Parks Survey Results
l3wis Here are the results to the Parks Survey: DOCUMENT
2019
UPDATE II: TenHaken Administration moving FAST & HARD on the State Theatre funding
UPDATE II: This is actually councilor Pat Starr’s amendment below. As I understand it to, the State Theatre folks have to prove they have raised $2.5 million before Denny or the City will give the money. Like I said, we need more questions answered;
As if we already forgot about the tactics of the last administration of Secret, Secret, Secret, RAMROD! The TenHaken team of perpetual intellectuals have decided they would pull a Bucktooth & Bowlcut move with the funding of the State Theatre.
If you look at the 1st Reading of the ordinance to fund the State, you will see there is ONLY a short ordinance (Item #16). There is NO contract attachment.
I asked a couple of city folks yesterday where the contract was that the council was supposedly helping to ‘tweak’. The administration’s answer? (or at least I think it is coming from one of them) is that they would work on that between the 1st and 2nd reading.
WTF?!
Aren’t these ‘minor’ details supposed to be worked out before you put something on the official agenda? And how is it that the administration is putting a budgetary expense on the agenda and NOT the council? There are many questions that need to be answered by the State Theatre folks before this money is handed over. It would be nice if everyone just cooled their jets before we get all the facts of the deal and an actual agreed upon contract. Trust me, we haven’t forgotten about the tactics of the last dude, so don’t even go there.
What ‘might’ have caused the fire at Elmwood?
While we still really haven’t heard what caused the Elmwood golf shed to burn to the ground (even though there has been conflicting stories about a completed investigation) I have heard what the ‘possible’ cause could be.
Apparently there have been problems with the battery chargers overheating with the particular models that Elmwood was using. Sometimes it’s installation, sometimes it is just a bad charger. I guess on these carts the battery chargers are a separate unit that have to be manually attached to the battery to charge them (unlike an electric car, like a Tesla, that has an onboard charger). If an overheating occurs, it is most likely the CHARGER not the BATTERY.
It will be interesting to see ‘IF’ we ever get a straight answer on what caused the fire. I’m sure the final paperwork will be filed with the Parks ‘No Mow’ list and Councilor Neitzert’s text message meme’s of Stehly.
City Council Agenda • July 9, 2019
Sioux Falls City Council Informational Meeting • 4 PM
Parks & Rec Comprehensive Plan Update & Code Enforcement Update
Sioux Falls City Council Regular Meeting • 7 PM
Item #15, 2nd Reading ordinance, Annual rate increase for ambulance service. I found it interesting that when Councilor Stehly asked the GM of the company at the informational meeting why there was certain spikes in service he said he didn’t know why. Well, isn’t that interesting. REMSA and Dr. Luther are in charge of keeping track of data throughout the year, and NO one in the room could answer a simple question? Hmmm?
Item #16, 1st Reading ordinance, $1.5 million in appropriations from the entertainment tax to the State Theatre. Trust me, I have no illusions that this freight train has left the building, I’m sure there will be a lot of questions about how it will work, but I think if there is ANY no votes on the 2nd reading, there will only be 1 or 2. What is frustrating is that the council was told last Tuesday they ‘had time’ to tweak the contract, a week later there is a 1st Reading already, and the money is coming from the Entertainment tax. Reminded me of a move the past mayor would pull, ramrod. Besides the fact that I would like to see the money instead come out of the Capital Fund as a one-time gift and no strings attached. I still struggle with Denny Sanford telling us how to spend taxpayer money. There are also some financial questions. Is the State Theatre up on all their bills and property taxes? They are registered with the IRS as a non-profit, public charity but there is NO listing with the SD SOS. How much has the State Theatre received in donations since it’s formation? How much has been spent on restoration? How much on operations and salaries? These are important questions that need answers before the money is given, I hope some on the city council have the courage to demand them!
Item #17, Resolution to place a sculpture. So the sculpture, Varietate Concordia is an interesting tale. Originally, the piece was at the end of Falls Park Drive but was removed after selling the land to an engineering firm. Somehow in that process, the brushed metal boxes surrounding the origami cranes will be removed;
WHEREAS, the four box structures will not be used. The artist will be allowed to take possession of the four old aluminum box structures as later agreed to by and between the parties at a mutually acceptable time and place at the sole expense and liability of the artist;
I am uncertain why the boxes are being removed and returned to the artist after he was paid for them. What is interesting is that it took TWO YEARS to track down a waiver from the artist. I’m not sure there is anything controversial about this, but it will be neat to hear how this all came about.
Is there a fix?
The Sioux Falls Home Rule charter is 25 years old this year and is showing growing pains. Sioux Falls has grown from a small pothole town to a medium sized pothole town with the size of each of the potholes increasing with it. The idea we can’t plan for a sustainable future is confirmed with every meeting our mayor and city council show up to. Our get rich quick on the backs of the citizens, shows we must have a City Council actually doing what the Home Rule Charter calls for it to do – SETTING POLICY.
Setting policy means the City Council is required to develop a long range plan with instructions for the Mayor to implement. These instructions are called Ordinances. The Mayor in most home rule charter cities must do what the City Council instructs but in our town the mayor tells the City Council what to do. Our processes are broken and broken bad. We hear it at every Tuesday City Council meeting. We heard it recently when a citizen showed up to say the mayor’s position must be redefined to stop the meddling.
We citizens have a BIG responsibility. We need to tell this City Council and all future City Councils what their responsibilities are. Â We need to tell this mayor and all future mayors what their responsibilities are. How do we do this?
Right now there are monthly meetings being held to make it look like decisions to improve the home rule charter. As we have watched over the last few election cycles, nothing is going to happen except screw us more. The Charter Revision Commission will hear testimony about how wonderful everything is in each part of the Charter and then move on to the next area. If a citizen shows up to talk about a problem with a part of the Charter, the Chair will sometimes say thank you to the person and then completely ignore the recommendation. Our city election of 2018 is a prime example of total dysfunction, with all our problems every idea was thrown away.
Our Charter was designed to be a Strong Council – Strong Mayor form of government and it has the marks of failure because the mayors we have had subvert the will of the people and their representatives by sitting on the council. Just look at the disastrous $70 million dollar parking ramp deal passed by an out of control mayor and his dysfunctional friends on the City Council to see we have lost our way.
There is talk around town of doing something about the problems our dysfunctional Charter has. What ideas do you have? Some have called for eliminating the Charter altogether, changing to City Manager form, making the mayor a ceremonial position with no veto or Council vote, going back to the Commission form or a mix of the above. What do you think?
Personally, I think it is time citizens took matters into their own hands.