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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSAC.2017.0417.Minutes Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 1 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER A joint session meeting of the Town Council and the Community Services Advisory Commission was convened and called to order by Chair Sherman Abrahamson at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2017 in the Council Chambers at Town Hall, located at 16705 East Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills, Arizona. ITEM #2: ROLL CALL Present at roll call were Mayor Linda M. Kavanagh, Vice Mayor Alan Magazine, Councilmembers Dennis Brown, Nick DePorter, Henry Leger and Art Tolis. Councilmember Cecil Yates attended by phone until he joined the meeting at 5:53 p.m. In attendance at roll call were, Chair Sherman Abrahamson, Vice-Chair Jim Judge, Commissioners Pat Canning, Don Doty, Jerry Gorrell, Kathy Haynes, Ron Ruppert and Natalie Varela. Absent at roll call was Commissioner Lynn Mott. Town Manager Grady Miller, Director Mark Mayer, Recreation Supervisor Rachael Goodwin, Senior Services Supervisor Kelley Fonville and Executive Assistant Jennifer Lyons represented staff. Commissioner Ken Thornton from the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission was also in attendance. ITEM #3: INTRODUCTIONS Commission members introduced themselves and explained how long the each had served on this Commission and previous Commissions prior to the consolidation. ITEM #4: CALL TO THE PUBLIC No one from the public wished to speak at this time. ITEM #5: CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING THE MARCH 27, 2017 MEETING MINUTES Vice-Chair Judge made a motion to accept the minutes of the March 27, 2017 meeting and Commissioner Gorrell seconded and the motion passed by unanimous vote. ITEM #6: UPDATE ON THE MARCH 28, 2017 MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN PRESERVE COMMISSION MEETING Commissioner Doty read from the attached document giving a synopsis of the MMPC meeting. Town Attorney Andrew McGuire joined the meeting by phone beginning at 5:36 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION APRIL 17, 2017 Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 2 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M Prior to Item #7, Chair Abrahamson announced that Director Mayer is retiring and presented him with a card from the Commission, as well as expressing the Commission’s appreciation for his service. ITEM #7: REVIEW OF THE COMMISSION’S ACTIVITIES FOR THE PAST YEAR Chair Abrahamson reviewed the work that was done to resolve the noise disputes with the Dog Park. Vice-Chair Judge expressed appreciation for all the work TLC (Technology Learning Center) has done and was saddened to announce that TLC had decided to stop classes as of April 1st. For some background information, two years ago it had become an issue with the Town needing more space to conduct classes. The Community Center has membership at 1,366 members and over 1,000 contracts each year for weddings, HOA’s, special events, and corporate meetings. In addition to that the Recreation Department has an ongoing need for space to conduct classes and there would be more if they had more room. TLC and a Commission work study group got together to work things out. Through a process of several meetings and negotiation an agreement was reached. TLC had been using the room less than 50% of the time for conducting classes, preparation and tear down. As part of the agreement TLC could conduct all the classes they wanted at anytime they wanted but the rest of the time the room would be used for other meetings. That would allow for up to 400 additional meetings per year when TLC was not using the room. TLC is a private organization and not part of the Town. In the early days with desk top computers it was a security issue, so the room was kept secure 24/7 and it worked well because we did not have the need for the meeting space. TLC will still offer the Time 4 You Classes on Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. for people to come in with their individual questions regarding their devices and there is no cost to TLC since the Town is providing the space. TLC will still do some individual classes for large groups of people, but if they choose to stop operations the Commission’s recommendation to Council will be to continue technology training if there is a significant demand under the Town. TLC was offered to come under the umbrella of the Town and not have to pay the room rent, but they choose not to. Mayor Kavanagh expressed appreciation for the work TLC has done over the years. Since the (newspaper) article came out, people have been concerned about the classes continuing, so we did assure them that we would be discussing with Community Services about taking computer classes under the umbrella of the Town. There is a need for this and maybe expanded for different age groups. Community Services has assured us that we can do this, ourselves. ITEM #8: DISCUSSION OF THE WATER QUALITY ISSUES AT FOUNTAIN PARK Director Mayer stated that for a number of weeks we have been working on the upgrades on the aeration system at Fountain Park. That consists of two different components: 1) Replacing the 12 heads that were there with 36 brand new heads and hoses. 2) Installation of horizontal water movers in each of the coves. • The work is nearing completion. They are making sure the electrical inspection is done and approved. After that is complete they will make sure the system is fully operational and we expect that to happen in the next week or so. • The vendor has cautioned us because this system is so much more efficient and will mix so much more water, that there is a concern about pulling some of those materials off of the bottom (of the lake) and creating some smells initially until the system gets a chance to work a little way through. Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 3 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M • The system will start a little bit slower and be checked. Then that portion of the system will be brought down and the other portion of the system up brought up. It may take a week or so for that smell to dissipate. • It used to take a week to turn over the water and now it takes one day, so it should make a significant difference. • We are also prepared if we need to do more and we have talked about additional measures with tanks, stirring, fresh water and water directly from the treatment plant. Those are options two and three and there is a significantly higher cost if we need to do that. • We anticipate this may solve the problem. It certainly will significantly help the problem and will allow us to reduce if not eliminate the night time run times which are designed to deal with that odor issue. • The advantage of this system is that it has a much better ability to mix the water column, so we get air throughout the column instead of stratified like it used to be. At the suggestion of Mayor Kavanagh, Director Mayer will check with the lake consultant about adding additional product to combat the odors, if need be. Commissioner Ruppert praised the Town and Council for acknowledging this issue. Taking these steps is a gigantic step and will go a long way to preserving the trees, turf, art work and the lake itself. It is his hope that the Council will continue to look into getting a better quality of water because the benefits are a 100 fold. ITEM #9: DISCUSSION OF THE SOUND SYSTEM AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER Chair Abrahamson, Vice-Chair Judge and Commissioner Gorrell are in a work study group that is addressing how well the sound system works in the ballrooms at the Community Center. Commissioner Gorrell recalled that when the Community Center was built there were some decisions made due to cost problems and one of the places where there was significant cutting was for the sound system for the ballrooms. After some basic testing, there are some things we never will be able to deal with because it is a very hard surface room which causes a lot of reflections. A lot of the problems come from the individual breakout rooms. Rather than using the overhead system for individual rooms (4 individual ballrooms) is to use a powered podium with an amplifier and speaker. It was within the budget to purchase one and was used the first time this morning and it was very successful. Commissioner Gorrell will continue to work with the sound system a little more when in use as a total space. Also at the request of Councilmember Yates, Commissioner Gorrell will put together a written report of what was done to the system for future use. Town Manager Miller stated that in his recommended budget for next year, there is money in there for an evaluation of the system. Commissioner Gorrell agreed that a professional evaluation of the system would be a good idea. The technology now is a lot less expensive, plus it gives you a lot better control. Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 4 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M *Items #10 and #11 were discussed together* ITEM #10: DISCUSSION OF HOW THE CSAC CAN BE OF SERVICE TO THE COUNCIL ITEM #11: DISCUSSION OF THE COMMISSION’S FUNCTION Chair Abrahamson explained that the Commission’s functions are to inform and to be helpful. Several Commissioners have expressed the question “Why do we exist?” No one is coming to us (the Commission) with an issue and saying we would like this issue explored. Vice-Mayor Magazine asked Town Manager Miller to have staff look at this, then come back to the Commission and Council with a possible process to allow us, as well as citizens to feed issues into you (the Commission) and help set priorities. Councilmember Yates stated that is sounds like we are not as strategic as we probably should be when we have our list of priorities that come up and Council approves them. When we disseminate that information, obviously this board needs to get that. It might give you a slight change in direction in some things you should be looking at. Town Manager Miller praised the Commissions work in the past. Boards and Commissions by their very nature are policy advisory to the Council. He agreed that we could be more strategic and visionary on what we bring to you and will work with staff to do so. Town Manager Miller suggested the Commission refer to the by-laws as an outline on what the Commission be involved with. (A copy of the Commission by-laws is attached to the minutes) Mayor Kavanagh encouraged the Commission to continue brining items to the Council as you see things that we don’t see. You recognized there was something wrong with the sound system and right away you looked into it. If you see something that this Commission can handle and help with, we welcome that help. Another suggestion is, if you are working on something, you can come to a Council meeting and give us a report. ITEM #12: DISCUSSION OF THE NRPA STANDARDS/RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE TRUST LAND Director Mayer stated that a number of years ago the National Recreation Parks Association (NRPA) set aside what the call standards which were to apply across the whole country. Since this chart was put together a number of years ago they’ve (NRPA) changed that and they are no longer required as standards but they are simply recommendations. One of the things that became very clear is that we are deficient in park acreage. Director Mayer believes that is due to the way the Town was originally developed, in the sense that to his knowledge MCO had only set aside one park and that was Fountain Park. That park didn’t really have any facilities other than passive use. There were no ball fields or picnic ramadas at that time and there were not a lot of other amenities in the park itself. As we have slowly been able to gain additional park acreage from a variety of means and we have been able to add those kind of features in. This will not be a quick fix but he wanted to raise awareness of where we’re at and what it looks like down the road, with or without the State Trust Land because that will obviously be a big part of our Town. Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 5 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M If you draw a line from the northwest corner of Town to the southeast corner of Town, all of our park acreage is in the upper right hand side. You can be deficient in park acreage not only in the amount of acreage but also its location. There are two categories of parks: 1) Community Parks like Golden Eagle Park have a lot of amenities that people will get in their vehicle and drive a distance to them. They are designed to serve a region of a larger town. 2) Neighborhood Parks are scattered throughout the community and designed to serve a relatively small radius. For Neighborhood parks we are at 1.35 acres as opposed to 2.5. The average is six or seven acres per 1,000 in population. At this time we have 27 acres and we would need to add 23 acres for a total of 50 acres. The number of acres increases as the population increases and the percentage of acres per 1,000 population continues to fall as we grow. The last line under Neighborhood Parks takes into account the State Trust Land. The good news is that in the general plan and as proposed by Ellman at the time, there was to be acreage not only for another community park to add amenities but also to serve that area of the community that was new and with build out would require a neighborhood park as well to serve that are of the Town. The closest park to that area is Four Peaks Park which is quite a ways away. The other need shown is Community Parks. Right now at Golden Eagle Park we have four fields, field number one is set aside for baseball and the other three are set up to be multipurpose, with a skinned infield for softball but not the kind of grassed in infield that you would have for baseball. What we had proposed when Ellman was developing was to add a community park that was adjacent to the Middle School where there is a softball field. The long term goal was to turn that into a softball complex, so then Golden Eagle Park could be a baseball complex. Community ParkS as shown on the diagram is a little better situation. All the way through build out if we could acquire that needed acreage which is up to 86 then we would leave us only nine acres short and our percentage goes up to 2.24 acres which is still below the recommendations but a significant improvement from where we are at now. Neighborhood Parks would need 32 acres and Community Parks would need nine acres for a total 41 acres. Town Manager Miller commented that he had question Director Mayer if NRPA would take into consideration that we have a huge mountain Preserve, a trail system and four golf courses. The Urban Land Institute looks at “Open Space” as a big quality of life issue for communities, but Director Mayer proclaimed that the NRPA really wants active use of park land not “Open Space” because they are considered “Special Use Facilities”. Director Mayer responded to questions from Commissioner Varela and Mayor Kavanagh. If the land at McDowell Mountain School land became available, it could potentially be used as a park but it’s a pretty small area. We looked at that a few years ago and all we could come up with was a small practice field. It would not be for organized play, but again it would provide another facility for practice which is needed in Town. In regards to “pocket parks” there had been a discussion with the school district about getting rid of their land and we looked at those parcels, but for a variety of reasons, mostly that the school district was not interested in divesting themselves from it. We could not find any other acreages of Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 6 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M sufficient size in Town to be able to accomplish that. The challenges going forward are where do you find the acreage and more importantly, how do you afford it. Vice-Chair Judge commented that with the population with an average age of somewhere around 58, unless we can bring some young families into the community it seems that the need for some of these active fields and courts may not be quite as great. With McDowell Mountain Park being very easy to get to and the Botanical Gardens even though not considered a park, is available for hiking and walking, as well as 11,000 acres of Tonto National Forest that are very accessible for us. Vice-Chair Judge’s opinion is that we probably have a very adequate number of parks and he doesn’t know how we could afford it to add more parks because we are spending a fair amount of money just maintaining the ones we have. Town Manager Miller announced that he and Mayor Kavanagh approached SRP about a big property over by the Target Center, off of Technology Drive, which would be an ideal park location. Unfortunately SRP uses that site to mobilize when they have major issues such as power lines down in their service areas. Director Mayer also mentioned that the Town owns 4.23 acres is off of Desert Canyon by the golf course maintenance facility, that is slated as to be combination Fire Station and little park property. We were proposing two small age appropriate playgrounds with a shade ramada in between. That would take care of that neighborhood which is deficient now and would bring a neighborhood park into that area Town which was identified as an area that needed that. The other area is south off of Shea which is a challenge because if you have small children, you don’t want them crossing Shea to try to access a neighborhood park. Please keep in mind we could use that Fire Station area that is down there. It doesn’t have to be a very big park, just some playground equipment, a picnic shade ramada and maybe some off street parking or on street parking is all you need there. Then people south of Shea would have their own neighborhood park. Those are the areas identified in the Town’s General Plan that focuses on land use, which talks about what we need and where we need it. * A copy of the visual aids that were referenced in Item #12 attached to the minutes. ITEM #13: DISCUSSION ON THE PARK ACREAGE FOR FOUR PEAKS MASTER PLAN Over the last few years with the Council’s support, help and funding despite tough times, with grants and partnerships with other groups, we have been able to develop fully now, Fountain Park, Desert Vista Park and Golden Eagle Park. The only park that remains that has not been fully redeveloped is Four Peaks Park. For years it was our only community park. Everybody who played on any kind of sports league played at Four Peaks Park. Parking was an issue as everyone had to park on the street because there was not enough parking. We have tried over time to turn it back into a neighborhood park. A Master Plan was done a couple of years ago and we worked heavily with the neighborhood to try to decide what type of amenities they wanted, such as the developed soccer field on the north side and the additional walking paths. The only thing that has changed since the plan was developed was we had proposed swapping out the basketball courts and relocating the tennis courts but because of the grant we got it moved that timeframe up and we were not able to. We did not have enough money to make that transition, so that is the only exception you see (on the Master Plan). In the plan there are some additional picnic ramadas, pickleball courts and parking. The plan is to redo the restrooms, fields and lighting which are for the most part all original. This is going to be a challenge and may even take a bond issue or something like Fountain Hills Community Services Advisory Commission Page 7 of 7 G:\Commission CSAC\Minutes\2017\041717M that to get it done. The cost is estimated right at three million dollars. We have the possibility for grants because we own the property and it can be used as leverage, but still with a land/water conservation grant you still have to come up with 50%. There are some things we can do in there to phase it which would help, as well as a potential to eliminate some of the six or seven picnic ramadas, as there doesn’t seem to be that much of a demand in that area for that many of them. The school property is adjacent and we still don’t know ultimately how that will develop. If it is a school it plays very well into the complex. *A copy of Master Plan is attached to the minutes. ITEM #14: DISCUSSION ON COMPUTER TRAINING This item was discussed with Item #7. ITEM #15: CONSIDERATION OF ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Haynes made a motion to adjourn at 6:37 p.m., Commissioner Varela seconded and the motion passed by unanimous vote. Community Services Advisory Commission BY: ____________________________________ Sherman S. Abrahamson, Chair REVIEWED BY: _______________________________________ Rachael Goodwin, Interim Director of Community Services PREPARED BY: ________________________________________ Jennifer Lyons, Executive Assistant CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Joint Session held by the Town Council and the Community Services Advisory Commission of Fountain Hills on the 17th day of April 2017. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. Dated this 27th day of April 2017 ______________________________ Jennifer Lyons, Executive Assistant 2170815.4 BYLAWS COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA 1. Creation; Purpose. A. Creation. There is hereby created, constituted and established a Community Services Advisory Commission (the “Commission”), which shall subsume and replace existing Senior Services Advisory Commission, Community Center Advisory Commission and Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (collectively, the “Existing Commissions”). B. Purpose and Duty of the Commission. The Commission is formed to act in an advisory capacity in support of the Town of Fountain Hills (the “Town”) Community Service Department’s quest to provide exceptional customer service to enhance the quality of life by providing and maintaining safe, available and accessible parks and facilities, recreation programs, events, and services that will meet the intellectual, social, cultural and leisure needs of Town residents of all ages. C. Intention of the Bylaws. These Bylaws are intended to accommodate the transition of a consolidation of three Existing Commissions as well as serve as the Bylaws governing the Commission. 2. Transition Process; Membership. A. Transition Period. The consolidation transition is intended to span the period from the initial consolidated Commission meeting in September 2014 through December 31, 2017. B. Eligibility for Initial Appointment. All current members of the Existing Commissions shall be eligible for appointment to the Commission. All interested Existing Commission members shall notify the Community Services Director of their interest not later than June 30, 2014. If the number of interested Existing Commission members is less than nine, the Director shall (i) initiate the process for soliciting new Commission members and (ii) conduct a process for fairly assigning the on-going members to staggered terms to carry out the intent of Section 3 below. If the number of continuing adult members is greater than eight, the Director shall establish the initial Commission membership as set forth in subsection 2(C) below. C. Member Selection and Terms. In order to fairly and impartially accommodate the members of the three combined Existing Commissions, a random, blind draw of names from the members of the Existing Commissions who have expressed interest pursuant to subsection 2(B) above will be conducted such that each will 2170815.4 2 be assigned to a term of one, two or three years. It is recognized that there could be as many as 18 total members available to serve on the Commission during the transition period. The random, blind draw will be conducted as follows: The first six names drawn will serve through December 31, 2017; The second six names drawn will serve through December 31, 2016; and Any remaining names will serve through December 31, 2015. The terms will commence at the first meeting of the consolidated Commission, targeted for September 2014. The term of each member from one of the Existing Commissions serving on the consolidated Commission will be extended through the date determined by the blind draw. D. Voting. All members will be considered voting Commission members. In the event of a tie vote during the transition period, the Town Council shall be informed of the lack of consensus and the matter shall be forwarded to the Town Council for review. E. Postponed Replacement. If a transition period Commission member leaves office prior to expiration of his or her appointment period (as set forth in subsection 2(C) above), the vacancy created will not be filled. F. Transition Period Conclusion. At the conclusion of the transition appointment periods established in subsection 2(C) above, Commission members shall be appointed as follows: i. Two Commission members shall be appointed for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending December 31, 2018. ii. Three Commission members shall be appointed for a two-year term beginning on January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2018. iii. Four Commission members shall be appointed for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2018 and ending December 31, 2020. G. Attendance of McDowell Mountain Preserve Commission Representative. For the time the McDowell Mountain Preserve Commission is in place, a member of the McDowell Mountain Preserve Commission shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Commission. The Commission Chairperson shall request that the McDowell Mountain Preserve Commission annually appoint a representative to attend the Commission meetings. 2170815.4 3 H. Transition Officers. At the first Commission meeting, the Commission shall elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from among the members. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall assume responsibilities at the next scheduled meeting. The officers’ terms will expire on December 31, 2015. The duties, vacancy and removal procedure set forth in Section 5 below shall apply to the officers. On the expiration of the initial officers’ terms, officers shall be elected as set forth in subsection 5(A) below. 3. Members & Appointments Following the Transition Period. A. Number of Members. Following the transition periods, the Commission shall be composed of nine members, including one youth member. B. Appointments. Following the transition periods, appointments to the Commission shall be made by the Town Council according to, and from among residents of the Town that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in, the Town Council Rules of Procedure. Adult appointments shall be for a term of three years. One appointee shall be the youth representation, who shall be a Town resident for one year, shall be a resident high school student, be a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council and serve a one-year term on the Commission beginning with the start of the school year. C. Filling of Vacancies. Any vacancy on the Commission shall remain vacant until a new member is appointed by the Town Council to fill the vacancy. Upon a vacancy occurring, leaving an unexpired portion of a term, any appointment to fill such vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of said term. In cases of a vacancy due to the expiration of a member’s term, the member shall remain seated until a successor is appointed and qualified. D. Term. Unless appointed to fill a vacancy mid-term, each adult member’s term of office shall be three years, unless the member resigns sooner or is removed from his or her position. E. Attendance. All members are required to attend all Commission meetings unless excused by the Chairperson, with the concurrence of the Commission. Three successive unexcused or unexplained absences from any regular or special meeting shall be deemed a vacancy as outlined in the Town Council Rules of Procedure. F. Removal. Any member may be removed as set forth in the Town Council Rules of Procedure. 2170815.4 4 4. Powers and Duties of the Commission. The Commission shall have the powers and duties to: i. Act in advisory capacity to the Town Council, Town Manager and Community Services Director in matters pertaining to the Community Services Department. ii. Consider provisions of the annual Community Services Department budget during the process of the preparation of the budget and make recommendations with respect thereto to the Community Services Director. iii. Assist in the planning of educational and recreational programs for the residents of the Town; promote and stimulate public interest therein. iv. Perform such other duties not inconsistent with these Bylaws as may be requested by the Town Council, Town Manager or Community Services Director. 5. Commission Officers and Staff. A. Organization. At the first regularly-scheduled Commission meeting of each calendar year, the Commission shall elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from among the members. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall assume responsibilities at the next scheduled meeting. The term of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be for one year. Any member serving as Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson shall be eligible for re-election; provided, however, that each member may serve no more than two consecutive terms for that specific office. B. Duties of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The Chairperson shall (i) preside at all Commission meetings, (ii) decide all points of order and procedure, (iii) appoint work groups if necessary and coordinate the work of the work groups, (iv) serve as a representative of the Commission to other governmental units on such matters as have been approved and designated by the Commission and (v) perform any duties as required by law, ordinance or these Bylaws. The Chairperson shall have the right to make motions, second motions and vote on all matters before the Commission. The Vice-Chairperson shall act as an aid to the Chairperson and shall perform the duties of the Chairperson in his or her absence or inability to serve. In the absence of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, the Town Staff Liaison shall call the meeting to order and a simple majority of the members then present shall select an acting Chairperson for the meeting. If the Commission members present are unable to select an acting Chairperson, the meeting shall be automatically adjourned and all agenda items shall be carried over to the next Commission meeting. 2170815.4 5 C. Order of Filling Officer Vacancies. The Vice-Chairperson shall fill a vacancy in the office of the Chairperson. A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chairperson shall be filled by a Commission member by majority vote of the Commission at the next meeting where a quorum of the Commission is present. D. Officer Removal. The Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson may be removed from office at any time at a meeting of the members by an affirmative vote of a three- fourths majority of the total members of the Commission, who must be present to vote. E. Town Staff Liaison. The Community Services Department Director or authorized designee shall serve as the Town Staff Liaison to furnish support to the Commission as requested or as required to advise and furnish professional and technical advice. 6. Commission Meetings. A. Frequency. Commission meetings shall be held monthly at the Town Hall Council Chambers, Fountain Hills, Arizona, unless posted differently at least 24 hours in advance. B. Additional Commission Meetings. Additional Commission meetings may be held on the call of the Chairperson or the request of two or more members by giving notice to all the members by telephone, email or personal delivery or by verbal comment during a regular meeting. All notices shall be given, and posted according to applicable law, at least 24 hours before the meeting. C. Participation by the Public. Commission meetings shall be open to the public. For any matter under consideration, any person may submit written comments and, if attending in person, may fill out a speaker card and speak to the issue upon being recognized by the Chairperson and stating his or her name and, if applicable, the names of any person or organization on whose behalf he or she is appearing. D. Quorum. A Commission meeting where a majority of its members are present shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of those members present shall be required to take official action. No action shall be taken at any meeting in absence of a quorum, except to adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date. E. Agenda. The agenda shall be prepared by the Town Staff Liaison, reviewed by the Chairperson, and posted no less than 24 hours before the Commission meeting in accordance with the Arizona Open Meeting Law. F. Minutes. Minutes of the proceedings shall be retained and filed with the Town Clerk or authorized designee who will, in turn, file and post the minutes according to applicable law. 2170815.4 6 G. Open Meeting Law. The Commission is subject to the Arizona Open Meeting Law. 7. Special Committees. The Commission may create special committees for specific purposes. Such committees shall be subject to the provisions of the Arizona Open Meeting Law. Any special committee created by the Commission shall automatically dissolve when its work is done and after the Commission has accepted its final report. 8. Amendments. By the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Commission, the members may recommend amendments to these Bylaws to the Town Council for its approval. 9. Legal Counsel. The Commission may request through the Town Staff Liaison that the Town Attorney, or authorized designee, provide legal advice and rulings on points of order, procedure or other matters related to the Commission’s duties. MMCP Mar 28-17 meet Laison Page 1 of 4 To: CSAC 5 April 2017 From: Don Doty Subject: MMPC – 28 March 2017 commission meeting Joint MMPC and Council meeting, 28 March, 2017 The meeting was attended by the town manager and council & MMPC. Commissioner Bill Craig was awarded the Parks & Recreation volunteer of the year and presented with a large photo that was signed by the commissioners and town dignitaries. Bill is also on the conservancy board and leads the “Trail Blazers”, the group responsible for designing, building and maintaining the town and preserve trails. The cost to mechanically build trails, as Scottsdale does, is on the order of $10 a lineal foot. The 43 Trail Blazers have contributed some 700 volunteer hours this season to do this trail work at no cost to the town. They also maintain the Botanical Garden and Lake Overlook trails. Mayor Kavanagh along with a number of the council praised the work the MMPC Commission, and trail blazers contribute. Accomplishments & Objectives The 2016 accomplishments were mostly completed including generating maps, trail signs, fair support and monitoring the trail head design and progress. The 2017 objectives were primarily related to the trail head. Maps will be updated, the 911 emergency communication will be tested throughout the trail system, Signage will be developed, fire wising the washes leading to the preserve will MMCP Mar 28-17 meet Laison Page 2 of 4 be surveyed for fire threats. Manning the MMPC booths during the town fairs and educating the public will continue. The main emphasis this year will be on the completion of the trail head construction. Trail head schedule The bidding process has been delayed for two weeks in order to include a bid for water tanks to possibly be installed that will allow the use of the rest rooms when the trail head opens. Renaming The Adaro Canyon trail head was discussed and several names were offered; Fountain Hills trail head & Fountain Hills Adaro Canyon trail head. No decision was made. This is a council decision not the MMPC. The renaming of the Sonoran loop was decided by a MMPC (4 to 2) vote to be named the UPPER & LOWER Sonoran loop. Parking In addition to the 54 parking spaces at the trail head there is possibly another 18 parking spaces that could be built. The road will not permit parking. It was stated that the Scottsdale Gateway trail head was initially built for 250 parking spaces and has been expanded to 400. The Fountain Hills Golden Eagle parking lot accommodates 25 and frequently overflows to the road. Mayor Kavanagh stated that no new construction should be proposed that would eliminate future parking expanse. MMCP Mar 28-17 meet Laison Page 3 of 4 Kiosk The kiosk currently included in the TH design is similar to the one at Golden Eagle. There are some suggestions to be considered from the commission to enhance the kiosk. It was stated that modifications to the kiosk should not delay the construction and updates may be considered later. Solar panels Solar panels for the restroom lighting was mentioned as a lower cost long term option for future consideration. Grand Opening of trail head The grand opening has not been scheduled but is envisioned to include the MMPC, Conservancy, Town dignitaries, Sheriff, Fire & Helicopter. MCO, Toll Brothers, Copperwynd & Kimpon will be invited to participate. Quarterly MMPC/Council meeting The MMPC will make a 10 minute update to the Council once a quarter at the regular scheduled Council meetings. MMPC perpetuity Bill Myers expressed the MMPC’s strong desire to remain as a single commission entity due to the specialized work entailed. He emphasized the role of the commission and it’s interrelationship with the Fountain Hills conservancy, the Scottsdale trails commission & conservancy and the McDowell Mountain Park administration. Mayor Kavanagh agreed with his points. She stated that the focused MMPC is effective by concentrating on one thing and should remain a separate Commission. They are our town MMCP Mar 28-17 meet Laison Page 4 of 4 representatives to continue dealing with the neighboring like organizations.