Here in the Rapid City area, we've heard frequent talk in recent months about Rapid City considering annexation of Rapid Valley or parts of it. Some of it, especially from Alderman Tom Johnson, has been transparent in revealing the simple desire for more tax revenue.
As I've said before on this blog and in other forums, Rapid Valley really has no reason to want annexation, and several reasons not to. Rapid Valley has it's own water/sewer system, a volunteer fire department (which is what serves all but two other communities in South Dakota), two elementary schools, and a Sheriff's Department substation. Other needs such as road maintenance and snow removal are taken care of by Pennington County.
Rapid City doesn't really have anything to offer Rapid Valley in return for higher taxes...except more rules and regulations.
As reports of an impending winter storm came out yesterday, Mayor Hanks made sure everyone knew the "snow police" were watching, and you'd better shovel your sidewalk.
From the Rapid City Journal:
The news release cited Rapid City Code 12.20.070 in noting that property owners who are negligent of clearing sidewalks may be forced to pay for costs incurred by having the city's Public Works Division do it for them.
Do Rapid Valley residents want to be told, among other things, to shovel your sidewalks, or else?
11 comments:
You are dead wrong on several points. The two elementary schools are part of the RC School district and have absolutely nothing to do with whether Rapid Valley is in or out of the City. The Sheriff's substation is paid for by Rapid City residents too (after all, they're part of Pennington County). Water and sewer rates in the valley (from a small, inefficient system) are higher than those in the city. For several years, Pennington County has refused to take new streets onto the county system, so in the newer areas of the valley, residents have to form an association and pay for private snow removal. Fire protection ? The Fire Chief of the Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department just happens to be a paid employee of the RC Fire Dept., and the RC Fire Dept responds to many fires in the valley. Why ? Because of the lack of enough volunteers, many of whom work somewhere in Rapid City. (How many jobs do you think there are there in the valley, anyway ?)
Check the history of how and why Rapid Valley developed outside the city limits, and you'll see how naive and foolish your rant about “rules and regulations” really sounds.
Oh, and one last point. Most Valley residents wouldn’t have to worry about the ‘snow police’ as you so delicately put it. In the majority of the valley, there aren’t any public sidewalks !
So what's your point, Rapid Randy? Rapid Valley residents also pay for a lot of Rapid City's infrastructure through their sales taxes that they spend within the city limits.
The end result is the same: Rapid City has absolutely nothing to offer Rapid Valley that it doesn't already have...except higher property taxes and a bunch of petty regulations.
Valley residents VOLUNTARILY pay Rapid City's sales tax. And what do they get for it ? Streets to drive on, snow plowing, street lights, public parks, the Civic Center, public libray (except for checking out books, the library is free for anyone to use), fire and police emergency services while in town, the regional airport and so on and so on.
If Valley residents don't want to pay Rapid City sales tax, they can shop in Box Elder, or Sturgis, or...
You say Valley folks would only get "higher property taxes and a bunch of petty regulations" if they annexed. In fact, study after study shows that without fire district tax, road tax, snow removal fees, etc. Valley resident would actually pay less in the city.
As for "petty regulations", I guess snow shoveling is in the eye of the beholder. Having my kids be able to walk to school on cleared sidewalks, rather than in the street, seems reasonable.
What about the people on fixed income that are either elderly and/or ill and literally unable to shovel snow or afford to pay someone to do it?
Actually Carrie there is such a program. As I recall Jim Shaw started it when he was RC mayor. It uses state minimum security prison inmates to shovel walks for people like you describe.
Anonymous, I'm really glad to hear there is a program for those who need help shoving snow. I do have to say though, if I were one of the people in need, I'm not so sure how I would feel about having prisoners assigned to my place and as a result -- letting them know I was vulnerable and an easy mark.
Do you have detailed information on this program or know who to contact to get it? I'd be interested in learning more about it.
I believe this article talks about the prisoner snow shoveling program that Anonymous mentioned:
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/05/news/local/doc47577d6c0f8b5139502048.txt
I'm a little leery myself, but it does say they're minimum security prisoners, and it says a uniformed corrections officer accompanies them.
Thank you, Bob! Know what I find interesting? The article states that the people requesting help must be screened, but it doesn't say anything about how carefully the inmates are screened.
That someone is convicted of a non-violent crime and at the end of their sentence is not, in itself, a solid recommendation in my book.
I just wonder how careful the decision-makers are and if there have been any incidents since the program began.
There have been NO incidents. These men are all minimum security prisoners. They in at the end of their sentences - six months or less remaining. Most have been convicted of bad checks, DWI, non-payment of child support, etc. None have committed violent crimes, none have been convicted of any type of sex violation, and all are over 18. All are out in the community every day working at jobs in anticipation of their release, and return to the facility at night. Incidentally., there are no fences, and no cells - they stay in a dormatory. These people work in groups with a guard/supervisor, and do not go to the door or interact with the homeowner at all. Thanks to former Mayor Shaw for putting this program in place in Rapid.
Anonymous, thank you for taking the time to respond. Does the program include assistance in other areas of need by the elderly and/or disabled or only snow removal? I'd actually be interested in hearing more details about the program and the positive results that have thus far been documented.
As far as I know, it's only for snow removal. The Boy's Club used to refer teenagers to do yard work etc. too
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