Informational Meeting

MINUTES Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Informational Meeting 4:00 PM at Carnegie Town Hall Sioux Falls City Council 235 West Tenth Street Members Present: Sue Aguilar, Kenny Anderson Jr., James Entenman, Michelle Erpenbach, Greg Jamison, Dean Karsky, Rex Rolfing, and Kermit L. Staggers Members Absent: Mike T. Huether Staff Present: Tamara Jorgensen, CMC, Assistant City Clerk; Lorie Hogstad, City Clerk; David Bixler, Budget Analyst; and Jim David, Legislative/Operations Manager 1. Call To Order Council Chair Michelle Erpenbach called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. 2. Staff Report A. Lorie Hogstad, City Clerk Hogstad provided the following updates to the City Council: The Charter Revision Commission will be holding a working session in the Multi- Purpose Room of the Carnegie Town Hall, 235 W. 10th Street, on Thursday, October 11, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. This meeting will not be videotaped, but a tape recorder will be utilized and a set of notes will be placed on SIRE once completed. This working session will review and discuss the first 3 Articles of the City Charter (Powers of the City, City Council and Mayor). The November 8th working session will cover Articles 4-6 of the City Charter and the January 10th, 2013, working session will cover Articles 7-9 of the City Charter. Hogstad gave an update on the construction projects at the Carnegie Town Hall covering the replacement of the concrete on the north side of the building; the roofing, and painting the windows. Hogstad reminded the Council Members and the viewing public that entry to the building is temporarily on the west side (the Argus Leader side) until the north side improvements are completed. Signs have been posted directing citizens to the west side door. 3. Audit Committee A. Report on meeting held Thursday, October 4, 2012 Council Member Greg Jamison, Chair of the Audit Committee, provided the  following updates: With the addition of Kim Schroeder, the Internal Auditors office is at full staff. Jamison stated that discussion regarding Audit Report 12-08 for Light and Power will be continued at the next Audit Committee Meeting on Thursday, December 6, 2012. Jamison stated that changes to the Internal Audit Charter were reviewed and discussed. The committee is still reviewing the changes and may be making recommendations next year for the changes. He stated that the full council will have a chance to review the changes prior to implementation. Jamison stated that there were discussions about changing Rich Oksol's title from "Lead Internal Auditor" to "Internal Audit Manager". Human Resources is aware of the proposed change. 4. Fiscal Committee A. Report on meeting held Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Council Member Dean Karsky, Chair of the Fiscal Committee, provided an update on the topic of "Soliciting Public Input in the Budget Process". He stated that instead of having a separate CIP Committee, they are pursuing other alternatives. Karsky stated that he and Jamison were looking for long term solutions to engage the public in the budget process. They are looking for a process where they will be involved with the budget prior to receiving a large book for review later in the year. Karsky mentioned having open houses to receive public input on the budget. Karsky stated that Mike Cooper, Director of Planning and Development, would like to give a presentation at an Informational Meeting in November. Cooper’s topic is the anticipated "Public and Private Development" that will brief the council. Karsky stated that this is what the Planning Department presents to service groups in the city. With the Council's permission, Cooper would like to speak at the November 20, 2012 Informational Meeting. Jamison stated the discussion was "spirited" and well founded. He said that he learned there was more that could be done and improved. He stated that at the next Fiscal Committee meeting they may be able to lay out the plan better. Staggers stated that one of the concerns that the Council Members have is that the CIP is received and reviewed for only a few weeks before they vote on it. He asked if there was going to be any future possibility of getting the City Council more involved in the budget process in the very beginning. Karsky responded that  this kind of process is the ultimate goal with involvement from the beginning. He would like to see more community involvement with Council Members receiving input from the public regarding the budget. Staggers asked about the timeline for the changes. Karsky replied that the Fiscal Committee is working on the process right now to bring forward to the Council. Erpenbach stated that the Council works well together. She suggested that Council Members attend committee meetings and give testimony when needed. Erpenbach stated this topic will appear on the November 20, 2012 Informational Meeting agenda. 5. City Council Open Discussion Anderson Jr. stated that he has received input from citizens regarding Project Trim. Anderson Jr. stated that correspondence received from the citizens does not state specifically what trees, etc. need to be trimmed. Citizens don't know what they are supposed to trim. Jamison stated that he had also received correspondence from a citizen where the citizen did not have enough details to know what to do. Aguilar stated that the letter does not tell you which trees and gives the height specifications instead. She would like to see further discussion on this item and would like representatives from the Parks Department present. Karsky stated that he has a staff person that received the letter and they wanted to know which tree to trim. Rolfing stated that he would like to see a copy of the letter. He asked if it pertained only to trees hanging over the street. Aguilar stated that it pertains to hanging over a sidewalk or trees on the corner obstructing the view of traffic. Erpenbach assigned this topic to the Public Services Committee. Aguilar asked about Council Meeting dates and the upcoming holidays. The Informational Meeting on Tuesday, December 25, 2012, is cancelled. Discussion followed regarding the Joint Meetings. Erpenbach stated that future cancellations are on hold for now pending schedule review. Jamison stated he had copies of a map that he would like to distribute to the Council Members. He is requesting assistance in reviewing a location for a neighborhood park in the area of 69th and Louise Avenue. Anderson Jr. extended an invitation to the public to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire. The ceremony is 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, at 900 W. 11th Street. Erpenbach provided updates from her attendance last week at the South Dakota Municipal League’s annual conference. She attended the board meeting on Tuesday and policy meetings as well. She stated that the key issue for Sioux Falls was the lobbying power of the SDML. Those policies frame the lobbying  conversation with legislatures. The items that Sioux Falls wanted did pass in the lobbying lists. Erpenbach stated that she and Council Member Entenman both served on the Public Health, Safety and Welfare Committee and that a representative from another municipality came forward and encouraged the South Dakota Legislature to do something to restrict distracted driving in the state. 6. Presentations A. Event Center Contract Discussion by Mike Cooper, Director of Planning and Building Services 7. Adjournment Council Chair Erpenbach adjourned the meeting at 5:42.p.m. Tamara Jorgensen, CMC Assistant City Clerk