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Home My WebLink About1992.0702.TCRM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL JULY 2, 1992 A public meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council was convened and called to order by Mayor John Cutillo at 6:30 p.m.,Thursday,July 2, 1992, in the Fountain Hills Town Hall, located at 16836 E. Palisades Blvd., Building C,Fountain Hills, Arizona. ROLL CALL-Following the pledge to the flag and the invocation by Vice Mayor Fox,roll call was taken. Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor John Cutillo, Vice Mayor Charlie Fox and Councilmembers Frank Clark,Peg Tibbetts, Wally Hudson,and Bill O'Brien. Councilman Mike Minarsich arrived at 6:35 p.m. Also present were Town Manager Paul Nordin, Town Attorney Nick Dotterman, Town Accountant Julie Ghetti, and Town Clerk Cassie Hansen. AGENDA ITEM#2-CONSIDERATION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE TENTATIVE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1992/93 WITH APPROPRIATE DIRECTION TO PUBLISH SAID DOCUMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW. Mr. Nordin referred to the revised budget sheets distributed to the Council after the last Council meeting. He said the Council would vote on the approval of the budget and the individual departments' budgets. Mr. Farrell had determined that the Council could not pass an Ordinance to reduce their own salary so cuts would have to come from other budgets. Mr. Nordin stated that the final adoption of the budget was scheduled on August 6. Councilman Hudson said that the Parks and Recreation budget called for an expenditure of$207,500. He said the Town had set aside another$100,000 for Golden Eagle Park development and$25,000 for a park master plan. Councilman Hudson said the amounts represented a 110%increase,or$174,000. He said he was concerned that the Town was building fixed expenses that might preclude other necessary parts of the budget or departments that were more important than Parks and Rec. He stated that Mr.Nordin had demonstrated to the Council that the Town could operate without an additional tax. Councilman Hudson stated that he thought the proposed Parks and Rec budget destroyed the possibility of not adding a local tax. Councilman Hudson asked that the topic of adding a tax to pay for Parks & Recreation programs be put on the next regular agenda. Councilman Minarsich said that he wanted to ask the voters about a sales tax at the same time. Vice Mayor Fox said the Council had agreed to have a retreat to review their goals for the fiscal year. Vice Mayor Fox said that at the retreat the Council would identify all proposed projects. He stated that the Council needed to make up a plan and present it to the voters, not piece meal tax initiatives. Mayor Cutillo asked Mr. Dotterman if the topic of discussion was too far from the agenda items. Mr. Dotterman answered affirmatively and said that additional property taxes or a sales tax should not be discussed. Mr. Nordin stated that the topic would be placed on the next agenda. Councilman Clark stated that he did not support the proposed Parks and Rec budget. Councilman Minarsich agreed with Councilman Clark and said he did not agree with the cuts that were made. Councilman O'Brien stated that he felt the merit pay money that was moved to the Parks and Recreation budget would do more people more good. Mayor Cutillo agreed with Councilman O'Brien and Councilman Clark and made a MOTION to accept the budget for publication as presented. SECONDED by Councilman O'Brien. Councilman Minarsich said he did not favor spending the contingency fund. Councilwoman Tibbetts stated that the program funds were adjustable. Councilman Clark said that the past two years the Council had thrown extra money in the Parks and Recreation department at the last minute. He said he did not agree to give that department that much money. Councilman Clark added that they were not ready for that allotment and he felt it was overkill. Mr. Bishop said he participated in many Parks and Recreation projects. He did not agree that the Civic Association should manage the Community Center. Mr.Bishop said he thought Parks and Rec should manage Minutes of the Regular Session of the Town Council 07/02/92 Page 1 of 3 it. He said he supported the proposed budget for Parks and Rec. Ms.Dugger asked how many citizens participated in the Parks and Recreation programs. Mayor Cutillo said the previous year there were 2,200 people involved in activities. Motion CARRIED with six aye votes to one nay vote. Councilman Clark cast the nay vote. AGENDA ITEM #3 - CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE 92-05, AMENDING THE TOWN CODE CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 2-3 BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 2-3-5 DEALING WITH THE DIRECT ELECTION OF MAYOR AND PROVIDING FOR A VOTE OF THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE TOWN APPROVING THE DIRECT ELECTION OF MAYOR. Mayor Cutillo stated that he had received one hundred signatures within two days,that brought the total signatures to over seven hundred. He said that if the Council took action,it would save the Town some money and the staff some time. Mayor Cutillo also said that he thought it would show the Town that the Council was responsive to their wants. Councilman Hudson stated that the vast majority of the population does not vote. He said that what was best for those people had to be considered also. Councilman Hudson said that nineteen cities and towns in Arizona were chartered. He stated that of the other sixty-seven towns and cities in the state of Arizona, fifty-eight percent had the Council choose the Mayor and forty-two percent had the voters choose. Councilman Hudson explained what he felt would happen if the Mayor's position was filled by direct election. He stated that some people in Town felt that the Mayor's salary should be higher and he and the Manager should run the Town. He stated that he had no objection to putting it on the ballot if it was a two year term. Councilman O'Brien said he preferred to leave the issue as an initiative process. Mayor Cutillo stated that the usual rule-of-thumb was ten percent of the last election. He said the Council decided to make it fifteen percent of the registered voters. Councilman O'Brien said he thought that direct election of the Mayor would be more political. Councilman Clark said he agreed with Councilman Hudson and Councilman O'Brien. He said that of the 86 cities and towns in Arizona,only 21 have four-year terms, 64 have two-year terms, and one has a one-year term. Councilman Clark stated that he favored two-year terms. Councilman Minarsich agreed with Councilman Hudson and said he would support two-year terms. Mayor Cutillo stated that he personally preferred a two-year term, however, he said that he thought it was not as good for the community. Councilman Hudson made a MOTION to adopt Ordinance 92-05 with the change of Section 2-3-5-B to read two years instead of four years. SECONDED by Councilman Clark. Mr. Bishop asked Mayor Cutillo if there would be different responsibilities for an elected Mayor versus an appointed Mayor. Mayor Cutillo said there would be no difference,it was governed by the Town Code. Mr.Hawley stated that a single-shot election had ruined a city council in the past. Motion CARRIED with six aye votes to one nay vote. Councilman O'Brien cast the nay vote. AGENDA ITEM#4 - CALL TO THE PUBLIC. Mayor Cutillo made the call to the public. There were no comments. AGENDA ITEM#5 - ADJOURNMENT. Councilman Minarsich made a MOTION to adjourn. SECONDED by Councilman O'Brien and CARRIED unanimously. The Town Council adjourned at approximately 7:29 p.m. Minutes of the Regular Session of the Town Council 07/02/92 Page 2 of 3 TO OFF By: Jo . Cutillo, Mayor ATTEST: . Cassie B. sen, T wn Clerkyy PREPARED BY • I�LGI��( Lan L. Bratcher, Secretary CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 2nd day of July 1992. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this.34.ik day of September 1992. 461. Cassie B. Hansen, Town Clerk Minutes of the Regular Session of the Town Council 07/02/92 vid) Page 3 of 3