The City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, met in Regular Session on Tuesday, June 16, 1998, at 6:40 p.m. in Room 315, City Council Chambers, City County Building, 451 South State.
The following Council Members were present:
Deeda Seed Carlton Christensen Tom Rogan
Bryce Jolley Roger Thompson Keith Christensen
The following Councilmember was absent:
Joanne Milner
Cindy Gust-Jenson, Council Executive Director; Mayor Deedee Corradini; Roger Cutler, City Attorney; and Chris Meeker, Chief Deputy City Recorder were present.
Councilmember Jolley presided at and Councilmember Seed conducted the meeting.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
#1. RE: Adopting a resolution confirming that Salt Lake City has received inadequate information from Salt Lake County and the State Tax Commission relating to the 1997 motor vehicle state statute, and expressing the Council's intent to set the certified tax rate and budget at the level currently authorized by law but to reserve the right to establish the budget and the tax rate at the maximum level allowed by law once adequate information is provided from Salt Lake County and the state.
ACTION: Councilmember K. Christensen moved and Councilmember C. Christensen seconded to adopt Resolution 41 of 1998, which motion carried, all members present voted aye.
(O 98-6)
#2. RE: Adopting the final budget, excluding the budget for the Library Fund Budget for the fiscal year beginning July, 1998 and ending June 30, 1999, including the staffing document as presented by the Mayor and modified by the Council as reflected in the attachments to the ordinance.
ACTION: Councilmember K. Christensen moved and Councilmember Thompson seconded to adopt Ordinance 48 of 1998, accepting Option D, as listed in the outline, which motion carried, all members present voted aye.
DISCUSSION: Ann Gerber, Council Associate Deputy Director/Budget & Policy Analyst, said a $1.2 million short fall had been realized from actual projected revenues. She said an adjustment needed to be made to reflect the short fall. She reviewed a letter from Mayor Corradini suggesting budget cuts and memo with attached budget cut Options, A, B, C, and D. She said several of the options did not cut programs or services. She listed items in Option A, 1)additional interest from tax revenue anticipation notes, 2)additional estimated franchise tax revenue, 3) rental income from the Circuit Court Building, from Adult Parole and Probation, 4) cutting a portion of the Gateway entry design, and 5) reducing Chase Mill funding.
Ms. Gerber said Option B was similar but instead of reducing Chase Mill funding the reduction was for concrete replacement. She said Option C was taking a little bit from many places. She said the first four items were the same as options A and B. She said Item 4) was reducing the Olympic planning budget, Item 5) was cutting the City and County Building landscaping project, Item 6)was reducing the City and County Building holiday decorations, and Item 7) was reducing additional concrete replacement.
Ms. Gerber said Option D's first four items were the same as Option A. She said Item 5) was to reduce the Chase Mill funding to $50,000. She said the Friends of the Tracy Aviary felt that $200,000 funding for the renovation of the Chase Mill could be raised from private sources or other entities.
Councilmember Jolley asked if the Gateway entry design went from a $500,000 cut to $375,000 cut, was the $300,000 figure an estimate. Ms. Gust-Jenson said that was correct. She said they had also hoped to do some other pieces to the design such as landscaping, etc.
Councilmember K. Christensen asked to verify that the Friends of the Aviary had said that $50,000 in design funding was all they needed and that they would raise the rest. Roger Black, Director of Management Services, said the Friends of the Aviary had said they could not raise any funding unless they had a design to show donors. Councilmember K. Christensen said he supported Option D, spending $50,000 and enabling the Aviary to raise $200,000.
Councilmember Thompson asked the Mayor if she opposed anything listed in Option D. She said she was not opposed.
Councilmember Rogan said the Council had already rejected the proposal because the Aviary had said they needed $50,000 up front. Ms. Gust-Jenson said the difference was that the Aviary believed $50,000 would allow them to raise the additional match. She suggested strong legislative intent language.
Councilmember C. Christensen said he felt the Chase Mill had a more substantive achievement than concrete replacement.
Councilmember Thompson said he was in favor of contributing to highways.
Councilmember K. Christensen asked to clarify the budget adoption motion. He said it had included the aviary intent language on the option "D" sheet. The intent statement was as follows.
Match funding of Chase Mill Renovation - It is the intent of the Council that $50,000 be allocated to the Friends of Tracy Aviary for design of the Chase Mill renovation project with the understanding that the funding for the actual renovation will be raised by the Friends of Tracy Aviary from private sources or other entities.
(B 98-1)
#3. RE: Adopting the final budget for the Library Fund of Salt Lake City, Utah for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998 and ending June 30, 1999. The budget totals $10,705,634.
ACTION: Councilmember Thompson moved and Councilmember C. Christensen seconded to adopt Ordinance 49 of 1998, which motion carried, all members present voted aye.
(B 98-3)
#4. RE: Adopting an ordinance establishing Salt Lake City's and the Salt Lake City Public Library's certified tax rates upon all real and personal property within Salt Lake City made taxable by law for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 1998 and ending June 30, 1999 including a judgment levy necessitated by the State Tax Commission's settlement with US West as follows:
General fund = .003571
General fund Judgment levy = .000188
Library fund = .000748
Library fund Judgment levy = .000039
ACTION: Councilmember Thompson moved and Councilmember K. Christensen seconded to adopt Ordinance 50 of 1998, which motion carried, all members present voted aye.
DISCUSSION: Councilmember Rogan asked what the levy translated into. Ms. Gerber said the equation was $8 for every million dollars. Councilmember Thompson asked if the funds would have gone to US West earlier. Ms. Gerber said that was correct.
(O 98-16)
The meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.