South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Washington Pavilion

Art Downtown Sioux Falls Public Works Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion

More Public Art, another critique

l3wis 2Comments

My first critique of the sculptures is something everybody has been saying that have seen it ‘There is too much crap in that space and it just looks like the lawn sculpture garden on Cleveland Avenue’. Besides the overcrowding I would have done one of two things with the sculptures. The pieces themselves are beautiful and I think they will withstand the rigors of SD weather (I have a wait an see on that one, glass doesn’t do well in hail and subzero temps). I would have either spaced out the existing sculptures more or I would have made the bases narrower to make more space between the pieces. It goes back to the overcrowding in that space and it looks like the space between the pieces was compromised. But hey when you hire Mark Cotter’s kid with a lawnmower to prepare the site, what do you expect? I even saw them hauling in a bunch of trees today.

Speaking of city projects, looks like the ice ribbon is finally getting poured.

Art Downtown Sioux Falls Public Utilities Public Works Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion

Nepotism run amuck at Sioux Falls City Hall

l3wis 5Comments

Besides the secretive roof repair happening at the Pavilion they are also installing new outdoor sculptures.

Besides COS Erica Beck’s son getting a job in HR straight out of college, there seems to be some other nepotism and conflicts going on. There was a rumor for awhile that the Public Works Director’s wife who owns an interior design company got the contract for the redesign on city hall recently (that is a rumor I am still looking into), but his son, who owns Urban Oasis, apparently got the contract to install the sculptures. His father makes $232K a year with the city, so it seems a bit odd that he would need even more from the taxpayers. Now they could argue that the sculptures purchase and installation was paid for by a private donation so there is NO conflict, BUT, as I argued in the past that since these sculptures are sitting on public property, they are public art, and the taxpayers will be responsible for their future maintenance, this is a public project NO matter who is paying for it because we own the property the sculptures are being placed on. There are plenty of experienced landscape contractors in Sioux Falls who could have done the job, and with more then a couple years experience. This was clearly an inside handshake deal. I wonder what the city council will do about it. My guess, like the Selberg incident, they will look the other way.

Downtown Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Uncategorized Washington Pavilion

UPDATE: Pavilion ‘Roofgate’ continues

l3wis 2Comments

UPDATE: Apparently the contractor doesn’t seem to care if anyone knows they are working on the building, so why hasn’t the Pavilion said anything? It is also preparing the NE corner for the new outdoor sculptures, so I am sure there will be a ribbon cutting once installed, and it would be kind of weird to see contractors working on the roof that was supposed to be fixed already.

Last week a person who works very close to the Pavilion told me they have been loading materials (roofing) on the roof with cranes last week and continue to work on it. So I drove by this morning and noticed scaffolding on the roof. There was also 3 commercial trucks parked by the work area; An HVAC contractor, a drywall contractor and a roofing contractor. Notice the logo on the roofing truck. This is a company that specializes in this kind of roof repair. So I’m just wondering, when is the administration going to tell the citizens they are repairing the roof. And who is paying for this? #militantclosedgovernment

Downtown Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion

UPDATE: The Pavilion roof may be in trouble?

l3wis 4Comments

UPDATE: So I recruited some ‘needlers’ to see what they can find out. And oh boy, it is radio silence at the attorney’s office, the Pav and TenPoopen’s communication office. It has actually been a great laugh with those who shared with me the responses. I think I said to one of them, “Maybe you should remind Vanessa she works in the ‘Communications Department’. Accent on the Communications part. I wish I could change this font to brown, but our color blind mayor wouldn’t get it.

I told you a few weeks ago that I found out another contractor was putting the city in a bind. The city owns the Pavilion so we are responsible financially for any building upgrades, and the Pavilion takes millions each year in maintenance costs from the entertainment tax. Replacing the thingies on the roof cost us, ALOT! So the ‘rumor’ is that while replacing the ‘thingies’ they tore up the rubber roof (you really should not walk on them, let alone carry equipment and materials across it.) Not sure what the city is doing to get relief, but if they had a half a brain they would threaten a lawsuit to get the money. I was told that the repairs will cost over $1 Million. Another city project, another bad contractor. I thought we did RFP’s so we could select the best contractor? And where were the city building inspectors during this process? Were they not checking on the progress? And if so, couldn’t they see the roof damage? Someone told me once, “The city building inspectors are afraid of ladders . . . and the outdoors.”

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec Washington Pavilion

Lally Cooler is gonna Lally Cost Yah

l3wis 4Comments

So with only announcing the headliners and NO opening acts, the Pavilion is attempting to sell tickets to an event no one knows much about;

I often assumed that the event was going to be FREE like JazzFest or at a greatly reduced price. If you would have opened it to the masses you would have made up the entry fees in beer money. Also, this is supposed to be some kind of anniversary celebration for the Pavilion, and after heisting millions from taxpayers over the years in taxes and subsidies you would think they would put on a backyard party for us for FREE. But that is not how it works at the WashSnotty Pavilion, we can only reward those who supported us, you know, families that can afford to drop $1,000 a night watching a Broadway Musical. Can’t wait to hear what they charge for a 12oz. Monday Light? I wonder if the Pavilion will have ‘Event Funding’ so you can pay for your beer and ticket with monthly payments? Just don’t take the bike trail to the event, you will end up in the river 🙁

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