Item #6, Approval of Contracts. I find it interesting that the city is going to pay $300K for a school park? I have no idea what this plan is or if it is in coordination with the school district. Hopefully we will have more details at the meeting. It also looks like the money is JUST for ‘planning’ the site. We are also dumping another $45K into the indoor pool for something called ‘window fans’. I remember when they were designing the place, we were told they would take extra care in ensuring we would use durable materials and equipment to keep maintenance costs down. I find it interesting that after only a couple of years we are installing new equipment.
Item #35, 1st reading, Renewing franchise agreement with Midco.
Item #36-37, 1st Readings, Kirby downtown dog park and gifting agreement of $600K.
Item #5B, Bob’s Chicken Casino. Planning department recommending denial due to neighborhood opposition.
Item #5C, Another casino on North Cliff, while some of the neighbors oppose, the Planning department recommends approval.
Item #5E, It’s a Pizza party! They want to build a pizzeria in a residential neighborhood by USF, they would serve beer. Some neighbors are opposed to alcohol in the neighborhood.
Item #5I, Looks like the Sanford Sports Complex is considering building a baseball stadium. First time I heard about this.
Item#2, A-C, The city plans on some rezones to create a bunch of detention ponds.
Item#2D, okay, I’m no home designer, but in order to qualify as a ‘Twin Home’ shouldn’t the houses be attached to each other? Just look at the plans, only the garages share a wall. Weird.
Item#2E, I guess Lloyd Companies bought the old Bowden Youth Center and are going to covert into apartments and offices.
Item#5B, A property owner is trying to convert the old Bob’s Café building into a Casino. Not only is it a bad location next to neighborhood homes, we don’t need anymore casinos in this town. When is the state legislature finally going to repeal this scourge on our society?
Item#5D, you know the house across from Avera that Avera said needed be torn down? John Koch is converting into apartments for temporary nurses for Avera, and Avera is loaning 3 parking spots to the complex. Funny how these things work out.
Item#5F, another casino, this time at Lake Lorraine. What retail mega-plex in Sioux Falls wouldn’t be complete without a casino! This one the planning department says is OK. Besides, it’s close to an assisted living center, they shouldn’t have to take an Uber or Paratransit to gamble.
Item#5G, the old Shopko on East 10th is becoming a car lot. I know, shocking!
Item#7, The Planning Department came up with a new flowchart to let us know how redevelopment works.
Planning Director Eckhoff is asking for an advisory opinion on Thursday, July 25, from the Board of Ethics if it is appropriate for him to continue to serve on the board (he has for over 8 years, and receives a stipend). He says he will forgo the stipend. (Last page of document)
IMO, even if Jeff forgoes the stipend, I don’t think it is appropriate for him to serve on the board, especially as the planning director of the state’s largest city. This is an easy one for the BOE.
I’ve been hearing Jeff has been doing a great job for the city and works well with constituents and councilors, unfortunately he should have known to resign this position before accepting the city job – it is a major conflict.
Item#5B, neighbors are resisting a re-zone from residential to C-2 Commercial for a mini-mall retail center.
Item #5C, permit for alcohol for a casino in the former Bob’s Café. The neighborhood is strongly opposed. They are looking for a deferral.
Item #5D, another permit for alcohol for a casino in a former gas station on N. Cliff. Planning department recommends denial due to not meeting alcohol requirements.
Item #5G, Adjusting the 2040 Comprehensive plan growth tier map.
I also noticed that many exhibit maps were missing from items in SIRE. Hopefully they will be up for the meeting on Wednesday.
Item #15, Applications, Arc of Dreams dedication party moved to July 24th. I hope they have a few bones left over from the $2.6 million dollar ego expenditure for crackers and cheese at the party.
Item #40, 1st Reading, Ordinance, Leine’s isn’t popular anymore, we have to go back to the old standby of Coors Light. Yeah, this is some of the stupid crap the city council has to endure. Speaking of stupidity, I guess more and more people are turned off by the ax throwing venues. Besides the obvious that they are trendy and expensive, the number one complaint is ‘They are noisy’ and not in a good way like dance music or live rock bands . . . thump . . . thump . . . thump. I went into the one next to Book COOP about a month ago, and I lasted about 2 minutes before I left. Sioux Falls, we need more poetry readings and less axe throwing. Now if West Mall can get on the Coors Light Express.
Item #41, 1st Reading, Ordinance, Cable Tax increase. This should be an interesting discussion. But no worries, the RS5 will make sure your taxes go up!
Items #42-43, Resolution, So this is interesting that we are going into OVS agreements with this telecoms BEFORE the tax increase has been approved. HMMM.
Item #46, Resolution, Approving more diagonal parking on Main. I find it curious there was NO informational on this.
Item #2, Consent Agenda, items C & E, Looks as though Councilor Erickson is looking to change a couple of nice McKennan Park residences into another Air BNB properties. I hear her and her husband have been snagging up properties around the hospitals for short term rentals to temp nurses and other hospital staff. The question is if Erickson is using her position on the council as a way to help the people she serves or herself? I talked to a person who lived a couple houses away from one of the properties and they had no idea that it would become an Air BNB. I find it a little curious also that the Planning Department put these on the consent agenda instead of the regular agenda to make sure this goes under the radar of the public when there is clear conflicts.
Item #5B, new restaurant on North Minnesota Ave.
Item #5C. my new favorite restaurant, Abelardos is seeking a beer and wine license. I find it interesting the property is still owned by Jim’s Burgers. Someone needs to figure out ‘curb appeal’ because the weed fest they have going on outside isn’t drawing in the customers. The food however is fantastic!
Item #5D. Garbage handlers being possibly denied a new parking lot.
I didn’t know whether to clap, cry, laugh, or scream out loud last night when I saw after a decade of rubber-stamping and ignoring citizens and small business owner’s pleas, Planning Commission member Nick ‘Know-it-All’ Sershen has ended his service to the fine citizens (I mean wealthy developers) of Sioux Falls. It’s all about who you know in Sioux Falls, and the fat cats loved Nick.
AMEN!
Over the past decade, Nick has always laid his stamp of approval on re-zones and plans that benefit the rich and powerful developers in town in spite of neighbors disapproval. He also was good at denying any small business owner the same rights of passage he let the big guys have.
Nick’s actions actually helped me coin the phrase that the Planning Commission was “throwing a flaming football” at the city council.
Nick always had an excuse, “I have to approve this because it is within our zoning standards.” No, Nick, you approved it because of who it was for without any re-guard for the neighbors. He was also so smug about it during the meetings that I was surprised he didn’t have his own security detail to walk him to his car after the meetings.
I guess so. I find it interesting that the new title includes the word ‘Development’;
Mayor Paul TenHaken is excited to announce the appointment of Jeff Eckhoff as the City of Sioux Falls’ next Director of Planning and Development Services.
Eckhoff is a 1982 graduate of South Dakota State University and completed his master’s degree in administrative studies from the University of South Dakota in 1997. Originally from Hurley, SD, Eckhoff and his wife, Gea, live in Sioux Falls and have two adult children, Lynnea and Logan.
With a strong background in economic development, project management and organizational leadership, Eckhoff will add incredible value to the City in his Director role. Since 2012, Eckhoff has led the South Dakota Small Business Development Center. Prior to SBDC, Eckhoff was the executive director for the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations (LCEDA/MCEDA) from 1996 to 2012 and director of operations for Turning Point (now Volunteers of America) from 1993 to 1996.
Last week when Director Cooper was addressing Dem Forum I asked him a simple question, “Can commissioners vote NO on an item the Planning Department recommends approval of?”
He said ‘YES’ and quickly clarified they are ‘volunteers’.
I have often argued whether or not board members are paid or volunteer doesn’t matter. You still have to understand your duties affect many people and you still have to approach the position with integrity. In other words your decisions matter.
I asked the question because I often hear members of the commission (past and present) say they HAVE TO vote to approve something that is recommended. By law, they don’t have to. So the next time a commission member tells you that from the dais, remind them that they have the power and legal right to vote against a recommendation or as Cooper said to me, they can also amend it.
Sioux Falls celebrates Native American Day on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. The theme of this years parade was "Celebrating Our History: Inspiring the Future."
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This undated photo provided by the Chicago Police Department shows Krysztof Marek. Marek has been charged with five felony counts of first degree murder in the Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 shooting at an apartment building on Chicago's Northwest Side.
