HomeMy Public PortalAbout2024.01.26 Special Meeting MinutesMINUTES
McCall City Council
Special Meeting
McCall City Hall — Legion Hall
VIA TEAMS Virtual
January 26, 2024
Call to Order
Work Session
Adjournment
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Giles called the Special meeting of the McCall City Council to order at a.m. Mayor
Giles, Council Member Maciaszek, Council Member Nelson, Council Member Nielsen, and
Council Member Thrower were all in attendance.
City staff members present were Anette Spickard, City Manager; Bill Nichols, City Attorney;
BessieJo Wagner, City Clerk; Sarah Porter, Deputy Clerk; Erin Greaves, Communications
Manager; Linda Stokes, City Treasurer; Michelle Groenevelt, Community Development Director;
Delta James, Economic Development Planner; Brian Parker, City Planner; Kurt Wolf, Parks and
Recreation Director; Eric McCormick, Golf Course Superintendent; Meg Lojek, Library Director;
Chris Curtin, Information Systems Manager; Traci Malvich, Human Resources Manager; Dallas
Palmer, Police Chief; Nathan Stewart, Public Works Director; Sean Reilly, Network Administrator;
Meredith Todd, Assistant City Planner; Emily Hart, Airport Manager; David DiMartino, Golf
Professional.; Stefanie Bork, Parks and Recreation Business Manager; Amanda Payne, Local
Option Tax and Short -Term Rental Administrator.
WORK SESSION
City Manager Anette Spickard reviewed the schedule for the meeting.
Review of City Governance
City Clerk BessieJo Wagner reviewed the Governance Manual including setting the agenda,
meeting schedule, comments and the layout of official agendas and consent items as well as council
packets. Staff have been working to limit meetings to three hours but there is no way to predict
how many public comments will be expected at a meeting.
Mayor Giles voiced concern about multiple public hearings in one meeting and asked how public
hearing schedules can be managed better. Manager Spickard asked Community and Economic
Development Director Michelle Groenevelt about the Planning and Zoning legal noticing
requirements. Director Groenevelt noted a requirement for recommendations to the City Council
must be scheduled within 75 days. Additionally, the Planning and Zoning Commission set bylaws
with a specific time cutoff for meetings. When a meeting runs over, the Commission will decide
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
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if a decision can be made or if the application needs to be continued to a date certain. The date
certain may not be the next meeting, if the Commission decides to hold a special meeting to finish
applications from a previous meeting that ran long, the Commission may do so. Clerk Wagner
suggested that if a public hearing exceeds a certain time limit that the City Council sets, then the
City Council can decide to continue the public hearing to a date certain and move on with the rest
of the agenda items. Additionally, the first Thursday of the month tentative meetings were created
to mitigate longer regular meetings and schedule land use items. Council Member Nielsen asked
if the City Council can rearrange the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. Clerk Wagner
affirmed that as long as the City Council is not adding items to the agenda at the meeting, the
agenda can be rearranged. Council Member Thrower suggested the City Clerk indicate time
sensitive items that need to be concluded at the meeting on the Agenda for the City Council.
Council Member Maciaszek also suggested that during public comments, the timer should be left
on if a person continues to speak past the three -minute allotted time.
The Council had no changes to the written public comments or the agenda packet.
Council Member Maciaszek asked if it makes sense to put the business agenda ahead of public
hearings when time sensitive items are on the agenda and the hearing is expected to be long. Clerk
Wagner noted that the City Council can change the order of the Agenda at the meeting but not the
content of the items. The City Council had a discussion on whether Committee, Commission, and
Board appointments should be on the business or consent agenda. Council Member Nelson
expressed the importance of keeping appointments on the business agenda to acknowledge the
dedication of the appointee. The consensus of the City Council was to keep the appointments on
the business agenda. Council Member Nielsen suggested not scheduling presentations and public
hearings during the same meeting and City Council agreed. Additionally, Council Member
Maciaszek noted that public hearings should be up front for the members of the public providing
comments. Also discussed was the possibility of providing some coaching to presenters that
provide information ahead of time in the meeting packet to be more efficient.
Clerk Wagner reviewed government basics including the role of City Council, Ordinances vs.
Resolutions. She also reviewed the roles of the City Manager, appointed officers, and City Staff.
Additionally reviewed was the relationship between the City Council, City Manager, and City
Staff as well as the role of the citizen, the relationship between the City Council and the public.
She discussed the roles of the City Attorney, the City Prosecutor and City Committees, Boards and
Commissions.
Communications Manager Erin Greaves noted changes to the communications efforts of the City.
Communication to the public will be largely targeted specifically to residents within the City limits
with surveys put out to the general public requiring answers to questions such as do you reside
within City limits? Do you work within the City limits? Are you a second homeowner, do you visit
often? Implementing the change will ensure that the City Council is hearing from direct
constituents as well as the general public.
The City Council discussed the influence of staff on decisions. Clerk Wagner noted that staff
influence is limited to the direction that is heard from the City Council to create new policies or
Ordinances. Manager Spickard additionally noted that the staff is hired to provide professional
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
opinions to the City Council which would influence the City Council to some degree but
ultimately, it is the City Council's decisions that amend codes and policies. The City Council had
an additional discussion on code amendments with Manager Spickard and Director Groenevelt
weighing in on the process of code amendments and staff role in code amendments. Council
Member Nelson asked about the appropriate process to obtain more information from City Staff.
Manager Spickard noted that staff are available one on one as needed but if it is an upcoming
meeting item it is good to make sure the whole City Council has the same information.
Council took a break at 10: 30am returning at 10: 40am
Local Option Tax (LOT) Process Review and Direction to Staff
Clerk Wagner presented to the City Council. Clerk Wagner reviewed the definition of a tax, the
purpose and intent of the LOT as set by the state Legislature, a brief history of the LOT and a
lookback at the percentage of City projects funded by LOT compared to community projects
funded by LOT. Additionally, the original intent for LOT by the City was to alleviate the demand
on the General Fund. City Manager Anette Spickard noted that the information was regarding the
Tourism LOT not the Streets LOT. Clerk Wagner further clarified that streets projects discussed
were funded through tourism LOT and not Streets LOT. Clerk Wagner noted that hotels and
vacation rentals currently pay the state 8% and the City 7% in taxes.
Additionally, Clerk Wagner reviewed the current City Council funding directions related to the
tourism LOT. The current City Council funding direction includes direct cost related to
administering the LOT $14,500, Parks building move $200,000 annually between 2022 and 2026,
downtown sidewalk maintenance estimated at $185,000 annually and housing. Also noted were
the other Idaho Cities with LOT and allowable uses. Only two other cities allow for applications
to be submitted for funding community projects not completed through the City. The LOT budget
is set in February the prior fiscal year and is based on trend for average increase over a 5 -year
period. Without knowing at budget time what the revenue will be collected, there are years where
priority projects are not funded when revenue comes in lower than budgeted. Manager Spickard
noted that FY23 highlighted the need to manage expectations of applicants when revenues came
in lower than budgeted. FY23 fell short of funding all priority projects and applicants can assume
that being on the priority list guarantees funding, but it does not. Additionally, if the budget is set
more conservatively and revenue is higher than the set budget the City would need to go through
the budget amendment process. The timeline of LOT collection presents a challenge to approve a
budget amendment and in previous years, excess LOT was required by state law to be used as
property tax relief. Clerk Wagner noted that it is made very clear to applicants that not all priority
projects will be funded if revenue is not collected in the amount of the planned budget.
The City Council discussed priority vs. contingency and budgeting LOT. Clerk Wagner suggested
eliminating contingency and only listed projects in priority order. Projects at the bottom of the
priority list would be the projects that would have otherwise gone into contingency. The City
Council expressed that the contingency option is more transparent than just a priority list. Council
Member Nielsen noted complaints from applicants regarding where projects are put on the priority
list. Clerk Wagner briefly reviewed how the LOT Commission orders project applications
highlighting that projects must serve a public purpose and projects that serve a greater number of
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
community members will receive a higher score. Additionally, City applications are submitted to
benefit the community as a whole and meet the requirement of serving a public purpose.
Council Member Nelson brought up the idea of changing the grant cycle to start after revenue is
collected instead of prior to revenue being collected to have a clear budget for the LOT
Commission to work with. Manager Spickard noted that it would be possible to move the
application process around however, to collect revenue and then disperse, a funding year would
have to be skipped. Council Member Thrower asked if there is a process for funds to be saved in
anticipation of switching the timeline. Treasurer Stokes reviewed how contingencies are budgeted
in the general fund. It would be possible to build in a contingency budget item for LOT. A
challenge of the current process is the timeline in which funds are received. Budget amendments
must be made prior to September 30th each year and must be noticed in the newspaper but the LOT
collection for the month of September happens in October. The City Council additionally
discussed options for rearranging the timeline for LOT grant applications and LOT fund
distribution as well as setting aside an amount determined by the City Council for City projects.
Clerk Wagner also reviewed how LOT funds are distributed and fund reallocation requests. Staff
will provide the City Council with a breakdown of multiple options for LOT processes and
timelines at a future joint meeting with the Local Option Tax Commission. Manager Spickard
noted that statewide, LOT is always being looked at and considered for changes that could impact
the ability of resort cities to collect LOT.
The City Council took a lunch break with the executive leadership team at 12:15 p.m.
McCall Reflections 2023 Annual Report/State of the City
Communications Manager Erin Greaves presented to the City Council. Manager Greaves reviewed
a snapshot of the annual report as well as changes made to the annual report format. Changes
included a more online and digital presence with additional ADA accessibility. The City Council
appreciated the changes to the annual report and the information included in the report.
Review of Major Projects/Implementation of Adopted Plans for 2024
City Manager Anette Spickard invited Department Heads to address the City Council regarding
projects and plans for 2024.
Police Chief Palmer noted that the Police Department will be focusing on accreditation as a law
enforcement agency, recruitment as well as joint area agency training. Chief Palmer additionally
reviewed the benefits of becoming accredited including lower liability insurance for the City.
Information Systems Manager Chris Curtin noted working toward a middle mile fiber network,
Rapid Internet, a project through Valley County, and implementation of new and improved
security cameras with multiple City departments.
City Treasurer Linda Stokes noted that the Finance Department is looking to implement direct pay
for account payables to add additional security to paying vendors, budget process changes, and the
expected revenue bond process. Treasurer Stokes additionally gave an update on the FY23 Audit.
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
Public Works Director Nathan Stewart reviewed the expected 2024 construction year.
Construction projects include South Mission, First Street downtown, Davis Street and finishing
details of projects from 2023. The largest challenge facing Public Works currently is staff
recruitment. Director Stewart also noted that the current streets crew is the best crew the City has
had in years and Staff is grateful to have the skills sets and capability of the streets team.
Additionally, Director Stewart reviewed the challenges facing the Water Department with an aging
water plant on top of recruitment issues.
Library Director Meg Lojek reviewed the library expansion schedule including the opening of the
new building in May and the start of renovations at the existing library building in the fall.
Additionally, Director Lojek reviewed efforts to go paperless in the library, grant opportunities,
and legislation around libraries. The City Council and staff discussed a grand opening party for
the Library.
City Clerk BessieJo Wagner reviewed maintaining level of service to the community, the City
Council, and departments. The busier every department gets the busier the Clerk Department gets
with more records needing to be maintained. Additionally, a challenge that faces departments that
are administrative in nature is the lack of ability to generate revenue to justify hiring additional
staff. Clerk Wagner also praised the Clerk Staff.
Golf Superintendent Eric McCormick reviewed the golf course maintenance and construction
project. All T boxes have been updated to be ADA accessible, Staff are moving forward with an
ADA update to access the clubhouse and pro shop, all 27 holes will be open for Summer 2024 and
the Golf Pro and Superintendent are working well together. Golf Pro David DiMartino briefly
reviewed the transition of bringing the Pro Shop in house and challenges and successes over the
past year. Additionally, Pro DiMartino expressed appreciation for all City Staff and noted plans
for the upcoming golf season. Mayor Giles and Council Member Nelson expressed appreciation
for Golf staff making the Pro Shop transition happen smoothly.
Communications Manager Erin Greaves reviewed the City social media accounts and digital
engagement efforts. There has been a 63% increase in digital engagement from the community.
Additionally, Manager Greaves noted the engagement plan for 2024 and expressed appreciation
for Communications staff. Manager Greaves also touched on Human Resources for Human
Resources Manager Traci Malvich noting retention and recruitment efforts.
Parks and Recreation Business Manager Stefanie Bork reviewed accomplishments for 2023 and
next steps for 2024 including implementation of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (PROS)
Plan. Business Manager Bork specifically noted researching funding options for implementing the
PROS Plan. Additionally, Staff will be working to continue ADA improvements.
Community and Economic Development Director Michelle Groenevelt reviewed planning and
grant efforts. Specifically addressed were goals for implementing the Housing Action Plan,
Climate Action Planning, impact fee research, finalizing the solid waste request for proposals, and
McCall Redevelopment Agency funding.
The City Council expressed appreciation for all City Staff.
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
The City Council took a break at 2:14 pm returning at 2:25 pm
City Council Priority Setting for 2024
Communications Manager Greaves gave a recap of City Council priorities from 2023 including
community engagement around City Council priorities. Staff conducted multiple focus groups and
determined that the community is more likely to show up to engage in specific groups and not
specific topics. For example, there was more engagement at focus groups regarding youth and
senior citizens than there was for topics such as Firewise. Staff also implemented a second City
Council meeting ad. Mayor Giles appreciates the community engagement efforts and the direction
staff is going. Council Member Maciaszek noted that the new Library will be a great space to hold
focus groups. Council Member Nielsen expressed an interest in higher quality input from the
community as opposed to the quantity of input. Additionally, Manager Greaves reviewed the
results of a survey put out to the community about City Council priorities for 2024. Highlights
from the survey include a community need for supporting local businesses, growth management,
and community identity. The City Council discussed the results of the survey expressing an interest
in priorities to support businesses, community engagement, environmental protection, impact fees,
interjurisdictional communication, employee retention and recruitment, and housing. Additionally,
the City Council and staff discussed planning documents as well as funding and implementation
of the Housing Action Plan.
The City Council and staff additionally discussed the recruitment process for the City Manager.
The City Council expressed an interest in hiring an interim City Manager instead of a Department
Head being appointed interim City Manager and would like to bring in a professional recruiting
firm to hire a permanent City Manager. Additionally, the City Council expressed the importance
of staff involvement in the recruitment process for the City Manager.
ADJOURNMENT
1
Without further business, Mayor Giles adjourned the meeting at 3:56 p.m.
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Robert S. Giles, Mayor
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January 26, 2024 Special Meeting
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