City Council Informational, 4 PM
It looks like they just have open discussion and public input followed by an executive session.
City Council Regular Meeting, 7 PM
Item #7, Approval of Contracts,
Sub Item 3, $40K for a Digital Inclusion Consultant
Agreement for the City to partner with an outside firm to help develop a comprehensive digital inclusion plan. You got me on this one?
Sub Item 26, $225K for the Convention Center to market conventions in the midst of a pandemic, to coordinate marketing of a Fall and Winter
Event Promotion in the City of Sioux Falls. That seems like a good use of taxdollars 🙁
Item #23, Beer and Wine License for West Mall 7. Since the council approved the license for the State Theatre, it will be interesting to see how they vote on this a 2nd time (I guess this item is getting moved to October).
Item #28, 2nd Reading, Property Tax increase. While the council is considering another TIF later in the agenda, they are raising taxes on the rest of us with a down economy and a pandemic raging.
Item #36, 1st Reading, Changes to Committee meetings;
The city council may assign or refer any policy question to a city council committee for its study, consideration, and/or recommendation. A city council committee cannot convene a meeting unless three or more of its members are present. All agendas for the city council committee meetings shall be posted with at least 24 hours’ notice.
Item #37, 1st Reading, Bump Back Ordinance;
Any appointed officer within fire or police or any other appointive officer holding an appointive office on or before December 31, 2015, who at the time of his or her appointment thereto, was in the civil service of the city shall, upon his or her removal from appointive office, be returned to his or her former position and pay as an employee of the city, and the period of his or her tenure as an appointive officer shall be included in his or her civil service rights. This provision does not apply to any appointive officer who has been removed from appointive office for any reason that would warrant a demotion, suspension, or discharge of any employee who is subject to this chapter.
I’m extremely against this. If you can’t make it as an appointed director, a job that you accepted, you should not be REWARDED for your failures by keeping you employed by the city. In the real world it doesn’t work that way. This was attempted by the council once before and failed by a tie vote of the council. I think they have the 6 votes this time around. More coddling of city directors at taxpayer’s expense.
Item #38, Resolution, Budget Adoption. I’m not sure if there will be any amendments to this or not. But it is a ridiculous budget in the face of a downturn in the economy. But hey, we could have saved $100K on the band.
Item #39, Resolution, TIF proposal #23. This is probably one of the most egregious TIF’s I have ever seen, basically open-ended. I am also wondering when they will withdraw TIF #22 since the Sioux Steel project is on hold. Maybe they will just sit on it for over a decade like they did with the land for Lloyd companies to build the Cascade apartments?
Item #40, Resolution,
That the City Council Chair and Vice Chair are hereby authorized to appoint a task force to study and recommend a long-term strategy that fosters a financially sustainable Sioux Falls Municipal Band.
So after 100 years they finally decide to appoint a task force to look into changes for the band?! That’s government hard at work for you!
“‘While the council is considering another TIF later in the agenda, they are raising taxes on the rest of us with a down economy and a pandemic raging.'”
“I think we’re in the wrong business”…..
I sure hope they are saving the band in the budget. It’s a wonderful band, and a good deal for the city. It hasn’t seemed right this summer without band concerts in Terrace Park on Sunday nights. And I’m sure each and every nursing home has missed its evening with the band.
I almost never attended a municipal band concert. Given the attention, I would and often. Their outdoor concerts at a park with social distancing would be good entertainment during the pandemic and economic downturn.
How about cut from Parks (75 employees) or City Attorney (20 employees) instead. Either is over staffed and over budgeted.
If you can afford bond payments on Denty and Bath House entertainment, (idle because of indoor pandemic rules), you can afford $100k for outdoor music.
As for the band, I think what many citizens are missing here is exactly the comments Tim Stenga mentioned a week or two ago.
“Seems to be the norm that people only speak up when their most gracious commodities are being threatened to be removed from public funding, whereas they are silent when the city attempts to spend more money, take our rights away, or place mandates on us”
I agree with Tim here – the BAND was and always was a side issue here. There was never any threat of not defunding the band. The MAYOR and this COUNCIL played the people like a fool.
Think of this – why would they defund the band stating we are losing money, then propose spending $600 million dollars in 2021 an increase of $50,000,000 million dollars. Are they really worried about $120,000 in spending?
Second Point – a glance at our C.A.F.R shows that our total “tax revenues” equate to $350-400,000,000 million per year. This means that $200,000,000 million comes from Federal/State Loans, Bonds, Re-Financing the Debt, Interest, Cash Savings from Overstating the Budget, to yes – GRANTS and SUBSIDIES.
This COUNCIL has NO BACK BONE, has no leg to stand on, and they just showed themselves this past week on how corrupt they can be.
Someone should file a “Complaint” on the entire CITY of Sioux Falls to the State of South Dakota for becoming a corrupt form of government, this would present evidence to the State, and the State could within the Statutes revoke its HOME RULE CHARTER.
This CITy really does NOT know how to cut back on spending.
Now – something I have said for 12 months – with the NEW PARKING RAMP, the goal all along was to SELL the PARKING LOTS for cash, put the money back into the Treasury to cover the bonds, let alone – promote economic and land development by selling the parking lots. I would also safely bet, T.I.F’s will be used as well.
REMEMBER – THERESA STEHLY posed the question a few months ago. “Is there any plan to sell parking lots to help produce capital to pay off bonds, let alone maintain the Parking Fund.
Any CAPITAL raised by selling these lots should go back to the PARKING FUND since the USERS paid for them.
Do not get me started on SIOUX STEEL. That property is a historical property, there are land claims involved, and LLOYD COMPANIES lied about the West Channel not being a natural water way. That property should given back to the people as a NATURAL PARK. I wll not let that issue go easily.
– Mike Zitterich
i’d bet all ur band monies that the new cop playground gets used by other city/state cops, and non-cops for weapons/paramilitary militias/volunteer training.