What's Up? - 18 February 2017

Happy Saturday everyone!

This past week we held a "stakeholders" meeting at Amelia Earhart Elementary School to review the proposed Policy Recommendations and take public input. Public input is still being accepted at our online Open City Hall. The current deadline is Tuesday morning, but I believe it will be extended until the end of next week.

I decided to play with the color codes in my report a little. I was worried that they weren't distinct enough in my last few reports. The black text below comes straight from the published agenda. My current comments are in bright blue. The muted blue text signifies my comments from past reports. The sections of brown text are quotes from the informational documents supplied with the published agenda.

What's Coming Up?

COUNCIL WORK MEETING

2:30 PM, Tuesday, February 21st, City Conference Room, 351 West Center

1. A discussion pertaining to a proposed ordinance amendment to the Provo City Permit Parking Area Program
   This looks like a mostly straightforward code cleanup. I imagine as Staff was preparing for the proposed changes to the Foothill Park Permit Parking Area, they noticed some areas that could be improved. The changes consolidate the code defining the process of qualifying for and obtaining permits. Interestingly, there is a list of apartments that are explicitly excluded from qualifying for permits.
2. A discussion about Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Property Conversion pertaining to the Bounous Park property
   The purpose of this proposal is to make the public and City Council aware of a proposed LWCF property conversion. See attached letter. There is no attached letter in our packet.
3. A discussion on a Budget Committee request for a Water Division review
   A discussion on Budget Committee request for...authorization to move forward with an in-depth review of the Water Division. 
   We are in the middle of a multi-year plan for water rate hikes to pay for postponed maintenance and to put us on a fiscally sustainable path to maintaining our infrastructure. The Budget Committee would like to do an in-depth review of the Water Division.
4. A discussion on a proposed amendment from the Rules Committee changing the Implied Motion language in the Council Handbook
   This is a simple tweak to the way the Council conducts business. We passed a fairly significant set of changes a few meetings ago, and now after trying them out, we see something that can be improved.
5. A discussion on a change to the Provo Landmarks Register: Wendy Holdaway requests the Nomination of the Erik C. & Sine J. Henrichsen House, located at 690 West 300 South, to the Provo Landmarks Register. Franklin Neighborhood.
   On a vote of 4:0, the Landmarks Commission recommended that the Municipal Council approve the above noted application. The house has been previously nominated to the Landmarks Register but the nomination was withdrawn due to owner objection. Wendy Holdaway has recently purchased the house and desires to restore it to its historic condition. She desires the house to be listed on the Provo Landmarks Register to protect its integrity and to qualify for available financial or other assistance. The property meets the requirements for nomination to the Provo City Landmarks Register and the application is accompanied by the proper documentation as established in Provo City Code.
6. A discussion on a proposed amendment: Provo City Community Development Department requests amendments to the parking ratios for the Off-Street Parking Standards for Baching Singles (Section 14.37.060), the ITOD Zone (Section 14.23.120), the General Downtown Zone (Section 14.21A.150) and the Downtown Core Zone (Section 14.21B.140) to consider increasing the minimum parking requirement within these zones. City-Wide Impact.
   Community Development is recommending removing the 50% reduction in parking requirements in the Downtown zones, shrinking the reduction from 50% to 25% in the ITOD zone, and increasing the parking requirements for baching singles in other areas.
   Key points addressed in the Staff's presentation to the Planning Commission included the following: • The Joaquin Village student housing complex has demonstrated that a parking ration of .7 spaces per bed is insufficient. • The Start Up Crossing ITOD housing complex has demonstrated at allowing a 50% reduction in required parking does not provide sufficient off-street parking. • The Downtown Zones (DT1 and DT2) also allow for a 50% reduction. • Comparable parking ratios from other communities along with Wasatch Front are higher that what is permitted with the 50% parking reduction allowed in the ITOD and Downtown zones. 
   We did not receive a unanimous positive recommendation from the Planning Commission. Chair Jamin Rowan argued that "the Downtown and ITOD zones are forward-thinking [and that he] felt that the city should continue in the direction those zones have established even though the city is experiencing growing pains at this time."
7. Administrative update on the BRT project
   No files found.
8. Closed Meeting

COUNCIL MEETING

5:30 PM, Tuesday, February 21st, Council Chambers, 351 West Center

4. A presentation by the Covey Center of a segment from 'Last Train to Nibroc.'
   
   Public Comment 
5. A resolution appropriating $47,525 in the Mayor's Office for the Hiring of a Parking Manager and appropriating $57,066 in the Finance Division for funding a full-time collections person and an Accounting Clerk applying to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.
   Have you noticed a parking theme for Tuesday's meetings? I think the above "short title" is a bit misleading, a net total of $45,925 is being requested. The increase is due to the hiring of a new Parking Manager. The rest is a shuffling of responsibilities, positions, and employees between our Justice Court, Customer Service, and Finance Division. The net difference because of the shuffle is a savings of $1600.
   I believe that this is the first step in changing the parking paradigm in our city and really addressing our long-standing parking problems. I believe that there are new tools for regulating on-street parking and that a Parking Manager will allow us to implement these new tools. I believe that Item 6 above and Item 9 below are temporary solutions until the paradigm shifts.
6. A resolution appropriating $2,040,000 in the Vehicle Replacement Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 and approving the execution of a Master Tax-Exempt Lease Purchase Agreement for the purchase of fire apparatus.
   During the May 17, 2016 Council Work Session, the Fire Department discussed the need for purchasing two new fire trucks and related equipment. The two trucks that have been selected as best meeting the needs of the Fire Department are the Rosenbauer Fire Engine (pumper truck) and the Pierce 105’ Ladder Truck (Quint). A summary of the equipment costs is outlined below:
   Rosenbauer Engine $675,000
   Engine Equipment 150,000
   Pierce Truck 1,065,000
   Truck Equipment 150,000
   Total $2,040,000 
7.  An ordinance enacting Provo City Code Chapter 9.18. Prohibiting Camping on Public Property.
   Within the last year 2015-2016 there has been a noticeable and documented increase in the number of calls for service/citizen complaints concerning individuals “camping” on public property. Specific nuisance areas include downtown Center Street, 350 N Freedom Blvd (Smith’s Grocery), 400 E 600 S, bird refuge, and East Bay Golf Course.
   Specific examples include persons occupying city property between curb and sidewalk for extended periods of time, generating complaints and [affecting] businesses. These individuals “camping” are leaving trash, panhandling, trespassing on Provo Power Property and spurring complaints from local residents. Other examples are issues in the Dixon, Franklin and Spring Creek neighborhoods that include persons living in RV’s, camp trailers and personal vehicles which are legally parked on city streets.
   Adaptation and enforcement of this ordinance will allow the Provo Police Officer to cite individuals who are in violation and remove the campsites in a timely matter. The ultimate goal being a REDUCTION in citizen complaints and negative effects on local businesses.
   I recommend reading the ordinance to anyone interested in this issue.
8. An ordinance amending Provo City Code Section 3.04.030 (Disposal of Property - Surplus Property List).
   This proposed ordinance would allow surplused property to remain on the Surplus Property List until sold or until it is removed by the Council. Currently, the property is automatically removed at the end of each fiscal year, causing problems when negotiations extend across multiple years. The ordinance also adjusts property value thresholds when certain provisions kick in, like when Council approval is necessary or when multiple appraisals are necessary. I think it makes sense to adjust these thresholds to keep up with inflation, but I'll be carefully considering if we are being asked to inappropriately give up too much oversight.
9. An ordinance amending the boundaries of the existing Foothill Park Permit Parking Area.
   Here is what I wrote after our discussion on this item two weeks ago, "We have now signaled our intent to expand the permit area. I also expressed my opinion that the permit program, as currently structured, is not self-sustaining, and is only as good as the enforcement. I am looking forward to the coming "Parking Czar" position and hope that changes will be made to these programs to improve their effectiveness and lower their subsidy." It is expected that we will take final action on this issue on Tuesday.