(Editor's note: This is just one part of a series of stories about local candidates in the upcoming June 2 primary, municipal and school board election. Find more coverage here.)
Simplified: At one point in 2021, Mayor Paul TenHaken announced plans for Sioux Falls to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Ultimately the city's sustainability plan was pared down in response to pushback from stakeholders. Sioux Falls Simplified asked all five mayoral candidates about their plans to balance the city's limited natural resources with continued growth and development in the city.
Here's what we asked:
What would be your approach to protecting natural resources? And how does that factor in to any future decisions about development or zoning?
Here's how candidates responded (in alphabetical order):
Joe Batcheller said he'd like to take another look at the city's sustainability plan and see what sort of recommendations can be baked into city policy. He also noted the importance of the Big Sioux River – especially as Falls Park is the city's number one attraction.
"I think that Sioux Falls can play a leadership role in being better stewards of the Big Sioux River, and I think it does need to be more of a priority moving forward."
Christine Erickson emphasized the importance of recycling and called out a specific local startup, Zahn Tech, that's working on recycling typically hard-to-reuse items like railroad ties.
"Just think what we can do with a business like this right here in South Dakota being able to impact our recycling," Erickson said. "Those are action items I'm excited about, and that's really what sustainability is about."
Greg Jamison said the biggest opportunity is looking at the way garbage and recycling is collected throughout the city – particularly working with trash collectors and in making recycling more available.
- He also noted the importance of water supply and opportunities to do better when it comes to things like yard chemicals going into the river, but that it's also about striking a balance.
"If you go to far, and you put to0 much regulation on it, pretty soon everybody’s like, 'Well, this isn't even fun anymore, you’ve wrecked it because you made it so hard, so we don't wanna do that,’" Jamison said. "We just need to keep it all in perspective."
Jamie Smith also wants to see the city working with garbage companies to set some sort of route or schedule or something to minimize so many large trucks going up and down the roads. He also wants to be more intentional about water, as well as see a greater emphasis on recycling, particularly in apartment buildings.
"Our community’s growing and (Millennium Recycling) is getting less material," Smith said. "Something's wrong with that because we know there’s still lots of recyclable goods that are heading to our landfills. We want to make sure our landfills last as long as we can, therefore we need to make sure that we are not filling those up with things that can be recycled."
David Zokaites said he'd like to see more buffer strips and "vegetative terraces of farmland" to prevent river pollution and that by preventing pollution, people in the city will be happier and healthier.
"If you feel better, you're happier and more productive," Zokaites said. "Subsidizing parks and cleaning the rivers, making a city that feels better – it makes great economic sense. I’m all for supporting these touchy feely things that make such great economic sense."
