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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021.0420.TCRMWS.MinutesTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING/WORK SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL APRIL 20, 2021 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Mayor Dickey Mayor Dickey called the Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021, to order at 5:30 p.m. and led the Council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. MOMENT OF SILENCE A Moment of Silence was held. 3. ROLL CALL — Mayor Dickey Present: Mayor Ginny Dickey; Vice Mayor David Spelich; Councilmember Mike Scharnow; Councilmember Peggy McMahon; Councilmember Gerry Friedel; Councilmember Alan Magazine; Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski Staff Town Manager Grady E. Miller; Town Attorney Aaron D. Arnson; Town Clerk Elizabeth Present: A. Klein 4. REPORTS BY MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS AND TOWN MANAGER Town Manager Grady Miller said that he was pleased to introduce the new Town Engineer, Davic Janover, who started last week and worked at Avondale for six years. He said that he has quite a bit of municipal experience and has relationships established with those that are needed in his new position. He said that he was pleased to have him in Town. Mr. Janover said that he was excited to be part of the team and family, with the depth of character and immense technical ability. He said that he will commit to keeping the Town beautiful and safe for citizens and visitors. Mr. Miller said that at the last Town Council meeting they talked about the state legislature's budget package which is a flat tax. He said that staff got a letter off last Friday to the District 23 members and yesterday, with the help of Angela, they sent the letter to the entire House and Senate. They have heard from some who appreciated the letter and some who firmly support the proposal. He said that they will continue to watch and track its status, but it does not seem there is a majority in support. Councilmember McMahon reported that she attended the MAG Economic Development meeting where Audrey Thomas with MAG presented on the new Transportation Plan. She said that it was a good presentation and it was available on their website. She said that she and the Mayor attended an Arizona Town Hall session on Homelessness, and they found 7,400 are homeless in their region, an 11 % increase over past years. The presenters felt that as elected officials they need to work together to address the issue of homelessness. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 2of15 They have prepared a strategy portfolio which will be out next month. They emphasized that the councils' leadership is going to be important, with everyone working together to address it in a more effective manner. Councilmember Scharnow reported that he has a Valley Metro meeting next Thursday. Councilmember Grzybowski said that she attended the League's call about the legislative update, and attended the GPEC call. She said that they have two marketing campaigns going, mostly to help California people learn about Arizona. Mayor Dickey said that over the next several meetings they have a lot to do before breaking for summer. They will be trying to wrap up a lot of the things they had started, such as the sign ordinance. She attended the time capsule packing party at Sandy Ursini's house, and she thanked Jim and Brent for being there with Sandy and her husband to complete the task. She said that they will be burying it before the next Council Meeting on May 4 out by Centennial Circle. She thanked staff for all they have done and those who contributed items. She attended the dedication of the 2nd Little Free Library held by the 4 Peaks Chapter of the DAR. She said that it was a very nice ceremony; the roof is made of copper. She thanked all involved, including staff. She said that another is on the way. Mayor Dickey said that the Festival of Arts and Crafts and the Music Fest was held since the last meeting. She met the Consul of the United Kingdom, Honorable Hank Marshall. Enrique Melendez brought him for a visit to Town Hall, and she appreciated that. She thanked staff for the clear reports prepared for the recent Budget Work Session. She attended a webinar entitled, "Closing Out the Pandemic," by local health care professionals. She reminded everyone that the Town of Fountain Hills was sponsoring two vaccination days on May 1 and June 5 at the Community Center, and there were still appointments available. Almost 61 % of people in Town, and more than 86% of those older than 65, have had at least one dose. She said that the Theater held a Follies show, and it included Four Peaks Women's Club, Fountain View Village, the Chamber of Commerce, Noon Kiwanis, Rotary Clubs, Realtors, Educators, the FHCCA and Community Foundation. It was reminiscent of the fun they had over more than three decades. They have moved beyond being a "community" theater, but that was certainly what took place. She thanked the current and former mayors and councilmembers for participating. She reminded everyone that the Chamber Gala is Friday evening and the Boys and Girls Club Awards are Saturday. Their websites have information on each. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 3 of 15 A. PROCLAMATION April 22, 2021, as Earth Day "Restore Our Earth" Mayor Dickey said that ten Arizona mayors are joining together to celebrate Earth Day AZ, a new statewide collaboration celebrating the many ways Arizona communities support the Earth with the goal of inspiring residents to take action for Earth Day during the month of April and beyond. There is a video available, thanks to Bo Larson. She said that this was in partnership with Arizona Statue University's Sustainable Cities Network. She then read the proclamation. 5. SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES/PRESENTATIONS A. PRESENTATION by Captain Larry Kratzer with monthly report from Maricopa County Sheriffs Office. Captain Kratzer gave an update on what MCSO will be doing in the near future regarding community outreach. On Saturday, the DEA Take Back Day, in conjunction with the Drug Coalition, will be held in front of Town Hall from 10 am to 2 pm for unwanted/unused medications to be discarded. He said that they were approached by members of the community, and they are looking into putting together a display of MCSO equipment, along with the Fire Department. They are looking at late June. He said that they will work with Bo to push out the information to the public. He said that they have had increased requests for neighborhood watch programs, and they are working with them on development new areas. He said that they have seen a spike in scams. They have been working on a presentation to be rolled out, and it is now ready to go. The detectives have reached out to local banks to see if they have an interest in partnering. He said that Phase I has set a tentative date of May 20, 2021, at Fountain View Village. Two banks are on board and a couple of others may be joining as well. He said that Phase II will include working with local stores such as Bashas and Safeway to inform their employees that if they have someone buying a lot of gift cards, to alert law enforcement. Councilmember Magazine said that he is seeing an uptick on complaints about speeding, and he asked how many officers are out at one given time. Captain Kratzer said that they usually have three to four officers on a shift, but the fourth is usually covering Rio Verde or McDowell Mountain Park. He said that when the officers in Town are not on calls for service, they are very active. He said that they do have a deputy whose majority of time is traffic enforcement. His vehicle is marked, but it has very dull markings. Vice Mayor Spelich thanked Captain Kratzer for following through on the scam training program. He suggested that once it is fine-tuned that it be placed on the Town's website and on public access. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 4of15 Councilmember Scharnow said that they had a SWAT incident in Town and one TV report and chatter on Facebook was talking about the cost of the event, and it sounded like the Town was going to be billed. Captain Kratzer said that he did do a virtual interview with Channel 12. He said that it was a difficult question and he threw out the number of $10,000. He said that his understanding for SWAT is that those types of resources typically are not billed for man hours. If deputies assigned to Fountain Hills stayed over their regular time, they may be, but the helicopter and aviation related expenses are not things that the Town would be billed for. Mr. Miller said that has been the case in the past. In those instances where there is a huge contingent of officers, through the IGA those are ongoing costs that MCSO is paying for, and they are always on payroll. Mayor Dickey thanked Captain Kratzer for all the work and service provided by MCSO. Captain Kratzer was asked if the Drug Drop takes liquids. He replied that they take used syringes, problematic liquids, etc. B. PRESENTATION on Review of Tourism Marketing Efforts in 2020-21 Mr. Miller said that questions came up at a Council meeting not long ago, and the Town Council requested an update on tourism -related efforts. James Smith, Economic Development Director, then gave a PowerPoint presentation which addressed: CORE MESSAGING Great Place for a Day Trip Locals Regional Visitors Safe Outdoor Recreation Hiking Biking Golf Unique Dining Health and Wellness He said that they have emphasized that Fountain Hills is a safe place for activities. He said that they have advertised in Canadian magazines over the last year. CANADIAN BREAKFAST Honorary Consul to Canada Thank our snowbird visitors Not long after that, AZ Families Friday Field Trip AIRPORT ADVERTISING MAGAZINE/PUBLICATIONS SPRING TRAINING Focus has been here for the past two years SRPMIC grant funds promoted the Town with the Diamondbacks and Slone Park Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 5of15 2021 MUSIC FEST PROMOTION SRPMIC GRANT MAJOR EVENTS TOWN MERCHANDISE TOWN GUIDES - Updated TOURISM NEWSLETTER FOUNTAIN WEBCAM SOCIAL MEDIA ADS Mr. Miller noted that they used local talent to promote this. Mr. Smith said that they are going to start running more ads wellness -related and tourism -related. Councilmember Magazine complimented Mr. Smith and his staff. He asked how they do all of this with limited staffing. He asked how they measure success, as he knows that is difficult to do. He asked if it was possible to work with the Chamber and have them keep some type of record when they have people calling in and asking them what leads them to Town. Mr. Smith said that they could certainly look into that, but anything that the Town does drives them to the Tourism phone line. He will check with the Chamber to see if they have tracked that information, but everything they do they steer back to the Town's tourism number. Councilmember Magazine asked how they know they had 100 Canadian visitors. Mr. Smith said that they estimate there are over 300 households owned by Canadian nationals. They had 100 attend the breakfast. Councilmember Scharnow noted that hardly anyone calls anymore. They are normally clicking on something; going to a website. He said that it may be good to check with the Chamber, but he is not sure about phone calls anymore. Mr. Miller said that if this is a report they would like to have periodically, they could have it annually or semi-annually. They could probably get some metrics from social media sites. He said that they wanted to give a basic overview. They are looking forward to the future and seeing the economy come back and be positioned with their efforts. Mayor Dickey said that she liked the shirts and merchandise. She said that years ago MCO used to put ads in the Times about the town, and now she is seeing similar ads being used. One of the families shown was a guy that went to school with her son. Mr. Smith said that one thing in the Strategic Plan is to collaborate to bring more events to Fountain Hills. He said that they are planning to get their teams together and look for opportunities for more events. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 6. CALL TO THE PUBLIC 6of15 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 Council, and (ii) is subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. The Council 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 councilmembers may (i) respond to criticism, (ii) ask staff to review a matter, or (iii) ask that the matter be placed on a future Council agenda. None 7. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS All items listed on the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine, noncontroversial matters and will be enacted by one motion of the Council. All motions and subsequent approvals of consent items will include all recommended staff stipulations unless otherwise stated. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a councilmember or member of the public so requests. If a councilmember or member of the public wishes to discuss an item on the Consent Agenda, he/she may request so prior to the motion to accept the Consent Agenda or with notification to the Town Manager or Mayor prior to the date of the meeting for which the item was scheduled. The items will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. MOVED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine, SECONDED BY Councilmember Mike Scharnow to approve Consent Agenda item 7-A. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously A. CONSIDERATION OF Resolution 2021-08, abandoning portions of a 10' Public Utility and Drainage Easement at the northwestern portion of 16144 E. Palisades Blvd. 8. REGULAR AGENDA A. CONSIDERATION of modifications to the draft sign ordinance. Development Services Director John Wesley said that this item has been before Council a few times and the goal is to get close to getting it finalized. He intends to bring this back for final adoption prior to the summer break. He then reviewed the issues: DRAFT SIGN ORDINANCE FOLLOW UP PURPOSE TEMPORARY SIGNS IN THE R.O.W. DRAFT ORDINANCE (CURRENT) ALLOWANCES POLITICAL SIGNS ARE GOVERNED BY STATE STATUTES REASONS TO ALLOW PLACEMENT IN R.O.W. REASONS TO PROHIBIT PLACEMENT IN THE R.O.W. A -FRAMES IN THE R.O.W.? Mr. Wesley said that the question is whether to allow A -frame signs on the sidewalks downtown. Councilmember Grzybowski said that she thought it was a safety issue and did not think they should be there. Councilmember McMahon said that they create havoc and annoy people. For those in wheelchairs they are hard to navigate. Councilmember Magazine asked how Mesa and Paradise Valley addressed them. Mr. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 7of15 Wesley said that he sees a lot of temporary signs in Mesa. It has not been a high priority for Code Enforcement staff. He said that he has no information on the effectiveness of Paradise Valley not allowing them. Mayor Dickey said that the Town's inability to enforce a law should not be a reason to not have a law on the books. She said that years ago they did not have signs in Town. She said that they could say the same with illegal electronic lights and speeding. Should they change the law because they are having a hard time enforcing those laws. She said that she is curious about Tempe and how they manage them. She would like to see how Tempe and other communities are dealing with the issue. She said that the Town still has a sign -free zone where not even political signs are allowed. She would like to pursue that further. Councilmember Magazine said that the signs are unsightly. He is guessing that 75-80% of signs are in the rights -of -way. He just does not believe that it cannot be enforced. He asked the Town Manager to come up with a plan, perhaps hiring a few part-time people dedicated to that issue. Councilmember Scharnow said that he agreed with Mayor Dickey. He finds it ironic that enforcement is brought up as an issue. He said that it will be difficult to enforce, no matter what they do. He noted that last Saturday he held a garage sale with no signs; they advertised in the Fountain Hills Times and on social media. He said that the Fountain Hills Directory could be looked at, or people can call businesses to get directions. They need to take the next step to beautify the community. There are new ways of marketing that did not exist before. Vice Mayor Spelich said that he is opposed to having the signs on sidewalks, but not with them being in the R.O.W. He respectfully disagreed with Councilmember Scharnow. He has spoken with business owners who say they have had business driven to them by having out their signs. He was opposed to doing anything that is going to hurt a business. Mayor Dickey said that it seems like there may be a solution that they have not found. She would like to have more detail on Tempe, Paradise Valley, etc. do. Councilmember Friedel said that it is important to remember that every sale that businesses make the Town benefits from. He is in favor of keeping them off the sidewalk, but not taking away businesses' ability to make sales. Councilmember Grzybowski said that Tempe does not allow them. She said that looking at Mesa, they do not allow them, except in their downtown area. Perhaps they should do something similar. Councilmember Magazine asked if they have done any kind of a survey to determine how many businesses can place their signs on their property. He said that today he went by two shops that both had signs on their own land and they were very visible. He said that it may be worth determining how many shops cannot accommodate a sign on their property. Mr. Wesley said that they would have to go out and survey it. In the Town Center, because buildings are built to the property line, they would not be on their own property. The same is true for some of the older commercial areas on Saguaro. Newer developments have to have a ten foot setback from the property line. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 8of15 Mayor Dickey said that it seems that they are more concerned with the rights -of -way in residential areas. She said that the Council received a comment from someone who oftentimes has yard sale signs in the right-of-way by her house, and she has found people wondering around her backyard. She said that she does not think that what they are all saying is that much different. After further discussion, Mr. Wesley said that he is hearing a majority wanting to eliminate them in the rights -of -way. He said that they could still discuss this further when it is brought back. Councilmember Magazine said that when it comes back he would ask that the Town Manager be prepared to put a plan in front of them for enforcement. TIME OF USE FOR TEMPORARY SIGNS Councilmember Magazine asked for an explanation of garage sale restrictions. Mr. Wesley said that the current code has no time restrictions; the proposed draft includes dusk to dawn. Councilmember Scharnow asked if they could be banned on private property. Mr. Wesley said that people are allowed to have a certain amount of signage. Councilmember Scharnow asked if it would take care of the problem if they eliminated the category. Mr. Wesley said that if they eliminated the category, they could not do it at all. After further discussion, consensus of Council was to eliminate the time limit. Vice Mayor Spelich asked for clarification on signs in the rights -of -way for businesses. Mayor Dickey said that they are going to see what other communities do and whether they permit them. She said that they do not know how many businesses really cannot place their sign on their own property. Vice Mayor Spelich said that he did not care what other communities do; they are not their community. He is opposed to banning signs for businesses. They should not be in residential areas, but there are numerous places that use a -frame signs that are unable to locate them on their property. He said that if they are saying they would ban them from residential areas and then businesses come to the Town for a free permit, he would not have a problem with that, but he would vehemently oppose regulating those signs for businesses. Councilmember Scharnow said that there is a proliferation of signs. Mayor Dickey said that they are not looking for other towns to tell them what to do; they are looking for where it might be working and see how they did it. FLAGS Councilmember Magazine said that he is opposed to letting flags hang from buildings, but he would support on federal and state holidays. Councilmember Grzybowski said that there are rules in place for American flags. Mayor Dickey said that the Gilbert decision prohibits content, so they would have to allow any flags. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 9of15 Councilmember Magazine asked for a definition of "building." He said that he would not want to open his blinds and have a flag staring at him. Councilmember McMahon asked when it becomes a banner; a flag is usually on a flag pole. That helps them separate it from being a banner. Councilmember Grzybowski said that there is a US rule in place for American flags that they cannot be limited to just flag poles. Councilmember Scharnow asked about having an option of allowing flags to hang on buildings for just state and federal holidays. If it is done tastefully he does not have a problem with hanging a flag 365 days a year, but then they would be allowed to hang any type of flag. Mr. Wesley said that right now the Code states they are limited to 60 square feet. Mayor Dickey, Councilmembers Scharnow, Magazine and Grzybowski said they thought that was reasonable. Councilmember McMahon asked if they limited it to holidays if that was limiting content. Mr. Arnson replied that it did not. ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTERS Mr. Wesley said that currently there are five or six such signs in town. Councilmember Grzybowski said that they allowed an electronic sign, and if they have met the lighting requirements, she did not see that they should restrict sign usage after the business is closed. Mayor Dickey said that there have been comments from nearby condos that they did not want changing lights after closed, so maybe they could consider a static message during closed hours. Councilmember Grzybowski said that she would be happy to compromise, but she did not think it was fair to ask them to turn them off. Mayor Dickey and Councilmembers Grzybowski, Magazine and Scharnow agreed. TRANSITIONS Mayor Dickey asked if this could be a safety issue. Mr. Wesley replied that it can be. Councilmember Grzybowski said that she had no problem allowing the fading/dissolving. Councilmember Scharnow said that it seems they need to happen quickly. Mr. Wesley said that the current code requires two seconds, which Councilmember Scharnow said he would agree with. With regard to brightness, Mr. Wesley said that staff is proposing that they take out specific requirements and including something like "approved by Development Services Director." Councilmember McMahon asked how they would measure the light. She thought there were already restrictions in place because of the dark sky designation. Mr. Wesley said that signs come from manufactures are supposed to change with lighting conditions. There are light guns available that provide readings, and there are other ways as well. He said that they would prefer to have some flexibility. Consensus of Council was to move forward with the proposed language. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 10 of 15 B. CONSIDERATION OF approving Cooperative Purchasing Agreement 2021-040 between the Town of Fountain Hills and Southwest Slurry Seal for pavement maintenance. Public Works Director Justin Weldy said that on March 17, 2020, staff presented maps to the Town Council showing the recommended locations to be paved in FY 20-21. At that meeting, staff indicated that the downtown locations would be undertaken as part of the 2020-2021 pavement management program and would coincide with the completion of the roundabout at Avenue of the Fountain and La Montana. During the meeting staff indicated the remaining locations (all classified as local streets) would be undertaken in the spring of 2021, and include mill and overlay, crack filling and other pavement management applications. An effective pavement preservation program will address pavements while they are still in reasonably good condition and before the onset of serious damage by applying a cost-effective treatment at the right time. Slurry seal is a surface treatment designed to extend the life of asphalt pavements in good condition by providing skid resistance, restricting moisture intrusion, protecting the structure from further oxidation and raveling, and restoring a uniform black appearance. Applying slurry seal to local streets that have been crack filled as part of the 2020-2021 Pavement Maintenance Program will help to maintain a Grade level C- or better for an additional five to seven years. He said that by utilizing State, County and City Government cooperative purchasing agreement contracts, the Town has been able to take advantage of competitive pricing from other municipalities' bidding processes. This cooperative purchasing agreement is an excellent example of this process. Recently, Pinal County solicited bids for Street Maintenance & Repair Services (ROQ-175923). The Pinal County Board of Directors selected and awarded a contract to Southwest Slurry Seal Inc. The company has agreed to extend Pinal Counties contract pricing to the Town of Fountain Hills. Mr. Weldy said that with approval tonight, they would move forward with a minimally -invasive program, doing one half of the street, let it dry, and then come back and do the other half of the street. Councilmember Magazine asked if they were going to spend $1 million to coat Saguaro and Shea. Mr. Weldy said that they will be seal coating on Saguaro and Shea. Staff and the Town Manager are requesting an RFP for the best material and they will be bringing that back to Council this winter to do the work next spring. Councilmember McMahon said that the contract looks like it is good up to $1.2 million. Mr. Weldy said that this time they are asking for permission to spend up to $400,000; but this would allow them to do additional work if they receive funding approval. Mr. Miller noted that the other streets would be a different type of material; it likely will not be a slurry seal. Councilmember McMahon asked where the future funds come from. Mr. Weldy said that some of the funds they are spending is carryover from last year. Each year they have a budget amount approved by the Council. The intent is to spend as much of that money as they can. He said that they can only spend the adopted amount shown on the budget each year. Councilmember McMahon asked if they are going to spend $400,000 a year. Mr. Weldy Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 11 of 15 said that they want to take care of the streets identified on the map, in the northwest part of Town, and that could take up to $400,000. He clarified that each year they come back and ask for Council permission. MOVED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine, SECONDED BY Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski to approve Cooperative Purchasing Agreement 2021-040 between the Town of Fountain Hills and Southwest Slurry Seal for pavement maintenance in the amount of $400,000. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously C. CONSIDERATION OF the Town of Fountain Hills joining Arizona Thrives. Mr. Miller said that at the recent Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Council and Management Committee, MAG staff gave a presentation on Arizona Thrives, a recent initiative to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of Arizonans. Arizona Thrives is a coordinated effort by businesses, governments and organizations to develop a path forward to achieving a healthy economy as Arizona transitions to clean air, clean energy and low carbon emissions. Eric Anderson, MAG's executive director, supported the initiative and encouraged other cities and towns to sign on. In researching Arizona Thrives further, staff found that are no financial commitments such as membership dues or annual fees to sign onto Arizona Thrives. There was no requirement, for instance, to only purchase electricity from sustainable sources or to invest in electrical vehicle fleets. It appears that the initiative is focused on encouraging industry leaders to make significant strides in their respective sectors to achieve a healthy economy through clean air, clean energy, and low carbon emissions. MOVED BY Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski, SECONDED BY Councilmember Peggy McMahon to approve the Town of Fountain Hills joining the Arizona Thrives Initiative. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously D. DISCUSSION WITH POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION relating to any item included in the League of Arizona Cities and Towns' weekly Legislative Bulletin(s) or relating to any action proposed or pending before the State Legislature. Mr. Miller said that the most pressing issue is the budget package of the Legislature being considered, the flat income tax. It would reduce tax collections shared with cities and towns by $525 million; the Town's share would be about $1 million. Mayor Dickey said that the Capitol Times had an editorial by Senator Boyer who seems to understand the ramification. The League put out pros and cons; there is no action to take. She said that Councilmember Friedel spoke with one of their legislators. Councilmember Friedel said that he did have a chance to speak with a representative and he promised that he would look at it in more depth and see if there are any solutions. Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 12 of 15 Mr. Miller said that David Pock did a lot of work to find that they would need almost seven percent more activity to make up for the loss in sales tax. 9. COUNCIL DISCUSSION/DIRECTION to the TOWN MANAGER Item(s) listed below are related only to the propriety of (i) placing such item(s) on a future agenda for action, or (ii) directing staff to conduct further research and report back to the Council. None 10. ADJOURNMENT The Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021, adjourned at 7.30 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Dickey called the Special Work Session to order at 7A0 p.m. WORK SESSION DISCUSSION and POSSIBLE Direction regarding the proposed Community Services Parks, Recreation, and Trail Master Plan. Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin said that this has been a year -long effort, and tonight is the opportunity to ask questions and give direction. She then introduced Pat O'Toole from Greenplay to give a review of the document. Mayor Dickey asked if they would be voting on anything. Mr. Miller said that tonight is a presentation of 43 slides, which they will get through quickly and he asked that they save their questions for the end. He said that they want to get this draft report finalized with recommendations so they can make the change the next time and take action. Ms. Goodwin noted that if they found any typographical errors they could just email those to her. Mr. O'Toole then gave a PowerPoint presentation which addressed: COMMUNITY SERVICES, PARKS, TRAILS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN MASTER PLAN PROCESS SUMMARY - DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT SUMMARY - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS SUMMARY - INVENTORY ASSESSMENT SUMMARY - INFORMATION GATHERING PARTICIPATING SUMMARY - COMMUNITY SURVEY PARTICIPATION SUMMARY - COMMUNITY SURVEY KEY FINDINGS GOALS, OBJECTIVES & ACTION PLAN NEXT STEPS Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 13 of 15 Councilmember Magazine asked if it was a result of a written survey and telephone. Mr. O'Toole replied that it was written and online. Councilmember Magazine asked if they had the ages of the respondents. Mr. O'Toole said that they do have the demographics and the questions in the report. Councilmember Magazine said that he mentioned "branding," and the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission is looking at branding as well. Mr. O'Toole noted that SPAC is citywide; their branding would be specific to Community Services. Ms. Goodwin said that the department has a Strategic Plan and that is acting as their road map. This would be used to create their next road map. Mr. Miller said that they had a voter -approved General Plan and departments are working to implement that. Council is not being asked to approve this tonight. As they receive budgets and budget requests, it will tie back to the plan. His job as Manager is to balance all departmental needs and this will be very helpful. He gave kudos to Ms. Goodwin, her staff, and all that had input into this plan. Councilmember Scharnow said that it was an ambitious plan. He said that he was surprised with an aquatic center. That has been debated for the past 20-30 years, but he is not surprised that active people would bring it up. He said that he is pretty leery of that with the reactions they have gotten throughout the years. He said that he does like the greater trail path connectivity. He said that the list of parks does not include the Kiwanis Park. He said that it is not a Town Park, but there are resources there. Ms. Goodwin said that as of now the Town does not maintain that. Councilmember Scharnow said that the report shows that 61 % of the Town's residential properties are seasonal or temporary; that seemed high to him. Mayor Dickey said that they are registered voters, so even if they are seasonal, a lot of them must be considering this their home. Councilmember Scharnow said that the results show a reaffirmation of things they have started doing. He is still torn about a Teen Center. He asked if the Community Center can be an end all for all generations, or if perhaps they should work with the Boys and Girls Club. With regard to the volunteer coordinator, it seems like they are not going to need a second one. Ms. Goodwin said that references back to their budget request. She said that they do have a full-time Volunteer Coordinator; they also have a Home Delivered Meals person. The idea would be to move HDM into a full-time role that supports the Volunteer Coordinator as a whole. Councilmember McMahon asked if there would be a teen counselor at the Teen Center and a Director. Ms. Goodwin said that right now the goal is to improve programming based on limited staffing, adding additional programming for teens. She said that participation will help direct where that goes. Councilmember Scharnow asked if the State Trust Land has allowed them to use trails on their property. Mr. Miller said that is a pretty common thing through a license agreement. He said that it would be temporary in nature. Councilmember Scharnow said that McDowell Mountain Park already has a bike pump; perhaps they could promote those resources more. And, he said, they already have a ranger station at McDowell Mountain Park. Mayor Dickey said that they have had people ask about bocci courts, spartan, exercise Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 14 of 15 stations, and they are waiting to get a feel of what the Master Plan would be. She asked if they saw this as being able to help those along the way. Ms. Goodwin said that it is a great piece, health/wellness, is a priority for the community, such as exercise equipment in the Park. She said that this does look at the big picture, and the Council and staff will need to decide if that makes sense for them. Mayor Dickey said that many communities have such things as First Fridays with food and music. She asked if there has been any thought of that being a money maker. Ms. Goodwin said that there is a funding exercise that is part of the plan that looks at what reasonable options they would have and at what point. Mayor Dickey said that the one thing they cannot compete with is the goal of more parks. Mr. Miller noted that at the end of the report they discuss prospective park locations. Most communities that built in the 1990's or earlier had requirements for neighborhood parks. Going forward, the alternative is to get State Trust Lands to include neighborhood parks. That might be an opportunity. Councilmember Grzybowski said, with regard to the Community Center, they need to remember that the seniors use the facility during the day; older kids would be later in the day. If they extended the hours, they they would have the opportunity to hit different age groups. Ms. Goodwin said that they have a very engaged commission that is interested in finding aquatic options. Mr. Miller said that after the Council has time to read through the Plan further, they should get their notes to him. Councilmember Scharnow said that he was surprised that the Farmers Market is an issue. He asked if they should even get involved in that at all. Ms. Goodwin said that was a topic of discussion for staff as well. A lot of these are driven by public comment. They want a Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, but the Town does not have the ability to attract vendors with larger markets open around the Valley region. Mr. O'Toole said that this is what he does; he was a parks and recreation director for 40 years. With pot legalization, the lottery and casinos, there are funds available. He hoped that this Plan does not focus on funding and staff. He said that a lot of things in the Plan are based on what can happen, and they are trying to make those resources meet. They are looking to finish this up in one plan. 3. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY Vice Mayor David Spelich, SECONDED BY Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski to adjourn. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously Town Council Regular Meeting of April 20, 2021 15 of 15 The Special Work Session of April 20, 2021, adjourned at 8:51 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS b CA - qc�s , Gi y Dick9y, Mayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: Elizabe Klein, Town Clerk CERTIFICATION hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting/Work Session held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 20th day of April, 2021. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 1 st day of June, 2021. Elizabeth . lein, Town Clerk