The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal AboutMIN-CC-2016-10-25MOAB CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING October 25, 2016 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, Moab, Utah. In the Mayor's absence, Council Member and Mayor Pro-Tem Kyle Bailey called the Pre -Council Workshop to order at 5:34 PM. In attendance were Councilmembers Rani Derasary, Heila Ershadi, Tawny Knuteson-Boyd, Kyle Bailey and Kalen Jones. Also in attendance were Interim City Manager David Everitt, City Recorder/Assistant City Manager Rachel Stenta, City Treasurer Jennie Ross, Planning Director Jeff Reinhart, Community Services Director Amy Weiser, City Parks, Recreation and Trails Director Tif Miller, and Public Works Administrative Assistant LeighAnne Reinhart. The Pre -Council Workshop consisted of a presentation of the 2016 Moab City Salary Survey by Mike Swallow of Personnel Systems, Incorporated. Swallow reported that he met with the Moab City staff salary survey committee two weeks prior to his presentation. He performed a market analysis of base wages, and devised a rubric designed for analysis of each position description within the organization, offered philosophies of pay plan design, and ongoing challenges to the organization's compensation program. He concluded with recommendations going forward and key considerations for implementation of the salary and compensation plan. Discussion ensued, with Swallow clarifying that the survey results are for base pay only and not the City's total compensation package which includes "soft benefits" such as paid time off, retirement, and other benefits. The concept of the City's unfunded liabilities was mentioned (for example, unused paid time off for which the City is financially liable). Council asked questions about other pay incentives besides the base pay, and City Recorder/Assistant City Manager Stenta explained there is a new pay -for -performance program in development that awards compensation according to employee merit; she also explained there are cost -of -living adjustments, longevity adjustments, and October 25, 2016 Page 1 of 9 REGULAR MEETING & ATTENDANCE PRE COUNCIL WORKSHOP opportunities for bonus pay. Councilmember Ershadi expressed an interest in seeing the performance evaluation instruments in use. Councilmember Ershadi inquired about Swallow's survey of staff attitudes toward their compensation, including how staff view pay equity within the organization, the reputation of the organization as an employer, and more. Swallow explained that his process entailed reviewing and updating all position descriptions. Mayor Pro-Tem Bailey called the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 7:00 PM and led the pledge of allegiance. Mayor Sakrison was out of town. City Attorney Chris McAnany and Planning Director Jeff Reinhart joined the meeting. Twenty-five (25) members of the public and media were present. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to approve the minutes of October 4 and 6, 2016 meetings with corrections. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Under Citizens to be heard, Joe Kingsley acknowledged that the sewer plant issue is serious, but the potential increase in impact fees is scaring away a developer for affordable housing. He requested leeway for affordable housing projects in the face of a moratorium on sewer connections. He felt the brunt of the sewer issue should be shouldered by commercial enterprises. Eric Plourde is a builder who is concerned that a moratorium on sewer connections will impact his business as his clients are now assuming a "wait and see" stature in view of the potential impacts of sewer capacity issues. He indicated staff layoffs are looming depending on the outcome of the upcoming decision regarding sewer moratorium. Mr. Plourde requested that the Council make a decision in the next two weeks. Emily Niehaus stated that she has confidence in the Council to develop a solution to the Wastewater Treatment Plant issue and requested that in view of the sewer issues and impending moratorium that the council please exempt affordable housing projects. Mayor Pro-Tem Bailey presented Rozlynn Ford with the Mayor's Student October 25, 2016 Page 2 of 9 REGULAR MEETING CALLED TO ORDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES CITIZENS TO BE HEARD Citizenship of the Month Award for October 2016 for Helen M. Knight School. Mayor Pro-tem Bailey opened the public hearing on Solicitation of Public Input on the Moab City Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Master Plan and the Moab Wastewater Treatment Plant Relocation Final Environmental Study (Environmental Assessment) at 7:10 PM. No public comment was given. Deb Barton of the Grand County Solid Waste Special Service District #1 made a presentation reviewing operations and budget. Included were statistics regarding the Klondike landfill and the recycling center, which is now operated by the district. Ms. Barton's presentation is viewable in the meeting packet on the City's website. Canyonlands Community Recycling board member Claire Core made a brief announcement from the audience that there is a local sustainability group recently renamed, now known as the Resiliency Hub, to take up public education and advocacy for reduce/reuse/recycle initiatives. Ms. Barton announced a public workshop regarding recycling solutions on December 1 from 6-8pm at the MARC. Under Community Services Update, Community Services Director Weiser reported that staff attended a conference and that the Planning Commission had scheduled a general plan revision meeting the next Thursday. She also reported that Telluride's affordable housing developers will be present at that meeting to discuss suggestions for code changes that can help Moab. Weiser continued that the Christmas float committee is making progress. Also Community Services Director Weiser informed the Council that work with City Attorney McAnany continues regarding possible moratorium on sewer hookups and that she had received many contacts from the public regarding this topic. No Engineering Department Update, as City Engineer Bowman was out of town. No Public Safety Report as Police Lieutenant Ross was out of town. October 25, 2016 Page 3 of 9 PRESENTATION OF STUDENT OF THE MONTH PUBLIC HEARING OPENED PRESENTATION BY GRAND COUNTY SOLID WASTE SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT #1 DEPARTMENTAL UPDATES Administrative Assistant Reinhart reported the Public Works team has been occupied with routine duties which were detailed in her report. DEPARTMENTAL UPDATES Work on the RFP for a sewer cam van was discussed. Councilmember Jones mentioned appreciation of the difficult work environment for the crew with existing equipment. Under Recreation and Trails Department, Recreation and Trails Director Tif Miller announced the annual Halloween event at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center (MARC) scheduled for Saturday night from 5-10pm. Miller reported the Plein Air art event was a success and that Fall Sports are winding down. He continued that the Turkey Trot will be held November 19 and that outdoor sports will be highlighted soon, emphasizing hiking, bouldering and mountain biking for youth. Miller mentioned new trail signs on Highway 191, and that the Lions Park interpretive signs have been provided to the County for installation. Councilmember Derasary mentioned the grant from the state forester to remove hazardous trees on trails. Councilmember Jones asked about trees on private property that overhang City paths. Miller responded that limbs overhanging the paths are in the City's Right-of-way and could be trimmed. Under Recorder and Human Resources Report, City Recorder/Assistant City Manager Stenta reported on Human Resources, mentioning the salary survey under consideration, several hiring processes proceeding, and open enrollment for benefits underway. Stenta reported that a staff committee review of increases associated with health insurance increases was also in process. Also, she is working on preparing for the budget opening, which will likely take place in December or January. Stenta reported that the Recorder's office has received four or five intensive records requests and introduced Eve Tallman, who has been hired as a temporary employee to fast -track processing these requests, and also to assist with the timely preparation of meeting minutes. Councilmember Derasary thanked staff for getting the Information Technology (IT) contract completed. Stenta cited praise from staff about IT contractor team's responsiveness. October 25, 2016 Page 4 of 9 Under Treasurer Report City Treasurer Ross updated the Council that past due notices had been sent out and that meters are now mainly read with radio -read, so it takes less than a day to read city meters. Mayor Pro-Tem Bailey announced that the public still has a couple of weeks to submit comments on the Moab City Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Master Plan and the Moab Wastewater Treatment Plant Relocation Final Environmental Study (Environmental Assessment). He then closed the public hearing at 7:49 PM. Councilmember Ershadi moved to approve a Special Business Event License for Canyonlands Community Recycling for an Upcycled Art Party fundraiser at the MARC on November 19, 2016. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. Councilmember Ershadi praised the organization. Councilmember Derasary invited petitioner Clalre Core to make a statement. She stated that the group had just recently updated the mission. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Jones moved to approve the Confirmation of Mayoral Appointment of Patrick Dean as Public Works Director. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. Councilmember Ershadi asked about whether Council members could review resumes and credentials. City Manager Everitt explained the candidate was, to his knowledge, the top pick of the staff interview committee. Council member Knuteson-Boyd stated that she had sent the requested information to the City Council on October 15, including a narrative of the interview process. She further discussed the membership of the search team and interview process with input from Councilmember Bailey. Everitt stated that he had checked references. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Derasary, Jones and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Jones moved to adopt Proposed Resolution #26-2016 — A Resolution accepting the storm water improvements for Deer Trail Subdivision and refunding the warranty amount to the Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah. Seconded by Councilmember Knuteson- Boyd. City Planner Jeff Reinhart explained details of the amount refunded. Councilmember Derasary asked about whether known drainage issues had been addressed. Reinhart responded that they had. October 25, 2016 Page 5 of 9 PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED SPECIAL EVENTS LICENSE FOR UPCYCLED ART PARTY, APPROVED APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION #26-2016 The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Derasary moved to adopt Proposed Resolution #27- 2016 — A Resolution approving a Boundary Line Adjustment for John Kovash located at 526 Locust Lane. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Jones moved to adopt Proposed Ordinance #2016-11 — An Ordinance approving the Annexation of 8.77 Acres for the City of Moab Waste Water Treatment Plants on Properties Located along the Western Extension of 400 North Street Right -of -Way. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Derasary moved to approve the first reading and send to Public Hearing Proposed Ordinance #2016-08 — An Ordinance Amending Chapter 13.25.060B and 13.25.060 C to modify the Sewer Impact Fee, to Public Hearing and Second Reading November 8, 2016. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Jones moved to send Proposed Ordinance #2016-14 — An Ordinance Amending the Classified Hourly Pay Rate Schedule and Exempt Officials' Salaries -- to Public Hearing. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Derasary moved to authorize staff to contract with SCB [Stowell Crayk Bown] to provide public defender services for the City of Moab. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. Councilmember Ershadi questioned how the public defender would be evaluated. Attorney McAnany stated that he wasn't sure and had never been asked to perform supervisory duties for this position, and did not participate in offering this Request For Proposal (RFP). He stated that it is a role that could be evaluated, based on client reviews. McAnany continued that he was unaware of any complaints about public defender services offered October 25, 2016 Page 6 of 9 APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION #27-2016 APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE #2016-11 APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE #2016-08 APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE #2016-14 APPROVAL OF CONTRACT FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICES in Moab. Councilmember Ershadi also asked about oversight of prosecutorial services and McAnany clarified that he had never been asked to exercise oversight and that if the Council desires him to perform such oversight, he would be happy to. Councilmember Derasary was also curious about how municipalities provide oversight. City Manager Everitt stated that he will research how other jurisdictions provide oversight for such services. Councilmember Derasary commented on the contractor's statement of qualifications in the proposal and that she had heard from a citizen that in the future, the RFP should specifically address a bidder's experience working with minority defendants and court advocates. Recorder Stenta stated that the public defender is engaged for approximately 20 cases per year. Councilmember Jones pointed out that the staff of SCB includes many who are fluent in Spanish. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Ershadi then asked if instituting oversight would affect the outcome of the contract. Everitt stated it wouldn't affect awarding the contract. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd opened a discussion regarding the Coffee with the Council meetings. Discussion ensued about whether these meetings are worthwhile based on low turnout. Council agreed to continue the practice with one -month notice and holding meetings in coffee shops that are popular places where people gather. Councilmember Ershadi suggested mixing up times and days, and will e- mail staff with dates. She will also ask the Chamber of Commerce which businesses might be interested in hosting events. There was a Council discussion about whether to meet on election day, November 8. It was expressed that enough public notice had been put out with the important sewer topics that the meeting should go on. Councilmember Jones reported that he had attended meetings regarding solid waste and the general plan. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated that she reported on the interviews earlier in the meeting, and another meeting she was scheduled for was cancelled for lack of a quorum. Councilmember Derasary reported that she attended a Trail Mix October 25, 2016 Page 7 of 9 DISCUSSION REGARDING COFFEE WITH THE COUNCIL MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS meeting, and hosted a Coffee with the Council meeting. There was no correspondence to be read. City Manager Everitt had distributed a written report prior to the meeting and also reported that the City park superintendent Mike Huts made an emergency repair to the water fountain at Lions Park after hours. Discussion ensued about when to schedule workshops to discuss the upcoming potential sewer connection moratorium. It was decided that the workshops would be held Monday, October 31 at 6pm and also Tuesday, November 1 at 5:30pm. Councilmember Derasary moved to pay the bills against the City of Moab in the amount of $207,878.64. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Jones moved to enter an Executive Session for the purpose of An Executive Session to Discuss the Character, Professional Competence, or Physical or Mental Health of an Individual. Councilmember Ershadi seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. The Executive Session was entered at at 8:35 PM. Councilmember Ershadi moved to close the Executive Session at 8:53 PM. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye, with Councilmembers Bailey, Ershadi, Jones, Derasary and Knuteson-Boyd voting aye. Councilmember Ershadi moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0 aye. The meeting was adjourned at 8:54 PM. APPROVED: ATTEST: David L. Sakrison Rachel E. Stenta Mayor City Recorder October 25, 2016 Page 8 of 9 READING OF CORRESPONDENCE ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS APPROVAL OF BILLS EXECUTIVE SESSION ENTERED EXECUTIVE SESSION CLOSED ADJOURNMENT October 25, 2016 Page 9 of 9