Coming this summer in Downtown Sioux Falls? It’s looking that way. With two homeless individuals being beaten to death within a year, ironically in the same location (next to the Dud) and the steady migration from other communities we will have a banner year. This morning I was at Sunshine at 7 AM and there was 12 men between the ages of 25-50 and it was pretty obvious what they were up to, drinking their breakfast. And as the weather has gotten warmer over the past week I have noticed the groups are becoming more frequent. This is what happens folks when you have city leadership (Directors, SFPD, Council and Mayor) bury their heads in the sand, and now we are building fences, I guess so people don’t beat each other’s heads in on the Dud property. God Help Us!
I was told they got between 500-1000 sigs, which surprised me, because I didn’t think they would get that many. I truly believe if Sioux Falls voters were polled about keeping the collection 80%+ would say they don’t care if it gets given away. Which is unfortunate because science and art are important, not to mention we are giving away a priceless collection of mounts. But people care more about the price of eggs and who wins an Oscar then they do about history.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem‘s legal team hit a South Dakota media outlet with a cease-and-desist letter demanding that it correct and end its knowingly “false and misleading” reporting that Noem allegedly racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars on a government-issued credit card when she served as governor, Fox News Digital has learned.
“On behalf of former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in her personal capacity, I write out of concern that your website continues to publish false and misleading information about my client that you have known to be false since at least July 2024,” an attorney representing Noem in her personal capacity said in a letter to the co-founders of a South Dakota outlet called The Dakota Scout. The letter was obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“Specifically, your website repeatedly, and inaccurately, refers to all charges on credit cards used by the Office of the Governor of South Dakota as charges of my client—allowing a conclusion by multiple commenters on the site and other news outlets that my client violated the laws of South Dakota or stole taxpayer funds for her personal use,” it continued. “We demand that The Dakota Scout immediately cease spreading these false, misleading, and inaccurate statements and take immediate and significant steps to correct past inaccuracies.
Reading a FOX news story is like reading a 7th grader’s book report, either way, when I have read all the stories about her hair and nail receipts it seemed clear to me she was spending the money on her staff. But that is NOT what is in question, the question is why were you racking up these CC bills so your staff could travel with you? The taxpayers of SD shouldn’t have to foot the bill so your Trump ass-kissing entourage can parade all over the US. I’m sure the DS will fight this, but Noem’s law firm is pretty tough at this stuff. I think it would be ironic if the suit bankrupts the fledgling paper and the county commission, city council and school district have to grovel back to the Argus to print their legals. I’m sure the Argus would be happy to oblige, but I am guessing under a whole new rate.
SIOUX FALLS CITY COUNCIL GETS ROLLED BY THE MAYOR ON DUD FENCE
At the council meeting Tuesday night I spoke during public input (2:20:00) after Jordan Deffenbaugh spoke about the lack of policy leadership and transparency of the current council (47:30). I also told the council they need their own outside counsel (law firm) to write policy and they should put a line in next year’s budget for the expenditure. I knew it was going to be 8 yes votes. First off, because the council is extremely predictable and when I texted councilors to please vote no, I got no response, so I knew how this was going down. They act like they need unity on all votes, you don’t. I told them solving the problems of the city doesn’t take unity between councilors and the mayor it is about solving problems and sometimes you have to vote NO and start over. Many constituents including myself know this was cooked up by the mayor’s office and not dropped in councilor’s laps until the Thursday before the meeting, and let’s just say they weren’t happy about it. If I was them, I would have all voted NO and told the mayor that they will come up with a better solution within 30 days. Grow a sack already council.
WHY IS A NON-PROFIT PROVIDING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LOANS?
I received a postcard in the mail recently from Habitat for Humanity asking me to apply for this program. Someone asked me how I would have received this. I said, I worked in direct mail for 30 years and you can buy a list for anything. So I am sure they purchased a mailing list that had homeowners in a certain income bracket, and that would certainly be me, LOL. While I appreciate this program, it had me thinking, why isn’t the city mailing out postcards for their similar program thru the Feds of community development loans? The premise is the same, help with needed home repairs. There is a reason we had to but a fence around the Dud, there is NO affordable housing in Sioux Falls and the places that are affordable are falling apart.
Many people showed up to the meeting last night to find out what the real reason there needs to be this ‘lease’. Jordan Deffenbaugh attended the meeting, and his summary is below. I heard from a reliable city official that the plan is to move the Dud to the West side of town near the new Banquet. This neighborhood of course is no better off financially then Whittier (many trailer parks). While it would move people out of downtown, it would just create a problem for this neighborhood. I just shake my head with the lack of vision and foresight our city and non-profit leaders have, just to build a CC we don’t want. I think this is the city’s new soundtrack when dealing with the homeless.
A Response to the Bishop Dudley Block Fence Meeting
First off, I’m glad the meeting happened. The city has been avoiding real public discussion about homelessness for far too long. (And no, the “Homeless Forum last month doesn’t count. That was just city officials standing on a stage at the Orpheum, delivering a one-way presentation with no opportunity for feedback.)
So, unsurprisingly, emotions ran high last night. And also unsurprisingly, the city offered little in the way of actual data, scientific reasoning, or evidence to justify the fence.
The structure of the meeting itself made it clear: this wasn’t meant to be a conversation. Speakers stood at the front with a mic, talking at us like we were a classroom of unruly students. The city billed it as an “Informational,” meaning they wanted a monologue, not dialogue.
If it hadn’t been for my partner Sarah Joy asking point-blank whether there would be public input, the city wouldn’t have even pretended to open the floor. And honestly, bless the acoustics of the downtown library space. At least we could talk loudly enough to make sure we were heard, without waiting for permission to pass a mic.
? This Is Not Public Participation, It’s Informing, Not Collaborating.
The city’s approach to this meeting fits neatly into Sherry Arnstein’s “Ladder of Citizen Participation,” a framework that describes different levels of public involvement in decision-making.
Arnstein identifies three broad categories of participation:
• Non-Participation (Manipulation, Therapy) ? Where people are given the illusion of input but have no real influence.
• Tokenism (Informing, Consultation, Placation) ? Where people can express opinions, but decisions are still made without them.
• Citizen Power (Partnership, Delegated Power, Citizen Control) ? Where communities actually co-create decisions and policies.
The city’s handling of the fence issue is stuck at “Informing,” the lowest rung of Tokenism. They aren’t interested in genuine community input, only in telling us what they’ve already decided. A true participatory model would involve partnership, where residents, including those most affected, help shape policies instead of being lectured to.
This is why we need alternative spaces where real conversations can happen.
? This Is Not About Safety, It’s About Gentrification.
One Whittier resident at last night’s meeting shared a heartfelt concern:
“My children are afraid to play in their yard. My youngest daughter doesn’t want to be left home alone with the doors locked because of what’s going on in this neighborhood.”
I get it. Parents want their kids to feel safe. But let’s be clear: this fence doesn’t solve that problem. If anything, it could make things worse by pushing unhoused people further into residential areas instead of addressing the root causes of why they’re in crisis in the first place.
And that’s the piece of the story no one in city leadership is saying out loud:
? What is Actually Happening: Gentrification by Concentrated Public Services.
What’s happening on 8th Street follows a well-documented pattern used in cities across the country:
1. Concentrate services in one area – The city designates a single neighborhood as the “service hub” for shelters, soup kitchens, addiction treatment, and other social services. This floods the area with people in crisis while simultaneously reducing private investment.
2. Let conditions deteriorate – By failing to invest in infrastructure (crosswalks, public restrooms, shade, transit access), the city makes daily life in the area more difficult, not just for unhoused residents, but for businesses and longtime homeowners, too.
3. Depress property values – As crime increases due to economic desperation and lack of stability, property values drop. Homeowners sell at a loss, landlords neglect properties, and businesses struggle.
4. Introduce punitive measures – The city implements restrictive policies like fencing off public spaces, increasing police surveillance, and passing ordinances that make it harder for unhoused people to exist in the area.
5. Rebrand and redevelop – Once prices are low enough, developers swoop in, city-backed reinvestment starts, and the area is transformed into an “up-and-coming” district—often at the direct expense of the people who were displaced.
This strategy has played out across the country in cities like San Francisco’s Tenderloin, Los Angeles’ Skid Row, and even Omaha’s Park East neighborhood. In each case, the city claimed it was simply managing homelessness, but in reality, it was facilitating the cycle of displacement ? devaluation ? redevelopment.
? Sioux Falls is Following This Exact Pattern.
For years, the city has concentrated services along 8th Street, while ignoring basic infrastructure needs that would actually help residents, housed and unhoused alike. The area has been allowed to deteriorate under the pretense of “compassionate” centralization. Now, with the fence proposal, they are escalating the process, tightening control, displacing people, and clearing the path for redevelopment.
The fence isn’t a safety measure. It’s a signal, to developers, investors, and political stakeholders, that the city is ready for the next phase: rebranding and selling off the neighborhood.
If Sioux Falls leaders actually wanted to improve safety and stability, they would be investing in:
• Housing-first initiatives that provide permanent supportive housing
• Infrastructure upgrades like pedestrian safety, lighting, and transit access
• Community-driven solutions instead of unilateral, punitive decisions
Instead, they’re opting for a fence. Because the goal has never been to solve homelessness. It’s been to move homelessness out of sight, while setting the stage for profit-driven redevelopment.
? What a Human-Centered Approach Would Look Like?
The fence is not a human-centered design response—it’s a punitive response.
Human-centered design is an approach that focuses on the real needs and experiences of people when creating solutions. Instead of imposing top-down, punitive measures, HCD involves listening to the community, understanding root causes, and designing interventions that improve conditions for everyone, not just those in power.
Cities that take human-centered approaches, like Houston, Helsinki, and Vienna, have used housing-first models, pedestrian safety improvements, and community co-design processes to actually solve these problems. Sioux Falls could do the same, if leaders were serious about solutions instead of optics.
? What You Can Do: Show Up, Speak Out & Email City Council
The next week is critical. If you’re frustrated, you don’t have to sit on the sidelines.
? Wednesday, Feb 26 @ 6 PM – Join the Good NAtured Monthly Houseless Forum (921 E 8th Street) for a real, participant-driven discussion on homelessness.
Unlike the city’s “Informational” sessions, we’re hosting a real community forum, one where participation is not just allowed, but central to the process.
This event will follow the Open Space Technology and Future Forums models, where:
• The agenda is set by those who show up.
• Discussions are participant-driven.
• Everyone has an equal voice in shaping solutions.
? Tuesday, March 4 – Show up to City Council, or join City Council Bingo at Gist Wine Shop
• City Council Meeting @ Carnegie Hall – The fence issue is on the agenda. Public input matters.
• City Council Bingo @ Gist Wine Shop – A fun, engaging way to track what’s happening in local government.
? Email Your City Councilors Today
The city needs to hear from you. Let them know your thoughts on this fence, on real safety solutions, and on what’s missing from their approach to homelessness.
City Council email addresses will be in the comments.
Your voice matters. The only way we change the direction of this conversation is by showing up, speaking out, and demanding better.
Residents deserve to be angry. But they also deserve the full story.
The meeting is to discuss the purpose for the fence at the Dudley House. The meeting is Monday night, starting at 6 p.m. at the downtown library.
I texted councilor Merkouris before first reading asking him who came up with the idea to build the fence and he said it was the mayor’s, but he was supportive. I also don’t think the other 6 councilors that are NOT in leadership knew about it until the agenda was released.
I continue to shake my head that this council allows the mayor to write policy (their job) and not share that with them until the last minute. Poops knew this would be controversial. As one councilor said to me, “Would have been nice to have this meeting BEFORE it got on the agenda.”
UPDATE: During the meeting last night the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese came up to podium to answer questions. He basically said that the city wants the entire lot (including the building) in 5 years for a construction staging area (to build the convention center). It is always amazing when folks from non-profits come to the podium and tell us the ‘REAL’ reason this is happening. I’m sure it took awhile for him to pull his foot from his mouth and the mayor’s boot from his behind.
The city council in all their ‘wussiness’ deferred the fence to March 4th. Much of the public input tonight was about how horrible of an idea this was and the council knew in all of their weakness if they passed this tonight all Hell would break loose, so they did what a gutless body of government does, kick the can down the road. They like to do this. I call them the ‘Hand Wringing’ council. This is what you get when no one has challengers and they take money from the elitist class. If you think the council works for you, please let me in on the good stuff you are smoking.
They want to have a neighborhood meeting (which is code for we want justification for our YES votes). City government is so predictable I thought about starting an online gambling site betting on their decisions. I would make millions!
But the kicker tonight wasn’t about giving a religious organization worth billions of dollars a fence, it was about a lease deal to take over the property, and guess what that is for? A convention center.
I gotta tell yah Pastor Poops, the Convention Center will fail, HUGE! Why? Because you have never completed anything in the public sector except F’cking things up. You have ZERO leadership skills, and you are kind of a jerk! You are also very angry, which I don’t understand. How is it a family man with a successful business and regular church attendance worth millions can be so stressed? Weird.
So in an attempt to move the shelter the city came up with this complex plan to build a fence.
If I just remove myself from this community and look at this from an exterior lens, it is pretty obvious what is going on here.
It’s not about a fence, it is about the ‘SNAKES’ in city hall trying to shove a convention center down our throats. Any councilor who votes for this will never recover. Trust me on this. Make the BDH pay for this. It is their property and they can do what they want.
l3wis