The process of putting a new Wal-Mart in Sioux Falls is becoming more and more complex. A petition was circulated that challenges the building of a new store and puts the issue to a public vote. Wal-Mart is now challenging the petition saying over a third of the signatures may be deficient.
The Sioux Falls city clerks are reviewing more than 2000 signatures to determine if they are valid or not. City Clerk Lorie Hogstad says the process begins with makings sure all the information needed is present with the signatures.
"We just take a look and on each petition we look to see that there’s a printed and signed name, an address along with a city and the date and the county of signing. And then we also take a look at the circulator information to make sure that’s complete as well as the notary information; the notary is signed and put their seal and the necessary information that they need," Hogstad says.
Hogstad says she then is required to go through each signature to which deficiencies were listed and in writing list why it is or why it is not valid by following state laws. She says this process is expected to take a while due to the large amount of signatures in question.
"So it’s hard for me put a specific time to it but I would imagine that the overall process, the overall review of all the signatures and petitions ect. would at least be a several week process," Hogstad says.
Hogstad says she has a team of three members who will go through these signatures one by one. She says her goal right now is to follow the state laws in determining if the signatures are valid or not. Hogstad says the clerks still have to complete their day to day duties along with the reviewing of signatures.
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