Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

by

MAGNUSON_01

Hey kids, get your butts down here and help me clean out the basement while wading through other people’s excrement.

As I posted about last week, the Sioux Falls city budget will exceed a half-billion this year. Up $89 million from the original budget proposed by the Mayor’s office and approved by the City Council. I decided to do a little more digging and this is what I came up with according to the finance office;

–          The city does not plan to spend the entire amount, because many of the projects are in the CIP and will take several years to complete. More or less it’s typical of what bureaucrats do, pack a budget with more than they want in hopes to get what they really want in the end when it is whittled down.

–          It jumped to $89 million largely due to the carry-forward of $55.4 million from 2008 in unfinished CIP projects. Some of the bigger projects in the amount were flood control, main library, 57th street upgrades and (yes) more zoo improvements.

–           Two other numbers that stuck out to me, and maybe were just ‘interesting’ to read was that the city collects $153.2 million in Enterprise funds (water and sewer fees) and doles out another $15.1 million in debt service.

 

In a final word, the Finance Department claims that budgets have been so large in recent years due to;

 

–          Lewis & Clark

–          Eastside Sanitary and Sewer system

–          Storm Drainage upgrades

–          Rail Relocation

–          Flood Control

Yes these are all ‘needed’ upgrades to our city, but we went in the wrong direction. We could have saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by funding these projects differently.

Lewis and Clark should have been ‘pay as we go’ instead we basically paid them for something we won’t have until maybe 2012. On top of that, the Feds should have paid for this ENTIRE project. But with Senators like Thune, Herseth and Johnson busy chasing around lobbyists and Wall Streeters, what do you expect?

The massive storm drainage upgrades were in direct response to the city systematically ignoring infrastructure for over 20-40 years and crossing their fingers hoping nothing would happen, until (literally) shit backed up into hundreds of people’s houses two weeks in a row. The city then realized that they may have to fix it, which of course cost us a lot more in the end.

As you can see, a large chunk of the budget goes to necessary projects, the problem is we are either paying too much for them or we shouldn’t be paying for them at all through loans and such.

Once again the spin cycle dial is turned to a full-load at City Hall with the tired old ‘our hands are tied’ excuse – but are the purse strings?

Posted in: Sioux Falls

Eugene 'Montgomery Burns' Rowenhorst drops a bomb, then wonders why the council is surprised

by

As I mentioned on April 3, the Quality of Life bonds are coming down the pipe, sooner then I thought. As I mention in the post, Staggers asked Eugene, while he was doing his constingency plan presentation a few months back, if they were going to hold off on these bonds until the economy got better, At the time Eugene said they would, not so fast;

“It was in the plan for 2009,” Finance Director Eugene Rowenhorst said. “We’re just executing the plan.”

I guess Eugene needs to get himself a tape recorder so he remembers what he says.

Mayor Dave Munson’s administration is moving forward with a plan to borrow $20 million for a new round of quality-of-life projects.

The Sioux Falls City Council learned Monday that the administration will ask for approval of a new bond issue next month. If approved, the bonds could be issued by June.

For argument’s sake let’s pretend these projects are worthwhile and all of the citizens support them. So even if that is the case why would we be borrowing more money during a recession? And why would we be borrowing money for monkey crappers? If these projects are worthwhile, why not just budget for them in 2010 instead of borrowing?

Councilor Pat Costello noted Monday that because of slower growth in sales tax revenues, the city is preparing to postpone several projects totaling $5.3 million. Most are road projects.

“My thoughts are, we’re getting confused on our priorities,” he said.

No shit Sherlock? I have known the council’s priorities have been screwy for a very long time. We are $80 million behind on road maintenance in the city yet we continue to borrow money for monkey crappers and raise taxes to build new roads that are practically bordering Tea, SD.

And while the city’s total authorized debt now exceeds $320 million, a significant amount of that debt is being repaid with user fees from water rates and other utilities, Rowenhorst said, meaning there’s plenty of extra tax revenue in the administration’s view to pay off more bonds.

What a poor use of user fees! We should be charged fairly for the water we use, not overcharged so we can pay back bonds. The city should be balancing the budget every year and we should pay our debt down as quickly as possible. It pisses me off that I have to pay an extra 20-40% in water fees so I can line the pockets of bond investors  that don’t even live in Sioux Falls.

But putting off needed infrastruture upgrades isn’t the only concern about these loans;

But the decision also comes at a time when officials have been nervous about sales tax receipts. In the first three months of this year, revenues are up 1.3 percent over the same period last year. Officials had planned on 6.5 percent growth.

Mark Weber, a local economist who studies state economic data, warned the council Monday that job losses in the Sioux Falls area were mounting. By his count, using state data, the area has lost 5,600 jobs, and virtually every sector is down.

As I said early on, the city’s ‘constingency plan’ was just smoke and mirrors. They have had no intention of following it, which is pretty obvious after this bond proposal was presented. Eugene even tried to downplay the bonds by acting like he forgot to mention them, then pulls them out in the middle of his budget address and tries to move along to other things. Nice try Eugene. Kermit caught it and asked why none of this went through fiscal committee. Of course, the sheep they are, our council defended the proposal, saying they will have time to debate the bonds at the first reading. I have no doubt they will pass. If there is any NO votes they will only come from Costello and Staggers for sure and maybe Beninga.

On a side note, as you read, Mark Weber did his presentation to the council yesterday, he isn’t the world’s best speaker, but his presentation was very poignant, especially the graphs. The late 2008 and 2009 graphs had huge peaks and valleys when it came to job growth, etc. Amazingly, or maybe not, after the presentation, not one single councilor, besides Staggers, had a question, in fact they all just looked as white as ghosts (with rose colored glasses on).

Our city leaders(?) have been living in a freaking dream world, and they need to come out of their deep sleep.

Posted in: Sioux Falls

Project TRIM public meeting update

by

Have a tree trimming party and invite these guys

The longer I follow Sioux Falls city politics and government, the more I am convinced this city is run by ideologues. I got further proof of this last night when I attended an informational and Q & A meeting with the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation forestry manager (Duane) about project TRIM.

City department heads have their own ideas on the city’s appearance and growth, and most citizens have different ideas, and they are not sitting at the table and ironing out those differences. That was quite apparent last night during the meeting.

The SF Parks and Rec wants us to trim our trees to their standards. I’ll give them credit, they do make some good arguments. They have some liability issues with delivery vehicles, fire and rescue and snowplows getting damaged by low hanging branches. They also have stated cases of people getting knocked in the head by a low hanging branch while walking at night (I could go into a tirade about that, but I will keep it to myself). Yes, these things should concern us, but that is what the city has insurance for.

I also agree that trees need to be trimmed and maintained on a regular basis. I trim my boulevard tree all summer long, because water sprouts grow out of it like a weed. But after receiving the project TRIM letter from the city, I will be forced to cut off two gigantic branches from the tree. Fine,  I’m okay with that. But I disagree with how the city is going about project TRIM. I believe there should be a concerted effort between the city and the property owners to get the trees trimmed. But the city sees it differently. Here’s some highlights from last night’s meeting which was attended by about 10-12 citizens, including a very animated school teacher (funny stuff).

 

–          Project TRIM was initiated by the forestry manager on his own, Duane. He admitted to it last night. Duane said there was no formal vote by the council to approve the project because the ordinance already existed, which troubles me. I’m certain when the original council approved the ordinance they felt it would be enforced on a complaint basis only. Duane claims that a complaint basis wasn’t working because people felt like they were being picked on. So the solution is to pick on the entire district instead? This should have been thought out better and approved by the council and mayor by an ordinance vote so the citizens could have had some input. Letting one sole individual in a city department who isn’t even elected make this decision is bad public policy but normal operating procedure for Parks and Rec. Remember, their board members are volunteer political appointments by the mayor and not elected, they also have no accountability to the public.

–          If the city charges you to trim your trees, it will cost $150 an hour. They justify this cost because you are paying for the P & R person to drive to your house and get his equipment ready. This ignited the school teacher. He basically said that he doesn’t get paid for ‘preparing lessons’ and ‘driving to school’ he gets paid to teach. He makes a good point. We already pay P & R wages, they should be charging us for the trimming only. They (The P & R director, Don, was there to) admitted they charge that much because they don’t want to be forced to do it, and they hope it will persuade people to do it themselves and comply. Makes sense, but it is still highway robbery just the same.

–          One citizen complained that the code enforcement/project TRIM letter that is sent out is threatening. P & R admits this was done purposely to intimidate property owners into complying, or as they said “getting to the point.” Many complained this was poor customer service, to say the least. I complained that I don’t approve of ‘blanket code enforcement’ since they cannot be specific about what tree(s) need to be trimmed. In fact that was the biggest complaint from most everyone there. Citizens don’t have a way of measuring and understanding the compliance. I also felt this was forcing some citizens into hiring private contractors to do the work, and I think the city should not be in the business of promoting private contractors with my tax dollars.

–          Unlike project NICE they will not come by and pickup your branches after you trim them. I said I don’t have a problem with trimming the branches myself but thought it would be a nice gesture (since I am a taxpayer) to have the city come by and pickup the branches like they do with project NICE. The response was “That’s a different project” Well duh! But why not do the same thing. The reply? “We tried it and it doesn’t work.” So I guess we just give up? I think it didn’t work because it was not done in connection with the letter. I think if they send out the letter with specifics on what tree(s) to trim and give a date they will be in your neighborhood to pick up the branches it would work. I also think they could ‘assist’ with any branches you had trouble trimming on your own. This would also give them an opportunity to inspect. Lots of birds killed with one stone (I know, tough to swallow because beaucracies do not work that way).

–          Some asked why the city can’t just trim the trees while they are out inspecting. There excuse was there is not enough ‘Manpower’. I pointed out that they had plenty of ‘Manpower’ to inspect the neighborhoods, write down the addresses, get out and measure, compile the letters and money to mail them out, but not enough to actually trim the trees? No response. I failed to mention they also have the manpower and funds to cut down all the nice birches in Yankton trail park and replant and water all summer, but no time or money for the citizens.

–          Some solutions that were offered was reorganizing P & R budget money to project TRIM and trying to get prison trustees to help out the fixed income and elderly. P & R’s solution? We’ll give you an extention.  Woo Hoo! It’s like the IRS giving an extention, at the end of the day, you still have to pay your taxes.

–          One guy showed up defending the project. No surprise, I won’t mention his name, but he works for a certain downtown non-profit and often shows up to defend the city at various meetings. He suggested a neighborhood tree trimming party. Yeah, because nothing goes together like BBQ, beer and chainsaws. Hey, you go for it, don’t forget to wear your Jackyl t-shirt. Nobody responded to his idea, and he walked out. That’s usually the reaction when this guy opens his mouth at municipal meetings. He probably had to rush off and make it to another brown nosing session somewhere else.

Towards the end of the meeting though it seemed that the Don and Duane were willing to help out a little and agree to come out and mark trees that needed it if we call, so I haven’t lost hope yet.

What do you think? Should the city work together with the citizens on project TRIM since they are the ones complaining about liability? I think so. Pretty soon they will have us maintaining our own road in front of our house if this keeps up.

Posted in: Code Enforcement, Project TRIM, SF City Council, Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls Stimulus Package Wish List

by

Below are the “shovel-ready” projects Sioux Falls submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report.

South Dakota Highway 100: Construction of a new four-lane divided highway to alleviate congestion on existing state highways and local roads. Approximately one mile of the entire 18 miles has been completed. 2000 Jobs – $100,000,000 – Streets/Roads

Sioux Falls Flood Control Project: This project includes raising the current levees, reconstruction of the 41st Street bridge over the Big Sioux River, and construction of a dam to protect property totaling $750 million in value from flooding. 700 Jobs – $35,000,000 – Streets/Roads

69th Street Extension/Interstate 29/Interstate 229 Reconstruction: The project will provide a critical east-west link for the region’s transportation system and will alleviate traffic congestion on local roads and the interstate highway system. 500 Jobs – $25,000,000 – Streets/Roads

85th Street and Interstate 29 Interchange: The project will provide access to over 200 acres of land planned for a new medical/office/retail center that will include the creation of over 8,000 new jobs for the region. 400 Jobs – $20,000,000 – Streets/Roads

Rail Relocation Project: The project includes construction of a new rail yard, trestle, and accompanying connections in Sioux Falls. The existing tracks would be removed to allow for redevelopment of land in downtown Sioux Falls. 160 Jobs – $8,000,000 – Streets/Roads

69th Street Railroad Overpass: The project will improve safety for a nearby residential area that includes a K-12 educational campus and a college athletic complex. 150 Jobs – $7,500,000 – Streets/Roads

Maple Street Expansion East: This project will expand the City’s transportation system and connect two heavily used regional recreation facilities. 140 Jobs – $7,000,000 – Streets/Roads

Southeastern Avenue Extension: The project will improve access to a residential growth area in southern Sioux Falls. 70 jobs – $3,500,000 – Streets/Roads

Maple Street Expansion West: The project will improve safety and access to a major university campus and residential neighborhood in northwest Sioux Falls. 68 Jobs – $3,400,000 – Streets/Roads
Benson Road Expansion: The project will improve access to a growing retail and office development in western Sioux Falls. 56 Jobs – $2,800,000 – Streets/Roads

Central Main Sanitary Sewer: This project includes the reconstruction and expansion of a critical segment of the sanitary sewer system located along the Big Sioux River. 620 Jobs – $31,000,000 – Water

Water Supply, Storage, and Distribution Enhancements: The project will include expansion of the City’s above and below ground storage capabilities, new well construction, and replacement of aging distribution lines. 560 Jobs – $28,000,000 – Water

Covell Lake Bank Stabilization: This project will stabilize the banks of Covell Lake to prevent erosion of the shoreline and improve the water quality. 20 Jobs – $1,000,000 – Water

Public Parking ramp: This project includes the construction of a new public parking ramp providing approximately 1,000 parking stalls in the downtown area. 360 Jobs – $18,000,000 – CDBG

City Hall HVAC System: This project will replace the obsolete HVAC system at City Hall, which includes replacing the original boilers, installing digital controls, and associated equipment that will bring the air quality in the building up to current ASHR standards. 10 Jobs – $900,000 – CDBG

City Hall Elevator: The project will replace the present antiquated elevator in City Hall. 6 Jobs – $600,000 – CDBG

City Hall Annex HVAC controls: This project updates the HVAC controls in the Annex. 6 Jobs – $200,000 – CDBG

Caille Branch Library and Ronning Branch Library Improvements including a new roof, ice and water shields, security systems and carpet. 30 Jobs – $200,000 – CDBG

Energy Efficient Traffic and Street Lighting Systems: These projects will replace older, inefficient incandescent traffic signals and streetlights with high-efficiency LED lamps. 40 Jobs – $2,000,000 – Energy

Construction of an instititutional fiber network. 144 Jobs – $3,000,000 – Public Safety

Fire Rescue Training Center Tower:This project will replace the 30-year-old training fire building that is utilized by fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the region. 50 Jobs – $2,750,000 – Public Safety

Fire Rescue Training Center Academic Building: This project will provide for an addition and major renovations to the current 30-year-old training center academic building. 30 Jobs – $1,250,000 – Public Safety

Almost $295 million in projects – Good Luck with that! South Dakota cities submitted a total of $472 million in projects. That’s right, Sioux Falls is asking for over 60% of that cut. Is it selfish – not really, because this is only a ‘Wish List’ I suspect Sioux Falls won’t even get half that amount, but I guess we will see.

SOURCE: http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

Posted in: economy, Sioux Falls, Stimulus Package

Stimulate your moped thru opening a casino

by

Krebs wants moped riders to pay up.

This isn’t gonna sit well with Republicans, stimulus money for things we actually need  done in SD instead of tourism contracts and airplane fleets;

  • $183 million in highway funding that also could include rail infrastructure activities.  

     

  • $103.7 million to school districts and public colleges and universities for, among other things, job training in new and expanding fields, and meeting key education performance measures.  
  • And $39.2 million for clean water and drinking water infrastructure needs.

    • An openness bill – Yeah! Sponsored by Knudson – nevermind, this one is going nowhere;

    Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, will get a chance to explain his presumption of openness measure when the Senate State Affairs Committee holds a public hearing on SB147 on Wednesday morning in the Capitol.

    Shantel now wants to charge people for being energy efficient and thrifty. What’s next Krebs? A bicycle wheel tax?

    Rep. Shantel Krebs, R-Sioux Falls, the primary sponsor of the bill, points to safety as a major concern prompting the legislation.

    How is giving the state $15 to register my moped going to make me safer? More like lining the pockets of insurance companies. Dumb.

    Some letter writers are not to happy about Heidepreim and Abdallah’s casino legislation;

    The minority leader in the South Dakota state Senate, Scott Heidepriem, introduced a bill that he says will deter Lyon County, Iowa, from building a resort/casino. In the meantime, Lyon County towns are losing Main Street businesses because they can’t compete with the malls in Sioux Falls. Now with a chance to add 400 jobs, some third-rate politician from South Dakota wants to try to stop it.

    Here’s some more

    And in our last segment of legislative stupidity and dirty rotten lobbying, the Chamber of Commerce comes out against unions – Holy mackeral! That’s surprising!

    It is true that unions played a pivotal role in addressing abuses of the industrial age more than 100 years ago. But their rigid approach to work and their tendencies to overload businesses with rules and procedures that hurt a business’ ability to compete against global competition are not supported by many young workers.

    Yes, David, because worker protections are soooooooooo overated, kind of like your organization. No surprise, this same group endorsed a retail tax increase in our city and the US Chamber of Commerce is the largest lobbyist in the country.

    Posted in: Media