I’m not sure when the rest of the rubberstamp council is going to learn by trying to publicly shame Councilor Stehly they only make her more popular amongst her constituents.
Theresa ran on a platform of transparent government, prudent spending and listening to constituents. She beat two well-funded MALE candidates on her message and she continues to stick to her guns. This has pissed off her fellow rubber stamp councilors who are consistently saying she ‘plays the victim card’ and pulls ‘stunts’. Ironically, Stehly is doing EXACTLY what she promised and only continues to get more and more support. Her ‘stunts’ such as handing out flyers and self-funded mailers have only gotten citizens more engaged in their local government. This is a good thing.
Last night it was disgraceful how she was treated by her fellow peers. She held steady despite Starr not being in the room to back her up. You would have to have been in the chambers to see how they continually said things behind her back to each other, rolled their eyes, mocked her proposals and even giggled at her. The mayor tried several times to shut her down and cut her off.
Not only did they look like a bunch of childish brats, their attitude towards her only has the constituents feel sorry for her and want to defend her positions more.
The sad part is that Stehly had two wonderful amendments that she said if they would have passed she would have supported the parking ramp; Not using the 2nd penny to bail out the parking division on bond payments and transparency on the investors.
The mayor’s blindness on transparency has been obvious for a long time, and after he got caught lying about the siding settlement, the citizens don’t trust his ‘word’ on anything anymore. And while I don’t expect the mayor to understand, I would think the council, at least half of them would agree the settlement and lack of transparency broke the citizens trust in their city government and their ‘word’ on if they are investing or not doesn’t mean a hill of beans.
If you listened last night, several councilors, mostly Erickson and Erpenbach, swore they were not investing in the project or their relatives. While I believe them, there is NOTHING in writing saying otherwise. They kept reminding us it was against state law. Oh really?
The mayor quickly shut down the ‘cross my heart and hope to die’ session. He had to. He has violated this clause twice IMO. The first time was when the city granted a TIF to an apartment project his ‘wife’ was investing in. He slipped it by because he had his public works director, Mark Cotter sign off on the document. The second time was when the city gave $500k to a private tennis center that bears his name and has given little to nothing back to public for our ‘investment’.
The rubberstamp councilors need to realize that the citizens don’t trust the mayor’s ‘word’ on anything, anymore, and since they do nothing to fight the obvious corruption, it also reflects on them.
So keep laughing and picking on Stehly, it only makes her more popular.
First off; I thought it was depressing and slightly funny when the gentleman that worked in construction started his input with I’ve lived (or worked here) for 25 years, not verbatim but something like that. At the end of his comments the mayor said thanks and welcome to our town. Playing devil’s advocate I’m hoping he meant welcome to his first council meeting. It’s that or he didn’t pay much attention to the gentleman.
The rest was.. entertaining, but not very informative.
I am proud of Councilors Stehly and Starr for being advocates for a more informed and involved public. Also even though I didn’t like the outcome, I appreciate Councilor Neitzert for explaining how he has come to vote in support of said item by asking questions and trying to be proactive in understanding the issue.
The two councilors who acted very defensive of a hypothetical example offered by Councilor Stehly (whom also mentioned herself in said hypothetical) seemed to miss the point entirely.
Overall, as a younger, average, voting citizen; the whole thing disappointed me and seemed like I was watching (insert major news channel). Wish they would have delayed voting, even if for a week to let more people speak.
Some of the most important public input came from Tim Kant, former owner of the Copper Lounge and Dan Fritz, attorney for the Fodness family.
Both Kant and Fritz literally waved Red Flags at the City Council regarding a potential partnership between Taxpayers and Legacy Development.
The involvement of Legacy has cast a pall over the entire project.
This entangles the names of six City Councilors with Legacy for the next 80 years. The ‘YES’ votes approving this agreement were:
Christine Erickson
Michelle Erpenbach
Rick Kiley
Greg Neitzert
Rex Rolfing
Marshall Selberg
As the fate of Aaron Hultgren, one of four (Legacy) guarantors, plays out in the courts, the public needs to be continually reminded that it was these six individuals who ultimately linked taxpayers with Aaron Hultgren and Legacy Development for the next 80 years.
Scott, first of all, thanks to you for coming to the meeting,testifying and actually trying to report on what is happening in City government. I have tried to treat my fellow council members with public respect. Actually, making deprecating comments about a colleague to constituents can earn you an ethics violation. I am hoping that with the next election,we will have a new crop of mature, independent minded Council members. We need to open up the process and let the sunshine in. There is a culture of secrecy in many corners of the present council. We need to put the best interests of the citizens first.
Given the Council’s indifference to Legacy and Hultgren’s’ involvement with this project, it would suggest that a police officer should never be put on administrative leave when they shoot and kill a suspect; that US AG Sessions should have never recused himself from the Russian investigation; and that the allegations against Roy Moore should not be considered when voting in the Alabama Senate race…. I guess you could take those positions, if you wanted too, but when you do, won’t many be “mocking” you or “giggling” at you behind your back?
What we’re not talking about: Huether for ________ . It’s been a year since his change of voter registration stunt, and he’s not relevant to any 2018 or 2020 conversation.
I’m sure it’s difficult for the Council persons who are finishing their terms to contemplate city business moving on without them – and it will, but for now their lack of poise and dignity is hard to watch.
Starr and Stehly are Sioux Falls only councilors with unwavering character, and enough courage to stand firmly and serve the public with integrity and truth.
And speaking of character, many in attendance, if watching a certain councilor, were treated to a display of middle school immaturity. You know……. the rolling eyes and head jerks, smirks, disrespectful grins with obvious eye messaging between this immature councilor and two other councilors in leadership took place whenever a fourth certain councilor spoke. (Similar to observed and recorded behavior in the gavel-ling incident with Kiley eye messaging Rolfing.)
It was a very definite revelation of those three councilors character. As someone else has stated on this blog, it is time to DRAIN THE SIOUX FALLS SWAMP both in 2018 and 2020!!!!
Shut-up, sit-down, shutdown are the rules of Huether.
Citizens of Sioux Falls wanted to know more about the parking ramp scheme and the mayor didn’t want anyone to know what he knows or plans to do until to late to change anything.
Councilor reaction keeps Stehly in the news. Ask someone on the street. They know Stehly but can’t name another councilor. Some can’t name the mayor. Recognition hardly matters to her. She is committed to fixing city government and preventing unsubstantiated spending. She is meant for 2 terms. When she can’t do 3, she should be mayor.