Council Meetings - 9 October 2018

PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Work Meeting Agenda

2:00 PM, Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Work Meetings are designed to be a less formal venue for discussion among Council Members. Generally, no public input is taken during the meeting.

Business



1. A discussion on a conservation easement for Rock Canyon (17-085)
   The Rock Canyon Preservation Alliance has presented the idea of placing a conservation easement on Rock Canyon to preserve the property’s natural habitat in the future. Brian Jones from Legal will update the Council on what is included in the current easement draft, and then Doug Robins from Parks and Recreation will present an alternative proposal. Afterwards, Erik Davis and Ginger Woolley from the Rock Canyon Preservation Alliance will respond. We've been working on this one for a while. RCPA raised half of the money to purchase this land. The easement will allow flexibility in the management of the site through the Rock Canyon Master Plan. It has been a very collaborative process that I support. Presentation only. This is a status update on the work between Parks and Rec and the RCPA. The proposed conservation easement is pretty much done and the final version will be presented to us around the end of the year along with the Rock Canyon Trail Head Master Plan.
2. A discussion on a Council Intent Statement regarding the City Center location and the use of land in the downtown Provo area (18-093)
   This is meant to convey Council’s intent regarding the proposed new facilities. The proposed statement makes clear the Council's intent regarding the location of the new facilities that would be funded by the bond (same site, unless something substantially better comes along) and the potential for new businesses and attractions on Center Street once the old facilities are removed. A motion to approve the intent statement as amended in the meeting was approved 7:0. After a couple tweaks the Mayor joined the Council in unanimously approving this Intent Statement.
3. A presentation on recommendations regarding a budget committee (18-075)
   Since January 2018, the Council’s Budget and Audit Committee has not met, partially because members of the Council have been satisfied with budget explanations from the Administration, and partially because the Mayor’s Office, as the fulfillment of a campaign promise, put together an ad hoc committee to make recommendations regarding the composition and function of a citizens’ budget committee. In other words, there was a committee in place whose purpose was to research and discuss budget committees. This is a continuation of the discussion from the September 25 Council work meeting. This committee recommended creating a new committee to improve our budgeting process and bring it more in line with best practices. It didn't say too much about a potential committee that would help the Council review tentative budgets as they are proposed each year. The process we used to pass the budget this last year had several improvements over past years. If the administration wants to follow this committee's recommendation, I will support their wishes. As for our review, I'm content to see if continuing to make small incremental improvements will meet our needs of oversight. An amended motion to eliminate the budget subcommittee and resort to the Council as a committee of the whole regarding budget issues was approved 7:0. The consensus was that between the department presentations throughout the spring and our capable policy analysts, the Council has a robust procedure to evaluate the proposed budget. We still have the ability to create a committee in times of need. I encouraged, and the Administration agreed, to carefully consider the Ad Hoc committees recommendations, as they were directed towards the process of creating the budget.



Policy Items Referred from the Planning Commission



4. A discussion on a zone change request for the property generally located at 1776 S. Buckley Lane from Public Facilities (PF) to R1.6PD to facilitate a 33-lot subdivision. Provost South neighborhood. (PLRZ20180224)
   This is the site of the former Utah County Jail. Provo City sought development proposals for the site and Gardner and Associates is currently under contract to purchase the site and construct 33 single-family homes. Planning Commission recommended approval. There is some irony that neighbors who have lamented the loss of young children in their schools and neighborhood due to some demographic shifts in the area are supporting a large development that would be restricted to the 55+ crowd.
   I'm not a fan of segregating people in housing, so I'm not wild about this idea. Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the October 9, 2018 Council Meeting. I was able to voice my discomfort about the age restrictions, well aware that my displeasure wouldn't make a difference.
5. A discussion to add a home, located at 395 East 100 North, to the Provo Landmarks Register. Joaquin Neighborhood. (PLLN20180305)
   Scott and Whitney Christopherson have nominated the house located at 395 E 100 N to the Provo Landmarks Register I'm looking forward to the presentation, but, from all I've read, this looks like a great addition to the Register. Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the October 23, 2018 Council Meeting. Definitely a good addition to the Register.



Closed Meeting

6. The Municipal Council or the Governing Board of the Redevelopment Agency will consider a motion to close the meeting for the purposes of holding a strategy session to discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation, and/or to discuss the purchase, sale, exchange, or lease of real property, and/or the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual in conformance with § 52-4-204 and 52-4-205 et. seq., Utah Code.
   Closed meetings (aka executive meetings) are held without the public present and must meet one of the conditions listed above. None held.

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PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Agenda

5:30 PM, Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Opening Ceremony

Items in this category do not involve legislative action.



Presentations, Proclamations, and Awards

Items in this category do not involve legislative action.
1. A recognition of Wayne Parker for his 15 years of service at the City of Provo and 35 years of service in city management.
   Presentation only. In the absence of our chair, Gary Winterton, it was my pleasure to present this recognition. Mr. Parker has been a tremendous asset to Provo and her residents over this past decade and a half.
2. A presentation of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for the Energy Department's building.
   Presentation only. LEED Gold is not an easy achievement. The building was award-winning, on-time, and under-budget. It sets a good standard for all future city facilities.



Public Comment

• This public comment period is intended to allow comment on matters that do not appear on the agenda. Each speaker will generally be limited to two minutes. Fifteen minutes has been set aside for this comment period.
• For items on the agenda requiring a public hearing, time to comment will be provided, after the item is presented, for all those who wish to speak.
• For items not requiring a public hearing, public comment will still be taken following the presentation of the item, but will be limited to a ten minute total comment period.
Ben Stanley, one of two people from the County to be nominated for the new UTA Board of Trustees, introduced himself and talked about his vision for public transit in the State. He previously wrote an Op-Ed in the Herald.



Consent Agenda

Items on the consent agenda are generally routine in nature, have been fully vetted in other meetings, or do not need additional discussion. They are approved together as one item. Items on the consent agenda were approved 6:0 with Gary Winterton excused.
3. A joint resolution of the Provo City Mayor and Municipal Council appointing temporary Justice Court Judges for the Provo City Justice Court. (18-089)
   State law allows for the appointment of temporary justice court judges when the regularly appointed justice court judge is absent or disqualified, including when he has recused himself due to a potential conflict of interest. The statute requires that the governing body appoint temporary justice court judges. This is basically approving of the list of substitutes that can be called on when Judge Romney is unavailable.
4. A resolution reappointing Bob Conner as Provo City Constable to serve a four-year term. (18-091)
   According to amendments made to Utah Code 17-25a-1, it is a requirement that the term for appointing a constable be four years. The current constable’s term has expired and a new appointment needs to be made. The constable’s duties include security at the Provo Justice Court, transporting inmates to and from the County jail, and serving warrants. The Constable Nominating Commission recommends reappointing Bob Conner to continue in his role as constable. As I reported earlier, "This has worked very well for us in the past, and the Justice Court is happy to continue the relationship."



Action Agenda

5. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification of approximately 5.89 acres of real property, generally located at 1437 East 2300 North from Public Facilities (PF) to Agricultural 1 (A1.1). Rock Canyon Neighborhood. (PLRZ20180239)
   The property owner purchased the land in 2007 in order to create single family lots at a later date. The applicant has now applied for the necessary zone change and preliminary subdivision that would enable the property to be subdivided into three single-family lots. The property is currently a mostly vacant parcel that contains a storage building for the US Forest Service. Planning Commission recommended approval. The question here is about animal rights. The plan for this location is residential, but the applicant has requested an agricultural zoning. There has been some concern about the compatibility of the animal rights that goes along with the agricultural zone with the surrounding residential properties. The discussions have been ongoing, so it'll be interesting to see where they are at tomorrow. A motion to continue this item to a future meeting to allow time for a proposal from the property owner was approved 6:0 with Gary Winterton excused. All feedback received from the surrounding neighbors was that they opposed having horses on the property (even though many love horses). It was clear that the Council was not going to proceed with the rezone under the requested conditions. The continuation allows the applicant to decide how and if they want to proceed.
6. A resolution appointing Hannah Salzl as Policy Analyst for the Provo City Municipal Council office. (18-092)
   Some positions within the Council office require a resolution as part of the hiring process. The Council relies heavily on the policy analysts to gather the information we need to do our jobs. Approved 6:0 with Gary Winterton excused. Ms. Salzl will make a great addition to our office.
7. A resolution regarding a pledge of support and to identify measures to be taken to address Utah's housing needs across the State and in Provo City. (18-070)
   Council reviewed an affordable housing resolution from the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce at the September 25 work meeting and made some revisions. Housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues that we face. We appreciate and support the Chamber's efforts to educate and build consensus across communities. After a few tweaks to the proposed resolution, I have no reservations about passing it. A motion to continue this item to a future meeting was approved 5:1 with Kay Van Buren opposed and Gary Winterton excused. I would have preferred to complete all the word-smithing during our work meeting two weeks prior. We had scheduled a 45-minute discussion, but only took like 10 because no one raised any objections and only spoke in support. But before the final vote some good suggestions were made for improvements, so we'll take it back for some more refining and will try again in a couple weeks.
8. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification of approximately 7.37 acres of real property, generally located at 1776 South Buckley Lane from Public Facilities (PF) to One-Family Residential Planned Development (R1.6PD). Provost South Neighborhood. (PLRZ20180224)
   This is item 4 on the work meeting agenda. This is the first hearing and possible formal vote after having discussed it in the work meeting. From my preview above, "There is some irony that neighbors who have lamented the loss of young children in their schools and neighborhood due to some demographic shifts in the area are supporting a large development that would be restricted to the 55+ crowd.
   "I'm not a fan of segregating people in housing, so I'm not wild about this idea." Approved 6:0 with Gary Winterton excused. This was presented by one of the Vice-Chairs from the Provost South Neighborhood. She responded directly to some of what I wrote in my preview, as well as to some of the comments I made earlier in the day. I'm glad that these previews and reports are at least occasionally read. I want to be as transparent as possible and make it as easy as possible to be informed and engaged.



Adjournment