[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPZMD9e-4A[/youtube]
With Don Kearney and Tracy Turbak’s help we learn about budgeting “squishy ground” (FF:29:00). We also see a Sioux Falls City Council work to regain our confidence in the legislative process.
Don and Tracy with the guidance of the city’s Chief Marketing Officer blind-sided the community and Council with their proposed 400% rate increases last week. Because the Council has been so tightly run by our Strong Mayor form of government for so long, the administration figured they would just drop and run the rate increases through the process. The Council took back some control of the process this week. This is great example theater and government in action.
If we would have had this kind of action prior to any number of issues over the last 19 years our town could be so much better. This should not be a town of one image or dream. It is a town of 170,000 dreams. Combining the needs of all 170,000 residents makes this a better place.
The Council is finding their voice in the process. The Council is our legislature and in this video we see them working together to use their voice for us. Our administration and its members do not speak well of our City Council because the Mayor has made them patsies. We are so proud this group of 8 stuck together and worked together on this issue.
Kids going to pools is a cherished activity in the summer. Go back and read the early streetcar history of Sioux Falls. The reason we now have Sherman Park and the current 18th St was to take families over to the Big Sioux River swimming hole and beach. One of the primary pushes for swimming pools was the need for a safe place for kids to cool off in the summer. It has kept most of the public from the dangers of cooling off in the Big Poo river and falls. If the administration is successful in their rate increase efforts, the kids will be back playing in the Big Poo because it is free.
Remember the promises made in 2014, there would not be a 2 tier pricing system for the pools of Sioux Falls. There would be one. The “neighborhood” pool of Spellerberg Park through the deceptive election of 2014 became a “community” pool. Kearney never explained what he meant by the change. Now we know, according to the fee plan presented the Spellerberg neighborhood residents are not going to be allowed to use it.
We already know about 50% of our kids don’t get enough to eat in Sioux Falls because mom and dad don’t make enough money to pay the rent. How does this administration think these kids will get $4 or more to go swimming every day in the summer.
This video allows us to look into the questions of our town’s priorities. To pay for the administration’s gift of $10 million and TIFs to friendly developers building luxury boxes in the sky downtown, we let the children play in the Big Poo because we have no money. Nice…
By the way, without MayorCam running we miss some of the best moments from Tuesday night. It is a shame we were not able to save behind the scene tongue lashings, forgotten keys, cellphone, wallet and more for posterity. Enjoy what we did save for you.
Congratulations to our new and improved City Council of Sioux Falls. Keep it up!