Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

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City Golf Course management seeks â€˜lost revenue’

l3wis December 1, 2014 5Comments

Dakota Golf Management has made a lot of payola from the city over the years, providing a great service and making the golf courses profitable for them and the city. Bravo. Now they are looking to be compensated for lost revenue from the the airport reconstruction project.

First I will say, what about the lost revenue to the city? Are the taxpayers just supposed to suck it up? Well yeah. So why can’t a management company that has done very well from their years of successful management do the same? If the taxpayers of Sioux Falls are on the hook for lost revenue, they should be to. Want lost revenue? Go sue the Airport or suck it up, just like every other business in Sioux Falls that experiences lost revenue due to city street projects. City taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible for lost revenue experienced due to what a private entity (the airport) caused.

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Using Winter Wonderland as an example for separation of church and state

l3wis November 28, 2014 6Comments

As I was pondering the snow plow issue and all the crazy letters to the editor of people defending the violation of the establishment clause (because, you know, none of these people would be willing to paint Jesus Christ on the sides of their vehicles, well within their 1st Amendment rights, but defend it on government property). It reminded me of a discussion about what to name ‘Winter Wonderland’ when first proposed during the Munson administration. I remember there was a brief discussion when naming it, I think one of the suggestions was ‘Christmas at the Falls’. Not sure who got involved (City Attorney?) but I fondly remember someone within city government recommending it takes on a generic term not associated with a religious holiday. Smart move.

So what does this have to do with Jesus plows? It seems there are people who are intelligent enough about Constitutional law that work for the city (or worked for them at one time) to know you can’t cross that line while using tax dollars. So Huether shouldn’t act so surprised that this has become an issue. Of course, Huether knew nothing about local government or history of it until he started to run for mayor. History isn’t his strong suit.

As for the display itself, While I think it is a great idea, I think it could be done differently. Other cities do similiar displays but they have businesses volunteer the expense and labor and use it as an opportunity for teambuilding around Christmas. Workers and their families of the businesses that donate volunteer their time to set up the display then the city foots the bill of the electricity. They do have sponsors, but city employees do all the set-up. In fact, mostly public works department workers from the forestry division begin assembling the display starting October 1st. Which I find ironic in itself. One time when I questioned the city about project TRIM and why the city’s forestry department just didn’t trim trees that residences couldn’t reach in the boulevard, they replied, “We don’t have enough staff or enough time.” But taking almost two months to put up Christmas lights, plenty of time for. Just imagine how many trees could be trimmed in that same time period?

Once again, the city proves it’s priorities towards citizens and the law.

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Spellerberg/city to appoint an aquatics focus committee

l3wis November 10, 2014 15Comments

I guess my first focus would be to ask how we areÂ coming on the quit claim deed, and whether the VA has torn up the document? But maybe the quit claim deed issue is kind of like the EC siding issue, if we don’t talk about it, maybe it will just go away.

Public Input Opportunities for Indoor Aquatic Center to Be Announced Monday

Â What:	A news conference to announce the creation of an aquatics focus committee to offer input on the design of the new indoor aquatic center
Â When:	Monday, November 10, 2014 2 p.m.
Â Where:Â Â	City Hall Commission Room 224 West Ninth Street
Â Who:	Don Kearney, Director of Parks and Recreation Tory Miedema, Park Development Specialist
Â Why:	The indoor aquatic center at Spellerberg Park is in the design phase of the project, and public input will help in the process. Come to the news conference to learn how Sioux Falls residents can contribute by participating in an aquatics focus committee. A project update also will be provided.

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Another wealthy developer and land owner in SF looking for a handout?

l3wis September 23, 2014 2Comments

So the Friessen family has owned the Lake Lorraine property for over 35 years and has kept it a very PRIVATE place. A 22 acre lake that the public was strictly not allowed to use. But that all may change, with the help of your tax dollars of course;

Developers are hoping to form a public/private partnership with the city of Sioux Falls to maintain and program the park and train system around the lake. Â They’re visiting similar communities in Minneapolis to see how it’s been done there.

“We’re also exploring opportunities with the city’s Live Well program, which the city is promoting right now and they’d like to make this the pilot program,” Van Buskirk said.

This is the first I have heard of this proposal, but like most plans the Parks and Planning department makes, they keep it top secret until they can spring it on the uninformed council. I see they have even used our tax dollars already going to Minneapolis doing ‘research’.

Don’t get me wrong, I think having a public lake in the center of the city is a great idea, in fact I have suggested that Spellerberg be turned into a natural filtration pool. And a trail around the lake would be great. But how is this going to work? Are the Friessens going to give the lake to the city? Will they cease paying property taxes on 22 acres of water? How much will it cost taxpayers to maintain this lake? Remember the Soukup family’s ‘gift’ a few years ago?

This private development will do very well for itself, I think they should maintain the lake themselves and continue to pay the taxes on it. If they want to open it to the public, great, but I think the city needs to get out of the business of taking these supposed ‘gifts’.

Besides, if the family chooses to maintain the lake themselves, they can profit from having different rental activities on the lake.

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Move over pickleball

l3wis September 17, 2014 10Comments

Just when you thought our tax dollars for Parks and Rec couldn’t be spent on something more ridiculous, another special interest steps to the plate;

One organization is hoping to bring a whitewater park to Sioux Falls.

Mitchell Joldersma is the president of Sioux Falls Whitewater Park. His organization is looking to clean up the Lien Park riverfront to bring a whitewater park to the city.

The group was at Lien Park today in a clean up effort along the river. Joldersma says they want to make the river clean so that more people will get out and enjoy it.

While the concept of a whitewater park may be new to the Sioux Falls area, they are gaining popularity across the country. A whitewater park has either one or multiple features of water shooting down hydraulics and makes waves to either surf or tube down.

The group’s board members are setting up a raffle to help fund the cost of the park. The raffle will start in December and run through June of 2015.

Once the logistics of the park come together, Joldersma says they will present the plans to the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation board. From there, they will decide how to move forward.

I will give the group credit, they went and cleaned the area themselves, are trying to raise money for the project privately and are putting a plan together on their own. Have at it. But like most things that involve our public parks, the Parks department will be ponying something up for the project, make no mistake, so another special interest group of a very small percentile can have their play things. I don’t fault the group, that is normal operating procedure with the Parks Department, they love growing their budget, especially after taking a hit last night on the old ice rec center closure.

Just over the last couple of years the city has either spent or budgeted for;

Pickleball courts

Indoor Tennis

Indoor Pool

Kayak launches

Dog Parks

You get the gist. Yet, as a lady with MS testified last night at the city council meeting, plenty of money to entertain ‘dogs’ but no money for Paratransit. I wonder if SAM will have a bus route and boat racks on their buses so people can go rafting at Lien park?

City Golf Course management seeks â€˜lost revenue’

Using Winter Wonderland as an example for separation of church and state

Spellerberg/city to appoint an aquatics focus committee

Public Input Opportunities for Indoor Aquatic Center to Be Announced Monday

Another wealthy developer and land owner in SF looking for a handout?

Move over pickleball

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Noemzi has a small problem

UPDATE II: A Generational Change? LOL!

What is the City of Sioux Falls doing with our Data?

It pays to work in the Sioux Falls City Attorney’s office