HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPAC.2020.0624.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION
JUNE 24, 2020
1. CALL TO ORDER—Chairman Craft at 4:01 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL—Chairman Craft
Present: Vice Chairman Peter Bordow; Chairman John W. Craft, Jr.; Commissioner Gerry
Friedel; Commissioner Cynthia Magazine; Commissioner John McHugh;
Commissioner Chad Bernick; Commissioner Gerard Bisceglia
Staff Town Manager Grady Miller; Executive Assistant Angela Padgett-Espiritu;
Present: Development Services Director John Wesley; Senior Planner Farhad Tavassoli
3. CALL TO THE PUBLIC
Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.01(H), public comment is permitted(not required) on matters NOT listed on the agenda.
Any such comment(i)must be within the jurisdiction of the Commission, and(ii)is subject to reasonable time, place,
and manner restrictions. The Commission will not discuss or take legal action on matters raised during Call to the
Public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. At the conclusion of the Call to the
Public, individual commissioners may(i)respond to criticism, (ii)ask staff to review a matter, or(iii)ask that the
matter be placed on a future Commission agenda.
4. CONSIDERATION OF Approving the February 26, 2020, Meeting Minutes.
MOVED BY Commissioner John McHugh, SECONDED BY Commissioner Gerard Bisceglia to
approve the minutes of meeting February 26, 2020.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
5. UPDATE ON the 2020 General Plan
Development Services Director John Wesley introduced Senior Planner Farhad Tavassoli to
the commission as an additional Town resource and will be involved as we move forth with the
Strategic Plan.
Development Services Director John Wesley updated the commission on the Fountain Hills
General Plan and the key elements listed in the General Plan Summary (see attached).
•On May 19, 2020, the Council approved the final version of the General Plan
•The next step is for the voters to ratify the plan on November 3, 2020
•The final versions of the General Plan will be available online next week
•A highlight of the General Plan is its ability to adapt to change
•The General Plan is organized into four documents:
1. Plan Overview- The Plan Overview (see attached) summarizes the planning process in
each document of the General Plan.
2. Policy Plan —The Policy Plan includes the administrative tools to manage, monitor,
amend and implement the General Plan.
3. Background and Current Conditions Report—The Background and Current Conditions
Report summarizes opportunities and constraints in map format.
4. Community Vision Report—The Community Vision Report summarizes input received
from visioning efforts, workshops and various community meetings.
Town Manager Grady Miller commented that he is pleased with the outcome of the General
Plan and the Plan Overview.
The Plan Overview will make it easy to perceive and understand comparative to the numerous
page document.
Chairman John Craft commented that the General Plan is very helpful in working on the
Strategic Plan regarding priorities.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
6. DISCUSSION OF Continued relevancy of the current five strategic priorities as framework for
revised Strategic Plan
Chairman Craft reviewed the current five strategic priorities and solicited input from the
Commission on their continued relevancy.
1. Economic Growth: Maximize economic development opportunities
2. Infrastructure maintenance and evolution
3. Demographic balance—Attract families and working professionals
4. Financial stability and sustainability of the Town
5. Strengthening the community and improving the Town's quality of life
Commissioner Magazine commented that the tasks in Strategic Plan as prescriptive
Chairman Craft commented that action steps must be achievable and measurable.
7. UPDATE ON Timelines for Strategic Plan and Community Workshop
Chairman Craft updated the commission on the timelines and process sequence.
1. SWOT 2.0 analysis to be complete by September 2020
2. Use SWOT 2.0 to target focus areas and to develop strategic priorities
3. Establish workgroups to coordinate with Vision Fountain Hills community survey by
September 2020
4. January 2021- Community Planning Workshop
5. Strategic Plan priorities by Spring 2021
8. DISCUSSION OF The modified SWOT analysis and potential actions to address opportunities
and weaknesses
Commissioner Bernick updated the commission on the draft SWOT analysis (see attached
document) of potential opportunity and weakness priorities.
Weaknesses:
•Aging infrastructure — Fountain
•Community Brand is perceived as retirement community
• Lack of investment in town by seasonal residents
•Some commercial property owners preferring to utilize unused space as a write-off and
not renting to businesses.
Opportunities:
•Strategic partnerships-ASU/NAU/ Sanitary District
• Highly educated workforce
•Technological preparedness marketable to businesses
• California outflows enticed by views
Actions to address and Prioritization of Weaknesses and Opportunities:
1. Opportunity: Leverage our Technological Preparedness
2. Opportunity: Develop strategic partnerships with ASU/NAU and other
3. Opportunity: Proposed international dark skies discovery center.
4. Opportunity: Rebranding Health and Wellness, conservation, dark skies, technologies,
etc
5. Opportunity: California outflows and other parents could be enticed by views, office
space and educated workforce
6. Opportunity: Working residents generally must outflow (commute) for work. More towns
people could stay local to service the campus.
1. Weakness: Revenue/Fiscal Sustainability/Cost Control. More people in town increases
retail spend and tax rev; also increases infrastructure and road maintenance costs.
2. Weakness: Community Brand is seen as a retirement community (this can start to
change that)
3. Weakness: Demographic imbalance (maybe we will all have someone to buy our
houses in the future)
4. Weakness: Lack of understanding of our technological capability
5. Weakness: Housing Affordability
Discussion ensued about the reasoning behind the proposed priorities.
Commissioner Bisceglia recommended two SWOT analysis, one for residents and one for
businesses.
Commissioner McHugh commented on the possibility of overlapping with two SWOT analysis
and that is great but will take some time.
Commissioner Magazine commented that the tasks in Strategic Plan as prescriptive
Chairman Craft commented that action steps must be achievable and measurable.
9. MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 5:12 P.M.
MOVED BY Commissioner John McHugh, SECONDED BY Commissioner Gerard Bisceglia
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISORY
COMMISSION
Joh Craft, Jr., C ai a
ATTEST ANp PREPA p BY:
ngela spiritu, E 'cutive Assistant
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular
Meeting held by the Fountain Hills Strategic Planning Advisory Commission in the Town Hall Council
Chambers on the4-\day of ,C. , 2020. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a
quorum was present.
DATED this day of *A C2020.
Angela spiritu, Exe .ative Ass! nt