August 2012

So will the naming rights agreement add up to $600,000 a year for 20 years

We got the shocking news today that Sanford and FP will be the title sponsor. Let’s see if it adds up . . .

Superlative suggested to the city that they have a starting point of $600,000 a year for 20 years. STARTING POINT.

But here is an interesting twist;

Sanford’s strategy, along with First Premier, was to set up an “endowment” that will be used to offset annual operating costs for the facility, helping to ensure that it does not lose money.

“We looked at it as an investment, not a bid,” Krabbenhoft said. “The city’s goal was to try to defray operating costs, so we sat down and figured out how much that was going to be, and we set up an endowment. That fund will create a dividend income every year to go toward paying off annual operating costs.”

In other words, there will not be a ‘set’ amount for a number of years, the title sponsorship is more like a rich uncle throwing you a few bucks each year in case you get in a bind. I wonder how many other companies proposed such a deal? I think we know the answer.

Also, if you saw yesterday’s budget hearing, Tracy Turbak told the Council that they want an additional $180,000 for Legends in 2013 and they are calling it OPERATING EXPENSES! AND THE PLACE HAS NOT EVEN OPENED YET!

While SF continues to see MORE regulation and RATE INCREASES, Rapid City takes a different approach

Rapid City’s mayor, Sam Kooiker, posted this on his FB page this morning;

The 8% garbage rate decrease passed unanimously in Public Works Committee yesterday. Members Ritchie Nordstrom, John Roberts, Chad Lewis, Ron Sasso and Bill Clayton all voted for it. It now heads to the full council on Monday for a vote. If approved, this will return $300,000 annually to the ratepayers. That’s not including the $100,000 we saved by having your new Public Works Director do the study in house instead of hiring an expensive out of town consultant to do it.
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/public-works-approves-decrease-in-garbage-fees/article_1de5f02e-0586-5df3-af55-8fcabbe0a120.html

Rapid City does not have private garbage haulers.  It is a city-run service.

On a separate, but similar note, Why isn’t the city of Sioux Falls more proactive in tightening watering restrictions?  I can’t believe we didn’t go to once-a-week a month ago.  Might it be because the more water we use on lawns, the more money the city makes on revenue?

Sure, a lot of people have figured this out and cut back on our useless watering.  I have not watered my lawn once this summer. Not only have I been saving money on water, I have been saving money on mowing my lawn. I think it has been almost 6-weeks since I have mowed. But I still see too many people watering every other morning because they can, and the water literally runs off their yards and down the street and they will keep doing this until Big Brother finally tells them to knock it off. Sheep.

What is missing from the Governor’s open government task force? Private citizens.

This list is a joke.

While there are some members that will be strong advocates of open government, they will be drowned out by other members. And like I said above, where are the private citizens? I guess we are not important enough to be concerned about open government.

I underlined the members that are truly laughable. One of them, the SF city attorney, was even reprimanded for violations of open government;

  • Diane Best, assistant attorney general, Office of the Attorney General
  • Dale Blegen, publisher, De Smet News
  • Jim Bolin, state Representative, Canton
  • Dave Bordewyk, general manager, South Dakota Newspaper Association
  • Pat Butler, managing editor, Rapid City Journal
  • Jonathan Ellis, journalist, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
  • Jason Gant, Secretary of State
  • Tena Haraldson, director of communications and media relations, University of South Dakota
  • Joe Kafka, press secretary, Office of the Governor
  • Maricarrol Kueter, executive editor, Argus Leader
  • Shawn Lyons, executive director, South Dakota Retailers Association
  • Jack Marsh, president and chief operating officer, Al Neuharth Media Center, University of South Dakota
  • Al Novstrup, state Senator, Aberdeen
  • Bob O’Keefe, deputy state’s attorney, Davison County
  • David Owen, president, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Dave Pfeifle, city attorney, Sioux Falls
  • Wade Pogany, executive director, Associated School Boards of South Dakota
  • Sara Rabern, public information officer, Office of the Attorney General
  • Bobbi Rank, assistant attorney general, state Department of Education
  • Mark Roby, publisher, Watertown Public Opinion
  • Lisa Rothschadl, chair, South Dakota Open Meeting Commission
  • Greg Sattizahn, director of policy and legal services, Unified Judicial System
  • Yvonne Taylor, executive director, South Dakota Municipal League
  • Kevin Thom, sheriff, Pennington County
  • Seth Tupper, editor, The Daily Republic, Mitchell
  • Tony Venhuizen, director of policy and communications, Office of the Governor
  • Waltner, Tim, publisher, Freeman Courier
  • David Wiest, deputy secretary, state Department of Revenue
  • Bob Wilcox, executive director, South Dakota Association of County Commissioners
  • Steve Willard, president, South Dakota Broadcasters Association
  • Susan Wismer, state Representative, Britton
  • Diane Worrall, executive director, South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships
  • Terry Woster, public information officer, state Department of Public Safety