February 2020

City of Sioux Falls removes CityLink viewer on city website

l3wis February 3, 2020 4Comments

After just a few short months the city has removed the CityLink viewer on the city’s main website. I actually applauded the move for people who don’t have cable television. I’m not sure why it was taken down, but I do know they were having problems with the software last Tuesday. The search engine hasn’t been working well on the city website either.

For all the money we spend on our city website each year (I think it is around $30K a year, which is ironic, my hosting fees cost around $100 a year) you would think it would work? We constantly hear about all the technology our city is investing in, but they can’t get the city website to function properly.

Kids, web development and maintaining a site like this isn’t rocket science, as I have mentioned in the past, the city could actually just copy code from other city websites like Omaha, which I think functions very well. They could also receive free hosting on YouTube for ALL public meetings (instead of just propaganda).

I don’t believe for one moment that these failures are due to ignorance or lack of talent to create such a site, I think it is being done on purpose to make it harder for folks to get information from the city and force them onto Facebook or Twitter to get their information. It should not work that way. All citizens who fund our city website should be able to go to THAT site and get all the information they want or need, including videos and important documents.

When a cluster like this is created, it can only be done on purpose, NO one is that incompetent.

Developers Development Downtown Sioux Falls SF City Council Sioux Falls TIFs

Sioux Steel TIF passes

l3wis February 3, 2020 1Comments

It passed 7-0 (Stehly absent). There of course were pie in the sky statements made, like how we are going to get huge property tax revenue from it – 20 YEARS FROM NOW! They also talked about how they could have asked for $50 million, but they didn’t – how nice of them.

They also falsely stated their is NO cost to the city. Uh, yes there is. We are missing out on millions of tax revenue over the next 20 years, we are going to spend $10 million on the river greenway that fronts this development, which is beneficial to them. They also did not mention that it competes with our taxpayer funded convention center. But lastly, when big private developments get tax rebates like this, the rest of us have to supplement them. So YES their is a taxpayer expense here. You also have to remember here, in a world that constantly talks about ‘Socialism’ this is exactly what this is. A $21 million dollar tax rebate to a private business is ‘Socialism’ and developer welfare.

I still believe the Bunker Ramp was stopped from moving forward because of this TIF and development. I haven’t been able to connect the dots yet, but it is highly suspicious that we stop the construction of a DT hotel then turn around and give this development a TIF. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

So now we have two parking ramps we don’t need that were directly and indirectly funded by taxpayers. I knew the council would support this, and it proves what I have known for a very long time, there isn’t one iota of fiscal responsibility when it comes to our city’s elected official’s decisions, it’s just more of sticking it to the little guy. Thanks for nothing!

Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls

Mayor TenHaken, once again, is violating charter by proposing surplus expenditures

l3wis February 3, 2020 2Comments

This is clearly the job of the city council NOT the mayor’s office;

Paying cash instead of borrowing for Sioux Falls’ next fire station, replacing the ski lift at Great Bear and repairing more roads are priorities for the mayor’s office as it looks to spend some leftover dollars from last year’s budget.
Mayor Paul TenHaken told the Argus Leader on Monday that he’ll ask the City Council to expedite several infrastructure projects using nearly $6.2 million in capital surplus funds while setting aside another $1.7 million in City Hall’s rainy-day fund.

Sure, his department heads should put together a list of needs, but that list should have been handed off to the council to make the decision in a work session. The rumor going around is that 3 of the RS5 met quietly with the mayor to concoct this proposal, and the others were blindsided by this.

When is this city (current mayor and council and past administrations) going to realize the separation of powers? It’s the mayor’s job to manage the city and abide by the rules and expenditures set forth by the council with guidance from department heads. If the mayor is going to do both jobs – why even have a council? Why not just declare him King so we can all do other things on Tuesday nights?

Alex Jensen Cynthia Mickelson Elections Greg Neitzert Julian Beaudion SF City Council SF School District

Will Mickelson have a challenger for Sioux Falls School Board?

l3wis February 2, 2020 1Comments

Sioux Falls School Board President Cynthia Mickelson currently does NOT have a challenger for the seat. As I have mentioned before, there is only one official race for the April 14th School Board/City Council election, the race in the Northwest District between Neitzert and Beaudion.

There are 3 other council seats up for re-election.

While I do suspect Alex Jensen will have a challenger for the At-Large position, I’m not sure the other 3 races will see any challengers.

Mickelson steamrolled her way into the seat spending an unprecedented $16K for the seat, even placing signs in the Tea School District. I find it ironic that Cynthia serves on the SFSD board while her husband is busy wreaking questionable havoc on the environment with his CAFO business, while costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees for pushing unconstitutional laws against petition gatherers. Of, course, many would say, that has nothing to do with Cynthia, but if you look at her donor list from when she ran the first time, I think it is very relevant.

There continues to be a Monarchy in Sioux Falls and South Dakota, and I think Cynthia’s title as Board President should be changed to Dutchess of Schools.

Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls

Mayor TenHaken tells peeps to stop contacting him and councilors about potholes

l3wis February 2, 2020 6Comments

Does this guy even understand how a representative government works? Well first you would have to show up to the office a few days a week.

While I agree with him using an app, or the city website to report potholes is a good idea, it doesn’t always work, especially with government. Sometimes the good old fashion way of calling or emailing an elected official gets results. Besides, isn’t that their job? Representing us and getting results? I can see PTH’s 2022 campaign, ‘Re-Elect TenHaken, there’s an app for that!”

City of Sioux Falls removes CityLink viewer on city website

Sioux Steel TIF passes

Mayor TenHaken, once again, is violating charter by proposing surplus expenditures

Will Mickelson have a challenger for Sioux Falls School Board?

Mayor TenHaken tells peeps to stop contacting him and councilors about potholes

You Missed

The Year in Review, oh, and Merry Christmas!

UPDATE: Why is the city lending a religious organization $500K?

F’ing USD

Sioux Falls is hostile towards bicyclists and peds