Democracy Rally Sunday in Sioux Falls
l3wis 
Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken’s (FAKE) Youth Council Consists of Children of some of his Adult Friends
While I won’t list the names and the parents of some of the kids in this program, it is pretty easy to link some of them to children of Paul’s friends;
In the dozens of applications for the Council, it is abundantly clear that the young people of Sioux Falls are passionate about their community.
So was this a matter of providing an experience to some kids that are ‘connected’ or is it that they just didn’t have enough applicants? I would be curious how they were chosen? If I were the mayor I would have avoided picking any youth that are children of my friends or connected business people in town. But we know that isn’t how he operates. He has to feel some kind of security in his fake leadership.
Just look how one local TV station won’t touch Poops with a 10 Foot Pole with controversial news coverage due to his friendship with their lead reporter.
And how does it affect the kids in the group that ARE not connected? What will they learn from the experience?Â
Why weren’t there any students from O’Gorman but there were ones from SF Christian? (Dutch Reform and the Minnow Munchers are not exactly BFFs)
So like most things Poops does, it’s all about image and very little about substance.
The next time he wants to have bible study with his friend’s kids, he can do it on his own time and call it what is really is, Sunday School.
Developers
Development
Downtown Sioux Falls
Mayor TenHaken
Planning Commission
SF City Council
Sioux Falls
More Backroom Shady deals from the TenHaken Administration and the spineless Sioux Falls City Council
While the city councilors did a lot of whining last night, all 8 of them voted for this deal;
The Sioux Falls City Council voted to discontinue parking at a downtown surface lot, as well as declare it surplus property — the first steps in a plan that could add a four-story building and 150 apartments to downtown Sioux Falls.
The pair of 8-0 votes were taken in relation to a 0.5 acre surface parking lot at 400 S. 1st Ave., one of two lots that have been up for sale since September 2020.
The project is not final, with Powers noting the resolutions passed by the council would enable the city to enter into negotiations on the sale of the lot, which was appraised last year at $502,000.
In an informational meeting earlier this year, Soehl had said he didn’t believe the lot could legally be declared surplus, and called the system of informing the council about submitted proposals “inadequate.”
Basically, as I predicted on Sunday (item #47), a backroom deal was concocted with the developer, which seems to be an odd coincidence considering Mayor TenHaken’s Chief of Shaft, Erica Beck, was a former executive with the company and the developer has continued to receive tax incentives, TIFs, land discounts and other goodies from this administration and council.
Just look at the appraisal price. It is laughable considering that an unblighted lot, on prime downtown property with plenty of access to sewer, water, gas and electrical would only be worth $500K. That lot should go for at least 4 times that amount. I would be curious who appraised this lot and how many appraisals were done? Good luck with that request.
While the City Council wrings their hands about how this deal is being done, they voted for it and refuse to remedy the issue. Oh that’s right, because most of their butts are owned by the banksters, bondsters and developers in town, and they know it. This also should NOT have been voted on as a resolution as ‘surplus’ after a deal was already done with a developer without a proper RFP process. The lot should have been voted on as surplus before ANY developer put in a bid. A little game of the cart before the horse. There should have also been a recommendation to only allow workforce housing be sold at the location. Instead, it appears these will be higher rents. The inept council has had ZERO control of this process from the beginning, but golly gee they sure let the city staff have it by voting 8-0 to approve 🙁
The WAR on transparency and open government continues and the rubberstamp council just plays along while ‘pretending’ they are concerned.
When is the Washington Pavilion going to present the 2019 & 2020 Annual Report to the Sioux Falls City Council?
The last report to show up on the Pavilion’s site is 2018. If you do a search of city council informational meetings you are unable to find the last time the Pavilion has presented an annual report to the City Council. I guess I’m curious why the 2019 and 2020 annual reports are missing? The Great Plains Zoo will be presenting their annual report to the Parks Board on Wednesday (no supporting docs).
I would also like to see what the financials are for the Levitt from this past season (we may not see those until next spring).
I am often curious how organizations that receive millions in tax dollars to subsidize and provide maintenance to their facilities can just skirt providing financial reports to the citizens or don’t even post them online to at least view. This is what happens when you have a city ran by a cruise control mayor who hates open and transparent government, or maybe he just doesn’t understand it?
CHIEF CULTURAL OFFICER RESIGNS?
In more cruise control government ineptness, the rumor is that the Chief Cultural Officer that the Mayor so desperately needed has resigned and leaving the city this week. If true, I find the timing ironic considering several councilors have asked publicly at meetings when they will get a review about what she has contributed to the city since her position was created. I guess the best way to get out of giving a report is to quit. LOL.