City Council Announcements
August 7, 2003
A. Decisions, Feedback & Information needed by staff
1. As part of the Council’s housing policy emphasis, a letter has been drafted to the Chairs of the City’s Boards and Commissions requesting their views and perspectives on the four topics that were addressed during the April 3, 2003 Housing Fact Finding Meeting.
One idea that has been raised is to create a forum in which the Chairs of City Boards and Commissions with a housing component meet quarterly with leaders of key community housing organizations along with City legislative and administrative representatives. The central purpose would be to discuss housing policy issues and topics that arise out of the Council’s discussions and to identify steps that may be taken by either government or private entities to implement key policy concepts. Would Council Members be interested in implementing such a forum? Council Members were in favor.
2. Property Conveyance: Intermodal Hub, 300 S 600 West. Greyhound will pay the City an approximate annual lease payment of $157,000 for use as a passenger terminal, service island, busway and adjacent site amenities. Greyhound and the City are finalizing negotiations of a funding agreement whereby Greyhound will fund a portion of the construction costs of the Intermodal Hub facility. The conveyance is subject to Ordinance paragraph 2.58.040, “Sale of real property – Notice and hearing.” Council Members were in favor of a public hearing.
3. Interlocal Agreements: The Administration has forwarded two agreements -- one to amend the 1996 Fixed Guideway Transit Agreement between Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority; the other an agreement between Salt Lake City and Greyhound Bus Lines to help fund design and construction costs for the Intermodal Hub at 600 West, 200 South streets.
The Administration initially requested time to brief the City Council about the two agreements. However, it is Council staff's understanding that amendments to Utah Law 11-13-202.5 allow the Administration to approve certain interlocal agreements without Council action (see attached). It is Council staff's understanding that the City Attorney's Office has determined that the two forwarded agreements fall under the amended state law. Council staff has summarized the main points of the two agreements below. However, the City Council may wish to request briefings on both documents if it decides that a briefing on either issue is warranted. No decision was made.
Fixed Guideway Transit Agreement Amendment -- The amendment would change the Bus Services Agreement portion of the Transit Agreement to allow the Utah Transit Authority to end a single bus route along Main Street in exchange for increasing the time the north-south Trax line runs on Fridays and Saturdays. According to the agreement, UTA would extend the time Trax trains run on those days to 1 a.m. The agreement limits elimination of the bus route and extension of the time Trax trains would run to an experimental period of one year starting September 1. However, the agreement would allow to permanently extend the trial period "by mutual consent of the parties."
According to the Administration, UTA currently provides bus service on Main Street via Route 442/23. The route runs between the Capitol and the 3900 South Trax station at 15 minute intervals during peak times. The route would be re-routed either to State Street or West Temple Street. UTA apparently implemented the bus route in response to the Transit Agreement's original requirement that it provide a bus shuttle service on Main Street between North Temple and 400 South Street with five-minute headways at peak service hours. Under the original Transit Agreement, UTA could eliminate the shuttle service when Trax trains achieved five-minute headways along the north-south line. According to the Administration, the north-south Trax line trains now have seven-minute headways and could reach five-minute headways as other Trax lines are added.
The Administration noted that the shuttle service requirement was included in the original Transit Agreement when the ridership of Trax trains on the north-south line was unknown because the line had yet to be built. It also should be noted that with the opening of the Main Street Plaza the length of the intended shuttle service has been reduced by 20 percent.
Agreement Between Salt Lake City and Greyhound Bus Lines -- The agreement would allow Greyhound Bus Lines to take part in the design of the Intermodal Hub at 600 West 200 South. Under the agreement's terms, the City would "use its best efforts" to help Greyhound obtain an extension on its lease at its current location at 160 West South Temple. Greyhound also would "pay a portion of the costs of designing, acquiring and constructing the Greyhound Facilities, to reimburse the City for certain financing costs, (and) to lease the Greyhound Facilities from the City on a long-term basis."
The agreement estimates that the design, acquisition and construction of Greyhound's facilities will cost about $7 million. Of that figure, Greyhound would agree to "advance the City $4 million." In return, the City "agrees to advance, from sources available ... $2.8 million, plus any portion of the cost of the design, acquisition and construction costs of the Greyhound Facilities which exceed the total estimated cost of $7 million." In addition, the City agrees to repay Greyhound $2.6 million of its $4 million advance plus interest "to the extent such Grant proceeds are received by the City." Funds to repay Greyhound would come from an estimated $60 million federal grant administered by UTA to build six intermodal hubs in Utah. The remaining $1.4 million advanced by Greyhound "shall be considered payment by Greyhound of the City's 20 percent local match obligation under the Grant, and shall not be subject to reimbursement."
It should be noted that the $60 million federal grant is subject to yearly appropriations by Congress. The Administration notes that intermodal hubs in Ogden and Park City are finished and are no longer eligible to receive grant money. Intermodal hubs in Provo, Orem, and West Valley City remain in development stages. According to the Administration, that leaves Salt Lake City eligible for up to $32 million in federal grant funds -- if the City provides an $8 million local grant match. According to the Administration, "The grant includes the Hub facility and the 200 South portion of the Trax extension to the Hub."
Additional City Council Announcements
August 7, 2003
A. Decisions, Feedback & Information needed by staff
1. The City received notification on August 6th of the Matsumoto City – Salt Lake City 45th Anniversary Ceremony to be September 2, 2003 in Matsumoto, Japan. The delegation from Salt Lake City is also invited to the Saito Kinen Festival on the 1st of September. Because of the Saito Kinen Festival, hotel rooms will be in short supply. Matsumoto City will assist us in finding either a host or lodging in a bed & Breakfast or Traditional Japanese Inn. Lodging ranges from $80 to $300 per night.
I have checked airfare through the airlines and also through Japanese tourist company discount brokers. The least expensive flights leave the 28th of August and would return on a Monday thru Thursday after the ceremony on the 2nd of September. The cost per person for airfare to Japan ranges from $795 plus tax to $2,200 plus tax. This cost is for airfare from Salt Lake City to Tokyo, Narita International Airport. Travel from Narita to Matsumoto is least expensive by rail. A 7 day Japan Rail Pass is $238, longer term passes are more expensive. The pass allows you to travel nationwide on all Japan Railways trains, buses and ferries. If Council Members or their spouses are interested in going, Council staff will need to know as soon as possible so that Matsumoto City can be informed and so that travel arrangements can be made.
City staff is working with members of the community to inform them of the ceremony and arrange their travel plans. Council Members wanted to think about it and get back to Cindy in the morning. They also suggested sending Michael Sears to Japan to represent the City.
2. Ms. Gust-Jenson asked if Council Members wanted to the CIP discussion on August 12th or if they wanted to wait until September. Council Members were in favor of waiting until September to hold the discussion.
3. Ms. Gust-Jenson asked if Council Members still wanted to hold a discussion on speed bumps on August 12th. Council Members were in favor of giving the public a chance to respond before lifting the moratorium. Council were in favor of a discussion on September 9th.
4. A discussion was held on forming subcommittees for the Downtown Special Improvement District and the Site Development Ordinance. It was decided that Council Members Love, Buhler and Christensen would be on the downtown SID subcommittee and Council Members Lambert, Jergensen and Buhler would form the Site Development ordinance subcommittee.