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Sioux Falls snow removal Snowgates

Mixed reviews on snowgates after first major snowstorm hits Sioux Falls

l3wis 26Comments

I missed the first major snow event, as the storm was hitting Thursday night, I was sitting on the runway at the SF airport waiting for them to plow it so we could takeoff to Vegas. Sunny and 70 most of the weekend.

Had to chuckle though, I noticed one of the payloader plows at the SF airport has double snowgates on the front end loader. Good enough I guess for the airport just not for the citizens of Sioux Falls.

I have heard mixed reviews today about snowgates. A loyal DaCola reader is in the testing area this year, and his parents were last year. he shot video, but I have not had a chance to upload it yet. He did tell me though that they worked wonderful in his neighborhood but did notice they didn’t bother dropping them in intersections and by curb sidewalks (which would be a great use for them).

Snowgate advocate, Stehly went out with a friend to do some ‘snowgate’ watching. As she followed the operators she noticed they went very slow (under 5 mph) and sometimes would actually stop mid driveway, and only get half of the inlet. She also experienced one operator claiming the gate broke (brand new) and he literally sat in his snowplow for an hour just waiting for someone to show up and fix it, then decided to take a break. LOL.

Stehly noticed several times that the drivers were not maintaning a consistant speed, and seemed like they were not properly trained to run the snowgate or just did not care. This is unfortunate, because if the gates are to be tested properly, they have to be operated properly. I have often suspected some ‘mild’ sabotage going on.

Stehly called the head of the snowgate department at Henke Manufacturing and asked him about how they were operating the snowgates, he said, “The drivers should be able to maintain a consistant speed while operating the gates (around 20 MPH).” In other words they shouldn’t be stopping and starting up.

There has also been talk that the street department wants to test snowgates another year. Enough already, the election has already been postponed 16 months. Let’s vote on them already.

Sioux Falls snow removal Snowgates

The city now has a ‘Deadline’ to remove snow and ice from THEIR sidewalks? LOL!

l3wis 19Comments

Sioux Falls code enforcement’s motto, “Do as we say, not as we do.”

Bumpy and icy neighborhood side streets have some people in Sioux Falls concerned about snow removal policies.

After our weekend snow storm, city plows cleared off main and secondary streets, but officials only clear off residential streets when there is a snow alert.

That’s an issue for some homeowners and it has to do with shoveling.  They want to know why the city doesn’t have to plow some of these streets, but they’ll get fined for not shoveling their sidewalks.  People are out chipping away at thick ice and shoveling that wet snow.

According to a city release, you have until 2 p.m. Tuesday to clean and clear your sidewalks, or you’ll have to pay for it.  The people we talked to wonder why the city doesn’t follow these rules when it comes to clearing all of our streets.

Some streets are slick and bumpy; many of them have deep ruts at the intersections.  All of this could make for a dangerous drive.

I was smart and scooped that greasy crap Sunday night before it turned into a sheet of ice. Besides if it stays warm over the next couple of days, the ice will be gone in no time. But, hey if you live on ‘Mayoral’ St. Charles Lane, where the mayor lives, you get a nice chemical sprayed down for you because it is a ‘secondary’ snow route and the only route coming out of that development*. Well guess what, I live on a street that is a deadend on either end and I have to drive on a different street to get over to Cliff Avenue. and usually I have to plow my car thru a gigantic ridge of snow and ice to get onto Cliff (something that could be eliminated with snowgates). The mayor is slowly separating the working class from the ruling class in Sioux Falls. If you belong to the ruling class you get icemelt on your street, you can blab at meetings as long as you want about needing a TIF or an indoor pool. If you belong to the working class they intimidate you with code enforcement violations (that you are not legally obligated to pay) and stifle your free speech rights while disregarding your petitions.

*Rumor has it that St. Charles Lane has also been resurfaced TWICE since Huether has been mayor. I do know another media source in SF has tried to obtain those records from Public Works, but has been unsuccessful thus far.

Michelle Erpenbach Sioux Falls snow removal Snowgates

The Hypocrisy of SF city councilor Erpenbach

l3wis 4Comments

Erpenbach, “I want to hear from the public, unless it is about snowgates.”

In this episode of Inside Town Hall you can watch councilor Erpenbach talk out of both sides of her mouth about snowgates and indoor swimming pools.

During the first half of the show Michelle reminds us why we need another 16 months to educate ourselves about snowgates before an April 2014 election, that she ‘guarantees’ will happen.

Then in the second half of the show she talks about how she is ‘just one person’ that cannot possibly make the decision of building an indoor pool at Spellerberg without input from the public.

What a hypocrite. Over 8,000 people told you on a petition they WANTED a snowgate election this Spring. Then when over 30 of the snowgate petition volunteers showed up to a public meeting to tell you why this election was important, you limited their testimony, and as ONE PERSON took it upon yourself to deny the wishes of the people.

Michelle, you don’t give a rip about what the public thinks, about anything.

Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether SF City Council Sioux Falls snow removal Snowgates

Mayor Huether takes his Listening & Learning session to church & talks snowgates

l3wis 18Comments

I was a little surprised when I heard that Huether held his last L & L session at First Lutheran church. Someone in attendance told me that Huether talked about snowgates, and he will be making a ‘surprise’ announcement in March about them. I am not going to make any predictions as to what that announcement may or may not be, but I have said that the mayor does want to take credit for implementing snowgates. God forbid a citizen advocate like Stehly, or the citizens voting for them get the credit for implementing them. As Stehly has said to me, she thinks it would be ‘fantastic’ if Huether implemented them before the 2014 vote, because the ultimate goal all along was to get snowgates. I do see two hiccups with Huether implementing them. First he will have to get a majority of the council on board, because they will have to vote on it, or at least approve the budget to purchase them. The other issue I have with it is that Huether and his directors will be writing the ordinance, instead of citizens. In other words, they will be able to use them when it is convenient for them, not for us.

I guess we will just have to wait until March to hear his BIG announcement. I am not holding my breath until then.

This isn’t the L & L session, but in this episode he teaches the kids how to shake hands;

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LshotE9Qo-0[/youtube]

1st Amendment Censorship Michelle Erpenbach SF City Council Sioux Falls snow removal Snowgates

Why mess around with a wrist slapping?

l3wis 4Comments

A lot of people lately have been asking if Stehly or I are going to file an ethics complaint against council chair Erpenbach for limiting public input. Stehly went as far as going to the Charter Revision Commission meeting to ask them about it (one more reason why these meetings need to be recorded);

Theresa Stehly wants to know what happens if a city councilor violates city ordinance.

For example, she says, what happens if a councilor got a letter from Project T.R.I.M., failed to trim his or her trees, so the city comes out and does it, charges $150, and said councilor never pays?

Stehly proposed this scenario during Thursday’s Charter Revision Commission meeting, and asked whether it would be grounds for an ethics violation.

City Attorney Dave Pfeifle told her city councilors are held to the same standards as other citizens, and failing to trim trees and not paying a fine would be similar to getting a speeding ticket or parking ticket.

“So there’s no recourse there?” Stehly asked.

“They’re treated the same as everyone else,” Pfeifle said.

“Shouldn’t they be held to a higher standard being they’re an elected official?” Stehly asked. “Could I file an ethics violation against someone for breaking city ordinance?”

Pfeifle said she could, but it’s doubtful that would be grounds for an ethics violation.

First, let me clear the air. While several people who were involved in the December 18 council meeting censorship debacle have thrown around the idea of an ethics complaint, we are mostly in agreement; even if Erpenbach was found guilty of an ethics violation, what would be the recourse? There wouldn’t be any, and the council could continue to limit public input. This is bigger then that. The council and council chair need to be STOPPED from ever doing this again. In other words, take the rule book out of their hands and make them follow the existing rules;

30.015 ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL; TIME LIMIT.

(c) Each person addressing the city council shall step up to the microphone in front of the rail, shall give his or her name in an audible tone of voice for the record, and unless further time is granted by the city council, shall be limited to five minutes.

Citizens must decide what will be done to accomplish this. There are MANY avenues we could follow, but one thing is clear, Erpenbach possibly violated city ordinance by limiting public input.

Not sure where it is going from here, but I will assure you, an ethics complaint is definately off the table. Stay tuned.

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