Sioux Falls City Council not told about important events

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So yesterday the Chamber of Commerce sends out notices of events. Two important events pop up;

May 7, Groundbreaking of Downtown Parking Ramp &

May 10, Administration Building Ribbon Cutting

I asked 3 city councilors today if they knew about the obvious last minute events before Mike leaves office. None of them had heard anything before I told them.

Keeping it transparent all the way to the end.

No wonder the mayor didn’t want to take questions at Dem Forum today. Oh, but one lady did ask one after the mayor said the per capita debt in SF is lower then the rest of the region. This lady yells out quickly, “What is that amount?” And Mike replies, “I don’t know.”

May 15th can’t come soon enough.

Sioux Falls Chamber supports the release of Events Center siding report

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Like most of the city council and most citizens, the Chamber thinks it is a good idea to release that report;

One final issue that lingers is whether the siding, as it exists, is doing its job and protecting the building as it should. While city professionals noted that there are no structural threats to the building, the Council is asking for confirmation from an external source. We would like to see the administration provide the requested confirmation to put the issue of structural integrity to rest. It appears the Council will continue this discussion at a future date.

While I agree the report should be released, I’m afraid that it probably wasn’t a ‘complete’ report that really shines a light on what is truly going on with the siding. As I have told people in the past, I could care less what the building looks like, it is what it is, my primary concern is whether the siding is ‘weather proof’ enough that the holes and open seams in the siding are not causing damage underneath.

I think to be proactive in future maintenance of the building the council should request their OWN report from an outside source that has no connections with Mortenson or other sub contractors who worked on the project. And even if that report costs up to $60K, it is still worth the ounce of prevention. If there are issues, we can budget for the maintenance in the future. Transparency, at least this time, will save taxpayers money.

I know that Rex Rolfing and Mayor Huether think that nobody is ‘talking about it’ but I would beg to differ. Denial is a tragic thing.

This is a good start, but can you fill in the blanks?

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I guess the CVB has been listening to my requests for economic impact of the Events Center and other entertainment venues in the city;

“When there’s something big going on in town, people are at gas stations, filling up their cars to drive home.  They’re eating in the restaurants.  They’re shopping all over the town,” Schmidt said.

All of this made for a lucrative 2016.  Schmidt says concerts, plays, sporting events, conventions — you name it — brought nearly $500 million into the city.

Hey this is great, but without details, it’s just all fluff. I would like to see the formula the CVB used to come to these conclusions, I would also not only like to see the sales figures of the EC but of all the entertainment venues. We own, operate, take care of and pay the mortgages of these facilities, we have a right to see the numbers.

This story was just a teaser that leaves me with more questions.

Odds & Ends; Sutton the Liberal? Hole in One & the ‘appearance’ of diversity

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Just some misc crap that has been piling up;

Billie Sutton is a liberal? LOL!

It seems Pitty knows the difference between liberals and moderates like he knows the difference between frozen and fresh fish;

When the state Democrat organization is controlled by the hard liberal left, it’s going to be hard for Billie Sutton to convince anyone that a Democrat ran State Goverment would be in their best interest.

Part of the problem with the SD Democratic Party is the fact that NO liberals, or heck even moderate progressives exist in the party’s leadership anymore. Sutton has consistently voted with the Republicans on tax increases and other legislation, instead of standing up to them. I would almost classify him as a right leaning moderate, kind of a fake Democrat and certainly not a liberal. Pitty is right about one thing, electing Sutton as Governor wouldn’t be much different then having a Dauguard Part II.

Is Sioux Falls looking for a new golf management company?

For several years (over 20?) Dakota Golf Management has managed our city courses (Elmwood, Kuehn Park and Prairie Green). The contract runs dry or up for renewal next year(?). Great Life has sparked interest in managing the courses, and other management companies have also expressed interest. The city (Parks Department) has also expressed interest in opening up the RFQ process.

While this is all just fine and dandy, with all the fine 6-figure a year wages paid towards management in the parks department, the task of picking a new golf management company was just too hard of a task for Kernal Korn Kearney and crew, they are hiring a private consultant to help them pick the new management company. I guess math is hard for parks people, who knew?

Was the SF Chamber planning a ‘diversity’ council to change the ‘perception’ of how Sioux Falls treats minorities?

Not sure, because it has either been shelved, terminated or put on hold. Apparently, our new Chamber director, Jason Ball, thought it may be a good idea for the Chamber to head up a diversity council. Hey, it IS a good idea! The problem? Rumor has it, it wasn’t created to actually help minorities get a head in the community, it was created to change the ‘perception’ of how minorities are being treated in Sioux Falls. Once some minority leaders in the community found out the Chamber was planning such a council, they offered to help. The problem? They were ‘too’ minority colored for the almost 99% white male council that was picked by Mr. Ball. So before the rainbow colored poo-poo hit the fan, Jason decided to put the project on hold. Good idea, we wouldn’t want the perception about Gingers in community leadership positions to have their reputations tarnished.

Mayor Mike has lunch with YPN

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Bring a bag lunch and listen to Mayor Mike Huether talk about the things he has learned while he has been the leader of Sioux Falls. He will update us about what is happening in the city, his goals for his remaining time in office, and leave it open for some Q&A time so we can ask anything we want to know about the city’s latest developments!

Make sure to RSVP to save your spot at this great event!

I wonder if CityLink will be hauling their cameras to the event? Wonder what that will cost? Be curious to hear ‘What he learned’ It certainly hasn’t been open government.