How long did Sioux Falls Public Works know about the $260 Million dollar water plant expansion

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Several city councilors have told me they have known little about the water reclamation expansion until after Former Mayor Bucktooth & Bowlcut left office. They have admitted that there was mention that the expansion WAS coming, but the price tag and water rate increases were NOT talked about.

The latest proposal is to increase our rates by 6% each year for the next 3 years and 3% every year after that. We will see how the council debates this proposal. My suggestion would be to bond $160 from the enterprise funds and $100 from the 2nd Penny to spread out the bond payment costs. In reality, the 2nd Penny should pay all of this since technically this is infrastructure/capital.

It is very curious that the pricetag was NOT talked about in the final months of the last administration’s term. Did he ask his Public Works director and finance department to embargo the information over the past year so he could justify bonding for the Administration building, parking ramp and $25 million dollar bond payment for Lewis & Clark? We can only imagine the answer to that question. I would suspect that the Public Works Department has known for at least the past two years this was coming AND it would be very expensive. Funny how this got dumped into TenHaken’s lap after Bucktooth did all his monument building. Go figure. Not to mention the $50 million dollar jail and $190 million School Bond.

If I was the city council I would grill Mr. Cotter on how long he knew about this expansion and the possible costs. Following orders to keep something a secret from Bucktooth is unacceptable.

Posted in: Public Utilities, Public Works, SF City Council, Sioux Falls

City of Sioux Falls Water Treatment Plant Expansion; Lots of Questions

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Before we go off the deep end and spend $260 million for an expansion of the water treatment plant, some major unknowns need to be answered;

The city says we are at 82% Capacity. How long did it take us to get there? How many more years before we are at capacity? How long will it take to build the expansion? Can we draw this expansion out over 5-10 years, doing incremental changes?

What percentage of treatment is used for nearby towns that contract Sioux Falls to treat their water? Can we increase their rates significantly?

What is our true population growth? And how does that breakdown? How many newborns? Retirees, immigrants, new people/families? How many from neighboring towns that already use our treatment plant?

Why are we using the enterprise funds for capital improvements? Shouldn’t this be for operations and maintenance? Why not use 2nd penny funds to pay down bonds of new plant?

As you can see, we have a lot of big questions that need answers before we decide to move forward with the new plant.

Posted in: Public Utilities, Public Works, Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls City Councilor Rex Rolfing berates one of his fellow city councilors using taxpayer funded media

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Leave it to Rex Rolfing to get one last dig in on Stehly before he leaves. Ironically his stint on Inside Town Hall was supposed to be about a cemetery and his ‘accomplishments’ on city council. He could only name things that we the taxpayer’s paid for (but didn’t get to have a say in).

When mentioning the indoor pool at Spellerberg he commented that it should have been built at Drake Springs and that just a ‘few’ people got involved and a ‘few’ people voted against in an indoor pool.

Actually, Stehly and Co. collected several thousand signatures and several thousand voters approved an outdoor pool at the location.

As for the location, as I have mentioned numerous times, Nelson park would have been a terrible location for an indoor pool due to ground water issues as our very own aquatic consultant told us when recommending the Spellerberg location.

What is even more troubling is that Rolfing made these statements about a fellow councilor (without saying her name) on a media source funded by taxpayers. He also rips on her at the end of the show about not collaborating. Not sure if my memory serves me, but I think there is an ethics violation in there somewhere.

He was also asked what he would tell future councilors, he would recommend changing public input, he said in his opinion it is ‘Too Darn Long.’ He went on to rant that ‘he can’t have everyone in Sioux Falls telling him what to do.’ Hey Rex, you know as a councilor you are a representational officer of the people? He basically defends his votes that are against the citizenry on closed government. LOL! A closed government he adamantly supported.

Isn’t it amazing this guy has learned nothing about government in the 8 long years he has been there. Rex, do you need help moving to Florida?

Posted in: Rex Rolfing, SF City Council, Sioux Falls

Mayor throws councilor Stehly under the bus at water summit

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If he is not flat out lying, he sure knows how to twist a story to make himself look good. (FF:57:20). During the Mayor’s water summit (in which he talks 90% of the time) they were talking about investing in water and sewer infrastructure and it’s importance. Hey, who wouldn’t agree? Then he proceeds to say a councilor the night before (It was Stehly) chastised him for raising water rates. Oh the tangled web you weave Mike just to get your jollies. Stehly as well as myself during public input were voicing our concerns that our water rates were hiked NOT because we were upgrading CURRENT infrastructure but that the city used the additional funds to build up a $36 million dollar reserve fund (savings account). Stehly was concerned we are building up large reserves in the enterprise funds instead of actually SPENDING the money on it’s intent; upgrading infrastructure.

The man takes no shame in using Stehly to sell his snakeoil. What a loser.

Huether went on to say he was proud of the council to allow him to raise rates (taxes). He felt those rate increases were needed for upgrades. Not true. If mayor Huether was really fiscally responsible he would have spent our CIP money on infrastructure upgrades instead of mortgage debt for playthings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfob4CajyzI

He finished the forum by ripping on the ‘loud minority voices’ and how the media gives them a platform. It’s funny, because these ‘loud minority voices’ actually have quite a few of followers. 6,500 of them signed a petition against the City Administration Building (the $25 million dollar bond was implemented by a super minority, the mayor). Oh, and that other minority that approved snow gates by over 70% of the vote. But please, don’t listen to them.

Posted in: Mayor High Crimes, Mayor Hubris, Mayor Pants on Fire, Mayor Subprime Mike Huether, Mike Huether, Public Utilities, Public Works, Sioux Falls, Watertown

City of Sioux Falls seeks to punish residents with higher garbage rates for their screwup

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Remember when the city’s landfill couldn’t even keep track of who wasn’t paying them? Well the city released a solution today, and nope, it has nothing to do with them doing a better job of collecting fees. They want to require the garbage haulers to have bonds in case they can’t pay. This of course will be passed on to consumers. So now when city employees screw up (Like they did with infrastructure money towards Foundation Park) they come up with a solution that only makes our rates go up (garbage and water).

The city council needs to ask for accountability, not from the garbage haulers but from our public employees.

Posted in: Sioux Falls