Shared Use Rec Trail Study
l3wis This will be an interesting study showing wear future expansion would be for the shared use trail. There has been talk to try out a walking path between Paisley Park and Spencer Dog Park separate from the main path.
January 2024
Community Development Loans work!
As I was watching the planning preview for the city (FF: 5:00) they had on the housing specialist for the city and he talked about the continued success of community development loans (duh). He admitted those loans and endowment built from repayments is around $1 million a year. I have been saying for a long time the city needs to implement a pilot program targeting the neighborhoods in most need with community development loans. The housing guru also admitted that cleaning up current affordable housing stock is a lot cheaper then creating new spaces. (also duh)
I have often been baffled about a program that works so well doesn’t have millions thrown at it each year. As governor Hair Extensions would say, “Federal money has strings attached.” Yeah, they actually expect the programs to help PEOPLE and not just DEVELOPERS.
The city has had a tool for decades to clean up neighborhoods in this city and have only used kid gloves applying it. Why?! If something works, you run with it.
Does the City of Sioux Falls even have a code enforcement department anymore?
I have been complaining about the property at 15th and Cliff for well over a decade with ZERO results. I have implored the city’s code enforcement department, the county and city councilors with ZERO results. ZERO!
Just look at this dump I have been living next door to for 20 years.
A collapsed roof, a house that has been gutted for over a decade, two abandoned rentals with severe water damage, unlicensed vehicles, random junk, weeds, debris, fire hazards, homeless encampment and to top it all off, behind on their taxes.
What does it take for the city to take action? Really? Or even the county? Anybody? While the city chased after an almost completed mansion they let this property rot.
Do I think it is political? Kind of. I wouldn’t say the city is ignoring this because of me, but they have given up on code enforcement in many middle class neighborhoods like mine. The C-Store supposedly closed on 14th and Cliff because they were getting robbed so much, doesn’t help you have a salvage yard next to you.
If the property owner doesn’t want to sell (he has had many generous offers) fine, but please, get a bulldozer and some grass seed so I don’t have to look at your toilet anymore!
And as for the city, do your freaking job! Does the property have to go into nuclear meltdown before you will act?
Yeah, What Lalley said
I figured if I waited a few days into 2024 someone would do the heavy lifting for me. Pat Lalley with Siouxfallslive.com beat me to the punch when it comes for my hopes for this city and especially a mayor who seems to be oblivious to the benefits of open and transparent government;
Either way, the path to good government is not paved with insularity. Rather, it’s openness.
There have been too many instances when the administration appears askew, prone to done deals rather than public oversight.
The original parking lot mural, the botched sustainability plan, the secret contract to operate The Link, the Delbridge taxidermy collection, all these controversies boiled up in 2023 and all share a common thread, which is an effort to keep all the information from getting out, or doing deals in the dark.
That’s unfortunate because behind each project is something good, or at least solvable, in the light of day and with the benefit of public discourse.
It’s a painful process but necessary.
This metropolitan area faces several large challenges in the coming years from transportation to housing to economic segregation.
The leader of the largest government entity in the metro has a huge responsibility, not just to the financiers of growth, but to working class parents, new citizens and old, business owners large and small, clergy and unchurched, families of all shapes, shades and composition.
That really is the problem, this mayor and the past two have never been a mayor ‘of the people’. This is about special deals for special people, and the public can’t be privy to it. Over the past year I have needled several folks in the local media to pursue a suspicious real estate deal between a high ranking city official (privately held real estate) and one of the largest developers in the state. It wasn’t the sale of the property that was suspicious or even unethical, that was normal, it was the price tag. All of this is public records, but you can’t get even one of them to lift a finger to expose these folks.
While I do appreciate Lalley calling out the mayor, it will take a concerted effort by everyone in the local media to push back on this lack of transparency. You heard nothing from them when the SFPD turned off the scanners. Why?
We can’t hold government accountable if we don’t have a 4th estate that is willing to do it. So I applaud Lalley and other independent reporters like Megan Reposa who are willing to ask the hard questions and push the administration on answers.
Mysterious City of Sioux Falls Election contract and Conditional Use WTF?
During the city council meeting tonight they discussed the ordinance for Minnehaha County to provide election services for the Spring city election (Item #32).
Councilor Starr asked if the tabulation machines were going to be used, and the city clerk, Mr. Washington assured Starr they would be used, but seemed nervous about the details.
I guess the auditor of Lincoln and Minnehaha County had a meeting with our city clerk and whoever is in charge of elections for the unconstitutional school district to discuss the details. Little is known of what was discussed or decided. Hopefully by 2nd reading we will see just how the crazy train will run our next election.
WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT!
Item #25 was an appeal of a dog kennel permit in which Councilor Neitzert added conditional uses that would be ‘ENFORCEABLE’ if not followed. After further discussion by councilor Starr it was discovered that the city has no legal process to revoke a conditional use permit. In other words if you tell Bob’s Casino to put up a 6 foot fence and it falls down after 2 weeks and it is never put back up, there is NO process for the city to revoke the permit. Seems strange? Oh that’s right, we are only business friendly in Sioux Falls, not neighbor friendly.