City Council Regular Meeting

Star City Council Meeting Minutes November 16, 2010 The regular meeting of the Star City Council was held on November 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm. Mayor Nathan Mitchell called the meeting to order and all stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call: Council persons Tammy McDaniel, Gary Smith, Tom Erlebach and Chad Bell were all present. Approval of the Agenda: Bell moved to approve the agenda, McDaniel seconded the motion. Smith approve for ICBG amended 7D Idaho Community Block Grant, Erlebach seconded the motion. All aye: motion carried. Consent Agenda: The Consent Agenda consisted of Regular Meeting Minutes of October 19, 2010 and Claims Against the City for October 2010. McDaniel moved the Consent Agenda, Smith seconded the motion. All aye: motion carried. Presentations/Public Input: Star Chamber of Commerce Donation Request – Tammy Sullivan Watson, 4958 High Prairie Place, Star – looking for a donation from the City for advertising – Watson read a letter. The Chamber is seeking $370 from the City. Erlebach are you asking for $370. Ulyssis Mori is a volunteer here is Star – holding meetings – maybe asking for more money. If there is any more room for a larger donation he would like Council to consider. Bell asked if this was the only request and asked about Steve Green’s request. Chamber membership is $75. Erlebach asked if any of the bazaars have ever made money. Last year money was donated – it was about a $800-900 profit last year. Tammy the Chamber made promises to the businesses. Erlebach how many vendors? Sullivan stated that we have 48. Tom concerned about them back for more money. McDaniel do you see requesting a donation annually? Sullivan does not see herself asking – she sees it as self perpetuating. Mori stated that yes they will be back asking for money. Bell moved to approve the donation request of $370, McDaniel seconded the request. Tom asked about the second request. All aye: motion carried. Ada County Highway District – Main Street Presentation: Adam Zaragoza ACHD, December 9th open house for the Main Street cross sections. Public right of way is 60 feet. Smith asked about the second view – it is ACHD’s recommendations. Plans to be out by September. The Mayor the specifics were to have the sidewalk go all the way to the river. Adam just to go to the church is a half a million dollars – if it all goes it will be doubled. There will be discussions on drainage. The Mayor stated that we will get the word out. Public Input: No one spoke Public Hearings: Qwest Communications Conditional Use Permit – The Mayor declared the meeting open – exparte or conflict os interest. Bob Smith, Hutchinson 270 Boise, Idaho representing Qwest to construct a building addition, existing building is in an R4 zone – 1995 building addition, conditional use in Ada County, the growth has resulted in the need for additional building one story building. The building addition is one story, stucco metal roof to blend in with what’s there – appearance won’t change. Staff report concerns it existing gravel, no street improvements neighbors are both gravel, because of the gravel the drainage percolates into the groundwater to come in and pave they don’t believe it is appropriate right now to put it into a swale would – proposing to leave gravel parking. The building is unoccupied no permanent or part time employees only there for fixing equipment. Travel is minimal only a few times a week. Employees were parking at the building in the back and that will stop. Original design was an air condition unit close to the rear property line and proposed a masonary wall – it will take less tooling for the two air conditioner units to be placed on the building they will be 20 feet away from the property line. They are rated at 20 decibels significantly less than the unit on the wall currently. Total sound will be 73 decibels – the noise level will be the same at the property line. They did hold their neighborhood meeting and no one attended. Smith handed out additional pictures of the building. Smith talked about the decibels of the old machine – it is definitely is less than what we have. Erlebach stated that there were three units currently. Smith stated that there would be a total of four. Smith drove by and looked at the building – is it the same as a residential ac unit? Smith stated that it was. Erlebach asked about the total square footage? Smith 2047 sq. feet. Bell the additional is it for more capacity, or better service for Star? Smith it will be both to improve service. That’s a big jump in equipment. Bell stated that he’s ask for more services and they can’t do it. Smith stated that it is not his area of expertise. Bell stated is there any drainage facility. You could catch basin but we won’t get water across the road as it is crowned. The ditches are privately owned. The Mayor it percolates into the driveway currently. Erlebach we would require paving if it were anyone else. The Mayor stated that we would. The Mayor stated that the end of the fence is the property line. Bell concerned it is not a residence and understands, but they could at least pave a couple parking spaces. It wouldn’t need to come to the end of the street, but could pave for a couple parking lots. The Mayor we are not changing use, only expanding. Bell they need to have a couple paved parking spaces and it’s not that huge of a cost. Erlebach would like to see some screening on the air conditioning units. You can see it coming from the east to the west. Smith paving first – expense of a 20 x 20 is not that great. It was his recommendation to Qwest not to pave it because it blends. If you do pave it is to slope it away from the building to the road and it will make a big mud hole. It will generate more heat for this building and the surrounding buildings. They are trying to blend in. – If the council wants it to be paved they will do so. Erlebach can’t you crown it and run it into the gravel and put in a French drain – wants neighborhood improvements. Screening of ac units – Tom thinking of posts with some slats to cover the ac unit. Smith it is not a bad idea and can be done. The Mayor declared the meeting closed. Moved to deliberations – Bell thinks there should be a couple paved parking spaces does not believe it will create a big drainage issue and the water can go a different way. It won’t make the building look worse and believes it will improve the looks. The big ac units could be screened. Mayor a motion to include hard surface parking. Bell would rather see it as concrete paving lots. Smith heard what Bell says – he thinks the paved driveway would look out of place. The Mayor stated there have been no issues with parking there. McDaniel sees concrete or asphalt will it attract kids to it. She is not in favor 100% of it being paved. Bell this is our only chance to fix this problem in the next thirty years. We need to think through the process. McDaniel thoughts in the future has another use change – maybe something totally different. Bell this is the only time that we will affect the property. Erlebach were you thinking of a fence. Tom no it was a filter. Bell moved to approve the conditional use cu-10-02 condition put a hard surface driveway wide enough for two vehicles in the front – including the written condition in the staff report, Smith seconded the motion. All aye: Smith, Erlebach, Bell all aye: McDaniel no – motion carried. The Mayor declared the meeting open for the Kuehn Rezone application. 13350 asking for a Mixed Use Zoning designation for a rezone. Bell is this parcel is requesting just the parcel with the house be rezoned to MU from R2. Erlebach have you looked at the Central District Health – property is served by septic system. The Mayor stated that they will require a permit – the house is connected is served by Star Sewer and Water District. Mary the driveway is gravel. ACHD will require thirty feet in of paving and then follow ours. Erlebach asked about the parking spots be paved. The Mayor stated that it would. No one has signed up. John Tom 2393 N. Sunny Lane, Star, question there are a couple of business that have no parking spaces. The Mayor there are differences between different districts – the CBD does not require the paving. John it doesn’t match. The new draft is fixing that. Mary he would like to see it paved for her clientel it is better to be paved. The Mayor stated that the City can secure the interest. The Mayor closed the public hearing and moved to deliberations. Bell moved to approve the rezone file RZ 10-01 with the three recommended conditionsl of approval, McDaniel seconded the motion. All aye: motion carried. Old Business Resolution No 2010-04 Dept. of Motor Vehicles – information included. McDaniel recused herself due to working for DMV. The contract asks for another year of the same rate $1200. Look at the spread sheet – they’re profit and loss is profited $12,000. The Assessor sent this contract over. Bell it was also his recollection – we are also providing heating, utilities and the room. Bell believes it is time to renegotiate this contract. Erlebach is this profit accurate. The Mayor stated that September is not included. It was agreed that this contract should be renegotiate this. The Mayor will talk with the assessor. Emergency Operation Center Discussion – went through one round of bid to build basics for the upstairs – cost to finish would be on the 1500+ sq feet for less than $25,000. Bell the fire department stated that they would foot the bill. The Mayor suggests that we build it and re-coop the money through rent. They are very interested in the three office buildings. Smith does the fire department have the grant. The Mayor it is a combined request. The money only goes for the equipment. Bell moved to move forward and have the Mayor get the renovation done not going above $25,000, Erlebach seconded the motion. All aye: motion carried. Personnel Policy Changes – continued discussion on policy. Smith felt he needed to learn more he contacted Idaho Risk Mgmt and asked for advice. Smith went out and asked the public if the employees should have job descriptions – it was overwhelming yes – and they wanted it posted. He shared the legal on the procedures manual. Smith reviewed the procedures change to current change to policy and procedures requires city to each employee a detailed job description and all the requirements and detailed response to the job – the second one is a change all new positions or replacements be placed on the web site and local pages. The motion for job descriptions and all new positions be posted, Erlebach seconded the motion. Tom the effective date? The Mayor stated that we can do it effectively currently or in the future. McDaniel has there been something that has alerted that would motive that our employees don’t know their job. Smith assumed that we had job descriptions – in talking to AIC and ICRMP it is right to work state, employees can come back up to two years can come back and cause problems. You want to cover the risk. Having come from the corporate world this would happen. There is a possibility of risk here and what you expect of them. It is an issue that needs to be addressed – the trigger that did it that you would have the job descriptions. The posting of the job it is to set policy and legally we are allowed to do it. As stewards of the citizens money – we need to do the right thing. So he is based on the change. The time is being taken away from staff. If he raised it to the citizens they would say. Bell understands Smith’s concern going into this with tunnel vision and blinders and if I present the question just right they will agree with me right now. Bottom line is this we have a system works extremely well the Mayor is the executive branch along with Council. Any smart business man they go after who they need to go after first – if it’s Carla or anyone else she will go after that person. We can argue all day long. We are not a great big corporation, we want to operate efficiently and we want to make smart money decisions. We are 100% open front. We may ask our staff to assist in other areas – we don’t need set job descriptions. The Mayor – City of Star’s policy numerous cities require policies. The Mayor if we don’t know who will fit we will post. There have been two three positions that we haven’t posted for in the nine years – eight other planning that we have posted. All are costs it is staff time, mailing – create a false impression to head for a direction we aren’t going. Talked about it publicly or has anyone changed their minds. Smith we should look to the future – we should have things in place. The Mayor doesn’t disagree – he believes he can’t think of what the next Mayor wants. All this can be done in the future. Direct personnel policy changes for all jobs and be posted. Smith, Erlebach aye – McDaniel, Bell, Mayor – nay. Motion denied. Community Development Block Grant – would like information prior to this discussion. Next agenda. Smith stated the master plan we agreed we could apply for a half a million dollars – will give to Cathy to disperse this. Reports – Nothing – staff Smith - attended meetings Tom – concerns about river walk – is he done. Mayor will be moved around. Allowing horses on the river walk – no horses have been made. We have a problem already. Agenda item on horses. Two other groups - thank you letters to people picking up garbage. Bell – nothing VRT meeting tomorrow. Mayor – talked about River Walk – property purchase on Hunters Creek has been purchased along with the one residential lot. Meeting with landscape architect and civil engineer to try and put together a scope of what it would take to start with. We’ve got about 1.3 all savings. Email to all Council – people asking staff doing things – if you have things you want staff to do go through the Mayor. If representing the City and take positions that are not the position of the city. Adjournment Bell Erelbach – 9:25 pm