How sadly mistaken Mike is. If he thinks this will go away after a steaming hot cup of coffee and a Bill Cosby Shrine bagel at Bagel Boy, he really does drink his own kool-aid (and not coffee).
The same question I have been getting all day, “Why are we getting a million dollars for something that doesn’t need fixing?” Even people on the KSFY poll (below) are wondering.
(Photo of EC with rainbow was taken at about 6 PM tonight by South DaCola foot soldier ‘Lil’ Bill)
Surprise! Surprise! At 11 AM today, City Attorney Fiddle-Faddle announced a behind the door settlement with contractors over the EC siding debacle. While that is all well and good on their part to cover their tales, it does a gigantic disservice to the taxpayers by not letting us in on the terms of the settlement, which he refuses to release.
It stinks.
Mark Cotter said the siding will not be replaced and the 20 year warranty stands. He also goes on to say there is nothing structurally wrong with it. Where’s the proof Mark? Your word? Show us the consultant report. Prove it in writing and pictures! So why is the city getting this money? If there is ‘nothing’ wrong with the siding and it has a 20 year warranty, why would any contractor agree to settle? I guess the money will be put in the EC construction fund for future projects. I have a better idea, FIX THE SIDING.
We are missing a lot of information here that is just not adding up, I am still confused why this must be a closed settlement case (taxpayer money) and why anyone would pay a settlement when they are not going to fix anything with the settlement money.
In natural BS mode the Mayor claimed that he hasn’t received one single email or complaint about the aestethics of the siding, just that people said ‘let’s move on.’ He also goes on to claim we have 175K people living in Sioux Falls. I guess we gree 5000 people in just a couple of months.
Hopefully our mainstream media will dig into the settlement agreement.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PTnjqkDVaA[/youtube]
The view of the White Cliffs of Dover from France were never as clear as the bluffs you can see in this press event held in the old Commission Chamber in the Sioux Falls City Hall on September 2, 2015.
The city attorney and administration are playing a game to hurt a local company over the wants and desires of out of state contractors.
It just more passing the buck with the lemonade made from the old lemons before they rot.
I also see BM over at Stormland TV took a break from reporting about sick kids and trans-cheerleading and decided to do a story about the Fiddle Faddle bluff, but then he starts talking about church roofs from 10 years ago. Yeah, because they have a lot to do with sheet metal siding and a publicly funded facility. The kill the messenger campaign has begun.
*I would also like to comment on David’s choice of the word ‘adverse’. If the city attorney’s office or this administration had at least one ounce of courage, they would have been transparent with the taxpayers from the beginning. There would be no speculation, or adverse or inaccurate information out there. Instead, they have done everything behind closed doors even trying to compile a settlement in the dark of night and away from a court room. As far as I am concerned, whether it is cosmetic or structural, it is a bad install and should be fixed at the cost of the general contractor. Stop bullshitting us for just a couple of minutes for once, and you never have to worry about negative press.
In one of the most bizarre legal moves by the city of Sioux Falls, they plan to take legal action against an Events Center contractor that WAS not the installer of the siding (DOC: ec-siding-lit)
Dalsin operations manager Jared Kuik has said his company didn’t design, specify or install the panels in question on the west side of the event center and shouldn’t be held responsible for the bulging appearance. Dalsin has filed liens against city proceeds that haven’t been paid out yet for the design and construction of the center, including $452,277.24 for labor and materials and $87,346.84 for work on roof repairs at the Convention Center.
Head scratcher, right? The only way I think this could be possible is if M.J. Dalsin subcontracted the work to be done by McGrath or if Mortenson did? Don’t know, because once again, transparency is NOT on our side;
The news conference lasted only a few minutes, and Pfeifle said his office, city councilors and staff, and the mayor would not discuss the matter because of pending litigation that was commencing immediately.
Which is also bizarre because if they file the suit today with the clerk of courts, it becomes public record, so not sure what everyone needs to keep their mouths shut about? I hope to attain the paperwork after it is filed. Should be some juicy stuff in their.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry when I read this;
Heather Hitterdal, communications specialist for the city of Sioux Falls, said Friday that Mayor Mike Huether sent formal invitations to Obama and Buffett, but neither is able to attend because of prior commitments.
As many of you may not know, we have to go back into the way-back machine on this project to explain my fat belly laughter I got from this supposed invitation. First off, this project was initiated by Mayor Munson (who is out of town and will not be in attendance today, I am told). At the time, I liked the idea, we would have been moving most of the tracks out of downtown (isn’t this the real reason we should be supporting the project?) Instead, we are handing over $27 million of pork to the RR. Getting polluted land that we may be able to sell for $2-3 million when it is all said and done, and MORE train traffic in other parts of downtown, including just a few blocks from my house next to Avera where there is another switching/staging yard that will still remain with two tracks still running parallel to the 10 acres we purchased. In other words, for those of us who live, work, and travel downtown, we may be experiencing more headaches just so we can free up 10 acres for a parking lot.
Besides the fact this is an obvious boondoggle for the Railroads, this project has morphed into many different monsters over the course it took. There was a big push to move the project along during the debate over the Events Center location. See, these 10 acres would have made a perfect spot for an Events Center parking lot, and with the contamination, it is probably all it is good for anyway. The idea was simple, build the EC next to Cherapa, move the RR project forward and use the land for parking. We would not have had to deal with selling the land or worried about potential cleanup. The group that was behind Build it Downtown were so adamant about their idea for parking, rumor has it, one of the members was able to arrange a very brief meeting with Warren Buffet in hopes it would move the project along a little faster. The city of Omaha was able to garner such a meeting with Mr. Buffet when they wanted to move some tracks, and Warren said, get-R-done. I’m not sure who was all invited, but I do know that Buffet agreed to the meeting (that never happened) because one of the main players that needed to be at this meeting declined to attend. We will let you speculate who that may be.
Like I said, I know very little about the details, and maybe this is all folklore and such, but if it isn’t, it sure makes the mayor’s invitation ironically funny.
Visually Interesting and amazingly deafening
Speaking of boondoggles, let’s talk siding, you know that stuff clinging to the Events Center for dear life.
For the record, I KNOW NOTHING. I have heard about 4 versions of what is being done, and to tell you the truth, not sure what to think of any of them, so I will keep those conclusions to myself.
The reason I mention the siding (in another ironic move today by the mayor) while everyone will be celebrating the big $27 million dollar pork sandwich to the Railroads today, today is, as I understand, the year anniversary of the city taking over occupancy of the Events Center (or maybe it is tomorrow?). In other words, the hammer on the EC siding mediation needs to come down this week. Like I said, I have many opinions of what should happen (ideally be replaced and paid for by Mortenson) I am clear about one thing; whatever is decided, the public should be told in an open meeting, and the council should vote on a resolution to approve the decision (or not to). At the end of the day, it is really about transparency and the public deserves to know who is responsible for signing off on the siding for our $180 million dollar investment. We’ll see how the administration and Fiddle Faddle play their fiddles on this one.