Informational Meeting

MINUTES Informational Meeting Tuesday, April 27, 2021 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, Marshall Selberg, Curt Soehl Council Members Absent: Rick Kiley, Greg Neitzert, Pat Starr Council Vice Chair Curt Soehl called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. 2. Committee/Commission Reports A. Experience Sioux Falls - BID Board: Thursday, April 22, 2021 (Council Member Brekke) Council Member Janet Brekke provided the update and noted that things continue to improve. According to the Star Report on hotel occupancy rates, the average rates for Sioux Falls on Friday and Saturday is at 80%. Brekke said the average occupancy rate for March had Sioux Falls ranked #1 at 57%, compared to Rapid City at 54%, and St. Paul, Minn., at a low of 34%. She said that Sioux Falls is also #1, amongst the City's peer group, for year-to-date occupancy, at 49.5%; with Des Moines, Iowa, at the lowest with 31%. Brekke said the hotel industry is having the most difficult time recovering. Business travel has not picked up, which is why week day numbers are still low. Leisure travel is expected to pick up. Brekke said, according to the Empire Mall long road trips have replaced air travel and they are reaping the benefits by being located off the Interstate. Stimulus checks have also helped the mall; and the March sales month was the highest it had been since 1992. She announced that Dillard's is still planning on taking over the Younker's space in the mall; and Sears is helping to reimagine their old space. 3. Councilor Remarks There was none. 4. Presentations A. 2020 Crime Statistics by Matt Burns, Police Chief Burns began his presentation by prefacing that statistics from March on were influenced by the disruption in peoples' lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Calls  for service reached 127,477, which was 1.3% higher than 2019. Increases were seen in homicides, assaults and robberies. There were a record setting 13 homicides, which Burns said were all solved and arrests were made. He said while it's troubling that our city reached13 homicides, Sioux Falls isn't alone; and preliminary FBI statistics indicate that there was a 21% rise in homicides across the country. Other categories with violent crime increases were aggravated assault and robberies, with many of the cases having a drug connection. Burns said there was concern in the increase of domestic assaults. Another record was set with 32 suicides. Overdose deaths were lower, by nine, compared to 2019. Burns spoke about the continued fight against trafficking and the use of illicit drugs. He said the bulk of the work is done by the Drug Task Force and Narcotics Crime Unit. Last year the unit conducted 136 search warrants and 518 total operations. They seized 57 firearms and more than $242,000 in cash related to drug crimes, while investigating 2,676 narcotics cases. The team's seizures of 308.13 grams of fentanyl; 281.44 grams of heroin; and 64.26 pounds of methamphetamines was in the top two seizure amounts in the history of the department. Also seized were 158.74 grams of cocaine; and 138.73 pounds of marijuana. Burns spoke about the increase in property crimes and violent crimes in the City. The addition of 5,100 residents to the city, outpaced the crime rate for 2020. Burns spoke highly of the department's case clearance rates, which are above the national average. He expressed pride in the officers and detectives for their success. He said the focus for 2021 will be: community policing, drug enforcement, traffic enforcement, and training. Sioux Falls continues to be a safe city, Burns said. Discussion followed regarding: decrease in dui arrests and increase in alcohol sales; Marcy's Law; preparation for the legalized marijuana; the support of the City Council for law enforcement; stolen vehicles and why the rise in thefts; aggravated assault and domestic violence; violent crimes; valuing the police; decrease in overdose deaths; review of police department policies; the Pre Trial Task Force; keeping up with service calls; and check in stations. 5. Public Comment There was none. 6. Adjournment Council Vice Chair Curt Soehl adjourned the meeting at 4:31 p.m. Denise D. Tucker, MMC, Assistant City Clerk