South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

March 2014

Darrin Smith Developers Development Sioux Falls

Q-Tip Smith is right, development by the new Events Center is starting

l3wis 6Comments

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Of course, with the help of more tax subsidies;

City officials announced that Fairway Suites will develop a hotel on the southeast side of Elmwood Golf Course.

The City and Fairway Suites will begin negotiations on a lease agreement for the proposed site. A final agreement would then need to be approved before a project could proceed.

“We are very pleased to be working with the City of Sioux Falls to develop a hotel on the Elmwood site,” says Brian Burton, Chief Operating Officer for Fairway Suites, LLC. “With the opening of the new Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and efforts focused on the redevelopment of the surrounding area, we feel that the long-term outlook for the location is very promising.”

While I am not opposed to leasing the land to the hotel, the city in no way shape or form be involved with subsidizing or building this facility. The city should not be in the business of providing lodging. We have already given away millions (TIFs & River Greenway bulk head) to the DT Hilton. This a prime example of why hand-out Mike and his team (Smith) need to go.

Elections Ethics Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether Sioux Falls

Mr. Ethical, Props and all

l3wis 9Comments

Huether with sign

Two things. Most of the year it is too cold to walk anywhere, and when it is warm, it is the only option for the working poor.

City Hall at 9th and Main was a bit empty at 1:30pm Wednesday. The City Attorney’s office was pretty quiet also. Where were they? Try Carnegie Townhall, the mayor was giving a political speech on the City’s dime and time, again. I walked into the Council Chamber and hizonor was giving his standard campaign stump speech with a room full of city employees in attendance. I wonder how much money wasted on this political event? Wait, it’s tax money being wasted, yours and mine. On top of this, the city’s website was being used. Channel 16 CityLink was also being utilized. This looks a lot like a major waste of taxpayer money being used to help hizonor have some publicity for his campaign.

It is an amazing process for the average citizen to file an ethics complaint in the City of Sioux Falls. Try and find a brave attorney to assist you in the research, then the filing. I have a great deal of respect for many attorneys and always will. It takes a great deal of patience and persistence to find code close to what is needed to make officials stop, then take notice, then correct their course. We have been attempting to help City Hall and the annexes personnel understand limits instilled in the US Constitution, State of South Dakota Constitution and the Sioux Falls Home Rule Charter.

This city government constantly rules by loophole. We have had to stand back and watch this action for too long. The Mayor’s Learning & Listening sessions are filled with his political views until he is reminded not to be political during city sponsored events. Since I prepared this complaint, word is reaching me, a double, super-secret, buried in the basement floor, under the rug in the back corner rule was broken in this submission process. We are trying to make changes to the way this government is operated and it is time to make them accountable.

If this complaint is rejected because we did not do all the steps exactly right, I guess we will have to keep trying until we do get it right. You know come to think of it, there are so many ethics issues we are uncovering with the current administration, each will need to be ranked in descending order of importance. This has been a great lesson in City Charter rules and lack thereof. With this new found knowledge, it looks like we could keep the city attorney’s office quite busy. Oh wait, a few of these might require outside legal counsel.

READ THE FULL DOCUMENT: Citizens for Integrity Press Release 2014-03-26.pdf – Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended

Press Release • March 26, 2014 • Bruce Danielson, Citizens for Integrity

Today I have filed on behalf of Citizens for Integrity an ethics complaint based on:

Sioux Falls Code § 38.021 EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO INFLUENCE ELECTION OUTCOME PROHIBITED

Established Sioux Falls Code, South Dakota law, Administrative rules, Executive Orders and customs have restricted the use of Sioux Falls City resources to enhance a political campaign. Mayor Mike Huether today is violating these long standing guidelines.

From the city website:  < http://www.siouxfalls.org/central-services/multimedia-support/citylink/programs/regular-programs/ask-the-mayor.aspx >

According to City policy (Executive Order 12-24), candidates for any elective public office are not eligible to appear on CityLink for 90 days prior to the next municipal election (April 8, 2014). This City policy ensures candidates do not use public funds for their own personal promotion. The policy states that candidates may appear on CityLink “if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to presentation of the subject matter or in coverage of official City meetings such as City Council or Council Informational Meetings.” These types of incidental appearances also may include events like news conferences and ribbon cuttings.

After January 7, 2014:

  • The “Mayor’s Listening and Learning Sessions” will continue to be held at various locations across the city but will not be recorded or televised on CityLink.
  • “Ask the Mayor” programs will not be recorded or televised on CityLink.
  • “Inside Town Hall” will continue to be recorded and televised but will not include candidates for any elective public office.

Today we once again have our Mayor abusing his office for personal gain. The circumventing the established nonpolitical

Uncategorized

Let’s Roll Old Skool to boot Walmart!

l3wis 27Comments

Save Your Neighborhood has posted home-made signs in support of their position on Referred Law 4, urging people to vote against the rezoning at 85th and Minnesota.  The signs are located near I-229 and Minnesota, and on 85th Street, between Minnesota and Western.

While the group is at a severe disadvantage financially when compared to Walmart and its ballot question committee, the group is relying on its volunteers and a grass roots effort to bring facts surrounding this issue to the public’s attention.

synsigns

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Participant Poll Show 53% Vote YES for Outdoor Pool

l3wis 29Comments

UnderWater_520x260

Veterans for the VA Host Telephone Town Hall With 7638 Voters

Veterans for the VA held a telephone town hall on Tuesday night focusing on why voting Yes to keep an outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park is the prudent way to vote on April 8th.  Measure 2 on the ballot calls for the city of Sioux Falls to spend no more than $7.5 million on an outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park. A YES vote for Measure 2 keeps an outdoor pool and rescues the city from spending nearly $20 million on an indoor aquatics center at Spellerberg Park which would add $13 million in new debt to the city’s finances while impeding veterans access to the VA and increasing traffic and parking problems in the Spellerberg neighborhood.

Tom Muenster, a local veteran, long time Sioux Falls resident and leader of Veterans for the VA had this to say, “We are not at all surprised by the great turnout for last night’s call.  Spending nearly $20 million on an indoor aquatics center at an inappropriate site while adding $13 million in taxpayer debt is simply a misguided plan.  When voters hear the facts they vote YES to keep an outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park because it is the fiscally responsible choice.”

More than 3800 households participated in the telephone town hall to learn about how voting YES on Measure 2 helps Sioux Falls upgrade to a modern outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park while avoiding the pitfalls of municipal debt associated with building the indoor aquatic center at Spellerberg Park, which is opposed by seven of the eleven candidates running for office on April 8th.  “With over $400 million in debt already, Sioux Falls has a larger debt than the entire State of South Dakota.  Adding another $13 million for an indoor pool is simply too much debt to put on the taxpayers creditcard,” said Muenster.

Veterans for the VA reached nearly 8,000 voters in over 3,800 households during the telephone town hall last night.  When polled about their position on Measure 2, 53% of voters stated they planned to vote YES for an outdoor pool while only 41% planned to vote no.  “A majority of voters are clearly concerned about the impacts of spending $20 million on an indoor pool that piles on more than $13 million in new debt,” said John Matthius, a Save Spellerberg member who also participated in the call.   “When voters hear about the added debt, along with the negative impact on the neighborhood, on the trees and green space in Spellerberg Park, and the adverse impacts to veterans’ access to health care services at the VA hospital, they understand that supporting a proposed indoor aquatic center at Spellerberg Park is the wrong choice.”

Neighbors have been citing their concerns to an indoor pool at this site for a number of years.  Suzanne Van Bockern, a member of Save Spellerberg, said, “Voting YES for the outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park is the right choice to protect the park, protect the VA and protect the neighborhood.”  Residents near Spellerberg Park gathered over 7,000 signatures needed to put the issue of capping spending on a pool at $7.5 million.  A vote on April 8th will determine whether their fellow residents heard their pleadings to rescue Spellerberg Park.

Visit www.siouxfallsfacts.com to get the facts.

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