June 2018

Sioux Falls Board of Historic Preservation, June 13, 2018

l3wis June 21, 2018 1Comments

Cameraman Bruce has attended many meetings of multiple Sioux Falls boards and commissions I have noticed these issues. At this point he’s not singling the Board of Historic Preservation because things are noticed in most of the meetings making you scratch your head and wonder why.

Cameraman Bruce had been asked when the Board of Historic Preservation was and where because there was no required notice of future meetings on the website (potential SDCL 1-25?). A trip was made at 2:00pm on the 13th to City Hall to check if the west entrance door was the posted with notice. No time or date stamp to notes when the meeting was displayed for the public. These notices should have a posting time stamp and a remove date (there were some really old notices still hanging on the doors).

Here were some of the things noticed in this meeting:
1. The meeting was being held in a room with a closed door, not a problem if the meeting is identified.
2. There was no notice of meeting on the door welcoming public in the room.
3. There was no website posting to conform to state open meetings law SDCL 1-25-1.1.
4. The meeting started before the 4:00pm posted meeting time, when the camera was turned on, the first hearing was well underway. The cellphone is used to timestamp the meeting start. To sync multiple cameras in confusing situations, this allows the 4 – 5 camera setups to make sense to the viewers. It just helps to know what times we have to work from. Just for Open Meetings information, this could be a SDCL 1-25 issue.
5. There was no overhead projection to show the images on a common viewing platform so the audience could see what was happening.
6. There was no ability for the members to see the images being discussed causing great confusion, watch the members struggle to understand the issues being discussed.
7. There were no handouts for the audience, another potential SDCL issue.

BTW, this was the last meeting with Tom Keller as the Chairman. He did a good job with the potentially contentious meeting the month before.

In light of the Big Yellow House issues, thinking about this and past meetings attended, how many other potential bad decisions are made because the members and audience were left confused.

Many have been asking why the new derelict looking Copper Lounge building looks so out of place downtown. Look at the brick and see how many different shades are visible. This building’s city owned facade shown in all the drawings and discussions was to be similar to the building destroyed through stupidity. We’re told the builders showed a small sample of the brick to the Board and it was accepted. Having experienced this meeting and others, one or two brick samples doesn’t begin to cover it. The process should be started to have the facade easement returned to the program. This is another situation where the process seems to be lost.

This is not to pick on anyone, especially Diane. This is just a friendly reminder to all the staff running all city meetings:
1. post the meetings timely where they are to be posted
2. post the yearly calendar of meeting dates so the public can plan
3. wait until the legally posted time to start the meeting
4. have the exhibits available for all to view
5. use microphones and sound systems so the audience can hear
6. have AV equipment available to use so all people in the room can understand what issue

How many more Big Yellow Houses are in the waiting? We’ve just finished up with an abusive, secretive mayor who controlled and hid much plus on the 13th the move to the Romantix Annex office building was started. Let’s try to start with an open attitude.