Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPAC.2022.0928.MinutesTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 1. CALL TO ORDER— Chairman Garman Chairman Garman called to order the meeting of the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission at 4:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL —Chairman Garman Present: Patrick Garman, Chairman; Bernie Hoenle, Vice Chairman; Mary Edman, Commissioner; Cynthia Magazine, Commissioner; Geoffrey Yazzetta, Commissioner Absent: Kevin Beck, Commissioner Staff Town Manager Grady Miller; Development Services Director John Wesley; Present: Executive Assistant Angela Padgett -Espiritu 3. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Pursuant to A.R.S. §36431.01(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 (Nis 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. No one from the public spoke. 4. CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: Approving the August 24, 2022, Meeting Minutes MOVED BY Commissioner Cynthia Magazine, SECONDED BY Commissioner Mary Edman to APPROVE, as amended, the meeting minutes of the August 24, 2022, Strategic Planning Advisory Commission. Vote: 5 - 0 - Unanimously 5. REPORTS BY COMMISSIONERS AND TOWN MANAGER Commissioner Yazetta reported that the Fountain Hills Leadership Academy, describing it as an excellent and quite educational series. He expressed appreciation for Chair Garman, Betsy LaVoie, and Tammy Bell's participation. Commissioner Magazine complimented and reported that Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin gave an excellent presentation on how her team won the silver medal last year and the gold medal this year. Commissioner Edman proposed that the origins of the Strategic Plan be a future agenda item. Vice Chair Hoenle stated that when he attended the most recent commission meeting by telephone, he was able to hear everything and the audience very well. He noted that telephonic attendees have a two or three -second delay in responding to presenters and that you may not receive an immediate response. Town Manager Miller remarked that he was pleased to have the speakers in attendance today and that their presentations were of interest to this group because they impacted a portion of the Strategic Plan. 6. PRESENTATION: Environmental Plan Draft by John Wesley, Development Services Director The draft of the Environmental Plan was presented to the commission by Director Wesley. According to him, environmental guiding principles, objectives, policies, and tasks were extracted from the General Plan and incorporated into the Environmental Plan draft, with a section on Biophilic included. 1. Continue to promote vigilance and guardianship of the natural desert 2. Provide and maintain an open space network throughout the community 3. Provide open space linkages within the town and to the regional systems beyond its boundaries where feasible and appropriate 4. Identify and preserve historical and archaeological resources 5. Continue to promote programs that encourage environmentally friendly alternatives and improve air quality 6. Continue to promote environmental stewardship 7. Support waste reduction programs and proper management of hazardous waste 8. Incorporate biophilic design goals and design principles into town practices and development within the community Director Wesley reported that each goal has a policy and action plan attributed. He said that the draft plan can be modified based on the commission's comments and directions. Below are some of the comments and questions on the Draft Environmental Plan. • Very pleased with the draft Environmental Plan and that it is in harmony with the General Plan and the Strategic Plan. • Broader overarching stewardship of the environment and that Biophilic was an important component. • Thrilled to see this come to fruition and having an environmental plan on the town's website is wonderful for either people or businesses thinking about locating here • A reference to the 2017 plan that may want to change to 2022 • Which department would oversee the implementation and monitoring of the plan • Will there be ongoing studies that aim to uncover and preserve historical resources • Did not see a focus on the health of the people • Overlap throughout the draft regarding biophilic and then is restated at the end as Biophilic Responses to comments: • Built-in mechanisms to assist with oversight and these items, along with the Strategic Plan items, once it is adopted, will be reviewed periodically by the directors • The town has recently established a Historic Cultural Commission, and it is expected that it will address issues of this nature as soon as it is fully functional and organized • Will research to determine whether there is anything that could serve as a suitable basis for drawing upon in relation to the status of people's health • There are a number of elements that contribute to the biophilic, but we decided it was vital to pay specific attention to it through our policies, as well as to emphasize joining the network. There is no other policy document in the town that informs us that this is a good practice and that this reinforces it moving ahead. 7. PRESENTATION: Biophilic by Jeny Davis, Biophilic FH Project Director. Jeny Davis, the Project Coordinator of Biophilic Fountain Hills, gave an overview of Biophilic. She reported that Biophilia is a connection to an appreciation of a need for nature and it is the idea that we are not only connected to nature, but we as humans need to be around it for our health and well-being, and we are directly connected to it. She stated, The Biophilic Cities Network is a global partnership created by Dr. Tim Beatley in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia. The network is currently comprised of communities, scholars, and advocates that are dedicated to improving the way nature is incorporated into urban environments and enhancing the connection residents have with it. She mentioned that there are nearly 30 urban areas around the globe that have already joined the network and that it is not just for cities. She said that organizations, communities, and individuals are also invited to join. She said that the network works with organizations, nonprofits, and governments, provides resources, hosts events, and is involved in research She mentioned that the network provides the opportunity to coordinate with others that are leading efforts toward a greener and healthier future for urban areas. Ms. Davis explained the six requirements that must be met to join the network. She said that you have to have an official resolution of adoption, and a narrative statement of biophilic intentions that includes what characteristics make you a good candidate and a summary of what will be worked on if awarded a partnership. She mentioned the designation of a town contact or coordinator, who does not have to be town staff and could be a liaison that will communicate with the network. She said that she would have to assist fellow partners and participate in partner events, workshops, and conferences where possible. She said that there is a one-time fee of $250 and selected a minimum of five indicators to monitor progress. She commented that Fountain Hills is a great candidate and it is surrounded by and blended with the Sonoran Desert, an ecosystem that is found nowhere else on this earth, and that the town boasts parks, preserves, fit trails, designations such as the Dark Sky Community and a Playful City USA Community and the focal point of the town itself is Fountain Park. She said that outside of existing qualities, becoming a partner with the network would solidify their already stated commitments to the environment and biophilic elements, as well as pursue and increase those efforts into the future. She mentioned that this partnership would also support other town goals and aspects of the General Plan, like attracting young families, hosting more events, attracting visitors, and businesses, and sustaining the quality of life. Ms. Davis said that being biophilic fosters community well-being through access to physical activity, being around nature helps us feel less stressed and can even lower our blood pressure, and they've even found reduced crime rates. She said that ecosystem services like pollination, air purification, and water purification provide us with the benefits that we need. She said it encourages outdoor equity among residents and bolsters the economy, which promotes a diversified economy. She mentioned that outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse and that Americans spend more on it than pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles every year. She mentioned that biophilic communities are a draw for tourism, decrease town costs, such as stormwater management, and promote a sense of local community by getting residents outdoors more. She said in summary, that pursuing partnership and becoming a more biophilic community has numerous benefits and will conserve and protect the nature that already exists in the town and ensure healthier ecosystems and relationships with nature. Below are comments and questions from the commission: • Any communities in Arizona as a reference to how they have implemented a plan and how they use it to their benefit and marketing the city • This is wonderful and anything that we can do as a Commission to support what you're doing, I think you've got a couple of supporters • Is this going to be an enduring kind of nonprofit underneath the 501 (C)(3) Responses to comments and questions: • The City of Phoenix has implemented, and they have a lot of effort into reducing the temperature with tree canopies and they are experimenting with painting the streets white • We looked at becoming a 501 (C)(3) and it really was not a great fit. Then we looked at a volunteer organization. The original idea and the whole idea behind the Biophilic Cities Network is to partner with communities. A lot of that falls to the town, and we envision Biophilic Fountain Hills being a supportive network of folks that can be advisors, we can be consultants, can support where we can 8. UPDATE: October 26, 2022, Next Meeting Date of the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission. Chair Garman noted that the next meeting date for the commission is October 26, 2022. 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN Chairman Garman made the following comments: • The Environmental Plan Draft will be placed on a future agenda for discussion and feedback by the commissioners prior to a vote. • At the October commission meeting, Betsy LaVoie, President and CEO of the Fountain Hills Chamber, and a member of the Fountain Hills Young Community Group will present on the Fountain Hills Young Community Group • A presentation will be given at the commission meeting in November by the Arizona Alliance for Livable Communities, which is a statewide volunteer advocacy coalition • December was proposed as a month without a commission meeting, and the commission concurred • Discussed with McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission Chairman Grzybowski how they brief each other on their respective strategic goals. Chairman Garman will update the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission in November on the town's approved Strategic Plan, and Chairman Grzybowski will brief this commission in January on his commission's approved strategic plan 10. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY Commissioner Mary Edman, SECONDED BY Commissioner Cynthia Magazine to ADJOURN the meeting of the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission at 5:10 p.m. Vote: 5 - 0 - Unanimously A TEST AND P Angela E PARED BY: ve Assistant STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION Patrick -- CX\VP04 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 the 28th day of September 2022. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 26 day of October, 2022. ngela E •intu, Executive Assistant