Informational Meeting

MINUTES Informational Meeting Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 4:00 PM Carnegie Town Hall, 235 West 10th St., Sioux Falls, SD 57104 1. Call To Order Council Members Present: Pat Starr, Janet Brekke, Christine M. Erickson (arr. 4:05 p.m. via telecom), Alex Jensen (arr. 4:23 p.m.), Marshall Selberg, Curt Soehl Council Members Absent: Rick Kiley, Greg Neitzert 2. Committee/Commission Reports A. Siouxland Heritage Museum Board: Thursday, June 3, 2021 (Council Member Starr) Council Member Pat Starr stated he was unable to attend the meeting so he will be obtaining and distributing minutes to the Council. 3. Councilor Remarks There was none. 4. Presentations A. Southeast Technical College General Updates by Bob Griggs, President, Southeast Technical College Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Griggs reviewed the ongoing successes at Southeast Technical College with the following updates: One of the priorities of the college is to grow enrollment. Fall of 2020 was up by 1%, but there was a slight decline in the Spring of 2021. Forty-nine percent of enrolled students are part-time, with 31% of credits for Fall of 2020 being completed by part- time students. Seventeen percent of the student population are minorities; 40% of students are PELL Grant eligible and 14% of students are from out- of-state. Fall-to- Fall retention rate, for 2020, increased to 76%; Spring of 2020, saw a 99% placement rate for graduates with 88% staying in South Dakota. Once again, Southeast Technical College was named to a listing of the Nation's Top 150 two- year colleges as well as being ranked #8 in the Rookings Institute Study out of a listing fo 596 two-year colleges. The following classes are partnering to meet workforce needs and several are already filled for the Fall of 2021: Construction Trades, Medical Assistant, Commercial Class B Driver's License,  Telecommunications Tower Technician, Dental Assistant, Veterinary Technician, Paramedic Science, and Respiratory Therapy. Southeast Technical College is becoming more accessible to all students with expansion of dual credit opportunities including a program called "Classroom2Careers". Additional success in City funding priorities shows that each dollar for dental assistance was matched by the State of South Dakota. Henry Carlson provided the trailer for the mobile construction laboratory; there is a MOU with Habitat for Humanity to expand low- income housing in Sioux Falls and to assist in rennovating the City owned housing as part of the Consturction Management program. Expansion in the partnership efforts includes: expanding the Classroom2Careers opportunities; building One to One mentorship programs; working with the Neighborhood Reviatlization program; in the Fall of 2021, Vet Tech students will begin assisting the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society; the Nursing/Medical Assistant Program students will begin assisting at the Sioux Falls Community Health Clinic; and the Dental program students will begin assisting at the Sioux Falls Community Health Dental Clinic. Southeast Technical College announced that it has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly School designation and is a Top 10 School in the Small Community College category. Discussion followed regarding: the ranking of 8th out of 596 two-year colleges; the amount of graduates that stay in South Dakota after graduation; the Mobile Construction Laboratory and training for construction jobs rehabing older homes; students assisting with home rehab programs for lower income/high need citizens; and the increasing need for a highly trained work force. B. YMCA Downtown Community Youth Center and Call to Freedom - Marissa's Housing Project by Mike Murphy, YMCA Interim President and CEO; and Becky Rasmussen, Call to Freedom Executive Director Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Murphy provided the following information about the Downtown Community Youth Center Project for the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire: As a result of a formal community needs assessment conducted in 2016, the following three areas are most critical: affordable housing, food security and quality youth programs. The Community Youth Center (herein known as CYC) is a collaborative team effort between the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire. This teamwork has resulted in additional activities for children including Youth Mentoring, Youth Sports, Passport to Manhood, Workforce Development, Biz Kids Retail Store, SMART Girls, Future Chefs, STEM, and 21st Century Grant tutoring. The YMCA Afterschool Programs transporst children from Whittier and McGovern Middle Schools to the CYC and they are provided with a snack and meal each day. Statistical data regarding: Juvenile Crime indicate that the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2003); Violent Crime: Nearly one-fifth (18%) of juvenile violent crimes occur in the four hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days (OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. October 22, 2018); School Truancy: Teens who do not participate in afterschool programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate - they are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs and are more likely to drink, smoke, and engage in sexual activity (YMCA of the UA, 2001). The fundraising campaign goal of $4.35M has received pledges of $3.78M to date. The YMCA is requesting one-time funding from the City of Sioux Falls of $500,000 to ensure the future of the Downtown Community Youth Center facility. This contribution would ensure that the youth in the Downtown area will have a safe place to go each day while saving the tax-payers millions in potential expenses. Discussion followed regarding: the fact that the YMCA never turns away any child; making youth prevention a priority in the City of Sioux Falls; and the importance of mentorship in the community. Rasmussen provided an update on the Call to Freedom organization: Marissa's Housing Project; outlined their purpose and goals; the proposed solution and their plans on how to navigate a healthy path for victims of Human Trafficking. She stated this organization is relatively new but is growing rapidly. Human Trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercision to exploit someone for sex or for labor. Their survivors are expected to easily double within the year. Human trafficking is happening in and around the Sioux Falls community. Rasmussen explained how victims have everything stripped from their lives including: their identity, money, emotional/mental/physical capabilities, sense of safety, safety for their children and other loved ones, any form of independence, as well as basic functional abilities or the belief they can function again. Call to Freedom (CTF) has served 568 clients since March of 2016. New clients served, in 2021, total 122. CTF notes that less than 3% of victims are ever identified, the life expectancy of a human trafficking victim is seven years and that survivors will not come out of trafficking unless they know they will be safe. The CTF Continuum of Care Approach includes: educate community-identify and respond; provide adult emergency services (which (includes a bilingual case manager); emergency assessments for addiction; provide care for youth and families; a housing navigator; employee specialists-workforce focus; occupational therapist; tribal coordinators; and Marissa's Housing Project Coordinators. For every individual served it provides: safety from an individual's trafficker(s) and rings; support and services for recovery and healing; tools to build a life of their own choosing; independence and sense of self regained; an opportunity to break the cycle of generational recurrence; and hope and trust that can be shared victim to victim to encourage additional individuals to come forward and seek help. Rasmussen showed a slide that indicates their demographics are a 68% of their clients are from Minnehaha County and 1% are from Lincoln County; 18% are from Hughes County and 13% are from other various counties. She reviewed the poverty rates for survivors. Barriers to the low income population includes: increased risk of bankruptcy, medical and legal needs; child support debt; lack of safe housing; criminal records; physical and mental disabilities, due to the various barriers that the clients face; and the need for a variety of services. If they do not have access to Medicaid, they are unable to pay for the services needed regarding medical, counseling, treatment, etc. Currently CTF is using efficiency apartments for survivors, some units contain entire families. CTF is working on Marissa's Housing Project with a projected groundbreaking in the summer of 2021. Maximizing Excellence is leading the fundraising campaign with a goal of $1.84M, with $484,783 raised to date. CTF is asking for $500,000 from the City of Sioux Falls. Rasmussen explained that Marissa's Housing Project location will not be disclosed due to safety; the donors will not have any naming rights on the project and ongoing operational costs will be covered by VOCA (Victims of Crime Acts) dollars. Marissa's Housing Project will eliminate the impossible decision of choosing to reunify with one's children versus continuing to utilize housing and support services; add to the holistic aim of programming with the focus on rebuilding and restoring family life; provide survivors with a safe and supported space to reclaim their role as "parent" and learn how to model healthy behavior; stabilize both the parent and their children, increasing the chance of sustained stability when they integrate back into the community. Discussion followed regarding: the number and size of the units in the housing project; the capacity of the facility; length of time clients will stay; the outreach program; the community room and services/activities; and the origins of the name "Marissa's House". Questions were asked and responded to as follows: who are the sources of trafficking (trafficking takes many forms, some are family members, some are gang related, some smaller gangs and some larger gangs going across state lines). Rasmussen explained that human trafficking is a business. Anyone that can make money off of an individual can be a trafficker. An average victim of human trafficking is provides the trafficker with $100-$150K a year at $100/time. Drugs are a one time sale. Human beings can be sold over and over again and prosecution is difficult to obtain. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing illegal activites in the world. Last week alone, CTF had 12 referrals in a four day timespan. The average victim's age is 27-29, but this is also occuring with kids. Better identifcation methods are needed. Young victims do not understand that they are being victimized because of the grooming and recruiting being used. Rasmussen stated that online recruitment is on the rise as well as 'recruiters' being used in schools to locate new victims. Recruiters will take pictures of a young girl and will show the photo to others for them to decide if they wish to 'purchase' the child. The human trafficking demand is profit orientated. The escalation of pornography and the difficulties of proving trafficing fuel the demand .Rasmussen explained how a sting operation at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 2020 advertised the sale of a 13 year old girl by her father. Eight men responded to the ad, they are currently being prosecuted, and all of them are from South Dakota. A similar sting operation in 2019 netted 12 arrests, nine of the men were from South Dakota. Purchasing victims online is extensive. Trafficking victims do not think they will be believed and being believed is vital for their long term survival. Supporting this project tells survivors of human trafficking that you believe in them. As this continues, more victims will come forward for assistance. If human trafficking is not dealt with now, the expansion of this activity will eclipse the same level of drug activity in our society. 5. Public Comment There was none. 6. Adjournment Council Chair Curt Soehl adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m. Tamara Jorgensen, MMC, Assistant City Clerk