You can watch the replay and read the presentation HERE. (FF to Aprox 29:00)
I won’t go into a lot of detail since it was a very long meeting, but there was something NEW that came from the discussion.
The city attorney said that due to state statute they don’t HAVE to release the forensic report about the siding, BUT they can as pointed out by councilor Starr. The administration refuses to release the report and told the council to take Public Works Director Mark Cotter’s word for it that it is structurally sound.
When councilor Neitzert asked about the ‘corroding edges’ email in the below invoice for the report work, NO ONE from the administration would comment on what that meant.
This worries me.
There may be a followup meeting to digest all that was said today. I think moving forward the council should use some of the money leftover in the building fund (around $3 million) to conduct their own independent study on the structural integrity of the siding and put this to rest once and for all.
I attended the Informational meeting.
Things you could not see unless you were in the room:
3 of the 8 candidates for mayor attended the meeting (Kenny Anderson Jr., Jim Entenman, Greg Jamison). It was a wise move on their part.
Karen Leonard was one of the City’s lead attorneys in the settlement action. She was called to the podium numerous times by the Council to answer questions. Each time she returned to her seat, she looked at Mike Huether with fear in her eyes.
Rick Kiley was not in attendance. Anyone who is currently running for a second term on the Council should have had the political savvy to be at this important meeting.
I hope the Al goes after the Judd Allen report in the courts. Councilor Neitzert asked a question regarding the corroding edges referenced in the invoice to the Judd Allen Group. He never rec’d an actual response other than Mark Cotter saying, Trust me, the siding is structurally sound.
IF the report actually exists, the City could choose to release it, but their response to the Council was as follows:
Pursuant to SDCL 1-27-1.7, the Judd Allen Group preliminary draft report is exempt from the public records disclosure since it was in draft form and never finalized.
The Council was required to submit their questions to the Administration in advance. The Administration’s response to their 45 questions were handed off to them at approximately 3 o’clock this afternoon, less than an hour before the meeting began.
For this reason, they have requested a second meeting. Councilor Erpenbach asked that this meeting take place at a work session. Both the Council and the public need to speak out in opposition to this suggestion. Why? Because work sessions are not recorded. The public deserves access through SIRE and Channel 16 to this information.
Finally, Councilor Stehly’s repeated request for an independent audit needs to be seriously considered.
What citizens got today at the Informational Meeting was: SPIN, SPIN, SPIN.
Corroding edges seem like a really bad thing. Although there are “distressed looks” that some people pay more for. I hope the city is planning on keeping the edges well greased.
There’s political plays and confusion. What’s important is it must be fixed. The problem resulted from lack of supervision and inspections. I’d like to see blame at the top but they escape and lower eschelons get reprimanded or dismissed. It’s not fair but (favorably) there’s a coming election such that voters will remember who is actually to blame.
Goodbye Kiley, Rolfing, and Erpenbach. You are history in politics but you’ll be the winning answer to future local trivia contests.
Can someone give me a tl;dr of this entire situation?
This is so simple, and sad.
IF there is nothing to hide, and the administration acted in the best interest of the citizens of this city as they have portrayed publicly, on numerous occasions, release all of the documents. No need for the courts, just the truth. Anything short of this, IMO, requires a formal investigation with subpoena powers. That ought to pucker up some keisters.
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…” — L. Frank Baum, from the Wizard Of Oz
It all makes sense now. Dorothy wasn’t in Kansas anymore, she had traveled to Sioux Falls, SD.
And, incidentally, when did the definition of “Public” Servant change?