City Council Informational Meeting • 4 PM

The informational meeting is chocked full of great presentations, unfortunately there is NO links to the supporting documents.

• Committee/Commission report; Operations Committee & Municipal League Board of Directors. As we know, the city council continues to make the Operations Committee meetings secret, FOR NO GOOD REASON. Like other City Council Committee meetings, it should be open to the public and video recorded at Carnegie Hall. Often the excuse to keep these meetings silent is because they talk about employee policies. That is a moot argument, because if you are not talking about specific employees and only policy, there is no reason to keep these meetings quiet.

• Long-Range Transportation Plan Upcoming Process

• Consultant agreement for Triage Center

• Elections ordinance (Councilor Brekke). This essentially is about repealing the misguided, unwanted and unneeded election ordinance that now requires a city council candidate get a majority instead of a 34% plurality. This ordinance was not BROKEN, and NO citizen complained that it was. It’s time for the city council to FIX this ordinance that should have NEVER been changed. It will be interesting to see how the council votes on this. I know that Neitzert, Selberg and Erickson refused to sign onto to the repeal when councilor Brekke asked them to. Can’t wait to hear their excuses to keep the anti-voter, and expensive ordinance in place.

City Council Regular Meeting • 7 PM

Item#6, Approval of Contracts;

• $87K to hire a Triage Center Consultant (we need this, but I think if local officials put their heads together they could solve this).

• $300K for roof improvements to SF Stadium. I think this should be deferred until we decide what to do with the stadium. I think it needs to be bulldozed.

• $275K Handout to the SF Development Foundation. The taxpayers of Sioux Falls don’t need to fund this organization anymore. They have plenty of revenue sources. The Development Foundation needs to be funded by those who benefit, the Developers of Sioux Falls.

• $165K to Downtown Sioux Falls. As I understand this, it comes from the DT Bid Tax. But I do have a problem with Downtown becoming Snobville.

Item #12, 1st Reading, Repealing the Majority vote for council candidates.

Item #13, 1st Reading, Wedding Barn Debacle.

Item #14, Resolution, Vacating Elmwood Ave., This is the big party of the night!

More information coming.

11 Thoughts on “Sioux Falls City Council Agenda • Feb 12, 2019

  1. I don’t understand your hatred for the “run off” rule for city council positions. It seems undemocratic to have someone represent me that couldn’t attract a majority vote. For example, Curt Soehl would have won his council seat with just 26% of the vote if the run-off rule was not in place.

  2. Nope. Under the old ordinance there would have still been a runoff. The plurality ordinance requires you to get at least 34%, as I mentioned above.

  3. D@ily Spin on February 10, 2019 at 10:24 am said:

    At the city government level, the candidate with the most votes should be elected. Elections cost money. Leaving a post empty during the runoff process is counterproductive. It doesn’t take a genius to vote on liquor permits. Keep the process short and sweet.

    I’m impressed with council spending. Some things seem unnecessary but acceptable. Huether forcing ridiculous self centered spending is history. Finally, there’s better focus on what benefits citizens.

  4. Warren Phear on February 10, 2019 at 4:53 pm said:

    Matt, you have been around SF politics to know exactly what the plurality/majority issue is all about. Playing dumb does you no favors.

  5. Warren Phear on February 11, 2019 at 6:29 am said:

    Scott, careful what you wish for on bulldozing the birdcage. The latest architectural concept for a DT stadium is in the 50 million dollar range. Once the cage is gone, expect a push for a 15 million dollar ramp to replace it.

  6. tear down howo field, and let sanford build the kelby dome by airport.

  7. The Guy from Guernsey on February 11, 2019 at 10:54 pm said:

    scott takes my prognostication one step further with demo of Howard Wood field and construction of a domed football field @ the Sanford Sports Complex.

  8. The Guy from Guernsey on February 11, 2019 at 11:16 pm said:

    Among other findings, the task force will determine that there is higher value application for the land on which the Birdcage is built (parking).
    Although this will be troubling for the DTSF crowd, Sanford Frontiers emerges as the white knight to build a baseball stadium at the Sanford Sports Complex. (But will it be domed?).

    Kelby K. and the Davis family (of Cambria quartz fame and providers of the new blue 15 ton rock recently planted at the complex) will team up to bring a minor league baseball team to play in the new Sanford taj mahal. Triple A (even if Sanford has to open the purse strings to buy and relocate the Sacramento River Cats), ‘cuz it sounds more impressive when recruiting docs.

    Not certain the connection to the blue boulder in all of this? Maybe the baseball team will be The Blue Rockers ?

    Kelby can retire from Sanford and be the sports GM which he has always dreamed to be.

  9. Once taxpayers see the history of the attendance numbers at the baseball stadium, they will not want anything to do with a new stadium anywhere!

  10. Warren Phear on February 12, 2019 at 12:34 pm said:

    Taxpayers? Taxpayers will have nothing to do with a yes or no on a 30 to 50 million dollar DT stadium. It will go before our council. It will then be approved 5-3.

    SF baseball needs a team and a league with major league affiliation. When the Packers were affiliated with the Cincinnatti Reds, baseball in this town was fun. All the teams in league had a major leavue affiliate. I believe it was a A league. Anyway, saw a lot of future major leaguers play at Packer Stadium. Those days are gone, and so is my interest.

  11. "Very Stable Genius" on February 12, 2019 at 2:49 pm said:

    Plurality victories give a minority a voice at the table.

    Oh, and does Matthew realize he just indicted the “B” President’s election efficacy?

    Oh, and I am glad to hear that Sanford is planning to use some more of our health care dollars for AAA ball, too…#OnlyInAmerica….#CapitalizedMedicineAtItsBest

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