The Mayor’s Shut up & Listen event focused on Street Safety

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqjQuWMFwt8[/youtube]

Part 1

It was actually a very good meeting.

At one point Mayor Huether said to me, “You may not like this idea, or maybe you will Scott.” I laughed and responded, “Well you know me, I don’t like anything.”

The meeting mostly focused on street safety and the lack of city official response to issues. While I believe the mayor is correct that he will follow up on it, several of us reminded him that we weren’t saying he wasn’t doing anything but his staff wasn’t (in reference to street signage and traffic lights).

I have a feeling Heath (City traffic engineer) is going to have a rough Monday.

I reminded the mayor that I was not disappointed in him, but the city council for passing a texting ban, promising education to go with it and doing NOTHING. I said, “We can pass all the laws we want, but if we don’t educate the public about those laws, it doesn’t do much good.” The big advocate for the texting ban, Councilor Erpenbach promised education, I am wondering when it will occur. Instead of budgeting for 4 of you to go to Austin, TX, why not budget for educating the public on the dangers of texting and driving?

One of the more entertaining moments was when someone asked the Mayor about the quit claim deed at Spellerberg and the Occupancy permit at the Events Center. (I found out yesterday the city has only issued a ‘temporary’ occupancy permit for the EC). The Mayor flat out denied he knew anything about either topic. Yeahhhhhhh,  Right.

He brought up people focusing on the negativity all the time, and looked towards me. I think I smiled, all grim and determined of course. I don’t believe in government there is negative and positive instances, only facts and fiction.

In a strange twist, as I was leaving a lady who said she moved back here from Maryland after being away for a long time asked me and a friend why we don’t have red light cameras, I told her, “The SD Supreme court determined them Unconstitutional because they were issuing tickets to the owners of the cars not the drivers.” She thought it was bogus, and said they use them all the time in Maryland (there is a pending lawsuit there). In frustration as she was leaving she said to me, “I guess I will have to get used to the political climate here since it is much different then in Maryland.” I thought to myself, “You ain’t a kidding.”