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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-08-04 City Council Special MinutesCITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING AUGUST 4, 2009 The special meeting of the City Council of the City of Apache Junction, Arizona, was held on August 4, 2009, at the Apache Junction City Council Chambers pursuant to the notice required by law. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Insalaco called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Councilmembers Present:Mayor Insalaco Vice Mayor Eck Councilmember Barker Councilmember Dietz Councilmember Serdy Councilmember Wilson Staff Present: (Councilmember Coleman was absent.) City Manager George Hoffman Assistant City Manager Bryant Powell City Clerk Kathleen Connelly City Attorney Joel Stern Public Safety Director Jerry Monahan Public Works Director David Fern Economic Dev. Dir. Steve Filipowicz Asst. to the City Manager Matt Busby Others Present:None. DISCUSSION ON FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010 ) City Manager George Hoffman briefed the council on the item. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 1 OF 7 Mayor Insalaco commented that he and the council agreed with what the city manager had to say about what staff is having to work with now and what they had to work with before. PUBLIC HEARING:PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010 ) public hearing on the item. )Mayor Insalaco opened the Mr. Elliott Fisher, 547 E. Quail, Apache Junction, addressed the council.He commented when he read the paper that the potential cut would be between $5 million and $6 million and, in the city manager's estimation, it would not be felt, he wonders how much waste we have in the city budget to begin with.He suggested they mandatorily increase the rainy day fund. Mayor Insalaco closed the public hearing with no one else wishing to speak.He opened the item to council discussion. Vice Mayor Eck complimented the employees in the library for working with a skeleton crew and the employees who have moved over from parks and recreation to help public works even though they are short-handed. In the past employees came up to him asking how much of a raise they would be getting.This year they thanked him for having a job. He believes they have some very dedicated employees.He then gave a presentation requesting an annual clean-up instead of quarterly clean-ups for the residents.This would cost the city about $40,000 instead of $200,000.They could charge $30 instead of $15.He was concerned about health and safety issues and aesthetics.He showed some pictures of some residences that have tree trimmings out front.His proposal is to give a thought to this.If it cost $40 at the high end, they need to enforce it if a pile goes over.They would need to pay the next increment.That is the way finances are.He would like to see the curbside appeal.He showed a picture where a city crew had come by a corner that had been full of weeds and cleared it out. Down the street an 80 -year -old man used to go out and take days to clear his weeds; now the city crew took care of it for him. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 2 OF 7 The city needs to be given some credit in helping people with their private property, but he woUld like to see the trash and brush picked up with a one-time pick-up annually, which should cost about $40,000. Councilmember Barker asked what particular department or area does he propose to take the funds from, since the budget is balanced. Vice Mayor Eck commented they can take them from the HURF Funds. Councilmember Barker stated they cannot be taken from those funds. Vice Mayor Eck asked if it could come out of General Funds. Councilmember Barker stated it could. Vice Mayor Eck commented he would then take it out of the General Funds.He feels that if they pushed the envelope, doubled the fee, and enforced the fee if the pile was bigger, we could still save money on that.It has not been done in the past.The crews just went out and picked up the piles and off they went.They were just trying to get their job done.They have been doing a lot of good things in the city and they are now letting some areas go.He thinks this is one of them.It is hard to sell the city and he believes it is health hazard. Councilmember Wilson commented.he knows of people in the community who would be willing • to step forward and assist.If they had a truck and trailer, they could •,go the owners of some of these places with a group•of•citizens. willing to help out and clean up a series of places.The city -could take phone calls from people saying they needed help this .week.He asked if it would be feasible to do something like that in the interim. SPECIAL!MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 3 OF 7 Vice Mayor Eck commented it is better than nothing.He is doncerned that when they do the clean-up, they have the big dump trucks running and running as there is a huge demand.With what Councilmember Wilson is talking about, it could be considerably less. He is all for some type of suggestion on how they might be able to take care of this problem.Most of the areas we dropped, we dropped a certain percentage, not to zero like this one.He would be willing to do this one time a year, but he understands if they do not. Councilmember Wilson asked if it is feasible to look at. Assistant City Manager Bryant Powell stated there is an opportunity during the free dump weekend, which is coming up.They have also worked with the volunteer group in November for Neighbors Helping Neighbors. They have already worked with the landfill on some of these types of issues.They can explore it. Councilmember Barker commented there needs to be more public knowledge.If the public is not aware of the possibility of getting some help, then they will have the things that were pictured. Assistant City Manager Bryant Powell stated they would have to coordinate with the capacity of the group..There could even be.other groups out there. Councilmember Wilson asked if it would be possible between now and November to publicize it for those who need .assistance and help and put together a_group of vOlunteers who would take the time to take a truck and trailer to those who need the assistance.They could then see what the need and volunteerportion of it is. Vice Mayor Eck asked if they could come up with $10,000 for start up money.It could pay for the fuel for the trucks and stuff like that. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 4 OF 7- Councilmember Serdy commented he might seem cold here, but if that had been a pile of limbs on his property, he would have chopped it all up and in a matter of 3 weeks been able to get rid of it in his rollaway dumpster that comes twice a week.He does not know the situation at that house or if they have tried to compact it down, but that is the way he gets rid of his tree limbs. Mayor Insalaco commented he is not the only one.A lot of people do that. Vice Mayor Eck commented the north side is huge for palo verde and mesquite.They grow like weeds.One needs a chain saw to trim them as there is a lot of wood. Councilmember Barker commented her major concern is that they are looking at a very carefully balanced budget.It is being balanced as far to the edge as it can without going off.We are also looking at the possibility of losing our vehicle license tax.State -shared revenue may well go down dependent on what the legislature does. The city manager has already stated he may have to come back to us for an adjustment depending on what the state does.At this time she likes Councilmember Wilson's thought; she knows there are a lot of people out here that like to volunteer and are very good at it.She would like to explore that possibility on what they can do to get people together.She would be willing to pay for a tank of gas if they want to do that.She does not think it needs to come out of here. City Manager George Hoffman suggested they explore the voluntary approach for the first two quarters of the year, see how it works, and see if the state does or does not stick it to us. Mayor Insalaco commented that is what he is worried about.He asked if they take the money from the city, where would the city get it from. City Manager George Hoffman stated if the state does not stick it to us and the city is SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 5 OF 7 doing okay, they could come back in the second half of the year. and see if they can then take it out of the contingency budget. That is the emergency reserve; it is there if they have an emergency.Six months would have gone by and hopefully we would not have had an emergency by then.We will have a better sense of where we stand.Maybe, if a whole bunch of things align, they could do this in the fourth quarter.What is really hard about what the vice mayor is bringing up is that every single one of us is passionate about the program he is talking about. It is only the money that is holding us up, and maybe by the third or fourth quarter we will have a better sense for that. Mayor Insalaco closed the discussion with no further comments. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED RESOLUTION NO. 09-42, ADOPTION OF FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009- 2010 )Mayor Insalaco called for a motion. Councilmember Barker MOVED THAT RESOLUTION NO. 09-42, A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA, FULLY ADOPTING ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURES BY THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2009, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2010; DECLARING ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY, BE APPROVED. THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. ADJOURNMENT the meeting at 7:25 p.m. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 6 OF 7 Councilmember Dietz SECONDED )Mayor Insalaco adjourned ACCEPTED THIS 18TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2009, BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA. SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS 18TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2009. ATTEST: KATHLEEN CONNELLY City Clerk V 4 1 1 t 4(3—.enN S. I SALACO 11<vorayor CITY COUNCIL MINUTES CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the special meeting of the City Council of the City of Apache Junction, Arizona, held on the 4th day of August, 2009.I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this 10th day of August, 2009. KATHLEEN CONNELLY City Clerk SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 4, 2009 PAGE 7 OF 7