New Anti-Spellerberg Indoor Aquatics Petitions

Public Pool Partners, a citizen’s group, has taken steps to propose a new initiated measure, dealing with a public indoor aquatic center in Sioux Falls. Public Pool Partners filed an Initiative Petition Registration with the City of Sioux Falls City Clerk’s office on Monday May 5, 2014. The language of the petition is as follows:

"WE, THE UNDERSIGNED qualified voters of the municipality of Sioux Falls, the state of South Dakota, petition that the following ordinance be submitted to the voters of that municipality for their approval or rejection pursuant to law.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA TO BUILD

AN INDOOR SWIMMING POOL:

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA:

The indoor pool will be true financial partnership between private and public interests with 10% of the construction costs being raised and paid for by private organizations.The indoor pool site must be located on roadways with no less than 4 lanes of traffic. If built in a Sioux Falls city park, that park must be at least 25 acres in size, to provide sufficient room for future expansion and adequate parking for national / regional swim meets. There shall be no less than 350 onsite parking spaces for indoor pools greater than 25 meters. If a city-owned site is determined for an indoor pool, that site must have clear title and city shall obtain legal opinion the site does not have any contingencies in the deed or title which may compromise future ownership of the property."

I have strong feelings about this effort, which I will share when spokesman John Matthius joins us in the Viewpoint University Faculty Lounge on 1140 KSOO Friday  May 9 at five pm. Mr Matthius will explain the rationale for the petitions and the language in the proposal.