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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/13/2024 (3)City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 91%� C&7 Glendale A R I Z O N A Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 13, 2024 12:30 P.M. Workshop Meeting Civic Center City Council Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember.Joyce Clark 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 Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Also Present: Kevin Phelps, City Manager Michael Bailey, City Attorney Julie K. Bower, City Clerk WORKSHOP SESSION 1. LIBRARY OVERDUE FINES AND ROOM RENTAL FEES Presented by: Jean Moreno, Director, Community Services Kristin Fletcher -Spear, Interim Libary Administrator Ms. Bower read the item by title. Ms. Moreno presented information on the following: . Library Fines and Overdue Items *Library Room Rental Challenges . Staff Conclusions and Recommendations Councilmember Aldama asked about the amount of time that items were overdue. Ms. Moreno said that automatic renewals were set to five times. After five automatic renewals, a notice was sent to the patron. Councilmember Aldama asked if the renewal period was excessive and caused the items to be late. He asked if the limit should be two automatic renewals. Ms. Moreno said the longer renewal time was better. Councilmember Malnar asked if all fees were being removed. Ms. Moreno said overdue fines were being removed. If the item was not returned or the item was damaged, there would be a cost incurred. Councilmember Malnar asked how long the library would wait to determine that the item was not being returned. Ms. Moreno said that would be after the five automatic renewals were completed. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 2 of 9 Councilmember Malnar asked how the libraries communicated with the patrons. Ms. Fletcher -Spear said an email was sent two weeks after the item was not returned. If there was no response, a notice was mailed to the residence. Councilmember Malnar asked if after the final letter there was any other communication. Ms. Moreno said that it was sent to an outside collection agency. Councilmember Malnar asked if all rooms rented would be no charge including the main library auditorium. Ms. Moreno said that was correct. Councilmember Malnar was concerned about the demand that would be created from outside organizations that wanted to reserve rooms and that it would deter residents from reserving a room. Ms. Moreno said staff was making sure that the patron who reserved the room was a library card holder. Residents and non-profit organizations would have priority and that whatever activity was happening would be open to the public. There would be strict administrative policies. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked what the requirement was to obtain a Glendale library card. Ms. Fletcher -Spear said a photo ID and proof of residence in Maricopa County was all that was required. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if a Glendale resident could reserve a room in a library in another city. Ms. Moreno said staff had not researched room reservations in other cities. Glendale was one of the first cities to provide free reservations. Through the administrative policies, the City would prioritize Glendale residents. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if the City would track the room reservations. Ms. Moreno said staff would monitor the reservations. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how the new policy was going to be rolled out. Ms. Moreno said mailers would be sent to the residents with fines and fees. The room reservations would go into effect July 1st. Mayor Weiers asked what assurance the City would have that damage or clean up to the rooms would be taken care of financially. Ms. Moreno said the person reserving the room had to sign a form regarding responsibility for damage as part of the reservation process. No cleaning deposit was required. Councilmember Clark asked if patrons with overdue fines could perform community service. She asked what other facilities were available to use if the City removed after-hours room rentals. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 3 of 9 Ms. Moreno said, with the new policy, only patrons who failed to return items would be held financially responsible. Fines would not be assessed on overdue books. It was the economic barrier that was preventing books from being returned. There were recreation facilities available for reservation. The organizations that used the library were smaller organizations. The entities renting after hours were commercial, not residents. The libraries were open until 8:00 p.m. on Monday and Thursday. Councilmember Turner asked what items were assessed fines. Ms. Moreno said that books, DVDs, and CDs were assessed fines. Digital materials were not permitted to be extended. Councilmember Turner suggested a 60-day amnesty period to return the items while the ordinance was being prepared. Mayor Weiers asked why the City could not consider staff cost and add an additional charge for after-hours rentals. Ms. Moreno said the fee schedule could be revisited and if Council wanted after-hours rentals available to the public, staff would do that. Mayor Weiers confirmed consensus with the elimination of overdue fines and to move forward with the recommendation. Mayor Weiers confirmed consensus with eliminating fees on room reservations and to move forward with the recommendation. Mayor Weiers said there was no consensus to discontinue after-hours rentals. Councilmember Turner wanted the amnesty period to occur while the ordinance was being updated and asked for consensus. Councilmember Clark did not believe the amnesty period would make a difference. Councilmember Tolmachoff said the libraries should eliminate the fines immediately. Ms. Moreno said the library could put a moratorium on fines if that was what Council wanted to do. Vice Mayor Hugh liked the idea of the moratorium on fines. Mr. Bailey recommended Council direct the City Manager to stop enforcement of the current ordinance while the amended ordinance was being considered. Mr. Phelps said staff would have the item back to Council in two weeks. The City would not charge overdue fines while the new ordinance was being updated. 2. WATER METER REPLACEMENT WITH ADVANCED METER INFRASTRUCTURE Presented by: Ron Serio, P.E., Director, Water Services Michael Rotunno, P.E., PMP, Vice President, Arcadis U.S., Inc. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 4 of 9 Ms. Bower read the item by title. Mr. Serio was seeking consensus to proceed with a request for proposals (RFP) for an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system and to apply for grant funding to help cover the costs. The presentation included the following: *Advanced Metering Infrastructure . Current and Desired State of Project Overview . Project Costs and Benefits . Project Next Steps Mayor Weiers asked if it would pay back $3 million per year. Assistant City Manager Vicki Rios said that was correct. Mayor Weiers asked how the signal was sent out. Mr. Rotunno said the meters and end points were battery powered. Mayor Weiers asked how long the battery lasted. Mr. Rotunno said the batteries lasted 20 years but were not replaceable. The entire unit would have to be replaced. The new meters had remote shut off valves controlled by the computer system. The remote disconnect valves were costly and not included in the costs shown. The existing system required a manual shut off. Mayor Weiers asked who would remove the old units and install the new units. Mr. Rotunno said either City staff or contractors could do it. Contractors would be used to get the project completed in a reasonable timeframe. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how the system would be deployed. Ms. Rios said if there was Council consensus to proceed, an RFP would be done in the future. After the RFP was completed, staff would determine what the best option was for the City. Mr. Phelps said after the RFP, the project would be brought back to Council at another workshop for further discussion. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if there was an app to use for the customer portal. Mr. Rotunno said the portal was a web -based application. Customers would obtain a secure log in to access the portal. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if the portal would include billing information. Mr. Rotunno said it would be the single point of entry for customers who wanted to interact with their water account. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked what would happen to the meter readers. Mr. Serio said that meter readers would be required. They would still have jobs or be redeployed to other areas. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 5 of 9 Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if automatic disconnect would be available to the public. Mr. Serio said staff would shut off a customer's water if the customer was not able to shut it off themselves. There was no additional fee. Councilmember Clark asked if the City was going to increase water rates to cover the costs. Ms. Rios said the new meters would register more flow at the low end, and the additional water not currently being billed would add to the water revenue. The water rates would be raised over time, but not because of the new system. Councilmember Clark asked if the cost of replacing technology was in the cost of the project. Mr. Rotunno said the estimates were based on a minimum of a 15-year useful life. Councilmember .Clark asked if the City would use the system for 15 years. Mr. Phelps said the meter had one function and that the system would function well for at least 15 years. Councilmember Clark asked if the replacement costs had been included in the $33 million. Mr. Rotunno said replacement costs were included in the life cycle cost. Councilmember Clark asked if reading and billing would be outsourced. Mr. Rotunno said billing would remain in house and meter reading would not be outsourced. Technology would capture the information. Councilmember Clark asked what the cost would be for installation. Mr. Rotunno said the installation costs were estimated at $5.07 million. Councilmember Turner was concerned about the appearance of the receivers. The portal was a benefit to the customers and the water meters would be more efficient. Mr. Phelps said the City currently had no systematic replacement schedule for existing old valves. Councilmember Malnar asked if the improved meter registration savings were based on usage. Mr. Rotunno said it was a more accurate measurement of usage and the new meters would be as accurate in 15 years. Councilmember Malnar asked if that meant approximately $240,000 per month would be added to water bills. Mr. Serio said that was correct. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked how communication would be managed and would there be more than one use for the system. Mr. Rotunno said there was a wide spectrum available. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 6 of 9 Councilmember Tolmachoff asked to include both ends of the spectrum in the RFP. Ms. Rios said it would be included in the RFP. Councilmember Aldama asked what would happen if the system went down. Mr. Rotunno said the meter could be read manually or a drive by. Councilmember Aldama asked if the system was for commercial properties as well, and if there was a cost for the business. Mr. Serio said it was for all meters and there was no cost for businesses. Mayor Weiers asked if the City needed to lower the water rate because the system would be more accurate. Ms. Rios said water rates would not be decreased, but perhaps the City would not have to increase the water rates as much in the future. Mayor confirmed Council consensus to proceed and to apply for grant funding. 3. REQUEST TO RENAME EL BARRIO PARK Presented by: John Kennedy, Director, Parks and Recreation Ms. Bower read the item by title. Mr. Kennedy was seeking direction on a request to rename El Barrio Park. The presentation included two options: . Option #1: Accept or reject the request to rename El Barrio Park to Veteranos Park . Option #2: Proceed by following the Park and Facility Naming Policy Councilmember Clark said the renaming of El Barrio Park should go through the correct process. Councilmember Tolmachoff agreed with Councilmember Clark. Mayor Weiers confirmed Council consensus for Option #2. 4. NAMING OF THE NEW PARK AT 55TH AVENUE AND NORTHERN, FORMERLY GLEN LAKES GOLF COURSE Presented by: John Kennedy, Director, Parks and Recreation Ms. Bower read the item by title Mr. Kennedy was seeking direction and consensus on the next steps for naming the park site formerly known as Glen Lakes Golf Course. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended the park be named Glen Lakes Park. Mayor Weiers confirmed Council consensus to move forward with renaming the park. City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 7 of 9 CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Phelps said the annual Frommer's Best Places To Go on Vacation had recommended the Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale as a place to go on vacation. Mr. Phelps said an unsolicited offer for a parcel of land had been received and would be discussed in executive session. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT No report COUNCIL ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Councilmember Clark requested information regarding an ordinance addressing loud music and loud parties. Councilmember Clark requested information regarding re -purposing the Civic Center when the Council moved back to City Hall in approximately 2 years. Councilmember Turner requested information about possible improvements to GlendaleOne. Mayor Weiers requested information about the cost of a joint -use indoor shooting range with Luke Air Force Base. MOTION AND CALL TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made by Councilmember Jamie Aldama, seconded by Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff to hold an executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed EXECUTIVE SESSION Council met in executive session at 2:49 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 property located at 5450 W Northern Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302 pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 38-431.03 (A)(3)(4)(7) . Discussion and or consultation, to consider its position, and to provide instruction/direction regarding the evaluation process and performance reviews of the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(1)(4) City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 8 of 9 . Discussion/consideration regarding records exempt by law from public inspection and are specifically required to be maintained as confidential by state or federal law pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 38-431.03 (A)(4) . 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 Joyce Clark to adjourn the executive session. AYE: Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Joyce Clark Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner Passed Mayor Weiers adjourned the executive session at 3:41 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Weiers adjourned the meeting at 3:41 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 13th day of February, 2024. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 23rd day of February, 2024. Juli . Bower, MMC, City Clerk City Council Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024 Page 9 of 9