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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009.1015.TCRM.Minutesz:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 1 of 7 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL October 15, 2009 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Mayor Schlum called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Fountain Hills Town Hall Council Chambers. INVOCATION – Mr. Mark Johnson, representative of the Fountain Hills Christian Center. ROLL CALL - Present were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor Schlum, Councilmember Contino, Councilmember Leger, Councilmember Brown, Vice Mayor Hansen, Councilmember Archambault and Councilmember Dickey. Present were the following staff members: Town Manager Rick Davis, Town Attorney Andrew McGuire, and Town Clerk Bevelyn Bender. MAYOR'S REPORT (i) The Mayor will read a proclamation declaring October 2009 Community Planning Month. Mayor Schlum read a proclamation in support of Community Planning Month. SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES (i) Presentation on the eFountain Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program by Deputy Town Manager Julie Ghetti. Ms. Ghetti gave an overview of the eFountain Customer Relationship Management program covering such items as where to find it on the Town’s website; how to fill out the on-line request form; how requests are routed and responded to; and the most frequently asked questions. She compared current statistics versus a year ago relating to citizens’ rating of staff’s response time and performance; the amount of time that it took staff to close requests; as well as the manner in which the Town received requests (i.e. phone, e-mail, and eFountain). She noted that this gave the Town a valuable tool to evaluate performance and to provide for better customer service. Ms. Ghetti encouraged the public to utilize this program. Mayor Schlum stated that he was pleased with the feedback received so far. (ii) Preview of the Park Host Program by Parks and Recreation Director Mark Mayer. Parks and Recreation Director Mark Mayer addressed the Council and facilitated the discussion through a PowerPoint presentation. He stated that what was being presented had grown out of a conversation he had held with Town Manager Davis with regard to providing more of a presence in the Town’s parks given the reality of the Town’s budget situation and staffing. Mr. Mayer stated that if the Council did not have any issues or concerns that could not be resolved quickly, then it was his the intent to move forward and start the recruitment process with the program starting later this fall. He reiterated that the purpose of the program was to provide more of a presence in the parks with a number of individuals assigned to a specific park at the busiest time for that park with volunteers identified as a park host by an article of clothing along with a volunteer badge, etc. He envisioned that they would approach people to welcome them to the parks and they in turn would be approached to answer questions about the parks, the Town, special events, local attractions and businesses, etc., with z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 2 of 7 the main point to provide a pleasant experience for people who visited the Town’s parks (Welcome Wagon in the Parks). He acknowledged that the general supervision would fall under the Parks and Recreation Department; however, they would need to rely heavily upon the Volunteer Coordinator Heather Ware to recruit and staff this program. Mr. Mayer felt this program would be a deterrent to park vandalism due to the volunteers’ high visibility, provide an opportunity for the volunteers to report illegal acts to law enforcement, provide notification of park maintenance issues, provide a proactive opportunity to deter park violations and avoid negative situations, provide an opportunity for additional department assistance during special events, and provide assistance to law enforcement as needed or requested (i.e. serving as a witness, help filling out a police report). He explained that they would fill out a daily activity report that would describe any activities or situations they might have noted in the park but that the main thing would be to respond proactively to any incidents that occured in the parks. Mr. Mayer noted that training would be provided to the volunteers as had been done with the art docents and would include the issuance of a manual, a fanny pack containing the Town Code specific to park rules, a small first aid kit, a Town map, an annual special event calendar, recreation program information, the Savory Spots publication, and the Art Walk publication. He discussed the qualification requirements as being over 21 years of age; having the ability to volunteer evenings, weekends, and holidays on a rotating basis; communicate clearly; and be able to interact with the public in a pleasant and courteous manner. Councilmember Brown asked how many volunteers would be needed. Mr. May responded between 18 – 20 individuals of which some might be couples who might want to serve together. Volunteers would cover late afternoons, early evenings and weekends (late morning to early evening). He anticipated there would be two shifts. Councilmember Dickey expressed concern relating to volunteers calling law enforcement and asked if the volunteers would have training similar to the Posse, as it appeared there might be some risks due to the fact that people might have guns in the parks. Mr. Mayer replied it would be made clear that it was not the intent to put the volunteers in harm’s way and they would not receive the same level of training as a posse member nor was the expectation level as high as it was for a MCSO deputy. He anticipated that if volunteers observed something in the park that they would have to use some judgment as to whether it would be appropriate for them to interject themselves into the situation; however, the suggestion would be made to the volunteers that if they had any hesitancy at all, that they not enter the situation. Mr. Mayer discussed the type of situations he envisioned that they would intervene (i.e. stepping in if vandalism was occurring, a small child throwing rocks, and minor incidents). Anything more than that they would be encouraged to call for assistance, which might be rendered by other on-duty park staff or in some cases it might be calling law enforcement. Councilmember Dickey asked if the volunteers would determine if someone was under age to enforce curfew or things like that and Mr. Mayor responded probably not. He acknowledged those were areas that he had yet to cover with MCSO Captain Kleinheinz but that he intended to involve law enforcement with aspects of the volunteers’ training so that they knew when they should become involved in a situation or when they needed to make a phone call for assistance. He reiterated that just by having the volunteers’ presence in the parks they believed that it would help the vandalism z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 3 of 7 situation and noted that it had gotten better with the cameras in place but this program provided the opportunity to reduce it further as it would be a presence in the park that had not been there before. In response to questions by Councilmember Archambault Mr. Mayer responded that volunteers would be under general departmental supervision during the day; that volunteers would be walking around the park but that the main things would be that they would be visible, approachable, and if they saw a situation where they needed to intercede, they could; that the volunteers would receive training in identifying situations that they could assist with; that he had written the training section in the manual with the understanding that other agencies would be included in the volunteers’ training (MCSO specifically); the training program would be similar to that which had been provided to the art docents whereby outside organizations and artists had assisted (which had lasted over three hours); that an article of clothing would be provided to each person to identify them as a volunteer, including a badge with their name on it that would be marked volunteer across the top along with the Town issued fanny pack; and that the first aid kit would be basic in nature (band aids and the like) and that the volunteers would not be administering first aid. He stated that it might take time for citizens to catch on as to who they were but he felt that the concept would catch on fairly quickly. Councilmember Archambault asked if the Town Attorney had been consulted, and Mr. Mayer acknowledged that he had not run this past him because as a volunteer program it was really no different than the art docent walks or any other things they were doing with volunteers right now but he could if so directed. Councilmember Archambault requested that the Town attorney review it to ensure everything was good. Vice Mayor Hansen stated the opinion that it was a great idea to have those extra set of eyes out there in the parks and that by getting the word out about the program it would give people room to pause too since there would be someone out there watching. She commented that would be a deterrent also. Councilmember Dickey asked if recruitment process would begin immediately and expressed concern relating to the training wanting further clarification as to what the mission was (i.e. an enhanced park presence, elevated interaction with park visitors, provide a pleasant experience not to deter). She stated that she might want to visit this more unless you and the Town Attorney were comfortable with it as she wanted to ensure that they knew what the mission was and what they were doing here particularly with feedback from MCSO Captain Kleinheinz. Mayor Schlum asked for clarification that the volunteers would not be park rangers but hosts and Mr. Mayer concurred. Mayor Schlum stated that there should be a higher level of expectation by someone visiting the park that the duties of this person were more of a park presence and should be a warm and welcoming person that might have a couple band aids but who would not play a law enforcement role. Mr. Mayer said that was correct. He suggested that he provide the Council with a draft of the training agenda with who would be making the presentations before the training began to address concerns expressed. Councilmember Leger stated he felt this was an excellent idea that reinforced the sense of community, small town character, and elevated the levels of volunteerism. He expressed that he shared the same concerns on the policing side. He said his vision was that the volunteers would be hosts, provide information, and welcome park users although he expressed that he would be more comfortable with z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 4 of 7 seeing the operational procedures when it came to the quasi rule enforcement part of the position. He acknowledged that all would learn as they go and that as they went along it would be important not to put anyone in harm’s way. Councilmember Brown asked if this program would run twelve months out of the year. Mr. Mayer confirmed this would be a year round program but that there might be some adjustment of the hours based on the use of the park. Councilmember Brown stated the opinion this was outstanding. Mayor Schlum expressed his appreciation to the future volunteers who love their parks and community and who want to show them off. (iii) Quarterly update on the progress of implementing the Council’s goals for FY2009-10 by Town Manager Rick Davis. Mr. Davis gave brief overview of the status of the FY2009-10 goals stating that there were thirteen primary goals with a myriad of associated objectives and initiatives. He stated that management staff had held more than one meeting with staff to establish a methodology and business plan for carrying out those initiatives. He referred to the comprehensive report and stated he was pleased to report that almost every one of the goals was being met on schedule; that he was very impressed with the productivity of the staff; and he complimented them on putting so much energy in the beginning of the fiscal year to make sure the goals were realized. Councilmember Dickey asked about the status of the idea about the fountain option related to SRP as she did not think she saw that listed in the update. Mr. Davis responded that the idea involved energy sharing with SRP with regard to the operation of the fountain. He noted that he had received a letter from SRP stating that they would not be able to participate in the program this year but that that they were interested. He reported that the idea had reached some of the higher SRP ranks for consideration by that company and that they regretted that they could not help the Town this year although it might be an option in the future. Mayor Schlum pointed out upcoming Town events: Make a Difference Day (7:30 a.m., October 24); Business Showcase in the Community Center (3:00 p.m., October 28); Grand Opening of the Sonoran Trail (8:00 a.m., October 31@ Golden Eagle Trailhead); Downtown Halloween Fun (4 -6 p.m., October 31) with the Fantastic Fall Festival following (@ Four Peaks Park, October 31); and the First Public Art Walk Tour (9:30 a.m., November 7). He encouraged the public to get out and enjoy the events and the weather. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Town Clerk Bevelyn Bender advised there were no speakers who wished to address the Council. CONSENT AGENDA AGENDA ITEM #1 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 1, 2009. AGENDA ITEM #2 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A SPECIAL EVENT LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY JEROLD LANE MILES (FOUNTAIN HILLS & LOWER VERDE VALLEY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY) FOR THE PURPOSE OF A HISTORICAL z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 5 of 7 SOCIETY DINNER MEETING, LOCATED AT 13001 N. LA MONTANA, FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ, SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 18, 2009, FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 10:00 P.M. AGENDA ITEM #3 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF PREMISE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY MERITA ORHAN KRAYA (EURO PIZZA CAFÉ) LOCATED AT 12645 N. SAGUARO BLVD. #11, FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ. SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 24, 2009. AGENDA ITEM #4 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY SHERYL CRAIG MORGAN FOR COWBOY SPIRITS LLC DBA SADDLE BRONC GRILL), LOCATED AT 11056 N. SAGUARO BOULEVARD, FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ. THIS IS FOR A SERIES 6 LICENSE (BAR). Councilmember Leger MOVED to approve the Consent Agenda as listed (Items 1 – 4) and Councilmember Archambault SECONDED the motion. A roll call vote was taken with the following results: Councilmember Contino Aye Vice Mayor Hansen Aye Councilmember Leger Aye Councilmember Dickey Aye Mayor Schlum Aye Councilmember Brown Aye Councilmember Archambault Aye The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). REGULAR AGENDA AGENDA ITEM #5 - CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL EVENTS BEING COORDINATED BY THE TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT: (I) THE FANTASTIC FALL FESTIVAL (OCTOBER 31, 2009) AND (II) THE TURKEY TROT/5K AND FITNESS WALK (NOVEMBER 26, 2009). Recreation Program Coordinators Kathy Worrell and Anjelica Giardino discussed a PowerPoint presentation, which outlined the details of the two events. It was noted that this year six clubs/organizations stepped up to provide support in some manner to the Fantastic Fall Festival: Fountain Hills Library, Rotary Club, Noon Kiwanis, Sunset Kiwanis, Lions and the Elks Clubs. Staff requested approval of the events as presented. Councilmember Contino MOVED to approve the special events as presented and Vice Mayor Hansen SECONDED the motion. The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #6 - CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION FOR THE FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS, SPONSORED BY THE FOUNTAIN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 13 THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2009, AND WILL REQUIRE THE CLOSURE OF PARTS OF AVENUE OF THE FOUNTAINS, PARKVIEW AVENUE, VERDE RIVER DRIVE AND SAGUARO BOULEVARD. Mayor Schlum announced that Deputy Town Manager Julie Ghetti would present one report for items 6, 7, an 8. Ms. Ghetti noted that this event has been a very successful Fountain Hills’ tradition held for almost 30 years, which has brought thousands of people to the Town and served as an opportunity for local groups to have fundraisers with their beer garden. z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 6 of 7 Mayor Schlum stated it was a good that this was on the regular agenda for the purpose of visibility as most people were aware of the event, but business owners needed to understand that there would be street closures and everyone needed to be prepared for the hundreds of thousands of people that would be in Town. Councilmember Contino MOVED to approve the special event as stipulated and Councilmember Dickey SECONDED the motion. The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #7 - CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIAL EVENT LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY ESTHER BEAUCHAMP (AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, UNIT 58) FOR THE PURPOSE OF A FUNDRAISER THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 13 AND 14, 2009, FROM 9 A.M. TO 10 P.M., AND NOVEMBER 15, 2009, FROM 10 A.M. TO 10 P.M., FOR A BEER GARDEN TO BE LOCATED ON SAGUARO BOULEVARD AT PALISADES BOULEVARD AND WEST OF FOUNTAIN PARK AS PART OF THE FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION. Councilmember Archambault MOVED to approve the special event liquor license application as presented and Councilmember Contino SECONDED the motion. The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #8 - CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIAL EVENT LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY TAIT DANIEL ELKIE (VETERANS OF FOREIGN WAR POST 7507) FOR THE PURPOSE OF A FUNDRAISER THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 13 AND 14, 2009, FROM 9 A.M. TO 10 P.M., AND NOVEMBER 15, 2009, FROM 10 A.M. TO 10 P.M., FOR A BEER GARDEN TO BE LOCATED ON SAGUARO BOULEVARD NEAR AVENUE OF THE FOUNTAINS AND WEST OF FOUNTAIN PARK AS PART OF THE FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION. Vice Mayor Hansen MOVED to approve the special events as presented and Councilmember Contino SECONDED the motion. The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #9 - COUNCIL DISCUSSION/DIRECTION TO THE TOWN MANAGER: ITEMS LISTED BELOW ARE RELATED ONLY TO THE PROPRIETY OF (I) PLACING SUCH ITEMS ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR ACTION OR (II) DIRECTING STAFF TO CONDUCT FURTHER RESEARCH AND REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL: A. NONE. AGENDA ITEM #10 - SUMMARY OF COUNCIL REQUESTS AND REPORT ON RECENT ACTIVITIES BY THE TOWN MANAGER. AGENDA ITEM #11 - ADJOURNMENT. Vice Mayor Hansen MOVED that the Council adjourn the meeting and Councilmember Contino SECONDED the motion, which CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. z:\council packets\2009\r11-5-09\091015m.docx Page 7 of 7 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS By_____________________________ Mayor Jay T. Schlum ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: _________________________ Bevelyn J. Bender, Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Session held in the Fountain Hills Council Chambers by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 15th day of October, 2009. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. Dated this 5th day of November 2009. _____________________________ Bevelyn J. Bender, Town Clerk