I guess the final part of the hearing didn’t occur yesterday. The assistant city attorney, Tornow, called the courthouse in the morning and said he was ‘sick’.
Uh Huh.
I have a feeling the city is trying to scrape together a last minute defense and having trouble finding it.
I guess the Event Center Task Force will be meeting tommorow at the Morningside Community Center on Bahnson between 11 AM – 1 PM. The topic of discussion is the recent consultant findings and recommendations. Should be an interesting meeting. If I am incorrect about the time, I will update this post before then.
I also took a peak at May’s financial report for the city (Item 9 A)
The city was only up $204,087 dollars from last year May in tax receipts. Ouch! Gonna be a little hard to hit that proposed Half-Billion dollar budget with those kind of gains.
It seems the city wants their cake and eat it too. They want large reserves, unneeded infrastructure projects, and they want to raise our taxes;
For one, the audit shows that Sioux Falls has more cash on hand and more assets than the average of 10 other cities in the region.
Then why are they constantly gunning for more increases? More, More, More, that’s why.
Plus, Sioux Falls’ long-term per capita debt is lower than those other cities’ and still below the threshold that’s considered to be high.
Nevermind it doubled between 2006-2007, I guess that isn’t important. It mostly doubled because we took out a loan for a water pipeline that we ‘might’ have by 2012. That’s right kiddies, we are paying interest on something we don’t have or know when we will get it. It would be like taking out an equity loan to get your roof fixed and after you paid the contractor he tells you he will be back in 3 years to do the repairs.
These are all welcomed signs indicating that Sioux Falls is making good decisions about its reserve-fund levels and long-term debt.
Doubling our debt to pay for something we don’t have is hardly a ‘good decision’. I have said all along, we should of signed a contract with Lewis and Clark telling them we will pay them IN FULL when the water starts to flow. And instead of paying interest on a loan while we are waiting for the water, we could be setting money aside for the project letting it gain interest in an account. But that would make sense? Wouldn’t it?
The topics of saving and spending have been particularly heated at times in recent years as residents and city officials debated whether to fund certain projects – and if so, then when.
There has never been anything ‘heated’ about it. Citizens tell the city they are spending too much money, they ignore them and cower to the special interests.
In addition, City Councilor Kermit Staggers is correct to point out that the internal audit didn’t include a review of the city’s capital budget, which tells the rest of the story about Sioux Falls’ financial health.
Yeah, when is that audit coming out? Never?
Of course, the internal audit doesn’t mean that tough public debate ever should disappear. And it certainly isn’t a license for city officials to begin spending out of control.
Too late, they have been doing that for the past 6 years.
City councilors were recently miffed they were not a part of a contract negotiation. I found it a little amusing that this was the first time they said something about being left out of the loop. That’s the purpose of the City’s Home Rule charter, to give more power to the mayor and his adminstration while the city council gets to vote on malt beverage licences and sidewalk disputes. I emailed councilor Anderson yesterday and told him, repeal Home Rule, and the council will be able to end the veil of secrecy out of City Hall and be more involved with decision making. Of course the Gargoyle Leader doesn’t mention it once in today’s ED Board response to the situation;
City Attorney Robert Amundson says he thinks that the city charter allows the mayor to sign the contract without council oversight.
Judge Grumpy Butt is probably correct, he is no doubt referring to Home Rule.
Though the negotiation process already has begun, the mayor’s administration needs to get the council quickly up to speed.
That should take about 2-6 months, knowing the track record of Munson’s office.
And the council also might need to seek a clarification regarding what state law says about when these type of bids can be released to the public. That information will be helpful in the future.
It’s pretty clear right now. Under Home Rule the council is powerless, unless of course you need them to approve a new stop sign or a beer license.
Without little fanfare the city council and mayor accepted another white elephant gift (see below). I have covered the progress of this park before, and before that. Sure the park will be wonderful, but not only will it be very expensive to maintain (I’m guessing over a million a year), it takes 51 acres of private property off the tax rolls. And as far as I can tell, will be surrounded by private property benefitting the developers of that area as a selling point. So not only will we be losing property tax money and spending more money in the Parks budget, Sioux Falls taxpayers will be footing the bill for developers to make their developments more desirable. Business as usual I guess.
Remember the Trojan horse?
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29. |
ÂA motion was made by Council Member Beninga and seconded by Council Member Costello to adopt said Resolution 55-09. ÂÂVote to adopt: Roll Call: Yeses, Jamison, Knudson, Litz, Staggers, Anderson Jr., Beninga, Brown, Costello, 8. Noes, 0.  Motion Passed.Â
RESOLUTION NO. 55-09
Â
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A CONDITIONAL GIFTING AGREEMENT FOR THE DONATION OF LAND FOR A NEW PARK SITE ON OR NEAR WEST 12TH STREET AND THE TEA ELLIS ROAD, WHICH INCLUDES THE NAMING OF THE PARK AS A CONDITION OF THE GIFT.
Â
If there aren’t any “WHEREAS” phrases, skip “NOW, THEREFORE” and begin with just “BE IT RESOLVED…”
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD:
Â
That the document attached to and part of this resolution entitled “A Conditional Gifting Agreement for the Donation of Land for a New Park Site on or Near West 12th Street and the Tea Ellis Road,†which includes the naming of the park as a condition of the gift, is hereby approved.
Â
That the Mayor is authorized to sign such agreement after it is ratified and executed by Crusher Investment Company.
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Date adopted:
06/15/09
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                                                                                                       Dave MunsonÂ
                                                                                                              Mayor
ATTEST:
Debra A. Owen
City Clerk
l3wis