HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/10/1997 Special Council Meeting MinutesPLACE AND DATE
Marana Police Department, June 10, 1997
CALL TO ORDER
By Mayor Ora Harn at 5:10 P.M.
H. ROLL CALL
COUNCIL
Ora Ham
Bobby Sutton, Jr.
Ed Honea
Herb Kai
Sherry Millner
Michael Reuwsaat
Roxanne Ziegler
Mayor
Vice Mayor
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
STAFF
Hurvie Davis
Michael Hein
Sandy Groseelose
Dan Hoehuli
Jane Johnson
Roy Cuaron
Jerry Flannery
Dave Smith
Jocelyn Entz
Dave Atler
Brad DeSpain
Ann Meaders
Floyd Foster
Joel Svoboda
Russell Dillow
Town Manager
Assistant Town Manager
Town Clerk
Town Attorney
Human Resource Director
Finance Director
Planning & Zoning Director
Chief of Police
Assistant to the Town Manager
Public Works Director/Town Engineer
Utilities Director
Water Administrative Manager
Water Operator Manager
Plans Examiner
Town Magistrate
IlL APPROVAL OF AGENDA
A motion was made by Ed ltonea, seconded by Sherry Millner and carried
unanimously to approve the Agenda as presented.
IV. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. Adoption of the Fiscal 1997-98 Tentative Budget - General Discussion/Action of
the Proposed 1997-98 Fiscal Year Budget
Hurvie Davis: Due to the magnitude of the budget, Council decided to have a special
session prior to the June 17, for the final adoption of the budget. We did summarize the
budget at the last meeting, giving you highlights of the budget. If you'd like, we can go
MINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
MARANA TOWN COUNCIL
JUNE 10, 1997
through that and give you those highlights again or we can concentrate on the various
changes. There have been a number of questions asked in the last week about the
budget.
Ora Itarn: Asked Council if they'd rather look at each departments budget and ask
questions of the department heads or go over all of the budget and ask questions after.
Michael Reuwsaat: Commented, he appreciates the work staff has done. Have some
concerns. Feels the budget looks to be fairly aggressive in terms of expenditures - with
revenue projections are not have an increase as quickly as the expenditures. When
looking at the projected numbers, (directed Council to go to the insert on Consolidated
Summary in section 2) the recurring revenues even when adding the grants. If you add
those two up came up the $10.6 million. I then looked down at operational expenditures,
when I took the first three, the salaries, contracted services and the commodities and
supplies, that came to $10.26 million - almost the entire amount of the operating
revenues that we're going to generate. Pretty much from that point on, we're going to be
going into our bank account to be operating the Town of Marana basically on a day to
day basis over the next year. If you take out the bonds and you take out the annexation,
you're looking at around $12.9 million, which would include staff additions, staff
improvements, debt service capitol outlay and so forth. I would like to see us and bring
the operational side of Marana operating outside of the annexations and bonds closer
together with the revenue, so that we're pulling less out of our reserves. When I say that,
also I look at next year. Let's say we go with the bond service schedule for the $5.7
million we're looking at an increase to our operational budget of about half million
dollars next year to cover the indebtedness of those bonds. Right off the bat next year,
we have to add whatever our revenue increases are, the first $500,000 has to go to cover
the improvements that we approved and we're going to sell those bonds to. I really have
a hard time, right now I would have to say no. I would not approve this budget because I
would have to see the operational side come together closer to the revenue side. We
grew a little too fast in terms of what we need and what we want to get our jobs done.
Hurvie Davis: Do you want to speak to that or are there other Council Members who
want to speak to that issue?
Roxanne Ziegler: I have looked at the budget, I do not want to say that I'm that good at
budgeting things, however, we need to get off the dime and get this thing done. I think
there could be some things that we can do to bring it under $20,000,000 or at
$20,000,000. I'd like to hear, as the Mayor suggested, go to each department head and
do it in a concise order. I'd hate to have these guys go back to the drawing tables and
revamp this budget again.
Ed Itonea: He agrees with what Councilman Reuwsaat says but, in Municipal
budgeting you have to set a budget basically thinking that everything that you want to do
that year, is going to take place. The reality is, it doesn't. I think you have to have that
ability within your budget. Last year we had contemplated taking a couple million
dollars off our savings to finance last years budget, what actually happened in reality
because we're under budget, is we've added another million and a half to the money we
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had in the municipal savings account this year. I think the top figure is just a figure, I
think we have to rely on Mr. Davis and the department heads to keep us out of hot water.
There are many projects in this budget that could be ophonal. If we get into the budget
year and we see that we're falling behind the dime or things are not looking too well, our
revenues are not good or we have a down turn or whatever, some of those projects could
be pushed to the next year. If we have a $22,000,000 budget and we get three or four
months into this fiscal year and Mr. Davis sees that we are not bringing in the revenue -
to finance these projects, I'll guarantee you some of them won't get done.
Vice Mayor Sutton: Commented if it is important to get out of the reserve, Hurvie and
I found $1,500,000 or something that was easily forecasting for this year but in all
likelihood won't happen. The money needs to be in there so we can do it if we need to.
If it's that important to get out of the reserve, we found a few things that could knock
that point down. There's things we put on the budget two years ago that haven't been
done that we were able to move the money and either use it somewhere else or the
projects just weren't available. ! think talking to each of the department heads is what
we need to do.
Hurvie Davis: Just a comment or two, and I agree, we go department by department.
Basically Roy and my philosophy, we tend to be conservative in our budgeting, we then
to estimate revenues on the cautious side. We put in the full cost of expenses that we
feel that we may incur.
Mayor Ham: Roy, is there anything you'd like to add?
Roy Cuaron: ! would hope that you received the changes, one set was a detailed budget
that were clipped together, the other set were paper clipped. You were looking at a
$20.9 million budget initially and with the changes that have occurred, as a result of new
cost estimates that were just received we had increase the budget by $1.8 million - what
we sent you were those budgets that were affected.
Roxanne Ziegler: On Summary of Budget changes - Mr. Atler, miscalculation by staff
under expenditures stores -- $12,000 and you went to $123,000 is that just exactly what
it says miscalculations, or is that something...
Roy Cuaron: Under the predevelopment agreement with O'rielly Motors, we have a
provision in there where we are rebating them, we are paying for infrastructure at a rate
of 1/3 of their sales tax for the year and the formula that was put in there was at .03% out
of the 33%, so that was a tree miscalculation on my part.
Roxanne Ziegler: Thank you. The other question is right below there, revised cost
estimate - Price Club Loop I was questioning from $200,000 to 1.8.
Dave Atler: That was the discussion that Bobby and Hurvie were talking about earlier.
Mayor Ora Harm Are there any questions for Roy, for the overall proposed budget?
MINUTES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
MARANA TOWN COUNCIL
JUNE 10, 1997
Michael Reuwsaat: Are there any major categories in miscellaneous revenue?
Roy Cuaron: Zoning maps, copies, agenda fees, it's a broad category.
Michael Reuwsaat: Maybe I wasn't clear, when I said there was a gap it wasn't on
capitol improvements, it was on operational expenses. My concern is the operational
difference which is in addition to the capitol outlay, which is $9,000,000. Part of that
which is coming through bonds and part through the budget. The day to day, the staff;
the pencils, the paper the capitol outlay
Mayor Harn: As we go through the different departments, I'm sure there's questions
that all of you have on their budget.
Michael Reuwsaat: My preference is staff to get general guidance from the Council
after review and let them decide where it's best to operate their budget because their on
the line day to day. My comments will be geared that way instead of saying take this out
or take that out. I appreciate the chance to go budget by budget but I hope we will give
staff the latitude to do the managing and the budgeting and come back with those
requests.
Roy Cuaron: To address Council Members Reuwsaat's concerns, I certainly understand
where you're coming from, but one of the things you need to look at is, we have about
half a million dollars in contingency that obviously we're not going to spend, so that
narrows the gap. In addition to that, you look at the water, the general fund is
subsidizing the water, so we have an opportunity, should the Council decide to further
narrow the gap if they wanted to make the water utility a true enterprise fund system.
Those are just a few areas where we're reducing the gap basically between the
$12,000,000 the $13,000,000 and the $10,000,000 in current revenue.
Mayor Harn: Mr. Cuaron, would you tell Council what you told me today about the
additional staff?.
Roy Cuaron: If you look at the staffing, excluding the effect of annexations - we're
currently at 114.5 that have been authorized by the Council. Without the annexation
we're requesting additional staff of seven. Obviously in a growing community, !
wouldn't think that's a significant increase in our staff request.
Mayor Harn: Several of our police officers will be covered by grants, is that correct?
Roy Cuaron: The police department is actually requesting one additional police officer,
which is grant funded for the first year at 100% of the cost and in subsequent two years it
decreases to 75%, 50%. The other position is a records clerk. With respect to public
works, I think consistent with the philosophy to try to get it in house and save costs on
consultant services, Mr. Atler has requested additional staff to do some of those
functions that are currently being done outside of our existing staff.
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Mayor Harm Before we go to anything else, we'll go to the proposed bonding project,
if that's okay. I think we have some information sent out from Peacock, Hisop, Staley
and Given Inc. Hurvie if you want to take the lead on that, we'll do the proposed bonded
project first.
Hurvie Davis: What we have listed here, the bond projects would be identified in the
public works department and the water department. Roy and I went through the public
works budget and we thought were conducive to bond more so than others, but there are
other projects in the public works that could also be utilized for bonded for. We thought
these were the best candidates - the two on the bottom, land acquisition for the new
municipal site and the modular building. There are various other projects. Then we
have the water projects, I'll let Mr. DeSpain go through discussion with those projects. I
think that is in keeping with the policy and direction given to us by the Mayor and
Council that Marana would be the primary water provider in the Town of Marana.
Mayor Harn: We can get to that when we get to the Water Budget. I think there's a lot
of questions about the bonding program.
Hurvie Davis: We can refer to Kevin Stombaugh who is representing Peacock, Hisop,
Stanley and Given. Mark Reeder was unavailable this evening so Kevin came down in
his place. They have been our financial advisors for many years.
Kevin Stombaugh: I have worked with Mark Reeder to some extent on some of these
projects over the past four years. He asked me yesterday to go ahead and cover this
meeting. He indicated there would or should be some questions concerning the MPC
issue which I have reviewed the materials. I believe what you're referring to is the
packet page 1 through looks to be about 7 or 8 pages; which look to two different
scenarios. I guess, if you have specific questions I could address those or if you'd like,
we could walk through some of these materials now.
Hurvie Davis: I guess the issue is, do we do bonds or don't we do bonds, do we do the
reserve funds versus doing bonds and so forth. I like to pay as you go, but there are
times when you need to have bonds and so forth. We have probably around $7,000,000
in the Municipal Investment Pool. We get between 5.5 and 5.65 interest rates back on
that. That's why our interest income this year, we had projected year to date would be
$187,500 with $306,000 of interest income. It's a matter of, do we use our reserve or
how much do we use versus using bonds? I think what Kevin can tell us is what our
bonding picture looks like, what our credit rating looks like and so forth.
Mayor Harn: I think also, Councilman Reuwsaat had some concerns about the debt,
Michael Reuwsaat: It's not a concern, it's just that you've got it and you've got to
remember that for next year you start out with that and if you're going to go ahead and
float all your bonds in your first year, then in the best case scenario, which is the first
one, you've got $590,000 worth of debt retirement that comes out of sales tax or
whatever, and we make a decision now, for years to come - I guess I like to see a real
healthy reserve, but I don't mind funding things through bonds to get improvements
done that we need to get done; knowing that we have an incurred cost that we have to
think about for the next few years. It's not part of this years picture - it's part of next
years picture.
Mayor Id[arn: I know we bonded for the Town Hall, and we bonded for the water
company. How much debt is still owed and needs to be covered,
Ed Itonea: I think we paid the Town Hall off, it's just the water company we deal
Roy Charon: Our total outstanding bond indebtedness is like $545,000 or will be at the
end of the fiscal year. I don't know if this is split up between the Honea system
acquisition and Town Hall acquisition.
Mayor Harn: So, actually, all that debt is almost retired.
Kevin Stombaugh: ~nere are currently two MPC issues, one which was issued in 1990,
and one which was issued in 1992 - I don't know which is this particular project.
Regarding the 1990 issue, you have an outstanding $260,000 bonds and for the 1992 you
have $300,000. Just so you get a feel for it, on an annual basis it's roughly a 62 to
$63,000 combined - principal and interest on both those outstanding issues. As any
subsequent MPC debt that we issue - it would be layered on top of that existing debt.
Ed Itonea: I think both of those are water company debts. The first one was to buy the
company and the second one was for improvements.
Roy Cuaron: The first one was for the acquisition of the water system and the second
one was to purchase Town Hall, and on top of that we added $30,000 to provide capitol
improvements to the water system.
Hurvie Davis: Kevin, maybe you could indicate the current interest rate that we're
paying on those bonds every budget year and also what you would feel is an interest rate
that we might be able to get.
Kevin Stombaugh: The 1990 issue matures in 2009, so you're looking at 13 more years
in that service. The average interest rate on that issue ranges from 7.75 to 8.3%. I can
ball park roughly what the average interest cost, it looks to be 8% on that issue.
Conversely on the 1992 issue, it has a much longer maturity, going out to the year 2018,
with rates from 6.75 to 8% and likewise I would say it's probably 7.75, a little bit less
than the 1990 issue. With regard to interest rates currently if you were to issue. Looking
at some of the scenarios, it appears you're contemplating a ten year amortization for
some road improvements and a fifteen year amortization possibly for some water
company and other improvements. I have called our trading desk on the way down and
got some indications where the market is with regard to MPC rates. Just for general
information - they typically trade about 10 basis points for a .10 - cheaper than getting a
higher interest rate than general litigation bonds. Bonds that mature in three years would
have a trade of 4.60, bonds that mature ending in 2005 would be about 5.05. Now if you
were to look at an average basis for an entire issue, I would speculate that the ten year
issue might have, slightly under a 5% rate. The fifteen year issue might come in at say
5.25 to 5.50%. Again, these are speculations and I haven't run the numbers to see the
market interest rates. As I mentioned earlier, whether or not you use your cash available
or to bond for these projects, I think is a critical question and I don't know if there's
been a discussion.
Ed Honea: What's the differential between the money we get from the Municipal
Account and the bond debt?
Hurvie Davis: 5.5 to 5.65.
Ed Honea: That's what we're earning on a municipal account? And the bonds would
go for about the same price?
Kevin Stombaugh: I would say that a conservative estimate would say yes, it's the
same price. I think in looking at maturity range and looking at the credit behind these
issues and also taking into consideration that the amount of cash you have in reserve,
that plays well into the rating that may be issued to such bond. I also think by bonding,
you talked about preserving cash for furore projects. We talked about the credit
agencies, looking to the cash reserves and seeing that as a little benefit.
Ed ltonea: I'm concerned about leveraging our future. Do you know what our total
bonding capacity is?
Kevin Stombaugh: I think there was any analysis done. First when you look at the
MPC issue, when it comes to capacity - you look at coverage ratios. That coverage ratio
is determined by looking at your total excised taxes divided by your outstanding debt
service. To the extent that you have three time coverage meaning that your revenues are
three times out of your debt service, you can pretty much create a hypothetical issue and
come up with a total issue price. I think I seen $27,000,000.
Ed Honea: We're probably going to look at bonding for a municipal facility - possibly
next year. We may end up having to look at some bonding revenue to enhance some of
the bank protections that are being done. I don't know if all of that is going to be done
by the County. What I'm concerned about is every time we layer another bond here,
basically that money's gone from operating. I like these projects and I like these water
projects.
Kevin Stombaugh: If the bonds are to be issues, you'd have to maintain a certain
coverage. You would have to pledge certain excise taxes for the repayment of bonds. If
you issue additional debt, which would be perry debt to the existing MPC bonds, you
would have to pledge more of those excise taxes on an annual basis to pay the debt
service.
Hurvie Davis: Kevin, is there a limit on how much you can pledge?
Kevin Stombaugh: In my experience, it depends on the city because there are certain
pledging requirements on those revenues. If you encumber a portion of those debt
services, for a specific service you can't account them for coverage for a different issue
for instance. I don't know to the extent that those revenues have been pledged thus far
other than for the existing MPC bonds. To that extent I think that you could pledge up to
what ever coverage ratio you decide to go with. That's largely determined by the rating
season as well. For general discussion purposes, this analysis reflects a three times
coverage ratio. In the extent that you have three times revenues to pledge on debt
service, that would be the amount of debt which you could issue.
Ed Honea: I thought we already purchased the Marana Water System. We purchased it
with this years budget, this year that we're getting out oP.
Hurvie Davis: Yes. What we're saying is, if you sell bonds, you can go ahead and sell
bonds if you approve the other provision that's on the agenda this evening that we can
take and sell bonds and replace the money in the stir funds for the bond and go ahead
and pay that debt off.
Ed Itonea: We can sell the bonds as needed?
Kevin Stombaugh: (inaudible words)
Ed Honea: Piece no, each project as new projects, if we decide not, we don't have to
pay it in blocks or anything of that nature?
Kevin Stombaugh: It looks to be one issue, but broken in two pieces. If you would
issue a portion of the bonds in July of '97, I could go back in a year and sell it, but it's up
to you.
Hurvie Davis: When you go for a bond approval, you have a certain period of time in
which you can use the interest off that and you run into a arbitrage problem, is that
correct?
Kevin Stombaugh: Well, the arbitrage would happen, if you were to issue the bonds
and the bond proceeds would be deposited into an interest account, you are prohibited
from running a higher yield on those bonds than your earning on an interest account. If
you're earning 5.5 to 5.65 potentially on a shorter issue as you have here, that might
potentially happen. Because it's a shorter issue, you're going to have a lower bond
yield. If the bond sells for 5.50 and you take those proceeds invest them in 5.65 that's
called arbitrage.
Ed Honea: What I'm concerned about is if we approve the bonds at $6,938,000 we
would sell all of those bonds, and then we could use a portion of that money and the rest
of it would go in an account. But the bonds are sold, so we're obligated for that debt.
Kevin Stombaugh: That's correct.
Ed Honea: The thing I'm concerned about is, Tucson Water, for example which is
$2,000,000 - we don't know what that figure is going to be. It could be half that much,
it could be twice that much. We don't know if we're going to use that money this year
or next year or whether it'll take us two or three years to work out an agreement. If we
sell those bonds, we've leveraged for maybe something we won't do. Maybe we won't
do it this year. If we approve $6.9 million, you're going to sell $6.9 million worth of
bond for our account?
Kevin Stombaugh: That's correct.
Hurvie Davis: That's why I didn't want to put the 1.9 as that possible settlement right-
of-way issue into bonds, because there may not even have a need for that 1.9 - but we've
sold the bonds on it and we have to find another project to use those funds in.
Roy Cuaron: We've identified projects that we feel are subject to bonding. If we go
out and issue the bonds in that amount, we would have $7,000,000 worth of bonds.
Could we then come back and say, although we've designated these projects, we could
also substitute projects, is that correct? We're not limited to spending the $7,000,000 as
we've indicated here.
Kevin Stombaugh: I believe you are. Made by resolution would be prescribed to those
items identified in that authorized resolution.
Michael Renwsaat: If you break up the issues at all, how is that going to affect us from
an interest stand point? If we break it up and only issue $3,000,00 -- we authorize total
expenditure of 7 million, but we only authorize the issuance of 3 million now. And nine
months down the line, Tucson Water becomes and then we decide to authorize the
issuance of another $2,000,000 - how will that affect us financially. We'll be at the
mercy of the markets?
Kevin Stombaugh: 7hat's right. There's really no way to lock into a forward rate.
Roxanne Ziegler: Let's go back to what you said earlier, about arbitrage - so you're
saying that we cannot exceed the
Kevin Stombaugh: Whatever the bond year is, whatever that comes out to be for the
bonds issue. When you take the proceeds that were going to go to into a construction
account - let's assume you haven't begun to draw down on those to spend on projects
those money's are earning a rate. The rate which you can earn on those proceeds cannot
exceed the bond note.
Roxanne Ziegler: So you can never make any more.
Kevin Stombaugh: That's right. You're prohibited from Federal law to do that.
Roxanne Ziegler: You can't make more, you can only stay at whatever that rate is.
Kevin Stombaugh: It's because these are tax exempt, the government doesn't want you
to borrow their rate and then arbitrage or leverage those money's to earn higher rate.
They want the arbitrage. By the same token, another way to look at it as well, if you
don't spend it right away, you're earning interest on those proceeds.
Roxanne Ziegler: Explain again, do we have to commit to this 6.9 all at once?
Kevin Stombaugh: If you approve the issuance of 6.9, you do not have to issue the full
amount.
Roxanne Ziegler: So we can do it as the need comes up.
Mayor Itarn: Council Members, if you received a packet that made some adjustments,
the summary of adjustments - the total bond proceeds that we're talking about is
$7,074,805 correction. If you will look at the adjustments that were made in that
summary, so that nobody's going to get really hostile when they think they passed 69
and they look and it's 7. I just wanted to make you aware of that because I was getting
Kevin Stombaugh: If you were to issue all at once, the full amount. The cost of
issuance incurred, those costs being relative fixed in being you'll have bond counsel
fees, you have printing fees, there's certain amount of fees incurred regardless of the
size of the issuance, whether it's $50,000 or $50,000,000. Now if you were to split up
that authorization between two sales, you pay it twice. I think you need to look at how
soon, you reasonable expect to spend the money. If you reasonable expect to spend it
fairly soon, it makes sense to issue it all at once. Assuming that you're going to be
earning interest earnings on the proceeds. And you will incur only one set of cost
issuance. Whereas if you piece meal it, you'll have two separate sets of costs of issuance
and two separate offering documents.
Michael Reuwsaat: If we're going to bond, we need to bond for the whole thing,
because it's not going to cost us any money because of proceeds we'll be paying the
interest on the part that we're not using. Is that basically correct?
Kevin Stombaugh: Assuming that there isn't any negative arbitrage. In a perfect
world, that's right. If you issue the bonds at 5.5 and you can earn 5.5 then you're right,
but it's not always that way.
Michael Reuwsaat: The way we're earning now, if it goes positive, who does it go to?
Kevin Stombaugh: The government. Arbitrage rebate is a service that is,
Michael Reuwsaat: So that really doesn't cost us anything either. If we make the extra
money, it goes to the Fed.'s because it's a tax exempt type issue, right? So, in my
opinion, if we're going to bond, let's bond the whole thing - 5.5 or whatever we can get
it, that's real cheap money to get for a bond issue. You'll probably hardly ever see it
where a municipal fund is earning what a bond is paying out - they're usually a couple
percentage points away from each other, this is a good opportunity. My question after
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that is, you said it has to be spent for the projects that are listed. What if a project falls
through and we just don't do it?
Kevin Stombaugh: No problem. You don't have to spend the money on it. It's when
you have a list of items and then, all ora sudden you want to spend it on something else.
I believe that's a problem.
Michael Reuwsaat: So (using the figure) the 1.9 for Tucson, is $1,000,000 - is the
$900,000 that's still available up to us to use or what happens to any additional money's
that aren't incurred?
Kevin Stombaugh: If I'm understanding the question correctly, in essence, what if the
amounts change? That's a good question and I would respond to that by saying, I don't
think that matters, I think that if you reasonably expect to spend an amount of money,
the allocation as such that we can use different projects, then you're covered. I don't
think you have to necessarily stick to a specific figure. You're not precluded from
spending less than.
Vice Mayor Sutton: Is there any fees or any interest paid on any additional that's left
over, or is that just up to the Town to use at its discretion? Ifa project comes under, say
you spend 1.5 in a $2,000,000 project, are we at liberty to do what we need with that
money or is that put back in some
Kevin Stombaugh: So you're saying if you were issued more than you spent?
Michael Reuwsaat: If you had a reduction there's got to be a process to re-issue the
remaining funds for some other projects.
Kevin Stombaugh: To the best of my knowledge, if it's not originally contemplated
under the use of proceeds then it cannot be spent.
Roy Cuaron: When the Council passes a resolution, it has to identify specific projects?
Kevin Stombaugh: Yes.
Roy Cuaron: So, when we identify the projects we cannot build a project that is not
listed on that resolution.
Ed Itonea: If we were issued $7,000,000 in bonds and we use $5,000,000 - we can turn
that $2,000,000 back and retire part of the debt and forget about it if we want to, is that
correct?
Kevin Stombaugh: I would have to look into that - I can't speak specifically to that.
Ed ltonea: What I'm concerned about is if we borrow $7,000,000 and all of a sudden
Tucson says, we're not going to deal with you anymore and you're sitting there with
$2,000,000 worth of bond revenue in an account - we don't have anywhere to spend it.
We have to go back and try to find another bond issue to spend that money on, we can't
just turn that $2,000,000 back and retire $2,000,000 worth of bond debt?
Kevin Stombaugh: No, you can't. Your saying, if you have access proceeds beyond the
cost of the project, you would want to retire the debt
Ed Itonea: The biggest project here is the water system, but if we can't work a deal
with Tucson, there's a time limit on these bonds, correct?
Kevin Stombaugh: The time limit, terms you have to use a debt - to issue the bonds? I
can speak to general allegations bonds as being six years from date of authorization.
Ed ltonea: If for some reason, this particular project falls through and we can not use it
- we're still obligated to keep the bonds, is what you're basically telling us.
Kevin Stombaugh: Once you issue the bonds, their held by (inaudible word). Typically
what would happen is, you wouldn't issue the bonds until you have specific amounts in
mind.
Ed Itonea: I thought you just said we should probably sell all of the bonds at one time
in order to save money.
Kevin Stombaugh: If that number is the total amount of a project being financed, it
would be make sense to go ahead and do it now.
Ed Itonea: If we were sure they were all going to be done?
Kevin Stombaugh: That's right.
Ed Honea: However, if we were not sure, we might be biting off a couple million in
bond revenues that we're not going to be able to spend.
Brad DeSpain: Let me clarify one point. If you sell bonds for $1.9 million to Tucson
Water, and they don't want to deal with it you can condemn them to take it, you could
spend the money.
Ed Honea: I had one more question, I think this is for Mr. DeSpain or Mr. Cuaron. In
our Municipal Water Company, it's under some kind of government - it's supposed to
pay its own debt?
Brad DeSpain: Enterprise system.
Ed Honea: Is there any way in the world that our water company is going to be able to
retire $4,000,000 worth of debt in 15 years?
12
Brad DeSpain: If you spend those funds on the companies that we recommended, and
the development occurs at RedHawk and Best - you will have enough revenue to retire,
but you'll have to look at our current Town rate not the rate that they're coming in at.
Ed Itonea: I don't want to end up like our friends in Oro Valley are going to end up
jacking their water rates up 40% to cover their bonds. At our current rate, could we
retire these bonds if we went on, I know it will go up a little bit.
Brad DeSpain: At the present Marana Water System rate which is $14.00 and $2.55,
you can. Honea System is the only one that's on that rate right now.
Ed Honea: So we would have to raise everybody else.
Brad DeSpain: Some will be 40% or better.
Mayor Harm Let me say that we have taken some time with this bonding issue, but all
of you have learned a little bit about bonding and I think it's been well worth the time
spent and I thank you Kevin for coming down. These questions that Council has asked
you that you might have to ask Jabon Council about - I would appreciate if you could
get those answers back to Mr. Davis. And, Mr. Davis will you see to it that Council
receives that information.
Vice Mayor Sutton: From the Water System standpoint, can you ramp it up the
payments?
Kevin Stombaugh: You can structure the debt any way you like,
Mayor Harn: Are there any more questions about the bonding issue?
There were none.
Mayor Harm What's our first one here? The Town, Mr. Davis, do you want to try to
take over the Town one. Maybe rather than go down through it, just open it to the
Council and if they have questions -just feel the questions.
Michael Renwsaat: What constitutes Consultant Services?
Hurvie Davis: Advised this is a category that gives the Town provision to retain
consultants for various things, that we don't have the resources to work on. Such as Mr.
Byron Howard has helped us on sewer issues, Jack Neubeck has helped with annexation
issues, and so forth.
Roy Cuaron: We have used that in the past as well at the Councils direction - in
providing fire service we hired a consultant to oversee that process. We've used it to
fund appraisals of the water system and to perform an acid inventory as well for the last
four years.
13
Michael Reuwsaat: The fire service issue again, if the annexation takes place mid year
will that then reduce that expenditure appropriately, or can it be pro-rated such that
when the annexation goes through and it goes through to the individual property owners,
that the Towns liability is reduced by an appropriate amount or pro-rated by months (five
or six months)
Hurvie Davis: As you know, the south part of Town is basically covered by Northwest
Fire District. A little over a year ago, we entered into a 2-year contract with Northwest
Fire District to serve the other part of Town that wasn't in the fire district. I think a little
bit of Avra Valley Fire District is in the Town right now. During this 2-year contract,
Northwest was to proceed to annex the rest of the Town in the Fire District so that the
Town would no longer incur an expense to provide fire service. If we were to annex a
large area into the Town that wasn't in the original contract, then we would agree to
adjust the contract there is a provision in there for adjustments based on annexations.
Michael Reuwsaat: Basically what we're saying is this is year two of a 2-year contract
and at the end of year 2, we hope that everybody is within the Fire District that's our
agreement with Northwest, to go out and see that they get it done. Except now we have
another player involved.
Iturvie Davis: My understanding is that public safety is one of the basic issues that
government has set up and we may expose ourselves to some liability if much of the
Town is served by fire services such as Fire District and the rest of the Town is not.
Michael Reuwsaat: The reverse is not tree then, that from an equity standpoint, we're
not providing this service to Continental Ranch folks - that they're paying for it out of
their own pocket. I've been hit with this, that's why my question is directed to you as,
health, safety and welfare - - I understand that, is that stronger than the issue of equity in
terms of delivery of services.
lturvie Davis: On the equity of services, I'm not sure that you can take any two parts of
Town and say all the services we provide to both parts of Town are equal. One part of
Town requires a certain of disproportionate share of our services versus perhaps another
part of Town. How do we equalize those out, I don't think you ever equalize those.
While we're putting money into services - fire services - money coming from the
General Fund, we say all the citizens pay into, on the other hand public service that we
provide in the more populated areas that we don't have to provide. Landscape
maintenance is one in Continental Ranch that we recently undertook. We don't have
landscape maintenance up here in this part of Town.
Mayor Itarn: Any further questions? Are you ready to go to the administrative budget?
Iterb Kal: Roy, did we resolve why we had increases in supplies.
Roy Cuaron: I sent up with the packet a detailed listing of the office supply schedule
for both accounting and finance and the administration. In the years past, the two
14
departments were combined. I certainly can't address the administrations request for
office supplies, but I can for accounting and finance.
Sandy Groseciose: We anticipate that there may be more (the packets are getting
bigger) there's more money that we'll be spending on copy paper and toner so we just
increased it just anticipating that and the copy and printer supplies, then general office
supplies - we've broken those down so I have copy paper at $2,400; copier and printers
are at approximately $1,300 and then general office supplies are at $11,000 depending
again on how many people come and utilize our supplies. As long as finance and HR
stay within the Town Hall, they will be using a lot of those supplies so it depends - of
course if we don't need them, we don't spend them. Currently we're pretty much on
target with office supplies for this budget year. So we're putting in just in case we need
additional. Our budget last year I believe was $12,000 so I increased it by a small
amount. We didn't keep a detailed budget, this year I'm breaking it down more so we
w/Il be able to anticipate what we spend and where because everything was lumped in.
We also increased the number of people within the Town Hall at the time over the years.
Mayor Itarn: Under the budget years 95-96 and 96-97 - are those amounts we
budgeted or the amount we spent?
Roy Cuaron: Those are the amounts that we budgeted, in each of those years.
Mayor Ham: So, those are figures that we budgeted and we may not have spent that
much in that budgeted year. How much over the 96-97 year do you propose we will
come in - do you think we will come in under-budget?
Roy Cuaron: Within the total budget capacity I think we will come in on budget.
Mayor Harn: I'm talking about the total budget for 96-97 - is it your projection that we
will come in well under that budget?
Roy Cuaron: In total, our expenditures I think will come in at about $12,000,000.
Council Member Kai had requested, and I think it's in the packet, is a supplement that
was forwarded to you. There's a comparison of actual revenues and expenditures. It
would have been sent to you on Friday. It says comparison of actual revenues and
expenditures - this schedule was prepared in response to Council Member Kai's request
for additional information. We've broken it out by source for 94-95; 95-96, the
estimated actual for 96-97 and we're estimating total expenditures to come in at $9.8
million for 96-97 which is considerably less than the budgeted amount.
Five minute recess.
Council Member Sherry Milluer has been excused from the meeting at 7:10 P.M.
Jerry Flannery: Commented he spoke with Kevin reference the bonding. The big issue
was if we get a $2,000,000 project that we don't use can we go outside the list? No,
you cannot - but the list can be adjusted and amended. You can put another project on
that list to fill the money. The money will not go unused. Whoever we appoint to sit on
the board for the MPC they would do that adjustment, so it is possible and that's the
way that is handled.
Mayor Harn: Let us go back to item number four: Mayor and Councils agenda. I have
a question about debt service. The Council owes the Town money?
Roy Cuaron: What it represents is the portion of debt that's allocated for the car that
Mayor and Council drive.
Mayor ltarn: Also, I know that on the travel and training and the conferences and
things like that -- there were some money set aside for the National Conference of the
League of Cities and Towns. I think so far there are four Council Members that want to
go and I didn't know if we had sufficient funds for everybody to go if they want to go. I
didn't know how the Council wanted to do.
Sandy Groseclose: What I did, we did not have Council Members go in the past to the
National League of Cities and Towns so I just guessed at two, but I know that there have
been three or four since this budget who are interested in attending - could be five. I
anticipated approximately $2,000 per person for airfare, travel once you're there, hotels
and food. I have $4,000 here for two individuals. It is twice a year, it's at Washington
DC and it changes locations.
Ed Itonea: I would be interested in attending the Governor's Economic Development
Conference too, which is in-state.
Sandy Groseelose: I've budgeted for four individuals for the Governor's Rural
Economic Council. If you need to increase or you anticipate more than the indicated
Council Members attending, then we would need to increase the dollar amount
appropriately.
Mayor Itarn: My most concern was it was - we have seven Council Members that
want to go to Washington DC, then we're talking about $14,000 so I didn't know how
the Council wanted to handle that.
Ed Itonea: Last year, for the league, there were five of us that went?
Sandy Groseclose: I believe there were.
Ed Itonea: How much was it -- $8,000?
Roy Cuaron: What we spent thus far is $6,3000.
Ed Itonea: What was budgeted last year?
Roy Cuaron: $12,000. We're at $6,300 through ten months of the year. I don't know
if there's any upcoming conferences.
U NE t O;
Sandy Groseclose: We had one person that went to the Rural Council this last year, that
was Vice Mayor Price.
Ora Harn: Each Council Member was called and asked what conference they were
going to try to attend. My concern is how many people we should designate to go to the
National or should we open it to any Council Member that wants to go?
Ed Honea: I would think because of the expense, just a suggestion, if Council Members
want to go that they certainly should only go to one of the Nationals - I don't think they
should go to both. Maybe two or three would chose to go to Philadelphia and two or
three might chose to go to Washington. If everybody went to both and we all go to all
the conferences, we'd be spending $10,000 a piece going around to conferences.
Vice Mayor Sutton: Even with a couple going to each, that still goes over budget.
Right now she's got budgeted two people going to one of the National Conferences. It
might be a little bit high in the estimation, but it's not going to be way off. It's a matter
of either delegating who goes to which ones or increasing that budget.
Mayor Barn: That's my position with it -- we are going to have six people going to
National Conferences, then we need to add that to the budget. I don't care how we do
that.
Ed Honea: ~Haat's in travel and training?
Sandy Groseclose: Yes.
Ed Itonea: We have $12,000 in public relations in here. It's like our things with Oro
Valley or Sahuarita or Tucson or when Congressman Kolbe is here and we have a dinner
for him and that type of stuff. Did we come close to spending that money?
Vice Mayor Sutton: That's a little misleading, all the things that are on that list of what
it is, Sandy's just now putting on line items. We've done almost every one of them but
we've pulled it from some other portion of the budget. It's not a zero to $12,600
expenditure, it's we're spending ten now and what she's asking for now is a couple
thousand more. It's all stuffwe're doing, it's not let's spend $12,000 this year. Sandy
could you mind reading those?
Sandy Groseclose: Under public relations; Festival of Cities and Towns at the booth
what that is, is the League o£ Cities and Towns there is a booth - it's for giveaways and
any type of decorating of the booth - we have $900 there. Kolbe dinner we do that all
the time and I have budgeted $500. Legislative Day for Marana in January - that's
something that Mayor Ham has always wanted to do and I estimated at $1,200. State of
the State, this last year we had several Council Members attend that and I budgeted $200
for that. State of Marana dinner, basically the address I budgeted $2,000 - that's if
Council wants to have it and invite various individuals/dignitaries to that. Dinners with
other Cities and Towns that has been started this last year: $1,750. Miscellaneous
plaques that we may want to give: $200. Flowers and funerals: $200. Council
17
portraits: $200. Founders Day Breakfast, if we have to spend a dollar amount: $1,000.
Christmas party for Council, Planning & Zoning Department Heads: $2,000. The
Marana Youth Assistance Fund (basically to give T-shirts, pins and things like that for
students that may be going to Washington on various trips we can't give them a lot of
money to do things but we may be able to give them something to take with them or
maybe give them a little bit of pocket change): $1,500. And then for other: $l,000.
Ed Itonea: Do we transfer money out of contingency and put it in there as a safety net?
Vice Mayor Sutton: Could we, if it's necessary pull it out of contingency or should we
move it now?
Mayor Itarn: I don't think we should do that, we're not going to let any of the other
departments do that. If we want it in the budget, I think we need to put it in the budget.
Roxanne Zeigler: I for one would like to attend the National League of Cities. I think 3
going to one and 3 going to the other would be good.
Sandy Groseclose: Right now, I have Roxanne, Sherry, Ora and Bobby - Ed did you
say you wanted to attend?
Ed Honea: I might be interested - I'm not saying that I would go either.
Sandy Groseelose: Herb and Mike, are you wanting to attend these?
Michael Reuwsaat: Not this year.
Iterb Kal: Probably not.
Sandy Groseclose: The Governor's Rural Economic Council I had slated four
individuals - I haven't had anyone requesting it, I just put in four individuals.
Mayor ltarn: Could we finish the National so I could stay on the same one?
Sandy Groseclose: I have that there would be five individuals wanting to go, and I
plugged in for two.
There was a discussion on where to come up with the money to cover the expenses for
Travel and Training.
Mayor IcIarn: I suggest that if Council wants to - that we add that $6,000 to the $16,000
and make it $22,000. Is there any other questions about the Mayor and Council' budget?
Hurvie Davis: What was the total on that?
Sandy Groseclose: For Travel and Training would be from $16,000 to $22,000.
Hurvie Davis: Just make the switch from Conhngency.
Mayor Harn: We'll go to Human Resources. I have a question on this - the itemized
part where it says $20,000 for long term disability and short term $10,000.
Jane Johnson: Correct, and we just rounded it up to $31,000 to give $1,000 leeway on
the benefits that was just added as the adjusted. It was not on the original tentative
budget that you had. I have been doing research on long term and short term disability at
the direction and interest of Council and some of the other staff members. That's what it
would take for us to be able to get into long term and short term disability policies for
every employee. I have looked at different options. The possibility of the Town paying
half and the employee paying half - the problem with any of the options with the
exception of the Town picking up the entire cost is that in order to offer it, then there has
to be 75% of the employees agree voluntarily to take the policies for them to be offered.
At this time we have offered Supplemental Life Insurance buy-ups and we've had to
have 25 people, which is about 25% and we haven't been able to do that. If the Town is
committed to providing the short term/long term benefits, then I think the Town is going
to have to pay for it. It would come to about $31,000.
Vice Mayor Sutton: What is the length of time of short term disability? When does it
turn into a long term case?
Jane Johnson: Twenty four weeks. It kicks in the fifteenth day, so you have two
weeks. Not everybody in all of the Municipalities offer the short term, but I wanted to
be sure we had the ability if you decided you wanted to offer both. You certainly could
drop short term.
Mayor Harn: Do most Municipalities offer the long term?
Jane Johnson: Yes. The larger the Municipality the higher percentage of short term
that's offered.
Ed Honea: I would rather have the short term than the long term.
Mayor Harm Is this something that the Council wants to do?
There was a short discussion on the differences of long term versus short term disability.
Mayor Harn: Are there any other questions?
Vice Mayor Sutton: Just quickly, some of the capitol outlays - conference table, chairs,
marker board report, floor coverings: $6,000 and furniture for a workstation: $6,000 -
that seems a little expensive for something we already have.
Jane Johnson: These are for the new modular facility that we expect ...
Michael Reuwsaat: Does the Town actually contribute to United Way or do it's
employees contribute or is it a-both?
Jane Johnson: We are relatively new to the process, we've only been involved in it two
years. It's been an employee participation.
Michael Reuwsaat: So is $5,500 a collection from employees and then a disbursement
to the United Way or are we going to collect additional money and then is the Town
going to contribute $5,500 in addition to what the employees are?
Jane Johnson: The employees will be separate. The $5,000 that I plugged in here for
the Town Participation was a way for us to be able to support the United Way, but direct
that money to come back to the Marana community. For example we could designate
that go back to the Food Bank in Marana. But go through the United Way as a way of
showing support to the system.
Mayor Harn: What do other communities do, do they participate in United Way?
Hurvie Davis: I'm not sure what other communities do as a whole, but I know Council
Member Millner and I attended the United Way breakfast recently. They talked about
getting the employee participation and getting the corporate sponsorship as well. I don't
know what the Municipalities do.
There was a discussion as to how United Way works and how Council wants to proceed.
Mayor Harn: Why don't we take the United Way and put local charity contributions.
If there's no objections to that.
There were none.
Mayor Harn We're on the Accounting and Finance.
Ed Honea: I have a question on the audit. We have an annual audit, right? How come
the figures are going up?
Roy Cuaron: This last fiscal year we prepared a top grants of annual finance report and
we anticipated that but we estimated the cost low, so I have allowed for that in this next
years budget on the assumption that we want to continue to prepare which I think is a
good idea. To allow for general inflation increase in cost and services.
Ed Honea: Did we used to do this Bi-annually?
Roy Cuaron: We've done it annually. I think there's a State Statute that says we're
required to do it every two years, but we have the option to do it every year.
Roxanne Ziegler: Commodities and Supplies and other charges and services.
2O
Roy Cuaron: In years past Accounting and Finance was included with Administration.
This years budget, those items you mentioned are budgeted in Accounting and Finance
in anticipation there will be a new building. Jane and I collaborated on machines, to put
some expenses in her budget and I included some in our budget. This all assumes there's
a new building and we have these expenses to go with it.
A discussion ensued as to the amount received from the CDBG Funds dropping from
$250,000 to $125,000. Projects that were requested for CDBG weren't funded. An
adjustment will have to be made in either the projects or decrease the contingency to
compensate for the reduction in CDBG revenues. A majority of this falls in the
improvement projects that Mr. Atler had budgeted.
Mayor Harn: Advised this is a political ball game and a lot of what is awarded is
dependent on the Towns representative to the County Board of Supervisors.
It was suggested the Town becoming a recipient agency directly to the state.
Roxanne Ziegler: Asked if anyone on Council lobby's for the Town to Sharon Bronson
actively. Advised if not, she will meet with Sharon Bronson.
Mayor Harn: Any questions on the legal budget?
Michael Reuwsaat: $12,000 for lobbying, is that just in case?
Dan Hochuli: It doesn't really belong in the legal budget. Council directed staff this
year to look into the prospect of lobbying. Mr. Holub performs lobbying efforts for
other Municipalities. Mr. Holub agreed and in a contract that Council approved, it's an
as needed basis. If Council directs lobbying efforts and asks Mr. Holub to do that, he is
will to do that. That is where that number came from.
Mayor Itarn: Let's go to Building Services.
Michael Reuwsaat: The repair and demolition fund is $25,000. When you condemn a
place and you don't get a response or action by a property owner - you go and clean it
up and put a lien on the property,
Hurvie Davis: I was informed that the County has a demolition fund of $10,000. I
would volunteer $15,000 out of that fund to put us at $10,000.
Mayor Harn: Any other questions?
There were no more
Mayor Harn: Planning and Zoning.
Jerry Flannery: Just as a general overview, the budget that I had this year is $55,000
higher. What accounts for accounts for that increase is just the raises and merit increases
21
MINU~ES OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
JUNE !0i '1997
for staff count for $11,000 of that. Contracted services we dropped $5,300 lower than
last year. We had an $5,000 increase in commodities and supplies. The line share of the
$55,000 is in proposed staff additions and that's somewhat of a misnomer, one of the
positions is a re-classificatiun. The other part is an intern/secretary and with internships
- the goal is to build up a good rapport with the Universities in the State of Arizona,
especially the University of Arizona. Once the internship expires, we would evaluate the
workload and there's been some discussion about bringing on additional staff to cover
the phones because we have at this moment - each department shares the responsibility
and it becomes an issue when there's breaks and those kinds of things. The secretarial
position would be able to cover that and relieve the other two departments from their
phone duties. Basically that's where the main increase have occurred, if there's anything
else I'll be happy to answer.
Roxanne Ziegler: Do you have answering machines down there?
Jerry Flannery: At this point no. The only answering machine is strictly for building
inspection.
Roxanne Ziegler: Is that something you can look at? Is that a viable idea to do?
Jerry Flannery: I think we could. I think Town Hall has done that recently.
Sandy Groseelose: We have Mayor and Council's line. It's answered during business
hours, weekends and holidays the answering machine is on.
Mayor Harn: Police Department. Do you want to give an overview or does Council
want to go to questions?
Herb Kal: You have increases on equipment from $56,000 to $63,000 what are they?
Chief Smith: What that includes is purchase of film and developing for evidence,
property evidence supplies such as boxes and packages to box weapons and contraband
that we take in. Supplies for Criminal Investigations such as tape you put up at crime
scenes and latent print tapes, canine supplies for our canine unit. Ammunition for
training, ammunition for duty, batteries for radios and other equipment from tape
recorders. The breakdown will explain what is expended for, just those operational
expenses. There's an increase for fuel and oil - the main reason was the beginning of
this budget year we were paying eighty cents a gallon, now we're paying over a dollar a
gallon. Increase of repair and maintenance of vehicles.
Michael Reuwsaat: One of the things that I've seen and appreciate is the aggressive
nature in which you go out and get additional funding, because you have several sources
that you've secured for different bills.
Mayor Harn: Next is the Courts. Any questions for the Judge? I was surprised that we
spend $150,689 for hourly employees.
22
his stuff - he knows where to go, your cost might be more of a benefit to the Town if
you go by the hour, or look at it both ways.
Dave Atler: We also have the condemnation expenses that were discussed earlier. If
you add in the carry over projects that were on last years budget that we're getting to
now you have the MTC item and the condemnation items - just those two alone are
about $4.2 million. If you take those out and we don't bond the project we don't go over
the contracts, then we've actually reduced next years budget by over 15% over this years
budget, The $10,000,000 has been significantly inflated based on that $4.2 million. We
added only two new projects under this next year.
Michael Renwsaat: On contracted services, you basically you take your engineering to
your Town reports, its gone from $448,000 to about $1,000,000 - is that for all the work
that is for all the projects that are carry over and two additional projects? Does it also
include the work that is going to be necessary for the bond projects?
Dave Atler: Some of it is for the bond projects. We have general engineering of
$85,000 in the overall category.
Michael Reuwsaat: We go from half a million dollars to one million dollars, next year
we get the work done that's required of us - are we going to be moving back down
towards a half million dollars? Are we looking at one time contractual services because
this year is so high. Is it separated out, I'm talking from an operational standpoint again,
that some of those charges are going to be incurred for projects that are bond projects
that might not be funded through the bond program rather than on going revenues?
Dave Atler: Most of the expenses associated with the construction of those projects are
included with in the bond program.
Michael Reuwsaat: it's more pointed towards the non bond projects in terms of getting
that this year.
Dave Atler: IfI could take a line by line maybe that'll help. Under engineering: we've
been getting requests from Continental Ranch area residents to improve the Coachline
Blvd. dip crossing - that was not in the current budget, that would be a one time
expense. The Floodplain Master Plan was originally budgeted in the 95-96 budget
there was no staff to oversee the project so that didn't get done. This fiscal year was cut
under the current fiscal year proposal last year, so we're putting it in again. TIY~s would
essentially complete the master plans that we have, other than parks. Planning support
which is typically expended by the outside consultant, the planning department has
various new ordinances that they solicit comments from various departments. General
engineering is there for a number of reasons, primarily is to pay for spot studies that
Carlos Pina is required to do. Also for traffic studies - speed studies on Cortaro Rd.,
Silverbell Rd., Avra Valley and Sandario and at Marana Rd. These are things that come
up all year round. This is covered under traffic studies and geotechnical services
primarily that we've been getting requests from Council to study those sorts of issues.
25
Ed Honea: I agree, I think we should approve it as is, and then put it on the agenda for
Mr. Atler to come to us with what he thinks would entice individuals to fill these
positions and then we can weigh it. If we can raise the rate and bring somebody else in.
There was further discussion on additional personnel. There would not be an increase in
funding - it would be a shift in funding.
Herb Kal: Offered a suggestion of lool(lng at the possibility of hiring retirees who have
the degrees and maybe having them work part time.
Mayor Harn: We are running long. Water, this is our last one.
Brad DeSpain: We have got an aggressive budget. Water is not an easy task. We are
trying to get on our feet. It's not cheap to purchase water companies, their not big
money makers but I'll guarantee that if you have control of the water and the sewer you
have control of the valley. With that I'll be glad to answer any questions you have of
me. If not, I'd like to turn it to Ann and Floyd and they can cover a few items.
Herb Kal: I have a question about (inaudible word) and revenue, you researched that
and come up with some numbers could you elaborate on that?
Ann Meaders: We did research it quite a bit. What we projected on revenue is existing
water rates. On the systems we recently purchased and the one here in Marana we're in
the process of purchasing. We haven't stabilized those rates yet, we would have to go
through the public notification process to bring those rates up to meet what the Town
code says that we will charge. With the existing customers that we have now, plus the
addition of the Cortaro Marana system - we'll have 1,020 customers. If we raised all
those rates of those customers, we would be very close to a break even point.
Considering that an average customer uses approximately 15,000 gallons of water a
month we would need 1,400 water customers to reach a break even point. So, we're
slightly short of that with the customers we have right now. If we take on two projects
that are in development processes right now, which is the Best Twin Peaks project and
the La Mirage project - we would be at a break even point with either one of those, with
the understanding that we got about another 500 water customers. If we take on Tucson
water - then the larger volume customers that we have, the expenses do not go up to the
same degree.
Herb Kal: What does the Water Advisory group tell you as far as rate increases? If we
bring everybody up to that level, would we get a lot of back lash from that?
Ann Meaders: There's one system, the Airline Lambert system that we just acquired -
an average bill for an Airline Lambert system customer right now would be $28.85 a
month. Compared to a Honea Heights customer at $49.70. That would be a significant
increase. That one system has 132 customers. The rest of the systems are pretty stable,
Honea Heights is $49.70, Cortaro would be $45.00 and we're talking 15,000 gallons of
water a month. $41.30 for Palo Verde and $41.25 for Picture Rocks. All of those are
very close.
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Hurvie Davis: When we're talking about break even, are we talking about the revenues
coming in from the water system to break even on the operational costs or the total
operational cost, capitol cost, debt service - the paying off the purchase of the system.
Ann Meaders: I'm talking about a break even point on operation cost only.
Ed Honea: So we're not talking about debt service on the bond.
Roxanne Ziegler: Commented she was behind on the water issue. She wanted to know
if the people in Continental Ranch would go on these systems.
Ann Meaders: What we would do is add Tucson Water, when you see the figure on
your system acquisition for Tucson Water that's where we're talking about adding the
customers in Continental Ranch and RedHawk and everybody in the Town limits that
Tucson Water provides water to.
Roxanne Ziegler: Everybody would be on one of these systems then?
Brad DeSpain: We would buy the system from the City of Tucson. We would probably
have to purchase wholesale water for a given period of time until we could get the well
filled and storage established in Continental Ranch. You would be provided water from
your own area so to speak. It would be interconnected. In our budget we've got
proposals interconnected with the La Puerto system.
Roxanne Ziegler: What kind of rates would those folks be looking at down there?
Brad DeSpain: According to the Town code, it would have to be an equalized rate. The
way it is right now, it's $14.00 for the first 1,000 where you're probably paying $9.50.
We would hope as we get volume, we can then reduce that rate - instead of being a
$14.00 rate for everybody it may be a $10.00 or something like that.
Ed Honea: All of these inter-ties and capitol expenditures - each one of these systems
can sustain itself as long as they stay operating. We're doing the inter-ties for protection
and backup services. A lot of the things that we're bonding for are these hes and several
items - does that fall under the one time capitol expenditure category? Or can it be paid
out of a general funds - like a one time capitol expense or something.
Brad DeSpain: Those will be one time cost for those inter-hes but it will be similar to
what Mr. Davis pointed out with Public works and transportation. As we get those done,
others are coming on and we'll want to tie and loop things together - not only for back
up but for water quality and for all of the protections that we're going to try and provide.
Ed Honea: Basically we're going to pay for those capitol improvements out of general
fund revenue at least now - until we get large enough, maybe get the cities and some of
the other stuff where we have 4 or 5,000 customers before we could actually start
retiring bond debt?
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Ruxanne Ziegler: Can we add money to the revenue? In the bond issue that we just
passed, ! think it's question 5, there's $10,000,000 of un-designated moneys there and I
did some calling around and unfortunately we're only allowed $50,000 - I was going
after a couple million but they told me I was a little aggressive.
Vice Mayor Sutton: There's also a possibility of some State funding for our Municipal
building. We're trying to work out a way for Mr. Rossi maybe to get involved and get
his connections rolBng. He thinks that could be pretty easy, like he found that new
design bill program for the interchange at Cortaro - there could be something out there
for us like that.
Ed Honea: There's some other revenue things I think we can look at as well. One of
the things that I intend to bring back up this year is - for us to take our bed tax for the
hotel/motel trade in our community up right under what Tucson charges. People don't
ask what the bed tax. I asked the Council to go up to 5% so that we would at 7 like
Tucson, they're actually 7 plus $1. We only went up to 5 total.
Vice Mayor Sutton: Let's get it as an agenda item, because it does affect how a hotel
markets their rate.
Ed Honea: I'll tell you how un-important it is to the hotel owners. The last time, when
I put it on the agenda, not one of our hotel/motel owners even showed up for the hearing.
Hurvie Davis: I guess the question is, are you ready to adopt the tentative budget
tonight? If you do you adopt the upper limit of spending - we'll come back next week
and you will then adopt the final budget. However, to remind you again, you don't have
to do it. We could go on the staggered schedule that we were on a few years ago.
Ed Honea: I don't know what the figure is.
Roy Cuaron: $22,787,886.00.
A motion was made by Ed Honea, seconded by Roxanne Ziegler to adopt the tentative
budget of $22,787,886 for fiscal year 1997/98. Motion carried 5 to 1, with Michael
Reuwsaat voting no and Sherry Millner being absent.
2. Resolution No. 97-49 - Adoption of Official Intent for Reimbursement of
Certain Capitol Expenditures
Dan Hochuli: I might refresh Councils recollection about this, since it came up at the
last meeting. There's an emergency provision in the Resolution which makes it
immediately effective and so if Council is willing to do this - the motion would be to
approve the resolution and declare an emergency exists. ~l~e emergency provision
requires 3/4 vote of the Council and that allows the resolution to begin now. Which is
necessary in order for us to meet certain timing requirements for the reimbursement as
the bond closes.
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A motion was made by Michael Reuwsaat, seconded by Ed Honea and carried
unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 97-49 and that an emergency exists.
3. Executive Session Pursuant to A.R.S. Section 38-431.03 (A) (1) for Discussion
and Consultation with the Town Attorney in Order to Consider the Town's
Position and Instruct the Town Attorney Regarding the Town's Position
Relating to Contemplated Litigation Regarding the Incorporation of Nearby
Cities
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Ed Honea, seconded by Michael Renwsaat and carried
unanimously to adjourn at 11:12 P.M.
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the foregoing minutes are the true and correct minutes of the Special
Council Meeting of the Marana Town Council held on June 10, 1997. I further certify
that a quorum v~s pr.esent.
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