Happy Wednesday! Megan here.
Weather check: Rainy
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This week, I've got your guide to 2024 ballot measures, and lemme tell ya, the November ballot is one you're gonna wanna be prepared for because there's a LOT on there. And, speaking of a lot going on – I did my best to consolidate all of the City Council news into little tidbits, but there's quite a bit packed in the Super Simplified Stories. You'll also find a jam-packed event guide as we get into the full swing of fall.
And now, news:
ELECTIONS
Your guide to 2024 ballot measures
Simplified: South Dakota voters this November will weigh in on everything from sales tax on groceries to abortion access to who can vote in the primary elections. Here's your simplified guide to the seven statewide ballot measures, where they came from, and what your vote will mean.
Why it matters
- The November ballot has four constitutional amendments – which, as you might guess, would change the state constitution if passed. Then, there are two initiated measures and one referred law.
- All of these are different ways to affect change in the state through direct democracy. The main difference is that amending the constitution has a higher bar to clear – i.e. twice as many signatures – than an initiated measure or a referred law.
Tell me more about the ballot measures
Ok, buckle up, there's a lot of them.
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Do you wanna buy some taxidermy? It's time to see who's interested in taking on the Brockhouse taxidermy collection from the Delbridge Museum. A city work group this week plans to release a form for nonprofits (both in and out-of-state) to express interest in some or all of the specimen. Priority will be given to organizations that want to keep the collection altogether – and bonus points if the group is in or near Sioux Falls.
- It's worth noting the process of seeking potential new homes for the collection doesn't mean it's for-sure going to leave Sioux Falls, Parks Director Don Kearney said. Rather, this process is about figuring out what the interest is, what the options are, and then moving forward with a final decision.
- đź‘€About 1 in 7 neighbor complaints aren't valid. Ok, maybe that's oversimplifying it a little bit, but data shared with the City Council on Tuesday shows that in 2023, more than 900 of the 6,300 code enforcement cases were deemed invalid. That is to say, someone complained about a neighbor who wasn't doing anything wrong.
- For what it's worth, the city's code enforcement team spends a lot of its time dealing with folks who don't mow their lawns or shovel their sidewalks, and most people fix the problems as soon as the city tells them to, according to Kevin Smith, assistant director of planning and development services.
- Council advances changes to disorderly conduct ordinance. Councilors voted unanimously to advance updating language in the city's "disorderly conduct" ordinance in an effort to keep downtown sidewalks clear. Police Chief Jon Thum told Sioux Falls Simplified the changes give officers more authority to tell folks, "please move along" without having to first give a warning. That measure now moves to second reading in the coming weeks.
- Council formally earmarks money for Riverline District. The City Council voted unanimously to formally set aside $8.1 million for the purchase of a 7-acre parcel of land east of downtown known as the Riverline District. While the money is there, it'll take an OK from a soon-to-be-announced committee of eight people selected by both the council and the mayor before the land is officially purchased. Find some more history on this project here.
More Simplified Stories
- New bus routes launch this week. Sioux Falls' transit provider Via officially launched nine new routes this week, which replace the previous 12 routes in an effort to provide fewer routes with more frequency. Additionally, Via has on-demand services available citywide on weekdays and Saturdays. (You can read about my personal experience with the on-demand service here.)
- 🍺📚Don't drink and read. City Councilors on Tuesday advanced a proposal to prohibit the consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages in Siouxland Libraries. To be fair, you were never allowed to have booze with your books per library policy, but now it's one step closer to being actually backed up by city ordinance. Councilors will hear a second and final reading in the coming weeks.
- Levitt wraps up season. Levitt at the Falls saw almost 90,000 people attend its free concert series this summer, which featured 500 musicians. Opening weekend saw the biggest attendance with more than 6,400 people at the Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience, and the July 4 performance of Kory and the Fireflies came in second with about 5,300 people. The nonprofit this summer announced plans to build an expansion to the Levitt Shell.
EVENTS
Stuff to do: Sept. 18-24
- Touch a truck. Apologies for anyone who saw this in last week's event guide and showed up on the wrong date – I was a week off. The Touch a Truck event at Harmodon Park is this Saturday. Full details here.
- Drink beer. It's Oktoberfest at Remedy this weekend. Catch live music, German food, Dachshund races, a stein-holding showdown and, of course, beer. The fun kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday. More details here.
- 📽️Watch movies. Rare by Design is hosting the state's first ever local film festival ran by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. The event kicks off 6 p.m. Thursday, and tickets are going fast. Snag yours here.
- Play (or watch) esports. The inaugural SoDak Circuit esports event takes place Saturday at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The free event hosted by SDN Communications will feature six games and cash prizes. Spectators are also encouraged to attend, and they can also win prizes, including an Xbox Series S, a PlayStation 5 or a Nintendo Switch. More details here.
- Tour lofts. Take a peek inside downtown lofts you might not otherwise get a chance to see during the Downtown Loft Tour. Cost is $5, and the tour will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. More details here.
- 🚀Check out NASA rovers. It's SDSU Day at the Washington Pavilion this Saturday, and the university is bringing NASA rovers, robotics, respiratory "care-oke," mystical boba juice and free entry into the Kirby Science Discovery Center. More details here.
- Shop vintage. Seasoned Style is hosting a "Vintage Ventures" event to celebrate the sustainability and uniqueness of shopping secondhand. Visitors can get a punch card and win prizes for visiting vintage shops including The Small Shoppe, Urban Archeology, The Green Penny and Seasoned Style. More details here.
- Make fall wreaths. Learn how to make your own wreath with dried flowers at InFlower. The class will start at 6 p.m. Friday, and you can get your tickets here.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Why we’re celebrating Democracy Day
Sioux Falls Simplified is joining news outlets nationwide to recognize the importance of democracy.
Megan Raposa
How a new statewide group is treating food as medicine
A new statewide group is looking to help South Dakotans find access to healthy foods in an effort to decrease nutrition-related diseases through a “food is medicine” initiative.
Megan Raposa
How last-minute budget additions will combat panhandling
Two last-minute amendments to the City of Sioux Falls’ 2025 budget will bring a total of $300,000 to support efforts to combat “nuisance issues” in Sioux Falls – with strong implication from officials that those issues refer to homelessness and panhandling.
Megan Raposa
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