SiouxFallsSeal1

A simple city logo, what a concept!

It’s only been a few brief days after city directors and even city councilors proclaimed we needed to raise water rates because the 2nd penny is for roads. They even dared to ask the question, “What road projects are you willing to give up if we were to fund water and sewer pipes from the 2nd penny?”

Well, none, McFly, if you budget and appropriate the 2nd penny correctly. Something, they proved once again today, they struggle with;

Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation unveiled a new and updated logo today.

Over time, the logo will be updated on park signage, vehicles, and more.

First off, re-branding is something that is usually done to freshen up a product or service you are already providing. In other words, you are trying to re-sell something old. Except the parks system is not for sale, in fact, for the most part it is free, and in some cases to overpriced for some to afford (swimming). I have often said city department logos should be very simple. Use the city seal with the words of the department in either Times New Roman or Helvetica next to the seal, like Public Works, Health Department, etc.

Secondly, the cost to rebrand will probably be close to a $500K or more, even with our own sign department. That’s a lot of sewer pipe that could have been laid.

We have a mayor who is always so hell bent on selling our town, which isn’t always such a bad thing, but really Mike, you don’t have to sell us something that is already FREE and considered by the citizens as our best asset. Now go fix some roads and water pipes instead fiddling around in art departments.

20 Thoughts on “No money in 2nd Penny for water pipes, we need it for new signage and graphics for parks vehicles

  1. Once again we see the marketing department at 9th and Dakota putting lipstick on the pig. As with rudderless ships of state, new flags (oh yea, what happened to it?), uniforms, logos and other marketing devices are used to redirect the public’s eyes to the shiny object.

    Our town’s lack of leadership has produced the largest debt load in it’s history while accomplishing very little to make the town stronger.

    The current logo is just fine but what do we know.

    We can look at the debt load issues is most important issue we have right now. Think about all the streets we could be fixing if we did not have $20,000,000 a year bond payments to make every year.

    The city government is broke both spiritually and financially. This is why we are getting fancy new logos to take our attention away from park department problems making the debt payments.

    The 1st penny has been used up paying the daily expenses of the playthings bought with the 2nd penny sales tax bonding abuses. Next time you pay for the tires, wheels and your other car repairs because of the street crater you couldn’t miss, thank the man who promised to make Sioux Falls a shiny star.

    Instead of paying the bills he now has Tracy Turbak being forced to admit the 8% growth rate has shrunk to 1.5%. Some people have been trying to explain the rosy forecasts have been a lie for several years and we now get to see Huether’s administration being destroyed by the debt.

    Let’s see how the current council and the next treat the administration’s need for more debt for an unneeded office building.

  2. “Secondly, the cost to rebrand will probably be close to a $500K or more, even with our own sign department.”

    Just curious – what is your source for this figure? The news reports indicate a creation cost of “a few thousand dollars.” Much of the transition to the new logo might be done as old equipment, signage, and supplies are replaced in the regular course of business – meaning either no or low additional cost to the City.

  3. Rufusx on April 22, 2016 at 8:38 am said:

    I believe that by state law – sewer and water facilities and operations must be funded by user rates.

  4. The D@ily Spin on April 22, 2016 at 9:25 am said:

    What troubles me about the parks logo is they’re excepting themselves from city government. The city is difficult and corrupt. A new separate entity makes for to much government. Use the city logo and put Parks Department in small letters underneath it.

  5. The D@ily Spin on April 22, 2016 at 9:57 am said:

    Huether propaganda is catching up with him. A Ponzi scheme is great fun. It’s a pyramid going up but free fall without a parachute coming down. This is not Donald Trump. Just another two minute CEO robbing shareholders and employees. We’ve learned the hard way business doesn’t relate to government.

  6. Ruf, so how was it the city attorney had the secret executive session to allow a vote on the rental car tax to pay for the same water projects?

  7. matt johnson on April 22, 2016 at 2:07 pm said:

    Just another example of waste and hubris- as a aside to the 2nd penny issue (I don’t think I am repeating any previous posts) our public works director stated on a recent radio broadcast that one of the uses of this money was for retiring levee bonds- I thought we were reimbursed for that by the feds. OH, YEAH THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF “CASH” FOR THE INDOOR POOL.

  8. Bruce makes some very good points. I’d like to know the cost of those points.

    What has been the total of huether’s marketing since he took office? It hasn’t just been the parks department making changes.

    the fire department has a new logo and new uniforms. What did it cost to relogo all of those trucks and cars and buy new uniforms? Not to mention I’m sure there was new letterhead, forms, and business cards and little costs that added up also. Why was that necessary? Did people not recognize the big red trucks any more?

    There seemed to be a lot of additions to the finance department (or is it the business department now?). The personnel costs went up significantly and several positions were renamed from financial analyst or financial specialist to business analyst and business specialist. The goal of business is to make a profit. Isn’t the goal of city government to provide services?

    Not sure why all the people were added but it sounds like their job is to tell everyone no, they can’t spend money, and when they let them, to slow down the buying process and to make them buy cheaper, inferior goods.

    The other personnel he’s added who basically do nothing but market his projects and activities: The project manger Kendra Siemonsma, the press secretary, Heather Hitterdal, etc., I’m sure i’ve missed someone.

    Don’t forget the overpriced mailers/pamphlets.

  9. “Just curious – what is your source for this figure? The news reports indicate a creation cost of “a few thousand dollars.” Much of the transition to the new logo might be done as old equipment, signage, and supplies are replaced in the regular course of business – meaning either no or low additional cost to the City.”

    Well, Michael, if you believe that, I have a fully operational ice rec center I would love to sell you by LifeScape complex.

    I have worked in marketing, printing, graphic design, and the sign industry since 1992, trust me, I was low-balling it when I said $500K. My point was a bigger one. The tax payers already fund the parks system, and in almost every survey done since SF has become a city the citizens say the best thing they like about SF is the parks system. It doesn’t need marketing. I think taxpayers would prefer that not one cent was spent on a new logo and have 100% of any money goes towards improving what citizens already think is great.

  10. “as a aside to the 2nd penny issue (I don’t think I am repeating any previous posts) our public works director stated on a recent radio broadcast that one of the uses of this money was for retiring levee bonds- I thought we were reimbursed for that by the feds. OH, YEAH THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF “CASH” FOR THE INDOOR POOL.”

    I heard that to. WOW! Gosh darn it, we need that money to pay off levees so we can build pools on land that is not legally deeded to us.

  11. “What has been the total of huether’s marketing since he took office? It hasn’t just been the parks department making changes.”

    Dare we even guess at that number? My head is really spinning now.

  12. Warren on April 23, 2016 at 9:11 am said:

    Excellent point by Bruce. I was also wondering where cotter got that 70% figure for second penny money for streets. Seemed high considering our debt service for playthings.

    From page 8 2015 budget.

    Street. 47.6%
    Debt service. 28.1%
    Culture/Rec. 14.3%
    Police/Fire. 5.4%
    Info/Tech (indoctrination) 2.2%
    And a couple more percent split amongst several other departments

    From page 8 2016 budget

    Street. 51%
    Debt service 26.8%
    Culture/Rec. 11.2%
    Police /Fire. 4.4%
    Info/ Tech. 2%

    The city has two reserve funds. The general fund is the city’s primary operating fund. This cover department wages, services, day to day functions. Main sources of revenue are the 1st penny tax and property tax.

    The CIP is a plan, by department, that list capital projects related to infrastructure costs. The second penny funds this. Does the above look like the intent of the second penny?

    Another note. The water reclamation enterprise fund (piggy bank, courtesy of the bills we pay) has 62.4 million in it. The water department has 39 million.

  13. The D@ily Spin on April 23, 2016 at 9:55 am said:

    Add up spending we’re aware of and there’s half a billion in new debt. With employee expansion and wasted departments cost it’s hard to estimate real debt and new budget scale.

    A psychopath is one who can’t feel needs except his own. Spending and expanding makes Huether look powerful without having to justify his actions. A psychopath is often social, agreeable, and popular until they’re discovered. City personnel and most citizens want to believe. It’s cult-like until he changes the city name to Jonestown and makes everyone drink poison.

  14. i12doit on April 23, 2016 at 12:58 pm said:

    How about just taking the 500,000 or more dollars and dividing it equally and giving it to the citizens of Sioux Falls. This way they could use it for a car if they don’t have one, upgrade the one they do have, put it toward home repairs or buy new clothes to pretty themselves up. It would make the city look so much better all the way around and stimulate the economy. They could even take some of these things to the park which would be more attractive than Park Logo signs!

  15. Rufusx on April 23, 2016 at 6:50 pm said:

    Bruce, how is it that anything that’s a “secret” would be anything you have any knowledge of??

  16. Ruf, you had to be there. Not only did the room reek of something going on, people in the know should not talk so loud in a room full of people. Braggers should be careful.

  17. Rufusx on April 24, 2016 at 2:09 pm said:

    So whatever happened outside your actual presence is still actually secret? I.E., you have no actual direct knowledge, because of course you were not legally allowed to be present in an actual executive session. In fact, whatever topic was being discussed in your presence may not have ever come up at the ACTUAL executive session. It was just some random informal conversation outside that session which you IMAGINE was talked about inside the REAL exec. session.

    Got it.

  18. Ruf, get grip on real life. Once loose lips drop the news added to actual investigations showing it to be correct and then follow-up council actions acknowledge the illegal action, it kind of proves it.

    Right now there are city officials wondering what we will do with the information. It is just another illegal use of executive sessions and other violations of open meetings and records laws by the city of Sioux Falls.

  19. be part of the solution on April 25, 2016 at 9:13 am said:

    If they divided the 500,000 among the citizens that would leave us all with a whopping 5 bucks. How is that going to get me a new car or fix the one I have? Use the 500,000 for infrastructure to keep my user fees down. I like the conservation route too. The less you use the less you pay.

  20. i12doit on April 26, 2016 at 8:34 am said:

    I know, it doesn’t make sense. Just like the new logo doesn’t. It was a salty joke.

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