This is from the last meeting January 16.
The first is a demonstration of the tabulation machines, the second is the meeting.
I would like to thank Robert Wilson with the county administration for having a change of heart and including me on the press release email list!
While we are talking County bizzo, I was told the other day that assistant Minnehaha county administrator, Robert Wilson told the chair of the election commission that he didn’t want bloggers on the email press release list. His reasoning was we ‘have a point of view’. Damn right we do, and you are going to hear that view right now.
The chair submitted the email contacts of three important blogs in the state, South DaCola, Madville Times and Dakota War College (well at least two of them are important 🙂
I found this odd, because we are all different, and as we would all attest, we are on several press release email lists (I often get chastised when I don’t post something from these peeps). They range from ag, art, party politics, candidates, medical, homelessness and several other non-profits and government entities.
We are not monsters in the closet. But after the appointment of Jean Bender today, I’m finding out more and more that the county likes to operate from the view of information lockdown.
Speaking of that, I guess at the election review meeting today the new machines locked up on the ES & S techs as they were bragging about how great of machines they were.
Image: John Hult, Argus Leader Twitter feed
Priceless. Nothing better then a car salesman telling you how great a car is and it won’t start.
There was also a diatribe from (an elected official) defending Bob Litz because he doesn’t have enough cold storage space (Hey, Bob’s house is big enough to store his beer, free weights and deer jerky).
During the meeting, Pearson didn’t hold back. She says the commissioners aren’t providing adequate amount of space needed to work on election day. Pearson says they need enough space to keep the ballots secure. Ballots need to be in a temperature controlled room, otherwise moisture can effect whether the counting machines will read them.
As commissioner Kelly recommended from the beginning, there should not have been any other elected officials on this commission, and in my opinion, public employees. They are only going to defend instead of fairly review. I recommend the rest of the commission purge these members now and reappoint.
It may be legal for the newly appointed Minnehaha county commissioner Jean Bender to serve as commissioner, but I was disappointed that the public didn’t have an opportunity to question her on how she will handle votes when it relates to her husband Michael’s business, Bender Realty.
While I think as an attorney, Bender will bring a lot to the commission, she has incredible credentials, but I worry that big development in this county has just squeezed their way into the commission.
And as I have stated before I found the process to be extremely non-transparent;
• The 29 applicants were kept secret besides the 5 finalists.
• In the above meeting they admitted that ‘commission staff’ chose the 5 finalists and not the commission.
• The commission interviewed the finalists in private and when they finally decided to appoint someone they called a special Friday meeting and didn’t allow the public to voice their opinion on the finalists or ask questions.
A gigantic thumbs down to the Minnehaha County Commission today for a very ‘secretive’ process in picking our new commissioner.
Either way, I wish Jean Bender luck.
Dennis Olson. Sometimes people without ‘connections’ do the best job.
Usually the day you get a rejection letter (see below) that you didn’t make the final cut, you don’t go endorsing other people. But the heck with it, I am in a giving mood.
The County Commission picked their ‘finalists’ today;
Five finalists have been named to replace John Pekas on the Minnehaha County Commission. Pekas resigned his seat after being elected a circuit court judge in November.
The finalists include:
- Former Brandon Valley school board member Jean Bender.
- Sioux Falls radio host and former mayor of the city of Sioux Falls, Rick Knobe.
- Former Brandon city administrator, Dennis Olson.
- Sioux Falls health care executive John Paulson.
- Former Minnehaha County Commissioner Carol Twedt.
The remaining commissioners and the county auditor will appoint the new commissioner. They will make their selection no later than January 20th.
After eliminating the obvious (A former mayor and radio DJ, a former commissioner, that would only be a seat warmer for the next two years, a Sanford Health Executive, WTF?! and a prominent attorney in town married to big time commercial realtor, Michael Bender) I decided it came down to only one choice. A former city administrator (worked for Brandon since 1988) Dennis Olson.
If any of the others get in, big money, big real estate, big healthcare and big mouths have just penetrated another hole into our county commission.
ALSO, I hope the CC releases the names of the other applicants before they select the new one. If anyone reading this today got this same letter, please email me at (fb.art@sio.midco.net) or comment. I would love to compile the list.
Click to enlarge below letter
