HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 12/10/2018City of Glendale
5750 West Glenn Drive
Glendale, AZ 85301
Meeting Minutes
Monday, December 10, 2018
10:00 A.M.
Policy Workshop Meeting
Civic Center Annex
City Council
Mayor Jerry Weiers
Vice Mayor Lauren Tolmachoff
Councilmember Jamie Aldama
Councilmember Joyce Clark
Councilmember Ian Hugh
Councilmember Ray Malnar
Councilmember Bart Turner
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Weiers called the meeting to order at 10:01 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Jerry Weiers
Vice Mayor Lauren Tolmachoff
Councilmember Joyce Clark
Councilmember Ian Hugh
Councilmember Ray Malnar
Councilmember Bart Turner
Absent: Councilmember Jamie Aldama
Also Present: Kevin Phelps, City Manager
Tom Duensing, Assistant City Manager
Chris Anaradian, Assistant City Manager
Michael Bailey, City Attorney
Julie K. Bower, City Clerk
WORKSHOP SESSION
1. COUNCIL POLICY GUIDANCE — SESSION 9
Presented by: Chris Anaradian, Assistant City Manager
Brian Friedman, Economic Development Director
Neil Calfee, Calfee Group
Ms. Bower read the item by title.
Mr. Anaradian said the policy adopted by Council for strategic annexations west of 115th Avenue
would send a message to developers and investors regarding how to succeed with the City. The
current policy document included three areas: history, policy and procedures. The proposed
policy had six areas of policy guidance: financial, economic development, civic, planning &
building, public safety and intergovernmental. He said staff was looking for consensus on the
correct policy considerations.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked what area road conditions would be covered.
Mr. Anaradian said road conditions would largely be covered under the financial area.
Councilmember Turner asked what area would cover environmental concerns.
Mr. Anaradian said such intangible things would be covered in the civic area.
Councilmember Turner felt "environment" should be a separate category that included such things
as air and water quality. There was a significant degree of risk and the City should be aware of
any environmental conditions. He suggested only accepting those developments that would have
a positive impact.
Mr. Anaradian would not want to lock Council into that because there could be a project that had a
net negative impact that Council wanted to consider.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff said "positive" was a good word because it did not necessarily have to be
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only a financial impact.
Mr. Anaradian said there were County projects that were residential and asked if Council wanted
staff engaged in the County process.
Councilmember Clark said Council had always been clear about its goal of commercial only and
she would oppose any County residential project.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked if there was a commercial/retail component to any of the projects.
Mr. Anaradian said there was a commercial project but he did not know if it was part of a
residential project.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff said without commercial, residential did not make any sense.
Mayor Weiers said the projects should not be ignored because residents would still be utilizing
City resources such as roads. The City should be at the table to keep informed about the projects.
Mr. Anaradian said staff would look at each project and track it through the process to decide
when the City should get engaged.
Councilmember Malnar said the City needed to know what was going on in the County and should
stay engaged so that staff could let Council know the positive and negative impacts.
Councilmember Turner said there was a City island west of Cotton and south of Peoria. It might
not be in anyone's best interest for it to stay in the City.
Mr. Bailey said with a City island that was served by a neighboring community, there had to be
concurrence to de -annex. He said analysis would have to take place.
Mr. Phelps said the City did not have as much leverage with areas outside of the EPCOR service
area and might not be able to direct a better outcome. He did not want the City to be excluded
from the conversation by opposing everything.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked if the municipal service fee could be assessed on property that was
zoned residential.
Mr. Anaradian did not have that information. The stated purpose of the fee was to ramp -up
services. Staff would take a look at it.
Mr. Anaradian asked if the City should continue to press its case regarding the EPCOR
Wastewater Service Area versus Certificate of Convenience & Necessity (CC&N) Area.
Council consensus was that the City should continue to press its case.
Mr. Anaradian said staff would always pursue targets of opportunity for the City but would
generally follow the phasing.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked if an application should be brought to Council before it was moved
forward. In the past, Council had not seen it until it was brought for a vote. There was no
workshop or any discussion.
Mr. Phelps said staff would do the analysis and then bring it to Council to see if it should move
forward.
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Councilmember Turner said there should be a workshop well before the blank petition phase to
discuss the nature of the development. He wanted staff to be sensitive to defense
industry -related developments to protect the viability of Luke Air Force Base.
Mr. Anaradian asked if Council wanted staff to proactively engage property owners.
Council consensus was for proactive engagement with property owners.
Mr. Anaradian said a resolution would be brought to a future Council meeting once staff
incorporated Council feedback.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked where in the schedule would an application come to Council.
Mr. Anaradian said possibly before the checklist started. Staff could create whatever mechanism
made Council comfortable.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff wanted to make it part of the process.
Councilmember Clark concurred with Vice Mayor Tolmachoff.
Mr. Calfee said Council consensus was needed on the proposed adaptive reuse boundary.
Councilmember Clark said the boundary was basically the entire City.
Mr. Calfee said that was correct.
Mr. Anaradian said the program would allow the property owner to make the decision because it
was about the structures themselves.
Mr. Calfee said the policy was talking about existing buildings, not vacant properties.
There was Council consensus on the proposed boundary.
Mr. Calfee said the proposed infill boundary was basically in the older part of the City to provide
some regulation relief to get properties into a productive use.
Councilmember Clark said most of it was south of Northern Avenue. She was concerned about
sensitivity to what would be an acceptable reuse. She asked if any criteria was being developed
about what would be appropriate infill.
Mr. Calfee said the program was subordinate to existing zoning. The question was what uses
were eligible and Council would be having that discussion.
There was Council consensus for the proposed infill boundary.
Councilmember Clark asked if staff had considered identifying certain areas within the infill where
certain uses were prohibited.
Mr. Anaradian said the program would be absent for certain uses. He said with Prop 207, the City
could have a financial liability if it reduced a property owner's permitted uses.
Councilmember Turner said a parcel that was larger than 20 acres could be divided to take
advantage of the program.
Mr. Calfee said the City Manager could review the proposal and determine if it was beneficial to
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do that. It gave the City the tools to address different situations.
Mr. Calfee said the program did not change the existing redevelopment area. The proposed
Central Business District (CBD) was within that area.
Councilmember Clark said there would be additional census tracts that should be included.
Mr. Calfee said Community Block Grant (CDBG)-eligible areas were analyzed on an annual
basis. The redevelopment area was also governed by state law. CDBG funds could be utilized in
areas outside of the redevelopment area.
Mr. Calfee said the proposal made the CBD boundary the same as the Entertainment District.
There could be only one CBD. Within a CBD and a redevelopment area, the City could abate
property tax up to 8 years.
Mayor Weiers asked if a development utilized a Government Property Lease Excise Tax Program
(GPLET), could it also utilize an opportunity zone.
Mr. Calfee said presently, that would not be allowed.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked if the designation would convey with the property if it was sold.
Mr. Calfee said it would convey with a development agreement (DA).
There was Council consensus for the CBD boundary.
Mr. Calfee asked for consensus on the definition and eligibility for the adaptive reuse program.
Councilmember Turner asked if it should it be the option of the City Manager to allow exceptions
or should it go back to Council for consideration.
Councilmember Clark agreed that Council should have the opportunity to weigh-in and approve
the exceptions being considered.
Mr. Phelps said the goal was to have a policy that was reactive and proactive. The City should be
nimble and react quickly.
Mr. Anaradian said a quarterly report of requested exceptions could be provided to Council.
Vice Mayor Tolmachoff asked what was the scope of relief available.
Mr. Anaradian said relief was based on building size for things such as sprinklers, screening,
parking, etc.
There was Council consensus on the definition and eligibility for the adaptive reuse program.
Mr. Calfee requested consensus on the definition and eligibility of the infill program.
There was Council consensus.
Mr. Calfee requested consensus on excluded uses. The City was not taking away zoning, but
was saying certain uses would not get regulatory relief through the program.
Mr. Phelps said uses were already allowed under current zoning and so would not come back to
Council.
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There was Council consensus on the list of excluded uses.
ADJOURNMENT
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the
meeting of the Glendale City Council of Glendale, Arizona, held on the 10th day of December,
2018. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was
present.
Dated this 2nd day of January, 2018.
Juo*. Bower, MMC, City Clerk
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