HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994.0614.TCSM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL
JUNE 14, 1994
A Special Session of the Fountain Hills Town Council open to the public was convened and called to order by Mayor
Cutillo at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday,June 14, 1994, in the Fountain Hills Town Hall Council Chambers located at 16836
E. Palisades Blvd., Building C,Fountain Hills, Arizona.
ROLL CALL-Following the pledge to the flag and the invocation by Councilwoman Tibbetts,roll call was taken.
Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor John Cutillo, Vice
Mayor Wally Hudson,and Councilmembers Bill O'Brien,Frank Clark,Marianne Wiggishoff,Peg Tibbetts and Don
Lawrence. Also present were Town Manager Paul Nordin and Town Clerk Cassie Hansen.
AGENDA ITEM#2. - MONTHLY REPORT BY MAGISTRATE SHOOB.
Judge Shoob presented his report per the attached. He said receivables were up a bit,but the new collections officer
was doing extremely well, tracking down people thought to be lost for a couple of years. He said he expected to
see the figure leveling off,if not reduced. He said in the past year,cases filed had gone from 2,600-2,700 to almost
4,000, which is why the receivables had also increased. He said it should be noted that gross revenues were also
up, with close to$225,000 taken in for the year.
AGENDA ITEM#3. -PURSUANT TO A.R.S. 38-431.03.A.1.i VOTE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION_
FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF EMPLOYMENT, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT,
PROMOTION,DEMOTION,DISMISSAL,SALARIES,DISCIPLINING OR RESIGNATION OF A PUBLIC 41111)
OFFICER, APPOINTEE OR EMPLOYEE OF ANY PUBLIC BODY, EXCEPT THAT WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF SALARY DISCUSSIONS,AN OFFICER,APPOINTEE OR EMPLOYEE MAY DEMAND
THAT SUCH DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OCCUR AT A PUBLIC MEETING. THE PUBLIC
BODY MUST PROVIDE THE OFFICER, APPOINTEE OR EMPLOYEE WITH SUCH PERSONAL
NOTICE OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS IS APPROPRIATE BUT NOT LESS THAN 24 HOURS FOR
THE OFFICER, APPOINTEE OR EMPLOYEE TO DETERMINE WHETHER SUCH DISCUSSION OR
CONSIDERATION SHOULD OCCUR AT A PUBLIC MEETING.
Councilman Clark MOVED to go into executive session and Councilwoman Tibbetts SECONDED the motion which
CARRIED unanimously.
Mayor Cutillo recessed the Special Session at 6:25 p.m. and went into Executive Session.
AGENDA ITEM#4. - RETURN TO SPECIAL SESSION.
The Council returned to Special Session at 7:15 p.m.
AGENDA ITEM#5. - CONSIDERATION OF JUDGE STUART SHOOB'S REQUEST FOR A NEW TWO
YEAR CONTRACT AND SETTING OF SALARY FOR THE TWO YEAR TERM.
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Judge Shoob tendered his resignation for his existing two-year appointment which was effective July 1, 1993 to June
kire 30, 1995. Vice Mayor Hudson MOVED to accept the resignation of Judge Shoob and to rehire him at a salary of
$4,000 per month. Councilman O'Brien SECONDED the motion which CARRIED unanimously.
AGENDA ITEM#6.-REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE TOWN
OF FOUNTAIN HILLS FOR THE 94/95 FISCAL YEAR. ALL ASPECTS OF REVENUES AND
EXPENDITURES WILL BE DISCUSSED AND CONSIDERED.
Mr. Nordin said there were two groups present in the audience who were particularly interested in specific budget
items to be considered by the Council: the Community Center and the Central Arizona Shelter Services (C.A.S.S.)
represented by Mary Orton. The Council agreed to hear those two budget items first so their representatives could
leave, if desired.
Mr. Nordin gave a brief overview of the budget request for the Community Center. He noted that the request
included a $1,500 increase in the management fee paid to the Civic Association for their management of the
Community Center,an increase in the building repairs and maintenance which would go toward new carpeting and
other amenities,and a large item in the amount of$42,800 for capital expenditures and improvements which would
be for parking lot construction. The parking lot was budgeted for 1993-94 but was unable to be completed, so it
was being rebudgeted for the 1994-95 budget year.
Following discussion on the Community Center, Vice Mayor Hudson MOVED approval of the Community Center
budget as printed. Councilwoman Tibbetts SECONDED the motion which CARRIED unanimously.
Mr. Nordin directed the Council to the budget item request by C.A.S.S. for funding under the budget category
Special Programs, Miscellaneous, for which the total amount requested was$15,000. He said the request was
actually a little over $6,000, but in prior years the Council had approved $5,000, so the amount put in the budget
was $5,000.
Ms. Mary Orton,Executive Director of C.A.S.S., gave a brief history and overview of the group. The shelter had
been helping people for ten years. There were 13 other cities and towns that supported C.A.S.S. Their facilities
included 400 beds for single men and women at one site;an apartment complex with 30 apartments in north Phoenix
for families with children; and there was a licensed child care center to allow the parents to immediately look for
work,which was a requirement. There was a jobs program to assist with job searches. The shelter had a great deal
of corporate and community support--over one-half million dollars of the budget was raised from the private sector.
Councilman O'Brien asked what their total projected budget for the next year was and Ms. Orton answered$2.6
million, though it had not been finalized.
Councilwoman Tibbetts asked how the remainder of the $15,000 was allocated. Mr. Nordin answered that
approximately$6,900 was for the second of three payments required for the 1995 special census; $1,500 was to go
to the local Meals on Wheels; and$1,300 would go toward a civil defense disaster program.
Mayor Cutillo MOVED to approve the $5,000 request for C.A.S.S. and Vice Mayor Hudson SECONDED the
motion. The motion CARRIED unanimously.
Mr. Nordin then said discussions were to focus on the budget as a whole and gave an overhead projector
presentation. He said one of the biggest challenges was how to deal with growth,which had been significant. He
had attempted to address the growth factors and consider some important priorities in the community--street
maintenance and Fountain Hills Blvd. needs. Discussions on the General Fund followed.
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The largest single item was $1.4 million proposed for street maintenance and the reconstruction/renovation of
Fountain Hills Blvd. That amount would not be enough to address all of the street maintenance but would be
sufficient to address Fountain Hills Blvd. He said the best thing to do would be to begin the street maintenance and
see how much progress was made with the $1.4 million and, hopefully, a good deal more than anticipated would
be accomplished.
Next he presented the projected revenue for the year. An area that reflected growth was the large increase in
projected revenues for the combined areas of subdivision fees, encroachment permit fees, plan fees,rezoning fees
and building permit fees. There was also a$960,000 carry forward from the present fiscal year into the next for a
total available of almost$4,000,000, the largest amount of which came from state-shared revenues.
He said there would be some specific increases in expenditures mentioned with the various departmental budgets.
Expenditures had been broken down by general activity and also by department, with Administration having the
largest share of municipal expenses.
In the area of reserves, there was an overall reserve of a little over$1,000,000 shown which was broken down into
three different categories: contingency,undesignated and designated reserve. As the Council studied the budget and
increased or decreased any amounts under the General Fund,the undesignated reserve would fluctuate accordingly.
The next discussion item was Personnel and Related Issues, which included the annual request for merit monies.
He said he would request a basic overall 4%increase,to be granted not in a percentage figure but as a precise dollar
amount to control the amount to be expended. Merit money was administered according to the Town's Pay For
Performance program,were based on performance and were not automatically granted. Councilman Clark MOVED
to approve the merit increases as written for the amount of$48,116. Councilwoman Tibbetts SECONDED the
motion which PASSED unanimously.
The next item Mr.Nordin discussed was Deferred Compensation. Town employees had a 457K retirement plan and
were not a part of Social Security. The Town was presently providing 7% toward the 457K plan and based on his
recommendation and recommendations from the employee benefits committee,consideration of a 1%increase to 8%
was being requested.
Mayor Cutillo said he was not opposed to the increase--just the reasoning behind it. He did not think that any
possible future merge with the Sanitary District should have a bearing on the present budget--that could be dealt with
when and if it happened. Councilman O'Brien said he was against it and didn't want to get into an irrevocable
pattern of 1%-per-year increases.
Councilman Clark said the issue was how much did the Town want to go beyond what would be required to
participate in Social Security. He was opposed to reviewing it every year and constantly increasing the amount.
A reasonable and fair percentage should be determined and then adhered to once and for all,and he didn't feel the
Council was ready to make that decision.
Ms.Julie Ghetti,Town Accountant and chairperson of the benefits committee,said the intent of the committee was
to see the Deferred Compensation benefit equal to the benefit that would have been received if the employees
participated in Social Security. She said several employees had no retirement except the deferred compensation and
their contribution to that was limited legally.
Some discussion regarding Social Security and the state retirement system,but no decisions were reached and the
item was deferred to a later meeting.
The next discussion item was the Town Council budget. Mr. Nordin said the largest new expenditure was for a
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communications system for the Council chambers. Councilman Clark MOVED approval of the Council budget as
presented and Councilman Lawrence SECONDED the motion.
Mr. Nordin said there were no election expenses budgeted and if an election was required, the funds would come
from the contingency fund.
The motion PASSED unanimously.
The Magistrate's budget was the next discussion item. Mr. Nordin said the budget was relatively the same as the
previous year, with increases for an Intergovernmental Agreement and an increase for personnel.
Mayor Cutillo asked Judge Shoob how the Town would benefit from the court connecting to a new computer system.
Judge Shoob said the court would be receiving a very updated software package,along with hardware. The current
system was outdated and a new system had been developed by the Supreme Court. Once the new materials were
received,the court would have far more tracking ability. He said it would be the first step in a unified court system.
For the$2,500 annual maintenance/user fee,the town would receive one new 486,33-MHz computer, two printers,
one laser and one to print out automated receipts from the computer; a server to tie together information; and the
existing computer would also be made part of the maintenance program. There would also be 40 hours of training,
mostly on-site, provided to the court clerk.
The increase in budget for additional personnel was to add a three-quarter time collections officer and to take one
court clerk from one-half time to full time. Judge Shoob said there was no actual dollar increase for the collections
officer since the court had already been paying for a one-half time for a deputy to be assigned to the court and the
collections officer would be filling that spot so the expenditure would remain the same.
Vice Mayor Hudson MOVED approval of the Magistrate Court budget and Councilwoman Tibbetts SECONDED
the motion. The motion CARRIED unanimously.
Mr.Nordin told the Council that the change voted that evening by the Council relative to the judge's compensation
would be reflected in an upcoming budget transmittal in future weeks.
The next item for discussion was the Administration budget. Mr.Nordin said that portion of the budget represented
a significant portion of the municipal expenditures. He said that many of the expenses such as rent, liability
insurance were not charged out to the different departments but were all funded under the Administration heading.
Following some discussion on the upcoming mid-decade census,Mr.Nordin turned the meeting over to Town Clerk
Cassie Hansen to discuss the increase in the building repairs and maintenance items.
Ms. Hansen said one of the major increases was the inclusion of funding for the old library building. She said that
although there were no plans yet for the building, certain repairs needed to be made regardless such as bringing it
up to A.D.A. standards, new carpeting and paint, and an allowance was made for cleaning. Other significant
expenditures were for new carpeting for Town Hall,of which MCO agreed to pay half,and renovations to bring the
courtroom up to A.D.A. compliance.
Mr.Nordin mentioned some other Administration expenses: increased legal fees(due mainly to increased caseloads);
constituent communication; special programs (special census, C.A.S.S., etc.); increases in liability insurance,
electricity,and rent expense;an expanded telephone system,since the present system was at capacity and the addition
of even one new employee phone would require a new system; and a continued expense for the lease purchase of
a copy machine.
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Mayor Cutillo said that in the area of legal fees, he had heard that a local person had expressed an interest in the
position of prosecutor and would possibly even charge less. He said it was always good to employ local residents
when the opportunity arose and he thought the possibility should be pursued. Councilman Clark asked if the position
would be put out for bid. Mr.Nordin said there would be a Request for Proposal (RFP)and then the bid would be
received. He said it would not necessitate holding up the budget approval process for the six to eight weeks it would
take to bring a candidate back before the Council. Some discussion followed regarding the candidate selection
process to be implemented and the Council's involvement in that process.
There was a brief discussion on the category of conference budget and then Councilman Clark MOVED approval
of the Administrative budget. Councilman O'Brien SECONDED the motion which PASSED unanimously.
The next budget for discussion was Building Safety. Mr. Nordin said the largest increase was a request for an
additional part-time clerical position,as well as an additional building inspector. He said staff did not feel there was
a reliable enough temporary service that was inexpensive enough to allow for a recommendation for anything other
than a full-time town employee. Any additional building inspection assistance required after the addition of a third
inspector would come from an outside service. He said staff would attempt to monitor, on a monthly basis, the
revenue to determine that there was indeed a continued demand and sufficient revenue to warrant the additional
employee. If lower than expected revenue were encountered, staff would compose a plan to be submitted to the
Council. Mr. Nordin also added that in addition to the employee would be the appropriate supporting items such
as an additional vehicle.
Mayor Cutillo said continuity was an important consideration also. The builders got used to a building inspector
and how he worked and frequent inspector changes wouldn't be beneficial in maintaining that continuity.
Councilman Clark MOVED to approve the Building Safety budget and Councilman O'Brien SECONDED the
motion which PASSED unanimously.
The next departmental budget to be discussed was Community Development. Mr. Nordin said staff recommended
approval as presented. Mayor Cutillo MOVED to approve the Community Development budget as written and „44)
Councilwoman Tibbetts SECONDED the motion. The motion PASSED unanimously.
The next budget item for discussion was Debt Service/Grants. Vice Mayor Hudson MOVED to approve the Debt
Service and Grants budget as written. Councilman Lawrence SECONDED the motion which PASSED unanimously.
AGENDA ITEM#7. - ADJOURNMENT.
Councilman O'Brien MOVED to adjourn and Councilman Lawrence SECONDED. The motion CARRIED
unanimously and the Town Council adjourned at approximately 9:15 p.m.
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L
TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS
By:
Joh . Cutillo, Mayor
A 1"1EST: 76 .
Cassie B. Hansen, Town Clerk
PREPARED BY: Lea--Q 4
Rosalynn cker, Adminis 've Assistant
CER 1'1N'lCATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Session Meeting
held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 14th day of June, 1994. I further certify that the meeting was
duly called and that a quorum was present.
DATED this 7th day of July, 1994.
Minutes of the Town Council Special Session - 6/14/94
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