So while it is a good thing the wells were turned off, makes you wonder how long we were drinking this crap before they found it;
Important questions about today’s PFAS contamination remain unanswered. From the date PFAS entered a private well or municipal water system to the date it was detected and mitigated, what was the effect and on whom? How many airmen and women handled and used the foam for decades without proper protection? What was the effect and where are they now?
Lubbers and Stefanich balked at addressing those questions. Bak simply stated, “You can’t really speak to what was in the past.â€
Reminds me of when I warned the city about this a few years ago, and I think they changed some of the chemical mixture. But I often advise people to NOT eat the vegetables you grow in an outside garden in Sioux Falls because it is covered with dangerous mosquito spray residuals. ever notice we don’t have as many bees and beneficial insects? That’s because the mosquito spraying is killing them.
There’s a lot of chemicals our government is feeding us, that they do NOT want us to know about. Yet all the conservatives want more deregulation when it comes to the EPA. Idiots.
Sure, they followed all open meetings rules, but they were a little shady on what exactly they were discussing. When they had their meeting on Friday, they went into immediate executive session to discuss legal matters around purchasing land. They were vague as to what school they were buying land for. Here is the agenda/minutes below;
As you can see, they popped their heads out just long enough to vote then quickly scheduled a Wednesday meeting, which technically was a ‘work session’ but legally they can take action. Notice the ‘Notice’ on that meeting;
While they said there could be public input at the beginning, no mention of public input on Item #3, and even if you read the agenda ahead of time, there is NO exhibit telling us ‘what’ real property the SFSD is purchasing.
The 3 PM on a Wednesday afternoon meeting time also pretty much guarantees the public would not show up, even if public input would have been posted. They did ‘ask’ for public input on Item #3 as they were presenting it, but since it wasn’t posted that way on the agenda OR what Item #3 was really about, why would anyone show up for comment?
I figured once the bond passed the SFSD would go into full lockdown and NOT be transparent in anyway moving forward except what is required by law to the bare minimum.
Remember Homan’s lack of transparency? All of her staff still work for Maher. Konrad, Chase, Vik, etc.
I expect there to be extreme waste and secrecy surrounding the enormous $300 million dollar bond, and we won’t know the details until after it is too late. Makes you wonder if Ol’ Bucktooth and Bowlcut is running the show?
The Argus Leader’s Shelly Conlon has had several stories about the run up to the land selection process.
Here’s how that process unfolded during the last month, and especially the last couple weeks. The last three stories highlight the process, and includes an explanation from Alberty as to why they planned to decide the location during the work session instead of the regular meeting next week.
You mean when manufacturing dumps on land for over 100 years there will have to be soil cleanup? Who knew!?
And after breaking ground, Quasney said it quickly became clear why the site qualified for some assistance.
“We are probably three months behind from where we’d really like to be,” Quasney said. “Most of that was associated with site remediation specific to petroleum on the site.”
We have known for well over 15 years this area would need major cleanup. I have said all along instead of giving TIFs the city could have budgeted over the past 15 years to cleanup the site for developers and sell it as a ‘clean site’. While I think there would have been some costs for SF taxpayers, I think the city could have applied for EPA Federal grants and even state funds to clean up the site. I think in the long run we could have sold the site as a clean site ready for development and would not have had to give millions in TIF tax rebates. TIFs are a scam, and the city continues to throw theses stories out to the media to make it look like they are needed. They are NOT, there are other options.
While I’m pushing for allowing patrons to bring their own beer to Levitt concerts, I have long advocated for ‘open drinking’ Downtown similar to what Austin, TX does in their entertainment district.
This is an interesting story on what they are doing in a small town in Georgia;
Three years ago, Atlanta-based developer Vantage Realty Partners LLC proposed an open-container ordinance in Duluth, Ga., where it developed a retail and entertainment complex called Parsons Alley in a historic district downtown. The ordinance passed this year.
“Every restaurant and retailer loved it. It increases their sales. Their customers don’t have to stay confined in their premises and can walk to the town green or fountain with a drink,†said Chris Carter, co-founder of Vantage Realty.
As with the Levitt BYOB idea, I’m not saying it should not be without restrictions. I think if the Levitt does allow BYOB it should be to a restricted viewing area and you should get an ID band proving you are of age.
The open drinking downtown would be a similar concept. My idea would be to allow it the first and second Fridays/Saturdays of each month June-September. The area would be limited to. I suggest just blocking off Phillips Avenue between 9th & 10th, 10th & 11th and 11th to 12th and allow traffic to still move West to East through downtown. You could only open drink in those areas and the alcohol providers could only give you plastic cups, bottles or aluminum cans, and you would have to have a ID bracelet.
I think it is something worth looking at. I know this past summer that the sidewalks were so crammed on First Fridays you could barely walk on them. Opening up this area would help a lot and bring a lot more business downtown.
You can thank me later for lifting the Noem graphic I created several years ago from a picture I found on Kristi’s old blog. Yes, Kristi used to be a blogger when she was in the state legislature.
l3wis 
