HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/12/2013 Study Session MinutesSTUDY SESSION
MINUTES
11555 W. Civic Center Drive Marana, Arizona 85653
Council Chambers, February 12, 2013, at or after 6:00 PM
Ed Honea, Mayor
Patti Comerford, Vice Mayor
David Bowen, Council Member
Herb Kai, Council Member
Carol McGorray, Council Member
Jon Post, Council Member
Roxanne Ziegler, Council Member
STUDY SESSION
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL. Mayor Honea called the meeting to order at 6:00
p.m. Town Clerk Bronson called roll. All Council Members were present.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/INVOCATION/M4MENT OF SILENCE. Led by Mayor
Honea.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA. Motion by Council Member McGorray, second by Vice
Mayor Comerford to approve the agenda. Passed unanimously.
CALL TO THE PUBLIC. No speaker cards presented.
DISCUSSION/DIRECTION/POSSIBLE ACTION
Dl: Resolution No. 2013-011 Relating to Community Development; approving and authorizing
Town staff to submit the Town of Marana's list of proposed bond projects to the Pima County
Bond Advisory Committee for consideration for inclusion in future Pima County general
obligation bond elections
Study Session Minutes — February 12, 2013 Page 1 of S
T. Van Hook began with a brief history of where the town is to date. She noted that the town
originally submitted for the bond program in 2006. At that time twelve projects were submitted
which she discussed at last week's meeting and which are listed on the accompanying
PowerPoint attachment. Currently, there are only eleven projects from that list as the first two
projects were combined into Northern Marana Library and Multi-Generational Center, In
October 2009, staff came before Council to prioritize the projects on a pending projects list. The
projects were prioritized by category either submitted by Marana, or the County or another
jurisdiction without the town's boundaries. The categories were Historic Preservation, Parks &
Recreation, Community Facilities, Affordable Housing, Public Works, and Health Facilities. The
Health Facilities category has been moved into various Pima County categories for future bond
election, so that category no longer exists.
Ms. Van Hook then gave an update on the current project sta.tus and noted that two projects have
been removed — the Twin Peaks Draina.ge and the Camino Martin Dra.inage; and one project
added — the Marana Health Center Expansion. Updated project sheets with budget requests will
be submitted to the committee with each project. She began with the request for the Marana
Cultural and Heritage Park and noted that it came out of subcommittee without a
recommendation. The Barnett Linear Channel Drainage and Park also came out of
subcommittee without a recommendation. Neither the Flood Control subcommittee nor the
Administrator recommended funding for that project. The subcommittee recommended full
funding for Affordable Housing, and the Administrator recommended that it be rolled into the
funding request by Pima County. For the Neighborhood and Housing Stock Retention Set Aside
came out of subcommittee with a recommendation for $'750K set aside specifically for Marana
projects. T'he Administrator again requested that that be rolled into the full amount that was
moved forward by the committee for a future election. The Northern Marana Library and Multi-
Generational Community Center was recommended for funding, but the Administrator did not
recommend it for funding, and it's not on the pending list. The Bureau of Reclamation Sports
Park was recommended by the subcommittee for $17.SM and gave a recommendation for a
three-tiered system. The Administrator's recommendation was for $SM, but the committee
moved forward the $1 OM recommended for Tier 1 under the Parks & Recreation subcommittee.
The Southern Marana Mu1ti-Generational Community Center was not recommended to move
forward by either the subcommittee or the Administrator. The Marana Health Center Expansion
— the Facilities subcommittee recommended $4M which was our original request. The
Administrator recommended zero, and a compromise was reached at $3M to move forward in
the recommended packet..
Since the January 18�' meeting of the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee, a letter has come
from the administrator asking that jurisdictions submit additional projects on or before by March
1 l, 2013. Staff is suggesting that we move forward in combination with the Marana Unified
School District for to submit a project for a theater complex that would include an auditorium
Study Session Minutes — February 12, 2013 Page 2 of 5
and a black box theater. The school district is estimating $7-$ l OM for the build-out, and the town
would be requesting $SM. Staff is in the process of preparing that sheet.
She then listed the projects under the town's approved Strategic Plan area. She then presented
the current priority list of projects to Council and asked for Council prioritization. Mayor
Honea asked for questions and/or pros and cons on the items from the Council. He introduced
Tom Dunn, the town's citizen representa.tive on the bond committee. He also noted that
Clarence Vatne and Jennifer Burns were here representing the Marana Health Center. Mayor
Honea noted that there were several funding categories, some of which wouldn't do the town
any goad. When the full bond comrnittee takes the fu11 packet, they'11 have a cap amount that is
recommended for issuance across the category. When they start trading projects and prioritizing,
they will prioritize as a whole and then separate it back out.
Ms. Van Hook then tallced about the January 18, 2013 letter from the County Administrator
regarding the net evaluations of properties. His recommendation to have a bond election in 2014
or later was based on the projected NAV or primary or secondary property taxes. On Friday or
Monday, the final figures for the 2013-14 valuations came out, and they were almost $75M
lower than projected. The memo summarizes that and does not provide recommendations on the
future delays of the bond issuance.
There was general discussion about what projects cauld be combined to be considered regional
and whether the way projects are imaged has an effect on whether they are funded. It was also
noted that priorities have shifted since 2006 due to the economy, and that should be taken inta
consideration when presenting the final list of the projects to the committee.
Mayor Honea asked Mr. Dunn to come forward and report on what has ha.ppened with the
committee to date. Mr. Duna said that Mr. Huckelberry has been charged with updating these
requests for 2006. It is the Administrator's desire to bring in the economic development bond
package and add it to the existing priority list. He suggested that Council focus on the requests
the town put forth previously and note the economic impact of those projects on the region and
sell that.
Mr. Davidson spoke saying that there were some projects in previous bond issues where we've
not received the funding. One was purely related to the airport for infrastructure. If the County
is saying that they really want to fund infrastructure and economic development through the
bond program, there was one in the last go-around that really could have helped turn on the
airport. We may want to see where that is as well and get that revived. Mayor Honea suggested
that we make a recommendation on items that are important to the town, including the health
center with the understanding that infrastructure for Raytheon and the TIA airport is a priority
for fhe Administrator. He suggested recommending the listed projects and trying to tie them into
Study Session Minutes — February 12, 2013 Page 3 of 5
what the Administrator is looking for. He is concerned that if we don't we may get nothing. We
don't have enough time to put a street and road infrastructure package together. And it's a little
late to start adding items. Council Member Post asked if some projects could be lumped
together as with the North Marana Libra.ry and the school. The school district has plans for a
library. Ms. Van Hook stated that the north Marana Library and Multi-Genera.tional
Cornmunity Center cantinues to be a joint venture prvject with the YMCA, the school district,
the University of Arizona., Pima College and the town. She believes that is the facility Council
Member Post is referencing.
In response to a statement by Mayor Honea, Ms. Van Hoak said that if the Council is going to
ask Pima County to re-evaluate these projects, her recommendation is to give them a priority list
of what's most important to us. It gives Mr. Dunn a tool to argue on our behalf at the committee
level. By removing something, we may be self-selecting something that another member of the
committee might latch on to. Committee members certainly have their passions and push
categories to the top which would limit our chances.
Mayor Honea sta.ted that a decision has to be made. He is recommending that Ms. Van Hook
work internally to try to make the projects as presenta.ble as possible and tie them in to what the
Administrator's looking for. Council Member Ziegler raised concern that Council was getting
this information so late, with little time to review the projects before the deadline to present them
to the committee. Ms. Van Hook noted that the committee provided a very short window for
review, and staff was working diligently to get accurate and up-to-date information to Council
for the next available Council meeting after the Bond Advisory committee met on January 19�`,
which was last week's Council meeting.
Council Members Ziegler asked and Council Member Past concurred that for the fuhue,
department heads and senior staff should bring any issues of a critical nature such as this to
Council's attention without delay even if it means calling a special meeting, and then made a
motion to recommend the list of bond packages to the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee.
Motion seconded by Council Member McGorray. Council Member Bowen asked if, before the
vote it was possible to da anything with titling or branding of our priorities to emphasize their
regional nature, or does that change the bond request. Ms. Van Hook responded that when the
priority list is moved forward, they will go with a new packet, so each of the items will be
updated on the project sheets to reflect that. She also noted that this is not a numbered list, and
asked if Council wanted the submission list prioritized — it's just a list. Numbering would send
the message that there really is a priority in the community. Mayor Honea referred to the Current
Project Status Iist and asked Council Member Post if he would amend his motion to prioritize the
projects in the order shown on the slide of the project sta.tus. Motion by Council Member Post,
second by Council Member McGorray fo recommend the list of bond packages as listed on the
Study Session Minutes — February 12, 2013 Page 4 of 5
Current Project Status list to the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee. Mayor Honea
asked for other discussion. There being none, the motion passed unanimously.
Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A)(3), Council may ask for discussion or
consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney concerning any matter listed on this
agenda Motion to go into executive session at 6:58 p.m. by Council Member Fost, second by
Vice Mayor Comerfor� Passed unandmously 7-0. Council Member Kai was excused.
E 1: Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A)(3), Council may ask for discussion or
consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney concerning any matter listed on this
agenda.
E 2: Executive session pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3),(4) and ('7), for discussion or
consultation with the Town's attorneys and to instruct the Town's representatives concerning (1)
the lawsuit entitled Pima County v. Town of Marana, Maricopa County Superior Court No.
CV2011-09996b and (2) pending legal issues, settlement discussions and contract negotiations
relating to the transition of Marana wastewater collection and treatment from Pima County to the
Town of Marana.
ADJOURNMENT. Motion to adjourn by Council Member Post, second by Council Member
McGorray at 7:32 p.m. Passed unanimously 6-0.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council
meeting held on February 12, 2013. I further eertify that a quorum was present.
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Study Session Minutes — February 12, 2013 PageS of 5