South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement Sioux Falls

To Demolish or not to Demolish . . .

l3wis 21Comments

Will the city demolish the $2.75 million dollar mansion?

I have no idea, but let’s look at some scenarios;

On one hand, the city has the legal authority to tear down the house, and since they have been fighting this for 10 years I don’t see any hesitancy on their part. Some would argue that this may make certain people in charge look bad politically, but if there is one thing I have learned from this administration and code enforcement department, they are VINDICTIVE and I don’t see them skipping a beat to tear down this house. Politics be damned when some of the most influential people in the city live in the neighborhood including hospital, media and developer executives, many who have donated to the campaigns of the very people in charge at 9th and Main.

But the Federal judge who said the city has the authority to tear down the house has warned of potential litigation problems if that happens;

Besides the obvious waste of tearing down the house, there are constitutional issues.

My second scenario would be the city finding a suitable buyer, selling the home and being reimbursed for the city’s legal expenses. This would make the most sense and may be the way the city is leaning considering they were granting building permits while the litigation was pending.

Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,

Many have wondered why the building services department was granting permits. Didn’t the city’s legal department notify the office that they shouldn’t supply permits to this gentleman? I think if the house is torn down he could build a whole case around the permitting alone since apparently there is ZERO communication between city departments when it comes to pending litigation.

Whether the house is torn down or auctioned, in the end the city will make an example, because that is what VINDICTIVE AUTHORITARIANS do. Even if it is saved, the current owners will be hung out to dry.

Personally I think it is BS that someone takes 10 years to complete a house, and I think the city has some authority to speed up or remedy those situations, BUT property rights are a constitutional right and there was probably a million different ways to fix this issue without taking or destroying the home even if they were uncooperative.

This is what happens when you have cruise control government and unqualified leaders and counsel personnel. Ironically this administration has taken a wrecking ball to common sense government so this case just seems par for the course.

Code Enforcement Crime Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls Slumlords; The Tale of Two Cities

l3wis 9Comments

I have been aware of this situation for awhile from seeing it on FB, but never realized just how bad it was;

Roach infestations, mold and broken security doors, leading to homeless encampments. Those are just a few of the issues that low-income tenants are facing living in various properties in Sioux Falls owned by Tzadik Management.



Part of the issue is that code enforcement and the health department really doesn’t enforce much of anything unless you are a lowly homeowner;



“We have a pretty good rapport with the regional managers from Tzadik and the property maintenance staff from the city and they seem to address it pretty quickly,” Tobias said.



Yeah, I bet you have a pretty good rapport, which means turn the other cheek. I heard during the pandemic when most city employees were hiding in their basements, few inspections were happening. I have been complaining about the complex/lot at 15th and Cliff for years which consists of several empty buildings with roofs falling in, and two abandoned houses all owned by the same person and the city has done little to nothing. But they did show up in my neighborhood to spray my sidewalk in front of my house for a ¼ inch crack. Git R’ Done!

This is a prime example of the tale of two cities. While we have tax payer incentivized condos and parking ramps going up downtown, we have a crumbling housing system in our core that has been going on since I moved here in 1991. The city leaders and staff just turn the other way. There has also been a rumor circulating that affordable housing in our core is being hoarded and not being rented out or sold for rehabilitation.

When I hear our current elected officials talk about the housing crisis in Sioux Falls and all the fabulous things that are going to do, I know better. I am pretty sure if they can’t figure out a minor roach infestation, they are going to really struggle rebuilding the core.

I encourage people to vote for Brekke, Reistroffer, Ingle and Pam Cole in the upcoming election if they want to see a council that will work on these issues.

Code Enforcement Corona Virus Kristi Noem Mayor TenHaken Planning Commission South Dakotans

Are people skirting building permits in Sioux Falls?

l3wis 4Comments

I found out today many people across the city are doing ‘projects’ on their homes without permits. Some of these properties have been reported to the city. Most of the projects are new roofs, but there have been reports of window replacements and even an entire house being gutted.

I guess one of the reasons this is going on is because the city has limited their building inspections. Not sure if that is true, but if it is, it seems odd. Building inspectors have less interaction with the public than police or fire does. If they are sitting on their butts at home, time to get back to work!

If our governor and mayor tell us we all need to go to work each day because hot dog makers, credit card hucksters and personal trainers are ‘essential’, it’s time they put their money where their mouth is and order all city and state workers to either be working full-time from home and if they cannot, report for duty. If anyone one is essential right now, it is people drawing a salary from taxpayers. If the rest of us can endure being exposed to Covid, the government workers should be able to also.

Maybe the Mayor needs to test his SOAR program out first on city employees?

The hypocrisy is unprecedented – and all reported from Noem’s $130K FOX News studio in the basement of the governor’s mansion.

When she was running for governor, my mother coined her as ‘Donita Trump’. How true it is. How true it is!

Maybe she should resign and hand the reigns over to Rep. Mike Saba, the only elected official in state government who is trying to fight through this crisis with calculated and studied approaches.

Alex Jensen Code Enforcement Elections SF City Council Sioux Falls

Count Jensen violating campaign signage rules

l3wis 3Comments

I don’t get too upset about this, because almost every city election cycle this happens. You are not supposed to place signs in the boulevard (parking strip) because it is city owned property. My argument is that anything the city owns, I own, but rules are rules.

While some would argue that if a candidate hands out signs to supporters, they really can’t control where the supporter puts the sign. Which is true. But you can tell the supporter to not post in the boulevard.

But what makes this case interesting is that the yard these signs are in, are a supposedly a close family member of Jensen. Rules be damned for the Chosen One!

Probably stuck there in the middle of the night.

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