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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005.0121.TCCRM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL RETREAT JANUARY 21,2005 The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. Dave Latshaw,the facilitator for the Retreat, welcomed everyone to the meeting and stated that this was his second opportunity to host this event and thanked everyone for the opportunity to do so. He introduced his associate Andrea White and asked staff and members of the audience to introduce themselves as well. ROLL CALL—Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Vice Mayor Archambault, Mayor Nichols, Councilman Schlum, Councilman Kavanagh, Councilman Kehe, Councilwoman Nicola, and Councilman McMahan. City Attorney Andrew McGuire, Accounting Supervisor Julie Ghetti, Parks & Recreational Director Mark Mayer, Planning & Zoning Administrator Richard Turner, Town Manager Tim Pickering, Public Works Director Tom Ward, Judge Ted Armbruster, MCSO Captain John Kleinheinz, Fire Chief Mark Zimmerman and additional members of staff were also present. Mr. Latshaw advised that this year's retreat had a narrower focus than the two-day retreat held last year and noted that the primary goal was to determine a set of prioritized goals for Fiscal Year 2005-2006. At the same time, his job was to keep the group on track in order to achieve that particular goal. He explained that any items brought up during this meeting that could not be addressed at this time could be the subject of a future workshop session. He stated that the purpose of the retreat was for the participants to have a dialogue with one another. Mr. Latshaw referred to Page 2 of the Retreat Booklet and reiterated that the primary goal was to establish prioritized goals for FY 2005-06. He noted that there would be an overlap between what staff had proposed and some of the topic discussions that Councilmembers had suggested. He said it was important to identify what he called "net new goals" and stated that, in the end, staff needed to know what net new goals the Council had for them that had not already been discussed or planned for. He added that the secondary objective was to take a look at the status of the goals established last year (FY 2004-05) and the accomplishments that staff had achieved. He said they also needed to take a look at the Town's financial health, issues and challenges that the Town Manager believed they would be facing over the next eighteen months and review the goals that staff believed should be undertaken in the upcoming fiscal year. Mr. Latshaw urged those present to participate in the process as much as possible, to think both positively and creatively, to listen to each other with respect, and remain focused. He noted that the meeting was being recorded and requested that speakers announce their names for the record. Mayor Nichols said he was pleased that they were able to hold the Retreat this year in Fountain Hills and stated that he looked forward to working with the Council in harmony as they had done over the last six to seven months. He added that he believed that the fact the Council was working very well together and with staff was a big, positive step forward. He congratulated staff for their hard work over the last year and noted that the booklet reflected over 60 accomplishments listed because of their efforts. He said a lot of those came about as a result of identified objectives during the last retreat and added that it was a good year with many good accomplishments. He commented on the positive feedback he was hearing from the residents and thanked everyone for their efforts in this regard. Mayor Nichols advised that one of his functions today was to make sure that they ended the meeting by 5 p.m. and said he would try to keep them on track to achieve this goal. He stated that the goals identified by staff and Council were positive items to move the Town forward, and to improve the quality of life for the entire community. Mr. Latshaw said that he had found it very valuable to provide the Town Council with an overview of where things [' stood, a preview of both the Council and staffs preliminary thinking as to the organizational or operational goals in Nee conjunction with the 2005-06 budget. He noted that they would begin with the State of the Town Report and explained that this would provide an opportunity to view the big picture of what had been accomplished and gain insight into the challenges to be faced during the next eighteen months. Town Manager Tim Pickering stated that he was pleased with where they stood as far as the Town's accomplishments this year and emphasized that it took the entire team to achieve goals. He commented on the leadership that staff was provided by the Council, the expertise provided by the legal department, and the hard work demonstrated by staff. He highlighted the following goals: • Public Safety Commission was established following extensive research. • The Town's Strategic Planning Process had been initiated as a result of cooperative effort on the part of the Council, administration staff, residents, and members of the Team, who provided expertise and guidance. • Town Hall construction was moving in the right direction and the walls were currently going up. This was the result of endless discussions and meetings and Julie Ghetti was strongly involved in the finance aspect as well as the City Council. In addition, the Town Attorney performed expert negotiations. He added that Don Thumuth, the Town's Facilities Supervisor, was not present but stated that he oversees the project. He emphasized that the entire staff participated in the layout of the building and it would take the entire staff to make a smooth move into the new building. • The Town's Pay Plan was updated and Joan McIntosh did an outstanding job on that and worked diligently on a committee she formed, made up of various department staff and directors, to develop an updated personnel manual. He noted that the last update occurred in 1990. • Mr. Pickering stressed the importance of consistency in the accounting area and commended Julie Ghetti on her outstanding effort to create an accounting manual that outlined all of the processes that needed to be followed. • Mr. Pickering commented on the Town's bond rating and said that Moody's tried to judge the financial status of the Town and whether it would be able to continue on in a good manner. He stated that a few years ago, they came in and determined that the Town was not in good shape but this time the review with Moody's went much more smoothly. He said they looked at the Town's fund balance, which went from approximately $4 million to $6 million and they gave the Town a very positive rating. He reiterated that this was the result of effort and sacrifice on everyone's part. • Mr. Pickering discussed the lawsuit with the Fire District and reported that it was dismissed. • Mr. Pickering reported that Judge Armbruster had a good year and started the Teen Court, a unique operation where young people from high schools come in to review their peers. He said that the Judge should be congratulated on being named to the Arizona Judicial Council Committee on Limited Judicial Court. • A secured contract with the Fire Department was in place and this had not always been the case. The long-term contract was a very favorable one for the Town. He noted that if the Town wanted to get out of the contract, they could do so within a year, while Rural Metro had to give the Town two years. He added that they capped the maximum cost at 5% a year. He stated that structure fires decreased from 38 to 25 and said that this had much to do with ordinances, such as the sprinkler ordinance, and inspections performed by the department. • The Town entered into a longer-term contract, three years, with the Sheriff's Department(contract used to be year-to-year). He commented on the quality of life the Town enjoyed as a result of the Sheriff's Department's work. • The Parks Department had a good year with limited staff. Staff stepped up to the plate and the Council entered into a decision with the State Park and they were now moving forward. The Parks Department & Community Center assisted with the first conference held in the Town attended by student governments from all across the State. • The Community Center had an outstanding year and Samantha Coffman was now running the operation and usage had increased by over 41%. • The Senior Center move was accomplished thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. He commented that instead of just slotting the Senior Center into the new Town Hall, they sat back and looked at the long term and came up with a better solution. • The Little League Baseball tournament was successfully hosted in Fountain Hills after addressing a number of issues and the Parks Department should be proud of themselves. • The Parks Department should also be commended for their construction projects, particularly Brian Hughes on the performance pad. In addition, the children's playground area was really something to be proud of. It enhances the safety of children and allows handicapped children to utilize the equipment. In addition, many citizens of the Town are enjoying the walking path along the lake. The Parks Department also puts on wonderful events and works with the community to accomplish them. • The Public Works Department had a large number of accomplishments, 15 of the larger ones were listed in the handout. In addition, this year the Building Department, which ensures that homes are completed in a safe manner, was rated by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). Their review was thorough and the department received an excellent rating, the same rating bestowed upon the Fire Department. The department also underwent an organizational change and Tom Ward worked 80 hours a week, far too many hours, but he never complained, he just kept on working and working. Mr. Pickering stated that they sat down and looked at Tom's responsibilities and everyone who was reporting to him and determined that too many were reporting to Tom. Effort was expended to diversify that and selected people to head the different divisions to take some of the workload from Tom and to develop a more efficient operation. He said that they increased their organizational capacity by two positions, a new Planning & Zoning Administrator, Richard Turner, who has a vast amount of experience, and John Morast, the Assistant Public Works Director, who has an extreme amount of experience putting together capital improvement programs for streets. • The Hazard Mitigation Plan was completed by Mr. Ward and the Stormwater Management Plan was also completed. • In the Planning Department, the difficult A-frame sign issue was finally put away and a wonderful sign ordinance was in place. • The entire Public Works Department was accident free this year. Unfortunately, last year there was a very bad accident. Street Department employees hold the most dangerous position in municipalities and he commended that department for this accomplishment. • The election was a very clean one, thanks to Town Clerk Bev Bender, and one of the things that was changed was the orientation and information provided to new potential candidates. • Following the budget process, five goals were established that everyone agreed upon: (1) the need to do a water analysis; (2) the need to complete a succession plan; (3) the need to get on top of the State trust land; (4) the need to complete the start of the Strategic Plan and (5) the need to get lined up with fire service in case the Town's contractor pulled out. Mr. Pickering stated that each quarter he presents the Council with an overview of where they stand. He noted that last year all seven Councilmembers identified the following goal to be accomplished—a fire contingency plan. The Council recognized the importance of pursuing this matter and protecting the safety of the citizens in the Town. He stated that they had been looking at costs and various options and were six months into the plan. They also met with representatives from Fort McDowell and were working on a mutual aid agreement. In addition, they met with the Rio Verde Fire District and were working on an agreement and several meetings had been held with the City of Scottsdale to discuss a mutual aid agreement and an option existed to contract with them in the future. He emphasized that a contract does exist with Rural Metro but said they were still looking at the future. Mr. Pickering stated that they were putting together the costs for a municipal department and said there were costs they had not contemplated such as a $365,000 cost for communications. Mr. Pickering reported that Rural Metro had hired a new Fire Chief with an extensive, professional background. • A facilitator had been hired for the Strategic Plan and the kickoff meeting would be held on the 29`h. He noted that this project would not be possible were it not for the efforts, experience and expertise of the Town's citizens. • The planning for the State Trust Land was beginning and the Town received a letter from the State Land Commissioner outlining the process to be followed. It was staffs intention to work very closely with them to ensure that the plan was proper for the Town and that the land was eventually brought into Fountain Hills. • In regards to the Town's Succession Plan, Mr. Pickering explained that this was an analysis of the organization to determine where weaknesses existed should someone retire, die, or quit. He spoke in support of the plan and noted that it had already helped the Town in terms of planning. He estimated that Ms. Macintosh would have this completed by April. • A water analysis,conducted by Ms. Ghetti, was complete. Mr. Pickering noted that a variety of other goals and projects existed but the ones listed above were the ones identified by the Council last year as priorities for staff to pursue. He said that he spends most of his time on the Strategic Plan and the Fire Contingency Plan. He indicated his willingness to respond to any questions. Mr. Latshaw advised that Accounting Supervisor Julie Ghetti would now provide a financial overlook, a snapshot in time, for the Town of Fountain Hills. Ms. Ghetti referred to handouts distributed to the Council and stated that her report would address where they stood after six months. She added that she wanted to qualify that all of the information is still not in since the Town does not collect its own taxes, they are collected by the State and the information from the December collections would not be received until the end of January. Therefore, some of the numbers of the State Shared Revenues only reflected five months. She noted that as of the end of December, revenues had exceeded expenditures by about $1 million in the General Fund and $128,000 in the Streets Fund. The General Fund revenues were about 93% of the Town's six-month budget and again this accounted for only five months of some of the major revenues. Expenditures were at 80% of where staff predicted they would be at six months but there were some significant large expenditures that were going to occur in the last six months of the year, the largest being the transfer from the General Fund over to the Capital Projects Fund at the end of the fiscal year. In addition, there were some major road projects that would not be accomplished until the second half of the year. Ms. Ghetti noted that of all of the revenues for the six months, $6 million, 91% of it came from five key revenues sources: the local sales tax on State shared revenues and included in that were building permits (considered one- time costs). She added that $850,000 had been collected in six months and staff was projecting that they were going to beat what was budgeted. In local sales tax, $3 million, 21% of that was from construction, again one-time costs. She commented on the total revenues of $6.5 million for the six-month period and referred to charts that showed revenues compared to last fiscal year, a breakdown of the local sales tax ($3 million) with the construction activities at 21%. She noted that the $650,000 for six months ($1.3 for an entire year) would eventually dwindle away. She discussed retail activity and said with the new center on Shea, the amount had increased to 38%. Discussion ensued relative to General Fund expenditures for the six-month period by department and the fact that every department was at or below budget; General Fund expenditures by category and the fact that they were well below the budget but in the contingency fund, nothing had been expended but they anticipated the funds would be spent in the last half of the year; the fact that the General Fund makes up 65% of all of the revenues for the Town and the other restrictive funds make up the other 35%; the increased fund balance (almost $7.5 million), which would decrease as major expenditures were made in the last half of the year; fees; the Town's excise tax; Civic Center and Mountain bonds; the fact that staff anticipated that for the rest of the year revenues would meet the budget and General Fund expenditures were likely to be a little bit less than budgeted (5 to 10% savings) and some excess fund balance would be available to transfer to the Capital Projects Fund and staffs opinion that overall the Town's revenues had stabilized and would remain stabilized over the next few years. Mr. Pickering referred to the handout distributed to the Council containing staffs ideas without budgeting and research but said that would all occur between now and April. He said they wanted to let the Council know that these were some of the areas that they thought they were going to be moving in and if there were major concerns about certain ones, staff would like that input at this time. He added, however, that staff also understood that it was not fair to expect the Council to make a decision at this time because they did not have all the facts but said this was just a"heads up." Mr. Pickering noted that one of the items of concern for him was the fire situation and how Scottsdale was going to handle it. He said he definitely wanted to watch that whole situation and monitor what occurs. Councilwoman Nicola commented on the lack of police and fire employees who lived in the Town itself and said it would be nice to develop some sort of incentive program to attract local public safety workers. Mr. Pickering said he believed this was a valid comment and one of the items that they planned to discuss at this meeting. Mayor Nichols commented that he put on his list that the Town should consider an affordable housing policy as .400 they wend forward because there were opportunities that existed to utilize tax credits for this purpose. He requested that this issue be added to list of topics to be discussed later on in the meeting. Mr. Pickering noted that the State trust land was going to be a lot of work and a difficult process since the Town did not have a lot of authority in the area. He added that he was also concerned with staff levels and how much work staff was being asked to do. He said that this was always a difficult issue but he watched for signs and stress levels. Mr. Pickering stated that when things went wrong, it was not the person's fault, nine out of ten times it was the system's fault, not enough training, etc. He stressed the importance of laying out the projects properly for staff to follow and having the necessary amount of staff to provide the expected level of service. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that the health of the State affects the state of the Town; concerns that State shared revenues would go away and the negative impacts that would occur as a result of losing 25% of the Town's budget; the importance of being self-sufficient and not depending on other entities to succeed, i.e. their own property tax, sales tax, building permits; etc.; the fact that construction permits generated 21% of the Town's budget and anticipated impacts when construction declined; concerns regarding economic development programs for the Fort McDowelUYavapai Nation and whether the Town was working with them in an effort to ensure that their development would be complementary to the Town's as opposed to being competitive; the importance of the Town's Economic Development Coordinator remaining in constant touch with them to discuss this issue and be part of the process; the importance of relationship building; and the 2005 Census and the importance of ensuring that the count was taken at the right time. (Mr.Latshaw declared a brief break at 9:10 a.m. and the meeting reconvened at 9:20 a.m.) Mr. Latshaw discussed "net new goals" and said that the Council had created 48 discussion items and staff had provided an organizational/operation agenda and some of them were going to overlap. He said the key was to determine what they were and whether they were key priorities. He stated that staff did not have the operational capacity to take on 20 net new goals. They had their day-to-day responsibilities and a long laundry list of intended goals so it was going to be important to identify the key goals that were going to have to be overlaid over staff s capacity to be carried out in Fiscal Year 2005-06. He referred to staffs proposed goals as outlined on pages 8 through 10 of the Retreat Booklet and asked the Council to consider the following questions: Did they, as Council, need clarification of any goals? Were there any questions or areas of disagreement? Was there anything important for staff to convey to Council regarding the goals? Were there going to be any net new expenditures or staff required as a result of the goals? And which could be identified as key goals? Mr. Latshaw advised that they would begin with the Department of Administration and asked whether Council preferred to review each one individually or simply go by department with questions being responded to as raised. It was determined that they would be reviewed item by item. In response to a question from Councilman Kavanagh,Mr. Mayer responded that a number of trails would be ADA (Americans With Disabilities) compliant, specifically parking areas and spots that allowed a view of the Town, but noted that it was understood that there were some areas that simply could not become ADA compliant without major investment and detracting from why the people went there in the first place(trails, overlooks,etc.). He added that because most of the Town's facilities were fairly new,ADA was built in and the older ones would require time and effort to come into compliance. Vice Mayor Archambault asked whether the law had changed over a period of time and whether the Town was under a time constraint. Mr. Mayer responded that the law had not changed a lot but there was an effort at the national level to meet the standards, whether or not they were off by a quarter of an inch. They were determining a specific range and if they fell within that range adjustments would not be required. He said that the law had been somewhat "relaxed." He stated that they were subject to a timeline and said staff put a plan together and presented it to ADA who accepted it. He added that staff had indicated to them that major items must go through a budget process and the longest time they had was through the next fiscal year. Mr. Latshaw referred to goal number two, close out buildings A, B and C and move into a new Town Hall and asked if there were any questions relative to this item. Mr. Pickering commented that this would require patience because a lot of change was going to occur. In response to a request for a definition of long-term investment, Ms. Ghetti responded that currently it was not more than a year and staff would like to extend that to perhaps two years in order to obtain a better investment. obtain a better interest rate. Mr. Pickering noted that the Town of Prescott, whenever they had not spent their budget for the year, put the money into their capital fund and that was how they built up their capital fund so the money would be available when the big projects came along. Mayor Nichols commented that Paradise Valley also put money aside so that when a big street project came along, they had the funding in place to take care of it. Regarding the Implementation of the Succession Plan,Mr. Pickering explained that this entailed hiring personnel to be groomed into positions that would be emptied. He said that staff would prepare one report and outline the areas where they anticipated problems would occur in the future as a result of staff leaving. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that many of the positions would be filled by new hires rather than assistants groomed to fill the positions. Councilman Kavanagh commented on some of the problems they had when Paul Nordin passed away and said he believed the spirit of the request was to have people who were prepared to temporarily fill in, not that they could not apply,but there were no guarantees that the person filling in would automatically fill the position. There were no questions regarding Goal#5,develop a comprehensive grant-writing program. Regarding Goal#6—to complete the Strategic Planning process by the beginning of 2006,Mr. Latshaw commented that was an"overlap item"that would be discussed later on in the meeting. Goal # 7 —to provide live video tape of Town Council meetings was another "overlap item" to be discussed later on. Mr. Pickering noted that staff wanted to have live broadcasts and concurred that the meetings were currently live on the web. Councilman Kavanagh asked whether efforts would be expended to involve the video high school students and Mr. Pickering responded that they tried that at one point and it really did not work out but staff would look at that as the process went forward. Goal#8—to provide credit card payments for municipal services. Ms. Ghetti explained that there would be a slight reduction in revenue unless a fee for accepting credit cards was charged. Mr. Latshaw stated that they would now move on to the Municipal Court and item #1, to participate on a limited basis in a collection program called FAIR. He asked whether there would be any new expenditure for the Town involved with the program and was told there would not be. Mayor Nichols noted that there is $400,000 outstanding at this time and asked whether this item would help collect the monies that were due the Town. He was informed that it would. In response to a question from Councilman Kehe as to the outstanding amount, Judge Armbruster advised that it was a reflection of individual cases and if individuals indicated an inability to pay, a determination was made as to the appropriate way to collect. If they did not pay, the enforcement measures available to the court kick in (orders to show cause,etc.). In response to a request from Councilwoman Nicola, the Judge discussed the consistent program that was in place to help the courts deal with collection and enforcement issues. He also stressed the importance of reducing outstanding debts and explained TIPS, (Tax Intercept Program)the interception of tax refunds to enhance collection efforts. Moving on to the new digital recording system to replace the outdated system,Judge Armbruster commented on the importance of having a good operating system in place. Discussion ensued relative to the Fire Department's goals and Councilman Kavanagh requested additional information on goal #2, to work with the Facilities Office and an architect to remodel Fire Station #1; Chief Zimmerman responded that the station was approximately 14 years old and in need of cosmetic/internal upgrades as well as ADA issues; a hazard risk assessment; the fact that Southwest might request another ambulance bay rather than an entire station; the fact that if the Town went with Southwest Ambulance, the ambulances should be dedicated emergency ambulances and not used for non-emergency transfers; the fact that Southwest now had 30 to 40 ambulances that were only used for non-emergency calls and they were drawn into the emergency side when Illy, needed; a number of homes that would be aging at the same time and the fact that most of the hazard risk was for commercial properties while residential properties, unless they were very closely located, were more of a stand alone issue. There was no discussion regarding Item #1 or #2 under the Sheriff's Office. Regarding traffic safety equipment (#3), staff advised that they were receiving an inordinate amount of calls from residents complaining about vehicles speeding on local streets and they believed the situation was getting "out of hand." Discussion ensued relative to speed trailers, which the Marshall's office had on a grant, and it turned out that there was still one available. With the assistance of Julie Ghetti, paperwork was submitted to get the "smart trailer" back up and usable and the program is to put them in neighborhoods to do traffic enforcement along with unmarked cars to slow down traffic in residential neighborhoods. As this occurs, an opportunity would arise to educate the public on the dangers of speed and hopefully reduce the number of accidents within the community. Councilwoman Nicola asked whether a need existed for a DUI taskforce on Shea during holiday weekends and Captain Kleinheinz said that although it had not become an issue, they certainly could do so. He added that rather than a holiday; he would be inclined to select a summer weekend to pick up the traffic going to and from the lake and the river. Additional discussion ensued relative to vandalism and proposed efforts to curtail it, including working with the Boys&Girls Club. Parks & Recreation - #1, Use of the Community Center, Councilman Kavanagh commented that he continued to receive complaints, particularly from non-profits in Town, regarding the rates and although they did not mind paying a certain amount for the room, they objected to being charged extra for items such as a sound system or projector. He said that perhaps the advisory committee could look at the overall package and perhaps non-profits could be exempted from paying for the extra items. He added that he had no problem with the commercial rates that were charged for events such as wedding receptions. His concern was that more than one non-profit group had told him that they were not going to use the Community Center Ballroom again and would use less expensive venues outside of Town. He stated that he found this very disturbing because the large non-profit functions should take place in Town. He requested that this item be looked into as well. Discussion ensued relative to ensuring that all non-profit organizations were treated fairly; the fact that fees were compared to other municipalities at on an annual basis; the possibility of increasing fees so that additional costs for items such as recording systems and microphones were borne by everyone; the fact that during more difficult financial times, everyone "tightened their belts" and the groups accepted the cuts but now that the Town was doing better, perhaps they should revert to doing business on a more hometown, friendly basis; the fact that the resident rate was half of the commercial rate; the opinion that the extra charges were annoyance fees and should be built into the overall cost; complaints regarding the high cost of alcoholic beverages served at the Center; Councilman Kehe's finding that teenagers wanted a place of their own in which to congregate (Items 2 & 3 under Parks & Recreation and Item 1 under the Sheriff's Department) and questioned what was being done in that regard; his opinion that this issue should be addressed; the Mayor's comment that as part of the Strategic Planning Process, a youth group was included and they would be given the opportunity to articulate their needs; programs related to high school students and the possibility of expanding programs/events; comments from youths relative to expanded programs being offered in the Community Center; and the fact that the rule at the Boys & Girls Club programs was that if youths leave the facility they could not return that same night. Mr. Latshaw asked the Council whether this item, Youth Programs, was something they view as a "must do" in 2005-06 and should it be carried over and added on to their list of topics. He asked for a show of hands and noted L. that there was significant interest in rolling this over and discussing the item further this afternoon. Mr. Pickering noted that the items listed in the report were items that staff intended to pursue and they were asking Council to either tell them not to do certain items or to add additional items. Mr. Latshaw commented that the outcome they should desire from the retreat was to be able to articulate to the community what the key priorities of the Council were for Fiscal Year 2005-06. Councilman Kehe stated that the Strategic Plan was the "overlay" and would not be completed until December 2005 and not implemented until sometime beyond that. In the meantime, they had July 1 through the end of the year to deal with. He said they had to be careful in setting the goals and keep in mind that they had a Strategic Plan for the public to come up with and an immediate need in the meantime to address. He stated that they needed to separate the two. Mr. Latshaw noted that the next item was the skate park and said that this item was also included on the Council's list. In response to a request from Councilman Kavanagh, Mr. Mayer outlined Desert Vista Phase II and Four Peaks Phase II and future phases that called for signage, lighting, flower garden areas, etc. He advised that irrigation could not take place until other work had been completed, at least two more years. Discussion ensued relative to creating more connectivity for sidewalks for schools and expand from there as well as making areas more ADA accessible; the fact that a Sidewalk Master Plan had always been in place and there was a need to improve it; the possibility of pursuing grants; implementing the sign ordinance and Councilman Kavanagh's comment that he received a packet from someone showing some of the yard sale signs and asked whether they could discuss that later on as well as the scheduling of code enforcement, particularly on weekends; the fact that yard sale signs were scheduled for the agenda of an upcoming work session; adding on to the Town's directional signs as well as block addressing; street maintenance and Zone "A" and the fact that it was located in the northeast area of Town; and the fact that the street maintenance system was computerized, but only as good as the information that was inputted. In response to a request from Councilman Kehe relative to housing issues and inspections,Mr. Pickering stated that when occupancy turned over, normally inspections occurred and this would be the point where the Town would inspect as well and also ensure that the necessary changes were actually made. He said this was something they were just beginning to look at and added that the Strategic Plan would have an impact on this area as well. Councilwoman Nicola commented on un-permitted and un-inspected activities that occurred within the Town and the fact that new buyers might be compromised. Councilman Kavanagh stated the opinion that the proposal appeared invasive to him and recommended that the issue be discussed at a workshop. Mr. Pickering responded that staff at this point was merely looking at the legal pros and cons and added that although this might not be the answer, the entire region had to take a serious look at this issue because they were going to deteriorate at the same time. He noted that there was always going to be another Fountain Hills. He stressed the importance of discussing how they could prevent that deterioration from occurring within the community. Councilman McMahan asked whether any discussion had taken place regarding the placement of a traffic light at Saguaro and Panorama. Mr. Ward responded that numerous studies had been conducted on this area. He noted that concerns had been expressed regarding the businesses along that section and said it was a work in progress at this point. He reported that the numbers indicated that accidents happened periodically but overall it was fine. Mr. Latshaw noted that members of the Council indicated that there were items that they would like added to the list and asked if at this point he could get some indication of what those items were so they could be added to the list. Mayor Nichols stated that as they went forward he felt it was incumbent upon them to prepare a comprehensive environmental initiative and said he would like to see the Town put together a program that dealt with water conservation, energy conservation, noise and light pollution, and air quality. He stressed the importance of dealing with issues such as how to encourage citizens to conserve water. He added that they could look at all of the vehicles in the Town being hybrids where possible, recycling, centralized garbage control, placing timers on lights, etc. He questioned whether they should look at noise pollution and a no-smoking policy in public policies. He stated that if they wanted to improve the quality of life in the community, this was the time to put together a comprehensive environmental initiative. Additional discussion ensued relative to the importance of looking at "workforce housing" that would produce %r, quality housing for people who worked in Fountain Hills and wanted to live here; Councilwoman Nicola requested that development fees and implementation as well as revising the business and liquor license policies be further addressed; the Mayor's comment that he had heard that the State of Arizona was currently looking at putting a transaction fee on the sale of housing and his opinion that if the State was going to do that, the Town should tag along, but if the State was not, then it was a dead issue; and Councilman Kavanagh's suggestion that they discuss reducing the sales tax and the fact that this item was already listed for discussion. Mr. Latshaw noted that there was now a list of 5 lgoals that had been identified and stated that the next step was to discuss each one in order to narrow them down to the items that were most important. He said they were going to categorize the items as "must do," "should do," (if human and fiscal resources allowed); "desirable," (not a priority but something they would like to do); and other items that might be better suited for a workshop, such as staffing items. He added that by a show of hands they would endeavor to identify the different categories in an effort to develop a manageable list. Councilman Kavanagh suggested that they add an additional category "don't do" and Mr. Latshaw concurred that this should be added to the list. (Mr.Latshaw recessed the meeting at 11:00 a.m. and the meeting reconvened at 11:20 a.m.) Mr. Latshaw discussed the process of shortening the list of items into a reasonable number and noted that they were not voting as a member of Council to say that was actually what they were going to do, this was a process they were going through to categorize the various areas and they were voting to say the item belonged in a specific category. He added that they will eventually arrive at a list of"must do's"and "should do's,"perhaps 25 or 30, and then they will go through a process much like they did last year of prioritizing the various items and bringing them 41100 down to a manageable form. Mr. Pickering commented that Councilman Kavanagh's suggestion for an additional "don't do" category was already in place. Additional discussion ensued relative to Balancing the Budget — Current & Future Revenue Projections and Councilwoman Nicola clarified that the issue was not so much balancing the budget as it was contingency plans should things go haywire during this legislative session and State shared revenues were hit or sales tax revenues were down and the fact that this item was discussed under Items 4 & 5 and was something the Town was already looking at; community revenue and taxation issues and Councilman Kehe's comment that they should not preempt the outcome of the Strategic Plan; the fact that construction related revenue was at a near end and needed to be addressed as part of the Strategic Plan; the Mayor's comment that as Councilman Kavanagh stated, should they be looking at ways to reduce taxes rather than increase them; the fact that item #3 is a component of the Strategic Planning process; #4 Examine the sales tax policy, and Councilman Kavanagh's opinion that if the general revenues increased to the point where there were excesses beyond what was reasonable to spend,they would have a surplus that they could use to reduce the sales tax; Councilwoman Nicola's comments that if they saw that the 1% dedicated for fire services was reduced, a discussion should be held as to whether the difference should be put into a capital fund for public safety and as they reviewed the bed tax and the bar and restaurant taxes to see whether they were in line with other communities, her question whether or not there was a consensus to not look narrowly at the 1% but rather look at it overall; the fact that the Council implemented the 1% sales tax that supports fire services and they made a promise to the citizens that the 1% sales tax would be used for that purpose; a request that a comprehensive analysis of the Town's sales tax policy take place to determine how the funds should be utilized appropriately. Item#6—Contingency reserve fund policy. Vice Mayor Archambault said that they were experiencing better times and he believed they should start thinking about setting a certain percentage of their revenue aside in the reserve fund for future occurrences. He said he was talking about taking a certain amount of revenues and setting it aside every year of the budget and building up a reserve so when there were slow times, these monies could be used to transition them. Mayor Nichols stated that under this year's proposed goals (Item #3, Administration), surplus funds could be transferred into the capital funds so it could be used for those projects down the road. Discussion ensued relative to development fees and business licenses; Ms. Ghetti's comment that staff was very close to going to a work session to discuss liquor license fees (March or April) and not much progress had been made on business license fees since staff had been working on the development fee portion of it; her opinion that next year they would look at the business license fee structure; the alternative for administering the Eagle Mountain CFD and the fact that the statute provided that a small group of ownership came in and the Council agreed to provide this mechanism and became the board for the taxing district and after development there was a group of homeowners within the district who should have some local control; the fact that in Eagle Mountain they were a couple acres shy of being able to take ownership and control; the fact that a change in law might be required; Mayor Nichols commented that the administration could be changed to someone else without changing the law and Mr. Pickering's intention to pursue that issue; Councilwoman Nicola's opinion that the homeowners' association be the board rather than the Council, which was not currently allowed by law; Councilwoman Nicola's opinion that they needed to determine the true costs involved; and Counsel's comment that a CFD was basically an infrastructure financing mechanism that allowed a developer to take the immediate infrastructure costs of building a community and the ongoing costs after it was built and roll those into separate political subdivisions that then had taxing authority to collect money to pay for retiring debt on the infrastructure and the ongoing costs. Councilman Kavanagh stated that at the current time they, as the people who administered it, knew that everything that should be done was being done and asked what would happen if they passed it onto the homeowners' associations and they did not properly take care of the infrastructure. He asked what the Town's legal recourse would be. Mr. McGuire responded that the political problem they might have was insufficient monies to fund the streets because they did not tax themselves properly. Councilman Kavanagh questioned why they would want to give the people that power. Mr. Pickering agreed with Councilman Kavanagh and said although a default on the homeowners' part would not affect the Town's bond rating, there were still bonds that had to be paid and that would fall upon the Town. Mr. Latshaw stated that in order to address this matter, it appeared some kind of legislative initiative would have to occur. He asked whether at this junction the Council felt that this was something that must be done and by a show of hands determined that it was not. The issue of ingress/egress from Shea Boulevard was brought forward and Councilman Kehe said the matter went further than Shea Boulevard. He noted that they had a population that would approach 30,000 people and they had basically ingress/egress from Shea Boulevard or they could go to Mesa and come up 87 or take 87 north or if they wanted to get to Dynamite Road they could take McDowell Mountain Road to Rio Verde. He stated the opinion that there should be some planning to open up an additional route, the most obvious being Via Linda. He added that he did not know whether this could happen, but the problem did exist and must be addressed. He stated that they needed a better entrance and exit from their community. Councilman Kavanagh commented that he believed he was the only person on the Council when this was discussed and said that Via Linda was always supposed to come up to Fountain Hills. He added that there were some objections from Scottsdale residents who lived at the termination point who did not want extra traffic and when Scottsdale asked for input from the Town Council, the Council said, "Don't put it through." He stated that he was the only one who voted to put the road through. He added that it was his understanding that certain construction had occurred that now made it impossible for the road to come through. It was determined that the question of ingress/egress from more than just Shea Boulevard was a desirable item. Mr. Pickering noted that the only option available was to connect across Fort McDowell across the Beeline and extending to Power(across Salt River). He stated that it would be difficult but that was the only other option. Mr. Latshaw said that this item did not appear at this time to be a high priority and added that they would now take a lunch break. The meeting recessed at 12:00 Noon and reconvened at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Latshaw stated that they would now address topic #11, Fire/Ambulance Use. Councilman Kavanagh said that this item was in progress. Councilwoman Nicola said in regard to ongoing conversation about whether or not to use four staff members on the trucks, she wanted to know whether this was something the Council should engage in or whether it was a management function and something that the Town Manager and contract negotiators should decide upon. Staff advised that if it was part of the contract then it was a management decision. Councilwoman Nicola added that it also transferred into other things like mutual aid and whether or not neighboring communities that had this policy in place would expect them to also have it in place. Mr. Pickering responded that Scottsdale stations near the Town only had three people manning their trucks and said that the whole issue was pushed by Rural Metro. They were the ones who decided to go this route, at least during their initial discussions. He stated that if they could get more people at less cost, why not proceed. Councilman Kavanagh commented that the issue was complicated and had a lot of history. He noted that at one time Rural Metro was saying only three people were needed and he was surprised that now they were the ones touting four. He added that Scottsdale, which said they were going to have four, was now only going to have three in the suburban areas. He said it was something staff could look into but ultimately the Council was going to have to make a decision on. He expressed the opinion that new homes with sprinklers did not need 4 and perhaps they should sit down with Rural Metro and ask why they were doing this now. He added that maybe they should have three on all of the engines but put an extra person on the quick response truck. He said that this should be an open issue and he would not like to see 4 people on a truck before the issue came before the Council. Mr. Pickering stated that this was a discussion that would be further pursued. Councilwoman Nicola said that during the budget session last year, the Council was hit with a last minute decision as to school resource officers and suggested that they go into it a little more proactively and know what the options were and how they wanted it to go. Discussion ensued relative to Items 12 and 13 being in progress; #14, partnering with developers to develop south side Avenue of the Fountains; Councilman Kehe's comment that it depended upon the ongoing negotiations; Mayor Nichols statement that the developer was still interested and negotiations continued; the fact that "partnering" was the interest in having some architectural consistency or coordinating with developers on both sides;the fact that this item was in progress; #15, commercial properties and whether they should be rezoned for other uses and Councilman Kehe paraphrased a recent newspaper article that stated "the future of Fountain Hills is redevelopment;" and the Town had too much commercial property that should be zoned for something else; Mr. Pickering's response that that was a fallacy and 4% of the Town's land was dedicated for industrial/commercial in the General Plan. He noted that typically that number was 15 to 20%. Councilwoman Nicola commented that she had been wondering whether instead of rezoning commercial to something else they should be looking at areas where they needed development overlay or aesthetic improvement. She said as a Town she would hope they could come together with some program to encourage redevelopment and aesthetically improve some of the Town's commercial areas. This was determined to be a"don't do"item. Item #16, Downtown Development — Creation of a District Geographical Master Plan. Councilwoman Nicola noted that fees were being collected and projects had been funded but there was no geographical boundary of the downtown area and what it included. Mayor Nichols said that they talked about that when they talked about the redevelopment of the Avenue of the Fountains and its theme, which should be consistent to pull the whole area together. Mr. Pickering commented that that was a very good idea but said they needed to get the Avenue of the Fountains done first. He noted that they had an extensive downtown plan before and he did not want them to get into another big plan and not have it go forward. Councilwoman Nicola stated that they had ongoing revenues and expenses but no plan and certain businesses were being assisted by the Downtown Development Coordinator. Mr. Pickering pointed out that although the Coordinator works on that, she also focused elsewhere. Councilwoman Nicola said that she believed it was important to have an idea of the geographical boundaries where the monies would be spent and Mr. Pickering stated that this could be done. Councilman Kavanagh said that integration of the downtown area outside of the Avenue of the Fountains had always been important and should continue to be but he would like to scratch terms like "district geographic master 41 plan" because they did not know what that was and even to suggest that would make people who owned commercial lots in the downtown area get real worried about what plans we had to restrict them was ridiculous. He said that downtown development was something they wanted to explore. Mayor Nichols clarified that the process was ongoing and they were looking at a contract to come up with a design for Avenue of the Fountains. Councilwoman Nicola stressed that identifying the geographical area was crucial so that the funds that were being collected for that specific area would go towards that specific area. Mr. Latshaw said he was hearing that downtown development was ongoing and defining the specific boundaries of the downtown area was imperative. It was the consensus of the Council that this was something they should do. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that Items #17 and #18 were ongoing, should be combined, were also a "must" and a goal statement should be developed; #19 Supporting Fountain Hills' School District in the K through 3 over-ride and Mayor Nichol's opinion that if the Town was trying to maintain a premier position in the State, any time they could get more monies into the school system they should do so to improve the quality of education of their youths; #20, Strong relationships with Scottsdale/Fort McDowell and the Salt River Pima Indian Community and the fact that the Mayor has had conversations with a couple Scottsdale Councilmembers and the Mayor who indicated that they would like to get together with the Council and talk about common issues and working together; Mayor Nichols comment that he also has had conversations with McDowell Yavapai Nation and they too would like to get together to share common concerns; the importance of interaction with those communities; the consensus of the Council that this was an item that they "should do" and the fact that a specific goal statement would be written do address it; and a suggestion from Councilmember Kavanagh that staff for both sides of the meetings meet well beforehand to define the topics that they mutually agreed to discuss and make sure that factual informational packets were provided to them on the topics Mr. Latshaw asked what the status was of the mountain preserve and was advised that it was "in progress." As far as the State land annexation, Councilman Kavanagh commented that it was "in slow progress" and Councilman Kehe added that any statement of goals for FY 2005-06 should contain this item. Council consensus was that this item was a "must." The preservation of trailhead project completion and advancement was determined to be "in progress." The completion of Fountain Park amenities was "in progress" as well. The master plan for Town parks other than Fountain Park was discussed and staff advised that funds were budgeted this year to update the master plan. Mr. Pickering commented that the goal was to add new park land. Mr. Latshaw also discussed the master plan for the downtown and Town park and the Mayor said he would like to expand this to include the building of a new parking garage for the Town(five"should"and two"desirable.") Discussion ensued relative to directing staff to undertake a long-term parking study; splash park completion, "in progress;" skate park property "in progress;" trail/sidewalk parking master plan and Councilwoman Nicola's suggestion that they remove the words "master plan" and that they focus on a plan for walking and biking, non- motorized traffic around the town in a safe and efficient manner; the development of a Town-wide multi-use paths study; an infrastructure plan (#31) and Councilman Kehe's opinion that this was part of the Strategic Planning and "in progress;"gaining greater access and utilization of volunteers and Councilman Schlum's opinion that there was room for improvement in this area; the fact that pursuing this item was considered "desirable" by a majority of the Council; continuing education opportunities for seniors, more activities based on volunteers; the possibility of having a satellite Rio Salado campus for senior citizens ("in progress;") grant writing and public information staffing needs and the fact that there were continuing public information needs; Councilman Kavanagh's comment that the Council's last direction to staff was to try and get some volunteers for public information and explore a grant on a commission basis so the item was "in progress;" Mr. Pickering's response that a volunteer public information officer was hired and she stayed about two or three months and the fact that she was the only person they could talk into taking on the task; the temporary positives witnessed as a result of the volunteer's efforts, which reinforced the need for that position. Mr. Pickering commented that the Council had discussed grant writing and said if they wanted that to occur they had to put money towards that because they did not have anyone with the expertise to carry out public information responsibilities and grant writing. He said he didn't know whether they could find one person who could fulfill both of those requirements but stated the opinion that they should focus on public information first because if someone could carry out that job, they could probably do a satisfactory job as far as grants. Mayor Nichols stated that he saw this as developing a public information and grant writing program and then they would have to look at how this is going to be done. It was determined to be a"must do." Councilman Kehe commented on #35, analyzing the Town Manager's position, and stated that he felt it was a weakness to their approach to attempt to define the job before they showed there was a need. He said when he talked about the Town Manager's position, he was looking at it in a positive sense and questioned whether they were asking someone to carry out a job that was beyond the time allowed and ability and should the position be supplemented in some way. He suggested that an analysis of that position be conducted. Mr. Pickering, in response to Councilman Schlum's question, said that basically they were looking at how much work was done, how much needed to be done and how much time was spent with the different segments. He stated that staff could do that. Councilwoman Nicola suggested that this be discussed at a work study or executive session so that the Council and the Manager could privately talk in perhaps a half year follow up to the review process before they made it part of a budget. Councilman Kavanagh said that he believed this was an attempt to again bring up discussions about hiring an assistant town manager, which they just rejected, and therefore he would categorize this as a"don't do." Discussion ensued relative to Item#36, employee turnover analysis, and the point was made that there were some key positions in Town that had continually turned over, particularly in the building department; the Vice Mayor's comment that if there was anything the Council could do to "shore up" the Town Manager's position and alleviate some of the Town staffs turnover, he would like to pursue that; the fact that exit interviews were conducted as an ongoing endeavor; Councilwoman Nicola's comment that people typically did not want to "burn bridges" and might be hesitant to be completely honest; the fact that this was an administrative issue and a professional human relations staff member worked on issues such as this. Regarding#37, Council/Staff relations, Councilman Schlum said that he had not personally built relationships with staff and stated that he would like to have the opportunity to do so. Mayor Nichols suggested that the title be changed to Council/Commission relations and said they had a very good meeting with the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Community Center Advisory Commission and even the Planning & Zoning Commission has asked to get together to talk about issues. Councilwoman Nicola commented on the "disconnection" that existed among the Commissions and Council. Mr. Latshaw commented that fostering the relationship between the Council and Commissions would ensure that everyone was "on the same page." It was determined that this item was a "must do." Under the category Understanding the limitation of being a Councilmember, Councilman Kavanagh stressed the importance of the Council and staff communicating to the public that being a sole Councilmember did not give them the power to solve every issue brought to their attention. He said it was important to communicate that each Councilmember was only one seventh of a legislative body. Councilman Kavanagh stated that this should be categorized as informal direction to everyone and the rest of the Council concurred. He added that staff should take some steps to procedurally and administratively ensure that what happened with the Christmas lights, from a public relations viewpoint and the way it was communicated,did not reoccur. Councilwoman Nicola commented that they could hire a hundred public information officers but if they did not communicate with one another as leaders and staff, issues such as that will still occur. She stated that what happened was not that the public was not made aware of what was going on, it was the fact that decisions were being made independent of full consideration of past and current events. She stressed the importance of open communication with one another and said all too often she had learned about issues by reading the paper or cattending the Mayor's Coffee and said a better forum for communicating must be established. Councilman Kavanagh expressed the opinion that communication was only part of the problem and said there were decision making and accountability problems as well. He said that staff was aware of this issue and it had been referred to them. Discussion ensued relative to pay scales for 2005-06 and it was stated that pay scales would be reviewed every year as an administrative action; staffing policy and advisory commissions and the fact that this issue had been addressed; election date timing and the Council's concurrence that this should be a workshop item; establishing a funding policy for community contributions and Councilwoman Nicola's comment that in the past non-profit and other groups had come to the Town requesting community assistance for various programs and there had never been a consistent policy in place to receive/review applications and determine needs; her opinion that the time had come for the Council to establish a policy regarding community contributions and create some type of criteria for an application process so that everyone was "on the same page;" the fact that along with the application,the groups would be required to submit a budget and/or explain how the funds would be utilized; the importance of accountability in this area and Councilwoman Nicola's opinion that it was time that the Town followed what other communities were doing in this area and set up a professional process. It was decided that this be categorized as "should do." Regarding Item#45, defining the Town's mission as a service provider, which was raised by Councilman Schlum, Mr. Latshaw said he believed that what Councilman Schlum was saying was that a Town only had so much capacity. He noted that when towns first started up, they provided basic services but as they continued to grow the service provider mechanism continued to grow and the question was whether they should be defining exactly what their mission as a town was. Councilman Kehe stated the opinion that this question should be addressed as part of the strategic planning process and the Council concurred. Discussion ensued relative to #46, business recruitment, and Mr. Latshaw's understanding that in terms of the Town's economic development coordinator's job responsibilities, there was a lot of coordination with the existing merchants but there should be a business recruitment element as well; Councilman Kehe's opinion that this was an area that should be addressed and the importance of providing incentives to attract businesses (environmental, cultural, educational, safety, etc.); the importance of being proactive in business recruitment; the Vice Mayor's opinion that the Town should be proactive and competitive in attracting new businesses; the great job the current Economic Development Coordinator was doing; the fact that years ago the Town and the Chamber of Commerce had a joint economic development committee and funds for recruitment advertising; Councilman Kavanagh's opinion that the downtown movie theatre project would go through and the fact that if it did, there was not really any land to go out and recruit businesses for; the fact that they were not only talking about large businesses, the recruitment would include commercial offices and smaller businesses; Councilwoman Nicola questioned whether business retention and relationships with the community could be part of this and said businesses still felt that they were not being supported and perhaps discussion needed to occur as to why they felt that way and the fact that the Town needed to have a closer relationship with the business community. Councilman Kavanagh expressed the opinion that this was an important issue but noted that they had hired a full time employee whose job was to do this and he believed the process was in progress. The Vice Mayor said he agreed with Councilwoman Nicola that business retention and recruitment were crucial, as well as business relations. He stated that they had to recognize as a Council that Fountain Hills was coming into its own and there were opportunities that the Town must take advantage of. He stressed the importance of enhancing the actions of the Town's Economic Development Director in promoting the Town, recruiting businesses and determining/implementing a business retention policy. It was noted that the installation of directional signage was a work in progress and garage sale signs would be discussed at an upcoming work study session. Mr. Latshaw stated that Item #49, youth programming, was added this morning and Councilwoman Nicola said perhaps they should consider programs for young adults as well, 23, 24 years of age. She questioned whether they could come up with something to target the 16 to 22 year olds and added that it would have a positive impact on the ` community overall. She said she would like to see an evaluation of the appropriate staff members and recommendations come forward. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that last year during the budget process the Council decided to "bump up" funding for programs and the Council could do the same thing during any budget year; Item #50, suggested by the Mayor, which related to a comprehensive environmental initiative; the Mayor's opinion that it was important to identify the Town's position on issues such as water conservation, energy conservation, recycling, noise pollution, etc. and develop a formalized policy statement on what the Town was trying to accomplish in these areas and the fact that the Mayor was not suggesting that they implement the programs right away but rather stressed the importance of identifying the Town's position. Mr. Latshaw asked whether the Mayor was saying they should develop a framework for a comprehensive environmental initiative and the Mayor responded in the affirmative. Councilwoman Nicola commented on the extensive research that would have to be conducted before they could even get to the workshop stage. Councilman Kavanagh stated the opinion that the Town did address the environmental issues that were under the Town's purview,for example,limiting light through sign ordinances, by not putting street lights up in a lot of areas,etc. He added that when they got into the area of water, he believed that was something that was the purview of the County, the State or the Federal government. He said they could obtain all of the informational booklets created by those agencies and distribute them to the community and enforce water conservation regulations. He stated that the Town should not get involved in areas managed by other levels of government. Vice Mayor Archambault noted that he was often asked why the Town did not have a dumpster for people to dispose of their hazardous waste and said he believed there was a way to encourage people to become environmentally sound. He noted that the City of Phoenix has a "brush day" and everyone could take their brush to a site where a company that was contracted with picks it up and makes mulch out of it. He agreed with the Mayor that there was a desire on the part of the community to be more involved in these areas. He added that although he would not like staff to spend a huge amount of time on this issue, he did believe it was something that could be addressed at a work study session. He said there were areas that were not being addressed. Mayor Nichols noted that he attended a State meeting on water conservation and said that the Governor had made water conservation a Statewide issue. He added that the Governor said she would like to see the various cities become more aware of what should be done as far as encouraging water conservation. Mr. Latshaw commented that a lot of communities throughout the country had established Environmental Advisory Commissions to review these types of issues and bring them forward to the Council. He suggested that the Council might want to consider appointing such a commission to look at issues that did not fall under the Town's umbrella. Councilwoman Nicola agreed that this was an important issue but pointed out that it represented another unfunded mandate that would require a huge amount of time to educate the Council. She said if a majority agreed, perhaps they could at least begin the process of educating themselves and put together some strategy and policies. She noted that they did not have to move full steam ahead, but instead could begin with education and move forward as a progressive community. Mr. Latshaw said right now they were talking about developing the framework and if four of the members believed they should move forward on this, the issue would be prioritized and a more refined goal statement would be developed. Councilman Kavanagh recommended that they go with something a little less expansive and definitive, such as "simply explore possible Town actions in the area of conservation." Councilwoman Nicola added that the word "initiative" should be removed and Councilman Kavanagh said the word "comprehensive" could also be eliminated. Mr. Latshaw suggested that they "develop a framework for environmental conservation." Councilman Kehe said that perhaps the Town could add to the conservation messages that entities such as the electric and water companies send out to customers in their monthly bills. He stated that they could develop posters or other information focused on conservation that could go out in the Compass. He commented that people would be more willing to recycle if they didn't have to pay extra money to do it. Councilman Kavanagh suggested that they "expand Town's educational activities in conservation and explore other possible opportunities." Mayor Nichols stated that he had no problem with that and asked whether the Town offices recycled. Councilwoman Nicola responded that they stopped doing that because of the money two years ago. Mr. Pickering commented that if often gets back to the point that money would have to be spent and asked the Council to keep that in mind. It was noted that the effort was going to be expended with the Street Department relative to acquiring more environmentally sensitive vehicles. Councilman Kavanagh explained that the reason he put the word "explore" in the proposed language was sometimes something that appeared to be conserving was really doing more harm than good. He stressed the importance of exploring the different areas before jumping in and developing mandates. Mr. Latshaw asked if they could substitute the word "explore" in place of "develop" and said if it was a priority they could reword the language later on. Councilwoman Nicola added that they could combine that with appropriating dollars during the budget process to accomplish identified goals. Mr. Latshaw distributed sheets to the Council and asked them to provide their input as to this issue. He asked that they place dots next to the items they felt were most important. He noted that there was no criteria other than their good judgment and evaluation of what they believed should be done. He stated the opinion that it should be each member of Council's own judgment, what he or she believed should be priorities. Mr. Latshaw noted that eight dots were #23, six dots were #34, five dots were the combinations of#17 and #18, four dots were#20 and #26, three dots were #46, two dots were #50 and one dot for#16, #37 and #44. He asked whether the Council wanted to remain with #23, #34, #17, #18, #20 and #26 or proceed further down the list and pick up the next item. Councilwoman Nicola said she thought they would delegate that item to the Parks & Recreation Commission and Councilman Kavanagh asked what #46 was. Councilwoman Nicola said she was talking about #26, master plan for additional parks. Discussion ensued among the Council and Mr. Latshaw identified the top five items and said that next they would develop goal statements for those items. Mr. Latshaw noted that last year the Council came up with seven but ended up with five. He referred to#23, State land/trust land annexation, and said it was important to develop a clear goal statement that identified what the Council wanted to accomplish. It was suggested that a draft statement read"Position, strategize, and execute a plan for State and trust land annexations." Councilwoman Nicola suggested that they add the words "community awareness" to the statement. Councilman Kehe recommended that they incorporate the words "timeliness and planning."He explained that timeliness was if they annexed the State trust land after a given point, they would have no opportunity to participate in the plan and would have to take what they were given. He said it was important in the early stage of the process to develop a concept plan and that was what the Town had been pushing for,to be part of the planning process. Mr. Latshaw suggested that they could say "position, strategize and execute a timely concept plan for State and trust land annexations." Councilman Kehe commented that the statement was close and stated that if they annexed land after it had been platted; they would not have any say in the ultimate result. He emphasized that the process must be timely and the Town must be part of the planning process. Discussion ensued relative to wording and it was decided that they would use: "timely and active participation in the planning and annexation of the State trust land." Mr. Latshaw moved on to#34, "Develop a grant writing and public information program." The Council expressed the opinion that the language was direct and clear as is. Mr. Latshaw discussed #17 and #18, "Complete, support and play an active role in the implementation of the strategic planning process." He asked whether the Council wanted to add some language relative to the Council's participation and it was suggested that they add "facilitate and complete the Town's strategic planning process." Mr. Latshaw moved on to#20," Build stronger relationships with Scottsdale, Fort McDowell & Salt River Pima." Discussion ensued regarding the language and it was determined that it would state "develop and carry out an intergovernmental relations and cooperative program with neighboring communities." The Council also discussed Item#26, "Plan for additional parks." Discussion ensued among the Council relative to the language and it was decided that the wording would be "Explore opportunities and make recommendations for meeting the expanding community needs for additional parks and amenities." Councilman Kehe questioned how the proposed language would be translated into a budget title and Mr. Latshaw stated that the budget item was going to be the staff work to do that and whether or not it cost additional funds or it had to be programmed into the regular operational needs, it still remained a budget item. Following a brief ten-minute recess,Mr. Latshaw reconvened the meeting. Mr.Latshaw stated that the following reflects the decisions of the Council relative to goals and language: 1. Timely and actively, participate in the planning and annexation of the State-trust land. 2. Explore opportunities and make recommendations for meeting the expanding community needs for additional parks and amenities. 3. Develop a grant writing public information program. 4. Complete, support and play an active role in implementing the strategic planning process. 5. Develop and carry out an inter-governmental relations and cooperative program with neighboring communities. Mr. Latshaw asked whether the Council would like to add an additional goal. Councilwoman Nicola noted that a number of the goals were continuations of last year's goals. He said they could add the Economic Development Coordinator to the list. Mr. Pickering noted that staff did that anyway and pointed out that a majority of the Council did not deem this to be a priority. Councilwoman Nicola asked why they should limit the number. Mr. Pickering stated that if that was his goal, he would bring the program before the Council, advised them of the cost and at that point there would not be a majority of the Council in support of moving forward. He commented on the wasted time and effort that would occur. Councilman Kavanagh suggested that the language read "continue enhancing business relations and retention." (Goal#6.) The Council concurred with Councilman Kavanagh's suggestion. Mr. Latshaw commented that Executive Assistant Shaunna Williams and Susan Trocki staff performed a great deal of work to ensure the success of the retreat and stated the opinion that the meeting was a positive, productive one. He asked whether the Council had any other topics they wanted to discuss before the session ended. Mayor Nichols thanked Mr.Latshaw for his hard work and said he did a wonderful job guiding the Council through the material and the various issues. The Mayor also thanked staff for their hard work and thanked the owners of the Fountain View Village for allowing them the use of the facility for the retreat. He complimented facility staff on their service and said that the food was excellent. Mr. Latshaw expressed his appreciation to the Council for the opportunity to work with them. AGENDA ITEM#—ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned without objection at 4:30 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNT HILLS By vv W ly Nicho s, ayor ATTESTED AND PREPARED BY: • CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Council Retreat held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 21st day of January 2005. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this_17_day of February, 2005. , )),'lq Bevelyn J. Ber,Thu Clerk j j