SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- In separate visits to KELO Radio's Greg Belfrage Show this week, two Sioux Falls City Councilors vented about the administration of Mayor Mike Huether.
Councilor Pat Starr told Greg that the city just seems determined to push projects through despite being fully aware of possible problems. The $50 million parking ramp hotel development is a perfect example.
"We're willing to look at the bad, we're willing to take all of the things that aren't positive in the deal, and we won't care 20 years from now." and Starr is still disturbed that he wasn't told that Aaron Hultgren was being removed from the deal until the very night Council voted - unsuccessfully - to delay it.
A similar refrain on the Belfrage Show from Councilor Greg Neitzert: That the city doesn't listen enough to opposing voices, and keeps things too close to the vest. He supports the downtown parking ramp project, but believes the public deserves more time to thrash it out.
"..Looked so callous and it looked like so uncaring, that we're just completely tone deaf and no matter what, we got to get this ramp done, and that's just so wrong."
And the city's stance on the ramp project isn't the only thing that has torqued off Neitzert. He told Greg that the city has refused to let him see the draft report of the independent review of the rippled panels on the Sanford Premier Center. He doesn't think the city is up to anything nefarious, but it just looks bad.
"It just creates the perception that the fox is watching the hen house."
The Huether Administration says when it gets the final report on the rippled panels, it will share it with the public.
