Monday, May 20, 2019

Council Meetings - 21 May 2019

It's shaping up to be another brutally long day of council meetings tomorrow. The hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars budget has to be the most significant item of the day, but not likely the most controversial.

PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Work Meeting Agenda

1:00 PM, Tuesday, May 21, 2019

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 presentation regarding the Municipal Wastewater Planning Program Annual Report. (19-064)
    Each year the City must update a self-assessment regarding the sewer collection and treatment system for submission to the State as part of our sewer discharge permit. Our wastewater collection and processing systems are functioning well, but are no longer meeting the tightening state regulations on nutrient discharge. Our system has served us well for generations, but we have not saved up to pay for the replacement of the infrastructure which is now reaching the end of its useful life. We recognize these problems and are raising sewer rates to pay for needed rehabilitation. This will be costly and painful. This is reflected in this report.

    There are a few programs mentioned on the report form that I would like to ask the department about, specifically,
    • A repair and replacement sinking fund
    • A Plan of Operations
    • An Assets Management system
    • A total replacement cost for the system.
    Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. A sinking fund would be really nice right now. Our failure to set aside replacement money over the past several decades while enjoying the benefits of our old treatment plant that was paid for by previous generations is the reason we are in this painful mess in the first place. We now have to pay to replace the current treatment plant. I hope future leaders will have the discipline to establish a sinking fund once we've paid off the new treatment plant. We are updating the wastewater master plan in conjunction with building a new treatment plant. The master plan will address the other aspects listed in my preview.
  2. A presentation on the Parks and Recreation Department and potential budget impacts. (19-004)
    Revenue and reinvestment from the Recreation Center are key pieces of the Provo City Budget. Scott Henderson, the Director of Parks and Recreation, will present to the Council about how the Recreation Center affects the budget. FISCAL IMPACT: $413,646 will be provided for the maintenance of the Recreation Center and equipment, with unused funds moved forward for future use. The Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) tax is expected to generate approximately $1.325 million in FY2020 for recreation and arts projects. Now that the proposed budget has been finalized, a few of the larger departments have been invited in to discuss their portion of the budget. Presentation only. Rec Center/Triple Plan revenues exceed the cost of operations and maintenance at the Rec Center/Ice Sheet/Golf Course. This is unheard of around the country. The excess revenue is put into the general fund which lowers our need for property taxes to fund other services. The amount, though, is far less than the increased property taxes that we are paying toward the bond that was used to build the new Rec Center. So in a way, the money going into the general fund is a small offset to the bond payments.
  3. A presentation on the Human Resources Department and potential budget impacts. (19-004)
    The Budget Highlights for FY 2020 listed several changes that affect personnel budgets, including merit increases (2.5%), market adjustments, retirement increases, insurance increases (4.5%), and parental leave. The presentation will explain the changes and the anticipated affect on the budget. Now that the proposed budget has been finalized, a few of the larger departments have been invited in to discuss their portion of the budget. Presentation only. We need to attract and retain quality employees who can provide the services our residents value in an efficient manner that respects the taxpayers sacrifice.
  4. A presentation regarding an appropriation of $119,238 in the Airport Fund and $775,000 in the Water Resources Fund, applying to fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. (19-061)
    This resolution corrects an omission in the Airport revenue bond interest budget funded from fund balance in the amount of $98,238. It also increases the budget for $21,000 in airport security fencing also from fund balance in the Airport fund. The resolution also increases funding in the water fund by $500,000 for water reuse studies, $75,000 for airport contract services, and $200,000 for well development which is funded from higher than anticipated utility rate revenue. This is an opportunity to discuss an actual appropriation request that we are being asked to vote on in the evening. Mistakes happen, this will correct n mistake on a bond-interest allocation. It'll be interesting to review the other requests. Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. These are all necessary projects that will help us maintain the level of services we enjoy in Provo.
  5. A presentation regarding code enforcement. (19-065)
    For FY 2016, the Council approved funding for two additional Code Compliance Officer positions. For FY 2017, the Council adopted the Zoning Disclosure requirement. This presentation will compare data gathered to show the effect the changes have had on code enforcement. Over the years, I have heard frustration from many residents about the prevalence of people ignoring zoning laws. I have felt some of that frustration myself. Last year the council budgeted for two new zoning enforcement officers. This is an opportunity for the zoning enforcement office to report back to the council regarding the impact that those additional resources have made, and to discuss what the next steps should be.

    There are various tools that we are considering to help address the housing affordability crisis that we are facing in the city, region, and state. We need to have confidence that we will have good zoning compliance to move forward with some of these tools.
    Presentation only. The new acknowledgment and disclosure requirement has allowed more renters and landlords to become familiar with the regulations and expectations. Complaints are down, but there is some question about how directly this translates into higher compliance. Turn-over is a major issue in this unit. We discussed various ideas about how to make the position more attractive as a career and not just a brief stepping stone. We are expending significant resources to train code compliance officers who, on average, aren't staying much longer than the time it takes to be trained.
  6. A presentation regarding the implementation of the General Plan. (19-066)
    Council staff have worked with almost every City department to report on the implementation of the 420 goals listed in the General Plan. Goal statuses were reported as follows:
    • Complete: 28
    • Ongoing (no end date): 345
    • In Progress (toward an end date): 13
    • Not Started: 34
    I'm very interested to see this presentation. The former mayor, John Curtis, use to talk about having goals and even plans in place, even if the funding or opportunities aren't immediately available, so that when the occasions arise, we are ready to grasp the opportunity. I'm okay with the fact that we have so many goals, as long as we are actively pursuing some of them and we are making progress overall. Presentation only. General Plan Goal 6.4.8 is Preserve historic or unique historic homes and buildings. This goal won't ever be completed. It will always be an ongoing process. Many of the goals in the General Plan are similar. Because of this, it is not surprising that 345 out of the 420 goals in the General Plan have been assigned the status of "Ongoing" in this report. 34 have been determined to be "Not Started." 28 are listed as "Completed". 13 are identified as "In Progress" which is similar to "Ongoing", but there is an expected end date.

  7. Policy Items Referred from the Planning Commission

  8. A discussion regarding the adoption of a Supplementary Residential (S) Overlay Zone in a One-Family Residential (R1.8) Zone located at approximately 244 E 2100 N. Pleasant View Neighborhood. (PLRZ20190094)
    The applicant is requesting the adoption of the Supplementary Residential Overlay to the existing R1.8 zone. The S Overlay would allow accessory apartments if the home is owner occupied. The applicant has received support from the majority of the residents in the proposed rezone area. The majority of homes in the Pleasant View neighborhood already have an “S” or “A” Overlay applied to them. Planning Commission recommended approval. The majority of the residents in the proposed area are in favor, and the recommendation from the Planning Commission was unanimous, but there is some opposition to this request, including over parking pressure as well as concern over zoning compliance. This is an example of what I was talking about for item #5 in this meeting. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. A motion (a) to continue that hearing of this item, with Council Chair David Harding announcing before the Council Meeting public comment period that the item has been continued; (b) to take public comment as part of the presentation for item 13 on the Council Meeting agenda; and (c) to indicate that when the item comes back to a future Council Meeting there will be a full opportunity to participate in the public hearing process, was approved 7:0. With the current parking and traffic problems on 2230 N in front of the schools, and the changes being proposed to the A and S overlays, we felt that it would be better to consider expanding this overlay after we have addressed those issues.
  9. A discussion regarding a General Plan amendment to add the Utah Transit Authority Station Area Plan to the Downtown Master Plan as an appendix. City-wide impact. (PLGPA20190059)
    Three years ago the Downtown Master Plan was adopted. Since then, community stakeholders including area residents, property owners, and developers have collaborated with the Utah Transit Authority, Provo City staff and Mountainland Association of Governments to create a vision and direction for the Provo Station. The Provo Station area is projected to have 900,000 sf of new development (325,000 sq. residential, 475,000 sf. office and 100,000 sf. small-scale retail in a mixed use context). The proposed Station Area Plan – Provo Station will be an appendix to the Downtown Master Plan. Planning Commission recommended approval. I'm glad to see this back. I suggested that Community Development consider this when UTA presented the results of their study back in February. I support adding this plan as an appendix. Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. This is a good plan and I'm glad that it will be easily referenced as an appendix to the Downtown Master Plan.
  10. A discussion regarding a zone change from Regional Shopping (SC3) to Health Care Facilities Zone (HCF) for 22.12 acres, and to Campus Mixed Use (CMU) for 8.94 acres, located at 178 E 1860 S. East Bay Neighborhood. (PLRZ20180321)
    Provo City has conveyed 22.12 acres of the Reserve at East Bay Golf Course to GT Medical Holdings for the construction of the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine. As part of this transaction the developers of the medical school are paying for the redesign and relocation of the affected golf course holes. A 7.82 acre parcel to the north of the medical school parcel and directly west of the US Bureau of Reclamation Office has been purchased for the development of 793 units of apartment housing. The applicant has begun preliminary discussion with Provo City to purchase a portion of the storm water retention facility to the west of the 7.82 acre parcel to include in the apartment development. Previously the General Plan Designation for the area was changed from Commercial to Mixed Use and Public Facilities. Planning Commission recommended approval. This was a split recommendation from the Planning Commission. There are questions about the livability of the housing that is planned in conjunction with the medical school. Housing has always been envisioned in this project, but I share some of the concerns about the remoteness of this location from other residential areas. I do think, though, that the housing will work well for the students of the medical school as well as employees of some of the surrounding businesses. I am encouraged by the fact that the owners of the housing project will have a vested interest in keeping it nice and inviting since it is adjacent to their medical school. Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. I'm disappointed that the project won't have the same look as what was presented to the Council in earlier meetings. Overall, though, the medical school will be a great addition to our city.
  11. A discussion on a zone change request from One-Family Residential (R1.10) to Light Manufacturing (M1) for approximately 7.7 acres of land located at approximately 1060 E 1320 S. Spring Creek Neighborhood.(PLRZ20190117)
    The applicant is requesting a zone change from R1.10 to the M1 at approximately 1060 E 1320 S. In 2017 the Southeast Neighborhood Plan was adopted by the City. The future land use map in the plan calls for this area to be Low Density Residential (LDR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR). In the interim time the property was rezoned from the M1 zone to the R1.10 zone. In 2019 there was a subdivision of the Pro Steel property and this parcel was created. They are now requesting to rezone it back to M1 for this new parcel, but not the Pro Steel parcel. Planning Commission recommended denial. I can't say that I understand this request. We recently adopted the South East Area Master Plan and are committed to moving forward with this plan. This proposal run counter to the plan and I don't see any reason why we should deviate. I agree with the conclusion in the staff report, "Staff finds that this proposal to rezone to the M1 zone would not be consistent with the Southeast Neighborhood Plan that shows this area to become LDR and MDR. Rezoning to M1 would be a deviation from the direction that the City has been headed for this area of the City. No compelling reason has been provided to deviate from the future land uses anticipated by the Neighborhood Plan. It is recommended that the land uses in Southeast Neighborhood Plan be followed." Presentation only. This item was already scheduled for the Council Meeting on May 21, 2019. See my report of item 16 on the council meeting agenda.

  12. Closed Meeting

    Closed meetings (aka executive meetings) are held without the public present and must meet one of the conditions listed in Utah State Code (§ 52-4-204 and 52-4-205 et. seq.). If a closed meeting is needed, it will be announced at that time.

    Adjournment



PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Agenda

5:30 PM, Tuesday, May 21, 2019


    Opening Ceremony

    Items in this category do not involve legislative action.

    Presentations, Proclamations, and Awards

  1. A Provology Graduation. (19-067)
    Congrats to the latest group to complete this course. Presentation only. This is a great program for those looking to be more involved, or for those wanting to better understand the services the city provides and how the city works.
  2. A presentation by America's Freedom Festival. (19-068)
    The Freedom Festival has added so much to our community over the years. Presentation only. I'm so grateful for the many people who put on this fantastic celebration each year for our community.

    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 presentation of the item, but will be limited to a ten minute total comment period.


    Action Agenda

  3. A resolution consenting to the appointment of George Stewart to the Library Board. (19-003)
    Mayor Kaufusi has submitted a recommendation for George Stewart to serve on the Library Board. The Library Board has one spot reserved for a city councilor. I am grateful to Councilor Stewart for being willing to fill it. Approved by unanimous consent. This item provided some of the more light-hearted moments of the evening. Councilor Handley wondered aloud whether Councilor Stewart had sufficient experience to serve on the Library Board.
  4. An ordinance enacting a free expression ordinance in accordance with the Utah Code Title 11, Chapter 61. (19-058)
    This item is an ordinance which provides guidelines for Provo City to regulate expressive activities on (1) public property which is a traditional public forum and also on (2) public property which is not a public forum. It also authorizes the Mayor to establish policies and practices consistent with this Section for City property and may delegate such authority to Department Directors with regards to the City property they manage. This is what I wrote two weeks ago when we previewed this in the work meeting, "The state legislature passed a law this spring that requires us to address this topic. The state legislature took up this issue because of complaints coming out of Provo and Orem during the referendum effort about BRT." and "This is a good plan to meet the new state law, and have clear guidelines for individuals to follow as they seek to exercise their right to expression." Approved 7:0. This authorizes the Mayor to create written policies regarding expressive activities on city-owned property that isn't a public forum.
  5. A resolution approving the Municipal Wastewater Planning Program Report for 2018 in accordance with the Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Report. (19-064)
    This was item 1 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 1 on the work meeting agenda. Approved 7:0. See my report on item 1 on the work meeting agenda.
  6. A resolution appropriating $119,238 in the Airport Fund and $775,000 in the Water Resources Fund, applying to fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. (19-061)
    This was item 4 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 4 on the work meeting agenda. Approved 7:0. See my report on item 4 on the work meeting agenda.
  7. An ordinance amending the Consolidated Fee Schedule relative to an Impact Fee charge. (18-099)
    At the December 11, 2018 Council Meeting, the Municipal Council adopted the new Impact Fees with the intention of having the fees take effect on July 1, 2019. During the interim between that meeting and the date they go active, there have been reviews of the Impact Fee Analysis and there have been questions posed from developers that they felt were inconsistent. Our Provo City Finance Department has worked with our consultant, Zions Public Finance, to address those questions. The determination was made regarding the Police Facilities Plan that a few changes need to be made to that Impact Fee to make sure it aligns with the expected Facilities Plans. The consultant could address a few other concerns that were brought up but not intended to change. I'm grateful to the Finance Division for carefully considering the feedback and concerns by the Homebuilders Association and other stakeholders. After careful review, one of the disputed impact fees is being proposed to change. Approved 7:0. This is a good example of various stakeholders working together to improve city policy.
  8. A resolution tentatively adopting the proposed budget for Provo City Corporation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020. (19-004)
    This is a step in the budget process as required by Section10-6- 111(3) of the Uniform Fiscal Procedures Act for Utah Cities. Upon completion of this step, the Council will then have public hearings on June 4, 2019 and June 18, 2019 where they will formally adopt the budget, unless the Council opts for a Truth in Taxation meeting. In that case, the timeline would be extended by a few weeks. The expected amount for the Provo City Budget adoption is $254, 958,760, with the General Fund expected to be $59,678,744. I'm still excited by the substantial improvements that we were able to make towards properly staffing our police department. A few corrections to spreadsheet formulas have been made since the tentative budget was presented two weeks ago, but there haven't been any substantive changes. Approved 7:0. We have tentatively adopted the proposed budget. This means that this is officially the budget that we will be considering over the next month (until June 18th).

  9. Redevelopment Agency of Provo

  10. A resolution tentatively adopting a proposed budget for the Redevelopment Agency of Provo City Corporation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020. (19-005)
    Each year, the Redevelopment Agency submits a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The expected Redevelopment Agency budget is $2,429,132. We haven't yet received the final details on this budget. Approved 7:0. We were given the auxiliary budgets beforehand and had good presentations on the budgets. There are no major changes from previous years.

  11. Stormwater Service District

  12. A resolution tentatively adopting a proposed budget for the Provo City Stormwater Service District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020. (19-006)
    Each year, the Stormwater Special Service District submits a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This year, the expected FY2020 budget for the Stormwater Service District is $5,123,278. We haven't yet received the final details on this budget. Approved 7:0. See my report on the previous item.
  13. A resolution appropriating $100,000 in the Stormwater Service District for principal payments on Storm Drain Revenue Bonds, applying to fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. (19-062)
    This resolution corrects an error in the budget that left insufficient funding for the principal on debt line item. The funding source is fund balance in the Storm Drain fund. This is another omission to be corrected. Approved 7:0. Fixed.

  14. Action Agenda

  15. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification of approximately 1.92 acres of real property, generally located at 442 and 490 South State Street from General Commercial (CG) to High Density Residential (HDR). Maeser Neighborhood. (17-0010R)
    The applicant is requesting a zone change from General Commercial (CG) to High Density Residential (HDR) at this location to allow for a four-story, 32-unit apartment, a three-story, 24-unit apartment and a two-story, 4-unit townhomes on the corner of 500 South and State Street. These proposed sixty units would be on commercial property that is to be rezoned to High Density Residential (HDR). The HDR zone would allow for more units and additional building height than is being requested, therefore, a development agreement would be advisable to ensure that only what has been proposed would be developed. The City Council continued the zone change request and instructed the applicant to go back and work with the neighborhood and address their concerns. The applicant has now done that and made changes to their original proposal of 64 units in 2 four-story buildings. Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions. We continued this last time to give the community more time to review the proposal and bring us feedback. Here is my preview from last time, "I think that this project has evolved quite a bit in the years-long process that it has taken to get here. I think it is a good project. My main question now is if the "two-story, 4 unit townhomes" that front 500 South are actually two stories. I believe they are one-story, but on top of parking. The neighbors have pushed for housing that will encourage some longer-term residents. I think that true two-story townhomes, on top of parking, would be far more attractive to potential longer-term residents." A motion to update the implied motion to reference the version of the ordinance with a development agreement was approved, after which the implied motion was approved 6:1, with George Stewart opposed. The townhouses facing 500 S will just be a single level of living space, but I still think this is a good project and appropriate for the location along State Street.
  16. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification to adopt a Supplemental Residential (S) overlay zone in a One-Family Res. (R1.8) zone generally located between 2320 N, approx 2100 N, 350 E and approx 250 E. Pleasant View Neighborhood.(PLRZ20190094)
    This was item 7 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 7 on the work meeting agenda. The item was continued to a future Council meeting during the Work Meeting on May 21, 2019. See my report on item 7 on the work meeting agenda.
  17. An ordinance amending the General Plan to add the Utah Transit Authority Station Area Plan to the Downtown Master Plan as an appendix. City-wide impact. (PLGPA20190059)
    This was item 8 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 8 on the work meeting agenda. Approved 6:1, with David Knecht opposed. See my report on item 8 on the work meeting agenda.
  18. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification of approximately 31.06 acres of real property, generally located at 178 E 1860 S, from Regional Shopping (SC3) to Health Care Facilities (HCF) and Campus (CMU). East Bay Neighborhood. (PLRZ20180321)
    This was item 9 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 9 on the work meeting agenda. Approved 6:1, with Kay Van Buren opposed. See my report on item 9 on the work meeting agenda.
  19. An ordinance amending the Zone Map Classification of approximately 7.71 acres of real property, generally located at 1060 East 1320 South from One-Family Residential (R1.10) to Light Manufacturing (M1). Spring Creek Neighborhood. (PLRZ20190117)
    This was item 10 on the work meeting agenda. See my preview of item 10 on the work meeting agenda. The ordinance amendment failed 0:7, with Kay Van Buren, Gary Winterton, David Sewell, David Harding, David Knecht, George Stewart, and George Handley opposed. No strong argument was made as to why we should reverse the recently made plan for this area of the city.
  20. An ordinance amending the Provo City Code regarding Election Code to better align with Utah State Code and streamline and clarify portions of the code. (19-002)
    The Election Code Committee has reviewed Provo City's current election code with Provo City election officials and is proposing updates and changes to bring it into better alignment with state code, and better address and balance interest of campaign finance transparency, donor privacy, code clarity, and ballot access. Some of the changes include: *Streamlined (and aligned by referencing state code; *Report district (if in Provo), city, and state of donor, but not street address; *Remove aggregate report option; *Clarifies reporting requirements for donations/expenses before and after the election season; Here is what I wrote in my preview of this item two weeks ago, "I've been working on this committee and we have tried to work through several issues but have been on a very tight timeline. I feel these changes will increase transparency for the public and will make it easier for the campaigns to comply." Approved 7:0. There are a few other changes that I would have liked to see, but I think there are many good improvements and look forward to getting feedback from the campaigns this year as to their experience with the new regulations.

  21. Adjournment

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