No money in 2nd Penny for water pipes, we need it for new signage and graphics for parks vehicles

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SiouxFallsSeal1

A simple city logo, what a concept!

It’s only been a few brief days after city directors and even city councilors proclaimed we needed to raise water rates because the 2nd penny is for roads. They even dared to ask the question, “What road projects are you willing to give up if we were to fund water and sewer pipes from the 2nd penny?”

Well, none, McFly, if you budget and appropriate the 2nd penny correctly. Something, they proved once again today, they struggle with;

Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation unveiled a new and updated logo today.

Over time, the logo will be updated on park signage, vehicles, and more.

First off, re-branding is something that is usually done to freshen up a product or service you are already providing. In other words, you are trying to re-sell something old. Except the parks system is not for sale, in fact, for the most part it is free, and in some cases to overpriced for some to afford (swimming). I have often said city department logos should be very simple. Use the city seal with the words of the department in either Times New Roman or Helvetica next to the seal, like Public Works, Health Department, etc.

Secondly, the cost to rebrand will probably be close to a $500K or more, even with our own sign department. That’s a lot of sewer pipe that could have been laid.

We have a mayor who is always so hell bent on selling our town, which isn’t always such a bad thing, but really Mike, you don’t have to sell us something that is already FREE and considered by the citizens as our best asset. Now go fix some roads and water pipes instead fiddling around in art departments.

Posted in: Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Water sales comparison 2011-2012 for Sioux Falls

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I would like to thank Finance Director Tracy Turbak and Public Works Director Mark Cotter for getting me this info.

You can see that revenue has gone up quite a bit from last year (granted there has been a draught, more users and rates going up) But this information is very telling as to why water restrictions may have been held off for so long. Thoughts?

Posted in: Sioux Falls

Some are wondering why the city waited so long to implement stringent watering restrictions

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At the September 18 city council meeting (Item #32), the city will implement even stricter watering restrictions; waterrest

Some are wondering what has taken so long? I think that the city was using the water department’s enterprise funds to roll in the dough. Just look at the jump from July (Blue)-August (Yellow) 2012. $11 Million Dollars! And they claim they need to increase water rates . . . yeah . . . right.

I created a PDF comparing July 2011 to July 2012 to August 2012: WATER-RATES

Posted in: SF City Council, Sioux Falls

Who uses this much water? Talk about vanity.

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(Image: Screenshot KELO-TV)

I bet the city has been making money hand over fist during this drought. Not to mention they have raised rates thru the roof over the past few years.;

The top five water bills for one month range from $1,800 to almost $2,500 or 231,000 gallons.

“As you look at the amount of gallons they use, 230,000 plus gallons, that’s an extraordinary amount of gallons to use in a one-month time period,” Borchardt said.

Borchardt, who has been with public works for four years, says he’s never seen bills this high.  To put it in perspective, that $2,500 water bill is more than 231,000 gallons, enough to fill the Terrace Park swimming pool almost one and a half times.

(Graphic; KELO-TV)

Really? Your grass is that important? Wow, get a life!

Posted in: Sioux Falls

BE WARNED: Water Rate Increases (By SF City Councilor Kermit Staggers)

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Beware citizens of Sioux Falls with the final reading of a proposed ordinance at this Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the Sioux Falls Water Department wishes to increase water rates by 3% in 2013 and another 3% in 2014.  Presented as bargain-basement rate increases in comparison to previous years of double-digit increases, these rate increases are justified as necessary to pay off the Water Department’s debt in a shorter time frame.  These rate increases are actually part of a larger Department strategy to continue a policy of sustainability in which consumers get less water while at the same time paying more for the water.  Wrapped in the cloak of conservation, the Department portrays itself as taking the moral high ground while at the same time the Department allows water to be wasted by going down the river system to the Gulf of Mexico to be mingled with salt water.

During the 1990s the Water Department operated under a different, pro-consumer philosophy of processing a lot of water for a cheap price for consumers, but since that time the Department has instituted an anti-consumer policy of sustainability by charging higher prices for less water.  This is quite evident in the fact that with the additional water coming from the Lewis and Clark pipeline in a few weeks and increased production capability of the water plant, the Water Department will reduce the amount of water processed from the city’s traditional water sources instead of producing more water to be sold at lower prices

Because of the abundance of water available to the city because of the Lewis and Clark pipeline, it is foolish for the Water Department to continue its anti-consumer policy of selling expensive water when additional water is readily available. By returning to a pro-consumer policy of the past, the Water Department would be imitating successful businesses in the private sector that make large profits by selling products and services to consumers at cheap prices.  The Water Department could actually make more money by reducing the price of water instead of increasing the price.  In terms of real conservation, the salty Gulf of Mexico would have less of our precious fresh water.

(While I agree with Kermit on the issue of supply and demand, I also think that SF water consumers should be awarded for conservation, currently they are not – DL).

Posted in: Kermit Staggers, SF City Council, Sioux Falls