I don’t know a lot of details at this point, but I do know their contract was approved 5-0 by the Commission and two of the main factors for approval was quality of services and response times.
We get it, this happens every year (probably more then we know);
Monday morning at around 6:30 AM, police were called to a sidewalk about a half block from the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Police found a man in the snow who was unresponsive. Paramedics arrived and determined he had already died.
I will defend staff on one level, it is probably hard to be out looking around for these folks, but I’m sorry, how does this happen so close to your front doors?
Finland has a goal of ending homelessness by 2027! And don’t mock, they have reduced their homeless population down to a couple of thousand people already by using a program developed in the United States called ‘Housing First’.
We can make a bigger impact in Sioux Falls, because someone dying in the cold only a few steps from a shelter is unacceptable.
Editor’s Note; I did receive the tip about this Monday night and was checking sources yesterday before I posted.
If you watch the testimony last night at the Sioux Falls City Council Meeting (FF: 4:20) from a division fire chief about our leases with Paramedics Logistics you get some questions answered, and have even more when it concludes.
Apparently we do get reimbursed for rides we give with the leased ambulances. Paramedics Logistics bills the client, than we bill them. So how much has that reimbursement been? $0.
Why? Because according to this division chief we have never used the leased ambulances yet for transports. So why are we leasing them? Good question.
But I have also heard through the grapevine that SFFR are in fact transporting patients, but are using OUR ambulances that we already have.
So a few questions here, if the city doesn’t have an ambulance license how can we responsibly be transferring patients when it comes to liability issues using our ambulances instead of the ones we are leasing? Also, if we are using our ambulances, how are we billing for these rides? My guess is we are not, and if we are, how does that work? Who gets the money? General fund or SFFD?
There are still many holes in this lease agreement for two stationary ambulances.
I’m not sure if the division chief was either partially lying, partially telling the truth, or just leaving out huge swaths of what is really going on? Hopefully Councilor Starr who was questioning him last night will ask for the data.
City Council Informational Meeting • 4 PM
• November 2020 Financial Statements by Shawn Pritchett, Director of Finance (No supporting documents yet)
City Council Regular Meeting • 6 PM
Item #6, Approval of Contracts (Seems the mayor’s office has been busy spending money in some mysterious ways);
Sub Item #5, Great Bear Chairlift Replacement, $1.379 Million. (While we are fussing about a $95K remodel of a historic house in Tuthill park we are paying this amount to replace a chair lift in the middle of a pandemic. Makes sense.)
Sub Item #10, Extending Lease Agreement for two ambulances with equipment for use by Fire/Rescue to provide for surge capacity ambulance service on a limited capacity for an additional term of 90 days ending 2/21/2021. Paramedics Logistics South Dakota, LLC dba PatientCare EMS. $1.00 per month, per vehicle. (I would really like to know the details of this agreement, like how many rides the SFFR is giving and if we are getting reimbursed?)
Sub Item #17, Centralized Facilities Improvements – Central Fire Station Kitchen Remodel; Ronning Enterprises, $220K (Wow, that’s quite the remodel job! Like I said, anytime the city does anything it always costs 3 to 4 times more than what you and I would pay.)
Sub Item #23, Human Resources, Customized education program designed to enhance participant’s ability to collaboratively lead change and foster a servant leadership attitude. University of South Dakota, on behalf of its Beacom School of Business, $40K (So now we are giving business training to city employees to have a ‘servant’ attitude. Weird sh*t.)
Sub Item #24, Human Resources, Professional Services including but not limited to Strategic Planning, Mentoring and Coaching, Intersections Consulting (more training, not sure what for????)
Sub Item #29, Belbas Theater Projection System Upgrade; $68K+ (I may be mistaken, but I thought this was just upgraded a few years ago?)
Sub Item #32, Engagement Agreement for Foundation Park TIF Provide legal services relating to Foundation Park TIF Project, Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, L.L.P. $6k (So why are taxpayers paying for a TIF agreement? I have a feeling this TIF is going to cost us quite a bit . . .)
Item #18, 2nd Reading, Mask Mandate extension.
Item #23, 1st Reading, Re-Zone, (I guess the neighborhood is opposed to this because it was zoned office just a couple of years ago and when the developer couldn’t move it for that he changed his mind and wants to put up apartments. Here is a comment from a neighbor that was emailed to the council;
I am writing this letter with the concerns of the proposed rezoning of the corner of 22nd and S. MARY Beth Ave. I purchased my home a little over a year ago, 1604 S. Mary Beth, before I purchased the home the corner was zoned O and west of Mary Beth single family homes. With that taken in to consideration we made the purchase of our new home. I would have never bought this home with the understanding that there would be an apartment complex going on that parcel of ground. With apartments come more traffic and with the main entrance onto MaryBeth our once quite street will have traffic none stop. The value of our homes will decrease and crime will go up. These are proven facts. We will have a towering apartment complex with renters peering in our back yards, all for only the good of the City, MORE TAXES THAT the City will collect from the Developer. It is so unfortunate that the City does not realize this and NOT Approve the rezoning of this ground.
I always find these rezones interesting. I will just warn the neighborhood, you will probably lose this one, the developer in Sioux Falls usually wins 99.999% of the time (unless they are immigrant or a minority). Good Luck.
Item #24, 1st Reading. You can only get Papa John’s Pizza at the Aquatic Center, maybe that is why attendance is down?
Item #27, Resolution, City Council Legislative Priorities, looks like they are still pushing TIF’s;
The Sioux Falls City Council supports tax increment financing (TIF), an economic development tool that has led to millions of dollars in increased property value, benefitting both the state as a whole and the local entities sponsoring the districts, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the process.
This statement is the biggest line of B.S. I have ever heard. It says nothing about good paying jobs or benefits to the community as a whole, that’s because TIFs are just a ruse. The last line made me laugh. What does that even mean? Integrity would be doing a study showing us the benefits of TIFs, there have been none. And when it is brought up, all you hear is cricketts.
Item #28, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD, OUTLINING THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE OF SIOUX FALLS TO TAKE ACTION TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19. (ONE SIOUX FALLS COVID-19 ACTION PLAN.) – Wonder if they are going to tack this plan to all the telephone posts in town so people can read it?
• Cameraman Bruce inducts Cleve Abbott into the SD Hall of fame.
• Council Chair Erickson cooks up legislative priorities all by herself then doesn’t have a working session before asking council to vote on it.
• A nasty rumor circulates that Sanford Health’s CEO, Krabbenhoff is fired, than re-hired, then fired and than re-hired. Turns out he was just playing golf.
• Paramedics Plus parent company has to pay out a $21 Million settlement.
• Kelo-TV’s Angela Kennecke’s daughter dies of drug overdose. Angela goes on a personal crusade to stop opioid addiction.
• Mayor TenHaken creates the Department of Innovation & Technology eliminating the Central Services IT department. He hires a person with only a HS diploma to run the joint.
• Local media knows in advance where/when president Trump will be visiting Sioux Falls but plays dumb.
• Sanford hosts massive Golf Tournament at Minnehaha Country Club. Crowds amazed when Sanford Ambulance Copters are used to dry golf course.
• SF City Councilor Neitzert claims people (media, blogs, some councilors) have had ‘moronic’ arguments against the parking ramp. I feel like such an ass. Not.
• After 14 years, the city’s audit committee finally admits Phillips to the Falls was a massive boondoggle.
• The city of Sioux Falls tries to get the courts to dismiss them from the myriad of Copper Lounge lawsuits, even though their building services department had received several complaints about the dangerous work being done in the remodel before the collapse.
• Woodgrain Brewery, still the best brewery in the Sioux Falls region.
• Sioux Falls breaks an all time record of over 39 inches of moisture in a year. Let’s build more indoor pools and flat retail parking lots!
• The Argus Leader eliminates the daily opinion page and has it only on Sundays. I guess they figured since everyone disagrees with their ED board’s weekly opinion, why do the reader’s opinions matter.
• TenHaken’s COS, Beck, tries to butter up the city council and public for the TIFilicious Revolution. I will fight it tooth and nail. I think TIFs will become the city’s biggest controversial debate of 2019.
• The Jesus Snowplows are BACK!
• With Air BNB’s popularity in Sioux Falls (and across the state) is it time to restructure how they pay taxes?
• Sioux Falls city council sets a nasty precedent by NOT allowing a fellow councilor (Brekke) to pull her OWN ordinance legislation after she learns of concerns from the City Attorney’s office.
• Someone steals a soda from the mayor’s office frig. They appropriately over react and now have an armed guard at City Hall (protecting the precious booty).
• We are told ‘user fees’ must pay for sewer plant upgrades. But ‘users’ haven’t paid a single penny towards the mortgage of the Events Center.
• Arc of Dreams is a million over budget and behind schedule, but will hopefully be put up this Spring before someone’s ego bursts.
• SFSD turns down Sanford’s land gift. I think it had something to do with Kelby’s golf game.
• John Thune – 2018. Still a loser.
• SMG fires the GM of the Denty. Something about not having a brown enough nose.
• Some SF City Councilors attend the National League of Cities. They bring back some great photos of exotic sports cars.
• Former SF Fire Chief ‘Sandy likes to Play’ gets a plea deal, after he tries to blame my blog being mean to him.
• KSFY shows they lack journalistic integrity after they edit councilor’s Stehly’s comments after pressure from the Mayor’s Office. Must have gotten the GM box seats to a Packer’s game.
• On a personal note I found out at Thanksgiving that T. Denny and his brother are now a part of my extended family. FREE tickets to Fleetwood Mac? Please and Thank You.