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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012.0816.TCRM.Minutesz:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 1 of 11 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL AUGUST 16, 2012 * CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Kavanagh called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. * INVOCATION – Bob Turner, Baha'i Faith of Fountain Hills * ROLL CALL Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor Kavanagh, Councilmember Yates, Vice Mayor Leger, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Elkie and Councilmember Dickey. Town Manager Ken Buchanan, Town Attorney Andrew McGuire and Town Clerk Bev Bender were also present. * MAYOR'S REPORT None. * SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES/PRESENTATIONS Presentation by Carole Groux relating to the activities of the Fountain Hills Coalition. Ms. Groux addressed the Council and provided a brief overview of the Fountain Hills Coalition (presentation available on-line and in the office of the Town Clerk). Ms. Groux stated that their mission is "Through community-wide collaboration, Fountain Hills will work together to reduce substance abuse among youth ages 12-18 and, over time, among adults." Ms. Groux highlighted the State and Local Sectors represented and covered the following points of interest: * Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) - National Coalition Academy * Their Public Health Model * Middle School Ribbon Day * Fountain Hills High School Prevention * Coffees, Fairs, Middle School Madness * Text-A-Tip - Launched in September * Partnering with Schools and the Town * Congressional Visits in Washington, DC * Above That Club - Middle School * Early Action Kits (Includes a free drug screen) * Co-Sponsored YABOY Production (Fountain Hills Youth Theater) * Parent Network - Safe Homes Network of Fountain Hills (Over 400 families have joined and there is a "Call and Confirm" Campaign coming this fall). Sign up at www.safehomesfh.org * The Safe Homes Network's 1st Annual Gingerbread Contest * The free Safe Homes APP for smart phones Ms. Groux emphasized the importance of raising awareness regarding substance abuse among youths and adults as well. She thanked the Council for their ongoing support and indicated her willingness to respond to any questions. Mayor Kavanagh thanked Ms. Groux for her presentation and said that she thinks she has done an outstanding job. She added that the tips that come in from the Text -A-Tip are really amazing and she looks forward to attending the meetings z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 2 of 11 this year. She also expressed appreciation to Ms. Groux for keeping her up to date and providing all of the additional information contained in her presentation. She said that the information is extremely valuable and helps keep her up to date on what is going on. The Mayor urged everyone to join the Safe Homes Network. Councilmember Elkie asked Ms. Groux to keep up the good work and said that the Council and the Town appreciates all of the time and effort she and the rest of the Coalition puts into this very worthy effort. * CALL TO THE PUBLIC Town Clerk Bev Bender advised that five citizens wished to speak under this agenda item. Dwight Johnson addressed the Council and said that he was present to support Ms. Groux and the Coalition. He added that he just found out this afternoon that Joe Goyena and his family are permanently moving and leaving in one week. He commented on the significance that family has had for 32 years on the community. He pointed out that they have serviced thousands of residents with real estate needs, served as Ambassadors on the Chamber of Commerce, were Business Persons of the Year at one time and were the sponsors of the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which is attended by thousands of people (they have done this for ten years). He wished them the best as they transition to a new chapter in their lives and said that they truly made a difference in the Town of Fountain Hills. Mark Steinmetz addressed the Council and said that he wanted to briefly introduce himself because he will soon be opening a new business in Town. He said that he is the Arizona Department of Health Services marijuana licensee and they hope to be open by the end of year. He stated that he agrees with the comments presented by Ms. Groux and will definitely support their mission in the community. He noted that the medical marijuana program is an adult program for patient cardholders only and allows them to use a natural substance rather than prescription drugs to address their individual medical conditions. He stressed the importance of having a legitimate outlet for people who require this service and can benefit from it. He added that it does take away from the black market, illegal sales which impact schools and communities in a negative way. He indicated his intention to follow the rules set forth by the Ari zona Department of Health Services and the laws of the Medical Marijuana Act/Proposition 203. He stated that he will only service those adult card holding individuals who have obtained prescriptions from their doctors to help alleviate pain associated wit h such grave illnesses/procedures such as cancer and chemotherapy. He further stated that anyone wishing more information should go to azmedtesting.com. Mayor Kavanagh thanked Mr. Steinmetz for his comments. Kendric Speagle was not present to address the Council when his name was called. Linda Bordow addressed the Council and said that she has a concern about the water bill that was discussed at the last meeting (Arizona Department of Water Resources fee). She stated that she agrees that the law is not a good one and it should never have applied to the Town but unfortunately it was and according to the law they owe the money for last year. She noted that they are a nation that is required to follow the law whether they like it or not and so she thinks the y should just pay the bill and get it over with. She added that she does not want the Town to be a "stand out" like Bisbee or South Tucson -- the only three cities/towns in the League that have not paid the fee. She said it is like they are "stiffing the rest of the members of the League" by not paying this bill. She pointed out that this law has now been overturned so it will be a one-time fee and added that it does not look good for the Town to hold back on paying this obligation when just about every other city and town has paid it. Ms. Bordow also referred to Agenda Item #6, Holiday Lighting, and said she is hoping that if the Town is using the same contractor that did the lighting last year that they really hold him to the clause in the contract that says they are required to maintain the lighting and make sure that they are in good working order because this was not the case last year. She went back to the water bill and said that Councilmember Brown had concerns about paying for it. She noted that they will save z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 3 of 11 money on the Citizens Survey that she has been working on and the savings that could go towards paying the fee as well as savings that will be realized from a current unfilled position (Lori Gary). Peter Bordow addressed the Council and referred to the Jump Start Business incubator in Town (JumpStartBiz). He said that following their presentation to the Council he made an appointment and went down to talk to them. He stated that the people involved in that program are really amazing and the level, depth and breadth of their experience in a number of industries is really impressive. He advised that he is going to be their newest client as of Wednesday when he and his son sign up. He thanked the Council for creating that relationship and for inviting them to appear before the Council and do a presentation. Mr. Bordow further stated that he agrees with the comments made by his wife and believes that the Council and the Town has a legal obligation to pay the water fee. He said that he unde rstands what a lot of the Councilmembers said about the fact that the tone of the letter from the League was less than desirable and there are a lot of other things t hat the Town could do with that money but it's a bill, they owe the money and despite thei r best efforts to make an argument against paying it, they still want the money and the Town should comply. Bob Turner addressed the Council and said that he recently noticed that for trash pickup they have the large beige container and then a smaller blue container and the lids on the tops pivot down and will be worn out very soon. He went around the neighborhood and looked at every single trash can and all of the l ids are being word down (when the trucks pick them up they hit the lids too hard). He advised that he called the company and explained the situation to them and told them that they are going to be replacing a lot of wasted plastic and those costs will eventually t rickle down to the community. He said he was told no, they just replace the trash can but he told them the issue is the lids and this can be prevented (he explained how). He encouraged the members of the Council to look at their recycle cans. He said that the company representatives did not seem to care about what he was saying and he asked to speak to someone in charge, who he called, but he never received a call back. Mayor Kavanagh thanked Mr. Turner for bringing that to their attention and also thanked all of the other speakers for their comments. CONSENT AGENDA AGENDA ITEM #1 – CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FROM AUGUST 2, 2012. AGENDA ITEM #2 - CONSIDERATION OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH OLSSON ASSOCIATES, FOR THE FOUR PEAKS PARK MASTER PLAN UPDATE, IN THE AMOUNT OF $44,350. AGENDA ITEM #3 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING AN ALLOCATION OF $3,500 FROMTHE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR THE "BALLET UNDER THE STARS" EVENT. AGENDA ITEM #4 - CONSIDERATION OF APPROVING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS AND THE ARIZONA BUSINESS ADVISORS, LLC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,500, TO COVER THE TOWN'S PORTION OF FY 2012 -13 EXPENSES FOR A BUSINESS INCUBATOR PROGRAM. AGENDA ITEM #5 - CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION 2012-26, APPROVING THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MARICOPA COUNTY FOR JURY MANAGEMENT SERVICES. Councilmember Yates MOVED to approve the Consent Agenda as listed and Councilmember Brown SECONDED the motion. There were no citizens wishing to speak on any of these items. z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 4 of 11 A roll call vote was taken with the following results: Councilmember Dickey Aye Councilmember Elkie Aye Vice Mayor Leger Aye Councilmember Hansen Aye Councilmember Yates Aye Councilmember Brown Aye Mayor Kavanagh Aye The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). REGULAR AGENDA AGENDA ITEM #6 - CONSIDERATION OF AWARDING A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS AND HOLIDAY LIGHTING COMPANY IN THE AMOUNT OF $27,995.20, FOR DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY LIGHTING. Development Services Manager Paul Mood addressed the Council relative to this agenda item and advised that in July the Town issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for holiday lighting and on July 23rd they received three proposals. He said that staff ranked the proposals, based on qualifications, design and pricing and the selection committee unanimously selected Holiday Lighting Company. He stated that staff did modify their scope a little bit and added ten or eleven more palm trees and lights in some of the fountains so that the pools will have a nicer look. He added that this year their design included lighting the buildings in the Civic Center Complex (they had gotten away from that the past few years). Mr. Mood reported that this is a one-year contract with renewal options, which will be based on performance and whatever the budget is for holiday lighting. He further stated that the lights in the median trees are going to go up the en d of September before the Town does the over-seeding and the ground displays will go in after the Art Fair. He advised that the company will be present for the lighting ceremony on December 1st and the lights will be removed the first part of January. Mr. Mood indicated his willingness to respond to any questions. In response to a question from Mayor Kavanagh, Mr. Mood stated that this is not the same company that did the lighting last year. He said he knows there was discussion about some of the displays not working and pointed out that a lot of the displays are quite old and hard to keep up maintenance wise. He added that they also have issues with the electrical system out there (the way the GFIs are set up any moisture causes a problem). Mayor Kavanagh asked if they will also be taking care of the displays that belong to the Town (the ones in storage) and Mr. Mood concurred and stated that the old lighting company that has them will deliver them and the new company will pick them up. He advised that the company will be responsible for fixing Town-owned displays as well but they have a 24-hour response period. Councilmember Brown asked what the spread was on the three proposals received and Mr. Mood reported that two were approximately $29,000 and they did not include the buildings and the low bid was approximately $25,000 and included the buildings but the Town also added in more palm tree lighting and some pool lightings, which brought it up to about $28,000. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that with the current electrical system, they lose power whenever there is any moisture; each box is covered but any moisture that gets in will trip the GFIs and then they have to be reset; this year the design on the Avenue is similar to last year's design but they have added lighting for the buildings, more palm tree lighting and more pool lighting; Councilmember Hansen's comments relative to the difficulty associated with monitoring the lighting and the possibility of setting up a phone line so that citizens who see lights/displays not working can call i n z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 5 of 11 and report that; Mr. Mood's response that citizens do call and staff leaves the lighting on 27/7 now (rather than utilize timers); the company (once a day), Town staff and the Streets Department check on the lighting as well and report any outages/problems; the fact that it cost $5,180 to add in lighting of the buildings; the fact that there is a Go Request app where with a smartphone anyone can take a picture, send it in and it first goes to IT and will then be disseminated; and the fact that on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays residents who come across any problems should e-mail Mr. Mood or Ken Kurth. Councilmember Elkie commended staff for bringing forth a proposal that is $2,000 less than last year and includes added features. Vice Mayor Leger said that he believes that last year they had Mr. Kurth "on call" and asked if it would make sense to publish his number on the Town's website. Mr. Mood advised that the after-hours pager is really for emergencies but both he and Mr. Kurth will receive e -mails right away. The Vice Mayor commented on the electrical deficiencies and said it is an infrastructure issue. He asked whether there are any long-term solutions to this problem. Mr. Mood reiterated that any moisture will trip the GFIs. He added that he knows staff is looking i nto some plans for the Avenue that will include a more centralized electrical system in one spot that would drastically reduce the incidents of moisture getting into the boxes. Town Clerk Bev Bender advised that one citizen, Linda Bordow, submitted a card to speak on this item. Ms. Bordow advised that she made comments relative to this issue under Call to the Public and there was no need to address the Council again. Vice Mayor Leger MOVED to approve the holiday lighting contract with Holiday Lighting Company in the amount of $27,996.20 and Councilmember Yates SECONDED the motion. A roll call vote was taken with the following results: Councilmember Dickey Aye Councilmember Elkie Aye Vice Mayor Leger Aye Councilmember Hansen Aye Councilmember Yates Aye Councilmember Brown Aye Mayor Kavanagh Aye The motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #7 - CONSIDERATION WITH POSSIBLE DIRECTION TO STAFF RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF THE FOUNTAIN IN FOUNTAIN PARK. Community Services Director Mark Mayer addressed the Council relative to this agenda item and briefly highlighted staff's memo for the benefit of the Council and citizens (copy is available on line and in the office of the Town Clerk). Mr. Mayer stated that back in June he proposed a number of possible scenarios relative to the operation of the Fountain in Fountain Park. He reported that of the options presented, the consensus was to have the Fountain operate for a continuous twelve hour period but on only one pump and to also have the Fountain operate on all three pumps several times a day. He advised that staff had also recommended that the preliminary numbers developed by staff to operate the Fountain on one pump should be calculated by SRP, the Town's electric provider. He stated that he has discovered that there are some significant things associated with the Town's rate that he would like to bring to the Council's attention (this information was also included in the memo). He said that the establishment of rates and figuring out the cost s of running the Fountain z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 6 of 11 are much more complicated than anticipated. He noted that there are a number of variables associated with three pump s and how long they are run and this is an option. He stated that SRP explained that they have up to five differ ent rates on any one day -- they can change up to five times in one day -- and, depending on the day of the week, (weekdays are on- peak and weekends are off-peak) the rates can vary as well as month-to-month. Mr. Mayer informed the Council that when he took the information provided to him by SRP he spent a couple of hours and performed mathematical calculations to come up with numbers (it was far more complicated than he thought it would be). He advised that the number is substantially higher than what sta ff thought it would be and more than what has been budgeted ($148,200). He indicated his willingness to respond to questions and noted the amount listed in the memo ($208,234) plus an additional cost of $14,408 for the year with the Fountain operating for fifteen minutes on three pumps twice daily. He further stated that there will be other costs associated with changing the operation of the Fountain, including redoing the six signs that were installed for visitors around the lake that reference the curre nt operation of the Fountain and a charge to reprogram the Fountain. Mr. Mayer said that one option is to table this item and pointed out that they are currently involved in discussions with the Sanitary District regarding the operation of the Fountain (there is an option for them to operate the Fountain). He requested direction from the Council and stated that if they want to look at another option staff would be happy to do so or they could table the item. Mayor Kavanagh thanked Mr. Mayer for his presentation. She advised that Councilmember Yates has been in contact with the Town's SRP representative, Jason Baron, and can provide some updated information. Councilmember Yates expressed appreciation to Mr. Mayer for all the work he has put into this and sa id that his personal feeling is that they need the Fountain going all the time as much as possible. He stressed the importance of showcasing this grandiose attraction and the economic development benefits that can be realized. He added that they are working with staff and ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) to get their "World Famous Fountain - Next Right" sign on the Beeline Highway and discussed the importance of having people who drive by and see that sign take the turn and enter Fountain Hills, see the Fountain in operation and patronize the various businesses while they are in Town. Councilmember Yates stated that if the Town provides SRP with a budget they will work with the Town to determine what the best method of operation would be. He said that during the peak times, as alluded to by Mr. Mayer, the prices almost quadruple and that is from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. He added that if staff sits down with the Visitors Bureau and discusses this, they might be able to come up with a schedule that would be advantageous to all of the visitors, even if it is operating back at the fifteen minutes on the hour once an hour schedule. He advised that he was encouraged by the fact that SRP is willing to work with the Town once the Town provides them with a budget. He commented that he would like to proceed with this and obviously they are not going to pass a program that exceeds the budget . He offered his services to help with the calculations and said he thinks this is important and achievable and SRP is on board with it. Mayor Kavanagh advised that she spoke with Mr. Baron today and he seems to think that we can work this out -- he is very optimistic that the Town can stay within the budget. She added that she recently had a meeting with the Men's Discussion Group and they were very interested in having the Fountain run more, especially for the businesses located down at the Plaza. She said that they suggested that they try it for just one month and see what kind of a reaction they get from the residents and the businesses (run the Fountain on one pump all the time and then a few times with the full three pumps). She expressed the opinion that they should at least consider that and noted that they can study a lot of it on paper and of course the finances are important and she is encouraged by Councilmember Yates' discussion with SRP. She stressed the importance of actually witnessing it and added that getting reactions from people is extremely important and worthwhile. Councilmember Brown concurred that the Council should probably table this item and work with SRP. He said that he too would volunteer his time to go with Councilmember Yates and staff and work with SRP to see if they can make this happen. He pointed out that there are three goals that they need to keep in mind before they make any changes as far as z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 7 of 11 the running time of the Fountain: 1) They will need to get all the citizen input that they can; 2) They need to obtain more information and he believes they can get more information on th e life expectancy of the pumps and the pump systems from the people who have been pulling them out and rebuilding them; and 3) The goal should be that the expenditure line included in the current budget not be exceeded. Councilmember Brown MOVED to table this agenda item and move it to the second meeting in September and Councilmember Dickey SECONDED the motion. Ms. Bender advised that there were two citizens who wished to speak under this agenda item. Bob Dose addressed the Council and stated that he owns the Cardsmart store, which is right by the Fountain. He said that he looks at the Fountain every day and hears all the complaints about people that came from other communities to see the Fountain and it didn't come on. He commented that running the Fountain more frequently is the most important thing the Council can do for the Town and he has been in business in Arizona since 1978. He noted that when the Fountain was going 12 hours a day, all the businesses around the Fountain were successful (bus loads of people came in to see the Fountain and they patronized the businesses). He added that the center has had trouble attracting tenants and one of the reasons is because the Fountain isn't running. He said that it is a lovely center and they are really not over pricing it and if the Fountain run times increase the center will have a much better chance of leasing out the available space. He stated that even if they did have to pay some more, it would be well worth it. He said if that can't work out then run the Fountain seven months a year, from September 15th to Easter, and cut back when they can't afford the electricity and during the summer when it's not as important and the electricity costs more. Gene Slechta addressed the Council and commented that back in June the Council had a lot of discussion on what he will call "The WOW factor" and he is really pleased that this discussion is taking place. He said that there have been so many changes in the park over the years, including the additional of many beautiful pieces of art, the splash park, the succulent garden, the beautiful Veterans' Memorial, etc. He discussed all the volunteers and the great effort that has gone into making the park a beautiful destination place and the Town's greatest amenity. He noted that the Fountain is no longer the tallest or the most unique so running the Fountain with one pump constantly and adding occasional times for three pumps to run is no WOW. He added that many will come and see the Fountain running on o ne pump and say, "Is that it?" He expressed the opinion that they should maximize the usage of three pumps even if the visitors have to wait for up to an hour to see it happen. He said that they will go home and tell others about it -- and hopefully those they tell will want to come to Town and see the Fountain as well. He added that Town staff should be asked to study options for the future to update the Fountain and emphasized the importance of maximizing "The WOW factor" of the Fountain. Mr. Dose readdressed the Council and announced that there is going to be a going away party held for Joe Goyena and his family on Tuesday, at 11:30 a.m. Mayor Kavanagh thanked all of the speakers for their comments. Vice Mayor Leger advised that the motion to table included a date and what troubles him about that is they have a rough draft of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and it may be very possible that a vendor will take over the running of the Fountain and will be making the decisions instead of the Council (unless something is included in the contract allowing the Council to provide certain input). He stated that his concern is that the proposed date may preclude the Council from taking a look at what this possible IGA contain and he thinks that is a very imp ortant thing to do. He asked whether the IGA will be discussed and/or possibly resolved by September 15th. In response to a question from Town Attorney Andrew McGuire, Town Clerk Bev Bender advised that the agenda of the September 11th Work Study Session contained an item to discuss the IGA and then perhaps it would be moving forward at the next meeting which she thought was the 20th. z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 8 of 11 Vice Mayor Leger commented that they need to resolve the IGA before they make a final decision on the Fountain itself. He added that if the dates are not working out with regards to the proposed schedule, he thinks that they need to be flexible with their agenda item. Councilmember Elkie asked Councilmember Brown if he would be willing to withdraw his motion to table and said that although it was unintentional, the motion to table precludes the Council from asking staff some questions. He added that he is not opposed to it; he would just like that opportunity. Councilmember Brown stated that he would be more than happy to WITHDRAW his motion. Councilmember Elkie noted that at the last meeting when the Council was discussing the different options as far as the Fountain there were a number of different suggestions and thoughts presented. He said that if he is reading staff's me mo correctly, the Council has been presented with one option to run the one pump all day and then three pumps two times a day and asked if this is correct. Mr. Mayer confirmed those comments were accurate. Councilmember Elkie advised that when they have f urther discussion on this he would like to see additional options presented. He suggested that Mr. Mayer review the minutes from th e last meeting when this was discussed. He also encouraged Mr. Mayer to obtain the additional information from SRP so that everyone has the same data and can discuss and analyze it together. He questioned whether SRP would entertain the idea of a flat rate for the Fountain, similar to what people do at home, and pointed out that that would make it much easier for them to budget because they would have a better idea of what they would be spending on a year-round basis. Discussion ensued relative to the different rate structures that could be pur sued with SRP; the fact that the Fountain is separately metered from anything other than the park itself and the Fountain is not metered separately from other electrical in the park; SRP analyzed the existing rate, which is called E-32, a business rate, and it is the cheapest rate available; Councilmember Elkie's comment that he is sure SRP would like to be a partner with Fountain Hills and one of the world's largest Fountains and if they could help the Town run it more often it would be a wonderful public relations move for them at least from the Town's standpoint; Councilmember Yates' question as to whether SRP treats it as a pro - rate even if the Fountain is run for five minutes and Mr. Mayer's reply that he did not ask SRP that specific question and the fact that SRP figured the rate differently than staff; Councilmember Yates' comment that bringing an attorney to the table might help; Councilmember Dickey's remarks relative to the Council bringing forward questions they have (relative to the splash, the Visitors’’ Bureau and how they think this would fold into their ideas relative to the branding and even the median; the importance of ensuring that all the pieces come together and they have good, hard information about a variety of issues including the wind impacts); the wind gauge and the fact that for 20 seconds before the Fountain goes on and 20 seconds after it monitors the wind and if it exceeds 9 to 10 miles-per-hour the Fountain will not come on and if it is already on it will shut itself off subject to programming so it can be changed. Councilmember Hansen concurred with Councilmember Brown's statement relative to the importance of obtaining public input and added that since there are not a lot of people in Town right now, getting into the fall is a really good idea. She also agreed with Vice Mayor Leger's comments relative to the possible IGA coming forward and said it is important to keep that in the mix before they put a lot of effort into this because she is sure that anything they come up with and any public input they receive, will benefit the Sanitary District as well. Vice Mayor Leger expressed the opinion that it is important to look at the reality of their challenge and asked what the Town spent last year on the Fountain. Mr. Mayer responded that he believes it was in the $130,000 range and confirmed that the cost included the extra run times and was all inclusive. The Vice Mayor said that he was very enthralled with the Council's original discussion during which a $12 6,000 figure was thrown out and he did advocate for utilizing three pumps and "The WOW factor" because he firmly believes that if z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 9 of 11 they run the Fountain on one pump for twelve hours a day it becomes more mundane and from a tourist perspective it makes it difficult to create a destination unless it is something really spectacular and it is spectacular at two pumps like it is now. He added that he looks forward to the Councilmembers working with SRP but what he finds interesting is if they look at $130,000, that is only for 15 minutes and it is highly unlikely in his opinion that SRP is going to come up with a special classification for the Town. He stated that he will be looking forward to hearing what kind of magic they can do to keep it within the budget. He said that right now, in looking at the numbers provided by Mr. Mayer after talking with SRP and having them go through their different analyses, the figure went from $126,000 (the original estimate) up to $208,000 and then to go up to two pumps or three costs an additional $14,000, which brings them up to $222,000 and then with additional costs (signage, etc.) the final cost estimate is $230,000. He said that staff and the Council certainly have their work cut out for them and until they know what is going to happen with the IGA there is just so much they can do. Councilmember Brown agreed with Vice Mayor Leger's comments and stated that until they can get their arms around the cost of running the pump it's all academic. He added that that is why he is saying that within the next 30 days he would like to have enough time and energy put into this to bring something back to the table with a true educated amount. He said that then they can discuss how they turn the pump on and off, wind speeds, etc. He st ated that until they know the costs, this is just conversation. Mayor Kavanagh commented that the conversation about this is good only because according to SRP there are countless scenarios that they can do with this. She added that SRP is providing all t he numbers and the Council can plug them in anywhere they want. She said that she believes she is hearing from the Council that they are interested in keeping the cost in line with the budget, running the Fountain on the one pump and then going to the three pumps but they would like to look at all the different possible scenarios once they put the numbers down on an excel sheet. Councilmember Dickey referred to the 30 days that has been discussed and said she is not sure that it has to be so quick since it could take a lot longer. She advised that she has only received six e-mails about this (5 against and 1 for) and she would not be opposed to taking a little bit longer. Additional discussion ensued relative to the Vice Mayor's comment that he is on board with looking at other options but the importance of being cautious and not adapting the Fountain to a number and getting less than they have now (that's the challenge); Councilmember Yates' comment that the on-peak is the low time during the summer (2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) - - it is three times the rate -- and they could run it three hours on off-peak and his statement relative to the fact that he is not saying run it at 3:00 a.m. but there is a lot they can do and he is up to the challenge; Vice Mayor Leger reiterated that it is important that they don't simply adjust to the numbers and lose the product they have, which currently is a tremendous product; his statement that he has been hearing one against for every five for as far as citizens and many citize ns like it the way it is; an in-house survey that was done (4,000 surveys sent out and they received a 27% response rate); of those 1,100 there were 581 additional comments from the participants/users of park services in Town (survey results are available on line); the fact that a majority of the comments had to do with the quality of the water and grass and the need for lights; one out of 581 comments requested that the Council take advantage of the Fountain and run it 12 hours a day on three pumps and make it spectacular; the importance of doing outreach, as stated by various members of the Council; and the fact that the survey indicates that this issue was not at the top of peoples' minds and although the Vice Mayor is open to looking at other options, there is tremendous feedback from the citizens saying "we have other priorities here in Fountain Hills." Councilmember Hansen said that that is another reason why she believes it is a little premature to lock themselves into anything at this point. She stated that additional information must be gathered and going forward with any possible partnerships in the future there may be some new opportunities for more things just because they will have more resources to share. Mayor Kavanagh advised that they also need to reach out to the business community since the Fountain is an attraction for visitors and they are the ones who have come to her and said that the Fountain running longer is important to their businesses. She added that she agrees they don't want to spend the extra money and want to stay within budget and she is z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 10 of 11 glad that Councilmember Yates asked SRP what else they can offer the Town. She noted that there are a lot of possibilities and reiterated that they want to stay within budget and do somethi ng a little more impressive with the Fountain. Councilmember Brown MOVED to table this item without including a date and Councilmember Dickey SECONDED the motion, which CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). AGENDA ITEM #8 – COUNCIL DISCUSSION/DIRECTION TO THE TOWN MANAGER KEN BUCHANAN. None. 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 #9 – SUMMARY OF COUNCIL REQUESTS AND REPORT ON RECENT ACTIVITIES BY TOWN MANAGER KEN BUCHANAN. Town Manager Ken Buchanan advised that next Thursday the Council Retreat will take place from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. He said that there are 21 different items that staff would like to receive some direction on so that they can work through their business plan operationally. Mayor Kavanagh stated that the public is invited to the Retreat. Councilmember Dickey advised that South Tucson intends to or has already paid the water fee and requested that there be some follow-up on Mr. Turner's remarks. AGENDA ITEM #14 – ADJOURNMENT. Councilmember Yates MOVED that the Council adjourn the meeting and Councilmember Brown SECONDED the motion, which CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0). The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. z:\council packets\2012\r9-6-12\120816m.docx Page 11 of 11 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS By_____________________________ Linda M. Kavanagh Mayor 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 by the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 16th day of August, 2012. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. Dated this 6th day of September, 2012. _____________________________ Bevelyn J. Bender, Town Clerk