2010

Ever heard of window blinds?

l3wis June 8, 2010 2Comments

Am I the only one that thinks this whole problem could have been solved with something so simple?

Karmen Groos, the mother of an eighth-grader, said she didn’t want potentially intoxicated men staring through the windows at her daughter and the other students.

“This is a huge concern for me because her classes are going to be some of the later classes,” she said.

There also were concerns about parking and the safety of students in the parking lot with drivers who might have been drinking.

Last I checked, drinking and driving is illegal.

But Jim Dunham of Dunham Cos., which owns the building, said the vast majority of the people in the area wanted the business. It would only serve beer and wine, and it would be a full-service restaurant.

“I guess I take a little offense that all bar patrons are pedophiles, but I guess that’s just my perspective,” he said.

There are a few things that concern me here;

First off, without taking sides, I want to say that a conditional use permit is just that ‘conditional’ if a new business violates certain requirements they can be shut down. In other words, besides labeling all adult men who drink beer as perverts, there really was no good reason to not let Bogey’s open their restaurant/bar. This shows me one of two things; The new council and mayor are very inexperienced in zoning matters and the extreme nanny-stateism of the current council (especially Vernon Brown). While I find it perplexing why a bar/restaurant owner would want to open next door to a dance studio I still feel there really is no good reason to prevent it from happening (The Top Hat downtown is right next door to a church). If Bogey’s violates any stipulations of the use permit or zoning permit, the council can shut them down – in other words give peace a chance.

But I also agree the dance studio has rights, but it seems some of these things could have been worked out. We put doors on restrooms for a reason and I guess if you don’t want people staring through your windows at you, you can always pull the shades.

“I’m not saying any of their clients are bad people, but it only takes one, and then we’re going to have an issue,” Anderson said.

Anderson joined his seven colleagues in rejecting the request.

So now the city council is basing their decisions on things that ‘might’ happen? Why even have a city council? Why not just replace them with a Magic 8-Ball?

Mayor Mike Huether thanked both sides of the issue for airing their views, calling it a “great, great night for Sioux Falls.”

“This is what city government is all about,” he said.

A great night?! The only thing that was accomplished was an act of fascism by the city council.

Add it up

l3wis June 7, 2010 2Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPS2u0MH7_s&feature=related[/youtube]

The more things change the more they stay the same.

FIRST At the SF city council informational meeting today the fee happy department heads come rolling in with increases for restaurants and water rates;

Sioux Falls city councilors on Tuesday will get updates on a plan to raise a host of rates, including licensure fees on restaurants by 20 percent.

Water, sewer and light fee increases are also on the agenda. Those fees have gone up in each of the past few years as officials pay for upgrades and build reserve funds.

Which is silly. Increasing rates for upgrades, fine. Reserve funds? Huh? If we need to make repairs to the infrastructure of our water system, shouldn’t that come out of the 2nd penny or CIP? Our water rates should be tied to water service. That’s it. I have a feeling this has to do with the dismal sales tax revenue – NOT with building reserves.

Where is this ‘Change we can believe in’? I challenge the new mayor and council to SAY NO to the increases until our economy turns around. If we can accumulate debt for monkey crappers, we can do it for water pipes.

Secondly, I noticed that the ‘Piss & Poop’ listening sessions are now being broadcast on City Link 16, which I thought was wonderful, until I watched them. The only thing recorded is the department heads blabbing about something, the questioning session from citizens is not recorded. What is the purpose of recording any of it if you are not going to record the Q & A part of it?

Poopy Indeed.