HomeMy Public PortalAboutMIN-CC-2019-07-09
Page 1 of 5 – July 9, 2019
MOAB CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 9, 2019
The Moab City Council held its regular meeting on the above date in the Council Chambers at
the Moab City Center, located at 217 East Center Street.
Pre-Council Workshop:
At 12:06 PM, Mayor Emily Niehaus called a workshop meeting to order for a briefing on the
Sustainability Action Plan presented by Sustainability Director Rosemarie Russo. In attendance
were Councilmembers Karen Guzman-Newton, Rani Derasary, Kalen Jones and Mike Duncan.
Also in attendance were City Manager Joel Linares, Planner Nora Shepard, Administrative
Executive Assistant Carmella Galley, Records Specialist Eve Tallman, Communication and
Outreach Director Lisa Church and Recorder Sommar Johnson. Five members of the public
were present. An audio recording is archived at: www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html. A video
recording of the workshop is archived at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ter4zvJXS5U.
Dr. Russo reviewed methodologies for collecting data and presented adjusted and new goals
including an accelerated timeline from 2032 to 2030. Discussion ensued regarding the
prioritization of transportation goals. She mentioned water consumption reductions, along with
other positive points of the City’s sustainability status. Housing burden (percentage of income
used for housing expenses) was noted as a negative along with the relative energy inefficiency of
Moab’s current housing stock. Councilmember Duncan asked about water consumption by hotel
guests and discussion followed regarding energy efficiency measures for visitors. Russo
announced a grant that was secured locally to finance an energy-efficient hotel. She also touched
on the ongoing Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS)
assessment in addition to grant-funded projects at the Old City Park. Mayor Niehaus brought up
projects discussed with Deb Dull of Rocky Mountain Power. Russo concluded with proposed
amendments to the Municipal Code, including bicycle infrastructure, building standards,
mandates for electric vehicles in the City fleet and safeguards for drinking water protection
zones. An update to the Transportation Plan was suggested. Councilmember Derasary asked
about including the County in projects. Councilmember Jones asked about moving forward with
commenting on the draft. Funding for sustainability projects was discussed.
Motion to Recess and Vote: Councilmember Duncan moved to recess the meeting.
Councilmember Karen Guzman-Newton seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-1 with
Councilmembers Duncan, Guzman-Newton and Derasary voting aye and Councilmember Jones
voting nay. Mayor Niehaus recessed the meeting at 1:32 PM.
Executive (Closed) Session: Mayor Niehaus reconvened the meeting at 6:34 PM.
Councilmember Duncan moved to enter an Executive Session to discuss the Purchase,
Exchange, or Lease of Real Property. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion
passed 3-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary and Duncan voting aye. Councilmember
Derasary moved to end the Executive Session. Councilmember Duncan seconded the motion.
The motion passed 3-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary and Duncan voting aye.
Mayor Niehaus ended the Executive Session at 7:02 PM.
Regular Meeting—Call to Order and Attendance: Mayor Niehaus called the regular
meeting to order at 7:06 PM and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Additional staff in attendance
included City Attorney Chris McAnany, Finance Director Rachel Stenta, Police Chief Bret Edge,
Treasurer Chantel Lindsay, City Engineer Chuck Williams, Facilities Superintendent Chace
Gholson and several members of the law enforcement staff. Twenty-nine members of the public
and media were present. An audio recording is archived at: www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html. A
video recording of the meeting is archived at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MTkSwWcWQk.
Page 2 of 5 – July 9, 2019
Approval of Minutes: Councilmember Derasary moved to approve minutes of the June 25,
2019 meeting with corrections. Councilmember Karen Guzman-Newton seconded the motion.
The motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-
Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Presentation: Mike Thurston was sworn in as Assistant Chief of Police by Recorder Johnson.
Police Chief Edge commented on his qualifications.
Mayor and Council Reports: (:05 on audio recording)
Mayor Niehaus reported she attended a meeting of the state Water Quality Board and she also
thanked staff for help with the July Fourth celebration. She stated she had met with local church
representatives about sewer rates for churches and nonprofits. She also reported she met with
the new coordinator of Four Corners Behavior Health and Niehaus mentioned an update she
had received regarding the uranium tailings pile. She noted she will be absent at the next
Council meeting and requested a Council member to draft a letter of support for the Dark Sky
ordinance for Council review. Councilmember Jones volunteered to draft such a letter.
Councilmember Derasary noted progress with the City’s crosswalk striping. She mentioned a
brush-clearing project for properties behind the hospital. She reported on the Uranium Mill
Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project, noting the project has surpassed the 60 percent
completion mark. She mentioned a Travel Council effort to mitigate human waste in popular
outdoor areas, and remarked the Tamarisk Coalition had changed its name to RiversEdge West
and also noted a new Moab Outdoor Adventure Guide from the Moab Information Center
(MIC). She concluded with a mention of two helpful informational sheets available through the
Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership for people planning Russian Olive removal.
Councilmember Duncan praised the success of the July Fourth celebration and mentioned he
had been attending water-related meetings. He noted advantageous flows into Kens Lake and
mentioned the upcoming Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios
(VCAPS) workshop.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton touched on the July Fourth celebration and noted the
Chamber hosted 23 booths for local businesses and organizations and eight new businesses
joined the Chamber. She reported on a visit by Justin Lee of the Governor’s office to gather
information about federal impacts on local businesses. Guzman-Newton mentioned she
attended an airport board meeting and July Fourth planning meetings.
Councilmember Jones reported on a regional mobility planning meeting with the Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT) and Grand County. He noted his work as the
Councilmember responsible for reviewing the bills against the City was redundant due to
excellent staff oversight and stated he had never found any errors. He added he would be willing
to continue to do spot checks. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd offered to take over as the
Councilmember responsible for reviewing the bills. Jones concluded with a mention of a fire on
his property that received a robust response from emergency crews.
Administrative Report: City Manager Linares thanked the staff for assistance with the July
Fourth celebration and mentioned heavy law enforcement activity at the ballparks due to illegal
fireworks. He remarked on a piano installed for the public at the Moab Information Center
(MIC) and explained the City’s burn ban. Linares mentioned progress regarding hiring an
architect for the Walnut Lane development, construction of a new fence at Rotary Park, a
planned Council workshop regarding public works infrastructure and upcoming studies
regarding speed limits and crosswalks.
Page 3 of 5 – July 9, 2019
Change of September 10 Regular Meeting Date—Approved
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Guzman-Newton moved to change the regularly-scheduled
meeting of September 10 to September 9. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. The
motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-
Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Administrative Report—Continued
Facilities Superintendent Chace Gholson spoke as a member of the Mosquito Abatement District
Board of Trustees. He updated Council on the district’s mosquito fogging activities. City
Engineer Williams explained upcoming traffic revisions related to construction projects on
Uranium Avenue and 100 East between the Middle School and City Market. He also shared
upcoming changes to traffic signals and signage on Main Street. Police Chief Edge reported on a
law enforcement escort through Moab for children of fallen officers. He discussed staffing levels
in the department and noted nine fires were caused by fireworks. He mentioned leadership
training for senior officers and invited Council to participate in ride-alongs. Finance Director
Stenta reported that a debt management policy would be proposed soon, a Memorandum of
Understanding regarding funding for the Moab ArtTrails was being drafted along with a Master
Fee Schedule and she updated Council on sales and property tax revenue topics with the State.
Citizens To Be Heard:
Krehl Stegelmeier stated he is building a nightly rental unit on property adjacent to the Entrada
subdivision. He recounted several communications with staff to ensure he would be exempt
from the moratorium and yet was refused a building permit when he attempted to submit an
application. He requested his property to be grandfathered in as an allowed overnight
accommodation.
Sara Melnicoff spoke about recycling bins at the ballfields and the ineffective management by
City staff of the trash and recycling bins. She volunteered to sort the recyclables. She also
brought up Option 1 of the solid waste code amendments and noted the specter of a monopoly
on recycling services and also mentioned the definition of trash therein.
Ruth Dillon expressed gratitude for work on the C-2 zone in the overnight accommodation code
revision. She noted the work on established overnight accommodations, specifically in the
Cottonwoods subdivision as existing and established uses.
Bob Wood stated he owned a condominium in the Entrada subdivision and is president of the
homeowners’ association there. He stated he respects the process and expressed gratitude
regarding established overnight accommodations as existing uses. He concluded with a mention
that Entrada is an economic engine for City revenues.
Old Business: (1:37 on audio recording)
Removing Overnight Accommodations as a Permitted Use—Tabled
Discussion: City Planner Shepard presented an update regarding Proposed Ordinance
2019-18, an Ordinance Amending The City of Moab Municipal Code Removing Overnight
Accommodations as a Permitted Use and Allowing Established Overnight Accommodations to
Remain Legal Uses in the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, RC, and Sensitive Area Resort (SAR) Zones; and
Amending Sections 17.06 Definitions, 17.20, 17.21, 17.24, 17.27, 17.31, and 17.32. She reported
the Planning Commission gave a positive recommendation of the draft ordinance. City Attorney
McAnany stated he will review and edit the draft without making substantive changes to the
intent. He mentioned the ordinance would be a text amendment to the Code. Shepard noted she
had forwarded all citizen comments that were sent to the Planning Commission on to the
Council. Mayor Niehaus thanks the Planning Commission for their work.
Page 4 of 5 – July 9, 2019
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to table for two weeks Ordinance
2019-18, an Ordinance Amending the City of Moab Municipal Code Removing Overnight
Accommodations as a Permitted Use pending attorney and Council review. Councilmember
Guzman-Newton seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones,
Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-Newton and Duncan voting aye.
New Business: (1:49 on audio recording)
Integrated Software Services Proposal—Approved
Discussion: Councilmember Guzman-Newton asked about the overall cost of adopting the
new software and ongoing costs. Finance Director Stenta explained the costs, noting the overall
maintenance cost would increase approximately $5,088 per year.
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to award a Financial Software Services
Proposal to Caselle for a proposal price of $47,288 and a monthly maintenance and hosting fee
of $3,674 after implementation. Councilmember Duncan seconded the motion. The motion
carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Derasary, Jones, Knuteson-Boyd, Duncan and Guzman-
Newton voting aye.
Mill Creek Drive Water Improvements Project—Approved
Discussion: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd asked if the project would overlap seamlessly
with the planned Arbor Drive/Hecla project. City Engineer Williams stated the Mill Creek
project would be a year out.
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to approve a Consultant Services Task Order
for the Mill Creek Drive Water Improvements Project in the amount of $139,500.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with
Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Idling Ordinance—Tabled
Discussion: Mayor Niehaus explained the City had received a lot of community feedback
requesting a stronger idling ordinance. She said the Council was presented with a draft
amendment to the Code and a more recent version had been sent earlier in the day. Niehaus
requested feedback from the Council regarding a twenty minute limit or a two minute limit with
exceptions. Sustainability Director Russo explained a common idling standard was thirty
seconds. Councilmember Duncan expressed his opinion that the proposed amendments seemed
austere and he mentioned drive-through restaurants. City Manager Linares explained signage
could be posted at both ends of town explaining that Moab is “idle free.” Councilmember
Derasary stated her support of a two-minute standard and Councilmember Guzman-Newton
concurred. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated she likes the exceptions as presented. Russo
brought up windshield covers that reduce the need for scraping ice and also keeping cars cooler
in summer. She shared the “Idling Gets You Nowhere” slogan. Councilmember Duncan said he
could settle for a ten-minute rule and suggested it would be hard to enforce. Councilmember
Derasary pointed out that science backs up the desire for a shorter idling limit.
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to table for two weeks an Update to Moab
Municipal Code, Section 10.04.230, 8.B. and 8.C. (Idling). Councilmember Guzman-Newton
seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary,
Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Solid Waste Updates—Tabled
Discussion: Sustainability Director Russo explained the various options the City Council had
considered in the past months regarding the waste hauling franchise agreement. The choices
were described as Option 1, which reflects the Code revisions previously approved. Additionally,
the definitions for waste would change to reclassify the terms food scraps, cardboard, yard
waste, glass, plastic, paper and wood form solid waste into new categories of recyclable and
compostable material. Russo explained Option 2 required recycling for commercial accounts;
Option 3 proposed construction debris recycling for projects above 5,000 square feet, and
Page 5 of 5 – July 9, 2019
Option 4, which proposed mandatory cardboard recycling for residential, commercial or all
accounts. Discussion ensued regarding trash categories, recycling construction materials, and
input from the manager of the County solid waste district. Russo stated she did not recommend
mandatory recycling for commercial accounts and mentioned most businesses were enthusiastic
already. She also mentioned that Moab Springs Ranch was a demonstration “recycling hotel”
working with best management practices. City Attorney McAnany brought up the need for an
intergovernmental agreement between the City and the Solid Waste district. Councilmember
Jones asked about the franchise agreement and the intention for sole access to the recycling
market. City Manager Linares explained no for-profit recyclers could compete under the
agreement. Councilmember Guzman-Newton asked if source-separated vendors would be
precluded from future bids for service.
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to table for two weeks consideration of
Chapter 8.04- Solid Waste code revisions. Councilmember Guzman-Newton seconded the
motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd,
Guzman-Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Bills Against the City of Moab—Approved
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to approve bills for $306,381.77.
Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with
Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Guzman-Newton and Duncan voting aye.
Adjournment: Councilmember Guzman-Newton moved to adjourn the meeting.
Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers
Derasary, Jones, Duncan, Knuteson-Boyd and Guzman-Newton voting aye. Mayor Niehaus
adjourned the meeting at 9:37 PM.
APPROVED: __________________ ATTEST: ___________________
Emily S. Niehaus, Mayor Sommar Johnson, City Recorder