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Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

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Sioux Falls Parks Director, Don Kearney, says MOU with VA is ‘Not Required’

l3wis 7Comments

During the SF city council informational meeting today, Director Kearney told councilor Staggers that they pretty much don’t have a MOU, and when asked if they intend to get one, he said they feel it is ‘Not Required’.

So in other words ‘NO’.

Erpenbach chimes in and agrees with Don saying since the city owns the land the agreement is not necessary. I guess that Michelle has a degree in Federal property law, I was unaware, I sure feel like a jackass right now 🙁

We all know who advised them on NOT getting an MOU, Mr. Loophole David Fiddle-Faddle. And he probably didn’t have a choice, my guess is that the VA blew them off, and for good reason. How would it benefit the VA to have an agreement? It wouldn’t. Now if they need more parking, they have the quit claim deed on their side, the MOU would only weaken their control of Spellerberg Park. I don’t blame them for not participating in an MOU.

All and All, I don’t give a damn either way, never have.

This comes down to the continual broken promises, stonewalling and flat out lies from the administration and directors. The Mayor, the city attorney and Don have all said they were in ‘discussions’ with the VA about the MOU. It is pretty obvious they were lying once again.

They should have just told us from the freaking beginning, “We are not getting an MOU, and never intend to.”

Instead, Lies, Lies, Lies.

Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Grow up and tell us the truth about the MOU with the Veterans Administration

l3wis 16Comments

boy-pouting

The city attorney was asked recently at Democratic Forum what was going on with the Spellerberg pool MOU with the VA. His response, “We are in communications and working on it.”

At last week’s Spellerberg pool presentation the Parks director was asked about the MOU. His response, “We are in communications and working on it.”

This week they plan on starting site work for the pool and at yesterday’s press conference at Spellerberg Park the Mayor was asked about the MOU, His response, “Next question.” And when pressured to answer the question, he still did not respond and recommended that we “move along.”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1n8i3E8kgk[/youtube]

After the press conference, Bruce and I were talking with a reporter from KSFY and explaining the MOU situation to him, and how we have been asking for a resolution for almost 3 years. As we were standing in the parking lot, the mayor slowly drove up in his truck with his window down and spouted out his window (in a most mature manner) “Thank You KSFY for coming today.” And drove off grinning sarcastically in his rearview mirror.

Mr. Mayor, you have been given plenty of opportunities to address the MOU, but instead you and city staff continue to blow it off and feed us the same line over and over, “We are working on it.”

Here’s the deal, I don’t give a rip if you get the MOU, if you think it is prudent to spend $24 million in tax dollars on a piece of property controlled by the Federal Government, so be it. But if you have no intention of attaining that document, instead of acting like a little kid yelling from your pickup window, why don’t you just tell us the truth, “I have no intention of attaining an MOU.” Instead all this smoke and mirrors and public pouting.

The resolution is simple. Tell the truth.

 

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

UPDATED: Where’s the MOU or is just MOO

l3wis 12Comments

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k3Gtd8z_rU[/youtube]

The Spellerberg Quit Claim Deed issue rose again during the aquatics presentation on March 23, 2015. This meeting could have taken place in 2012 with little changes. The city continues to dismiss the need to find out from the VA if they see any legal issues to once again breaking the rules governing the Quit Claim sale of the 1950’s.

To some this is no big deal and it might be just that. The problem is this, if the City continues to break the sale contract as they did with the retention ponds, the VA could demand the property back.

Anyone dealing with real estate law knows this simple fact, if a clause is written into a Quit Claim Deed, the clause can be exercised at a later date. It is so simple. It is so straight forward. In order for the city to retain “ownership” of the land, it has to follow the contract. It does not matter how old the contract is. The contract could have been written in 1650 and it would still be valid today.

Just calling an office and having a friendly chat with the janitor or today’s chief lawyer does not equal a signed written contract giving full ownership of the property. As of today, the VA still controls the land, the City is given the right to use it within murky guidelines.

Watch the Entire meeting below;

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55yckdjkVd4[/youtube]

Other issues with the site

As I was attending the end of the meeting last night, I noticed quite a few supporters of the pool actually had some good concerns. Will there be enough parking (204 spots) when meets are held at the location? Why isn’t there a designated turn lane going into the facility? Why isn’t there a road connecting the VA and Pool parking lot (just sidewalks – which further proves the ‘communications’ with the VA are questionable at best). I also wondered why we need bleacher seating for 500 people? I thought this facility was to be used by everyone? Not just the swim teams? Why is the recreational pool so shallow at the deep end (3.5 feet)? It was pretty obvious from listening to supporters of the pool that they now feel they were left out of the process in planning this facility.

Of course, this cynic is not surprised. The city is in full ram-rod mode with $24 million dollars of our money, who cares about the VA or what the public thinks.

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Indoor Aquatic Center Public Meeting – Monday Night

l3wis 1Comments

Now that the location, funding and plans have been drawn up the only thing that is left is to start building, uh wait, that’s right, we should probably show the public what we are doing at the last minute;

A neighborhood meeting to discuss the indoor aquatic center at Spellerberg Park will be held on Monday, March 23, 2015, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Oyate Community Center, 2421 West 15th Street (adjacent to Garfield Elementary School). The public is encouraged to attend.

At the neighborhood meeting, members of the project team from TSP, Inc., Counsilman-Hunsaker & Associates, and Sioux Falls Construction will present updated plans of the indoor aquatic center, park site plan improvements, and the upcoming construction schedule.

It was nice of the city and parks department to actually let us see what we are spending our $24 million on just a few weeks before they break ground. I’m sure a copy of the MOU with the VA will be on display at the meeting also 🙁

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