SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, March 8, 2005 6:30 p.m.
Public Safety Building
3925 W Cedar Hills Drive, Cedar Hills, Utah
This meeting was held electronically via telephone to permit one or more of the Council members to participate.
Present: Mayor Mike McGee, Presiding
Council Members: Darin Lowder, Melissa Willie, Rob Fotheringham, Jim Perry (6:43 p.m.), James Parker (6:38 p.m.)
Konrad Hildebrandt, City Manager
Kim Holindrake, City Recorder
Rich Knapp, City Accountant
Tami Harrison, Management Analyst
Eric Johnson, City Attorney
Others: Karissa Neely-New Utah, High School Students
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
1. This special meeting of the City Council of the City of Cedar Hills, having been posted throughout the City and the press notified, was called to order at 6:35 p.m.
Invocation given by C. Fotheringham
Pledge of Allegiance
2. Review Budget for Fiscal Year 2005-2006 (6:36 p.m.)
See handouts. Tami Harrison reviewed the department’s duties and responsibilities and budget time line. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that this time line covers a lot of material in a short period of time. C. Perry stated that he would like to see a budget that does not depend on leaving off the growth revenue but it may be difficult to do in one year. C. Fotheringham stated that last year the budget was only about $50,000 off from using no growth revenue. He would also like to see the actual money received for building permits.
MOTION: C. Lowder - To continue this item until after the executive session. Seconded by C. Fotheringham.
Aye - C. Fotheringham
C. Lowder
C. Parker
C. Perry
C. Willie Motion passes.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
5. Motion to go into Executive Session, Pursuant to Utah State Code 52-4-5 (6:54 p.m.)
MOTION: C. Willie - To go into Executive Session. Seconded by C. Fotheringham.
Aye - C. Fotheringham
C. Lowder
C. Parker
C. Perry
C. Willie Motion passes.
* * * EXECUTIVE SESSION * * *
MOTION: C. Willie - To adjourn the Executive Session. Seconded by C. Parker.
Aye - C. Fotheringham
C. Lowder
C. Parker
C. Perry
C. Willie Motion passes.
2. Review Budget for Fiscal Year 2005-2006 - Continued (9:20 p.m.)
Review of General Fund, Water & Sewer Fund and Capital Projects Fund top projected revenue sources. C. Fotheringham stated that Garbage and C Road Funds are different because they are used to pay for garbage and roads and not for other General Fund items. C. Perry asked that instead of the numbers being conservative, they should be accurate. The spending needs to be conservative. Rich Knapp stated that there is economic risk in not being conservative. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that different line items are predicted differently. C. Fotheringham stated that if building revenue is so far above the prediction, there should be a windfall of cash. Where is it? Tami Harrison stated that other cities hire outside personnel to create an economic model. C. Fotheringham stated that the City Council should decide how conservative the budget should be, not the staff. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that the Council receives a quarterly financial statement and the budget can be amended throughout the year. C. Perry stated that he doesn’t mind the conservative estimation. C. Fotheringham stated that he wants Rich Knapp’s best estimate and felt this budget was being too conservative. C. Perry suggested using another term instead of conservative. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that the budget has been very close to actuals in previous years. C. Perry stated that he is happy with being conservative because he doesn’t want to rely on future councils. He would like to see suggested numbers, not projections. Rich Knapp stated that he is waiting for the numbers from the County regarding assessed value and collection percentage.
Review of General Fund and Water & Sewer Fund revenue estimates. In the past, the franchise and telecommunication taxes were lumped into one line item and they have been separated in this budget. C. Fotheringham stated that the City did not make a big deal about not taxing cell phones and the residents should be aware of that decision. Something needs to be in the newsletter. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that the City has not charged the maximum either on other issues. Discussion regarding building refees. Rich Knapp stated that the Family Festival and Recreation Programs were predicted low, not knowing if there would be a Community Services Director. C. Perry would like to see any additional pressurized irrigation revenue paying for the line of credit.
C. Perry questioned whether the City has higher impact fees than other cities. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that Cedar Hills is a newer city. Impact fees are based on the needs of the community, buildout and the impact of development. The impact fees need to be reevaluated. Rich Knapp stated that the previous council took action to keep only $17,000 of the franchise fees to pay for the public safety building utilities. The remainder goes into a PTIF designated for Capital Improvement Projects. The policy was to meet the projects of the Capital Improvements Plan. This money could be taken back and budgeted for any other purpose. The idea was to save money for additional city buildings. C. Perry questioned the reason and practicality of this policy. Rich Knapp stated that there is currently $380,000 in this PTIF. C. Fotheringham questioned why this money was not included when the Council previously asked for the amount of cash available for emergencies. He would have liked to have known about this policy at that time. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that this money is not sitting there waiting to be spent but is budgeted for specific purposes. The policy can be changed at any time.
3. Review/Action on Family Festival Coordinator/Community Services Director (10:09 p.m.)
See handouts. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that at the last meeting, the Council requested to discuss the hiring of an intern or Community Services Director. His recommendation is in the memo. The City is two to three months late getting started on the Festival preparation and the need is for someone to work 100% on the Festival. C. Fotheringham spoke to people and wasn’t able to get volunteers to take over. He recommends hiring a part-time intern. He found about 40 to 45 sub-tasks when he reviewed the Festival book. Some tasks are more involved than others. He suggests hiring someone in the next week at $8 to $10 per hour to coordinate everything and remain working two weeks after the event to complete the work. These are relatively straightforward tasks. C. Perry has a problem believing that an intern is qualified to do this. C. Fotheringham looked at the kinds of tasks to be completed, which entailed telephone calls and visiting businesses. The book spells it out and all the information is there such as contact person, telephone number and pricing. Mayor McGee stated that a key ingredient is that there was a $9,000 shortfall last year and with a marketing individual it could be a wash. C. Fotheringham stated that the City had a highly paid person before and that didn’t happen. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that the City has obtained more sponsorship each year. The shortfall has come down. C. Fotheringham stated that with supervision, reliability and follow through, an intern can do the job. C. Willie stated that that would burden the City Manager even more. Konrad Hildebrandt stated in support of Jennifer Howe that nothing existed prior to Jennifer working for the City. The book and documentation are her making. An intern doesn’t create a book like this. Now that there is the book, someone else may be able to do some of that. Since January, the outdoor movie company and climbing wall company have called and those items may be gone. He is looking at the overall picture from year to year. C. Willie stated that she is also looking for continuity. You can’t hire someone three months prior to the Festival and rush through the job. C. Fotheringham stated that there is a lot of time, four months at eight hours a day, to get this done. C. Parker stated that there is no guarantee that a full-time hire would be here year to year. There are many events in the area that hire a company to do it all. C. Lowder feels that several Council members have no interest in hiring a new Community Services Director today. He wants to build traditions in the City and wants the position to grow into that. The other option is hiring someone to cover the needs from year to year. The position is not just about this event. Mayor McGee stated that he has received a lot of e-mails from residents questioning if there will be a festival.
Discussion regarding the hourly rate to pay, $8, $10, or $12. A flat rate of $7,500 is $15 per hour. Konrad Hildebrandt is confident that he could find someone for $10 per hour. He is concerned and uncomfortable with the catch 22 that if it isn’t a great festival, then it was mismanaged. He would have had less supervision with Jenny Howe this year. C. Fotheringham stated that it is in Konrad’s hands. Mayor McGee stated to C. Fotheringham that C. Fotheringham was willing to take this project on until he saw the magnitude and lack of volunteer interest and now it is back. Now C. Fotheringham is making it Konrad’s problem and that is unfair. C. Fotheringham stated that he never agreed to do this. C. Perry stated that this would have the City’s most expensive employee handling the Family Festival. C. Fotheringham apologized but still feels it can be done. Konrad Hildebrandt stated again that the City can make it happen with an intern. C. Willie stated that she was in charge of the Festival in the past and since that time has helped by being in charge of activities such as the pie eating and bingo. She encouraged the other Council members to be responsible for events.
MOTION: C. Fotheringham - To approve sufficient funds, up to $12 per hour, for an intern to run the Family Festival and up to two weeks after to complete items. Seconded by C. Parker.
Aye - C. Fotheringham
C. Lowder
C. Parker
C. Perry
C. Willie Motion passes.
4. Review/Action on Resolution Adopting the City Manager’s Contract (10:34 p.m.)
See handouts. This was addressed in the executive session. Mayor McGee will review the information with Konrad Hildebrandt at a later date.
MOTION: C. Fotheringham - To adjourn the meeting. No second. Motion dies.
Other Items
C. Fotheringham would like to see a version of the police report in the newsletter. He feels people want to know what is going on. C. Perry stated that this would need legal review to determine what can and cannot be reported. C. Willie stated that this is reported in the New Utah newspaper. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that there could be an article from Chief Fox in the newsletter. C. Fotheringham would like an item on the April 5 meeting regarding a policy for release of this information. He wants people to know what is going on and wants to know himself.
Mayor McGee has checked into solar power systems for the wells in the event of an emergency. Konrad Hildebrandt stated that the City does have generators available to take to the wells in the event of an emergency. Fuel would be a question. C. Perry is for alternative power but maybe not solar. The Council would like Konrad Hildebrandt to study the issue and feasibility and put this item on the April 5 meeting agenda.
20. This meeting was adjourned at 10:47 on a motion by C. Willie, seconded by C. Lowder and unanimously approved.
/s/ Kim E. Holindrake
Approved by Council: Kim E. Holindrake, City Recorder
March 15, 2005