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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/13/2004 Study Session MinutesMINUTES OF PAC RTA STUDY SESSInN MARANA TU~t'N FALL JANUARY 13, 200-I PLACE AND DATE Marana Town Hall, January 13, 2004 I. CALL TO ORDER By Mayor Sutton The meeting was held in an informal manner and no official roll call was taken. Vice Mayor Kai was excused from the study session. All other Council members were present and seated at the dais. Several handouts were distributed. These materials have been made a permanent part of the record and include: Pima Association of Governments as the Regional Transportation Authority: Options and Impacts (a report presented at the PAG Regional Council on November 19, 2003) Email transmittal from Jim Altenstadter, PAG Interim Executive Director, to participating jurisdictions with an attachment of the amended RTA statute Memorandum from Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry to the Pima County Board of Supervisors regarding the Transportation financing and Regional Implementation Arizona Tax Research Association's State and Local Retail Sales Tax Rates by City, dated November 2003 Comparison of Transportation Fees from New Development II. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 1. Discussion/Direction: Pima Association of Governments as Regional Transportation Authorit~(Mike Reuwsaa~ Mr. Reuwsaat began the study session discussion regarding the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) as Regional Transportation Authority. He said that the proposed effort was the result of aPAG-commissioned study by the University of Arizona which resulted in recommendations for amendments of existing legislation identifying PAG as a potential regional transportation authority. He explained that Mayor Sutton and he had been involved in a special PAG subcommittee tasked with evaluating options related to this topic. ,~ He noted that a regional committee meeting was scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2004, at which Mayor Sutton would be presenting the Town of Marana's RTA recommendations. MINUTES ~F PAG RTA STUDY SESSInN i~~TARANA TO~~'N HALL JANUARY 13, ?004 He said that the three main recommendations being presented included the right to extend or re-authorize the ability to call for a half cent sales tax for a period of twenty years, the right to extend the Regional Transportation Plan study period from 10 to 20 years to coincide with the taxation period, and the right to amend the current legislation so that there was one vote per member on the PAG regional Council. Mayor Sutton said that the Town was in favor of the recommended action and that the concept was a good one. He noted that none of the participating jurisdictions were in favor of subsidizing another community to pay for that community's transportation problems. He explained that the major task ahead was in working out all of the plan's details over the next couple of years. He mentioned that the Town had received a recommendation from Steve Huffman, State Representative from District 12, stating that the timing was very good for the Town as the Maricopa County Association of Governments' legislation was currently before the Legislature. The Mayor commented that while all of the jurisdictions were being cautious, each agreed with the general concept of the plan. He explained that Representative Huffman had suggested the Town provide its own preferences for inclusion in the legislation. He noted that the legislation would be drafted based upon the support coming out of PAG and from the comments that were received from the participating entities. Mr. Reuwsaat commended Pima County for clearly presenting the parameters and issues that needed to be addressed over the next few years. He especially applauded Supervisor Sharon Bronson for publicly acknowledging Marana's progressive leadership role related to past transportation funding in this area. Mayor Sutton expressed that, considering the acrimonious history between the County and Marana over the years, he felt that it was a substantial gesture for Pima County to come forward and offer its veto authority as a bargaining point in favor of the proposed RTA legislation. He emphasized that the fact every jurisdiction would receive an equal vote in the decision making process indicated the fairness of the proposed legislation. Mr. Reuwsaat read the proposed motion into the record and time for comments was allowed throughout the reading. A copy of the motion has been made a permanent part of this record and reads as follows: 2 MINUTES nF PAC R"FA STUDY SESSTnN '~IA1L~~;A TO~VNHALL .IANUARI' 13, ?004 I move that we support Regional Transportation Authority legislation that: 1. Retains one vote per entity governance 2. Authorizes the RTA to call for an election to approve an additional one-half cent county-wide sales tax to fund the regional transportation plan Council Member Honea commented that he was apprehensive that the details of the RTA plan were not going to be in place prior to the Town's acceptance and authorization of the RTA proposal. Mayor Sutton explained that the Council Member's concern had also been the concern of others sitting on the PAG subcommittee. He said that the proposed action would allow portions of the original RTA legislation to be presented and that the RTA plan mechanism needed to be in place in order for the plan to go forward and develop because of the need to identify funding sources. Mr. Barr concurred with the Mayor and added that the proposed action was extending the authorization for a sales tax but that it did not discount the .. possibility of adding other funding sources to that funding pool. Mr. Reuwsaat said that the transportation plan and the sales tax both were tied together and had to be completed before the PAG RTA board could even approve it. Mr. Reuwsaat resumed reading the proposed motion as follows: 3. Extends the tax authorization period from ten to twenty years 4. Amends the current legislation to allow for atwenty-year transportation plan 5. Does not authorize one jurisdiction to exercise veto authority of any kind 6. Provides for local government implementation of the approved transportation plan projects Mr. Reuwsaat interjected that condition six meant that projects approved in Marana would be implemented by Marana. He went on to read: 7. Authorizes the RTA to decline regional transportation funding to local governments that have not adopted regionally consistent transportation impact fees and/or other similar funding sources generated from new development 3 MiNUTES`OF PAC RT:4 STUDY SESSION nIARAVA TOWN HALL J.~NL!AIZ~" 13, 200 Mr. Reuwsaat paused and gave an example of condition seven. He explained that one of the comparisons distributed to the Council, specifically the Comparison of Transportation Fees from New Development, indicated that full equity had not been achieved in all of the participating jurisdictions. He continued reading the motion as follows: 8. Provides a geographic nexus between revenues generated and transportation expenditures instead of aminimum-percentage distribution to each jurisdiction Council Member Honea commented that this condition was fairly general. Mr. Reuwsaat replied that negotiations needed to take place over the next several years regarding a subregional plan. He used improvements to Thornydale Road as an example and said that it would be a direct benefit to the Town of Marana if sales tax revenues were used for roadway improvements from Dove Mountain to the Towri s business district. He began reading the motion again: 9. Provides for adequate citizen input I also move that staff be instructed to investigate the benefits and implications of a half- cent Town sales tax increase dedicated to subregional transportation improvements with the addition of adequate citizen input. Mr. Reuwsaat continued by saying that Marana was not precluded from creating its own sales tax increase and utilizing that revenue locally. Council Member Honea asked that if the Town chose to implement ahalf-cent sales tax for funding to bond the Linda Vista/Twin Peaks Bridge and Interchange, one of the major regional projects benefiting Marana, Oro Valley, and Pima County, would that eliminate the Towri s bonding capacity? Would those funds have to be blended with the RTA funding? Mr. Reuwsaat answered that this legislation would not preclude the Town from that type of action but said that the PAG RTA would be an additional revenue source. Mayor Sutton asked for an explanation of the necessary action following the passage of the RTA legislation. 4 'MiNITTES OF PAG RTA .STUDY SESSTnN 1~IARANA TOWN HALL JANUARY 13, 2004 Mr. Reuwsaat said that a long and arduous negotiation process would begin at that point and that the initial work would be refining the statute to include some or all of the proposed conditions. He estimated this process to be two to three years before the legislation would be ready for the PAG RTA Board of Directors. He noted the history of failures in the region for this type of legislation and stated that it would be in PAG's best interest to take plenty of time during the negotiating process to accommodate all of the participating jurisdictions. Council Member Honea asked what the advantage was for establishing a regional authority versus each individual entity performing transportation improvements in their own areas. Mr. Reuwsaat replied that the PAG transportation legislation was not simply a sales tax but was also other revenue sources including a three cent increase on jet fuel. He said that it allowed the Town to leverage those funds that were generated to the PAG RTA toward other State and federal funds that would not be available to the individual jurisdictions. Mayor Sutton pointed out that Pima County would be accruing monies through this legislation that would raise the amount of available funding for regional projects such as improvements to Tangerine Road involving Oro Valley, Marana, and Pima County. Tim Ahrens, PAG Transportation Manager, said that this was only the beginning of the work ahead and that the legislation would set some parameters on transportation funding enabling this region to guide its own future. He noted that only Pima County had set parameters. He confirmed that the City of Tucson and the Town of Sahuarita had voted on the legislation as it stood before any amendments were made. He said that the City of South Tucson had not voted on the legislation and that no word had been received from the Pasqua Yaqui Nation as to their approval or rejection. He concluded that unanimous approval from all nine PAG jurisdictional members was needed before going to the voters. Mayor Sutton said that he was not in favor of raising the sales tax a full cent but that he would approve ahalf-cent increase now for immediate use locally and then forfeit that half-cent to the PAG RTA when it passed in the Legislature sometime within the next five years. He urged full disclosure to community members coupled with complete explanations of the amendments. The Mayor emphasized that the process needed to be "citizen driven'. 5 MINUTES OF PAG RTA STtiDY SESSION ~tARANA 'TOWN H,aLL J.~1NU:~KY 13, 200 Mr. Barr suggested that a clause requiring the public input process be added to the proposed motion. Mr. Reuwsaat agreed wholeheartedly with the Mayor that this was a perfect opportunity to spotlight Marana's progressive thinking and leadership. He said he would be delighted to present the Council with a public input process for review. Council Member Honea restated his apprehension regarding the proposed legislation. He asked if approval of the RTA action would circumvent having an election. Mr. Reuwsaat replied that it would not. Mr. Barr pointed out that both the proposed sales tax increase and the transportation plan were required to go before the voters for approval. Mayor Sutton underscored the importance of acquiring a unanimous PAG membership prior to going to the voters because just one municipality could defeat the entire election. Council Member Honea commented that condition five was extremely important. He stressed the necessity for making sure the plan was truly regional with no entity having the right of veto. Upon motion by Council Member Honea, seconded by Council Member Escobedo, the motion previously read into the record with an addition was unanimously approved. The addition is as follows: "I also move that staff be instructed to investigate the benefits and implications of a half-cent Town sales tax increase dedicated to subregional transportation improvements with the addition of adequate citizen input." Mr. Reuwsaat commended the Town staff for their hard work on this project. He shared that this had been a difficult project to complete. 6 MIN[JTES 4F PAGx=R~I'A STLiT~I' BFSSTON ~IARA'~A TO~Vti HALL JANUARY 13, 200 III. ADJOURNMENT Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Council Member McGorray, approval to adjourn was unanimous. The time was 7:38 p.m. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council meeting held on January 13, 2004. I further certify that a quorum was present. ~/ celyn B nson, Town Clerk ®®~"~~~1 i~~,~~®/' ®~~~~~ nar~ Is~~ w ~~~ COR~o Tf~ ''~~~~/IfB111`~t````