HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/062003 Study Session Minutes1VIINUTESOF BUDGET STUDY SESSION MEETING
MARANA TOWN HALL
MAY 6 2003
PLACE AND DATE
Marana Town Hall, May 6, 2003
I. CALL TO ORDER
The study session was conducted informally and there was no official call to
order. Mayor Sutton opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. and all Council members
were seated on the dais. A quorum was present.
II. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
A. COUNCIL ACTION
1. Fiscal Year'04 Budget, Part III -Municipal Complex Status
Michael Hein began the study session by summarizing the changes in the
municipal complex cost estimations from its original inception to the
present day figures. He listed a number of responsible factors such as the
substantial increase in square footage of the complex, the incorporation of
the Grier Road sewer improvements, various transportation and
infrastructure improvements, as well as streetscape and landscape
planning into the project. He briefly went over the history of the Towri s
debt service commenting that the Town was carrying 4 % of its total
budget in the debt service which was considered to be well within reason.
He emphasized that the Council had made a valuable commitment to the
citizenry by undertaking the building of a Town Core in northwest
Marana and remarked that many generations to come would benefit from
this vision and connection with the local heritage.
Council Member Honea voiced his continued concerns over the high price
of the Town Center project. He said it was irresponsible of the Town and
that he was particularly worried about the Towri s debt service associated
with a $32M bond series that would be issued if the proposals were
approved. He wondered why most of the extras like landscaping and
roadway improvements were not brought before the Council in the
original presentation and if any of the benefiting development interests
planned to help with repayment costs.
MINUTES OF BUDGET STU-Y SESSION MEETING
MARANA TOWN HALL
MAY 6, 2003
Mr. Hein replied that the development community would indeed assist in
the debt repayment by way of increased water rates and cost
apportionments associated with other projects such as the Reyher
property. He said that it was a Council policy decision to create the
northwest Marana community beforehand and for the Town to pay the
lion's share of the Marana Main Street costs in order to set the tenor and
tone for future development and to create the commercial corridor.
Council Member Comerford, a member of the municipal complex
building committee, commented that months and months of detailed
meetings had been held in order for the planning of the Town Center to
reach this stage. She said that Council Member Honea had not been privy
to the painstaking yet logical progression of the project's size escalation.
While she agreed that $32M was a great deal of money for the Town to
shoulder on its own, she pointed out that this was aone-time expense to
the Town that would benefit future generations for well over 100 years.
Mayor Sutton commented that spurring the northwest community was
the Council's main goal and that the substantial debt will be paid back to
the Town tenfold over the next 20 years with the prospering commercial
zone that this type of project would generate. He commended Council
Member Honea for his vigilance and concern and all of the other Council
members and staff for the diligent work on this project.
Council Member Kai said that he would be willing to consider any
suggestions for decreasing the costs that Council Member Honea
presented.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
There ~~as no formal motion to adjourn the study session. Mayor Sutton closed
the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the
Budget Study Session meeting held on May 6, 2003. I further certify that a
quorum was present. _ ; ~~".~f~~
w~ ~\-~
ocelyn ronson, Town Clerk
2
7;a,~f~
s
any. „~~+~ra~ayy~
4~g~m~8 ~ R D