Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Business Council Committee - Meeting Date: 4/25/2019MINUTES BUSINESS COUNCIL COMMITTEE CITY HALL, CONFERENCE ROOM 2A 5850 WEST GLENDALE AVENUE GLENDALE, ARIZONA 85301 APRIL 25, 2019 2:00 PM CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 2 PM. ROLL CALL Committee members present: Vice Mayor Joyce Clark, Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, Councilmember Ray Malnar, Yvonne Knaack, Ricardo Toris, and Dale Adams Committee members absent: Vice Chairperson Bart Shea, David Coble, John Crow City staff present: Stephen Dudley (Building Safety Official), Chris Anaradian (Assistant City Manager), Don Bessler (Chief Capital Improvement Officer), and Eric Fitzer (Development Services Director), Justine Cornelius (Building Safety Administrator), James Milanese (Capital Improvement Project Manager), Robert Southard (Engineering Inspector). CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizens present, so Vice Mayor Clark did not call for citizen comments. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES A motion to approve the March meeting minutes was made by Ms. Knaack, and it was seconded by Councilmember Tolmachoff. All in favor and none opposed. ITEMS A. Introduction of new Development Services Director Eric Fitzer This was postponed until Mr. Fitzer arrived later. B. Update on Engineering Department Reforms by Chris Anaradian and Don Bessler. Mr. Anaradian stated that there was a considerable amount of progress within a short period of time. Mr. Bessler complimented Mr. Anaradian on his ability to articulate a vision. Over 2/3 of the engineering employees volunteered for committee work, and Mr. Bessler discussed the ways in which department may create a "culture of achievement... performance... and accountability." Mr. Milanese then began to discuss the performance measures in the department. In an effort to ensure the Business Council Committee had an understanding of the Engineering Department, Mr. Milanese explained the various functions of the department. Vice Mayor Clark asked if this group of people conduct inspections with new construction as well, and Mr. Milanese confirmed this. James Milanese listed the different ways to measure department performance, which are as follows: input, output, efficiency, service quality, and outcome. Then Mr:Southard moved on to CIP project management: the objective is to optimize process and services, and the outcome is "a climate of trust between the operating department and engineering department." Insi)ections: the objective is to improve asset management, and the outcome is to minimize disruption to services that would otherwise be caused by reworking. Land Develo ment: the objective is to improve community experience, and the outcome is to improve businesses so they will get their plans reviewed in a timely manner. Real Estate: the objective is to improve purposeful communication, and the outcome will be that by placing excess properties online, staff can encourage rapid disposition. The time frames are not officially set for any of these, but Mr. Bessler helped establish the Process and Permit Committee to set firm targets by June 30th, 2019. At the end of the year, the measures can be assessed and adjusted as needed. This process improvement map is meant to create "right away" permits for those residences who want to pursue their dreams of owning their own businesses. Vice Mayor Clark asked how the management will know if they've succeeded in their improvements and if the improvements are truly part of the department's culture, and Mr. Anaradian explained that there would be a variety of tools used to measure the success of these objectives and outcomes. It was suggested that a survey is created and distributed to all who interact with each department. Vice Mayor Clark then asked about cross -training employees throughout the city. Vice Mayor Clark expressed concerns about how departments struggle if they happen to be short- handed some days. Mr. Anaradian explained there are issues with this due to minimum staffing, division of labor, job descriptions, and the lingering effects of the recession. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how this is culture will be sustained, and it was stated that after determining what is successful and unsuccessful with these department reforms, it'll be about maintaining the culture. CM Malnar asked how the department is reacting to these changes. Some of the employees in the department were present, and they stated that the changes seem to be well-received overall. It was noted by Mr. Bessler that these departments aren't like most city departments where there is a set division of labor, and then Mr. Anaradian had made note of the structural reform coming soon to help build the Engineering Department while simultaneously being "budget -neutral." A. Introduction of new Development Services Director Eric Fitzer Mr. Fitzer introduced himself and gave a history of his prior work experience. Mr. Fitzer also communicated his excitement for the challenges that are ahead with this city's community. Vice Mayor Clark expressed her hopes that Mr. Fitzer's achievements with his new position are with codes. City planning is also a challenge, according to Councilmember Tolmachoff, and Vice Mayor Clark agreed. Vice Mayor Clark then noted the lack of information that the council members are receiving from the city in general. After discussing the aforementioned concerns, the committee concluded the conversation with a warm welcome for Mr. Fitzer. C. Update regarding simplification of the Community Development Fee Schedule. Mr. Dudley had completed this presentation, and the last item discussed in the previous meeting was that "we need to simplify and clean up the fee schedule" due to the unnecessary length and the deciphering difficulties that arise with customers. Mr. Dudley noted that fees are oftentimes duplicated throughout the fee schedule. The goal is to not add, increase, or change the 2 fees, but rather simplify the fees. Mr. Dudley shared a simplified (albeit "messy") version of this fee schedule with the council. Vice Mayor Clark asked if the committee could review these changes, so then the committee can provide comments and ask questions during the next meeting. Mr. Dudley confirmed this. Mr. Toris asked who would be replacing Mr. Dudley in this community development work, and Mr. Dudley made note that Justine Cornelius and Mark Ptashkin will continue to work on this; the city will be in good hands. Vice Mayor Clark asked when SmartGov will launch, and Mr. Dudley stated that the launch estimation is eighteen months away. Mr. Adams asked if there could be an indication of how the fee prices are determined. Although some of the numbers seem unusual, they are based on a 3.1% CPI increase, and the council approves this every year. Vice Mayor Clark asked for clarification on these fees. Some are based on the type of construction, some are based on the number of sheets, and all of those have a CPI applied to them. Mr. Fitzer discussed his experience with revamping a fee schedule at his previous place of employment; when the percentage was over a certain amount, the council decided to bring down the price, which made it competitive. Further discussion occurred about the ways in which fees are determined and ensuring how citizens will be held accountable in regards to following code. Mr. Anaradian suggested doing a fee study soon. The committee discussed that specific projects for older homes (40-50 years old) could have more specific fee breakdowns. D. Review of the Sign Ordinance, Section 7.100. There was not much time to discuss this, but Vice Mayor Clark asked if there were any simple ideas that wanted to be conveyed or discussed. Councilmember Malnar made a comment about how long it takes to get approval of small modifications, and since some items are minor, they consequently fall to the wayside. Another issue that Councilmember Malnar noted was all of the limitations of what can be done with signs. Councilmember Tolmachoff suggested defining the term "sign" specifically. It was noted that much of these concerns will be addressed when the committee discusses the sign ordinances in greater detail in May. OTHER BUSINESS No other business was discussed. STAFF REPORT No staff reports were discussed. COMMITTEE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS No other business, committee comments, or suggestions were made. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will take place on May 16th, 2019, at 2 PM. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn was moved by Councilmember Tolmachoff and seconded by Councilmember Malnar. All in favor and none opposed. The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:53 PM. 3 Sherry Crapser, Recording Secretary