Informational Meeting

MINUTES Informational Meeting Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 4:00 PM Carnegie Town Hall, 235 West 10th St., Sioux Falls, SD 57104 1. Call To Order Council Members Present: Janet Brekke, Christine M. Erickson, Alex Jensen, Rick Kiley, Greg Neitzert, Marshall Selberg, Curt Soehl, Pat Starr Council Members Absent: None Council Chair Greg Neitzert called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. 2. City Council Open Discussion There was none. 3. Presentations A. COVID-19 Update by Jill Franken, Public Health Director Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Franken noted that there are no handouts or presentation materials provided because a daily update is available at the following site: https://insite.siouxfalls.org/covid19/SitePages/Home.aspx She provided the following trending information: Hospitalization rate really staying steady last number of weeks showing 25-40 total hospitalizations for both Avera and Sanford. The Health Department has an open door and phone line policy that provides ongoing communication between the entities. There is confidence about handling the capacity in our community but healthcare entities are still continuing to monitor closely. Active case statistics were reviewed: May 11 was a peak with over 1,200 active cases and now we are about 600 active cases. June and July statistics were in the 250’s. Franken noted the positivity rate is about 5% for last four weeks. This rate determines if we are doing enough testing in our area. She said our high rates mean we are either not doing enough testing or that there are more COVIDd rates in the community. Franken noted the internal dialogue about supporting community efforts to do more testing and the campaigns in place for workers returning to offices. Franken reiterated the need for the community to stay on top of COVID by helping to keep each other safe and mitigating the spread in the community.  Discussion followed regarding: possible causes for recent spikes; approving one day alcohol permits and the impact on spreading the virus; the criteria that the state uses when school students test positive for COVID; the differences between quarantine and isolation and how to respond to each; and how/if the virus is transmitted by touching services. Franken is going to send a link from the state department that indicates how long the virus will last on certain types of surfaces. Discussion was also held regarding how the average daily census at the hospitals (40) will determine the next steps for dealing with Covid in the community. B. 2021 Experience Sioux Falls (formerly the Convention and Visitor Bureau for Sioux Falls) BID Tax Budget by Teri Schmidt, Executive Director Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Schmidt provided a copy of a handout called BID Budget Summaries for Experience Sioux Falls (formerly Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau) comparing Income, Expenses and Net Revenue/(Expenses). She also provided a packet which included a brochure “Welcome to Falls Park”, the 2020-2021 Official Visitor Guide, a map of the Sioux Falls area and attractions, and marketing information regarding the local area. The PowerPoint slides covered the following information: Experience Sioux Falls; Purpose of the BID; 2019 Economic Impact showing 1,810614 visitors and 455,716,455 EEI; Southeast SD Impact (On visitor spending-40% of all visitor spending in the state); 2020 STR Report (Occupancy July 2020); Review of the BID Budget Chart; and What’s Next (Realities/Outlook/Challenges/Cuts). Schmidt noted the budget changes and cuts that have become necessary in the 2021 budget are due to the impact of the COVID virus. She invited the Council to attend their meetings and provided the timeline for the upcoming meetings. Discussion followed regarding: the fiscally conservative nature of the organization; the acknowledgement of the number of new hotels coming into the city and the amount of jobs that will be generated; the amount of booked conventions; the impact of COVID and weather conditions on the fall/winter season; and the amount of money in reserve. 4. Public Comment There was none. 5. Adjournment Council Chair Greg Neitzert adjourned the meeting at 4:49 p.m. Tamara Jorgensen, MMC, Assistant City Clerk