Informational Meeting

MINUTES Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Informational Meeting 4 PM at Carnegie Town Hall Sioux Falls City Council 235 West Tenth Street Members Present: Christine M. Erickson, Michelle Erpenbach, Rick Kiley, Greg Neitzert, Rex Rolfing, Marshall Selberg, Pat Starr, Theresa Stehly Members Absent: Mike T. Huether Staff Present: Tom Greco, City Clerk; Jim David, Legislative/Operations Manager; Dave Bixler, Budget Analyst; Rich Oksol, Internal Audit Manager 1. Call To Order Council Chair Rex Rolfing called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. 2. City Council Open Discussion Council Member Theresa Stehly encouraged citizens to provide input to the I-229 Major Investment Corridor Study. Citizens can learn more about the study at www.i229study.com and provide I-229 Study Comments from the "Get Involved" web link on the page. Council Member Christine Erickson noted that Minnehaha County signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) to assess defendants’ pretrial risk. She stated this is a result of work done by a Pre-Trial Task Force comprised of multiple government representatives. The PSA is provided through a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Council Vice Chair Rick Kiley noted that November is "No-Shave November," which is a month-long effort to evoke conversation and raise cancer awareness. Kiley described the non-profit organization that sponsors the event and encouraged citizens to participate in any way they can. Council Member Pat Starr stated that he met with approximately 40 residents of the Froehlich neighborhood this past weekend where they are starting a Neighborhood Watch program. Starr stated how impressive it was to see how the neighborhood collectively formed the group. 3. Presentations A. Internal Audit Report: Sioux Falls Development Foundation by Rich Oksol, Internal Audit Manager  Rich Oksol, Internal Audit Manager, provided an overview of the first internal audit of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. He provided background of the Foundation to include funding, the City's involvement with the Foundation, and recent City funding. Oksol noted that Internal Audit found that the Sioux Falls Development Foundation is complying with the terms of the agreement with the City. Council Member Marshall Selberg asked Oksol to clarify why the Foundation did not use a $100k appropriation from the City. Oksol explained the process governing the use of discretionary funds. Rolfing noted Oksol will retire on January 20, 2017, and thanked him for his service to the City. B. Foundation Park Update by Slater Barr, President, Sioux Falls Development Foundation Slater Barr, President of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, provided an overview of the Foundation Park concept plan and noted there are discussions underway to make some modification to the plan to allow a greater diversity of sites in the Park. He then provided a brief description of wetland impacts and mitigation. Barr also explained ongoing earthwork at the site, the status of rail which included a recent $1.7M EDA grant and selection as a BNSF "certified site," and how the Foundation and City are working on parallel tracks with respect to infrastructure development. He also briefly discussed the movement of a federally protected species away from the site, the new Xcel Energy substation, Marion Road Improvements, and the sewer lift station. Barr concluded his presentation by providing a brief update on workforce development initiatives. Kiley asked about interest in the site and Barr explained the status of Letters of Intent and contracts. Council Member Greg Neitzert asked Barr to explain what challenges might be confronted by the Foundation or a purchaser for the first large contract. Barr explained the development process and provided different scenarios based on site selection. Neitzert also asked if this project faced competition from other communities. Barr indicated that it depends on the needs of the business and further explained the process and considerations of both the developer and business. Stehly asked for clarification about the disposition of funds resultant from the recent increase in water and sewer rates. It was determined that the question was beyond the scope of the Foundation. Kiley asked Barr to discuss workforce availability impacts on Foundation Park.  Barr explained that the community needed a balanced approach to recruitment and development and explained factors the Foundation will continue to consider as it moves forward over the next decades with development of the Park. Selberg asked if inquiries are local, regional, or national; Barr stated there was a combination of the three. Rolfing asked Barr to describe the Workforce Development Talent Portal. Barr provided an overview of the portal and discussed how it will be tailored to the full spectrum of jobs in the community. C. Transit Development Plan by Sam Trebilcock, Transportation/Transit Planner Sam Trebilcock, Transportation/Transit Planner provided background of the current Transit Plan and explained the need for an update. He also described recent changes to the transit system, compared it to other cities, major challenges, service recommendations, and public views. He explained the top priorities for transportation improvements over the next 20 years and discussed in detail goals from the Transit Task Force Report as well as the Capital Plan. Council Member Michelle Erpenbach asked that the resolution for adoption of the proposed Transit Plan not occur on November 15, as presented, because several Council Members will not be present. Kiley expressed his concerns about lower fixed route ridership and noted challenges with agency trips and the overall cost of paratransit. He asked Trebilcock to explain Goal 1 as it relates to Paratransit. Trebilcock explained the goals and strategy that will be used to implement the goals. Rolfing noted that employer-provided incentives may be a useful way to offset transit costs for the City and encouraged Trebilcock to further explore that option. Neitzert asked for clarification about the funding of agency trips in other communities. Trebilcock provided examples of rate reimbursement in some cities. Selberg asked how the public open house was received. Trebilcock noted there were approximately 40-50 citizens who were very engaged in the discussion. D. 2017 National Citizen Survey by Jim David, Legislative/Operations Manager Presentation: Approximately 10 minutes followed by discussion. Jim David, Legislative/Operations Manager explained what the National Citizen Survey is and its use by the City in the recent past. He stated that the mail survey will be sent to 3,000 randomly-selected citizens to respond to 15 questions, five of which are chosen specifically by the City. David presented the recommended questions. He concluded by stating when the survey will be mailed and results  made available. Erickson noted that the survey will not be sent to elected City officials or employees. Stehly asked for clarification about question number 15. A brief discussion followed. 4. Adjournment Council Chair Rex Rolfing adjourned the meeting at 5:25 p.m. Thomas M. Greco City Clerk