Council Meeting - May 7, 2013

May 7, 2013

Work Session

Rich Welch with Garbett Homes presented regarding Bridgestone Plat F & G. He has worked with staff and CM Augustus to make some changes. All space behind buildings is common area and will be maintained by HOA. Added more brick and siding to buildings. Background fencing can go on sides of yard but not fully enclosed (back) as those areas are common areas.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Joel Wright - Thinks Cedar Hills is great and is proud of the city. Happy with general direction. May 18th Murdock Canal opening and encourages Council and others to attend. Cedar Hills used to be a leader with recycling but it has fallen by the way. Would like the City to move it up on priority list.

City Reports

David Bunker - On Murdock Trail Grand Opening each participant will get a passport and can get a stamp from each City. Cedar Hills stamp is also a coupon that is buy one get one free golf. Will also be giving out Sammy's pie shake coupons.

CM Augustus - Planning Commission has talked about nuisances such as weeds. Will be recommending changes in ordinance regarding care facilities and the distance from each other.

CM Jackman - Finance Committee met last week and talked about budget. LPPSD board met last week about their budget. Fire department is looking for a 5% salary increase and social security money to be moved to a 401k at same percentage. Board is not thrilled with increase in costs so will meet again to finalize the budget with ideas of 2%-5% salary increase. One option is to reduce part time staff but that would also affect service. CM Jackman feels that is an unacceptable option. Need to approve budget soon as it affects each city's budget. Our increase would go up about $30,000 if the 5% is approved.

CM Rees - One press release issued and a few more being worked on. Starting to gather data for State of the City.

CM Martinez - Construction on CoRec basement will start in about a week. Youth and Women's golf clinics will be starting soon. Starting our own soccer league for grades K-2. North Utah County Soccer will no longer be using our fields as we will have all of our games in the city. Every year we will plan on adding another age group. Each participant gets a uniform and soccer ball. Lego League registration is open again. There are 40 open spots for four total teams. There are 2-3 weddings scheduled each week through June and two per week through August. Thirteen golf tournaments have been secured. Radio ads have been effective. Sammy's had a great first month. Family Festival is coming up June 3rd-8th.

Review/Action on Preliminary Plat for Bridgestone Plat F&G

See notes from work session. Garbett has been great to make changes that were requested by staff and Council. Item unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Policy for Alcohol Being Served at Events at CoRec

Last meeting a supplemental agreement was approved allowing consumption of alcohol in CoRec at private events. Updating agreement to state the alcohol can only be consumed in the Vista Room and with a drawing showing where the alcohol will be served.

Public Comment

Rob Crawley - Agrees with Joel Wright that this is a great city to live in. He believes this is because of the great people. We serve our neighbors and have high standards and expectations for ourselves and our kids. This includes avoiding vices such as alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. Last week was first time in our city that alcohol was approved to be consumed in a public building. Believes in Libertarian principles but feels this affects his kids.  City leaders are allowed to limit things in city buildings. Feels this policy goes against what most residents want and wants city to do a poll to find out what residents think.

Ken Cromar - Wants to know why last meeting audio is inaudible. Alcohol was discussed and passed at last Council meeting but he feels it wasn't noticed properly so feels city did something against the law. People voted for golf course because they thought it would be closed on Sunday and not allow alcohol. He resents that tax dollars are used against an individual’s morals. Did not come to vote of the citizens like he thought it should have.

Joel Wright - We are a republic and Council has to make hard decisions. We are referendum happy in this city. Majority of residents are tired of the fights. Appreciates that there might be 5-10% portion of population that is against this. LDS church does not keep others from purchasing alcohol on the properties they own. We have standards in LDS religion but don't force those on others.

Angela Johnson – Does not want us to allow alcohol to be served in a public building. Understands it can bring in more revenue but does not want us to lower our standards. Would like the city to do a survey with pros and cons so residents can give feedback. This issue is frustrating people and stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Michael Stuy - Feels this is a safety issue. Lives in Forest Creek area and there are many kids in that area. Had a teacher whose family was destroyed by a drunk driver. There are two streets to get to CoRec and are heavily traveled by kids. Feels that it is a safety hazard if people who are drinking may hit a kid while leaving the center.

Jerry Dearinger - Was surprised that the ordinance was passed at last meeting. Very opposed to it. Fine with people doing what they want on their property but not in public buildings. Has same concerns as Mr. Stuy and Mr. Crawley. If city would do a survey on updated logo then they should also do one on alcohol at CoRec.

Jared Bradley - Is a businessman and looks at everything from cost benefit analysis. This new policy may bring in more revenue but additional risk of human loss or property loss would be overwhelming and surpass any revenue benefit. He assumes we would need an increase in law enforcement or city personnel.

Discussion

Mayor Gygi stated this is not a simple issue. A lot of thought has gone into this. He grew up in SLC and doesn't look differently on those who drink. Feels we need to be a welcoming type of city. Our personal freedoms and liberties are important and doesn't like when government intrudes on these freedoms. It is important how our city is portrayed. If it is favorable then businesses want to come here. Some businesses he has met with have expressed concerns that they would be boycotted if open on Sundays. Feels this policy is trying to do the right thing. Recent survey comments showed that many felt we are a closed minded city and that if you aren't LDS you don't have a voice. Strength lies in our diversity and differences.

CM Jackman stated he agrees with what Mayor Gygi says. He thinks it's a bad idea to legislate on beliefs. Doesn't think risks are as high as some might feel. Has no problem with people serving alcohol in their private events. Concerned about surveys because they can become biased. Electronic surveys are biased towards those who are more technology inclined. Feels it would be expensive to survey all these items. This why we have elected officials. Doesn't think majority of residents would want us to legislate morality. While some may be offended if alcohol is served in the building, there may also be other residents who want to serve alcohol at their private event at the CoRec and are told they aren’t allowed to.

CM Martinez - City is not selling or serving alcohol, not getting license. This will be private party who uses third party vendor. Grill was told that alcohol could not be sold there. This is a policy for a room in the building, not an ordinance.

CM Augustus - Agreed with everything that has been said. We are elected to represent those in our community.

I stated my concerns. I do not come from an LDS family so I am around alcohol and it doesn’t bother me. However, this is a public facility so it is different than a private business or private home. It is first and foremost a Community Recreation Center and I am concerned about alienating even 10% of our residents who are going to be angry and opposed to this policy. We’ve only had one person in 12 months request that alcohol be allowed so I don’t see that it is going to benefit or hurt us financially, regardless of what is decided. I doubt we would have many residents who would be upset if we didn’t allow it but we know we are going to have several who are upset if we do. I would hate for anyone in the city to feel that they do not want to be at the CoRec because there is a chance that alcohol is being consumed. There are several shared areas, such as bathrooms, hallways, parking lot, and driveway so we can’t guarantee that alcohol will only remain in the Vista room. I’m also unclear why we would allow alcohol to be served in the Vista room but then tell Sammy’s they cannot serve alcohol in the Grill. There was some concern expressed that we shouldn’t be limiting personal freedoms, however, we do that all the time based upon standards wanted in our community. We have laws about what types of animals people can own and how many, what types of fencing they can have, what kinds of signs can be in yards, what kinds of trees can be planted, how many weeds there can be and how tall, what kind of businesses can be operated out of a home, where residents can park their cars and at what times, what types of materials can be used on the exterior of homes, etc. It is difficult to base this decision on personal freedoms when we restrict so many others on private property. If we are focusing on allowing more personal freedoms then we should be willing to look at eliminating some of these other restrictions that people have complained of. Also, for me this isn’t a morality issue. I don’t think many would be opposed to Starbucks opening up in our commercial district. The hard part for me is that this is a public building built and maintained with public funds so I think we have to give more credence to public opinion on this issue. I hate to see more contention in our city, especially when there has already been so much over this building, for the few weddings each year that want to serve alcohol.

The new agreement was approved 4-1 with me voting against.

Review/Action on Boundary Adjustment of Flinders Property

On April 2^nd the Council adopted a resolution indicating the intent to boundary adjust the Flinders property from Cedar Hills to Pleasant Grove. This makes the most sense for this property in order to get utilities. A public hearing was held an no protests were filed. This item was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Polling Place for 2013 Election

The City Recorder has indicated that she would prefer to have all voting take place at the CoRec instead of using elementary schools. YCC will be involved in helping with this. Will do an aggressive campaign letting residents know that the polling place has changed. This will cut down on number of poll workers needed and reduces costs. It also allows the city recorder to be onsite at the entire voting location. There are some concerns with parking and space available at the CoRec for all five voting areas. The Council has asked the City Recorder to do some more research and come back to the Council.

Review/Action to Adopt Tentative FY 2014 Budget

Some of the highlights since the last meeting:

• Legal services are projected to decrease by $50,000,
• Administrative salaries is decreasing by $43,688 as we are no longer paying severance to former employees,
• This is an election year so those expenses are anticipated to be $13,500,
• There is an increase of $15,900 for fire services and $12,688 for police services,
• Employee health insurance premiums will increase 5.2% overall,
• There is an overall pay increase of 4%,
• Building and zoning contract labor is decreasing $35,000 as there are less building permits being requested,
• Curb maintenance of $25,000 is being moved from the General Fund to the Water & Sewer Fund,
• Golf Course subsidy is increasing from $65,000 to $117,000 in the budget based on more realistic revenue numbers,
• Events and recreation has been taken out of the Golf Fund and moved to the General Fund (this is so residents can better see how golf is doing),
• Line item 40-96-115 shows a transfer from the Capital Projects fund to the Golf Fund to pay off the loan, which now shows the actual fund balances in both funds,
• The increase in Water, Sewer, and Storm Drain revenue is due to an increase in utility rates as recommended by the BC&A audit done earlier in the year, and will be used for expenses in this fund.

The preliminary budget was unanimously approved.

Discussion on Family Festival

Greg Gordon gave an update on the Family Festival plans. He continues to work with the Family Festival committee on having everything ready.

Discussion on Harvey Blvd

This expansion is very important for Cedar Hills and surrounding cities. Mayor will put together a letter to encourage the state to allow this road to go through.

Council Meeting - April 23, 2013

Work Session

The Council and staff took a tour of the CoRec to where the expansion plans will take place.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Don Brown - Lives in Bridgestone community. Sewer line goes down to retention basin and he is concerned about the depth of sewer line being buried. City engineer didn't have this line on the city drawings. When connecting they stopped this line and he went without water for 2-3 weeks. Now there is a new unit going into Bridgestone and he is concerned about further issues on this sewer line.

Scarlet Wright – Asked the Council to build a fun place downstairs in the basement for kids to play.

Audrey Wright – Wants the city to build a fun place in the basement for art classes and story time and a gym.

Marisa Wright – Says there are so many reasons to finish the basement and she thinks we should do it for the kids.

Tonya Edvalson - Wants City to finish what has been started with CoRec. There is need for inside equipment. Some like solitary exercise activities. Lego League was great for a few weeks for her son but teams got kicked out of CoRec facility a lot because of other events scheduled. If we have money to do it then we should do it.

Robert Chesworth - President of the Bridgestone HOA. Wants to back up Mr. Brown's concern with the sewer line. Until issue is fixed there will continue to be problems.

Angela Johnson - Really encourages Council to consider the decision on the basement. Feels like we've only portrayed whether or not the basement should be finished, not what else the money could be used for. Nobody is talking about the $3m recreation impact fees already spent. There is a $1.1m deficit on utility bond, we had to settle a lawsuit, and other expenses have come up. Asked the Council to please not spend any more money. Realizes that we'd have more classes, but we need to decide if two extra rooms are really worth $400,000 and will this facility ever really make a profit. There will be ongoing costs with utilities, additional staff, and equipment. Asked the Council to please try to reduce costs.

Paul Hales - Anxious to get involved and hear details on the building. Look at building and it's hard to imagine it used to be a tent and double wide trailer. We've overcome a lot of hurdles to get to this point and feels like giving up now is like stopping at the ten yard line. Home values are going back up. Local economy is strong. Would love to have a resource in Cedar Hills for exercise.

Ken Cromar - Congrats to Lone Peak and Coach Lewis. Appreciated the autism awareness day information. Says city published documents that golf course was profitable but it isn't. Golf Course Finance Advisory Committee showed golf course is being subsidized $550,000 per year. He says the record has never been corrected. Wants to know if City ever intends on putting golf course losses on the front page of the newsletter. Wants mayor to correct the record and publicize.

Review/Action Recognizing Quincy Lewis as Cedar Hills Champion

From the press release - As part of the Cedar Hills Champions program, the City Council will recognize Quincy Lewis for his role as the boys basketball coach at Lone Peak High School, where he has been the coach for 10 years.

Mr. Lewis led the Lone Peak Knights through an impressive season this year, which ended with the Knights crowned as the national basketball champions for 2013. He has also led the basketball team through five state championships in the past six years. In 2012 Mr. Lewis was inducted into the Wagner College Athletics Hall of Fame where he played basketball from 1991-1993.

Quincy has been recognized nationally as Naismith Boy’s High School Coach of the Year and MaxPreps 2013 National Coach of the Year at the same time that the Lone Peak Knights were named the MaxPreps 2013 Xcellent 25 National Champions. In Utah Governor Herbert has declared March 8^th as Lone Peak Basketball Day.

“Quincy is an inspiring leader,” said Mayor Gary Gygi. “He has shown an incredible amount of commitment to the sport, but especially to the boys he coaches. We appreciate the time and effort he gives to the youth in our city. We are honored to have him represent our community and are pleased to recognize him as a Cedar Hills Champion.”

The resolution recognizing Quincy was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Declaring Autism Awareness Day

From the press release - On April 23^rd the City Council proclaimed April 25, 2013 as Autism Awareness Day in Cedar Hills. April is known nationally as Autism Awareness Month.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism. In March 212, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 88 births in the Untied Sated and almost 1 in 54 boys. Currently, the Autism Society estimates that the lifetime cost for caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism. The Autism Awareness Ribbon, which consists of several colorful puzzle pieces, is the most recognized symbol of the autism community in the world.

"We are happy to make this proclamation as a small way to raise awareness in our community," stated Mayor Gary Gygi. "Autism affects millions around the world and even many in our city. We encourage residents to learn more about autism and to find ways to support those in our community who struggle with this disability."

The Autism Society is the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization and exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. This is done by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy. Additional information may be found online at http://www.autism-society.org.

Resident Tonya Edvalson spoke and gave further information on autism. This resolution was unanimously approved.

City Reports

CM Martinez - Family Festival underway. Rec programs are going well. YCC has openings so youth should submit applications.

CM Zappala - Working on app for budget and will work with CM Rees to issue a press release.

CM Augustus - ULCT conference was great. Next work session he would like to talk about some of the information given. North Pointe is going to start taking green waste soon. On the Planning Commission Tonya Edvalson has asked to be removed from committee. Waste Management will be coming to meet with Council soon.

CM Rees - Issued press releases and working on more for Arbor Day activities and Murdock Trail grand opening.

Consent Agenda

The minutes from the March 26, 2013 and April 2, 2013 Council meetings were unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Preliminary Bridgestone Plat F & G

Planning Commission approved plans for Plat F & G with condition that Garbett Homes add more brick to the buildings. They are aware of the sewer line issue brought up by Mr. Brown and will work to avoid that line. Rich with Garbett Homes presented. Is excited that Garbett is coming to Utah County. Purchased these lots from Perry Homes. Planning on building nine buildings between Harvey and Bridgestone Drive. One building that already has foundation will stay consistent with old design, but newer buildings will not have underground garages. Because there were some drawings not previously submitted to the Council for review this item was tabled until the next meeting.

Review/Action on Amendment on City Code Regarding Assisted Living Facilities

The code was updated to remove the minimum distance requirement from similar facilities. This was required to be compliant with State laws. This was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Resolution to Adjust Common Boundaries (Earl Property)

The City received a request from the Earls to boundary adjust into Cedar Hills from Pleasant Grove. A public hearing was previously held and a request has also been filed with Pleasant Grove. This was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Amendment Regarding Elections

The City Recorder had found some outdated information in the city code with regards to campaign finance disclosure requirements and definitions. The updated ordinance will bring the code into compliance with state code. She also recommended a Declaration of Candidacy Filing Fee of $35.00 be added to cover the cost of staff and supplies. This is common in other cities. This item was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on CoRec Basement Bid

Public Comment

Jill Griffiths - Really enjoys having recreation here. She teaches rec classes at the facility and is also a golfer. If we want to support our community then we need to stay true to the name of the building. Numbers have dropped because no classes on Fridays or Saturdays because of events. Basement would give more freedom, cleaner place to be, and an actual fitness schedule. Zumbatonic numbers have dropped but kids who attend love the class. Amazing place for kids and families. Suggestion is to facilitate a fitness room and maybe not build other room right now. Maybe we don't need office space or conference room. Fitness room would be creating recreation and meeting goal of making this building a rec building.

Emily Flygare - Wants to encourage finishing basement. Loves fitness classes and wishes there were more. Floor is very slippery and no mirrors and not enough equipment. A fitness room that is more usable and safer would increase numbers. Doesn't have time to attend AF or PG classes. Son takes karate classes. Would be sad if classes were cancelled. Thinks city needs and deserves this. Thinks it will be profitable. Hopes there will be a sidewalk of some sort going to rec center.

Laurie Johnson - Likes the area and loves the center, it is beautiful. Concern is that things promised to residents when moved into area have not been finished, such as park on her street. Little kids who could be playing in park are playing in streets. Would like to see some of those projects being finished with this money. Would like it if we would not spend all money on basement or take more time to consider other options. Would like to see other projects and promises fulfilled before rec center.

Anna Mitchell - Enjoys rec center and grateful it has been built and we have classes. Building is used for fitness classes, golf, story time, dinner, council meetings so it's not just a recreation center. Loves coming because it's a great place and has a wonderful feeling. If there is more to offer through the basement then numbers will increase. Provides a sense of community.

Discussion

The low bid for the buildout came to $364,000. This includes the finish of approximately 3,200 sq ft of existing basement area and 1,600 sq ft of new construction including a storage area, conference room, two offices, and elevator. Also included are store-front style main doors with additional walkway and railing installed at Sammy’s. There is an alternate addition of $3,194 to replace the existing counters and sinks in the restrooms.

Finance Director Charl Lowe presented on how this would be funded. He is estimating the entire project will be around $410,000, which includes furnishing for the new conference rooms and offices. This does not include any recreation equipment. He estimates $20,000 for architecture fee, $370,000 for construction, and $20,000 for furnishings. The funds that will be used are $120,421 from previous CARE tax and current year projected CARE tax, and $289,579 from unrestricted funds.

CM Martinez stated we’ve been talking about basement for over a year. Had townhall meeting and has been on agenda many times. Has been a discussion on the forum. It's been good and bad that basement wasn't finished when building was originally built. We've had issues because of conflict between recreation and events. She has high expectations for recreation.

I was opposed to awarding the bid at this time. Here is an outline of my reasoning:

1.      Expansion

a. Last year we had a public hearing on the basement and solicited feedback on 4 options.
b. Overall, the majority of residents preferred Option B.
c. At the December 18th meeting we as a Council decided to send out to bid Option B, which included a basic finish of both sides of the basement and an optional elevator.
d. We were told the goal was simply to move recreation downstairs so the upstairs could be used exclusively for events.
e. The item sent out to bid was not what the Council had voted on and includes not only the basement finish but an expansion of the main floor and several changes to existing features.
f. We were given this information on Friday and have been given 4 days to now vote.
g. The information being relayed to residents is that the $374,000 bid is for the basement and to increase our recreation. In truth, it includes more than finishing the basement and some of it will not bring additional recreation to the building. In fact, the only thing the basement construction does is allow us to move existing classes downstairs.

2. Financials

a. The final approval for the existing building was $2.1m, yet the analysis David performed this week shows that we spent over $2.7m on the building as is.
b. Residents were told the building as is would serve as a rec center, an events center, and a golf clubhouse but are now being told we have to spend more money to make recreation work.
c. Our outdoor recreation classes are doing very well. The indoor rec classes are struggling and losing money. Now we are considering adding more cost, both one time and ongoing to the portion that is struggling already.
d. The $374,000 does not include any furniture or any recreation equipment.
e. Even if we were to spend additional funds for equipment, it will always be difficult to compete with Anytime Fitness and PG rec center who charge about the same per month as we do yet offer much more with regards to fitness.

3. Resident Feedback

a. We recently passed an ordinance that would require any new building exceeding $400,000 to go to a vote of the citizens in order to get feedback. This expansion is going to cost $410,000 by Charl’s analysis (this includes construction, architect fees, and furniture for the new offices and conference room) so we should attempt to get as much feedback as possible through an online survey.
b. While we had a public hearing last year to show 4 different options for the basement we have never put together an analysis showing how much money we have available in unrestricted funds and all the options on how it could be spent. We should do so and give residents an opportunity to give feedback on how it should be spent.
c. On a recent survey performed we received 366 responses from residents. It would be nice to get a similar number of responses on a project of this size.
d. On the Facebook recreation page a resident asked to see the plans in advance of the meeting and was told they would only be made available once the Council approves. Where is the transparency we have been pushing for?
e. In the Decisions 2011 survey when asked if the City should provide adult recreation programs 35% said yes and 60% said no. When asked if they were provided if residents would participate 29% said yes and 65% said no. These numbers align with what we are seeing happening with classes.

4. Conclusion

a. The existing building is already way over budget and we do not have any recreation impact fees left. Not only has it cost more financially than was planned, but it has caused upset feelings among many in the community who felt they didn't have a voice on how the funds were spent. Some were even on a committee and made a recommendation for these funds and feel the Council ignored the recommendation.
b. Using our unrestricted funds for this will be at the cost of other projects. For example, three years ago the residents on Bayhill presented the Council with a petition asking that the Bayhill park be completed before their kids were too old to enjoy it. They were told that there were not funds for this project. You can imagine the frustration being expressed that there are unrestricted funds available to keep working on the rec center but not for this park that has been promised for some time.
c. During our campaigning we all talked about communication and getting resident feedback. This is our opportunity to prove we are serious about that.
d. This basement may be the best option and what our residents want over any other projects. We should take two weeks to do a survey and at least give residents an opportunity to let us know. We know that asking residents to attend Council meeting or public hearings has not usually been effective as we get a handful of residents who come. It doesn’t make sense to me that we continue to use that as the primary option for resident feedback knowing it doesn’t work. Let’s at least try to get more feedback via an online and anonymous survey.

5. Suggestion

a. Prepare an analysis of what unrestricted funds we have set aside and all the ways they can be utilized.
b. Create an online survey with this information and highly publicize.
c. Come back in two weeks and make a decision with more resident feedback.

This item passed 4-1.

Resolution on Changing Clubhouse Drive to Recreation Drive

A request was received to change the street name of Clubhouse Drive to something that would more accurately reflect the use of the Community Recreation Center. The suggestion was to change it to Recreation Drive. CM Augustus would like more community involvement in the renaming of the street. Would like to have a contest with schools and also put it in the newsletter. He will work on this so the item was tabled.

FY 2014 Budget Presentation

A few highlights:

·         Health insurance premiums are increasing 5.2%

·         Average pay increase was 4%

·         Anticipated decrease in legal services - $50,000

·         This is an election year so we need to budget for election expenses - $13,500

·         Fire services are increasing by $15,900

·         Police services are increasing by $12,688

·         Golf subsidy is staying at $65,000

·         Planned subsidy for library reimbursement, Family Festival, and YCC is $41,800

·         Planned subsidy for recreation classes is $49,500

·         No funds for a Decisions Survey this year

·         Administrative salary and wages are down as we are no longer paying severance for past employees

Resolution to Create Family Festival Committee

Earlier the Mayor put together a citizens advisory committee to oversee the annual family festival celebration. This will reduce the amount of time staff will be involved, which frees them up to focus on other city items. Some changes to the wording will be made (changing vice chair to committee member, changing chair-elect to future chair, clarifying how a new chair is selected if they resign). This item was unanimously approved with the suggested wording changes.

Review/Action on Events Center Contract

The City was approached by someone who wishes to serve alcoholic beverages during a private event in the Vista room. The proposal was made to allow private groups to serve alcohol. Alcohol will not be served by the City and the City will not be obtaining a liquor license. The event agreement would be updated to include the rules with allowing alcohol to be served.

The entire Council agreed that there wasn’t a concern with people abusing alcohol at the events. Most felt the Council should not restrict personal freedoms by prohibiting alcohol consumption. I don’t have any issue with people drinking alcohol and do not think we are going to have issues at the Vista Room. My reason for voting no on this is because it is a public building built with public funds and also used as a family gathering spot. It is different than Walmart or Harts, both private companies. I would hate to alienate any resident who decides not to use the facility because alcohol may be served in the next room, especially since tax dollars keep this building going. Secondly, this is the first time we’ve been asked to allow alcohol in the 12 months the facility has been open. I know there are going to be many residents in the city who will be upset if alcohol is served at the CoRec, regardless of who is serving it, and it doesn’t seem worth the contention or negative PR for the few events that may want alcohol.

This item passed 4-1.

Discussion on St. Andrews Property

We have been approached by a developer who may be interested in purchasing this property. Currently the area is zoned residential. The Council asked for this item to go the Planning Commission to review the possibility of rezoning it to a mixed use or commercial development.

Discussion on Sale of Lots on Cottonwood Drive

There are seven residential lots located on Cottonwood Drive that are owned by the City. The lots are fully developed and can be marketed for immediate sale. We have seen a rise in interest in building in Cedar Hills so the recommendation is that we have a market analysis performed to determine the value of the lots and possibly put then up for sale. No decision was made as this is a discussion item only.