I attended the Sioux Falls City Council informational meeting and testified at the end during public input.
The council had a presentation on the replacement of the cornice and parapet on the roof of the Pavilion. I won’t revisit that.
Several councilors, including councilor Erickson leading the charge pretty much said that the parapet probably doesn’t need to be replaced, and the architects admitted that it really doesn’t harm the historical designation.
I appreciate the honesty.
Then Rick Kiley opened his mouth. He said that he thinks people do care about the parapet replacement. Not sure if he took that poll from his butt, but I’m sure it wasn’t scientific.
During public input I reminded the council;
• The Washington Pavilion has taken the lion’s share of the entertainment tax for over 20 years.
• That tax should have sun-setted after the bonds were paid off, taking $10 million a year out of our private entertainment economy.
• The Pavilion’s attendance numbers haven’t really increased that much over the past 21 years.
• Why doesn’t the Pavilion raise money for capital improvements privately? The Zoo has raised millions for capital projects privately (taxpayers own the Zoo – just like we own the Pavilion).
• The roof and parapet should have been fixed when remodeling the facility, not 21 years later.
But what I said at the end was that Rick Kiley thinks people care about the project. I told him that most people don’t even know this discussion is going on, and most people don’t even know what the parapet is or that it is even exists, I stressed that while people are dodging pot holes in this city, they ‘don’t give a rip’ about parapets.