Mayor Subprime Mike Huether

Team ‘Powerhouse’ ? More like Team ‘Clueless’

l3wis July 16, 2010 3Comments

His Man Mike is under the impression that combining Smith and Cooper on the same team he has created some kind of powerhouse;

Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether said Thursday an organizational change in the Planning and Building Services department is part of his continued efforts to construct what he calls a “powerhouse” of city department leadership.

What the heck is that supposed to mean? More blah, blah, blah, words, words, words. Because if he thinks keeping Cooper on board will help with code enforcement I have some news for him;

“I think one way you improve the process or make code enforcement more simplified is organizationally you improve that structure, and that’s what Kevin and Mike and their teams will work to do,” Huether said.

I think it does need to be simplified, but the due process factor has to also be addressed. As for Cooper helping to the fix the problem, give me a break. He is the problem. He was told back in February of 2009 after an audit that he needed to streamline the process, OVER 18 MONTHS AGO! Councilor Brown referred to his flow-chart of code enforcement as a bad joke. If he hasn’t even made a dent in updating code, what makes you think he is going to fix it now? By keeping the same guard on, you will never fix code enforcement. There needs to be an independent legal review of the ordinances.

It also pains me that every time Mike brings up code enforcement he never mentions ‘due process’ or ‘property rights’ for the citizens. All you are doing is inviting more lawsuits for the city.

More changes at city hall in Sioux Falls?

l3wis July 14, 2010 16Comments

There has been a lot of chatter lately that Mayor Mike is planning some more staff changes, but what will they be? While this does not surprise me, I assume they will come after his budget address on July 22.

Here are some possible scenarios;

• Darrin Smith will move to a different position or get a new title.

• Cooper and Rowenhorst will resign after the budget is complete.

• Terri Ellis Schmidt will leave the CVB. (This one is interesting, while the mayor doesn’t have the power to fire Terri he can cut funding. Ellis and Huether are at odds about expanding the CC. And if you don’t play the reindeer games, we know what happens to you.

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. I may be completely wrong on my predictions, but I GUARANTEE something is happening soon.

90% of all money transfers should be approved by the Sioux Falls city council

l3wis July 12, 2010 4Comments

But the Gargoyle Leader Editorial board thinks that is unnecessary if the Mayor’s office just ‘communicates’ a little bit;

Perhaps prompted by Huether’s lack of communication, the City Council’s Fiscal Committee now is considering an ordinance that will require some oversight over such money transfers.

City Clerk Debra Owen has suggested having a threshold of a particular percentage or dollar amount that would automatically trigger a City Council vote to approve a transfer by the mayor.

That sounds reasonable, but it might be unnecessary if Huether would take the time to communicate with the council.

Give me a break. We went through this with Munson and we ended up paying someone over $100,000 a year to be his puppet. Enough with the communication bullshit. The mayor’s office SHOULD be talking to the councilors, duh. But this isn’t always the case, that is why we have the council as checks and balances. As a councilor recently said to me, (paraphrasing) “What’s the point of approving the budget if the mayor can change the appropriations the next day?” And they are right. Why even have a city council if they don’t even have control over the purse strings?

It is time the council took the bull by the horns and approved most money transfers. We don’t need more ‘communication’ we need more ‘common sense.’