Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

We don’t ‘NEED’ a public indoor pool

After reading Argue Endorser’s managing editor’s ‘column’ about indoor pools (or should I say, muttling thru it). I have to wonder why logic is never factored into these ‘discussions.’

Opponents of the as-yet-still-hypothetical idea of building an indoor pool at Spellerberg Park to replace the leaking 45-year-old outdoor model that currently sits there said this week they’ve gathered about 7,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot.

Oh, goody.

Perhaps it can go on the same ballot as whether we should have snowgates.

This is hilarious, on many levels. For one, there is nothing ‘hypothetical’ about an indoor pool at Spellerberg. The city has been hammering this idea for over a year, and when they put out their aquatic study on Thursday, like a broken record, guess what? Indoor pool at Spellerberg.

The other part is Pat’s statement about snowgates. You would think the managing editor of the city’s only daily would know that snowgates are already on the 2014 ballot, which is probably where this issue will be. But maybe he can invite the mayor’s wife on his show to talk about it, or at least inform him about the latest ‘special interest club sport’ that needs money from the city.

This whole indoor pool debate is not complicated OR philosophical. It is pretty simple.

We don’t need a public indoor pool, because . . .

1) There are plenty of private facilities in SF already you can pay a ‘fee’ and swim at. We don’t need taxpayer’s to subsidize it.

2) If we really want to build one it needs to be in a location where there is available expansion (like RC did) OR in conjunction with the school district. I am not opposed to public entities, but they should get maximum usage.

3) Lastly, on a snarky point, ‘single’ issue people drive me bonkers. Whether it is pools, or dog parks, pickleball, a word of advice. Diversify your life. You can play tennis and swim in the summer. You can ski and ice fish in the winter. That is the advantage of living in our climate.

My prediction is that an indoor pool at Spellerberg will get voted down. A handful of swimming advocates are not going to tow the line for the electorate. This is a democracy folks, that is just how it works.

Conflict of interest? You betcha.

Watch the ‘100 Eyes’ show today in which they have the mayor’s wife on (that is not disclosed in the show) Scroll down to the videos in the middle of the page.

It doesn’t sit well with me that the city is donating $500,000 to a facility that the Mayor’s wife is helping to promote. This is a blatant conflict of interest having our mayor pull a half-million out of the CIP to promote a club sport that he just happens to be a part of with his wife.

As Cindy Huether says, “The stars just aligned.” Ah, yeah, right.

And apparently there is such a HUGE need for the facility, because their FB page has 147 LIKES.

SAVE Spellerberg PRESS CONFERENCE, today 2:30 PM, Main DT Library

The SAVE Spellerberg petitioners will announce their intentions after turning in petitions today. As I understand it, they plan to put it to a VOTE in the 2014 Spring Election. I also found out last night at DaCola Fest that the Snowgate test results, the Aquatics study and the City Survey results will be coming out soon. I guess the mayor’s office is reviewing them all right now.

Why did the city hire a private consultant to plan indoor pools?

Looks like the city, once again, is doing what they do best, wasting money on consultants;

Public Focus Group to Determine Future of City Aquatics Program

Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation needs your help! The community is invited to attend a public focus group meeting to discuss the future of the City?s aquatics program.

The focus group will meet at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, January 24, at Kuehn Community Center, attached to Oscar Howe Elementary School, located at 2801 South Valley View Road.

The City of Sioux Falls has retained Counsilman-Hunsaker and Associates, a national aquatics consultant, to create a citywide aquatics facility master plan. This plan will serve as a ten-year road map for both existing and proposed new aquatic facilities.

Public feedback is necessary to gauge the needs and desires of the community, identify aquatic offerings currently available within the community, and help shape the future of aquatics for the city of Sioux Falls.

“In order to meet the needs of the whole community, we need the whole community to participate. Community participation is strongly encouraged,” said Kevin Post of Counsilman-Hunsaker and Associates.

For more information on the focus group meeting, contact the Park Office at 367-8222.

So let me get this straight, we hired a private consultant to help special interest groups in Sioux Falls get an indoor pool, but we have no money for a special snowgate election or even a consultant to study the cost variables of snowgates? Glad we have such great priorties.

No money for snowgates, but plenty of money for Pickleball?

Yup, you heard me right, taxdollars going to pickleball.

Some ask where will the city come up with extra money for snowgates? Well why don’t we tap the pickleball budget? That’s right, the city built a pickleball court at Menlo park, invested in equipment that you can borrow, and are even building an indoor pickleball court at the Kenny Anderson community center (so you can play pickleball in the winter). Just watch this episode of City Scene (about at the 50% mark) that explains pickleball.

And how did this come about? Someone walked into the Parks and Rec office and asked for it, and like magic, the city built it for them. No petition drives, no messy elections, not even City Council approval.

Oh, but it gets better. We both know that the money budgeted for snow removal comes from the operation fund (1st Penny) and Parks and Rec comes from the capital fund (2nd Penny). You would think former mayor of Sioux Falls, Rick Knobe would understand this;

Petitions are being circulated in Sioux Falls to mandate the use of snowgates. I am not going to sign a petition, and if a vote is held, I will vote “no.”

City staff is prudently researching the cost efficiency of snowgate use. The research is not yet complete. I may ”think”  they are a good idea, because I don’t like cleaning out my driveway after the plows have come thru. However, the higher cost, extra time, and maintenance of the additional equipment may not be worth it.

Our federal government is broke because they continue to make  promises we can no longer  afford to keep. As local taxpayers, it doesn’t make sense to mandate a service(raise taxes), just because we  are tired of shoveling snow.

We elect a  mayor and eight council members to make policy and daily administrative decisions on our behalf. If the mayor wants snowgates, he can put them in the budget. If the council wants snowgates, they can add them to the budget.

Should we have public votes on the type of technology the city uses? Equipment on fire trucks, or in police cars? How often the grass in the park is mowed?

It doesn’t make sense for us,  ”sidewalk(driveway) superintendents,” to direct or micromanage snow plowing operations.

Hey, Rick, that’s not how the operation’s penny works. The ‘first’ penny CANNOT be raised. The city has to work with what they take in, period. That means budgeting responsibly for PUBLIC SERVICES. Obviously we will still have money for pickleball in the 2nd penny, even if snow gates get implemented by the voters. The people are not voting on ‘budgets’ they are simply asking for a public service. You are right, it is the Mayor and City Council’s job to create the budget, and if voters approve snowgates, the city will have to find the money in the first penny for them. TAXES WILL NOT BE RAISED (at least on the 1st penny), because they don’t have the power to RAISE THEM.

But essentially it is about priorities, not higher taxes or pickleball. Snowgates are a public service and public safety issue not a ‘frill’ like pickleball or monkey hot tubs. Our taxdollars need to be spent on PUBLIC SERVICE not PICKLE SERVICE.