2019

City of Sioux Falls announces this morning transit system going to shuttle service

Not sure if this will be a short term experiment, but the Innovation office announced this morning in a DTSF meeting (According to councilor Stehly) that they are going to an on demand shuttle service using phone aps.

While I know they have been discussing this for places that are NOT served well by the bus routes, I don’t think going ALL shuttle service would be a good idea. You are going to still need fixed routes, and what about people with NO phones?

Also, what would be the cost of eliminating full-size buses and moving to shuttles?

It will be interesting to hear the details of the plan. I guess we will find out in an informational in July.

Should ‘ALL’ Sioux Falls City Councilor emails be considered confidential?

I have been of the opinion that city correspondence should be public record unless it is addressing legal counsel, personnel or discussing possible legislation.

City councilors have been sharing discussion emails with the media and this blog for well over a decade. Since the council’s email and use of it is taxpayer owned property, there really isn’t any harm in sharing discussion emails with the public, I would even argue it is our right to see it.

Lately there has been some internal discussions on the council whether or not sharing discussion emails is appropriate. Not only is it OK it is essential to open government and seeing what our council is doing. This is also a reason why texting during the meetings should not be allowed. Any correspondence during these meetings, whether through a text or email should either not be allowed by ordinance or shared with the public since it seems to be a part of the public hearing.

It’s hard to ‘Leak’ confidential information to the public if it’s NOT confidential to begin with.

Let’s do it!

Okay, this is just in jest. But I pitched this idea to some of my friends. We have bacon, beer, BBQ and chislic festivals, why not CABBAGE?! I consider myself a cabbage lover, as someone of German, Irish, French, Russian, Swiss and Czech decent, cabbage runs through my blood. And it is delicious. I have even joked that SD Chamber President, David Owens should be the honorary chair (he hates cabbage).

Just think of all the different dishes you could serve! Coleslaw, and lots of it! Soups, pigs in a blanket, the list goes on and on! Let’s do it!

Sioux Falls City Council Agenda • June 11, 2019

Council Informational Meeting • 4 PM

We have a lot of great presentations, but no supporting documents yet;

• Daycare registration

• Emerald Ash Bore (still waiting for my stump to be ground)

• City Council Budget Update

Regular Council Meeting • 7 PM

Just to warn you, the newly elected council chair, Selberg will be running the meeting. Which is interesting, especially since there is some controversial stuff on the agenda (we will get to that).

Item #6, Approval of Contracts/Agreements. $22 Million for main pump station replacement. Seems appropriate on a ‘consent’ agenda.

Item #7, Change Order, another $119K for the failed HVAC system at the City Center. Still wondering who is paying for this F’ck Up?

Item #16, 1st Reading. Ordinance, E-Bicycle changes. It seems, and maybe I am wrong, that the city is going to allow any kind of E-Bikes on the trails. Waiting for more details.

Item #17, 1st Reading, Ordinance, so I guess the city is trying to play a little game of ignoring state law by requiring pawn shop owners to collect serial numbers of ALL merchandise, not just guns. In an essence not calling them ‘gun dealers’ anymore but just peddlers of merchandise, which includes guns. I guess this has infuriated the gun nut chucklers and they have been bombarding the mayor’s office with commentary. They don’t like it that he is going against his neo-con, 2nd amendment base. But I never thought he was that. I have always felt he was just another marketing guru like the last guy, and could care less about those philosophies, he cares more about money. It will be interesting to see who shows up Tuesday night to debate this ordinance. I think I will watch from home 🙂 I suggested the city do the same thing with an ordinance that charge residents a fine if they have guns stolen from an unlocked car, but instead of saying ‘guns’ use the word ‘weapons’.

Item #18, Resolution to have diagonal parking at 9th and Main. I guess a compromise was negotiated on Friday.

Item #19, Resolution to increase taxes on cable service. This will likely pass since the RS5 would never miss an opportunity to raise your taxes. Ever.

Item #20, Resolution, the infamous ‘Boulevard Tax’. Residents who live on the McKennan Park 21st Boulevard pay extra in frontage fees to have the city maintain the center boulevard. So why can’t we just raise everyone’s frontage fees just a few cents to help pay for project trim?

Item #21, Resolution, We are beginning one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in the history of our city. Something that should have been started 4-5 years ago, but Bowlcut & Bucktooth needed to build his palaces of pleasure which have turned into palaces of pain.

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