HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/1/2011 *PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at the
Workshops,Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council.
MINUTES
CITY OF GLENDALE
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
FEBRUARY 1, 2011
1:30 p.m.
PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Steven E. Frate and
Councilmembers Norma S. Alvarez, Joyce V. Clark, Yvonne J. Knaack,
H. Phillip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez,
ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Horatio Skeete, Assistant City Manager; Craig
Tindall, City Attorney; and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Sherry Schurhammer, Management and Budget
Director; Steven Conrad, Police Chief; Erik Strunk, Community Partnership Director; Stuart
Kent, Field Operations Director, and Jamsheed Mehta, Transportation Director.
1. FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING UPDATE
This is an update for City Council on the status of the federal stimulus grant funding that has
been allocated to the City of Glendale. The federal stimulus grants contribute to Council's goals
of one community with strong neighborhoods and one community that are fiscally sound by
maximizing federal grant initiatives.
In February 2009, Congress signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The $787 billion economic stimulus legislation contained funding for projects in public works,
transportation, community housing, energy efficiency and conservation, public safety and direct
assistance to those in need. Some of the stimulus funding was allocated directly by federal
government agencies whereas some of the funding was allocated through state, county and other
regional government agencies. In addition, some of the stimulus funding was allocated on a
competitive basis while some was allocated via formula-based programs.
Glendale has received over $11 million in federal stimulus funding in the areas of public safety,
community services, energy efficiency and conservation and transportation. Public Safety:
The city received $740,863 in federal stimulus funding. These funds will be used to purchase
new, enhanced software for the Police Department's CAD (computer aided dispatch) and RMS
(records management system). The new software will result in improved access to 'real time'
crime data for crime response and analysis as well as enhanced access to critical information for
officers responding to calls for service. This project is underway.
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The city received $136,960 in federal stimulus funding to enhance the ability of the Police
Department to investigate and support the successful prosecution of domestic violence offenders.
This project is underway. The city received $150,000 in federal stimulus funding to supplement
overtime funding that will be split equally between the Police and Fire Departments. The Police
Department will use the overtime funding to enhance operations by improving the department's
response to crime. The Fire Department will use the overtime funding to maintain the
community's expected level of service without disruption, in accordance with national standards.
The city received $597,820 in federal stimulus funding to complete the following:
Visual Improvement Program (VIP) projects in the Centerline area; Floralcroft neighborhood
improvements; Valley of the Sun School and Habilitation Center; All of the above projects are
complete.
The city received $914,122 in federal stimulus funding for homeless prevention assistance to
households at or below 50% of area median income whose occupants would otherwise become
homeless. A total of 1,391 persons were provided assistance through this program.
This project is expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year.
The city received $319,325 in federal stimulus funding to remodel and update 51 public housing
rental units located at 61st Avenue and Lamar Road. Specific improvements included interior
kitchen remodeling such as the needed replacement of appliances, cabinets, countertops, and
low-flow faucets. This project is complete.
The city's Community Action Program (CAP) received $92,248 to provide direct services to low
and moderate-income Glendale residents. Services included energy assistance payments, minor
home repairs, crisis assistance for families, which includes homeless assistance and temporary
rent/mortgage subsidies. This project is complete.
The city received $39,525 in federal stimulus funds to purchase 39 laptops to be distributed
among the city's three libraries. In addition to regular library patron usage, citizens who are
unemployed or underemployed use these laptops to conduct job searches, develop job
application documents and pursue career development opportunities. These computers are in use.
The city received $2.3 million to complete nine projects related to the purchase and installation
of energy efficient fixtures and equipment at several city facilities. This grant funding allows for
capital replacement projects to be built now that otherwise may not have been completed for
several years. The specific projects include enhancements to the city's water treatment system
that will result in more efficient energy usage; the retrofit of lighting fixtures and equipment at
the public safety/court complex, the main library and various sport courts; traffic signal LED
conversion, building safety program enhancements, and the creation of a new "Energy Matters"
public education campaign. These projects are underway.
Glendale received over $6 million in federal stimulus funding for the following projects:
Installation of new traffic signal wiring at 36 intersections, 61 new traffic signal cabinets, 26 new
traffic signal controllers and nine closed circuit television cameras (CCTV). This project is
underway.
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Installation of wireless communications equipment to establish remote communications to traffic
signals along Camelback Road from 47th to 83rd Avenues and on Bethany Home Road from 63rd
to 83rd Avenues. This project is complete.
Pavement overlay project for milling and paving, and application of rubberized asphalt along
Glendale Avenue from 51st to 68th Avenues. This project is complete.
Pavement surface treatment application on Litchfield Road from Missouri to Northern Avenues.
The application of this surface treatment is designed to extend the pavement's useful life. This
project is complete.
Application of thermoplastic pavement markings on 25 miles of arterial streets. This type of
pavement marking is expected to last five times longer than the standard traffic paint. This
project is complete.
Purchase of new traffic signal controllers,pedestrian signal heads, and pedestrian push buttons in
order to replace older equipment and to standardize traffic signal equipment in the city. This
project is underway.
Construction of multi-use pathway improvements to address the remaining gaps and complete
the Skunk Creek/Thunderbird Paseo trail system. This project is underway.
Pavement overlay to the section of Bell Road from 59th to 70th Avenues. This project is
underway.
The city also received $74,874 in federal stimulus funding for the operation of the Glendale
Urban Shuttle (GUS) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transit Services. This project
is complete.
The city also received $558,232 in federal stimulus funding for the construction of the alleyway
east of 58th Avenue. This project brings the alley into conformance with the pedestrian
improvements already constructed in the Catlin Court District. This project is complete.
In total, the city has received over $11 million in ARRA-related stimulus project funding over
the past two years. With these funds, the city has been able to move forward with several
community-based projects that would have otherwise not occurred now or in the near future. The
projects listed under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation section above are estimated to
result in a savings of over $497,000 in annual operating and maintenance costs.
Additionally, as a result of making these energy efficiency upgrades, the city is applying for
rebates from Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP). If the rebates are
received, they must be reinvested into other energy efficiency projects such as additional lighting
retrofits and other energy saving projects. This is a status report on the federal stimulus funding
allocated to the city as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This is
for Council information only. Staff is available to answer any questions regarding the
information provided.
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Sherry Schurhammer, Management and Budget Director, explained that the federal stimulus
legislation Congress approved in February 2009 contained funding for a broad range of programs
designed to stimulate the economy and to create or retain jobs. The City of Glendale received
over $11 million in federal stimulus funding in the areas of public safety, community services,
energy efficiency, and transportation. The city's projects were based on strict federal criteria
established for each grant program. A key federal requirement for project selection was it had to
be "shovel-ready," meaning the design work was completed and construction was ready to
commence. Ms Schurhammer noted that each of the projects to be discussed today was brought
before council at various times over the last year or so. She said that the rest of the presentation
would be covered by other speakers.
The next speaker, Steven Conrad, Police Chief, explained the three grants received that targeted
public safety. He explained they were upgrading their current computerized dispatch and records
management systems. These systems are used to process calls for service and document
information from crime reports. Additionally, the systems are also used to analyze crimes and
make many decisions on how to better protect the community. He added the department has
been working on this project for quite a while. They are now in the final process of selecting a
vendor and moving forward to purchase and implement the project. He anticipates another 12 to
18 months before implementation.
Councilmember Clark asked what this project will accomplish specifically. Chief Conrad
explained that their current system was about 20 years old and written by previous IT Glendale
staff. He indicated that as the city has progressed, there has been a real focus on predicting,
policing and intelligence gathering accurate to where crime is occurring. He explained this
software will allow them to be more proactive in providing officers with real-time data.
Councilmember Clark asked for additional clarification. Chief Conrad explained when a person
calls the police department, the operator will be able to match the information from the caller's
telephone number to their name and address and route it to the appropriate dispatcher and finally
to the police officer's mobile data computer in the field. The computerized system will then
work with the records management system to allow the officer to start their crime reports based
on the information received from the caller and dispatcher. The information is then reviewed by
a supervisor and immediately available to the crime analyst.
Chief Conrad stated the second grant is intended to provide funding to better train and equip
detectives and victim advocates as they work to investigate and assist in the prosecution of
crimes where women and children have been targeted. The funding has been used for
specialized training in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assaults and child crimes.
Additionally, funding has been used to buy specialized equipment and case management
software.
Chief Conrad indicated the third grant is shared between the police and fire departments. The
grant is used to supplement overtime in both departments. The fire department is using this
funding to maintain customer service levels and the police department is using it to fund a
number of proactive programs focused on reducing and preventing crimes.
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Councilmember Clark asked Chief Conrad to explain how police resources are used when the
city has major events such as the BCS and Fiesta Bowl. Chief Conrad explained those major
events are planned in advance and part of their yearly budget plan. He indicated separate
accounts are set up for both events; therefore, they are not using any money intended for officers
working the streets. Additionally, the city has an agreement with Global Spectrum allowing the
city to recover a portion of the cost of officers working inside and immediately around the
stadium. Any costs not recovered are addressed by a transfer from the general fund.
Erik Strunk, Community Partnership Director, provided a summary on the federal stimulus
grants targeted toward community services. Since February 2009, the city received stimulus
funds that resulted in the provision of direct assistance to the Glendale community, as noted in
the following bullet points:
• $140,000 was used for the Visual Improvement Program in the Centerline area and has
resulted in seven different projects moving forward;
• $135,000 was used for home improvement projects in the Lamar community;
• $235,000 was spent on improvements in the Floralcroft neighborhood that included
sidewalk repairs, curb cuts for disabled access and street lights; and
• $50,000 was used to modernize four different scattered site facilities owned by Valley of
the Sun Life Rehabilitation Center (a.k.a. Valley Life) that serves the severely disabled
with limited incomes.
Mr. Strunk also talked about $914,000 the city received for homeless prevention and rapid re-
housing services. That stimulus funding has been used for rental and utility assistance to keep
residents in their homes. A portion of the funding also was used to assist those who were
homeless. A total of 1,391 individuals were provided assistance through this program.
Additionally, the Arizona Department of Housing wants to share with other cities the success the
city has had with successfully using these funds. Councilmember Clark asked about the number
of homeless prevention cases versus those cases associated with helping residents stay in their
homes. Mr. Strunk said the split between those two programs was about 80/20.
Mr. Strunk explained that an additional $319,000 in federal stimulus funds were received for the
remodel and renovation of 51 public housing rental units located at 61St Avenue and Lamar.
Work included the replacement of kitchen appliances, cabinets, and countertops. He said all of
these funds have been spent.
Mr. Strunk said the Community Action Program received a little over $92,000 to provide
assistance for energy payments, minor home repairs and other types of issues. Finally, the
library received $39,000 to purchase 39 new laptops computers so residents who are unemployed
or underemployed can conduct job searches, develop job application documents and pursue
career development opportunities.
Councilmember Clark asked if any of the stimulus funding that Mr. Strunk discussed was
unspent. Mr. Strunk responded that some of the funding for homeless prevention remained to be
spent.
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Councilmember Clark asked about the $6 million the city received to prevent home foreclosures.
Mr. Strunk said that allocation of funding was not stimulus funding but rather part of the federal
government's neighborhood stabilization program. He explained that the $6.4 million received
for this program was used to partner with Habitat for Humanity and another group to acquire 29
different homes throughout Glendale, as well as a program to develop the construction of more
housing units for seniors. For the senior housing project, the city issued a request for proposal
and a group was selected to construct 109 additional units for seniors, with construction to
commence in the near future. Councilmember Clark asked how much of the $6.4 million was
used to acquire the 29 homes. Mr. Strunk replied approximately $2.4 million was used to
purchase and rehab those homes.
Vice Mayor Frate commented that the funding received was used to improve the quality of life
for many residents in Glendale. The projects also created jobs and retained other jobs because of
the added construction work.
Councilmember Knaack commented on the Native American Connections and Farm Service
projects. She noted those were infill projects that were greatly needed. She was pleased those
projects were moving forward.
Mayor Scruggs congratulated staff on their excellent management of project resources. She was
pleased with the widespread, positive impact these projects have had on so many people in the
Glendale community. She stated staff had reached and touched many people's lives in a positive
way. She appreciates staff's understanding of the importance in gathering and communicating
information and making it readily available to Council and to the public.
Stuart Kent, Field Operations Director, provided a summary for the federal stimulus funding the
city received for the implementation of energy efficiency projects in city buildings and public
education related to improving energy efficiency in residences. He explained a number of
lighting upgrades were completed at the city's main library, main public safety building and 11
sports courts in city parks. He said another energy efficiency project would be the replacement
of the existing ultra violet lights at the Arrowhead wastewater treatment plant with new, more
energy efficient equipment that is estimated to save over $300,000 annually in electricity
expenses once it is completed. Other energy efficiency projects undertaken with this stimulus
funding included the conversion of traffic signals with LED lights, which reduces electric usage
costs as well as requires less maintenance by staff. The community outreach program funded
with federal stimulus funds is the "Energy Matters" program that is providing residents an
opportunity to learn more about being "green" in their homes. More information about this
program is available at the city's "green"website.
Councilmember Knaack said she had just discussed this topic on her Glendale Today show. She
said Nancy Schwab was the teacher of the new energy conservation program that targets school
age children. She said she has been very pleased with the new program. She believes kids were
the future and they should be taught early about conservation.
Jamsheed Mehta, Transportation Director, provided a brief summary of the $6.6 million the city
received in federal stimulus funding for transportation infrastructure. This funding was used for
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several street transportation projects such as
• the installation of new traffic signal wiring, traffic signal controllers, cabinets and
wireless communication equipment to establish the ability to communicate remotely with
traffic signals along Camelback and Bethany Home Roads;
• the application of rubberized asphalt and other pavement overlay treatments along
Glendale Avenue, from 51st to 68th Avenue and Bell Road, from 59th to 70th Avenues;
• the application of pavement surface treatment along Litchfield Road;
• the installation of thermoplastic pavement markings on 25 miles of arterial streets;
• the installation of new pedestrian signals and push button devices; and
• the completion of multi-use path improvements along the Skunk Creek/Thunderbird
Paseo trail system. Once the pathway projects are completed, Glendale will be providing
nine miles of continuous trails without the trail user having to cross traffic.
Councilmember Clark asked about the new pedestrian push button signal locations. Mr. Mehta
explained the first two were funded with donations from two Councilmember's available capital
funds. However, with the current stimulus money, 53 additional intersections will have
countdown signals. He added they had recently secured additional federal funds through the
MAG process, which will help fund approximately 93 intersections with about half still to fund.
Councilmember Clark asked for additional information on the wireless communication
technology project. Mr. Mehta said the two projects were at Camelback and Bethany Home.
The cost for both was $249,000. In addition to the $6 million, Glendale received an additional
$600,000 to pay for two other projects. One project was the recently completed construction of
the alleyway project just east of 58th Drive in downtown Glendale. The construction project was
undertaken so that alleyway would be in conformance with other pedestrian improvements
completed in the Catlin Court Historic District. The other project funded was for operational
costs for the Glendale Urban Shuttle (GUS) and ADA transit service programs.
Sherry Schurhammer, Management and Budget Director, wrapped up the presentation by noting
that the federal stimulus funds awarded to the city have been or are currently being invested in
Glendale's community. She said 92 jobs were created or retained to date. She also said that
current projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of FY 2012, at the latest. Because of
these grants, the city has been able to move forward several capital improvement projects that
would have not occurred for several years. She ended the presentation by noting that these
projects discussed today have stimulated the local economy and provided job opportunities for
many valley residents.
Mayor Scruggs stated she had attended a recent luncheon where each Mayor was asked to say a
few words on their community. The chairman asked that the Mayors discuss only positive
aspects since there was so much negativity. She thanked staff for bringing them some positive
news happening in the community.
Vice Mayor Frate inquired about a project on Bell Road. Mr. Mehta explained the project has
been approved and will move forward in April in order to coincide with a less busy traffic
schedule.
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As there were no further comments, Mayor Scruggs adjourned the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m.
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