Director Smith touches on the subject at the city council informational meeting yesterday (FF: 25:00). Councilor Jamison suggested that they should have used a lottery system instead of first come, first serve in selling club seats. Which makes sense, this is how the city sells liquor licenses. It is not complicated, and by all accounts it is fair. And if you are chosen, and don’t have the money to pony up, you draw the next name. Seems simple? Right?
Smith does his best to make the ‘lottery system’ sound complicated. He goes into a mundane diatribe about making company names public (who are in the supposed drawing) and getting a ‘deposit’. Blah, Blah, Blah.
There is no reason the names would have to be made public in the drawing, there is also no reason they would have to make a deposit, I think a simple credit application would do. And since these club seats were so popular, as I said above, if you draw a name, and they don’t have the money, you draw another name.
Why do I think they didn’t use the lottery system? I have a feeling those club box sales kinda went down like the naming rights contract.
Pre-determined? Perhaps? We may never know, as councilor Jamison points out.
Jamison reminds Smith about ‘transparency’ and how it has kinda been lacking in this process with the city council. To which Smith replies, “We had a press conference announcing they were for sale.â€
If someone wanted a suite, they had three days before they sold out so what leads one to believe it was predetermined? A lottery would have raised no more revenue. The guys who fell asleep at the switch, that wanted a suite, did not get one. Now they whine to their councilmen. Would they have had their name in a lottery anyway? I believe some businesses were surprised by the quick sellout and thought they might be able to get a bargain on the leftovers.
And there was more than a press conference. Some businesses that may have been interested were contacted multiple times. The people from Legend Sales were surprised by the quick sell out.
First come, first serve sounds pretty fair and simple to me. Bring me the money, I sell you my product. I they would have sold out in a day, then maybe a lottery would have made sense. It took three days. I think that is how most concert ticket sales go. Phillip Phillips sold out in 45 minutes at the Pavilion, should they have done a lottery too? I think that is how thousands of retailers do black Friday every year. I’m also pretty sure the whole liquor license lottery is a boon doogle of its own, by no means is it any better, just different. The waiting list for liquor rewards old money and someone for just signing up on a list requiring them to make no investment and potentially get a big payoff for nothing. Obviously you have no idea how the whole liquor license really works. Disappointing and unoriginal article to say the least.
Here’s the deal. I don’t give 2-shits about how they sold the club boxes. My point was about ‘transparency, fairness and insider deals. For one second, pull your head from your ass. Whose name is going to be on the side of the building? Do you think that came about by a fair bidding process? Really? These boxes were sold a long f’ing time ago, and Darrin’s little cutesy speech was icing on the cake.
That is the problem with this city administration, not one person thinks they do things on the up and up. They have left doubt in everyone’s mind and then you add the fact that the same people/corporations always end up with the top prize adds to the problem.
As l3wis states, I as well do not give 2-shits about who purchased these club boxes, but I can pretty much imagine many of these deals were done behind closed doors and there were a couple left for good measure.
Darrin Smith was a slime before he landed this six-figure position. Now he just works for an administration that encourages this behavior.
I don’t get it – it seems like a lottery would be perfectly easy to rig! Then they could make sure that all those box seats end up in the right hands. 🙂
Tom has a point, if they can rig an election, it is probably even easier to rig a lottery 🙂
Garfunkle is parking director. Why is it that he’s involved in everything else? Park my car, that’s it. Also, these trophy water closets are for the first year only. Fools are they that buy these when you can buy them for a dime on the dollar hereafter.
Pathloss – because he is the head of the Department of Economic Development and Public Parking. The fact that these departments are combined tells you everything you need to know about how this city thinks about urban planning.
I’m more interested in what happens in year 4 or 5 than the initial rentals. My prediction is those boxes will be as empty as the rest of the building will be the majority of the time.
Right on target, Scott. Summit League, state tourney, and then what??
I’m not so sure… even the boxes at the Pheasants Stadium sell pretty well – most of those companies just use them as junkets to impress clients, SVPs, and VIPs. In the scope of things I’m guessing these boxes will remain in high demand even if it gives them nothing more than great seats to some hockey games, a Monster Truck Rally once a year, and perhaps a Carrie Underwood concert.
What the hell do you know about this subject? Shut up and let the professionals do their jobs. The company selling the premium seating packages does this for a living. Legends is and internationally know company, and you are a idiot with a blog.
Maybe I’m missing something, but the “luxury” suites seem empty every time I’ve been there.
Bobless, I wasn’t digging on Legends at all, even though, I haven’t heard very many good things about them. This is about Darrin, Mike and the City’s ED office. The Lottery system has been used before with other facilities. It wasn’t used because this stuff is ‘predetermined’ in this town.
“you are a idiot with a blog.”
Yes I am. Thank you.
I should not have disparaged you. I apologize. But a lottery system in this instance is not appropriate. As a person who has actually dealt with this business, and situation, lotteries and auctions do not work.
Mr Smith is doing what is best for Sioux Falls. Please wait and see how this plays out.
Once again, I let my emotions get the best of me… I apologize, please watch…you will be amazed.
Sorry, Bob. Mr. Smith has NEVER been about doing what is best for Sioux Falls. He is only interested in doing what is best for Mr. Smith. Example – when he quit in the middle of his city council term after losing the mayoral primary back in 2006. Having him back on the city payroll is an insult to taxpayers.
Bob, what can we be amazed with? The only thing we continually am amazed with so far with this administration is the appearance and depths of cronyism / insider deals accomplished.
LC – That has always been my contention with DS. He had an opportunity to represent this city, and he QUIT.
Bob, I actually thought your statement was funny.