The City Council met in Work Session on Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. in Room 326, City Council Office, City County Building, 451 South State Street.
In Attendance: Council Members Carlton Christensen, Kyle LaMalfa, Stan Penfold, Luke Garrott, Jill Remington Love, Søren Simonsen, and Charlie Luke.
Staff In Attendance: Cindy Gust-Jenson, Executive Council Director; David Everitt, Mayor’s Chief of Staff; Rusty Vetter, Deputy City Attorney; Brian Fullmer, Council Constituent Liaison/Budget Analyst; Eric Shaw, Community and Economic Development Director; Lehua Weaver, Council Senior Public Policy Analyst; Vicki Bennett, Office of Sustainability Director; Nick Tarbet, Council Constituent Liaison/Public Policy Analyst; Mike Maloy, Principal Planner; Wilford Sommerkorn, Planning Division Director; Neil Lindberg, Council Legal Director; Russell Weeks, Council Senior Public Policy Analyst; Michael Stott, Community Affairs Analyst & ADA Coordinator; and Sonya Kintaro, Chief Deputy City Recorder.
Guests in Attendance: Craig Bickmore, Executive Director of Utah Auto Dealers Association, and Jason Bickmore, Utah Auto Dealers Association.
Councilmember LaMalfa presided at and conducted the meeting.
The meeting was called to order at 2:10 p.m.
AGENDA ITEMS
#1. 2:10:46 PM Receive a briefing from Craig Bickmore, Executive Director, from Utah Auto Dealers Association regarding topics of mutual interest with Salt Lake City. This was one in a series of briefings from partnership organizations scheduled in 2013 by the City Council. View Attachments
Craig and Jason Bickmore briefed the Council from attachments. Mr. Bickmore discussed the impact of the auto dealership industry on Salt Lake City’s economy, concerns about the infrastructure of roads and vehicle emissions, the trend of conglomerate dealerships, the availability and purchases of clean vehicles in the Salt Lake City market, and the legislative involvement by the auto industry.
#2. 2:33:03 PM Receive a briefing regarding a proposal to restructure the Sister Cities program. Proposed changes included:
• Using the existing budget allocation to contract with an outside management group to administer programming and activities.
• Having the new management group evaluate the program and
restructure its program goals.
• Moving the program into the Community and Economic Development Department Administration and out of the Housing and Neighborhood Development Division.
• Restructuring the Sister Cities Board to include members throughout the business, religious, education, and international communities. View Attachments
Brian Fullmer and Eric Shaw briefed the Council from attachments. 2:41:38 PM Discussion followed regarding the purpose and value of sister city relationships, outsourcing program management, expansion of the board to include international presence, and term limits for the members of the Sister Cities Board. Councilmember Garrott directed Mr. Shaw to add policy development and international governance to the list of proposed changes. The Administration was directed to return with a more formal proposal.
#3. 3:15:22 PM a. Receive a follow-up briefing regarding the Business Plan for the City’s Office of Sustainability. This was initially discussed during the 2013-14 budget briefings. The business plan proposes the use of available funds toward several sustainability projects, including solar energy, food production, historic preservation grants, and other items.
b. Receive a written briefing on the Bio Diesel Plan, which expands the use of bio-diesel in the City’s diesel fleet.
c. Receive a written briefing, an update on the studies completed for establishing a culinary incubator kitchen facility within the City, and the catering kitchen progress at The Leonardo. View Attachments
Lehua Weaver and Vicki Bennett briefed the Council from attachments. 3:32:31 PM Cindy Gust-Jensen said this item was directly related to one of the Council’s policy priorities and philosophy statements. She said commitment to allocate the landfill funds to the Sustainability program was made by a previous council. She said it was the Council’s decision to either continue or discontinue this policy direction. She said this gave the Council time to decide how funds could be used.
3:34:17 PM Discussion followed regarding the financial business plan in times of declining dividends, reducing loan costs, using sustainability funds for bus passes, solar farm return on investment through savings to the general fund or the City, historic preservation grants for residents to refurbish historic homes with energy efficient items, funding a historical survey in neighborhoods, sustainability-type ordinances, plastic bag recycling, multi-family and business recycling mandates, incubator kitchens, incentives for energy efficiency in all existing homes, and becoming a carbon-neutral city by billing the city over the actual amount and placing the extra funds into sustainability.
#4. 4:29:31 PM Receive a follow-up briefing regarding proposed changes to the City’s zoning regulations that would create two new form-based zoning districts and amend the zoning map in the West Temple Gateway redevelopment project area. The regulations are a new concept combining commonly used zoning regulations with design and development standards and guidelines.
• Zoning for properties located between 700 South and Fayette Avenue (975 South), and between West Temple and 300 West would be changed to the new Form Based Urban Neighborhood FB-UN-1 and FB-UN-2 zone. Zoning for properties located between 700 South and 800 South and between West Temple and 200 West would not change.
• The proposal would implement land use policies to allow a broad mix of uses, improve walkability and pedestrian safety, ensure compatibility with existing neighborhoods, and strengthen the character of single-family home clusters on Montrose, Jefferson, and Washington Streets.
• Related provisions of Title 21A (Zoning) might also be amended as part of this petition. Although the proposal would rezone properties to FB-UN-1 and FB-UN-2 - Form Based Urban Neighborhood zones, consideration may be given to rezoning the property to another zoning district with similar characteristics. (Petitioner – Mayor Becker, Petition No. PLNPCM2011-00640.) View Attachments
Nick Tarbet, Wilford Sommerkorn, and Mike Maloy briefed the Council from attachments and a PowerPoint presentation.
Councilmember Garrott asked administration to speak on the large scale transition in changing the City’s zoning regulations. 4:37:11 PM Mr. Maloy said this was the result of recommendations given to the Redevelopment Agency from the study. He said following the construction of the 900 South TRAX station, there was an idea this part of the City would intensify, primarily with commercial uses and high-density multifamily structures. He said there were some multi-family structures developed in this neighborhood but not much commercial development. He said there were single-family home owners who wanted to stay in their homes. 4:38:38 PM Mr. Maloy said one of the ideas for D-2 zoning would lead to the perception of value. He said there had not been demand for development. 4:39:51 PM He said the heart of this proposal was finding a way to accommodate commercial growth, encouraging those who want to stay and make it an urban neighborhood, and finding a way to balance the commercial and urban living.
Discussion followed regarding the properties that would become nonconforming, over-zoning, mixed use zoning requirements, property values, acknowledgement of the re-use of existing structures, preserving current buildings in the code, preserving historic neighborhoods and fabric, and the height requirement of buildings in the form-based urban neighborhood development zones.
#5. 5:01:51 PM HOLD A DISCUSSION REGARDING PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE SALT LAKE CITY CODE TO UPDATE RULES GOVERNING CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. ONE ORDINANCE WOULD ADOPT CHAPTER 2.07 – CITY ADVISORY BOARDS TO CONSOLIDATE AND UPDATE RULES COMMON TO CITY BOARDS. Two companion ordinances would repeal Chapter 2.18 - Salt Lake Valley Board of Health and Chapter 2.37 – Youth and Family Recreation and Programs Advisory Board because they were obsolete. View Attachments
Neil Lindberg and Rusty Vetter briefed the Council from attachments. Mr. Lindberg said this ordinance was a cleanup to the various ordinances regarding City boards and commissions.
#6. 5:06:37 PM Receive an oral briefing from staff on preparations to address snow removal this winter.
Russell Weeks, Michael Stott, and Orion Goff briefed the Council on plans for what could be done before and after snow storms in the upcoming winter season, what could be done legislatively, and pilot programs. Discussion followed regarding warnings, citations, consistency, the pilot program on Foothill and 400 South, and funding for pilot programs.
#7. 5:22:26 PM Hold a follow-up discussion regarding public engagement, including options for a resolution, a new public engagement staff position, and other items as follow-up to their September, 2013 Fall Retreat. View Attachments
Councilmember LaMalfa and Lehua Weaver briefed the Council from attachments.
#8. 5:24:07 PM Discuss possible actions the City may take in response to the results of Opinion Question Number One. Eighty-eight percent of the nearly 20,000 registered voters who returned opinion question ballots agreed with the statements that "Only human beings, not corporations, are endowed with constitutional rights" and "Money is not speech and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech." View Attachments
Neil Lindberg briefed the Council from attachments. Discussion followed regarding adopting a resolution to support the Move To Amend principles and addressing the City’s campaign financing laws regarding corporate contribution limitations. Mr. Lindberg said Salt Lake City would need to review Federal and State election laws and identify the limits and options available to the City.
5:38:28 PM Councilmember LaMalfa reviewed the policy options that were discussed: 1) adopt a resolution, 2) seek guidance from the City Attorney regarding what could be done about campaign finance rules, 3) adopt federal rules, 4) look at tighter caps set by other cities, 5) encourage other City Councils to adopt the principles of Move To Amend or to adopt processes to create their own opinion polls, 6) hold a citizen’s assembly such as a fair or festival to discuss corporate power, 7) publish in local newspapers, 8) reduce the requirements of free expression permits, and 9) work at changing the State law to allow people to petition government without resulting in a change of law.
Discussion was held on what was required by City ordinance to have a local opinion question. Mr. Lindberg said in the current ordinance, there was no threshold.
Councilmember Luke left the meeting.
5:58:08 PM Straw Polls were taken:
•Council should take no action. Council Members Garrott, Penfold, Love, LaMalfa, and Simonsen were not in favor. Councilmember Christensen was in favor. Councilmember Luke was absent.
•Council would try to change the State law to allow opinion questions on regular ballots. Council Members Garrott, Penfold, Love, LaMalfa, and Simonsen were in favor. Councilmember Christensen was not in favor. Councilmember Luke was absent.
•Council would tighten the requirements for an opinion question to appear on an opinion question ballot. Council Members Christensen, Garrott, Penfold, Love, LaMalfa, and Simonsen were in favor. Councilmember Luke was absent.
Councilmember Luke returned to the meeting.
5:59:29 PM Straw Polls continued:
•Council would investigate reducing the maximum contribution amount for municipal elections. Council Members Garrott, Penfold, Love, Luke, and Simonsen were in favor. Council Members Christensen and LaMalfa were not in favor.
•Council would have staff investigate whether limiting corporate contributions would be legally possible. Council Members Garrott, Penfold, Love, LaMalfa, Luke, and Simonsen were in favor. Councilmember Christensen was not in favor.
•Limit opinion questions to one ballot at most every two years. Council Members Christensen, Penfold, Love, and Luke were in favor. Council Members Garrott, LaMalfa, and Simonsen were not in favor.
•Draft a resolution by the City Council expressing the principles of the Move To Amend group. Council Members Love, LaMalfa, Simonsen, and Luke were in favor. Council Members Christensen, Garrott, and Penfold were not in favor.
#9. 6:09:50 PM Interview Jani Iwamoto prior to consideration of her appointment to the Public Utilities Advisory Committee.
Councilmember LaMalfa said Ms. Iwamoto’s name would be forwarded to the Consent Agenda for formal consideration.
#10. 6:14:27 PM Interview the following people: Kenneth (Kip) Bivens, Melissa Hall, Mario Organista, and Pamela Silberman prior to consideration of their appointments to the Community Development and Capital Improvement Program Advisory Board.
Councilmember LaMalfa said the names of Mr. Bivens, Ms. Hall, Mr. Organista, and Ms. Silberman would be forwarded to the Consent Agenda for formal consideration.
#11. 6:20:28 PM Report of the Executive Director, including a review of Council information items and announcements. The Council may give feedback or staff direction on any item related to City Council business. View Attachments and View Attachments
See File M 13-5 for announcements.
#12. Report of the Chair and Vice Chair.
This item was not held.
#13. Consider a motion to enter into a Closed Session in keeping with Utah Code Section 52-4-204, for any allowed purpose.
This item was not held.
The meeting adjourned at 6:34 p.m.
This document is not intended to serve as a full transcript as additional discussion may have been held; please refer to the audio or video for entire content.
This document along with the digital recording constitute the official minutes of the City Council Work Session meeting held October 15, 2013.
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