The commission finally has the real Census numbers to work with. I’m with Hurlbert that the main focus should be Central District and everything else will fall into place. I think it should be expanded and should always have the highest numbers due to density. No doubt it is the most diverse economically, but districting committees are NOT allowed to form districts around economic status or race.
Vast has reached out to me and asked me to post this update;
City Reinstates Permits Following Design Changes, Enhanced Communications Tactics
(Sioux Falls, SD) – August 26, 2021 – Vast Broadband, a leading broadband/cable company, announced today that it will re-start construction in early September to install fiber optic communication lines and equipment as part of a $60 million expansion effort to provide high-quality, high-speed broadband and video services to additional homes in the Sioux Falls community. Construction was paused earlier this month following community feedback from both residents and the City regarding the installation of stand-alone, front yard pedestals. Vast took swift action to address these concerns and the City has now re-instated construction permits. Moving forward, Vast will use flush-mount vaults instead of pedestals for all front yard installations – even those co-located with other utilities – and will deploy enhanced communications efforts to ensure community awareness of the construction process.
“We are thrilled to be able to restart construction and to illustrate to the Sioux Falls community that we not only hear you but have also taken significant action to earn your trust moving forward by no longer using pedestals for any front yard installations, even where other utility pedestals are present,†said Jeff Seidenfaden, Chief Commercial Officer for Vast Broadband. “We fell short of expectations initially, but we hope that this design change not only meets but exceeds expectations of what a community partner is capable of in terms of customer service.â€
In areas where fiber expansion construction has already begun, all front yard pedestals will be replaced with a flush-mount vault with a ground level profile, regardless of whether there are other utility pedestals present in the same location. For future construction locations, a flush-mount vault with a ground level profile will be installed in all front yard locations, regardless of whether there are other utility pedestals present in the same location. For future backyard or side yard installations, Vast will use a shorter pedestal regardless of whether the installation is stand-alone or co-located with other utilities.
“The City team has worked closely with Vast Broadband to provide guidance on their response, which includes design changes and more thorough communications to address the concerns of Sioux Falls residents. This design change will ensure all front yard installations are at ground level. These updates reflect community input, and we’re pleased that residents will be seeing these improved changes,†said Mark Cotter, Director of Public Works for the City of Sioux Falls.
As construction restarts, Vast Broadband is also rolling out more robust, proactive communications tactics to inform residents of the construction process. Neighbors in areas where construction is already underway will receive a construction update letter in the next few days via first class mail followed by a door hanger. Neighbors in areas where construction has yet to start will begin receiving information about 30 days prior to commencement including a post card, construction awareness letter, door hangers and yard signs. These communications tools will be supplemented with mobile billboards as well as digital and TV campaigns. Finally, the company has deployed an enhanced informational website at www.vastbroadband.com/fiberforward where residents can see details about the construction process, report construction concerns and sign up for updates regarding construction in their neighborhood. Residents can also reach out to the local call center at (605) 413-1628 or the toll-free number at (888) 745-2888.
Vast Broadband’s expansion will bring Sioux Falls a fiber rich network offering higher speeds, better connectivity and more bandwidth for both homes and businesses.
Yesterday at the joint meeting, Lincoln County Commissioner Joel Arends tried to get out of planning staff (both city and county) where they came up with the 1,000 foot setback. Once they rolled out the Mariachi band and did an extensive dance, they still couldn’t give a reason. That’s because it was directly pulled from their behinds. Seeing they were not going to win that argument, the city attorney Paul Bengford decided to move the goal posts and say this was about meeting a deadline and newspapers and NOT the setback. It was quite the turd polishing, and exhibited just how inept our local government officials and appointed staff is.
I think they truly believe the public is that naïve.
But the best part was when Councilor Neitzert said it was ‘absurd’ to allow citizens to vote for the legalization of drugs (marijuana). Waiting for our elected officials to legalize it is even more absurd, because they would never act. I joked to someone before the vote in November that even if the Feds decriminalized MJ today and allowed states to regulate it would take South Dakota a decade to put in the regulations if you waited for the elected officials to act.
The only way anything beneficial to the citizens happens in this state is through direct democracy. Waiting for our representatives to help us is the true measure of absurdity and their war on the initiative and referendum process. Keep poking the bear, because that just emboldens us.
You gotta love it when Councilor Kiley’s strategy of telling half the story gets shot down. He often tells only partially what is going on to support his argument. Last night he tried to compare a wedding barn facility in rural Minnehaha County on a dirt township road to wedding barns annexed into the city limits. The problem is he left out the part they were annexed in the city limits. He also did this a few weeks ago when he tried to accuse councilor Starr of saying firefighters stand around too much. Starr did say that, but he wasn’t referring to fighting fires he was talking about mutual aid with calls of service for ambulance. In the past they had to wait for our rinky dink ambulance service to show up before administering care, now they are allowed to assist before they arrive eliminating them ‘standing around’ on ambulance calls. Kiley has been pulling his ‘half the truth’ arguments so long, he just can’t resist, unfortunately for him he failed last night and the rezone was approved. He probably told friends and colleagues after the meeting that he still prevailed because some of the votes were the same as his 🙂
Also the FAA told the private airport folks no dice. I knew they would, it’s just too close to other residential areas and as Greg Jamison pointed out the FAA says it would cause flight pattern issues with the main Sioux Falls airport. I guess those poor rich folks will still have to drive the whole 3 miles in their Range Rovers to Tea Town. I feel so bad for them . . . maybe we should start a Go Fund me for a valet service?
I also made some comments on agenda item #5 and some other ones about panhandling and TIFs during public input. I have been throwing around the idea of taking panhandlers to the neighborhoods our elected officials live in and let them ask for money there. That would be fun to watch.
It’s rare that I give Mayor Poops props, but he made some interesting comments about density and our core (FF 12:00). The only problem is that he has had more then 3 years to do something with the help of the do-nothing council. He mentions that we need to do a better job of building density in our core. DING! DING! DING! This wasn’t the first Mayor to try to mansplain this issue. Mayor Munson actually took a stab at it when he created the Pettigrew Heights neighborhood and started the rebuilding of Downtown. The problem was when Bucktooth & Bowlcut took the baton he just focused on the immediate Downtown. Fast forward to Paul and the story behind the scenes is that he has been talking to core property owners around the downtown area, the problem, as rumor would have it is that Paul wants to try to strong arm these owners into selling property to the city so he can bulldoze it and turn it around to his rich developer friends. This is what happens when you have a COS that used to be a developer executive. Most of those owners have told them they will redevelop on their own without the help of the city.
The bigger issue with this is that the public, the city council and these owners all need to come to the table and put together a strategy, and the process needs to be very open and transparent. Right now those meetings, like the MED MJ ordinance discussions are happening behind closed doors, and as I understand it are failing miserably.
I’m not sure what it will take to get this mayor to understand open government, he just doesn’t, and neither does the council or the city attorney’s office.
The only way we will will ever succeed with this core redevelopment is if we open the books, unfortunately I don’t think that will ever happen with the current administration.
l3wis