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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/18/2000 Regular Council Meeting MinutesMINUTES OF REG~~ ,C!OUN~L MEETING A TOWN HALL JA~ARY 1~8, 2000 Ie PLACE AND DATE Marana Town Hall, January 18, 2000 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Bobby Sutton, Jr. at 7:01 p.m. II. III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Led by Mayor Sutton INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE A moment of silence was observed. IV. ROLL CALL Me COUNCIL Bobby Sutton, Jr. Mike Reuwsaat Ed Honea Herb Kai Ora Mae Harn Roxanne Ziegler Jim Blake Mayor Vice-Mayor Council Member Council Member Council Member Council Member Council Member Present Present Present Present Excused Present Present STAFF Michael Hein Dan Hochuli Jocelyn Entz Brad DeSpain Jane Howell David Smith Jim DeGrood Roger Dougan Dan Groseclose Jack Holden Town Manager Town Attorney Town Clerk Utilities Director Human Resources Director Police Chief Development Services Administrator Marana Northwest Regional Airport Manager Community Development Specialist Building Official The list of public attendees is attached. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Upon motion by Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat, seconded by Council Member Ziegler, the agenda was approved 6/O. MINUTES OF ~GULAR COUNCIL MEETING MARANA TO~ HALL. JANUARY 18, 2000 VI. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Minutes of Regular Council Meeting - January 4, 2000 Upon motion by Council Member Blake, seconded by Council Member Honea, the minutes for January 4, 2000 were approved 6/0. VII. CALL TO THE PUBLIC/ANNOUNCEMENTS Kelle Elliott, Executive Director of the Marana Chamber of Commerce, presented the Council with an update on the preparations for the Founders' Day 2000 celebration. Scheduled for March 10-12, the annual celebration was expanded from one day to three days with activities being held at various locations throughout the Town. She briefly highlighted several of the activities. A handout containing this information has been made a permanent part of this record. VIII. IX. Mike Hein introduced the Marana Northwest Regional Airport Manager, Roger Dougan, to the Council and gave a brief synopsis of Mr. Dougan's extensive experience. STAFF REPORTS, IF ANY There were no questions regarding the staff reports. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS A. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Resolution No. 2000-05: Abandonment of a portion of the 20-foot roadway and utility easement as it traverses lots 13 through 17 of the Clark's Vista De Las Montafias Subdivision Plat as recorded in Book 8 at Page 72, Pima County Recorder's Office. (Jim DeGrood) 2. Resolution No. 2000-06: Extension of IGA with Pima County for 1998 CDBG funds (Dan Groseclose) 3. Resolution No. 2000-09: Approval of a lot split for lot 293 of the Cortaro Ranch Subdivision (Jim DeGrood) 4. Resolution No. 2000-10: Ina Road Model Home Center Release of Substitute Assurance Agreement, Trust No. 4829, for Blocks 1 through 9, and Acceptance of Public Improvements for Maintenance (Jim DeGrood) 5. Resolution No. 2000-11: authorizing investment monies in the local government investment pool; and Resolution No. 2000-12, authorizing officers/agents to deposit, transfer and withdraw monies in the local government investment pool (Roy Cuaron) MINUTES OF ~GULAR COUNCIL MEETING :MARANA TO~ H~L JANUARY 18, 2000 . Resolution No. 2000-08: Intergovernmental Agreement between Pima County and the Town of Marana Police Department, a member agency of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (H.I.D.T.A.) Program Drug Grant Agreement (Dave Smith) Upon motion made by Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat, seconded by Council Member Blake, the consent agenda was approved 6/0. B. COUNCIL ACTION Public Hearing- Ordinance No. 2000.01: Request by Pulte Home Corporation to make the following amendments to the Continental Ranch Specific Plan: 1) Change the land use designation on the southern 14.8 acres of Parcel 24 from Commercial (C) to Medium Density Residential (MDR). The new parcel would be designated 24A and 2) Change the land use designation on Parcel 29 (18.6 acres) from Commercial (C) to Medium Density Residential (MDR). Applicant is Pulte Home Corporation, 7493 N. Oracle Road, Suite 115, Tucson, AZ 85704 (Joel Shapiro) David Williams, Project Manager for The WLB Group, gave a short summary of the proposed land use amendments to the Continental Ranch Specific Plan. He stated that he was available to answer questions regarding this item. Council Member Honea voiced his concern regarding the significant transportation infrastructure problems in the Continental Ranch/Pima Farms area. He said that most of the zoning designations for this region were passed prior to the area being annexed by Marana. In spite of under-development in relation to the zoning allowances for this area, he said he worried about the additional strain this new development would bring on the area. He added that he was also concerned with the lot sizes being too small and not providing homeowners enough space to recreate in their backyards. Paula Meade, Forward Planner for Pulte Home Corp., agreed with Council Member Honea that the minimum lot sizes were small. She explained that the actual planned lot sizes averaged 6,300 to 6,500-sq. ft. with 5,000-sq. ft. as the minimum lot size allowed. She stated that Pulte Home Corp. would agree to change the amendment verbiage to state 6,000-sq. ft. as the minimum lot size allowed. Council Member Ziegler voiced her concern regarding the existing traffic problems in the Continental Ranch area but said that it was unfair to penalize Pulte Home Corp. for the lot sizes when the surrounding developments' lot sizes were comparable. MINUTES O F ~GUL ~ COUNCIL MEET !NG ~R_ANA ~0~ ~L J~UARy 18'2000 Council Member Kai stated his concern with the lack of "pocket" parks planned for Parcel 29. He also said that, with the prospect of Twins Peaks Road eventually becoming a major thoroughfare, the residents might not want this type of roadway next to their subdivision. Ms. Meade responded that, as President of the Continental Ranch Homeowners Association, she had recently been involved in numerous discussions regarding these issues and reported that the Strategic Planning Committee favored augmenting the existing parks as opposed to constructing smaller parks throughout the developments. Mayor Sutton stated that he was not in favor of "pocket'' parks because it decreased the value of the subdivision lots and placed an unnecessary burden on the homeowner. Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat stated that he was also concerned with the park issue and that it would be interesting to conduct a telephone survey to see what the residents wanted. He said that, in looking at the existing traffic patterns and the proposed school site (S39), he would like to explore the option of a joint agreement between the Town and the Marana Unified School District (MUSD) for a linear park in this area. Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat said that he felt the present Council had been very strong on important community issues like floodplain protection, traffic-stacking solutions and linear park placement. He stated that, ultimately, every permit issued for this development would increase the Town's contribution to the cost sharing of the Twin Peaks/Linda Vista interchange. Mayor Sutton agreed with Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat and Council Members Ziegler and Honea. He said that a linear park was important for this area, that the future interchange would substantially reduce traffic congestion, and that the minimum lot size for this development was too small. He asked that the minimum lot size be raised from 5,000-sq. ft. to 6,000-sq. ft. Upon motion by Council Member Ziegler, seconded by Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat, Ordinance No. 2000.01 with an amendment was approved 6/0. The amendment was to Section 2, Paragraph land was as follows: Minimum lot sizes on Parcels 24A and 29 shall be 6,000-sq. ft. 2. Consideration of Market Adjustment for Building Services (Jack Holden) Mr. Hein spoke briefly regarding salary ranges for Plans Examiners and Building Inspectors in comparison to surrounding jurisdictions. He stated that an adjustment to these salaries would allow the Town to become more competitive in the job market and increase the number of qualified applicants for open positions within the Building Department. 4 MINUTES OF ~G~~ COUNCIL M~TING JANU~Y 18' 2000 ~ Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat thanked Jim DeGrood for his hard work on this issue. He said that there was no substitute for qualified building inspectors in regard to elevating the Town's image. He asked for a report on reductions in the number of inspections made by each inspector and on the improvement of plan submittal and approval turnaround. He commented that adding adequate personnel would provide a higher level of service and reflect the fees being generated. He said that these improvements would also have a positive impact on the community by projecting Marana's image as service-friendly and efficient. ge e Council Member Honea agreed wholeheartedly with Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat. He added that there were positions in other departments that needed salary adjustments as well. He emphasized that the Town's operational quality solely depended on the quality of its personnel. He concluded by stating that without competitive wages qualified employees were not easily attracted or retained. Upon motion by Council Member Honea, seconded by Council Member Kai, the proposed market adjustment for the Building Services department was approved 6/0. Discussion of process and priorities for 2000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding (Dan Groseclose) Mr. Hein explained that this item was an effort to provide historical CDBG information to the Council. He said that it was also meant to solicit input from the Council regarding project goals and proposed projects. A list of funding requests for the 2000 CDBG budget was distributed and has been made a permanent part of this record. Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat asked if the new regional park would be eligible for improvement and planning funds through the CDBG program. He pointed out that more non-residents than residents would be using this facility. He requested a comparison report of the 10-year history of the allocated funds. He asked that this report be structured to show per capita allocation as well as ratio allocation to Marana versus the total CDBG funds distributed throughout Pima County. Discussion/Direction: Authorization to hold regular council meetings throughout the community (Mayor Sutton) Mayor Sutton explained his reasoning for requesting authorization to hold regular council meetings throughout the community. He said that these meetings would help generate interest in the government processes and involvement in growth management. He commented that these meetings would also provide a higher visibility of the Town Council to residents and encourage residents to become active participants in government by serving on commissions and advisory committees. 5 MINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MARANA TOWN HALL JANUARY 18, 2000 Upon motion by Council Member Honea, seconded by Council Member Blake, authorization to hold a regular council meeting at Dove Mountain and at Continental Ranch during 2000 was approved 6/0. 5. Legislative Update (Mike Hein) Mr. Hein gave a short summary of the legislative action that was scheduled on the House and Senate 2000 calendars. He said that Ms. Entz was assisting him in tracking the bills and issues of particular interest to the Town. He added that Ms. Entz was also helping him respond to residents who were seeking support or opposition from the Town regarding state legislation. Mr. DeGrood spoke briefly regarding federal funding for road construction projects and the numerous requirements the Town had to meet in order to utilize the monies. He said a bill was before the Legislature that would allow municipalities to exchange federal monies with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The funding requirements of ADOT were far less restrictive than the federal government. He stated that, even though it was an exchange of $.90 on the dollar, the bureaucratic burden was substantially lessened for the Town staff and projects actually cost less in the long run. Mr. Hein stated that a number of water bills were scheduled for this session. One bill was particularly interesting to Marana as it related to the prohibition of recharge recovery in another jurisdiction without permission from that jurisdiction. 6. Pima Association of Governments Management Committee (Jocelyn Entz) Mr. Hein explained that he had been involved in negotiations with another jurisdiction at the time of the last Pima Association of Governments (PAG) Management Committee meeting. He said that Ms. Entz had attended the meeting in his place. Ms. Entz reported that the majority of the agenda items were either approved by the committee or did not require any action. She announced that Council Member Harn had been elected as Chairperson of the PAG Regional Council. She explained that when a municipality's member was elected as Chairperson that the municipality's manager would automatically serve as Chairperson of the PAG Management Committee. C. Mayor and Council's Report Council Member Honea reported that he had recently walked along the Santa Cruz River levee project to view the progress. He said that he was impressed with the bank protection. M~UTES'OF REG~AR COWNC~ ~ETING ~A TO~ ~L J~UARY 18, 2000 Council Member Kai reported that he had been involved in the consent agreement negotiations with the City of Tucson regarding the recharge water issues. He commended Mr. Hein and Mr. DeSpain for their diligence and handling of this problem. Due to a recording error, Council Member Ziegler's report was inaudible. Mayor Sutton reported that he had attended Tucson's State of the City address given by Mayor Walkup. He said that he felt optimistic that Mayor Walkup would become an ally and a good partner to Marana. D. Manager's Report Mr. Hein reported that, within several weeks, he expected to bring before the Council a draft annexation request. This request was to be in the form of alternate Town boundaries. Additionally, a cost and benefit analysis for each section was to be provided. He stated that, as bank protection continued and endangered specie issues remained in the forefront, development pressure continued to appear in this part of the region. He said that he would be forwarding information based on infrastructure capacities and other criteria to the Council for review. This information was to assist them in preparing a development baseline for Marana. This baseline would establish adequate planning and vision for Marana's future growth. He reported that he had been spending a lot of time talking with the City of Tucson's recently elected mayor, Bob Walkup, and that there was a refreshing new spirit of negotiation with the change of City leadership. He said that a draft effluent water agreement had been reached and that recharge water project negotiations had progressed to a preliminary agreement from Tucson. The City had tentatively agreed not to recover recharge water without Marana's cooperation and participation as well as a recovery plan. He stated that the State's legislative session might make this agreement moot if the bill prohibiting recovery without another jurisdiction's consent is passed. Mr. Hein concluded his report by stating that a celebration of life ceremony would be held on January 24, 2000, at 1:30 p.m. at Town Hall Monument Park as a remembrance of Carla Singer, Planner I, who recently passed away. He said that a tree would be planted and a park bench would be dedicated in her honor. MINUTES OF ~GUL~ COUNCIL MEET~G MARANA TOWN H~L J~ARY 18, 2000 ge XI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS A study session will be held regarding the northwest area plan. A discussion of the progress of the Business Advisory Committee's (BAC) input regarding the noise ordinance will be scheduled for the next Council meeting. ADJOURNMENT Upon motion by Vice-Mayor Reuwsaat, seconded by Council Member Blake, adjournment was approved 6/0. The time was 8:22 p.m. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council meeting held on January 18, 2000. I further certify that a quorum was present. TOWN COUNCIL MEE'rtNG J , z,,,z".,r',,,Z.--..-/x_/o-.: