After listening to the podcast version of Mayor Huether’s interview on Belfrage’s show yesterday, I noticed that the mayor said some interesting ‘OTHER’ things.

When he was talking about the snow plow issue he mentioned that the city doesn’t want to become ‘lawsuit happy’. I about chocked on my water. This is a guy who is having his attorney’s office criminally charge and arrest people for storing building materials in their yard. I would have to say the city is VERY lawsuit happy.

He then talks about how the Events Center has had ‘record sales’ since it has opened. Huh? How do you break record when there is no record to break. While I think it is great the place (mostly contractors and promoters) are making money, I think saying we are breaking records is a little far-fetched. Beating projections would be a more honest statement.

He also mentions the city has big plans for Van Eps Park now that it is a dry park, but he didn’t expand, just told listeners to be watching for them next year. I heard he is erecting a large Coca-Cola bottle in the park with a crucifix floating inside.

Lastly, once again he can’t resist taking credit for snow gate implementation. Mike, the voters of Sioux Falls implemented snow gates, not you, get over yourself. He also mentions that snow gates may not always be used depending on the snowfall, around that 6-10” range. As I understand it, if we get a heavy wet snow, they don’t work well, and it would probably be wise NOT to use them. But if it is a normal dry light snow, they can be used up to 20-30”. I also heard not only will they not be used on emergency snow routes, that the secondary routes may be ignored to.

BUSINESS AROUND TOWN

I noticed in the Sioux Falls Business Journal a blurb about Lloyd Companies and Hegg teaming up to build a $45 million dollar apartment complex in Minot, ND in the Bakken Region. Surprise! Surprise! I wonder who will be investing with them and if they got any TIFs?

Arc of Dreams

I see the Arc of Dreams has raised $480,000 so far which is great! I hope they fund this project totally privately, and pass their fundraising skills on to the mayor’s wife so she can pay for own damn indoor tennis center.

As I understand it the project is being built on private land. But I found it a little strange that they have already hit half their fundraising goal and haven’t approached the Planning Commission or the CORP of Engineers for permission to build. As I understand from an engineering standpoint, the counter balance in the ground will have to be enormous. I will be shocked if 1) They can build this for $900K and 2) that they don’t ask tax payers to contribute. Stay tuned. The two guys heading up this project are behind BibleWalk, uh I mean SculptureWalk downtown, I expect them to be extending their hands at a council meeting very soon.

5 Thoughts on “Sioux Falls ODDS & ENDS

  1. Criminal charges aren’t lawsuits.

  2. Nope, but they still cost taxpayer’s money going to court over. It also cost the county to house these people in the jail. If you think the Danielson case is one of a kind, don’t fool yourself. The city is pursuing several people criminally for minor ‘nuisance’ issues.

  3. I am just asking, but how would you fix the problem? The city can only ignore so many complaints before they have to take some kind of action. If people ignore the warning or the ordinance, what is the next step?

  4. Leave them alone? Why pursue people for code enforcement violations when they are not violating code? This isn’t about people who are clearly breaking code.

  5. Snoplow on October 31, 2014 at 12:44 am said:

    I was told today that snowgates will be implemented on all two lane emergency routes, that will apply to secondary routes as well. as far as snowfall amounts I think 7 inches is the cutoff for using gates. as far as wet or dry snow it does matter a little weight wise, but it comes down to capacity ,think of the moldboard on the grader with the gate down as a container, there is only so much space before the holding capacity is full and the snow either boils out around the front of the gate or goes over the top of the moldboard. Either way you end up with a mess. our moldboards are roughly 28 inches tall

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