Sioux Falls City Council Agenda, Dec 18, 2018

I often tell people it’s the ‘Little Things’ in the meetings that stick out. This week’s meetings are NO exception. The regular council meeting is chocked full of interesting tid-bits.

Council Informational Meeting, 4 PM

Presentations on November Financials, the 85th & I-29 Exchange (That should be interesting). We also get an update on the licensing agreement with Verizon on 5G cells. Read that piece of work, looks as though executives from Verizon wrote this gem; Verizon-agreement

Regular Council Meeting, 7 PM

Item#6, Approval of Contracts

The city is spending $247K on after school programs;

While I think this programming is needed, should it not be the responsibility of the SF School District? I know the CC has argued about this in the past. While I don’t have a problem with my tax dollars funding this, the money should come from my school funding taxes. Not only that, the SFSD is set up to get grant funding for these programs. Instead of paying administrators 6 figures and having private restaurants do fundraisers for FREE and reduced lunches, maybe the SFSD needs to scrape the money together for these programs.

We are spending $40K to ‘foster a servant leadership attitude’

I have NO clue who this is for, but like I have said already, we should be electing leaders, why on earth would be spending taxdollars on ‘leadership training’.

We are paying a the host of the city link show ‘City Scene’ $10K a year;

The consultant, ‘Pinny’ is Michele Wellman who used to work at the Pavilion. She narrates the once a month, 25 minute show for $833 per episode. Even if she did more than speak, like write the show, produce it and edit video (which I doubt) It still is a lot of coin. We have full-time media services people (I believe 3) that can handle this show themselves. Especially if they have time to do crap like this;

There is NO REASON we need to pay a NON city employee to do this show. As a city councilor pointed out to me, she makes HALF of what a city councilor makes in a year, which do a heckuva a lot more than narrate a show. I think the city council needs to request Wellman come before the council on Tuesday night and explain what she does for $833 a month.

Item #24, transfer of a liquor license to Village on the River. I find the last sentence interesting ‘Pending Final Inspections’ from health and FD. I guess that will be in two years when they open the place. So what will they do with the license until than? I guess sit on it like a golden goose egg.

Item #35, Resolution to approve the SFPD Union Contract. I find it interesting they are moving forward with this without the approval from the FOP. I wonder what kind of testimony we will get on this?

Item #37 A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS’ LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 2019 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (Doc: Legislative-priority)

Besides the fact they keep pushing TIFs with ZERO evidence they produce economic impact, this little gem that got put in without pre-approval from the rest of the council;

My first thought besides WTF? was, what does this have to do with the CC? Isn’t this a State, County or AG issue? As we all know (or maybe we don’t) our new brainiac Attorney General, the Cookie Monster Muppet wants to eliminate presumptive probation. It seems our very partisan Republican Council Chair, Erickson has decided to slip this in at the last minute to help out the new AG. It’s sneaky, slimy, and sloppy all at once. The council would be wise to not get into the Pierre Reindeer games and strike this from their priorities along with TIFs.

Item #38, Appointment of Citizen Board members.

First the good news, Greg Jamison is getting appointed to the BID Tax board. Bravo.

Now the bad news. Mike Begeman, an executive with Sanford, vice president for public affairs, is getting appointed to the Parks Board. While he does live in the NW part of the city instead of the SE side, it is further proof as councilor Stehly has pointed out many times that the Parks Board is an elitist organization of special interests and the wealthy and connected in our community. It’s time to bring back the district ordinance for Parks Board members.

Joint Sioux Falls City Council – Brandon City Council Meeting

Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 6:00 PM

Minerva’s, 301 S. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, SD (This is a dinner the city councilors have with each other, each year. Since it is a public meeting, the public can attend).