While we can talk about crime rates going up, traffic issues and lack of affordable housing in Sioux Falls and the MSA, we can also expect the price tag of public projects are going to rise as we continue to have record growth.
Last year the Top 20 building permit projects cost $240 million. Over 25% of those projects ($66.5 million) were public projects mostly paid for through fees and taxes.
We can brag about record building permits all we want, but let’s face the facts, this kind of record growth costs a lot of money.
I had said in a public forum 2 months ago that there will be a homicide in these budget motels,last week there was one.Next be sexual assaults following shoes on powerlines the the budget motels will be the projects by 2018
City contracts are awarded before a vote or council approval. There’s no bid process. The mayor announced the contractors for both the EC and Fish Bowl before the cost was known and before approvals. A true competitive bid process with council review would bring down city projects expenditure.
The worst scenario is the current contractor at risk process. The cost is extreme and (supposedly) the contractor does the project not to exceed. The mayor awards contracts and side steps the council via this process. This is how the Fish Bowl was handled but the contractor came back for more and got it. Therefore, contractor at risk is BS. Not only does it favor the mayor’s contractors, it excepts competitive bids. It’s a sophisticated scheme that deserves federal attention because it’s defined racketeering and corruption.