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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.0421.TCRM.MinutesTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL APRIL 21, 2020 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Mayor Dickey Mayor Dickey called the meeting of April 21, 2020, to order at 5:31 p.m. and led the Council and staff members in the Pledge of Allegiance. MOMENT OF SILENCE Mayor Dickey asked for 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 (telephonically); Councilmember David Spelich (telephonically) Staff Town Manager Grady E. Miller; Town Attorney Aaron D. Arnson; Town Clerk Present: Elizabeth A. Burke 4. REPORTS BY MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS AND TOWN MANAGER Vice Mayor Scharnow reported that he attended a meeting of Valley Metro online last week. They had a budget review and some things are changing daily for them as well. Numbers reported were: Light Rail -down 57%; Express Rapid Transportation -down 90%; Buses-40% down in ridership; and Paratransit-down 70%. He said that one thing good for them is that they qualify for federal funding and they are looking for relief from the CARES Act. He also reported that the Noon Kiwanis and Town got together last Friday and Saturday and held a blood drive. They had four blood mobiles in the parking lot at Town Hall. He said that they restricted the number of donors to two at each time and only took appointments. They had 124 appointments and collected 106 units of blood. He thanked the Town for helping them out. He said tht the next regular blood drive will be on June 19-20 and they hope to be back in the Community Center. Councilmember Spelich thanked Saddlebrock, as he was told they catered a full Easter dinner to both fire stations and they also had deputies working on Easter to the restaurant for carry out. Mayor Dickey said that she took part in the Fountain Hills Virtual Cabaret and she welcomed their new Executive Director Mike Wallot. She reported that she did an interview with KJZZ about how Fountain Hills was doing during the pandemic. She reported on the Care Card Program which helps to keep seniors connected, and she thanked Ms. Goodwin and her staff and volunteers for those efforts. She said that she was also able to squeeze in information about the 50th Anniversary celebration of the fountain. Regular Meeting of April 21, 2020 Page 2 of 6 Mayor Dickey reported that the Arizona Highways TV show is doing a program on "going above and beyond" featuring the Grand Canyon state's cities and towns. She also thanked staff for participating in the #IightAZBlue at Town Hall and encouraged others to join in lighting a blue light for the Governor's initiative to honor healthcare workers. She reported that they continue to participate in the biweekly calls with the Governor's Office and Senator Sinema calls every Thursday. They participated in a Town Hall with Representative Schweikert and leaders from every corner of the state are uniting. A. PROCLAMATION designating April 21, 2020, as Earth Day Mayor Dickey reported that Vicky Derksen and Fountain Hills Live did an Earth Day Virtual Event, sharing the golden anniversary this year with the Fountain's 50th. She then read the proclamation declaring Earth Day. 6. 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 Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow, SECONDED BY Councilmember Dennis Brown (telephonically) to approve the Consent Agenda Items 5-A through 5-E. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously A. CONSIDERATION OF approving the meeting minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 7, 2020. B. CONSIDERATION OF the Amended Plat of Parcel "B" at Firerock, a Condominium, located south of Shea Boulevard on the east side of E. Firerock Country Club Drive. C. CONSIDERATION OF Approval for the Four Peaks Park Restroom Renovations by JP and Sons Contracting, Inc through the Job Order Master Agreement, Contract No. 2019-006P2. D. CONSIDERATION OF approving two (2) Special Event Liquor License applications for the River of Time Museum for fundraising dinners to be held in the Fountain Hills Community Center on May 27, 2020 and August 8, 2020. E. CONSIDERATION OF approving an amendment to PSA 2019-077, changing the terms from a contract of $30,000 per year for 5 years to a contract amount not to exceed $50,000 per year for 3 years for the Home Delivered Meals Program. REGULAR AGENDA A. CONSIDERATION OF approving the Professional Services Agreement with Black & Veatch, Contract No. 2020-080 and the associated budget transfer. Regular Meeting of April 21, 2020 Page 3 of 6 Mr. Miller said that the Town Council has had some discussion on this item before, during the Retreat. He then asked Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin to come forward and present the information. Ms. Goodwin gave a PowerPoint presentation on this item which addressed: THE FOUNTAIN, THE LINER AND THE LAKE Ms. Goodwin said they are at a point in time where they need an analysis done of the overall system and its many components. She said that they have over 100 million gallons and 30 acres of water with a closed -loop aeration system. It is an unground system with a liner, and the water is only discharged for irrigation so it is becoming more and more salty. It is also an ecosystem for roots and fish and other animals. She said that they had to bring in specific vendors to address the system and receive proposals. They are told that the liner is good for 20-30 years, and this year is the 20th year. She said that the current condition is unknown, although there are no indications that there is a problem. AN ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT She said that if they are going to decide how to fund, possibly through bonding, they need to know the needs and develop a timeline. She said that this in an investment in the Town's namesake that will help them plan for the future and not have to be reactionary. She said that they are looking to contract with Black & Veatch who was part of the 2000 liner replacement as well, so they are familiar with some of the issues faced before. The total contract is $140,000, which includes an estimated $120,000 for the project and a $20,000 contingency. Mayor Dickey asked for questions at this time. Councilmember Brown asked when the analysis would begin if it was approved. Ms. Goodwin said that due to the current situation of COVID-19, they are hoping to undertake it this summer moving into the fall. Some of it would coincide with other projects such as overseeding of the park, liner testing and irrigation. Councilmember Brown asked if the staff has decided what they would do if they find that the liner is at the last year of its life. Ms. Goodwin said that they have played the "what if' game. This analysis would identify the steps needed and potential options. Mr. Miller said that at that point they will have had some engineers looking at this in a serious fashion. They will have to identify the funding source. He has talked with the Finance Director and there are creative things they could do if it was an emergency, but this will cover far beyond the liner. It will analyze all the different systems out there and provide a pathway. He said that they do believe there is a little more life left in the liner. Councilmember Brown asked if the Sanitary District was going to help. Ms. Goodwin said that they have been involved in the discussion up to now; they will be part of it. They are aware of the project. She spoke with their Manager last week, and she has expressed an interest in being part of the discussions and solution. Regular Meeting of April 21, 2020 Page 4 of 6 Councilmember Tolis said that he feels they should go with some assumptions that they are dealing with 50-year old equipment and expect it will need to be replaced. He said that he would rather see them putting together a task force, including the Sanitary District. He said that they need to understand what the vision of Fountain Park is. They need to identify what they will pay for and how, rather than throw $120,000 to $140,000 toward the problem. He would like to see more planning and visioning taking place. Mr. Miller said that they are looking for a considerable amount of public involvement as part of the process. In addition to the analysis, they will also be looking at the water irrigation the park. It is highly salty and they need a storage system. They want the engineers to look at variable speed drive system, which they believe will help with the wear and tear and give them more life. He said that the bottom line is that it will be a very comprehensive evaluation, and they will be bringing in the public. They will need the community behind this. At some point, when it comes back to Council, the Council would put together a citizen committee to figure out the logistics in the plan and decide on the sequential order and funding. Councilmember Tolis said that he would like to have some visioning before the consultants come in.He said that they may decide they want to have additional fountains and something more in line of a Bellagio venue. They could have low -ground speakers with nice music, something that the people would enjoy. Vice Mayor Scharnow said that he agrees with some of that, but it seems to him that the study would be the baseline, a place to start in terms of what they can do, and then go into a visioning process. He said that once they get into discussing ideas about making the park more than what it is, tends to get into the controversial area. Right now they need an in-depth study. They would be putting the cart before the horse. He said that they have been down that route. Infrastructure was a term thrown out during the property tax debate. This is a prime example of streets, drainage issues, Panorama, parks, etc. It all costs money; they need a firm grasp on what it is going to cost. Maybe the Sanitary District would help fund once they get some firm numbers since they all serve the same people. Councilmember Brown said that he can see both sides, but he believes that they need to go ahead and find out what the study shows to do everything at this point in time so they can plan for the money they are going to have to assemble. He said that a perfect example would be to shut the fountain off and see how the people felt. The baseline is they have to know what they are dealing with so they can plan for the future. MOVED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow, SECONDED BY Councilmember Sherry Leckrone (telephonically) to approve the Professional Services Agreement with Black & Veatch, Contract No. 2020-080 and the associated budget transfer. Vote: 6 - 1 Passed NAY: Councilmember Art Tolis (telephonically) 7. 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. Regular Meeting of April 21, 2020 Page 5 of 6 Staff was asked about the signs regarding the roads. Mr. Miller said that they are starting to do their pavement management program. Last year Council provided input that they wanted to get as much of the downtown improvements as possible. They started working on street closures this week. He is anticipating that by the end of the week, or early next week, they will have the new streets in place. He said that they will also be bringing forth a contract for the roundabout. He said that they cannot do some of that work until later, so once that is in they will do some finishes so it has a finished look with the next phase next year. Councilmember Tolis asked if it would be possible to have staff share with the Council via e-mail an update on the project happening downtown. He would like to review the design concept for the pedestrian walkway sa he has had a lot of questions coming up in the public forum, and also how it ties in with the Keystone project. Mr. Miller said that they would do that, and in May they will be having their Ten Year Pavement Management Program presentation. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY Vice Mayor Mike Scharnow, SECONDED BY Councilmember Sherry Leckrone (telephonically) to adjourn. Vote: 7 - 0 Passed - Unanimously The Regular Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council held April 21, 2020, adjourned at 6:11 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Ginn ickey, Mayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: • - Burke,►� ToAn Regular Meeting of April 21, 2020 Page 6 of 6 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 21 st day of April, 2020. 1 further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 5th day of May, 2020. i abet . Burke, Town lerk