HomeMy Public PortalAboutMIN-CC-2018-01-20MOAB CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING
JANUARY 20, 2018
Special Meeting & Attendance: The Moab City Council held a Special Visioning Workshop Meeting on
the above date at the Gonzo Inn in Moab, Utah. A recording of the meeting is archived at
http://www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html.
Attendance and Call to Order: Mayor Emily Niehaus called the meeting to order at 8:45 AM. In
attendance were Councilmembers Karen Guzman-Newton, Tawny Knuteson-Boyd, Rani Derasary, Mike
Duncan and Kalen Jones. Also in attendance were City Manager David Everitt, City Recorder/Assistant
City Manager Rachel Stenta, Executive Administrative Assistant Carmella Galley, Communications
Director Lisa Church, Special Projects Director Amy Weiser, Record/Project Specialist Eve Tallman,
facilitator Kathy Kelly and one member of the press.
Kathy Kelly began with an outline of the agenda and goals for the day. City Manager Everitt related that
it is important for the staff to understand what are the highest priorities for Council. Acknowledging the
new Council, he stated formal adoption of the new workplan will be helpful going forward. Everitt
elaborated that the workplan is a compilation of feedback from department managers and he has no
personal attachment for particular items. Mayor Niehaus thanked Everitt for his efforts. Kelly outlined
the flow of the workplan moving forward: endorsement by Council in February, finessing by staff, and
working with implications during the Spring budget process.
Community Long Term Visioning Project: The citizen visioning activity was described by Kelly. Everitt
commented that, in the past, the mayor shouldered that project without great success. Councilmember
Jones described a process used by Park City to tie discretionary spending to the Visioning priorities. He
noted the former Mayor proposed having a consultant contract for a process, and Jones expressed that
he didn’t feel Moab would need to spend a lot of money or time on this. Councilmember Duncan asked
how this differs from the General Plan. Jones said visioning is a very brief look at priorities, and noted
the difference that resulted in Park City, where they toned down their goal of being a world-class
mountain destination to a more community-oriented entity involving sustainability values. He gave an
example of housing as a priority there, and noted Park City’s housing stock is comprised of 70 percent
part-time residences or nightly rentals.
Mayor Niehaus offered that the role of Council is to build a vision. Councilmember Jones said the
Council and Mayor are elected to represent the populace. Mayor Niehaus described Council as being a
platform rather than as drivers of the vision. Councilmember Derasary noted many of the items on the
list are intertwined and said her interest is community design. She described a process whereby
community members walk the neighborhoods to express their ideas and values. After gathering
information about locations, the next step is to produce overlay maps to facilitate discussions. She gave
an example of parking as important but pointed out it is one piece of a vision. Everitt asked what
problem would be solved by isolating islands, and Derasary noted that the City shouldn’t let the market
drive planning. Everitt stated the City is controlling nightly rentals and protecting water; is the issue
banning hotels on Main Street, or something else? Mayor Niehaus concurred that the vision will enable
staff to work on what concerns to solve for. She reminded Council that for the last 20 years, the effort to
increase tourism came from businesses in an effort to improve the community. She said that increasing
sales taxes were an effort toward that end. Niehaus and Derasary discussed whether there is now a
shift in the community toward more introspection and ventured there is a shift afoot into a new
direction.
Jones expressed his hope that there would be a quick (not year-long) process to involve community.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd said Council should step back. There was discussion about the General
Plan consulting from several years ago that didn’t result in a finished product. Community involvement
was lacking, and Knuteson-Boyd pointed out the community has changed since that process started.
Councilmember Duncan pointed out the County spent $100,000 on their process; he expressed an
inclination toward a survey of the community. Councilmember Derasary indicated a desire for a robust
community process. Everitt asked for clarity on whether the General Plan is the Visioning Plan. He
pointed out the General Plan could be construed to be just about land use and the driving entity is the
Planning Commission. He suggested that the Visioning Plan should drive the General Plan. Mayor
Niehaus concurred.
Kelly pointed out citizens may come up with things that aren’t legally viable and the City needs to be
able to respond to that. Kelly asked if an outside entity could facilitate the process on behalf of the City.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd brought up misconceptions in the community about the openness of
council actions. She cited the discussions in Council meetings about lowering speed limits that occurred
over the past year as an example. Knuteson-Boyd also talked about finding new voices to come to the
table. Councilmember Derasary pointed out the huge attendance at the recent Town Hall.
Councilmember Jones stated a survey could be a component, and the overall vision could be a first step
for land use planning. He elaborated that the Vision is at a higher level than the General Plan, and the
City can tie future land use planning to the Vision. He cautioned that in such a small town as ours, area
plans could single out individual parcels. He added there is a tendency to freeze the Vision in a time
capsule. Everitt stated there is a strong need for future land use planning, for increased density and
more. Councilmember Jones added the biggest issue is high density housing versus commercial zones.
Everitt asked how the Geodesign exercise fits here. Councilmember Derasary and Mayor Niehaus stated
it is a tool. Everitt was concerned about operationalizing what is now only a vague direction. Niehaus
clarified it can create residential-centric areas, for instance. Councilmember Duncan talked about livable
communities, and that no matter what, somebody is not going to be happy.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd wanted to know what the City can budget for in terms of a Visioning
Plan with community input. Everitt said his staff can propose options.
Implementation of the Affordable Housing Plan: Mayor Niehaus stated it is a top priority, not a pet
project of hers. She added the loudest criticism regarding the lack of affordable housing is from the
business sector, health care providers and the school district. She added the development community
has been asking for this for a very long time. When put into action, she felt the City would see
immediate results. Everitt noted the housing plan was affirmed by the City and the County and the City
Council adopted it by resolution, and Assured Housing is mentioned in sections 2.9 and 1.24 of the Draft
workplan. Councilmember Jones concurred that assured housing is a top priority. The joint NEXUS study
was discussed. Niehaus pointed out some big employers are planning their own employee housing.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd asked who is actually building the affordable housing? The response
was the Housing Authority and Community Rebuilds. It was suggested the City should partner with those
proven entities. Councilmember Duncan noted Grand County Community and Economic Development
Director Zacharia Levine put in a lot of effort, and the assured housing plan was adopted. Duncan wants
examples of where this idea of private developers has worked, asked if the City will need to be the
developer. He stated either approach works for him. He added there is a danger of it not penciling out,
and developers will go to San Juan County. Councilmember Derasary cited examples of Colorado
communities where this had worked, and Councilmember Guzman-Newton noted those may be multi-
million dollar ski resorts. Mayor Niehaus asked: do we have the resources? Councilmember Derasary
offered the NEXUS study will study that. Derasary concurred that housing is important, and City Special
Projects Director Weiser is vice-chair of the Housing Task Force. Weiser stated that she is encouraging
City Planner Jeff Reinhart to make it a priority to attend meetings more regularly. She added code
revisions come up in the meetings and it will be helpful for him to be there. Councilmember Jones
noted it is a complicated subject and new council members can get up to speed on it. He added that just
attending meetings might be too technical, and recommended a council workshop. Everitt suggested a
“housing 101 workshop.” Mayor Niehaus suggested investing in housing. She stated our code lacks for 4-
plex and 6-plex possibilities. She added that we know the players and we need the code regarding
density questions and more. Everitt suggested that when he thinks about code revision, he thinks about
cleanup of existing code, not land use zoning changes. Councilmember Derasary brought up gaps such
as buffering. Everitt explained the big changes need to be established and directed to the planners, and
cited an example of more density on 400 East. Councilmember Derasary suggested a separate session
on code. Everitt suggested a consultant for a chapter by chapter code revision, clarification and
correction exercise. He continued that staff needs to know if there is a desire for discussion of future
land use and asked if that’s not what Council was elected to do. Councilmember Derasary stated she
wanted citizen participation.
Mayor Niehaus suggested partnering with the County. Councilmember Jones offered that most of Moab
is already developed. He opined that the question is how to incentivize redevelopment, and suggested
more multi-family units need to be available. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated that being on the
same page as the County is needed, working toward the same goal. Councilmember Duncan brought up
the Blackburn property and suggested there could be a handful of Planned Unit Development (PUD)
opportunities. He added that Planned Area Developments (PADs) should be a part of PUDs. He
proposed PADs could eliminate a need for 3+ acres to develop, and could provide smaller pockets.
Duncan noted that accepting 1.5 acre parcels would help. Councilmember Jones stated that a PAD
includes an assured housing policy, yet cautioned that staff may not have the competence to propose
such an option. Everitt agreed, and said that proposal may need to be developed by a consultant. The
question was asked if the City is in the business of providing housing. Councilmember Derasary said
people ask about city-owned land, and mentioned the land trust. Property near Old City Park was
mentioned and Councilmember Guzman-Newton noted transportation issues. A land swap was
mentioned. In summary: housing is a top priority, and a workshop is in order. Barriers as perceived by
Councilmembers are welcomed by Everitt. Councilmember Jones pointed out all the maps are on the
City website. Mayor Niehaus stated that it’s not just housing 101, it’s also a future land use planning
exercise. Guzman-Newton added the public needs to be involved because increasing density in
neighborhoods is where all the clamor comes from. Mayor Niehaus stated mixed-use is clunky.
Councilmember Derasary suggested there needs to be tolerance for adding time to Council meetings to
discuss this topic in the near future. Councilmember Jones suggested that Everitt should work with staff
and then come back with a road map.
Protect Water Resources: It was pointed out this topic is covered in section 2.17 of the draft workplan.
Everitt stated the need for legal and legislative representation, and added he has developed a Request
for Qualifications (RFQ) for legal & lobbying representation on water matters. Councilmember Jones
asked if it is not the job of the City Attorney to sub out this expertise. Councilmember Duncan stated
that a regional groundwater plan is in process, and we need representation but not yet. He stated there
would be a need in the future. He added the City has senior rights and therefore the City is in driver’s
seat. He added the State is starting the adjudication process for abandoned wells and unused private
water rights, and he also cited the ongoing USGS study. He added that water will limit growth, and
people will be spending good money for rights. Duncan stated we have a year. Councilmember
Knuteson-Boyd disagree and urged the City to act now. She cited legislation proposed by Representative
Noel. Councilmember Duncan approved of the plan to get someone on retainer. Everitt mentioned that
a water attorney can foster legislative relationships and are not lobbyists per se, but could aid in
preventative maintenance. Councilmember Duncan agreed that Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd’s
points were good. He went on to mention that Marc Stilson’s “First in Time, First in Right” rule could be
altered if the local community wants to alter the status quo. Duncan warned that unless changes are
made, the latest hookups may need to unhook when water becomes scarce. Moderator Kelly asked if
the Council wanted to move that up in the queue of projects. The consensus was yes. Councilmember
Derasary stated that globally, a top problem communities face involves losing water rights.
Code Revisions: Kelly pointed out that several points on this topic had already been brought up. Everitt
said he will provide a list of revisions already made and what’s forthcoming. Councilmember Derasary
asked what is the most efficient way to make changes sooner than later for code gaps such as buffers.
Councilmember Jones suggested a pace for code revisions, so requests translate into a work plan with
dates. It was suggested Council could take a stab at code revision prioritization. Councilmember
Derasary suggested this as a special workshop topic. She noted it should include legislative issues and
threats. Mayor Niehaus asked about the current consultant’s involvement and Everitt replied her work
is just land use code revision for now. Councilmember Duncan brought up downzoning existing
commercial zones and wants a feel for the Council’s appetite for that. He mentioned taking hotels out of
C-3 & C-4, or changing it to only those developments that will provide workforce housing. He stated it is
radical, but feedback from the public is disconcerting. He expressed his impression that there is a lag
between the City and development trends. Councilmember Derasary brought up legal issues that may
arise regarding downzoning. She offered that it could be the City’s job to convince landowners of other
options. Councilmember Jones stated the need to start at the vision level. Councilmember Derasary
brought up water issues. Councilmember Jones stated he is open to pursuing the conversation in a
different venue. Councilmember Guzman-Newton agreed the conversation needs to happen.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd cautioned about singling out hotels. Mayor Niehaus said that nobody
would care about hotels if all of our resident’s needs were met regarding quality water and affordable
housing; she suggested diverting attention to that. Councilmember Derasary cited quality of life issues,
impact on infrastructure, and Moab’s carrying capacity.
Communications: Discussion ensued regarding electronic tracking for Requests for Proposals (RFPs),
citizen complaints, and more. Councilmember Jones stated his interest in knowing about tracking police
statistics and the like, and wondered if monthly reports were possible for things such as how many new
hotels are in the permit queue. He added this could be in lieu of a formal report. Everitt stated that not
everything would be efficient to share in this way but requested more information about what was
desired. Councilmember Guzman-Newton mentioned departmental reports. Councilmember Jones said
he was interested in law enforcement, annual business licenses, comparative statistics with other cities
and special events applications. Councilmember Derasary wanted cumulative use for special events, for
instance. Mayor Niehaus added that this would allow for data-driven policy-making, not decisions based
on emotion. She cited the example of the moratorium, and the spreadsheet was very easy to
understand. Everitt cautioned it could take two full-time jobs in the City and County to make this level
of reporting happen. Councilmember Guzman-Newton suggested an easy-to-use google form as a
possible solution that would be less onerous. Everitt agreed it could work if there are discrete datum to
be collected. After more discussion Kelly suggested Council should send Everitt a list of those items to
track. Everitt agreed, but wondered how much formality would be needed. Kelly raised the question of
staffing constraints. Councilmember Jones gave an example of the Planning department’s whiteboard
used to track the planning queue. He suggested that could be online. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd
asked if this sort of tracking could be implemented in one department as test? She used the example of
special events. It was offered that Engineering already does it, but Mayor Niehaus stated she wants to
see this in Planning. Everitt stated he wants to think more about this. Councilmember Duncan endorsed
the status quo, because as new councilmember, he stated he is already overwhelmed by information.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton returned to the topic of special events. She wondered if it is in the
interests of the City to cap events. She said the excessive events burden residents. Councilmember
Jones reiterated the need for data-driven decision-making. He cited the pace of hospitality development
and special events. He emphasized that when we have discussions, we need data. Everitt suggested
that this effort be set up by topic, not by department. Galley described what is in place for tracking, and
Councilmember Jones noted he wants to see what is coming up. He stated the need to discern between
general tourism versus special events. Galley stated that the Moab Area Travel Council (MATC) has a
spreadsheet. Councilmember Derasary requested that the City ask MATC to share the spreadsheet.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton wondered if sales tax numbers could help to track visitation.
Kelly asked about the priorities of the Council. Everitt discussed tracking citizen concerns, referred to as
constituent response management. Discussion followed regarding how Councilmembers could track
how citizen complaints were managed or put to rest. Everitt stated that Carmella maintains the master
list. Councilmember Guzman-Newton expressed the need to make the person feel they have been
heard. Everitt agreed a visual record of complaints could be useful and a future project could be a
master list. He acknowledged the hunger for a special events list. Councilmember Jones asked for better
data for policy decisions in light of a perception that Moab is being taken over by tourists. Everitt
suggested that a humble approach to tracking could be tried.
External Communication: Councilmember Derasary brought up a private property ombudsman. She
recommended signage in chambers and an education program regarding citizen participation, including
when and how to speak in public hearings. Councilmember Jones stated he supports a communication
plan for external and internal communication.
Sustainability: It was discussed that sustainability should reach across all initiatives. Councilmember
Derasary noted the Sustainability Director position and all the directions we could go in. She cited the
Rocky Mountain Power collaboration. Councilmember Jones said that the Wattsmart effort was a great
plan, but added we should move toward grid-sourced power in the foreseeable future. He urged the City
to not let the opportunity pass us by. Everitt stated he will have Rosemarie Russo report back on recent
projects, and added he agrees the City should keep its eyes on the prize. Councilmember Derasary
noted smaller prospects such as anti-idling, impacts of plastic water bottles, and the like, but added
there may be a bigger lesson there for education. Utility-level solar was discussed as a prospective effort
for the City. Councilmember Guzman-Newton asked about education for water harvesting and gray
water, and Councilmember Jones stated the Sustainability Director RR has a 10-year plan, and the Water
Conservation Board is working on it. Guzman-Newton stated her concern that we may be behind the
curve. Councilmember Derasary asked how do we get sustainability into everything without
overwhelming Rosemarie? Everitt stated it is a management issue, and adopting a ten-year plan will
enable the City to plan for adequate staffing.
Councilmember Duncan noted the Moab Irrigation Company (MIC) is interested in exercising their rights
and he mentioned the potential for an expanded secondary water system which uses surface water
instead of culinary water for landscaping. He suggested that in the future the City could tap into MIC
pipes. Councilmember Jones brought up that the dark sky initiative might not seem like a top-tier
priority but it does address things in many ways, including complaints about lighting, concerns about
energy efficiency, where standards are lacking, and human and wildlife health. Councilmember
Derasary suggested the Council can take for granted that this is a city mandate. Everitt said staff will
maximize the City’s dark skies prospects. He noted the City Planner is working on funding to retrofit city
lights and more.
Cross-jurisdictional initiatives: Everitt mentioned desk audits to evaluate workforce functionality.
Councilmember Jones asked for coordination of development codes and cited annexation of transition
zones. Everitt responded that a funding mechanism would need to be devised to pay for infrastructure if
it’s mostly residential property that is annexed. Councilmember Jones asked if that can be audited as
well? Everitt stated that is a good point. He added that no commitment has been made, but there is
money set aside for the desk audit project. He added that scope, expense, and a timeline is forthcoming.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated her dubiousness of the County’s ability to partner in this project.
Kelly raised the question of how can the City better collaborate with schools, the Hospital, and others.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton stated there is a disconnect between the City and the schools.
Councilmember Derasary said the Mayor used to attend school board meetings, Intergenerational
poverty meetings, and more, and Everitt stated that in Salt Lake City, the city council met with the
school board quarterly. City Recorder/Assistant City Manager Stenta said that, 15 years ago, a Council
meeting was held at the high school during an assembly. Councilmember Guzman-Newton said she
attends school board meetings, and City presence is well-received. It was stated that community health
is a large part of running a city. It was expressed that the School Resource Officer makes a difference,
and that getting youth involved in various city issues would be beneficial. Councilmember Knuteson-
Boyd asked what would the school district like to see from the Council. Councilmember Guzman-
Newton stated she felt that the schools would like to know that the City has their back. Everitt pondered
a staff liaison to school district that can collaborate on grant-writing and other topics. He added all
efforts have been Ad Hoc to date. Discussion ensued about engaging the high school debate team on
city issues.
Mayor Niehaus offered that she will be expanding the student of the month program to include the
charter school and middle school. Principals will be present at meetings to hear council reports at
meetings, and Councilmember Guzman-Newton stated the principals could also update the Council on
school matters at that time. Niehaus also mentioned the Mayor’s Round Table, with the school
superintendent, the Hospital CEO, and others, and described it as an opportunity to meet without an
agenda. The list of boards the Council engages with was discussed.
Transient Room Tax: It was discussed that there was a desire to use the TRT monies for City and County
general funds. Councilmember Duncan said he wrote a resolution on behalf of the City, County, and the
Town of Castle Valley to present to the state legislature. Everitt stated that the Utah Association of
Counties (UAC) is working on the issue, and the Governor endorses it. Councilmember Duncan pointed
out our state legislators want collaboration locally. Councilmember Jones suggested the City and the
County should cooperate to hire a lobbyist. There was a suggestion to put one on retainer. Everitt noted
there are efforts happening with the Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT), but he said maybe a
separate effort was needed for All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV/UTV) regulations, water rights and
management, and other special Moab interests. He also noted it is likely too late for this year.
Councilmember Derasary brought up collaboration with San Juan County, and it was described as being
on an Ad Hoc basis to date. Discussion of Levine’s two-page list of topics to discuss at the capitol ensued.
Councilmember Derasary mentioned victim targeting and Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd mentioned
fireworks regulations.
ATV Noise Issues: Everitt stated there is no update yet on police data gathering, as it is winter and the
data gathering will continue through the Spring. Discussion followed regarding Main Street issues plus
where trailers can be parked. Councilmembers expressed they had received negative feedback on the
new speed limits, and some positive feedback as well. Councilmember Derasary stated she wants to
expand the program. Everitt mentioned his desire for a consistent approach. Councilmember Duncan
stated he wants to see ATVs gone from the City’s streets, and he wants them gone for noise, not speed.
It was expressed there could be pushback from business owners if this move drives tourists away.
Councilmember Jones stated the police are gathering data so they have the ability to ticket and so we
can lobby the legislature in 2019. Councilmember Duncan said we should ticket noisy users. Everitt
raised the concern of funding for enforcement. Councilmember Derasary noted other towns have a
curfew on ATVs, in Duschene County, and it was noted that San Juan County posts speed limit signs
specifically for ATVs on Spanish Valley Drive. Tallman pointed out it is her understanding these signs are
for unlicensed ATVs, not licensed UTVs such as side-by-sides). Mayor Niehaus & Councilmember
Guzman-Newton conjectured that speed didn’t affect noise, but Everitt stated that staff did a study and
showed there is a difference. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd speculated that as soon as Rally on the
Rocks comes around, Council and staff will receive emails and complaints “24/7.” Everitt stated he is
interested to see if there is any effect of new speed limits.
Planning Department Organizational Structure:
Discussion followed regarding the capacity of staff, consultants, and the County and City overlaps.
Councilmember Jones suggested that engineering and public works were making major changes.
Councilmember Derasary asked if the proposed planning assistant will help with the planning
department work flow. Everitt stated he may consider evolving the position from gatekeeping into
planning responsibilities. Councilmember Derasary asked if there could be more of a consultant role and
Everitt explained that engineering relied more on consultants in lieu of staff. He said that the new City
Engineer can hold consultant’s feet to the fire. In the planning world, he said, there needs to be staff to
oversee consultants. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd suggested a higher-level person might pay for
itself. Everitt stated that succession planning would be helped by hiring a higher-level employee.
Councilmember Jones asked if there would be a position on a parallel with the City Planner, and Everitt
suggested a long-range planner could be in consideration. Moderator Kelly asked about the next step.
Everitt said he would work to develop a job description. Mayor Niehaus said she did not like the concept
of gatekeeping but rather intake. Councilmember Derasary warned about the costs of added staff.
Councilmember Derasary next asked about job descriptions for planning commission. It was noted this
would be discussed at the joint Council and Planning Commission workshop on Monday. Derasary
wondered if there should be job descriptions for Council, and Niehaus stated she thinks they help.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd noted the job of Councilmembers is set by state code. Councilmember
Jones added he doesn’t want to impact succession planning or current planning. He added that Levine
thinks a joint position might be in cards in the long term.
Utah State University (USU) Campus: There was concern voiced about the City cheerleading and
contributing money for infrastructure without an evident depth of business planning and community
engagement regarding USU. There was a report of citizen concern about the proposed scope of a 4,000
student population. Discussion ensued regarding optimum size for our local goals without
overburdening the town. Council expressed that discussion has been lacking even as the City is asked to
support loans and infrastructure. The possibility of essentially doubling size of Moab was discussed.
The concern surrounding when the project is presented to the Governor for support without due
financial diligence was also discussed. Councilmembers expressed a need for awareness-raising in the
community, and the process of engaging City with the steering committee was brought up. Mayor
Niehaus stated she has not yet been invited to participate. Everitt suggest that Weiser may already be
engaged, and it was suggested that the City ask the USU Director directly, for an update and to become
involved in planning. Everitt suggested that, from USU’s perspective, they want to know what we as a
community want. The question was raised about whether the intention is to bringing in out of towners,
keeping local high school graduates here, or providing continuing education for adults. Councilmember
Jones said he was looking for strategic planning examples and doesn’t know if USU will supply this to the
steering committee. He stated he felt this could be a better use of funds than asking to fund
infrastructure, and he cited the potential for failure of the project. Mayor Niehaus stated that helping to
fund infrastructure is a tipping point for the City’s involvement. It was stated that the County wants a
Memorandum of Understanding. Everitt stated the project was still at the point that everyone could
walk away tomorrow. Councilmember Jones reminded the group that the State and Institutional Trust
Lands Administration (SITLA) is the other big player. Everitt commented that commitment from SITLA
for housing is being firmed up. Councilmember Duncan opined that SITLA will only spend interest on the
State’s investments, not principal. Everitt offered that SITLA was offering land for housing. Mayor
Niehaus cited the need for concurrent development of housing for the future campus. Councilmember
Jones added that was the plan, and the proposed annexation area equals a 15 percent increase of Moab
City’s land mass, and the projection is the campus would double Moab’s population. Everitt Guzman-
Newton agreed the campus buildout plan is somewhere around 35 years. Everitt stated the need for
statistics on actual wants and needs. Councilmember Jones stated he wanted more information, and
added the campus should be right-sized, and that will invite community buy-in. Councilmember
Guzman-Newton requested the Mayor to invite Dr. Etchberger to speak to Council.
Streets: Topics discussed included parking, sidewalks, a parking plan, and active transportation.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton wanted to know what will the City do for Main Street. Everitt briefly
described the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) funding available for recreational hotspots,
that will assist the City regarding how to address congestion, increase economic development, and
mitigate the impacts of increased use due to recreation. He clarified these monies would assist in the
short term, not for a bypass. He said there may be as much as $17 million available. Other things
discussed included wider sidewalks, no parking on Main Street, multi-use pathways, a parking structure,
and widening Highway 191 in Spanish Valley.
Closing:
Everitt brought up the City’s project of improving records retention and access, succession planning, and
other initiatives for internal administration. Councilmembers Jones and Duncan expressed their
enthusiasm for such work. Mayor Niehaus commented that the City resembles a great ship, and praised
Everitt for doing an awesome job. She said the City is now in the role of tweaking greatness and is
looking beyond crisis. Stenta stated that Everitt and the Council are expanding the City’s bandwidth.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated you need to spend money to make money, or, in other words, to
get business done.
Follow-up items that were recorded during the session include:
• High-level proposal(s) for consultant-driven visioning for the community
• Housing workshop to get new Councilmembers oriented and to establish a road map for staff
• Road map for prioritization and timeline of code revisions
• Request to Travel Council for special event spreadsheet
• Implementation of simple tracking for constituent response management
• Public information campaign for citizen participation (public hearings, citizens to be heard)
• Information on Planner role versus Administrator role
• Mayor to contact Dr. Etchberger
The Council and Mayor then conducted a rating exercise for their priorities. Mayor Niehaus adjourned
the meeting at 2:08 PM.