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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/20/1990MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP SESSION OF-JCITYCOUNCILOFTHECITYOFGLEND. UMARICOPACOUNTY, ARIZONA HELD TUES; FEBRUARY 20, 1990 AT 3:00 P.M. Mayor Renner called the Workshop Session of the GlendaleCityCounciltoorderintheWorkshopRoom, B-3, in theGlendaleCouncilChambers. Council members present were: Bellah, Falbo, Huffman, Hugh, McAllister, and Tolby. MembersAbsent: None. Also present were Martin Vanacour, City Manager; GordonL. Pedrow, Assistant City Manager; Peter Van Haren, City Attorney and Linda Ginn, Deputy City Clerk. Mayor Renner announced that Council would deviate from the written agenda and start the meeting with Item number two, U.S. Census update. 1. U.S. CENSUS UPDATE Staff briefed Council on this item by stating the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, begins its 1990 U.S. Census on April 1, 1990. A national census is conducted every 10 years. The 1990 Census will represent the U.S. Census bicentennial anniversary of census taking. The Glendale/Northwest District Census office is located in Glendale and serves all Western Maricopa County. Ms. Diane McCarthy, District Office Manager; Mr. Larry Ramirez, Assistant Manager for Field Operations; and Mr. Jae Espinoza, Recruiting Operations Supervisor from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census were present and briefed Council on the U.S. Census operations and recruiting opportunities in Glendale. Ms. McCarthy asked Council if they could assist her bureau by designating someone to work with the bureau to locate people who live in dwellings that don't have permanent addresses and also if the bureau could have a room in the municipal complex available to them for on-going training sessions. Council concurred that they will do everything possible to make rooms available for the Census bureau. This item is for information only. CONSENT AGENDA 2. PROPOSED ANNEXATION At the Workshop Session held on December 19, 1989, staff briefed Council on a requested annexation presented by a major property owner at 95th and Northern Avenue within the area presently strip annexed by Glendale. At the December 138- meeting, Council had some concern that an illegal land usewithintheproposedareamaypresentannexationproblems. Council required further investigation by staff before adeterminationontheannexationcouldbemade. The investigation has been made and it is staff'sopinionthatcurrentCountyproceedingsattemptingtocorrectanyzoningviolationsnowinevidencewouldnothaveanysignificantimpactontheCity's plans for annexation. Mr. Bud Moore, representative for the McCleskeyproperty, where the alleged zoning violations occur, statedthathisclientsareopposedtotheannexationbecauseof economic reasons. Mr. Moore asked the Council to postpone this item for a couple of weeks so that he could work with the City attorney's office and perhaps resolve the zoning problems. He stated he feels that the zoning problems can be worked out with city staff. Council suggested that city staff start annexation procedures with the drawing of the petition and map with the understanding that there will be some conversations taking place as far as potential and future zoning. WORKSHOP SESSION 3. DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PROJECT PRIORITIES Staff briefed Council by saying at the November and January Downtown Development Corporation meetings, the Corporation discussed projects that it considered priorities for the next fiscal year that are important to the development of the downtown area. At the January meeting, the Corporation passed a resolution which contained project priorities. Mr. Dick Coffinger and Tim Coury of the Downtown Development corporation listed the following (in priority order) as their main concerns. Implementation of the one-way couplet system such as engineering work and development of an overall circulation plan. Target at least one block of improvements for the Catlin Court District. Construct an interim parking lot on the recently -acquired properties for the Downtown parking project. Plan and construct streetscape improvements for Glendale Avenue 139- Provide additional funds for the Facade ImprovementProgramsothatmorebuildingscanhavefacadeimprovements. Complete the First National Bank Triangle Blockproject. The representatives stated they hoped Council wouldinitiateallworkpossibletoimplementtheseprojects. Council stated that they would keep the CorporationadvisedastowhenthisitemwouldcomebeforetheCouncil budget committee. 5. RESOLUTION URGING RE -REGULATION OF THE CABLE INDUSTRY Staff briefed Council by stating this is a request to adopt a resolution urging Congress to implement re -regulation of the cable television industry. The Cable Communications Policy Act enacted by Congress in 1984 severely restricted the power of the states and local governments to regulate the cable industry. Although the City of Glendale's current license agreement, issued in 1982, is "grandfathered" by the Cable Act to preserve most of the terms contained in the document, some areas of regulation were totally removed from local control, including subscriber rate regulation and authority to determine which programming services a cable system must carry. Since the Glendale cable system was activated in 1983, the cost for basic cable service has increased from $7.95 per month to the rate of $18.95 per month as of February 1, 1990, a total increase of 138 percent. Additionally, costs of installation, remote controls, and additional outlets have doubled. Customer service problems, runaway costs, system transfers, license renewals, programming lineups, and vertical integration are some of the issues which have become nationwide concerns since the Cable Policy Act of 1984. Several bills have been introduced in the House and Senate which address cable regulation in various fashions. While most of these bills overlap some of the issues, no one bill covers all of the points which need to be addressed. The Cable Television Advisory Commission, at their regular meeting on November 15, 1989, voted to recommend that City Council adopt a resolution. The resolution urges Congress to re -write the Cable Policy Act of 1984, with particular focus on re -regulation of subscriber rates, system ownership transfers, license renewals, vertical integration of the cable industry, and other aspects of the Act that 140- directly impact local regulation and consumers. Afteradoption, the resolution would be submitted to CongressmenandSenatorsrepresentingthisdistrict, as well as theChairsoftheappropriateHouseandSenateCommittees. Inaddition, it would be submitted to the National AssociationofTelecommunicationsOfficersandAdvisors (NATOA), anaffiliateoftheNationalLeagueofCities, for their use inpresentingaunifiedvoicetoCongress. Mayor Renner asked staff if the proposed resolution wasintendedtore -regulate rates at the local level or at thefederallevel. Ms. Debbie Corsino of the Cable TelevisionAdvisoryCommissionrespondedthatundersectionthreeofthe proposed resolution they were advocating restoration of local authority over cable systems. Councilman McAllister suggested that perhaps a simpler, bare -bones basic channel made available to more of the cable subscribers might be beneficial in increasing their subscription lists. He said he felt that quite a few subscribers had to drop the current cable because of economic reasons and if a lessor priced basic program was offered it might induce more people to keep the cable service. Mr. Ivan Johnson, Vice-president of Public Affairs and Business Development for Dimension Cable, addressed the Council and stated that only 50% of the people who have access to cable subscribe to it. Vice Mayor Tolby again asked Mr. Johnson the feasibility of offering a basic service or tier service as opposed to the 40 channel one that is now offered. Mr. Johnson responded that when there was rate regulation there was a lot of what the industry called life -line service implemented around the country. These would typically include the access channels and the local tv stations. Mr. Johnson said in Phoenix, that would include nine off -airs required on the first tier with three channels left which didn't leave very many channels. Basically the industry has gotten away from these because people were not subscribing to them. Discussion ensued on the merits of "tiering" i.e. offering a more basic service to subscribers; fewer channels at a lessor price. Several of the Council registered a desire to see a more basic service offered here in Glendale. Mr. Johnson stated that his company's concern with the proposed resolution is with the part relating to rate regulation. He said specifically the sentence in Section 2 reading as follows: "re -regulation of subscriber rates,". Mr. Johnson stated that outside of that particular sentence, his company had no problem with the proposed resolution. 141- Council suggested that this matter be discussed at theCableAdvisoryCommissionmeetingtomorrownightandresultsofthatmeetingbemadeavailabletoCouncil. This item willthenbeplacedontheMarch13, agenda for formalconsideration. Mayor Renner recessed the Workshop meeting at 5:00 p.m. to go into formal City Council session in Council chambers. Mayor Renner reconvened the Workshop session at 5:20p.m. in Room B-3 with all officials present. 5. REVISED ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT, Z-89-16: OUTDOOR AND SEASONAL SALES Staff briefed Council by stating at their January 23, 1990, workshop, the City Council discussed street corner sales and seasonal sales, and the need for additional zoning ordinance regulations. Council then directed staff to expand the allowance for seasonal sales in the proposed ordinance amendment to include the sale of products and services relating to a wider range of traditional and cultural activities (e.g., flowers, pinatas, church/school rummage sales, and other related activities in conjunction with traditional, cultural and seasonal events in the community). The proposed text amendment contains the following ordinance regulations: (1) a definition for outdoor sales; 2) a prohibition on street corner sales and vendors in all zoning districts; (3) an allowance for outdoor sales which is incidental to a business in a permanent building; (4) an allowance for the temporary sale of products and services related to a particular seasonal, cultural, traditional or community activity or event as approved by the planning director; and (5) a requirement for all incidental outdoor sales to not interfere with pedestrian and vehicle access, fire lanes, required parking areas, landscaping, or traffic visibility standards. In addition, the ordinance amendment contains criteria to be used by the planning director in the review and approval of a request for the temporary sale of items relating to a particular seasonal, traditional, or community activity. The proposed ordinance amendment furthers the objective of the General Plan to enhance the visual quality of the community. In addition, traffic safety, public health and welfare will be enhanced without the visual distraction of street vendors and the abrupt turning movements of motorists at or near intersections or along major streets. The Planning and Zoning recommended approval of Z-89-16 public hearing. 142- Commission unanimously at their January 4, 1990, Discussion ensued on the wording of a couple of thesectionscontainedwithintheOrdinance. Council suggested placing this item on the earliestCouncilagendaforformalconsideration. 6. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR SITEDEVELOPMENTANDINFRASTRUCTURECONSTRUCTIONStaffsummarizedthisitemforCouncilbysayingPublicWorks/Engineering staff has recently completed revisions totheDesignGuidelinesforSiteDevelopmentandInfrastructure Construction. The guidelines specify city design and construction standards along with pertinent fees which are utilized by engineers and developers working within Glendale. These guidelines were reviewed by various City departments, including Community Development, Building Safety and Field Operations. The permit fees were revised such that they are in the median range of charges by other Valley cities. Engineering Department had a meeting with the Homebuilder's Association in November 1989 to discuss these guidelines, and their suggestions have been incorporated into the final Design Guidelines. The guidelines are administered by the Public Works and Community Development Groups. Some items that were changed with this revision deal with sight distances, permit fees, landscaping, water and sewer lines, grading and drainage, and specifications for roadways. These changes were discussed with the Home Builder's Association, and their suggestions were incorporated into the final Design Guidelines. This item will be placed on the next Council agenda for formal consideration. 7. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REPORT Marion Porch, the Intergovernmental Liaison, briefed the City Council on state and federal legislative issues and related matters. This item is for information only. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS None. 143- There being no further items to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. eputy City Clerk 145-