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!