Scott Waters.

Here.

Can we stand for a moment of silent prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, please?

I pledge by the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands under God with liberty and justice for all.

Those people here for the memorial march to honor lost children.

Come on up to the microphone.

Yeah, thank you.

Right.

Hi.

And whereas a native community in Sioux City has sought to bring about change in this regard by peacefully and prayerfully exercising their constitutional right to assemble and to voice their desire to change in how they are treated.

Whereas the community initiative for Native Children and Families will begin their 22nd annual memorial to honor lost children with two days of educational events on November 24th and 25th.

And we'll embark on the annual Memorial March to honor lost children on November 26th.

And whereas we support the commitment of the Native community in their continued efforts to focus on building bridges and fostering understanding.

I'd like to present this to you and say a few words if you would.

Thank you.

Hijin Kishina, Hini Karagiwi, Hok Shannopi, Ho Chunkraj, Humphku Piwinga, Hingairena, Micah Rajira, Monica Gudanga, Hingaina, Wakanja Yaki Karatshana.

Hello, I greet you all.

Good evening.

My name is Monica Good Don, and I'm an enrolled member of the Winnebago tribe of Nebraska.

I also have lineage ties to the Isante Dakota.

And I'm a Sioux City native.

As a child affected by ICWA, this work is deeply personal to me.

I understand firsthand how critical it is to protect our children, our families, and our culture.

The memorial march is not only a moment of remembrance, it is a promise that we will continue to fight for our communities and future generations.

Thank you to our city leaders, community partners, families, and everyone who walks with us.

Your support shows that our voices and healing matters.

For all of those who came before us and those still to come.

Thank you.

Hi.

Six years, seven years.

That sounds good, Eric.

Thanks for making the application.

I think you'll be in a good addition to this board.

Eric, I have a question, and I don't know if it's for Heidi or for you.

Um, and it's just clarity, and I really appreciate I think the people at CNBA, whether it's your leadership, encouraging um or otherwise.

I think you all do a great job of uh volunteering in the community and serving this capacity.

I'm trying to remember if David Broxus, I thought he was serving on a commission for the city, but is it this board or is it?

I believe.

Okay, that might be.

Yeah, that might be it.

Yeah, because I was just trying to think, I was like, well, gosh, I don't know if we need uh two Iowa State grads, let alone two uh CMBA grads.

I would say we do, but I'm just carrying man, I know, of course.

We're like lawyers.

Yep, he's planning and zoning.

Okay, good.

No, I really appreciate your service and your willingness to do so.

So thanks, Eric.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Decky fiscal policy public policy committee, Mike Hoogers.

Hi, my name is Mike Hogers.

I've been a resident of Sioux City for 25 years.

Um, and uh have raised my kids here and uh to the point in my career where things are starting to wind down, and I have some capacity for volunteering and getting involved in my community, and I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to seek my first commission.

Questions?

I think it's a great opportunity for you.

Uh I'm glad you applied.

Thank you.

And if the topics are varied, one time we can be talking about street signs, and the next time we may be talking about a 200 million dollar project, you never know.

Yeah.

So that sounds great.

Great.

All right.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No doubt.

Thanks.

Ilion Kosovo City Sister City Committee, Steve Warnsted.

Hello, uh seeking the reapply.

We've uh made a lot of progress in the last year and a half.

Uh we will be having the city of Gelan making a trip here in spring, so obviously I want to be here to help prepare for for that.

We've made a lot of connections, uh higher ed, cultural affairs, uh, a number of other entities within the city and with Gilan.

So I'm looking to continue to build on that and sustain it.

We had a recent visit for the school district as well.

Thank you for continuing to push for those.

Those are really good.

Uh we always have a ton of fun hosting them, and um thank you for all the work that you do on it, because you are busy.

You do a ton of work, Steve, and I appreciate all that you do, and I'm glad you keep me connected with the committee and the work and those uh that visit our city and our country.

Really, it's really amazing what you do.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Appreciate it, sir.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Theresa Weaver.

Hi.

Um, I think I know you probably know most of you know me.

I work at the Sioux City Public Museum.

I'm the curator of education there.

And uh the opportunity to serve on this committee, I think would be a good partnership with what I do at the museum.

Um when we were when I was growing up, we were we very often had foreign exchange students staying at our home from Iowa State over the weekend when my mom worked at Iowa State.

So I've always enjoyed learning about other histories and cultures and countries, and so I think uh I would be interested in helping out on the committee.

And uh I think there's some good partnerships and opportunities for programming uh between Gilan and Sioux City that the museum can be involved with as well.

I agree with you, Theresa, and I'm glad you applied.

I I was really happy to see that you applied for this, and and Steve, we're gonna fill these vacancies.

You know, we have five to fill, and and uh we have two strong ones right now.

So thank you, Teresa.

Thank you.

I thought you were such a natural fit for it too, because I think about like the programming at the museum and how that's grown over the years and how much you've pushed for that.

Um so I I think you'll be a really exciting presence to have.

Thank you.

Hopefully, they'll have the meetings earlier and you can get away from Hansen a few hours later.

Maybe we can tack on a few hours.

Yeah, but I'm with the other Steve.

Yeah, we might have one thief for another, yeah.

No doubt.

Thank you for applauding.

Thank you.

Parks and rec, Joe Craig.

Afternoon, everybody.

I just reply reapplying.

I thought it was a nice project to be or all the different projects or stuff we worked on, so I just thought I'd like to do it again and got any questions for that.

So you did it so well, Joe, and I really mean that you've given a lot of meaningful input to what that board does and what how how that helps Sioux City.

So stay active and keep charging forward.

Keep coming up with those good ideas.

I also wanted to thank you through the going off for your service there.

So thanks, guys.

Take care.

Thank you, Joe.

Today we'll go to the consent agenda items three through 11D can constitute the consent agenda to consider the items passed unanimously unless a separate roll call votes requested by a council member.

Anybody wishing to speak on an agenda item may come up to the podium at the time the item is being discussed.

Anyone wishing to speak on an item not on the agenda, please come up under citizen citizen concerns.

Always remember to state your name for the record.

I'll move the consent agenda.

Second.

Three is a reading of the November 13th and 17th City Council minutes.

Four is actions relating to boards and commissions and committees.

A is a motion accepting the building and housing code board annual report.

B is a motion accepting the parks and rec advisory board annual report.

C is a motion accepting the fiscal effective fiscal and public policy committee annual report.

Five reactions relating to finance.

A is a resolution approving an IDOT City Street Finance Report.

B is a resolution approving a tax increment finance annual certification of compliance and urban renewal report.

C is a resolution declaring an official intent to issue debt to reimburse the city for certain original expenditures paid.

D is a resolution approving advances of funds for repayment of the city's urban renewal tax increment revenue funds and directing the filing of the certification.

E is a resolution certifying the tax increment financing debt for January 1, 2025 taxable valuations.

Six are actions relating to grants and funding.

A is a resolution accepting the offer of city bridge funding from the IDOT for the 11th Street Bridge Reconstruction Bridge Deck Replacement Project.

B1 is a resolution authorizing the police department to accept the methamphetamine drug hotspot grant from the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy to assist with investigations.

B2 is a resolution accepting the anti-heroin grant from the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy to assist assist with investigations.

I'm curious how much heroin is in our community.

I can't even with all the other synthetic stuff.

Brian Bertrand, Captain C D PD, more than you'd think, Mayor.

Surprisingly, we run into a little bit of everything.

So in terms of actual spend, both of these grant amounts will always generally them up.

So more than you think, though.

That'd probably be the answer.

Okay.

Unfortunately.

Thank you.

Seven or actions relating to agreements and contracts.

A is a resolution approving a contract to hydro clean for the annual manhole rehabilitation project.

B is a resolution approving the amendment to the consulting services agreement with DGR Engineering for the Big Sioux Pedestrian Bridge Crossing Phase 2 project.

C is a resolution approving a consulting services agreement with JEO Consulting for the Big Sioux River Levy Extension Project.

D is a resolution approving a second amendment to the development agreement and first amendment to the minimum assessment agreement with Sioux Land Splash and Frontline Development.

Sorry, Mayor and Council Marty Doherty Economic and Community Development.

I did want to uh point out that we uh made a couple of changes to the um dates, uh thanks to the eagle eye of the councilman more.

Um we had pushed everything back basically a year, but I think the dates were actually off in the original agreement, so we corrected that to show the full 10 years on that.

Um went over that with Nicole this morning.

And uh the other one was the one about the first payment due, and you were correct on that one too, Dan.

So we fixed that on the final version and um basically everything's being pushed back a year, as you know, and Joe Ziering is here if you have any questions about that.

Joe, do you want to update us at all?

No, I don't want to put you on the spot.

But people are after.

Too late you already asking, you know, citizens ask, business people ask, they're just a big anticipation of that great amenity coming, and they're like, is it really coming?

Yes, it is.

I know, I know.

Yeah, I promise no one's more bummed out about the delay than I am.

Right.

Um, you know, we are we're building, we're out there.

I saw there's been movement out there.

Yeah, we're getting stuff going, and and honestly, we're excited.

I excited to see stuff going again.

We have concrete getting poured, moving slides around.

We're gonna hopefully see those go up here.

Uh I don't want to put an exact date on it, but sooner than later.

Um so yeah, we're we're making a big push and we're hoping to be opened up Memorial Weekend, and we'll keep everyone posted though, uh, as things get more clear and depending on how the winter goes.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate that.

Thank you guys.

Joe.

Joe.

For the record, can you just um give us your last name as well?

Zaring.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is resolution approving a change of ownership consent letter in connection with the development of minimum assessment agreements from MG 88 zoo city coal storage and coal links logistics.

A directions authorizing payments.

A is a resolution authorizing a payment to Bainbridge construction for the business highway 75 turn lanes and new street paving improvements project.

B is a resolution approving change order number two and authorizing payment to KP construction for the South Turner Street Sanitary Sewer Repair Project.

C is a resolution authorizing payment to RP constructors based upon the completion of the final IDOT audit for the South Rust and Street Reconstruction Project.

D is a motion approving all claims and total expenses and receipts for October.

Nine or purchasing, A is a resolution awarding a purchase order to Hockenberg's equipment and supply for one combo therm combination oven.

B is a resolution awarding a purchase order to Andretz separation for re-repair of a wastewater treatment plant centrifuge.

Mayor, could I ask Tom?

I didn't have a chance to ask you before this, Tom, but this we anticipated this being done, didn't we?

The centrifuge.

Yep, this is a part of the flood uh repairs.

Tom Pingle public works director.

It's part of the flood repairs.

Okay.

So we we still make those repairs as we work towards our goals.

We still got to get these digesters cleaned out and that there's a lot of grit and stuff in there and sand, and that's getting processed through this piece of machinery.

Okay.

Until we can bring those down.

We're gonna just winter, hopefully.

How soon would this be done?

Uh the repair should take five to six weeks.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you, Tom.

Thanks for all your good work.

That water that got up in there, that was from the flood and it came out of the Missouri.

Is that right?

Yeah, this was part of the flood, but the flood brought a lot of sand and grit into the plant, and that's what caused the damage to this piece.

Yeah, we're expecting maybe from Pima.

Came probably down through that one that we're bidding out tomorrow to be.

Speaking of that, big creep.

Speaking of seven, I was gonna ask Gordon.

Gordon, can you come up and just give us a what is seven C?

I mean, we know, but I don't think the public really knows much about this conduit.

It's the uh oh, I'm sorry, no, no, no, not seven seats, not the conduit.

I mean the levy.

Um, the big Sioux levy.

I'm sorry.

Oh, Gordon Fair City engineer.

Right, right.

We you know, we've started work there, we've started cleanup, we some of the homeowners have moved out.

Three of them.

Yep.

Yes, we've purchased three homes.

Correct.

So let's just talk about that a little bit because this is almost a half a million dollars, and I think it deserves a few words if we could.

So we've purchased three homes along River Drive to extend the levy approximately a thousand feet.

Uh we've demoed those, we've relocated those people, and uh we demoed the houses, we've removed the foundation, backfilled, and now we are hiring a consultant, JEO, excuse me, to uh do the design and get all the permitting through the DOT uh not the DOT, I'm sorry, uh through through the core and through the two state DNRs, because we have to have both.

Uh in fact, uh North Sioux is going through their own levee extension, and we're gonna have concern the city has concerns on that, so we have the core will be reviewing that.

It'll probably take over a year.

Wow, really?

Oh, yeah.

The core moves slow.

Oh, well, it does, but it's not as simple as just if you build a levy here, you dump it in North Sioux, and it's rebuilt when they dump backed up.

Right, you have to watch the consequences of each person's build.

Correct.

So there's a lot of permitting on this, and the reason this is almost half a million dollars is because of all the permitting.

The design of the levy, that's fairly easy and cheap.

Um, even the construction is cheap.

Uh compared to the design uh and the permitting.

I mean the permitting is what's costing all the money.

Are we coming on the tree removal?

The tree room.

I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Wasn't there a bunch of overgrowth on that?

Uh though that'll be taken care of with the project.

Oh, we're not gonna do it ahead of time.

Not with this one.

Um if it's right there in that location, no.

Um I plan on doing that with the construction of the levy.

Yeah.

Gordon.

Um and after this, we'll have a well new map.

So it'll create um a new map of um floodplain.

Yeah, that'll be perfect.

Um, am I correct in thinking there's a grant on this that's manifested as well?

86 dollars, I think.

Yeah, this is the city's share.

Is that correct?

Uh well, it's all part of it.

I mean, we can get money for yeah, we get the grant for this, or we got to pay for the uh construction one or the other.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone to be heard on any of those items.

Passes 5012 is a hearing and resolution approving a dark fiber master lease agreement with IMO communications for the right to maintain fiber optic cables in exchange for internet and Wi-Fi services at Cone Park.

I'll move that.

Second.

Public hearings now open.

Anyone to be heard?

Seeing none, the hearing is closed.

I was just gonna ask and I was chatting with wow, now I'm gonna forget his truck, I believe is his first four?

Yeah, thank you.

I was chatting with Bo recently about this project and trying to recall, and Matt just left.

Do we know if this will blanket over the mountain biking trail and hill as well?

I think that was ultimately what him and I were talking about as well, is trying to make sure there's connectivity up on the mountain biking trail.

Um, but this might just be the cone park area in general that's already developed.

But yeah, I can follow up.

Yeah, and I can circle back with Bo and give him a message.

But I was just trying to recall if that was a part of this or not.

Because I think it's great.

I think it's a great example of a public-private partnership and how it's mutually beneficial and gonna increase connectivity, especially in an area where it's more recreational rather than you know, industry and things like that.

And I think any any time we can have better connectivity down there, it's probably better not only for safety, but also just enjoyment's closed.

13 is a hearing resolution accepting the proposal of Dal Dahlia, Morales Galvez, and Gueramo, Dimitrio for land in the Teeton Urban Renewal Area and authorizing the sale of portions of the vacated lots six and seven adjacent to 3308 Floyd Boulevard.

I'll move that.

Second.

Public hearings now open.

Anyone to be heard?

Seeing none, the hearing is closed.

50 14 is a hearing resolution accepting the proposal of William Mabel.

The third for land in the combined urban renewal area, Teton Urban Renewal Area, and the authorizing the sale of portions of the vacated Adams Avenue and vacated lot seven adjacent to 3298 Floyd Boulevard.

I'll move that.

Second.

Hearings now open, anyone to be heard.

Seeing none, the hearing is closed.

That's just 5015 is a resolution approving a sixty thousand dollar contribution to the Sioux land initiative deferred from November 17, 2025.

I'll move that.

Second.

Yeah, Mayor, I um last week I asked that this be deferred because I wanted to get some more information on the Sioux land initiative or TSI as it's called.

And I was contacted by Kevin McManamy, the chair of the Siouxland Initiative, and we had a good visit, a positive visit this morning for about 40 minutes, and I have learned that there could be a there is a different spin on this, and that is this is an investment that the city makes, and so I asked Kevin McManamy, so what do we get in return for our investment?

And he had a good list, and I said, would you help me list that by sending me a letter that I could present to the mayor and the city council this evening?

Because I think that's important.

What are we getting for our money each year?

And I think it should be reviewed on an annual basis.

And uh Kevin McManamy, I think did a great job of capturing what these projects are that we should all know about.

Now, some of you may say, well, we knew that, we knew that, but this captures all of what's happening.

So I would like to ask that you bear bear with me, Mayor, if I may read this letter from Kevin McManamy.

And also just in I placed in front of your chair the materials, the 2025 annual report of the Sioux Land Initiative and the 2024 annual report of the Sioux Land Initiative.

And so I provided you copies of those.

If you need anything from those, let me know.

And here's the letter, November 24th, 2025 from Kevin McManamy, Chair of the Sioux Land Initiative.

Dear members of the City Council, on behalf of the Sioux Land Initiative, TSI, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the city's ongoing partnership and financial support.

Your investment has played an essential role in advancing economic growth, fostering new business development, and strengthening the long-term vitality of Sioux City.

Over the years, our collaboration with the city has led to measurable progress in key areas such as business attraction, workforce development, and regional regional competitiveness.

These achievements are the direct result of a strong and effective public-private partnership, one that continues to model how coordinated leadership can positively shape the future of Sioux City.

As you prepare for the upcoming fiscal year, and by the way, Kevin reminded me that the TSI is on a fiscal year, October 1 to September 30th of each year.

I'm going on, as you prepare for the upcoming fiscal year, we respectfully request that the city continue its financial support for TSI.

Maintaining this commitment will allow us to sustain momentum on several strategic initiatives already underway, support new opportunities emerging in our region, and ensure that Sioux City remains well positioned to compete for major projects and investments.

In the last three years, TSI has purchased approximately 120 acres of prime land for future economic development in the city of Sioux City.

At the city's request, TSI has accepted voluntarily annexation of this land into Sioux City and then transferred ownership to the city at our purchase price.

Thanks to your decades long partnership with TSI.

Sioux City has now added an additional 120 acres of industrial development land to your economic development portfolio.

Furthermore, the strategic purchase of these parcels has saved Sioux City taxpayers in excess of 1 million dollars.

Please be reminded that the city's partnership with TSI has resulted in TSI financially supporting numerous quality of life initiatives in Sioux City, included among the most recent such projects are Chris and Lars, Chris Larson Park Riverfront Development, Cone Park Mountain Bike Trail, Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center, and the Plywood Bike Trail.

Finally, the Sioux Land Initiative's years-long priority has been focused on Sioux Gateway Airport and the 185th Air Refueling Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.

TSI financially invested in the new fixed base operator building, which now houses Ascension Aviation and Morningside University's new aviation program, which started in the fall of 2024.

We remain actively involved in securing the necessary federal funding for the runway and ramp to make sure the 185th Air Refueling Wing and their 900 plus employees can continue their global mission with the KC-135 from Sioux City and place them in prime position for a possible upgrade to the KC 46 tanker.

TSI's shared efforts with the city in pursuing this objective, also incorporate our partners at the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce each spring as we organize and lead the annual Washington Conference and stake reception in Washington, D.C.

Thank you for your consideration and for your continued support of economic development in Sioux City.

I will add that these projects are important.

The industrial development projects of acquisition of land and annexation of the city, I think is really important to the uh success of economic development and creating jobs and continuing to grow strong.

So I do look at TSI as a partner.

I do look at it as an investment, and this letter he presented uh points out what our return on our investment has been done.

Quite frankly, one thing I learned talking to Kevin this morning is TSI can actually do some things that the City of Sioux City cannot do.

And that's not being critical of the city.

We just have some of our regulations, ordinances, and laws that we have to follow, and TSI TSI can come up and step up to the plate and accomplish what we need to have accomplished.

So I just want the mayor and the council to know that I have studied this long and hard.

Councilman uh Alex Waters over a year ago wanted to see information of this kind, if not the budget, if not the the finances.

Um but this tells me that that our investment is a good one to make, but I think it's something we need to review on an annual basis.

And what's our return for what we are paying the TSI uh for their good work that they've done?

So I'm gonna support the motion for today, just so you all know.

And uh and I made copies of the letter to give each one of you.

Um if you have any questions, I'll try to answer it there.

After my discussions with the Yeah, thank you.

And that's all I have for right now, Mayor.

Any other discussion?

Well, I'm gonna abstain from today's vote.

Um the reason for abstaining is because of the difficult circumstances that I have with Mr.

McGowan.

Um it's been going on for several years.

We no longer have any business relationship.

I don't feel like it would be fair of me to cast this vote.

Um I would feel more confident not doing it, and I want you all to have competence in me.

Um I I think that the decision making would remain more fair because I'm not sure if in my core I'm I I can be 100% impartial.

Oh, okay.

I I missed the first part of this because I was passing that out.

Is that what you were you were saying?

Okay.

Thank you, Julie.

Well, I want to share some of my thoughts and and kind of where I'm coming from.

And I guess I would start by saying, Dan, I appreciate you taking the time to not only meet with Mr.

McManamy, but also share his letter and his um outline of what he feels is the justification for this.

But I'm I'm perplexed, I guess is the word I would use and troubled in the sense that you have an organization that is asking for $60,000 of our budget, and I don't know where whether it's the chairperson, the president of the organization, or any other individual is here to answer any questions or be able to have a dialogue about what that looks like, or at least be able to discuss a little bit about that investment and what that would look like going forward, or even measuring, like you said, if we're to look at these things year after year and see, you know, measure that progress and where things are going and how how do we weigh that?

How do we look at that?

And that's where I'm I'm troubled that that you have an organization that would ask for a $60,000 commitment of taxpayer dollars and not be here to defend or at least advocate on behalf of that organization.

I will say I've been troubled by this vote and by this support for a number of different years, and I think for me it always comes down to the fact of transparency.

I I think this is Dan, to your point, a great partnership.

This this is a partnership that should be strong.

We should be collaborating on economic development initi initiatives.

We should have a strong relationship with city staff as well as these leaders in the community, the business environment, the board of directors, the president there, all of those individuals should be having a strong partnership and speaking in a cohesive way that is collaborative in nature and really moving us forward as a community.

And I long for that type of relationship, but I think in order to have that relationship and to make sure that we are all on the same page and understanding what the others are doing, you have to have a sense of transparency.

And I think in order for us to continue giving $60,000, I'm not saying that I want to know exactly, oh, well, this is exactly what your $60,000 went to.

But I think any remote justification as far as why it is $60,000 or where that number was arrived on.

You know, if if $60,000 is the number that was needed was would $75,000 have garnered us better investment or more projects in the community, or what would that do?

Or would $15,000 have sufficed?

And that would show our commitment.

What are the other communities committing and what are their contributions?

Where is the delineation for what we are pushing and what initiatives we are collaborating on?

I have no doubt this organization and its board of directors have the best interest of Sioux City in mind, and I thank them for their service on that.

However, this lack of showing any budget, any transparency for where these dollars or where any of the dollars being raised and given to this organization are going is deeply troubling.

You had Mr.

Burroughs here last week that came and spoke, and we told him he wouldn't have to come back again this week.

So he shared his thoughts and voiced some of his concerns.

He went through a litany of reasons that I think we should have pause for supporting this measure, and I think some of them were really warranted.

I I did what Mr.

Burroughs um suggested, and I went on to ProPublica to look up what is filed publicly under a 990 or nonprofit organizations.

And the only thing I could find necessarily about their budget was their total assets and liabilities, but then also the salaries of their executives.

And the only thing I can accurately represent and show is the salary of the top two paid individuals there.

And when I look at their salary, I think that there's reason for any of us to pause and say, is this the best utilization of taxpayer dollars?

Because when I'm looking at a salary for their executive of $370,000 annually, I can't imagine that there is enough work to warrant within an organization for that kind of salary.

In fact, I looked into what the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Denver makes.

And it is just slightly more than our current president of our chamber here makes.

And if you add those salaries together, it actually is more money that is invested in those two salaries than our entire economic development department for the city of Sioux City.

And so I'm not sure whether what initiatives they're working on, whether it's the relationships they have, the conversation, or Dan, like the flexibility that you pointed out that truly allows them to be able to leverage those contacts and be able to work and collaborate with our team to be able to effectively do these things, but I'm not sure if that $60,000 is needed for this given this information.

For an organization that emphasizes fiscal responsibility, when I see those salaries or the fact that there is no budget provided, that's those are taxpayer funds that it's I cannot support a measure that is going to use those taxpayer funds to support something when I don't see any justification.

And I remember very clearly when Mr.

McGowan was at the microphone telling us to pump the brakes and threatening that the action we were about to take with the wastewater treatment plant was going to hinder future business development and really do a detriment to the people of Sioux City.

And so we took his advice and establish an oversight committee.

A committee that is there to advocate for not only the taxpayers of Sioux City, but also the business community.

And we wanted Mr.

McGowan and others that are involved or have maybe a more critical eye to be able to see what that looks like and oversee the implementation of some of these um improvements.

Now that committee has been meeting for over a year, and after we established how long?

18 months.

18 months, and we created two positions, one for the a representative from the chamber of TSI, and another for an engineer of their choosing to provide oversight.

And neither of those seats have gone filled.

They've been empty on a committee where they're supposed to be advocating for the business community for 18 months.

And if we can't be a part of the solution, but we can point out the problem.

I don't know, I don't know how that establishes trust and how that establishes transparency of a partnership that is so critical to the future for our community.

I desperately want to have a TSI as a trusted partner for a lot of the reasons that Dan just outlined.

I think that it's critical for our future growth.

I think that our peers and areas around us are growing rapidly, and we need to all be on the same page and working together.

But the only way we do that is when we have that mutual trust and that understanding of what different people and different partners are doing and providing so that we can best create opportunity and best pursue those leads.

And is it that hope that we'll be able to do that moving forward, Dan?

I I know that you had said last week that you were wanting to defer for a week to hopefully produce a budget that would outline what the money necessarily was going to, or at least a rough idea.

I don't have to know specifically what projects, but I want to know what where does this money go, or is this in a slush fund, or is this I worry when salaries have become this ballooned that trust has also waned.

And that's where I'm at.

And that's why sadly I I want to support this endeavor.

I want to support this partnership, but I feel like my hand is being forced when we can't have a conversation about what the budget is, and we can't even show the respect to be here and have a dialogue in open forum.

Alex, may I respond?

May I respond to some of Alex's comments?

Um I understand what you're saying, but this with Kevin McManamy and his discussion with me today is a first step in the right direction.

And I want to look at this globally.

No one's worked harder on the 185th partnership than Mayor Bob Scott.

That's very clear.

And what's going on with the 185th with the runway and and and what we're talking about, it's we're at a critical time where we need to really come together and look at look at this globally and take that step of trust to say because Kevin has opened the the door as far as I'm concerned.

He's opened the door and has presented something more than we had a year ago.

And Alex, I give you credit for asking the tough questions last year.

And I'm sorry it took a year to get where we are, but we are somewhere where we're making some progress.

And I think we can build up that trust.

As everyone knows, it's very difficult to build up trust.

It's very easy to tear it down.

But we have to start somewhere.

And we've got the 185th.

The other the other thing is that saving the Sioux City taxpayers that million dollars on what could have been uh paid for industrial land to grow that industrial development, and so that we can become competitive with not only surrounding communities, but with the country.

And and it's not a blind step.

It's one we're taking intentionally, reaching out saying, Kevin McManamy is chair of the Sioux Land Initiative.

We want to continue to work with you and work with you closely.

We want to have the strong partnership that Alex Waters just described that you're looking for.

But we gotta start somewhere, and that's why I was glad that Kevin reached out to me because some of the things we just have to do the best we can to to let go and try to make it better with the kind of partners that we have.

Um that the 185th, the industrial land, uh what they've done for aviation, um, that's a good return, I think.

And and that's why I'm that's why I want to take that step of trust, and let's let's take that step, be trusting, and next year, Julie and the mayor, you're gonna be on the council.

You have three new council members.

You can review what's been accomplished, what did we do?

What's what's our return on projects that you have worked with us and for us that really helped advance this city?

And I and I think you I don't you you said it better than I could, and I'm sorry I can't remember something that that their entire board they're invested in Sioux City, and they're doing they're doing the best they can to make Sioux City grow and that it's gonna be a safe place to live, and we're gonna have the quality of life amenities available to those businesses that want to come into Sioux City and settle here and start their businesses, grow their families, go to great colleges, universities that we have this community.

Uh we've got so much going for us, and and just showing TSI that we can support them this go around with all of these cautions, all of these we got to do better, we got to do better with TSI, and we can do better.

That's something I would still continue to work on and make sure we do better, Alex.

We're going to be done after December 31.

I get that, but I still live in this community.

I raise my family in this community, and I support the universities in this community and other things that we do, comb park, I mean just their projects that that they worked on and helped with was Chris Larson Park Riverfront Development Comb Park, Seaboard Tramp Foods Expo Center, and Plywood Bike Trail.

So but the 185th really jumps off this page with me, Alex, because we are at a crossroads with, I think, with 185th.

The mayor probably knows more about that than I do, but but I'm just saying it's time to take that trust step forward and count Kevin McManamy as chair of the TSI and the other board members of TSI to come to the table and say we want to have this strong partnership that you all have outlined.

So I'll no and I what Matthew and the mayor had to say no, I I appreciate your dedication and your enthusiasm for this partnership and your advocacy on behalf of TSI.

But you're also the messenger, like you're they don't even have someone here to advocate on that behalf, and that's troubling in itself.

But I also would just point to that I don't think you could answer me, and I would ask if someone was here representing the organization is can you tell me why it's sixty thousand dollars?

Where did we arrive at that figure?

If it was $40,000, would they advocate any less?

If it was $70,000, would they advocate more?

Would that I was always on the under the impression that when Brad Newton's workforce position was here and was established, that that was one of the reasons we were providing that $60,000 was to advocate for more workforce and and attempting to solve some of the dilemmas that we have here in the community.

And then when that position went, Brad moved on for a different job and that role was not going to be filled.

I didn't understand, and I I remember asking the question of well, would you still want us to fund at that exact same level?

They said yes and provided little if any justification.

They're looking for fiscal responsibility and reducing what they consider wasteful spending.

So we've stopped a lot of our contributions to nonprofit and different organizations, support that I think is critical.

And I too, Dan, worry about.

I I would hope someday to continue that collaboration, be a part of it in any capacity.

Um because I do believe in this community, otherwise I wouldn't have served it for the last eight years.

But I I also worry that I think when you have people in power, I think I don't know.

I think when you look at what's being filed, the salaries that are being collected and what is being done, I that to me just screams irresponsibility.

And I very much so worry.

I mean, gosh, they're adding positions, you know.

I worry we've added staff.

Now they have a director of marketing who I think she does a fantastic job, and I think she's doing great.

But my understanding too.

And they lost a position.

Oh, that's right.

Someone did step away.

And I don't know if that position is being filled or if this is being backfilled, and I don't know at what salary level or if this is just a chamber position or if it is TSI.

There's just a really lack of understanding and transparency.

That's what's bothersome.

Kevin McManamy delivered on everything he told me he would do.

He would he's just a great person to work with.

Your questions about is it 60,000, 40,000, 15,000?

Great question.

I'm hoping we could follow up with that.

I'm just afraid if this gets voted down, we'll probably cause more damage to trying to build that trust up than anything else.

And I I hope I don't think Kevin will prove me wrong.

I think we can have that discussion about 60, what was 60,000, 40,000, 75,000, you even went higher.

And so you're being very sincere about that.

What is it?

And and we can ask that.

And if we get shut down on that, we're gonna learn a lesson.

But we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna fight for that.

We're gonna fight to build up that trust between TSI and the and the city of Sioux City.

And I I think we can do it.

I really do.

I think that's what they said last year is that they would we kind of just show more.

And and again, then when it comes to public light, that the salaries they're filing.

I mean, at this point, the president of the chamber is making more money than any employee in the city of Sioux City.

But uh I mean, the city manager commands a staff of hundreds.

I but we didn't we didn't defer it.

I mean, I made a lot, I made mistakes last year.

We we voted, we didn't defer it, we didn't try to have this kind of dialogue, this kind of discussion, and now we have it.

We have it with Kevin McMahon.

He said we would continue to have this.

So I I get what you're saying.

And last year they they got by.

They're not getting by this year.

This is very this is very public.

This letter I read uh the reports are in here.

I I don't know.

I'm sorry, I don't want to start repeating myself, but I just I I just don't want to do any damage about trying to build up on this trust if we possibly can do so.

But uh I'd like to hear what maybe Mayor and what Matthew may have to say.

I I have a a few concerns.

Number one, any time that we're we're voting to give an organization money outside of of typical budget deliberations, it it seems a little suspicious to me.

Um this shouldn't be because it comes up every year around the same time.

Um and you kind of help to answer that question.

It seems like we're trying to align to their fiscal year.

Um, but I I really think in the future this this would behoove the public to align with our budget with our budget year.

Um budgeting the funds.

This is in our budget.

We voted this for the previous year.

Yeah, we did.

So the other thing that I think needs to be discussed is where the where these funds are coming from.

Um we we all just got a memo about explore Sioux land and the additional funds going to explore Sioux Land.

That's over 220,000.

But that comes directly from hotel motel tax, at least it's a directed fund.

Exactly.

But uh in my mind, if if we're if we're making the argument that our our contribution to the Sioux land initiative is is all about you know in increasing tourism or uh economic development.

But in my mind, if if we're if we're making the argument that our our contribution to the Sioux land initiative is is all about you know in increasing tourism or uh economic development, it it seems like it should better align with that.

Um I I have concerns about their their budget not being something that's available to the public.

Um when we have this talk about the warming shelter, uh we demanded a budget from them, and so I feel like that's not very fair not to demand to see a budget from the Sioux Land Initiative.

And I think Alex has some questions that need to be answered as well.

Um if if this was something that we have to vote on today, I'm not sure that I could vote for it.

I I think that they need to make more of an effort to answer some of the outstanding council questions if it's something that that they want us to continue to support.

Me personally, I see that return on investment, honestly.

I do.

Um, and and I I see the things that they're doing, but I I also see the the public's perception that between the chamber and the initiative, it doesn't matter which organization you ask, they both claim each other's successes constantly.

And and I think there's there's something kind of sketchy about that.

Um so I have concerns about it too.

I think they've become a better partner.

I agree with that, Dan.

Um, but it's not something that I think I'd be comfortable voting on today.

Uh I think that uh Mr.

Waters has some concerns and some questions that that he would like answered, and and I would like to see uh more information about their budget.

It's great to see what projects they've worked on.

Um but I I kind of want to see what our board is Matthew.

Well, this isn't something that's new.

The Sioux Land Initiative is was around in the 80s, and I think we gave them like 40 or 45,000 back when it first started, so it's not like it's a new program.

It's not like it's inflated.

Listen, I don't like the salaries either, but once in a while, you know, you have to vote for things.

I'm not sitting here complaining about explore Sioux land, even though some of their goodness has come because of pre-COVID and all that stuff.

I'm I'm not it I guess it depends on whose ox is being gored today.

I don't understand how we wouldn't own the land we own, and that doesn't get looked at in this process.

I think that's and you know, we can sit around and say we're not getting enough information, but some of that's shame on you guys.

You gotta make contact too.

I it's not my job to get that, it's not Dan's job to get that.

And but I've uh no let me I let you talk for a long time.

Okay, let me finish.

And and if they won't give it to you, then you gotta make a decision.

I I'm looking at what I think they've done a great job on, and I'm not a fan of some of the things they do.

Trust me, I'm not.

But if we lose the 185th, that's that will go down in history.

We'll all go down in history as the worst council members to ever sit in these chairs.

We have to do everything we can, and you can say what you want, but they have led the charge on that.

And as I look at the people on their board, every one of them, but some that I know better than others, Doug Rice, Skip Burley, John Gleason, Lance Morgan, Joe Cruz, these guys are not out to do anything but but the and I I shouldn't point out they're all this way.

I should name every one of them, but they're out to make our community better.

Again, do I agree with their salaries?

Do I agree with some of the stuff that's happened?

No.

But at the end of the day, you got to vote yes or no.

And if the vote's no, then we move on.

So well, I think there's too much at risk, and and if Matthew and Alex have questions that need to be answered, I I guess I'm gonna ask for another deferral for one week.

It's not gonna do any good to defer for another week.

Well, they might get some answers though that they're look that they're looking for because I I I think it's critical.

I I think we're just at a critical time, Mayor, and we've got uh four meetings left after this one of this year.

I'll second.

We'll defer till the end of the year because it's gonna come back at the first meeting in the new year, but what the heck?

Okay, there's a motion and the second call the rule.

Can I clarify is it for deferral for one week until December first?

December first.

Thank you.

Okay.

On the deferral.

O'Kane.

Aye.

Shayner.

Scott?

No.

Waters.

Oh my gosh.

It's like I don't understand the need for a deferral.

I wish I've made my opinion known numerous times over the course of numerous years.

But I'm always open to have a conversation, and if I directly need to reach out to them after I've tried stating what I was looking for, and after last week you said in the session where that you were going to get a budget and that you identified not only did you want that information, but I wanted that information, and we still weren't able to produce it.

But I'll I would love to have a conversation and hear how angry everyone is at me now because I'm calling people out on what I think is unjustifiable use of taxpayer dollars, but I more aye citizen concerns.

Are there any citizens to be heard?

Seeing none, we'll go to Matthew.

Um nothing for this week.

I think some of us are headed for the downtown lighted holiday parade tonight.

Starts at 6 30, warm spring.

You go in.

Um I'm not able to go.

I my refrigerator quit on me, so I need to go buy a new refrigerator.

But um, no, I would just encourage everyone to go to the holiday lighted parade.

It is beautiful, then they'll have the lighting of the Christmas tree.

I heard Santa might even be there, so I'm just not riding the trolley, I'm a judge.

Oh, there you go.

You're gonna work I'm a judge.

Judge for the um decorated storefront.

No, I'm gonna be downtown though.

Yeah, for the decorated storefronts, so make sure to check them out as well.

I have to work tonight.

Aren't you always working?

Yeah, no doubt.

Um I'll fill the bus up with grandkids.

Yes, you will.

I move we adjourn.

Second.

Shanner.

Aye.

Scott?

Aye.

Waters, aye.

Four.

Aye.

O'Kane.

Aye.