We were never told WHY the PRICELESS Delbridge Animals were given away
l3wis Of course, the city says it was because of the Arsenic, until it wasn’t. But we were never given a reason. The rumor mil is that Denny Sanford told the Zoo board he would NOT donate to the expansion unless the dusty monkeys were gone. But in Denny’s defense, he may have just said ‘I don’t want them on the new campus.’ Which is much different then throwing them in a dumpster.
I blame this whole fiasco on the director of the Zoo. From every angle and account she orchestrated this entire thing by over reacting to Denny’s request, lying about chemical reports and even staging a Mike Huether moment of crying, which I took hook, line and sinker blaming the mayor, when in fact she was playing us all!
So tonight at the city council meeting, Robert (Bob) Kolbe, former Minnehaha County Commissioner (R) addressed the council during public input about the Delbridge Animals departing our city. He requested our city attorney’s office produce a report as to why the city came to the conclusion they had to rid ourselves of this PRICELESS collection.
Fair Request.
Bob made a threat: local historians may be hesitant to gift historical docs and assets to the city without guarantees these gifts won’t be sold or given away by the city to the highest bidder.
Mike Zitterich has his own take on this which I think I should share. Mike’s passion about this is commendable;
Directed to City Council Leadership,
Mayor Paul TenHaken, Council Chair Rich Merkouris, City Council Vice-Chair Jennifer Sigette, and City Council Audit Committee Chair David Barranco
Dear City Council,
City Resident Robert Kolbe had an excellent request that he presented during public comments in relation to the Delbridge Museum and the Brockhouse Taxidermy Collection situation. I believe this would be an excellent way for the city government to properly provide to the residents of the city on how city leaders came to the conclusion of why this community asset had to be given away. For the purposes of all future gifts, whether it be land, real property, tangible property, or money – the residents deserve to have full disclosure on why this community asset was so freely given up, despite a public outcry in the beginning, to better understand why some within our city government felt the need to just so ignorantly rid itself of a piece of property that many long time residents cherished. If the city government chooses to accept these types of gifts in the future, the residents deserve to have answers as to what happened with this particular asset. This is why, I have so aggressively have spoken out against the removal of the Delbridge Museum Assets, and as to why I have requested, demanded, begged the city council to utilize their full powers, by invoking our city charter, Article II, Section 2.09 in effort to investigate, put on trial all city officials, officers, agents, employees, to all departments, offices, agencies, to all non-profit corporate partners that played a role in the demise of this community asset. The ‘charter’ is a written instrument, adopted by the people of our community, entrusting the city bureaucracy to manage “our public assets” to the best of our ability, and in a faithfully, and respectful way forward. Our assets include – Public Roads, Water, Sewer, Utility, Public Parking Infrastructure, our Public Buildings, Parks, and Museums, let alone all the Public Services ‘we’ shall adopt as a community asset. By invoking your full powers, you can subpoena all documents, emails, contracts, to take public testimony, all with the end goal in providing back to the “residents’ a full detailed report, which allow the residents to make better decisions in the future. It is a shame, how a very small portion of our community can make such a decision as to throw away a “gift” that was given to the people so easily, without any cause for concern what the majority may or may not think about that decision. This report should have been done a long time ago, before the decision was made to get rid of the Brockhouse Animal Collection, but well, we all know what happened. So, in all due respect to Resident Robert Kolbe, he is 100% correct, I do feel this is something that must be done, if you wish to gain the full support of the community in future years, in relation to gifting of private property going forward. Please, honor his request, and let’s put this report together, and let’s do it for sake of differences of opinion, cause as elected officials, you are seen as agents of all the people, not just a few.
Sincerely, and in All Due Respect,
Mike Zitterich Resident Sioux Falls, S.D
