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HomeMy Public PortalAboutCouncil Minutes 2003 09/25MINUTES McCall City Council Regular Meeting Thursday, September 25, 2003 Table of Contents Call to Order and Roll Call Public Hearing Public Comment Consent Agenda Business Reports Executive Session Adjournment CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Mayor Colton called the regular meeting of the McCall City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, Council Member Muller, and Council Member Eimers answered roll call. A quorum was present. City staff members present were City Attorney Susan Buxton, City Manager Robert Strope, Community Development Director Lindley Kirkpatrick, Golf Course Director Dan Pillard, and Treasurer & City Clerk Barbara Bauer. Mayor Colton announced that AB 03-150 Ord. No. 780 (changed to Ord. No. 778) draft implementing '98 decision re: vacation of Dawson Avenue (VAC-97-1) has been removed from the Consent Agenda and that there will be no executive session. PUBLIC HEARING At 7:02 p.m., Mayor Colton opened the Public Hearing on Transfer of Cemetery Deed Ordinance 787 Page 1 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes Mayor Colton asked for public comment on Ordinance 787. There was no public comment. At 7:04 p.m., Mayor Colton closed the Public Hearing on Ordinance 787 relating to the transfer of Cemetery Deed Mayor Colton moved to suspend the rules, read by title only, one time only, Ordinance No. 787. Council Member Arp seconded the motion. In a roll call vote, Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, Council Member Muller, and Council Member Eimers voted aye. The motion carried. Ordinance read by title only by City Manager Robert Strope. Mayor Colton moved to adopt Ordinance 787, authorize the Mayor to sign on behalf of the Council and direct the City Clerk to publish and record all documents necessary to complete the transfer of this property. Council Member Arp seconded the motion. In a roll call vote, Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, Council Member Muller, and Council Member Eimers voted aye. The motion carried. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Colton called for public comment. Charles Waters, 613 Floyde Street, requested that after the November 4, 2003 election, the City Council immediately seat the individual with the highest vote total in the race for the two year Council seat. Mayor Colton stated that the Council had decided to immediately appoint the non -incumbent candidate with the highest vote total in the election to the vacant Council seat to serve until the winning candidates are sworn in January 2004. Staff will research to be sure that there are no specific reasons to be more specific. Bill Robertson, 1037 Bitterroot Drive, supports seating the high vote getter regardless of whether it is for the two or four year term. CONSENT AGENDA Council Member Arp requested that the third paragraph on page seven of the September 11, 2003 minutes be corrected to show that she was expressing an opinion rather than requesting the economic impact of the grocery exemption. Mayor Colton moved to approve the Consent Agenda and authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary documents. Mayor Colton Eimers seconded the motion. In a Page 2 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes roll call vote, Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, Council Member Muller, and Council Member Eimers voted aye. The motion carried. BUSINESS AB 03-154 : Golf Course RFP City Manager Robert Strope noted that Council Members had reviewed a draft version of this RFP and that the changes they provided have been incorporated into this version, as have actual dates. He noted that there are some links between this item and Agenda bill 03-152 related to timing and costs. This version of the RFP incorporates two separate requests from Council to obtain consulting services to review golf course operations and the economic impact of the golf course on the City of McCall. The McCall Golf Foundation has committed to provide partial funding for an economic review. Details of this cost sharing will be determined after proposals are received. He also suggests that the title of this document be changed to "Request for Qualifications". Council Member Eimers feels that an RFP is needed regardless of action that may occur on proposals for management of the golf course. Council Member Arp asked if the language regarding the City's right to use any ideas submitted is common. City Attorney Susan Buxton stated that the language probably should be revised to note that the information contained in all proposals will become public record unless it is of proprietary information protected by Idaho law. Council Member Muller asked whether linking the two diverse areas of study and expertise would negatively impact the number of responses since the necessary skills may be very different for an economic benefit study than a golf operations review. Director of Golf Operations Dan Pillard feels that there are an adequate number of consultants who can do both. After providing the council with a document, Director of Golf Operations Pillard stated his commitment to maintaining City operations of the golf course and asked that he be allowed to work with other golf industry professionals to prepare and present a review and five year plan based on the RFP at the November 13 Council meeting. He has contacted several respected golf industry professionals who would assist with this process on a volunteer basis and that he and Alan Morrison have begun discussing the possibility of joining this effort. The process would not delay other Council action but will provide Council with important new information and that the action he suggests is very different from his normal Department Head role. Council Member Muller sees no downside to the process recommended by Dan Pillard. Page 3 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes Council Member Eimers stated his concern about the problems that need to be solved at the golf course and expressed appreciation for the creativity this proposal represents. Council Member Eimers asked whether the changes he proposed in the RFP relating to a variety of management styles have been incorporated into the RFP language. Mayor Colton, the more information the city has, the better future decisions will be. Council Member Eimers would like to be sure that the RFP goes ahead regardless of any action that may occur on specific proposals. Mayor Colton moved to approve the RFP subject to legal review and direct staff to advertise the RFP. Council Member Muller seconded the motion. In a roll call vote, Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, Council Member Muller, and Council Member Eimers voted aye. The motion carried. AB 03-152 Golf Professional Proposal Robert Strope reviewed the catalyst and timing of this proposal from Allan Morrison. He noted that he, Dan Pillard and Allan Morrison have not yet been able to schedule time for a joint discussion of any of the proposals being discussed. He also told the Council that Dan Pillard would like to submit a competing private proposal. After a cursory review, City Attorney Susan Buxton believes this type of proposal could be a viable option for the City, and that further study is needed concerning the current bond requirements and all other legal ramifications of a long term lease. Staff also needs to be certain that any agreement includes adequate safeguards to assure the Course is maintained properly and returned to the City as an improved asset when any contract ends. Council Members and staff identified a large number of significant issues and questions that this proposal raises. City Manager Strope clarified that he sees the recommended action on this item as a request for staff to do a lot of additional and necessary work to explore the idea of a long term management lease, but none of the individuals involved should spend time on addressing questions if the Council is not interested in considering proposals for complete management of the McCall golf operation. Allan Morrison, 904 Evergreen says that he will work with staff on any reviews or information gathering needed, but he made this proposal because he feels it would turn around a cost drain on the City. He stated that the only way any turn around can work is if there is an increase in income and the number of rounds played. Council Member Muller noted that the Council will never consider selling the golf course. He also stated that this proposal does not have enough information to begin making any decision, but he is not unwilling to look at the idea of a full management contract. Page 4 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes Mayor Colton stated that none of the Council Members were ready to make a decision on the future of the golf course without a lot of additional information even if a strong detailed proposal was before them now. Council Member Eimers raised additional concerns about the tax dollars that have already been used to support the golf course. He does not feel it is possible to forgive those dollars and noted that this issue must be addressed in a proposal that the City looks at seriously. City Attorney Susan Buxton believes that the review of the process related to the bond restrictions will be covered by our current retainer. Council Members continued to discuss the need for more details from Allan before anything can be reviewed. Mayor Colton feels there needs to be a very specific analysis of how that support has gone to the golf course and where the money came from. City Manager Strope feels that it may be necessary to treat review and analysis of a long-term management proposal as if the City were preparing for a sale of the golf course in order to identify financial issues raised by the Council, even though there is no intent to sell the golf course. City Manager Strope noted that Dan Pillard would also like to submit a competing proposal. Dan Pillard clarified that he is not involved with Allan's proposal, confirmed that if it is appropriate, he may submit a personal proposal and pointed out that as Director of Golf Operations he would take multiple roles in the process. Mayor Colton stated that the Council will welcome and consider all proposals from any interested party, not just Dan and Allan. Before the Council will be ready to consider any specific proposal such as this, they want to get back the information from Dan Pillard's review, look at the responses to the RFP to determine if any response should be accepted and review the completed information from any contract. Jim Staup, 1624 N. Davis Road, asked the Council what the Golf Course is worth and noted that amounts that were supplied in the past are not accurate. Without setting a true value on this asset in comparison to the actual amounts that were paid by the City it is hard to find a workable solution. Ed Catlett, 1942 Pilgrim Cove Road, noted that the additional values for property being taxed around the golf course compared to other properties is also part of the value of the golf course. In response to a question from Council Member Eimers, City Manager Strope stated that it is his understanding that if the Council adopts the recommended action as written, it will give him the direction necessary to cover the range of information gathering, discussion and evaluation of the City's ability to look at the feasibility of alternatives as they are identified, including long-term contracts covering all golf operations with Dan or Allan. Page 5of7 , 2003 City Council Minutes Council Member Muller moved to direct the staff to work with Mr. Morrison and Mr. Pillard on draft agreements, direct the City Attorney to evaluate the proposals, and return with recommendations to Council within 30 days. Mayor Colton seconded the motion. All members voted aye. Motion passed. AB 03-144 Nov. 2003 Local Option Tax Ballot Language Robert Strope reviewed information provided to the Council Members on the ballot language. Council approved the November 4, 2003 Special Election on the Local Option Tax at the September 11, 2003 meeting with the exception of the language for the ballot. Staff incorporated the changes discussed at the meeting and prepared the attached ballot for approval. There still may be formatting changes needed as the ballot goes to print, but this request is for approval of the content. Council Member Eimers wants to include a specific dollar amount of $50,000 per year for the golf course in item 5 of the ballot language and will not support adoption without that. Council Member Arp believes that it is important to let the committee make the recommendations after appropriate research and community input is obtained. She will support an advisory ballot only after learning the economic value of the golf course to the city of McCall. Council Member Muller stated that he would vote for the local option tax regardless of tying an amount to the golf course because he believes it is important, but he would be supportive of the dollar amount for golf. City Manager Strope requested that if any dollar designation is made for the golf course, it include modifying language to assure that the first dollars received will be used for tax and water rate relief rather than golf course support. Council Member Arp moved to approve the ballot language. Mayor Colton seconded the motion. In a roll call vote, Mayor Colton, Council Member Arp, and Council Member Muller voted aye, Council Member Eimers voted no. The motion carried. REPORTS City Manager — Robert Strope City Manager Strope is making arrangements with Charter Communications to have a regional management representative at the next council meeting. Page 6 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes Council Member — Marilyn Arp Will not be at the next meeting, so other members need to be present for a quorum. Council Member — Allan Muller Still waiting for the Recreation department job description requested by Council at a July budget meeting. Council Member — Kirk Eimers August financial statements show more than $200,000 in positive cash position across all City funds and expressed appreciation of the hard work by Robert and his staff to keep a positive cash position. Mayor - Ralph Colton Volunteers are still encouraged to work in the concession stand ADJOURNMENT Without further business, Council Member Eimers moved to adjourn. Council Member Muller seconded the motion. All Council Members voted aye. The motion carried. The Council adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Ra ph Co on, ayor ATTEST: Barbara Bauer, City Clerk & Treasurer Page 7 of 7 , 2003 City Council Minutes