Council Study Session

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT TOWN COUNCIL IN SPECIAL MEETING FOR A STUDY SESSION, APRIL 19, 2018 AT 5:00 PM, MUNICIPAL CENTER, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 50 E CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Jenn Daniels, Vice Mayor Brigette Peterson, Councilmembers Scott Anderson, Eddie Cook, Victor Petersen, Jordan Ray, and Jared Taylor COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Deputy Town Clerk Kris Kingsmore, Assistant Town Attorney Nancy Davidson CALL TO ORDER OF SPECIAL MEETING The meeting began at 5:08 p.m. 1. Gilbert Historical Society Annual Report Community Resources Program Manager Melanie Dykstra introduced Kayla Kolar and Marty Tomljenovic from HD South to give their annual report. Marty Tomljenovic, Chair Elect of the Gilbert Historical Museum Board of Directors said the Gilbert Historical Society (Society) will continue its goal to grow the organization using the Community for All Ages model, while providing expanded programming within a financially sustainable budget. A major highlight of the year was the rebranding of the Society with a new “doing business as” (DBA) name – HD South. While the parent name will always be Gilbert Historical Society Incorporated, HD South better represents the expanded mission of the organization to include not just history, but all arts and culture. The name also represents the physical location of the organization as the “southern gateway” to the Heritage District. Kayla Kolar, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HD South shared highlights from the past year. The sixth annual “Night at the Museum” gala fundraiser netted over $75,000, a 375% increase over the first year the event was held. HD South held 52 public programs with a total of 645 participants. These programs included everything from history and genealogy classes, to art, science and music workshops. Museum staff redid three exhibit rooms and worked with 11 different Eagle Scout remodeling projects as they prepared for the rebrand announcement. HD South also collaborated on several art exhibits which were well attended, hosted the “Festival of the Trees”, and held their first “Breakfast with Santa”. HD South has kicked-off the silent phase of its Building Communities for All Ages Capital Campaign. The goal is to raise $2 million to renovate and preserve existing museum buildings, to construct a new 5,000 square foot, ADA accessible building for expanded 1 programs, exhibits and rental space opportunities, and to renovate the courtyard for programs, events, and rental space. Ms. Kolar said revenue generation is built into the plan in order to assure future sustainability. In the first six months, the Campaign’s leadership team has secured over $650,000 in cash and pledges. Once the campaign has surpassed the 70% mark, they will go public and will involve the entire community in the process. Mayor Jenn Daniels commended Kayla and the Museum for everything they have accomplished. Councilmember Jordan Ray volunteered to talk about HD South and the Capital Campaign with anyone interested in knowing more. He too commended the organization for its accomplishments. Vice Mayor Brigette Peterson congratulated HD South on their Night of the Museum gala and the money they raised. Councilmember Scott Anderson said the idea of an arts center in the Heritage District is exciting and congratulated HD South on this goal. 2. Update on Dockless Bike Sharing Transportation Planning Manager Kristin Myers provided background on the various bike sharing systems that are currently being provided in the East Valley. She explained that bike sharing is different than bike rentals – where you rent a bike for a day. Bike sharing is typically used for shorter trips and shorter periods of time at a reduced cost. There are two types of bike sharing systems – docked and dockless. Her presentation focused on the dockless bike sharing systems. Transportation Planning Manager Kristin Myers explained both the benefits and challenges associated with dockless bike sharing systems. She shared feedback from other East Valley cities that currently have dockless bike sharing companies operating in their communities. Based on feedback, Kristin and her team researched how a dockless bike sharing system would work in areas of Gilbert, like the Heritage District, and how it would work within existing Town code. While this presentation was for informational purposes only, staff plans to bring suggested code amendments to Council in the future, to ensure Town code clearly specifies that dockless bike sharing systems are not allowed in the Town and to give staff the ability to impound “rogue” bikes that are left within Town boundaries. Councilmember Victor Peterson said he appreciates staff’s proactivity on this issue and stressed that we want to be known as welcoming new technology, especially as it supports the needs of our residents. He wants to proceed with caution to ensure whatever we do maintains the safety of our residents and he supports fees to recover the costs of maintaining safety in light of these operations. 2 Councilmember Jared Taylor asked staff to research whether or not these businesses can be taxed and asked the Transportation Planning group to work with Parks and Recreation to determine if bike sharing is something that could be utilized within our parks and trail system. At the request of Vice Mayor Brigette Peterson, Transportation Planning Manager Kristin Myers explained the Town’s current initiative to update the Bike Plan that was last modified in 2005. As the Town grows so do the needs of its residents. Town staff is using several methods to identify the needs of residents when it comes to bicycle usage and infrastructure. 3. FY 2019 Preliminary Budget Office of Management and Budget Director Kelly Pfost presented an overview of the FY2019 preliminary budget package. Of the $24.4 million in requests, only $12 million are being recommended for Council approval, most of which deal with maintaining existing service levels. She compared FY2018 and FY2019 and showed there is less than a $2 million difference between the two proposals. The FY2019 budget proposal includes $478 million in Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) which are primarily concentrated on water, wastewater, and streets. Kelly Pfost explained the strategy staff used for funding the Greenfield Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion and pointed out that this bonding strategy saved Gilbert taxpayers over $20 million. She discussed Enterprise Fund Rates and said adjustments are needed to bring costs and revenues into alignment. She said that if the property tax levy for FY2019 is set at $23.25 million it would keep the tax rate the same for the fiscal year. Councilmember Victor Petersen expressed his concerns with current methodology and said we are letting “past history tell us where we should go rather than setting that new course each year.” Councilmember Eddie Cook would like to see actual spend numbers added to the presentation since the he feels the Town’s spending is what we should be measured, even though what is adopted is important too. In response to Councilmember Scott Anderson, Kelly Pfost said she worries most about long-term sustainability of the budget. She stressed the importance of making sure utility rates move forward and that we balance those funds so we can continue to provide these services to our residents. Mayor Jenn Daniels and Town Manager Patrick Banger shared their appreciation for Town staff and their work on the FY2019 budget package. The meeting ended at 6:53 p.m. 3  ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Jenn Daniels, Mayor Kris Kingsmore, Deputy Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the special meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Gilbert held on the 19th day of April, 2018. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this ____ day of ____________________. ___________________________________ Kris Kingsmore, CMC, Deputy Town Clerk 4