HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-18Meridian City Council April 18, 2017
A meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday,
April 18, 2017, by Mayor Tammy de Weerd.
Members Present: Mayor Tammy de Weerd, Joe Borton, Genesis Milam, Luke
Cavener, and Anne Little Roberts.
Members Absent: Keith Bird, Ty Palmer.
Others Present: Bill Nary, C.Jay Coles, Jaycee Holman, Bill Parsons, Josh
Beach, Jeff Lavey, Burle Stokes, David Jones, Clint Dolsby, Colin Moss and Dean
Willis.
Item 1: Roll-call Attendance:
Roll call.
X_ Anne Little Roberts X _ _Joe Borton
Ty Palmer __ Keith Bird
X__ Genesis Milam __X__ Lucas Cavener
X Mayor Tammy de Weerd
De Weerd: Well, I would like to welcome you all to our City Council meeting. It's
always nice to see friendly faces in the audience. As well we love to see our
public safety personnel here and look forward to seeing our newest members
sworn in. So, welcome to our City Council meeting. For the record it is April 18th.
It's 6:00 p.m. We will start with roll call attendance, Mr. Clerk.
Item 2: Pledge of Allegiance
De Weerd: Thank you. If you will all rise and join us in the pledge to our flag.
Pledge of Allegiance recited.)
Item 3: Community Invocation by Michael Pearson, Meridian
Seventh Day Adventist Church
De Weerd: Item No. 3 is our community invocation. Tonight we will be led by
Pastor Michael Pearson. He is with the Meridian Seventh-day Adventist Church.
If you will all join us in the community invocation or take this as a moment of
reflection. Thank you for joining us.
Pearson: Father in Heaven, we want to thank you for those in our community who
serve on City Council, the Councilors, the Mayor, the men in uniform, the ladies in
uniform, who serve with little recognition and especially we lift up those who will
be joining those ranks this evening and ask your blessing on them , too. We thank
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you for the willingness of yours to meet with us in every situation, in Jesus' name,
amen.
Item 4 : Adoption of the Agenda
De Weerd: Thank you, Pastor Pearson. Item No. 4 is adoption of the agenda.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: On the Consent Agenda we will be adding Item CC, final order for Maiden
Subdivision and DD, Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law for TM Crossing.
For item -- Ordinance on Item 10-A, the proposed ordinance is 17-1725. And on
10-B the proposed ordinance is 17-1726. And with those amendments I would
move that we adopt agenda.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to adopt the agenda as read . All those
in favor say aye. All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Item 5: Consent Agenda
A. Approve Minutes of April 4, 2017 City Council Regular
Meeting Minutes
B. Approve Minutes of April 11, 2017 City Council Workshop
Meeting Minutes
C. Final Order for TM Creek Subdivision No. 2 (H-2017-0024)
by SCS Brighton, LLC Located Southeast Corner of W.
Franklin Road and S. Ten Mile Road
D. Final Order for Silverwater South (H-2017-0025) by
Trilogy Development Located South of E. Victory Road
Midway Between S. Meridian and S. Locust Grove Roads
E. Development Agreement for Tree Farm Subdivision (H-
2016-0128) with Drew Eggers (owner) and M3
Companies, LLC (Developer) located at 4740 W.
Chinden Blvd., in the SW 1/4 Section 22, Township 4N.,
Range 1W
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F. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Decision and
Order of Denial for a Request for Reconsideration for the
Tree Farm Subdivision (H-2016-0128)
G. Final Plat Modification for Avebury Subdivision
H-2017-0037) By AD800, LLC
H. Final Plat Modification for Vicenza No 3 . (H-2017-
0038 ) by Cottonwood Development, LLC Located West
of McMillian Road Between North Black Cat Road and
North Ten Mile Road
I. Final Plat Modification for Vicenza Subdivision No 4.
H-2017-0039 ) By Cottonwood Development LLC
J. Final Plat for Volterra Heights No. 3 (H-2017-0023) by
Cottonwood Development Located South Side of W.
McMillan Road and West of N. Ten Mile Road
K. Final Plat for Vicenza Subdivision No. 5 (H-2017-0022)
by Cottonwood Development Located North Side of W.
McMillan Road and East of N. Black Cat Road
L. Final Plat for Vicenza Subdivision No. 6 (H-2017-0021)
by Cottonwood Development Located North Side of W.
McMillan Road and East of N. Black Cat Road
M. Final Plat Modification for Volterra Heights Subdivision
No. 2. (H-2017-0040 ) By Cottonwood Development, LLC
Located North of West McMillian Road Between North
Black Cat Road and North Ten Mile Road
N. Final Plat for Hill's Century Farm Subdivision No 6 . (H-
2017-0033) By Brighton Investments Located South of
East Amity Road and East of South Eagle Road
O. Final Plat for Paramount No. 33 (H-2017-0030) by
Brighton Land Holdings Located Approximately 740 Feet
South of W. Chinden Boulevard on the West Side of N.
Meridian Road
P. Final Plat for Fall Creek Subdivision No . 4 ( H-2017-0034)
By Thomas Coleman, Toll IDI, LLC Located on the East
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Side of South Linder Road, Approximately 1/3 Mile South
of West Overland Road
Q. Final Plat f or Heron Ridge Estates Subdivision No 2. (H-
2017-0035 ) By The Ewing Company Located at North of
Chinden Boulevard, South of the Phyllis Canal and
Approximately a 1/2 Mile East of North Black Cat Road
R. Resolution No. 17-2004A: Amended Cl erk's Office Fee
Schedule
S. Idaho Power Utility Easement
T. Citadel Storage Water Main Easement
U. Newton’s Nook Water Main Easement
V. Newton’s Nook No.1 Release of Water Easement
W. Newton’s Nook No. 2 Release of Water Main Easement
X. St. Ignatius Release of Water and Sewer Main Easement
Y. St. Ignatius Sewer Easement
Z. St. Ignatius Water Easement
AA. Verado No. 1 Sanitary Sewer Easement
BB. Approve Finance Department to Pay Vendor Payments of
956,198.16
De Weerd: Item 5 is our Consent Agenda.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: On the Consent Agenda, Item R is resolution number 17 -2004A. And
with the additions of CC and DD I would move that we approve the Consent
Agenda as published and for the Clerk to sign and Mayor -- or Mayor to sign and
the Clerk to attest.
Cavener: Second.
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De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve the Consent Agenda as
printed. Mr. Clerk, will you call roll.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Item 6: Items Moved From the Consent Agenda
De Weerd: There were no items moved from the Consent Agenda.
Item 7: Community Items/Presentations
A. Swearing in of New Police
Officers
De Weerd: So, we will move right into our community presentations and start with
the swearing in of our new police officers.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Council, thank you for this opportunity. Probably one of
my greatest honors as police chief is being able to swear in new officers and
introduce them to our community and that's what we have in store tonight . So, for
the family members that are in the audience, this is going to be semi-formal, but
informal in the point that this is about you and your loved ones and we want you to
get pictures and feel free to come up and -- and do whatever you need to to get
that awesome picture for -- for future. When the officers -- when I call your name I
want you to come up here, line up to my left and in -- kind of in order that I call
you, so I don't get confused. So, Jacob, if you would come forward.
De Weerd: Chief, do you want to turn the podium around so you're facing the
families and our public?
Lavey: I will do that. As soon as I get everybody up here, then, I will do that.
De Weerd: Okay.
Lavey: Kyle come forward. Danelle. Lane. Joshua. And Nick. So, the first thing
I'd like to do is do the official swearing in ceremony. So, if the officers could raise
your right hand and repeat after me. I, state your name, do solemnly swear or
affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitutional
laws of the state of Idaho and the laws and ordinances of the City of Meridian.
That I will abide by the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the policies and
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procedures of the Meridian Police Department. I will obey all lawful orders and
directives from those appointed over me and that I will, to the best of my ability,
faithfully discharge all the duties of police officer in and for the City of Meridian,
state of Idaho, so help me God.
Officers sworn.)
Lavey: Congratulations. Madam Mayor and Council, as stated before, if you
would allow me the opportunity to introduce these fine men and women to -- to
you and to our community this evening it would be my pleasure. Jacob Pele.
Jacob graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Idaho State
University in May of 2013. He was a member of the Idaho State football team
from 2009 to 2014 and was a two-year starter as a linebacker at the 3X all be -- all
Big Sky all academic team selection. He was recently married in August of 2016
to his wife Leah. Shortly after graduating he started working for the Pocatello
Police Department where he worked for two years before a lateral transfer to the
Meridian Police Department. Welcome.
De Weerd: Go Bengals. There you go. Different leagues. Come on.
Lavey: We are already starting football and it hasn't even started. Kyle Mikoski.
Kyle brings with him nine years of experience . He worked as a police officer for
three years for the San Diego Police Department in San Diego , California. He
also served six years as a police officer and a K-9 handler for the Murietta Police
Department in Murrieta, California, before he decided to lateral transfer up here to
Meridian. Welcome, Kyle. Danelle. Danelle Kenny brings with her just over two
and a half years of experience where she worked as a deputy sheriff for the Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Office in Los Angeles , California. You all know that
that's probably the biggest sheriff's office in the United States . She started
working in the jail and worked really hard until she got an opportunity to work the
road and the minute she got the chance to work the road she decided to come up
here. So, congratulations. Danelle's sister also works for the Police Department,
so that's been kind of interesting sometimes. Lane Ahl. Lane brings with him
almost four years of experience where he has worked as a police officer for
Hemet PD in Hemet, California. Welcome aboard, Lane. Joshua. Joshua
Shackelford spent one year as a ground tactical team member of the State of
California counter drug task force. He, then, served three years as a police officer
for the Modesto PD police department in Modesto, California. Welcome aboard,
Joshua. Nick Allex has served nine and a half years full-time active-duty United
States Army. He is currently serving as a captain team leader of the special
operations in the US Army Reserve. He is currently attending Idaho POST as a
recruit and welcome aboard and also thank you for your service to our country.
Mayor and Council, that is our sixth newest members. As you know this comes in
phases and I will probably be in front of you fairly soon, but these are our newest
and they are out there working on the streets right now and we would just like to
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welcome them aboard and for the family members come -- please come forward,
take a picture, do whatever you need to do to make sure you got that perfect
picture. So, I stand for any comment. And for the bashful family members that I
don't want to come forward, I will go out in the lobby, we can all take some
pictures out there. I'm sure you don't want to stay for the rest of the -- rest of the
meeting.
De Weerd: Oh, it's really interesting.
Lavey: Some of us will be here all night.
De Weerd: Before you clear the room, to our new officers and your families, we
appreciate you joining our city family. You have joined in what -- I think I speak on
behalf of everyone sitting up here -- the best in the state, if not the nation. We
love our law enforcement officers and -- and staff and you joined a great team to
the families, we know that we ask a lot of you in supporting your loved one, but let
I just wanted to let you know that we stand with you in worrying about your
loved one every day they are on duty and that we pray for their safe return every
night or after every shift. So, thank you for supporting one of our newest
members of our -- our police department and -- and for joining our family at the
City of Meridian as well. So, thank you so much for being here for this important
event. Thank you.
B. Empty Chair Project
De Weerd: Okay. Item 7-B is our Empty -- a presentation on the Empty Chair
Project by Matthew Shapiro. Thank you for joining us.
Shapiro: Thank you, Mayor de Weerd and Council Members. My name is
Matthew Shapiro. I am the director of the Boise Commons, a nonprofit,
nonpartisan organization. Fairly new. And so I'm going to introduce what we are
about and, then, the Empty Chair Project and appreciate the opportunity to talk
about that, so -- can you all see the --
De Weerd: Yes, we can.
Shapiro: Okay. Great. Okay. Oh. Okay. So, the Boise Commons, as I said, is
a fairly unique nonprofit organization. We are a catalyst for community building,
civic development, and participatory governance. So, our mission is to foster an
inclusive and empowering civic life among the citizenry in Boise and the greater
Treasure Valley. We are all about engaging citizens more in their public life and
what's going on, to be able to deal with issues, to talk together, to overcome
polarization and all those things we need to work on. Active since 2015 and the
founding members are myself, Jerome Mapp, and Dean Gunderson. So, I have a
little bit of information on them on the next -- the next slide. So, I have been
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involved in community projects in Boise for about 24 years in many different
arenas. Education, neighborhood development and other things. Jerome Mapp,
former city council member Boise and a planner. And Dean is an urban -- urban
designer. We were all brought together by this interest in -- in citizen participation
and engagement. So, our scope of interest at the Boise Commons is very wide .
Helping people become more comfortable with dialogue. Helping people deal
with complexity of public issues and focus on the deep roots of those issues.
Helping surface assumptions, create visions and solutions together, help
overcome political polarization and encourage systemic approaches to solutions
and encourage long-term thinking, among other things. So, some of the things we
have been working on. We did a state of Boise's neighborhood associations
study last year, survey and report on strengths and weaknesses and needs of all
these associations. We have been working with the neighborhood associations to
build a collaboration framework, so they can be more effective and learn from
each other. The neighborhood game, it's more of a fun community building
activity that we did a couple years ago. Dealing with complexity in the public
arena. So, we are introducing some new tools and processes about dealing with
complex issues. The first one we are going to work on has to do with dependents
on the automobile in the Treasure Valley. Survey of the youngest voting age
citizens. This was conducted among seniors in the high schools last year to get a
sense of how they see voting and civic participation. Really interesting study.
Meeting the other. Bringing together people with different viewpoints to get to
know each other as human beings. Proposal to the school district in Boise to
build a civic education curriculum and we are about to pilot the use of an online
platform called Considerit for improved public debate on an issue of concern. I
will give you a little preview what that looks like in case it happens to be of interest
down the road. And, then, what we came here to talk about today is the Empty
Chair, encouraging long-term thinking and inclusivity in public decisions. So, the
Empty Chair has been used as a symbol before. We didn't invent that. This --
this empty chair represents POWs, MIAs, Holocaust -- those who were lost in
Holocaust. This example is earthquake -- those who died in an earthquake in -- I
believe this is New Zealand. So, this is our Empty Chair placard and it simply
says this Empty Chair represents future generations who are affected by what we
say and do here today. I brought a couple of examples. It's a laminated placard
and designed to be -- to be affixed easily to any chair and we can provide those in
any number of colors if there is an interest in that. So, the idea is simply to set
aside an empty chair at your meetings, place it where it will be somewhat
conspicuous. Doesn’t have to be in the middle of the room. Display the placard.
Although that may not even be necessary, because when I learned about this
practice, it was at a conference where they were used to having an empty chair in
the middle of the meetings and there was no placard and no need for it, because
everyone understood that that -- that's what it was for. But we designed the
placards to sort of make it easier for people to understand why is there this empty
chair? Why is it reserved? And so -- so reasons why. A reminder. A reminder to
consider the future, those who are not in the room or not born yet or simply not
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present in the conversation. Expressing your leadership. We don't know if
anybody else in the country actually does this as a practice. It's likely that
somebody does, but we are not aware. We didn't borrow that idea from -- from
other cities. And encourage others who are present in meetings to think about
those who are not present and to think long term as well. So, it's really just a very
simple campaign, a simple reminder -- not that it's already happening, but it helps
and I think -- and that is it on the -- on the placard. I do have a yellow and blue
and in case -- I will leave those with you. I also have some for you -- I made
seven copies, so I think that's enough for all the Council Members and the Mayor.
De Weerd: If you will give it to our clerk. Thank you, Matthew.
Shapiro: A little souvenir. So, before I close that, are there any questions or
comments about the Empty Chair at all?
De Weerd: Council, any questions?
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Yes, Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Mr. Shapiro, thanks for your presentation, this unique idea, one that's
been done all over the country. You have outlined a lot of the work that you have
done in the city Boise. I'm just curious if this is something that is currently
occurring in Boise city hall and, if so, where did they place that chair.
Shapiro: Yeah. We have reached out to Boise city council and I know some of
the members there. We have not heard back. We are -- we are going to go
remind them and see if we can do that. So, this is the first invitation we have
gotten, actually, from a local government entity, so --
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Yes, Mrs. Milam.
Milam: Well, you picked the right colors, first of all.
De Weerd: I know.
Milam: I think this is -- I love the idea. We are constantly -- it is something that
we -- up here have stated many times of be careful of the decisions we make and
the effect that it's going to have on not only future councils, but future generations
and -- I mean that's what we try to make every decision with that in mind . So, I
think having that symbolism and that representation is -- I think it's a great idea.
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The logistics of it, I'm not sure how that will work, but -- but I really do like the idea.
Thank you for bringing it to us.
Shapiro: Thanks. So, the last thing I was going to show you is Considerit. We
discovered this sort of by accident. It's been used heavily in Seattle. It's --
because we are interested in helping elevate the level of public dialogue about
public issues and engage people more effectively and it's free , so we thought,
huh, let's pilot the use of this here. We have just set up the first one and it's
something that would affect everybody in the county, this particular issue that we
are thinking of going with initially -- is the issue of local control of roads and
ACHD, which we don't take any particular position on, but it's one that comes up
now and then. So, we thought what if we pilot the use of this tool to explore that
issue, to invite everybody to -- to express an opinion about it and, then, the great
thing about it is it -- it lets people describe why they support -- are for something
or against something and -- and those reasons can be rated and it's moderated as
well, so that it remains very civil if you carefully conduct it. So, we will be -- we will
be working on that soon and that's something I would highlight that for you. It's
just something that might interest the City of Meridian . So, that's it.
De Weerd: Well, thank you, Matthew. We appreciated receiving your information
and request for coming and presenting your ideas and we are looking for better
ways to encourage dialogue and feedback and -- and remind not just us, as you
pointed out, but all those involved in -- in those contentious sometimes topics that
it's for the good of the whole --
Shapiro: Right.
De Weerd: -- and it is for not just the decision that it impacts today, it will impact
our long term as well. So, those are good reminders to have.
Shapiro: Thank you.
De Weerd: So, thank you for joining us. Anything further from Council? Thank
you.
C. Community Development: CDBG Program Updates for
Program Year 2016 and Program Year 2017
De Weerd: Okay. And last aspect here in our Community Presentations is our
Community Development Block Grant and, Chris, I will turn this over to you.
Pope: Thank you, Madam Mayor, Members of the Council . I really like to be at
this podium for some reason, so rather than sitting over there from the side, I'm
going to address you straight on.
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De Weerd: All right.
Pope: Regardless of that, I don't have a lot of -- I guess not much more than a
bunch of updates to give you guys today in an effort to be a little bit more
accountable and transparent with you and the community on what we are doing in
this program, I wanted to come before you today and kind of talk about what's
going on in the projects with our CDBG program and the applications that we
received for funding -- for consideration for funding, rather, for this upcoming
program year. For those in the room and those who may be watching somewhere
else, the CDBG program that we have here -- CDBG stands for Community
Development Block Grants, which is a program in which we receive federal
funding from the Department -- the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development in order to meet some social services and community development
needs here in Meridian. So, as we -- for those, again, who don't -- who aren't as
familiar with this program as we go forward, this is highlighting some of the things
that we already have going on in Meridian and some of the things we are looking
at potentially funding as we go forward. So, first and foremost I wanted to just
provide a basic update of what's happening. Is a list of nine of the projects that
we have going on right now that spans multiple different program years, all funded
in different ways. Some of the ones that I want to highlight are I think of particular
importance -- the first one is the slum and blight plan that we have going on right
now with the help of our consultant in JUB Engineers. We are currently out there
assessing properties in various different parts of the city in order to determine
what percentage of these properties would be considered slum -- in a slum area
or a blight area and this is designed to help us kind of classify and open up some
more doors for potential funding to an expansion of projects into these areas to
meet some of the needs that exist. That's moving along quite well. The project
should be completed in -- at the latest by the end of June and we will have some
kind of presentation of that plan to you, to give you an idea of what's actually
going on in your constituencies here in terms of the state of their properties here
in Meridian. In addition we have two programs we are partnering with
Neighborworks and the Boise City-Ada County Housing Authority who help to
provide down payment, closing costs, and principal buy down assistance funds to
those who are looking at buying a home for a first time and who don't quite have
all the funds there. In addition we have the senior resource guide that we were
able to just get completed and printed and hopefully distributed here soon , if not
already, to provide those senior citizens in the community with a very clear record
of what their options are to those resources here in Meridian. We have two years
of a very large street light project that's going on throughout different sections of
our community, particularly in areas that need the streetlights. They haven't had it
for a while, so that's moving forward just great. The Meridian Food Bank, we have
just approved -- you guys have just approved in the last couple of weeks the
agreement to move forward with them and they have already started buying some
food and distributing it using those funds. So, as usual we have partnered with
them for almost I think a decade now since we started this program and they are
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flying like usual. The scholarship program that we have been funding the last few
years with the Boys & Girls Club to help low and moderate income students with
whatever needs they may have in whatever way that the Boys & Girls Club can't
help them. It's moving forward well. And, again, most of these -- I guess projects
have been just approved by you recently, but I wanted to highlight them, because
they are moving, they are happening. Funding has already been drawn down for
most of these projects, even though it's only been technically legally allowed to be
functional for the last couple of weeks. So, these partnerships are moving forward
and changes are happening in the community. Lives are being affected because
of the decision to move forward with these . One that's new that I did also want to
provide I guess an update with is the emergency rental assistance program that
we partnered with Jesse Tree on. Their -- their goal is, essentially, to provide one
month's rent for those individuals who, for whatever reason, are facing eviction or
some other kind of reason that they are getting kicked out of their apartment as an
emergency. They have also recently just submitted some drawdowns for funds,
so we know that that's going forward, that there is a need in the community and
that we are partnering with a good organization that's helping to meet that need .
The last thing that -- the last update that I want to talk about is an update on the
Meridian Development Corporation's project to develop and design and put in
some -- some sidewalks in the downtown area and this is part of the contact -- we
wanted to come forward with this, because there is some complexity with this
project that we want to make sure it's clear to everybody on the Council, Madam
Mayor and Council Member Bird are heavily involved in this project with MDC, but
we want to make sure that everybody else is clear as things move forward on this
project. It's become a little bit more complicated than we had initially expected,
but it seems to be moving forward. We had a great coordination meeting with --
with those involved in MDC this last week and clarified particular items in terms of
the legal agreements and the compliance factors that are necessary for both the
city and MDC to be following in order to be eligible for the use of these funds and
everything seems to be moving forward very well. But there are some
implications here and you guys have not yet seen the subrecipient agreement or
approved one for this project and unless something changes dramatically within
the next couple of weeks there will be an agreement on your desk to -- to prove
through the consent agenda. But this project becomes a little more complicated
because this year we are -- we are choosing through the agreement with MDC to
fund just the design aspect of certain segments of sidewalk in the downtown area .
That’s not the construction. It's just the design. But the way that HUD works with
us through the CDBG program and federal requirements and regulations -- a
project can't be closed out or completed or considered finished in any way until
the construction has been completed. We can't start design without ever finishing
the construction. At this point that means that moving forward and approving an
agreement that highlights and funds a design project also is tying us one way or
another to a commitment to fund the construction project to the future. And
construction isn't the chief thing for things like this and we will discuss some of the
options as we go forward, but we wanted to make sure it was on your table in
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understanding that as we move forward with this project -- particularly this year
with the design of these sidewalks, that there is recognition that at least for the
next year, if not the next two or three years, these projects -- Council is, in
essence, committing to also found construction monies for this project. MDC has
put forward some applications in particular for this next program year, which I'm
going to get into here in a second, so you can know exactly what they are asking
for, what's required, and what impact it might have on our overall CDBG budget.
But I do kind of want to pause there and ask if there are questions, comments,
concerns about this, because it's not often we come forward with projects and say
get really excited about it, get all the pieces moving, only to realize that this
might be a large multi-year funding commitment and we want to make sure that's
transparent and understood by everybody and if there are concerns, questions, or
comments I would invite them right now on that note.
De Weerd: Well -- and I think it's probably important to give some context to it as
well. The planning staff did work up some -- in -- in relationship with various
stakeholders on priority paths that are -- includes safe routes to school. This is to
connect students in the low to moderate income housing areas to the elementary
school and Meridian Elementary and to Cole Valley Christian. So, these are -- are
paths that have been rated in their highest area of need and they exist in the
urban renewal district boundaries outside of the core area and in the residential
area. I think one of the things that the MDC board was excited about is to be able
to bring some of these infrastructure improvements to areas within the urban
renewal district that hasn't gotten a lot of attention with their efforts for slum and
blight, but it -- it brings a real need to the safety aspect of it. The board, too,
understands the -- the design and construction constraints and does appreciate
that this conversation is being held at this level with City Council to know that it's
not just a one time, that it's a several year obligation and that if federal funds do
dry up that there will be some responsibility on them to fund the construction of
the project. So, that has been a discussion at the board level as well and so I
appreciate you bringing it for an item to discuss. So, Council, any questions on
that?
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Chris, recognizing your still somewhat new into the role, but if I
remember correctly about a year ago your predecessor brought a project of a
similar scope, sidewalks for downtown and my assumption is that subrecipient
has pulled their application and this is a new one from the MDC? Are the scopes
similar in nature, same in nature, different? I think for me that would be helpful to
get some understanding as to what -- what's changed.
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Pope: Madam Mayor, Councilman -- or Council Member Cavener, I think that
before I get right into your question, this is -- part of the complexity of this -- this
project was initially an alternate project, because as you just mentioned, there
was a project previously in place to kind of do something very -- very similar. That
particular subrecipient, for whatever reason, was not able to -- to follow through
and now that -- at least year that it wasn't going to be something that we could
pursue. To my understanding -- I haven't had a lot of work particularly with that --
that former subrecipient or -- but I guess as it moves forward my understanding is
that they were different projects. They were different organizations.
De Weerd: Chris, I can perhaps help you out there.
Pope: Please. Yes, Madam Mayor.
De Weerd: That project was tied to a low income workforce housing project that
is not going forward. They are building townhomes instead. And so they did
remove the off-premise sidewalk requirement in that area, because -- because
they are moving forward with a different type of project.
Pope: Thank you, Madam Mayor. And kind in addition to kind of this entire
context, as you guys know with this program we are currently kind of being
monitored by -- by HUD right now regarding our timeliness in the use of the funds
that we are going through. So, when we had this initial subrecipient back out and
we switched to this project with MDC and as the complexities kind of changed
working with MDC, as things have gotten pushed and back and back and we are
really eager to get moving, we recognize that's -- as Madam Mayor has noted,
there is a clear need for this project. There is a clear capacity for MDC to conduct
the project and we are just hoping to get it moving as quickly as possible in order
to meet the needs in the community. As things have moved on, kind of another
aspect there is that a lot of what we were hoping and expecting this project to be
in terms of counting for us in the eyes of the federal government is probably going
to be a little different. The timeline has been pushed back by a couple of months.
So, this probably won't have a large impact on -- at least as large of an impact on
our timeliness reports as we were hoping that it would, but as we move forward
with this, again, there is a clear need. We are excited in the planning department
to get moving. Everybody at MDC is very on board with this. But there is some
intricacy to how this works. There is a commitment level that spans multiple years
and there is a lot of different factors, too, that we want to make sure is on the table
for everybody in considering this when it comes on to your consent agenda.
De Weerd: And I think for all the subrecipients there has been a heavier burden
in recordkeeping and -- that the subrecipients take on and so that's -- that's one of
the complexities in the sidewalk issue. It brings in the Davis-Bacon wages, but
right now construction is so high, bids are coming in that that's not even a problem
because of the cost associated to two projects.
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Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Follow-up question if I may. Then, Chris, what's -- what's the proposed
cost for design and what is an anticipated cost of construction?
Pope: So, actually, if I can, I'm going to move forward with this right now and I
can answer that question. So, right now this grant that we are looking at for MDC
for the design is up to -- to not exceed, I guess, the clause of 60,000 dollars for
the design for five segments of sidewalk in the downtown area, particularly, again,
that area that's serving children who are of the low to moderate income
geographic area and in addition to this I'm going kind of jump forward. I can show
you -- I'm going to go through every single applicant that we have had for the
2017 program year, but MDC has applied particularly for the construction of these
sidewalks, a grant worth 240,000 dollars. Again, this is like a very high level
estimate, because we need a contract -- the ability to develop a contract and a
price estimate as we move forward with s it. But with the estimates that we have
with these particular sidewalks -- and this is inclusive of -- of that amount that we
are looking at for this -- for this project in particular. In addition, as you can see,
MDC has also applied for a part two aspect of -- of this sidewalk construction in
low to moderate income areas in the city. This part two -- this particular
application is, again, for 60,000 dollars to design some more segments of
sidewalk somewhere else in the city. In a very similar area, but different
segments and, then, obviously, following that there will need to be construction.
In terms of -- these are applications we have. They haven't gone through our
committee yet, they are not final recommendations in any way, and that is the
case for all of the applicants I'm going to get through as I kind of talk a little bit
more. But, in general, that's what's on the table right now. As the scoring
committee goes to this and develops recommendations that funding amount might
change, how we spread it over a couple of years might change . The structure of
what will be presented to you as Council may be altered, but that is, essentially,
the cost for construction. Okay. Madam Mayor, anything else on this point with
MDC before I move into the other projects?
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Chris, the slide is helpful. I'm having difficulty, though, separating this
new project that we are somewhat discussing right now versus the -- it looks like
three applications that we have from the MDC. So, can you walk me through
specifically -- I get the 60,000 dollars for design, but the construction cost for that
sidewalk that, essentially, this Council would need to be willing to agree to fund
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April 18, 2017
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however many years it would take. I think it's important to have at least an idea
before we give you some directions on what that construction cost is -- is looking
at.
Pope: Yeah. Madam Mayor, Council Member Cavener, I agree with you a
hundred percent and this is why we are here talking about this. It's not an
insignificant amount. To kind of put it in perspective, we receive about 360,000
dollars a year for this program and 240 of that -- I mean it's literally two-thirds of
the budget -- if we were to fund this at one hundred percent for just one year.
These are the costs that we are expecting. How we move forward with that, how
we want to structure the funding is going to be determined in our scoring
committee, but also by you in -- in this conversation. But there is an expectation
that if you approve this design grant for 60,000 dollars, that 240,000 dollars is
going to come down the pipeline over some period of time in order to complete
this project. Any other questions on that?
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: Madam Mayor. The 240, though, is the pass-through proceeds of CDBG
funds, though; is that correct?
De Weerd: That's correct.
Pope: Yes. So, yes. Just to be very clear, Council Member Borton --
Borton: Yes.
Pope: -- Madam Mayor, this would be coming from expected funds to be received
in future years from the federal government . It's not going to come from General
Fund. It's not going to come from anywhere other than the federal government as
far as we have it estimated and it's been applied for right now. This is how we are
moving forward with it and the expectation is that this program will be around for
at least a couple more years, long enough to -- to move forward with this and to
complete this project. Again, there is no surety with that, depending on how
budgets move forward at the federal level, but that's the expectation that we have .
So, there is some risk that we are assuming here, but I think that it will be --
moving forward with this is -- is safe in a lot of ways in terms of -- there is a clear
need. We have got the money right now to do the design . We are more than
likely going to have at least some funding for this next year to move forward with
the construction and, then, we are all very hopeful that moving forward after that
there will be funds to complete the construction, if necessary over a couple years
down. Any other questions on the MDC project here?
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April 18, 2017
Page 17 of 65
Cavener: Not right now.
Pope: Okay. So, Madam Mayor, if I may, I'm going to -- I'm going to run through
the other applications that we received and I do want to highlight again -- about a
month ago I came before you all and asked for recommendations for
organizations that we could talk to , invite to apply. We have a pretty good
reputation with a number of organizations, because they keep applying. They like
partnering with us and we are able to make a relatively large impact on the -- on
the community and the population they serve here and I want to run through this
to give you a very clear idea of the applications that are on the table , again, in
about a week or so we are going to run it through our grant committee meeting to
discuss what recommendations we will officially bring to you all. This is the rough
program -- I guess description of the program, the amount that the organization is
asking for, the organization itself. So, starting off the Meridian Food Bank is
asking for 40,000 dollars to continue to work with their hunger relief program and
services here in Meridian and we have been working with them again for almost a
decade and these funds have a very large impact and are a very large proportion
of their budget and their ability to really serve the community here. The Allegheny
County -- or not Allegheny. That's where I used to work. Ada County Housing
Authority has asked for here 50,000 dollars again for down payment, closing
costs, and principal buy down assistance for low to moderate income residents
here. We have been working with them for the last couple of years funding this
his program. It has been very successful and helped a lot of families.
Neighborworks is asking for a very similar -- essentially the same programs, a
different organization and a different amount. Jesse Tree, as I mentioned earlier,
is providing those emergency rental assistance funds to individuals . They have --
they have, essentially, doubled their -- their ask for this year, as they have
become I guess more acclimated to the community here in recognizing the need s
that they could help serve here in Meridian through their services. We have a
new organization that's pretty new. They provide services and case management
services to those who are at risk of losing their housing. That organization is
called Asego and they are run by the former assistant director of the Interfaith
Rescue Mission and they are hoping to expand services here. They were
particularly attracted to a priority that -- that we have been talking about here at
least in our department that revolves around those who have to be rehoused due
to emergencies, like fires, but also those who are feeling domestic violence. One
of the -- the programs they are specifically applying for is for 15,000 dollars to -- to
start up and establish a program that will provide motel vouchers for those
individuals who are fleeing domestic violence, particularly they are citing the
concern that many don't flee, because they don't have a place to go . And so this
program in particular would address that need. They would work through a
number of different referral systems in order to -- to find those clients and -- and
meet those needs. Again, we will talk about this more as we move forward and
get through our committee meeting. And, then, there are three grant -- grant
applications on the table from Meridian Development Corporation. Two hundred
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April 18, 2017
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and forty thousand dollars for the construction of the sidewalk project we have
talked about. Another 60,000 dollars ask for the design of a new set of segments
of sidewalk and, then, also some funding of 40,000 dollars to kind of move
forward and to supplement their facade improvement program. So, I would also
like to kind of stand for questions at this point. If you have any questions about
this -- I do -- sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here. There are a couple of
notable missing names that I want to put on your radar. The Boys & Girls Club
did not apply for this year. We did not get an application from them. In addition
we did not get any City of Meridian applicants, which is the first in a while. We
also didn't get any applications from the Ada County School District. They were
very interested and involved in talking with me, learning about this, but we didn't
receive any applications from them. And also I wanted to follow up with you,
Council Member Little Roberts on Catch. We are working with them. There are a
bunch of loopholes because of the services they offer, where they are located and
how it works. We are working with them to help kind of streamline the process, so
that funding is a reasonable option from them in the future, but as far as this year
goes we weren't unable to work anything out in time in order to -- to get an
application on the table. So, with that I guess I -- I do officially want to stand for
questions on these applicants. Are there any questions regarding whose has
applied and your thoughts and concerns at this point? And these aren't final
recommendations.
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Either a question for tonight or when you -- when you come back to us.
I know in the past some applicants have had a struggle to fulfill their financial
obligations, spend the money that they have applied for. So, I think that's an
important piece as we get ready to make some decisions over the next few weeks
and months to have that updated information on how the current recipients that
are reapplying for funds have been traditionally in spending those -- those
allocated dollars and, then, just for clarification, should the Council choose not to
fund the 60,000 dollar sidewalk design, would we no longer, then, be funding the
240,000 dollar sidewalk construction? Is that accurate? Or am I confusing things
here?
Pope: Madam Mayor, Council Member Cavener, they are completely separate.
Cavener: Okay.
Pope: They are unrelated to each other, other than they are coming -- they are
the same funding stream, same organization carrying it out, but they are
completely different projects and how we decided to move forward, whether we
want a conglomerate designed together, whether we want to do them separately,
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April 18, 2017
Page 19 of 65
whether we want to try to do it all at the same time, would be up to you guys and
the scoring committee.
Cavener: Okay.
Pope: But as of now they are completely unrelated in terms of -- like the actual
logistic project itself.
Cavener: Okay.
De Weerd: Okay. Any further questions?
Pope: Madam Mayor, Council Member Cavener, I did want to address that we
have made some changes to the way that we are approaching the application and
also the scoring of the applicants and the applications, particularly to meet -- I
guess to address the concern that you just brought up . Every single application
was required to give a very clear and specific schedule of which they expected to
move forward with their projects and, in addition, there is a much more clear and
quantifiable rubric that we are going to be using to score and we have weighted
the things that are really important to us, like timeliness, as being worth more
points in that rubric.
Cavener: Great.
Pope: So, the projects will definitely be judged according to how well they can
avoid some of the problems we have had in the past, in addition to them meeting
the needs and meeting the objectives and priorities of the city. So, just to
highlight one last time, if I can kind of conclude with this, is our next steps. A
week from this Friday we will have our first grant committee meeting where we will
review all the applications, score them, and develop recommendations. We will
develop that action plan and a couple weeks after that we will bring it back to you
on the Council meeting on the 16th. We will have our consultant from BBC
Research and Consulting here as well to present to you our five year consolidated
plan, in addition to our recommendation for funding and action plan for the
program year 2017. After that meeting there will be a public comment period of
34 days 'ish, whatever it turns out to be, ending on June 20th for a public hearing
on the matter, after which you guys can move forward how you want to with our
recommendations. But at that point any final questions or concerns I would invite
at this point.
De Weerd: Okay. No? Thank you, Chris.
Pope: Thank you for your time.
Item 8: Action Items
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April 18, 2017
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A. Public Hearing for Meridian Meadows Senior
Community (H-2017-0011) by Giza Development/Michael
Wright Located 2662 E. Magic View Drive
1. Request: Annexation and Zoning of 5.28 Acres of Land
with an L-O Zoning District
2. Request: Conditional Use Permit for a
Nursing/Residential Care Facility in an L-O Zoning
District
De Weerd: Okay. Under Action Items, Item 8-A is a public hearing for H-2017-
0011. I will ask for staff comments at this time.
Parsons: Thank you, Madam Mayor, Members of the Council. Before you this
evening is the Meridian Meadows Senior Care annexation and conditional use
permit. The site consists of 5.28 acres of land, zoned RUT in Ada County and it's
located at 2662 East Magic View Drive. In 2016 there was a development --
development application in front of you, which was called the Pope's Gardens
application. We had a comp plan amendment, annexation, and a conditional use
permit for a multi-family development and the Council did recommend denial of
that application. So, the applicant is here this evening to discuss annexing the
property, the 5.2 acres of land, with an L-O zone, which is consistent with the
office land use designation in the Comprehensive Plan and staff is recommending
a DA as a provision of annexation. A concurrent conditional use permit has also
been applied for on the site plan and landscape plan are before you this evening .
On the left-hand side is the site plan. You can see there are two structures
proposed for development on this site. The building on the left-hand side consists
of 37,800 square feet and will consist of 50 residential units and the building on
the left will consist of 43,400 square feet and have 60 units themselves as well. If
you look at the submitted site plan, the applicant is proposing two driveway
accesses to East Magic View Drive and it's better here to see it on the landscape
plan, but there is one here on the west boundary and, then, also one on the east
boundary and, then, in the northwest corner there is a public street that is not
constructed, but the right of way is stubbed to this property. So, that's a -- that's a
key point at this point, but I will dive into that a little bit further as I get into my
presentation this evening. So, currently this is all Magic View along the south
boundary of this development. On ACHD's master street map a portion of East
Magic View Drive is a collector road, which is the eastern half of the development.
On the western portion of the site where this access touches, this is downgraded
to a local street. So, currently in our UDC we try to restrict access to local streets
whenever a local street is available and in this particular case they are allowed to
have one access to a local street, but they must seek a Council waiver to have an
access to the collector road as it's written in the UDC. So, that is one of the
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April 18, 2017
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requests that is on the table this even before you is allowing this eastern most
driveway approach. Staff -- because the adjacent property to the east of this site
is also in the county and fronts on that collector roadway, staff is requiring that
cross-access easement is grounded to that property to the east to try to limit an
access point to that commercial road in the future. Now, if you recall with the
Pope's Garden project that came through in 2016 and ultimately was demised --
or denied, that development went before ACHD's commission. It went through
the -- the public was there to testify and one of their -- and ACHD's commission
recommended that that road not extend with the development of that project.
They had suggested or recommended or approved a gated emergency access
and a ped-bike connection to the development. Now that we have a new
application on the table, staff did recommend that the road be punched through
and the primary reason for it is because, one, our Comprehensive Plan supports
connectivity with adjacent subdivisions, but if you look at the surrounding areas --
surrounding properties in this area, development is very -- or pedestrian -- or
vehicular connectivity is very limited in here. There is really only one east-west
segment through the Woodbridge Subdivision. So, staff felt closing off this
roadway would -- would be a detriment to the surrounding areas and provide a
needed -- and decrease the need for an access coming off of Franklin into this
area and -- into this area of Meridian. And I would mention to you that the City
Council did direct staff to provide a letter to ACHD and have them study the traffic
in the surrounding area. We did get an update from ACHD staff and based on
their study of their -- now they haven't done an official traffic study, but just looking
at the surrounding developments, without further redevelopment of p some
adjacent county properties, if this road is not extended they don't anticipate any
other connectivity in the area at this time and that was something that we
discussed with ACHD staff as well. So, one thing that I did want to mention to you
is when we took this before Planning and Zoning Commission, their
recommendation included ACHD's recommendation and just leave it as a gated
emergency access and a bike-ped connection through this proposed
development. Now, as far as the land use buffers -- or required adjacent to the
residential uses, the applicant is required to provide -- if the road is not
constructed the applicant is required to provide a 20 foot wide landscape buffer
along the east and the north boundary. Because the property to the east is comp
planned for office, there is an ability to waive some of that buffer requirements, but
the applicant has not proposed that. Currently they are proposing to put in the
required 20 foot wide landscape buffers. Again, the only thing that staff is
recommending is that they provide cross-access to that adjacent property. So,
the applicant did provide some conceptual development building elevations for
you this evening. It looks like their mix of materials include horizontal and vertical
board and batten style Hardie board siding. Multiple colors. Stone veneer
columns and accents on walls at the entrance and asphalt shingles. The
applicant will have to come before planning staff and submit a certificate of zoning
compliance and administrative design review application and for the redesign -- or
to get approval of that prior to development on this site. The Planning and Zoning
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Commission did recommend approval of this project at their previous hearing and
as I mentioned to you they did not recommend the extension of Hickory Road
through this development. So, as I'm presenting to you this evening is the plan
that the Planning and Zoning Commission took action on. So, I'm going to briefly
go through this summary of the Commission hearing for you. We had Michael
Wright, Kent Brown, Kevin Amar, Celeste Fox and Gene Fox and John Mundt
testifying in favor of the project. In opposition we had David Ballard and Ron
Fence. And, then, commenting on the application we had Rich Howell, Lori
Somazzi and Mary Rockrohr. Kent Brown submitted testimony as part of the
written testimony as part of the application in response to the staff report. Key
items of discussion at the public hearing. The extension to Hickory Road to the
development was one concern. The other was a dense buffer and landscape --
dense buffer and landscaping and fencing along the north boundary to buffer it up
against the Greenhill Estates Subdivision and I showed, as I presented to you,
they are providing the required 20 foot wide landscape buffer that's required in the
L-O zoning in district. The other was concern for cut-through traffic through
Greenhill Estates if Hickory Way was extended. Improvements needed to Magic
View. One item -- if I could step back here. One item of concern when Pope's
Gardens came through and even with this application is how this intersection --
the current design of this intersection and how it gets icy in the winter and how it
doesn't quite terminate that well. So, that, again, was brought up with this
particular application and, again, ACHD has not provided any comments on that.
It's basically they are going to recommended it stay the way it is. Key items of
discussion as part of the Planning and Zoning Commission, again, was the
Hickory Road extension and how that would affect the traffic through the adjacent
neighborhoods. The only recommendation -- or the change to staff's
recommendation was to strike that condition for the expansion of North Hickory
Way and so, really, there are two outstanding issues that we would like you to
take under consideration this evening. One we would like you to still consider the
extension of Hickory Way through this development to support our
Comprehensive Plan and make sure that we have additional access points and
connectivity within this section of Meridian. And as -- the other one is -- as I
mentioned to you earlier in my presentation -- is the waiver for the easternmost
access to the collector street on the south boundary. So, written testimony since
the Commission hearing. We had Kent Brown, the applicant's representative, in
agreement with the Commission's recommendation and, then, we also received
the petition from the Greenhill Estates Subdivision in favor of the project, not in
favor of the road extension. And the same was true of the Woodbridge
Homeowners Association. With that, again, Planning and Zoning Commission
and staff did recommend approval of this project. I will conclude my presentation
and stand for any questions you may have.
De Weerd: Thank you, Bill. Council, any questions at this point?
Milam: Madam Mayor?
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April 18, 2017
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De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: Bill, I have a question. It seems like most of the contention is regarding
Hickory Way. If we were to leave that as an emergency slash pedestrian for now,
is that something that can be extended later or is this final decision for future
growth of this area?
Parsons: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, as it stands now ACHD's
preference is that we get an easement over that right of way for an emergency
access only. We are not requiring that street to be extended. So, if -- if that's how
this plan is approved, then, more likely that road would not get extended. Similar
to what happened to -- happened when Woodbridge was developed in 2001.
There was a stub there also and it was approved for a pedestrian connection and
we don't anticipate that getting punched through either . So, as it's written it's not
expected to get extended.
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Uh-huh.
Milam: Is there anything that we can do to -- to change that -- put it right -- so that
we have -- so that we could possibly extend it in the future if necessary? Is there
any -- is there any way we can do that?
Parsons: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, I think -- as I mentioned to you,
there is a development agreement. I mean certainly there can be a provision if
and when something else happens in the area -- I don't -- I don't have a magic
condition for you this evening to have you place it in a condition, but there is still
dedicated right of way there, it's just that the road is not constructed. So, if we
can get some -- to me it comes down to a couple things. We need some
concurrence from the applicant. We need some buy in from the neighbors, of
course, because they are certainly -- this is a point of contention for them is the
extension of that roadway. There has to be a happy medium there. Certainly my
experience with the project, the concern of why this road should not punch
through and the reason why the Commission had concerns with it was for the fact
that it -- it's an unimproved road. Even though it's a paved access through that
Greenhill Estates, there is no sidewalks, there is no street lights, and so having
people cut through that and people walking on those streets -- they didn't feel like
it was a safe environment to have cut-through traffic into this part of this -- into this
development and that's why they planned it with not -- with no extension of that
roadway. Now, certainly we -- we could leave an open-ended condition that if and
when this Greenhill Estates ever redevelops, comes into the city, we get those
streetlights, we get sidewalk, that we can -- we can revisit that in the future. I
think that's something that we maybe could draft and generate and put in a
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April 18, 2017
Page 24 of 65
development agreement. So, never say never. But there is going to have to be a
time hold or some kind of threshold -- time frame or a threshold on how and when
we expect that road to punch through. Because right now the way the site plan is
designed, it's not going to be because it's -- it's not designed to have cut-through
you don't want a public street stubbing into a commercial drive aisle. I mean
the either has to terminate in a cul-de-sac or be extended with redevelopment,
either with Greenhill and this property.
De Weerd: So, basically, the applicant is okay with it. ACHD is okay not
connecting. The neighbors don't want it to connect. I think I'm missing something
here, but --
Milam: Madam Mayor, I'm with you, because I heard that you -- that staff wanted
it to go through and what I just heard from you right now was that you didn't. So,
it confused me a little bit.
De Weerd: Well, there -- there are issues connecting a public road to -- into a
county sub that doesn't have sidewalks and streetlights and all of that and we do
have that scenario in at least one other part of our city and it hasn't been positive .
So, I -- I think that the discussion that -- the Planning and Zoning Commission
really makes a lot of sense, leave it for emergency access and -- and -- well, we
will wait and hear what everyone has to say tonight. We don't have to solve this
yet. So, does the applicant have comments? We got the cart in front of the
horse. Thank you for being here. If you will, please, state your name and
address for the record.
Wright: Madam Mayor and Council Members, my name is Michael Wright. I'm
with Giza Development, 801 North 500 West, Suite 300, in Bountiful, Utah. Good
to be with you this evening. Bill -- staff has done a wonderful job explaining our
project. We look forward to being in your community and providing a great care
and service for members of your community. We, again, don't agree with the
extension of Hickory Lane. We would request that our annexation be approved
and our conditional use for our site plan as shown before you tonight, with the
waiver approval for the access. If there is any questions about our project or
about our operation, I'm happy to address those now. If not I will sit down.
De Weerd: Okay. Council?
Borton: Yeah. Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: Give us a quick snapshot of what you propose Hickory Way to be. Any
changes to it? Just keep it as is for an emergency access or is it improved at all?
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April 18, 2017
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Wright: It would be for emergency access only. Okay. And we have provided a
pedestrian path as well for access for pedestrians.
Borton: Madam Mayor? And the maintenance of that going forward falls on who?
Wright: On ours. On our side.
De Weerd: Other questions? Thank you.
Wright: Thank you.
De Weerd: This starts our public testimony part. If you signed up our city clerk
will -- oh. I guess the applicant still is doing his presentation. Sorry. I was so
excited, Kent, that --
Brown: I can understand that. I'm excited.
De Weerd: If you will state your name for the record.
Brown: For the record Kent Brown. 3161 East Greenwood. And I live in
Greenhill Estates. As you might recall when I was here a year ago and we had
some similar discussions about the apartments and so forth, all of a sudden I'm --
I'm popular again, but this application -- the discussion about putting a road
through and putting Hickory through, as Bill stated, the highway district has asked
it not be extended. That's our condition of approval. If you were to ask us to do
that you would be putting us in a situation -- in fact, you would be putting us in a
situation where I cannot comply. This should have I guess been addressed with
the highway district sooner, but the highway district viewed what took place a year
ago March 30th as being their decision about the extension of Hickory and that
the road wasn't to go through and the conditions at that time was that we gate it
and that we pave 20 feet and that's what our proposal has been here . We had a
long, lengthy discussion at our pre-application meeting with staff and we had
already been to the highway district. We explained what was going on. Staff
asked us to one more time go back to the highway district and ask that question
and we did before we submitted our application and the highway district has been
really firm in the fact that it didn't want the road to go through. They even prep'd
Justin, if you want to have Justin run up here from the highway district, ask him
that question.
De Weerd: As much as I like to put Justin on the spot, I don't think we need to.
Brown: I think he could just shake his head. But that's kind of -- because I have
talked with him about that -- that same situation. I even had a neighbor call me
and tell me that I didn't do a good job before Planning and Zoning and that I
needed to really hit this point, that this decision has been made, the road isn't to
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be extended. It would be difficult to grant right of way with this site where we have
parking and other things there, to have a full 50 foot wide street right of way. You
know --
De Weerd: Kent, would it help if we just say we get it and --
Brown: I think so.
De Weerd: Okay.
Brown: And I think that if you ask -- poll the public, because this was the
discussion at P&Z was everyone was for us, they were all against the road --
De Weerd: Well, I think, you know, one thing I guess I would say is we have seen
a project here for -- we love seeing you guys, but, you know, we love to think that
we finally have a project that you're okay with and if it's just all about that access
no access I mean. Yeah. The access or not. You know.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: I was unsure of it until Kent made his presentation. Yeah. That was a
changer.
Brown: Okay.
Borton: Thank you.
Brown: I appreciate that. That will help me when I walk around the
neighborhood.
Borton: You're popular again.
De Weerd: You can hold your head high in the neighborhood now.
Brown: If you -- one of the things that really hasn't been discussed is about the
site plan. It is really sensitive to the Greenhill neighbors. There is three or four
parking stalls --
Amar: They got it.
Brown: Okay. Everything close to Magic View, so I will stand for any questions.
De Weerd: Any questions for Kent?
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Borton: On the -- the nonmotorized connection Hickory --
Brown: Yes.
Borton: -- the piece that's maintained -- I'm not familiar with its dimensions. Is
there -- in future I don't want it to be a spite strip with weeds and whatnot.
Brown: The right of way is 50 feet. ACHD asked for a Meridian granted -- an
easement granted to the City of Meridian --
De Weerd: We are not going to take care of it.
Brown: And think it's for the emergency access. That's the part that is a little
confusing about that, but I would be more agreeable to maintain the -- the
pavement part --
De Weerd: Sold.
Brown: -- and the gate -- and the neighbors have been using that already, so --
they would just have to move their vehicle to the side.
De Weerd: Okay. So, the -- the applicant is -- is committing to taking care of that
easement then?
Brown: That's correct.
De Weerd: Okay.
Borton: And is it -- Madam Mayor. Is the easement wider than the pavement
itself?
Brown: Yes, it is.
Borton: So, it's not limited just to the pavement, but the full breadth of the
easement is maintained? Is that correct? Now is the time to make sure we are
crystal clear on who is responsible for what.
Amar: For the record Kevin Amar. 1548 West Cayuse Creek Drive. We will work
with the neighbors. Right now they have got that in lawn and grass and they are
maintaining it.
Borton: Okay.
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Amar: So, it's not just a spite strip, it's not just a weed patch. It's nicely
maintained. So, we will work with the neighbors. Maybe they will want to keep it
as part of their grass and they will maintain it or it will be maintained as part of the
development itself. But one way or another the City of Meridian will not have to
maintain it.
Borton: Okay. Thank you.
De Weerd: Our code enforcement will have your name and number.
Amar: Unfortunately, I think they are already do. But we get along well with them,
so we will -- we will take care of it.
Borton: Okay.
De Weerd: Okay. Thank you.
Amar: Thank you.
De Weerd: Okay. This is a public hearing and since we do seem to have
agreement on the connectivity -- if when your name is -- is read you want to
provide testimony, we would invite you to come up and share your voice with us.
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Before the public hearing begins I think it's important for me to declare
that on this application I received a few e-mails and phone calls from affected
citizens. During our conversation informed them that we can't talk about the
particulars. I acknowledged receipt of the e-mail and encouraged them to come
and participate in the process. I don't think that any of the contacts impacted my
ability to be fair or impartial on this application, but I thought it would be important
to be declared for the record.
De Weerd: Thank you. Mr. Clerk.
Coles: Thank you, Madam Mayor. David Ballard signed up against and would
like to testify.
De Weerd: Thank you for joining us. If you will, please, state your name and
address for the record.
Ballard: Mayor de Weerd, Council Member Little Roberts, Borton, Milam and
Cavener. My name is David Ballard. I'm a resident at 2482 East Springwood in
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Meridian. I sit in the pathway of what some people would run two to five thousand
cars by my house. To hear the suggestion to extend Hickory I see as trying to fit
a square peg in a round hole. The present infrastructure is woefully inadequate to
support the unprecedented future increase in capacity. My concern is safety. We
are on a narrow oval, which is a mile. Ninety degree corners at the top and at the
bottom. You have to creep around those corners presently to turn safely. The
straight stretches I dare to say you can do 40 to 60 miles an hour on those
straight stretches. There are no sidewalks. There are no street lights. So, my
concern is safety. Now, at the same time my concern is for the development of
what lies to the south in that area across the street from St. Luke's and that other
area. So, I beg to differ. It's not about connecting subdivisions to subdivisions,
it's about running a commercial street through a residence to serve future
commercial properties. I object to that respectfully. But I get it that we need to
move traffic in and out of that area. There are alternate routes. You could
improve turning lanes at the Allen-St. Luke's light. You could expand that. You
could expand East Freeway Drive. You can expand Bentley. There are
alternates to get back. So, that area to the south of us is somewhat landlocked
and I'd like to see it develop, but I don't think running a commercial street through
a residential section is the answer. It's asking a five pound sack to contain a 20
pound problem and we get the cut -through traffic and the two to five thousand
cars running through my subdivision. Is it personal? Is it somewhat greedy? I
thought about that. I live in a premier neighborhood. It's quiet. It's an enclave
within an area of chaos. Who doesn't want to avoid Franklin and Eagle. I have
no choice. And I patiently wait a long time to get through that. But I would submit
that that little chunk of county around the city is consistent with the Pegasus report
that talks about other areas blending into developments and allowing for -- it is still
a county setting. It's peaceful. It's quiet.
De Weerd: David, you need to summarize. But I agree.
Ballard: I'm for the development that Mr. Brown and his group has presented. I
just disagree with extending the street in that fashion. I think there is a better way
to get to that development. That's what I ask the Council to consider. Thank you,
Mayor. Thank you, Council Members.
De Weerd: Thank you for joining us.
Coles: Tom Baker signed up against the project. Indicated no street access, but
did not indicate whether or not he wished to testify.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Ian and Jeanette Sodine signed up in favor of the project. Would like to
testify, but indicated no street access on the sheet.
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Sodine: Mayor and Council Members.
De Weerd: Good evening. Thank you for joining us. If you will state your name
and address for the record.
Sodine: My name is Ian Sodine. The address is 2663 East Autumn Way. So, on
your map I am the occupant on the right side of the map at the top. So, I'm the
next door neighbor to this development. Pope Garden I wasn't very happy with
that whole deal, those apartments and all the transient and whatever else we
might have said, that's all under the bridge. This development seems like a
fantastic deal. The property has been up for sale for 19 years. For at least the 19
years that I have lived there I have always known something was going to be
developed. Didn't realize stub roads were coming through until Woodbridge was
developed and got a big surprise when we came to all that stuff. It is a walkway
coming through and there is a lot of Woodbridge folks that walk that one mile loop.
It turns out it's actually a little nice scenic and quiet area. So, you wouldn't just
impact us if you put the road through, but you actually impact Woodbridge a
second time and they seem to have enough bashing of traffic as it is. I don't have
good solutions for you on how to fix that. I do walk through the area of Magic
View from time to time, because I actually walk through Woodbridge using the
passageway and, then, I get confused with your planning on that area , because
it's a little county lane, unless the property has been developed, and, then, it's a
three lane with parking and sidewalks. So, walking from Woodbridge, as soon as
I get through the new R-8 subdivision, I'm on a dirt road trying not to get hit by a
lot of traffic until I get past Rich's house, the five acres to the west of this
development. Is that right? Piece of this development. Then I'm on sidewalks
again. So, maybe the way to fix your problem with that whole developing area is
to actually authorize the road and sidewalk to be developed before the land was
purchased and developed each time, so that you have a full circle with the traffic
light in and out, even though that's on Eagle Road. As a way to show the traffic,
this is the recommended way in and out of this area. Otherwise, it gets quite
confusing. That's all I have to say. Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you. And we would agree with you, but we don't do roads. But
I see that Justin is over there and he heard what you suggested. But I think in
that area it's all development driven and it's been difficult for Ada County Highway
District to get right of way to do improvements when they don't own the right of
way and there is no development in the immediate future. So, that's why it comes
as development occurs.
Sodine: Okay. So, the last thing I would say with that, then, is if you did put the
road through our subdivision you would have four exits out of the area -- two exits
on the one acre lots, both T into Franklin, which is now a five lane road, stop light
only. So, getting out on Locust through the bridge is just as difficult. We are as
bad, depending on the traffic. If you want to drive through traffic the half acres of
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Greenhill Estates, then, you stub out on Springwood and Autumn and you're back
on Eagle and you can only turn right . You might as well come out at Magic View
or St. Luke's Hospital at the traffic light, so -- thank you for your time.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Liz Booth signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. John Overton
signed up in favor and would like to testify.
De Weerd: Hi.
Overton: Good evening, Madam Mayor and Members of Council, city staff, Dean.
Can't forget Dean.
De Weerd: That's the first time Dean has been addressed. I think he's feeling
pretty privileged over there.
Overton: I come here -- I sit on the board now for --
De Weerd: Would you, please, state your name and address or -- the --
Overton: My name is John Overton. 1922 East Bowstring in the Woodbridge
Subdivision. For the last 15 years. Now, let me start off with a little history,
because we talked about comprehensive plans. My family moved to the state in
1977 and they moved into a brand new subdivision called Greenhills Estates. So,
this plan for two roads going into the future of the unknown is over 40 years old .
We had no idea a forty-year-old snapshot was a two lane Eagle Road with a very
narrow overpass. A Locust Grove that dead ended at the interstate. A two lane
Franklin. A two-lane Overland. A great little bar -- neighborhood bar across the
street from Greenhills Estates and the greatest pheasant hunting in the world
where St. Luke's sits. We have changed. So, the fact that we sit here and say we
have a comp plan that designates that this is our last best decision for traffic, I
think we can do better. We need to do better. Now, I think it's horrible -- we
respect our neighbors in Greenhills. This road should never be considered. It
should be just like what we have in Woodridge . It should be a walking road. But
we still fight with all these developments and what they are going to do to
Woodbridge and still hope there is going to be some discussion and some plan
and some way to limit or reduce the attractiveness of cutting through Woodbridge
into these upcoming developments. We want the medical corridor. That's what
we believed was coming, that's what we want it to become. This is exactly -- I'm
so glad I'm not fighting with them this year, because we spent last year arguing
back and forth. This is what we wanted. This is what we testified to. But we
need to look beyond this as well and I don't like hearing the words that this is our
last great hope and if we don't approve this road, then, we are just going to have
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to put up with ever increasing traffic through Woodbridge, because we are the
only cut-through. I think there is --
De Weerd: John --
Overton: Yes.
De Weerd: I think Bill was just doing his job.
Overton: I know it. I like Bill. I called him -- I e-mailed Bill. It's not personal. It's
just there has got to be a better way and I hate to say it, but I mean we got ITD on
Eagle Road, ACHD controls the roads, whether we put a turnaround and we stop
Magic View from cutting all the way through and we make it a turnaround, so
everybody has to go all the way through the long route to get through that
business complex, which would upset some of my neighbors, because they use it
for a cut-through, I guarantee you. But we have got to think of a better plan that's
got to be well thought, it's got to be well engineered and it's going to cost money.
There is nothing for free. But I think we still need to look at a way to safely build in
all of this complex based on what it's going to do to Woodbridge in the future and
what those traffic concerns are going to bring to us. Stand for any questions.
De Weerd: I guess my question would be would you be willing to help put
together a group from Woodbridge and Greenhill Estates to work with ACHD and
our staff on some proposals to bring to ACHD so as development occurs -- and it
will -- you have a plan that can be developed as development occurs?
Overton: Madam Mayor, you know the answer to that before you asked it.
De Weerd: I know. Because I would have volun-told you, so -- but we appreciate
that suggestion and your volunteering to head up this group, because I -- I do
think that that is in -- you have -- you're spot on. That does need a discussion and
I think we can pull the right people together to start that .
Overton: Great. Thank you, Mayor.
De Weerd: And welcome to retirement.
Overton: Thank you, Mayor.
Coles: Samuel Snyder signed up against and does not wish to testify. Kelli
Ketlinski signed up in favor and would like to testify.
De Weerd: Good evening. Thank you for joining us. If you will state your name
and address for the record.
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Ketlinski: Sure. I am Kelli Ketlinski. 2586 East Autumn Way in Meridian in
Greenhill Estates and good evening, Madam Mayor and Council Members.
Appreciate just a few minutes of your time. Actually, it's going to be less than
that, because I'm severely curtailing my comments based on the direction that I
hear from the board right now, but -- and I had some photographs that I wanted to
share, but I don't think I even need to do that at this point . The one point that I did
want to make is that at the Ada County Highway District -- in hearing they had a
lot of public input, they had a lot of discussion with staff -- ACHD staff, as well as
Meridian staff, because Mr. Parsons was able to attend and answered their
questions and provided a lot of insight at that time and the highway district at that
time voted unanimously and without objection to -- on that application specifying
that the road should not go through . But what I found really interesting about that
was that Commissioner Baker, who was a big proponent I'm told of connectivity
and these kind of issues and rarely, if ever, votes against a road going through,
not only was a unanimous decision, but actually brought the motion herself
limiting that. And, then, again, the entire board voted unanimously and without
objection. So, that really is the only point that I wanted to make. I appreciate your
time and any questions? Or if you want to see my photographs I'm happy to
share with you. Show you what that easement looks like right now and how nice
the neighbors take care of it, so --
De Weerd: Council, would you like to see the photographs or -- we will take her
word for it?
Cavener: Madam Mayor? Do your photographs look different than the Google
Map image?
Ketlinski: Yes.
Cavener: I'd like to see them.
De Weerd: Well, let's look at them.
Ketlinski: Okay.
De Weerd: You can give them to Mr. Clerk.
Cavener: We have a brand new fancy system. I can't wait to watch it work.
Ketlinski: Just an experiment with your technology. So, I have numbered the
pages and looking at -- will it show on this one as well? Okay. The -- page
number one, the first photograph is the location of the right of way -- is it showing
on yours?
De Weerd: You will see it when we do.
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Ketlinski: Okay.
De Weerd: It's got to warm up.
Ketlinski: Okay. So, that top photograph is actually the right of way. I'm standing
across the street and looking at the right of way right where the pickup truck and
the RV are parked right in that area looking straight across there is where the
development will be. So, as you can see they have -- they I think -- I believe use
a weed killer to keep the actual easement so there is not much growing on it, but
on either side is grass that is maintained by the neighbors. The photograph right
below it is right on the right-hand side, kind of in the middle of the picture, is right
where that right of way comes out on East Autumn Way. You turn around to 180
degrees, you look down that street and it's about a three-quarter mile straight
away straight down the neighborhood and this goes straight into one of the 90
degree turns that we have heard about many times. If you look at the second
page, these are just two more pictures of the right-hand turns. They look like
dead ends, but they are not. Those roads continue around our big one mile oval.
If you go to the third page, this is -- this is the busiest corner in the entire
neighborhood. It's right on Springwood and Ravenswood and you can't even see
where the -- again where the road goes, but it goes off to the right there up into
the neighborhood. The photograph below it is in early morning as I couldn't sleep
one morning thinking of this going on. Got out there with my camera and took a
picture with no flash -- so, this is coming -- looking down the opposite way into
that intersection. That's what that looks like. Then I thought I better get a flash --
well, actually, next picture. This is that same -- looking down that same road and I
do not intend to call out any neighbors who were driving this way, but this is a very
common way that cars come around those 90 degree turns. You see that -- that
car, they don't -- it's very difficult to stay in your own lane unless you're going
about 15 miles an hour or less. Maybe five miles an hour to stay in your lane on
those. So, oftentimes cars just come around those 90 degree turns out into both
lanes. A bus physically cannot make that turn in one lane.
De Weerd: I'm sure they appreciated you blocking out their license plate, so they
weren't incriminated.
Ketlinski: Far enough away, so -- that's that same -- or this is another one of the
90 degree turns. If you go to the page number five, this is a flash -- I'm standing
out there, I can hear neighbors walking, they didn't even know I was there until I
flashed my camera so you could see them on the left -hand. I have my back to the
bus stop area. But that's with a flash, so -- and there is two neighbors there.
There is not one, but two. So, this oftentimes during the school year this is what
the bus stop looks like when kids are out there. The bus stop is on -- on page
number six. There is a mailbox. The bus stop is just beyond that, so -- and, then,
page number seven is the Google Maps. I cut and pasted -- literally cut and
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pasted it together and put stars on the tree where all the driveways are and there
is some mailboxes right on those corners. So, that's what we are looking at.
Those were my photographs to share with you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Any questions from --
Cavener: Madam Mayor, I do have a question.
Ketinski: Okay.
Cavener: Your first picture that showed what would appear to be the right of way,
which I think correlates with what I see on Google Maps, which is that -- the RV --
Ketlinski: Uh-huh.
Cavener: It appears that it's parked in the right of way. Is that -- when you were
walking the neighbor that's what you're seeing as well?
Ketlinski: Yes. Because there is nothing beyond that at this point. It just empties
into the back of the lot that is not developed there.
Cavener: Thank you.
Ketlinski: Okay. You're welcome.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Ketlinski: Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you, Bill.
Coles: Bill and Jan Evarts signed up in favor. Indicated no street, but did not
indicate whether or not they wished to testify.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Sue -- and I apologize, Sue, I don't know how to pronounce your last
name. Lovani or Lovarni. Signed up in favor, but did not indicate whether she
wished to testify. Christopher Kirk signed up in favor without the stub -- stub
street, but did not indicate whether he wished to testify.
De Weerd: Good evening.
Kirk: Madam Mayor, City Council, I'm Christopher Kirk. 2465 East Springwood.
And I just stand before you to put a face to the issue. I do know many of you and
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I was the one that had called Luke and I will testify that he did send me to the city
website to fill out the form and send the information so that all City Council
members would have my -- my testimony. So, I thank you for that transparency. I
will just -- it's an issue of safety for me and my children -- I have three small
children. We do walk that neighborhood. They will be using those bus stops. I'd
like to see the project go through without a stub street. That's all I have got.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Cheryl Robison signed up in favor without the stub street, but did not
indicate whether she wished to testify. Betty Montelay signed up in favor and
does not wish to testify. Jeff Howell signed up in favor, but does not wish to
testify. Celeste Fox signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. Gene Fox
signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. Art and Michelle Beal signed up in
favor indicating no street, but did not indicate whether or not they wished to testify.
Mary Rockrohr signed up in favor, indicating no street, and does which to testify.
De Weerd: Good evening.
Rockrohr: Mary Rockrohr. 2715 East Autumn Way and Commissioners and
Mayor, thank you very much for giving us your time. We appreciate it. Mine will
be real short. Almost everything that basically has been said that I would like to
say. We are in agreement with the project. I think it's a very good transition,
especially for those of us that are to the north. My one big concern now, basically,
would be that when Woodbridge was established the eastern section of it a
mistake was made and they are paying for it now, because of the fact that Locust
Grove ended up opening up into there. So, they do have major traffic along
Bowstring. If you were to open up Hickory Way into Greenhills you would make
another big mistake. Leaving it as pedestrian and emergency I think is a
wonderful idea, but I think that's where it needs to stop definitely. Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Brent Belliston signed up in favor, indicating without the street, but no
indication of testimony. Elle Buchanan signed up in favor, writing emergency
access to Greenhills Estates only. Limited street access. No indication of
testimony. Jim Voorhees signed up in favor without the stub street, but no
testimony indication.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Gloria Hunt signed up in favor without the stub street, but no testimony
indication. Roger Tebo signed up in favor. Does not wish to testify. Linda Tebo
signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. Robert Parker signed up in favor
and would like to testify.
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De Weerd: Good evening.
Parker: Thank you. Good evening. I just wanted to --
De Weerd: If you could, please, state your name and address for the record.
Parker: My name is Robert Parker. I live at 1943 East Pegram Street in
Woodbridge.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Parker: I just wanted to say that I am in favor of the project as it stands without
the street. Hickory Way would be a street to nowhere, basically, because once
you get into Greenhills Estates you have -- you wouldn't -- most people would
want to be going north. There is no way on God's green earth you can go north
off of Hickory Way. You have three out of four turns onto Eagle -- it's southbound
only. So, there is no reason to go into Greenhills Estates. And Franklin it's going
to be a real problem and already is. That's my only idea.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Parker: No street. Thank you.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Coles: Linda Herman signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. Kevin
Arnold -- I believe that's Kevin's last name. Signed up in favor and would like to
testify. John Duncan signed up in favor, indicating no through street, but no
testimony indication. Kelly Barber signed up as neutral and would like to testify.
De Weerd: Good evening. Thank you for being with us. If you will, please, state
your name and address for the record.
Barber: Yes, Madam Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Kelly Barber. I live
at 2482 East Autumn Way, which is in Greenhills Estates. One little snippet of my
property is in one of those pictures that Mrs. Ketlinski showed earlier. I just want
to say a couple things just generally. I think this is a good example of the
community working together, the fact that Mr. Brown can show his face in
Greenhills Estates is a good thing these days and -- but I just -- I think it is -- I
think there are a lot of us that came out of the discussions last year saying the
goal is not to oppose any development, it's to come up with ways that are good
use of the property and I think this is a good one generally, the medical tie, it's
obviously a big thing I think and does kind of sit more with I think what people's
expectations were when they moved into these areas and it definitely addresses
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some of the traffic concerns. But there is one issue I did want to raise and I don't
know if it's too late in the game to do this or not, but I'm still a little confused as to
what the reasoning is for the emergency access and all. I can understand, I
guess, the pedestrian easement, although there already is that on the -- further to
the west between Greenhills Estates and Woodbridge, but as I just think about it
from a practical standpoint, you have the state police and the city police that are
due west that would not come through an access point from there if they were
trying to get to that property. So, if they are trying to get to Greenhills Estates
there is already a way to get there now. If they are trying to get to this property
they are going to come through Woodbridge, so I'm not sure what the reasoning is
there. If you're talking about medical, obviously, St. Luke's is directly east and
would certainly come across St. Luke's Way and hang a right and get right to the
to the skilled nursing facility and the assisted living home, so I'm trying to figure
out the reasoning for the access -- emergency access easement and part of my
question I think is -- goes back to Commissioner Milam's question about, well, why
are we -- is this cutting this off forever or is this something that’s still hanging out
there and to me I feel like if you create an emergency access easement for
vehicular, you're not really putting this issue to bed, we are creating it potentially
somewhere down the road where it could still happen and I don't understand the
need for it at this point and I don't think that's ever been fully explained or
addressed. So, I know ACHD -- I know I was at that hearing and it was raised
there and I don't even -- I think they were kind of at a default, let's go pedestrian
emergency, but there wasn't really discussion about what the reason was for the
emergency, so I just -- I'm hoping someone can explain the reasoning for the
emergency access. So, that would be my question.
De Weerd: Thank you. Don't look at me to explain it to you. Bill or Kent, is that
going to be a popular response? I'm kidding. Well, we will get your question
answered, Kelly.
Barber: Okay. Thank you very much for --
De Weerd: And I will tell John Overton here is another volunteer. That shows us
that by working together that was the right --
Barber: I warned my son that you were going to say that to me, so -- thank you.
De Weerd: I'm glad I didn't fail you.
Coles: Carrie Townsend signed up in favor and does not wish to testify. Steve
Brown signed up in favor of the project against pushing Hickory through and does
not wish to testify. Kimberly Jensen signed up in favor of the project , indicating no
through Hickory, but no testimony indication. Christine Brown signed up in favor
of the project, indicating no through street at Hickory, but no testimony indication.
Kenna Jensen signed up in favor of the project, no through street at Hickory, but
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no testimony indication. Gary Swaggart signed up in favor of the project, no
through street at Hickory, but no testimony indication. Sandy Muccia signed up in
favor of the project, no through street at Hickory, but no testimony indication. And
Wendy Taylor signed up in favor of the project, no through street at Hickory, but
does not wish to testify. And that is all that signed up, Madam Mayor.
De Weerd: Is there anyone else who would like to provide testimony? Yes,
ma'am. Thank you for being here.
Mecham: Thank you. Good evening to all of you. My name is Michelle Mecham.
I'm at 2159 Autumn Way -- East Autumn Way. My house is the corner house to
the other stub just west of the one that we are talking about on Weatherby, which
we came and addressed you several years ago. The finalization of that was to
have an emergency access and pedestrian access. Nothing has been done on
that. My husband and I built a small bridge across the waterway there, just for
bicycles and -- and pedestrians. So, what I'm wondering about in connection with
our last testimony is when they say that they want to put in an emergency access
and pedestrian -- do they really mean that? Are they going to go forward with
those plans? Because that's exactly what they said before and nothing has
happened. The reason I'm asking this is because it's now becoming needful for
us to put up a fence along our property and so we are wondering about putting
our fence into the easement, so that we can care for that property, controlling
weeds and thistle and all of that thing, or do we put the fence really on our
property and leave that huge easement uncared for? It's an issue. And as far as
an emergency vehicle coming up there, it would be impossible for them to cross
over that waterway the way it is right now. So, that -- I'm just questioning that.
De Weerd: Can you show us perhaps, Bill, where that stub or that emergency
access is?
Parsons: Yeah. Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, the road is actually
stubbed -- the right of way is stubbed right here in the northwest corner.
Mecham: But go to the west of that to the --
Parsons: The other one?
Mecham: That's the stub I'm talking about.
Parsons: This is the other one with Woodbridge.
Mecham: Yes.
De Weerd: Oh.
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Parsons: So, the emergency access would be here. And I'm happy to elaborate
on that a little bit more for -- for the audience here as far as emergency access
and why that -- typically our fire department and Parry Palmer, our fire marshal,
had requested that to happen and if you look at this aerial here you can see there
is a couple accesses to Eagle Road and, then, one to Franklin. If there was
something that happened in this subdivision and these -- and one of these access
points -- or something happened and these had to be shut off, there is no other
way to get anyone out of that development. So, the fire department or somebody
would have to have another way in and out of there and so he was -- our fire
marshal was concerned about that and so he -- he was supportive of that
happening if this ever does get blocked off or this roadway here gets blocked off,
again, that's going to be a nice way to get people in and out of there. So, it's a
public safety issue.
De Weerd: I would thought it was more getting emergency to --
Parsons: Or in.
De Weerd: -- this other location. If -- Eagle Road is often locked up and Locust
Grove, that that would be a fastest route for an emergency responder , but -- I
don't know. And we can't answer the one in Woodbridge. Probably is a good
question for code enforcement and are planning team to answer and if you will
leave your name and number we can get back with you.
Mecham: Thank you.
De Weerd: Okay. Any further testimony? Okay. Would the applicant like to
make final remarks? And maybe a remark on the emergency access.
Brown: For the record, Kent Brown. 3161 East Springwood. And Bill is correct,
Parry did make a comment when we submitted the Pope's Garden that they
wanted an emergency access. So, when Sarah Baker made the motion for the
approval she asked that it be improved. We have turned around and addressed
that, that's what we would do. We have the same ditch issue. There is a ditch
that runs just inside Greenhill that would need to be tiled where the crossing
would be and for us paving it and making that happen. So, that's why it was
originally put there was with Pope's Garden and we anticipated that that's what
ACHD would be asking us to do and so we followed through. It will be a great
pedestrian connection between those two and it does have to do with that -- a few
years ago, because I live in the neighborhood, there was a child hit on his bike
and the fire department couldn't figure out how to get in. Eagle Road was backed
up, so they had a struggle trying to get into that area and, then, the same things
are going to happen as more development takes place in the south, as how do
you get in there and if they can't get to Eagle Road because of some accident that
was there -- two years ago we had a semi truck -- the driver had a heart attack at
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the St. Luke's light and went through our berm -- drove all the way through our
berm, just missing our well house and blocked off the road and you couldn't travel
up and down Eagle Road, so it -- to me it makes sense and it's a benefit to the
community to have the emergency access.
Wright: Mayor, I just wanted to publicly thank our neighbors for their support for
this project. We really appreciate it.
De Weerd: Thank you. Council, any questions for staff or the applicant or any of
those that provided testimony? Okay. If there is nothing further, I would entertain
a motion to close the public hearing.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: I move that we close the public hearing on Item 8-A, H-2017-0011.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to close the public hearing. All those in
favor say aye. All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: A good example of collaboration and communication and cooperation
with the development community and the neighborhood, the Greenhill Subdivision
has been very patient over the years and very active in a good way in trying to
ensure the right type of development occurs here and it does it in the right way, to
and including being present here tonight and providing the testimony, providing all
of the -- the written testimony up through the April 14th petition, which also is very
constructive and helpful to try and guide us in making a good decision and just
showed continued signs of cooperation and appreciate the applicants'
communications with the public and vice-versa and being here tonight. It makes
sense in light of all of that that the Hickory Way connection should be limited as
recommended by Planning and Zoning to the nonmotorized pedestrian
emergency only access and that the two accesses and the waiver requested to
allow the two accesses on Magic View, one of which would access a collector,
that that appears to be appropriate as well. My two cents on it, so --
De Weerd: Thank you.
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Cavener: Is that a motion?
Borton: I will be. Unless there is any other --
De Weerd: Any other comments?
Borton: -- questions. Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: I move that we approve Item 8-A, H-2017-0011, to include the applicant's
comments with regards to Hickory Way and also to grant the waiver necessary to
allow the two access points on Magic View.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion?
Cavener: We don't want the road there; right?
Milam: Yeah. We -- that would --
De Weerd: I think that was clearly stated in the motion that you seconded. I will
say that we appreciate the discussion that was brought up with Magic View as
well and what the long-term solution is. That is a pretty sharp corner and as
development occurs we know that that will straighten -- straighten -- oh , my gosh
that out, but I will look to ACHD and our planning staff to convene a small
workgroup and you've already had a couple of volunteers tonight that -- I think
that conversation is very important. Woodbridge does entertain a lot of traffic
through it that is trying to get from Eagle to -- to Locust Grove that is not
necessarily destined for any particular house in Woodbridge and that -- that does
need to be discussed and find some remedy. So, Justin, if you can take that back
to Ada County Highway District and see if we can start having conversations
about that. Okay. If there is no further discussion, Mr. Clerk, will you call roll.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried. Thank you. And thank you all.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Item 9: Department Reports
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A. Police Department: Staffing Study
De Weerd: Okay. We will go ahead and move into our Department Reports.
Item 9-A is under our Police Department and I will turn this over to our chief.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Council, thank you for allowing us the time to present --
present this evening. As you know, I have presented to you a patrol study --
staffing study that was done internally through our staff and that was done by Beth
Erickson, who is here this evening and with Sarah Kinghorn, they worked in
partnership together with that -- that staffing study and they did an awesome job
on it and we really wanted to validate what they did and , then, also explore can
we do even better. Is there things that we can do within the department to
increase our effectiveness and our efficiency, such as scheduling and should we
consider some other data points and so we were quite successful in convincing
you and we thank you for approving eight positions last year and you just saw six
of those come before you this evening. We still have more to go and we have
several in progress and it was not my intent to come back and ask for more ,
because that's probably the highest we have ever hired in the police department
in my 20 years being here. But we did make the request to add to our
professional services to hire a consultant, to do an -- to do an in-depth study and,
like I said, it was to evaluate our effectiveness and efficiencies and see if there is
something else out there and, then, also to look at several different staffing
models that we might be able to train our internal staff on to consult. So, it's not a
matter of -- of just taking a guess on what we need , it's -- we can actually show
what -- what we need for our community. In essence we wanted to insure that we
were doing everything we possibly could before we had to come in front of you
and ask for more bodies and, then, also if we have this staffing model we can
also consult to it when we are planning on how to address some of our objectives
in our strategic plan of being one of the safest cities in the United States. I will tell
you that the police department prides itself on the services that we provide for our
community. We have a great community that's safe to live and to raise a family.
It is precisely why we have a lot of people moving here. But the rapid growth has
taken a toll on us and I do not like what I see . We once were a department and
provided great community policing and that is not happening today. Our officers
are going from call to call to call on a reactive basis . Our response times are
increasing. Our area of responsibility is increasing. If you look at the Consent
Agenda tonight, that is a perfect example of what we are dealing with on a
continuing basis. The trend that we are seeing is not sustainable. It is my duty
and my responsibility to tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what we
all would like to hear. We have a need for more people. I will tell you that crimes
against persons, property, and society have all increased by double digits. I will
also tell you assaults on police officers has increased 125 percent. I will also tell
you that when we do our presentation you're going to see more statistics and you
might not like what you see. The bottom line is that we need more bodies to get
back to where we were at. That's not to improve our services, that's to get back to
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the level of service that we all once had and we all enjoyed. I have a handout that
I'm going to give you -- and each and every one of you. I would encourage you to
look through it, but also to give as much attention as you possibly can to the
consultants and with your permission I would like to bring her up here and have
her give her findings. Her name is Amy Aaron and she is going to tell you a little
bit about her company and where she came from and some of the work that she's
done locally and, then, at the end we will make ourselves available for any
questions or comments that you may have. So, Amy, if you would come forward.
I think Bill is getting your presentation -- it's pulled up and I'll go ahead and give
these handouts out to Council right now. And, then, Mr. Clerk, I have two
additional copies if you could give -- I got one for you and if you would give them
to the two absent Council members that would be great.
De Weerd: Welcome, Amy.
Aaron: Thank you, Madam Mayor, Council Members. My name is Amy Aaron. I
am principal of Tag Line Consulting. My residence is 313 North Storybook Way in
Eagle. I have been conducting business in data analysis for the last 12 years in
the criminal justice, corrections, and court field. Law enforcement I have done
especially a lot lately staffing studies, overtime resource, budgeting, for the Ada
County Sheriff's Office -- I was their planning and research manager for nine
years -- for the Ada County contract cities, Eagle, Kuna and Star. I have also
worked with Eagle Fire on some staffing studies and now have had the great
pleasure to work with Meridian Police. So, tonight in the handout there is a lot
more background information on policing trends in Meridian over the last ten
years, but what I really want to focus on tonight is I want to show you the
recommended police allocation model for helping determine staffing needs for
Meridian police. I am sure that none of you need to see the growth trends in
Meridian. I'm sure you know them all by heart. In this nine year period here you
can see that population is up 25 percent, housing 30, and crashes and citizen
calls for service in an eight-year period up 90 percent. But typically the last few
years is looking a little bit sharper. We do not have data from the computer aided
dispatch for 2016, because there was a system change, so the information I'm
going to show you today is from 2015 and earlier . During the same time period
there has not been the same increase in the number of patrol officers. Up until
2012 there was a couple of officers added every year and it's been pretty flat
since then. If you look at the police incident graph on the left, back in 2011 there
were fewer calls for service and when you have the level of officers and fewer
calls for service they have more time to spend on those proactive community-
oriented policing contacts. If you look at the last three years, particularly in 2015,
you see an increasing trend of the citizen calls for service , still the same number
of officers, that means they have less time to spend on those proactive contacts.
So, we looked at a number of different police allocation models. There are a
bunch out there. Some of them are very simple to run. Some of them are very
complex. Some of them are free and some of them are quite expensive . The
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model that we decided to go with as a best option for Meridian Police is called the
police allocation model or the PAM. This model is going to give an estimate of the
total number of officers required to deliver traffic and patrol services based on four
different categories. This cannot model your SROs or your detectives, it is for
patrol and traffic only. So, this model incorporates over 20 factors of workload
requirements, performance objectives of the agency. It includes personnel
policies and it includes roadway characteristics. The roadway characteristics is
particularly unique to the PAM model. Not all of them contain that that I think for a
city like Meridian that's a really important consideration . It was developed in the
late '80s, early '90s, with 11 different agencies. Half of them in the west, so it's
very much a western focus. And Boise police was one of the development cities.
So, it has direct applicability to Treasure Valley. The basis of PAM is it's a time-
based model. What it does is it takes how much time it takes to do certain duties,
how much percentage of the time you want your officers to spend on that, how
much time they have available in a year, calculates all that up, determines the
workload of the city and, then, from that determines how many officers you need
to meet all those characteristics. It includes four different types. The access work
that the chief was talking about, crashes and the citizen calls for service -- citizen
calls for help, officers response, they generally take a fairly good amount of time
and a good portion of them end in the result of -- in requiring reports. There is
also uncommitted patrol time. This is the time that officers have to, essentially,
drive around looking for issues, doing security checks, making sure things are
okay. Administrative duties. In this model report writing is included in the call, so
administrative time is basically briefing, court time, presentations, various other
types of duties like that and, then, finally, those officer-initiated contacts where the
officers are out there making proactive contacts with the community, traffic stops,
health checks, welfare checks, security checks, all those kinds of things. A lot of
that very interactive work with the community. So, as I mentioned before, the
model contains over 20 factors. Some of them you can adjust and, then, the
model will give you a different output and others are pretty static . So, one of the
big sections is operations data. It includes shift length -- the shift length and work
week. So, for the current model baseline we use their schedule, but you can use
the model to look at different schedules and different shifts. Number of officers
per sergeant and the percent of time sergeants should spend on field work is
included. This can also be changed in the model. If you'd like to look at having a
greater span of control for your sergeants or if they need more time to spend on
supervisory duties versus taking calls. And, then, average time off per person per
year. This was evaluated through a net annual work hours for patrol officers,
corporals, and sergeants for 2011 to 2016. So, this is real data on how much an
officer works per year. Very consistent across years. Very consistent across
ranks. So, this is probably not going to change in the model unless you change
your work week. So, as you continue to use the model in the future you will not
have to redo that analysis and update that. On-duty training time. This is a ten
hour shift coverage -- shift overlap training and an additional 40 hours required for
officers for POST requirements. So, all of those factors are included in the model.
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It also includes roadway data. In this case we use 2014 data, because it was the
most recent that was published. However, it's already out of date. So, if you're
going to continue using the model you should update it whenever you can,
especially considering the fast growth here. It includes the miles for each type.
These are the COMPASS descriptions and the average uncommitted patrol speed
that an officer would spend on that. So, in this case with a model with this many
factors is you can make decisions that are consciously conservative and in this
case the average uncommitted patrol speed was a conservative choice for the
model. Pretty much on local roads, you can -- the average patrol speed is
probably about 20 at any given time. But on Eagle Road it's probably unlikely that
the average patrol speed is 45. It's probably a lot lower than that. So, if you
would reduce that it changes your model output . But as the baseline kind of
getting started using the model, the chief and the leadership wanted to go with
conservative choices. One of the awesome things about this roadway and why I
really like this model is that it allows agencies to select a performance goal for
visibility on each of the different road types. For community-oriented policing
cities, this is a really big deal. How often you see an officer in your neighborhood.
So, for the performance goals for the baseline it was selected every two hours on
the main roads and on the local they would want to see an officer in your
neighborhood every week. Those can be changed and, then, it will tell you the
change in number of officers that you will need with those changes . And, then,
there is a lot of workload data that goes into the model as well. All of it is from
computer-aided dispatch, the CAD, which is really solid data. We had to use data
from 2013 to 2015, because of that switch, so it's already a little bit outdated, but
as soon as the data gets updated you can run the model again and see if the
changes are there. It takes crashes as completely separate. An officer has to
respond to crashes. They take so much time. This includes all accidents and hit
and runs. And, then, all other citizen calls for service that excludes administrative,
excludes crashes, these are things where a citizen called 911 or called on the
telephone and an officer responded and, then, the officer initiated proactive,
anything that's not a crash, not administrative, where an officer had a source of
radio showing that the officer checked out on a call. As I previously mentioned,
2016 data was not available and this model can handle one to three years and
since this was the baseline kind of starting year, we wanted to use three years,
kind of give a nice breadth. We selected 2013 to 2015 and you can see a really
nice trend of increasing calls for service over those three years, from 17, to 19, to
20, with the decreasing officer initiated going with that, 33 to 29 to 25. So, very
solid baseline years. It also matches up with the roadway data from 2014. So, all
of the workload data that goes into it is the total number of incidents of each type .
The average time on call. The percent that have a report and, then, how -- the
average amount of time to write that report . Again, all of this is based on how
much time it takes an officer to do things. And, then, the percent of calls that have
a backup officer. We had a performance school for visibility and we also get to
have a performance school for proactivity. Again, very important for community-
oriented policing agencies and in this case Meridian leadership selected a
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proactivity goal of 55 percent. So, slightly over half of an officer's time should be
spent on doing those proactive community contacts, not just responding to calls,
having the time to actually interact with the community on a different type of level.
So, you have all these 20 factors that go into about, I don't know, 50 some
formulas, which you can put in an Excel, which we created, and so you can
change up the formulas and it will calculate. It looks a little like you're throwing
numbers into a black box and you get a number out , but I assure you that all of
the formulas behind make a lot of sense with how much time and how much time
we want to spend. So, if we put all of this baseline data in, this is the PAM
recommendation based on current conditions, based on that data that was
selected for the model now. The PAM recommends 73 officers dedicated to
patrol and traffic services. It does not include command staff, lieutenant and
above. It does not include detectives. It recommends nine sergeants and 64
corporals and officers. Right now this means an additional seven officers for
Meridian Police. With this staffing the PAM recommends -- pretty much assures
that you will have the visibility of two hours on the road , one time per week in the
neighborhood. You will have officers to immediately respond to any high priority
calls and you will have more than half of the time available for proactive work. Of
course depending on emergencies and various other things. So, just to show you
comparison to two other models which are widely used, much more than the
PAM. This is the COPS workload based assessment. It has only five different
factors that it includes. It's based solely on citizen-initiated calls for service, not
anything about proactivity or visibility, and if you look at this model it also includes
time spent on a call and the amount of time they work in a year . The
recommendation based on the COPS is 93 officers. So, much higher, much less
conservative than the other model. The officers per thousand is widely used by
almost everyone. It includes no workload data and your performance goal is
essentially that you want to look like other agencies like you. So, in 2014
Meridian was about one officer per thousand. If we want to look like the other
benchmark cities we would want to be up at 1.45, which means we would need 95
patrol officers. So, essentially, the PAM with the 20-plus factors, the ability to
make conservative choices as -- if you want and really the transparency of all the
data and all the information that goes into it, provides a much more realistic option
I think than the other two. So, just a quick on how we can use this for forecasting.
Pretty much this is meant to be a living model that you update with new data as
you get it. So, in another year if you want to redo the model with new data , it can
account for changes in policing. So, if you have new technology that reduces
your report writing time, the model will incorporate that and adjust the number of
officers. If you have a change in your community where you suddenly have a lot
more crashes, the model can account for that and adjust to the number of officers.
However, we wanted to use it forecasting it based on workload for the 2020 and
2025, just to give some thought for planning and so we updated the number of
crashes, calls for service and officer-initiated contacts. Based on an average
incident rate over the last ten years you have a very consistent incident rate and
we use Communities In Motion population estimates and updated the miles of
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roadway based on the households forecast for experience , essentially saying
local roads we are going to go up at the same proportion and major roads at a
third and, then, all the other model inputs were maintained at the baseline levels.
So, all we are changing here is just the base workload . All the performance goals
and everything else are the same. And in 2020 the PAM recommends 88 officers,
which is an additional two sergeants and 13 officers on top of the ones for this
year and this is because the 2040 Communities In Motion recommends a pretty
big jump in population by 2020 and , then, it's a little flatter by 2025, where you
would recommend 95 officers, the additional sergeants and six additional officers.
Let's look at those other two models. The COPS model recommending 120
officers. The benchmark cities 115 and, then, the COPS in 2025 130 and 123 for
the benchmark cities. More than 30 to 40 percent -- more than the COPS model
and, really, just not realistic for growing cities. So, this is the recommendation for
this year based on this typical model. If we had more time, you know, I could
show you how it works and the Meridian police will certainly I'm sure use it moving
into the future. So, if you have any questions for me I'd be happy to answer.
Thank you.
De Weerd: Any questions from Council?
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: Thank you for the good report. I was lucky enough to sit in on a meeting
and -- and watch and see how this worked and it was -- it was fascinating really to
change the numbers and everything changes and so to be a working doc ument
that -- that our staff now has the ability to manipulate and -- and, you know, see
where we need to be and what will change the level of service and really give us
the opportunity to hit the benchmarks that were -- that we have been talking about
for levels of service for so many years. I think it's a really great tool and thank you
for the --
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: A couple quick questions. You indicated in your presentation to us that
Boise -- I don't know if you used the word used or is still using the PAM model.
Can you clarify that for me?
Aaron: So, Boise police was used as one of the base agencies to develop the
model. They have not used it in recent years.
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Cavener: Madam Mayor, follow up? Can you share with us maybe some current
law enforcement agencies that are in -- you indicated the west that are currently
using this model?
Aaron: Not off the top of my head. I would have to get that information for you.
Cavener: Madam Mayor, maybe an additional question. I really find great value
in predictive modeling in saying this is where we are, this is where we think we are
headed and this is the result that we are going to need. So, if we look to the
future and we say we are backyards, so I'm just curious if you have used the
same data from previous years to say this is where the City of Meridian should
have been and you took data from 2008 and this is where we should ha ve been in
2015 and '14 and how that pans out with the PAM model.
Aaron: Uh-huh. Madam Mayor. No, I haven't done that, although that would be
fascinating and something that would be really good to check on moving forward
into the future. Yes.
Cavener: That suffices the questions from me. Thank you.
De Weerd: The cool thing about this tool is as we annex in additional
developments and -- you're going to add those to the model as you can discuss
maybe you don't want a police officer once a week in -- in the subdivisions,
because it's too expensive. Then you can change that and the model will adjust
all of that to consider, then, what is the staffing requirements at that time. So, it's
it's a great tool and it can be kept current in terms of the conservative estimates
and drive time for officers, even if you wanted to change that, that would be
calculated in the model and you can see, then, what that would result. So, it's --
it's a tool that we can show the results of policies and decisions made by this
policy group and how that impacts the expectations for level of service for our
citizens.
Aaron: Madam Mayor, may I add one additional thought?
De Weerd: Pardon?
Aaron: I said may I add one additional thought?
De Weerd: Absolutely.
Aaron: So, Council Member, I also would -- the Meridian police has a very
sophisticated analytical services team that can actually handle this model. Most
police agencies, municipal agencies, that are pretty small do not use staffing
models, because they are so data heavy and require such a lot of analytical work.
That's why a lot of them end up going with officers per thousand. So, certainly
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Meridian police is an agency that could easily run with this -- work with this model
and it would be really unique and high up to do that, use it as a planning tool.
Lavey: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Chief.
Lavey: So, I had a couple of comments, too, and it really goes back to maybe
helping Councilman Cavener just a little bit. I have been in communication with
Chief Bones of Boise, because they are struggling like we are. They are growing
like crazy in their community and their staffing is not and instead of grabbing an
officer per thousand, coming up with some sort of data that would support a
request for more officers and so they have seen this report. They are extremely
happy with the report. He was meeting with the mayor recently and I think it's
probably in his hands as well and I also directed him to Amy trying to get her
some more business. So, they will probably be reaching out to her, too. So, that
will be another local agency. I will also share with you that the PAM model is
taught in the SPSC, which is a police staff and command college for Northwestern
University and a lot of our staff have -- have gone through that and we didn't have
computers then and we had to struggle through hand calculations and calculators
trying to understand what -- even makes it look so simple and so we didn't do it
and she already answered my question and my comment was we fall back on
officer per thousand, because it's simple and that's why most agencies do it, as it
takes no staff time to come up with it, it's a simple computer calculation and have
your answer. But we have always had that question and the Mayor and I have
had this discussion and -- and others is Meridian is unique. We are not high crime
and we often get accused of having too many officers, but we don't have to have
as many officers in our community that you might have to in other communities.
Therefore, we wanted to take a really conservative approach and that's -- that's
what we have done here and one of the comments that the Mayor and I discussed
this morning and I wanted to share with you is that we are not in a crisis, we are
not in a state of panic, and we can continue to do what we do as best as we do
with the resources that we have. But it's not sustainable and something's going to
change and we are already starting to see that and if we are comfortable with that
as a community, then, we go on. But it's not where we have been in as a
community and so it makes the discussion where do we want to be and so we
were able to sit at a computer and calculate how many times officers are on
arterials and collectors and in neighborhoods and we come up with once a week .
I would guess that our citizens expect us to be in their neighborhoods more based
upon our recent e-mails and some -- some burglaries that we have gotten and
some questions and comments and concerns that we have gotten, but the
question is are they willing to pay for it. It comes with a cost. But with this model
we can sit there and say, okay, if we are going to put them in -- if we are going to
put a car in your neighborhood four times per week, we plug it in and it spits out a
calculation and tells you how many officers you're going to need. So, we are
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really excited about it and like Amy said is we have qualified staff internally that
can maintain this in the future. So, I hope that answers more of your question.
Cavener: Madam Mayor, if I can respond. Chief , I appreciate that and I hope that
I wasn't attempting to besmirch the -- the report of the fine work that has went
into this, but when I see information like this I think it becomes a decision-making
tool for our Council and I think it's important that if it is a decision-making tool for
the Council that we are doing our due diligence to make sure that the particular
modelling is correct and accurate and, quite frankly, when I see such a low
number compared to other numbers that are out there, it's surprises me and I
want to make sure that we are setting our department -- our community up for
success, so that at the halfway mark this model has changed so significantly that
you're saying, well, we need more officers and Councilman Bird won't be here to
say you told us this, you know, five years ago. So, that -- that's where my concern
is from is that we are making sure that the data is accurate , that it's being used by
other agencies that have found similar results before we necessarily jump on
board and say this is our determining tool is all.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Councilman Cavener -- and I didn't take it any other way
other than that, so I appreciate it. I actually took it as -- as you were quite
inquizative in nature and so we just decided that this was going to be a starting
point for the discussion and we can play the what-ifs and through those numbers
come in here and crank them out and that's the awesome thing about this tool.
And, then, we can sit there and say, ooh, that's -- that's too much or let's -- let's
phase this. Those are the discussions that we could have and I'm fairly confident
you're going to start seeing that in -- in more Ada County agencies. I do know
that Nampa is also going through a staffing study, but they brought someone in
out of Seattle area and I do not know what sort of -- of model that they are using.
Cavener: Madam Mayor? Could I get a digital copy of this?
Lavey: I can give you, actually, the -- the presentation and the double study and I
will just forward it to you.
Cavener: Thank you.
Lavey: And anybody else that wants it. Okay. I can do everybody.
De Weerd: Other questions?
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
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Borton: Amy, can you also include a variable to extrapolate necessary
management for added patrol?
Aaron: Beyond sergeants?
Borton: Correct.
Aaron: No.
Borton: Lieutenants.
Aaron: They do have a component in there for looking at lieutenants and above,
but it's pretty much very simple how many lieutenants do you think you need for
each sergeant group and that kind of thing. It's based more on area of focus than
the number of officers once you get to that management level in the model. So,
no.
Borton: Okay. Thanks.
De Weerd: Well, certainly this is really the start of a conversation and I imagine it
can be something that Council can stew over that and it will probably be an item
of conversation during the -- the budget workshops as well. But, please, get your
your questions to the chief and -- and there is a lot of work that went into this
and we appreciate everyone that has been involved . I -- I think it's a great tool
that you can run a number of different scenarios with that you can actually, then,
see how your suggestions can impact those numbers and -- and where you want
it to be and you can determine the why with the conversation with our team. So, it
it gives you a decision-making tool that is just -- just that, it's a tool. It's not
something you will be held to, but it helps with the conversation and the reasons
why.
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: But what I like about this tool is that it -- it uses real data. It uses the
information of how many incidents we had and how long it takes for each incident
and so it's taking actual data and -- we could put in there what-ifs and see what
would happen if -- if it took less time or more time or we had more officers or less
calls or whatever, but that way that the report was done was based on actual data
from actual calls and the actual amount of time that it takes for each call and so
that's what I like about it and then -- then you can look at where you -- where
efficiencies are possible. What can -- if we did this or change this would that --
would that really change the whole picture and -- and allow us to have less
officers if we -- you know, just changing a certain way that we do something that
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would save a lot of time. So, it's -- there is a lot of -- a lot of ways you can be
creative with it as well.
De Weerd: Well, I think the chief made a good point. We have been struggling
with how do you really determine the appropriate numbers of our officers and the
per thousand just didn't feel right. We went at one time to miles coverage and
that didn't necessarily feel right either, because we are dealing with the Treasure
Valley's traffic and so it didn't really have a connection or it wasn't relevant to
necessarily the population, so this is a different way of looking at it and using the
the work that are our crime analysts do in plugging it in and -- and giving us a
better model for -- for these discussions. So, we appreciate your work and all of
those that were involved and we will continue to have these conversations moving
forward.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: This is really, really well done. I love the data and the detail. And when I
look on the top of page ten, we have addressed levels of service in the fire
department with regards to response times and I looked at the top of page ten and
the pie chart as in one sense being a level of service goal that might be a
recommendation from the chief that we adhere to, whether that comes forward
some day -- sometime in the future to adopt, but percentage of time allocated
towards those three job duties, one in particular being the officer-initiated
contacts, it sounds like something we need to make sure we continue to
emphasize and maintain. Unless I'm reading that -- that wrong, it sounds like
that's what this is premised upon, assuming we are going to abide by those
expected levels of service in those three areas, this is a staff level to meet that,
which sounds great, because that's level of service based planning and
budgeting, what we are trying to steer towards, so --
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Councilman Borton, you are absolutely correct. We took
the liberty of making some decisions on your own as far as how long we thought it
would take to do a report, how long we expected our officers to be out in the field
on uncommitted times for proactive policing versus administrative time, but we
can adjust those as well. If we -- if we feel that, well, we don't need officers quite
as visible as -- as they are, we can -- we can -- we can adjust that. So, we took a
very conservative approach. But that's the awesome thing about this is we can
manipulate it whatever way we want. So, if you asked a question, well, what
happens if we do this, we plug it in and, then, we give you the answer right there.
So, we don't have to be committed to this is the way we are going to do it every
single year, because we actually couldn't afford that. But when we do decide to
move forward we move forward with accurate data why we are doing what we are
doing. So, the one thing about it -- and Amy said this -- is that some of the data
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that we had to use is old data. So, we already know that. We have had an
explosive growth and so when we go in and plug in the additional roadways that
are currently not on any maps that's been recorded yet, we may be facing more
need than the seven, but we just don't know that yet. As it comes in we update it
and that's what we go on. You also asked a question about patrol lieutenants and
I will flat out tell you this is -- this is how we operate. We have two patrol
lieutenants. We have a daytime lieutenant and a nighttime lieutenant to cover 80
hours a week out of 188 hours in a work week. We have a need to have two
additional lieutenant -- two additional lieutenants. The idea behind that would be
a daytime weekday, nighttime weekday, daytime weekend, nighttime weekend.
We think that makes sense. It's a common sense approach. It's not saying we
need to have 12. But what Amy was saying is that we just -- then we look at span
of control and the span of control is anywheres between five, seven and nine and
generally if you have difficult or time -consuming people to supervise, you're going
to want to have less people. If you're out -- if a lieutenant is out there supervising
veteran sergeants perhaps they can do seven or nine versus brand new ones that
you may only be able to do three or five. So, that's the approach that -- that we
are talking about right now. We have a plan that you may see soon, but we also
have as tiered approach as well. So, we will bring that in a discussion to you
when it comes into the workshop.
Borton: Madam Mayor? Chief, would it be helpful -- not tonight necessarily, but --
and the tool can be used to -- based upon the officers that we have, to kick out the
product of the division of their time, like the top of page ten, or is the alternative
really the better approach for the Council to come to some consensus on what's
our -- our hoped for allocation of time? If it's officer-initiated contact, whether it's
45 percent, 55 percent, or some figure that we strive to maintain, which would,
then, drive staffing decisions from there.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Councilman Borton, I thought somewhere in that
presentation that you have you're going to see what we are currently getting
based upon our -- our people that we currently have. The divisions in there.
Borton: Yeah.
Lavey: So, I don't know if it really makes sense to go back and look at that again.
I guess what I would do is I would say look at the outcomes that I put in the front
of your booklet there of what we have received or our outcomes we have had for
this last year and the question is if we don't add more that's what you're going to
see and are you comfortable with that. So, I don't know if it really needs to go
back and say what are we getting with the people we got -- there is a few -- it's not
completely an apples-to-apples comparison, because you do know that we have
had open positions and we haven't been able to fill them as quickly as we possibly
could and we have had some officer injures that's kept them on light duty for a
while. So, had we been full staffed and -- would we have the same results. No,
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we wouldn't. We would have a little bit better results. So, it's not a complete
comparison, but also we can't sit here and tell each of us tomorrow that we are
not going to grow anymore. We already know we are going to grow more. So, we
already know what we are facing. The time is to just put a plan in place to
address it as it -- as it comes --comes forward. So, hopefully we can manage that
growth a little bit more responsibly.
Borton: Okay.
De Weerd: At least knowing what we need to do to continue a level of service .
Thank you. If there is no further questions, Council? Thank you very much. So,
chief, I guess just one last question is, you know, we have -- we don't figure in the
SROs, yet when it's summertime we do have them on bike patrol and -- and so
they can in some regards help with the community-oriented policing. Same with
the impact team and that -- but I guess the bottom line question is do we want
more of the community -- the COPS, the community oriented policing, and we can
see in the number that as those numbers of officer-initiated actions have -- have
decreased while the crime has increased, so that prevention piece seems to be
important.
Lavey: Madam Mayor and Council -- also isn't SROs accounted in that number of
officers, though? They are not? Okay.
De Weerd: No. See, I was paying attention, chief.
Lavey: I heard what she said, too, but I thought it was calculated a little bit
differently.
De Weerd: I know. I'm just giving you a hard time.
Lavey: No. That's -- that's good. Madam Mayor, Council, one of the things that
we also see, though, is that when those officers become available we already see
an increase in crime. So, when it warms up and school's out, we see an increase
in crime. So, I don't know how that -- that compares, but you're absolutely correct
in that when we can utilize those resources we put them to good use and those --
those SROs do work the bikes, they do work the -- the street and they do work
juvenile crimes and detective. So, we do have a balance during those -- those
times. But that's three months out of a 12 month year as well, so -- and, Madam
Mayor, I also saw that Councilman Borton's head was turning. I could see the --
the mechanism in there crunching the numbers and so I hope we gave you
enough data to play with. I also believe I just forwarded you the presentat ion and
the staffing study. I did not forward it to Councilman Palmer or Councilman Bird,
because I didn't want them to be confused about what we were doing . So, when
you think it's appropriate someone just forward that -- that digital copy to them as
well. And, then, Bill, if you could just take -- no. Well, either way. Either take a
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digital copy for the clerk or I gave you a hard copy as well, so whatever you feel --
awesome.
B. Police Department: Consolidated Records Management
System Agreement
De Weerd: Good job. Okay. Next item.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Council, Lieutenant Stokes and I actually had an -- an
agreement today. He said that you sit in the comfy chair and you do all the work
and, then, I will stay for the Executive Session. So, if you have a multiple hour
Executive Session tonight that wouldn't break my heart at all. No. See if he is still
paying attention. Madam Mayor and Council, this is Item No. 9-B, consolidated
records management system agreement. That's a whole lot of words to say that it
doesn't mean much. This is business as usual for us and not to get back into the
weeds too much, but as you recall we have a contract with New World -- the
county and others explored going to Tri Tech. They are not ready to go to Tri
Tech yet. They are staying with New World. This just keeps us on that contract
as a New World contract. The good news is it's zero cost to the city. So, all we
need is a signature saying we agreed to continue business as usual , as long as
we maintain this, that we do not have to pay the contract. So, it's really ultimately
good news for us. Lastly, about ten months ago or so I came in front of you for a
a budget amendment so we could continue on the New World contract on her
own. That hasn't been needed and that money has not been spent , so it's been
diverted back into the General Fund. Some day, if the county ever goes to Tri
Tech and we maintain our New World contract, then, I will have to come in front of
you again and ask for them that -- that money once again. But for the last year or
so it's been free of charge. So, just asking for -- for the authority for the Mayor to
to sign that contract.
De Weerd: Council, any questions?
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: I move that we approve the consolidated record management systems
agreement as presented.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Mr. Clerk.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
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De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried. Thank you. And thank you all.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
De Weerd: Lieutenant Stokes, I would have just done the presentation, because
you never know how long we will be in Executive Session.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, he could have just snuck out while my back was turned to
him, too, and I would have been stuck here, so --
C. Police Department: Memorandum of Understanding
between Boise Police, Garden City Police and City of
Meridian Police
De Weerd: Item 9-C is also under the Police Department.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Council, this will be the last item you hear from the police
this evening. This is a memorandum of understanding between the Boise Police
Department and Garden City Police Department and the Meridian Police
Department. This is nothing new. We have had it for at least 15 years through
multiple chiefs and as you recall Boise and Garden City have recently -- fairly
recently got new chiefs and we discovered that new chiefs, no new update to
MOU, and so this is just a memorandum of understanding that grants us law
enforcement duties in each other's jurisdictions if requested. Liability still
maintains upon the employing agency. It's been reviewed by all three legal
counsels and so the only thing that's new is it's going to have new updated
signatures and we are just requesting permission to have that signed as well.
De Weerd: And they all there agreed? Wow.
Lavey: It did take a while, but yes.
De Weerd: Okay. Council, any questions?
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: I move that we approve the memorandum of understanding between
Boise police, Garden City police and the City of Meridian police.
Little Roberts: Second.
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De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve Item 9 -C. Mr. Clerk, will you
call roll.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Lavey: Madam Mayor, Council, thank you for your time this evening.
D. Parks and Recreation: FY2017 Budget Amendment for
Movie Night Projector Purchase Not-to-Exceed $10,000
De Weerd: Thank you. Item 9-D is under our Parks Department and, Colin, you
out lasted everyone else.
Moss: Well, yes. Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, I am extremely
pleased to be here tonight to present this budget amendment. It is a net zero cost
to the city. So, Movie Night in Meridian, we have just completed -- not just, but we
completed our 10th season last year. So, entering season 11 coming this year,
which means that we had an expired contract with Cable ONE, who had two give
they have done two five-year title sponsorship deals for that program and so they
have agreed to continue on for another five years and part of those five years
deals in the first two times were to purchase our movie screens. We are not in
need of a new movie screen this time around. One of the things that we are in
need of, though, is a new -- is a projector. We have struggled over the years to
find consistent quality projection based with the money that we have available for
through sponsorships and concessions revenue and so as Renee and I were
brainstorming ways to use this Cable ONE sponsorship, this kind of rose to the
top as a way that we can guarantee the quality of our Movie Night program for --
for the foreseeable future. Hopefully forever, because the projector that we are
going to be able to get for this money is -- is a very high quality projector. It's got
new laser technology that they don't have the bulbs that will overheat a projector
or need changing over time and so we are extremely excited . Renee and I
demoed this projector a couple -- couple weeks ago, set up the movie screen and
the whole nine yards and we were able to see what it looks like out there at
Settlers Park and so Cable ONE we have a check in hand for 10,000 dollars and
we would just like permission to spend that 10,000 dollars on a new projector and
lens for us to use at Movie Night moving forward.
De Weerd: Thanks, Colin. Get to start the day with you and end it with you.
That's awesome.
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Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Any questions? Yes, Mrs. Milam.
Milam: Colin, next time you're going to have a private movie screening I think you
should invite all of us, go down to the park and have a --
Moss: Madam Mayor, Council Member Milam, it was nothing -- it was nothing like
a private screening a couple weeks ago . We did not have any speakers at -- at
the movie and we only viewed some previews and a short part of Hotel
Transylvania.
Milam: I'm just teasing.
De Weerd: And was it snowing when you --
Moss: Fortunately, Renee picked an excellent night for us to -- to demo these and
we were able to demo a couple projectors and so we had two different pictures up
side by side. We demoed an 8,000 lumen projector and a 10,000 lumen
projector. The 10,000 lumen projector -- I mean they were both great. It would
have been great to get the 10,000 lumen projector, but it was too expensive and
the 8,000 lumen will do -- will suffice really, really nicely. We are extremely
excited to not have to fight the -- what projector are we getting this week situation
that we have had for the past several years.
Milam: That's fantastic.
Cavener: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Cavener.
Cavener: Colin, correct me if I'm wrong, but in the past you have partnered with a
business to handle the projection. Is that accurate?
Moss: Correct.
Cavener: And so how does the projector that you're hoping to purchase compare
with -- on average what we have received from that vendor?
Moss: Sure. Madam Mayor, Council Member Cavener, we have -- we have
projected with -- or we have partnered with Rocky Mountain Audio Visual for
several years and it's been a -- it's been an interesting relationship, because they
have a 12K projector, but it -- it's got bulb -- it's got bulbs in it and so the way that
the bulb projectors work is they are -- don't stay -- they start getting dimmer as
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they go. It's not like that the lights in your house where they stay on at the same
brightness until they just go out.
Cavener: Sure.
Moss: They start getting dimmer from the moment you start -- you fire them up
the very first time and so we have had -- we have been able to get the 12K. It
wouldn't -- it wouldn't be a 12K level that's brand new, but we have been able to
get a projector that's -- that's good enough. They have never been able to
guarantee that projector. They only have one and they have never been able to
guarantee that projector and in recent years the amount that we have been paying
to them, they balked at the idea of providing that -- that quality of a projector at the
cost that we have been -- that we have been paying them and so we have been
routinely getting more like five or six K projectors that are bulb projectors and if
anybody has been to Movie Night, you know, there has been times when, you
know, it's been not good and I have not been pleased with the quality of the
picture on the screen and I'm sure there is a lot of people in the -- in the -- in the
crowd that have felt the same way and so, you know, this is an 8,000 lumen
projector and so it's not anything -- you know, it's not -- it's not a huge number, but
it's -- it's new laser technology. It's a laser projector where there is no bulbs to
replace. There is -- you know, over time there's probably going to be some --
some maintenance that goes along with it, but this is a something that stays the
same quality throughout and so there is no , you know, dimming of the bulbs over
time and deciding when to -- when to replace those based on our budget. You
know, it's going to be -- it's going to be something that's going to be crisp and
clear every single night and based on the amount of time -- you know, we were
using it for 13 shows per year, whereas, you know a rental company is using it
who knows how many times per year and so the amount of time that we are going
to be using it -- we are hoping that the maintenance costs are going to be almost
nothing over -- over the course of the next ten or 20 years of Movie Night, you
know, fingers crossed. So, we are very excited.
De Weerd: Okay.
Little Roberts: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Little Roberts.
Little Roberts: First of all, Colin, I would like to say thank you for you due
diligence in researching projectors and making sure that we are getting the
biggest -- best bang for our buck and thank you to Cable ONE for their
sponsorship and with that I would like to move that we proceed with purchasing
the protector not to exceed 10,000 dollars.
Cavener: Second.
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De Weerd: I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Mr. Clerk, will you
call roll.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Moss: Thank you.
Item 10: Ordinances
A. Ordinance No. 17-1725: An Ordinance (H-2017-0009)
Amending Meridian City Code as Codified at Title 11,
Section 3 Entitled Unified Development Code of the
Meridian City Code Pertaining to Sign Requirements;
and providing for a waiver of the reading rules; and
providing for an effective date.
De Weerd: Item 10-A is ordinance 17-1725. Mr. Clerk, will you, please, read this
by title.
Coles: Thank you, Madam Mayor. City of Meridian Ordinance No. 17-1725, an
Ordinance file number H-2017-0009, amending Meridian City Code as codified at
Title 11, Section 3 entitled Unified Development Code of the Meridian City Code,
pertaining to sign requirements; and providing for a waiver of the reading rules;
and providing for an effective date.
De Weerd: Council, you have heard the reading by title. Would you like to make
a motion, please.
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mrs. Milam.
Milam: I move that we approve Ordinance No., 17-1725 with suspension of rules.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve Item 10 -A. Mr. Clerk, will
you call roll.
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April 18, 2017
Page 62 of 65
Roll Call: Bird, absent; , yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent; Little
Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
B. Ordinance No. 17-1726: An Ordinance (H-2016-0128) for
the Re-zone of a Parcel of Land Situated within the West
1/2 of the Southwest 1/4 and the Southwest 1/4 of the
Northwest 1/4 of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range
1 West, Boise Meridian, City of Meridian, Ada County
Idaho; Establishing and Determining and the Land Use
Zoning Classification from the R-2 (Low Density
Residential) to R-4(Medium-Low Density
Residential)(10.17 acres); R-8 (Medium Density
Residential) to R-4 (Medium-Low Density
Residential)(33.84 acres); R-15 (Medium-High Density
Residential) to R-4 (Medium-Low Density Residential)(.25
acres); C-C (Community Business) to R-8 (Medium
Density Residential)(.27 acres); and R-15 (Medium-High
Density Residential) to R-8 (Medium Density
Residential)(154 s.f.) zoning districts, in the Meridian City
Code; Providing that Copies of this Ordinance Shall be
Files with the Ada County Assessor, the Ada County
please Recorder, and the Idaho State Tax Commission,
as Required by Law; And Providing for a Summary of
the Ordinance; and providing for a waiver of the reading
rules; And Providing an Effective Date.
De Weerd: Item 10-B is Ordinance 17-1726. Mr. Clerk.
Coles: Thank you, Madam Mayor. City of Meridian Ordinance No. 17-1726: An
Ordinance, file number H-2016-0128, for the re-zone of a parcel of land situated
within the west 1/2 of the Southwest 1/4 and the Southwest 1/4 of the Northwest
1/4 of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 1 West, Boise meridian, City of
Meridian, Ada County Idaho; establishing and determining and the Land Use
Zoning Classification from the R-2, Low Density Residential, to R-4, Medium-Low
Density Residential, 10.17 acres;R-8, Medium Density Residential, to R-4,
Medium-Low Density Residential, 33.84 acres; R-15, Medium-High Density
Residential, to R-4, Medium-Low Density Residential, .25 acres; C-C, Community
Business, to R-8, Medium Density Residential, .27 acres; and R-15, Medium-High
Density Residential, to R-8, Medium Density Residential.154 s.f., zoning
districts, in the Meridian City Code; providing that copies of this ordinance
shall be filed with the Ada County Assessor, the Ada County Recorder,
Meridian City Council
April 18, 2017
Page 63 of 65
and the Idaho State Tax Commission, as required by law; and providing for a
summary of the ordinance; and providing for a waiver of the reading rules; and
providing an effective date.
De Weerd: You have heard this read by title.
Milam: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Could I have a motion? Mrs. Milam.
Milam: I move that we approve Ordinance No. 17-1726 with suspension of rules.
Little Roberts: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to approve Item 10 -B. Mr., Clerk, will
you call roll.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Item 11: Executive Session per Idaho State Code 74-206(1)(d) To
Consider Records that are Exempt from Disclosure as
Provided in Chapter 1, Title 74, Idaho Code
De Weerd: Item 11 is Executive Session. Do I have a motion to adjourn.
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: Move that we move into Executive Session pursuant to Idaho State Code
74-206(1)(d).
Little Roberts: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to adjourn into Executive Session. Mr.
Clerk.
Roll Call: Bird, absent; Borton, yea; Milam, yea; Cavener, yea; Palmer, absent;
Little Roberts, yea.
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April 18, 2017
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De Weerd: All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: (9:01 p.m. to 9:38 p.m.)
Borton: I move that we come out of Executive Session.
Milam: Second.
Cavener: Second.
De Weerd: I have a motion and a second to come out of Executive Session. All
those in favor say aye. All ayes. Motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
De Weerd: Council, as far as upcoming events, Mayor's Walking Club is at
Paramount Elementary, Campus Charter, and Prospect, all on Thursday. Love to
see you come out. We had a good turnout today. Half of it was in rain and other
half was in sun, all at the same place. So, that's Idaho weather. Four season s in
one day, we got summer and spring. Food Frenzy fundraiser for MYAC is this
Friday in the City Hall Plaza. It's a fundraiser for SPAN, which is the Suicide
Prevention Action Network and Unplugged and Be Outside kickoff is Saturday, the
22nd, from 11:00 to 3:00 in Storey Park. And, then, finally, just a reminder that
next Wednesday we have our Unplugged town hall meeting. We have already
gotten a couple of questions from the public and so we would love to have you
there at Cole Valley Christian at 6:30. So, with that I would --
Borton: Madam Mayor?
De Weerd: Mr. Borton.
Borton: I move that we adjourn.
Cavener: Second.
Little Roberts: Second.
De Weerd: All those in favor say aye. All ayes.
MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:39 P.M.
Meridian City Council
April 18, 2017
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