Folks there are some questions we should be posing to Mayor Haeder

and Finance Officer Jurrens:

First the behavior of Mayor Dan Haeder in meetings:

• Haeder’s Finance Officer Jurren’s continuing participation as a council member offering up opinions on topics not within her purview of employment. 
• Haeder’s Public Input during the December 5, 2022, meeting regarding a letter mis-delivered to his residence.  His condescending  comments regarding a local organization and the measure of its donation to the Alcester Food Pantry as well as his failure to deliver the donation to the Treasurer of the Alcester Food Pantry.
• Haeders complete lack of mayoral demeanor and civility to certain members of the public during input.  His repeated calling Next…Next…Next when he is trying to intimidate speakers during Public Input.  Perhaps if we the gallery would, when Mayor Haeder goes off on a tangential tirade to some analogy known only to him, holler Next…Next…Next when Mayor Haeder causes a-delay-of-meeting.  Kind-of-like “the Pot calling weed a drug” or  “A shot goose gabbles the most!”
• Hey Mayor when is your video gonna hit the website?  Can’t wait!
• So Mayor are you still pandering the propaganda that the former chef at the Community Center quit rather than was fired a couple of months back?  Are you going to do the right thing and retract your aide-de- beurre‘s letter to the unemployment people nixing deserved unemployment?

The Finagling of Funds by FOPAT, the Wrangling of the Water Enterprise Fund, the Shifting of the Sewer Enterprise Fund, Playing Hide-the-Penny of the Second Penny Sales Tax Fund and the Slip, Slidin’ Away of the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund landing in the Hole-in-One Money Pit #453 Golf Course Fund.

• $75,000.00 from Water Enterprise Fund – exorbitant fees allegedly to pay for water treatment upgrades just to hand over to the Golf Course?  Will it be paid back in time for the west side of town to survive?
• $75,000.00 from Sewer Enterprise Fund – again rising rates to allegedly pay for sewer treatment facility upgrades just to hand over to the Golf Course?  Will it be paid back in time for the west side of town to survive?
• $25,000.00 from Second Penny Sales Tax Enterprise Fund – again the original purpose of this second penny sales tax was for needed Capital Improvements not for general fund wish list.  Again Will it be paid back in time for the west side of town to survive?
• 25,000.00 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund – Folks this money is derived from grants and garbage fees for a home for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), Construction and Demolition Debris and Industrial/Commercial Waste. (https://danr.sd.gov/Funding/EnviromentalFunding/SolidWasteManagement.aspx)          Will it be paid back in time for the west side of town to survive?
• $200,000.00 total from the above funds which were to provide for Water, Sewer, Capital Improvements (not wish list party venues the average tax payer cannot afford to utilize) and a home for the garbage of the City of Alcester.  Nah, these funds are being transfered to what appears to me to be the FOPAT FRAT HOUSE. 
• What did the Community Center NEED to purchase to have a year-ending debt to the tune of $200,000.00?  UPS-Brown, Duluth Shorts for Christman giving? OR maybe Golf Carts to haul us to the poor house?    H-m-m? 
• Why are the council handouts not published on the Alcester City Website so the public can read them? Why is FOPAT failing to get those out for public consumption?  H-m-m?

Meanwhile, the west side of town is experiencing rank sewer smell, reports of sewer backup, no curb and gutter, no streets.  Folks think about all those ads about Fort Lejeune lawsuits and the circumstances which led to those lawsuits.  Evidently Mayor Haeder and Finance Officer Jurrens feel a multi-million dollar community center is a better buy than viable streets, viable sewer system and water systems.  The west side of town is in trouble, similar to those homes on the coast which were built on the side of a cliff and erosion has undermined the strength of the houses ability to hang on to the cliff.  Eventually those coastal homes slide into the water.  Nobody wants to build or upgrade a home on the west side of Alcester, subject to all the fees and maintenance fees when they get nothing in return, their properties do not gain in value because the infrastructure to all intents and purpose has been abandoned by the Mayor and past city councils and they have little or no representation in city hall.  AND if they let property maintenance go by the wayside because they do not have the money to pay the fees exacted? WELL the city comes in, deems them a nuisance and takes adverse possession leaving the owners homeless.  Listen to the meeting and see who is talking the loudest and pushing the hardest for adverse condemnation.

COME TO A MEETING, ASK QUESTIONS AND FILL THOSE EMPTY COUNCIL SEATS WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL INSIST UPON POSSITIVE ACTION AND NOT A FANCY, PLUSH OFFICE!

Contact City Council

Mayor Dan Haeder                            605-934-2287     

Councilwoman Darla Reppe             605-934-2602

Councilwoman Cyndi Peeples           605-934-2096

Councilman Lukas Driesen               605-934-

Councilman Kyle VandenHull          605-934-

Patricia Jurrens                                  605-934-2517