PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
REGULAR/BRIEFING SESSION
THURSDAY, JUNE 4 1987
THE CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, MET IN REGULAR SESSION ON THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1987, AT 5:30 P.M. IN SUITE 300, CITY HALL, 324 SOUTH STATE.
THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT: FLORENCE BITTNER THOMAS M. GODFREY GRANT MABEY ROSELYN N. KIRK SYDNEY R. FONNESBECK WILLIE STOLER EARL F. HARDWICK.
Mike Zuhl, Chief of Staff, was present.
Mayor Palmer DePaulis, Roger Cutler, city attorney, Kathryn Marshall, city recorder, and Lynda Domino, chief deputy city recorder, were absent.
Council Chairperson Kirk presided at and conducted the meeting.
DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
#1. RE: Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes, Fiscal Year 1987-88.
ACTION: Councilmember Godfrey moved and Councilmember Bittner seconded to adopt Resolution 65 of 1987 awarding the sale of $23 million of Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes and fixing a final price thereof, which motion carried, all members voting aye.
DISCUSSION: Lance Bateman, finance director, said the underwriter for the City’s tax notes was Bankers Trust in New York City and they would sell $23 million worth of tax notes, which was a fair number consistent with prior issuances. He said they also offered to buy the tax notes and the City accepted. Larry Denham, Prudential Bache, said the Bankers Trust bid was aggressive and he had recommended that the City accept their bid. Dick Fox, bond counsel, said the resolution approved the sale, the form of the notes, authorized the signing of notes, and approved the bond purchase agreement.
(Q 87-9)
#2. RE: Parking meter fees.
ACTION: Councilmember Kirk moved and Councilmember Fonnesbeck seconded to bring the action of May 21, 1987, regarding parking meter fees and Ordinance 27 of 1987 which increased those fees, to the Council for reconsideration, which motion carried, all members voting aye.
Councilmember Kirk moved and Councilmember Fonnesbeck seconded to correct a technical error in Ordinance 27 of 1987 to read $.50 per hour rather than $.60 per hour, which motion failed, Councilmembers Bittner, Hardwick, Godfrey, and Stoler voting nay and Councilmembers Mabey, Fonnesbeck and Kirk voting aye.
Councilmember Hardwick moved and Councilmember Godfrey seconded to adopt an ordinance increasing the parking meter rates to $.60 per hour. This motion was withdrawn.
Councilmember Kirk moved and Councilmember Hardwick seconded to adopt Ordinance 33 of 1987 setting the parking meter rates at $.50 per hour, which motion carried, all members voting aye except Councilmember Stoler who voted nay.
DISCUSSION: Linda Hamilton, Council Executive Director, explained that when the Council passed the ordinance on May 21, 1987, the vote reflected that they wanted to charge $.50 per hour for parking but the ordinance which was signed read $ .60 per hour. She said the technical error needed to be corrected. Ms. Hamilton also said they would have about $700,000 less in property tax than was originally projected and said the issue of giving up additional revenue by charging only $.50 per hour at parking meters was worth re-discussing.
Councilmember Kirk said it seemed that the people from the Central Business District and Retail Merchants Association were very concerned about an increase in the parking meter rate and she thought the Council should leave the parking meter rate at $.50 per hour. Councilmember Stoler expressed concern about the forecasting of revenues and the changing information about what the revenues would be or where there would be shortfalls.
Councilmember Fonnesbeck said it was not unusual for the county to change their figures on property taxes. Mike Zuhl, Chief of Staff, said 10 days ago they received the estimated property tax which was lower than they had been led to believe the city would receive. He indicated the problem was caused by the county and had nothing to do with the city’s forecasting. He said they were required by law to use the county’s certified assessed valuation number.
Councilmember Kirk said at some point the Council needed to express their concern for the businesses in the city and she said at the Salt Lake Tomorrow committee meeting the businesses expressed their concern that the City Council was not interested in bringing business into the Salt Lake City. She thought the amount of money, $270,000, which would be raised by increasing the parking meter rates to $.60 per hour, was a small price to pay in order to show support for the businesses.
Councilmember Stoler indicated that the administration had said they would be willing to check with the businesses to find out how much time they wanted on meters in front of their business and he thought the “penny a minute” was a clean figure. Councilmember Fonnesbeck agreed with Mrs. Kirk that it was a small concession to make to the businesses by not increasing the rates to $.60. Councilmember Mabey agreed that the Council needed to support business. Councilmember Bittner said there were not many meters in the immediate downtown area along Main Street and said when the downtown planning was done the intention was that people would use parking structures. Councilmember Kirk said the meters were very important to some of the businesses. Councilmember Hardwick agreed that the Council needed to send a message of support to the businesses.
(O 87-12)
The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.