City Council Regular Meeting

Star City Council ) Meeting Minutes September 15, 2009 The regular meeting of the Star City Council was held on September 15, 2009 at Star City Hall. Mayor Nathan Mitchell called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm and all stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call: Council persons Tammy McDaniel, Dustin Christopherson, Tom Erlebach, were present. Councilman Chad Bell was absent. Approval of Agenda: Christopherson moved to approve the agenda, Erlebach seconded the motion. All ayes: motion carried. Consent Agenda: McDaniel moved to approve the Consent Agenda, Christopherson seconded the motion. The Consent Agenda consisted of: Approval of September 1, 2009 Regular Meeting Minutes, Proclamation - BSU, and Findings of Fact & Conclusion of Law for the Life Spring Church Sign Waiver and Star River Walk- Comprehensive Plan Amendment. All ayes: motion can-ied. Public Input/Presentations: Public Input: Committee Report- Gary Smith, 258 S. Langer Lake Way, Star, informed ) the Council they held a kick-off meeting with the core group for the Star Master Plan. They would like to hold a meeting on October 20, 2009 which would include the Council, Sage, and the Economic Development Committee. Mayor Mitchell stated they could change the regular Council Meeting scheduled for October 20, 2009 to a Master Plan Workshop. Smith asked if it would be possible to bring the proposed City banner to the October 6, 2009 Council Meeting for review and approval. The next regular EDC meeting is scheduled for October 13, 2009. The next Open Mic Night is scheduled for October 6, 2009; which allows businesses a chance to present their businesses to prospective investors. Smith will get more information. Bruce Mills, Ada County Highway District, introduced Rich Girard an Assistant Maintenance Manager with the ACHD. Girard may be filling in for Mills when he is unable to attend the Council meetings. Old/ New Business: TIP Priority List - Mayor Mitchell read the list of items proposed to be added to the TIP Priority List presented at the last Council meeting. They include a pedestrian signal crosswalk in front of Star Elementary, a deceleration lane at the intersection of State Highway 44 and Plummer Road, increasing the width of sidewalks in the CBD District downtown to six to eight feet wide, and adding sidewalks on South Main Street. Bruce Mills, ACHD, suggested putting the pedestrian signal and the sidewalks on South Main ) Street on as community projects. -1-  Christopherson moved to approve the updated priority list, McDaniel seconded the motion. All ayes: motion carried. Landscape Requirements for Unified Code Discussion - City Planner, Mary Shaw Taylor, stated the landscape plan in front of them is the same landscape plan they had looked at in March, but with some changes. The Council chose to review the plan by going through the five discussion topics listed on the memorandum. 1) Fee for the Landscape Review- Shaw Taylor asked if they wished to have a separate application and require a separate fee for landscape review. Erlebach asked if this would be separate for residential and commercial; and if possible for commercial development only. Shaw Taylor stated the fee would be for everything. Mayor Mitchell stated he felt separate applications added bureaucracy upon bureaucracy. As the City was already paying staff salary he questioned why they should generate income off of staff. Christopherson stated he had a issue with our fee as the fee is the same for large or small projects. Mayor Mitchell stated that fees change dramatically at preliminary plat. He felt they could strike out the words site modification and that would take care of the need for an additional application. Shaw Taylor stated she is already doing landscape review with our current applications and it would be simple to create a checklist and not add a fee. Mayor Mitchell stated he was against adding new fees. 2) Should a Sunset Clause be included in the Landscape Ordinance Requirements - There were no comments regarding the sunset clause. 3) ACHD Standards and Livable Streets Guideline - Shaw Taylor stated they had received the most recent standards and wanted to see if they wanted to consider it. Mayor Mitchell asked if ours were reasonable and in line with ACHD. Shaw Taylor stated they were as of today, but that could change. The City Attorney, Cliff Brown, noted they could incorporate the guidelines by reference and approval. Christopher asked how ACHD policy related to the City. The Mayor pointed out that if we were to push for all roads to look like Harrison Boulevard in Boise; as far as ACHD is concerned they would say fine, but they would not pay for it. We could require a certain standard and either fund it - what is above what ACHD will pay for - or require developers to pay for it. Bruce Mills, ACHD, pointed out the document in front of the Council was a guideline, it was not policy. Shaw Taylor confirmed she was comfortable with how ACHD guidelines con-elated to the City's proposed guidelines. 4) EDC Committee Master Plan for Streets and Sidewalks - Shaw Taylor pointed out they need to consider how the landscape plan fits in with the Master Plan. She had spoken with Hank Day at the Star Sewer and Water District and was assured there was water to take care of planters and indicated it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. When Shaw Taylor asked Day to take the idea to the SS&WD Board he stated he felt he could come up with a plan and if they run into a problem then take it to the SS&WD Board. Mayor Mitchell reiterated the master plan, CBD guidelines and the landscape ordinance needed to work together. If ) they were to approve the Unified Code before the Master Plan is completed, they -2-  could reference it to being approved to the master plan. Mayor Mitchell stated he ) felt there had been much improvement made since March and felt the code needed to be approved. When they get to the master plan they will need to make sure it codifies with it. 5) CBD Design Guidelines - Christopherson noted he felt the CBD guidelines appeared to be the same. Shaw Taylor stated he was correct, they had not changed. Sign Ordinance for Unified Code Discussion - Mayor Mitchell explained why the sign ordinance changes were being presented. The question before the Council is whether they wish to include the sign guidelines in the Unified Code or leave them out. Shaw Taylor explained that she had been doing more research of sign guidelines and would like them to look over the additional information from the National Sign Foundation and then hold a sign ordinance discussion. She stated she feels the draft has excellent wording for non-conforming uses and if a business changes they must conform to current sign guidelines. When a sign is non-conforming, it can remain as long as the business remains the same. If specific wording is put in that all signs must conform within a certain time frame, then we may find a lot of signs having to change in the time frame, and not liking it. This proposal includes more sign types. Erlebach asked if owners could modify their non-conforming signs. Shaw Taylor explained they could not change the sign, but they could maintain the sign. ) Christopherson asked if they needed the sign ordinance to be a paii of the unified code. The Mayor pointed out they were trying to create a UNIFIED code, but they could approve the code without the sign ordinance and put a moratorium on new signs until guidelines were adopted or continue using the old code for signs. Christopherson stated he hadn't had a lot of time to review the sign ordinance and would like it in the Unified Code. He suggested passing the unified code without the sign ordinance and continue using the current one in effect while they work on new sign guidelines. McDaniel stated that in considering non-conforming signs she felt the grandfather p01iion should be there until the use changes. Mayor Mitchell noted everyone seemed comf01iable with adopting the unified code and continuing working on the sign p01tion. He discussed possible time lines and suggested taking public comment at the October 6, 2009 Council meeting and having the Council consider approving in November. Shaw Taylor stated she could get a notice into the paper Wednesday for the public hearing. Resolutions & Ordinances: Resolution 2009-10 Comprehensive Plan Amendment - Star River Walk- McDaniel moved to approve Resolution 2009-10 a Resolution of the City of Star, Idaho, approving and adopting, pursuant to section 67-6509, Idaho Code, a comprehensive plan -3-  amendment for the City of Star; amending Resolution No. 2008-5, the Comprehensive '} Plan and Land Use Designation Map adopted on March 4, 2008; and providing an effective date, Christopherson seconded the motion. All ayes: motion carried. Mayor Mitchell noted the river walk plan was now a paii of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Reports: Staff - Shaw Taylor noted she had given the Mayor and Council a document from COMPASS which will need to be approved and signed. Mayor Mitchell stated it could be put on the October 6, 2009 agenda for consideration. Shaw Taylor announced the City has accepted a floodplain application from Parametrix for the Highway 16 crossing. Council - McDaniel rep01ied she had attended Anytime Fitness's barbeque honoring Star's heroes. Christopherson stated he attended the Economic Development Committee meeting. Mayor - Mayor Mitchell discussed the format for the Townhall Meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening. He announced the City was hosting a golf tournament on Thursday and had 104 confirmed players. They are looking at having $7,000.00 to $7,500.00 in net proceeds for scholarships for Star students. To keep the scholarship fund out of politics the Mayor has asked the Star Lions Club to be the board to review applications. The Council will be given a chance to set some guidelines for the Lions Club to-use for ) interviews. The scholarships will be presented to the students at graduation. Christopherson stated a citizen had a question regarding the bond election and wondered if the City had any cost projections. Mayor Mitchell stated they had three years of recorded revenues and would be using them when planning. He noted the golf course had not grown in the last three years and have had 18,000 individual rounds a year. Adjournment: McDaniel moved to adjourn the meeting, Erlebach seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. Approved: Respectfully submitted: � Nathan Mitchell, Mayor \ - 4-