Maintenance & Window Cleaning Bill Queried

Former Clarion hotel protests Sioux City skywalk fee, Iowa - Every day, pedestrians take the high road through Sioux City's downtown, via the skywalks. Many do business, others are getting exercise.  Some, say the system is broken. "It's not that we don't want to pay the bill, and it's not that we can't pay the bill," said Dan Maher, the sales manager at the Sioux City Hotel and Conference Center. However, the sales manager of the Sioux City Hotel and Conference Center, formerly the Clarion, says their May bill for the Sioux City skywalk isn't going to get paid until the city explains what they're paying for.  They haven't paid since November. 

To date the hotel owes more than $15-thousand. "If you get a bill in the mail and it doesn't explain to you what it really is, most people are not going to pay it right away either," explained Maher. "It's based on frontage and linear footage of the building.  Because of the Clarion Hotel's height and number of floors, they pay a higher percentage," explained parking and skywalk manager Monette Harbeck. Sioux City's tallest building the Badgerow Building sits on the same block as the Terra Center another tall one.  In May, their bill was $266.  "Ours is without a doubt the most expensive, and by a lot," Maher pointed out. The hotel's bill was $2,900.  A detailed report of the expenditures shows just over $500 billed to Terra Real Estate. "Their staff takes care of the repairs or takes bids for the repairs.  The city charges those back to whatever businesses are attached to that block in the skywalk," explained Harbeck.

$500 for window cleaning, $500 for janitorial work, and $850 for utilities. "There's a couple things in there that we have no idea what we're paying for," said Maher. There are also general expenses that are divided between every business.  Things like insurance and administrative fees. There's even a charge for the Sioux City council's lunch with the skywalk board. "We've gone to the city, we've gone to the skywalk board and asked them to give us an explanation," said Maher.

The formula for calculating the cost that's passed onto the various businesses has been on the books since the skywalk was built in the 70's, and some say it's time to give it a second look. Council member Keith Radig wants access to the skywalk to be by key card only, eliminating the need for security, and reducing operational costs.  He points out that most businesses are accessible on the ground-level. "And also, you could have maintenance taken over by adjacent businesses rather than having maintenance contracts," said Radig. "I tell ya, it's ridiculous," said Bob Nickolson.

Downtown Partners, the Public Policy Committee, and the Skywalk board are meeting this month to study the issue.  "It's not like we aren't taking these businesses concerns to heart because we are.  We're trying to figure out if there's an easier, simpler way of doing this," said Harbeck. Something the Sioux City hotel hopes to see soon. "I basically have to sell 50 rooms a month to pay for the skywalk system.  We would just like it to be fair," said Maher.

SKYWALK SYSTEM OPERATIONS-DETAILED EXPENDITURES
May 2011- General (Divided Amongst All Skywalk Business)

Wages                                                                      $6,000 (administrative fee)
Skywalk Board/Council Luncheon                                    $148 (annual meeting)
SC Journal/Clarion Legal                                                         $27 (ad in paper)
Terra Real Estate                                                                                         $678
Security                                                                                                   $11,000

Other Skywalk Fees By Block (From Most Expensive to Least Expensive)
BLOCK #13 CLARION HOTEL AND DISCOVERY PARKING RAMP
Terra Real Estate   $538
Window Washers   $519
Janitorial Service    $49

Security                  $560
Bridge Utilities        $401
MidAmerican           $447
                              $2,966

BLOCK #14 PUBLIC MUSEUM AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CTR.
Terra Real Estate                $658
Window Washer Service     $307
Janitorial Service                 $301
MidAmerican                       $550
                                           $1,817

BLOCK #15 MARTIN TOWER APTS.,CENTURY PLAZA, GENERAL COSTS
Terra Real Estate                 $25
Window Washers                 $209
Janitorial                               $661
MidAmerican                         $745
                                            $1,640

BLOCK #35 CONVENTION CENTER
Terra Real Estate                $455
Window Washers                $63
Janitorial                              $149
Security                               $102
MidAmerican Energy            $380
                                           $1,151

BLOCK #24 STIFEL NICOLAUS BLDG., HERITAGE PARKING RAMP
Terra Real Estate                            $6
Window Washers                          $44
Janitorial                                      $108
Security                                        $560
Terra Real Estate Bridge Utilities  $168
                                                     $888

BLOCK #10 ORPHEUM, FRANCES BLDG., MLK TRANSIT
Terra Real Estate        $57
Window Washers       $38
Janitorial                     $53
Security                     $560
MidAmerican Energy  $146
                                 $866

BLOCK #17 MIDAMERICAN ENERGY, RIVER'S LANDING RAMP
Window Washers      $20
Janitorial                    $90
Security                      $560
                                  $671

BLOCK #9 LIBRARY & US BANK
Terra Real Estate                   $31
Window Washers                  $61
Janitorial                              $120
MidAmerican Energy            $440
                                           $653

BLOCK #22 CENTRAL BANK
Window Washers                                  $192
Janitorial                                                $108
Terra Real Estate-Bridge Utilities           $135
MidAmerican                                          $103
                                                             $540

BLOCK #23 TERRA CENTRE, BADGEROW BUILDING
Terra Real Estate                                    $19
Window Washers                                    $135
Janitorial                                                  $112
                                                                $266

BLOCK #16 HOM FURNITURE, TOWN SQUARE, HATCH FURNITURE
Window Washers               $36
Janitorial                            $64
MidAmerican Energy          $87
                                          $188

BLOCK #12 MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
Window Washers                  $125
Janitorial Service                   $31
                                             $156

 *City of Sioux City