UPDATE II: These are the kind of things Grand Juries investigate

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UPDATE II: Daren is sooooo awesome and cool.

The AL reported last night that Ketchum was in negotiations with Legacy since April. Should this be any surprise? Let’s look at previous employees that pulled this;

Erica Beck left the planning office of the city after being forced to write the Sanford Sports Complex Mega-Tif that had nothing to do with blight, setting a precedent moving forward with TIFs. Beck was at least smart enough to bounce around at a couple of little known non-profit agencies before landing at Lloyd Companies. She did a full circle and returned to the city.

Kendra Siemonsma who was the project manager for the Events Center and the Midco Aquatic Center suddenly quit the city and went to work for Midco right after inking the sponsorship deal with them (which included two very ugly signs in Spellerberg Park advertising a Cable Company that has a virtual monopoly in Sioux Falls). Ironically, she is no longer with Midco, and works for Sanford now.

Kevin Smith (who I believe was forced to resign from the city after taking a demotion) took a job with AE2S who does consulting for the city.

While there isn’t much the city can do legally to stop the parking ramp from being built (the bonds have already been sold). They can refuse to do anymore PPPs with Legacy over the next two years as long as Ketchum is VP.  We’ll be watching.

Well, we have known it for a long time, Developers run our city and it’s planning office and it couldn’t get more blatantly obvious;

Daren Ketcham, the former Sioux Falls city official who was paramount in picking Legacy Developments to lead a $50 million parking ramp project in downtown Sioux Falls, began his role as vice president with that same company Monday.

UPDATE: This couldn’t get any richer;

Ketcham won’t be working on one of Legacy’s largest projects, however. The company is involved in the Village on the River mixed-use development under construction along 10th Street east of Phillips Avenue.

The city’s conflict-of-interest ordinance prohibits Ketcham from representing Legacy before the city or any public body for two years involving any project he worked on while employed there.

“It shouldn’t be an issue,” said Drake

LMAO. I’m sure he won’t be asked ANY questions behind closed corporate board room doors about the project. Hey Norm, I’m pretty sure the ‘conflict of interest’ refers to employment as well.

Besides the obvious conflict of interest of going to work immediately for Legacy after just handing them a $20 million dollar parking ramp with taxpayer money, some are questioning what Mayor TenHaken was told, when he was told it, and what he told us. The story goes that when Ketchum handed in his resignation he said who he was going to work for, or at least said it was a major developer in town. After that, he was NOT allowed access to any city computers/data, etc. Big whoop. Who knows what he took on thumb drives before his announcement. But according to the mayor’s office, Ketchum said he wouldn’t go to work for his new employer until late summer/early fall, after finishing up some Guard duties. So was Ketchum completely honest with Paul and his intentions and Paul wasn’t giving it to us straight? I don’t know. My guess is that both of them stretched the truth a bit.

The Erica Beck deal after just working for Lloyd Companies is just as shady. Supposedly she signed some kind of ‘financial disclosure’ yet I have not seen the document, and if it exists, it needs to be for public display on the city website. It should also include at least a 24 month waiting period before she can go back to work for any developer doing business with taxpayers after she quits the city (such as TIF’s or public/private partnerships).

I think it is time a Grand Jury get involved with investigating the DT parking ramp with Legacy. I also think that if TenHaken had at least one ounce of integrity, he would use his power to put the project on HOLD until the rats can be ferreted out.

This wreaks of corruption!

What’s up with the ‘white stained’ brick on the new building downtown?

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Several people have commented to me that the white stained brick on the new building downtown going in the old Copper Lounge space doesn’t look that historical. Well join the club. A lot of the new construction downtown isn’t that historical. Just look at the condos across from Sunshine or the apartments and condos across from city hall and on Phillips to the Falls. They lack historical design.

But some are wondering how this brick facade got approved. Oh, the old ‘bait and switch’. I guess when the planning department was shown a sample of the brick that was going on that building, the developer, Legacy, showed them ONE brick that was the darkest from the crop with little white stain on it.

When the planning department was questioned about the relapse in judgement and what they were going to do about it they said moving forward they would require contractors to show a bigger cross section of the brick design.

But how does that solve this current problem?

You can’t make change stick unless you stick it to the original offender. I suggest the city informs Legacy they must paint the brick to come into historical compliance or tear it off. Once again, Legacy is given a free pass. Shocker!

New Hotel Downtown to include a Residence Inn

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Funny, I got a call before the parking ramp hotel was approved from a foot soldier, he said this;

“The new hotel downtown is going to be a Residence Inn and ran by Lamont.”

What’s ironic about this is that this has been kept a secret for over 6 months (or longer), for what reason? What would have been the harm in telling the public this when they knew about it? There is no good reason. Secrecy serves no one, and sometimes oddly, doesn’t serve a purpose.

Downtown Parking Ramp Bonds sold in the dark of the night

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So I guess the bonds sold last week at 3.5% interest rate. While the rate isn’t bad, I’m curious why there was NO announcement of the sale. Could it be with all the controversy surrounding Legacy and the pending lawsuits they didn’t want to draw anymore attention to it?

Also remember that the 2nd Penny, CIP road fund is being used as collateral. While they ‘claim’ they will never have to dip into this fund to make payments, some would speculate that is not the case, and the specific reason why that fund is being used as collateral. The enterprise fund for parking isn’t very big, and I can’t imagine they will be able to make that big of a mortgage payment and still be able to maintain salaries and maintenance without either dipping into the CIP or raising fess drastically.

We got duped on many levels with the DT Parking Ramp.

Judge Salter cuts through the BS

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I have joked you could move this trial to Iceland and a jury would still find evidence of guilt;

But Salter said it was too early in the litigation to consider moving the trials. The cases are in their infancy and there wasn’t a record to validate Legacy’s argument.

“At this stage, I’m not considering the motion any further,” Salter said, leaving open the opportunity for Legacy to file a new motion to change the venue later in the case.

Dan Fritz, a lawyer representing Emily Fodness, who was trapped in the collapse, and Vince Roche, who represents the family of Ethan McMahon, the worker who died in the collapse, objected to the change of venue motion.

Fritz said that his case would include witnesses, such as fire personnel and Fodness’ treating doctors, who would have to drive three hours each way if the case were tried in Aberdeen.

“That prejudices my client, unrightfully,” he said. “There is no good reason for that.”

Roche argued that it would be impossible to determine the impact of social media posts on a county of 200,000 people. And he argued that media coverage of the Copper Lounge collapse was equally available to residents of Aberdeen, given the internet and the nature of media coverage in South Dakota.

“It’s going to be the same regardless of where we are,” he said.

The facts are the facts, no matter who sits on the jury. Salter did the right thing. It’s just to bad our city council can’t figure it out. Maybe we should have Aberdeen’s city council voting on our public/private partnerships in Sioux Falls instead.