PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1983
THE CITY CCUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, MET AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1983, AT 5:30 P.M. IN ROOM 211 CITY AND COUNTY BUILDING.
ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT: RONALD J. WHITEHEAD ALICE SHEARER GRANT MABEY IONE M. DAVIS SYDNEY R. FONNESBECK EDWARD W. PARKER PALMER DEPAULIS.
Council Chairman Grant Mabey presided at and Councilmember Edward Parker conducted the meeting.
COUNCIL BUSINESS
#1. Cheryl Cook, city treasurer, briefed the Council on items relating to land purchase in Little Cottonwood Canyon and trust for public land. Ms. Cook described the minor changes to be trade in the bond structure. Additional money will be put into a trustee account. The purchase price of land will be increased without capitalizing interest due to bonding requirements. An additional $636,000 added to the price will be placed in a trustee account for payment of the first two years’ interest. Zion’s Bank has agreed on an interest rate through next Tuesday at 9 1/4%. The total amount of the bond is $3,463,000.
Ms. Cook said that next Tuesday night the Council will be asked to adopt a resolution authorizing the issuance of the $3,463,000 Water and Sewer Subordinated Revenue Bonds Series l983B. LeRoy Hooton, director of public utilities, said that the Public Utilities Advisory Board voted unanimously in favor of the land transaction. He declared that it would not only protect watershed land but would constitute a very smell risk. Paul Barber described the agreement with the forest service, saying that the land will be exchanged with the service at an appraised price starting with the least valuable land that the City holds. The City already has a $400,000 comfort zone because the appraisal is higher than the money borrowed. Councilmember Parker requested that this item be put on Tuesday night’s agenda.
(Q 83-23)
#2. Consider and adopt an ordinance closing and narrowing portions of 200 West from South Temple to 100 South Street to accommodate the Salt Palace Expansion Project. Albert Haines, chief administrative officer, briefed the members on the Glendale Park land agreement terms which were based on the 9% value of the property ($1,000), with the property being appraised every five years. He said that the City will pay the county a sub-lease rate, 9% of the appraisal of the property at $27,000. The value could be modified.
Counci1member Davis asked if the property value could go up and Mr. Haines replied that it would not. Councilmember Shearer inquired about the county getting a share of the property tax and leasing the pool. Mr. Haines said that when revenue was calculated, two formulas were determined, one for the ground and one for the pool. A discussion was then held on the wording of the document that Mr. Haines presented to the Council Members.
Councilmember Parker moved and Councilmember DePaulis seconded to adopt Ordinance 64 of 1983, closing and narrowing portions of 200 West from South Temple to 100 South Street to accommodate the Salt Palace Expansion Project, which motion carried, all members voting aye except Councilmember Mabey who was absent when the vote was taken.
(R 82-9)
#3. Consider and adopt an ordinance closing Folsom Street in Block 78, Plat A, at approximately 50 South from 200-275 West, to accommodate the Salt Palace Expansion Project.
Councilmember DePaulis moved and Councilmember Davis seconded to adopt Ordinance 65 of 1983, closing Folsom Street in Block 78, Plat A, at approximately 50 South from 200-275 West, to accommodate the Salt Palace Expansion Project, which motion carried, all members voting aye except Councilmember Mabey who was absent when the vote was taken.
(R 82-9)
#4. Budget, Finance and Administration Committee. To open the discussion on City animal control, Animal Control Advisory Board and the City administration’s decision not to contract with the county for animal control services, Leigh von der Esch, Council executive director, briefed the Council on aninal control background.
Ms. von der Esch said that Carole Stokes had been keeping a file of complaints regarding animal control, and that two issues have not been satisfactorily resolved: (I) Why isn’t the City contracting? (2) Is there another alternative for animal control? Councilmember Shearer asked Ms. Stokes for a report on her findings. Ms. Stokes prefaced her remarks by saying that critical trends characterized the complaints she had studied regarding animal control. A lack of responsiveness by the staff was noted in many of the cruelty-to-animal complaints. There is also a lack of responsiveness regarding loose dogs, which constitutes a major complaint.
Ms. Stokes also said that there is a lack of cooperation from the people calling in complaints, which good record keeping procedures could alleviate. In the ensuing discussion, Councilmember Whitehead emphasized the staff’s attitude as the major problem with animal control. Councilmember Mabey objected to the staff’s unwillingness to patrol areas long enough. Mr. Haines then presented the administration’s case against contracting with the county. That the City would be unloading, for the most part, a problematic entity that has been woefully lacking in providing adequate service constitutes the main reason for not contracting. He said the City should consider contracting only with a strong program and said that the county operation is staffed no mere efficiently than the City’s, yet covers a larger area. Mr. Haines stressed the sensitivity with which animal control must be dealt, and said that the administration would commit itself to improving animal control, a facet of City government to which they have not paid adequate attention.
Councilmember Fonnesbeck reiterated that the main problem with the department exists in the form of interpersonal and public relations, and said that money alone would not rectify the situation. She pointed out the divergence between the sensitivity with which the Humane Society handles its problems and the callousness of the City’s animal control department. Mr. Haines pointed out that animal control had received a highly complimentary letter from the Humane Society, which had surveyed their actions for two weeks and described them as very adequate.
Councilmember Shearer declared that three years of animal control complaints should be considered a reasonable period of time and that the City should consolidate. Mr. Haines stressed that a sensitive area like animal control should be handled by a less drastic method. Mr. Haines said that the City administration has not had time to concentrate on possible solutions for animal control and admitted to prioritizing many other items above it; however, he asked that the administration be given until December 31, 1983 to rectify the situation before reconsidering consolidation.
#5. Public Safety and Community Activities Committee. The committee (Council) held a general discussion on draft policies for the fire department relating to the budget manual and draft policies for the parks department relating to the budget manual. Leigh von der Esch briefed the Council on recent activities of the parks department, indicating that the discrepancy between what they do and what they say necessitates a new policy regarding the department. Ms. von der Esch reviewed a new policy statement that clarifies expectations and objectives of the City in dealing with the parks department. A general discussion followed dealing with revisions of the document Ms. von der Esch distributed to the members.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.