HomeMy Public PortalAboutPKT-CC-2021-09-14SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING 7:00 P.M.
** THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN PERSON IN THE MOAB CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS. **
** MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIRED **
City Council Chambers
217 East Center Street
Moab, Utah 84532
Regular City Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Citizens to Be Heard
If you do not plan to attend in person but would still like to
submit written comments for the Citizens to Be Heard portion
of the meeting, please fill out the form found
here: https://bit.ly/citizenstobeheard
You must submit your comments by 7:00 PM on the date of the
meeting. Please limit your comments to 400 words.
Administrative Reports
Acting City Manager Updates
Sustainability Update
Mayor and Council Reports
Approval of Minutes
August 24, 2021, Regular Meeting
min -cc -2021 -08 -24 draft.pdf
Presentations
Grand County School District Update - Amanda Knill
Old Business
Walnut Lane Updates
Discussion and possible direction
walnut lane update 09 -14 -21.pdf
as - walnut lane updates 09 -14 -21.pdf
2021 Class C Roads Update
2021 class c roads update agenda summary.pdf
attachment 1 - 2021 class c road map.pdf
Approval of Bills Against the City of Moab
Executive (Closed) Session
Strategy Session to Discuss Reasonably Imminent and/or Pending Litigation
Discussion of the Character, Professional Competence, or Physical or Mental
Health of an Individual or Individuals
Adjournment
Special Accommodations:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special
accommodations during this meeting should notify the Recorder ’s Office at 217 East Center
Street, Moab, Utah 84532; or phone (435) 259 -5121 at least three (3) working days prior to
the meeting.
Check our website for updates at: www.moabcity.org
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SEPTEMBER 14, 2021REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING 7:00 P.M.** THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN PERSON IN THE MOAB CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. ** ** MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIRED **City Council Chambers217 East Center StreetMoab, Utah 84532Regular City Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m.Call to Order and Pledge of AllegianceCitizens to Be HeardIf you do not plan to attend in person but would still like to submit written comments for the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the meeting, please fill out the form found here: https://bit.ly/citizenstobeheardYou must submit your comments by 7:00 PM on the date of the meeting. Please limit your comments to 400 words. Administrative ReportsActing City Manager UpdatesSustainability UpdateMayor and Council ReportsApproval of MinutesAugust 24, 2021, Regular Meeting min -cc -2021 -08 -24 draft.pdfPresentationsGrand County School District Update - Amanda KnillOld BusinessWalnut Lane Updates
Discussion and possible direction
walnut lane update 09 -14 -21.pdf
as - walnut lane updates 09 -14 -21.pdf
2021 Class C Roads Update
2021 class c roads update agenda summary.pdf
attachment 1 - 2021 class c road map.pdf
Approval of Bills Against the City of Moab
Executive (Closed) Session
Strategy Session to Discuss Reasonably Imminent and/or Pending Litigation
Discussion of the Character, Professional Competence, or Physical or Mental
Health of an Individual or Individuals
Adjournment
Special Accommodations:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special
accommodations during this meeting should notify the Recorder ’s Office at 217 East Center
Street, Moab, Utah 84532; or phone (435) 259 -5121 at least three (3) working days prior to
the meeting.
Check our website for updates at: www.moabcity.org
1.2.3.4.4.1.4.2.5.6.6.1.Documents:7.7.1.8.8.1.
Documents:
8.2.
Documents:
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10.1.
10.2.
11.
Page 1 of 5
August 24, 2021
MOAB CITY COUNCIL MINUTES--DRAFT
REGULAR MEETING
August 24, 2021
The Moab City Council held its Regular Meeting on the above date. An audio recording of the
meeting is archived at http://www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html and a video recording is archived
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1QaMceSqf0.
Regular City Council Meeting:
Mayor Emily Niehaus called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Councilmembers Karen Guzman-
Newton, Tawny Knuteson-Boyd, Mike Duncan, Rani Derasary and Kalen Jones were in
attendance. City staff participating included Manager Joel Linares, Assistant Manager Carly
Castle, Police Chief Bret Edge, Assistant Planner Cory Shurtleff, Engineer Chuck Williams,
Public Works Director Levi Jones, Treasurer Marcy Mason, Attorney Laurie Simonson, Finance
Director Ben Billingsley, Recorder Sommar Johnson and Parks, Recreation and Trails Director
Annie McVay. Thirty persons were in the audience. Mayor Niehaus led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Citizens to be Heard:
Charlotte Mates shared that the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) seeks public input
on bike lanes and multi-use paths adjacent to nearby state roads. She said the public comment
period on UDOT's active transportation plan lasts through August 28th.
Wes Shannon spoke on behalf of the Downtown Main Street Alliance and stated the Alliance
officially opposes the proposed property tax. He said the City should show what the tax will be
used for. He added a request to see more efficiencies, effectiveness, integrity and higher
professional standards. He urged Council to work collectively with businesses, health
professionals, developers, hairdressers, restaurants, bookshop owners, mechanics, tour
companies, outdoor gear stores, gift shops, grocers, and residents to create community, not
division. He said the City received a free ride during COVID, keeping its doors locked for nearly
a year while businesses all struggled to follow guidelines to remain open and be good hosts and
collect sales tax. He identified a lack of trust between the residents and the City and added the
absence of accountability is jeopardizing the community’s faith in the vision of Moab's future.
He said the Council is not holding the City Manager accountable, who in turn holds staff
accountable. He averred that businesses are intimidated to speak up fearing retribution and staff
is not responsive. He concluded by urging Council to vote no on the property tax.
Helene Rohr expressed gratitude to those holding positions in public service. She said answers
to her questions did not clarify why the tax increase is needed. She suggested better fiscal
management is needed. She said her research revealed the City of Moab pays employees
generously compared to other cities in the state. She noted Iceland’s tourism peaked at 2.3
million visitors in 2018, bringing in a revenue stream of $920 million. She asserted that Moab is
on its way to doubling that number of visitors, coming close to five million this year. She said
that with the influx of visitors each year, Moab should be one of the wealthiest communities in
the nation, yet has a poverty rate that is five percent higher than the State’s. She contended that
the wages and benefits for some City employees are high and completely out of sync with
average income levels, especially when infrastructure issues and the housing crisis were
absolutely foreseeable. She said it was unjust to ask residents to make up for any shortcoming in
the general fund. She concluded by asking Council to listen to residents, and to take a closer look
at what is being spent where and why within the City.
Emily Sukiennik announced she recently resigned as director of the Moab Recreation and
Aquatic Center (MRAC). She said the sports department was favored by specific superiors and
Page 2 of 5
August 24, 2021
there was zero accountability regarding work completion. She declared there were many
unhappy community members. She said she noticed other departments that were similarly
favored, based on friendships and intimate relationships and stated it was not fair. She said
when she was promoted to MRAC Director, she found that the MRAC is not favored by superiors
and is seen as a financial burden, and she could not make headway when it came to budget
amendments, facility improvements, appropriate wages for staff, or the hiring process. She said
that for nine months she picked up the slack and did janitorial duties, as did one of her
colleagues, and maintained she was not treated well by Human Resources. She said employees
leave to seek jobs with supportive environments. She said she witnessed her concerns, as well as
unprofessional behavior, being brushed under the rug. She referred to immoral and unethical
conduct. She said she loves and cares for her town and to see things running the way they are is
saddening and disconcerting. She encouraged others to come forward.
Aaron Davies observed that increasing property tax is contrary to the stated goal of affordable
housing. He cited the list of long-time needs and said harder work needs to be done to prioritize
the list. He asked Council to not increase property tax, but rather, to find ways to pay for needed
projects without increasing taxes. He opined about whether government should be bigger or
smaller. He said with bigger government, there's more power, and in society, there is an issue of
greed for money. He added there's also an issue of greed for power and asked to lessen what
government is involved in. He suggested to do just the basics, and volunteer organizations and
donations can be put together to pay for the fun projects.
Dwight Johnston encouraged Council to not get in the property tax business. He said the schools
are raising property taxes again this year, as they do every year, and they always fall short on
their budget. He proclaimed that, almost every year, there is a truth in taxation hearing and they
raise the property taxes; he added the County also does this. He said this year is really painful
because lots of people are getting their property reappraised and there are people who can't
afford to pay. He said increased taxes will be passed on to renters, which goes against the
prospect of lower income housing. He encouraged Council to develop industries that produce
more sales tax, not just raise the sales tax. He suggested there are businesses to promote that
would increase sales taxes.
Susie Johnston said she owns businesses, and when a new tax is proposed, the real cost is to
businesses. She added she has not raised rents on her apartments for years because the tenants
struggle. She recognized that raising property tax would result in higher rents and added that
pretty soon Moab is going to be a place where only rich people can live. She concluded by
praising Moab’s great community and urged Council to not tax it to death and to vote no.
Jason Taylor stated he has a few businesses in town and he’s a landlord with a duplex. He
averred he has not raised rents in eight or nine years, and his tenants struggle every month and
one of them almost started crying due to the prospect of raising rents due to a property tax. He
said he had to increase employee wages to get people to where they can buy homes, but added it
comes at a cost. He said there are a lot of people who just barely make their house payments and
a tax is going to put them over the edge. He cited discussion from a recent Council meeting to
save money in each budget year. He suggested to try that for a few years to see what it does for
the budget. He urged Council to vote no on the property tax.
Rosanne Lewis said she works at the hospital and urged Council to vote no on the property tax.
She said it is hard for the hospital to get professionals and nurses who can afford to live here.
Chris Cantrell said he only been in Moab two years and he is a maintenance manager for a 60-
unit apartment. He said the rent has gone up twice and he is losing good people. He says he
Page 3 of 5
August 24, 2021
works for a property management company in Idaho, and when the rent goes up, he is blamed.
Kyle Kaiser stated he is a landlord and was shocked to hear comments from Council and staff
about the effects of raising the property tax on the housing and rental markets, and the
implication that landlords could choose to not pass a property tax increase on to tenants. He
said there is a public relations problem regarding what the proposed tax would pay for and the
existing budget. He said it is difficult to prevent the appearance of balancing the impact of
tourism on long-term residents of the town, and encouraged a no vote.
Administrative Reports:
Police Chief Edge reported on hiring progress and said two new officers had been hired and two
more had job offers. He briefly touched on trainings and the police fleet, noting Office Manager
Kelli Day had secured a grant for a new vehicle. Edge announced the new Assistant Chief,
Braden Palmer, and mentioned the School Resource Officer (SRO) position at the high school,
including a law enforcement class currently offered. He mentioned the success of recent
community engagement event and noted an upcoming public safety chili cookoff on November
5, which would include a fundraiser for youth sports scholarships. He noted interest in adding
electric vehicles to the police fleet, which he was pursuing in collaboration with the
Sustainability Director. Councilmember Derasary thanked officers for attending the back-to-
school events. Councilmember Guzman-Newton thanked Chief Edge for outreach efforts and
requested a summary of dispatch statistics. Edge cited software limitations regarding reporting
dispatch calls and Manager Linares mentioned new software would cost $250,000.
Recorder Johnson recapped the recent candidate filing period and stated there were seven
candidates for Mayor and six for City Council. She announced she was working with the League
of Women Voters on education and outreach regarding Ranked Choice Voting. She presented an
example video provided by the Lieutenant Governor’s office on ranked voting and explained
some details of how election day activities would be managed by Utah County.
Manager Linares updated Council on employee absences due to COVID-19.
Mayor and Council Reports:
Mayor Niehaus led a moment of silence for two local residents, Crystal Turner and Kylen
Schulte, who were murdered. She reported she attended Congressman John Curtis’ Town Hall
and announced Senator Mike Lee was expected to visit, although she had no details. She
mentioned a meeting of the Boundary Commission, which hears annexation disputes. She noted
a meeting of the Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) Legislative Policy Committee and
thanked candidates who filed for office. She encouraged candidates to attend Council meetings.
Councilmember Duncan reported that recent rains, combined with reduced usage, had resulted
in an improved water level in Kens Lake. He mentioned the recent well failure in Spanish Valley
and mentioned an editorial in the Times-Independent on the complicated water situation.
Councilmember Derasary reported she attended the John Curtis Town Hall and met with the
Sustainability Director to discuss the City’s Sustainability Plan. She also thanked Finance
Director Billingsley for meeting with her. She reported she attended the ULCT Legislative Policy
Committee meeting and mentioned the drought response rural working group. She reported on
the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) meeting and dispatch statistics. She said she attended
the City budget workshop as well as the back-to-school events. She thanked the City for
providing sandbags to residents concerned about flooding. She remarked on the resignation of
City Attorney Simonson and stated her appreciation for her service.
Page 4 of 5
August 24, 2021
Attorney Simonson made a brief statement about her resignation.
Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd thanked Councilmember Duncan for briefing her on the Moab
Irrigation Company and the water situation. She reported on a meeting of the Canyonlands Care
Center Special Service District and noted one employee is out with COVID-19, and the board
reviewed the financials and budget. She stated fencing was installed on Park Drive to keep
vehicles from driving through. She reported on the Museum board and the Housing Authority.
She noted a possible donation of a home for workforce housing. She also attended a meeting
with National Park Service (NPS) representatives to discuss the timed entry proposal.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton reported she also attended the NPS timed entry meeting and
also met with the Sustainability Director to discuss water conservation grants. She mentioned
her tenure as local chair of the Census committee and discussed emerging statistics about Grand
County and stated there were 1,186 unoccupied residences.
Councilmember Jones reported he attended meetings of the Travel Council and the Solid Waste
District. He stated the newly restructured solid waste service was meeting financial
expectations. He also reported on Dark Skies progress and noted he attended the John Curtis
Town Hall and the NPS traffic congestion meeting.
Approval of Minutes:
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Duncan moved to approve the minutes for the August 4, 6
and 16, 2021 Special Meetings and the August 10, 2021 Regular Meeting. Councilmember
Knuteson-Boyd seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 with Councilmembers Derasary,
Jones, Guzman-Newton, Knuteson-Boyd, and Duncan voting aye.
Old Business:
Adoption of the Budget and Property Tax—Approved
Motion: Councilmember Jones moved to adopt Resolution 22-2021, a Resolution Adopting
the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget Scenario Three as presented, which adopts a property tax
revenue of $1.5 million, and approve form PT-800 instituting a property tax levy of 1.671 mills.
There was no second and the motion failed.
Discussion: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated she would not support raising a property
tax. She opined about community reaction, including divisive name-calling and bullying.
Motion: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to adopt Resolution 22-2021, a Resolution
Adopting the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget Scenario One as presented, which adopts no
property tax revenue. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion.
Discussion: Councilmember Guzman-Newton expressed that bullying occurs on the dais, and
she cannot endorse a property tax. Councilmember Derasary brought up several questions
regarding line items in the budget, including projects that were ranked lower by Council but
appeared in the budget, as well as questions about the transit pilot project and the Recreation,
Arts and Parks (RAP) tax, and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). She expressed her concern
about what tourism can realistically pay for. Councilmember Duncan stated his support for the
motion and stated he would also support a property tax at the $1 million level. He said he does
not think things will get worse financially, and concurred with Councilmember Guzman-Newton
about the capital projects list as presented by staff. He attributed the lack of interest in a
property tax on COVID and poor timing. He mentioned that suggestions to cut staff expenses
were not easy to accomplish. He also mentioned potential funding from the American Rescue
Plan Act (ARPA) and the RAP tax. Councilmember Jones stated he thinks it is time for a small
property tax and he noted that, this year, City residents will actually see a decrease in their tax
bill. He stated it was the best year to pass a $360,000 tax and requested a revision to the
motion. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd stated her desire to leave the motion unaltered.
Page 5 of 5
August 24, 2021
Councilmember Guzman-Newton brought up the community’s upset regarding staff salaries.
She stated she wanted Human Resources to present a transparent report on salaries and cost of
living adjustments (COLA). Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd noted a salary survey was
forthcoming. Mayor Niehaus suggested a salary and staffing workshop and Councilmember
Jones recommended saving such a workshop for the new Council. Councilmember Guzman-
Newton advocated for using fewer Enterprise Funds for administration and more for projects.
Vote: The motion passed 4-1 aye, with Councilmembers Knuteson-Boyd, Derasary, Duncan and
Guzman-Newton voting in favor and Councilmember Jones voting against.
New Business:
Survey Amendment for 500 South Main—Approved
Presentation: Assistant Planner Shurtleff briefly presented the proposed survey amendment.
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Jones moved to approve Proposed Resolution 29-2021
Approving the Record of Survey Amendment for Property Located at 500 South Main Street,
Moab. Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye, with
Councilmembers Knuteson-Boyd, Derasary, Duncan, Guzman-Newton and Jones voting aye.
Low Income Water Assistance Program—Approved
Presentation: Treasurer Mason briefly presented the proposed federally-funded utility relief
program known as the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).
Motion and Vote: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to approve the agreement for the
water assistance program between the City of Moab and the Department of Workforce Services.
Councilmember Guzman-Newton seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with
Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Duncan and Guzman-Newton voting aye.
Approval of Bills Against the City of Moab:
Motion and vote: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to approve the bills against the City
of Moab in the amount of $398,741.06. Councilmember Derasary seconded the motion. The
motion passed 5-0 with Councilmembers Jones, Duncan, Guzman-Newton, Derasary, and
Knuteson-Boyd voting aye.
Executive (Closed) Session:
Motions and Votes: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to enter an Executive (Closed)
Session for a discussion regarding deployment of security personnel, devices or systems.
Councilmember Duncan seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye with Councilmembers
Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Duncan and Guzman-Newton voting aye. Mayor Niehaus
convened the Executive Session at 9:32 p.m. Councilmember Jones moved to end the Executive
Session. Councilmember Guzman-Newton seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0 aye
with Councilmembers Jones, Derasary, Knuteson-Boyd, Duncan and Guzman-Newton voting
aye. Mayor Niehaus ended the Executive Session at 10:03 p.m.
Adjournment: Councilmember Knuteson-Boyd moved to adjourn the meeting.
Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and Mayor
Niehaus adjourned the meeting at 10:03 p.m.
APPROVED: __________________ ATTEST: ___________________
Emily S. Niehaus, Mayor Sommar Johnson, City Recorder
Walnut Lane Update
September 14, 2021
-
Presenting: Kaitlin Myers, Senior Project Manager
Summary of Presentation
•Staff Updates
•Property Management Efforts
•Financial Model & Sales Tax Revenue Bond
•indieDwell & Phase 1
•Discussion and Direction: Next Steps Forward
Property Management Efforts
•Staff Changes
•Most common items
•Water leaks/repairs –roofs, plumbing systems
•Repair/replace furnaces (winter) and swamp coolers (summer)
•Weeds, trash, pest cleanup
•Major Changes (General)
•Triassic removed trees
•Got titles for 3(?) abandoned cars & 3 trailers to be removed; will be demo’d soon
•Provided temporary, emergency housing for MVMC client in temporarily vacant trailer
•Moved tenant into temporary accommodations, currently renovating existing trailer for them to relocate
•Major Changes (Phase 1 Prep)
•Moved power line and trailer for driveway access
•Relocated tenants in Phase 1 location into another trailer elsewhere on site
•Winterize swamp coolers,
check furnaces in October
•Budget for proactive repairs
•Investigate opportunities to
purchase used units in town to
replace WL units (6 possible)
•Perform inventory of trailers to
provide more substantial repairs
Budgetary Updates
[Separate Materials]
indieDwell Update
•indieDwell response to Notice of Default on July 29
•City response to indieDwell on September 2
Do we issue notice?
No, we press pause
and stay the course to
see if they can perform
within the next year.
Yes, we issue because
of performance and
cost issues.
indieDwell cures, and
we proceed forward indieDwell cannot cure
City determines they
have acted sufficiently,
and we continue to
work through
remaining issues
City determines they
did not cure, and the
contract ends due to
contractor default
Decision 2
indieDwell has until
August 2 to cure.
Do we issue notice?
No, we press pause
and stay the course to
see if they can perform
within the next year.
Yes, we issue because
of performance and
cost issues.
indieDwell cures, and
we proceed forward indieDwell cannot cure
Despite not curing, City
continues to work with
indieDwell anyway
City determines they
did not cure, and the
contract ends due to
contractor default
Decision 2
(per response on 9/2)
Staff Action
indieDwell cannot
cure
Despite not curing, City
continues to work with
indieDwell anyway
City determines they did
not cure, and the
contract ends due to
contractor default
City finds a new
builder for duplexes
(redesign current
plans)
City abandons
duplexes, finds new
phase 1 builder (back
to bid list or new RFP)
City abandons master
plan and creates new
redevelopment plan
Decision 3
Staff Recommendation
City finds a new
builder for duplexes
(redesign current
plans)
Design-Bid-Build Design-Build
Decision 4
Note: The City may use either method to proceed with the project,
regardless of Decision 3 selection, but staff recommends proceeding with
current duplex plans to save time and money.
Source: Automated Systems Design, Inc
Source: Automated Systems Design, Inc
DESIGN-BUILD DESIGN-BID-BUILD
Moab City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: September 14, 2021
Title: Walnut Lane Update
Disposition: Discussion and possible direction
Staff Presenter: Kaitlin Myers, Senior Project Manager
Attachments: - Walnut Lane Update Presentation
Direction Requested: Staff requests direction from Council regarding how to proceed with phase one of the redevelopment. Specifically, staff would like to know if Council would like to proceed with a Design-Bid-Build or a Design-Build bidding process. Further explanation is provided in the narrative below.
Background/Summary: The focus of this workshop is to provide the City Council with a series of updates related to the Walnut Lane project, including current and upcoming property management efforts, updated budgetary information, and progress related to phase one of the redevelopment. Property Management As of May 2020, City staff has taken over the property management responsibilities for Walnut Lane residents. These efforts have spanned across several departments, including Public Works, Planning, Building, City Treasurer, and City Attorney, and have included development and management of new lease agreements, rental payments, physical maintenance of Walnut Lane units and grounds, and other tenant-landlord relations. The City continues to manage twenty-six occupied trailers, including nine privately-owned and seventeen City-owned units. We have relocated two households into existing trailers elsewhere on the site and are actively in the process of moving a third household into another; tenants were moved because the previous trailers were in severe disrepair or because the tenants were located in the location of the upcoming phase one redevelopment. We acquired titles and demo permits to remove abandoned vehicles and vacant, unsalvageable trailers from the site. We moved one trailer to a different spot to make room for a new driveway access while phase one is under construction, as this phase will close off one of the entrances to the park. We hired Triassic to remove several sickly trees on the site. Beyond the major changes listed above, Public Works staff works daily on the site to maintain the property and provide necessary repairs to trailers. The most common tasks completed by Public Works includes repairing and/or replacing furnaces (in the winter), swamp coolers (in the summer), plumbing systems, electrical systems, and roofs; and
mitigating weeds, trash, and pests in and around the units. Most of these repairs are made on a complaint-based system, but the Walnut Lane team has been evaluating opportunities to be more proactive about repairing and replacing units and/or systems within the units, including acquiring used trailers from community partners to replace existing City-owned trailers and conducting an inventory of trailers to perform more significant, necessary repairs to units. Last fall, the City hired a dedicated Walnut Lane Maintenance Technician to lead these efforts. When this staff member left the city, the position was retired, and Public Works hired two Facilities staff members to help at Walnut Lane, though they will also be responsible for servicing other city facilities as well. As cooler months approach, Public Works is preparing to winterize swamp coolers and check furnaces for the units. Updated Budget Information It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts to the construction industry, including the redevelopment and property management efforts at Walnut Lane. Further, the City acquired a $6.5 million Sales Tax Revenue Bond (STRB) in April 2021, which will cover the costs of the first two phases of the redevelopment, but must be spent within two years of bond issuance. In light of the cost increases and delays in the redevelopment timeline due to the pandemic, the loss of the phase one builder, and the opportunity to use ARPA funds for the Walnut Lane project, the Council has requested budgetary updates from staff related to the STRB and an updated economic pro forma. Finance Director Ben Bilingsley will help facilitate this conversation. Phase One Progress Over the last few months, staff has provided regular updates to the Council related to phase one progress. The City issued a Notice to Cure to indieDwell on July 1, 2021, and after the period to cure expired, the City determined indieDwell had not met the terms outlined by the City to cure. Thus, staff will facilitate a conversation with Council about how to continue forward with the first phase of the redevelopment. The City has already paid for and received the civil, landscaping, and lighting plans required for phase one’s final site plan, and we have received building plan sets from indieDwell for their proposed duplex units. Staff’s recommendation, therefore, is to hire a new build team to continue phase one as was proposed with indieDwell (four stacked duplex buildings), rather than starting over with new unit typologies for this phase.
The Council may consider two options to go to bid for phase one, as outlined below.
Design-Bid-Build (DBB) This process would first require the City to hire an architect/designer to redraw the building plans from indieDwell. Once the plans are complete, the City will go to bid for a contractor to build the set of plans. Because the City already has a contract with Architectural Squared (A^2) for the Walnut Lane master plan, and because the scope to redraw the plans will be less than $25,000, the City does not need to go to bid for the “design” part of this process, we can simply create a new contract with A^2. This is the process staff followed to acquire the civil and landscape plans for phase one’s final site plan: we hired SET Engineering and DHM Design directly because we already had a contract with them via A^2 for master planning services. Thus, we would only need to go to bid for contractors to build the sets of plans, but it would require two contracts to design and construct the units. This is the process the city commonly follows to build other projects (for example, our Engineering Department designs the plans for a road improvement and then goes out to bid for them).
Design-Build (DB) This process “cuts out the middleman,” so to speak, meaning the City as the owner would not handle separate contracts between the architect and contractor; instead, the City would hire a development team, and the architect and contractor would coordinate together under one contract. This is becoming a more common development contract type than DBB because it typically saves time and money. With this method, the City would only go out to bid once to hire a development team to redraw the plans and build said set of plans; the City would request bidders propose to redraw and build the existing plans from indieDwell, which will save time and money to not have to completely redesign phase one (compared to completely opening up the bid process for any type of unit for phase one). If we are simply redesigning the existing plans, the City can go to bid for horizontal improvements while the plans are being redrawn (regardless of contract type) because we know the civil plans will not change substantially from the existing set. If Council wishes to expand the scope of phase one to consider other unit typologies, staff is hesitant to move forward with horizontal improvements until the new units are designed. The challenge with a DB as compared to a DBB is it could be more difficult to find local, complete DB teams who are willing to work together to redraw and build existing plans, rather than hiring a local architect to redraw plans and then hire a local contractor to build said plans. Staff will present a more cohesive comparison of the two methods to guide the conversation during the workshop.
Moab City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: September 14, 2021
Title: 2021 Class C Roads Update
Disposition: Discussion and possible action
Staff Presenter: Chuck Williams, City Engineer
Attachment(s): Attachment 1 – 2021 Class C Road Map
Recommended Motion: “I move to adopt the 2021 Class C Road Map dated September 8, 2021”
Background/Summary: The State of Utah allocates class C road funds for maintenance of city roadways, curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. Funding is based on roadway surface type and total street centerline mileage of all City maintained roads within City limits. The City last updated its Class C road mileage in June of 2009. This update will add 1.38 miles of street centerline mileage for roads that were transferred from the County or newly constructed since that time. If Council adopts the attached 2021 Class C Road Map, staff will submit it to UDOT.