined with those leaving the temporary housing market, likely explains the (relatively) modest decrease in average daily rate.  

4. Traffic and road maintenance remain a big concern.  One person I met tonight said he'd had a paved road to his house for years, until the oil boom came, and it's now back to being a gravel road. 

5. I learned the term "Bakken charge," which I'm told refers to the premium one pays for goods and services in this region.  Examples given include $5 Little Caesar's Pizzas, which are $5.99 here (or 20% more) and flyers from big box stores with 20% ot 40% higher prices than the same flyers in other markets.

6. The idea of community action is less of a focus here than in other areas, like what we've seen in some spots in West Virginia.  It's not that people don't care, but they don't necessarily participate in community actions.  Once can opine on the reasons why, and I have my guesses, but as a lawyer, I'll stick to reporting what I've been told on this one: if you want support, you need to go to the people where they are.  (That seems like sound advice anywhere.) 

7. All those people asking for minimun wage at fast-food restaurants across the country "are really just asking to be paid like the they live in Dickinson, ND." 

8. A major biggest employment challenge is finding people "who can pass a drug test. Some employers say when that when potential applicants are asked that question, 'half the people just turn and walk out."" 

I learned a lot more than this after a good conversation with interesting people, but I'll leave it here for tonight.