This week the agenda did NOT post until after 5 PM on Friday. Normally it posts between 3-5 PM on Fridays. Me thinks they are now time stamping the agenda to NOT post until after 5 PM. Not sure why but it seems like the continued HATEFEST on transparency at City Hall. Sad.
Informational Meeting • 4 PM
There are NO supporting documents yet on SIRE so I have no idea what either of these are;
| • The AFSCME Free College Benefit by Council Member Pat Starr • Discretionary Formula Ordinance Revisions by Jeff Eckhoff, Director of Planning and Development Services; and Dustin Powers, Community Development Coordinator |
Item #6, Approval of Contracts, Sub Item #3, Funding Agreement providing economic development and workforce development related services. Actively support economic development and workforce development initiatives, Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Inc., $275K. I guess the $30 million dollar slush fund just isn’t enough so they need to squeeze taxpayers for more. I also take issue with the ‘workforce development’ portion of this while most Sioux Falls workers make under a living wage or have multiple jobs.
Sub Items #15-17, Code Violation Lawn Maintenance, All Seasons, $38-65 per man hour. I should ask my neighbor who is property maintenance supervisor if his employees make between $38-65 an hour. Trust me, I understand fuel and equipment maintenance expenses, but really? You also understand that if the violator doesn’t pay the fines and costs involved the taxpayers pick up the bill for this? I also find it ironic that sub item #18 is also a contract with All Seasons for city property, and items #23-24 are with another contractor. What do our parks workers do? The Parks Department has millions of dollars in equipment, why do we have to hire outside contractors to mow city property?
Sub Item #21, Southeast Technical Institute Foundation Agreement
This agreement provides funding for the implementation of the Southeast Tech N.O.W. Five Year Plan which hopes to expand availability of students to fulfill high demand jobs in Sioux Falls. Silly me, I thought that STI receives SF School District and state funding, but I guess they need to bleed some money out of city taxpayers to.
Item #11, 2nd Reading, extending the mask mandate. Expect the same group of god fearing, liberty loving clowns to show up again making up their own version of constitutional amendments that don’t exist. The mask mandate isn’t a mandate at all, it’s a strong suggestion from the council that has no fines or criminal charges. In other words if you don’t want to wear a mask you don’t have to in public spaces and government offices. As for businesses kicking your ass out for not following their rules on their private property they actually have several constitutional amendments backing them up, and if you don’t comply with their wishes you can be arrested for trespassing. I often compare mask wearing to no shirt, no shoes, no service. While it probably hasn’t been proven a bare chest or bare feet spread a lot of disease, it’s probably not the best thing to do healthwise, just like it is not a good idea to sneeze on people.
What often amazes me about the people who show up to cry about this crap is you never see them showing up to defend the 1st amendment when it matters like public input and open government. Or when our council gives millions away in tax breaks in the form of corporate welfare.
If wearing a mask in private retail businesses bothers you, stay home and order online, and while you are online google the US constitution and learn something about it.
Item #17, Resolution, Ethics board appointments. There are two appointments to the Board of Ethics. Sue Roust has been appointed to a second term and in a surprise move former S.D. Supreme Court justice Glen Severson has been appointed to replace Greg Lafollette. I’m a little on the fence about this because as will be nice to have a legal mind on the board, his legal mind may be a hindrance, ethics and law have some similarities, but for the most part they are different. There seems to have been a move over the last several years by the Ethics Board that if something is legal, it must be ethical. I have often told people that in most parts of the United States it’s legal to cheat on your spouse, but is it ethical? Ethics tend to be a higher standard than the law itself. Just look at the debate over releasing the Ravnsborg interview tapes. I think since he was an elected official, he should be held to a higher standard, and the taxpayers have a right to see those videos. Elected officials should always maintain the highest level of ethical standards, whether it is lawful or not, and they shouldn’t be able to hide behind confidentiality rules, they should be open about their ethical or unethical behavior.
It will be interesting to watch how Severson has an impact on this board.
What people do not know is that Mike Huether will become mayor again on this July 4th and the Subaru guy will become the new vice-Mayor: “Everyone gets a free loaner”. The ceremony will be held at the new Citibank building, which is actually unknowingly owned by Huether and leased to Ciitibank. Huether has an office on the top floor there, where he enjoys watching I-29 and 1-229 traffic. This is why he ended his TV show so he can begin to prepare to be mayor again. It also explains why his book was so short because still has many chapters to be experienced. After his swearing-in and a great speech, Huether will then lead his people in a walk to the Events Center where the masses will watch in amazement as Mayor Huether heals the Events Center by making all of the siding on the Events Center become unwrinkled. Then Huether and the masses will walk to City Hall and remove Mayor Tenhaken from power with the help of the local police force. Those officers who will not cooperate in this change of powe, however, will be placed in a spell by Heuther like a permanent Mannequin Challenge. Huether will then rename the City Center: The Huether Centre. A great party will then unfold in the streets of Sioux Falls because of all of this and to make up for the loss of St Patty’s Day celebrations in 2020 and ’21, while Tenhaken will be exiled to Taupeville, where Iowa law does not prevail, but Iowa law will no longer prevail north of 57th Street either thanks to Mayor Huether. Then TenHaken will then be exposed as actually an Iowegan from an orange city and not a Worthingtonian, and as one who also has no toolbox, no razor, actually worships the Big Mouth Billy Bass fish found in his garage, and doesn’t: “Know what to do†anymore. #StayTune
Scott,
Thank You for the report on some of the Agenda Items I often over look in the Contract Talks.
But. did you call residents clowns cause they feel the need to stand up for their beliefs, their rights, and their inalienable right to do as they do?
If you listen to the # of speakers that do show up, which is what “WE” want to see more of, on all topics for that matter – those speakers are speaking on a numerous issues they have with the “mandate”.
Yes, you are correct, the Mask Ordinance has no penalty, has no enforcement power by the city, but ask yourself – what type of good or bad policy are we setting these days, that says “government” can or cannot make people ‘act’ a certain way based on ”feelings”.
Some our bringing up the Health concerns with wearing masks, some are bringing up Constitutional issues they may have with masks, and others are raising concerns over the “Economy”, let alone the policy itself.
While most of you are concerned over the “main topic” of wearing a mask or not, there is a ‘policy’ that is being promoted that most do not even realize here…
The “SAFE SIOUX FALLS PLEDGE” being sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, and latched onto by the City thru the Resolutions – encouraging people to patronize only those businesses whom support and take the pledge itself, thus this is being used to cancel or publicaly shame those who do not, which is creating the much seen divide in our city.
The Mayor has since corrected this somewhat in his new resolution on the agenda –
Section 5: Individuals are encouraged to abide by the requirements of businesses and organizations that have joined the “Safer Sioux Falls†pledge with the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.
Not perfect, but a tic better than saying “Only Patronize those businesses who took the pledge” as the previous Section #5 did prior.
No – when speak on the Mask Ordinance, you must look at the mandate as it relates to the conjunction of also abiding by the Resolution; as together they “SET” Policy, and explains as to how ‘we’ wish to promote and enforce.
The real “enforcement power” of this Mandate is being given to the RESIDENTS themselves. By encouraging the residents to “DO SOMETHING”, they are then casting shame, demonizing, and controlling what others do or do not do; and forcing businesses to act in ways they would not ordinary act in order to protect the PEACE between the residents inside this city. And that, sets BAD POLICY, cause now you have created division amongst the “people”.
Mandate is defined as “an official order or commission to do something.” or can be defined as “give (someone) authority to act in a certain way.”
Look at the second definition – then read the Mayor’s Resolution to learn how we now are giving “authority” to the Residents to enforce it, to do something, and to control others…
Good or Bad Policy?
– Mike Zitterich
If casting shame was against the law we would all be in jail. Buck up snowflake.