I spent the past 25 years of my professional career in city government, working with other visionaries who planned big things for the city. I used to be troubled by those naysayers in the community who I thought always were against a big idea, against progress and growth. So the irony of my position on this event center is not lost on me. However, this position of mine was not based on being against progress or a vision for the future. I just didn't believe this plan was the right plan at this time.
You could not go anywhere these past few months without the event center topic coming up. This community is engaged and it is exciting. We are going to have a voter turnout that is unprecedented. No matter the outcome, citizens have finally become active in matters that matter in their community.
I was talking to a young person at the Augustana Football game last weekend and he said he was voting yes because he couldn't stand the idea that an event center may not be built in his lifetime or for decades to come. He didn't care if it really didn't make sense, he just wanted it built.
My thought was he was too young to be so pessimistic about the future and the ability for this city to make big things happen. It is an emotional position, not necessarily based on any facts or fiscal reality. It is not surprising since that is what was sold through the endless commercials and glossy flyers. Emotions are powerful in this debate. Big money has been spent to sell the vision.
It's almost over. Hopefully we all can move on, whatever the outcome this evening. If it passes, it will have fiscal implications on this city for decades to come. What will be, will be.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Crossing the Line
Last night on election eve, a number of people stood before the City Council to offer public testimony regarding the Event Center debate. One of the people testifying before the Council was a person who was in opposition to the Event Center. This person is an ordinary citizen who chose to become educated and engaged in this very important issue for Sioux Falls.
He woke up this morning to find unsolicitied Build It Now Vote Yes signs in his front yard and on the city right of way:
This is clear trespassing on private property. It is also interesting to note that this person has an unlisted address. Signs placed secretly in the dead of night. Petty, immature, childish behavior on behalf of the Vote Yes crowd. Obviously, they had some left over signs they didn't want to go to waste. This behavior speaks volumes for the professionalism of this group.
He woke up this morning to find unsolicitied Build It Now Vote Yes signs in his front yard and on the city right of way:
This is clear trespassing on private property. It is also interesting to note that this person has an unlisted address. Signs placed secretly in the dead of night. Petty, immature, childish behavior on behalf of the Vote Yes crowd. Obviously, they had some left over signs they didn't want to go to waste. This behavior speaks volumes for the professionalism of this group.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Right Vision for Sioux Falls?
A Guest Post by Kevin Nyberg, reposted from Build It Downtown Facebook page:
Just like over 2,000 of you, I joined this Facebook Group because of its
mission and vision for the city of Sioux Falls. Tuesday's election will
decide if this vision stays alive or vanishes forever. We still have hope
if this plan fails. To me that hope represents the best vision for Sioux
Falls for decades to come.
I have not heard much about the future of marketing our city during this
campaign. Marketing is just not about conventions. I believe we have more
financial opportunities in attracting and focusing on visitors to our city
than conventions. How do we want our city to be marketed in the future?
How do we want to be remembered as a city?
Well, if you haven't driven downtown between 6th and 8th streets and viewed
the new Downtown Riverfront Greenway I suggest you do so. And take your
friends and family before Tuesday's election. This project along with many
other Downtown announcements (Raven's facelift, Hilton Garden Inn), recently
should give obvious reason to why we are not focusing on the one resource,
the river, that could make our city stand out and be remembered by visitors
for decades to come!
Yes, I know location is not what we are voting on Tuesday, but there are
dozens of other reasons why the current plan is not acceptable and should not be approved. You have heard them all, but the two that stand out to me is a flawed financial plan and an economy that is
unstable and unknown at this time.
I grew up in Sioux Falls and have witnessed many city elections. This one
will be remembered for years to come. It has been a long campaign that
started out with a divided city council and now a divided electorate. In
my opinion no other election in our city's history has seen more drama than
this one.
Sioux Falls we can do better than the proposed plan! As some proponents of
the plan suggest, "we will go backwards or become a second class city if
this proposal fails." These are desperate comments and simply not true of
the Sioux Falls I know.
We can do better Sioux Falls! If you believe like me, please encourage your
family and friends to vote NO.
Just like over 2,000 of you, I joined this Facebook Group because of its
mission and vision for the city of Sioux Falls. Tuesday's election will
decide if this vision stays alive or vanishes forever. We still have hope
if this plan fails. To me that hope represents the best vision for Sioux
Falls for decades to come.
I have not heard much about the future of marketing our city during this
campaign. Marketing is just not about conventions. I believe we have more
financial opportunities in attracting and focusing on visitors to our city
than conventions. How do we want our city to be marketed in the future?
How do we want to be remembered as a city?
Well, if you haven't driven downtown between 6th and 8th streets and viewed
the new Downtown Riverfront Greenway I suggest you do so. And take your
friends and family before Tuesday's election. This project along with many
other Downtown announcements (Raven's facelift, Hilton Garden Inn), recently
should give obvious reason to why we are not focusing on the one resource,
the river, that could make our city stand out and be remembered by visitors
for decades to come!
Yes, I know location is not what we are voting on Tuesday, but there are
dozens of other reasons why the current plan is not acceptable and should not be approved. You have heard them all, but the two that stand out to me is a flawed financial plan and an economy that is
unstable and unknown at this time.
I grew up in Sioux Falls and have witnessed many city elections. This one
will be remembered for years to come. It has been a long campaign that
started out with a divided city council and now a divided electorate. In
my opinion no other election in our city's history has seen more drama than
this one.
Sioux Falls we can do better than the proposed plan! As some proponents of
the plan suggest, "we will go backwards or become a second class city if
this proposal fails." These are desperate comments and simply not true of
the Sioux Falls I know.
We can do better Sioux Falls! If you believe like me, please encourage your
family and friends to vote NO.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Priorities
All you have to do is look at the headlines and then wonder about priorities in this community.
- Lewis and Clark Federal Funding in Jeopardy
- Tobacco Revenue Down.
- 10% Cut in Teacher Salaries
- Banquet Food Supplies Dwindle
- Video Lottery Revenue Down
- 46% of school age children eligible for free or reduced school lunches in Sioux Falls
- Education funding cut
- South Dakota population aging yet South Dakota first froze then cut Medicaid payments to nursing homes.
- For the first time in nearly two years, the overall Business Conditions Index for a nine-state region of the Midwest and Plains has taken a negative turn.
- Decline in out-of-state residents moving to the area blamed partly on the economy.
- Construction spending in the United States was down 1.3 percent in September compared with September 2010, down $10 Billion for the year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
- Two Minnehaha County towns will reduce the number of hours they contract for sheriff protection because money isn’t available to pay for more service.
- A long standing Sioux Falls manufacturing company will close for good early next year, resulting in 77 jobs cuts.
- Minnehaha County has budget problems.
- Many consumers are anxious about their jobs; angry about their salaries and increased workloads; upset about climbing health care costs; and worried about their mortgages.
- Minnehaha County employees take a 5% pay cut.
- Sioux Area Metro Transit facing possible federal subsidy shortfall.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Stamping Out the Opposition
You would have to be living under a rock not to know about the Event Center vote on November 8th. Clearly this community is engaged in the debate and it isn't very pretty or polite anymore. What keeps popping up over and over again are the great justifications for building it now.
1. We have talked about it for 10 years, we just need to build it now.
2. Costs continue to go up, so we need to build it now.
3. The interest rates are low, we just need to build it now.
4. We will never agree on a location, time, or financing, we just need to build it now.
5. The economy is picking up, we just need to build it now.
6. The Black Eyed Peas passed us up because the Arena wasn't up to their standards.
I don't think there is anyone in the community who really believes the Arena is a satisfactory concert venue. It is outdated, uncomfortable, with poor acoustics. This city needs a new concert center. Even the people in opposition to the current plan know that. The disagreement is how to get it done and get it done right. The mayor has his plan. He has the bully pulpit and the money to get out his message out to the masses. The opposition has used blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and a small organization with one speaker and no money. It is truly a David and Goliath scenario.
People are right, we have talked about the concept of building an event center for the past 10 years but there has never been the depth of discussion and debate until now. We have the mayor to thank for bringing it to this discussion and debate stage. The problem is the discussion and debate came after the mayor decided it was my way or the highway event center plan. Discussion closed. Debate over. Vote yes and if you don't, you have no vision, are backward thinkers and just want to hurt the mayor and make it personal.
Now, people who are vocal in opposition to the mayor's plan are being intimidated into silence, told to be quiet on Facebook, be careful what you say publicly because your reputation is on the line. Threats, intimidation and bullying is no way to win the debate. This thing may pass, but at what cost? The split in this community is unpalatable.
1. We have talked about it for 10 years, we just need to build it now.
2. Costs continue to go up, so we need to build it now.
3. The interest rates are low, we just need to build it now.
4. We will never agree on a location, time, or financing, we just need to build it now.
5. The economy is picking up, we just need to build it now.
6. The Black Eyed Peas passed us up because the Arena wasn't up to their standards.
I don't think there is anyone in the community who really believes the Arena is a satisfactory concert venue. It is outdated, uncomfortable, with poor acoustics. This city needs a new concert center. Even the people in opposition to the current plan know that. The disagreement is how to get it done and get it done right. The mayor has his plan. He has the bully pulpit and the money to get out his message out to the masses. The opposition has used blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and a small organization with one speaker and no money. It is truly a David and Goliath scenario.
People are right, we have talked about the concept of building an event center for the past 10 years but there has never been the depth of discussion and debate until now. We have the mayor to thank for bringing it to this discussion and debate stage. The problem is the discussion and debate came after the mayor decided it was my way or the highway event center plan. Discussion closed. Debate over. Vote yes and if you don't, you have no vision, are backward thinkers and just want to hurt the mayor and make it personal.
Now, people who are vocal in opposition to the mayor's plan are being intimidated into silence, told to be quiet on Facebook, be careful what you say publicly because your reputation is on the line. Threats, intimidation and bullying is no way to win the debate. This thing may pass, but at what cost? The split in this community is unpalatable.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Life in River City is Good? The Vote is Still No!
The big press is on with only 4 days before election day on the event center. Today, Tracy Turbak-City Finance Director has a voices column in the Argus Leader telling citizens that the construction of the event center will financed in the same manner as other significant investments of the city like the Law Enforcement Center, Harmodon Park, main library expansion, etc. That is true, the second penny sales tax is used to fund construction of major investments. However, not to the tune of the investment of this event center and not for 23 years.
I appreciate the fact that the city says we can afford to take on this debt. The city has always been in good financial condition and we have elected and city officials to thank for that. However, when they talk about obligating the 2nd penny sales tax for construction costs for 23 years, I wish they would also acknowledge that that same 2nd penny sales will have fund any ongoing maintenance and infrastructure needs that will occur over the life of this construction debt.
Tracy Turbak goes on to say the event center operating budget is be funded by revenues generated by the operation of the event center and revenues from private sources in the form of naming rights, sponsorships and premium seating. He states "Superlative Group, Inc. determined the city could reasonably expect to derive private annual revenues in the range of $975,000 to $1.875 million." These revenues will be used to help fund the day to day operating budget of the event center and are "largely the reason the events center has been projected to operate in the black."
I wish the city would also address the fact that we will have to fund two event centers and that the Arena is not going away. Two event centers competing for the same type of events, just on a different scale. Why is that absent from this discussion of the big picture?
The fact is no one can "reasonably expect" the event center will operate in the black, not even the company hired to by the city to evaluate the Sioux Falls market. Not even the mayor and the finance director. You can hope it will, you can "reasonable expect" it will, but when all the other "event/convention center" facilities don't operate in the black in the Sioux Falls market or in other cities and markets, it is kind of hard to "reasonably expect" the Event Center will operate in the black. I would actually feel more confidence in their whole plan if they would just admit some of this instead of their pie in the sky, the city is right with the world mentality.
This voices column is timed to assure the public not to worry, we can afford to do this. At the same time, the mayor has informed his mid-management people that they will be getting a 2% raise in 2012 by memo dated November 3rd. Some city employees haven't had a raise in 2 years or more. Nice news for city employees, I think they deserve a modest raise. But after two years of being told to slash your budgets and no money for raises because benefits costs are too high and the economy was bad, the timing of this good news message seems pretty suspect - 4 days before the election. Votes!!!
I appreciate the fact that the city says we can afford to take on this debt. The city has always been in good financial condition and we have elected and city officials to thank for that. However, when they talk about obligating the 2nd penny sales tax for construction costs for 23 years, I wish they would also acknowledge that that same 2nd penny sales will have fund any ongoing maintenance and infrastructure needs that will occur over the life of this construction debt.
Tracy Turbak goes on to say the event center operating budget is be funded by revenues generated by the operation of the event center and revenues from private sources in the form of naming rights, sponsorships and premium seating. He states "Superlative Group, Inc. determined the city could reasonably expect to derive private annual revenues in the range of $975,000 to $1.875 million." These revenues will be used to help fund the day to day operating budget of the event center and are "largely the reason the events center has been projected to operate in the black."
I wish the city would also address the fact that we will have to fund two event centers and that the Arena is not going away. Two event centers competing for the same type of events, just on a different scale. Why is that absent from this discussion of the big picture?
The fact is no one can "reasonably expect" the event center will operate in the black, not even the company hired to by the city to evaluate the Sioux Falls market. Not even the mayor and the finance director. You can hope it will, you can "reasonable expect" it will, but when all the other "event/convention center" facilities don't operate in the black in the Sioux Falls market or in other cities and markets, it is kind of hard to "reasonably expect" the Event Center will operate in the black. I would actually feel more confidence in their whole plan if they would just admit some of this instead of their pie in the sky, the city is right with the world mentality.
This voices column is timed to assure the public not to worry, we can afford to do this. At the same time, the mayor has informed his mid-management people that they will be getting a 2% raise in 2012 by memo dated November 3rd. Some city employees haven't had a raise in 2 years or more. Nice news for city employees, I think they deserve a modest raise. But after two years of being told to slash your budgets and no money for raises because benefits costs are too high and the economy was bad, the timing of this good news message seems pretty suspect - 4 days before the election. Votes!!!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Local TV's Special Reports
It appears the local TV stations have decided they finally need to get in the education game regarding the Event Center debate. KELO TV is dedicating an hour long special election edition of Inside Keloland on the subject. The planned guests are Huether, Turbak, Jamison & Barclay. Frankly, I am tired of hearing from this group and their same old, same old.
I have often wondered where all those business people in the community are who stood up at the press conference announcing the new Build It Now group and campaign. There are some heavy hitters in that group who would have made a strong voice in support of the campaign to convince voters to vote yes. Afterall, they were committed enough to stand up, give money and their public support to building the event center.
Build It Now Co-Chairs
Alan Amdahl
President of the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire
Owner of Amdahl Construction
Nicki Ellerbroek
Owner of McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub
Dr. Dave Kapaska, Regional President
Avera McKennan Hospital
Tom Kelley
President of Gage Brothers Concrete
Dr. Charles Pat O’Brien, President – Sanford USD Medical Center
Sanford Health
Mike Sullivan
Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority
Why aren't some of these people guests for KELO's special programming? Why aren't these people out in the community doing some of the presentations?
The Build It Now website says: "Build It Now Sioux Falls supporters are a cross-section of the Sioux Falls community, including local individuals, large and small businesses, and organizations that see value in bringing a new Events Center to Sioux Falls."
It would have been nice to hear from some of these people at all the event center presentations since this is the group that put the money up to lobby the citizens to vote for their vision of the value of bringing the event center to Sioux Falls. These business people have been noticeably absent from these presentations.
Instead, all we will get is the same old tired song and dance and maybe a little intimidation and insincerity towards poor Mr. Barclay and Councilor Jamison.
I have often wondered where all those business people in the community are who stood up at the press conference announcing the new Build It Now group and campaign. There are some heavy hitters in that group who would have made a strong voice in support of the campaign to convince voters to vote yes. Afterall, they were committed enough to stand up, give money and their public support to building the event center.
Build It Now Co-Chairs
Alan Amdahl
President of the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire
Owner of Amdahl Construction
Nicki Ellerbroek
Owner of McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub
Dr. Dave Kapaska, Regional President
Avera McKennan Hospital
Tom Kelley
President of Gage Brothers Concrete
Dr. Charles Pat O’Brien, President – Sanford USD Medical Center
Sanford Health
Mike Sullivan
Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority
Why aren't some of these people guests for KELO's special programming? Why aren't these people out in the community doing some of the presentations?
The Build It Now website says: "Build It Now Sioux Falls supporters are a cross-section of the Sioux Falls community, including local individuals, large and small businesses, and organizations that see value in bringing a new Events Center to Sioux Falls."
It would have been nice to hear from some of these people at all the event center presentations since this is the group that put the money up to lobby the citizens to vote for their vision of the value of bringing the event center to Sioux Falls. These business people have been noticeably absent from these presentations.
Instead, all we will get is the same old tired song and dance and maybe a little intimidation and insincerity towards poor Mr. Barclay and Councilor Jamison.
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