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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.0317.TCRM.MinutesTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL MARCH 17, 2020 1. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Mayor Dickey Mayor Dickey called the meeting of March 17, 2020, to order at 5:30 p.m. and led the Council and staff in the Pledge of Allegiance. MOMENT OF SILENCE Mayor Dickey led the Council and staff in a Moment of Silence. 3. ROLL CALL — Mayor Dickey Present: Mayor Ginny Dickey; Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow; Councilmember Sherry Leckrone (telephonically); Councilmember Art Tolis (telephonically); Councilmember Dennis Brown (telephonically); Councilmember Alan Magazine; Councilmember David Spelich Staff Town Manager Grady E. Miller; Town Attorney Aaron D. Arnson; Town Clerk Elizabeth Present: A. Burke 4. REPORTS BY MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS AND TOWN MANAGER Mayor Dickey said that the Town has been gathering knowledge they can use to help keep all as safe as possible. She then asked the Town Manager to update them on some of the actions taken by the Town. Mr. Miller said last last Friday they canceled events at the Park, with the Irishfest along with activities at the Community Center. Through today they would have limited access to the Community Center for drop ins only and the election, with complete closure tomorrow. With the election today they did not want to confuse people. He said that they had also canceled the Greening of the Fountain and all boards/commissions meetings have been postponed until May. Tonight they had no public in attendance. Based on guidance and best practices, the public will not be included in the meetings going forward; however, meetings will be broadcast live on Channel 11 and at www.fh.az.gov. He anticipated this would be the case at least through the end of April. To help streamline this process they have removed agenda items from the agenda that they anticipated the public would have an interest in. Residents are encouraged to e-mail the Mayor and Council, noting that the agendas are posted the Thursday prior to the Council meeting. Additionally, he said that the March 31 Special Work Session has been canceled. Mr. Miller said that in the workplace the Town has identified a number of essential services and delivery, such as public safety, public works and streets, parks maintenance, finance, purchasing and courts. He reassured everyone that police and fire will continue to serve as always. He said that those that are able will begin teleworking from home, starting tomorrow. He said that the Town will continue to monitor the situation and make changes as needed. Mayor Dickey said that she and the Town Manager have been in quite a few calls from the White House, varying agencies, the Governor's Office, etc. Other cities are closing restaurants and Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 2 of 7 other businesses. Right nows the Department of Health Services (DHS) and Center for Disease and Control (CDC) are strongly recommending that dining establishments discourage dining in and provide curbside or drive -through services only. She said that employees in restaurants should be distancing themselves from one another and everyone should be washing their hands frequently. She said that they are looking at signing a Proclamation in the morning declaring a state of emergency, which allows them to respond to this rapidly -changing situation. She said that she provided the newspaper an editorial for tomorrow's edition and she thanked those at the newspaper for getting that out. Mayor Dickey said that many residents have indicated an interest in helping however they can. She was recommending that they contact heoc@azdhs.gov which is the State's Health Emergency Operations Center, which is a great resource. Councilmember Magazine said that he hoped the citizens of the Town fully appreciated everything that the Town Manager and Mayor have been doing. Their actions have been superb and they made the right decisions for which he thanked them. He said that this is an incredible tragedy. He heard that the unemployment rate could go to 20%. Councilmember Spelich thanked the first responders, who cannot do social distancing, along with all of the employees of the grocery stores in Town. They have been doing an unbelievable job and they do not get thanked enough for doing what they do with tensions high in the stores. Vice Mayor Scharnow seconded what had previously been said. He said that everyone has stepped up and he thanked everyone and commended them for what has been done. Councilmember Leckrone, as well, thanked the Mayor, Manager and Town Attorney, and she wanted to recognize the doctors and nurses in Town. Mayor Dickey said that one item that is getting lost is the Census. Last Thursday it kicked off across the country. It has been done every ten years since 1790. She said that residents do not have to wait to receive notice; they can go online right now to www.my2020census.gov and quickly respond. She said that with the pandemic, if residents would have been here as of April 1, they should fill it out on behalf of Arizona. She said that if residents do it now, either online or over the phone, there will be no one coming to their door later in the summer. Mayor Dickey said that she and the Town Manager went to a Rotary Luncheon honoring first responders. She said that they all owe them their gratitude all the time, and particularly now. Councilmember Tolis said that the local businesses are going to be hurt by this. He suggested that they consider a two week or three week sales tax moratorium and encourage people to shop locally. Mr. Arnson said that he would be happy to keep track of what other communities are doing to provide relief to businesses. Councilmember Brown suggested that Fountain Hills set the bar in the Valley. A. RECOGNITION of Outgoing Planning and Zoning Commissioner Mayor Dickey recognized Matt Boik for his service on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 3 of 7 5. SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES/PRESENTATIONS None 6. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Pursuant to A.R. S. §38-431.01(H), public comment is permitted (not required) on matters NOT listed on the agenda. Any such comment (i) must be within the jurisdiction of the Council, and (ii) is subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. The Council will not discuss or take legal action on matters raised during Call to the Public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. At the conclusion of the Call to the Public, individual councilmembers may (i) respond to criticism, (ii) ask staff to review a matter, or (N) ask that the matter be placed on a future Council agenda. 7. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS All items listed on the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine, noncontroversial matters and will be enacted by one motion of the Council. All motions and subsequent approvals of consent items will include all recommended staff stipulations unless otherwise stated. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a councilmember or member of the public so requests. If a councilmember or member of the public wishes to discuss an item on the Consent Agenda, he/she may request so prior to the motion to accept the Consent Agenda or with notification to the Town Manager or Mayor prior to the date of the meeting for which the item was scheduled. The items will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. MOVED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine, SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow to approve Consent Agenda Items 7-A through 7-G. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously A. CONSIDERATION OF approving the meeting minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 3, 2020. B. CONSIDERATION OF Resolution 2020-11, abandoning whatever right, title, or interest the Town has in the Hillside Protection Easement located at the rear of Diamante del Lago, Lot 88 (17212 E. Fontana Way) as recorded in Book 516, Page 17, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. (HPEA 2020-01) C. CONSIDERATION OF Resolution 2020-12, abandoning whatever right, title, or interest the Town has in certain Hillside Protection Easement located at the rear of Diamante del Lago, Lot 89 (17216 E. Fontana Way), as recorded in Book 516, Page 17, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. (HPEA 2020-02) D. CONSIDERATION OF Resolution 2020-13, abandoning whatever right, title, or interest the Town has in the Hillside Protection Easement located at the rear of Diamante del Lago, Lot 51 (17235 E. Fontana Way), as recorded in Book 516, Page 17, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. E. CONSIDERATION OF approving adjusting budget transfers for Downtown Development Fund and General Fund. F. CONSIDERATION OF ratification of Town Council's approval of a new Special Event Liquor License application for the Fountain Hills Veterans Memorial for a beer garden in conjunction with the Irish Fountain Fest on March 14, 2020. Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 4of7 G. CONSIDERATION OF approving an Extension of Premises permit application for Skullenwink LLC dba Bone Haus Brewing for a large outdoor party with a band on March 21, 2020. 8. REGULAR AGENDA A. . *REMOVED FROM AGENDA B. CONSIDERATION OF Approving a Professional Services Agreement with GreenPlay, LLC, Contract No. 2020-055 Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin said that what is before them is looking ahead and getting back to business when they get through the end of the current pandemic. She then gave a PowerPoint presentation which addressed: WHAT IS A COMMUNITY SERVICES PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN? WHY DO WE NEED THIS MASTER PLAN? WHAT DOES THE MASTER PLAN DO? WHO WILL CREATE THE MASTER PLAN? She said that they went out for an RFP and this was the recommended vendor. They have worked with over 500 communities in four states, and they also have local experience with Florence and Coconino County. The project cost is $65,549 and is budgeted in this current year. She said that it will have a ten-year shelf life. WHO SUPPORTS THIS EFFORT? WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? Ms. Goodwin reviewed the steps, noting that their final presentation and findings would come before Council by December 2020. She noted that this was fluid based on their current state of affairs. Vice Mayor Scharnow thanked Ms. Goodwin, stating that he was totally in favor of it. He said that the cost is split between development fees and the General Fund. Ms. Goodwin said that it would eventually come back for review and feedback from the Council. If there are items that the Council would not support, then it could be edited at that time. Vice Mayor Scharnow asked if this would be coordinated with the General Plan which will be voted on in November. Ms. Goodwin said that it would be one of several documents to be integrated into this plan, along with the Community Services Strategic Plan and the Town's Strategic Plan. They are all guiding the Town in the same direction, but each has a different focus. Councilmember Magazine asked what methodology would be used. Ms. Goodwin said that they had three different responders and they all came back with different methods. She said that there would be direct mail, public information sessions, in -person and online. Councilmember Magazine said that perhaps after they see the survey, they could add a few extra questions. He said that he realizes that length of time to complete a survey is a big deal, and he would not want to interfere with the intent, but he would support adding questions if they could. Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 5 of 7 Mayor Dickey said that they received several a -mails in support of this, including from the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission and the Community Services Advisory Commission. MOVED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow, SECONDED BY Councilmember Sherry Leckrone (telephonically) to approve the Professional Services Agreement with GreenPlay, LLC, Contract No. 2020-055. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously C. CONSIDERATION OF Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Contract No. 2017-072.2, Second Amendment with Shade N Net of Arizona, Inc. Ms. Goodwin said that she did not have a presentation on this item as it was an extension of their current contract. This will allow the Town to move quickly in the event that there should be any type of damage done to the existing shades during the summer period. She said that this would provide for up to $36,000 if and when it is needed while Council is off for their summer break. Mr. Miller noted that it would only be used if it was needed. MOVED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine, SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow to aprove the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Contract No. 2017-072.2, Second Amendment with Shade N Net of Arizona, Inc. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously D. CONSIDERATION OF approving the Cooperative Purchase Agreement C2020-065 between M.R. Tanner Development & Construction, Inc. and the Town of Fountain Hills for Street Maintenance and Repair Services. Mr. Miller said that this is a cooperative purchasing agreement with the company that annually does the paving in Town. Last year they received quite a bit of input from the Council on areas they thought work should be done. They got in touch with IMS who handles the maintenance database, and they are recommending these remaining funds be used in the downtown area. DOWNTOWN Mr. Weldy said that this was another example of Town staff using limited resources to research an opportunity, but utilizing a contract through the City of Chandler who had solicited bids, opened, reviewed the options, and selected M.R. Tanner for their work. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of Chandler's larger contract, making the costs to the Town reasonable for the amount of work to be done. He reviewed the two maps attached, one was the downtown area and the other was select residential areas. Mr. Weldy said that in the downtown area the pavement will be removed, regraded and recompacted subgrade and then bring the roads back to subdivision standards. He said that they had a contractor come out and drill holes in the area and found that the majority did not meet their own subdivision standards. Councilmember Magazine said that in the past they have talked about how they could bond for new construction, but this is the wrong time to be asking for bonding. Mr. Weldy said that as part of the ten-year plan they will be identifying areas where they could use bonding money for reconstruction. Maintenance would be a different project. They would not use bonding money for that. He said that the forthcoming ten-year plan will outline all of those disciplines. Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 6 of 7 Mr. Miller said that the firm is getting close to wrapping up the program. They have identified $55 million needed for projects. The Town has $25 million over that time period; the remaining $30 million would need to be bonded. Mr. Wesley said that he has spoken with the developers of upcoming projects. Keystone has indicated that they are currently moving forward. The hospital project, while not downtown, said that they are trying to make sure it is going as scheduled. RESIDENTIAL Mr. Weldy said that they are hoping to complete all of the items shown here, but they intend to tackle the downtown first. They may come across some unknown items and have to adjust. These streets are in their IMS report and scheduled for maintenance. While they are waiting on the ten-year plan they will do their best to come back into the residential area and do what they can to finish up. Mayor Dickey noted that she had heard from someone on Emerald. She said that the Council agrees that many roads are needing maintenance, and they are doing what they can. Mr. Weldy said that these proposed roads are based on the IMS report to address those roads they believe they can save. MOVED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow, SECONDED BY Councilmember Dennis Brown (telephonically) to approve Cooperative Purchasing Agreement C2020-065. with M.R Tanner in the amount of $3,400,000.00 for Pavement Management Projects. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously E. ."*REMOVED FROM AGENDA F. *REMOVED FROM AGENDA 9. COUNCIL DISCUSSION/DIRECTION to the TOWN MANAGER Item(s) listed below are related only to the propriety of (i) placing such item(s) on a future agenda for action, or (ii) directing staff to conduct further research and report back to the Council. Councilmember Magazine said that the President mentioned lately that the COVID-19 could last a few months, or as much as a year. If that happens they are going to take a tremendous hit on sales tax. He would like to see some modeling done to get some sense of where they could reduce expenses and the impact it would have. Mr. Miller said that he and the Finance Director have started having that same discussion. They will definitely be doing that and as of now, they are still anticipating holding the Budget Workshop of April 14. Mr. Miller said that one good thing is that their state shared revenues, income tax, VLT, and HURF, are based on a few years ago. Councilmember Tolis said that everyone is concerned. He is more concerned as to the financial stability of the businesses and residents. He believes this may be worse than in 2008 and they could have an ongoing issue. He said that the City of Phoenix just shut down all bars and restaurants. This is Town Council Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 7of7 spreading and businesses in town are being asked to shut down. He would like to have Mr. Arnson bring back a proposal on ways to help the businesses. Mayor Dickey said that they are getting way off of the agenda from what they should be doing. She said that they do need to be in constant communication and the Proclamation of emergency brings with it something they would be able to fall back on if the federal government does decide to provide some relief. 10. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine, SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow to adjourn. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously The Regular Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council held March 17, 2020, adjourned at 6:35 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Ginny key, Mayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: 91�iz . Burke, T n Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 17th day of March, 2020. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 7th day of April, 2020. zabe . 7 Burke, Town erk