Sioux City Strategic Plan Q4 2017

Strategic Plan

UPDATE

Q4 2017

Grow Sioux City

Growing Sioux City is a top priority for all Sioux City residents. That means developing partnerships to
expand job creation, encourging entrepreneurs, improving our city’s public safety services and
infrastructure, revitalizing neighborhoods and increasing housing opportunities.

Record Numbers to Celebrate

Residential Growth

The City of Sioux City saw record breaking residential housing
construction in 2017. A total of 274 housing units were built, the
highest number in the past decade. The previous high was 241
units in 2016.
Much of the rise in housing units can be attributed to private-
public partnerships and renewed interest in in-fill development.
The continued use of city-wide urban revite has encouraged new
development around the city. City staff expect this upward trend
to continue with construction in the Whispering Creek and Eagle
Ridge developments, and the announced renovation projects for
the former Everett School, Hatch building, Commerce building
and former St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital.

Grant Celebration

In September of 2017 a celebration was held by the Sioux City
Community Development Department to celebrate the invest-
ment of over five million dollars in U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development Lead Hazard Control Grant funding in
Sioux City! The grant, which provides funds to address lead paint
hazards in homes, has assisted a total of 220 homes in Sioux City
since 2009.

Active Urban Renewal

Work continues within the two active urban renewal areas of
Jones Street and Rose Hill. Both areas are seeing housing rehabil-
itation, public improvement projects, such as alley recontruction,
and public service projects.
A very successful public outreach event was held at the Rose Hill
Park in September of 2017. Over 100 people from the neighbor-
hood attended to provide input on what additional amenities
should be added to the park. A splash pad was the overwheming
winner; construction will start in the summer of 2018.

Partnerships for Growth

Private Management

With the support of the Orpheum Theatre’s board, City Council
voted to move management duties of the Tyson Events
Center and Orpheum Theatre to Spectra, a private manage-
ment company based out of Philadelphia. The change will offer
more resources to local staff on everything from booking, to
facility maintenance, to security, to a new menu and food
experience at our venues.
Management of the Sioux City Convention Center was also
moved to Kinseth Hospitality, a hotel developer committed to
building a new Courtyard by Marriott property in the current
east lot of the Convention Center, joining the two via a
newly-built pre-function space. Both changes took effect
on January 1, 2018.

Industrial Expansions

The Bridgeport Industrial Park continues to see growth. Expansions are currently underway on a number
of businesses, including Cloverleaf Cold Storage ($18M), Westrock ($48M), Consumers Supply ($4.8M), and
Braunger Foods ($4M). A new $7 million facility for Keizer Refrigeration is currently underway as well.
Seaboard Triumph Foods began operations of its new $300 million plant in September 2017. The City’s Eco-
nomic Development team assisted STF to obtain the IEDA’s approval for phase II, which is currently underway.
The Seaboard Triumph Foods plant will eventually employ 2,400 people.

Local Startup Success

The Sioux City Economic Development Department works with
a number of local businesses to help connect them with the
resources they need for success. One such success story is local
tech startup, Lienwaivers.io. The startup was recently approved
for a $100,000 loan through the Iowa Economic Development
Authority’s Demonstration Fund and took 2nd place in the John
Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture competition.

Makerspace

A new space encouraging collaboration and creativity opened
on TriView Avenue in late 2017. Makerspace Sioux City allows
the tools and space needed for productive collaboration in the
skilled trades with woodworking, cooking, painting, sewing,
technology and more. It is a great addition to Sioux City.

Renewable Fuels Project

Sioux City Utilities Director Mark Simms partnered with Bartlett & West on the company’s first ever webinar
where they shared information about biogas and the Sioux City Renewable Fuels Project. Sioux City is one of
the first in the country to take action in this direction. Nearly 200 professionals from accross the
country attended the webinar with excellent reviews.

Grow Sioux City

Improved Services

New Emergency Medical Ambulance Services

Siouxland Paramedics, the long-time ambulance contractor for
Sioux City, notified the City in late July that they would no longer
be performing emergency ambulance services after the first of
2018. After much consideration, the City Council voted to have
Sioux City Fire Rescue take on this service as an all civilian division
of the department.
Since that time, SCFR has been busy hiring division personnel (27),
obtaining the required regulatory licensing, equipment, supplies,
software, hardware, obtaining a billing contractor, etc. This is one
of the largest changes/projects in SCFR’s 150-year history in this
community. SCFR is committed to providing a stable, quality
emergency ambulance service for all residents and visitors.

New Training for Police Officers

The Sioux City Police Department continues to work
to improve services to the public, and a large part
of that is providing the highest level of professional
training to officers. With the assistance of a grant from
the Missouri River Historical Development Board, the
SCPD was able to partner with the Woodbury
Country Sheriff’s Department to purchase a Virtra
360 training simulator. The simulator will allow area
officers and deputies to train on high risk engage-
ments in the safety of a controlled environment.

Transportation Plan

Sioux City staff are constantly working to improve transportation
options in Sioux City. Public Transit has two new fixed route buses
to replace current aging vehicles and to keep up with service
demands. Transit staff also completed five bus stop improvement
projects to provide better accessibility and new shelters as part of
an IDOT grant.
American Airlines added a second daily flight to Dallas/Fort Worth
for the 2017 holiday season and is scheduled to add
another this spring.
The Sioux City Rail Study Phase 2 is underway and will be complete
by the end of February 2018. Conceptual designs needed in order
to reduce freight rail congestion will be completed shortly.

Construction Update

Sioux City’s Public Works Division completed several projects this
past quarter, including intersection upgrades in the Bridgeport
area to help with the construction of Seaboard Triumph Foods.
Additional projects helping to improve quality of life for residents
include the reconstruction of Country Club Boulevard, Perry Way
and 46th Street. Staff have worked closely with businesses during
the continued construction on West 7th this past year to keep
access open and improve the process for all involved.
The third and final phase of the replacement and upgrade of the
transmission main along S. Lewis Boulevard was completed last
quarter. This project strengthens the City’s ability to provide high
quality and reliable water service to the Northside, Kelly Park and
Greenville areas.

Investing In Downtown

Reinvestment District

This transformational project reached several major
milestones in the third quarter of 2017. A formal contract
with the IEDA for the Sioux City Reinvestment District
was approved. It will provide for the use of $13.5 million in
state funds for the four planned projects, with an overall
$134 million projected capital investment.
All four of the major projects, the Convention Center
Hotel, Bomgaars Ag Expo Center, Virginia Square, and
the Warrior Hotel and Davidson buildings are moving
forward. The fundraising for the Bomgaars Ag Expo
Center has reached the goal of over $5 million in private
funds committed, meeting the state contingency.
Additionally, a total of $918,000 in State Brownfield funds
were awarded to the Warrior Davidson project.

Additional Downtown Developments

J Development announced plans to redevelop three historic
buildings in Sioux City, including the former Hatch Furniture
building, Commerce building, and the former St. Luke’s Methodist
Hopsital building into mixed-use and market-rate residential
facilities. $750,000 of State Brownfield funds were awarded to
both the Commerce and St. Luke’s building projects. The three
projects will add over 24,000 square feet of commercial space,
with a total capital investment of $34 million.

Promote Sioux City

Promoting Sioux City as not only a tourist destination but as a great place for people to settle down, raise
a family or start a business is a strategic focus area City staff prioritize. Accomplishing this goal means in-
creased recreational opportunties, continued development of our public spaces, and enhancing local arts
and cultural amenities.

Recreational Opportunities Grow

Cone Park

Cone Park, Sioux City’s new four seasons park, officially opened
on December 21, 2017. Cone Park features a tubing hill with
automated snow-making equipment, a refrigerated ice skating
rink, an outdoor fire pit, and a lodge for warming, rentals and
concessions. The lodge will be used as a rental facility during the
non-winter months and the skating rink will convert to a free
public splash pad in the summer.
Friday and Saturday evenings in the winter months from 9:00-
11:00pm feature Cosmic Tubing sponsored by the Hard Rock
Hotel Sioux City. The event allows visitors to tube down the hill
to a laser light show coordinated with music.
A special thanks to the Cone Family, Iowa Economic Devel-
opment-Vision Iowa, Missouri River Historical Developement
(MRHD), Woodbury County, Hard Rock Hotel Sioux City, Wells
Enterprise, The Grupp Family and the many businesses and
individuals that helped this project become reality.

Making a Splash

The Cook Park Splash Pad project kicked off with
the demolition and landfill of the Cook Park pool
in November 2017. DeWild Grant Reckert and
Associates (DGR) was hired for design services
for the splash pad construction project. The Cook
Park Splash Pad is anticipated to open in summer
of 2018.

The Arena Recreational
Programming
The City is currently working with HCC Enterprises
to construct a major new recreation and sports Pickle Ball
training facility near the Bomgaars Ag Expo Center.
This facility will provide year-round athletic opportu- Sioux City Parks and Recreation now offers Pickle
nities for the region, including youth sports training Ball at the Long Lines Family Rec Center. Pickle Ball
programs for basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, memberships will be available through June 30,
softball, etc., multi-sport leagues and tournaments, 2018.
athletic showcase events, multi-court facility rentals,
coaching clinics, and more. Rock On!

New Downtown Park The 4th Annual Rock On!
Climbing Competition was
The Pearl Street Park grand opening was held in held at the Long Lines
October 2017. The park project was made possible Family Rec Center in
by the generous donation of Regina Roth. The new December 2017. The com-
downtown park includes play structures, musical play petition was held for climb-
features, shade structures, stone boulders, bicycle ers age five and up. There
racks, paved walking paths, landscaping and were 1st, 2nd and 3rd place
pedestrian lighting. winners for both men and
women in mulitple divi-
sions. Next year staff antic-
ipate doubling the number
of participants.

Breakfast With Santa

A Breakfast with Santa event was held in
November 2017 at the Long Lines Family Rec
Center. Families were able to have a fun, festive
breakfast together, decorate cookies, and
participate in crafts. Santa was there to visit
with the children and take pictures.

Promote Sioux City

Attracting Visitors

Fall Fest Fun

Two dozen attractions hosted events celebrating fall in Sioux City
October 13-14, 2017. The family-friendly activities were designed
for residents and visitors to enjoy the fall season in Sioux City,
spend time with friends and family and showcase local attrac-
tions. Some of the activities included free or reduced admission
to attractions, costume contests, food trucks, crafts, live music,
Baconfest, and more.

Foodie Drives Tourism

Sioux City Foodie, a new web series highlighting local restaurants,
launched in the summer of 2017 and now has 1,901 followers and
1,828 page likes on Facebook. Four videos have been shared to
date, with a total reach of 110,579 and 52,500 views.
All businesses spotlighted in the videos saw a large spike in
business immediately following the video’s release. From Pierce
Street Coffee Works to Shahi Palace, many new faces and new
customers were noted, which means Sioux City Foodie is not
only driving tourism, but educating locals about what is available
in their hometown.

First Hour Free

The trial promotion of 1st Hour Free Parking in the City
parking ramps downtown was implemented in the fourth
quarter of 2017. Preliminary data shows that this promotion
is encouraging additional usage of the ramps and those users
are generating enough additional revenues to offset a signif-
icant portion of the predicted revenue loss. Parking is in the
process of upgrading the enforcement equipment used by
City parking attendants.
Parking ramp signs were also recently updated. The new LED lighted signs
offer an improved user-friendly visual to attract and educate visitors.

Enhancing Local Arts

Gilchrist Learning Center

The Sioux City Art Center held a groundbreaking on October 26,
2017 to mark the beginning of construction on the Gilchrist
Learning Center.
The new standalone Gilchrist Learning Center facility will allow
the Art Center to increase public access to its education programs
by expanding the number of classes and workshops offered, as
well as the hours its programs are available to the public. In ad-
dition, the new Learning Center will expand and enhance the Art
Center’s ongoing collaboration with the Sioux City Community
Schools. The projected completion date for the Learning Center is
July 2018.

New LAMB Theatre

LAMB Arts Regional Theatre & School announced in October a
capital campaign to turn the building at 625 Douglas St. into a
performing arts center that will be the new home for the theatre.
The restored building, an $11 million project, will include a 250-
seat thrust theatre, as well as a 120-seat studio theatre and a
smaller cabaret-style theatre, all surrounding a beautiful 2-story
atrium with skylight. Additional space will be available for class-
rooms, rehearsal areas and dressing rooms. Russell Wooley, LAMB
Arts Regional Theatre Artistic & Managing Director, said, “We’re
proud to say that this renovation, along with the excellence and
innovation of LAMB Theatre, will rival cities much larger than
ours.”

Broadway Audience Grows

The Orpheum Theatre Board initiated a consultancy with TRG Arts
out of Colorado over a year ago, and since then staff have worked
with TRG on strategies designed to increase attendance, subscrip-
tions, and revenue for the annual Broadway Series. So far, it looks
like the strategies are working. For the 2017-2018 season, total
subscription revenue is up 55% over last season. There is a 93%
increase in acquistion packages sold and 71% of renewing subcrib-
ers upgraded to a full 6-show series.

Enhance Connectivity

The City of Sioux City encourages resident engagement within their communities by parnterning with
local businesses and educational institutions to increase opportunities, nurturing young professionals,
streamlining City processes to gain efficiencies for citizens, and promoting volunteerism.

Community Engagement

Future of Sioux City

Several community-wide events, workshops, surveys and meet-
ings were held in October of 2017 to engage residents and business
owners with the development of a new Comprehensive Plan for the
City of Sioux City. The plan in intended to help effectively guide city
leaders as they make throughtful decisions for the community’s next
20 years.

Riverfront Input

On November 30, 2017 a Riverfront Development Public Input
meeting was held to discuss Chris Larsen Park. It was an
opportunity for the public to participate in the schematic
design process of the project. Prior to this meeting, City staff,
the Riverfront Steering Committee, and the consulting project
team, SmithGroupJJR, Inc., held several meetings with key
stakeholders to discuss and gather input for the project design.

Citizens Get Involved

City staff and the City Council encourage Sioux City residents to have
a voice and engage in their local goverment and community.
The Emergency Preparedness Fair held in October of 2017 was a free
event open to the public to provide knowledge on how to react in
emergency situations.
A Coffee with Council event was held in December. The informal
event allowed Sioux City residents to voice their concerns and visit
with Council Members and City staff.
The City’s Human Rights Department hosted a free forum at the
Sioux City Public Museum in early December focused on the
Impact of Women-Only Spaces.
The City’s Economic Development Department hosted a Business for
Breakfast event with guest speaker, Srini Rao, in November. The networking event offers local
professionals an opportunity to hear insights on current business trends from national acclaimed speakers.
Public input meetings with Corbin Design began in December for suggestions on updating the wayfinding
system in downtown Sioux City.

with Citizens & Businesses

Doing Good in Sioux City

Giving Tree

The Sioux City Police Department has partnered with the Friends of the Sioux City Police Department Board
and local anonymous donors to create a “Giving Tree” program. This program allows officers who encounter in-
dividuals facing various critical needs to access limited funds to assist individuals in crisis. Officers were already
able to use the program to assist with several holiday emergencies.

Employee Advisory Committee

The Employee Advisory Commitee, EAC, is comprised of a group of
City employees who volunteer to organize various employee activi-
ties. One activity the EAC organizes is the Jeans for Worthy Causes
program. The program allows employees to wear jeans on Fridays if
they donate to that month’s charity. In December the EAC used Jeans
for Worthy Causes donations to adopt two deserving families in Sioux
City. The funds were used to purchase Christmas gifts for the families,
winter outerwear, and househould items. Employees also donated
food items to each family. A total of five boxes of food were donated
to each family.
The EAC also arranged to have an “Angel Tree” this year. The tree
had the names of 50 deserving Sioux City children along with their
Christmas “Wish List”. All 50 names were claimed by City employees
who purchased and wrapped gifts for the children.

Kiss A Pig

City staff created a fun way to raise money for the United Way of Sioux-
land in 2017. The “Kiss a Pig” contest allowed employees to designate
their donation to piggy banks assigned to each of the five City Council
members, the City Manager and Sioux City Police Chief. The person who
collected the most money in their piggy bank got to pucker up and kiss
a pig! Sioux City Police Chief, Rex Mueller, was the big winner! City staff
exceeded 2016’s donations and surpassed their 2017 goal.

Little Free Library

The Sioux City Housing Authority began a Little Free Libary in July of
2017, taking up the challenge to increase reading proficiency and
improve the overall academic achievement of children in low-income
families in Sioux City. The Housing Authority received a donation of
3,500 books this fall to ensure children receiving rental assistance have
continued access to books in their homes.

Enhance Connectivity

Community Collaborations

Museum Partnerships

The Sioux City Public Museum has numerous on-going collaborations
in the community, including working partnerships with the Human
Rights Commission, The Siouxland Disability Commission, The League
of Women Voters, Downtown Partners, and the Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts.
Some of these activities include forums, projects and public events.
The Museum worked closely with the District’s Jr. ROTC in 2017 and
produced programming and exhibits for their benefit. In November, the
Museum hosted a Veteran’s Day event conducted by the Jr. ROTC Cadets.

After-School Book Club

The Sioux City Public Library partnered with Beyond the
Bell to start an after-school book club in Sioux City’s middle
schools. The book club debuted at West Middle in November,
meeting once a week for seven weeks. The Library will take
the book club to East Middle in January and North Middle in
March, offering more students the opportunity to engage in
reading and activities.

Connecting Through Technology

New Library Programs

In early December the Sioux City Public Library switched its language
learning database from Mango to Transparent Languages. The new data-
base offers Library patrons over 100 languages to learn plus English
learners of all levels will find engaging English content. Transparent also
offers a mobile app so language learners can keep learning while on the go.
Library cardholders can now stream thousands of artists from nearly
40,000 record labels free of charge without ads, anytime, anywhere. The
Library now offers Freegal® Music to all library cardholders. The music
service offers users the ability to stream up to three hours of music a day.

with Citizens & Businesses

Nurturing Young Professionals

Ready to Launch

Sioux City’s annual Launch Week, which promotes networking
opportunities and entrepreneurship, was successfully held
November 10-17, 2017. The week consisted of the Iowa Startup
Games, business planning workshops, pitch competitions, and
networking events.

Career Academy

The sale of the Museum Plaza building to the Sioux City School District was finalized late last year. The sale of
the building to the school district will allow for an expansion of the downtown “Career Academy”, which
provides students with the education to become a skilled workforce.

Valuing City Employees

Recognition

On October 19, 2017 the Sioux City Police Department held a
ceremony to celebrate the promotion of three officers. The
ceremony was the first held in many years and allowed families,
the public, and officers to celebrate their milestones. In order to
better recognize and empower employees, this public promo-
tional ceremony will now become tradition.

Building Trust connect with
SCPD:
The Sioux City Police Department continues to advance public safety
communication and build trust with citizens using social media. The @siouxcitypolice
department initiated a Social Media Unit within the agency in December.
The goal of this unit is to provide 24 hour, up to the minute information to
citizens with social media.

apply online: Online Applications

www.sioux-city.org Sioux City’s Human Resources Department implemented NeoGov, an
online applicant tracking system, in October of 2017. The system auto-
mates the entire hiring and selection process from requisiton to hire.
The program is not only easier for applicants but is also streamlining
processes for staff.

Instill Sioux City Pride

Instilling Sioux City pride in residents will lead to expanded diversity, increased participation from our
City’s youth in all aspects of the City, and a more beautiful city.

Sioux City’s Youth Involvement

Mayor’s Youth Commission

The Mayor’s Youth Commission is a collection of Sioux City’s youth
who are very dedicated to the City, and participate in numerous
volunteer activites throughout the year. In December, 41 high school
seniors were recognized at a ceremony held at the Cone Park Lodge.
The new Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem were also sworn in that night.
In 2017, 4,398 volunteer hours were completed.

Youth Are The Future

The Sioux City Police Department realizes that the future
of Sioux City lies in our youth. Because of that, the police
department is heavily invested in youth involvement to
educate young residents and build community. This fall,
the department began several community partnerships
with the “Head Start” and “Beyond the Bell” program.
Officers regularly stop at local schools and program loca-
tions to read to kids, play with them, or just sit and talk.
The program has been extremely successful at bringing
officers closer to children in the community.
Christmas also signaled SCPD’s continuing committment to the “Shop with a Cop” program as officers
partnered with a local retailer to take underprivileged children on a shopping trip for family gifts. 2017
had the highest participation of any prior year.

We Are Sioux City

Houlihan Run

Sioux City recognized Shelby Houlihan, a 2016 Olympian and
hometown hero, by naming a street in her honor. Houlihan
Run spans about two-fifths of a mile between S. Lakeport
Street and Sergeant Road. Second grade Nodland Elementary
students attended the street naming event and ran down the
newly named street with the Olympian.

A Show of Support Celebrate Our
Diversity
The Sioux City Police Department recently unveiled
a new Cancer Victim/Survior Squad Car to show
City support of individuals suffering as a result of
this disease. The black and white police vehicle is
specially marked to pay tribute to all cancer victims
and surviors and is signed with the names of people
who have been personally impacted by cancer. The
vehicle was rolled out during the no-shave November
fundraiser of the SCPD and the proceeds of the event
were donated to the June E. Nylen Cancer Center.

Sioux City Rocks Color Blind Forum

The Sioux City Public Library hosted a “Sioux City Sioux City is home to a diverse population of
Rocks” event with close to 70 residents attending. which we are proud. The Sioux City Police
The event was an opportunity for people to come Department makes great efforts to establish
together and create painted rocks to brighten liasons in the community to help increase
people’s day. The group hides the rocks around Sioux understanding and improve relationships. In a
City for others to find. The overall goal is to create a continuing effort to engage minority residents
community of painters and spread positivity. It also and openly discuss police-community relations,
gets people outside exploring our city. the department partnered with Unity in the
Community to host a public forum. The
“Color Blind” forum was held in October to
discuss diversity in Sioux City and how to build
stronger community by embracing differences.

Iowa’s First

Sioux City is home to Iowa’s first public wheel-
chair charging station. Installed in December,
the charging station is located in the Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Ground Transportation Center. The
station is equipped with a standard power cord
and 24 V 5-amp charger that allows individuals
who use wheelchairs or scooters an opportunity
to charge their chairs at a location other than
their home.

Instill Sioux City Pride

Protecting Our Environment

Award Winning Project

Two water quality projects that were partially
grant-funded, the Promenade Improvement Project
and the Riverside Parking Lot and Biocell Project, were
completed in the fall of 2017.
The Promenade Improvement Project accomplished
several goals including improved stormwater drainage,
improved water quality through the addition of green
infrastructure, and provided increased access to green
space in our downtown area. The project was awarded
the 2017 Best Development Award in the Renovated
Civic category by 1000 Friends of Iowa! The transfor-
mation of the Promenade area in downtown not only
improves water quality, but is an opportunity to
educate people about its importance.

Recycling Success

The City’s glass recycling program has been in place for
one year now. To date, over 100 tons of glass have been
recycled through Ripple Glass.
Ripple Glass Recycling Containers can be found at the
following locations;
•Hy-Vee - 2827 Hamilton Blvd.
•Hy-Vee - 4500 Sergeant Rd.
•Hy-Vee - 3301 Gordon Dr.
•Fareway - 4040 War Eagle Dr.
•Fareway - 4016 Indian Hills Dr.

Re-Event

Sioux City’s semi-annual Re-Event took place in October. Held
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Long Lines Family Rec Center parking
lot, the event sponsored by the City and the Environmental
Advisory Board collected materials that can be recycled,
reused and refurbished. Vendors at the event accepted
electronics, Styrofoam, batteries, light bulbs and used bicycles.

Into the Streets

In October, the City was able to utilize Morningside College
students during their annual “Into the Streets” community
service day for removing invasive species in Sertoma Park.
Invasive species tend to crowd out any native species. By
removing invasive species we can help the existing patches
of native prairie to flourish.

Prairie Habitat

The Parks and Recreation Deparment was awarded a Prairie
Partners Cost Share Program Agreement and a Partners for
Fish and Wildlife Program Landowner Agreement for funding
to support establishing a wildlife habit in the Sioux City Loess
Hills Prairie Corridor.
The proposed improvements are designed to improve the
habitat for native pollinators, including the monarch butterfly.
The work will include the establishment or restoration of
native prairie habitats that include a diverse mix of native
wildflowers and grasses that provide nectaring sources and
shelter for pollinators to survive. Plantings were completed
December 1, 2017.

Strategic Plan

UPDATE

Q4 2017