Happy Friday! Megan here.

Weather check: Literally such perfect fall weather

This weekend, you'll get a peek into some discussion bubbling up about the structure of Sioux Falls government and whether it's time to look at a change. Plus, you'll meet a theatre company you probably know but don't know you know. And catch some Super Simplified headlines to carry you into the weekend.

And now, news:

CITY

Should the mayor be part of the City Council? Voters may decide.

Simplified: Former Mayor Rick Knobe told the Charter Revision Commission that having Sioux Falls' top executive sit on the City Council was the "biggest political mistake" he advocated for earlier in his career. Here's a look at how Knobe, alongside Joe Kirby and other community leaders are advocating for a switch-up in city government.

Why it matters

  • Knobe was mayor of Sioux Falls in the mid 70s and early 80s before it transitioned to its current strong-mayor form of governance in the mid 90s. When that transition happened, Knobe said he advocated for the mayor to be a member of the council.
"It was actually one of the biggest political mistakes I've ever made," Knobe told the Charter Revision Commission this week.
  • Knobe spoke in favor of community activist Joe Kirby's proposal to the commission to ask voters to decide if the mayor should be part of the City Council. Kirby said his proposal would help elevate the role of the mayor and free up time for the person holding that position to be more strategic.
  • Any changes to the City Charter – Sioux Falls' primary governing document – have to be decided by voters, and one of the ways to get on the ballot is through recommendation by the aforementioned commission, to which Kirby pitched his idea this week.
"Give the voters a chance," Kirby said. "Give us all a chance to reconsider and to make changes – not just fine-tuning changes but significant changes like this."

Tell me more

COMMUNITY

Meet the 'new' statewide theatre company that's been here for decades

Simplified: You probably know Theatre 605 – just not by that name. The Black Hills Playhouse has long had a Sioux Falls presence, but with a new name and a new brand, it's leaning into the statewide nature of its work. Here's what you need to know.

Why it matters

  • The Playhouse opened in Custer State Park in 1946, and in the mid-90s, the organization added a statewide touring children's theatre company – later called Dakota Players. Over the years, services expanded even further with the goal to make theatre accessible to people of all ages, all abilities and all geographic locations statewide.
  • With the rebrand, that work stays the same under four distinct programs, but it's all under one consistent label: Theatre 605. In Sioux Falls, the rebrand also comes with a new physical location, thanks to a partnership with Wesley United Methodist Church providing office space, storage and even performance space.
  • The Sioux Falls office coordinates the statewide children's theatre tours and camps, as well as a relatively new Expanded Access program that brings theatre to folks who may not otherwise get a chance to perform.
    • Artistic Director Deb Workman shared the example of a person at DakotAbilities who got to participate in a show for the first time at age 65.
"Watching that magic be rekindled or found for the first time, it's like, what are we doing not giving people access to what their soul needs?" Workman said. "And I think that's what keeps driving us."

Tell me more about Theatre 605

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • Donations, not scams. Did you hear about the nonprofits getting scammed by fake Go Fund Me sites? The Sioux Falls Community Foundation wants to remind you that there's a local place to find nonprofits in need of support and give directly to them without any risk of scams. It's called the Giving Depot, and you can learn more here.
  • Fitness that fits real life.* Located in downtown Sioux Falls at Cherapa Place, SISU Fit is a premium, community-focused gym designed to help busy professionals and families build lasting strength – physically, mentally, and relationally. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been training for years, we meet you where you’re at with expert coaching, mobility-focused training, and small group strength classes that feel personal, not packed. Get started with the Project Zero Challenge – a five-week accountability program designed to help members gain zero pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Learn more here.
  • Be a Bin-fluencer. Know how to recycle? You could win $250 in the "know where it goes" contest from BINfluencer, the nonprofit education arm of Millennium Recycling. Anyone age 14 and up can enter by making a video encouraging folks to use the free BINfluencer app. Learn more and enter here.
  • People are finding new One Stop location. An update from the South Dakota Board of Social Services this week shows that despite a move from downtown to a new location on the east side of town, the state hasn't seen traffic slow down among those seeking social services. When the move was initially announced, there were concerns among some in the community that the location would be inaccessible for folks who don't have vehciles. But one thing that's helped is a bus route that stops by the new facility, according to Tiffany Wolfgang, chief of the children and family services division.
    • "Foot traffic seems to be fairly consistent with what we saw downtown," Wolfgang said in a public meeting earlier this week. "We’ve definitely not seen any decrease in foot traffic because of where we’re at."

*Denotes a paid partnership

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

Why the city is looking for more leeway to up park fees
As the parks department completes its master plan for the next five years, the city is looking for more authority to increase park fees without City Council approval – as well as a more strategic approach citywide to what costs money to use, and what doesn’t.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Stuff to do: Oct. 22-28
Here’s a look at all sorts of Halloween-y fun happening this week.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
How a neighborhood ballpark exceeded expectations
What started the year as an empty green space has been transformed into a baseball diamond thanks to an idea and a group of neighbors committed to making it all happen.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

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