ADDITIONAL CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
November 20, 2007
A. Information Needed by Council Staff
1. IMS would like to know if any Council Members are interested in recording a holiday message for SLCTV. Messages would need to be taped as soon as possible, in order to air at the appropriate times. Ms. Gust-Jenson said if the Council Members wanted to do that it would need to be scheduled with IMS as soon as possible. She asked the Council to let the office know.
2. The Council Office has a number of issues to cover before the end of the year;
Would Council Members approve adjusting the meeting time of December Council Meetings to 2:00 pm? All Council Members were in favor if it worked for the RDA.
November 20, 2007
City Council Announcements
November 20, 2007
A. Information Needed by Council Staff
1. Request from Administration to 'over-hire': The Administration has assigned a Police Captain to manage the Public Services Department Compliance Division and would like permission to 'over-hire' in the Police Department to replace that Captain.
The Public Services Compliance Division handles parking enforcement. It is anticipated that the Police Captain will be involved in helping to identify opportunities for enhancing the City's systems relating to other types of enforcement in addition to managing the parking enforcement and other activities performed by that division.
The Police Captain's salary and benefits will be paid by Public Services. The costs will be higher to fill this position with a Police Captain than they would be for a non-sworn individual. The public safety retirement plan and salary level are both cost factors. According to the Administration, these costs will be absorbed by Public Services.
Would the Council support the Administration’s request to hire a Captain in Police on an “over-hire” basis? All Council Members were in favor.
2. The Council Office has received the Quarterly Housing Report for Fiscal Year 2007-2008, First Quarter (see attached). Previously Council Members have indicated an interest in receiving a briefing. Council staff will work with the Chair/Vice Chair to schedule a briefing in the near future. Ms. Gust-Jenson said a briefing would be scheduled.
3. Library System
The Administration continues to work with the Salt Lake Public Library System Board of Directors and staff on a memorandum of understanding on the ownership of the land and property on what is known as the Library Block east of Washington Square. Kay Christensen of the City’s Budget & Policy Division is leading the Administration’s side of negotiations.
Library Board members plan to individually contact library administrators nationwide to discuss the Library Director position that remains open. The Board reopened the search for a new director at the Board’s September meeting after interviewing finalists for the job in August. Acting co-Director Susan Salvesen said at the Board meeting Thursday that the job already is being advertised nationally and has generated some interest. Board Members will call library administrators to see if those administrators might recommend people or know people interested in the position. Board Members might interview potential candidates at a national librarians’ conference early next year.
The Board adopted a motion at its June meeting to raise fees in the underground parking garage the City owns to $1.25 cent per half hour – after one hour of free parking. The action to a large extent mirrored City Ordinance No. 26 of 2007 adopted by the City Council in June to levy “upon every parking service business an annual license tax equal to one dollar ($1) per paid vehicle whenever a paid vehicle parks at public facility off-street parking operated by the parking service business … where the public facility off street parking is located within or as part of a public facility.” At the time the Board adopted the motion, it had just signed a contract with Diamond Parking Service.
Since the Board’s adoption of the motion Diamond Parking has submitted invoices noting that it is running a deficit between revenue and expenses at the parking garage and seeking payment from the Library Board for the deficit. Library Administrators quote Diamond Parking Service as saying the deficit is the result of “state & city tax/license” fees. The parking service has submitted invoices ranging from about $2,700 to about $6,000. According to Library Administrators, the additional half-hour of free parking that the Board adopted to mirror what City Council Members discussed when the Council considered adopting Ordinance No. 26 plus the increased fee has caused many people to limit their parking at the garage under the Main Library to one hour to avoid paying the fee. That may be a cause of Diamond Parking Services’ perceived loss of revenue.
The Library System has managed the parking garage since the new Main Library opened. Previous to the increased fees and the contract with Diamond Parking Services, revenue from the parking garage was placed in an account used for maintaining the garage. At the Library Board meeting Thursday, Library administrators said there was $58,000 in the account. Invoices by Diamond Parking Services are paid from that account. It should be noted that under the memorandum of understanding between the City and the Library System, the City would take over oversight of the parking garage.
Staff will provide more information as it becomes available. Ms. Gust-Jenson said this was an update and they would continue to keep the Council updated.