https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=298nld4Yfds
The Sioux Falls City Council voted 7-0 to approve the new pilot program tonight at the special meeting (Councilor Rolfing was absent).
But as of this morning, that vote looked a lot different. Jamison, Erickson & Staggers were on board, Karsky was a swing vote, and Erpenbach, Kiley and Anderson wanted to defer because they didn’t feel the city directors and mayor were included in the deal.
Call a whaaabulance, heard there was a new one in town. Some people are more concerned about getting credit, then getting things done for our community that are truly ‘progress’.
The city administrators and mayor didn’t need to be included. This was a simple resolution approved by the city’s legislative branch. The directors and department heads have 20 days until the resolution goes into effect to iron out the details – that is their ‘JOB’. And remember, this is a pilot test program for the summer, if it doesn’t work or needs to be tweaked, changes can be made at the end of the summer.
Besides Cathy B. suggesting the program, I found out over the weekend that Councilor Jamison with the help of Erickson spearheaded this resolution. Many non-profits and including the school district are all on board.
So let’s forget about the politics for a moment, and applaud the council for moving forward on this fabulous pilot program. Maybe things will look different in September, but I’m guessing not. There was another pilot program that was poo-poo’d just a few years ago.
Snow Gates.
Guess how that turned out?
Progress Sioux Falls. Progress.
Kudos to the council. It’s not that much to give because riders are down in summer. Kids will take it to the pool, zoo, or mall and spend money. Likely, lost revenue can be made up with sales tax. This was a no brainer.
Isn’t it about time the city funded a social program? They build coliseums with $100 tickets but can’t do anything for the impoverished majority. County social programs are underfunded. There must be partition taken away from the city. We can live without another indoor tennis or swimming country club for one percenters.
Sounds like a petition to me!!!
I thought the big talking point for the new pool was that kids could take the bus to go swimming. So free would be a good thing for kids to get to the pool.
The new pool may not qualify for the summer swim pass. Might be two separate seasons, with two separate prices.
I had to laugh the other day, they said they couldn’t expand the pool season for all the pools because they used college kids for lifeguards (yeah, let’s open the pools in May when it gets down to 40 degrees at night and close them when the temp is in the hundreds). So who is going to staff the new indoor aquatic center? I have a feeling that it’s going to be a little hard to find full-time lifeguards for the current $11 an hour they are paying the ‘college students’ now.
Who will be the chairperson of the ‘Ride It Now’ campaign ?
Notice the only news organization to cover the story is the Argus Leader. You would think something as big as FREE youth ridership would attract the news. I guess that KSFY was at the informational meeting yesterday (to cover the ambulance takeover) then left after that meeting, failing to cover the major story of the day. I think it would be safe to say that city hall controls the media a bit on this story. Also, no press release on the city website. Hmmm.
Poly43
That would NOT be what they sold to voters (public record).
Also, many voters are VERY angry that the 19 million dollar pool which Mike and his team sold to the public pre-election is now going to cost almost 24 million (and counting)!!!!
Poly has a point. A separate swim pass is unfair but also a civil rights violation. A swimming pool only open in winter is a double negative. Its obviously meant for one percenters because kids are in school and working poor parents have 2 jobs. Reserving this facility reminds me of when bathrooms were designated white and black.
The rich should have to swim in pee green water just like the rest of us. I said I’d never use it but I’m thinking one special trip to properly ‘break it in’.
who ends up paying for this? does SAM keep a count and get reimbursement from the city? have they informed First Transit, the mother company the city sub-contracts from, that a plan to generate no revenue was approved? just wondering.