Summer Food Service Sites forYouth

Find Summer Food Service Sites for Youth with a Text or Call

Organizations across South Dakota are serving free meals to the state’s youth this summer as a part of the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option. Children age 18 and younger may receive a meal free of charge at participating sites, which include organizations such as nonprofits, schools, libraries and local governments.

Families have a variety of ways to access the most current information on free feeding locations and the dates and times of meal service throughout the summer. The USDA Summer Meal Site Finder tool is at www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks. This free, webbased application allows users to easily locate summer foodsitesthroughoutSouthDakotaandacrossthecountry. The information is also available by texting “Food” or “Comida” (Spanish) to 877-877 or calling 1-866-3HUNGRYor 1-877-8-HAMBRE (Spanish).

Feeding sites will be added to the Summer Meal Site Finder regularly; so, it is important to check back periodically.

The Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option are federally funded through the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and administered by the South Dakota Department of Education. This agency is an equal opportunity provider. More information on the summer programs is available at www.doe.sd.gov/cans/.

USDANondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)civilrightsregulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint _ filing_

cust and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.SubmityourcompletedformorlettertoUSDA by:

mail: U.S. Department ofAgriculture Office of theAssistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 IndependenceAvenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

fax: (202) 690-7442; or

email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Annual “State of the Cities” Report Finds Mayors Expanding Leadership

A comprehensive analysis of mayoral state of the city speeches released today by the National League of Cities (NLC) finds that economic development, public safety, infrastructure and city budgets are the top issues for communities around the nation. The new report, State of theCities2017,examinesstateofthecityspeechesin120 cities representing a diverse cross section of population sizes and geographic regions.

NLC’s analysis shows that cities face the same issues around the country — regardless of size or location. Though the order and intensity of the 10 issues examined have remained relatively consistent over the past four years, the primary emphasis has shifted, with mayors expanding what is possible within their leadership roles to takeactionandensureprosperity,fairnessandresiliencein their cities.

“Mayors work tirelessly to build stronger communities through innovative policy solutions, public-private collaborations and strategic investments in our urban cores, ” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “However, cities also face tremendous challenges in this political environment, including crime, affordability, and racial and income disparities. The report shows us that mayors are fighting attacks on local control, and are seeking solutions to these issues to lift their communities up. ”

Key findings from the 2017 analysis include:

• Cities are driving the nation forward, with an increased number of jobs and outsized economic growth providing the ability to make strategic investments in our urban cores. Specifically, 66 percent of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of economic development issues. • Police(73percent),fireprotection(56percent)androad paving (48 percent) were mentioned the most in mayoral speeches this year. • Equity is a key concern for cities across the country, in terms of fairness and inclusivity in public safety, housing and education. Sixty-four percent of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of public safety issues. • Mayors are meeting with resistance from a federal

administration keen on disparagingAmerica’s urban areas and state legislatures across the country blocking city-led initiatives.

“As mayors work to create a fairer, more equitable America, they are meeting resistance from the state and federal level, ” said Brooks Rainwater, senior executive and director of the Center for City Solutions at the National League of Cities. “Mayors are welcoming all people, standing against policies that strip federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities and recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion to their communities. In the face of negative sentiments from the federal government, cities are pushing a positive agenda focused on building economic vitality and bridging divisions in our society. With or without intergovernmental partners, mayors will work from the bottom up to make things happen.

Here are the top 10 issues mentioned in mayoral state of the city speeches:

The report also highlights specific policies and issues facing cities of all sizes, such as workforce training, transit, immigration, renewable energy, autonomous vehicles and the opioid crisis. For the full analysis, visit NLC.org/SOTC.

Press contact: Courtney Bernard, (202) 626-3133, bernard@nlc.org

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

Managing Your Construction Season

Greg Vavra, SDLTAP Program Manager

It is that time of year again when municipality ’s construction seasons are in full swing. Many of you are already patching and paving in preparation for seal coating, slurry seals, scrub seals and micro-surfacing projects later this summer.

Please be conscious of your planning efforts when putting together your summer construction plans. We often see street projects of large dollar values pushed forward over weak substructure and aging utilities. Please make sure and address these issues prior to any asphalt surface treatments or asphalt overlays. Generally speaking, the surface is failing because it was built on marginal base strength years ago or has deteriorated over time from today ’s heavy loadings.

There are many good guidance documents out there today tohelpyouunderstandhowtodesignandbuildfortoday ’s ever growing loads. One thing tax payers will not forgive is when their new road needs to be dug up a year or two latertoreplacefailingwaterandsewerlinesthathavebeen there for years.

Although municipalities are not required to have a 5 year road and bridge plan, it is a necessity to make financially sounddecisionsmovingforward.Wearecommonlyasked to come and take a look at a towns aging infrastructure by public works personal or elected officials, and they are often in shock as to how far behind they have fallen.

Today ’s dollar needs to be stretched further than ever to maintainourcurrentsystems.Pleaseplanforthefuture,be safe, and have a productive construction season.

SDLTAP has a wide range of services for municipalities and keeps abreast of many of the new products and servicestohelpextendyourfunds.Feelfreetocalluswith your transportation needs.

Guide Against Ethical Missteps...Everyone is at risk of making an error

By Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM

One of the greatest risks to maintaining our personal integrity is underestimating our vulnerability to suffering an ethical failure. It is easy for us to believe that ethical mistakes are only going to befall other people and other organizations.

Thetruthisthatweareallvulnerabletomakinganethical misstep,andthemorewethinkwearenot,themorelikely we will make an error. Why? A false sense of confidence will result in decreased attention to our vulnerability and lowered safeguards. Overconfidence can lead to complacency, which leads to greater risk.

Understanding Vulnerabilities

So how do we guard against overconfidence and the consequences that can result? Developing a better understanding of our personal and organizational vulnerabilities is a good place to start. A book by Dan Ariely, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty (Harper Perennial, 2013), may help you better understand that we allareatriskofmissteps—oftentimesatmoreriskthanwe perceive. The basic premise of the book is that everyone can be dishonest at some level, and those who don’t believe that are not being completely forthright with themselves. By describing a series of studies he and others have undertaken, he makes a convincing case for one of his basicobservations:Wewantthebenefitsofcheatingwhile also wanting to retain our self-perception of being reasonably honest people.

Heexplorestheconceptofthe“fudgefactor. ”Thatis,how far we are willing to stretch our ethical boundaries to gain benefit while also being able to retain our self-perception of being honest and ethical individuals.

Other key observations from his book:

• The more we are able to rationalize or convince ourselves that our actions in a particular circumstance are correct, our fudge factor grows. • Asingleactofdishonestycanchangeourself-imageand reduce our defenses to additional ethical missteps. • Once we begin violating our standards, the more likely the frequency and magnitude of our violations will escalate.

• We can often deceive ourselves to maintain a positive self-image. • Weareatgreaterriskofmakinganethicalmisstepwhen we are tired or overwhelmed.

Common Pitfalls

Here are examples of common areas where a person can begin to let down his or her guard:

• Whencompetingforajobyoureallywant,you “stretch” onyourresume—orinaninterview—howmuchcredityou deserve for an accomplishment in your current or at a previous job. Similarly, taking credit for an educational milestone that you “almost completed. ” • Not being consistent in what you tell one person versus another,includingelectedofficials,whentryingtoohardto demonstrate that you agree with their perspective. • Attempting to minimize a mistake by conveniently omitting information or “spinning” the information to an exaggerated degree. • Convincingyourselfthatsomethingyouhavedoneorare abouttodoisinthepublicinterest,whentheprimaryresult is a personal benefit.

One particularly important finding ofAriely ’s research for thoseinthepublicsectoristhatacceptingfavors,nomatter how small or apparently insignificant, will bias you in favor of the provider. He casts considerable doubt on the attempts of many to convince themselves and others that a particular favor was so inconsequential that it would not influence their conduct as a public official.

Potential conflicts of interest abound in our professional lives. Recognizing them and dealing with them appropriately is critical to our ethical well-being.

For our organizations and employees, there can be a substantial risk of justifying behavior based on our perceptionsoftheconductofothersintheorganizationand of the conduct of other organizations by telling ourselves: “If it is okay for them to do, it must be okay for me (us) to do.

Steps to Take

As demonstrated in Ariely ’s research, the concept of it being okay to do something “just a little bit dishonest” can lead to serious consequences. Options to address these concerns can include:

• Challenge yourself and your organization with ethical scenarios, including some that would be considered relatively minor ethical violations. • Discuss with your staff the small missteps that have eventually tripped up other organizations and their members. • Make it clear that it is not consistent with you or your organization’s values to look the other way regarding ethical missteps, including those that might be considered relatively minor. • Make time to discuss risks and expectations.

Local government managers and those people who they work with should be concerned about falling into the trap of believing that dishonesty and ethical missteps are only likely to occur to other people and other organizations. The more we are able to understand and accept our vulnerabilitiesandthevulnerabilitiesofourorganizations, the more likely we are to take the steps needed to avoid a serious ethical crisis.

The more we are open to challenging our own self-image of being completely honest and ethical individuals, the more likely we will be able attain that goal. PM

Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM, ICMA West Coast regional director, Mountain View, California, is the former city manager of Mountain View.