Happy Wednesday! Megan here.
Weather check: Back to regular January temps
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This week, we're talking civic engagement, open streets, bear birthdays and a Pierre preview. You'll also find a bunch of local events to keep you cozy on the cold days.
And now, news:
CITY
How you can shape city decision-making (before the decision's already made)
Simplified: The Sioux Falls City Council is looking at ways to make it easier for residents to give their input on various city decisions earlier in the process. The hope is to lessen frustrations in the local government process, invite folks' input on issues that matter to them, and to provide consistency across the city's various citizen-led boards and commissions.
Why it matters
- Participating in local government – whether it's communication with councilors, serving on boards, voting in local elections, etc. – is essential if we all want to live in a society where elected leaders represent the people who put them into power.
- That said, weighing in on local decisions at the very last second is often ineffective because by that point, whatever the issue at hand, it's been through months of discussion, background work, planning, passed by various committees, and is – forgive the sports metaphor – basically at the one-yard line.
- You don't have to look farther than last week to see a recent example. Councilors heard nearly four hours of public input against a proposed hyperscale data center, but the ordinances to rezone the property and approve preliminary plans passed unanimously.
- Most of the big decisions councilors make have to go through a city board first. The data center, for example, was first discussed in the city's planning commission back in the July 2024. That means by paying attention to the city boards on topics that most interest you, you can be in-the-know on what's happening long before it gets to a final council vote.
"Most people don't realize that most things that we're working on have been baking for at least six to eight months if not two to four years and sometimes even longer than that," Councilor Rich Merkouris said Tuesday. "I think most of the time we want to encourage people that it's so important to get involved early."
Ok, but there's like three dozen boards. I'm supposed to follow all of them?
If you want?? But here's some other advice.
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
Celebrate bear birthdays and butterflies with this special discount
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium.
Simplified: It's a great time of year to visit both the Great Plains Zoo and the Butterfly House and Aquarium, and with the Sea & Snow Package, you can get discounted admission to enjoy both places. Plus, if you snag your tickets before Monday, you can also help celebrate bear birthdays at the zoo campus.
Why it matters
- While a January zoo visit does often require a little extra bundling up, the winter months are a great time to see the animals – especially those who enjoy cooler temperatures like snow monkeys, tigers, snow leopards and wolves.
- All six of the zoo's bears have January birthdays, or at least that's the best guess of their birthdays because they were all born in the wild, according to PR and Marketing Director Denise DePaolo. That's why on Jan. 19, the zoo is throwing a bear birthday party with special zookeeper chats and enrichment activities to celebrate all of the bears.
- And if the bear birthday party doesn't fit your schedule, you can still take advantage of the Sea & Snow Package through March 31 and get a discounted ticket that covers admission to both the zoo and the butterfly house.
"Visiting the zoo in the winter is a really special time," DePaolo said. "You don't have to deal with the crowds. It's very peaceful, and it's very beautiful."
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Back in session. The 101st South Dakota legislative session officially kicked off Tuesday with Gov. Larry Rhoden's State of the State address, in which the governor outlined his vision for session, including priorities to pave the way for property tax relief, supporting business growth, continuing Operation Prairie Thunder, making national security the state's "next big industry," making abortion pills illegal, expanding school choice and getting more kids fishing. You can read the full transcript here.
- Also, a quick PSA for folks wanting to testify in Pierre, you now have to register online ahead of time. South Dakota Searchlight has the details.
- Group aims to overturn council's data center decision. A group of residents are looking to collect signatures on a petition to refer the rezoning of land in northeastern Sioux Falls to a public vote. City Council last week voted to rezone the land to "light industrial" use as one step in a months-long process paving the way for a new hyperscale data center.
- In order to get that decision on the ballot, the group needs to collect signatures from 5% of registered voters by Jan. 29, which is about 7,500 people. The "Let Sioux Falls Vote" group has a goal to exceed that number and get 10,000 signatures. You can learn more about the group here.
- Friends with dyslexia, this one's for you. Reach Literacy now offers free, one-on-one tutoring for adults in the Sioux Falls area who struggle with reading and spelling, including adults with dyslexia, thanks to support from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. Tutors will meet with you weekly to offer support at your own pace. To sign up or learn more, email program@reachliteracy.org or call 605-321-8374.
COMMUNITY
How (temporary) street closures paid off for downtown
Simplified: Fewer cars and more family-friendly events meant more money for downtown businesses last summer. That's the main takeaway from Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc.'s Open Streets pilot project, in which Friday evening street closures brought tens of thousands of people to downtown.
Why it matters
- In past years, Downtown Sioux Falls hosted block parties with live music, beer tents and food trucks. But since the opening of the Levitt, which also provides free music throughout the summer, downtown's main advocacy organization decided to pivot to Open Streets.
- Each Open Streets event brought vendors, performers, artists and other community partners together to shut down a couple of blocks of Phillips Avenue for a few hours. Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. CEO Brandon Hanson said he heard from multiple businesses that they saw their highest sales days coincide with these events.
- Last year, downtown hosted four Open Streets events coinciding with other "first friday" festivities downtown. In total, those events brought 55,000 people to downtown and had an economic impact of at least $2 million, Hanson said. And the hope is to keep the momentum going in 2026.
"The door’s open, and hopefully we’ll see more people jump on the opportunity to shut down the street a little bit and provide programming activation to downtown," Hanson told City Council members Tuesday afternoon.
Tell me more
EVENTS
Stuff to do: Jan. 14-20
- Still Hygge After All These Years.* Midtown Coffee Radio Hour is celebrating five years of bringing a local radio show that's all about coziness. You can be part of that celebration by checking out the group's live show on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Orpheum Theatre. Get your tickets here.
- Care for a spot of tea? The Great Outdoor Store is hosting a Tea Time event this afternoon as part of its Wellness Wednesday series. Stop by the downtown shop from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and learn more about the benefits of tea.
- Shop crazy days deals. It's Winter Crazy Days this weekend, with more than a dozen downtown businesses participating. And, if you don't want to trek downtown, you can also check out the Crazy Days deals at Lake Lorraine.
- Talk about Falls Park's future. The city is hosting an informational meeting Wednesday evening to talk about the master plan for Falls Park one last time before that plan heads to the parks board council for final approval. Stop by the Falls Overlook Cafe from 4:30 to 6 p.m. to be part of the discussion.
- Party like Gen X. The parks and recreation department is hosting an '80s Skate Night Friday evening at Jacobson Plaza. Come with your neon, leg warmers, big hair and acid wash denim, and the first 200 participants will get some free '80s swag. Learn more here.
- Paint some Valentine cards. The Great Plains Watercolor Society is hosting a paint-in event at the Ronning Branch Library in which folks can make Valentine cards for Lifescape clients. Details here.
*Denotes a paid partnership
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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