HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 5/22/1990MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP SESSION OF THECITYCOUNCILOFTHECITYOFGLENDALE, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA HELD TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1990 AT 3:05 P.M. Mayor Renner called the Workshop Session of the GlendaleCityCounciltoorderintheWorkshopRoom, B-3, in theGlendaleCouncilChambers. Councilmembers present were: Bellah, Huffman, Hugh, McAllister, Scruggs and Tolby. Members absent: None. Also present were Gordon L. Pedrow, Assistant CityManager; Peter Van Haren, City Attorney and Linda Ginn,
Deputy City Clerk.
WORKSHOP SESSION
1. REVIEW OF THE FY 1990-91 BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
Staff briefed Council by stating that during its
workshop of May 15, the City Council received recommendations
and presentations of the 1990-91 budget from the Council
Budget & Finance Committee and staff.
Policy issues that were raised at the May 15 meeting
include: neighborhood focus program, dial -a -ride, parks
capital improvements, community action program relocation,
accident reduction staff position, Glendale Avenue marketing,
additional law clerk position, and funding levels for library
books, the Central Arizona Shelter, Maricopa County Sports
Authority, and the Community Council.
Ms. Mary Orton, Executive Director of the Central
Arizona Shelter Services, explained the services her agency
provides and requested funding. She said that CASS serves
more than 10,000 homeless men, women, and children each year
with shelter and services. All of the services provided at
CASS are geared toward helping homeless individuals identify
and eliminate the causes of their homelessness, enabling them
to reach their highest level of self-sufficiency.
Ms. Orton said that CASS has set a goal to receive
one-half of its operating funds from the cities and towns in
the Valley. According to this formula, their request for
fiscal year 1990-91 is $56,164.
Mr. Daniel Ternus and Ms. Mary Ann Lavine asked Council
for an increase in the funding that the City provides for the
Community Council. Their service purpose is to achieve seven
work program goals as established by the city and Community
178-
Council. They asked that their $15,000 allocation beincreasedto $20,000. Ms. Paula Brictson, Marketing Director for the City andrepresentativeontheBoardofDirectorsfortheSportsAuthority, and Mr. Tom Gunn, Maricopa County SportsAuthority, briefed Council on the purpose of the SportsAuthority. They said that it is the Sports Authority'smissiontorecruitandpromotealllevelsofsportingeventsandactivitiesinordertobringeconomicbenefitandpublicrelationsexposuretotheValley. The Sports Authority isrequesting $8,000 from the City.
Staff briefed Council on other supplementary requests:
1. Neighborhood Focus. Request for two new positions in
Neighborhood Enhancement - one to build on current focus
neighborhood programs and one for "outreach" purposes.
2. Dial -a -Ride. Staff proposes to reduce the dial -a -ride
fleet by one bus. This can be done without lengthening
response times by focusing the service on elderly and
handicapped riders and latchkey children.
3. Community Action Program relocation. Staff has
err recommended moving the CAP offices to City Hall, within
the Human Services offices. The committee concurred
with this recommendation with the remodeling cost being
in the budget.
4. Accident Reduction Program. Since accident reduction is
one of Council's stated goals and there will be
increased data generated by additional radar units, the
committee recommends an additional position for Accident
Investigation.
5. Marketing Downtown. The City Manager's proposed budget
includes a "charette," which would include citizens,
planning, architectural, and development professionals
in determining the feasible marketing elements for
Glendale Avenue between 51st and 63rd Avenues. (The
budget committee feels the $16,000 proposed for this
planning process could be better spent in other areas,
such as direct investments in downtown improvement.
6. Utility Rates. The budget committee has asked staff to
explore options to an across-the-board increase in
utility rates (e.g., modifying the structure to
encourage conservation and ease the burden on those who
use little water).
7. Law Clerk. The City Manager's proposed budget includes
an additional assistant city attorney, but not an
179-
AW additional law clerk that has been requested by the CityAttorney. The budget committee recommends adding thelawclerkaswellasadditionalclericalsupportfortheprosecutor. 8. Increase in Library book budget. Ms. Widom spoke on theneedforincreasedfundsforthelibrary. She requestedanadditional $100,000-150,000. Discussion ensued on the extra funds requested byCommunityCouncil, CASS and the Sporting Authority. Consensus of Council is to grant the requests to CASS for40,000; Community Council $20,000 and the Sports Authorityfor $8,000.
Council also recommended:
1. Adding $100,000 as operating funds for the Library book
budget with the understanding that this will be a
minimum on-going operating budget level that Council
will expect to see next year.
2. Adding the Law Clerk and clerical support for
prosecutor's office.
3. Add funds for the Downtown charette.
4. Retain the neighborhood focus position.
5. Reduce the Dial -a -Ride by one bus.
6. Concurred with CAP relocation.
7. Adding additional position to Accident Reduction
program.
The consensus of Council is to add these items to the
preliminary budget and bring this item back for further
discussion at a future workshop.
Staff briefed Council on the CIP by saying that this
program is funded from bond issues which are paid for by the
secondary property tax. The City has three controls which
they operate under. These are the bond authorization
approved by the voters in March, 1987, which limits the total
bonds that the City can sell. The second item is the 6%
limitation overall for bonds unless they are accepted and
allowed under the 20% category which is parks and storm
sewers. The third controlling criteria is the policy that
the Council sets of capping the total property tax rate at
1.98. This was to maintain the property tax at a certain
level for a five year period.
Staff briefed Council on the Parks CIP. Member Smith
and Petty of the Parks and Recreation committee stated that
the commission feels that the City needs to fund money to
acquire another park on the order of Sahuaro Ranch in the
western part of the City. It was consensus of Council to
hear the issue of the Parks CIP at the next meeting because
of the time element.
M
2. WATER/SEWER FINANCIAL AND RATE INCREASE UPDATEStaffbriefedCouncilbystatingthatin1988, as partofafiveyearmasterplantheUtilitiesCommitteeconsideredseveralalternativesforfuturewaterandsewerrateincreases. Additionally, the staff developed specificfinancialmodelsthatenabledtheprojectionofwaterrateincreases. The Utilities Committee analyzed the Public Workscapitalimprovementplaninlate1988. In November 1988, thecommitteerecommendedawaterrateincreaseof6percent
effective January 1989. Additionally, future capital
improvement projects were reviewed and a water rate increase
of 7 percent and a sewer rate increase of 5 percent were
adopted in October of 1989.
On April 2, 1990, the Utilities Committee reviewed and
approved an 8% water rate increase and a 5% sewer fee
increase effective October 1, 1990. Based on this formula
the average sewer fee would go up $0.67 and the average water
bill would go up $1.54.
These minimal increases are required in order for the
Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund to maintain an adequate
operational cash reserve, to finance a modified 5 year
Capital Improvement Program necessary for the viability of
the water and sewer system, to pay for increased costs the
city has no control over such as electrical rates and
chemical supplies; increased costs for SRP and Central
Arizona Project water to pay for federally mandated
improvements to the valley -wide sewer system; and State
mandated water upgrades.
Subsequent to the April 2, 1990 Utilities Committee
meeting, the Budget and Finance Committee requested a review
of the methodology utilized in the current rate structure to
generate the necessary revenue.
Increases in the cost of electric power, treatment
chemicals, and raw water costs, in conjunction with state and
federally mandated improvements to the City's surface water
treatment plants and wastewater plant capacity, require that
the projected rate increases scheduled for the 1990 year be
implemented.
Council's goal is to keep
possible level. Staff has
direction and still maintain a
for needed improvements to the
mandates as they develop.
181-
rate increases at the lowest
tried to accommodate this
viable, safe system and plan
system as well as meet imposed
Discussion ensued on the methodology of calculating therates. General consensus of Council is to go with Option I; an8% water rate increase, and a 5% sewer rate increase added totheexistingfeestructure. The average residential fee forwaterwouldincreaseanadditional $1.54 and sewer chargeswouldincreaseby $0.67 and charge the Utilities Committee toexamineanychangesthatincorporateconservationplusmeetingtherevenueneedsthatthefundhasoverthenextfiveyears. COUNCIL COM ENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further items to come before the Council,
the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
Deputy City Clerk
182-