Besides the fact that our city council and mayor’s office is on cruise control, our legal department is being ran by lazy numbskulls.
Just listen to the common sense legal advice from Mitchell’s City Attorney Justin Johnson;
“If we don’t put anything in place, then it is essentially the Wild West. I think it is important we get our regulations in the books even if we have to come back and make changes down the road,†Johnson said. “There is importance in getting our regulations in place before the state laws become effective, and the zoning side of things will determine where these types of businesses can be located and operate.â€
Yeah! What a concept, making changes later (if they have to) and having something in place so there isn’t chaos on July 1st.
I’ve lost all confidence in the supposed legal advice our city attorney gives, heck, he doesn’t even understand the 1st Amendment and prior restraint. I think it is pretty embarrassing and frankly egregious that towns like Yankton and Mitchell can figure out this simple law (which is spelled out in the initiative that passed into law) but for some reason in Minnehaha County and Sioux Falls we are too busy having secret meetings with our lobbyist (Municipal League) to find ways to kick the can down the road instead of facing reality.
If Commissioner Barth didn’t go to the media and myself, we would have never heard a peep from Councilor Neitzert and his secret endeavors and his hatred towards open government. At least we still have a handful of elected officials in local government who are willing to blow the whistle, it’s just too bad we have to look to local officials in much smaller cities for legislating common sense. Time to turn off the cruise control Paul and start being a mayor.