HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/24/2007 Regular Council Meeting MinutesMINUTES OF REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
MARANA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX
DATE: JULY 24,2007
PLACE AND DATE
Marana Municipal Complex
A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
By Mayor Honea at 7:00 p.m.
COUNCIL
Ed Honea Mayor Present
Herb Kai Vice Mayor Present
Russell Clanagan Council Member Excused
Patti Comerford Council Member Present
Tim Escobedo Council Member Present
Carol McGorray Council Member Present
Roxanne Ziegler Council Member Present
STAFF
Mike Reuwsaat Town Manager Present
Gilbert Davidson Deputy Town Manager Present
Jim DeGrood Assistant Town Manager Present
Frank Cassidy Town Attorney Present
Jocelyn Bronson Town Clerk Present
B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE
Led by Mayor Honea.
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Upon motion by Council Member McGorray, seconded by Vice Mayor Kai, the agenda was
unanimously approved.
D. CALL TO THE PUBLIC
E. PRESENTATIONS
1. Presentation on proposed Special Events Ordinance (Jim DeGrood)
Mr. DeGrood addressed Council and stated the town hosts a variety of events from bicycling
racing to events in the park, concerts. These typically receive special events permits from the
town. One of the challenges is they have noticed that they do not have as much authority to
regulate these special events as they thought and as such, staff convened a committee to work
on a special events ordinance. That committee consisted of representatives from police,
public works, parks and recreation, town attorney's office, town clerk and town managerls
office. They have put together a draft of the special events ordinance. They have attempted to
put together a definition for special events that reads any public or private function that has a
number of different conditions that are met. These conditions include requiring temporary
parking, if its held in a public park, if it has amplified music or voices that can be heard
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DATE: JULY 24,2007
outside of the event location, if it requires temporary traffic control, requires a special event
liquor license, requires temporary sanitation facilities, if it involves the installation of
temporary sanitation facilities, if it involves the installation of temporary structures or tents
that are greater than a 120 sq. ft. or it has other adverse impact on public health, safety or
welfare. They added to the requirements for the permit a series of exemptions and these
exemptions are any school functions held at school facilities unless there is spill over
anticipated and ordinary and customary events at a venue designed to accommodate them.
The ordinance includes three definitions, one for the special event, one for a major event
which is one that requires security services and traffic control and a definition for spill over.
Vice Mayor Kai asked if it would be prudent to set a number on the event. That if the event
has such a number it is considered a special event.
Mr. DeGrood stated they looked at ordinances across the state. Some regulate as low as 50
people. He stated he thought that was extreme and excessive. They looked at 500, but as they
went through it they struggled that there may be instances where they need to look at a
different threshold. It was very difficult for them to establish that. They looked at the
exemption of identifying venues that have the capacity to handle the event. They are not
recommending a number. The ordinance contains an application procedure. It includes
conditions and they have identified conditions for noise, sanitation, security, medical
services, lighting, parking, traffic control, ensuring they have appropriate zoning and the
signage is per land development code, sales and insurance. The ordinance also includes
grounds for denial, waivers and violations and penalties. Noise is a common concern. They
used the resort and recreation zone standards. They are not requiring a specific number as far
as sanitation, but they need to be adequate and they can work with the vendors to provide
that. Under security they give latitude to the Chief of Police to identify when additional
security is going to be needed or required as a condition of a special event permit. They need
to consider the nature of the permit. They need to consider the anticipated attendance and
whether alcohol would be present and whether there would be any ticket or money handling.
On medical services they would have to consult with the police and Northwest Fire Rescue.
Regarding lighting if it is after dark and there has to be adequate illumination. There has to
be adequate parking for the anticipated crowd without spill over. They also require dust
control. On signage and zoning they refer to the land development code. Sales have been a
concern of the finance department because they find the vendors aren't reporting their sales
and aren't collecting sales tax and the same goes for ticket sales. One other element is that
they are telling the applicants that they cannot sell tickets to an event until they have their
permit. The insurance requirement is a million general liability insurance with the town name
is an insured or as recommended by the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool if they have
reason to recommend a higher limit. In terms of penalties there is a distinction, one is a civil
infraction and the other constitutes a misdemeanor.
Upon motion by Council Member Ziegler, seconded by Council Member McGorray, direct
staff to bring Ordinance back for final adoption was unanimously approved.
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2. Presentation on the Marana Municipal Court reorganization project (Cedric Hay)
Mr. Hay addressed Council and stated in February, 2007, the Arizona Supreme Court
through its administrative office of the courts issued a directive which was intended to help
judges, court staff and city officials resolve the most common issues involving the
relationship between the municipal court and other parts of the city or town government. The
directive consisted of 29 questions that were broken into five specific areas. The areas are
supervision and management, budget and finances, personnel, facilities and records. In
applying these answers that they provided to our town code, specifically Title 5, which
establishes the municipal court, we are in compliance with most of their directives already. It
was found that Chapter 5-3 which establishes the court administration department and the
position of court administrator had this position answering to and being appointed by the
town manager. According to the Supreme Court "employees of the court must be under the
direct control and supervision of the presiding officer of each court." The court
acknowledged "that the court should maintain its independence from the executive and
legislative branches. This should be accomplished in a cooperative manner." The legal
department has done additional research, spoken with court personnel and traveled with the
town manager to speak with representatives of the administrative office of the courts in
Phoenix. The changes to the code should be brought back before Council in late August. The
administrative office of the Supreme Court offered services and a program called CourTools.
This was created by the National Center for State Courts and if asked they are willing to help
us apply this procedure. This is an evaluation process that is based on ten core performance
measures. They handle the evaluation process. They conduct the service and give us the
results of what they determine.
F. MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS: SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS
Council Member Ziegler stated there were about 40 people that came and attended the
County Board of Supervisors meeting to support the town. She thanked Mary and Linda from
Caliber.
Council Member McGorray thanked everyone for their participation at the Board of
Supervisors meeting.
Mayor Honea stated they have put in a lot hours in meetings trying to talk to the public,
business people and elected officials to make sure everyone knows what we are doing.
G. MANAGER'S REPORT: SUMMARY OF CURRFNT EVENTS
H. STAFF REPORTS
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DATE: JULY 24,2007
GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Resolution No. 2007-130: Relating to Building; authorizing the renewal of an
intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Marana and the Office of
Manufactured Housing within the Arizona Department of Fire, Building and
Life Safety (Cedric Hay)
2. Minutes of the June 26, 2007 and July 10, 2007 special meetings.
3. Resolution 2007-131: Relating to real estate; approving and authorizing the
Director of Public Works to execute certain Sewer Easements that the
Developer inadvertentlyfailed to reserve when dedicating portions of Saguaro
Springs to the Town ofMarana and to reserve an electric easementfor public
andprivate use.
Council Member Escobedo declared a conflict of interest on item #3.
Upon motion by Council Member Comerford, seconded by Council Member McGorray, the
Consent Agenda was unanimously approved.
J. COUNCIL ACTION
K. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES
L. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/POSSIBLE ACTION
1. Discussion1possible action concerning the status of negotiations with Pima County
relating to the termination of the 1979 intergovernmental agreement between Pima
County and the Town ofMarana relating to sewer service within the Marana area.
Mr. Reuwsaat thanked the community for supporting the town at the Board of Supervisors
meeting. Their goals were to ask the Board of Supervisors not to approve the actions on the
agenda and to work towards a negotiation process and they've added fifty percent. The
county decided to designate the Marana waste water treatment plant as a park allowing the
county of opt out of any Marana annexation. The town will now challenge, if Council
approves, that designation by moving forward with the annexation of the Marana waste water
treatment facilities. We are planning to build our own treatment facility to handle the current
and future needs of the northwest area because the Luckett Road facility is only a small,
temporary facility and it is in a location that cannot handle Marana's growing needs. The
Board of Supervisors talked today about regionalism. Mr Reuwsaat stated unified county
control of a countywide sewer system is not true regionalism. True regionalism is like the
RTA style entity with multiple entities sharing in governance where a regional authority
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comprised of all local governments that provide water and waste water service controls and
operates a combined area wide water and waste water system. That is how we would define
waste water and water in terms of regionalism putting into the context of the RTA and
TREO, not really the county controlled and owned sewer system. Marana is advocating
control of the Marana waste water treatment facilities to keep water costs reasonable for its
residents. Marana is the logical place for regional growth. Marana has ample and ideal land,
previously developed available for businesses, industry and homes. Marana is in the Sunbelt
corridor between Tucson and Phoenix. Development will occur in the future along this
corridor as has been proven throughout the nation when you have similar corridors. We know
that it is our responsibility to expect that there will be growth and development along that
corridor, but to carefully plan for the resources that are necessary to meet the needs of that.
Marana is pursuing the ownership of the sewer system for all of these reasons.
Mr. Cassidy stated that as part of this item he would ask for several specific authorizations to
move forward. The first is authorization to prepare a letter for the mayor's signature which
would be sent to the chair of the Board of Supervisors with copies to other board members
and other interested parties. This letter would lay out the Town's proposed negotiation
strategy. It would respond to some of the statements that were made today to correct the
record and lay out our position on some of those items. The letter would be to expressly
authorize the county to continue to provide sewer service within the town and to collect all
sewer user fees for that service until the town has its facilities up and running and able to take
over those processes. He stated he is asking for the expressed authorization because of
statements by Mr. Huckleberry to the homebuilders indicating that after the six months the
authorization to continue serving is up in the air and therefore scared the homebuilders into
thinking that they're going to allow no further hookups. This would make it very clear the
county does have the authorization to continue to serve until the point that we are in a
position to serve.
Upon motion by Council Member Comerford, seconded by Council Member McGorray, the
item was unanimously approved.
Mr. Cassidy stated at today's Board of Supervisors meeting Board Member Sharon Bronson
read a letter from Ned Norris of the Toliono O'Odham Nation in which Mr. Norris raised
some concerns about the effects that the town's action of terminating the IGA might have
relative to the Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act. Mr. Cassidy stated they would
like authorization to prepare a letter for the mayor's signature to Ned Norris and the Toliono
O'Odham Nation explaining that for the geographic area, the basin which was the subject of
the Indian Water Rights litigation for that area the Town of Marana is committed to and will
set aside its proportionate share of those waters. Mr. Cassidy referred to the basin map.
Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Vice Mayor Kai, the item was
unanimously approved.
Mr. Cassidy stated staff is requesting authorization to prepare a letter for the mayor's
signature to the City of Tucson explaining the town's position relative to the Dove Mountain
and Continental Ranch area systems. The statement was made this morning that if by
terminating the agreement if the town ends up taking those systems that since those areas are
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served primarily by the City of Tucson that the town would actually be appropriating the
city's affluent from those areas. The intention of this letter would be to reaffirrn that within
the basin we are committed to setting aside the SAWARSA portion of the effluent for the
tribes. The second part is to say that even though Arizona law would allow the town to keep
the affluent once it operates a treatment facility for that area that the town is committed to
water in, water out which means that the water provider that provides the water that comes
back through the sewer system we agree that that water provider should take ownership of
that affluent and that would be subject to them paying the costs of treating that water. We
would offer that to the city provided they recognize that the town has that same right with
respect to water that is now going into the Ina Road treatment plant. Right now the City of
Tucson has not been willing to sign an agreement giving the town its portion of water that it
provides through the Marana Water Department that ends up in the Ina Road treatment plant.
The reason they haven't is they do not want to deal with that separately from the Marana
plant. We want authorization to prepare this letter to make clear the town's intentions relative
to water coming out of the Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch system.
Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Vice Mayor Kai, the item was
unanimously approved.
Mr. Cassidy stated the last item is with respect to the county's action this morning to
designate the Marana treatment facility and its surrounding areas as a park which the town
believes is intended to block us from annexing the area. In response to that we do not believe
that park designation is valid. Mr. Cassidy is asking the town be authorized to pursue an
annexation that includes the Marana Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Upon motion by Council Member Comerford, seconded by Council Member McGorray, the
item was approved 5-0 with Vice Mayor Kai abstaining.
M. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Vice Mayor Kai, Council
convened to Executive Session.
N. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
0. ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Council Member McGorray,
Council voted to adjourn.
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CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council
meeting held on July 24, 2007. I further certify that a quorum was present.
celyn C ronson, Town Clerk
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