General

MINUTES OF LAYTON CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK MEETING JANUARY 17, 2023; 4:03 P.M. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: MAYOR JOY PETRO, ZACH BLOXHAM, CLINT MORRIS, TYSON ROBERTS, BETTINA SMITH EDMONDSON, AND DAVE THOMAS STAFF PRESENT: ALEX JENSEN, GARY CRANE, ALLEN SWANSON, MARK CHATLIN, KARL KUEHN, DAVID PRICE, JOELLEN GRANDY, AND KIM READ The meeting was held in the Council Conference Room of the Layton City Center. Mayor Petro opened the meeting. She introduced the recently hired Administrative Assistant, Louise Odysseus, and allowed her the opportunity to introduce herself to the Council. DISCUSSION/UPDATES REGARDING POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TEEN CENTER Mayor Petro introduced Jodi Lunt, Executive Director Davis Education Foundation, and requested she share an update with the Council. Ms. Lunt provided an update regarding a potential overnight teen center to be located within the City. She announced plans had been drafted for the overnight resource center proposed to be located along Fort Lane, and was anticipated to provide approximately 16 beds. She reported funding sources to build the facility had been secured, thanks to the City’s contribution toward the purchase of property. She reported $1.9 million was estimated for the project and informed the Council of the different grant funding options originally planned to build the facility; however, the County had since decided against the use of federal funds and explained other funding sources for the project. She indicated the $1.9 million would be allocated for programming or operation of the facility and mentioned an invitation had been offered for Mayor Petro to participate during the selection process. She expressed concerns regarding one specific vendor and was hopeful the RFP (Request for Proposal) process would begin in March/April to identify an appropriate company and reviewed the criteria and behavior for the youth. She announced the most recent count of homeless youth within Davis County was approximately 1,565, which reflected an increase of approximately 200, and shared her opinion this increase was due to the six teen resource centers in the high schools and shared an example. She further explained where the high school teen centers were located and those currently under construction. A discussion followed regarding the need for similar centers at junior high and elementary schools. Councilmember Morris expressed concern whether the issue had been discussed during a public meeting and an opportunity for Layton City residents to weigh in regarding the City’s funding contribution to the community project. Councilmember Bloxham expressed agreement this was a unique opportunity and very different than what was being provided within the schools and Ms. Lunt expressed agreement. She mentioned the school district wasn’t equipped to provide overnight services to homeless youth which justified the need to identify an appropriate entity to provide oversight and protocols for the facility. Alex Jensen, City Manager, responded the City’s desire to be wise with disseminating information and emphasized at this time the City had committed CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding toward the project; partnering with the school district. He suggested this would be an appropriate time for outreach now more facts were known, in conjunction with Davis Schools and a discussion followed. Ms. Minutes of Layton City Council Strategic Planning Work Meeting, January 17, 2023 Lunt continued to inform the Council about the property acquisition, other endowments for the project, and a historical timeline associated with the project and the discussion continued. Gary Crane, City Attorney, arrived at 4:44 p.m. Councilmember Morris emphasized he wasn’t opposed to the teen resource center but continued to express concern with the process for the request and the Council authorizing CDBG funds, which was different from how the Council usually approved requests for CDBG funding. Councilmember Roberts inquired if the funds had been distributed and Staff responded nothing as of yet. Ms. Lunt responded she had presented the idea to others, but not the entire City Council and apologized for the oversight. Councilmember Bloxham continued to emphasize he also wasn’t opposed to a teen center and believed he, as an elected official, needed to be accountable to Layton City constituents and the discussion continued regarding future appropriation of CDBG funding. Councilmember Roberts inquired whether a committee would have oversight for the chosen company to operate the teen center and suggested a representative from the City’s Police Department and City Council have a seat at the table. Ms. Lunt expressed agreement with that suggestion and explained how the stipulations and conditions would be implemented with the selected vendor. She explained the difference between the teen centers at the local high schools and this proposed teen center. She reported she was still working on additional details and identifying who would be partnering with the Davis School District before construction could begin. Mayor Petro expressed appreciation to Ms. Lunt for addressing the Council and Ms. Lunt expressed appreciation to the Mayor and Staff for envisioning the need for an overnight teen center within the City and their assistance with identifying a location and possible funding. Ms. Lunt left the meeting at 5:02 p.m. Mayor Petro explained her intent in identifying a location for the proposed teen center which she believed would be less intrusive than a residential area and expressed confidence in moving forward at the proposed location. ANIMAL CONTROL Mr. Jensen reminded the Council, the City had contracted with Davis County Animal Care and Control to provide animal control services within Layton City boundaries. He mentioned previous discussions had taken place regarding the transition of services from municipalities to the County and announced it had agreed to that proposal. As part of that transition, it had been suggested there be continuity amongst the participating cities by adopting the County’s ordinance for enforcement purposes. He shared the two proposals put forth by the county specific to the number of allowed animals and City Staff recommended the proposal which allowed three animals with the option of one additional animal, with the issuance of a special permit. He requested direction from the Council. A discussion took place which concluded with no opposition to the proposed ordinance. Mr. Jensen also explained municipalities would no longer be required to contribute funding toward animal control; rather, it would become a County expenditure beginning July 1, 2023. Councilmember Roberts suggested Staff review Davis County’s animal ordinance prior to adoption of the proposed new ordinance. Mr. Jensen added the County was in the process of updating its animal ordinance prior to the transition. DISPATCH CONSOLIDATION Mr. Jensen provided a brief update regarding dispatch consolidation. He reminded the Council, the County Commission had promoted the idea of creating a taxing district for dispatch services; however, cities weren’t in favor of creating a new taxing entity for services which were adequately being provided. The initial proposal was to have two dispatch centers; one for the southern portion and another for the northern portion of the county. He informed the Council four centers currently operated within the County Minutes of Layton City Council Strategic Planning Work Meeting, January 17, 2023 2 and Clearfield recently announced its decision to eliminate its dispatch center and contract with Layton City. He added this was disclosed during a meeting with the sheriff and Davis County city managers from their respective cities and explained how that steered the discussion whether Layton City could build a facility large enough to provide dispatch services to all cities in the northern portion of the County. He shared points of that discussion, which led to having another meeting to further explore this opportunity. That meeting recently took place and he shared the conclusions and proposal resulting from that meeting. Karl Kuehn, Dispatch Supervisor, informed the Council the Sheriff had committed to a unified stance moving forward. He shared a presentation and reviewed the proposed governing structure and suggested the committee members, designated by participating entities, would be responsible for solving issues and provide recommendations. Mr. Jensen pointed out decisions would be made by consensus as opposed to formal voting. Mr. Kuehn explained the Member Advisory Committee would make recommendations for issues relating to both fire and police and a discussion took place specific to entity representation. He reviewed the proposed fee structure. He reported building plans had been completed and Staff was prepared to move forward. Mr. Jensen explained how the level of service would collectively remain or possibly increase, to be equivalent with Layton City and a discussion followed. Mayor Petro and Councilmember Bloxham pointed out the positive position to City residents as well as other potential cities and the discussion continued. Mr. Jensen emphasized Layton City wouldn’t compromise the current level of service to its residents with the consolidation and the discussion continued. Mr. Jensen continued to report on fee structure discussions with Clearfield City and North Davis Fire District. Gary Crane, City Attorney, explained how the implementation of State Law eliminated certain choices for some entities. Mr. Jensen expressed agreement there were many details surrounding the dispatch consolidation and was hopeful they could be addressed at the next meeting. He also mentioned how the dispatch employees currently employed at Clearfield City could be brought over to Layton City. Allen Swanson, Police Chief, Mark Chatlin, Assistant Police Chief, and Mr. Kuehn left the meeting at 6:25 p.m. AMPHITHEATER USAGE Mr. Jensen explained the historical relationship between the City and the Davis Arts Council pointing out the City’s participation had contributed to its current success which was an asset to Davis County. The City recognized the benefit of the Arts Council’s events which eventually led to the construction of the amphitheater. He believed the amphitheater’s success was due to the reputation of the Davis Arts Council. He briefly shared the City’s history with OPPA (On Pitch Performing Arts) specific to an indoor performing arts center. David Price, Parks and Recreation Director, reported the City had entered into an agreement with the Davis Arts Council, under the direction of a previous City Council, that it would be the primary provider of ‘arts’ in Layton City. He indicated that Agreement was still in place which outlined the use of the amphitheater describing the following protocol:  The City had the right to set aside dates for its use during the summer months;  Davis Arts Council would schedule headliner performers during the winter months until April 1 of each year, at which time the City has one last opportunity to schedule additional dates prior to allowing;  The public to schedule and rent the amphitheater to hold events for any open dates. He pointed out the Summer Nights with the Starts Concerts had established the reputation of the amphitheater and reported last year the amphitheater experienced its most rented dates. Mr. Price stated the City had been supportive of OPPA’s programs and reported it had used the amphitheater for its community theater performances since 2018. Additionally, the City had assisted with the coordination of moving its performances to the high school last summer. He indicated there was still interest on behalf of the school district for future OPPA performances at the high school and shared what he had learned. He believed the Davis Arts Council, as well as Layton City, had attempted to Minutes of Layton City Council Strategic Planning Work Meeting, January 17, 2023 3 accommodate OPPA’s requests in past years when those dates could fit within the calendar; however, the City was unable to set aside two full weeks of usage dates during the busiest time during the summer. He reiterated the City’s willingness to assist OPPA in working with the school district. Councilmember Smith Edmondson believed there were community groups, other than OPPA, which could benefit from the use of the amphitheater. She suggested the City should consider how OPPA’s request could be accommodated to allow fair usage of the amphitheater, pointing out differences between performing arts and concert performances. She indicated she was aware of discussions regarding possible use of the high school for future performances; however, costs associated with the use of the air conditioner was cost prohibitive. She pointed out OPPA’s contribution to the City’s Fourth of July celebration without compensation or recognition and believed the City was large enough to support both arts organizations. Mayor Petro believed arts within the county had exploded as a result of continued growth within the area and pointed out the possibility for expansion of the Conference Center with a performing arts center and the discussion continued. Councilmember Smith Edmondson reported she not only represented the City Council on the Board of the Davis Arts Council but also served on OPPA’s Board and was personally invested in working with both entities. Mr. Price mentioned most of the events which took place at the amphitheater weren’t concerts, but piano and dance recitals and believed the needs of OPPA’s Community Theater program was more than what the City could commit to. He shared attendance statistics for the Davis Arts Council’s Summer Nights with the Stars Concert Series, Sunday Concerts, and free Friday Films and reiterated the City’s commitment with continued support for the Arts Council. He reported the City had encouraged OPPA’s programs, as well as JAX Theatre Company programming. He shared an illustration reflecting RAMP (Recreation, Arts, Museum, and Parks) funding for both the Davis Arts Council and OPPA pointing out funding was required to benefit City residents. He also mentioned RAMP funding had been granted to OPPA for its production and performances at Layton High School. He clarified the requested use of the amphitheater for the two week period during the summer months was too much of a commitment on behalf of the City and indicated the amphitheater was already scheduled to be used daily during the upcoming summer months. Additionally, he mentioned the fee structure for the use of the amphitheater was very low. Mr. Jensen suggested OPPA consider another two week time period of the outdoor season to use the amphitheater; however, he believed an indoor theater was more conducive to performing arts performances. He suggested the community impact for the summer concert series should be a consideration. Councilmember Smith Edmondson pointed out the difficulty in scheduling the amphitheater either earlier or later in the year in order to accommodate participating school students. Mr. Price explained the use of the amphitheater for OPPA’s production of Beauty and the Beast during the COVID Pandemic was accommodated because the Davis Arts Council had canceled its Summer Nights with the Stars performances. He stated the City was committed to discussions with the School District regarding accommodations for OPPA’s productions. Councilmember Smith Edmondson expressed appreciation for Staff’s efforts discussing options for OPPA’s use of the high school for this year’s performances; however, she believed the City should be more accommodating for future amphitheater use. Councilmember Morris was appreciative of what OPPA was doing within the community and expressed his opinion the theaters at the high school would be a better venue for performing arts/plays. He reported on his experience of participating with the RAMP Commission and recalled OPPA had received a significant amount of grant funding. He expressed concern by any perception on behalf of the Davis Arts Council that it owned the amphitheater and mentioned the significance of it continuing to bring the best performers for the outdoor concerts. The discussion continued. Minutes of Layton City Council Strategic Planning Work Meeting, January 17, 2023 4 SWIMMING POOL Mr. Price announced there was a lot of misinformation on behalf of the public regarding the City’s pool and requested the Council contact him for clarification and/or answers to questions regarding the pool. He stated the following documents haven’t been distributed to the public and shared a brief history associated with the City’s current pool facilities. He shared the financial overview associated with Layton Surf’n Swim which included the total visitations to the facility respective to the different user groups. He reviewed the background with the Interlocal Agreement with Davis School District. He also shared the results of the Pool Condition Assessment specific to the pool and reiterated the information/results have not been publicly shared. He indicated a final presentation was proposed to take place sometime later this year. JoEllen Grandy, Parks Planner, briefly reviewed information provided by different consultants respective to specific components. Councilmember Thomas left the meeting at 7:48 p.m. Mr. Price shared an illustration for a potential pool complex site location and reviewed options with the Council and a discussion followed. He reported on discussions with the School District regarding a partnership for a new aquatic facility. He stated Staff had taken a methodical approach in considering the needs of a facility and concluded the City’s dollar return associated with the current pool was extremely high compared to other facilities and a discussion followed. The Council expressed its concern with the City bonding for this type of facility and the discussion continued. Mr. Jensen reported on discussions with representatives from Davis School District, as well as representatives from other municipalities, regarding potential future aquatic facilities which could be made available to high school swim teams. SENIOR SERVICES CENTER Mayor Petro announced her desire for a community/senior center and indicated Davis County had expressed its desire for a facility to provide senior citizen services. She mentioned she, and other key City staff, had participated in meetings and discussions with the Davis County Health Department to identify what it needed. She concluded she wasn’t sure whether this facility could come to fruition within the City. Mr. Price shared a visual illustration of property as a proposed location and expressed agreement with Mayor Petro’s assessment the County wasn’t sure what it wanted or needed. He continued to explain how the current facility located in Clearfield wasn’t adequate to meet its needs. Mr. Jensen shared a brief history of previous discussions and his perspective of what had taken place and reported the discussions and meetings had come to an abrupt end. Councilmember Thomas re-joined the meeting at 8:34 p.m. A discussion took place regarding a possible proposal and Ms. Grandy explained her involvement and understanding of the County’s needs and wants. The Council expressed appreciation for this discussion and provided information. Mr. Price expressed appreciation to the Council’s support for the new Parks Shop facility and announced Staff was excited to work in the new facility. MAYOR’S REPORT No Mayor’s report was shared. The meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m. __________________________________ Kimberly S Read, City Recorder Minutes of Layton City Council Strategic Planning Work Meeting, January 17, 2023 5