What do you know about ‘Reversion’ ?

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trackcodes
Some of my South DaCola foot soldiers have been digging around about Railroads and Federal easements. I guess since the 1800’s Railroads are considered a public utilities like electric transmission lines, and since they are, they don’t actually ‘own’ the land they are operating on, they have an easement from the Federal Government. That being said, when they remove the tracks from that easement land and are no longer using it, the land goes into reversion, in which the Federal Government gives the land to the adjacent property owners.
Like I said, just started digging into this a little, and don’t know all of the details, but if this is true, it means the land that BNSF is trying to sell to the city shouldn’t even be for sale, and some adjacent property owners are about to get a late Christmas gift.
What do you know?

 

The only thing missing from this Presser is an apple tree and sombrero

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDSt3zn090Y[/youtube]

There are times we send out our video machine to hopefully record something positive for our great city. This isn’t one of them. During the Mayor’s presser December 23, 2014 we learned nothing new and don’t dare ask for more than we are willing to tell you.

It reminded us of a Texas politician doing the side step. Now you see me now you don’t. We really don’t every get to see anything new but we do get an interesting demonstration of how to bust a move. When you are done, the movers feel like you need to bow your head and hide.

Instead of a run-off election, they should have had a dance-off.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C19cZ77w9k[/youtube]

UPDATE: Choo! Choo!

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Trust me, I would cry if I could

The (non) Big announcement will be made today at 2 PM at City Hall about the RR Relocation. I don’t expect any fireworks.

UPDATE: The appraisals have been finished, and shared with BNSF and Santa FE Railroads, but cannot be shared with the public (due to some obscure Federal law). The mayor said they are in ‘beginning stages’ of negoitiating a purchase (yeah right).

The mayor refuses to answer questions about the appraisal AND doesn’t mention that the MOU ends on Dec 31 (which will pretty much force the process to start over).

In other words, as I predicted NOTHING has been accomplished, and NOTHING is being said about that failure to cut a deal with the Railroads. It is time for the city to cut ties with this deal, it’s a waste of tax dollars and city employee resources.

Click to enlarge

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UPDATE: What’s going on with the RR Relocation Project?

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UPDATE: Well, I heard a few things from a reliable source tonight that I (we all) have suspected. Basically, BNSF is asking for an atrocious price for the land, I won’t say the amount, but let’s just say it is laughable.

You have to remember, this has been a switching yard for over 120 years, the amount of pollution on that plot of land is probably enormous, on top of the fact it will cost a lot to clean it up. I would compare it to buying a home with a bad roof and broken foundation, you would ask the seller to come down in price, way down.

The kicker though, and I am speculating here, is the first appraisal came in way, way, way lower then the asking price, and I hear the second one wasn’t much better.

Without saying too much I will put it in perspective. Let’s just say the appraisal isn’t matching up with the asking price, by a long shot.

This is probably why the negotiations are taking this long. It would be like you getting a $250 credit limit credit card with $190 dollars in fees on it when you receive it in the mail . . .

I have a feeling the FEDS are probably going to refuse to purchase the land for what BNSF is asking, or already have.

I know, I know, I have asked this question a couple (100) times over the past, I don’t know, 8 years? But the mayor mentioned at his Shut Up & Listen session last Saturday that it is still proceeding, and it has been one of the most challenging projects he has ever worked on (yeah, hoodwinking the Feds isn’t as easy as hoodwinking passive South Dakotans).

Now we have a local developer, and River Greenway welfare queen, Jeff ‘Government Handout’ Cherapa saying this;

Jeff Scherschlight, CEO of Howalt McDowell in Cherapa Place and managing partner of Cherapa, detailed the parameters of the potential changes.

“Basically, they’re going to leave the tracks that are furthest east will still exist,” Scherschlight said. “There’ll be two tracks, and everything from there coming west will be removed. And that is the railroad switchyard, which they’re going to relocate in smaller towns around Sioux Falls, and do their switching there, which is the big advantage that we gain this extra land downtown for downtown development.”

Scherschlight could see his building, Cherapa Place, expand to include a second building, should the current railway switch yard site become transformed into parking. Only two railroad tracks would remain, while the switchyard would be relocated away from downtown.

What I find interesting about this ‘edited’ story is that the original text that was posted last night on StormLand’s website has disappeared (I should have copied it) there was a mention in the original post that said “. . . an announcement could be made as soon as Tuesday” about the progress of the project.

UPDATE: It is in the video though if you listen closely. Wonder why the city didn’t want to do an on camera interview? And what does Jeff Cherapa know? If anything?

Little details and NO inked deal with Feds, but hey, we’re getting a kiosk!

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There has been little to no talk about the Rail Relocation project over the past 6 months. I have even pulled the ear of a couple of local reporters to see if they have heard anything. Nope. There was a mention in the 2015 budget of a fence. But that is about it. Now comes a Kiosk for the project in the consent agenda today at the council meeting.

Rail Relocation/Railroad Interpretive Kiosk; Confluence $ 5,100

So what has been going on? Are the Feds ready to ink a deal with the city and the railroads? How much has it been appraised for? What are we paying for it? How much money are the Feds going to give us? It’s nice we are blowing tax dollars on a Kiosk for a project that hasn’t been inked yet with the Feds.

What is going on? Is there a Federal investigation going on? It certainly would not be uncommon for the Feds to audit the process before handing over $30 million dollars, in fact it would be expected of them to do so. So who would do this investigation? The IRS? The FBI? The months of silence on this project is eerie.