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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/20/2018 Study Session Meeting MinutesIVMARANA AZ ESTABLISHED 1 9 7 7 STUDY SESSION 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653 Council Chambers, February 20, 2018, at or after 6:00 PM STUDY SESSION Ed Honea, Mayor Jon Post, Vice Mayor David Bowen, Council Member Patti Comerford, Council Member Herb Kai, Council Member Carol McGorray, Council Member Roxanne Ziegler, Council Member CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Mayor Honea called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Deputy Town Clerk Hilary Hiser called roll with all council members present constituting a quorum. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE: Mayor Honea informed the Council and chamber audience that the Pledge of Allegiance would occur at the regular council session to start after the conclusion of the study session. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Council Member Bowen motioned to approve the agenda with a second provided by Council Member Kai. Motion passed unanimously. CALL TO THE PUBLIC: No speaker cards were presented. DISCUSSION/DIRECTION/POSSIBLE ACTION: February 20, 2018 Study Session Minutes 1 D1 Relating to Administrative Bodies and Officers; Discussion of the Marana Board of Adjustment and whether it should continue to consist of a stand-alone board or be combined with the Council or Planning Commission presented by Town Attorney Frank Cassidy. Given that the board is currently accepting applications to fill its four vacancies, Mr. Cassidy wanted to present the Council the opportunity to evaluate the role the Board of Adjustment (BOA) plays and provide other possible options to satisfy its functions. He clarified that at the time of the agenda's publication, the Town did not have the minimum number of applicants to fill the vacant positions therefore it seemed logical to present the Council the option of adjusting the role of the BOA. Mr. Cassidy elucidated that state statute requires every municipality to have a board of adjustment to grant variances to the code and hear appeals regarding zoning decisions. The BOA acts as a quasi-judicial body and its decisions are directly appealed to the superior court. Mr. Cassidy stated that from 1977 to 2003, the Council acted as the BOA. He noted that since its inception as a stand-alone board in 2003, there have only been '15 substantive matters brought before the board. Mr. Cassidy qualified that two of those matters were withdrawn and the BOA has actively decided 13 matters. He noted that the BOA sends out cancellation notices 86 percent of the time because they do not have any referred cases or applications. Mr. Cassidy observed that the relatively few referrals are due in large part with the efforts of staff to accommodate requests from applicants. Mr. Cassidy offered the Council three options: one, to leave the BOA as is; two, to have the Council assume the role of the BOA; or three, to have the Planning Commission assume the role of the BOA. Mayor Honea asked Mr. Cassidy if he spoke with the BOA members about this proposal. Mr. Cassidy acknowledged that he did not specifically speak with the board members asking their opinion about the proposal and only informed them by providing the council packet and materials for tonight's meeting. Mayor Honea allowed the BOA Chair John McIntyre to address the Council regarding this proposal. Mr. McIntyre explained that he has participated on the BOA since almost the beginning. He feels the Council's foresight in creating the BOA has helped ensure that both the staff and council members are able to adequately meet the needs of customers without having to worry about an oversight function. Mr. McIntyre acknowledges that the BOA's very few cases illustrates the positive nature of the BOA's intended purpose which is to help council members, commission members, and staff members work toward a consensus with an applicant. Mr. McIntyre noted that the BOA has included residents from all areas of Marana to ensure a diverse range of opinions regarding decisions. He pointed out that local businesses have a favorable view of the BOA because the board presents a reasonable and independent view when evaluating contested issues. Council Member Bowen indicated that it is important to have the BOA as an independent citizen board to consider issues that might arise with a case. February 20, 2018 Study Session Minutes 2 Mayor Honea asked the necessity of making a motion if the Council did not want to change the board. Mr. Cassidy stated if Council made no changes, a motion was not necessary and staff would then bring the BOA applicants to the Council for consideration and appointment. Council Member Ziegler thanked Mr. McIntrye for his continued service on the BOA. However, she explained she is not inclined to support the continuation of the BOA. Council Member Ziegler indicated she thinks the BOA is an unnecessary layer of government in the planning process. She is confident in staff and her fellow council members to adequately address any issues that might arise from an application. Council Member McGorray commented that the BOA.'s work several years ago to resolve the possible conversion of the vacant grocery store facility at Dove Mountain into newspaper offices was a successful example of the board's intended purpose. Council Member Bowen motioned to leave the Board of Adjustment as is with a second provided by Council Member Comerford. Motion passed 6-1 with Council Member Ziegler voting- no. D2 Presentation: Relating to Finance; presentation, discussion and possible direction on proposed changes to the Town of Marana comprehensive fee schedule and other various rate and fee adjustments presented by Finance Director Erik Montague. Mr. Montague presented the Council its annual review of the comprehensive fee schedule and recommended changes. Since 2009, when the Town instituted a comprehensive fee schedule, the staff works to ensure the schedule is both fair and equitable to customers. Also, staff tries to ensure the fees are reflective of the value of services provided and are standardized across all Town departments. Mr. Montague stated town staff are committed to reviewing the schedule on a consistent basis and to make changes to fees that reflect the actual cost of providing programs and services. He emphasized this is a work in progress as staff continually look for opportunities to streamline, consolidate, and modernize the schedule where appropriate. Mr. Montague added that the constant attention to the fee schedule helps to eliminate errors, inconsistencies, and other items within the schedule that do not help facilitate development and growth within the Town. Some of the proposed changes include the ability to bundle certain fees, and create standard flat fees to provide predictability to both citizens and staff. Mr. Montague directed the Council to review the attached proposed changes in depth and welcomed any feedback they had. He briefly highlighted that this year's fee schedule adds four fees and modifies 11 existing fees including the elimination of one fee. He noted that some proposals by departments are to create a flat fee for applicants reducing their overall costs. Mr. Montague reported that the next review of the comprehensive fee schedule is with outside stakeholders. With that feedback and any feedback from the Council, staff would Incorporate those changes into the final comprehensive fee schedule for adoption by the Council later in the spring. February 20, 2018 Study Session Minutes 3 Council Member Ziegler thanked staff for putting in the effort to continue to clarify the fee schedule and make it functional for citizens. At 6:27 p.ni., Council Member Comerford excused herself for the reminder o f the meeting due to a prior commitment and left the dais. D3 Presentation: Relating to Public Works; presentation, discussion and possible direction regarding the draft Marana 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Program presented by Town Engineer ]Keith Brann. Mr. Brann briefly reviewed the history of the Town's five year capital improvement program noting that the program's intent is to provide clear guidance and funding obligations on current and future capital projects. Mr. Brann reviewed a list of capital projects set for completion or completed during Fiscal Year 2018. Some of those projects include Ora Mae Harn ballfield improvements, Honea Heights pocket park, Tangerine Sky Park, the Marana Road realignment, and Marana Recharge Facility. Mr. Brann also noted that the project design was completed for six projects including the Coachline Boulevard reconstruction.. Mr. Brann highlighted some long-term/continuing projects that include the ongoing construction of the Marana Public Safety Facility and the Towns reinvestment in the Adnois subdivision to address drainage issues. Council Member Ziegler asked what the Coachline Boulevard reconstruction would entail. Mr. Brann responded that it would be a complete reconstruction of the road from curb to curb with a new treatment of the subgrade and then building the road back up with new pavement. The reconstruction will also include improvements to the wash and installation of new ADA crosswalks. Council Member Ziegler asked what the estimated project timeline is for Coachline. Mr. Brann stated the project is going out to bid next month and once a contractor is chosen then staff will get a detailed scheduled. Once the Town has a detailed schedule for construction, staff will start to schedule informational meetings for residents regarding the project. Mr. Brann briefly reviewed the internal process used to identify new capital projects. He noted that departments submit project requests based on infrastructure needs and master plans. The CIP division uses an in-house computer program to track project funding while the Finance department provides five year revenue projections. Mr. Brann described the evaluation process as guided by the strategic plan and community development trends. Staff members rank the proposed projects by creating a priority designation for that proposal. The following factors create the matrix for evaluation: contractual obligations, alignment with Town goals, outside/ leveraged funding sources, the effect on ongoing costs, and the effect on Town revenue. Mr. Brann directed the Council's attention to supplemental preliminary projects overview for streets, parks, water and water reclamation, and the airport. He highlighted the construction of the Arizona Pavilions-Walmart traffic signal as an immediate project to address increased traffic congestion. Mr. Brann also highlighted other street projects identified as requiring immediate attention in the next fiscal year February 20, 2018 Study Session Minutes 4 such as the Adonis Road extension and Lon Adams Road reconstruction. Mr. Brann pointed the Council's attention to the need to start earmarking funds towards the Town's financial obligation for the Tangerine Road Widening project's Phase 11 which is set to start construction sometime in 2026. Mr. Brann underlined the need to pursue an Ora Mae Harn Park Master Plan in fiscal year 201.9 to help identify the needs of that park and determine the best ways to improve the pool. Mr. Brann informed the Council that pool has met its excepted use timeframe. It is important to institute and follow a defined plan for the park and its assets before spending money unnecessarily on replacement or repairs. Similarly, updating to the town wide parks and trails master plan will help to determine current and future priorities for development. Mr. Brann identified several new water related capital projects to upgrade water lines for the system at Sanders Road and Marana Road. Other preliminary projects of importance included the northwest recharge, recovery, and delivery system, the Picture Rocks interconnect, and Potable Water System Master Plan Update similar to the recently completed wastewater master plan. Concluding his presentation, Mr. Brann presented the Council with the proposed projects that require general fund expenditure without a dedicated funding source. The general fund projects are the Adonis Subdivision drainage improvements, the Marana Main Street electrical upgrades, the Parks Maintenance Pard paving, the Ora Mae Harn Master Plan, the Northwest Marana Nature Park, and the Marana Visitor Center. Mr. Brann noted that the Adonis Subdivision drainage improvements would be a multi- year phased project to help address the water ponding problem with the streets. Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta added that the capital funding projects presented to the Council do not clearly show which streams of dedicated funding are associated with each project. He stated staff continue to work on creating additional detail related to revenue sources and will present to that information to the Council at a later date. Mr. Mehta commented that the projects relying on general funds would require more critical financial analysis. He noted that these refined costs would help staff to determine which projects have more priority than others do in FY 2019. Council Member Ziegler asked if the projects were in a particular priority order. Mr. Mehta responded that the projects were not. Council Member Ziegler stated the Ora Mae Harn Park pool needs to be replaced but wants to know what the approximate cost to replace the pool is. Mr. Mehta clarified that the Ora Mae Harn Park Master Plan item would include a complete study of the park's uses to determine how the Town. can meet its current and future needs. He indicated that spending the time and money to conduct a master plan study should provide a more defined picture of what specific assets require investment and the estimated costs of replacing the pool once the Town knows what type of pool is required to meet community needs. February 2.0, 2018 Study Session Minutes 5 Council Member McGorray also agreed that replacing the pool is important and the replacement should include both family friendly features, but also athletic opportunities. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03, the Town Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, to discuss certain matters. El 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. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Notwithstanding the mayor's discretion regarding the items to be placed on the agenda, if three or more Council members request that an item be placed on the agenda, it must be placed on the agenda for the second regular Town Council meeting after the date of the request, pursuant to Marana Town Code Section 2-4-2(B). ADJOURNMENT: Vice Mayor Post motioned to adjourn the meeting with a second provided by Council Member McGorray. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 6:59 p.m. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the study session/ presentation of the Marana Town Council held on February 20, 2018. 1 further certify that a quorum was present. Hilaryl-1. Hiser, Deputy Town Clerk February 20, 2018 Study Session Minutes 6