Council Subcommittee

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON AZ CARES ACT, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020, AT 3:00 P.M., VIRTUAL MEETING, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Chair Aimee Yentes, Vice Mayor Yung Koprowski and Councilmember Scott September COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Deputy Town Clerk Chaveli Herrera, Town Attorney Chris Payne, Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona, Office of Management and Budget Director Kelly Pfost, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Rob Bohr, Department of Economic Development Director Dan Henderson, Community Response Supervisor Melanie Dykstra, and Assistant Fire Chief Rob Duggan CALL TO ORDER Chair Yentes called the meeting to order at 3:02 pm AGENDA ITEMS 1. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of September 3, 2020 A MOTION was made by Vice Mayor Koprowski, seconded by Councilmember September, to approve the minutes of the meeting of September 3, 2020. Motion carried 3-0. 2. Review of outstanding items from previous meeting. There was no discussion. 3. Review, discussion and possible action of public safety priorities and needs. Assistant Fire Chief Rob Duggan discussed four public safety projects: Advocacy Center, Dispatch Expansion, placeholder funds for Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Traffic Camera Recordings. He provided details on the Advocacy Center Team Approach and provided information on the Advocacy Center Investigations to include Family Violence Unit, Special Victims Unit and Violent Crimes Unit. He discussed the multi- disciplinary team involved. He stated the requested cost would be $16,000. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan provided information on the Dispatch Center to include the systems used and responsibilities of the team. He talked about the importance in delivering resources and the multiple channels being monitored. He stated that the dispatch team was the first point of contact to citizens. The remarked that the current communications center was beyond capacity and there was need to add additional spacing. He discussed the future plans to increase staffing. The proposed cost would be $8,700,000. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan discussed the placeholder funds for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). He stated the requested cost would be $2,000,000. He stated that 2020 had highlighted the need to review deficiencies and that the team was requesting a placeholder and time to conduct a thorough analysis for a recommendation. He provided details on the multiple lessons learned in 2020 that had led to his request. He stated that the placeholder funds would optimize the layout, review the best practices and integrate existing data from a space studies analysis. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan provided information on the request for Traffic Camera Recordings. He stated there was opportunity to monitor and recover footage for 72 hours, monitor traffic slow patterns, determine motor vehicle collision causation and monitor civil unrest. He stated the requested amount would fall between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000; however, staff needed to look into more details of this request such as security, retention and redaction and scalability. He stated there was also a need to look into policy and obtain legal opinion and direction. Chair Yentes asked about the cost analysis on the Advocacy Center. Deputy Town Manager Hubbard-Rhineheimer state that there had not been any designs of the project and confirmed that until they have gone through that process they do not have an exact number, so the current estimate that was presented at a prior Council Retreat remained the same. She stated that they would be looking for opportunities for cost efficiencies and cost reductions, and they would be able to come back with a better cost estimate. Chair Yentes asked about building from the ground up as opposed to looking for open space. She expressed concern in the fact that without more accurate cost information, it would be difficult to make a recommendation as it related to CARES funding. Vice Mayor Koprowski stated that she agreed with the importance of the item but took concern with only partially funding it with CARES funding. Councilmember September spoke in agreement and stated that the world had changed a lot from the Spring Council Retreat. Chair Yentes asked what the current square footage of the Dispatch Center was and asked about the expansion. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated that he did not have that information but he would look into it and provide it to the Subcommittee. Chair Yentes asked about operating costs and ongoing expenses, and Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated he would include all that information as well in his findings. Deputy Town Manager Hubbard-Rhineheimer provided additional information on the staffing projections for the Town. Vice Mayor Koprowski discussed the original funding option through a General Obligation Bond and asked how quickly the project could move forward if now funded through CARES funding. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated that they were working on designs and opportunities and, if funded by CARES, they would be able to move forward with the design and construction with appropriate timelines for the community. He stated that although they were not “shovel ready”, they were prepared to move forward as quickly as possible. Chair Yentes requested that he share a slide at the next meeting that shows the need of the project. Chair Yentes recommended that in regard to the EOC funding that the entire Council review the information before allocating funding since it was currently a placeholder. Vice Mayor Koprowski asked what the $2,000,000 request consisted of and if it was just the planning or also included design and construction. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated it would be the cost to overall expand, which included the design and build, but discussed other opportunities that had arisen. Vice Mayor Koprowski asked for clarification that the $2,000,000 would cover a portion of overall what was needed. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated that was correct. In regard to Traffic Camera Recordings, Chair Yentes stated that there was a need for a lot more information. She asked what other cities were doing and discussed the overall public sentiment. She stated that she would like more public feedback and information from the Legal Department on this. Vice Mayor Koprowski discussed this process in other communities and benefits that had shown. She discussed current concerns with civil unrest and wanting to see more opportunities in this area and applauded the Gilbert Police Department for their work and efforts. She stated that she would like to see some of the smaller projects included in the CARES funding and implemented more quickly. Councilmember September shared some of the same concerns of Chair Yentes and stated that the item fell into two buckets, one was general recoding and the other was concerning perceived threats and criminal activity, adding he had reservations about the item and felt it was more appropriate for a future discussion. 4. Review, discussion and possible action of the recycling study. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost provided background information on the history of recycling costs and rates. She stated that there was less revenue received in 2018 and the Town started having to pay in subsequent years. She provided information on the resident feedback through a survey and talked about the partnerships with the two recycling vendors, Waste Management and United Fibers. She discussed trends in disposal costs and provided details on the recycle resale efforts by Waste Management. Lastly, she discussed the pilot program in three neighborhoods in Gilbert and stated that if the program was successful, there could be a potential savings of about 45%. She discussed the option of pushing back the proposed fee study if granted $2,500,000 from the CARES Act. Chair Yentes asked for clarification on the amount being proposed. Director Pfost stated the amount was based on the 5-year plan. Chair Yentes asked if there was a requirement to study out for 5 years and expressed her concern in spending money now and not needing it and not wanting to commit more than what is necessary. Director Pfost stated that there was no requirement of 5 years, but it was a best practice of the Town and agreed to look into cost to fill the gap. There were no further questions from Vice Mayor Koprowski or Councilmember September. 5. Review, discussion and possible action of the Emergency and Minor Home Repair Program. Community Response Supervisor Dykstra provided background information on the program. She discussed the facts and figures and program data of those utilizing the program the most. She provided information on the process of selecting who was conducting the work and the importance of competitive pricing. She provided comparisons in the total work completed in FY20 and the work already conducted in FY21 due to people spending more time at home. She discussed the waiting list for assistance and stated the ask for the program was $100,000. Chair Yentes asked about potential overlaps with the non-profits and services provided. Community Response Supervisor Dykstra provided information on one program. She discussed the 28 applications currently being processed. Councilmember September asked about the threshold of those allowed to participate in the program and the option to raise that threshold. Community Response Supervisor Dykstra provided clarification that the number was not a level created, but rather the average of participants in the program. Councilmember September asked if needs were not being met due to funding of the program and asked if the $100,000 was the right number for assistance. Supervisor Dykstra discussed the parameters of the program and the capacity of staff and confirmed that she felt it was the right amount for the program. Town Attorney Payne provided clarifying information on the gift clause. 6. Review of Community Engagement Plan. Parks and Recreation Director Carmona provided information on the community engagement aspect of the program and thanked Management Analyst Horta and the Digital Government Team for their help. He discussed the importance of transparency in the process and discussed the new webpage on the Town’s website regarding CARES Act information. He also discussed the importance of social media outreach on the Town’s various channels and talked about various approaches in engaging the community. He stated there would continue to be robust outreach as programs became available and as future decisions were made. Chair Yentes discussed opportunities for community engagement that were less conventional and recommended that staff work with Congressman Biggs to provide updates at a Federal level since the process involved Federal dollars and stated that an update should be given via that platform through a Town Hall. She indicated that she had spoken to individuals from his office and they had indicated that they would be open to that idea. Councilmember September asked if there was anyone specific to reach out to, and Chair Yentes said their Chief of Staff or Congressman Biggs himself. Director Carmona recommended they also work with Intergovernmental Director Bohr as well to ensure appropriate connections were made. Chair Yentes stated that Director Bohr could work directly with David Romney. 7. Review, discussion and possible action of Parks and Recreation program assistance for residents. Parks and Recreation Director Carmona provided details on two programs within the Parks and Recreation Department. He discussed the Gilbert Assistance Program (GAP) and its criteria and outlined information about the funds provided by the Gilbert Parks and Recreation Foundation. Lastly, he discussed the Swim Lessons Program provided by the Department and outlined information about the funds provided by the Salt River Project (SRP) Grant. Chair Yentes discussed the closure of many facilities during the pandemic and tax dollars being collected although programs were not available and the loss to residents. She discussed the possibility of making programs free or available through a voucher in order to benefit all residents. Vice Mayor Koprowski asked if the funding amounts were increased would they be used by the residents. Director Carmona discussed the quick use of funding in the Gilbert Assistance Program and the current waiting list. He stated the swim lessons were not based on income levels but were first-come, first-serve and there was a high usage of both programs. He stated that his team could make modifications to include additional programs if that was the desire of the Council. Chair Yentes asked if there was a way to look at an analysis of what the cost lost to residents was. She also asked staff to look into the potential use of grants and asked about opportunities with the library. Director Carmona said the team did have opportunities to create a program utilizing something such as vouchers. He discussed the contract with the library and the Town’s working partnership with the County and stated he would speak to them if requested. He also stated he would look into other opportunities and local partnerships in regard to swim lessons. After all presentations were heard, Chair Yentes recommended tabling the Advocacy Center and Technology projects and stated she needed more information on the Dispatch Center. She asked Council to list their top three items for consideration. She said she would be most interested in the Recycling Program regarding the stop gap and would like more information on opportunities extended to families for Parks and Recreation Programs. She would also like more information on the Dispatch Expansion and stated it might be a bigger project to look at in the Fall. Vice Mayor Koprowski stated that she felt the Dispatch Center had the greatest urgency. She stated her concern was there was not enough funding left over for the Recycling Program, although there would be enough to cover the Home Repair Program as well as assist with Parks and Recreation Programs. She said it made sense to look at the Recycling Program but rather a shorter time period than the five years. She stated that if the Dispatch Center fell off the table she would like to pull in the EOC placeholder as a back-burner item. Councilmember September asked for clarification on the cost estimates for the Dispatch Center and EOC Placeholder. He asked Assistant Fire Chief Duggan which project was a priority, to which Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated the Dispatch Center was a primary need due to spacing concerns. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost provided new calculations on the Recycling Program. She stated that $2,500,000 would be to balance out everything over the 5 years; if funding was only used to balance for one year, the new projection would be about $1,250,000. She stated that by having less in the first year, that would mean a larger increase in the remining years to make the same balance point at the end of 5 years. Chair Yentes asked if that would change if any policy change was implemented, to which Director Pfost replied yes, if there were opportunities found to narrow the gap. Councilmember September stated he would lean towards the Dispatch Center; he would skip the Recycling Program and move toward the Home Repairs and Swimming Programs. He discussed the importance of benefits to the residents and communities. Chair Yentes stated that she would recommend encapsulating the money for Home Repairs in what had already been allocated in the first phase of funding, given that it involved work that nonprofits were already doing. She felt that the first recommendation was already meeting those needs. She spoke in agreement of the Dispatch Center and understood the needs of the Recycling Program, but felt that the Parks and Recreation option needed to be vetted more and looked towards having more information on those programs. Councilmember September asked for clarification on Chair Yentes’ recommendation for the Home Repairs. Chair Yentes asked Assistant Fire Chief Duggan how far along in the design they were for the proposed Dispatch Center. She discussed changes post COVID- 19 and asked about further discussion that had occurred for this project. Assistant Fire Chief Duggan stated he would take a deeper dive into those conversations and discussed the importance of looking for possible cost savings. He talked about flexibility of the design and the reevaluation of needs. Vice Mayor Koprowski stated that if the Dispatch Center was still on the table she would like to have additional ideas and conversations about specific funding amounts needed for the GAP Program and Swim Lessons. Parks and Recreation Director Carmona replied that he would be able to have more information available for the following meeting. With enough direction and clarity for staff, Chair Yentes moved forward to timelines for future meetings, the presentation to Council and discussion of additional ways to engage the community. She discussed the upcoming presentation to council as a checkpoint and not a recommendation. She discussed appropriate checkpoints for both Council input and public input at upcoming Council meetings to set final recommendations. Parks and Recreation Director Carmona presented information on the Community Engagement portion of the meeting. 8. Next steps including timelines and checkpoints. Chair Yentes discussed the upcoming Council meeting and planned presentation on the business grants and assistance program. She discussed the opportunity for community feedback and dialogue. Councilmember September discussed the update at the upcoming Council meeting and stated that staff had not been able to procure a partner to administer the program; therefore, the presentation may be postponed until more information was available, but stated that he would be able to provide an update. Chair Yentes discussed the importance of providing ample information to the public and business owners and obtaining feedback. Councilmember September stated he would work with staff on a possible partial presentation. Parks and Recreation Director Carmona asked for clarification on the outreach and provided a recommendation to reach out to the Legislature once the Subcommittee had completed the process, allocated funding and presented to Council. Chair Yentes discussed the importance of not missing out on opportunities and sharing information. She discussed the benefit of getting information out to business community on a broader scope. Director Carmona stated he would be happy to also share the information on community outreach to Council at a future meeting. Chair Yentes discussed another checkpoint regarding the nonprofit programs coming back to Council regarding the feedback on the awards, how they were used and how they impacted the community. Her direction for next week was for there to be a timeline with opportunities for the public to submit feedback, be educated and to share the process. She discussed the agenda for the following week and asked for more information on the Parks and Recreation Programs, as well as more information on the Dispatch Center. She also asked that they reserve time to discuss the business recommendations and the possible feedback from Council, as well as any additional information from Economic Development Director Henderson’s team. She asked for a timeline for the rest of the process for the Subcommittee and to ensure they had delineated for the Council what the process would be for reporting how the money was distributed into the community and how it successfully impacted Gilbert. ADJOURN A MOTION was made by Councilmember September, seconded by Vice Mayor Koprowski, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 3-0. Chair Yentes adjourned the meeting at 4:33 pm ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Aimee Yentes, Chair Chaveli Herrera, MMC, Deputy Town Clerk