Additional City Council Announcements
July 22, 2008
A. Information Needed by Council Staff
1. Council Member Turner would appreciate your support to fund a playground in the Glendale area.
There is an existing opportunity for the City to work with KaBOOM, an organization based in Washington, DC that works with the federal government to obtain sponsors for playgrounds, and installs the playgrounds in one day.
One of the requirements of this project is for the City to provide a match of $15,000. It may be that the funding of $15,000 will be needed prior to the first budget amendment. Council Member Turner is suggesting that the Council fund the $15,000 from the fund balance of the General Fund. Public Services could use their budget monies to fund the project up front with the understanding that their budget would be reimbursed during the first budget opening for fiscal year 08-09.
In order for the City to obtain the park, certain criteria must be met.
The City is to provide $20,000 towards the cost of equipment, as mentioned previously. The playground area will be worth approximately $40,000 USD at completion.
Provide at least 3500 sq. feet in available land and complete any needed site preparation, i.e. removing old equipment, asphalt, grading the land.
Provide additional in-kind responsibilities such as breakfast and lunch for Build Day, tools, restroom facilities, and a dumpster.
Recruit 70-90 volunteers for Build Day and recruit parents who are excited about serving on planning committees for an 8-10 week period.
Accept ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the play space upon completion.
Parks personnel are currently working with KaBoom on the paperwork and necessary agreements. KaBoom has indicated that they currently have a corporate sponsor that would like to cover the majority of the funding as well as provide volunteers to help build a playground in Salt Lake City this October.
The approximate 8-10 week planning process kicks off with a Design Day where the children literally design their dream playgrounds, and culminates on Build Day where volunteers build the new playground in about six hours.
Is the Council willing to indicate their approval of this funding request prior to the first budget amendment? Yes!
City Council Announcements
July 22, 2008
A. Information Needed by Council Staff
1. UTA Promotion to Ride Buses
Last week City Council staff met with Communications Director Karen Hale and UTA Public Relations Specialists Shaina Quinn and Chad Saley to discuss ways to help increase the number of people using buses for transportation in each City Council district. The meeting stemmed from an earlier meeting with UTA representatives, Council Member Eric Jergensen, and a member of the Greater Avenues Community Council about bus routes and ridership statistics in District 3.
Participants in the meeting last week discussed how UTA could contact people citywide to inform them better of UTA’s bus services. Discussion with the Administration included enclosing bus schedules in City utility bills based on buses that operate in each district. The discussion also involved two items that might be of particular interest to the City Council:
o The UTA representatives indicated that UTA would prepare basic, plain information about bus routes in each district that could be placed like a boxed advertisement in City Council District community updates. The information would include where buses on particular routes begin and end, and the frequency of buses on each route. Similar information would be placed on Channel 17.
o Ms. Hale suggested that each City Council Member and the Mayor could help promote bus ridership by taping promotions on Channel 17 about riding the buses. UTA would work with IMS to prepare the promotions. The UTA representatives agreed to prepare drafts of route information.
Council staff is seeking direction from the City Council on whether Council Members would be interested in including information about bus routes in community updates and – when the time comes – being filmed to promote bus routes in Members’ respective districts. The Council was in favor.
2. Utah League of Cities & Towns Board of Directors Nominations
Early in July the Utah League of Cities & Towns staff e-mailed cities to seek nominations for elected municipal officials to serve on the 19-member League Board. Council Member Jill Love will become the Board President at the League’s convention in September.
According to the League’s website, the duties of Board members are:
Maintaining contact with League members within each district (Salt Lake City is in a district that includes Salt Lake and Tooele counties,)
Reviewing and approving funding for the League's annual budget
Participating in board meetings, retreats and conventions
Establishing ad hoc and blue ribbon committees and appointing members of standing and Legislative Policy Committees.
The deadline to submit a nomination form is August 31. According to League staff, League by-laws allow cities to have more than one member on the League Board. However, submitting a nomination form does not guarantee selection to the Board by the Board’s Nominating Committee.
If Council Members are interested in serving on the Board, they can contact Russell, Jennifer, or liaisons to obtain a nomination form. Ms. Gust-Jenson asked Council Members to let staff know if they wanted to serve.
3. Policy Amendment Item #2
Fundraising & adding personal funds to communication budget(s) (See below).
SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
DATE: JULY 22, 2008
SUBJECT: ROUND 2: AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL
STAFF REPORT BY: LEHUA WEAVER
Below is a second proposed amendment to a section of the Council Policy Manual. As a reminder, these amendments are based on various Council discussions ranging back to this year’s retreat and to last year. In an effort to present the various amendment items as simply as possible, staff has listed a brief description or history and our understanding of the amendment needed. The specific language edits are also provided.
Amendment Item 2: Fundraising & adding personal funds to communication budget(s)
Issue:
Periodically the issue comes up of a communication project or event that exceeds the amount available in the annual Communication Budget allotted to each Council Member. Soliciting donations, adding personal funds, and other resources have been suggested, however based upon full group discussions and a legal opinion from the City Attorney’s Office, the following amendments are proposed:
1. Do not allow the supplementation of the annual Communication Budgets with the primary goal of ensuring each Council Member has an equal amount available.
2. This, of course, does not prohibit the Council from considering an increase to the Communication Budgets across the board or identifying alternate funding for any special or one-time projects, that address issues common to all Council Members.
3. This budget cap also assists staff in scheduling resources (sufficient staff to handle the projects / events for each Council District).
Suggested Language Amendments – affected Sections:
Two main amendments:
Section A.40 Council District Communication Budget, and
*New* Section A.45 Solicitation for Funding from Private Parties, which was drafted based upon the existing Administrative Policy and responses we have received from the Attorney’s Office to various Council inquiries.
A more minor amendment proposed to Section A.13 Newsletters
A.40 COUNCIL DISTRICT COMMUNICATION BUDGET (4/08)A40. COUNCIL DISTRICT COMMUNICATION BUDGET (11/01)
a. Each Council district will have a communication budget to be used by the Council Member for communicating with constituents within his/her district. Funds in the district communication budget will be expended at the Council Member’s discretion and may include, but not be limited to, district meetings, newsletters, postcards, mass mailings, flyers, refreshments, lunch meetings, etc.a. Each Council district will have a communication budget to be used by the Council Member for communicating with constituents within his/her district; it is not structured for media communications. Funds in the district communication budget will be expended at the Council Member’s discretion and may include, but not be limited to, newsletters, postcards, mass mailings, flyers, etc. Liaisons will track all district expenses during the calendar year and offset Council Members’ budgets accordingly. District mailings of 25 pieces or more will also be tracked, with one exception. Mailings relating to citywide issues which are distributed to all Council districts will not be counted as a district expense.
b. Each district’s communication budget will total approximately $3,700 per calendar year. This amount can be amended annually by a vote of the full Council.
c. Council Members may not supplement their communication budget b. Each district’s communication budget will total approximately $3,500 per calendar year. This amount can be amended annually by a vote of the full Council. balances through personal contributions nor through independent fundraising so that the amount available to each Council Member remains equal.
1. If a project, which is usually funded from these communication budgets, such as a district-wide mailing, is more expensive than the available funds (such as booklets, multi-part mailing, etc.), the Council Member may either use carryover funds (as described below) or may petition the full Council to consider the project for each Council District and identify alternate funding. (An example may be a City-wide Emergency Booklet mailing.)
2. For fundraising efforts related to other projects, such as Capital Improvement Projects, please see Policy Manual Section A45. Solicitation of Funding from Private Parties.
d. Council staff will provide a quarterly accounting to each Council Member on the status of funds in the district’s communication budget. If a district’s communication budget is fully expended prior to the end of the calendar year, it will remain at a zero balance until the beginning of the next calendar year. If a district’s communication budget is not fully expended by the end of the calendar year, and the Council Member is continuing in office, the Council Member may choose to spend remaining funds in the first six months of the next calendar year or allow remaining funds to go toward capital needs of the Council Office.c. Council staff will provide a quarterly accounting to each Council Member on the status of funds in the district’s communication budget. If a district’s communication budget is fully expended prior to the end of the calendar year, it will remain at a zero balance until the beginning of the next calendar year. If a district’s communication budget is not fully expended by the end of the calendar year, the Council Member may choose to spend remaining funds in the first six months of the next calendar year or allow remaining funds to go toward capital needs of the Council Office.
Please note the following section was drafted based upon the existing Administrative Policy and responses we have received from the Attorney’s Office to various Council inquiries.
*NEW SECTION* A.45 SOLICITATION OF FUNDING FROM PRIVATE PARTIES (4/08)
a. All requests for donations from Council Members which may benefit a capital improvement project located within a City Council district must first be reviewed by the Council Chair and Vice-Chair, or Council majority.
b. The Council Chair and Vice-Chair (or Council majority) may set reasonable conditions on such solicitations to prevent conflicts of interest, inappropriate treatment, or undue influence being given to donors.
c. If the requesting Council Member disagrees with the opinion of the Chair and Vice Chair, the Council Member may request review from the full Council.
d. Donors may not receive any benefit, privilege, or loss as a result of any donation (or penalty if no donation is made).
e. If, after receiving a donation for a project within a particular district, the Council is approached by the donor for Council approval or action, the Council Member who requested the donation shall recuse him/herself to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
f. Donations received will follow the established accounting procedures for donations received by the City.
g. City Council Members may / may not use City Council letterhead for their capital project funding requests.
h. Due to the need to be equitable to all Council Members, Council staff may not solicit donations from any person or entity, nor shall Council staff have direct contact with contributors, except to follow-up with logistical or accounting information once a donation has been secured. Council staff may obtain contacts and mailing list data, prepare letters, and send out mailings at the request of Council Members.
(Please also see Policy Manual Section A.40 Council District Communication Budget.)
Could Council Members indicate whether they would approve of office letterhead being used for capital project funding requests (see item ‘g’ of the proposed policy). Council Members were in favor of using Council letterhead as long as a project was a City project which had full Council knowledge and approval.
A.13 NEWSLETTERS
(/4/08)
A.13 NEWSLETTERS (revised
11/01)
Note: Due to the 2007 change in filing deadlines for City Council, the Council has noted the need to revise the timing outlined in this policy. Note: Due to the change in filing deadlines for City Council, the Council has noted the need to revise the timing outlined in this policy. This can be scheduled for review in January.
a. Based on availability of Communication Budget funds, Council Members may elect to mail a newsletter to their District residents. Typical sizes include an 11 1/2” X14” 4-page newsletter, or 8 1/2” X 11” or 8 ½” x 14” double-sided news sheet, which can either be mailed directly, or included in public utilities mailings as space is available.(Please refer to Section A.40 Council District Communication Budget.) The Council staff will endeavor to obtain one slot for public utilities inserts for each Council Member per year. If fewer or more slots are available, distribution will be determined by the Council.a. One 11 1/2X14 newsletter or quarterly 8 1/2X11 double-sided news sheet per calendar year shall be circulated in each Council district.
b. In order to avoid having Council newsletters perceived by the general public and others as a political tool for reelection, certain guidelines will be followed in article content and selection and timing of publication.
c. Articles which attack or criticize other Council Members or the Mayor are to be avoided.
d. Articles addressing an issue which is being discussed by candidates opposing an incumbent Council Member are to be avoided during the year of the election.
e. Articles addressing issues which are an integral part of an incumbent Council Member's reelection campaign platform are to be avoided during the year of the election.
f. Articles addressing sensitive subjects on which Council Members are sharply divided are to be avoided.
g. In developing a policy for newsletters published for members of the U.S. Congress, a rule has been established that a name or picture of the Congress member should not appear more than six times on a page with the dimensions of 11 1/2 by 14 inches, the size of the Council's newsletter. This restriction includes personal pronoun references such as I, he, she, his or her. Other pronouns such as we and they are permitted. This restriction is applied in an effort to avoid the appearance of taxpayers' dollars funding blatantly political and self-aggrandizing material. Using the U.S. Congress guidelines, Council newsletters should not contain more than six personal references and/or personal photographs per page. Exceeding the limit of six personal references per page should be avoided, but a limit of eight personal references a page is warranted if personal references on another page are reduced by two.
h. Using the U.S. Congress once again as a guide, Council Members who are up for reelection should not mail out Council newsletters any later than ten weeks before a primary election. There are less than ten weeks between Utah municipal primary and general elections and therefore no Council Member up for election should mail out a newsletter between the primary and general elections.
i. If there is a conflict regarding this policy, a Council Member will have the option of asking the Chair and Vice Chair, or the entire Council, to review and resolve the conflict in question.
B. For Your Information
1. Attached is a Grant Submissions submitted by the City.
Grant Submission Update Memo
TO: Dave Everitt Lyn Creswell, Jennifer Bruno, Ben McAdams
FROM: Grant Acquisition Team
DATE: 7/25/2008
SUBJECT: George S. & Delores Doré Eccles Foundation
FUNDING AGENCY: George S. & Delores Doré Eccles Foundation
REQUESTED AMOUNT: $ 20,000
DEPARTMENT APPLYING: YouthCity
COLLABORATING AGENCIES:
DATE SUBMITTED: June 19, 2008
SPECIFICS:
Technical Assistance (Training) Equipment Only
Provides FTE Position(s)
Existing New Overtime Requires Funding After Grant
Explanation:
Match Required In Kind Cash
Computer Software Development In House Contract Services
New Program (City not performing function now)
GRANT DETAILS:
YouthCity is requesting $20,000 for transportation of participation from school to YouthCity After-School and Summer programs
Grant Submission Update Memo
TO: Dave Everitt Lyn Creswell, Jennifer Bruno, Ben McAdams
FROM: Grant Acquisition Team
DATE: 7/25/2008
SUBJECT: Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP)
FUNDING AGENCY: FEMA
REQUESTED AMOUNT: $ 50,000 approx.
DEPARTMENT APPLYING: Fire Department
COLLABORATING AGENCIES:
DATE SUBMITTED: June 30, 2008
SPECIFICS:
Technical Assistance (Training) Equipment Only
Provides FTE Position(s)
Existing New Overtime Requires Funding After Grant
Explanation:
Match Required In Kind Cash
Computer Software Development In House Contract Services
New Program (City not performing function now)
GRANT DETAILS:
The Fire Department requested a chemical and solid substance identifier the First Defender. The first Defender is a handheld detector that can be taken into a hot zone and then be decontaminated.