Council Meeting - December 4, 2012

Work Session 

The Work Session was used to discuss items on the City Council meeting agenda.

Council Meeting 

Public Comment

Nobody signed up for public comment. 

Public Hearing on Kennel or Cattery

Nobody signed up for the public hearing. 

Consent Agenda

The minutes from the October 2, 2012 City Council meeting with unanimously approved. 

City Reports

David Bunker – There is one meeting for the City Council in December and no meetings for the Planning Commission. The CoRec has been decorated by Public Works staff. An Eagle Scout project for emergency preparedness will be held in December and this information will be in newsletter and on the City Facebook page. 

CM Rees - One press release was issued, one is being worked on. The City will host its first annual Christmas party for residents on December 10^th from 5pm-8pm at the CoRec. Santa will be there, and there will be hot cocoa, candy canes, and crafts for residents. We will also be collecting donations for the YCC Santa’s Workshop. 

CM Martinez - Junior Jazz signups going on for four more days. Santa’s Workshop is next week. Pizza Pie Cafe is having fundraiser this week, 25% of each Cedar Hills sale goes to the workshop. We have a lot of families in need this year who have teens. Residents can also bring donations to the City offices and to the Dec 10th event. We have programs that need volunteers. Jr. Jazz and Lego League both need volunteers. Residents can sign-up on the City website. Need 50 volunteers for Lego event. Also need volunteers for Family Festival. 

CM Zappala - Met with VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). They help mobilize various organizations that can help in disaster. Utah County does not yet have a group but is working on forming one.  

Recognition of Golf Course Finance Advisory Committee Members

Mayor Gygi stated he is grateful for the time and effort given by this committee. Members had such integrity and honesty. Wishes the entire city could've seen the work they did. This project took a lot of time away from their families. On behalf of the City Council and City staff each member received a free meal for their family at the Grill. Committee members are Rob Crawley, Jared Bradley, Priscilla Leak, Rick Stewart, Mark Webb, and Rob Olsen. 

Review/Action on Ordinance Regarding Kennels and Catteries

The City was contacted by a resident who wanted to start a business in his home to board cats. Scott McMahon (Zoning Official) worked with the Planning Commission to create an ordinance that would allow for this. The primary concerns were management of noise and odor for surrounding residents. Scott contacted the North Utah County Animal Shelter and the Board of Health to get feedback and suggestions. The decision was made to only allow indoor boarding with exercise facility outside, only one animal at a time could be outside and never after 8pm or before 8am.  

The new ordinance states that a business can board four dogs or cats in addition to their personal animals. The ordinance does address space requirements for this type of business. Making the code simple likes this makes it easier for the code enforcement officer to enforce complaints. Anyone wanting to apply for this license would have to go through the Planning Commission to get approval. The City would notify any close residents regarding the application so they would be able to attend the public hearing. The Planning Commission has the ability to add additional conditions based upon the concerns expressed by neighbors.  

During the Council discussion it was brought up that some residents have expressed concern over allowing dogs, so the suggestion was made that we remove the kennel portion entirely and only allow catteries since we've only had a request for a cattery. The following changes were requested:

·       Page 1 - change working to "up to four" instead of four or more;

·       Page 5 - remove D1 and D2 as zoning and size of lot don't matter;

·       Page 2 - remove the URL mentioned so we don't have to change the ordinance if the URL is changed. Also, add fees to the fee schedule and not the ordinance so we don't have to update the ordinance if we change the fee;

·        Page 2 – remove wording about other licenses needed as these businesses will only need a business license from the City;

·       Add language that an annual inspection will be required to renew business license.

·       Remove all references to “kennel” and make this ordinance specific to catteries. 

This item has been continued tabled until the above changes are made to the ordinance. 

Review/Action on Resolution of GO Bond Refinancing by Pricing Committee

Marc Edminster came to discuss this with the Council. He recommended we appoint a pricing committee consisting of the Mayor, City Manager, and Finance Director who will have authority to move forward with the refinance of the golf course bond. Bond sale will take place next Wednesday via an online auction. The plan is to finalize on Dec 20th. Because there is not another council meeting we would either need to call a special meeting or authorize this committee to move forward on our behalf. The committee must operate within the parameters resolution previously approved by the Council. Interest rates are at the lowest they've been in 46 years for municipal bonds, so it's a good time to refinance. The City received AA- ratings from both Fitch and Standard& Poor. The savings over the life of loan savings should be approximately $595,148.47 or about $26,000k per year. Bonds won't exceed $5,725 million. This resolution was unanimously approved.  

Review/Action on City Council Meetings for 2013

In accordance with Utah Code, the City is required to set by ordinance the time and place for holding regular Council meetings. Currently, there was one meeting scheduled for April as the Council had traditionally gone to St. George in April to attend the ULCT conferences. This will be discussed further. CM Martinez and Jackman feel more time is spent working together in as a team in St. George as opposed to attending the fall conference in Salt Lake. I prefer to attend the fall as conference as it is cheaper for the City as we don’t need to be reimbursed for hotels or transportation. In the meantime, CM Jackman recommended we change the meeting schedule to include two meetings in April and we can later cancel it if it is decided to attend the St. George conference instead of the Salt Lake conference. This was unanimously approved with CM Jackman’s recommendations. 

Review/Action on Easement Agreement with Metropolitan Water District

In July 2012, Ammon Allen from the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake presented a proposal to modify the easement along Silver Lake Drive and Canyon Heights Drive as the easement currently goes through the backyard of those homes. This has prevented those residents from being able to build pools or other permanent structures in their backyards. The recommendation made was to shift the easement east, which would not affect any other private property owners. Staff will review with the City Attorney and City Engineer to make sure there are no additional concerns. Mr. Allen also stated that MWD will allow us to make improvements on the easement, such as small landscaping, sprinklers, paved trails, and grass. This item was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Golf Cart Lease Agreement

After the discussion at the last Council meeting, Wade Doyle (Golf Operations Manager) solicited bids from golf cart distributors to replace 80 existing carts. The best agreement will increase the yearly lease payment by $20,000 but will reduce maintenance costs by at least $60,000 as there are many carts that need new batteries and other repairs. Year-to-year maintenance costs will go down by about the same amount of the increase for the new leases. The lease includes a four year bumper-to-bumper warranty. This item was unanimously approved. 

Review/Action on Policy of Non-Related Golf Activities on Golf Course

During the November 15^th work session Brian Cloud (Golf Course Superintendent) recommended that it would be costly to allow non-golf related activities on the course during the winter months as the damage is extensive. The recommendation made to the Council was to create an official policy not allowing non-golf activities on the course and to encourage residents to utilize parks for sledding and winter activities. This item was unanimously approved. 

Review/Action on Options for CoRec Basement

This item was tabled for a future meeting.

Discussion on Paige Osmond Day

Cedar Hills resident Paige Osmond has been given the lead role in the Nutcracker in Tennessee, which is part of Radio City Music Hall. Mayor Gygi spoke with her dad about having a Paige Osmond day and he is fine with it. This will occur in 2013 and will be put together in conjunction with the new Cedar Hills Champions Program. 

There was no need for executive session so the meeting was adjourned.

My Thoughts on the CoRec Basement

Finishing the CoRec basement is a hot topic for the Council and for residents. It’s no secret that I am opposed to finishing the basement at this time, but it’s not because I don’t care about the needs of our children (I have four kids ranging in ages from 18 to 1) and it’s not because I don’t recreate. I do see the benefit of having additional recreational opportunities for our residents and I wasn’t opposed to using recreation impact fees and/or CARE tax funds for the basement. However, the recreation impact fees are now gone and we only have approximately $100,000 in CARE tax money, which doesn’t come close to the money needed to complete the basement. My concerns with using unrestricted funds for this are based on the following reasons.

1. Financial forecasting

I am waiting to receive a forecast of our financial needs for the next 5-7 years. I don’t believe in making big financial decisions without financial forecasting and I’m concerned that, as a Council, we don't have a clear idea of what needs we should be budgeting for over the next five years. Earlier this year we hired Bowen, Collins, & Associates to perform a utility rate analysis for us. In this analysis they state “based on the current plan [of increasing utility rates], the City will need to draw approximately $1.1 million from reserve funds to cover expenditures in the first four years of the plan before it is paid back in later years. It is recommended that the City verify it has adequate reserve funds to cover this need.” Recently, we’ve been told that our golf carts need to be replaced, which is not something we planned for. These are two things we know of, but what of those things of which we are not aware? What other needs does our City have over the next five years that we should be budgeting for and that we can pay for with unrestricted funds? I don’t have an answer to this question as of yet. Our financial director is working on this analysis for us. I am hesitant to spend unrestricted funds until we have a better understanding of our financial needs.

2. Profit/Loss on current programs

I am waiting to receive a copy of a profit & loss analysis for the current recreation programs and the Grill and this is something our finance team is working on. I’ve been told that our current recreation programs and the Grill are losing money, but I don’t know how much. In the 2013 budget we assumed both would break even and we will have to budget amend if either will need a subsidy due to losses. It is still early in the fiscal year and things may change; however, I’m hesitant to add more recreation programs if our existing programs are losing money. If we increase our costs (which finishing the basement will do) and continue to lose money then it stands to reason that the needed subsidy will also increase. I would prefer to first implement the suggestions from residents and the Golf Course Finance Advisory Committee on ways to increase revenue and see if we can get closer to breaking even before spending more money on something that is losing money.

3. Already over budget

From what I’ve been able to tell after reviewing agenda minutes and talking with residents, the original approval for the CoRec was to spend $2.1 million, then it increased to $2.5 million. In the end with changes and updates the total cost was closer to $2.9 million. The intent of the building was to function as a clubhouse, a recreation center, and an events center. It feels now like the message is in order to really make it work for all three, we need to spend another $300,000 - $500,000 to complete the basement and then it will be profitable and serve all three functions. We’ve already spent a considerable amount of money to accomplish this and residents were told that the current center would  function as an events and recreation center. I feel we should allow more time to work out the scheduling conflicts before assuming we have to spend more money, especially as it is already almost half a million dollars over budget.

4. What is the potential?

We are told that there is a conflict between recreation and events as only one thing can be happening at the facility at a time, but if we finish the basement then we can have recreation and events occurring together. Maybe this is true and there is an opportunity cost to be considered by only having room for one or the other. However, I haven’t seen an analysis that realistically shows what the potential is. We couldn’t ask an investor to invest in our business by simply stating that we were going to have 1,000 new clients by the end of the year. We would need to show an understanding of the industry, our competitors, the market share, what was working and what wasn’t, and explain how we were going to meet that number. I’m not aware of an analysis showing what potential our CoRec has for events. How many events do other Utah County golf courses hold? How many receptions does the new center in Pleasant Grove hold each year? Are other golf courses realizing a profit when hosting events and tournaments? If we are going to be in the business of running an events center, then it’s time we start thinking like a business. I know that many businesses lose money before they begin to realize profits. However, we need to have a plan in place and an understanding of the business we are in before we are spending more money to accommodate more events.

5. Is this what residents really want?

Unfortunately, due to legal expenses we had to cut the Decisions Survey that was to be completed this year. I would’ve liked to ask about the basement as a portion of it is for a cardio room and a includes a plan for spin classes. Reading through the Decisions Survey done during FY 2011 there were two questions that stand out to me. The first was “Should the City provide adult recreation programs?” In that survey, 35% were in favor and 60% were against. The other question was “If adult programs were provided, would you participate?” 29% said yes and 65% said no. Additionally, we’ve had residents reach out to the Council expressing a desire for more park space. Our unrestricted funds can be used for anything, and after reviewing the last Decisions Survey and hearing from residents I’m not sure that the CoRec basement is something on which we should spend unrestricted funds. We did hold a townhall meeting to discuss this but there less than 20 residents who provided input during the public comment portion. It would be nice to hear from more residents on this issue.

Again, I am not opposed to recreation or the facility we currently have. As a mom, I appreciate all of the things the City does to make this a family-friendly community. I also realize that we are lucky to live near several other cities that also have recreation programs where my children can participate. I have thought over this topic for months and I’m just not at the point where I feel comfortable spending unrestricted funds without first resolving the five points listed above. I do realize I stand alone on this issue and I will support whatever is ultimately decided by the Council, but I felt it important to share my concerns so residents understand why I feel we should not finish the basement at this time.

Council Meeting - November 20, 2012

Work Session

Presentation by YCC on Santa’s Workshop Toy Drive

This program allows local families in need to pick up toys and other presents for their children for Christmas. The YCC meets with local bishops to get recommendations of families who may benefit from this program. All of the money that is raised from fundraisers throughout the year go towards this program, as well as toy donations from families. Last year the YCC helped 30 families. This year the YCC has raised approximately $500. The YCC encourages families to donate new or gently used toys to this program. Donation boxes will be located at the Public Works Building, the Community Recreation Center, Deerfield Elementary, and Cedar Ridge Elementary. Cash donations can be made at the City Office. Pizza Pie Café is having a special fundraising activity for Cedar Hills. Bring in your Pizza Pie card on Nov 27^th, 28^th, 29^th, Dec 4^th, 5^th, or 6^th and 25% of your order will go to help this program.

Discussion of Winter Activities on Golf Course

There have been several suggestions to have other winter activities on the golf course. The golf manager came to discuss his concerns and recommends not doing this. After talking with other courses and doing research he has determined that this causes a lot of damage to the course. He contacted the superintendent of Wasatch State Park as they do allow winter activities on their golf course and was told they sustain a lot of damage each year. Skiers don’t stay on the trails and the snow compact turns to ice, which damages the greens. He also spoke with a course in Idaho that allows other activities and was told they spend $5,000-$8,000 each year on repairs.

The previous golf director used to have snow removed from the course in the winter in order to have more rounds of golf played. Our current management recommends we do not continue this practice as the course benefits from having several weeks to recuperate. The recommendation was made that we identify other areas where residents can participate in winter activities and that the Council approve an official policy prohibiting sledding and other activities on the course. This will be continued to the next meeting.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Marisa Wright – Wants to see the CoRec basement completed. Says only one resident at the townhall regarding the basement was against it after expressing fiscal conservatism. She is upset that the City settled with UVHBA. Some members of the Council have told her that now that the recreation impact fees are gone the basement can be completed with CARE tax funds and unrestricted general funds. Feels the basement needs to be completed to make the golf course break even operationally. Says the CoRec is the difference between a town and hometown. Doesn’t know why anyone would be against it unless they don’t recreate.

City Reports

David Bunker – Received bond ratings from Standard & Poor and Fitch. Both agencies rated the City at AA-, which is a very good rating. With both agencies giving us the same rating we will get a better refinancing rate on the GO bond. Interest rates are low right now so it is a good time to refinance.

CM Martinez – YCC working on Santa’s workshop. On December 10^th the City will be hosting a winter event at the CoRec. Santa will be there to see the kids and we will be serving hot cocoa. Hours will be 5pm-8pm. The Grill is recommending new winter hours of 8-5 with the grill portion only operating from 11-2. Food that will be served during the other hours will be soups, salads, and premade items. This recommendation is due to financial losses. December 7^th will be the last day of regular hours.

CM Augustus – The Planning Commission met to discuss the Dimond Subdivision, kennels and catteries. Attended a North Pointe Solid Waste board meeting and tipping fees will be increasing about $3 per household per year. Looking at changing access as it is very busy on Saturdays. He continues to work with draftsperson on plans for the CoRec basement.

Mayor Gygi – Met with three council members regarding goals and visions. Will meet with the other two soon. Will present overall goals for January.

CM Rees – Issued two press releases and getting more likes on Facebook. Working with CM Martinez on December 10^th event.

CM Zappala – Working on emergency plan for the City. Attended a board meeting for Utah Valley Special Service District. They are having issues hiring qualified people and are also looking for a new location. Mentioned Highland, Saratoga Springs, and Santaquin as possible locations. Working on a request for bids.

Recognition of Golf Course Finance Advisory Committee Members

As not all of the members were able to be present this item has been postponed.

Review/Acton to Approve Final Plat for Dimond Subdivision A

This is a proposed two lot subdivision located at 4000 West and 9486 North. The subdivision will consist of the existing home and a new lot. This subdivision originally received approval about two years ago and has gone through the Planning Commission again. Still need to submit water rights and a storm water protection plan. Plans include utilities to the new lot. This was approved.

Review/Acton on Water Conservation Plan Update

The State and the Division of Water Resources require that we update this plan every five years. Our current outdoor use is moderate to high and we need to develop some education materials for residents to reduce water consumption. We do not currently meter our PI usage, but it would cost approximately $1.5 million to install a metering system, plus higher O&M costs for replacement and maintenance. We haven’t looked at providing incentives to cut down on water use, but staff is open to this. Staff would like to create a water conservation committee to address this and other conservation issues. The new Water Conservation Plan was approved.

Discussion on Golf Cart Lease Agreement

Wade (golf director) went through each of the carts to review was is needed and determined that about half of our golf carts will not have enough battery life to get through the next season. He recommends we replace the carts. If we were to fix the issues with existing carts it would cost $36,000-$40,000 the first year and the same amount for the second year. This is in addition to the approximately $50,000 in cart maintenance costs over the next 24 months on the current fleet. He doesn’t feel it makes sense to spend that kind of money on used carts. Feels it makes more financial sense to sell the bad carts and get a lease for new carts. He has received several bids and the price is about $6,200/month for a four-year lease for the new carts. The four year lease includes a full warranty for the four years. We had previously been told that we could expect each cart to last eight years but Wade feels a more realistic expectation is four years. We’ve had issues with carts dying on the course and golfers having to be towed back to the clubhouse. We also had an instance where a golfer was injured after the brakes didn’t work on a cart. Mr. Gonzalez (cart maintenance technician) stated there is also a cost of labor and parts to continually be fixing broken down carts. This was a discussion item only so no decision was made.

Discussion on Cedar Hills Champions Program

I had been approached by a resident who wanted to recommend another resident as a Cedar Hills Champion. This section is on our website but was never an official program. I would like to implement this program and recognize a resident each quarter. I will work with David on drafting the parameters for this program and it will be on a future agenda.

No executive session was needed.

Council Meeting - November 15, 2012

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Nobody signed up for public comment.

Review/Action on Settlement Agreement with UVHBA

In April, the UVHBA filed an action against the City regarding the collection and use of impact fees for recreation facilities. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties agree that no liability has been established and that by settling, the City does not admit to any wrongdoing. The Council unanimously agreed to pay $175,000, which is approximately the amount of recreation impact fees that had not yet been spent, and reimburse attorney’s fees in the amount of $15,000. More information can be found by reviewing the City’s press release at http://www.cedarhills.org/node/1790.

Review/Action on Ordinance Repealing Recreation Building Impact Fee

In association with the settlement agreement with UVHBA the City agreed to suspend and repeal the assessment and collection of the recreation facilities component of the park impact fee. The new ordinance repealing the collection of this impact fee was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Interlocal Cooperation Agreement

Before the reconstruction of North County Blvd began the County agreed that certain municipal improvements needed to be installed in 4800 West. These improvements include a 12-inch culinary water line, a relocated sewer meter vault, the construction of a new sewer outfall line and metering vault to allow sanitary sewer flows to enter the TSSD mainline in 1100 East in American Fork, and water and sewer lines stub-outs in the undeveloped commercial properties east of 4800 West. Our portion of these improvements comes to $310,054.40, which is 60% of the overall cost and our portion of the overall usage. The other 40% will be paid by American Fork, which represents their portion of the usage. Adding the stub-outs now means we will not have to tear up the road to install these utility lines when commercial businesses start development in our commercial area. The funds will be allocated from capital improvement and impact fees according to the construction schedule. This was unanimously approved.

As the Council had an executive session prior to the meeting to discuss legal items there was no need for an additional executive session.

Townhall Meeting - October 18, 2012

Townhall Meeting - Public Safety

Lt. Sam Liddiard - American Fork Police Department

• 33 officers in patrol and investigations
• Investigations:
• 9 detectives, 1 in major crimes task force for the County
• In 2011 they investigated 2,100 cases
• As of September 2012 they have investigated 2,142 cases
• Three biggest issues for our area are domestic violence, child abuse, and drugs
• Patrol:
• In 2011 dispatch received 10,333 calls
• As of September 2012 dispatch has received 7,925 calls
• Patrol officers handle initial investigations, reports, and first response (CPR and first aid)
• Bicylce patrol for crowds, neighborhoods, and public presentations
• Motorcycle patrol for traffic, accident investigations, and special events
• K9 for patrol and narcotics
• NOVA program with elementary schools
• SWAT team for high risk warrants, hostage situations, and VIP protection
• Animal control
• We pay approximately $400,000 per year for all of these services. It is estimated to cost around $1.5 million to start up our own force, plus the cost of equipment and vehicles

Chief Brad Freeman - Lone Peak Public Safety District

• City is partial owner along with Alpine and Highland
• It would cost around $1.5 million per year to have our own, right now we pay around $600,000 per year
• Offer fire and paramedic services
• Utilize an intern program to keep costs down while helping interns keep their skills up
• Handle fire, medical emergencies, floods, swift water rescues, accidents, and canyon rescues
• In 2011 they handled 348 calls for fire and 842 calls for EMS
• Also do inspections, school programs, station tours, scout assignments, and other various community programs
• Law requires that they have a minimum of four firefighters onsite before entering any burning building
• Receive funding from ambulance bills, grants, county, and the three participating cities
• Alpine pays $624,310; Cedar Hills pays $611,258; and Highland pays $939,727
• Base fee is 10%
• 45% based on population
• 45% based on number of households and ERU's for commercial areas
• Cedar Hills pays around 22% of the total cost
• Cedar Hills is getting a new transport truck that allows for fire and paramedic services. Currently, if the EMT's were on the fire truck and got an EMS call they have to go back to the station to the get ambulance, and vice versa. This new vehicle will allow for both situations so there is no need to return to the station for the correct vehicle.
• Currently have 36 part time and 14 full time staff to cover three shifts for 24x7 coverage

City Council Meeting - October 16, 2012

Work Session

The work session was a closed executive session to discuss litigation matters.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
Nobody signed up for public comment.

Consent Agenda
The minutes from the August 28, 2012 City Council meeting and the September 18, 2012 City Council meeting and Public Hearing were approved.

Review/Action on Approving Submittal  of a Recreational Grant Application
Each year the City files an application for a municipal recreational grant from the Utah County Commission. The income from this grant will be $11,306.93 and will go into the CARE tax fund to offset some of the expenses associated with the Heritage Park basketball court, which was $36,245.01. The request to submit the application for this grant was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Resolution Appointing Daniel Zappala to the UV Dispatch SSD
The Utah Valley Dispatch Special Service District requires that appointing a member representative be made through a resolution. Mayor Gygi has asked Daniel Zappala to serve on this board. The resolution was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Water Charges and Reimbursement
Residents who live on Mahogany Drive and 9220 North had some water issues over the summer and it was later discovered there was a cross-connect in the culinary water line for these two streets (for more info see my notes from the August 28th Council Meeting). The City approved the reimbursement of all culinary and PI water charges for these residents for July - September, which equaled approximately $4,330.00. After this, city representatives met with these residents again who have asked for an additional six months of testing on their water line and an additional six months of free culinary water so as to reassure them that their water is fine. David Bunker estimated the additional cost for this would be $1,130.00. There were a few residents from this area in attendance and Mayor Gygi asked if any would like to speak. William Moore stated that he would like to see this resolved and felt better communication was needed. Crystal Michaelis stated that some residents still have discolored water on occasion and that her child was going to have to be on medication for the rest of her life because of the giardia diagnosis. David asked that any resident who has discolored water collect it in a mason jar and contact the City immediately. The request for an additional six months of culinary water at no charge was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Approval of Costs for CoRec Basement
This was changed to a discussion item only. Previously the recreation team had submitted three different options for completing the basement. A townhall meeting was held where the majority of residents indicated they preferred Option B. The Council asked the recreation staff to come up with some preliminary figures for each option. Option A which includes finishing the entire basement, supplying all equipment, and installing a rock wall is estimated to cost $396,777.00. Option B which includes finishing the entire basement but not purchasing any equipment is $301,902.00. Option C which includes finishing the North side only (classes but no cardio room) is $212,332.00. CM Zappala has asked staff to find out the difference in cost for an elevator instead of an ADA ramp. I suggested we do a poll with residents now that we have an idea of the cost. This was agreed to so I will be working on creating a poll using Survey Monkey or some other similar software. This topic will be continued at the next Council meeting.

**As I was going through my notes for this blog I realized something seemed off with the math for Option A and B. The cost for Option A is $396,777.00. The cost for option B without equipment is $301,902.00; however, the equipment is $98,445.00. This means if I add the cost for equipment back in, as most residents said they wanted with Option B, it would cost more than Option A. I then went back through and added the equipment total ($98,445.00) with the additional costs of construction listed below the equipment on Option A (mirror, handrail, ADA ramp, etc.) and I show the cost for Option A would be $424,777. Also, I don't see anything listed on Option A that includes a rock wall. I have sent an email asking for some clarification on these numbers and will create the poll for residents once that info is verified.

Review/Action on Approval of Updated Policies and Procedures
Over several months city staff has been working on updating the employee policies and procedures based on input from administration, the Mayor and Council, and the City Attorney. Updates include changes to benefits, recruitment, nepotism, city assigned phones, appeals board, employee privileges, and funeral leave. A few additional changes were requested by the Council - the employee benefit to rent the Vista Room one time at a reduced rate will only be offered Sunday - Thursday and is subject to availability. Also, an update to the nepotism policy must state that any potential hires cannot be related to anyone in the appeals chain. The changes to the policy were approved 4 to 1.

Discussion on Use of Soccer Fields by NUCS
The North Utah County Soccer Club currently uses our fields at Mesquite Park for soccer practice and games. We also utilize these fields for flag football. There have been some instances where NUCS is using the fields when they are not scheduled to do so and it has conflicted with flag football, yet the coaches are unwilling to leave the field. CM Martinez wanted to discuss this issue and get feedback on how to best resolve. Mayor Gygi has asked that he and David meet with NUCS to discuss better terms in our contract and possibly assess penalties for not complying with the contract. NUCS has threatened to send an email to the families of their Cedar Hills players letting them know the City is "unwilling to work with them"; however, we recognize that our flag football teams are just as important and need to be able to use the fields when they are scheduled to do so.

Review/Action of City Manager Contract
Mayor Gygi, Eric Johnson, and David Bunker have completed the final contract for the City Manager position. A few changes were requested:

• Change the distance that the city manager may live outside of Cedar Hills from 8 to 10;
• Change the wording on raises to state that the Mayor and Council can approve raises, not just the Mayor;
• Change wording on the vehicle supplied to state that the City will provide a vehicle based on the City's existing vehicle purchase policy.

The contract with changes was unanimously approved.

City Reports
CM Augustus - Planning Commission had a meeting and one of the new members was sworn in. He will try to change the November Planning Commission meeting so it won't conflict with the townhall for the Golf Course Finance Advisory Committee.

CM Rees - We will be having a townhall meeting on Thursday to discuss public safety.

CM Martinez - The new Parks, Trails, Recreation, and Beautification Committee will be meeting the first of November. YCC is having the Spooktacular on Oct 29th. Kids can wear their costumes and this will be at Heritage Park. Nov 3rd is the Princess Festival at the CoRec.

CM Jackman - Met with the Finance Committee to discuss the refinance of the golf course bond. The savings over the term of the loan is $400,000. We can only do an advanced call once so if we move forward we will be locked in at the new interest rate for ten years. This refi does not extend the term but lowers the interest rate from what we current pay (approximately 4% - 4.5%) to an interest rate around 2.3%-2.8%. We have this opportunity because of our recent bond rating increase. The Council is fine with the finance committee pursuing this option.

There was no need for an additional executive session so the meeting was adjourned.

Council Meeting - October 4, 2012

Work Session

The work session was an executive session to discuss legal matters.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
Kyle Castle - Concerned about the cost of the Community Recreation Center basement. Wants to know if income generated from the golf course and recreation programs will cover the expenses associated with building the basement and running the programs.

Youth City Council Update
Several members of the YCC came to introduce themselves to the Council. The YCC holds various activities for residents and all proceeds go to the Santa's workshop program, which helps approximately 25 families each year. They plan things such as the upcoming pumpkin walk and the Family Festival.

Review/Action on Creation of Townhall Committee
A new committee has been created by Mayor Gygi. This committee will consist of residents throughout Cedar Hills who will assist, advise, and direct townhall meetings. They will be responsible for coming up with topics and advertising the meetings to residents. The resolution creating this committee was approved with the following changes:

• Part II, letter A - update wording to state that the purpose of the committee is to increase communication throughout the city through the use of townhall meetings;
• Part III, letter B - add that members will be added with the advice and consent of the City Council;
• Part III, letter D - remove this statement;
• Part IV, letter A - the committee will appoint a chair and vice-chair.

Discussion on Amending City Code to Allow for Animal Boarding Business in Residential Areas
A resident has approached the City asking permission to be able to use their basement as a boarding home for people who need temporary boarding for their small animals. The City code enforcement officer, Scott McMahon, provided some suggested wording for how the code could be changed to allow for this. Areas that still need clarification is how many animals could be housed based on either lot or home size. The Council asked for some further suggestions after researching how other cities handle this. The discussion item will be continued at a later time.

Discussion on Eliminating Library Fee Reimbursement
This came up as a discussion item after Mayor Gygi had been approached by a former Mayor and Council member with a recommendation to end this reimbursement. The current budget allows for $14,000 to be used for this program, which means 350 households can receive a $40 refund on library memberships with another city. CM Martinez and Jackman both felt this should be postponed until the next budget year as it has already been approved for the FY 2013 budget. This item will be continued next year.

Discussion on Vision, Goals, and Branding for the City
Mayor Gygi has asked the Council and staff to come up with goals related to their specific assignments. The City doesn't have a specific brand and this is something Mayor Gygi would like to address. Mr. Keith Irwin provided Mayor Gygi with some good information on branding cities. Mayor Gygi wanted input from the Council. I personally feel if we are going to do this then we need to do it right so should hire an outside company that specializes in branding. We need to get a few proposals to know what this would cost. Other councilmembers were concerned with the cost and weren't sure why this is needed. This will be an ongoing discussion item.

Discussion on Completion of CoRec Basement
This is an ongoing discussion item. We had a townhall meeting last month and received feedback on the various options. One concern I had was that we did not have any estimates on what each option would cost, and that may have influenced which option residents wanted to go with. CM Martinez will work with staff to get estimates for each option, including a revised Option B that includes equipment. One of the biggest costs will be the ADA ramp, but it has been determined that the ramp will be cheaper than an elevator in the long run. This item will continue to be a discussion item.

Added Item - Resident Concerns on Deer
Resident Lois Howard came to discuss issues she is having with deer. She has lived in Cedar Hills for 23 years and the creek runs behind her home. Deer have become a huge issue for her as she constantly has herds of deer in her yard. They destroy her yard. She would like the City to partner with the Division of Wildlife Resources to address this, just as Highland has done. David Bunker will reach out to Highland and to DWR to find out how they are addressing a similar issue.

Added Item - Additional Free Water for Residents on Mahogany and 9220 North
Last month the City was notified that residents on two streets had discolored water. After doing some investigating it was determined there was a cross connect between the culinary line and the PI line (for more info see my notes from last Council meeting). The Council had approved the refunding of all culinary and PI water bills for these residents for the months of July, August, and September, which are the months they were receiving contaminated water. The residents on these two streets have asked that their water line be tested for another six months and that the City not charge them for culinary water for those additional six months. The Council has asked David Bunker to provide an estimate for what the financial impact would be and add it as an agenda item for the next meeting.

City Reports
David Bunker - PG wants to start talks again regarding shared sewer lines on one of their streets. Harts is opening October 4th and will have a grand opening on October 19th and 20th. Met with Snowbird to discuss their desire to have access via AF Canyon to their ski resort.

CM Martinez - Pumpkin Walk will be on October 29th. This will include a costume contest. All proceeds benefit Santa's Workshop program. Flag football has started and Kaity is working on issues with field availability. Lego League event will be in Cedar Hills in January. They are in need of 50 volunteers for this event.

Mayor Gygi - CM Zappala has been added to the Finance Committee and Utah Valley Dispatch. CM Augustus will serve on the board for North Point Solid Waste.

CM Zappala - Had meeting with animal shelter. We need to find ways to encourage residents to license their pets so they can easily be returned if lost. Suggested we do this at the Family Festival in conjunction with some sort of a pet contest.

CM Jackman - LPPSD met recently. There was an issue with the Social Security funds paid for the fire fighters. At the time the district was formed it was agreed that the cities would pay 6.2% portion of SS and this was being collected. Because of an issue with how the money was being held it will be returned to the cities. Board needs to decide if they are going to keep the money or put it into a different fund for the fire fighters. We have decided this money should be put into a fund for the fire fighters as they were told the cities would give this contribution; however, one other city in the district wants to use this money to handle a budget shortfall. The board will continue to discuss this and whether or not the district will pay the 6.2% moving forward. The Finance Committee is working with staff to figure out a way to show the total amount that residents pay in various fees and taxes.

CM Rees - One press release issued since last meeting. Good feedback on State of the City newsletter.

No additional executive session was needed.

Council Meeting - September 18, 2012

Work Session/Town Hall

A town hall meeting was scheduled to give residents an opportunity to review options for the completion of the CoRec basement. The work session was dedicated to receiving comment.

Heidi Willis - Wants a dance room with mirrors and a dance floor, cardio room, instructor led spin classes. Most interested in adult recreation classes and early morning.

Angela Johnson - Wants to know the cost for each option presented. Councilmember Martinez explained that the recreation team was first seeking to find out what residents were interested in and then would put them out to bid to get quotes. Mrs. Johnson feels it is difficult to have this conversation as to what we want before we know how much it will cost.

Molly Remund - Wants everything but first wants to know how much it will cost before deciding. Would really like a library.

Jean Mather - Would like a library for children. She feels that having a library onsite will generate more interest for other programs being held. She also likes having a dance area.

Marisa Wright - Wants Option A, which is finishing the entire basement with all equipment and a rock wall. Our youth is growing, we need these now before the kids get too old to utilize it. Says we should do it now and do it right. Likes the bouldering wall and says it will be good for tweens. Also recommends having a teen movie night because youth need a place to hang out. If we don't have the money for finishing and equipment then she recommends we build it out now then use future CARE tax revenue to purchase equipment.

Jason Rose - Likes Option A because it has something all of his kids could use. Has gym membership and would rather spend his money here. Likes both instructor led courses and cardio room.

Jill Deargee - Goes to fitness classes now and likes Option A. Says we need to be patient and give the rec program time to grow. We need a big enough area for future growth. Wants dance glasses. Does not want library, only wants revenue generating activities.

Kayla Rose - She is 15 and wants a gym at the rec center. Also likes instructor led classes.

Kurt Whitlock - Likes Option B, which is finishing the basement but no rock wall. Wants us to use the use-it-or-lose-it funds. Hesitant to compete with private business. Wants the City to focus on growing commercially and not having the City compete with private business.

Steven Hurt - If we want kids to come to rec center then we need digital options. More games and technology, that is what kids like. Look for used items instead of buying new equipment. Get private bids that would be less than government bids.

Amy Edwards - She teaches classes at CoRec. Need mirrors and fans. Tweens are interested in dance classes.

Emily Flygar - Likes fitness classes. Likes Option B with equipment. Bouldering wall takes up too much space and teens will only use a few times before they get bored with it. Men need weights and bigger equipment as well as more space. Wants to see us make this available to LPPSD firefighters. Feels Option A is geared towards women only.

Eric Schloer - Kids love music. Make CoRec an after school hang out with music. Schedule dances.

Jill Griffiths - Teaches classes at CoRec. Need classes for tweens. Classes can deal with childhood obesity. Likes Option B with equipment. She would flip the plans so the cardio room is on the other side.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
Ken Bacon - Wants to add third car garage but current code doesn't allow for this on his lot. Wants code changed for odd shaped properties. Gary has asked David Bunker to work with Mr. Bacon to get more details.

Jerry Dearinger - Wants to know how the City determined that only 13 homes were affected by the water issue experienced on Mahogany when there were many more homes on the Manila Water system. He has had issues with his meter. David Bunker explained that other areas were using the same lines they've been on, this subdivision was the only one that went on a line that wasn't being used. Also, we do monthly testing and have done additional testing because of this issue and all other lines have tested fine.

Consent Agenda
Minutes were approved for the following meetings: June 19, 2012 Council meeting and public hearing; July 10, 2012 Council meeting; July 19, 2012 Council meeting; July 31, 2012 Council meeting; August 7, 2012 Council meeting and public hearing.

Public Hearing on Planning Commission Membership
Angela Johnson - Doesn't feel that Planning Commission members should be paid, this should be a committee of volunteers.
   **Currently, all Planning Commission members have opted out of receiving payment.

Review/Action on Ordinance Amending Compensation for Council
During the last Council meeting there was a discussion on moving away from paper agenda packets and instead giving each Councilmember an $11.50/month technology allowance to purchase a device that allows for electronic packets to be received. It was determined that doing so would save the City $1180 per Councilmember over a four-year term. A more detailed review can be found on my last blog post at http://jenneyreeschcc.blogspot.com/2012/08/council-meeting-august-28-2012.html. Councilmembers have been receiving a monthly stipend of $75 for a cell phone. This new ordinance would include the $11.50 technology allowance for a new monthly stipend of $86.50. This was approved unanimously.

Review/Action on Ordinance Amending City Code Regarding Planning Commission Membership
There are currently two vacancies on the Planning Commission. Mayor Gygi has asked that the number of alternates on this group be expanded from two to three. CM Jackman was concerned as to why, wanted to know if we weren't having enough members show to have a quorum. He feels it may already be too big. CM Zappala recently served on the Planning Commission and said it is not uncommon to miss meetings because of individual schedules. CM Augustus says there have been many times when there are not enough members in attendance to form a quorum. I expressed that because this is a volunteer group I can understand that work and family needs have to be the priority. Mayor Gygi said that in addition to this, there were three very qualified people who applied that he would like to appoint to the committee. Mr. Dodge, who was in attendance, also stated that family time can interfere with meetings. The recommendation to expand the number of alternates from two to three passed 3-2 with CM Augustus, Zappala, and Rees voting aye and CM Jackman and Martinez voting nay.

Amended Agenda Item - Appointing New Members to Planning Commission
The recommendation was made to appoint Bradley Webber, Michael Geddes, and Emily Cox to the Planning Commission. This was approved unanimously.

Review/Action on Resolution to Combine the Recreation, Parks and Trails and the Beautification Citizen Advisory Committees
CM Martinez and I had discussed this at length. There are many instances where these two committees seem to overlap. The Parks and Trails committee had been dissolved awhile back and the main areas that our Beautification committee can beauty are parks and trails. This combined group will work together and will advise the Council on projects and lobby for funds. Will also look to utilize scout groups more often. This was unanimously approved.

Review/Action to Award Micro Surface Project to Geneva Rock
Bids were sent by the City for road maintenance projects needed on 4600 West, Redwood Road, north end of Cottonwood Drive, and Briggs/Nielsen Blvd. This is a type 2 microsurface, which is a thin set asphalt overlay. This is good for high use roads and is better than slurry seal. Will start at approximately 9880 N on 4600 W, go to Redwood Road, then to Cottonwood to Mesquite. Residents affected will receive a door notice. Notice will also go on the website and in the newsletter. Should start in mid-October and is estimated to take about four weeks. Geneva Rock was the lowest bidder at $125,200. This motion to award this project to Geneva Rock was unanimously approved.

Review/Action on Water Charges Reimbursement
On September 4, 2012 the City was alerted that residents on Mahogany Drive and 9220 North had water that was discolored and tasted bad. The Public Works team flushed the lines but the water was still discolored so these residents were put on a different water line until the issue could be resolved. It was soon discovered that the old line, which had been installed over a decade ago but only started being utilized in July after the transfer of some residents from Manila Water, had a cross connect with the PI system. The issue has been resolved and further information can be found at http://www.cedarhills.org/node/1659. The recommendation made was to waive and/or credit the culinary water and PI charges for the 13 affected households from July through September, which were the months they received contaminated water. The total financial impact is approximately $3,200. This was unanimously approved.

Discussion on Options for CoRec Basement
The town hall was a great way to get resident feedback. However, we do need some approximate figures on what each option will cost. Greg Gordon is working on this. Discussion will be continued.

Discussion on Allowing a Resident to Operate a Cat Boarding Business
A resident has approached the Mayor requesting they be allowed to build a cat boarding business in their basement. CM Jackman feels we should not limit this to cats and wants to know what other cities are doing and why. Discussion will be continued.

City Reports
David Bunker - TSSD has a meeting on Thursday. David will be out the week of September 24th.

CM Rees - State of the City newsletter is complete and being mailed to residents. Town hall meeting will be on September 25th. Two new press releases have been issued. Up to 82 Facebook likes.

CM Zappala - Town hall committee met to discuss topics for future town hall meetings. Is working with local Stake Presidents to coordinate plan for emergency situations.

CM Martinez - YCC met and will be doing an activity on October 29th from 6-8pm. This will be a pumpkin walk, carving, costume contest. Raising funds for Santa's Workshop. We have a new golf manager. Did not have enough volunteers to put flyers on doors for every resident.

CM Augustus - Planning Commission will meet with new members.

Mayor Gygi - Reminder to Council to be working on Council vision and goals.

There was no executive session.

Council Meeting - August 28, 2012

Work Session

The Work Session was used to discuss items on the agenda for Council Meeting.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
There were no sign-ups for public comment.

City Reports
City Manager - Reminded the Council about the ULCT meeting in September.

CM Rees - I am attending a meeting in September regarding the U.S. Military and the Community Covenant Program. I will report on what is discussed. The State of the City newsletter is complete and is now with a graphic designer. She will have a sample layout to me by the end of the week. The plan is to have it to residents no later than September 18th, and we then have a town hall meeting scheduled on September 25th at 7:00pm to cover those topics. We are getting more likes on our Facebook page. The Yard of the Month program is almost complete and the Beautification Committee is discussing plans to do a Lights Up contest for the month of December. I spoke with CM Martinez about merging the Beautification Committee with the Parks & Trails Committee as these two frequently overlap. She agreed and we would like to proceed with this. Both Stephanie and I would work with this new committee.

CM Jackman - He has a few upcoming meetings. No new updates at this time.

Mayor Gygi - The County is still talking about restructuring the TSSD board. Mayor Gygi has reached out the various special service districts and let them know that Cedar Hills wants representation on each of them. Mayor Gygi will not be giving CM Zappala any assignments as of yet while we wait to see what happens with these boards.

CM Martinez - YCC is having a car wash fundraiser on September 4th from 3:30pm - 5:30pm. Proceeds go to the Santa's workshop. This will be near the roundabout by Walmart. Tot soccer is now going and sign ups for flag football are happening. Other cities are going to be highlighting our recreation programs in their newsletters as we don't have non-resident fees. We have hired two recreation staff coordinators. We've also hired a new Golf Operations manager as Jim Madsen has left. This new manager comes from Fox Hollow golf course. The new fall fitness calendar is now online. The Grill has new fall hours of 10am-8pm. Hart's is planning a grand opening for October 4th, but that is not yet certain so we will not advertise until we have a definite date. Family Festival dates for 2013 are June 10th-15th.

CM Zappala - Having a meeting with residents on August 30th at 5pm to discuss resident involvement in planning town hall meetings.

Discussion on Community Recreation Center Basement Options
Greg Gordon and Kaity Whittaker presented four options for the completion of the basement. Those options with their pros and cons can be viewed on the City's website at http://www.cedarhills.org/sites/default/files/agendas/city-council-agenda-packet-2012-08-28.pdf.
A general list:

• Plan A is finishing the entire basement at this time. Allows for more recreational opportunities and frees up the Vista Room for golf tournaments and other events. This option is the most expensive.
• Plan B is finishing the basement but does not include any recreation equipment or a bouldering wall. This is cheaper than Plan A and still allows for the Vista room to be utilized for revenue generating events; however, it limits the amount of recreation that residents can participate in if there is no equipment. Would mainly be used for classes.
• Plan C is finishing just the North side of the basement. This is cheaper than Plan A & B but still allows for current recreation classes to be moved downstairs so that the Vista room is used for revenue generating activities. Limited recreational activities for residents, but would allow for the same classes we currently offer and a few more for instructors who want a more traditional flooring.
• Plan D is doing nothing with the basement. There is no cost associated with this option; however, we do have an opportunity cost that comes with losing the ability to open the Vista room to revenue generating activities, such as golf tournaments and other events.

We have asked for a cost breakdown for Plans A, B, and C. The approximate construction cost is $50 per square foot. Mr. Bunker also mentioned that CARE tax funds could be used for this project. We currently have a little over $100,000 in CARE tax funds.

My two cents - I am hesitant to complete the basement at this time. I understand the need to open up the Vista room for tournaments and events that may bring in additional revenue. My concern is that we do have an open lawsuit against the City filed by the Utah Homebuilders Association. This announcement can be found in the August newsletter. This lawsuit is regarding our recreation impact fees and the building itself and I am uncomfortable spending any additional money on the CoRec until we see what happens with this lawsuit. Unfortunately, because this is an open lawsuit I cannot give more details at this time. I have expressed my opinion several times that we should wait and see what happens with this lawsuit before proceeding with the basement. However, I would also encourage residents to reach out to other councilmembers who disagree with me as they have very good arguments for moving forward.

Secondly, I suggested that we get more resident input before proceeding. During the Mayoral and Council appointments we heard over and over from the applicants that the City needed to be more proactive in getting resident input before spending money on large projects. I completely agree. The Council agreed this was a good decision so opted to have our next work session focus on getting resident input on the different basement options. On September 18th we will have an open house and work session regarding the CoRec basement. The open house will be from 5pm-6pm and will give residents a chance to look around and talk with Councilmembers one on one. The work session will start at 6pm and residents will be encouraged to give feedback and thoughts on how we should proceed. Again, I would recommend that residents speak to Councilmembers beforehand and during the open house.

Review/Action on Communications Stipend
David Bunker presented this analysis. Currently, the City spends $36.05 per agenda packet per Councilmember for the printing and assembling of paper agenda packets. We average about three agenda packets each month. The suggestion is to stop printing paper agenda packets and instead provide each Councilmember with an iPad valued at $550 to receive an electronic agenda packet. The cost for this over a four-year term would be $11.50 per Councilmember per month, with an overall savings of $1180 per Councilmember over a four-year term.

After some discussion the Council decided that instead of having the City purchase iPad's for each Councilmember, it would instead give a technology stipend to each one and they would be responsible to purchase their own device. Each Councilmember will also decide whether to receive a monthly stipend in the amount of $11.50 per month or could choose to receive the entire $550 upfront if they needed it to purchase a device right away. While the full amount of the stipend will be provided upfront for any council member who needs it, each will be expected to reimburse the city for the remaining balance if they don’t complete a four-year term. The technology allowance will be prorated for the existing Council based upon the number of months left in their term.

The motion to approve the communications stipend passed. The press release can be viewed at http://www.cedarhills.org/node/1616.

Review/Action on Appointment of New Members to the Planning Commission
Cliff Chandler has resigned from the Planning Commission and Daniel Zappala is now a Councilmember and can no longer serve on the Planning Commission. David Driggs and Tonya Edvalson who have been serving as alternates will fill these two open seats. However, this agenda item has been postponed for a future time as David is reviewing noticing and application requirements to fill the open alternate spots.

Discussion on Commercial Zone Line Extension Agreements
Hart's Gas Station has installed water, sewer, and PI lines in their development and would like the City to enter into an agreement to protect these assets. They would like the City to agree that if another developer builds along those improvements and wants to connect to them then that developer will be responsible to reimburse Hart's for a portion of the improvements. Hart's has provided the City with a sample agreement. This agreement is being reviewed by our attorney who will provide us with a revised copy that is specific to Harts and Cedar Hills.

There was no executive session.

Council Meeting - August 7, 2012

Work Session

The Work Session was spent reviewing items on the agenda for Council meeting.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
Nobody signed up for public comment.

Consent Agenda
Minutes from the June 5, 2012 Council meeting and June 19, 2012 Council meeting and public hearing were approved.

City Reports
Rees - I am continuing to work on the State of the City newsletter and plan on having it out by the end of August or first part of September.

Martinez - Sign-ups are happening for tot soccer. Lego teams are meeting this month. The YCC was in charge of the family games for Relay For Life in Lehi and did a great job with it. Recreation staff needs direction from the Council on our fields. Other groups use our fields for sports programs and staff is wondering if we should charge for the use. Currently we do not charge, so we do not recover any costs for maintenance or damage. Mayor Gygi asked David Bunker to research how other cities handle this and to give a recommendation to the Council.

Augustus - Working with a contractor on drawings for the CoRec basement.

Gygi - North Pointe Solid Waste has renewed their contract with Waste Management. Utah Valley Dispatch is still looking for a new location.

Bunker (City Manager) - The Utah League of Cities and Towns annual conference is this fall in September. He and Mayor Gygi had a meeting with Pleasant Grove to discuss some of the issues. He met with Zions Bank to discuss low interest rates, but it still doesn't make sense to refinance the golf course bond at this point due to negative arbitrage issues.

Review/Action on Appointment of City Recorder
Colleen Mulvey was hired as our new City Recorder. She served as the Deputy City Recorder in Pleasant Grove for some time. The Council approved this appointment and Ms. Mulvey was sworn in by Gretchen Gordon.

Public Hearing on Boundary Adjustment (Earl Property)
Nobody signed up to comment during the public hearing.

Review/Action on Boundary Adjustment Between Pleasant Grove and Cedar Hills (Earl Property)
No action can be taken at this time. In order for this to be approved the homeowners need to have a surveyor create a plat map and must also paid the appropriate fees. The homeowner has not yet done either of these things. Pleasant Grove has had their public hearing so we are waiting on these two items before approval can be given.

Review/Action on Resolution Recognizing Arielle Martin
Arielle Martin is originally from Cedar Hills and was to compete with the U.S. BMX Olympic team in the 2012 London Olympics. During her last training run Arielle was badly injured and could not go to London. CM Augustus has had contact with her family and let them know the City would like to recognize Arielle for her hard work and determination. CM Augustus read the resolution making August 8, 2012 Arielle Martin day in Cedar Hills. The resolution was approved by the Council. A news article on this can be viewed at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765595650/Cedar-Hills-declares-Aug-8-Arielle-Martin-Day.html.

Discussion on Vision and Goals for City Council and Staff
Mayor Gygi would like to work with the City Council on creating a mission statement for the City and then work together to set goals for the Council and staff. These should be focused on what our city should be known for. Mayor Gygi will be giving assignments out at a later time, and we will also be looking for resident feedback. More information will be provided in the September newsletter.

The Mayor and Council did go into Executive Session.

Council Meeting - July 31, 2012

Work Session

The Council had a joint work session with the Pleasant Grove Mayor and City Council. Mayor Gygi and Mayor Call will be meeting together over the next few months to discuss ongoing issues or concerns between the two cities to see if and how these can be resolved. We discussed coordinating the Family Festival and Strawberry Days each year so that the Cedar Hills Family Festival is one week before Strawberry Days, therefore allowing residents from each city to attend both instead of competing against each other.

The PG Council discussed their promenade, which is every Thursday night from 5pm-9pm during the summer months. They have approximately 80-90 vendors and live concerts. On September 8th is their annual Heritage Festival and they invited Cedar Hills to participate. We then gave them a tour of our Community Recreation Center and Grill.

Council Meeting

Public Comment
Nobody signed up for public comment.

Review/Action on Final Plan for Bridgestone, Plat C
Perry Homes submitted their final development plans to the Council after having gone through the Planning Commission. This is for the 8-plex units being built near Deerfield Elementary. The HOA in that area is very anxious for this development to be approved and move forward. After listening to the recommendations of the Planning Commission Perry Homes has agreed to remove the existing apple trees and replace with different trees and evergreens. The Planning Commission has also recommended an 8 foot sidewalk in that area instead of the existing 6 foot sidewalk, and has recommended that the back of the structures be changed to used a variety of materials and/or colors instead of the one color and material in the current drawings. Perry Homes has agreed to both of these recommendations, though said they would like the ability to use a combination of stucco, hardy plank, stone and brick as using only brick is very expensive.

Councilmember Augustus had some concerns with some of the materials being used as he felt it didn't match the rest of the neighborhood, which are mainly brick homes. His recommendation is that these units conform more with the look and feel of the rest of the neighborhood.

Final approval was granted with the recommendation of using materials more consistent with other homes in that area.

Appointment of City Manager
As per City Code 1-6A-1: The Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council, shall appoint a city manager. We received a total of 12 applications for this position and Mayor Gygi spoke with the 10 he felt were most qualified. He recommended that we appoint David Bunker to be the City Manager as he understands the history and issues of Cedar Hills and has done and excellent job as Acting City Manager since May of this year. The Council agreed and approved the appointment of David Bunker as City Manager subject to a mutually agreeable contract and removed the requirement that he must live within the city limits.

Mr. Bunker was sworn in by Deputy City Recorder, Gretchen Gordon. He also announced that a new City Recorder was hired. Colleen Mulvey will be filling that position. She has worked as an Assistant City Recorder for Pleasant Grove and is excited to join our team.

Adjourn
The Council did go into Executive Session.

Council Meeting - July 10, 2012

Work Session

Joint Work Session with Pleasant Grove
David Bunker has a meeting with the City Manager of PG to discuss many outstanding issues. The Council has proposed a joint work session with PG on July 31st to discuss these outstanding issues, which include items such as Harvey Street, the Manila Water Dissolution agreement, sewer connections on 4000 West, and a current PG resident who is hooked on to the Cedar Hills sewer system yet is not paying the bill. The hope of the Council is to get all of the issues on the table and find acceptable ways to work through them with the PG Council.

Agenda
The Council reviewed the agenda items for Council meeting.

Council Meeting

Briant Platt with Blaisdell and Church (our city attorney) first addressed the Council with the following prepared statement:

“In light of recent events, the City Council urges all participants in Council meetings to treat one another with civility and respect.  While individuals may feel passionately regarding certain issues and concerns under consideration before the Council, we encourage participants to avoid incendiary language and accusations that can quickly degrade the level of our discourse and the effectiveness of our interaction.   Due to threats by a resident made in a recent Council meeting, the City Council also takes this opportunity to affirm that City Council meetings are legislative meetings.  The Cedar Hills City Council has asked the City Attorney to provide direction on when statements in Council meetings may subject the speaker to liability for defamation.  The City Attorney has advised the City Council that statements made by the City Council members in legislative proceedings are absolutely immune from liability for defamation if the matter is reasonably related to the proceeding.  It is an open question under Utah law whether members of the public are afforded the same absolute immunity or are instead subject to a lesser, qualified protection from liability for defamation relating to comments made during a Council meeting.  Accordingly, the City Council encourages all participants in Council meetings to treat each other courteously and respectfully, and invites all members of the public to address any issue on its agenda and express their opinions regarding what the City Council should do and why in a civil and thoughtful manner.”

Acting Mayor Martinez emphasized the desire for the public comment period to be used to address the Council with concerns, but that things should stay civil and respectful.

Public Comment
Ken Cromar - Mr. Cromar expressed his happiness about the clarification in the most recent newsletter regarding a statement made in Sept 2011 on the golf course finances. He feels the September 2011 newsletter impacted the election. He cares about the correct information getting out. He would like the City to republish the clarification on the front page of the next newsletter instead of where it currently is. Mr. Cromar filed a complaint with the Utah County Recorders office against resident Marisa Wright and provided a copy to the Council.

Pat Weber - Mrs. Weber purchased a home next to Timpanogos Cove park and is having several issues. People are loud late at night, even until 1:00am. She has seen drug deals occurring and people having sex in the park. Things have been stolen from her car and garage. She has not seen a police presence and is requesting a consistent patrol so people will get the message to leave when the park closes at 10:00pm.

Consent Agenda
The minutes from the May 15, 2012 town hall and Council meeting and from the June 5, 2012 Council meeting were approved.

City Reports
David Bunker - Harts Gas Station is being built and is planning on a completion end of September or first of October. The new fiscal year started on July 1st.

CM Jackman - Attending an emergency meeting with LPPSD on the Quail Fire. Utah County, Unified Fire, and the Forest Service also helped control this fire. Approximately 2200 acres were burned with about 200 acres being in the district. The district will be responsible for approximately $31,000 of the final bill. Cedar Hills' portion is about 1/4 of that amount, but may be less pending the results of the investigation. Acting Mayor Martinez will serve on the LPPSD board until a new mayor is appointed. The Public Safety Bldg is now fully dedicated to public safety as all City employees have moved to the Public Works Bldg. He is working with Chief Freeman on how that space will be utilized.

CM Gygi - NP Solid Waste continues to discuss the contract with Waste Mgmt. Utah Valley Dispatch is still looking for a new location.

CM Augustus - Planning Commission met. They have some suggestions on the Bridgestone project and will be presenting to the Council at a later meeting. Still researching sheds and other items located on setbacks on residential lots. Some members of the Planning Commission would like to opt out of receiving compensation.

CM Rees - July Yard of the Month winners are on the website. City Facebook page is now live and Twitter account will be next. Email contest was announced in the July newsletter. The goal is to have multiple avenues of communication with residents so that messages can get out quickly and frequently. CH resident wants to work with Highland and Alpine to put together a parade for the LPPSD firefighters. This effort will be led by residents.

CM Martinez - YCC met and the new group will be doing a team building activity. Tot soccer and flag football registration is starting soon. AFPD is kicking people out of Timp Cove park every night and giving tickets, but people just come back. Ordinance needs to be changed to say the park closes at 10pm (current ordinance says at dusk) so AFPD has more authority to enforce. Talked about options to lock the park at night. She will work with David on ways to fix this issue.

Discussion on Metropolitan Water District Easement Exchange
Ammon Allen with MWD presented. This district was created in 1936 by Salt Lake City to partner with the Federal Government on the Provo River Project. This 42 miles of aqueduct provides drinking water to SLC. In 2006 the U.S. Congress gave the title of these lands to the district. In 2000 the developer had a survey done, which shows the correct easement. However, the County recorded the wrong location of the easement (David Bunker concurs with this) leaving some residents in Canyon Heights with an easement in their backyard. While the former city manager told these residents it was fine to build pools or retaining walls in their backyards, the reality is that they cannot build on this easement. MWD would like to work with Cedar Hills to move the easement east where there is no development. This would move the easement between 25-50 feet east of where it is currently.

The Council asked Mr. Allen about landscaping or creating a trail on the easement. Mr. Allen stated it is OK to build a trail and OK to landscape on the easement. MWD would want a gate closing access to the easement on both sides so that only bikes and pedestrians could access - no motor vehicles or ATV's. Landscaping is OK, including grass and sprinklers, provided that it can be easily moved with excavation equipment and the City understands MWD is not responsible for any repairs if access is needed.

The Council advised David Bunker to work with Mr. Allen on language for an agreement as all agreed that moving the easement is a good idea.

Review of City's Emergency Action Plan
LPPSD currently has an emergency action plan that is being utilized for the City, but the City does not one. David Bunker will provide the Council with a copy of LPPSD's plan. Mr. Bunker will work with LPPSD, AFPD, the Public Works department, and the Council to create an emergency action plan for the City.

Review/Discussion on Consideration of Bond Refinancing
There was a lengthy discussion on this topic at the May 15th Work Session and my notes can be found at http://jenneyreeschcc.blogspot.com/2012/05/council-meeting-may-15-2012.html. Mr. Edminster came to present again. He still advises not to refinance the GO bond at this time due to negative arbitrage. Wells Fargo is still willing to refinance the PI2 bond if the Council chooses to do so. CM Gygi and CM Jackman will continue to work with the Finance Committee on options and present suggestions at a later time.

Discussion on Recreation Center Basement
Final draft of plans for basement will be presented to the Council at a later meeting. Programming is still being discussed by the recreation team but that won't hold up plans for build out.

The Council did go into executive session.