2006 Council Announcements

December 5, 2006

 

City Council Announcements

December 5, 2006

 

A. Information Needed by Council Staff

 

1. Anonymous Complaints - The City Council received the attached communication from the Community Development Director regarding an increasing pattern of property owners submitting complaints against multiple neighboring properties in retaliation for an initial complaint against their properties. The Planning & Zoning Enforcement Division is proposing to eliminate investigations of anonymous complaints in an effort to help direct the City's limited enforcement resources to those cases that most negatively impact neighborhoods. The proposed change would require that a complainant give his/her name and provide contact information, such as a phone number or address. The communication states that "contact information would only be used for follow-up and court action (should that need arise) and would not be made public under any other circumstance." Council staff confirmed with the City Attorney that contact information can be "protected" under the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). The Council may wish to discuss this proposed policy and inquire whether anonymous complaints through the Mayor or Council would also be disregarded.  Not discussed.

 

2. District Outreach Meetings:

      Did the Council feel that the District Outreach Meetings worked out well this year?

      Does the Council wish to consider scheduling similar meetings in the future?

      If so, do you want to schedule them each year, or every other year? 

      One of the Council Members pointed out that since next year is an election year if these meetings were held the Council may want to consider adjusting the schedule so that the late summer and fall outreach meetings are not held in districts where an election is taking place, or where the incumbent is running for another public office, or the Council may want to consider just holding the outreach meetings in non-election years.

      Given the above ideas, here are two options, as well as a sample schedule of the next few years if the Council selects option (b) below.

 

a.    No District Outreach meetings; Council free to continue community meetings in keeping with Council policy*; or,

b.    District Outreach meetings scheduled to avoid late summer and fall in districts where an election will be held, yet still considering the previous year’s schedule. (District 6 meeting was held in October and District 4 meeting was held in November, and so it may be too soon to schedule those districts in January or February). Council free to continue community meetings in keeping with Council policy*.  Not discussed.

 

* Note: When the Council increased its emphasis on policy and budget issues it was determined that resources would not allow for District or neighborhood meetings to be held during the budget process (months of May and June).

 

      2007 Sample Schedule (Elections will be held in Districts 2, 4 and 6):

 

1.    January     District Two

2.    February    District One

3.    March District Three

4.    April District Six

1.    May   District Four

2.    August      District Seven

3.    September or October    District Five

 

2008 Sample Schedule:

 

1.    January     District One

2.    February    District Two

3.    March District Three

4.    April District Four

5.    May   District Five

6.    August      District Six

7.    September or October    District Seven

 

2009 Sample Schedule:  (Elections will be held in Districts 1, 3, 5, 7)

 

1.    January     District One

2.    February    District Three

3.    March District Five

4.    April District Seven

5.    May   District Two

6.    August      District Four

7.    September or October    District Six

 

 

Additional Announcements

December 5, 2006

 

A. Information Needed by Council Staff

 

1. Monday, December 11, there will be the annual luncheon with the SL County legislators and members of the COG.  The luncheon begins at 11:45 in S1007 at the County Government Center. Are any Council Members interested in attending? Cindy Gust-Jenson said the notice was confusing but everyone was invited to attend.  She said Councilmember Christensen could not attend.  She said Councilmember Jergensen and Lynn Pace were planning to attend.  She asked if other Council Members wanted to be included.  Councilmember Saxton said she would probably attend.

 

Ms. Gust-Jenson said clarification was needed regarding the Legislative dinner.  She asked if the Council wanted to have dinner or breakfast.  A majority of the Council was in favor of breakfast.

 

Ms. Gust-Jenson said Councilmember Simonsen was not able to attend the Council retreat originally scheduled for the first week in January.  She said retreats were not normally held unless all Council Members could attend.  She said staff would work on another date.

 

B. For Your Information

 

1. Attached is a Grant application submitted by the City.

 

Grant Submission Update Memo

TO:   Sam Guevera, Steve Fawcett, Cindy Gust-Jenson

FROM: Grant Acquisition Team

DATE: 12/6/2006

SUBJECT:    ADTEC DUI Enforcement Grant

FUNDING AGENCY:   Utah Highway Patrol ADTEC

REQUESTED AMOUNT: $21,000

DEPARTMENT APPLYING:    Police Department

COLLABORATING AGENCIES:  Utah Highway Patrol, Salt Lake City Mobile Neighborhood Watch, SLC Community Councils

DATE SUBMITTED:   May 31, 2006     

SPECIFICS: 

      Training                      Supplies                 Equipment

      Personnel:

            Existing          New             Overtime Only       Requires Funding After Grant

      Match Required                       In Kind        Cash

      Computer Software Development            In House           Contract Services: 

      New Program (City not performing function now)

GRANT DETAILS:

Salt Lake City has received funding from ADTEC for Portable Breath Testers and In-Car video cameras five of the past eight years.  SLCPD has been a leader in the State of Utah in DUI enforcement and arrests.  As a result, we have been awarded funding for enforcement and investigation on a regular basis.  This proposal, to the State of Utah, requests funding for 18 digital video cameras to be mounted in patrol vehicles, and 30 portable breath testers.  This equipment allows officers to conduct field sobriety tests with more accuracy, and to record the interface with DUI suspects.  SLCPD conducted 10 DUI saturations, resulting in 81 arrests during the past year.  Additionally, SLCPD made more than 800 arrests for DUI during regular patrol and enforcement shifts.