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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/11-12/2001 Special Council Meeting MinutesMINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING I-19 and Calabasas Road, Rio Rico, Arizona AUGUST 11-12, 2001 I. PLACE AND DATE Rio Rico Resort, August 11-12, 2001 II. CALL TO ORDER By Mayor Sutton at 8:30 a.m. PRESENT COUNCIL Bobby Sutton, Jr. Mayor Present Herb Kai Vice Mayor Present Jim Blake Council Member Present Patti Comerford Council Member Present Tim Escobedo Council Member Present Ed Honea Council Member Present Carol McGorray Council Member Present STAFF Michael Hein Town Manager "` Dan Hochuli Town Attorney Jocelyn Entz Town Clerk Jane Howell Human Resources Director Roy Cuaron Finance Director Dave Smith Chief of Police Brad DeSpain Utilities Director Ron Smith Parks and Recreation Director Russell Dillow Magistrate Judge Joe Teta Court Administrator Roger Dougan Airport Manager Jim DeGrood Development Services Administrator Joel Shapiro Planning Director Farhad Moghimi Town Engineer/Director of Public Works Jack Holden Building Official 1 MINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING I-19 and Calabasas Road, Rio Rico, Arizona AUGUST 11-12, 2001 III. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS Staff and Council joint Session -Saturday Morning, August 11, 2001 Presentation by Jane Howell "Who Moved My Cheese." Overview of change management Where have we been? Where are we now? Where are we going? Overview of history of Marana and incorporation Mayor Sutton noted that with the recent election of new Council Members and the fact that several of the staff present at the retreat were quite new to the Town, getting a sense of the history of the town would be integral to future planning and development of all aspects of the community. He stated that our history is important to understanding the tremendous commitment that really got Marana started as an incorporated entity and how that sense of community and heritage continues to shape Council philosophy as well as the overall structure of the town. "°' Mayor Sutton asked Brad DeSpain and Council Member Honea to begin with their perspectives as long-time residents on how the town came to be incorporated, specifically, how the presentation of water within the town was instrumental to this effort. Roy Cuaron and Dave Smith also spoke about what the town was like prior to the annexation of the Ina/Thornydale area, the major commercial district in the town. Council Member Honea indicated that the first annual budget was $68,000. Dave Smith noted that there were 12 members of the police department when he started approximately 10 years ago. Mr. DeSpain and Council Member Honea also talked about how residents pitched in to pave some of the dirt roads by hand shoveling gravel while a truck borrowed from the City of South Tucson spread oil. Each staff member was then asked to give his/her perspective of what the concerns were for their department and what positive actions have taken place within their department. Mayor Sutton and several Council Members expressed their appreciation to staff for sharing and for the open communication. Council Working Session -Saturday Afternoon, August 11, 2001 Mike Hein provided an overview of staff activities. He then gave a review of the morning session and discussed how he would approach the concerns presented by staff and how Council could assist in generating solutions. 2 MINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING I-19 and Calabasas Road, Rio Rico, Arizona AUGUST 11-12, 2001 In an effort to further communication between the Council, staff and the community, the Mayor encouraged each Council Member to list what aspect of the community they were particularly interested in or what aspect they felt they had expertise to assist in future development. Having at least one Council Member on a citizen committee was perceived as valuable to the communication effort and was also viewed as helpful to achieve successful outcomes. Staff would also be assigned to these committees to handle the administrative details and answer questions and concerns. The establishment of committees is expected to commence over the next several months. Mr. Hein introduced Peter Gavin, Zoning Examiner for the City of Tucson. Mr. Hein noted that the issue of a zoning administrator had been discussed previously, however, it was most appropriate to revisit this item due to the recent postponement of two commission meetings because of a lack of a quorum and because of the vacancies created by the resignations of Commissioners Dart and Ziegler. Mr. Gavin thanked the Council for inviting him to participate in their planning session and to give input on the advantages of using a zoning examiner. Mr. Gavin provided handouts pertaining to the function of a zoning examiner and gave a brief overview of his many years of experience in planning and as a zoning examiner. His overview detailed some of the problems that can be eliminated or reduced with the use of an examiner. He emphasized that this position would not replace a planning commission, but would relieve a commission of many of the burdens associated with making recommendations to Council on zoning issues. His discussion focused on the responsibilities of the Council and how recommendations should be generated by an examiner and then dealt with by the Council. Mayor and Council Planning Session, Sundaes ugust 12, 2001 The Council noted that before any determination could be made about hiring a zoning examiner, there should be a specific policy in place that clearly defined the selection and appointment process for planning commissioners. Dan Hochuli will prepare options for Council review and discussion. Staff gave a status report on various projects in the community and explained the actions that were being taken. It was also noted that more attention needs to be given to improving the job base in Marana. Staff again noted the vacancies on the Planning and Zoning Commission and reiterated the need to develop consistent policy and procedures that would survive future Councils and remove inconsistencies and biases in the nomination and appointment processes. 3 MINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING I-19 and Calabasas Road, Rio Rico, Arizona AUGUST 11-12, 2001 The Mayor concluded by asking each Council Member to contact the department heads and meet with them on a one-on-one basis. He felt that this would encourage open communication and continuing dialog regarding issues of concern. IV. ADTOURNMENT The discussion concluded at approximately 11:00 a.m. V. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Special Meeting of the Marana Town Council August 11-12, 2001. I further certify that a quorum was present. y~ rt~u~ni e,,~ celyn C. Entz, Town Cler ~ ~OoR~ rE ~, $E~,