Entries Tagged 'Downtown Sioux Falls' ↓

I combed our limited local news media to see if I could find any information about this, and had trouble digging up anything (maybe a foot soldier could point me in the right direction). The only thing I could find was that Xcel made a generous (tiny) donation to the Red Cross;

“In recognition of the great efforts of the local Red Cross to assist affected customers, we’re pleased to make a $2,500 donation.”

Well that was nice of them, considering most of the DT residents that were affected by the power outage never went to the shelter and got a hotel room.

A couple of DT residents told me they thought ‘Renter’s Insurance’ would cover it. I told them, “Xcel should cover it. You are their customer, and you are paying for a service, and when it does not work, you need to be compensated.”

I also suggest that Xcel should pay for the contents of your Refrigerator and Freezer.

Remember, this is a PRIVATE energy company that flies several of their execs back and forth each week on a private jet to different corporate locations, because Gawd forbid they do business via teleconferencing.

This is interesting on many levels. Who is responsible for the outage? Xcel or the City? Who should cover the expenses involved with the outage?

I also find it a bit comical that Xcel thought DT loft residents were going to sleep on a cot next to total strangers. I’m not saying they are snobs, but they certainly are not transients.

I wonder how their lawyers will conduct this Mexican Hat Dance.

I will have to give a H/T to Hudson for coining the phrase.

I was so mad last night I could barely type, so I figured I would sleep on it, and see if my words would become less barbed this morning. Still mad. As you know, there was a major power outage yesterday downtown, affecting some major businesses in downtown Sioux Falls.

Is this news? Certainly, I cannot argue with that. But some TV stations decided to go overboard and make it sound like DT was a total blackout and the entire area was blocked off to traffic due to the ‘Great Power outage of 2013′. I suppose it had to do with the fact that there wasn’t a blizzard or John Thune press release going on, so they had to create a disaster.

Was the outage bad? Sure. But claiming that all of DT came to a halting stop couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, several DT bars and restaurants were open. I work at one of them. The reports all but killed a normal busy Friday night. In fact at one point in the evening, our establishment was completely empty, 8 PM on a Friday night. Now, I can speculate that January usually isn’t a hopping month for us, but I can also speculate that the local TV media, once again, has blown shit way out of proportion.

I think what bothers me more is that when something like a power outage occurs, it is the TOP STORY, but when other important things happen in our community, the TV stations are in hiding, probably busy flying their drones or playing with their latest snowstorm buttplug thingy.

Did you know last week a small group of citizens addressed the Minnehaha County Commission and got them to back off in restricting petitioners? Well you would not have heard about it on TV.

Our local TV stations seem to be more concerned about scaring old people and precipitation then they are about real news (hate to piss off the city fathers in our town, they might pull their advertising). This ‘creation’ of news has got to stop. Good, solid news stories are all around you, heck, some get handed to you on a silver platter. Where a DT restaurant is going to cold storage there bagged gravy is not a news story.

6th Street, DT Austin, TX

I have thought about this idea for awhile.

What would be the harm in experimenting with closing down Phillips Avenue between 10th & 11th and 11th & 12th (leave 11th street open for traffic) on Friday and Saturday nights after say 6 PM to 2 AM for the month of July. And allow open container (as long as it is plastic cups or aluminum cans or bottles). You could also setup picnic tables and bring in street vendors of all kinds (not just food or drink but artist booths also).

I think DTSF needs to turn it up a notch, and what’s the harm in experimenting with the idea?

Downtown businesses would have to be heavily involved and there would have to be strict cleanup guidelines by the DT businesses.

There’s a new player DT Sioux Falls. Vishnu Bunny Tattoo (photos on his website are of his old location) is now located DT next to Kaladi’s on Phillips Avenue. The owner, Jeff Mann has been working hard to open the shop, and had his grand opening last night, the place was packed. Heck even the mayor showed up! (we had an interesting discussion about piercings and tattoos, but I promised not to blog about it

One of the best part about Jeff’s move to DT is that he will have a lowbrow art gallery in the establishment. I hope to have a show there in the near future and have offered to show my personal lowbrow art collection.

Vishnu Bunny Tattoo will be a nice addition to DT. Congrats!

While our Mayor is dreaming about Events Centers, cotton candy and streets paved of gold, it seems he has to deal with another lawsuit spawned by the past administration. Nevermind the one that was postponed this week about sewer backups from several years ago – remember when we got like 20 inches of rain in 2 days? (yes, kids, this is our very expediate judicious system). Nope this one is about charging businesses that don’t benefit from promoting entertainment and hospitality downtown to paying extra property taxes for promotion they don’t receive;

The lawsuit from Red Buffalo Trading Co. Inc. comes eight months after a similar lawsuit from Ronning Cos. and two months before the City Council votes on whether to renew the tax assessment.

The legal battles, as well as increasing expectations for DTSF from the public, could lead to changes in the way DTSF is financed.

Twenty-two percent of DTSF’s money is from the assessment collected by the Main Street Business Improvement District (BID). That’s why DTSF president Jason Dennison said finding a way to maintain the assessment while still satisfying the group’s membership is crucial.

“Without our member-sponsors and the assessment, we really wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Dennison said.

What do you do? I think it is time to pull the plug on DTSF. Downtown is prospering fine on it’s own, and downtown businesses can do what other businesses do on their own, MARKET THEMSELVES! It’s time to get rid of this special interest front. We already have a Chamber of Commerce, why do DT businesses need a special marketing organization?

I have to apologize to Steve Hildebrand for assuming that him and Huether are in cohoots together for the downtown location. After watching last night’s council meeting, it couldn’t be more obvious that they ARE not in agreement with the Events Center location, they had a very cold exchange. So once again, I’m saying I am sorry.

I encourage everyone to watch the (entire) Council Meeting. It gets really interesting when councilor Jamison suggests we should study the downtown location. Entennmen and Litz go on a tirade about how DT will not work and the money isn’t there to study that location and suggests other’s pony up. Well guess what Jim, there is a rumor that that just might be the case. Local businessmen are pledging large amounts of money towards the DT effort.

“Hi. I went to the DT Live show, did you?”

For the most part I had fun. As a person who lives DT, I am always in my element at any event DT. I realize this was the first year of this event, and I hope they continue. For the most part, it went off without a hitch, some of the things I enjoyed about the event were;

• Economical. The ticket price was $10 for three local acts and a national headliner.

• Location. Since nobody is snagging up that Phillips to the Falls land anytime soon, it is a good place to put on an outdoor concert.

But If I was handed a survey on what to improve on, this is what I would say;

• A few more porta potties, but no a major problem.

• Make the event all day, more local bands.

• Better sound quality. It seemed it was too distorted and the sound quality could have been better.

• SUPPLY BIKE RACKS. Please supply a bike valet.

• More food vendors. (even though Uncle Ed’s pork sandwiches are fucking delicious) we need more.

AND MY BIGGEST BITCHES ARE SIMPLE;

• If you advertise a ‘Beer Garden’  - Have a beer garden. Having a tent just over the beer vendors IS NOT a beer garden. Have a covered place for people to drink beer.

• Have more volunteers who know what they are doing when selling beer. Lines are stupid. That is why I create my own lines at these kind of events.

• Too many yuppies. While I cannot probably change this, I will say, that if I see one more pressed Tommy Bahama shirt or pleated shorts this week, I will freaking puke.

This is what your extra property tax money goes towards.

The organization, Downtown Sioux Falls is using special assessments to TAKE money from businesses that DO NOT benefit from the assessment. I don’t think Christmas decorations and flower baskets is a wise use of taxpayer money, especially in this economy, and if a business is not benefitting from the assessment they should be able to opt out (Item #13) If you watch the video you will see they really don’t explain where businesses are benefitting from the assessments. Councilor Kenny Anderson was the ONLY councilor who had the guts to vote NO.

A RESOLUTION  FORMTEXT APPROVING THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE MAIN STREET BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD:

Section 1. That the special assessment roll for the Main Street Business Improvement District in the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is hereby approved and the assessment as set out in said special assessment roll approved this date is hereby levied against the property described therein and becomes a lien against such property upon filing of said special assessment roll in the City Finance Office.

Section 2. Industrial property shall be exempt from assessment. Single-family and two-family dwelling units shall also be exempt. Residential rental property whose sole use is residential and which contains more than two units, will be assessed one-half the set amount.

Section 3. Said assessment may be paid in one annual installment based on the assessed valuations of the property adjusted each year and shall be collected under Plan One—Collection by County Treasurer as provided in SDCL 9-43.