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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/11/2020 (3) City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 Glendale ARIZONA Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 11, 2020 12:30 P.M. Workshop Meeting Council Chambers City Council Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember lan Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Also Present: Kevin Phelps, City Manager Michael Bailey, City Attorney Julie K. Bower, City Clerk Vicki Rios, Assistant City Manager WORKSHOP SESSION Mayor Weiers announced the agenda items would be presented in the following order: Agenda item 1, item 3 and item 2. 1. PRESENTATION REGARDING BETHANY 303 ANNEXATION Presented by: Lisa Collins, Interim Development Services Director Ms. Bower read the item by title. Ms. Collins said the Bethany/ 303 annexation request was for approximately 77 acres. The proposal included a 1.25 million square foot industrial complex that was still in the planning stages. It was projected to a positive net fiscal impact of$132,000 per year by 2024 with revenues exceeding expenditures by 42 percent. Ms. Collins said the site was adjacent to and shared a boundary with Luke Air Force Base. The future industrial and business complex development would be compatible with the base. Ms. Collins reviewed the steps and timeline for the proposed annexation. The future development implemented the vision for the City's General Plan, Envision Glendale 2040. Vice Mayor Malnar inquired about the Luke Corridor and asked for an explanation as to what the Luke Corridor did for the community. Ms. Collins said there was a statutory requirement for the land use activity around Luke Air Force Base to anticipate the noise level of the base. It specifically excluded residential land use but commercial and some retail was permitted. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if the property was next to Luke Air Force Base. Ms. Collins said that was correct. The property was located on the east side of the Loop 303 and on the west side of Luke Air Force Base. Mayor Weiers said there was Council consensus to move forward. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 2 of 12 2. FY20-21 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE FEDERAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS Presented by: Stephanie Small, Community Services Director Matthew Hess, Community Revitalization Administrator Ms. Bower read the item by title. Ms. Small said over 42 grant applications had been received totaling $2.5 million in requests. The Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) was working diligently to review applications, listen to presentations, and finalize funding recommendations to Council. She requested Council consensus on grant recommendations to proceed with the finalization of proposed activities. Mr. Hess said the Council priorities were provided to the CDAC during its review and each recommendation complied with the priorities. He presented the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Physical Improvements and HOME recommendations. The Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program, which was the Section 8 Program, utilized HOME funds. Mayor Weiers asked if the Valley Life recommendation was the same as last year. Mr. Hess said it was a group home and was not related to the solar panels. Councilmember Turner asked if Valley Life was a specific group home or a program that generated funds for other group homes. Mr. Hess said Valley Life was a non-profit organization that operated group homes. Councilmember Turner asked if the $100,000 funding recommendation was for one location or for renovations at various locations. Mr. Hess said the request was for a single location. Councilmember Clark said Valley Life's presentation at a CDAC meeting indicated it had nine group homes throughout the valley which served forty-eight people. The specific home served four men and the request was for$100,000 to renovate one house. The group home could afford to make the repairs over time with its monthly stipend. Councilmember Clark asked how the recommended funding met the requirements of an Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). Mr. Hess said operational costs were an eligible expense through ESG and funding for electricity and water bills was an operational cost. Councilmember Clark said ESG funds should be used for people in crisis and emergency situations. She preferred that the funds be used for organizations such as Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), which provided emergency beds to Glendale residents. Mayor Weiers said the Streetlight Foundation did provide shelter for teenage girls who were high risk. Councilmember Clark supported a Streetlight request for more beds, rather than utility bills. Councilmember Turner asked if funds were moveable between the different funding categories. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 3 of 12 Mr. Hess said funds could not be moved. It would be a violation of the regulations. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if there were any unfunded requests. Ms. Small said there were some organizations that did not receive funding. One had withdrawn its application. Councilmember Tolmachoff requested information on the applications that were not recommended for funding. Ms. Small said the information would be provided. Councilmember Tolmachoff had met with CASS and was told other cities spent $75,000 annually to reserve beds for homeless individuals. She asked what the requested amount was, how it would be used and the CDAC's recommendation. Mr. Hess said it was decided that $75,000 of ESG funding would be reserved for that purpose. The ESG request was mainly for coordinating services, not dedicating beds. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if additional ESG funding had been allocated that was not reflected in the information provided. Mr. Hess said there were other allocations. Councilmember Clark requested that with future applications, the focus be on the administrative cost percentage and how much went to services. She also wanted information on other funding the agencies were receiving. Councilmember Clark did not support the recommendations for Chrysalis and the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix. Both had the capacity for other funding sources. Councilmember Clark did not support the recommendation for the Homeless Youth Connection based on its presentation at the CDAC meeting. She suggested the $35,000 be used to fund the Back-to-School Clothing Drive which provided 160 Glendale students with school supplies and uniforms each year. The agency was opening the program up to the children of Luke Air Force Base. Councilmember Clark complimented the CDAC on its work to review applications. She asked what the difference was between the Community Action Eviction Prevention Program and the City's Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program. Mr. Hess said the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program was a specific component of the HOME Program and supplemented the Section 8 Housing Program. Councilmember Clark asked if the funds allocated to the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program could be combined with Glendale Works for a partnership between the two programs. Mr. Hess said the City had an ongoing relationship with Phoenix Rescue Mission. It was a very good referral source. Councilmember Clark did not support the Valley Life's recommendation of$100,000 for the renovation of one group home and suggested some of the funds go to Glen Croft for elevators or to the City for the park improvements request. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 4 of 12 Councilmember Tolmachoff agreed with Councilmember Clark. She asked that future requests provided more clarification in the titles of the requests to distinguish between one group home versus multiples locations. She requested information on who determined the funding and the process for "set aside" funds. Ms. Small said a set aside was brought to Council on November 26, 2019 by Deputy City Manager Rick St. John regarding bed space reservations. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked for confirmation that there was no recommended funding for the Community Services Youth Employment Program. Ms. Small said that was correct. The CDAC made the recommendation based on limited funding and priorities. Councilmember Clark referenced the set aside for emergency bed reservations and said Angels on Patrol provided the same service. She suggested shifting $2,500 from the set aside to Angels on Patrol. Ms. Small asked for consensus to eliminate funding for Chrysalis, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Homeless Youth Connection for a total of$35,000 and to split the amount between the Back to School Program and CASS. Councilmember Clark requested the $35,000 to be split between Angels on Patrol, CASS, and Back to School Clothing Drive. Mayor Weiers was opposed to eliminating funding from the Boys and Girls Club. It served a lot of kids. Councilmember Clark said the agency recently merged with the Mesa Boys and Girls Club and was good at securing funding from outside sources. Councilmember Aldama did not support eliminating funding for the Boys and Girls Club. He was disappointed that the City did not submit for funding for its three community centers. He said the CDAC did a great job. He would like to focus on the requests submitted by the City. Councilmember Tolmachoff agreed with Councilmember Clark regarding Valley Life and agreed with Councilmember Aldama that the community centers needed attention. She supported exploring diverting funding. Councilmember Clark was also in support. Ms. Small asked if there was consensus to eliminate funding for Valley Life and allocating it for physical improvement at the community centers. There was consensus. Ms. Small asked if there was Council consensus to fund the Boys and Girls Club. Councilmember Turner requested clarification of the specific Boys and Girls Club program. Mr. Hess said the request was for the Swift Kids Academic Success Program. It was a subsidiary program of the Club. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 5 of 12 Councilmember Clark withdrew her objection to the funding for Boys and Girls Club. She requested to reallocate the funds for Chrysalis and the Homeless Youth Connection to the Back to School Clothing Drive and CASS. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if Council would consider redirecting the $10,000 allocated to the Boys and Girls Clubs to programs within the City's community centers. She agreed that the Boys and Girls Club had funding from professional sports teams and other organizations. The needs of the community centers should be addressed. Councilmember Aldama supported funding for the Boys and Girls Club but also supported funding for programs at the City's community centers. Mayor Weiers said it would be ideal to fund both the Boys and Girls Club and the community centers. Vice Mayor Malnar said the community centers needed more money than what was being discussed. There should be a separate Council discussion on re-invigorating the community centers. He was not convinced that the community center programs successfully competed with the Boys and Girls Club programs with the small amount of funding. He agreed with an additional $2,500 in funding for Angels on Patrol and $10,000 for the Back to School Clothing Drive. He supported leaving the funding for Boys and Girls Club as it was and eliminating the funding for Chrysalis. Ms. Small asked if there was consensus for funding the Boys and Girls Club funding as recommended, provide $10,000 in funding for the Back to School Program and providing $7,500 for the Angels on Patrol Program. She asked where Council wanted to allocate the remaining funds. Vice Mayor Malnar suggested the remaining funds go to the Homeless Youth Program. Councilmember Turner was in support of funding for the community centers but was unsure if it was appropriate to shift funds from the Boys and Girls Club to an agency that had not applied. In future years, the City should be encouraged to apply for grants for the community centers. Councilmember Turner was in support of Vice Mayor Malnar's suggestion. He suggested the $100,000 Valley Life be reallocated and split between the Glen Croft request and the City's request for the Murphy Park irrigation improvements. Councilmember Clark supported Vice Mayor Malnar's suggestions of the Back to School Clothing Drive and Angels on Patrol. She was not in support of the Homeless Youth Connection and suggested increasing the funding for the YWCA senior meals by $15,000. Councilmember Aldama asked Council to focus on the City's community centers. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if there were unfunded requests in the physical improvements category. Mr. Hess said there was not. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked why the City did not apply for physical improvement funding. Mayor Weiers asked if there were funds that could have been asked for but were not for the community centers. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 6 of 12 Ms. Small said the CDBG funds, especially physical improvements, could be used to offset any General Fund request from any City department. The Parks Department had submitted numerous requests. Staff could work with the Parks Department regarding how additional funding could be used at the community centers. Councilmember Clark agreed with Councilmember Tolmachoff and Councilmember Aldama in utilizing the $100,000 for the community centers. Mayor Weiers wanted to know how the funds would be spent before making a decision. Ms. Small said staff could come back to Council with specific funding opportunities. She would compile the feedback from the discussion and bring it back to Council for further review before the May 15th HUD deadline. 3. HUD CONSOLIDATED PLAN DATA ANALYSIS AND PRELIMINARY GOAL RECOMMENDATIONS Presented by: Stephanie Small, Community Services Director Matthew Hess, Revitalization Administrator Karen Dash, President, Karen Dash Consulting Ms. Bower read the item by title. Mr. Hess provided the background and definition of the Consolidated Plan process, the Five-Year Needs Assessment, the Annual Action Plan, and how it all tied together. Public and stakeholder outreach had been conducted to obtain feedback regarding community needs. Ms. Dash provided a presentation on the Consolidated Plan Process, which included information on the following phases: • Background Research/Environmental Scan • Citizen Participation Process • Data Analysis • Development of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Documents Ms. Dash said the final submittal of plans to HUD was due no later than May 15, 2020. She provided a summary of public priorities garnered from the process and the following preliminary goals based on the public feedback and data analysis: • Increasing the supply of clean, decent, affordable housing, including new rental and home ownership units, replacement housing, repairs to low-income and senior housing • Increasing access to housing and services for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness • Increasing services for special populations, particularly severely mentally ill people, veterans, and children aging out of the Foster Care System • Increasing job training and employment assistance programs • Increasing livability, economic expansion, and opportunity of neighborhoods through improving neighborhood facilities •Affirmatively further Fair Housing (required by HUD) Councilmember Tolmachoff asked for more information on the comment "environmental justice". Mr. Hess said "environmental justice" related to where specific uses were in proximity to housing. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if it would result in a regulatory issue regarding existing businesses if Council agreed with the goal. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 7 of 12 Mr. Hess said the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) had discussed it and determined there would be no further imposition upon a legally functioning business that complied with the law and zoning requirements. Mayor Weiers commented most farms were already in existence before nearby homes were built and would be hard to stop. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked what specifically the Council would be agreeing to in terms of environmental justice. Mr. Hess said environmental justice was not specifically in the goals but was part of the CDAC comments. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if environmental justice was part of the goal to increasing livability, economic expansion, and opportunity of neighborhoods through improving neighborhood facilities. Mr. Hess said it could be, if it was chosen. Ms. Small said the City had its own zoning rules and regulations, which dictated what could be placed at certain locations. The proposed goals were broad in order to allow for innovation and creativity for achieving the goals. Councilmember Clark said seniors were not included as a vulnerable group in the list of special populations. She asked for recommendations on how to increase livability, economic expansion, and opportunity of neighborhoods through improved neighborhood facilities, besides building facades and more parks. Ms. Dash provided examples of physical improvements, signage, streetscape improvements, community centers, and youth centers. Councilmember Clark said there was a lack of specifics and asked if the list of goals was in priority order. Ms. Dash replied the list of goals was not in priority order. Councilmember Clark believed the number of homeless individuals was most likely the same and the increased estimate was not accurate. She was concerned about the statistics presented to the public and wanted more explanation of the figures. She asked for more data on the rent figures for the lower-income population and suggested more analysis of the entire housing stock in Glendale. Mayor Weiers asked for confirmation that the homeless count was changing daily and it was not necessarily the same people year after year. Ms. Small said that was correct. The Point-In-Time Count was a snapshot in time and was not indicative of the total homeless concern. Councilmember Aldama agreed with Councilmember Clark regarding the homeless numbers. He asked how the number of 194 homeless compared to similar cities and how the number of homeless school children was relevant to the discussion. Ms. Dash stated the Point-in-Time Count measured homeless adults and not children. The City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 8 of 12 number of school children was a useful data point as it spoke to the problem of the homeless, besides those seen on the streets. Councilmember Aldama stated the school system assisted school children under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and he was not sure why the data was included. Councilmember Aldama said environmental justice was important, citing the Sonorita community. In the downtown area, there was a pool construction company and a weed spraying company, which were legal but unhealthy to the community. The community needed to be educated on its rights, such as to inquire if the businesses were doing the right thing. He was not proposing to rezone or run the businesses out, but rather to educate residents about their rights. If that was the intent of the goal, he was in support. Councilmember Turner was concerned with the regulatory constraints, which possibly impacted the building of more affordable units as problematic or impossible. He wanted the City to look at smaller housing as a long-range goal. It would be helpful to know what type of housing the stated median rent of$1,550 represented. The presentation inferred that a minimum wage worker should be able to afford the median-cost rental. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked where the rental data source was obtained because there were many apartments in Glendale that were far below that figure. Mr. Hess said there was a licensed broker on staff with access to the MLS, which was used for data. Councilmember Tolmachoff stated there were many apartments for rent in the City which were not listed on the MLS. Using only the MLS provided unreliable data. She asked why increased taxes was a barrier to performing upgrades. Ms. Small said the perception of barriers was what was seen by the community in general and staff strived to provide information. Councilmember Tolmachoff agreed there was not enough affordable housing. The data and figures presented was collected from homes for rent, not apartments. She asked for better data. Councilmember Clark agreed with Councilmember Tolmachoff. If the data was inaccurate, then the goals were unreliable. She said a proper housing inventory was not done on affordable housing. Mr. Phelps said HUD required stated goals in the Five-Year Plan and Council needed to weigh-in on the goals for affordable housing. Councilmember Tolmachoff was under the impression the data was supposed to support the goals. That was not what was presented. Vice Mayor Malnar said the goals seemed reasonable. There was too much data presented when the conversation should have been on the goals. Ms. Small said the goals related specifically to HUD funding, which included partnering with other agencies to achieve the goals. The goals gave staff direction on how the funding should be utilized and for staff to share that information with the CDAC and partnering agencies. Councilmember Clark said an action plan would be developed from the goals, but the data provided did not support the presented goals. She supported adopting goals that were City Council Meeting Minutes- February 11, 2020 Page 9 of 12 aspirational, but not as the foundation of an Annual Action Plan. Mr. Phelps said if Council believed there were residents living in substandard low-income housing, it was a way of upgrading the quality of housing stock in the City. HUD required the City to adopt general goals to move forward and with CDAC's recommendations, the Plan could come to fruition. Mayor Weiers asked if HUD required goals that stated what the City would like to accomplish before funding was received. Ms. Small said that was correct. Councilmember Tolmachoff said Council had established priorities and wanted to see senior services included in the goal referencing vulnerable groups. Financial literacy was prioritized at last year's discussion but was not included in the goals. Ms. Small said financial literacy was a specific activity which fell within a provided goal. When the Annual Action Plan was developed, particular activities would be included. The goals were broad to allow for innovation and creativity regarding specific activities Council believed were important. Mayor Weiers asked whether the specific activities would be discussed at the next workshop. Ms. Small said that was correct. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked for clarification on "affirmatively further fair housing". Ms. Dash explained it was a HUD requirement to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds to pursue access to housing throughout the City without discrimination. Mr. Hess said the City was required to provide education regarding fair housing and other information. The City hosted training classes with attorneys present to answer questions on housing discrimination. It demonstrated the City was furthering fair housing. Councilmember Turner asked if regulatory constraints and affordable housing policies was a goal or a task beneath a goal. Ms. Dash said it would be a task or activity underneath a goal. Mayor Weiers said there was Council consensus to proceed. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Phelps provided a summary of the Chocolate Experience held the previous weekend. A more detailed report would be provided in the future. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT No report City Council Meeting Minutes - February 11, 2020 Page 10 of 12 COUNCIL ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Councilmember Aldama said patience was needed from visitors, residents, and business owners as the Chocolate Experience event transitioned. Councilmember Aldama met with local elderly veterans. There was a need for designated parking spaces for Purple Heart recipients and for Gold Star families. Councilmember Tolmachoff requested a discussion regarding interest in adopting an ordinance establishing an employee gift policy. Councilmember Turner concurred with Councilmember Tolmachoff. Councilmember Turner requested in depth financials when the detailed report was provided regarding Chocolate Experience. Vice Mayor Malnar requested items which were recommendations from the City Code Committee: discussion on a comprehensive abatement process and a plain view doctrine, regarding code violations. MOTION AND CALL TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made by Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, seconded by Councilmember Ian Hugh to hold an executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed EXECUTIVE SESSION Council entered into executive session at 3:07 p.m. for: Discussion/consultation with the City Attorney and City Manager to receive an update, to consider its position, and to provide instruction/direction to the City Attorney and City Manager regarding Glendale's position in connection with a property at 4705 W. Glendale Avenue pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 38-431.03 (A)(3)(4)(7); Discussion or consultation for legal advice with the City Attorney regarding the Arizona Open Meeting Law pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A)(3); and Discussion regarding appointments and matters relating to various boards, commissions and other bodies pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3)(4). A motion was made by Councilmember Jamie Aldama, seconded by Councilmember Bart Turner to adjourn the executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers City Council Meeting Minutes- February 11, 2020 Page 11 of 12 Vice Mayor Ray Malnar Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed Mayor Weiers adjourned the executive session at 4:31 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Weiers adjourned the meeting at 4:31 p.m. 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 11th day of February, 2020. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 3rd day of March, 2020. i fie K. Bower, MMC, City Clerk City Council Meeting Minutes- February 11, 2020 Page 12 of 12