More surprises at the Sioux Falls city council meetings

by

I had several city government nerds call me in frustration during the city council meetings this afternoon and tonight because the live stream was NOT working in SIRE (the online meeting portal). This has been happening a lot recently and on and off over the past decade with no fix or solution. The irony is the meetings still stream in citylink, so I just watch them there now instead of waiting for the Model T version of the meeting software to warm up. And how does that work? The cameras are rolling and feeding to CityLink but not to SIRE? Hmmm? I think the city deserves a Sooperhero award for at least being consistent over the past decade and not fixing the problem.

BRIDGE DISCOUNT? WHAT BRIDGE DISCOUNT?

Remember how we got duped out of $20 million dollars for a bridge that is only having the decking replaced? Public Works Director Cotter told councilors during the run up to the funding that they will get a $1.5 million dollar discount because they changed the timeline of the project (extended it). During the budget hearings today he said that hasn’t happened yet and mumbled something about legal. In other words, it will be like the $1 million dollar EC siding settlement that was our money in a contingency fund. This administration and it’s lackey’s will stop at nothing to cross the finish line, including lying about possible cost savings.

ANOTHER CITY FACILITY WE DON’T REALLY NEED

Also during the meeting this facility was mentioned to be planned for in 2026. It is interesting that they have architectural drawings of a facility the public knows nothing about. Maybe I missed it, but this was the first I heard about this project.

6th Street Bunker Bridge starter kit

by

The day after the bridge funding was approved by city council a foot soldier told me that the price overrun was odd to him considering this is just a deck replacement. I asked him what he meant. It was his understanding that since the bridge isn’t that old (I think constructed in the 70’s) that the piers would remain and they are simply replacing the deck like they did with the 8th street bridge.

I didn’t want to jump the gun on that prediction so I have been watching the demolition and noticed the preservation of the piers and according to this media report, that is the case;

That’s to build cofferdams to protect parts of the piers in the river that will be reused. 

So for a $10 million cost overrun we are not even getting a total bridge replacement? The taxpayers are certainly going down a certain creek without a paddle.

WHERE ARE THE CITY’S 2022 FINANCIALS?

Speaking of speculative book keeping, the city finance department has yet to release it’s audited or even unaudited 2022 financials. Usually there is a report to city council and the public by March of the following year.

Another foot soldier speculated to me that maybe the reason we haven’t seen it is because the mayor’s office is trying to figure out how they are going to explain the massive reserves the city coffers are nesting on.

Maybe we should institute the 1st Annual Sioux Falls Pothole Day Saturday April 1st and any citizen that volunteers for 8 hours on that day to fill potholes will receive $100 cash and a Sioux Falls ONE pin. That would be a quick way to spend some of that moldy money.

Sioux Falls 6th Street Bunker Bridge began demolition today

by

As I had mentioned in the past, the project is so large that the general contractor couldn’t possibly have all the resources to complete it on their own, they would have to use sub-contractors which is common practice in the industry.

Imagine not being surprised this afternoon when I shot this photo and observed three other trucks with the same labeling begin initial demolition today. No where to be seen were the red trucks of the general. That’s right folks, we could have split this project into smaller bids with separate smaller contractors instead having a middle-man (general contractor) skimming our tax dollars.