Council Meeting - July 21, 2015

Work Session

We discussed items for the City Council meeting. My notes are with each item below.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Nobody signed up.

Consent Agenda

The minutes from the June 16^th Council meeting were approved. The following poll workers were approved for the municipal election: Nicholas Banks, Glenn Dodge, Roberta Dodge.

City Reports
David Bunker - No TSSD meeting this month. Staff met with Principal Bromley to see how we can work together on programs for the youth. Looking at things like chess and robotics. Also talked about having sports teams offer summer classes for the youth in the community. Teen flag football starting this fall. Elementary flag football will also be starting. Soccer sign-ups are still open. Worked out agreement with Stars United to use Mesquite Park. They will do some service for us and will pay a fee.

CM Rees - I'm still working on the State of the City. I sent an email last week to the Council with all of the suggested topics and requested feedback. Asked Council to let me know if there are other items we should address. Cultural Arts Committee sent their org chart and budget for FY2016 and I've sent that to the Council as well. It includes a date night event in September, a Winterfest in January, the Arts Festival in June, a community theater production, the annual summer concert series, and supplies.

Mayor Gygi - MAG won't be meeting until August. None of his other committees have met, other than Golf Course Finance Committee. These meetings will be noticed and open. Next one will be August 6th at 8pm.

CM Geddes - Utah Valley Dispatch opened bids for new building. All bids were much higher than expected. Committee will meet on August 13th to discuss potential cost cutting options. They may have to ask cities for more money and we will have to make a decision then. Parks & Trails committee discussing roundabout beautification and Bayhill Park. Community breakfast will be August 15th at 9:00am.

CM Crawley - Golf Course Committee appointed Rick Stewart as chair. Will look at ways to improve golf course and then look at alternatives to see if anything compares to continuing as is.

Review/Action on Intent to Boundary Adjust Wilson & Day Properties

The city has received two requests to initiate an Adjustment of a Common Municipal Boundary forms; Brent & Neva Wilson, and Gina & Scott Day. The Day property is located at 4495 N 900 W; and the Wilson property is located at 4547 N 900 W. The Day’s and Wilson’s are requesting that their properties be transferred from the municipal jurisdiction of Pleasant Grove City to the City of Cedar Hills. The Day’s and Wilson’s have also completed and filed a request to initiate with Pleasant Grove City.

Both families are on a septic system and want to boundary adjust to have access to our sewer system. The Day's had a septic tank failure and had to connect to a sewer line. We allowed her to connect to the Cedar Hills line with the understanding she would request an adjustment into Cedar Hills. Pleasant Grove will have to approve this as well as Cedar Hills. Staff will contact the City Manager of PG to see where they are in this process. This was approved.

Review/Action on Fireworks East of Canyon Road

Due to fire conditions as assessed by the Lone Peak Public Safety District under the jurisdiction of the Fire Chief Brad Freeman, the fire marshal Ben Bailey has issued fireworks and open fire restrictions for all areas east of Canyon Road within the city limits of Cedar Hills. A resolution has been prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the Lone Peak Fire Chief that fireworks of all types including aerial and non-aerial and open fires of any type shall be prohibited east of Canyon Road within the city limits of Cedar Hills. Also, this year during the 4th of July celebrations and also last year the City identified one location for residents who live in restricted areas to gather to celebrate with legal fireworks. The location selected has been Mesquite Park. Recently the city received a complaint regarding this location from a neighbor regarding the concentrated use of the park for fireworks. City staff including the public works department, recreation department, and fire chief met to discuss the continued use of the park as a location for fireworks display. For the remainder of the fireworks season, it is the recommendation from the various departments that the park continue to be used as a location for the discharge of fireworks. However, modifications to the areas used in the park will be addressed. Public works will designate a safe zone a minimum of 125 feet north of the southern fence line where firework discharge will not be allowed. This safe zone will be identified with signage and cones. Following the evening, public works will clean up any remaining debris from the park and will offer this service to any home that abuts the park. Public Works staff will be made available for clean-up on Saturday. The resident who complained has been made aware of this suggestion. I asked that we evaluate how the buffer zone works and if it doesn't, we may need to re-evaluate whether or not we can designate an area for fireworks. This was approved.

Discussion on Restricted Access at Heiselt’s Hollow and Bayhill

As discussed in the June 16, 2015 city council meeting, modifications to Heiselts Hollow Drive and Bayhill Drive have been installed to limit access beyond the end of pavement of the public roadway. Access still exists at the end of Bayhill Drive for the contractor who will be installing public improvements to install said improvements. The contractor is now starting construction on that project. Heiselts Hollow access is restricted with a gate which allows public safety personnel, water district personnel and municipal access in addition to authorized entry. Several concerns have been identified with continued public access to the terminated street. In addition to the efforts to curb illegal firearms discharge within city limits, fire dangers associated with firearms discharge, and the proliferation of garbage in the area, public works has identified several other concerns including storm water issues, traffic issues, damage to facilities, etc. Here is the list of concerns Public Works identified:

A) Collection of City street storm water on Heiselt’s Hollow Drive carries silt into the inlet boxes and eventually into the North Avanyu retention basin. This dirt is carried onto the street by vehicles accessing the dirt road above the gate. This has been an ongoing problem and violates the City Storm Water Management Plan. The City expends additional equipment hours and manpower to maintain the street and storm sewer system. 

B) Residents living on Heiselt’s Hollow Drive have complained multiple times about the mud tracked onto the street and then into their driveways. According to city ordinance 6-1-3 "It shall be unlawful to place or spill without immediately cleaning up any material or debris on a public street or sidewalk. It shall also be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle to track mud or dirt onto a public street."

C) Residences complain about the speed of traffic accessing the hill side.

D) Vehicles using the water tank access road have caused excessive erosion to the road. Staff has provided some measure of restoration and received contractor bids to complete a more extensive repair.

E) Erosion of the access road has caused storm water to flow away from the natural drainage and poses potential flooding of homes in the area. Technicians have been called by concerned residents and they have performed work to divert the water onto Heiselt’s Hollow and into the storm drain. Again, this places mud on the street and silt into the drain system.

F) PW Technicians have been assigned repeatedly to remove trash dumped on the hillside. Those illegally dumping have been using the access on Heiselt’s Hollow.

G) People using the access on Heiselt’s Hollow have been building fires in areas of extreme fire hazard.

H) Vehicle access has damaged the City Bonneville Shore Line Trail.

I) Vehicle access has potentially compromised the aqueduct paralleling the Bonneville shoreline trail.

J) Citizen complaints concerning shooting firearms in the City limits.

K) Complaints concerning the limited parking, on Heiselt’s Hollow, to access the Bonneville shoreline trail.

L) Complaints from S.L. Metro water that the City permits vehicle access to the aqueduct access road.

M) Discussions with the Forest Service requesting that we do not permit vehicle access in the undeveloped part of the City. This access hinders their efforts to protect the forest service property from vehicle damage.

Jeff Maag (Public Works Director) presented this info. The gate at Heiselt's Hollow allows for ATV and motorcycle access. The gate was provided and installed by Metropolitan Water Association. They don't want access on the shoreline trail that could damage the aqueduct. Stated that anyone going through the private property is considered trespassing.  

Discussion on Traffic Control at 4600 West and Harvey Blvd

Public Comment:
Mr. Curtis - Appreciates time of Mr. Bunker and Mayor Gygi in discussing options. They made a proposal for alterations of fence and a possible chicane. Preferred option is less cost to taxpayers, which is a four-way stop. Realizes this is a collector road; however, until street goes further west across North County Blvd, feels a four-way stop will work and will be a solution until road goes through to Highland. Feels four-way stop is more cost-effective and fixes safety concerns. Will work with the city on whatever decision is made.

Due to concerns residents have raised regarding traffic safety at the intersection of 4600 West and

Harvey Blvd, specifically sight distance and safety concerns, the City has considered various alternatives to modify the intersection. Hales Engineering presented an option for a roundabout installation earlier this year. However, the costs were deemed prohibitive. Mr. Hales also discussed the viability of a four way stop. Due to the disproportionate flow of current traffic volumes through the intersection from east to west, the projected average daily traffic demands, intersection traffic control via a four way stop was considered ill-advised and would not meet the design objectives of the collector roadway. Another option recently discussed would be to modify the location of the stop sign, reduce the height of the fence in the Temple Ridge development to increase sight distance and install a traffic calming device to reduce speeds on Harvey Blvd. The preferred traffic calming device for this location is proposed to be a chicane or also known as a choker. Residents from Temple Ridge have been involved with the City in preliminary discussions and have been invited to participate in a discussion with the city council.

Here is an example of what it would look like:

Here are the anticipated costs:

Mr. Bunker has spoken with residents from Temple Shadows about reducing height of their fence. At this time they also discussed the chicane as a way to reduce speed on Harvey. An advantage for these residents is that it also gives them a pedestrian access point right across from the chapel they utilize, instead of going to the intersection and coming back. Preference of those at Temple Shadows is a four-way stop at the intersection. I asked why staff prefers the chicane and Mr. Bunker stated that statistics show that four-way stops on roads like this aren't as safe. Drivers tend to not stop as they recognize there isn't a lot of traffic coming from opposite direction and also speed up to make up time for stopping. Feels it will cause a backlog for traffic going to Deerfield. Mr. Curtis isn't convinced that there will be a backlog of traffic or that people won't stop at the sign. He drives this every day. Because the city will bear the cost of the chicane and also agreed to replace the fence of Temple Shadows to fix visibility issues, the residents of Temple Shadows feel the four-way stop makes more sense because of cost. CM Geddes understands the concerns as he lives near that area. Hasn't heard of accidents or other issues at the intersection. There are other ways for residents in that area outside of Temple Shadows to get out of the neighborhoods going west instead of that intersection. Suggested we try a 6-month period of a four-way stop to see how it works. CM Augustus feels we need to trust the professionals as we don't know traffic. Having a trial period means drivers are having to be re-trained on using the intersection if it doesn't work. 

Discussion on Signs at Roundabout

Staff has been asked to prepare a discussion on signage in the public right-of-ways. Currently, staff uses the round-a-bout located at 4600 N Cedar Hills Dr to inform residents of the various programs, activities, and events that are happening throughout the community. There was a period when staff was asked to not place signage in the round-a-bout, as a result, recreational activities saw 15-30% declines in participation rates. This decrease in participation revenue totaled over $9,000. Any proposed change to the sign ordinance would need to go through the Planning Commission for review/recommendation as it is in Title 10 of City Code and is considered a land use issue.

Mr. Goodwin presented. Stated 10-25-4b gives an exemption for government use. Code states "Exempt: Signage dedicated for government use including traffic signs, traffic lights, street signs, directional signs, public safety signs and related signage shall be exempt from the prohibition against signage in any public right of way." City uses public land as a way to get the word out regarding city events. He met with Greg Gordon (Community Services Director) to discuss impact of not having signs at roundabout. For a year we did move the signs to the sides of the roundabout and saw a decrease in participation in recreation events. Wants feedback from Council on where to go. 

Mr. Shaw (legal counsel) states that the current ordinance does not allow for recreation and festival type signage. It could be fixed, but we are currently not in compliance with our ordinance. CM Geddes would like to see a more uniform sign so that sleeves stay in the roundabout and the sign can just change. Staff is discussing if there is a way to make signs nicer looking. CM Crawley disagrees that there is a problem with the signs. 

There are several options to consider. Looking at other locations (Heritage Park, Canyon Road, fire dept, etc.) but staff feels these areas aren't as noticeable as the roundabout. I suggested finding a compromise of some sort, whether that be limiting the number events per year or the time frame with a required period of time in between with no signs. This has to go the Planning Commission. A public hearing will be held during the August Planning Commission meeting. They will make a recommendation to the Council.

Discussion on St. Andrews Estates Property

A discussion regarding the current and possible future zoning of St. Andrews Estates would be beneficial for planning purposes. Currently the proposed 22 lot residential subdivision is zoned H-1 residential. Future uses could include residential or possibly commercial aspects. If the Council has interest to investigate the use of the property for commercial purposes, it is recommended that a preliminary plan be developed that would address zoning and land use.  The process to explore possible change of use and re-zoning would include appropriate council discussion and planning commission involvement.

Mayor Gygi feels we should talk with real estate professionals about what the best use of the land is. I am opposed to commercial development here. Our General Plan clearly indicates that we intended for the commercial zone to be in a central location, where it currently exists. This area was reconfigured with the intent of residential lots and is surrounded by residential communities. I feel our current plan keeps the small town feel of having commercial concentrated in one location.

Discussion on Roles and Duties of Mayor, City Council, and City Manager

Councilmember Crawley has asked that a discussion be held regarding the roles and duties of the

Mayor, City Council and City Manager. Mr. Shaw presented. Cedar Hills has a six-member Council form of government. In state code, the Mayor serves as the CEO of the city. In city code, the city manager is the Chief Administrative Officer. Mayor chairs meetings, sets the agenda of the meetings, and responsible for hiring and firing of city manager with advice and consent of the City Council. City Manager reports to the Mayor, but to do those things approved by the City Council. Day to day administrative functions fall to the city manager. He directs staff. City code gives specific responsibilities to the city manager. City Council is responsible for setting broad policies, ordinances, resolution, and anything regulatory in nature. Should not get involved in the management of day-to-day affairs. Council should give direction through the mayor, which then goes to the city manager. Feels the analysis given by Eric Johnson aligns with what Kirton McConkie is presenting. Council may want to enact some protocols for how these things are handled to avoid chaos.

Council Meeting - July 7, 2015

Work Session

We discussed items on the agenda and my notes are part of those items below. David and Gary met with residents from Temple Shadows regarding the intersection at Harvey Blvd and 4600 W. The HOA has ideas on ways to resolve the issues regarding visibility and will be presenting those to the Council at a future date. City recommended reducing the height of portions of the fence at that intersection and removing some of the trees that affect visibility. They are open to that, but would also like to discuss a possible four-way stop at that intersection. They understand that, if Harvey ever connects through Highland, then this may no longer be an option for that intersection. Staff will include preliminary cost estimates for all options presented to the Council.

There was a fire near Timpanogos Cove Park, but no details are available at this time as the fire chief was not in attendance. The suggestion was made that we utilize the Parlant phone system to notify residents that no fireworks are allowed east of Canyon Road.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Andrew Jackson – Executive Director for MAG. Has known Mayor Gygi for a number of years. Has worked with all mayors of Cedar Hills going back 20 years. Mayor Gygi is on MAG’s executive board and transportation committee. One of 40 mayors that sit on executive board. He’s known him to be a fair and honest person and always had the interests of the city. Related a story about Mayor Gygi that was told at a Council of Governments meeting. County Commissioners and Mayors attend this meeting.

Charelle Hagen – Appreciates the work of those on the Council. She served in the past and knows it is a lot of thankless hours. Mayor has taken a lot of heat on AF Canyon issue. While she doesn’t agree with those who support Snowbird, she also doesn’t support the personal attacks. Everyone can do a better job with transparency. As the Mayor, he needs to represent what residents want and be the voice of residents. Problem she has with AFC Vision group was that it felt it was a project only to benefit Snowbird. Fully supports looking at impact that population growth will have on the Canyon, but looking at impact Snowbird will have is a separate issue. Any committee that is to preserve and protect the Canyon can’t look at what can be added to the Canyon, but want to protect what is there. Does not want Snowbird in the Canyon.

Aimee Augustus – Hopes the Council will protect the Canyon. There are enough ski resorts. None of us know what future plans Snowbird has. Also hopes that the Mayor will remove himself from any committees or discussions regarding AF Canyon. Feels he needs to make amends with residents and he isn’t trusted any more. Anyone who has benefited from Snowbird shouldn’t represent residents.

Brent Swanivelt – Has lived in Cedar Hills for 17 years. He also works for UDOT. He served on the AFC Vision committee. He is concerned about Snowbird’s proposal for a land swap. He is against further development in the Canyon. The purpose of the study was to get opinions of the public and had just started to do that. He doesn’t agree with Mayor Gygi’s views of Snowbird, but doesn’t feel Mayor Gygi had any personal gains from his position. He commends Mayor Gygi for being an active member of the committee.

City Reports

David Bunker – Intermountain Farmers have been doing some educational classes at the community center but nobody has shown up. They are going to cancel rest of events and reschedule next year. Lacrosse and karate going well. Attendance is down a bit for summer session of karate. Golf numbers were good and budget numbers were met. Public Works crews have done some work on water system and have encountered several rattlesnakes. Most are in the townhomes area.

CM Rees – The Planning Commission met twice last month. The first meeting was cancelled as a quorum was not present. However, there were several residents in attendance as they received a notice regarding the rezoning that was up for discussion. Chandler explained the purpose of rezoning those portions from the R20,000 to R15,000 zone and reassured residents that animal rights will be addressed so those with those rights now will not be negatively affected. I was unable to attend the second meeting, which was focused on changes to the Design Guidelines, but Chandler was there and provided an update. The Arts Committee feels HONK was a success and is now working on the summer concert series. They will have a proposed budget and committee assignments presented at the next Council meeting. I am working on the State of the City and plan on it being available in September as has been done in the past. This year it will be sent electronically. The Family Festival chair reached out to me and stated they are aware of concerns expressed by residents who live behind Heritage Park. They will reach out to those residents before the festival next year and will let the carnival company know that take down cannot take place any later than 11pm. I received an email from a resident who expressed concern regarding fireworks at Mesquite Park. She lives near the park and her yard is being littered with firework debris and other trash. She requests that we find another location that is not near homes so that these residents aren’t affected.

CM Zappala – Read the following statement:

When I moved to Cedar Hills in 2005, our city had a bad reputation. People would ask, “why are you moving there? They have so many scandals, they can’t seem to run a city well!” Yet as we began to live in Cedar Hills, we found the truth to be the opposite. True, the city had made an unwise purchase of a golf course, but since that time the city had been managing its finances well, had beautiful parks and trails, mountain views, great recreation opportunities, and wonderful people. We discovered there were a few residents who had not been able to get their way politically, so they chose to fight their battles through the press. They sold scandal, and the press was eager to publish the scandal and allegations, no matter how baseless.

As the years have passed, councils and mayors have worked diligently to repair the city’s reputation. In my own time on the council, we have taken a number of steps to help improve the reputation of the city. These include the Cedar Hills Champion program, outreach from the mayor to other cities and his service on regional boards, good relations with the press, tireless efforts to provide increased communication and transparency, an exceptionally maintained golf course, an amazing family festival committee, and well-attended community events. Our city has begun to put past divisions behind us and concentrate on a positive vision and image.

Unfortunately, events of the past year are threatening to tarnish our image again. It is no secret now that there has been an ongoing feud between two council members and our mayor that has become far too personal and petty. What started as a reasonable disagreement over the role of the mayor has become contentious and bitter. Too often, this has affected city business and public meetings have been acrimonious. Too often, this has spilled into online forums and Facebook pages. Too often residents have been pulled into the arguments. This needs to stop.

When you make an accusation in a public forum, you may think you are right. You may even be right. It doesn’t matter. All the public sees is fighting among elected officials. They call a pox on both houses and blame you both. You have not won. You have tarnished your reputation and you have tarnished the city’s reputation. Sadly, you have discouraged civic-minded residents from running for public office, because they don’t want to get trapped in the mess that they see.

I think I represent the will of our residents when I say “enough is enough”. The contention and the fighting needs to stop. We need to focus on what matters most.

I will not personally put up with contention in this or any future council meetings. I will ask those who are arguing to call a recess, step outside, settle their differences, and come back when they are ready. If they are unable to avoid contention on an item we discuss, I will vote to table the issue.

I ask the council to unite with me in calling for civility, respect, and good public relations for our fine city.

Mayor Gygi – LPPSD cancelled their meeting in July. MAG also cancelled their meeting.

CM Geddes – Exciting things are happening with Utah Valley Dispatch. The current office located in Spanish Fork is small and cramped. Bids for the new building will be going out soon. Our city had about 248 calls to 911 last month. New building will provide for better dispatch.

CM Crawley – Agrees with most of what was said by Daniel. The fault is on both sides. Feels there was an intentional dig at certain people. Agrees that things should be civil. There was a fire near Timp Cove Park and we will use Parlant system to get the word out about fireworks restrictions. Has been focusing on different options for the golf course. He has found an alternative he feels makes sense and would like to discuss.

CM Augustus – Agrees with CM Crawley. Feels that this goes both ways. No updates from North Pointe Solid Waste. General Plan Committee is doing some research.

Review/Action on Resolution Regarding AF Canyon

Public Comment:

Paul Sorenson – Sent a letter to Mayor and Council. Read his letter tonight. Mountain Accord and AFC Vision are looking at a land swap for Snowbird. Most Cedar Hills City council members and County officials were unaware of what was occurring. Exception is Mayor Gygi, who was aware. Concern is lack of communication and transparency from Mayor Gygi, and his not disclosing gifts received from Snowbird. Appears Utah County cities are in agreement to oppose land swap. Feels trust with Mayor Gygi has been compromised. Would like Mayor’s role with AFC Vision to be replaced with a council member.

Angela Johnson – Does not support the land swap and wants to keep AF Canyon as is. She asked for feedback on a Facebook page and read some of the comments. Said there were over 100 comments on that thread. All were opposed to the land swap. Wants to preserve the Canyon.

Ken Cromar – Was at a meeting of AFC Vision. Found it interesting that public comment had an impact on the group. Wanted to know how it got this far without public knowledge. Decision was made to give Snowbird their $50,000 donation back. He asked if anyone on the committee had received campaign contributions from Snowbird. Commissioner Ellertson said he had received campaign contributions. At a meeting held at American Fork High School a resident said nobody who had received compensation from Snowbird should be on the committee. Mayor Gygi came up to the front and did not state he had received anything. Found out that Mayor Gygi has received helicopter rides and other things from Snowbird. Wants to know what all Mayor Gygi has received from Snowbird and wants him to step down from those discussions.

Dave Fields – VP of Resort Operations from Snowbird. Snowbird cannot build condos or hotels on land. They protect water and resources in the Canyon. Partnered with others to clean up the Canyon from old mines. Snowbird is interested in an open process and will continue to be open moving forward.

Mayor Gygi spoke. When Mr. Cromar asked if he had received any campaign contributions from Snowbird and he honestly answered no. He has been working on this project for approximately 18 months. Was told by former mayor to reach out to Snowbird to find out their plans. Mayor reached out to Marisa Wright and she put him in touch with Snowbird. He, Marisa, and Stephanie Martinez met with Snowbird. Understood what they wanted to do and felt there should be a process. Met with MAG and discussed creating a steering committee to discuss this and other canyon issues. Recognized that money would be needed for the committee and asked the State Legislature for the funds. Was given $100,000. Created steering committee and invited UDOT, Utah County, every Utah County mayor, Sundance, Snowbird, Forest Services, Parks Service, and others. Purpose was to do research of Canyon issues. He told the Council and has emails to prove he made the Council aware. What he didn’t know, and nobody in Utah County knew, was that Mountain Accord was working on a land swap that involved AF Canyon. That changed everything. Has advocated to Mountain Accord that they should have Utah County representation on their committee. In this process, he feels he’s been trying to do what is best for Cedar Hills and the County. The closest he came to advocating for Snowbird was speaking of their proposed gondola to the State Legislature. He has never advocated for Snowbird or Save Our Canyons, both of whom have proposals for the canyon. In a free society, everyone has rights. Feels everyone should have a right to speak their minds. Mountain Accord has been working for seven years and AFC Vision just got started. They weren’t in a position to make any recommendations. He feels he was being fair in advocating for the process. He went to three events with Snowbird. He ran it through the city attorney and was told that as long as the dinner was less than $50 then he is fine. Feels he was compliant with that. He also disclosed the helicopter ride, but forgot to mention it at the American High School meeting. Answered every question that was asked that night. We can always do things better. He wanted to correct a few things stated in public comment. Has told AFC Vision that his marching orders come from the residents of Cedar Hills and will do what they want. He contacted the Preserve & Protect group and made them aware of this.

Councilmember Augustus requested that the City Council consider a Resolution pertaining to the

Environmental Stewardship of American Fork Canyon. CM Augustus discussed his resolution. It is non-binding, but a good faith effort to show we are taking the issue seriously. Based it on the resolution passed by American Fork city, but made his own changes. CM Augustus read his resolution. He then proposed a few changes. On item #10, changed to the City Council asking the mayor to voluntarily remove himself from any associated boards and committees. #11 would read that any representative would be appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council.

CM Geddes thanked everyone who showed up tonight. He loves recreation. He feels AF Canyon should stay the way it is. Snowbird doesn’t need any more land. They’ve done a good job with the land the own, but don’t need more. He disagrees with a few of the points of the resolution. One is the Snowbird ski bus that our recreation department holds each year. This benefits the youth in our community and eliminating that bus hurts those kids who utilize this program. Opposed to the directive against the mayor. He believes what the mayor has said and anything directly pointed at Mayor Gygi is uncalled for. Supports a resolution, though acknowledges it is non-binding and all we can do is encourage. Thanks CM Augustus for his work and his time in putting the resolution together.

CM Crawley believes the resolution is important to pass. Issues with mayor aren’t the crucial points of the resolution. He never heard about the helicopter ride until last week via social media. There are some issues that stem from difference opinions they have. Number one stakeholder is the people. Told Mayor Gygi he should be posting about these meetings. Feels there has been an air of secrecy and has encouraged Mayor Gygi to tell the residents. Isn’t angry with Mayor Gygi, but feels transparency is an issue. Wants to see more of it in the future. Feels Mayor hasn’t represented residents in this. CM Crawley asked the Snowbird representative how long Snowbird has been discussing the land swap. Representative deferred to Bob Bonar as he hasn’t been part of those meetings. Land swap wasn’t part of original Mountain Accord process. As their individual committees presented their proposals to the executive committee of Mountain Accord, and that is when the land swap was discussed. CM Crawley asked Mayor Gygi how many times he met with Bob Bonar, and Mayor Gygi said they met alone one time before the AFC Committee was formed. He feels Mayor Gygi has been more supportive of Snowbird than residents want him to be.

I expressed similar concerns that CM Geddes expressed. I don’t feel that stopping the ski bus does anything but hurt our youth who want to participate in this program and it is something that many other cities do as well. I also feel that we, as a community, need to come together in opposition to the land swap and having language that is accusatory or inflammatory doesn’t help that cause.

CM Zappala – He supports the process we’d like to have with the Canyon. Residents are nearly unanimous in preserving the Canyon and the Council is also unanimous in this. Council wants an open process and open meetings with minutes. The resolution as presented by CM Augustus is too divisive and inflammatory and feels we spend too much time fighting and finger pointing instead of discussing the actual concern of the land swap.

CM Augustus – He made a motion to accept the resolution with the following changes - #10 to ask mayor to voluntarily remove himself from any committees regarding AF Canyon. He is willing to strike #11 and #12.

CM Zappala expressed concerns he still has with the main body of the resolution. Some of these include the requirement for any representative who has voting rights to first come back to the Council before voting, and also that there is no discussion of changing the zoning guidelines in the Canyon.

Council voted 3-2 against the resolution presented by CM Augustus.

CM Zappala then read his resolution, which includes many of the same points but adds some and removes divisive language. You can view his resolution on his blog at http://cedarhillsblog.org/american-fork-canyon-resolution/

CM Geddes feels this resolution is more palatable and informed us that the County did pass their resolution today.

CM Augustus still wants #10 incorporated.

Council voted 4-1 in favor of CM Zappala’s resolution.

Review/Action to Award Contract for Street Work

This project involves the streets of Sage Vista and Morgan. There will be milling of the gutter line and doing an overlay of the street. Several bids were received and Kilgore was the lowest bidder. The City has received qualified bids for the 2015 Asphalt Leveling, Edge Mill and Overlay Project. The apparent low bidder is Kilgore Companies with a low bid of approximately $85,580. The contract being used is our standard contract but still needs legal approval. Door notices will be placed on affected households, and a notice will go on the city’s website and in the newsletter. This work will be done in stages. Work will be done by middle of October but do not yet have a start date. CM Geddes recused himself as he has hired Kilgore to work on his project. This was approved.

Review/Action on Food Trucks

As a follow up to the 6/16/2015 City Council meeting, staff has met with Tom Karen, a food truck owner to develop a plan for a food truck rally that would take effect beginning 7/23/2015. According to the proposal, starting Thursday nights from 5:00-9:00, Heritage Park will begin hosting a food truck rally, consisting of 4-5 food truck options. The rally will be coordinated by Tom Karen, who will schedule the food trucks that will be participating each week. Other cities operate in this same fashion where the food truck vendors coordinate nights and govern themselves. Food trucks will be responsible for set-up, clean-up, and maintenance of adjacent park areas. Additionally, each vendor will be required to set up a Cedar Hills business license, and show proof of a Utah County Health Permit. Staff is proposing that Cedar Hills follow this model that has worked in other cities, and evaluate how it is working for Cedar Hills. Following an evaluation, City Code may be modified to allow for food trucks to operate under the guidelines approved by the City. Staff proposes that the trial period last through September. There will be a proposal at the next City Council meeting to modify city code, which currently restricts the parking of vehicles for sales. Chandler will also follow up with other cities to find out what has worked and what hasn’t. Discussion was held and food trucks do need to be on a flat surface, so the parking lot of Heritage Park would be where the food trucks need to be parked. Food truck season will be April through September. This was approved.

Review/Action on Subdivision Improvements for Bridgestone Plat C

Perry Homes has requested the acceptance of the public improvements construction and the release of the performance guarantee related to “Bridgestone Plat C”, except that portion to be held as the durability retainer.  The requested release amounts equal $208,005.69 and $6000.00 for a total of $214,005.69. The durability retainer amounts equal $41,601.14 and $1200.00 for a total of $42,801.14. Staff has done the inspection and recommends the release of the performance guarantee. This was approved.

Discussion on Fireworks

Fire Marshal Bailey stated that the Fire Chief wants to restrict all fireworks east of Canyon Road. This will need to come before the Council at the next meeting (July 21st). I also requested that staff look at a new location as opposed to Mesquite Park for fireworks (see email above in my city report from resident).

Council Meeting - June 16, 2015

Public Comment

Cory Shupe – Cory is with Blu Line Designs. On April 16^th he presented to the Planning Commission their conceptual plans. Planning Commission tabled the item to discuss some suggested architectural changes. This meeting was held at city offices with a few members of the Planning Commission, a few members of the City Council, and staff. They updated plans to include feedback received. Planning Commission recommended a finding of fact that the building be allowed to traverse two subzones. He would like the Council to weigh in on this and wants it on the next agenda. Mayor Gygi explained that public comment isn’t a time for discussion and referred Mr. Shupe to staff for follow up.

Darin Lowder – Thanks the Council and staff for everything that is going right in the city. Thanked everyone involved for a great Family Festival. Has a concern about signage put up in the roundabout on Cedar Hills Drive. Feels like there is always a sign there. A lot of thought went into the sign ordinance. This is a small issue but matters to him and others in his area. Some may prefer there aren’t ordinances in the city. These things are put in place for the better of the community. Read from the sign ordinance. Feels that signs in that area are a distraction and doesn’t meet intent of sign ordinance.

Shannon Lucas – Showed picture of parking violations occurring on his street. Vehicles are parked on the street for weeks on cinderblocks while it was being worked on. Reached out to code enforcement but was told that if the car is moved an inch then it counts toward the requirement of the vehicle needing to be moved at least every 48 hours. Would hope for stronger enforcement.

Public Hearing on 2015 and 2016 Budgets

Nobody signed up for public hearing.

Consent Agenda

Marilyn Buckner was appointed to the Parks, Trails, and Beautification Committee. Elizabeth Paul was appointed to the Cultural Arts Committee. The minutes from the May 5 and May 19 City Council meetings were approved.

City Reports

David Bunker – YCC has 41 members this year, which is the highest participation rate we’ve ever had. Emily Cox and Nicole Allen are doing a great job with this. Golf is doing well this month. A tournament was held every day the first week of June. Monthly community classes have been held at the community center regarding lawn care and gardening. Invites the public to attend the next meeting. Lacrosse starts this Saturday.

CM Rees – Family Festival was very successful. We had a great carnival company and each event saw greater attendance than prior years. We will have dates for next year in November as that is when the carnival company is able to schedule. HONK is starts this Thursday and will run every night except Sunday. This will be at Heritage Park.

CM Zappala – LPPSD meets this week but he will be unable to attend. Will be attended by Mayor Gygi.

Mayor Gygi – Finance Committee met and discussed budget. Has been talking about metering PI water; however, received an update from ULCT that the State is discussing PI metering and recognized they may have some obligation to help pay for it if it is mandated. He feels we should wait and see what happens with this. Brown Amusements (carnival company) is looking for a location in Utah County where they can store equipment and rides. Interested in our nine acres for this.

CM Augustus – General Plan Committee continuing to work on updates.

Review/Action on FY2015 Budget Amendments

10-65-600 Family Festival Celebration and 10-35-100 Family Festival Income $15,000 increase to capture higher participation rate for all-access passes and the new carnival.

10-65-601 Cultural Events increase of $2,375 for participation in the theater production HONK with

Highland. The subsidy may be less than $2,375 depending on ticket sales and donations. Anticipating subsidy may be closer to $1000. The Arts committee’s intent was to offset the costs with donations, but they have not been able to get the donations they were anticipating as the it conflicted with Family Festival also seeking donations at the same time. This was offset with sales tax revenue that came in higher than anticipated.

10-65-120 Events Salary Wages will need to be increased approximately $18,000 to offset the growth of activities at the Community Events Center. 10-35-112 Event Rental revenues will also be increased by $80,000 based on the revenue earned this fiscal year.

10-65-605 Youth City Council expenditures would like to utilize the donations they raised in the current year for various activities, which amounts to approximately $1,300 in the revenue account 10-35-105 Youth City Council donations.

20-30-600 Season & Punch Passes at the golf course were traded in exchange of $1,300 in 20-50-330 financial software, $21,236 for 20-70-600 advertising, and $10,900 for concrete and retaining wall work for the course.

51-38-380 sewer impact fees collected for Timpanogos Special Service District (TSSD), and 51-74-471 sewer impact fees distributed to TSSD exceeded $32,000 in May, so an adjustment of $40,000 is recommended for the rest of the fiscal year to these impact fee accounts.

This was approved.

Review/Action on Tax Rate for FY2016

After golf course bonds were refinanced, the annual amount being paid out for debt was reduced. Some motor vehicle fees were also used for debt fund as the motor vehicle fees we receive are partially based on our debt levy. Based on the amount needed to pay the debt on the golf course and to stay consistent with property tax collected last year, the County has recommended a certified tax rate of .002315. This equates to .001594 for general operations ($685,065) and .000721 for the bond payment ($309,970). This new tax rate is down from 2013 (.001922) and 2014 (.002410). Any increase in property tax revenue collected is coming from new construction. This was approved.

Review/Action Adopting FY2016 Budget

·         General fund budgeted revenue and transfer increase $69,625 or 1.82%

·         Propose adopting certified property tax rate for operating levy

·         Propose debt levy $51,300 less than golf bond debt service, or $309,120

·         Budgeted $40,000 increase for 10-35-112 Event Center rentals or $180,000 total. This is conservative as revenue is projected to reach $250,000 for FY 2015-2016

·         Sales tax revenue changed down from a flat projection to a three-year average $1,159,000, and is projected at $1,209,870 FY 2015-2016

·         Propose adopting Bowen, Collins utility rates, to fund long-term water & sewer projects

·         Net paperless billing and “State of the City” savings approximately $24,500

·         Legal expenses increase $20,000 or 25%

·         Financial audit expenses decreased $9,000 or 36%

·         Street related expenses decreases $27,000 to help comply with the new minimum funding requirement based on budget effective January 1, 2016 by HB362. Basically, we will be required to spend the same amount of funds from our general fund in future years for street projects as we will in 2016. We want to be conservative so we don’t reduce the amount of Class C road funds the city is entitled to.

·         Event staff, supplies, and maintenance increase approximately $54,838 to keep up with growth

·         Other increases — Family Festival $5,000 or 12.6%, Library $586 or 3.7%, Parks Committee $800 or 19.0%, Cultural Events $900 or 17.6%

·         Police Services $18,049 or 3.5% increase

·         Every other year election expenses $15,000

·         Employee merit increases 3%

·         Planned golf course operations subsidy down $70,000

Please see my notes from previous meetings for additional information on the FY2016. Many of the items are discussed in more detail in notes from meetings held over the past few months. You can also find a PowerPoint presentation given by our Finance Director with the Council packet at http://www.cedarhills.org/sites/default/files/agendas/city-council-agenda-2015-06-16.pdf. It starts on page 14.

CM Crawley was unable to attend the meeting tonight but asked for a comment to be read into the meeting. He approved the budget but asked the city to delay the golf maintenance shed project until he has finalized his analysis on the golf course.

CM Augustus requested that the Arts Committee be organized with a chair, a vice-chair, a member of staff assigned to the committee, and a budget prepared and presented to the Council with anticipated expenses before any of the funds for this budget are spent.

This was approved.

Review/Action on Updating of Fee Schedule

Modifications are proposed to the City Fee Schedule in order to implement recommendations from the utility rate study as prepared by Bowen Collins & Associates and adopted by City Council in 2012. Additionally, some changes have been made to fees and charges for rental rates for the Vista Room, and the service charge for postage and paper statement fee for those who wish to opt out of paperless billing. Resident rate for the Vista room has not changed but rates for non-residents is increasing as demand for the facility is high. Greg Gordon and his team also looked at rates other facilities charge and feel our rates should be increased. This was approved.

Discussion on Food Trucks

Public Comment – Tom Karen (lives in Alpine). He runs a family business and encourages the city to allow food truck vendors in the city. Food trucks provide food options and variety. Food can be available at events. Alpine has a food truck rally on Monday nights and it is well attended. Food trucks can work in the city. He is happy to help provide guidance on what other cities are doing and what works well.

Council has requested to have a discussion on how to coordinate food trucks operating in Cedar Hills. Staff presented a list of available food trucks in Utah County, as well as when other cities are doing their food truck “roundup.” Items that would need to be decided on would be items needed for application (Business License, UT Co. Health Cert., agreement on trash clean up, etc.)

This is something I would love to see occur in the city. It provides a variety of food choices for our residents, especially as there are not many restaurants in the area. Mayor Gygi received a phone call from Mr. Richardson with Elev8 last night stating they have struggled and will be closing the grill at the end of the week. Food trucks can be another option for the community. Staff will do some additional research on what other cities have done and come back to the Council.

Discussion on Gates at Heiselt’s Hollow and Bayhill

Public Comment – Daniel Torriente – moved here 8 years ago. Accesses the hillside for recreation. Only areas where Forest Service needs to close would not be very difficult as there is only one trail and it’s very steep.

Ben Bailey (LPPSD Fire Marshal) – There are irresponsible people going up there. Fire department responds often to out of control fires. Area is very dry and wildfire could get out of control quickly.

For the past several months the Mayor and staff have been working with several residents including Mr.

Keith Hansen regarding shooting and large amounts of littering along the east bench of Cedar Hills. Mr.

Hansen presented information during a city council meeting requesting the city to enforce the No-Shooting laws within the city limits. The city limits were added to an aerial image and it was determined that the majority of the shooting locations along the foothills are indeed within the City limits. Shooting is however allowed on Forest Service property, yet it is inaccessible for vehicles due to closure by the Forest Service. During a discussion with the U.S. Forest Service, Mr. Jon Stansfield and Ms. Cheryl Butler relayed that vehicular access to the Forest Service properties along the east bench interface were discouraged. They have closed several “off-road” access points and intend to make sure all points are closed. If vehicles can drive to the point of shooting, they are within city limits. In March staff presented a 5-point plan to Council to assist in efforts to curtail illegal shooting activities within city limits. They include the following:

1.       Install signage.  This will include signage at the entrance points to the trail and hillside area.  Also signs at the boundaries of city-owned properties.  The signs will include the proper phone number to call to report gunfire.

2.       Collect garbage from shooting locations.  If the target shooters don’t have items to shoot, they are less likely to “practice”.  Targets being shot now include wood panels, TVs, boxes, etc.

3.       Access Control.  In order to limit the amount of targets being taken to these practice areas, we would install gates at strategic locations.  Specifically the end of Heiselts Hollow Drive. This is the main access point to the majority of the area.  Another point of entrance is the end of Bayhill Drive. With the proposed development, this access will also be eliminated.  It will not stop all hillside access but limit it greatly.

4.       Enforcement. The key will be to have law enforcement respond immediately when a call is received. The call will be placed in priority according to the P.D. calls at the time, but they will respond as quickly as they are able.

5.       Fire Department assessment.  Due to the dry conditions, the fire department may assess the hillside for potential fire danger which is expressly present when fire arms are discharged.  We will coordinate this with the Fire Chief.

One resident expressed concern that the right-of-way to Forest Service land was being closed. Mr. Stansfield with the Forest Service weighed in on this and indicated the Forest Service does not maintain any right-of-way access through Cedar Hills as they have no system roads above Cedar Hills. Another issue is that those access Forest Service land are going through private property to access the hillside. The gate installed at Heiselts Hollow allows for pedestrian traffic, ATV’s and motorcycles.

CM Zappala asked how we communicate to residents that the Forest Service doesn’t want vehicles on their property. Forest Service did install signage letting people know that all motorized vehicles are not allowed on Forest Service land. They also installed rock barriers to prevent vehicle access. Many of the signs have been shot.

Intent was to restrict access for those who are bringing up large pieces of garbage and materials to shoot in the foothills. Things such as couches and washing machines were brought up and left in that area. Only allowing ATV’s and motorcycles prevents some of the bigger trash from being brought up. Looking at photographs provided, most of the shooting is occurring within city limits, which is illegal.

Mayor Gygi recommended that Mr. Torriente and others who access the hillside meet with staff to discuss ideas and possible solutions.

City Council Meeting - May 19, 2015

Work Session

Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days Royalty presented. The queen and each attendant introduced themselves, as well as the rodeo royalty. Invited Cedar Hills residents to Strawberry Days, which is in June.

Council Meeting

Public Comment

Robert Silva – Received a notice regarding a speed bump sign being covered by his tree. His tree was in before the sign was placed. In order to comply, he would have to remove the entire tree. Would like to know if city could move the sign back approximately three feet so that the tree doesn’t need to be cut down. Many other city signs in the area are also obstructed by trees.

David Cox – Addressed the Rosegate development. Has lived in Cedar Hills for less than a year. He was initially opposed to the development for selfish reasons. Has general impression that the city feels they are in a helpless position with this development. The mixed-use office/retail zone is supposed to be less intense. In commercial guidelines it says city shall impose any and all conditions to protect surrounding areas. His belief is that the conditions requested have not been met, specifically the height of the building. He will email the Council the rest of his thoughts as he ran out of time during public comment.

Ken Cromar – Last City Council meeting his group spoke regarding Kim Holindrake and her retirement. Hasn’t received a response and wants to know when he will receive one. Wants former attorney Eric Johnson to sign an affidavit stating that all city documents were returned to the city and that he never engaged in anything illegal.

Public Hearing

Final Plans for Lakeview Trails Subdivision, located at approximately 10100 Canyon Road in the H-

1 Hillside Zone

Wayne Windor – Manager for Metropolitan Water District. Believes there is one area that has not yet been resolved and it is the storm water runoff on the corridor. Wants any action to be contingent on addressing storm water runoff concerns.

Decision to allow the proposed congregate care facility, Rosegate at Cedar Hills, located at 4600 W Cedar Hills Drive, to traverse the Neighborhood Retail subzone

David Cox – Purpose of the neighborhood retail subzone is to promote/meet day to day needs of current residents. Doesn’t feel this development does this. Plans he has seen are not ideal. Is in favor of allowing it to traverse in order to make building nicer looking, but only if the building is moving forward.

Corey Shupe – Corey is with Blu Line, the developer for Rosegate. He feels they have met requirements, but there was a desire from the Planning Commission to look at how things would look if an overlap in the neighborhood retail subzone was allowed. Came to hear feedback from residents.

Amendments to City Code Regarding Landscaping and Xeriscaping

Nobody signed up for public comment.

Water and Sewer Funds transfers out to Governmental Funds to cover related Water & Sewer charges for FY2015 and 2016 - see notes from that agenda item below.

Ken Hazelbaker – New to Cedar Hills. He is a Civil Engineer. Surprised to see a golf course in a desert community. Doesn’t understand why we are transferring funds, wants to know if it’s a normal fiscal thing or an emergency issue.

City Reports

David Bunker – Teen soccer finished up this week and was very successful. Working on an agreement with Lone Peak Volleyball for some clinics. Meeting with Principal Bromley to discuss additional partnerships. Golf course has struggled this month with rain.

CM Zappala – Working on technology to improve customer service. Coordinating with city staff. We currently use a program called iWork but isn’t clear whether or not it meets our needs, so he is going to setup a meeting with them to find out if we should be using it differently.

Mayor Gygi – Finance Committee met and moving closer to final budget. Hoping to have one more additional meeting before final approval.

CM Rees – Planning Commission met. They had a great discussion on whether or not to allow the proposed congregate care facility to traverse the neighborhood retail portion of the SC-1 zone. The goals discussed were to create a park-like setting that can be accessed and enjoyed by the entire community, to move the development further from the homes to the south, and to allow for more commercial development in the southwest portion of that property. The final motion incorporated these goals and included conditions that the area must maximize open space to be visible and accessible to the community, and to require a 1 to 1 swap for commercial. It was approved with one dissenting. The one dissenting preferred to have a visual of what was being suggested before making a decision and also would have liked the requirement that the 1 to 1 swap be specifically for commercial that generates sales tax. The recommendation was made to Blu Line to come to the Council with some visuals of the 1 to 1 swap.

The Planning Commission also discussed rezoning some lots from the R-1 20,000 zone to R-1 15,000. This would allow some of those lots to be subdivided and developed; however, it is anticipated this would only create an additional 8-10 usable lots. Large animal rights would need to be allowed as these lots already have those rights. It would also make the current non-conforming lots into conforming lots.

The Planning Commission agreed that the next meeting on May 26^th would be dedicated to reviewing the design guidelines.

Finally, because Lakeview Trails is on the agenda today, I figured I would read the motion made by the Planning Commission. It states “To recommend the approval of the Lakeview Trails Subdivision final plan to the City Council contingent on following: showing the storm water drainage between Lots 3 and 4 and parcel A and Lot 1; fixing the Pressurized Irrigation line between Lots 19 and 20 per David Bunker’s direction; showing the location of the sidewalk at the end of the cul de sac off Bayhill Drive; adding building area on each lot; assigning addresses; correcting the geotech study report; engineering and geotech review by the city engineer; and a letter of water rights conveyance.”

The Finance Committee met and further discussed the upcoming FY2016 budget. No significant changes were made from the last Council meeting.

The Family Festival is a few weeks away and that committee is busy preparing. All details are available on the city’s website.

CM Crawley – Spent time looking at options for the golf course.

Review/Action on installation of sewer laterals to properties on 4000 West

Recently a Pleasant Grove resident on 4000 West approached the City to connect to the Cedar Hills sanitary sewer mainline due to a failure of the septic system at their address. Currently the city policy is that connection to city lines are for current residents unless provisions are made otherwise. Due to the time sensitive nature of the sewer failure, this resident has been in discussions with the City regarding possible boundary adjustment or agreement to connect to the sewer main. Other properties may also be affected. Staff recommends each PG resident who wants to connect sign an agreement to boundary adjust into Cedar Hills. There are about six homes on this street who are also on septic systems and may eventually be in the same position. City would cover cost of lateral to property line. Ms. Day (the PG resident) spoke to those residents and all but one agreed to annex into Cedar Hills when their homes sold.

The concerns that I brought up were 1) an annexation period needs to be defined; 2) what happens if PG rejects the request for disconnect; 3) what happens if she doesn’t pay her sewer bill as we cannot turn off her water; 4) we need to implement any changes recommended by legal counsel.

This was approved with the four items above included as conditions.

Review/Action on final plans for Lakeview Trails in the H-1 Hillside zone

The “Lakeview Trails” subdivision is located on Canyon Road at approximately 10150 N. The proposed subdivision is located within the H-1 zone, but qualifies as a Planned Residential Development (see code 10-6B). These plans have been submitted to an outside engineering firm to review submissions. The submittals include plats showing the infrastructure improvements, a geotechnical study as well as the required storm water management plan.  Planning Commission approved a recommendation to the City Council for final approval during their April meeting.

Staff would like to see storm drain pipes to be 15” to meet city standards. PI line between lots 19 & 20 was corrected. Buildable area is being met. Engineering report on new plans is from Earthtek Engineering. Concern with storm drain system that goes across aqueduct and needs to be subject to an engineer’s review of final storm drain plan. Water conveyance letter was received but needs to be verified. Added streetlight at end of Bayhill cul-de-sac. Additional concern with lots 3-8 is that property encroaches upon easement for Metropolitan aqueduct. This has been an issue for residents in other parts of the city where residents weren’t able to install fences, structures, pools, etc. because of easements. Developer will disclose to residents that fence cannot be built on easement and that privacy fence not allowed on trail.

CM Zappala received a copy of the new geotech report, which was critical of the original geotech report. Asked who has reviewed these concerns. Staff met with Earthtek to review each of the concerns. This was approved with the following conditions: Subject to review of storm drain plans that meets requirements for massive event; drainage between lots 3 & 4 need to be piped; SL/Metropolitan Water as signer on plat; 15” pipe for storm drain; verification of water conveyance; verify addresses listed on plat; identify on plat where fencing is not allowed; final review and approval by engineering.

Review/Action on amendments to city code regarding landscaping and xeriscaping

Planning Commission has made a recommendation to the City Council to modify the current xeriscape code found in 10-5-27 to be as follows: 10-5-27 C. Defined: The term “landscaping” shall mean and include the installation of any combination of turf (including either sod or seeded area), planter beds, gardens, trees and shrubs, statuary, boulders, rock areas, xeriscape or other customary landscape features that occupy the entire unpaved portion of the front yard area. 1. Irrigation System: Where the landscaping includes turf and other plant materials that require the application of irrigation water in order to be sustained, an irrigation system shall be installed and designed to provide adequate quantities of water to those area requiring irrigation. Xeriscaped areas shall be watered only using drip/trickle irrigation systems, or other similar systems used to reduce water consumption. 2. Xeriscape: A landscaping method that employs the use of drought tolerant plants and techniques in order to conserve water. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the use of drought tolerant vegetation, and non-vegetative materials. Provided, however, failure of an owner to install and maintain landscaping within the front yard area under the guise that the vegetation and bare ground that occur naturally on the site constitutes xeriscaping shall not qualify as conforming with the provisions of this section.

CM Zappala brought up again having the city xeriscape roundabouts and street medians as nobody can play on that grass. Staff brought up this may increase our maintenance costs. I requested that we obtain information from our maintenance company on potential costs.

This was approved.

Discussion on Water and Sewer Funds transfers out to Governmental Funds to cover related Water & Sewer charges for FY2015 and 2016

The Utah State Auditor provided new guidance in an Auditor Alert May 8, 2014 for enterprise fund transfers, reimbursements, loans, and services relating to Utah Code 10-6-135. The new auditor alert requires governmental entities to charge governmental funds for any services provided by enterprise funds. The City is also required to hold a public notice because it reimburses the governmental funds for new water and sewer charges incurred. Estimated amounts for water and sewer are $8,500 for general fund and $31,000 for the golf course. Staff used information from what we charge American Fork and LPHS to come to the estimate. The budget impact is zero as there is a charge for the utilities with an associated transfer in from the water & sewer fund to pay for the utilities. The report from the Utah State Auditor is available online for any resident who would like to view.

Review/Action on resolution regarding fireworks and open fires

Chief Freeman has addressed the City Council regarding the upcoming fire conditions.  Although conditions are subject to change with weather patterns which are unpredictable, Chief Freeman feels that if dry weather persists, conditions could rapidly accelerate the potential for fires. The Chief anticipates that conditions will be similar to last year and has expressed concerns that restrictions for open fires and aerial fireworks should be in place in some locations. Utah law now puts the control of restrictions directly with Cities.  By resolution, the City can restrict open fires, fireworks, etc. dependent on criteria such as environmental issues (weather conditions, dry fuel loads, and escalating fire conditions), topographical considerations (mountainous terrain, brush covered areas and wildland interface) and public safety concerns (people, structures and property). In addition, last year the City identified one location for residents who live in restricted areas to gather to celebrate with legal fireworks. Last year the location selected was Mesquite Park. Other cities also use open parks for this activity. It is recommended that Mesquite Park again be designated as the location to have residents gather to light fireworks if they are restricted at their homes.  This way, the fire department can monitor one location vs. the entire east bench.

The restrictions for this year will be that no aerials or open fires are allowed east of Canyon Road. There are no restrictions for the rest of the city at this point, but that is subject to change as recommendations come from the Lone Peak fire chief. Residents are encouraged to light fireworks at Mesquite Park. This was approved.

Discussion on golf course options

Council Member Rob Crawley has asked to include a discussion on the various golf course options that may be available to the City. Options range from keeping the status quo to exploring and comparing other “financial and social’ impacts that other options may offer. The goal of this discussion is to provide feedback and direction to Council Member Crawley as he begins an analysis. CM Crawley read a letter and I’ve included images of that letter here.

The areas I felt needed to be addressed include:

• Including the Golf Course Advisory Committee in the analysis (Mayor Gygi first suggested this). I feel that whatever is decided will hold more weight if it is a group of residents doing the research as opposed to one person.
• The bond covenants need to be fully understood. I've been told that changing the golf course to something else could make the bond callable. We need to understand the repercussions.
• A portion of the golf course is in Highland and we cannot assume they will agree to any changes.
• The cost for reconfiguring the golf course needs to be fully analyzed. While Rob's letter indicates it could be a substitute for the Deerfield land, the reality is that it is currently not usable as soccer fields or park space. Much would need to be reconfigured.
• The cost for moving the PI ponds needs to be considered.
• Legal counsel needs to be involved in reviewing the development agreements with the Cedars as I've been told the open space of the golf course was included as part of the allowance for housing.