Governor Noem likes to say that we are “open for business” in South Dakota. I generally like and agree with that sentiment. But recent history suggests we might also want limits.
Two Big Surprises
Not long ago two surprising bits of news hit Sioux Falls. A group announced that it intended to build a new pig slaughterhouse inside city limits, and at about the same time Amazon notified us that it was bringing a huge warehouse operation to town. Both new employers seemed to be offering similar job opportunities and seeking similar types of employees.
The slaughterhouse proposal especially appeared to catch the public by surprise, and not in a good way. An opposition group quickly came together and collected signatures opposing the move. We will now be voting on a zoning law change that probably should have been considered years ago. I and others wonder why our zoning laws wouldn’t prohibit things like a new slaughterhouse in town. After the public vote, they likely will.
According to what I read and heard at the time, city and development officials didn’t recruit these businesses. They found us on their own. At any rate, I don’t see either the Amazon arrival or the slaughterhouse plan as good for Sioux Falls. Here’s why.
Amazon in Sioux Falls
More Low Paying Jobs
Sioux Falls has a workforce availability shortage. My friends in business tell me that we still have more jobs than people looking for work. Given this, our community may not benefit from the arrival of an Amazon warehouse with 1,000 lower paying jobs.
Likewise, the community may not benefit from a significant increase in the number of slaughterhouse industry jobs.
Not All Jobs Are Equal
Not all jobs are equal. Some pay well, many don’t. Some have great benefits, others have none.
Similarly, not all employers are equal. Some pay fairly, others don’t. Some treat employees well, others won’t. Some are good corporate citizens and improve the community; others drag it down. Some harm the environment.
Some businesses externalize their costs into the community. A big employer with low wages can place significant burdens on the community’s social services agencies and resources. Its employees likely can’t financially contribute much to help those agencies, and if the company doesn’t, then the community ends up with the tab.
At the other end of the spectrum, Citibank’s arrival in 1980 was a game changer for the community. They brought good jobs and strong community leadership. We could use more growth like that!
The Pro-Growth Lobby Is Always Motivated
Growth has many supporters. In the short term, any type of growth is a feather in the cap for state and local elected officials and other promoters of development. Of course, it is presumably profitable for the business opening a new operation. And there are several other businesses in town who thrive on the arrival of new customers to serve. So, they naturally support growth of all types.
But who is compiling the long-term costs and benefits to our community to see if a particular opportunity really makes sense for Sioux Falls?
North of downtown Sioux Falls
People Don’t Want to Live Next to Noisy, Smelly or Noxious Industrial Sites
I have been told that our zoning laws were created long ago to discourage neighbors from being able to complain about an owner’s land use. Considering the recent slaughterhouse proposal, maybe it is time to rethink that approach.
We inherited an in-town slaughterhouse, active rock quarry, big railroad complex and airport from prior generations. Our community would be a better place today if they were all a few miles outside of city limits. But that train has left the station.
Quarry in Sioux Falls
No one wants to live or work next to noisy, smelly or otherwise potentially noxious industrial sites. Those who can’t afford to live elsewhere sometimes end up living nearby. If you are curious, drive through the neighborhoods east of Falls Park sometime. Or near the rock quarry or airport.
Sioux Falls Has a Good Thing Going
Sioux Falls residents care about the community. It has a lot going for it. We don’t want to compromise it because of ill advised growth.
Residents, or their representatives should have a seat at the table when projects are being considered which may have an impact on the environment and life quality. I resist the notion that landowners should be able to do what they want on their land, regardless of the impact on neighbors. I don’t trust developers, promoters and corporate locators to be the sole deciders of the type of growth that will happen in Sioux Falls.
In the meantime, I suspect there are things we can do to avoid adding to the life quality challenges for future Sioux Falls residents. Now would be a great time for the city council to consider strengthening our zoning laws to prohibit any additional undesirable heavy industry sites inside city limits.
Amen Joe! I’m sure that there are adequate sites available outside of city limits for some of the businesses you describe that degrade the environment and/or our citizens quality of life.
Joe, I agree with your commentary and your bullet points! In reference to your last sentence, who will be bold enough to act and start the conversation?
Great article. I completely agree. And regarding Bruce’s comment…Who is bold enough…I vote for Joe!!
Joe–really excellent piece, as usual! If I thought you were open to it, I’d start a Draft Joe Kirby for Mayor Committee at the earliest sensible time!
Thanks, but no thanks Drey.
Agree Joe…and Drey, I’ll sign the draft for “Joe K for mayor”!!
Ha! No thanks. I’m too old for public office. I’d just like these ideas to be discussed.
Joe I enjoyed your comment that the quarry, Morrell’s, the airport and railroads should have been located out of town. They were.
Very true! Cities have a nasty habit of spreading out.
There’s a serious problem with the city charter. It’s unconstitutional in that the mayor can act alone. The council gives opinions but has no power. Outside contractors and citizens are denied appeals into court. The result is insider developers have secretive and devious control. There’s no competitive bid process. Everything is cost plus profit. A few have control. There’s a half billion dollar budget but there’s no transparency or control. There’s no stopping growth and city bond debt. There must be an investigation into municipal corruption and a SD Supreme Court supervised city reorganization.
As a farm kid I appreciate the Wholestone concept greatly for what it likely means to there farmer-producer-owners. Like the farmer, I’m in the food business, but unlike the farmer I can set the price at which I’m willing to sell my product. Wholestone will be good for many in our trade area when it offers another outlet for the pork the farmers produce.
If required to come down on one side or the other of this topic, I would land on the side of our regional farmer.s. I believe the negative eco and community impact of Wholestone is over-stated. I expect we won’t be much concerned about their untra-modern packing operation after they are up and running.
I agree with Bill .Wholestone is a much better option than Chinese owned Smithfield.We need this plant to be built!
This is not a replacement of Smithfield. It is an additional slaughterhouse inside city limits, and not too far from where people live and work.
Don’t forget that for decades — before the growth of financial services and regional hospitals re-energized Sioux Falls’ economy — Morrell / Smithfield and the farmers they served were the city’s economic cornerstone. These days, I don’t particularly like the fact that there is a thriving company in Sioux Falls that sells silencers for guns, but I accept it. Playing favorites in what type of legal businesses the community will allow would be discrimination. Industries can be reasonably regulated, of course, but Amazon and the proposed pork-processing plant are both located in industrial areas away from residential neighborhoods. So I accept them, too.
I appreciate your comments and questions regarding The proposed pork processing plant. Please continue the questions and check the history of this company before trusting anything they propose…people in Pipestone can shed some light.
Controlled growth is in the interest of this wonderful city and worth a study in applicants.
Locating a meat packing plant in a growing area of 250k is just plain wrong. Im sorry if you disagree. Most wish Smithfield werent here and we are going to create the same problems if we let Wholestone build here
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.