2018

Stink Factory is going to get more Stinky

Oh joy, more hog barns by our biggest tourist attraction!

The Virginia-based company has received a building permit for a $12.5 million expansion to the Sioux Falls plant for a holding barn addition. That follows a $2 million holding barn addition permit filed in May.

And that is what brings the tourists in!

When turning the corner to enter the cafe we walked into a thick, and pungent wall of odor emanating from the business across the street. I grew up in southwestern MN and have had my fair share of brushes with pig farming and even helped feed pigs at one time, but this was on a whole other level.

Never in my life have I been hit so hard with pig manure odor that I almost gagged! We quickly entered the cafe, but upon losing any sense of hunger we each held our breath and made a dash out of the cafe! (Some advice, do not hold your breath after breathing in an awful smell as it only increases the difficulty of getting that odor out of your throat and nose.) Falls park is an extremely wonderful experience for the senses, it would just be nice if one of the senses could be taken down a notch!

And that’s what keeps the visitors coming back, as my stepfather would say “Smells like money.”

I have often argued if we are ever going to re-develop our Downtown we need to eliminate the train traffic, JM’s and the Prison.

Time for a Public Ambulance Service

I’m kind of liking this Public Input at the informational meetings, you get to address topics when the initial presentations are done, and you don’t have to go to the 7 PM meetings and watch that circus (and last night was a doozy).

I spoke about the need for a Public Ambulance service since we are already paying the Fire Department to show up anyway, we might as well just give them ambulances and seal the deal (FF: 1:34).

Add it up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7y9yChV478

I’m blushing a bit, for the 2nd time in one night, a different television reporter decided to look into what I have been discussing, a lot of tax and fee increases (KELO-TV screenshot);

While this is just the beginning, absent was the compounding of taxes, fees, levees, etc. I’m pretty sure this will be the LAST time we hear about this on the TV screen.

On a unrelated note, I hung out with members of the Femmes at the Top Hat after their show at the Pavilion. They didn’t give me any tax solutions.

Sioux Falls City Council votes against Chamber and approves city flag

NOT the official flag of Sioux Falls

The city council, all 8 of them approved the city flag tonight, but some worried (Rick Kiley) that they would be stepping on the toes of the Chamber and their rebranding efforts.

As I reported back in May, the city, and now it seems that Chamber have been leading an effort to brand the city. Kiley brought it up in the discussion tonight. While this isn’t a bad idea, I wondered when the Chamber was going to bring the public into this discussion, you know, the people who fund this government and live here. Once again, the business elite in town want to decide what is best for us, without including us in the discussion.

Personally, I am offended that these back room discussions have been going on. I guess Sioux Falls is only your city if your Chamber membership is up to date and paid for.

County Votes against opt-out

Of course, my tax and spend liberal friend Jeff Barth voted for it (just ribbing you Jeff);

In a four to one vote, the Minnehaha County Commission voted not to increase property taxes in the county for next year.

Most of the county commissioners agreed Tuesday afternoon that the 2019 balanced budget is already set in stone, so there’s no need to worry taxpayers for now.

Commissioner Jeff Barth voted in favor of the opt out. Barth said the city needs to plan for the future and to keep up with inflation.

Just for the record, I’m sure Jeff said ‘COUNTY’ because, well, that’s who he works for, but either way I do appreciate the fiscal responsibility of the county. As I have stated several times, the commissioners need to have better control of the State’s Attorney’s office and control some of that spending. It was also a big win for the ACLU who opposed increased spending for locking up low-risk offenders which saves taxpayers money.