Counter Measures Emerge for Sioux Falls Admin Building

A Sioux Falls City Councilor is hoping the next moves will help put the brakes on a proposed City Administration building.

On Tuesday, the ordinance that would have postponed the sale of bonds to help pay for new office space pegged for City employees died after the City Council failed to override Mayor Mike Huether’s veto. Councilor Theresa Stehly is proposing an advisory vote because of a time crunch on the current petition drive.

“I was at a City meeting and it was brought up that every signature could be scrutinized. It could take up to four weeks to validate this. I’m just trying to cover all the bases because if (the petitioners) run into problems at the end of the petition drive then you’ve got that (October) deadline. It could jeopardize what they’ve done.”

An advisory vote of the people would be non-binding and just a way for the City leaders to gauge the citizen’s feelings on the matter. Another phase of Stehly’s plan would attempt to delay the bond sale.

“Also I would like to propose an ordinance that would push the bond sales from the October 1 date to December 31 just to give everyone a little more breathing room. If we thought the building was the wrong place and wrong time a week ago, it also applies now.”

According to Stehly, these proposals would come before the City Council for a first reading during their next meeting on Tuesday.

Additionally, Stehly feels these ordinances would pass muster with the Mayor because they bring the citizens into the process as opposed to actions of the Council.

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