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Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether on Thursday announced his Top 10 list of the city's best accomplishments in 2013:
#1. Operation Timber Strike! Huether says a great team of citizens, City, State, and private partners worked together to bounce back quickly from the April ice storm.
#2. Record-Breaking Construction. Sioux Falls building permits broke four different records in 2013 including construction valuation for building permits at $588.2 million, total number of building permits, number of townhome units, and cumulative number of dwelling units.
#3. Over 3,000 New Jobs! Unemployment rates dropped from 4 percent to 3.1 percent in 2013.
#4. Indoor Ice, Indoor Tennis, Indoor Swimming. Huether says the momentum is building for indoor recreation, and it’s being made possible through public/private partnerships. He's hoping voters will approve an indoor pool at Spellerberg Park.
#5. Events Center Sponsorship Sales Are Staggering! Nearly $14 million in premium seating and sponsorship sales were achieved in 2013 for the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center project.
#6. Getting Infrastructure “Stuff” Done! Orange barrels are everywhere on the streets of Sioux Falls, but improvements also are taking place on the sewer system, bike trails, and so much more.
#7. Downtown Is One Happening Place! Huether says that the Downtown Hilton Garden Inn, Phase II of the River Greenway, an extreme makeover of the Public Parking system, and more are making Downtown Sioux Falls an even more vibrant place.
#8. Subdivision Compliance. The Mayor sas that at the beginning of the year, nearly 30 subdivisions within the city limits had streets or utilities not completed by the original developer. The City worked with the developers to complete unfinished projects, and now only three subdivisions are not in compliance.
#9. Shape Places Unanimously Approved! After 60 public meetings and thousands of hours of work, the City Council unanimously supported the 260-page ordinance.
#10. Rock Solid Financials. Huether challenges anyone to name a stronger city than Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He says the city is experiencing strong sales tax revenue growth and a growing property tax base.