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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021.0323.TCSM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL MARCH 23, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER— Mayor Dickey Mayor Dickey called the Special Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council held March 23, 2021, to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL—Mayor Dickey Present: Mayor Ginny Dickey; Councilmember Mike Scharnow; Councilmember Peggy McMahon; Councilmember Gerry Friedel; Councilmember Alan Magazine; Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski Absent: Vice Mayor David Spelich Staff Town Manager Grady E. Miller; Town Attorney Aaron D. Arnson (telephonically); Present: Town Clerk Elizabeth A. Burke 3. CONSIDERATION of capital projects in the Proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Program. Finance Director David Pock gave a brief recap of where funding for the Capital Improvement Program comes from, noting that it is a dedicated fund and each year-end balance, from year to year, goes into the fund for construction of new buildings, infrastructure or major projects in excess of$50,000. He said that it is also funded by 50% of the TPT on construction, increased by grants that may be received, development fees and some interest income. He said that as of now they are expecting a year-end transfer from unassigned funds to the Capital Improvements Program of around $2.5 million, leaving $5.3 million available for next year's projects. Public Works Director Justin Weldy then reviewed the following projects: D6047 - Miscellaneous Drainage Improvements - $50,000 CIP D6057 - Golden Eagle Impoundment Area Improvements - $900,000 CIP Councilmember Scharnow asked if all the improvements at Golden Eagle are within the park, or if some were upstream. Mr. Weldy said that the current design is focusing inside of the drainage area of the park; Phase II will involve other agencies and other locations. D6058 - Phase II Panorama Drive Storm Drain Improvements - $80,000 CIP Councilmember McMahon asked if this was different from the $1.9 million in the budget. Mr. Weldy replied that funding is from this year; this is for next year. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 2 of 10 D6059 - Brantley Dr Detention Basin - $350,000 CIP Mr. Weldy explained that the Town temporarily stores water in this Town-owned property adjacent to a gated community. During the 2018-2019 storms they had a great amount of dirt, causing the water to overtop into private properties. He said that they are looking to do design and then construct; this is just for the design. D6060 -Townwide Stormwater Infrastructure Rehabilitation - $150,000 ENV/CIP Mr. Weldy said that there are 73,000 linear feet of pipe and some of it is pre-incorporation. They want to get caught up and hopefully avoid catastrophic failures in the future. Councilmember Magazine asked what the piles of dirt were for on the corner of Bainbridge and Golden Eagle. Mr. Weldy said that those are millings from local streets. They are now using that to provide better access roads to the dams. He said that based on the condition of the Panorama Pipe, they selected all of the pre-incorporation locations to do inspections. Last Council meeting was approval for inspection and cleaning services. They need to be cleaned before inspecting. It is more of a "pay as you go" method. Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin then continued the presentation: F4037 - Community Center Improvements - $550,000 CIP Ms. Goodwin said that this is the first phase of a major renovation at the Community Center, with $550,000 going toward cosmetic issues such as flooring, painting, and the restrooms. There will be upgrades to the built-in amenities. The potential second phase would be enclosure of the lounge area, identified as potential area for increased space. An identified alternative would be an addition of an expansion off the back end of the building, where doors are in the back of the lobby. Councilmember Scharnow said that during the Retreat some on Council had mixed feelings of what to do with the lounge space. He asked if an expansion would be just for a fitness area or if it would be a multiuse area. Mr. Goodwin said that ideally they could consider any or all. Originally, it was to be a dedicated fitness room, but as brought up during the Community Services Advisory Commission, it would not be intended to be a rival to any of the local gyms. The Town already offers several classes. They often require yoga balls, belts, etc. and this could be stored permanently there. This would open up the other spaces for more traditional classes. Councilmember Scharnow said that there are a lot of classes, and asked if a different flooring would be better. Ms. Goodwin said that there would be different flooring to improve safety, along with a built-in sound system. Councilmember Magazine said that he is a big fan of the Community Center. It is really used a lot, especially by the senior citizens. He said that $550,000 is not a lot of money in the scheme of things, and he suggested that they leave something else out and add to this account so they could do more. Mr. Miller said that it was obvious from the Retreat that there was no consensus on the future years of what to do with the Community Center. They are going to further work on determining what users would like. What they have in the outer years is going to get further refined in the future. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 3 of 10 Councilmember Magazine said that he would not be concerned with creating competition; he believes the senior citizens would take advantage of this as they cannot afford the local gyms. Ms. Goodwin said that ideally, they would like to offer additional programs in the evenings. Councilmember Friedel asked if there was any way of making the lounge area into more of a multipurpose room and open it up as a lounge if it was not in use. Ms. Goodwin said that they would need to look into the engineering aspects. She said that there was also talk of using it for youth or teen space, with gaming, foosball, etc. and there was also a suggesting of turning it into a communication hub, to provide for Zoom Meetings, and have more IT elements built in. Councilmember Friedel asked if, with the size of the lobby, they could have another lounge area. Ms. Goodwin said that they would repurpose how that space is used, providing small gathering spaces to function as a lobby/lounge area. Councilmember McMahon asked if staff thought this was a realistic estimate given all the proposed changes. Ms. Goodwin said that they have begun pricing what it will take, and in addition to this funding they have an additional funding source in the Facility Reserve Fund. Mayor Dickey said that she is all for this. She liked the seating area, coffee cart, meeting area, including furniture. She said that a lot of them are excited about doing something there. Ms. Goodwin said that the first phase will be cosmetic. Mr. Miller said that while there are some costs in the future for the lobby, they do not feel they will put in carpet, but rather carpet tile as it is easily removable. The painting would be the main work done at this time. He would anticipate the major costs would be some of the technology costs. A lot of it can be dropped through the drop ceiling. They are not sure of the costs associated with an addition; they tend to cost much more than what is presented. Discussion was held on the ability to obtain grants for some of the work. Ms. Goodwin said that as a staff, they work hard to find grants. Her experience has been that if they have a project they are doing and it is green-lighted, they are able to do it and ask for assistance. If a project is contingent on grant funding it can be a hindrance, and there is not much available in the way of grants for cosmetic improvements. Councilmember Friedel said that he heard that the Silver Sneakers lost their place to do their routines. He said that they need to share that information with the public. Mr. Miller said that they do a lot of grant writing. The Golden Eagle Park tennis courts and playground equipment were partially funded by grants. They would like to rely on the grants, but in the end they tend to be what brings amenities to projects. They have been lucky through MAG for federal money for streets. Councilmember Magazine said that they are going to have a lot of people complaining about them spending money on the Community Center. It is critical that they get the word out to the public. Perhaps they could put a list of CIP projects in the Insider, etc. He said that when he walks in the facility he sees a very boring institution. He would hope that they would consider jazzing it up with colorful walls or something; perhaps hire an interior decorator. Ms. Goodwin said that they have someone on staff with a degree in that field, and hopefully they will be leveraging some of her expertise. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 4 of 10 Councilmember Grzybowski said that when she was on CSAC they had a subcommittee that did nothing but try to find grants. Also, they cannot apply unless they already have plans. As a former gym owner, flooring is important, especially when they have an aging population. Councilmember Scharnow asked if they would be taking out the tile in the lobby. Ms. Goodwin said that they would like to look at options that are durable like tile, but need less maintenance and could withstand high traffic. Mr. Miller added that if they have seating clusters, they may want to have area runners or carpeting. Councilmember Scharnow said that in looking ahead at additions, they are committing that this is a permanent home for seniors. Mr. Miller said that the consensus on part of staff and councils in the past is that the Community Center is not an adult center; however, the large majority of use is for senior programs. They are trying to integrate younger families and couples, using it during hours that are not peak for seniors. Councilmember Scharnow said that he was in favor of expanding the age groups. Ms. Goodwin said that the feedback received through the Master Plan Survey shows that the community wants it to be welcoming to all ages; that is no short order. A large percentage during the day is used by seniors. The enclosure is intended to be more welcoming and draw wider demographics. Councilmember Friedel asked what percentage of usage are resident seniors. Ms. Goodwin said that she would guess very high. They do have some events that draw from outside the Town limits. Mr. Miller said that there will be more discussion, once it gets remodeled. He appreciated the feedback, and they will further refine future plans for the outer years. F4038 - Community Garden Driveway Relocation - $175,000 CIP Mr. Miller said that he has seen some renderings. Hopefully they will be getting a Discovery Center there, but right now they are trying to improve pedestrian safety. He said that this would allow for public parking for businesses and special events, providing access from either direction, and much needed parking. He said that this was a multiyear project; last year they discovered they did not have adequate funding to do all locations. P3035 -Tail End of Improvements at Four Peaks Park Upgrades -$200,000 P3036 - Desert Vista Skate Park Lights -$75,000 CIP; $40,000 Grant Offset Mr. Miller said that they did not receive a grant they applied for with regard to lighting. They would like to take another try at finding a grant. She said that this is a very popular amenity, but it cannot be used at night because there is no lighting. Ms. Goodwin said that the facility needs some maintenance; there are a few areas of crumbling concrete. With the increased access through the Desert Vista Crosswalk, they believe it will be more usable and receive a better chance for grant funding. She said expansion is feasible, but it is not in this year's CIP. Once they complete Four Peaks, one of the suggestions in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan was an adventure park, big kids' park, with ramps, BMX pump track, fitness equipment, obstacle course, etc. but lighting is the first step. Mayor Dickey said that with grants in genera!, staff has become so sophisticated in what is Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 5 of 10 needed; the more they can show, the more they see the Town's commitment. P3040 -Splash Pad Replacement - $750,000 CIP; $110,000 Development Fees Ms. Goodwin said that they are going into the 13th season, April through September, and the current facility is showing its age. Full replacement is necessary. She said that they do have a request through the CIP and Fees for an expansion of the footprint. She said that if they can do it, the development fees can offset that cost. Councilmember Magazine asked if excavation of some of the hill would be required. Ms Goodwin replied that it most likely would. Ms. Goodwin said that the existing splash pad was one of the first in the state, but it uses older technology. Now, they have accessible, above-grade equipment so if there is a problem they can change out the equipment without having to tear out the concrete. She said that it allows them to add a few pieces into rotation, move pieces around, change layout, etc.; it offers flexibility. Mr. Miller said that two summers ago they upgraded the filtration system to a UV system. Councilmember Magazine asked if the $860,000 anticipated enlarging the footprint and adding equipment. Ms. Goodwin replied that it did. It would cover excavation, removal and reinstallation. Once they get below grade, they can determine whether they need to add supplemental water lines. P3045 - Four Peaks Park Playground Parking Lot - $65,000 CIP Ms. Goodwin said that this project is to repave the playground parking lot behind the existing school buildings. P3046 -Saguaro Park - South - $150,000 - Development Fees Mr. Miller said that this would be covered through development fees. Councilmember Magazine asked if they have any indication of what is occurring with Park Place. Mr. Miller said that they are planning to go out of sequence. They have a concept for row-housing and multifamily townhouses that would face the park with a smaller version of Park Place to front Avenue of the Fountains. He said that it all depends on the developer. P3047 -Avenue Linear Park Event Receptacles and Paver Rehab - $100,000 CIP Mr. Miller said that these have deteriorated faster than anticipated, between irrigation and animals. They would be raising them and adding additional pavers. Some have lifted due to tree roots. Mayor Dickey said that they have an issue with pet waste. They talked previously about having an IGA with the County to expand services for other issues in Town, including bags being put in the middle of the streets now. Mr. Miller said that they received the three-year IGA with them and will probably proceed with that, and at a later time do an addendum for additional services. He said that it is the dogs doing the damage, but it actually is the humans allowing them to do it. Councilmember Scharnow asked about temporary objects to put over the outlets. Mr. Weldy said that they have not looked into that. Research shows that the composite units they are proposing are less susceptible to weather and elements. He did say they have kept matching pavers stored offsite so that will help reduce the costs. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 6 of 10 P3048 - Fountain Park Playground Equipment - $360,000 CIP Ms. Goodwin said that they have replaced the two to five year old section of the playground. This is for the big-kid side. They are heavily used and play harder, doing more damage. The playground is wearing out. She said that they have the dome at Golden Eagle and the zip line at Four Peaks Park. With Fountain Park being the signature park, they are proposing a climbing tower. There is only one other in North America and not one in the United States. They would like to be the first to have the climbing tower. P3049 - Sunridge Trail Connector - $85,000 CIP Ms. Goodwin showed a map of what was being proposed. He said that the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission and Conservancy have evaluated the area and this is their recommendation on how to develop a new trail within existing property. They are willing to do a majority of the work with volunteers, who have always done a majority of the work on the trails. She showed the property across from there where at one time there was going to be a Fire Station, but it is now developing into a new park--Sunridge Park. She said that with both Desert Canyon and Sunridge they would like to work with the natural topography and have trails with fitness gear and a ramada. It would be a connector point for the new trail access point. She said that the park and access would provide more access and walkability for the community. Councilmember McMahon asked if there would be sufficient parking. Ms. Goodwin said that at this point the park would having parking. They have preliminary landscape plans. It is intended to be for residential access, but there will be parking available at the park site. Councilmember McMahon said that she is concerned that residents will get upset if there is parking on the street. Ms. Goodwin said that there is no street parking available due to the bike lanes. Councilmember Friedel said that it is pretty steep at the cul-de-sac; there is no real access from that point. Councilmember Scharnow said that he is not opposed, but he would like to make sure they are going to have parking before they put the trail in. Mayor Dickey said that she agreed with that a lot. If they cannot park, no one can go there unless they are in walking distance. Mr. Miller said that was great feedback. He said that he has lived in other areas, and it is pretty common to have neighborhood connectors. They have dead end streets, and they do not want to create an issue for the neighbors. He suggested that staff rework before they bring to Council for the budget adoption. He said that perhaps they would jump ahead and do the parking before they do the trail. Ms. Goodwin added that was a reasonable option. P3050 - Desert Vista Turf Improvements - Option A: $390,000; Option B: $125,000 CIP Ms. Goodwin said that Desert Vista Park has weeds. Grass in most of the other parks is healthy enough to overcome the weeds, but in Desert Vista the tacky weed has won and choked out the grass. She is working with Mr. Snipes. The fast route would be $390,000 to resod the entire six acres of the park, but it is unfenced and they would have trouble keeping people and dogs off of it. The $125,000 would add additional herbicide and treatments to the turf. She said that they do believe it would take two years to overcome this, but the lesser cost is the staffs preferred option, and would have a better success rate. Councilmember Grzybowski said that it seems time consuming. Ms. Goodwin said that they contract for maintenance and mowing for all the parks. When there are weed applications, they are done through contracting. They would have the ability to do it more Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 7 of 10 aggressively--four times a year versus two times. She said that turf out there is very uneven, and they have had vandalism issues. This would include the laser leveling of the park. Councilmember Magazine asked if they would not have the same problems. Ms. Goodwin said that they would like to consider barriers, such as boulders or bollards; fencing is not ideal, but they do need some deterrent. Councilmember Scharnow asked about the long-term use of this park. Ms. Goodwin said it is their only rectangle field park. Four Peaks does have a significant one rectangle, but this park accommodates more and provides parking and lighting. They do believe the park could support both ideas--sports fields and an adventure park side. They would like to connect it all with sidewalks. Councilmember Friedel said that he has been down there and used it for frisbee. He could guarantee that if they get the turf where they can have tournaments, and enable Code Enforcement to enforce no dogs on turf, it would be good. He liked the idea of barriers being rock. Mr. Miller said that he was not sure that Code Enforcement was the best fit, but they will take a look at it. S6058 - Shea Boulevard Widening - Palisades Blvd. to Technology Drive - $226,000 CIP Mr. Weldy said that the Shea Boulevard Widening project has been a series of grants, with Prop 300 money. The amount of money requested in this item is for the design. He said that they do have some Prop 400 in the account; however, not enough to do the entire segment. This would be eastbound between Palisades and Fountain Hills Blvd. on the south side. The Town's portion is $226,000 for the design. The remainder, almost $3 million, will be grant funding. Mayor Dickey said that with the last project they did with ADOT the Town was to get back between $70,000 and $90,000, and she asked about the status. Mr. Miller said that it has been several months since they last checked in with them. Staff will reach out to the project engineer. S6059 -Wayfinding Signs - $250,000 CIP Mr. Miller said that when these were first introduced, the consultants wanted the Town to use specific signs, which staff believes included a huge markup. Mr. Weldy said that these are a different type of sign at two-thirds the cost of the others. They are proposing 34 locations, including Shea, Fountain Hills Blvd., and Saguaro. He said that the final signs would be manufactured with the same material as is used for street signs. Mr. Miller said that with the sun and climate they will eventually fade over time, so they would probably start budgeting for replacement signs in the future. Councilmember Scharnow asked if the green color was recommended, or preferred. Mr. Weldy said that the color was selected by the Mayor and Council in 2018. Mr. Miller said that they would want to have the signs match and be consistent. The 34 locations were based on past recommendation of the consultant. He said that tonight is just for getting the Council's blessing. S6061 - Sidewalk Infill Program - $200,000 CIP 4 Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 8 of 10 Mr. Weldy said that this is part of the long-range plan that was shared with the Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee. They will review the Transportation Plan and do infill based on the survey from those plans. S6064 - Desert Vista Crosswalk - $200,000 CIP Mr. Weldy said that they placed some money in next year's budget due to some of the constraints having to do with topography and existing water meters. They wanted to ensure they have the budget authority to build it and pay for it next year. S6065 - Sidewalk Infill, Palisades and Saguaro - $17,000 CIP; $274,000 Grant Mr. Weldy said that originally this was going to cost the Town $300,000 where they would pay for the design, select the consultant, and oversee the construction. Due to persistence of the Town Engineer and guidance of the Town Manager, they applied for close-out funding and ADOT will be giving them $274,000, and the Town will no longer need to do the selection process, and manage the design and construction. That will all be done by ADOT, and the Town's share of the project is $17,000. He said there is an additional $2 million for construction, where the Town would have a small portion to pay. S6068 -Townwide Guardrail Replacement - $50,000 CIP Mr. Weldy said that this is to replace guardrails on Palisades and McDowell Mountain Road. The intent is to have a professional traffic engineer determine what they need to do and where, so they have a plan in place should grant funding become available. He said that they are going to be applying for a grant for McDowell Mountain Road. If they are not approved for it, the money would be used for pavement treatment in that area. One of the grants is for Palisades, and if that is approved they would be asking for a design cost. S6069 - Saguaro and AOTF Single Lane Roundabout/S6069 - Dual Lane Roundabout Mr. Weldy said that they are looking at two options with this. Mr. Miller said that the consultants will come back with recommendations. Councilmember Magazine said that in the past they had also discussed an overlook. Mr. Weldy said that they could include that as they move forward. Mr. Miller noted that the Mayor had a meeting with the Board Director of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District and they may be a financial partner on that. Mayor Dickey said that going back to the Downtown Area Specific Plan and the General Plan, they talked about traffic calming and the idea of having parking on Saguaro. She asked if this would not be a good time as well to consider parking on Saguaro and having only one lane of traffic. She would support that. Mr. Weldy said that one problem is with truck traffic. The MAG projections show that truck traffic in that area is a problem. Mr. Miller said that this engineering firm is going to have to look at all of these factors, but the Town Council will be the ultimate decision makers. He said that the design of the other roundabout was $80,000, so they are projecting $120,000 for the study and possibly the design. Councilmember Scharnow asked if the decision would be based on safety or changing the downtown vision. Mr. Weldy said that both of those would be considered, as well as others. Mr. Miller said that staff will provide the plans/concepts from before to the new consultants. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 9 of 10 Councilmember Scharnow suggested that they provide those to the whole Council as well so everyone is up to speed on the old plans. T5005 - Palisades Blvd, Eagle Ridge Dr/Palomino Blvd. Traffic Signal Design - $95,000 CIP Mr. Miller said that this is for the design if they meet the warrant criteria. FY21/22 Capital Projects - Funding Needed - $5,863,000 FY2022-23 Future Capital Projects - Funding Needed $5,589,000 Mr. Miller said that staff did the best they could based on practices to project costs. The outlying years numbers may fluctuate up or down. Mayor Dickey asked if they decided to have on-street parking, if that would affect the grant. Mr. Weldy said that it should not, but it would definitely be brought back to the Mayor and Council. She also asked how they would address the cost of a traffic signal if it is done before Phase 3 of Adero Canyon. Mr. Miller said that they could do a repayment agreement, but they were not on the hook for a traffic signal--just their pro rata share. Councilmember Friedel said that the traffic counts are down because of COVID, and the cost for a signal at that location is astronomical. Councilmember McMahon said that she thought it was for future planning as well. Councilmember Friedel asked if the Town gets any money from Adero. Mr. Miller explained that before MCO sold the property to Toll Brothers they gave funds for a signalized intersection. At the time he thought it was around $50,000. At some point they just need to put it in. He said that this will be a Town Council decision, once they get the warrant done. Mr. Weldy said that on Eagle Ridge Drive, Phase I has not been open for very long. He has received a number of concerns about the intersection of Eagle Ridge Drive and Prospect Trail. It did meet the warrants and there is now an all-way stop. It is likely that further north of that they will need another stop. FY2023-24 Future Capital Projects - Funding Needed - $1,825,000 FY2024-25 Future Capital Projects - Funding Needed - $1,015,000 FY2025-26 Future Capital Projects - Funding Needed - $450,000 FY2026-27 Future Capital Projects - Funding Needed - $4,200,000 Mr. Miller said that this is based on the Black & Veatch Report where the Fountain Lake pump replacement will be needed at $1.5 million. As they move out beyond FY22/23 they are doing their best to project and at least bring forward projects that they think are going to be critical, subject to change based on feedback from the Council and residents. Mr. Miller said that in the past they have done this as a workshop, but as a special meeting they were able to kill projects entirely. He was hearing the consensus of the Council to approve as recommended with two modifications: 1) adding rehab of turf at Desert Vista Park at $125,000 and 2) parking lot adjacent to trail at Sunridge Park to be done at the same time that the trail is developed. Town Council Special Meeting of March 23, 2021 10 of 10 MOVED BY Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski, SECONDED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine to accept capital projects in the proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Program as recommended by staff with the following modifications: (1) adding $125,000 for rehabilitation of turf at Desert Vista Park; and having the parking lot at Sunridge Park developed at the same time that the trail is developed. Vote: 6 - 0 Passed - Unanimously 4. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY Councilmember Gerry Friedel, SECONDED BY Councilmember Alan Magazine to adjourn. Vote: 6 - 0 Passed - Unanimously The Special Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council held March 23, 2021, adjourned at 7:56 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS (..„0,...\,__ oi, tv Gin Dickey, Mayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: 1 E izabet . lein, Town 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 23rd day of March, 2021. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 17th day of August, 2021. yaElizA. Klein, Town Clerk