Sioux Falls City Councilor Pat Starr explains why he abstained from voting last night

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Pat Starr, Northeast District

For Immediate Release

On Tuesday night, December 5, 2017 the Sioux Falls City Council was asked by the Huether administration to cast a vote on a proposed mixed-use parking development deal in down town Sioux Falls. It was a complicated deal that proposed a City financing deal of $21.3 million for the parking ramp and a $30 million privately funded building.

During the public’s one and only opportunity to offer input to the City Council on this project Mayor Mike Huether, with the consent of Council Chair Rick Kiley, abruptly halted public testimony and said that it was over. I did request that the Mayor reconsider his and Councilor Kiley’s decision but was told we had heard enough.

I could not in good conscience sit in the room with the public silenced and stopped from being heard by their elected officials. We are elected to office to listen to our citizens and to use this information to act on their behalf to the best of our ability.

Three weeks ago the Huether administration dropped a done deal on the Council and the citizens of Sioux Falls claiming this scheme has been discussed for many years. In fact, this was the first time the Council had a chance to publicly review and question the program.

The people were shut off access to their elected officials. These officials are charged with spending their tax money.

Through mayoral control of and City Council leadership rules, this was the 1st chance for the public to be part of the decision-making process. They were insulted and told their input was not needed and certainly not valuable.

If the citizens can’t be heard by the Council, then why should my voice be heard or my sacred vote be cast, if the citizen’s voice is shutoff? How do we as elected officials truly represent the people?

At this time I offer my sincere apology to those residents who appeared at the Council meeting last night and were not allowed to speak. I value your opinions and wish that you could have been heard.

With that being said, I am calling upon Mayor Huether and Council Chair Kiley to also apologize to those citizens wronged and to pledge it will not happen again.

Sioux Falls City Councilors Starr & Stehly on FORUM

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Pat and Theresa talk about the Downtown Parking Ramp Boondoggle, LISTEN HERE.

Replay of Belfrage’s interview this morning, LISTEN HERE and citizens reaction to the parking ramp, LISTEN HERE.

Pat and Theresa will also be at Democratic Forum talking about the project on Friday (noon at the VFW).

Theresa wrote a letter to the editor about the ramp, READ IT HERE.

Pat will also be on my Podcast on Monday talking about the Ramp.

Huether learns nothing from secret siding settlement. Shocker!

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As I warned the council weeks ago, if they didn’t censure the mayor or ask him to resign for blatantly lying to the public about the secret siding settlement, no lesson would be learned and precedent would be set.

Well it was set.

Today on the B-N-B show the mayor said this, (paraphrasing) “We (the administration) should hammer out deals behind the scenes to get crap done.” Basically saying proposals should be negotiated in secret with the council before presenting it to the media and public.

Since the council chickensht’d out (all of them) the Chief Liar continues to peddle his secretive government even bragging how he only needs four votes from the council to get things done.

Councilors Stehly and Starr will be on the Belfrage show at 8 AM, Wednesday to debate the B.S. Lying Mike spread this morning in Greg’s studio, and to specifically talk about the Parking Ramp boondoggle (please bring up Mr. Building Collapse, Aaron Hultgren is signing a contract with the city) and they will talk about “Getting Crap Done” behind a veil of secrecy as the mayor says is done in the ‘Corporate World’. He still hasn’t figured out he works for the public and not T. Denny.