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Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38.431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that the City Council will hold a meeting open to the public on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, at 2:00 P.M. located in the Subcommittee Room, 200 West Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona. |
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AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WAS CALLED FOR THIS
TIME AT THE POLICY
SESSION MEETING OF |
THE TIMES LISTED
FOR AGENDA ITEMS
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon called the meeting to order at
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ESTIMATED |
COUNCIL INFORMATION |
This item is scheduled to give City Council members an opportunity to publicly request information or follow-up on issues of interest to the community. If the information is available, staff will immediately provide it to the City Council member. No decisions will be made or action taken.
Action Taken:
There were no information requests.
CONSENT AGENDA.
This item is scheduled to allow the City Council to act on the Mayor’s recommendations on the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda has been publicly posted.
Action Item:
Mayor Gordon motioned for approval of the item on the Consent Agenda. Councilwoman Neely seconded the motion, which passed 5:0.
CALL FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
A vote to call an Executive Session may be held.
Action Item:
There was no call for an
Executive Session.
REPORTS
This item is scheduled to allow the City Manager to report on changes in the City Council Agenda and provide brief informational reports on urgent issues. The City Council may discuss these reports but no action will be taken.
Action Taken:
There were no reports by the City Manager.
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ESTIMATED 2. |
STREET LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
OVERVIEW |
Staff: Zuercher, Naimark, Bearup, Larsen |
This report
provides the City Council with an overview of street landscape maintenance
within the City of
Action Taken:
Deputy City Manager Rick Naimark introduced the item, Street Transportation Director Wylie Bearup, and Parks and Recreation Director Dale Larsen. Mr. Naimark stated the Street Landscape Maintenance Overview was being provided at Council’s request, noting budget cuts had affected how the Street Transportation and Parks and Recreation Departments maintained landscaping along major city streets. Mr. Naimark described the departments’ joint efforts to maintain streetscapes while facing the challenges of budget reductions.
Mayor Gordon asked if staff considered short, mid-, and long-term energy savings ideas when implementing cost-reduction strategies. Mr. Naimark replied budget savings considerations were included; however, staff would need to revisit opportunities for energy savings.
Mr. Larsen thanked staff for their ongoing collaboration and efforts to develop Street Landscape Standards. Mr. Larsen explained the maintenance of improved streetscapes was established by City Code in 1962 and required updating. Mr. Larsen described the City’s landscape maintenance activities, noting the Parks and Recreation Department was responsible for 725 miles of streetscape. Mr. Larsen added the department was in crisis-management mode due to budget reductions.
Mr. Bearup described the Street Transportation Department’s role in street landscape maintenance, outlining the department’s responsibilities and explaining how staff resolved obstructions of the right-of-way. Mr. Bearup noted the Street Transportation Department also maintained traffic circles and detention areas along City streets.
Councilwoman Neely asked for clarification on the department’s maintenance of traffic circles and detention areas. Mr. Bearup clarified the City owned and maintained the medians and traffic circles along City streets.
Mr. Bearup stated the Street Transportation Department had become reactive and complaint-driven due to budget constraints. Mr. Bearup stated City Code provisions allowed for the City to retroactively charge property owners for certain street landscaping improvements, noting the provision’s potential for revenue generation.
Mayor Gordon added such a provision should be revisited to determine its utility given the current budget situation.
Mr. Bearup delineated the department’s recent successes, noting the development of a Street Landscape Standards Manual which incorporated City landscaping standards since 2006.
Councilwoman Neely asked if drought-resistant landscaping measures were included in the manual’s standards. She further questioned if the Development Services Department reviewed plans for such landscaping measures. Mr. Bearup responded affirmatively, stating such measures were included in the manual. Mr. Bearup deferred to Assistant Street Transportation Director John Siefert for questions related to Development Services. Mr. Siefert added the Development Services Department reviewed all such plans for landscaping design standards.
Councilwoman Neely inquired if City residents would receive notice of landscaping violations. Mr. Bearup responded yes, stating residents would be provided with time to respond to violations prior to further City action.
Councilwoman Neely questioned if lien rights were implemented for violations. Mr. Bearup responded affirmatively, noting the department preferred implementing collection processes to imposing lien rights.
Councilman Gates asked if the City maintained landscaping on freeways. Mr. Bearup responded the City was only responsible for landscaping outside of the freeway wall, but the City paid for water used by freeway irrigation systems. City Manager Frank Fairbanks added the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) only included landscaping on freeways in instances where cities agreed to maintain the landscaping by paying for the water needed to support it.
Mr. Larsen explained current budget considerations exacerbated the City’s landscaping challenges, noting ADOT planned to increase freeway landscaping by 18 miles, requiring an additional $1.7 million. Mr. Bearup indicated new Light Rail landscaping costs required an additional $200,000 in water costs.
Mayor Gordon acknowledged Light Rail implementation and maintenance measures were not considered in the context of the current budget situation and advised staff to consider innovative alternatives to such challenges. Mayor Gordon noted Light Rail development had the potential to generate income in some areas, while generating expenses in another. He commented such instances required staff to consider alternative solutions, such as substituting structures for vegetation when economically feasible and focusing on landscaping vegetation already developed. Mayor Gordon suggested staff utilize pilot programs to enact new landscaping maintenance strategies.
Councilwoman Neely commented on the Desert Ridge and Tatum Ranch area medians, noting they were fully maintained by neighborhood homeowners associations. Ms. Neely stated staff should follow similar plans for other City neighborhoods to mitigate landscaping costs.
Mayor Gordon added landscaping standardization efforts should seek value for value in aligning needs with services, noting if services must rely on user fees or charges, then the City should bill for such services. He added fees and charges were value-added measures, providing the property owners with a tangible service. Mayor Gordon commented that under the existing ordinance, the model had not worked and should be revisited to allow for fines and charges similar to increasing a water or solid waste services bill.
Councilman Nowakowski asked what measures would be taken if homeowners associations were unable to identify a property owner. Mr. Bearup replied City staff conducted research and investigation in such instances to identify property owners and determine property lines.
Mr. Bearup reviewed the Street Transportation staff’s proposed next steps and made recommendations for landscape maintenance in accordance with current budget considerations.
Councilwoman Neely recommended staff consider subcontracting certain landscaping activities as cost-savings measures. Mr. Bearup responded the Street Transportation Department currently had a contractor, but utilizing the contractor was not economically feasible.
Councilwoman Williams suggested exploring subcontracting landscaping activities to other City departments to save money, noting the Public Works Department as a potential alternative.
Councilwoman Neely stated a managed competition process could also prove advantageous. Mr. Fairbanks indicated if the City contracted for the maintenance activities, it would have to lay off workers if it lost the bid.
Mayor Gordon suggested staff determine how much money was needed to bring landscaping maintenance up to standard and consider putting the activity out for bid. He added no decision would be made today; however, the goal was to get more people employed. Mayor Gordon asked if bond money could be used for maintenance activities. Mr. Fairbanks replied no, stating using bond money for maintenance activities violated bond regulations.
Mayor Gordon affirmed Councilwoman Williams’ suggestion, stating increasing residents’ solid waste services bill was a viable option. Mayor Gordon added staff needed to determine what the scope of the current problem is before proceeding.
Councilwoman Neely stated RFP considerations should include: ensuring the contractor abided by the stipulated contract and performed the maintenance accordingly; an ordinance written for full cost recovery from the resident; advance notification to all neighborhood residents of the proposed changes; and determination of the most viable product and price for the contracted service. Mr. Bearup stated the department had a centralized contractor and could put such options in place.
Councilwoman Williams clarified she did not suggest eliminating employees, but rather, contracting the work. She recommended including reasonable standards for routine maintenance items to keep residents apprised of potential costs and additional charges incurred on monthly bills.
Mr. Naimark stated staff could encourage residents to contact the landscape contractor for questions, noting such a contractor could partner with neighborhoods to align community needs with service array.
Mayor Gordon commented such a measure would relieve property owners of the added landscaping responsibility, noting residents would first be informed via public hearings before project implementation. Mayor Gordon pointed out that much like standard water or sanitation services bills, service costs for landscaping would also increase every few years.
Councilwoman Neely stated ADOT eliminated all budgeted funds for highway litter removal, expressing concern for ADOT’s continued maintenance of City highways. Mr. Bearup stated staff planned to review the City’s IGA with ADOT, adding staff was currently engaged in ongoing conversations with ADOT to address ongoing issues.
Mr. Jak Keyser expressed support
for the City’s consideration of alternative street landscaping maintenance
measures, noting the importance of street landscape improvements implemented in
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk’s Office.
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ESTIMATED 3. |
TRANSIT 2000 BUS PROGRAM
OPTIONS |
Staff: Zuercher, Cotton |
This report provides information regarding options for resource reallocations, fare increases, and expenditure reductions to balance the 20-year Transit 2000 (T2000) Bus program. City Council discussion and direction is requested on the priorities for resource reallocations, fare increases, and/or expenditure reductions as well as timing of options.
Action Taken:
Deputy City Manager Ed Zuercher
introduced the item, stating the report was a follow up to the recent Council
meeting on
Ms. Cotton stated staff had compiled additional information for Council to review in considering transit expenditure reductions. Ms. Cotton briefly reviewed supplemental handouts provided, including a listing of bus routes, analysis of bus ridership and bus route productivity, and a departmental organizational chart.
Mayor Gordon asked for the department’s break-even analysis. Ms. Cotton replied the break-even point would be approximately $4.25 million in revenue per month. Ms. Wingenroth added such a revenue level was equivalent to ridership of approximately 50 million persons per year.
Mayor Gordon asked if raising fares by one dollar would allow the department to move closer to its break-even point. Mr. Zuercher explained the increase would have to be greater, noting the potential for elasticity of demand given any increase in fare.
Councilwoman Williams asked staff to identify which bus routes were created to compensate for Light Rail. Ms. Cotton reviewed several routes that were extended or modified due to Light Rail considerations, noting Council could refer to the supplemental packet for additional information.
Mayor Gordon stated the information provided was beneficial to Council in considering transit service reductions and fare increases, noting the difficult decisions Council would be making regarding transit services.
Councilwoman Neely asked staff to meet individually with each Council member to identify appropriate cuts within City districts. Ms. Neely commented transit services could not be reduced to 2001 levels, noting staff must continue to work with communities to align services with needs and encourage ridership.
Ms. Cotton stated ridership continued to decrease and revenue was below estimated levels, explaining that residents continued to pursue more creative travel options as an alternative to bus and Light Rail.
Councilwoman Neely questioned if Light Rail passes could be purchased from respective stations across the City. Ms. Cotton responded affirmatively, indicating passes could be purchased at stations and also at designated retail fare locations.
Ms. Cotton reviewed the City’s budget balancing options, noting staff’s recommended changes could decrease the overall shortfall by $7.2 million.
Councilwoman Neely noted a fare increase would be most feasible during the three-year budget balancing option, indicating such an increase could take anywhere from six to nine months to implement. Ms. Neely stated she did not see stimulus fund considerations in staff’s proposal, adding unused funds by the Street Transportation Department could potentially be utilized for transit operations.
Ms. Cotton explained that up to 10 percent of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds were available for operations costs, noting the Transit Department could benefit from any leftover funds from stimulus projects. Mr. Fairbanks added ARRA funds were currently fully allocated; however, there was a possibility for unused funds from various projects coming in under budget.
Councilwoman Neely inquired if ARRA unused funding information would be available in December. Mr. Zuercher responded the information would be available in January.
Ms. Wingenroth reviewed the department’s budget balancing options, noting administrative reductions, funding reallocations, and one-time capital project savings would allow for a savings impact of $7.2 million towards the overall $16 million deficit.
Councilman Gates requested clarification on whether the federal bus replacement funding of $3.6 million was a one-time savings measure. Ms. Cotton clarified the measure would be an annual cost savings measure with continued implementation contingent upon federal guidelines.
Councilwoman Neely asked when the City had last purchased new buses. Ms. Cotton replied new buses were last purchased in 2007.
Ms. Cotton summarized by stating staff recommended implementation of the proposed budget balancing options, explaining anticipated next steps included completing expenditure reviews with the Budget & Research Department, revising revenue estimates, and proposing actions in the citywide budget process.
Mr. Runningdeer stated he was attending the meeting on behalf of the homeless community, noting ongoing concerns for increasing public transportation costs. Mr. Runningdeer requested his name be placed on the Transportation Subcommittee distribution list.
Mayor Gordon thanked Public Transit and management staff for their work on the transit budget. He commented the City was currently in an economic crisis where funds were severely stressed, noting Council must balance the burden of increasing fares with the possibility of eliminating services. Mayor Gordon stated there would be an economic recovery, adding that in the interim, the City must consider multiple options which require community support for successful implementation.
Councilwoman Neely pointed out all budget balancing considerations were possibilities and Council needed staff’s continued assistance in identifying the proper timing for such measures.
Councilman Gates thanked staff for their work, adding staff presented many viable solutions to balance the budget. Mr. Gates stated the issue’s current status was much improved from previous conversations.
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk’s Office.
ESTIMATED
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon adjourned the meeting at
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traducción en español, por favor llame a la oficina
Councilman DiCiccio
Councilman Gates
Councilman Johnson
Councilman Mattox
Councilwoman Neely
Councilman Nowakowski
Councilwoman Williams
Vice Mayor Simplot
Mayor Gordon