Council Meetings - 5 January 2021

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you a less traumatic 2021!

The afternoon Work Meeting is mostly a symposium on housing and residential policy, along with an interesting tweak to our agreement with Google Fiber. The evening Council Meeting is mostly a chance to elect Council Leadership for 2021, with a parking permit discussion thrown in.

PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Work Meeting Agenda

12:00 pm, Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Business

1. A training on the Open and Public Meetings Act and on Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) requests. (21-006)
   Utah State law requires Council members to receive annual training on the Open and Public Meetings Act. State Law 52-4-104 says, “The presiding officer of the public body shall ensure that the members of the public body are provided with annual training on the requirements of this chapter." This training will fulfill that requirement. We do the people's business and the conduct if the people's business should be in view of the people. Presentation only. These trainings were conducted by Brian Jones, the Council's attorney. I appreciate his expertise and professional service to the Council.
2. A discussion about the Elected Officials Compensation Commission. (21-007)
   Provo City Code 4.04.130 established an Elected Officials Compensation Commission to review and recommend compensation for the Mayor and Council members. The Compensation Commission members are to be appointed in February and to report at the first regularly scheduled meeting in April. The Compensation Commission is tasked with reviewing the results of a salary survey conducted by the Human Resources Division and then recommending to the Mayor and Municipal Council: a) An annual salary for the Mayor, b) An annual salary for the Municipal Council members, c) Additional remuneration regarding expenses and benefits, and d) Any other compensation matters the Commission considers. Staff will present an overview of elected officials’ compensation, the process and timing of the Commission's work, and important dates for the Council’s and the Mayor’s attention. We worked this process out for years ago to have an commission review the compensation information gathered by Human Resources. Presentation only. The process takes pains to be balanced and even. Take a look.
3. A presentation from the Provo Housing Authority. (21-002)
   Provo City General Plan Section 3.3 Vision #1 states “Provide quality, affordable, and sustainable housing, in sufficient quantity, for residents of every age, income, ability, and family type within the community.” Provo City Housing Authority provides both workforce housing and low-income housing to the residents of Provo City. They achieve this by several methods. They own residential dwelling units and build housing for sale at below market rates. Provo Housing Authority can help Provo City meet its General Plan goals in relation to creating workforce housing and low-income housing so those that work and live in Provo. These next four items all relate to housing and residential policy. The Council spent a lot of time researching and discussing these issues in 2018 and 2019, but not a lot of decisions were made. Last year the Council's focus was on other praying issues so I'm looking forward to these four items to jump start the discussion for 2021. Presentation only. I feel strongly that the community land trust is the direction that we need to be heading and that much of our public investment into housing affordability should be put there. For higher need residents, the "wrap-around care" model is a great tool for addressing the client's needs and mitigating the impact on surrounding areas.
4. A presentation from Kem Gardner Policy Institute regarding Housing Affordability. (21-003)
   On December 08, 2020, the Kem Gardner Policy Institute published a report entitled “Housing Affordability: What are the Best Practices and Why Are They Important?” This report looks at the challenges facing Utah in meeting the needs for its residents' housing, from housing shortages to escalating prices. As Provo City is in the process of updating their General Plan, the report makes some recommendations on policies that can help with the challenges of meeting the housing needs of Provo residents. Presentation only. Dr. Wood gave a fascinating presentation and really clarified the next steps Provo should be taking. I really appreciated his argument about why housing affordability matters, and because homeownership is the primary vehicle for wealth creation in this country, housing affordability is also an equality issue and a wealth-gap issue.
5. A presentation from the Community and Neighborhood Services Department regarding the Housing Element of the General Plan. (21-004)
   The Community and Neighborhood Services Department is going to review moderate-income housing in Provo City. This will include:
   • Affordability
   • Student housing
   • Poverty rates
   • Assistance programs available through Provo City
   Presentation only. We already have a ton of statistics. But what do we do with them? Do we have the right statistics to make wise, informed decisions?
6. A presentation from the Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) regarding proposed legislation regarding housing issues for the 2021 Legislative Session. (21-005)
   As the Utah State 2021 Legislative Session starts later this month, there are numerous bills that will deal with land use, housing, impact fees, and others that will affect Provo City’s ability to meet housing demands. ULCT monitors and keeps cities apprised of developments in the passage of these bills and reports to the cities the effect these bills will have on them.
   
   Presentation only. There are several potential new laws on the horizon that we should be paying attention to: ADU, arbitration, single-unit occupancy definitions. Administration: Mayor's Update
7. A Franchise Agreement (Amended) between Provo City and Google Fiber. (21-008)
   Google Fiber has requested that certain aspects of the existing Franchise Agreement be amended regarding high-speed Internet access services and Internet Protocol video services within the City. This item is scheduled to be heard in the Council Meeting on January 15, 2021. I feel that Google has been a solid partner over the past seven years. I support extending this partnership into the future. Presentation only. The franchise fee was currently based solely on (cable-like) video services that are going away. The new deal will be a lower percentage, but will be based on data services, so it'll be far more sustainable.



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. A closed meeting was held.



Adjournment

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PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Agenda

5:30 PM, Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Opening Ceremony

Items in this category do not involve legislative action.



Public Comment

Instructions for making public comments at this electronic meeting can be found on the officially published agenda: agendas.provo.org.

Fifteen minutes have been set aside for any person to express ideas, concerns, comments, or issues that are not on the agenda:

Please state your name and city of residence into the microphone.

Please limit your comments to two minutes.

State Law prohibits the Council from acting on items that do not appear on the agenda.



Action Agenda

1. The election of the Municipal Council Chair and Vice-chair. (21-001)
   Per Provo City Code Section 2.50.020(2), the Council is required to elect a Chair and Vice-chair at the first Council meeting of each year. The current (2020) Council Chair conducts the Council Meeting until after the election process is completed for the new (2021) Council Chair. The Chair and Vice-Chair serve the Council by organizing, scheduling, and making decisions on behalf of the full Council. I have had the privilege of serving my fellow councilors in a leadership role these past three years. A motion to nominate David Sewell as Council Chair was approved 7:0. A motion to nominate David Shipley as Council Vice-chair was approved 7:0. I'm thrilled to have DS and DS serving as leadership for this coming year.
2. A resolution acknowledging the election of the Chair and Vice-chair of the Provo Municipal Council for calendar year 2021. (21-001)
   Immediately following the conclusion of the leadership election for Chair and Vice-Chair, the council will consider a resolution acknowledging the election of the Municipal Council Chair and Vice-Chair for the calendar year. Approved 7:0.
3. A resolution of intent for the creation of the Slate Canyon Drive parking permit area. (18-084)
   Residents of the Provost and Provost South neighborhoods have expressed concerns over on-street parking in their neighborhoods, especially along Slate Canyon Drive. Because of these concerns, residents desire to implement a parking permit program to control on-street parking. Over 200 residents provided input regarding a permit program they hope will reduce need for zoning enforcement, reduce parking demand, and bring peace in the area. The following details provide information on the residents’ proposal. Because of the prohibitive annual costs of the on-street parking permit program proposed by the residents, Staff is recommending denial of the application. Staff suggests a phased approach of on-street parking management strategies along Slate Canyon Drive. I think we should move this on to the next step and have Staff develop a program that fits this area. This item was continued. This is definitely a sticky issue with decades of back-story. The continuation allows us to look into some of the questions raised and get up to speed on the history behind the request.
4. ***CONTINUED*** An ordinance amending the Zone Map classification of approximately 8.5 acres, generally located at 1724 South State Street, from CM, RA, R1.6, R1.10, and A1.5 to the MDR Zone. Spring Creek Neighborhood. (PLRZ20190356)
   This will be heard at a future meeting.




Redevelopment Agency of Provo

5. The election of the Redevelopment Agency Chair and Vice-chair. (21-001)
   The same process conducting the election of Council Chair and Vice-chair is followed for the election of the Redevelopment Agency Chair and Vice-chair. Similarly to Council Leadership, councilors selected to serve on the RDA executive board attend relevant meetings and screen information to make simple decisions and bring larger decisions to the rest of the Board. Much of it is deciding what needs to be brought to the attention of the rest of the Board. A motion to nominate Shannon Ellsworth as RDA Chair was approved 7:0. A motion to nominate Bill Fillmore as RDA Vice-chair was approved 7:0. I'm looking forward to their leadership on the RDA board.
6. A resolution acknowledging the appointment of the Chair and Vice-chair of the Redevelopment Agency of Provo City for calendar year 2021. (21-001)
   Immediately following the conclusion of the leadership election for Chair and Vice-Chair, the Board of the Redevelopment Agency will consider a resolution acknowledging the election of leadership for the calendar year. Approved 7:0.




Adjournment