Last Modified on 10/02/2009 08:58:35TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOR CITY COUNCIL PACKET
OCTOBER 6, 2009
The October 6, 2009 Executive Session from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
in the 12 East conference room has been Cancelled
The October 6, 2009 Policy Session from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
in the Assembly Rooms has been Cancelled
CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009 FORMAL AGENDA
1.
Green Rail Corridor Demonstration Project – Status Report and Development Policy Opportunities
2.
Packet Date: October 1, 2009
CITY OF PHOENIX
CITY COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 - 3:00 P.M.
ASSEMBLY ROOMS, PHOENIX CITY HALL LOBBY
200 W. WASHINGTON
RECOMMENDED BY THE MAYOR FOR APPROVAL
All items below are also recommended by the City Manager.
1. Consideration of City Council approval to authorize staff to: 1) Develop a citywide two-tier building code that includes the current Building Code and an optional Green Building code/Standard that incorporates green-friendly development standards; 2) Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for use of the Green Building Code/Standard within the Green Rail Demonstration Project corridor; and 3) Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for citywide use of the Green Building Code/Standard.
2. Consideration of City Council retroactive approval for the Police Department to apply for up to $166,000 from the Full Service Forensic Crime Laboratory (CLAB) Grant, from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC). The application deadline was July 17, 2009.
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
CONSENT AGENDA
TO:
Deputy City Manager
Ruth Osuna
Deputy City Manager
FROM:
Development Services Director
Debra Stark
Planning Director
Tammy J. Perkins
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT:
GREEN RAIL CORRIDOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - STATUS REPORT AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY OPPORTUNITIES
This report provides the City Council with a status report on the Green Rail Corridor Demonstration Project. This report also requests City Council authority to:
· Develop a citywide two-tier building code that includes the current Building Code and an optional Green Building Code/Standard that incorporates green-friendly development standards.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for use of the Green Building Code/Standard within the Green Rail Demonstration Project corridor.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for citywide use of the Green Building Code/Standard.
THE ISSUE
Although the U.S. Department of Energy has not yet issued guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), staff has worked diligently during the summer to prepare for the competitive grant process. Since new ARRA-funded projects will create local jobs and stimulate the local economy, the City continues its aggressive pursuit of new Federal funding. During discussions regarding possible projects that may be eligible for the EECBG, several future development policy opportunities have been identified.
OTHER INFORMATION
Project Update. On June 9, 2009, the City Council authorized staff to pursue grant funding of up to $53 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to support an initial phase of the Green Rail Corridor Demonstration Project. Project emphasis for this phase focuses on development of solar power along a ten-mile stretch of the light rail line (south from Central and Camelback to downtown and east to Sky Harbor) and mitigation of the urban heat island and green homes and neighborhoods. To prepare for the anticipated fall of 2009 release of the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), staff is:
• Coordinating with stakeholders;
• Completing an inventory of city-owned land and facilities within the corridor;
• Mapping funded and unfunded Capital Improvement Projects within the corridor;
• Reviewing options for private sector involvement; and,
• Creating a list of possible projects for the grant application.
Future Development Policy Opportunities. As discussions relating to the Green Rail Corridor have unfolded during the summer, several ideas involving development policies have been identified. As the vision of the Green Rail Corridor is refined and the grant application effort is focused, it makes sense to explore additional ways to reduce Green House Gas emissions and mitigate the urban heat island effect, including implementation of new land use and development regulation.
In partnership with the Federal government (ARRA funding for Demonstration Project) and the ASU Global Institute of Sustainability (the best of solar research, benchmarking, and project monitoring), implementation of the Green Rail Corridor provides a unique opportunity for these discussions.
Examples of potential policy changes could include:
• Requirements and/or new development standards for all renovation and new construction projects within the corridor to have a net zero impact on green house gas (GHG) emissions and on the urban heat-island effect.
• Implementation of green building code standards in the Building Code.
• Given that additional requirements could complicate the review process, DSD would take steps necessary to maintain turnaround times. Also, a program of reduced turnaround times could be evaluated including offsets to fees.
Each of these policy changes has pros and cons. The challenge for the City of Phoenix is to find the balance between short-term and long-term environmental and economic benefits to Phoenix residents. Issues to be considered include:
• Initial increased cost of development for green public and private projects
• Long-term public health benefits of lowering GHG emission and mitigating urban heat island effects
• Possible implications or applicability of Proposition 207
• Integration of existing policies including adaptive reuse, transit-oriented development, and downtown parking standards
• Source of funding to support any development fee offsets
• Impact of new State-imposed building code rules
• Uniformity of regulations
Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Action. The City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee considered this report at its August 27, 2009 meeting. The subcommittee recommended that the City Council ask staff to:
· Develop a citywide two-tier building code which includes the current Building Code and an optional Green Building Code/Standard that incorporates green-friendly development standards.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for use of the Green Building Code/Standard within the Green Rail Demonstration Project corridor.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for citywide use of the Green Building Code/Standard.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the recommendations of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, staff requests City Council authority to:
· Develop a citywide two-tier building code which includes the current Building Code and an optional Green Building Code/Standard that incorporates green-friendly development standards.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for use of the Green Building Code/Standard within the Green Rail Demonstration Project corridor.
· Create a menu of benefits that may be exchanged for citywide use of the Green Building Code/Standard.
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
POLICY AGENDA
TO:
Alton J. Washington
Assistant City Manager
AGENDA DATE:
October 7, 2009
FROM:
Jack F. Harris
Public Safety Manager
ITEM:
2
SUBJECT:
FULL SERVICE FORENSIC CRIME LABORATORY (CLAB) GRANT
The purpose of this report is to request City Council retroactively approve submission of the application to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
Retroactive approval is necessary due to a very short turnaround time on the application. The Police Department requests City Council retroactive approval to apply for up to $166,000 from the Full Service Forensic Crime Laboratory (CLAB) Grant, from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC). The application deadline was July 17, 2009.
OTHER INFORMATION
The Police Department’s Laboratory Services Bureau (LSB) will use grant funds for overtime for the Crime Scene Response, Controlled Substances, Evidence Processing, Firearms, Forensic Biology, Toxicology, and Latent Print Sections to assist in improving the quality and timeliness of services provided by the Laboratory, as well as reduce backlog. Funding will also be used to outsource a total of 82 DNA backlog cases and for postage to send evidence to the contract laboratory.
Budget includes:
$83,741
Other
$259
Contracts
$82,000
Total:
$166,000
RECOMMENDATION
The Phoenix Police Department requests City Council retroactively approve submission of the application to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. There is no cost to the City other than existing in-kind resources. This item was considered and approved by the Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee on September 22, 2009.