Sioux Falls City Council accomplishments over the past year

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Stehly writes a great letter about the council’s ups and downs over the past year;

1. A majority of us stood together against building the $25 million administration building (now more than ever, this is a problematic project). The mayor vetoed our efforts to find a more cost effective solution to city space needs.

2. A council majority supported Christine Erickson’s efforts to video/audio record the Sioux Falls Parks board meetings. (We have other citizen boards recorded and broadcasted). This board meets the same time and day as city council meetings and deals with a multi-million dollar budget. The mayor vetoed our simple ordinance.

3. Four of us supported the Police Union, voting to give them their budgeted 1.5 percent raise retroactive to the contract date of Jan. 1. The mayor disagreed by breaking the tie not to give them the back pay. We were told that we needed to “teach the police officers a lesson.”

4. Over the objections of the administration, we all supported Councilman Pat Starr’s efforts to bring the Glory House project and the abandoned Sioux Falls Ice & Recreation Center together to benefit our community. Thanks to public support this project is moving forward.

5. An amendment was proposed by me to prohibit city employees from contributing to our election campaigns. The Mayor supported my amendment and it passed.

6. An amendment offered by me to last year’s budget allowed for the purchase of solar speed signs to calm traffic in residential areas. Public works director Mark Cotter wanted time to try them out. He recently informed that they are purchasing eight more for our residential areas.

7. I also made efforts to reach out to many citizens and help them to have their “day in court” in front of the council. Annexation, ambulance failure, zoning, dog bites, snow gate service, invasive weeds, garbage handling issues, dangerous road situations and many more topics have been resolved because the citizens stood up, spoke out for their rights and received good customer service from our city government.

Ironically where they met failure wasn’t because of opposition from citizens but because of the EGO of one man.

Looks like the council election of Chair and Vice- Chair may be a done deal

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It seems once Councilor Kiley knew he may be on the chopping block he started playing nice with his fellow councilors and citizens. Also, since the administration realized that councilor Erickson may be vice-chair, the mayor has appointed her his new BFF.

Starr said barring any unforeseen council fireworks, Kiley’s the favorite to be elected chairman next Tuesday, with Councilor Christine Erickson the likely pick for vice chair.

Their ascension to the top leadership spots isn’t without some consternation. Councilor Theresa Stehly hasn’t ruled out voting for Kiley and Erickson as Council leadership, but she is toying with the idea of nominating Starr or Councilor Greg Neitzert as vice chair.

I personally would have liked to see Erickson as chair and Starr as vice-chair. Oh well, looks like the administration may win again.

UPDATE: OSHA investigation nearing the end?

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UPDATE: Even though there was 28 citiations worth $100k handed over to Hultgren, it seems Legacy is probably off the hook due to being a LLC. It doesn’t mean there still couldn’t be civil suits against Legacy or even the city for that matter (for having knowledge of what was going on). Either way, IMO, the city should not allow Legacy anywhere near a public partnership with the city. Just by showing bad judgment in allowing such an unsafe construction company to work on it’s projects (several of them) tells me we need to send Legacy packing on the parking ramp and all future projects. We will see if the council has the cojones to see the same thing.

ELLIS & SNEVE from the ARGUS discuss the fines.

While this is under way (I heard there was about 50 subpoenas handed out) Stehly is fighting for the identity of investors of the DT parking ramp;

City Councilor Theresa Stehly wants to know who stands to profit from a city-backed, mixed-use development in downtown Sioux Falls.

Yet the giant secrecy of MMM’s Iron Curtain exists;

It’s not the first time a city councilor has called for greater transparency in the city’s public-private partnerships. In 2014, then City Councilor Greg Jamison unsuccessfully pressed for an ordinancerequiring investor disclosure in developments that receive tax increment financing from the city.

Jamison’s request followed an Argus Leader Media investigation that revealed Mayor Mike Huether and his wife had invested in real estate deals that required city approval.

And what would make us think anything has changed since?