Sioux Falls races to bond for new pools ahead of council turnover

City Hall expected to borrow tens of millions as it prepares for new indoor, outdoor recreation centers

Aside from master planning for new recreation centers at a pair of Sioux Falls parks, City Hall is also preparing to ask city councilors to approve borrowing what could be more than $70 million for the projects.

However, with half of the eight-member council slated to turnover next spring, Mayor Paul TenHaken and his finance team are working quickly to get this done before four new councilors are seated in May.

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“The overall goal at this point would be to be able to be in a position where we could bring a bond ordinance to this council before it changes over to a new council in May,” Sioux Falls Finance Director Shawn Pritchett said during a recent financial briefing at Carnegie Town Hall in downtown Sioux Falls.

The strategy follows the advice of the councilors who will be departing after the April election. For instance, last fall, councilors like Greg Neitzert and Alex Jensen warned the administration that unless bonding is approved by the time they leave, City Hall will have to start the process of getting new councilors on board all over again.

But, that might not be as challenging as it seems. Some of the candidates vying for a spot on the council say they already support plans to improve the city’s public pool system, especially with renovations at Frank Olson Park and Kuehn Park.

“Frank Olson definitely needs some love. It’s tired,” said Northeast District City Council candidate Miranda Basye about the park in the quadrant of the city she hopes to represent.

Both Basye and her opponent, Tarek Maalouf, understand the desire to get the projects approved before a new council term, considering the extensive planning, budget forecasting, and collaboration involved in parks planning.

“You don’t want to end up in a position where all the work you’ve done up to this point has to be redone a year from now, and we’re in the same situation,” Maalouf said in November on The Dakota Scout’s Scouting Report podcast.

While both generally support enhancing the city’s public pools, they emphasize the importance of listening to public opinion and spending responsibly.

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