Surprise! Surprise! At 11 AM today, City Attorney Fiddle-Faddle announced a behind the door settlement with contractors over the EC siding debacle. While that is all well and good on their part to cover their tales, it does a gigantic disservice to the taxpayers by not letting us in on the terms of the settlement, which he refuses to release.
It stinks.
Mark Cotter said the siding will not be replaced and the 20 year warranty stands. He also goes on to say there is nothing structurally wrong with it. Where’s the proof Mark? Your word? Show us the consultant report. Prove it in writing and pictures! So why is the city getting this money? If there is ‘nothing’ wrong with the siding and it has a 20 year warranty, why would any contractor agree to settle? I guess the money will be put in the EC construction fund for future projects. I have a better idea, FIX THE SIDING.
We are missing a lot of information here that is just not adding up, I am still confused why this must be a closed settlement case (taxpayer money) and why anyone would pay a settlement when they are not going to fix anything with the settlement money.
In natural BS mode the Mayor claimed that he hasn’t received one single email or complaint about the aestethics of the siding, just that people said ‘let’s move on.’ He also goes on to claim we have 175K people living in Sioux Falls. I guess we gree 5000 people in just a couple of months.
Hopefully our mainstream media will dig into the settlement agreement.
My educated guess on this is that a ‘settlement’ instead of a ‘fix’ was decided on instead because the city has liability in signing off on the siding to begin with, and if they are partially liable, how can they ‘pay themselves’ for the liability. You would have had to been blind not see how bad it was during it’s installation. Not sure if that is the case, because everyone is tight lipped.
I also found this interesting in the Stormland TV story;
“A possible lawsuit against one of the subcontractors involved with the PREMIER Center construction will be dropped.”
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/1-million-settlement-reached-on-event-center-siding/?id=185145
You mean Fiddle’s ‘bluff’? There was never going to be a lawsuit against Dalsin. If our local media ever had their work cut out for them, it would be this story. There is NO reason the settlement needs to remain secret, someone f’d up, and they are covering their ass.
No one at KELO, KSFY or KDLT is qualified to handle this kind of investigation.
One of the few true journalists in this town, (and, I am NOT talking Stu Whitney–Sports Guy)….Jonathan Ellis, is qualified to do an investigative pc on this whole debacle.
If he was able to unearth what has really gone on with the EC since the project began, I think it would reveal a whole lot about how our Mayor operates behind the scenes and would most likely be a death knell for any future political aspirations he may have!
There outta be a RICO investigation.
I found the presser interesting on several levels as a chief critic of the construction methods and process openness. The city continues to use the manager at risk method of construction to fix a price for a closed process. The city feels they don’t have to be open to the public looking at their books or product.
Look at the crappy work done on the EC and consider how we continue to see the administration demanding more money for the indoor pool. We will never know how it was spent or on what. All we see in the end is shoddy work and more bills to pay for buildings being thrown together like there was no plan.
The mayor and city attorney we ever so smug standing in front of the cameras today. They looked like two guys who screwed the world and no one can stop them. The only problem for them is, someone will talk, some time. We do not know who yet but there are things looming on the horizon where talking may start. There are only so many emergency colonoscopies to divert attention.
I’ve often said RICO is the best way to expose the mayor and city attorney. The only difference between city hall and organized crime is; well, there is no difference. Maybe, organized crime is more sophisticated and less obvious.
Ellis, come out. There are cases coming to fruition. When Huether opts for the colon instead of responding to a subpoena, it’s near the end of the game where an extra point wins. You’ll get scooped by CNN.
How can you have a facility that was built entirely with tax dollars and not have everything related to that facility open for review by the very citizens who will be paying bill for the next 20+ years?
City Hall and organized crime? maybe a stretch, but starting to look like aspects of it! The council appears powerless. Steve Hildebrand was spot on in describing the Mayor’s tactics in the Argus Leader piece…keep up the investigative journalism….God knows we need it!