HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-03-06 City Council Regular MinutesCITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 6, 2018
The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Apache Junction, Arizona, was held on March 6, 2018, at the
Apache Junction City Council Chambers pursuant to the notice
required by law.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Serdy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
INVOCATION
Vice Mayor Wilson gave the Invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Barker led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Councilmembers Present:Mayor Serdy
Vice Mayor Wilson
Councilmember Barker
Councilmember Evans
Councilmember Rizzi
Councilmember Struble
Councilmember Waldron
Staff Present:City Manager Bryant Powell
Assistant City Manager Matt Busby
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
City Attorney Joel Stern
Public Safety Director Tom Kelly
Parks and Recreation Director Liz
Langenbach
Finance Director Donna Meinerts
Others Present:Grants Coordinator Heather Patel
Assistant to the City Manager Anna
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McCray
Public Information Officer Al Bravo
Sponsorship/Partnership Programs
Administrator Roger Hacker
ACCEPTANCE OF CONSENT AGENDA
)Councilmember Waldron
MOVED THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED.
Councilmember Rizzi SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
Mayor Serdy recognized the Four Peaks Elementary School student
council for their hard work within their school and the
community.
Sponsorship/Partnership Programs Coordinator Roger Hacker gave a
brief presentation on the individuals and/or organizations that
made donations to support city activities, programs and
projects.
Parks and Recreation Director Liz Langenbach gave a brief
presentation on Superstition Area Land Trust and their donations
and assistance to the city.
Mr. Charlie Goff of Superstition Area Land Trust gave a brief
presentation on the mission of the organization and their
upcoming events.He encouraged the trail system to be developed
throughout the valley.
Public Safety Director Tom Kelly commented on the Explorer
program and the support provided by the Apache Junction Mounted
Rangers.
Mr. Rich Sterba from the Apache Junction Mounted Rangers
commented they are proud to be a part of Apache Junction and
help in any way then can.
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Sponsorship/Partnership Programs Coordinator Roger Hacker stated
since the inception of the program they have had 618 donors that
have contributed $173,000 to city projects.
Mayor Serdy commented on the Light the Trail program.
Councilmember Rizzi commented there were approximately 20
participants in the program and people could vote online but
only vote one time.They are hoping it will grow and get all
the businesses involved and make this a destination place at
Christmas time.
Mayor Serdy commented they had businesses besides those on the
Trail put up lights and he called the businesses out to make it
bigger next year and every year thereafter.He then presented
Arizona Tiremen Services an award for being the Light the Trail
winner.
Councilmember Rizzi commented they hope to get more businesses
involved next year and make it a serious competition.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CURRENT EVENTS
Councilmember Waldron announced on February 21 the library held
a volunteer recognition lunch for all the people that volunteer
hundreds of hours with the theme being super heroes.They held
a jeopardy contest on super heroes and the event was very well
attended.
Councilmember Waldron announced this past weekend we did a
neighborhood clean up in the area south of Broadway and west of
Delaware.They put out seven dumpsters and picked up about
eleven tons of stuff.
Councilmember Struble announced the Imagine Prep boys'
basketball team played in the state championship game and did a
great job against the returning state champions.They
represented the city well and both teams showed amazing
sportsmanship.
Councilmember Struble announced Evan Quiroz from Apache Junction
High School was selected as the Regional Player of the Year.
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Councilmember Struble announced the high school drill team went
to Las Vegas and took third nationally.
Councilmember Struble commented the student council kids are a
great example of the kids that will be working their way up.He
congratulated them for stepping up and taking leadership roles.
Councilmember Evans thanked Public Services and Walmart for
their contribution in helping clean up the Sierra Entrada
neighborhood.This was the fourth neighborhood clean up that
has been done and it was organized through the Community
Development Corporation.She thanked their board members and
the city staff that assisted in the clean up.
Councilmember Evans commented the hazardous waste pick up had a
long line of people that got shut out since it was only open
until noon.With all of the clean ups that are being done she
suggested the city take action on either a one provider once a
month or once a quarter bulk pick up on the streets.She
thanked everyone for their hard work and thanked Pizza Hut for
providing pizza and soda afterwards.
Vice Mayor Wilson announced he went to Arizona State University
last Friday and listened to Dr. Crowe give a speech on the
future of the university.
Vice Mayor Wilson announced March 10-11 is the Antique Engine
and Tractor Show at the rodeo grounds.
Councilmember Waldron announced many of them went to the police
department awards dinner last Friday night where they received
peer recognition.
Councilmember Rizzi commented she attended the graduation
ceremony of two young police officers about two years ago and
they received awards from the police department.
Mayor Serdy commented he saw the Arizona horsemen cleaning up
after Lost Dutchman Days rodeo.He thanked everyone for the
hard work put in.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
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City Manager Bryant Powell thanked the Community Development
Corporation for their first clean up event, city staff that
assisted and the police department for all they do, and
commented on clean ups for the city, the hazardous waste event
and announced Anna McCray being promoted to Assistant to the
City Manager.
Assistant to the City Manager Anna McCray stated she is proud to
work for the city and thanked her mentors Bryant Powell and Matt
Busby.
City Manager Bryant Powell requested a video be shown on the
library and thanked the library volunteers.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
None.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION MISSION
AND VISION STATEMENTS
)Mayor Serdy commented
lately staff has been so efficient that is it a testament to
their agendas being very small so they have been rolling in work
session items into the regular meeting agendas.This saves on
expenses and staff's time.Work sessions are a little less
formal and there is more discussion than at the regular council
meetings.He commented if this continued, they could even start
with a work session, adjourn it and start with a regular council
meeting on the same night.Others cities do this and he would
like some feedback on that if they think it would be a good
idea.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated they have the next step in the possible consideration of
a vision and updated mission statement.They worked on them in
October and September they worked through the town hall process,
then through the retreat, and we are now at a point where he can
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turn this over to Al Bravo who has put together a few slides to
give them an update on where that has been over the last couple
of months.Tonight they will discuss it, give it some thought
and they will bring them back at a future meeting for approval
so we can have it as part of the budget process and general plan
process.
Public Information Officer Al
Bravo briefed the council on the item.
Councilmember Waldron
commented he read through these and they are obviously very
good. In the vision statement, the second sentence starts off
with "we will" as it does with the sentence under the mission.
He suggested the second sentence should belong under the mission
statement as opposed to the vision statement.It is more of an
action item.
Public Information Officer Al
Bravo asked if it could be "should" instead of "will".
Councilmember Barker
commented "setting" or "while setting a high standard".
Councilmember Waldron
commented that sentence is kind of the stuff we will do as is
the one under mission.Maybe it is just the wording but it
struck him that maybe that should be moved into the mission part
of it as opposed to the vision.Mission is kind of the actions.
Councilmember Evans commented
this is thought out and she also wanted to know if they should
have residents first in the vision statement, visitors second.
She thinks our residents are our most important asset.
Councilmember Barker agreed.
Councilmember Struble
commented we started this last year to renew our vision and
mission statements that we had in our master plan and
everything, general plan, he gets all those plans mixed up.For
the audience, the vision statement is basically a statement for
the community that says who we are and where we are going.
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Where the community is going.The mission statement, in
essence, is how we are going to get there.That is how it all
started out.He would like to extend his heartfelt appreciation
for everybody that took part in the all of the activities all
the way through from staff to getting everything all organized
and all community members that took part in the town hall last
September.When we attended the youth activities council
meeting, the kids really bought in to what they were doing and
had some great ideas and insight as to where they want the
community to be going.It really moved him to see so many
people get involved in it and really put their heart and soul
into it to try to come up with something here.He read what
staff put out there.The way he looks at a vision statement, it
is something that we can use as a start.If you are in
business, you use an elevator speech or whatever, you might want
to say.It is something that can really roll off your tongue,
is easy to remember, especially in his brain which has a lot of
words out there.You can probably tell he cannot pronounce
peoples' names.It is something that just has to be able to
roll off our tongues and be able to be presented to people out
there.He really appreciates what staff has come up with.He
would like to throw out the idea of combining both sentences in
the vision to come up with something.This is what he wrote and
they can all talk about it:"Apache Junction is a diverse
community of beauty and heritage that will bring prosperity,
compassion and forward -thinking to its distinct residents,
visitors and businesses".That is what he was kind of thinking.
He was throwing it out there for an idea for a vision statement.
Councilmember Barker asked
him to repeat it.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked for it again.The idea would be that if we have this
recorder, we can watch in here but if we can repeat that, we can
put it on and then they can discuss.
Councilmember Struble
commented what he wrote was "Apache Junction" because what you
want to do is you want people to know who you are, and so
"Apache Junction is a diverse community of beauty and heritage
that will bring prosperity, compassion and forward -thinking to
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its distinct residents, visitors and businesses".It kind of
combines both of the sentences.
Councilmember Barker
commented that first of all, the word distinct is used.Diverse
hits much better than distinction.
Councilmember Struble
commented okay.
Councilmember Barker
commented the movement from diverse to residents and visitors is
so that we put them in order in which we like.
Councilmember Struble agreed.
The priorities within our community.That is it exactly, that
is true.Our residents, visitors and then businesses.He did
not quite get what she said about diverse and distinct.
Councilmember Rizzi asked if
she was suggesting that the community was diverse.
Councilmember Barker
commented its residents are diverse.Its businesses are
diverse.And its visitors are diverse.Distinct infers
standing out as a single dot out there.
Councilmember Struble agreed.
Councilmember Barker
commented whereas diverse really explains the mix of people.
Councilmember Struble
commented they can put diverse down where distinct is.
Councilmember Barker
commented rather than distinct.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked Councilmember Barker to read what she had been thinking.
Councilmember Barker
commented she was a little bit concerned as she likes the word
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picturesque setting rather than beauty because she thinks it
talks about everything that way.She does like the switching
around of the verbiage on his, but she likes some of the wording
of staff better.
Councilmember Struble
commented he just could not figure out how to say it, the
diverse community of picturesque.
Councilmember Barker
commented a community set in historic, picturesque beauty.
She's trying here.She has not seen this until just now so she
is trying.
Vice Mayor Wilson commented
she is saying an historic, picturesque community of beauty and
areas.
Councilmember Barker asked if
that is saying the same thing.
Councilmember Struble
commented he was just trying to find words that fit in with the
sentences instead of picturesque and historic.
Councilmember Waldron asked
if the word prosperity belongs in there and how will that
happen.
Councilmember Struble asked
how passion happens.
Councilmember Waldron
commented passion is feeling, prosperity is for tangible items.
Councilmember Struble
commented part of prosperity is to bring economic development.
Councilmember Waldron
commented he gets that.He is not sure if it belongs in the
vision statement.
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Councilmember Struble
commented we want to bring economic development to the
community.
commented that is mission.
Councilmember Barker
Councilmember Waldron agreed.
Councilmember Struble
commented we want to bring prosperity to lift people up in their
economic life.That is what he thinks prosperity is.
Councilmember Waldron
commented he does like it in the second sentence, where it talks
about the high standard, but he is not sure if prosperity should
be there.
Councilmember Barker
commented he is not sure what prosperity is.
Councilmember Waldron
commented it says a high standard of developing programs, events
and attractions.He likes that.That is what is going to bring
people here if we set the bar for the type of events and
attractions we have here.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated it looks like we are still working through this.It has
been a few months.We have worked through the views of council.
Staff now has a little bit of input and can come back with two
or three options.It has not been completed and another month
will be okay, if that is okay with the council.They can maybe
send out the information ahead of time and maybe get some more
interaction that way.
Councilmember Rizzi asked if
the councilmembers could send in some emails so that the next
time they bring it back they could have some more suggestions.
She asked if that is possible.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated this is ultimately the council's vision and it needs to
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be done as a collective group.This is way over in the public
policy area.Staff wants to implement their vision and mission.
He thought it might be a good idea to take some of these and
give three different options on different words.
Public Information Officer Al
Bravo stated he can easily draft them up with the notes he has
taken from tonight's discussion as well as anything else that
comes in.He will do it quickly.
Councilmember Waldron asked
if they would be voting on this later on.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated the thought at the retreat was that you would vote on
this by resolution.
Councilmember Waldron
commented then they want to avoid the emailing.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated he does not want to be doing emails back and forth.
Staff will work on it and send over three options.
Councilmember Rizzi commented
her suggestion was if councilmembers had different verbiage they
should email them to Al, not to each other.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked Councilmember Struble if he had any thoughts.
Councilmember Struble
commented he likes the mission statement.It tells us how we
are going to get things done.
Councilmember Evans commented
she has one comment on the second sentence where it says we will
set.She suggested while setting or with setting.She
suggested just getting rid of will.
Vice Mayor Wilson commented
that is why he said by setting a high standard.
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City Manager Bryant Powell
stated if there are any other comments they can keep working it.
Mayor Serdy closed the
discussion and moved on to the next item.This was a discussion
item only.
FISCAL YEAR 2018-2019 HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES PROCESS AND FUNDING )
briefed the council on the item.
City Manager Bryant Powell
Councilmember Barker asked
for clarity's sake, he is inferring that $28,000 go to parks and
recreation for the senior center transportation and that the
remaining $72,000 is left for health and human services.We are
cutting into the health and human services every year more and
more.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated the services for transportation are the same.If they
wish he can put $100,000 in there and then they have parks and
recreation competing.
Councilmember Barker
commented she understood the $22,000.The $28,000 is a little
much but because the idea behind health and human services was
to assist those groups within the community who have clients
that are in the community who need various things, whatever
those things may be.We have funded a building for Community
Alliance Against Family Abuse and food for the food bank.We
have done a variety of those types of things.She thinks those
are important, too.She would hate to see them continue to bite
into that budget.It seems like if they are going to do it this
year, she would like to see it stop there so that they know from
now on that the health and human services at least gets $72,000
if we could manage that rather than next year say transportation
this year is $30,000 and the next year transportation this year
is $40,000.We have to find other avenues and we have been
saying this since we started, since we took over the senior
center.She asked if we have to find funding avenues for the
senior center are those avenues going to be the health and human
services budget.
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Councilmember Waldron
commented he agrees with the cap part of it, however, prior to
us taking over the senior center part of the health and human
services budget was transportation.
Councilmember Barker
commented it did.
Councilmember Waldron
commented so that money is still going for transportation.
Councilmember Barker
commented she is asking for a cap on it which we would do in the
health and human services as they went through that.We were
still funding transportation for East Valley.They would cap it
at a certain place because they would have other applications
they had to consider.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated the health and human services commission never allocated
funding for transportation at the senior center.It went
through LTAF and other sources but it never went through the
commission.
Councilmember Barker
commented it was transportation that went through there.She
asked if they never did any transportation through there.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated there was some.Remember, there was Ride Choice.
Councilmember Barker
commented there were a couple of things.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated there were some lingering programs.There was some minor
transportation but mostly what the commission recommended funds
for was the congregate meals and the home -delivered meals.That
was the bulk of their recommendation.
Councilmember Barker
commented those things are being handled through the parks and
recreation budget.
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City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated that is correct.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated the funding source have changed over time.Parks and
recreation covers that same service.
Councilmember Rizzi commented
she used to serve on that board and she thought it was $120,000
at that time.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated it was somewhere around $110,000 and it was rolled back.
It has never been as low as $72,000.
Councilmember Rizzi asked
when did they cut it back to $80,000.
Assistant City Manager Matt
Busby stated he thought it was $80,000 during the recession and
we were having layoffs.
Councilmember Rizzi commented
we kept it at $80,000 for several years.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated then they were able to go back to $100,000.They can
start at $75,000 or they can try for more.His interest is
making sure that we definitely want to keep it going, definitely
need to set aside a budget and they will see how revenues and
expenditures go.They will do their best to do the best we can
and also do our best on our part in being a partner in the
contract.
Councilmember Waldron
commented they are going to change the procedure so that it is
done earlier.
stated that is correct.
City Manager Bryant Powell
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated it can be done earlier but this is something that Joel
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would have to get involved in.She asked how they would do that
so it is contingent upon successfully completing the existing
contract if you do not want to throw good money after bad.She
thinks it is workable.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated he thinks it needs to be very workable.It is very
important as this $100,000 of a $24 million general fund budget.
We want to be very clear on how these contracts are done.They
need to be able to go and do the services and we need to
reimburse them.We need to do the work up front from his end
and then they need to be done with it.He spends a significant
amount, probably more than they know, of the city manager's time
dealing with the nonprofits over the last two years of helping
them understand this but he also feels we need to do our part in
communicating with them.Otherwise, he may bring another
recommendation that we really relook at this altogether.
Councilmember Struble
commented he had a question.He went through this last year but
it was his first year and he was still learning all the
procedures, time frames and everything that goes along with it.
He asked that he be corrected if he was wrong.We approved the
money back last November or something.He asked for what time
period was the money awarded.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated July 1 to June 30.
Councilmember Struble
commented that money will be used up by June 30, 2018.They
will have had to report back to us that they have done what we
expected them to do with the money, sometime after July 1.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated they will need to produce and show evidence that they
have served our community in a seven -month period from November.
Councilmember Struble asked
if they would be giving us the report in July since it ends on
June 30.
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City Manager Bryant Powell
stated as soon as it is produced.Kathy is our contract
administrator.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated the contract says for each quarter because they have to
report quarterly.They have to file their quarterly report
within 10 city working days after the end of the quarter.Their
June 30 report is filed somewhere around mid -July.
Councilmember Struble
commented they are changing the process of awarding 2018-2019
money in June of 2018, but maybe he misunderstood.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated that would be a perfect time.The same time we do the
budget we align the contracts so that they understand what they
are going to be able to do and produce starting July 1 and would
it be the same as our fiscal year.
Councilmember Struble asked
when would the processes start in January for when we put out a
request for whatever that reason.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated in January by code Kathy's staff will send that out.
Councilmember Struble
commented they will put it out there so that they can send it to
us by like March or April or something.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated Kathy has a process.He thinks it is by the end of
January.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated letters go out to various agencies that have asked to be
put on our list.Those letters go out very early in December
and they have until January 31, or whatever the last working day
in January is, to submit their requests.
Councilmember Struble asked
if that is the way it has always been.
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City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated that is by code.That is the way is has always been.
Councilmember Struble
commented that we did not actually award them until November for
this past year because we delayed it because of whatever reason.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated for a variety of reasons including late filing of that
last quarterly report.
Councilmember Struble
commented on the timing of it.Probably after three-quarters of
the year we will know whether or not an entity is performing the
duties of what they are supposed to be doing.We will be able
to make a judgment upon those.He asked if that was correct.
Councilmember Barker agreed.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked the city attorney if they can hardwire that into the
contract.
City Attorney Joel Stern
asked if he meant the new ones or the existing ones.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated the new ones.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated they can.There is a way to do that.
Councilmember Struble
commented he is trying to understand the process here.We can
make an educated decision as to who we want to award those
monies to.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated part of the problem is, and he does not get involved in
this but he hears about it, sometimes the invoices come in and
they do not really represent what is actually supposed to be
done under the contract.As Kathy said, sometimes they are late
and sometimes they are real late and they are demanding their
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money.Sometimes you cannot give the money to them.They have
to meet everything they have agreed to in the contract and
sometimes that does not happen and so they do not get paid.
Councilmember Barker
commented in the contract we have to be much more specific about
the 10 days.If it is not received in 10 days, they are done.
She is sorry but that is the way life goes.In order to do
this, we have to have certain rules in place.If these folks
are awarded these contracts and cannot meet those rules, then
she is afraid that they are going to have to be off the list.
Ten days is pretty good at the end of the quarter.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated it is 10 city working days.
Councilmember Barker
commented so that is two weeks and that is not bad.The TPTs
give us 15 days or some absurd thing and mine is usually done
within the first 5 days of the next month.Number one, they
have to look at these contracts, number two she agrees with him
wholeheartedly that this needs to come to us in May, and so that
we can then decide on them and be done with it when we get that
budget in June, it is already there and we have it done.She
agrees with him 100% that three-quarters would be perfect.That
means that April 10 or thereabouts we ought to have those third-
quarter things in.That gives us a month to have health and
human services meet et cetera.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she would have enough information at that time, and in
some cases she has enough information now, to let the commission
know how some of the agencies are doing with the current
agreement.
Councilmember Struble asked
if they can award a contract before we approve a budget.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated it would be on the same night.They would get them
signed so that the council would know they have been signed and
have not made any changes to the contract.All the mayor would
have to do is sign off on it.
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Councilmember Struble
commented that is the plan.It is basically do the same thing.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated again, the contract would be enforceable and usable if
they meet the terms of the existing one.It would have to be
contingent is some way, shape or form, at least this time.
Councilmember Barker agreed.
Councilmember Struble asked
if they have to award all the money.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated they do not.
Councilmember Struble asked
if there is anything out there that says they have to.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated there is no mandate.
Councilmember Struble
commented hypothetically, they have 5 people, current entities
that we are using and one of them does not fulfill the
obligations of their contract.The other 4 have requested money
that does not add up to this $72,000 or $78,000, wherever we are
at.He asked if they are obligated to get to that level or
amount.
Councilmember Barker
commented they have other people on the list.It is not that we
use the same 5 or 6 people.
Councilmember Struble
commented he understands that.He is just asking about the
process.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated it is a legislative decision.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated if they really want to change the process she did some
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really quick research in the past couple of days.There are
communities that have small grants, and they are using the word
grants.They are specifically for city residents only and these
are mainly art programs.But there is one community that the
grant availability is limited to $10,000 per agency.That
agency cannot be receiving city assistance in any other way,
shape or form.And they have to have matching funds in the form
of cash, no in -kind contributions.There are all kinds of
models out there.She does not think there is much wrong with
our model but if they wanted to really dig into it there are
other options.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated he really thinks our model is great but it does need some
fine tuning.That will really help both sides and they will
work to bring a council direction to staff to them very quickly.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated what would really be ideal is if there are some strong
words in there that say if they are not in compliance by this
day, their funds are ended.
Councilmember Barker
commented she liked that.These are taxpayer dollars that we
are giving them to help taxpayers.If they are not meeting that
criteria then they should not be receiving those funds.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated these are local taxpayer dollars which she emphasizes to
all of the organizations.Unlike larger cities like Phoenix,
Tempe and Mesa, who have available federal grants to them so
they can be more liberal with how they use the funds, we do not
have that.
Councilmember Rizzi commented
she is a little surprised to hear that the rules were not a
little more stringent.She was under the impression that if
they did not meet the deadlines that they were not getting the
funding.She thought that they did have that as part of the
contract.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated the language allowed them to submit continuing invoices
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 6, 2018
PAGE 20 OF 24
but they would not get paid until they submitted something that
staff agreed meets what they are supposed to be doing.We did
not cut them off.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated he thinks this establishes a nice opportunity to hit the
reset button.This is easy.We have a great health and human
services commission who do great work in working through it to
have that discussion as we work through this next fiscal year.
Councilmember Waldron
commented he thinks the other argument is if we do not award the
money until November or wherever then their services are not
being provided because they do not know if they are going to get
the funding.And then all of a sudden they are thrust into a
small time frame.He thinks this needs to be done.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated they need to get this in the proper order.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she receives quarterly reports from some of the agencies
even before the contracts have been awarded.
Councilmember Waldron
commented he knows that some of them know they have dedicated
funding and stuff and they cannot provide those services until
they have the money in hand.He thinks it is a disservice to
them if we are asking them to do this and they do not have the
funds.
Mayor Serdy asked where they
are going from here.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated he is thinking in two weeks or maybe the first meeting in
April they will seek council direction to staff and at that
point they will be able to bring them back in May or June.He
is hoping they can bring the health and human services
commission recommendations back in May or June of each year.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 6, 2018
PAGE 21 OF 24
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated they only have four applications, the same four agencies
as previously and for a total of $110,000.
Mayor Serdy commented when he
was at city hall today he saw the budget meetings have already
started and there is a lot of behind the scenes work.People do
not realize how hard it is to put that budget together.
Anything to make it easier and more streamlined.He then closed
the discussion on this item and, as this was a discussion item
only with no action, moved on to the next item.
DIRECTION TO STAFF
None.
SELECTION OF MEETING DATES, TIMES, LOCATIONS, AND PURPOSES
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:00 P.M. AND A WORK SESSION AT
7:00 P.M. BE HELD ON MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018, IN THE CITY COUNCIL
CONFERENCE ROOM AND CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS RESPECTIVELY; AND
THAT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:00 P.M. BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH
20, 2018, IN THE CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM.
Councilmember Evans SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
CALL TO THE PUBLIC
Ms. Shirley (no last name given), 1617 S. Cortez, Apache
Junction, addressed the council regarding considering paving
Cortez between 16th Avenue and 18th Avenue and requested the
city to keep up the city property in front of their RV park.
Ms. Dana Osborne, 5130 E. Superstition Blvd., Apache Junction,
addressed the council regarding the health and human services
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 6, 2018
PAGE 22 OF 24
contracts time frame, the amount of funding, hours spent on the
reports and rewriting the contracts and processes.
ADJOURNMENT
)Mayor Serdy adjourned the
meeting at 8:17 p.m.
Consent Agenda Items are as follows:
1. Consideration of acceptance of agenda.
2. Consideration of approval of minutes of regular meeting of
February 20, 2018.
ACCEPTED THIS c a 7 DAY OF A14 -e644 , 2018, BY THE
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA.
SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS A 70 164 DAY OF i4)444*,2018.
ATTEST:
KATHLEEN CONNELLY
City Clerk
t I i f
JEF I,ERDY
May•r
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and
correct copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Apache Junction, Arizona, held on the 6th
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 6, 2018
PAGE 23 OF 24
day of March, 2018.I further certify that the meeting was duly
called and held and that a quorum was present.
Dated this 12th day of March, 2018.
KATHLEEN CONNELLY
City Clerk
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 6, 2018
PAGE 24 OF 24
CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 20, 2018
The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Apache Junction, Arizona, was held on March 20, 2018, at the
Apache Junction City Council Chambers pursuant to the notice
required by law.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Serdy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
INVOCATION
Vice Mayor Wilson gave the Invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Struble led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Councilmembers Present:Mayor Serdy
Vice Mayor Wilson
Councilmember Barker
Councilmember Evans
Councilmember Struble
Staff Present:
(Councilmembers Rizzi and Waldron were
absent.)
City Manager Bryant Powell
Assistant City Manager Matt Busby
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
City Attorney Joel Stern
Public Safety Director Tom Kelly
Development Services Director Larry
Kirch
Human Resources Director Liz Riley
Assistant to the City Manager Anna
McCray
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 1 OF 26
Others Present:Building Official Dave Zellner
ACCEPTANCE OF CONSENT AGENDA
)Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED; AND
THAT RESOLUTION NO. 18-05, A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA, PERTAINING TO
THE SUBMISSION OF PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION IN ARIZONA'S 2019
HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN, BE APPROVED.
Vice Mayor Wilson SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
None.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CURRENT EVENTS
Councilmember Barker announced she attended the Itty Bitty
Olympics on Saturday and watched little kids having fun.
Vice Mayor Wilson announced the Budweiser Clydesdales were at
Fry's last week.They will be making periodic visits throughout
the area.
Councilmember Struble announced Travis Cavares-Brodie from
Imagine Prep made the all -state basketball team and Mikah Adams
is participating in the girls high jump and Emily Rutkowski is
participating in the hurdles at the state track meet.Both are
from Apache Junction High School.A bunch of other kids are
representing the city elsewhere and making the city shine.
Mayor Serdy commented he was asked at a forum where he would
take people to highlight the city and he could only think of the
events the city does, either doing them or facilitating them,
such as the Bluegrass event and the Blues Festival which are
highlighting the town.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 2 OF 26
Mayor Serdy commented on a post from Facebook where someone
moving from out-of-state drove around various East Valley
communities and decided on Apache Junction as the people here
are friendly.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
City Manager Bryant Powell introduced Andrea Chisholm, outgoing
chair of the chamber.
Ms. Andrea Chisholm gave a brief presentation on the performance
of the Visitor Information Center for the last quarter,
requested they eliminate the door swing counts and conference
room entries due to their inaccurate data and instead use the
visitor log sheet in the future and introduced new
President/Chief Executive Officer Michael Eastwood.
Mayor Serdy thanked the chamber for all that they do.They are
the bridge to Gold Canyon, East Mesa and Mesa, connecting the
entire East Valley.They also showcase the city by letting
others use their conference room.
Assistant City Manager Matt Busby gave an update on the monthly
financial report.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL EVENT
LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BOYS AND
GIRLS CLUB OF THE EAST VALLEY FOR
APRIL 21, 2018
)City Clerk Kathleen
Connelly briefed the council on the item.
Mayor Serdy requested the
applicant address the council.
Ms. Sandie Smith addressed
the council.She stated she is the vice president of the club
and chairperson of the event.They have it every year and
raised over $100,000 for the local club last year.The money
does stay here to benefit them.The event license is very
important.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 3 OF 26
Mr. Russell St. John, branch
manager, addressed the council.He stated this is the 20th year
of the event.It is titled Boogie Fever this year for music
back in the 70's.He invited the council to join them.
Mayor Serdy asked if there is
anything new this year and who would be catering.
Ms. Sandie Smith stated it
will be catered.They will be having more entertainment by the
kids.It is a welcome addition.Every year there will be
something new.
Mayor Serdy asked if there
are still tables available.
Ms. Sandie Smith stated there
are still tables available, but they probably only have about
five left.
Mayor Serdy asked how someone
would find out about how to get those tables.
Ms. Sandie Smith stated they
can contact Russell or herself.She gave her phone number and
email address.She would help them get to Chairperson Connie
Lane.
Mayor Serdy opened the public
hearing on the item.There being no one wishing to speak, he
closed the public hearing and reopened the item to council
discussion.There being no further discussion, he called for a
motion.
Councilmember Evans MOVED
THAT THE SPECIAL EVENT LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS
CLUB OF THE EAST VALLEY FOR APRIL 21, 2018, SUBMITTED BY RUSSELL
ST. JOHN, BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT
OF LIQUOR LICENSES AND CONTROL.
Councilmember Barker SECONDED
THE MOTION.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 4 OF 26
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
APPLICATION FOR AN INTERIM PERMIT,
NEW LICENSE, LIMITED LIABILITY
COMPANY, SERIES 12 LIQUOR LICENSE
FOR DIRTWATER SPRINGS
)City Clerk Kathleen
Connelly briefed the council on the item.
Mayor Serdy asked if they
should talk to Mr. Zellner now if they have questions or should
the applicant come up.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated either way.
Mayor Serdy called for any
questions.
Councilmember Barker asked
why the planning division found all of these fire hazards when
the fire district signed off with no major problems.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked Dave Zellner to come up and explain how the process goes
and then they can have Mike Farber from the fire district follow
up after that.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated he is a past fire inspector along with being a
building official.There is overlap between the two codes.
Sometimes enforcement falls strictly under building and
sometimes it is under fire but in some cases it is joint.
Councilmember Barker asked if
he contacted the fire district on those issues.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated there were some emails exchanged.The way it was
presented to him was that they thought they had seen the same
things that he did but he did not get any feedback as far as
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 5 OF 26
what those things were.He did talk to Brenda about the
concerns and she shared some of the things that fire had noticed
but he did not think all of them were addressed.He thinks she
knows what they are.It is a situation where some of the things
cannot be fixed immediately so they will try to work with her on
a plan.There are some immediate hazards like propane tanks
that need to be removed.Hopefully that has happened.Some of
the other stuff is hood -related and other things.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked if he could give an example of how the codes overlap.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated the egress issues are covered in both codes.The
building code actually specifies the requirements for distance,
door hardware and stuff like that.The fire code says they will
enforce that and they have some specific things.The fire code
is more for existing businesses and maintaining the
functionality.The building code has a goal of having it built
correctly and having it maintained and in compliance.Sometimes
they find things are not in compliance.One of the issues he
found that they probably would not have noticed was there were
some water heaters added and they did not complete the
installation the way they needed to in order to comply with the
code.That is something that would not be in the same report.
That is partly why you have both go because there are certain
things one has a better understanding of than the other.There
were some things he hopes will be picked up later.
Councilmember Barker
commented her thought is it seems to her that when you find
things that are obvious, this entire paragraph is based on fire
hazards with extension cords, heaters, et cetera, that we need
some communication with the fire district so both entities are
aware of these situations.He goes at one point and they go at
another point.They really need to be saying the same thing or
be really close.That was her concern.
Mayor Serdy requested the
applicant address the council.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 6 OF 26
Ms. Brenda Barnum, Dirtwater
Springs, 586 W. Apache Trail, addressed the council to answer
any questions.
Mayor Serdy asked if she is
the new owner.
Ms. Brenda Barnum stated she
is the new owner of Dirtwater Springs.She apologized for
having stage fright.
Councilmember Barker
commented one of the things in the report was building was going
to be working with you to try to alleviate some of these
problems.
Ms. Brenda Barnum stated they
have already fixed several of them, like the water heater he
mentioned.They have added the piping, added the ventilation
and removed the extension cords.They have fixed a lot of it
already.Some of the bigger stuff is going to take a little bit
of time.They have gotten a proposal from Flatiron Electric to
add a couple of more outlets so we can remove some extension
cords.
Councilmember Barker asked if
she told Dick he should have fixed this stuff.
Ms. Brenda Barnum stated they
had a nice chitchat.
Councilmember Barker
commented she would have loved to have heard that conversation.
Mayor Serdy asked if they
would have a different menu or add any services.
Ms. Brenda Barnum stated they
have been changing a few things.The main menu that has been
there forever they have kind of left alone.It is kind of the
core that the core clients come in for.They are having
different specials and trying to adjust some things.They are
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 7 OF 26
adding some new things like a gluten free menu and fresh
vegetables.
Mayor Serdy opened the public
hearing on the item.There being no one wishing to speak, he
closed the public hearing and reopened the item to council
discussion.There being no further discussion, he called for a
motion.
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THE APPLICATION FOR AN INTERIM PERMIT, NEW LICENSE, LIMITED
LIABILITY COMPANY, SERIES 12 LIQUOR LICENSE FOR DIRTWATER
SPRINGS, SUBMITTED BY BRENDA BARNUM, BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL
TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF LIQOUR LICENSES AND CONTROL.
Vice Mayor Wilson SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
APPLICATION FOR AN INTERIM PERMIT,
PERSON TRANSFER, INDIVIDUAL,
SERIES 12 LIQUOR LICENSE FOR PHO
EVER
)City Clerk Kathleen
Connelly briefed the council on the item.
Mayor Serdy requested the
applicant address the council.The applicant declined to speak.
Mayor Serdy opened the public hearing on the item.There being
no one wishing to speak, he closed the public hearing and opened
the item to council discussion.
Councilmember Barker
commented what she is getting is that we have three problems.
There is a problem from the police department due to a pending
criminal case and confusion as to who owns what.There is the
tax problem and the building official who says go for it but.
Mayor Serdy commented his
thoughts on it are those things are in the past.He asked how
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 8 OF 26
they would make money to get out of this funk they are in if we
do this and hurt the business.It is like throwing someone in
debtor's prison.He asked how they could pay their debt when
they cannot work.He hates to see a business close because of
an action we do.He would hope we would continue to work with
them to get through these problems.He would not like to really
see them not have their liquor license, especially going into
the summer.Anyone that has a business here, a matter of a few
hundred dollars can make a big difference in June, July and
August.It is easier to make money here in the winter.
Councilmember Barker
commented she is concerned about the confusion in ownership.
That is a pretty big deal.That is not past, that is right now.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she has had and she believes the police chief has had
conversations with an official of the department of liquor
licenses and control.Some of what you see in the packet are
comments reflective of his concerns as well.
Mayor Serdy requested the
chief come up when they are done discussing.
Councilmember Struble
commented he understands where the mayor is coming from, but all
they are being asked to do here is a liquor license.It is not
for the sale of food to customers.There is a thought process
out there and believe him, he is a business owner and he works
with business owners all day long.It can be argued that there
are too many regulations the government puts upon the business
owners, but he is sitting on a city council that has to
implement those ordinances and we also have to regulate and
enforce.It is one of those things where they are wearing two
hats on this.It is one of those things where if you own
anything, whether it is a car, a house or a business, a bicycle,
a horse, whatever it is, along with ownership comes
responsibility.One of the parts about owning a business is
that you work under the ordinances, laws and regulations that
are put forth before you at the time you open that business.We
can say this is because of in the past but it really is not
because some of those things are ongoing.He thinks that is
something that really needs to be taken into account.We have
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 9 OF 26
to hold those people that want those privileges of owning a
business and the right to own a business and the ability to own
a business to be held accountable to the possibilities they
have.
Mayor Serdy asked the police
chief if the city does not know who owns it then how do we know
who the problem is.He asked the city attorney if they deny now
what would the process be if they rectify these problems.He
asked if they could get a license later and if it would be more
difficult then or easier.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated if they deny it now the recommendation would go to the
liquor board.The city clerk sends a letter of denial with the
reasons why and the liquor board will look at that information
and the packet and they will decide if they are going to agree
or not with the city.If they say they agree with the city,
usually, in order to get that, someone from this council should
show up and explain the reasons.They do not like attorneys but
they will listen to council members and the mayor.If they say
they agree with the city and they are denying it, then he can
reapply 1:?ut he has to fix some of these things, or actually all
of the things.It is not more difficult because he has a black
mark as he does not think the liquor board sees it that way.
They will make sure everything is done correctly.If they
approve it today, then they will just say yes and they will
approve it.They probably will not deny it.The chief has some
issues they may want to hear.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated basically their concern is that the establishment
has been selling alcohol without a license.Conversing with
agents of the liquor commission, they were made aware of it and
they made several attempts to correct the action.The action
continued.His department opened an investigation on it and
found out they were continuing to sell alcohol without a
license.That is their objection.The commission said that
they had other issues in regards to past taxes and fines that
have not been alleviated yet.That is their problem and not
ours.Ours is the illegal activity of continuing to sell
alcohol without a license.That is their argument in a
nutshell.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 10 OF 26
Mayor Serdy commented when
this business sold the license went with the previous owner.
That is why there is no license.He asked if they know a drop
dead time as to when that was.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he does not.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated the previous owner is no longer in the state.He sold
the business and the individual who purchased the business was
supposed to have the liquor license transferred.Even though
that occurred months ago, he did not do so.And she knows of at
least two or three visits by the state inspector and he made
multiple requests for this process.To follow up with what Joel
said, if you recommend denial this would become a mandatory
hearing before the liquor board.They would take testimony from
the city and their own inspector and then make a decision based
on that.
Councilmember Struble asked
how soon the hearing would be.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she thinks they meet monthly.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated it would probably be within 60 days.
Councilmember Evans commented
she wanted to know if she was understanding correctly that there
were three different time frames that it was noted he was
selling alcohol without a license after they were notified.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he knows there were two but he cannot say for sure
there were three.There were the two prior notices by the agent
on the liquor commission and he spoke to the proprietor on those
occasions.When he spoke to him he said he had obviously
advised him he was no longer selling alcohol and we found out he
continued to do that.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 11 OF 26
Mayor Serdy asked if the
notices were in person, not by mail.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he did not know if they did it by mail, he is
certain there was other communication with him, but they did it
in person.
Mayor Serdy commented there
is a bit of a language barrier.He asked if he felt they
understood.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he could not speak for that as he was not present
when they did it.He assumes they went through the proper
protocol to advise him of the right process.The liquor agent
was actually kind of surprised this was not removed from the
agenda for this evening.
Councilmember Evans asked if
the tax issue is both current and past.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she could not answer that.All she can say is that it is
an unresolved tax issue.Because of the confidentiality she
cannot say anything further.
Councilmember Evans commented
she understood that.She wondered if they should be penalized
for something they acquired.That is why she is asking that.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she has no reason to believe the tax issue has been
resolved.
Councilmember Struble
commented to answer that one, when you purchase a business, part
of the due diligence you do is to see and make sure that any
taxes owed are taken care of prior to the purchase of a
business.
Mayor Serdy commented he had
not closed the hearing yet.He can tell that the applicant is
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 12 OF 26
trying to get our attention.He asked if he could have him come
up now.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated he can reopen it and then reopen it to the public.
Mayor Serdy requested the
applicant address the council.
Mr. Kheit Ha, 300 S. Phelps
Drive, Apache Junction, addressed the council.He stated he had
not bought a business but when he worked with him he told him he
would give him a month to try it and he said they could use the
license.When he went to do the liquor license he had another
guy do the license for him.He said he got it ready and he was
waiting and waiting.He was told they would send it to him.He
kept waiting and waiting but he did not get it.He called and
talked to them and they said give them everything but they
cannot get the money from the bank so he had to go renew it
again.Right after that the chief came in and looked for the
license.After that he told him to stop and he stopped right
away.And he went to Phoenix and he paid for the license.They
did it for him.
Mayor Serdy asked if he
thinks he has a license.
Mr. Kheit Ha stated yes.He
did the license for him.Everyone he hired, everybody, the guy
did for him.
Mayor Serdy commented he is
under the impression that he has a license.
Mr. Kheit Ha stated that is
correct.The chief called to him and he told him he has a
license.
Mayor Serdy commented which
is why they continue to do that.He thinks there is a language
barrier.At one time we had a business advocate.He knows we
moved on from that but this would be a good time to have
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 13 OF 26
somebody like that in the future to help.He thinks there is
still some confusion on how the license works.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated if he feels like it, he may want to continue this for two
weeks.Maybe some outreach could assist on some of the
questions if he feels generous.
Mayor Serdy asked if anyone
else thinks that it could help.They could see what kind of
license he has and how that could happen.It is only a couple
of weeks.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated he does not have a liquor license and that is the
problem.
Councilmember Evans asked if
he is still selling liquor.
Mr. Kheit Ha stated he is
not; he has a temporary one right now.They already gave it to
him.
Councilmember Evans asked who
gave it to him.
Mr. Kheit Ha stated when he
went to Phoenix.
Mayor Serdy commented it
almost sounds like he is a victim here and we need to get to the
bottom of this.Maybe the police department needs to
investigate just what has happened there.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he will contact liquor.This is a state liquor
license, it is not a city liquor license.This is a state
problem versus ours.They just went over there to investigate
the allegations that there was alcohol being served.He will
contact the agent tomorrow morning.He will tell him what the
confusion is and maybe he can assist.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 14 OF 26
Mayor Serdy commented under
those circumstances we might want to consider just giving it
another couple of weeks to see exactly what the situation is.
Public Safety Director Tom
Kelly stated he will follow up with him.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated Elan has been working with him and is engaged in this.
In time they will be able to do some of that.That is a
function of Elan's, to try where we can.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated that would be April 3 if they are going to continue it.
Mayor Serdy commented there
is nothing scheduled with the state yet so this will not go to
them yet.
City Attorney Joel Stern
stated they have not taken action yet.They are still within
the 60 days.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated that is 60 days from the date they accept the
application.
Mayor Serdy asked if there
was anyone else that would like to speak on this item.
Ms. Angela Vanwiller, 2075 N.
Delaware Drive, Apache Junction, addressed the council.She
asked if they give them a piece of paper with the license number
on it.They could check to see if he has that.He could bring
it in with him.That would be a good idea.
Mayor Serdy closed the public
hearing with no one else wishing to speak and reopened the item
to council discussion.There being no further discussion, he
called for a motion.
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THEY CONTINUE THIS ITEM TO APRIL 3, 2018.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 15 OF 26
Councilmember Evans SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous,
(During the vote Councilmember Struble commented he wanted to
make sure that staff keeps on this and makes sure there is no
liquor sold in the next two weeks.He does not know how they
are going to do that but he wants to make sure that the business
owner or whatever status he has takes this as a very, very
important issue, and that we are giving him a break on this
thing.And that he do whatever he needs to do to make
compliance.)
The motion carried.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION NO. 18-05 FOR CONTINUING
PARTICIPATION IN THE ARIZONA
METROPOLITAN TRUST EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS PROGRAM
)Human Resources Director
Liz Riley briefed the council on the item.
Mayor Serdy called for a
motion.
Councilmember Evans MOVED
THAT RESOLUTION NO. 18-06, A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA, AUTHORIZING THE
RENEWAL OF THE CITY'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE ARIZONA METROPOLITAN
TRUST, BE APPROVED.
Councilmember Struble
SECONDED THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 16 OF 26
The motion carried.
REQUEST TO REJECT THE PROPOSALS
RECEIVED FOR BID DSD-2018-01, IN-
OFFICE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERICIAL
PLAN REVIEW, COUNTER PLAN REVIEW
AND INSPECTOR/PLAN REVIEWER
TRAINING AND REQUEST TO SEEK OTHER
OPTIONS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
IMPROVEMENT
)Building Official Dave
Zellner briefed the council on the item.
Assistant City Manager Matt
Busby stated those amounts were much higher than they expected.
Councilmember Evans asked if
they were actually looking for an independent contractor.That
is what she kept seeing as she read it but she could not
understand how one would relate to the other.The dollar amount
per hour would be light for anyone with that area of expertise
according to her knowledge.Especially being only 20 hours a
week versus 40.She asked what they would be doing for another
20 hours.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated the way he wrote the original requirements was
actually less than what you would typically do.He was not
looking for someone to replace his experience or knowledge but
someone who could supplement what we had at the inspector level
and plan reviewer level.His background also includes third
party as a plan reviewer and the hope was a company might look
to somebody they wanted to train or to be a building official
that had some of the basic experience would want to come and
have them work here.The idea would be that along with the 20
hours they would have been able to do other moneymaking things.
They would not be hiring them just for 20 hours.Some companies
may have sought to find someone who was recently retired or that
would come to work for them for 20 hours that had the
qualifications.That was a thought, also.This would fit
better not for the bigger companies; it would have been a
smaller firm that was looking to build up their practice.It
would have worked well for them.It would have given them a
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 17 OF 26
source of income and then they would have been able to fill in
with some other things.Part of the problem is the price for
the hourly rates for these kinds of services are highly
influenced by California and we are not there.They want to
give you all of the stuff they do there and charge us the same
amount and we do not have that capacity.
Councilmember Evans asked if
he is going to do another request for proposal.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated he thinks they are going to entertain some other
solutions.They may even talk to Central Arizona Governments
about something.They had some suggestions that may be a
solution.They may also do a contract employee for the city for
a short time.They would like to know the timing for when state
land is going to be opened down south before they bring on
another staff person that they would be committed to for five or
ten years.They may even sign the retired person directly on a
contract.Part of the idea behind the request for proposal was
to tie into a little bit bigger resource.
Councilmember Struble asked
if the companies that supplied some information to do this were
local or from California.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated none of the specifically local companies applied.
The two companies that applied have presence in the west.
Safebuilt is a Colorado -based company that is trying to get a
presence here and Shums Coda is very active but they are large,
regional providers of this service.Based on what he could tell
from the procurement, there were some people that downloaded it
but they did not receive any responses from some of the local
companies as they had hoped.
Councilmember Struble
commented in essence what they are trying to do is put a
presence and then try to find somebody to hire for a full-time
position expecting full time payment and obviously cover all the
benefits that go along with it.
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MARCH 20, 2018
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Building Official Dave
Zellner stated his having been a part of those solutions, there
are several ways to cut it.He thought he had created the
potential solution that would work both ways.It did not seem
to hit the right note.
Councilmember Struble asked
if he knew of any companies in the valley that could have done
the work.
Building Official Dave
Zellner stated he is not tied in here as he has only been here
three years.There are a couple they could possibly reach back
out to but he thinks they were aware of the request for
proposal.Part of the struggle is a lot of those companies are
like everybody else.They are hurting for people and running at
pretty much their full capacity.It is difficult right now for
everybody in the construction, engineering and drafting
industries as they are kind of maxed out.That may have been
another factor.
Mayor Serdy closed the
discussion with no further comments and called for a motion.
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THE TWO PROPOSALS RECEIVED FOR DSD-2018-01, REQUEST FOR
PROPOSAL FOR IN -OFFICE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW BE
REJECTED FOR BEING UNRESPONSIVE AND THAT STAFF MAY SEEK OTHER
OPTIONS FOR THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPROVEMENT.
Vice Mayor Wilson SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
DIRECTION TO STAFF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
COMMISSION PROCESS
)City Manager Bryant Powell
briefed the council on the item.
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 19 OF 26
Councilmember Barker
commented this is a really good idea.We should have done this
long ago.
Councilmember Struble agreed
and commented this is a much -needed process adjustment for the
city to do.He wants to make sure that if there are any
contracts, in his personal opinion if any contracts are redone
or added or changed or anything that we do not lessen the
compliance level we are requiring of our agencies.
Mayor Serdy closed the
discussion with no further comments and called for a motion.
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THE FOLLOWING DIRECTION BE GIVEN TO STAFF REGARDING THE
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION FUNDING PROCESS:THAT
FUNDING REQUESTS SUBMITTED TO THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
COMMISSION BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY MAY 31 OF EACH
FISCAL YEAR ALLOWING THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION TO
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION NINE MONTHS OF EACH FUNDED AGENCY'S
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR CONTRACTED OBLIGATIONS; THAT THERE BE A
LEGAL REVIEW OF THE HUMAN SERVICES AGREEMENTS TO DETERMINE IF
CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE
WITH CONTRACTED OBLIGATIONS; AND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AND TAKE
ACTION ON HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING REQUESTS TO COINCIDE WITH
ANNUAL ADOPTION OF THE FINAL CITY BUDGET.
Vice Mayor Wilson SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
ADOPTION OF CITY VISION AND
MISSION STATEMENTS
)Assistant to the City
Manager Anna McCray briefed the council on the item.
Councilmember Barker asked if
they could add the word "natural" before beauty.She asked if
that would be agreeable to the council.
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 20 OF 26
The consensus of the council
was that would be a great idea.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray continued with her briefing.She advised she had
received an email from Councilmember Rizzi voicing her concerns
with the vision statement.She is okay with the mission
statement.She said she did not think it was appropriate for
the city to use the term specifically "bring forward thinking
and prosperity" in the vision statement.She is thinking more
along the lines of a safe community and quality of life in place
of those specific words.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated that is her thinking in terms of how she views what the
role of the city is.She wanted us to make sure that we shared
that with you.
Councilmember Barker asked
her to repeat it.She got the quality of life.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated she is specifically looking for something
along the lines of referring to a safe community and quality of
life versus the forward thinking and prosperity portions of the
vision statement.
Mayor Serdy commented the
prosperity thing kind of makes sense because it is not the
city's job to make people prosperous.
Councilmember Struble
commented he would disagree with that because everything we do,
whether it is the zoning issues, the weeds, whether we allow
people to do liquor licenses, whether we work with other
communities or whether or not we put in sidewalks.We just
appropriated almost $200,000 to put in sidewalks and streets and
everything else which goes towards providing people the
opportunity to go out and make a living and appreciate their
property values.Prosperity means an accumulation of goods and
wealth if you want to call it that.He believes every decision
that they make as a city council really does lead to everything
like that.We do not necessarily make people prosperous but we
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MARCH 20, 2018
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give them the opportunity to make themselves prosperous.It is
also that we do not try to hinder them from being prosperous.
That is his thinking on the word prosperous.
Mayor Serdy commented
sidewalks do not make people prosperous and he hopes they are
not making a living off a sidewalk.
Councilmember Struble
commented sidewalks per se do not make people prosperous but he
lives on a street right now that does not have sidewalks.It
does not have curb and gutter.They are in the process of doing
that in the neighborhood south of 16th Avenue and the Trail.
They are in the process of putting in curb, gutter, sidewalks,
lighting and everything.The reason why we do that is so the
people have a safer place to live.
Mayor Serdy commented he
thinks they agree on that but that is quality of life.
Councilmember Struble
commented but it also appreciates their property which can get
them more prosperity.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated the mission statement does mention the
quality of life.It reads "We will focus on and invest in
quality of life and planned improvements for serving residents,
businesses and visitors."
Councilmember Barker asked
her to go back to the vision statement.
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated they have talked about this over time, starting in
October.They have mentioned that the philosophy of a vision
statement would be to look forward to where they are going and
he is not sure what the mission statement covered.She is not
here to explain what her thinking was on what she wanted to have
in the vision.It would be interesting if she was here to know
if the mission statement covers what she was trying to cover.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 22 OF 26
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated she indicated in her email that she was okay
with the mission statement.
Councilmember Barker
commented rather than being repetitive with the quality of life
in the mission statement, she likes her idea of safety.Now
that she looks at this in big letters, the word "bring" is
interesting.She suggested "bringing it".
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated this is the culmination of five months of
effort inclusive of the town hall, youth advisory council and
amongst themselves over a series of meetings.
Mayor Serdy asked if they are
making changes or voting on this as is.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated the next step is the draft resolution that
she is prepared to bring back at the April 3 council meeting
after getting direction to staff tonight.It will be on the
consent agenda if the language is agreeable and they are
comfortable with it there.
Councilmember Struble
commented he likes the idea of adding "natural beauty" or
"natural" before beauty.
Councilmember Evans asked
what they could say other than bring.
Councilmember Barker
commented she was going through words in her head trying to find
a word that she wanted and she could not.She asked the city
clerk if she had a word.She has a smile which means she has a
word.
City Clerk Kathleen Connelly
stated she and the councilmember come from the same background.
Her suggestion would be to replace the words "will bring" with
the word "offers".
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 23 OF 26
Councilmember Barker thanked
her and stated that helps.
Mayor Serdy commented will
bring means, for sure, you get the life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.It is not guaranteed, you can just pursue it.
Councilmember Barker
commented will bring is a definite.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray asked if she is hearing correctly that they want her
to replace the "will bring" with "offers".
Councilmember Barker
commented that is correct.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated it will read "Apache Junction is a diverse
community of natural beauty and heritage that offers".
City Manager Bryant Powell
stated they have a lot of sweat equity in this.It is good.
There is a lot of buy in.
Assistant to the City Manager
Anna McCray stated they will be adding the word "natural" and
replacing the words "will bring" with "offers" and she will make
note of that in the draft resolution for your consideration at
the April 3 meeting.
Mayor Serdy called for a
motion.
City Manager Bryant Powell
asked if there are any changes to the mission statement.
Mayor Serdy commented there
is not and called for a motion.
Councilmember Barker MOVED
THAT THE FOLLOWING DIRECTION BE GIVEN TO STAFF REGARDING
ADOPTING THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION VISION AND MISSION
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 24 OF 26
STATEMENTS VIA A RESOLTUION AT THE APRIL 3 COUNCIL MEETING: THAT
THEY ARE AS WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE ADDITION OF "NATURAL" BEFORE
BEAUTY AND "WILL BRING" WILL BE STRICKEN AND REPLACED WITH
"OFFERS".
Vice Mayor Wilson SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous.
The motion carried.
SELECTION OF MEETING DATES, TIMES, LOCATIONS, AND PURPOSES
Councilmember Evans MOVED
THAT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:00 P.M. AND A WORK SESSION AT
7:00 P.M. BE HELD ON MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018, IN THE CITY COUNCIL
CONFERENCE ROOM AND CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS RESPECTIVELY; AND
THAT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:00 P.M. BE HELD ON TUESDAY, APRIL
3, 2018, IN THE CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM.
Councilmember Barker SECONDED
THE MOTION.
VOTE:Unanimous,
The motion carried.
CALL TO THE PUBLIC
Ms. Sandie Smith, 4415 S. Primrose, Gold Canyon, addressed the
council to thank the mayor for his contribution to the live
auction for the Boys and Girls Club and commented on additional
information for their event.
ADJOURNMENT
)Mayor Serdy adjourned the
meeting at 8:11 p.m.
Consent Agenda Items are as follows:
1. Consideration of acceptance of agenda.
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MARCH 20, 2018
PAGE 25 OF 26
2. Consideration of approval of minutes of regular meeting of
March 6, 2018.
3. Consideration of approval of proposed Resolution No. 18-05
authorizing the submission of application(s) to the
Governor's Office of Highway Safety Federal Fiscal Year 2019
Grant Program.
ACCEPTED THIS 2 4 0 DAY OF , 2018, BY THE
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA.
SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS DAYDAY OF , 2018.
ATTEST:
KATHLEEN CONNELLy
City Clerk
JEFWERDY
Mayor
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and
correct copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Apache Junction, Arizona, held on the
20th day of March, 2018.I further certify that the meeting was
duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
Dated this 26th day of March, 2018.
KATHLEEN CONNELLY
City Clerk
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MARCH 20, 2018
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