Informational Meeting

MINUTES Informational Meeting Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 4:00 PM Carnegie Town Hall, 235 West 10th St., Sioux Falls, SD 57104 1. Call To Order Council Members Present: David Barranco, Sarah Cole (arr. 4:01 p.m.), Alex Jensen, Rich Merkouris, Greg Neitzert (arr. 4:01 p.m.), Marshall Selberg, Curt Soehl Council Members Absent: Pat Starr Council Chair Curt Soehl called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. 2. Committee/Commission Reports A. Sioux Falls Development Foundation: Thursday, November 17, 2022 (Council Member Selberg) Soehl attended the Sioux Falls Development Foundation's celebration of their year end report, last week at The Alliance. He said it was a good report and they have done a lot. Anyone interested in more information was directed to the Foundation's website. 3. Councilor Remarks Soehl spoke about going to the Orpheum Theater and watching "The Sound of Music" production, put on by the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts. He said the talent in this community is astounding. 4. Presentations A. Washington Pavilion Management Agreement Renewal by Shawn Pritchett, Finance Director Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Pritchett said this is a review of the five year renewal proposed for the Washington Pavilion Management agreement. This is the last of the three contract renewals for the City's entertainment venues, for this year. The Council will vote on this item at their December 6th meeting. Pritchett provided a brief history of the Pavilion, which opened in 1999; and has been managed by Washington Pavilion Management, Inc. (WPMI). He spoke of the two amendments made to the agreement, since it was last renewed in 2018. They added management of the Orpheum Theater In 2019; and  management of the Sioux Falls Municipal Band in 2021. Pritchett spoke about the Scope of Services, which ranged from: overseeing and executing agreements to ticketing. The first agreement amendment involves defining real property vs. personal property. Changes included: updated insurance amounts and reporting requirements; coordination of naming opportunities and gifts; increased responsibility for maintenances expenses; require maintenance agreement for major mechanical systems; and email approvals for certain actions. Additional changes to the agreement include: public facility family ticket fees; the Municipal Band; use of facilities for City businesses; long-term capital forecasting; prior approval for alterations and improvements to real property; discrimination provisions updated, and Force Majeure provision updated. Pritchett then turned over the rest of the presentation to Darrin Smith, Washington Pavilion President and CEO. Smith spoke about the following highlights for the Washington Pavilion: continued record attendance for the museums; a record number of Broadway season subscriptions for 2022/2023; the education program is full and expanding; the Municipal Band partnership with Augustana University continues; technology improvements for an enhanced customer experience; received two of the largest private gifts in Washington Pavilion history in 2022; and investing more in their mission for the community than ever before. The things that they are looking forward to include: the Sweetman Planetarium opening in 2023; the $1.2M Patricia Knutson gift for funding multiple projects in the Kirby Science Discovery Center in 2023 and 2024; more national touring art exhibits, like the current Guild Hall exhibition showing in the Visual Arts Center; and the family-friendly makeover (and new name) for Leonardo's Cafe, which is currently ongoing now through 2023. They are also looking forward to: the Washington Pavilion's 25th Anniversary Arts Season in 2023/2024; the celebrations in June 2024, for their 25th anniversary; the Orpheum Theater is scheduled for some physical improvements; and within the next 12 months, to participate in unique public/private collaborations to support the Arts in the community and region. Smith said this will be amazing and will give them an opportunity to do things that they have never really done before. Discussion followed regarding: congratulations for everything that has occurred; changes to Leonardo's; cost of traveling shows; local artist being exhibited; field trips; an interactive Claude Monet experience; and Soehl admitting that he didn't vote for the Washington Pavilion and that he lacked the vision for what it could be. B. Homeless Task Force Report by Council Member Rich Merkouris Presentation: Approximately 15 minutes followed by discussion Merkouris began by stating that the Task Force, which was created last summer, had the role to identify how they could establish policies and programs that would help reduce homelessness in the next 10 years. He said that he stressed to the group that they weren't to create a document that sat on a shelf. They were to identify actions that they could take in this moment in time that builds upon the good work done in our city and the good work being done. Merkouris said that there are a lot of nonprofits, government agencies and others that are doing good work. He thanked the diverse group of 12 Task Force members and noted how many meetings, working sessions and conversations that they had. Merkouris spoke about the four priorities that were established for the Mayor and City Council to consider. They are: Promote an intentional proactive, and healthy approach to  engaging with the homeless; Encourage community-wide participation in the Helpline Center's Network of Care; Enter into formal planning with Minnehaha County officials to start new or grow existing "Housing First with Wraparound Services" strategies; and review the existing loitering and panhandling ordinance with Law Enforcement, City Attorney's Office, and other impacted individuals. He spoke about action items that accompanied each of the priorities. It would cost $977K, over a three year period, to fund the following strategies: a Street Teams Grant; a Helpline Network of Care Grants; Helpline Direct Support; and a Public Education Campaign. The Task Force also discussed the following critical issues: Shelter capacity; proactive measures; identifications; mental health services; sheltering homeless families; and the ongoing creation of more housing units. The next steps, regarding the Task Force recommendations are: Bringing each individual recommendation to the Council over the next 30-60 days as a resolution, budget supplemental, ordinance, etc.; Discussing ongoing management plan with the Administration; and Providing monthly updates at the Informational Meetings. He concluded the presentation with his personal comments. He said, there are no new silos being recommended or funding requests that will be solely funded by the city. The Council must return to the conversation specifically about mental health services for our homeless population. And, the needle will not be moved without growing our "housing first" strategy with the county and community partners. Discussion followed regarding: the thoroughness and overall well done work of the Task Force; and the public education campaign. Council Member Greg Neitzert acknowledged that he voted against the Task Force due to fear of a report being written and put up on a shelf. He said that he was impressed by the group and that their recommendations are attainable. It was reiterated that the right mix of people were on the Task Force and attended the meetings. C. SiouxFalls.org Website Redesign by Allie Hartzler, Communications and Culture Officer; and Justine Murtha, Digital Communications Manager Presentation: Approximately 5 minutes followed by discussion Murtha began her presentation with a project background. The last redesign of siouxfalls.org was in 2016. The website has more than 70,000 monthly users, with 60% of them using mobile devices. The majority of users, 70%, find the sight through search. Murtha said that they are keeping these facts in mind with the redesign. Currently, there are more than 4,800 pages, 9,000 documents, and 6,000 images. Granicus was selected, as the redesign partner, in June of 2022. Murtha said when they are speaking about siouxfalls.org, this includes siouxlandlib.org and midcoaquaticcenter.og. The Project Goals are: improve the organization and readability of content so visitors can more easily find the information that they need; ensure all content is accurate; fill (and find) content gaps where information may be missing; refresh the design and layout to make it easier to navigate and strengthen accessibility; and make it easier for City employees to update and provide information to residents. Murtha reviewed some of the project milestones and noted that they are in the discovery phase. There will be several opportunities for feedback. Stakeholder interviews are being conducted by Granicus. The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback through: an interactive Public Open House on Thursday, December 15, 2022, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., in Meeting Room A of the Downtown Library. In December, a public survey will also be released online. There will also be an opportunity to try the new site before it launches, during website testing. Opportunities for public feedback will be shared through news releases,  listed on siouxfalls.org/redesign and posted on the City's official social channels. Residents can sign up at siouxfalls.org/redesign to be notified by email when these opportunities are open. Discussion followed regarding: readability and access; color and font for the site; contrast testing; how the site is being hosted; site programming; being consistent across all media platforms with content; and being strategic. 5. Public Comment Kadyn Wittman, a member of the Homeless Task Force, expressed her gratitude for the work that was done and believes that the action items, from the report, will make a difference in reducing homeless in Sioux Falls. Terry Liggins, a member of the Homeless Task Force, spoke about his experiences with homelessness and how he has benefitted from programs, like the ones being suggested from the report. 6. Adjournment Council Chair Curt Soehl adjourned the meeting at 5:05 p.m. Denise D. Tucker, MMC, Assistant City Clerk