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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/3/2015 (3) City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 ri7I i 11 Meeting Minutes - Final Tuesday, February 3, 2015 1:30 PM Workshop Council Chambers - Room B3 City Council Workshop Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Samuel Chavira Councilmember Gary Sherwood Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 CALL TO ORDER Rollcall Present 7- Mayor Jerry Weiers, Vice Mayor Ian Hugh, Councilmember Jamie Aldama, Councilmember Samuel Chavira, Councilmember Gary Sherwood, Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, and Councilmember Bart Turner Also present were Brenda Fischer, City Manager;Julie Frisoni, Assistant City Manager; Michael Bailey, City Attorney;and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk. WORKSHOP SESSION 1. 15-105 POTENTIAL RELOCATION OF THE FOOTHILLS BRANCH LIBRARY AND EXPANSION OF LIBRARY SERVICES Staff Contact and Presented By: Erik Strunk, Director, Community Services Department Staff Contact and Presented By: Michael Beck, Chief Librarian Mr. Strunk introduced the new Chief Librarian, Michael Beck, and said Mr. Beck will present some of the information for this item. Mr. Strunk also introduced Dr. Cathy Goeppinger, President and CEO of Midwestern University and Dr.Arthur Dobbelaere, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Strunk continued Midwestern University is not only interested in purchasing the property, but is an important part of the community. He said the Community Services Department is responsible for 118 public assets, including parks and the library system. Over the past few years, they have explored options with the libraries such as adjustment of hours and relocation of library facilities to storefronts and relocating them to other city facilities. He explained staff was approached by Midwestern University with an offer to possibly purchase the existing Foothills Branch Library. Midwestern University had two appraisals done and offered to purchase the property for$5 million in cash. After the appraisals and due diligence by city staff to determine the value of the property and its contents, it was determined that the$5 million cash offer exceeds the assessed value of the building and property. Mr. Beck provided an overview of the Glendale library system and the services it offers to residents. He the three city libraries are open for a total of 111 hours per week. The libraries offer patrons access to books, DVDs, magazines, music, the interne, special events, classes, and cultural experiences. He explained the city also has a web-based library which is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The web-based library can be access by patrons simply logging into their account. They are also a part of the Maricopa County Library System which offers additional options to patrons. He explained residents have 11 other public libraries in close proximity. He said as a part of the Maricopa County Library System, any county resident can obtain a library card for Glendale. This also allows patrons additional library resources at no cost to the Glendale library. Mr. Beck also discussed several new library trends impacting the Glendale Libraries, and those include integration with recreation and community centers, partnerships for programming,job training and career building programs, creative maker spaces, STEM programs, access to technology and purchase and use of digital materials. He also City of Glendale Page 1 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 talked about partnerships with institutes of higher learning. Mr. Beck mentioned how these trends are impacting Glendale, including increased website usage and decreased in person visits to the libraries. Mr. Strunk said staff proposed relocating the Foothills Branch Library to the Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center under a Foothills Library and Technology concept. Library hours would increase by 13 hours a week and new technology would be purchased that surpasses the technology that is currently available at the Foothills Branch Library. There would be no reduction to existing library programming and more programming would be available with the added hours of operation. There would be no reduction in rooms available for study sessions and library classes. The library would maintain a 35,000 book collection based on consumer demand and any item not kept on site would be delivered within 24 to 48 hours. He said staff envisions a new experience for customers which would also capitalize on the success of the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center(FRAC)facility, which would bring in new customers to both facilities. Mr. Strunk said Mr. Beck would provide conceptual slides of the vision of the library at the FRAC facility for the Council. Mr. Beck showed slides of an aerial view of the proposed additions and changes to FRAC. He discussed the various locations of the youth area, the computer area and where the books would be located. He also showed pictures of an artist's rendering of the library entrance on the west side of the building, the adult area and the computer area which will have tablet dispensers. He also mentioned a proposed media room--which included a green screen, as well as the teen room. Mr. Strunk discussed the short and long term benefits of this project. He said this project would create a new library experience which would focus on new technology, literacy and a full array of library services. Any additional items not included in the new library would be incorporated into the Velma Teague Library and the Main Library. He proposed distributing a portion of the collection to the community centers throughout the city to create a library experience for patrons in other areas of the city. Mr. Strunk next discussed the financial implications for this project. After costs of relocation and transformation of the new library space at FRAC, the city would receive one-time revenue of approximately$4.1 million. The city would also be able to eliminate $2.7 million in future Capital Improvement Project(CIP) expenses. This move will translate into approximately$380,000 in annual savings to the city, and will not result in the loss of any FTEs. Mr. Strunk said Midwestern University is the largest medical campus in the state. Upon purchase of the library facility, Midwestern will give back to Glendale by opening the main Midwestern University campus library to all Glendale residents Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they would be able to use those facilities as a community meeting and study location. Midwestern will allow users of the dog park continued access to the parking lot and the building will continue to be maintained by them as well. Midwestern University also is working to provide veterans services from this location. Mr. Strunk if Council is interested in pursuing this item, they will conduct up to 12 public meetings throughout the city during February and March, meet with any groups interested in this project, activate a website to capture public comments and report findings to Council in the spring of 2015. He recommended the use of an outside facilitator if public meetings are held. Mayor Weiers clarified if someone ordered a book;it would be delivered to another library City of Glendale Page 2 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 within 24 to 48 hours. Mr. Strunk said that was correct, if the book was in the collection at another library within the city, it would be available for pickup within 24-48 hours. Mayor Weiers asked if there was a van or pickup that goes from library to library and would that be an extra cost. Mr. Strunk said they are already doing that right now. Councilmember Aldama asked if the sale did not occur would the city purchase the various technology resources Mr. Strunk spoke about in the presentation. Mr. Strunk said it is in the department's vision and said he did see it occurring at some point in the future. He said it was important for libraries to have that technology. Councilmember Aldama said if the sale were to go through, he asked if those technology items would immediately go through the procurement process. Mr. Strunk said if the sale does take place, the costs to purchase the new technology would be covered. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked when the proposal was first received by the city and the dates of the two appraisals. Mr. Strunk said the initial letter was received in February 2014. The first appraisal was done in March/April 2014 and the second appraisal was done in July/August 2014. Councilmember Chavira said he supports the public outreach for this project and also it another important point was there would be no full time jobs lost in this transaction. He suggested anyone interested in the technology component pull up the city website for San Antonio to check out what they have to offer. Councilmember Turner said it was his understanding when the Foothills Library was built; it was done so with the future in mind and specifically designed with easy retrofit capabilities. He asked if there was anything in the proposal at FRAC that could not be created at the library. Mr. Strunk said the answer was no. Councilmember Turner asked if there was Wi-Fi at FRAC. Mr. Strunk said there was Wi-Fi at FRAC. Councilmember Turner asked about any negatives for the sale of the library, such as impacts to FRAC. Mr. Strunk said there are impacts because they are proposing a completely different type of service in a different location. He said there might be special interest classes currently held in spaces that they might set aside for library usage. He said that is factored into the bottom line of the financial information he provided. He said if there was interest in continuing those, the city would find an alternative location to hold those events and classes. He also said they are aware of the potential to the FRAC facility, but the focus of the presentation today was general library concepts. City of Glendale Page 3 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Councilmember Turner said he understood it cost about$9.5 million to open the library. Mr. Strunk said the facility, land and everything that came with it cost about$7.8 million. Councilmember Turner said the appraisal was done on the building, but asked if an appraisal has been done on the art work. Mr. Strunk said an appraisal was done on the artwork, and the artwork was about $400,000. He also said the magic doors would be relocated to the Velma Teague Library and the 24 hrs. in the Sonoran Desert was purchased for $85,000. He said that is integral to the structure of the building and would have to remain in the facility. Councilmember Turner asked if staff had looked at a joint use opportunity rather than a sale opportunity. Mr. Strunk said have not done that at this point and they are simply following up with the offer provided to the city. Councilmember Turner said there was a 24 percent reduction in visitors to the library and asked what part of that might be due to reduced library hours. Mr. Strunk said the figures presented all were calculated with the 111 hours of operation per week. Councilmember Turner asked about recouping the capital from the sale of the building. Mr. Strunk said the amount comes out to approximately$375,000 to retrofit FRAC. He said that would be taken from the proceeds of the sale. There would be a reduction in the operating budget, but everything would continue to be budgeted at the lower rate. Councilmember Turner asked if staff had a recommendation for use of the capital that would not be used to retrofit FRAC. Mr. Strunk said that is up to the City Council. Ms. Fischer said that is general fund eligible and would not have to be reserved for anything. She said there is even a possibility to expand the library system within the city and make more satellite library options available. She explained other cities have utilized satellite options. Councilmember Turner asked about the cost of the outside facilitator for the public meetings. Mr. Strunk said it would cost approximately$3,400. Councilmember Turner said they have all received quite a bit of public comment on this issue and he knows the community is concerned. He said it is crucial to consider this offer, but it is complex. He also said the various Boards and Commissions that might be concerned with this issue should also be given an opportunity to view this presentation and provide feedback. He would like to get information about their feedback. Ms. Fischer clarified that the Chihuly glass artwork is included with the offer of sale so that art piece would remain with the building. She also commented on the impact to City of Glendale Page 4 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 FRAC with these changes. She said the footprint at that facility would allow for additional expansion, or, if Council chose, to use proceeds from the sale to invest more into the FRAC facility to expand the facility to absorb both concepts without any disruption to the current FRAC facility. Vice Mayor Hugh said he was glad Councilmember Turner brought up including the Boards and Commissions members. Mr. Strunk said those Commissions are in the public outreach portion of this item. Vice Mayor Hugh commented this is a complex issue and they need to look into the idea of how a new library might be utilized. He said Midwestern University is a perfect partner for the city. Councilmember Aldama said the partnerships with Midwestern University would be fantastic. He asked if staff had taken into consideration the occupancy levels of FRAC when considering how to accommodate the new vision. Mr. Strunk said there would be a dramatic decrease to the square footage available for FRAC patrons and the issue would be how they make that work. Councilmember Aldama mentioned use of Midwestern University, and that could take some of the load off FRAC. Mr. Strunk said that was correct, but Midwestern University is a medical facility, so some features of a regular library would be missing. Mayor Weiers said a previous Council gave direction to start looking at selling property to assist with the budget issues. He asked how many other parties have expressed interest in purchasing this property. Mr. Strunk said Midwestern University is the only potential buyer for this property. Mayor Weiers asked if they could accept a higher offer from another buyer without going back to Midwestern University for a counteroffer. Mr. Strunk said there is a process they have to follow with property. He said they purchased the library property from Midwestern University and they have first right of refusal. If the city was to entertain selling the property, Midwestern would be allowed to weigh in based on the contract. Mayor Weiers questioned why the art that would have to stay in the facility. He asked what estimate was given to remove the Chihuly and reinstall it somewhere else. Mr. Strunk estimated the Chihuly artwork in the$85,000 to$100,000 range. It would entail structural revisions as the artwork is very heavy. He said moving and storing the art piece would be around$65,000. Storage costs and a storage location is also an issue. Mayor Weiers wanted the public to be aware of some of these issues. He said he has not taken a side on this issue yet, but wants the public to have their voice heard. He said people are passionate about their libraries. He asked what the mileage difference from the old location to FRAC. Mr. Strunk said the distance was about 1/3 of a mile. City of Glendale Page 5 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Vice Mayor Hugh mentioned the land purchase from Midwestern University and the deed restrictions. He asked if a company, such as Target, could purchase the property. Mr. Strunk said there are some restrictions on the use of the land and there would need to be a general plan amendment. Midwestern University determined it was very important there be a PAD for their campus and that would be handled by the Planning Department. Vice Mayor Hugh asked if the land had to have some type of government use. Mr. Bailey said Midwestern University has first right of refusal on the property and the city is also restricted that the property can only be used for a government use. Councilmember Tolmachoff said Midwestern University is a wonderful part of the community. She said it would be a great opportunity if it was approved by the community. She asked after public outreach and if this deal moved forward, if the money from the sale could be dedicated to the library system. Ms. Fischer said Council decides where to spend the money. Councilmember Tolmachoff agreed with Councilmember Turner about first having the advisory boards bring their opinions to Council before reaching out to the public. Mr. Strunk said they envisioned doing both at the same time, but if Council desires, they can bring it to the Boards and Commissions before reaching out to the public. He said it would not delay bringing their opinion back to Council. Ms. Fischer asked if there was a deadline or date for a decision on the sale of this property. Mr. Strunk said Midwestern University indicated mid-September as the date they would like to take ownership of this property. He said it is a compressed timeframe. He went over the steps needed to complete this transaction. Councilmember Tolmachoff said they would be receiving the Boards/Commissions and citizens input all at the same time. Mr. Strunk said they haven't prepared the agenda items for the Boards/Commissions yet. They could prepare an action item to get an opinion from the Boards/Commissions. Councilmember Tolmachoff said this is a big issue for consideration by the Boards/Commissions and she wanted to give them the opportunity to discuss and make a decision on this issue. Councilmember Sherwood said the proposal is interesting and they need to go through the public process. He said Boards/Commissions will reach out to the public as well on these issues. He saw the process moving forward all at once. Mr. Strunk said they would include the Boards/Commissions and the public on this issue. Councilmember Sherwood said he is comfortable having the Boards/Commissions hear the issue as well as the public comment at the same time. He said Council would like updates on how the process is coming along. City of Glendale Page 6 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Mr. Strunk said the meetings will be held in various places around the city. There will also be a website for online comments. Councilmember Sherwood asked if the schedule will presented all at one time. Mr. Strunk said if they are directed to proceed, they will activate the website and publicize the dates right away. Mayor Weiers said there will be 12 meetings, 2 meetings per District. Mr. Strunk said he was unsure if there were 2 meetings per District. He provided information on where the meetings would be held. Mayor Weiers said if it affects Councilmember Tolmachoff's District more than any other, he asked if there should be more meetings in that area to gather public input. Councilmember Aldama said he supports more meetings in the Foothills Library vicinity because those citizens are more specifically affected by this. Mr. Strunk said he will add additional dates. Councilmember Chavira said they do need to focus on more meetings in the vicinity of the library itself. Councilmember Turner remained concerned about showing respect to the Boards and Commissions. He had concerns that this proposal has been in the works for almost a year and said he was getting the feeling they were in a hurry to resolve this. He wanted to give the Boards and Commissions a chance to meet on this. Mr. Bailey said this was held for the new council, but it was held by direction of the previous council, and wanted the council to understand this. Mayor Weiers asked if there was support to allow the Boards and Commissions to hear this item first. He said a majority of the Councilmembers would like to see this happen. Mayor Weiers agreed with Councilmember Turner on this issue. Councilmember Aldama agreed with Councilmember Turner and wanted the Boards and Commissions to have an opportunity to discuss this. Ms. Fischer confirmed direction was to take this item first to Boards and Commissions and bring that back to Council to share results. At that time, they will propose a different schedule with more meetings in the Foothills area and seek further direction from Council. Mayor Weiers asked if someone could contact Midwestern University about their deadline and see if there is any room for change. Councilmember Turner said Ms. Fischer explained his thoughts on the process perfectly. He also said if Boards and Commissions wanted to wait on results of the public meetings, that was fine. He thanked everyone for the information about how this item was delayed by the previous Council. He said it was important for the new Council and the public to know that staff did not purposely delay this item. Ms. Fischer said she spoke with Dr. Goeppinger and she was fine with the sale being City of Glendale Page 7 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 completed by the end of the year. She also supports the efforts in communication and will make herself available for questions. Councilmember Chavira thanked Dr. Goeppinger for being accessible and working with Council on this issue. Councilmember Tolmachoff said one of the concerns brought to Dr. Goeppinger was that the library remains available for the public, especially through the summer. She said they were very accommodating and they have been wonderful to work with. Councilmember Chavira thanked the individuals who emailed the Council with their thoughts on this issue. 2. 15-076 OVERVIEW OF CERTIFICATE OF NECESSITY (CON) PROCESS Staff Contact: Mark Burdick, Fire Chief Staff Presenter: Mark Burdick, Fire Chief and Chris DeChant, Executive Assistant Fire Chief Chief Burdick provided an update regarding the Certificate of Necessity process. He explained the Certificate of Necessity is state required through the Department of Health Services and anyone who transports patients has to have it. He said they were approached last year about obtaining the advanced life support Certificate of Necessity. He said they have completed the application process in partnership with Rural Metro. He said once they apply, they may be asked for clarifying information and the process can take up to 24 months. Assistant Chief DeChant explained the partnerships the Fire Department has with Health Services to improve EMS services throughout the state. He explained Rural Metro provides two people in an ambulance to help the Fire Department transport the patient to the hospital. He also provided information about costs and revenue. He said the Fire Department bears most of the costs and the ambulance companies get almost 100 percent of the revenue. He said Glendale Fire is fortunate as they share more of the cost and split more revenue with the contract they have with Rural Metro. He explained this partnership was requested by Rural Metro back in September. He explained the role of the Department of Health Services is to regulate ambulance services. He said Rural Metro owns Southwest Ambulance and Professional Medical Transport, so all the Certificate of Necessity are all owned by the same company. Chief DeChant said we continue to enhance the partnership with Rural Metro with the Certificate of Necessity. If Rural Metro decided to discontinue the partnership, the city would lose$1.3 million in revenue that has been built into the base budget for the Fire Department. Mayor Weiers asked where that money comes from. Chief DeChant said that is revenue they have negotiated through the contract with Southwest Ambulance, reimbursement for the Fire Department providing paramedics when they ride in the ambulance with a patient. He said the graphs portray that$1.3 million as the 10 percent in revenue the Fire Department receives. Mayor Weiers asked questions about the 100 percent revenue figure and the costs incurred with that. Chief DeChant said in the national model, ambulance companies get 100 percent of the City of Glendale Page 8 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 revenue, but with the city's partnership with Rural Metro, the city is able to get about 10 percent of the revenue. Chief DeChant said the Director of Health Services has come out publicly that he will support additional Certificates of Necessity to ensure public safety. Mayor Weiers asked if there was a 4th ambulance company trying to establish itself in the valley. Chief DeChant said AMR is trying to establish itself. Chief DeChant said Rural Metro asked for a partnership Certificate of Necessity where the Fire Department would provide advanced life support and Rural Metro will provide the basic life support Certificate of Necessity. The city will provide half the ambulances if they are successful with the Certificate of Necessity and Rural Metro will provide the other half. He said if they are successful in the Certificate of Necessity process, Council can decide if the city should contract with a private ambulance company. There are a number of other fire departments and fire districts in the valley that are applying for their Certificate of Necessity at this time. Chief DeChant said the Certificate of Necessity benefits include allowing the Fire Department to recover costs potentially covering the$1.3 million gap if Rural Metro decides not to continue the partnership with the city, it provides for local control if the city is not able to partner with a company they are satisfied with, it will provide a safety net for the State through a public agency. He also explained it provides enhanced service through the city rather than through a private company. He said Rural Metro and Southwest Ambulance came to the city for a partnership in this venture. Chief DeChant said the final steps include a commitment letter from the City Manager that the State is asking for. He said there is a$760,000 one-time cost that comes with this if the city is approved. He said there is a 6 month delay from the start of providing service and the time of the first billing and this is standard in the medical billing process. Councilmember Chavira asked Chief DeChant to explain the acronyms of ALS and BLS and the difference between the two. Chief DeChant explained advanced life support(ALS)means a paramedic level provision to start lVs and issue medications. Basic Life Support(BLS)is an EMT level, for patients not critically injured who do not need any IV. Councilmember Chavira asked if they were going to be using the third party model Southwest Ambulance has used. Chief DeChant said if they obtain the Certificate of Necessity, they will not put firefighters on the ambulance. The plan is to hire civilian EMTs and paramedics. He said this is a more efficient cost model. He said it will also enhance the work force the city provides. He said based on the city's reputation, they may have a number of Southwest employees that want to come work for the city. Councilmember Chavira said using the third party model, it becomes a springboard for men and women who want to get into public safety. He said the relationships built with Southwest Ambulance carry over to great careers with the city. Chief DeChant said he started his career with Southwest Ambulance as well. City of Glendale Page 9 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Councilmember Chavira said this is a perfect example of how this agreement benefits the city. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if the city is exposed to any type of liability when holding the Certificate of Necessity. Chief DeChant said once the Certificate of Necessity process is completed, the city has no obligation to provide the service. He said it gives the city the option to provide the service or the city can contract it out. Mayor Weiers said for$760,000, it gives the city an option, and he asked how long that was good for. Chief DeChant said it was a one-time startup cost of the business. The Fire Department will be able to fund what they are proposing for service delivery once they get up and running. He said billing for services will start right away through Southwest Ambulance, but there is a delay through normal Medicare and Medicaid billing processes for payment and that is where the$760,000 is needed. Mayor Weiers asked why the city should do this service. He was concerned that Rural Metro has been doing this a long time and just went through a bankruptcy. He is concerned the city would lose money. Councilmember Chavira suggested using the example of the city of Phoenix when they first started this process. Chief DeChant said they worked very closely with Mr. Duensing on this item. He said they feel confident the revenue they bring in will more than offset the cost. Due to the billing time delay, those one-time startup costs will have to be budgeted for. He said they don't have shareholders, and they only have to generate enough money to cover the costs of the program. He said they are confident they would be able to recover the costs. Mayor Weiers asked how that works with the public safety retirement. He said they are not officers and would not be involved in that system. He asked if they would be contract labor. Chief DeChant said there are a number of different options. Once they get the Certificate of Necessity, they will come back and present the business model. He said those employees might not be eligible for public safety retirement, and their options would be ASRS or they would be contract employees. He said when they completed their application, they did put in salary and city benefits, but that decision is left to Council. Councilmember Chavira said the individuals working third party rescues are civilians, not sworn and they do not fight fires. Chief DeChant said those employees will only provide a transport mechanism to get patients to the hospital or assisting with big medical calls to provided faster service. Councilmember Chavira said they are in a support role. Chief DeChant agreed. City of Glendale Page 10 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Councilmember Turner asked if the$760,000 would be considered accounts receivable. Chief DeChant said yes. Councilmember Turner asked if the city would pay for half the ambulances if the city provided its own ambulance service. Chief DeChant said yes. Councilmember Turner said it appears from the business model that the city is covering 85 percent of the cost in return for 10 percent of the revenue, and asked what a better business model would look like. Chief DeChant said yes and with the numbers they have put together, it easily shows they will recover the cost and have increased revenue as well. Councilmember Turner said if there is an opportunity to reverse the trend of privatization costing the city money, they should consider that option. Councilmember Chavira asked for an explanation how the opportunity to apply for Certificate of Necessity rarely comes up and how lucrative this situation might be. Chief DeChant explained how ambulance companies used to think the Certificate of Necessity was an infringement on their business model. He said that changed in September for the city and a number of agencies are now applying for this to try and change it. Mayor Weiers asked how this affects mutual aid. Chief DeChant said it will not affect mutual aid and they will have the ability to talk with Phoenix Fire Department if they want to share ambulance resources. He said they are still in the initial application process, but once approved they can begin discussions with Phoenix Fire on how they can share resources. Mayor Weiers asked about mutual aid again and said the ambulances are private. He asked if the city went into Phoenix with the ambulance, would the city have the ability to pay or if it was a freebie. Councilmember Chavira said this actually part of the automatic aid component. Chief Burdick said he spoke with DHS Director Humbolt. He said automatic aid is available between two Certificate of Necessity holders. The issue they have with Southwest or Rural Metro is because they are private/nonprofit, they don't enter into the automatic aid agreement. He said Phoenix Fire dispatches for 25 cities in the valley, it is automatic and they control the trucks. He said when they know an ambulance is needed they call Rural Metro dispatch who dispatches the ambulance. That is a mutual aid response. The automatic aid is created through an IGA. Should Glendale receive a Certificate of Necessity for ALS, on those types of calls, Phoenix and Glendale would cross borders automatically. He said this is a benefit to the city as there would be back-up. He said service delivery to the citizens is driving this item. He said private companies are able to get their cost recovery and can make a profit on this. He said when all the ambulance companies were purchased by Rural Metro as it created a monopoly and then when they filed bankruptcy. They were concerned about not having transport services. He said DHS has the ability to provide a 90 day transport City of Glendale Page 11 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 authorization with Certificate of Necessity holders. He explained they are primarily concerned with having effective service on the critical calls. He said today they are asking for Council support for this by the City Manager's letter of support. He said they have to talk about the costs as they are asked the same questions as a private company would be asked about covering those costs. He said DHS asked everyone the financial questions, both public and private. He said once they are granted the Certificate of Necessity, they will come back before Council and provide the business plan. He said just because they get the Certificate of Necessity, it doesn't mean they are in the business. They still have to go through Budget/Finance, Human Resources and the City Manager and answer all the specific financial questions. Councilmember Sherwood asked if it was a good thing to go through a third party, rather than trying to do everything on our own on the ALS portion. Chief Burdick said when you pay for firefighters;they get a lot more than a paramedic or EMT. He said it is more cost effective to hire EMTs or paramedics, rather than use firefighters for every emergency. Councilmember Sherwood said that was important for everyone to know. Mayor Weiers asked if a fire truck would be dispatched every time an ambulance goes out on a call. Chief Burdick said they work with the medical director to determine protocol and he said yes, the ambulance could go out by itself under certain circumstances. He said that flexibility is an added value to this process. Mayor Weiers said in some circumstances, he can see the benefit of not having a fire truck respond to every call, especially if it was not necessary. Chief Burdick said the system allows sending an ambulance without a fire truck. He explained ultimately this system would provide better service to the citizens. Mayor Weiers and Chief Burdick discussed scenarios further when just an ambulance or fire truck would be necessary. Mayor Weiers asked if paramedics would be stationed at the fire stations. Chief Burdick said yes, they would not deviate from that model. Councilmember Chavira said there are patients with chronic illnesses and firefighters do see them often. He said it is important to send out an engine just in case they need to stabilize a patient. Chief Burdick said there are times when it is a true emergency and patients do need advanced life support. Councilmember Turner asked if there was a length of time for the Certificate of Necessity. Chief DeChant said as long as they are meeting the requirements in the State Statutes, the Certificate of Necessity will continue to be in effect. Councilmember Turner asked if they anticipated carrying the$760,000 startup cost as a City of Glendale Page 12 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 line item in the budget or if the money would come out of the contingency fund. Mr. Duensing said if service began immediately, the funds would come out of contingency. If they were able to plan, it would be brought forward in the regular budget process. He said it would be self-sufficient after the on-time cost. Mayor Weiers asked what the payback time was. Chief DeChant said the billing would begin immediately, but the costs would be recovered within the first year of operation. Within 2 to 2%years, they would be caught up, other than the payment would always be in arrears. Mayor Weiers and Chief DeChant had further discussions about the repayment and net revenues. He said they anticipate income of about$550,000 right away. Mayor Weiers said it sounded like they are being conservative. He asked what the ambulance company is paying for the service as it stands now. Chief DeChant said the total is$1.3 million. Mayor Weiers asked if that was over and above the cost of sending a paramedic with them. Chief DeChant said direct reimbursement is$1.3 million. Councilmember Sherwood said he didn't like the word cost as this was really a savings for the city. He said it was somewhat of an interest-free loan. Chief DeChant said they are very confident in the revenue projections and the need to budget it. Councilmember Sherwood said it would be about a 16 to 18 month recovery time. Chief DeChant said the time frame was a little fluid. Mayor Weiers said there was Council consensus to move forward. Ms. Fischer said they will keep Council updated as the process moves forward. 3. 15-102 CIOSI - AT WILL EMPLOYMENT FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAFFING Staff Contact: Jim Brown, Director, Human Resources and Risk Management Mr. Brown said this item was to address at-will employment for the Mayor and City Council office staffing. He first explained the current at-will positions the city has, including the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, City Judge and Assistant City Judge. He also explained the staffing which currently exists within the Mayor and Council Office. He discussed benchmark cities which have at-will employees. Mr. Brown went on to provide four options for Council consideration. Option A would amend the City Charter to reflect additional appointed positions that would include staffing for the Mayor and Council Office. Some items to consider include this action requires a vote of the citizens, which positions would be included, employees City of Glendale Page 13 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 currently in the identified positions would not be affected, and new employees would be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the elected official. Additional questions to consider, will there be additional staff added to the Council office and also budget considerations. Option B is similar to Option A, with two major differences. The first difference would be to change the ordinance, which lists unclassified and classified positions. This would not require a vote of the public. The other major difference would then report to the City Manager instead of Mayor and Council. Everything else under Option B is the same as Option A. Option C will allow Mayor and Council to contract for temporary staffing and these employees would be considered at-will. Currently the Mayor and Council Office has budgeted positions with incumbents and if there is additional contracted staffing, it may eliminate the need for those budgeted positions. Additionally, depending on the number of temporary staff, there might be budget considerations. Option D will keep positions as they are currently, continuing to report to the Intergovernmental Programs Director. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how it was determined which cities were surveyed on how they staff the departments. Mr. Brown said the only cities represented are cities that currently have at-will employees in the Mayor and Council Offices. Councilmember Turner said he is against anything that resembles political patronage, but refinements could be made to the process. He said two Councilmembers shared a staff person. If each Councilmember has their own staff person, there might be increased costs associated with that. He spoke about the city's confidentiality policy and said Councilmembers might be looking for stronger confidentiality on issues each Councilmember is working on in their Council Office and Council staff keeping Council business confidential. He said he would like to see Councilmembers participate in the interview process. Vice Mayor Hugh thought refinement of the process would be a good idea. He said there might be some thought that Council staff doesn't really work for the Councilmember. He said they aren't part of the review or hiring process and he would like to be more in charge of their own employees. He said the public might not even know what an unclassified employee is. Mr. Brown said an unclassified employee does not have a due process right;they are hired at-will by the Mayor and City Council. The classified positions fall under the city merit system. Vice Mayor Hugh wanted the public to understand the difference between classified and unclassified. Mayor Weiers said he brought this up because many of the State Offices are at-will employees. He said every Councilmember has a different way of doing things and it is hard to find an employee who matches your personality. He said right now they do not have any options with their staff. He spoke about some examples of how each Councilmember might look for different qualities in a staff member. City of Glendale Page 14 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Councilmember Turner said he has relied on the knowledge of the support staff since he has been in office, and he is concerned with the recent retirements, the Council Office is lacking in institutional knowledge. In order to have that type of knowledge, it comes from staff already employed with the city. He said he cannot imagine an employee setting aside the classified position for an at-will employment. He hoped as things improve that a city employee would look at a job in the Council Office as a great opportunity. He felt they are headed in the wrong direction putting in at-will employees. Councilmember Sherwood said they had to trust the Intergovernmental Office to get the best staff possible to work for the Council. He said they need to build up the institutional knowledge back up again. He said he likes the system in place today and would like to elevate the positions to assist the Councilmembers more. Ms. Fischer said part of the disconnect has been the timing of filling the positions. She wanted to make sure they knew there was Council involvement in modification of the job descriptions. Mr. Stoddard said they went to the Council late last year to assess what the needs of the Council were before filling vacant positions. The new job description was revised and updated with new duties and responsibilities. They also received input from the new Council. He said they are looking for those applicants to fill these unique positions. Ms. Fischer said the person does serve a probationary period so if there are deficiencies in their performance, those can be corrected. She said Council interaction is a critical component for performance reviews. She wanted each Councilmember to come to her if an employee is not performing or providing the confidentiality expected of them by the Councilmember. CouncilmemberAldama said he has had an incredible experience with the office staff since he has been in office. He asked for an opportunity to have input in the job description and was provided that opportunity. He said the quality candidates show Mr. Stoddard's commitment to hire the best employees to serve the Council. He said he finds no reason to change the system. He asked if these changes would come through attrition. Mr. Brown said that was correct. Councilmember Chavira agreed with comments made by the other Councilmembers. He appreciates the knowledge that staff has shown and they are consummate professionals. Councilmember Turner asked about Councilmembers participating in the interview process. Mr. Brown said it is part of the City Manager's responsibilities to hire qualified staff. Mr. Brown said it was his understanding that Councilmember's input was sought prior to the interview process, but would defer to the City Manager for Councilmember involvement in the interview process. Ms. Fischer said she viewed reviewing resumes and sitting in on an interview panel as an administrative function. She said if that is the way Council wants to go, they would have to look at Charter and function changes. She said there are legal issues with Councilmembers sitting on interview panels. She said they have taken the approach to get Councilmember input and then let staff handle the administrative process. Councilmember Turner asked about a heightened confidentiality policy which may City of Glendale Page 15 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 alleviate problems and provide a higher level of comfort to Councilmembers. Ms. Fischer said any policy governing employee behavior is an administrative policy and that would come from Human Resources(HR). She can have HR take a look at strengthening those policies. Mr. Stoddard said during employee's performance evaluation, there are items regarding political sensitivity. He said those employees are judged on those criteria. He said that part of the evaluation is reviewed with the Councilmember to get their input. Councilmember Turner said the Councilmembers might not know if confidentiality has been breached. He said this does walk the line on the divisions of authority. He is comfortable with that right now, but would like to see confidentiality as part of the job description. Mr. Stoddard said there is reference under skills and attributes in the job description to confidentiality. He said they ask and try to determine during the interview process the level of confidentiality a potential employee might have. Mayor Weiers asked what an employee does if a Mayor and a Councilmember is working on something and is told not to share the information with anyone. He said those staff members have two bosses and are sometimes put in an awkward situation. Mr. Bailey said part of the requirements of the position is they will use discretion and judgment in dealing with confidential and politically sensitive and controversial issues. He said that is one of the skills they are looking for in that position. Mayor Weiers said the employees answer to Mr. Stoddard and not the Mayor or Councilmembers. He asked about putting an employee in a situation where they might feel compelled to reveal confidential information from a Councilmember to their supervisor, Mr. Stoddard. Mr. Stoddard said when he meets with those employees;his discussions are not about what the elected officials are doing. He said the expectation is the staff person works for the Councilmember and will not share the information with Mr. Stoddard or other staff. Mayor Weiers said an employee should never have to worry about reprisal. Mr. Stoddard said that was correct. The expectation for those employees is to maintain those confidences for the Mayor or Councilmember. CouncilmemberAldama asked about the statement made by Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bailey said he had the same concerns about the expectation of confidentiality. CouncilmemberAldama said he is not concerned about confidentiality with staff. He encouraged staff to keep in mind the diversity aspect during the hiring process. Councilmember Sherwood said they should participate in the peer reviews. He reminded the public they are transparent and open, but he understood everyone's feelings on it. Mayor Weiers said the Council consensus was to leave things as they are. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT City of Glendale Page 16 Printed on 4/9/2015 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -Final February 3, 2015 Ms. Fischer expressed her appreciation for all the hard work of staff on the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. She said it is a testament to the wonderful job everyone did since they are already talking about bringing the Super Bowl back in 2020. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT City Attorney Bailey had nothing to report. COUNCIL ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Councilmember Aldama asked staff to research a street being named after Cesar Chavez, and he noted naming a street after Martin Luther King is already in process. He also asked about an ordinance regarding drop boxes in Glendale. Ms. Fischer clarified Councilmember Aldama was talking about drop boxes for donations of clothes, shoes and books. Councilmember Aldama said that was correct. Councilmember Chavira asked if there was a way to make the roads they will name after Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez, intersecting roads. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked about moving Citizen Comments back to the beginning of the meetings. Vice Mayor Hugh agreed with moving the comments to the front of the meeting. He said the issue of naming a road after Martin Luther King was coming up for Council discussion later in the month and suggested having Cesar Chavez at the same time. Mayor Weiers said everyone was raving about Glendale and how they handled the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. Councilmember Aldama thanked public safety for all they did during the football games. MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made by Vice Mayor Hugh,seconded by Councilmember Sherwood, that this agenda item be approved.The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7- Mayor Weiers, Vice Mayor Hugh, Councilmember Aldama, Councilmember Chavira, Councilmember Sherwood, Councilmember Tolmachoff, and Councilmember Turner ADJOURNMENT The City Council moved into Executive Session at 4:42 p.m. City of Glendale Page 17 Printed on 4/9/2015