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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 5/10/2022City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 C 05%6 &7 Glendale A R I Z O N A Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2022 12:30 P.M. Workshop Meeting Council Chambers City Council Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Jamie Aidama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner CALL TO ORDER Mayor Weiers called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Ray Malnar 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 Jack Friedline, Assistant City Manager WORKSHOP SESSION 1. HOMELESS RESPONSE UPDATE Presented by: Jean Moreno, Director, Community Services Matthew Hess, Administrator, Community Revitalization Rick St. John, Deputy City Manager Guest Presenter: Lisa Glow, J.D., Chief Executive Officer, Central Arizona Shelter Services Ms. Bower read the item by title. Ms. Moreno provided an update on Glendale's homeless response. Council previously approved the Homeless Master Services Agreement (MSA) in June 2021. The presentation included the following topics: . Choosing our lens and strategy . Point -in -Time Count *internal program updates . Master Services Agreement progress report Mr. Hess provided detailed information on the Point -in -Time (PIT) Count, which was held on January 25, 2022. He said there were 406 people counted. Councilmember Clark asked for data on the amount of people in each of the twenty-one geographic zones. Mr. Hess did not have data related to zones. Most of the people counted were in the southern and southeastern portions of the City. Councilmember Clark asked how families were determined to be homeless, rather than individuals. Mr. Hess said the PIT count included a list of families. He said each family member was City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 2 of 10 included in the individual count as well. Councilmember Clark requested the number of families to be counted separately from the individual count and how the data was used in determining policy decisions for the City. Mr. Hess said it would be explained within the presentation. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked for the criteria that was used to determine if an individual was homeless. Mr. Hess said volunteers received training prior to the count however, the determination was up to the judgment of the volunteers. Ms. Moreno added the volunteers were trained to attempt to engage and go through the questionnaire. If there was an encampment with many people, it might be hard to conduct the interview with everyone and in that case, the volunteer would rely on observations. The observations were a good piece of information, but not necessarily the best to use for designing programs and services. The focus was on the interviews, which provided more information about the individual. Mayor Weiers asked if the criteria used was the same as what was previously used. Ms. Moreno said that was correct. Councilmember Clark asked if policy for the City was based upon the responses from 138 people without any indication of mentally ill or handicapped individuals. Ms. Moreno would not rely on the PIT count to drive every policy decision because there was no consistency year -over -year. She stood by the accuracy of the interview data. Of the people interviewed, 72% were willing to accept services, which indicated a potential to change lives. She also noted 64% of the people indicated they were first-time homeless. Councilmember Clark asked how much money was spent on homelessness annually. Ms. Moreno said in a regular year without additional funding, there was approximately $230,000 from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homelessness. She said other funds might be invested with public service organizations that also impacted homelessness. She said the figure was in the multi -millions in the last couple of years with COVID funding. Councilmember Clark asked if it was feasible to rent an apartment for a year for those who would accept help and supply them with food and assistance to obtain employment. Ms. Moreno said there was an issue of low housing inventory and lack of transitional housing and staff was working on strategies to address the issues. Councilmember Tolmachoff said it was important to know the reasons why there was such a difference in each count. Mr. St. John provided an update on the homeless encampment clean-ups, the 51st and Cactus area underpass, and the Misdemeanor Repeat Offender Program. Vice Mayor Aldama noticed the majority of the camps cleared were in the Ocotillo District and Cactus District. He asked how a proactive approach could be used without violating the law to prevent the camps from coming back. City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 3 of 10 Mr. St. John said the outreach teams were encountering people who were not willing to accept resources. Those people were informed that although it was not illegal to be homeless, they needed to self -regulate. There were typically leaders in the camps. If the leader could be convinced that people must clean up after themselves and not remain in one place for too long, part of the proactive mission could be accomplished. He said the Community Action Teams (CAT) cleaned the camps daily. He explained a camp could be abandoned or active and the people were notified a cleaning would occur, so that important belongings could be removed prior to the cleaning. It was a dedicated 2 -person crew for homeless clean up and the purpose of the new truck was to assist the Police Department and Park Rangers in cleaning a camp. Vice Mayor Aldama was concerned about the steady number of chronic homeless. He asked how staff was strategically addressing the issue. Ms. Moreno said staff was working with CASS and service providers to improve opportunities for affordable housing. There were professionals in the MSA who provided services to those with mental health issues or disabilities. It was critical to support the affordable developments in the community and make investments in service providers that were equipped to work with people who had mental health or substance abuse issues. Vice Mayor Aldama said Council needed to shape policy on increasing affordable homes in the entire City. Properties could be built on vacant infill and partners needed to be brought in to do so. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked for clarification of the Misdemeanor Repeat Offender Program. Mr. St. John said the Repeat Offender Program, at the felony level, and the Misdemeanor Repeat Offender Program provided a different type of sentencing. Councilmember Turner expressed concern over the spike in homelessness and the data showing 64% were first-time homeless. He asked about implementing short-term temporary housing to get the homeless off the streets until long-term units were built. Ms. Moreno said staff was exploring available options with service providers. There was state legislation that would provide $50 million for temporary solutions for those experiencing temporary homelessness. She would return to Council for further discussion as opportunities became available. Lisa Glow, CEO of Central Arizona Shelter Services presented information on the Glendale Homeless Solutions Alliance (GHSA) which included: . Key Performance Indicators . Employment Efforts *Special Population Services . Lessons, Impacts and Challenges. Arthur Morales and Jennifer Sikorski of the Norton Ramsey Social Justice Empowerment Center shared success stories. Mary Glennon, CASS Director of Programs, provided information on the 24/7 Resource Line, outreach, and immediate shelter locations. Councilmember Clark asked if being collaborative was a requirement of the funding. City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 4 of 10 Ms. Glow said that was correct. Councilmember Clark asked if it was CASS' responsibility to award portions of the total MSA funding to the partners. Ms. Glow said CASS was the administrator of the subcontracts and paid invoices and was then reimbursed by the City. No decisions were made on funding changes without meeting with the City. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked about the expectations for sobriety in obtaining services. Ms. Glow said people did not have to be clean and sober to use the shelter, but they could not bring weapons or drugs with them. Phoenix Rescue Mission had substance abuse counselors, but individuals must want to get sober. With continued engagement, people were more likely to get off of the streets. There were not sufficient services to keep people clean and sober when they were in the housing. She said the philosophy of Housing First was being debated because it did not require people to be clean and sober. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if people were connected with access to specific services so that the City was not funding all costs. Ms. Glow said CASS helped people access Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) services. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how the influx of refugees affected the program. Ms. Moreno said refugees came to Arizona through the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). There were four refugee resettlement agencies in the state, which were the primary point of contact for services. Refugees were not served through the homeless continuum of care. Councilmember Malnar asked how homeless individuals with mental health or drug issues who would not engage, could be impacted. Ms. Moreno said consistent outreach to build rapport with an individual increased the likelihood of the person to accept services. Mayor Weiers noted other cities had implemented a program similar to Glendale Works. The success of the Works Program was the constant communication and trust factor and thanked everyone who worked on the project over the year. Ms. Glow said 25% of the people in the CASS adult shelter were employed and communities were looking at options for housing, which was what Senate Bill 1581 would support if passed. Councilmember Turner restated his previous request for signage encouraging the public to donate to agencies instead of panhandlers at certain intersections. 2. WATER RESOURCES UPDATE Presented by: Craig Johnson, P.E., Director, Water Services Drew Swieczkowski, Water Resources Manager, Water Services Joanne Toms, Environmental Programs Administrator, Water Services City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 5 of 10 Ms. Bower read the item by title. Mr. Johnson provided a brief history of the water services and water plants in Glendale. He said Lake Mead and Lake Powell water levels were in decline and potentially the energy produced from the dams as well. Water users had been asked to conserve as much as possible. Tap water for residents and business was not impacted but the outlook for the Colorado River water supply warranted additional actions. Water Services was working with federal, state and other local agencies to get through the situation. Mr. Swieczkowski presented the Water Resources Update, which included: . Overview of the Colorado River Conditions . Overview of the Salt River Project (SRP) Water Services . Next Steps . Drought Management . Conservation Tools Mr. Swieczkowski provided information on Arizona, California, and Nevada's 500 Plus Plan, which saved up to 500,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead in 2022. Glendale's participation was discussed at the January 25, 2022 workshop and Council would vote at the next voting meeting on Glendale's participation of 350,000 acre-feet of water. The City's water portfolio remained secure, but the City would continue to prepare for accelerating and sustained shortage conditions. Vice Mayor Aldama asked if the City reclaimed the water expended when testing fire hydrants. Mr. Swieczkowski said it would be considered now that it was shown as a viable, though expensive, option. Vice Mayor Aldama requested a Council Item of Special Interest for Water Services to research what it would take to reclaim the water from hydrant testing in Glendale. Councilmember Clark asked if there was enough technology available to reclaim effluent water. Mr. Swieczkowski said the technology was called 'direct potable reuse.' There was a bill in budget consideration with rule development for direct potable reuse and funds for some of the projects. Councilmember Clark asked if the City was looking at funding sources to develop its own program. Mr. Swieczkowski said the City might not be required to develop its own program because of the potential exchange program with SRP. Mayor Weiers asked if the use of gray water for residences to water landscaping was allowed in Glendale. Ms. Toms said previously a permit was required by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (AZDEQ) but now only best practice rules were used. She would provide the information to Council as a follow up. The City did not have a rebate for gray water, but workshops were available to teach people how to do it. Councilmember Turner asked who was being impacted by the reduction in the Colorado River City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 6 of 10 and CAP. Mr. Swieczkowski said the City was being made whole by the mitigation which was buying time to plan for resiliency and redundancy. Councilmember Turner said agriculture was feeling the first cuts. Mr. Swieczkowski said that was correct and the next cut would be municipal and industrial water. Councilmember Turner said CAP had fixed costs and a reduction in acre-feet was causing the cost per acre-foot to rise. Mr. Swieczkowski said that was correct. He expected a 25% to 35% increase in the City's CAP rates this year for raw water. Councilmember Turner said the cost increase to the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) cities would be approximately $70 million. The board ultimately agreed on a figure to offset the increase from the AMWUA fund balance to help mitigate the price increase to cities. He said a water policy should be looked at throughout the City and should be part of the economic development policy, such as high water use businesses. Ms. Toms presented the City's Drought Management Plan and updates to correspond with Colorado River supply shortages. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if it was time for the City to update incentives to residents. Ms. Toms would return to Council with a proposal on additional water efficiency rebates that could be offered to residential or non-residential customers. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how the City was moving forward in regard to rates. Mr. Johnson said the City would be in the black at the end of the year and surplus funds would be moved into the fund balance. Staff would conduct evaluations and have discussions with the City Manager's Office. Councilmember Tolmachoff said it would be helpful to know the water use projections for new developments and if they had a plan for re -using water. Councilmember Malnar asked why there was not an incentive for converting to artificial grass. Ms. Toms said in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had a health advisory for potential lead exposure for artificial turf. Staff decided to play it safe and not incentivize artificial turf, but it might be time to review the issue. She would come back to Council with information. Mayor Weiers asked if there were any plans for dealing with a consistent violator of water overflow onto the City's roads. He asked why the City had not converted to waterless urinals. Vice Mayor Aldama asked about water savings if the City cracked down on businesses that ran water non-stop or put sewer meters on cooling towers. Ms. Toms said cooling towers were a big part of conservation training and there was plenty of room for improvement. She said it could be policy that there had to be at least two cycles of City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 7 of 10 concentration. Vice Mayor Aldama asked if cooling tower water was significant or minimal for a policy effort. Ms. Toms said it was significant. Councilmember Turner noted the presentation indicated staff found a way to save 2.4 million gallons of water in City facilities and 16.7 million gallons of water in businesses. He said it was an excellent program. 3. PRESENTATION OF THE CITY'S AZ TAX CENTRAL APP Presented by: Feroz Merchhiya Jonathan Hill, Tax and License Manager Brian O'Dell, Senior Systems Analyst Ms. Bower read the item by title. Mr. Merchhiya presented information on the City's new AZ Tax Central App and the collaboration with the Arizona Department of Revenue. Mr. Hill provided a background of the sales tax process, issues the City faced, and the solution determined by Information Services. Mr. O'Dell provided a demonstration of the app. Councilmember Malnar asked how effective the new program would be in auditing non-compliance. Mr. Hill said the City now had information that was immediately available. Councilmember Clark congratulated the Information Services Department and the Finance Department for coming up with a program that made sense for the City. She said other cities might be interested in the program. Mr. Merchhiya said staff was working through scalability and ensuring there was a dedicated team to support the program. When the app was launched at the GFOAZ conference, there were approximately fifteen cities that showed interest. Mayor Weiers asked that information regarding the app be presented at the League of Cities' annual conference, which Glendale was hosting this year. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Phelps said Wallet Hub ranked Glendale as the 7th best city in the U.S. for recovering from the pandemic. The City was ranked 3rd best when looking at March 2021 through March 2022. it was recognition of Council's direction and its policy decisions and assisting restaurants in the City. Mr. Phelps said Oakland Construction was selected as the general contractor for the Downtown Reinvestment Project. City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 8 of 10 CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT No report COUNCIL ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Vice Mayor Aldama requested staff research how to reclaim fire hydrant water during testing. MOTION AND CALL TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made by Vice Mayor Jamie Aldama, seconded by Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff to hold an executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed EXECUTIVE SESSION Council entered into executive session at 4:03 p.m. for: . Discussion/consultation for legal advice with the City Attorney regarding enforcement of City code violations pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) . Discussion/consultation with the City Attorney and City Manager city in order to consider its position, and to provide instruction/direction to the City Attorney and City Manager regarding Glendale's position regarding negotiations with employee organizations pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3)(5) . 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 Vice Mayor Jamie Aldama, seconded by Councilmember Joyce Clark to adjourn the executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ian Hugh Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 9 of 10 Mayor Weiers adjourned the executive session at 5:05 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Weiers adjourned the meeting at 5:05 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 10th day of May, 2022. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 18th day of May, 2022. J ie . Bower, MMC, City Clerk City Council Meeting Minutes - May 10, 2022 Page 10 of 10