SF City Council

PROJECT TRIM *UPDATE*

A friend of mine has been researching other cities when it comes to boulevard tree trimming, and the results are (not) surprising.

In Brookings they trim the city owned boulevard trees due to liability, and property owners are encouraged NOT to do it because of that liability.

Which got me thinking. If the city of Sioux Falls is responsible for the liability of the tree branches damaging vehicles (snowplows), why aren’t they responsible for trimming those trees? It’s like insuring your car, the insurance company insures the individual or individuals who drive and own the car and pay the insurance bill. So if the city is paying the liability insurance on the trees, and they own them, why aren’t they trimming them? Or fixing the sidewalks for that matter?

She also found out that Kansas City also trims boulevard trees and has basically the same policy of Brookings. Kansas city has approximately 500,000 people living in it’s core area, and 2.5 million in the metro area. If a city that is almost ten times the size of Sioux Falls has figured out how to budget for tree trimming, you would think we could. Oh that’s right, we need the money to build $170,000 crappers in McKennan Park instead.

Councilor Brown wants to spend $250,000 of your tax money so you can dial 4 less numbers

rotary-phone

Hey, Vernon, rotary phones went out in the 80’s.

The city wants to make it easier to turn in your neighbors. Are we changing the city’s motto to, “The city of neighborly hate”? or “If you have a neighbor, he’s probably a criminal”

Sioux Falls officials, reacting to City Council criticisms, say they are making it easier for residents to file code enforcement complaints against other residents or businesses.

Because before code enforcement started 6 years ago, our city was in shambles! Shambles I say! Shambles!

In response, the city is marketing its general information phone number – 367-8000 – as the number to address code violations. The city has contracted with the HelpLine Center to answer those calls, and operators there will be trained to get complaints to the appropriate departments for investigation.

Because no one that works for the city is qualified to answer a phone and talk to citizens? And we wonder why we may be spending $34 million next year for “Professional Services”.

At some point, the system might even be set up to handle calls 24 hours a day, seven day a week. Officials hope to have a new Web site up in May, which will provide examples of violations of city code and access to file an electronic complaint.

Because we won’t be happy until we turn our city into a police state! This is a crock of shit. Now we are training residents on code enforcement? This is getting out of control. Who the F’ck is on a power trip here? This crap has got to end.

Councilor Vernon Brown, a longtime critic of the city’s handling of code enforcement complaints, told Director of Health Judy Buseman that private companies would go out of business if they treated people as the city does.

Can we fire all of you? Point me in the right direction. Let’s get this party started!

Rather than use a seven-digit phone number for complaints, Brown said he thinks the city should use a 311 phone number. It would be easier for people to remember, but cost $250,000.

Vernon thinks spending $8,000 to experiment with snowgates is a “Waste of Money” because “They don’t work.” But spending a cool 1/4 million on a phone number is well worth it. Go figure. Isn’t it ironic that a guy who works for a telecommunications company wants to spend that much money on a specialized number? Gee, I wonder what company in Sioux Falls is qualifed to handle that kind of contract? (Cough, Cough, SDN communications, Cough, Cough, Time Killers, Cough). I guess it’s time to pay back your Telecommunications PAC money you received during your last campaign, huh Vernon? Talk about conflict of interest!

It doesn’t take a genius, but it does take someone with at least a half-a-brain

Citizens are beginning to wakeup to the city hall shananigans;

Thank you Sioux Falls Councilor Kermit Staggers for asking for an audit of outside services. Several years ago when I tried to get some answers, I was told those reports were sealed.

 

I find it interesting that Sioux Falls residents are asked to shop locally, but yet city government goes elsewhere to shop.

 

Your audit opens up some good questions, but it also starts a dialogue about morality and the bottom line.

I am afraid Mayor Dave Munson has forgotten that concept. It does not take a genius to realize that Sioux Falls is not getting back in taxes, mortgages, etc., any of that $25 million paid to out-of-state services.

 

And what happened to the morality issue of taking care of your own?

Remember the City of Sioux Falls motto under the current council and mayor;

“Special Interests First – Citizens Second”

Looks like Northside Davey gonna have to star in another campaign commercial for a DEMOCRAT

untitled

Do you also like sausage?

Steffy bringing home the bacon water;

Among Herseth Sandlin’s requests:

 

$35 million for the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, a project that ultimately will cost $587 million and provide water to communities in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.

I’m confused? I thought Johnson already secured this money for us? I guess that’s what happens when you have a lifelong Republican and lifelong Democrat star in a commercial together, double the bullshit. (During Johnson’s last senate campaign, Mayor Munson praised senator Johnson for all the pork he brought to Sioux Falls. Two of the items were the RR relocation project and Lewis & Clark. But we haven’t received a single penny yet for either project.)

$3.5 million for Minnehaha County to help build Project Safe Home, a 32-unit complex in Sioux Falls that would provide permanent housing to chronically homeless people with severe alcohol addictions.

I see the County and City got the Feds to pony up on helping the homeless. That’s good, so we can free up some of our tax dollars to buy historic million dollar windows and armored vehicles for the Sheriff’s department.

Project TRIM = TREE TAX

I finally trimmed the CITY OWNED tree ON THEIR PROPERTY this past Friday, but the fun isn’t over yet. It only took me 20 minutes to cut down the branches, but it took me almost 2 hours just to move the branches to my backyard where I have begun breaking them down for disposal, which I estimate will take me another 3-4 hours.

So I’m still puzzled why I have to do this for the city? What do I pay taxes for? Football fields? Swimming Pools? Windows on the Pavilion? or do I pay taxes so the city can maintain WHAT THEY OWN. Besides the expense of a chainsaw I also will a lot of my own time into doing the CITY’s WORK. Ms. Stehly has coined this as a TREE TAX because if you are not being taxed by wasting your own time on trimming these trees you will be forced into paying an arborist $75-$150 an hour. That’s right, the city is in the business of promotiong tree trimmers. So now NOT only are they NOT using my tax money to do THEIR work, they are using my tax dollars to force us into using a private contractor.

As I have always said, the City of Sioux Falls motto “Special interests first – Citizens Second”

WATCH THERESA RIP THEM A NEW ONE LAST NIGHT. (April 6 Council meeting) (Also listen to the second speaker after that, Allen Unruh talks about his pet pig)