HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 04-15 Pre
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting April 15, 2003
The Pre-Council Meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 6:00
P.M. on Tuesday, April 15, 2003, by Mayor Robert Corrie.
Members Present: Mayor Robert Corrie, Tammy de Weerd, Keith Bird, Bill Nary,
and Cherie McCandless.
Others Present: Brad Watson, Gary Smith, Janice Smith, Pauline Skeggs,
Kenny Bowers, Mike Worley, Doug Strong, and Will Berg.
Item 1. Roll-call Attendance:
XTammy de Weerd X Bill Nary
X Cherie McCandless X Keith Bird
X Mayor Robert Corrie
Corrie: I would like to open the Pre-Council Meeting of Tuesday April 15, 2003 at
6:00 P.M. I would like to have roll call attendance please by the City Clerk.
Item 2. Adoption of the Agenda:
Corrie: Okay Council Item Number 2 is the adoption of the agenda. I would like
to add at the request of the City Treasurer to add about five minutes. She wants
to go over a LID Delinquency Assessment with you so if you would add that to
the agenda at Number 6 I’m sure that she would appreciate that.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move we adopt the amended agenda with the addition of Item Number 6
a City Treasurer report on LID’s.
McCandless: Second.
Corrie: Okay motion to adopt the agenda with the addition of the report for the
City Treasurer. All those in favor say aye. Opposed no. All ayes motion carried.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Item 3. Well Lot Acquisition from Sundance Development in
Silverstone Subdivision (Brad Watson):
Corrie: Number 3 is a well lot adjustment from Sundance Development
Silverstone Subdivision by Brad Watson.
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April 15, 2003
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Watson: Thank you Mr. Mayor and Council Members. I certainly don’t think I
need 15 minutes on this but you may recall last summer fall working through
some Latecomers Agreements for water and sewer with the Sundance Company
it’s part of the Silverstone project. There was one item that we discussed briefly
during those meetings but it was never resolved and it had to do with the well lot
among which we constructed Well Number 23 out there. From the very
beginnings of the project we had requested a well site and they platted it that
way, we built our well, it’s functioning and it’s needed to provide fire flow for those
big buildings out there. What it has come down to now is we have three options.
I’ll back up a little bit. The reason this is such a struggle for us is we’ve never
had to acquire a well lot in any other manner than purely donation from the
developer. This particular developer does not wish to donate that well lot. Here
we are with a half developed subdivision and a functioning well. I’m just trying to
get some direction on how to proceed with this. They have two options they’re
willing to accept I guess. One is a Latecomers Agreement on the, what they call
the purchase price of the land which at five dollars a square foot and roughly
20,000 square foot lot it equates to about 105,000 dollars for this well lot.
They’re willing to accept an outright purchase for that land as one option. The
second option is to develop a Latecomers Agreement on a well, which again is
something we’ve never done on a well lot. If you wish, I will go ahead and
develop that Latecomers Agreement for your approval. The third option, which is
probably, not really an option at all is to ignore it and hope it goes away or pick
up the well and move it in which case they wouldn’t have fire flow at their facility.
I guess my recommendation would be if we need to do something one of those
three options would be to develop a Latecomers Agreement. Normally anytime
there’s a Latecomers Agreement, the developer comes to you and specifically
requests that Public Works draft that. This has been going on a long time, I’m
here, and I’ll answer any question you might have on this.
Corrie: Brad I don’t think one of the options is an option of ignoring it.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Brad, as everybody knows Latecomers Agreements I don’t like. You might
get a purchase price of 105 but by the time, you get through with it you’re up to
120,000 in costs with your labor and everything getting these Latecomers
Agreements they never seem to hit on time. We get them lost in our paperwork
and everything like that. Has anybody talked to the developer about walking out
with 95,000 cash and paying it off?
Watson: Mr. Bird, Mayor and Council Members no. They have posted to me as
purchase at full price with an intimation that land prices are quickly going up in
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April 15, 2003
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the area. They’ve actually sent us an invoice I think it was actually in March for
105,000 dollars and change.
Bird: But the same token is cash sometimes speaks. I can guarantee you
developers don’t walk out and say how much do you want and that’s the
purchase price. They come back with some offers and stuff like that. I would be
that. I’m not – we’ve never had a Latecomers Agreement on a well that I know of
I think you just stated that. I think we’re getting into water that we don’t want to
test. We’ll be 10 years from now still wandering who we’re collecting from and
when we’re collecting that 105,000 jumped to 120,000 in costs. I would consider
going out, purchase it, and see if we can’t get a discount from the developer by
bringing cash up front. That would be my preference.
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: I guess I wouldn’t disagree with Mr. Bird although my assumption is the
developer knows that no matter what we’re going to do we’re going to pay for it
all up front. We’re not going to pay them to install it. That’s why – I mean we
don’t have a – what’s our bargain position otherwise. If he says we’re 95,000 it’s
105 and next week it might be 110.
Bird: Don’t build the well. It’s development out there.
Nary: I understand I understand. I’m just saying I think Brad needs a little more
direction than that. I think we’re – I mean that’s certainly one option is to make
that but I think if they say no thank you we think the city’s going to pay cash
anyway so it’s 105 and it will be a little bit more next week. We have to be
prepared to give Brad at least some guidance as to what do we want now.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: So the well is not built.
Watson: Council Member de Weerd it’s built and it’s operating. In fact, there
was a big rush you may or may not recall for us to get that on line so that they
could get that Michael’s building.
De Weerd: And the original well site was on the donated land just across the
street north is that correct?
Watson: No.
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April 15, 2003
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De Weerd: Was that where the original well was going to be?
Watson: No there was never a well planned or any land contemplated on the
north side of Overland Road.
De Weerd: And we did not discuss prices with this developer before we
constructed the well?
Watson: Council Member de Weerd that’s a good question. Evidently we did I
mean I didn’t personally but there were so many people involved in the
conversations with the Sundance Corporation when they came to town. I’m lead
to believe that we did. When I say we I’m saying the city did.
De Weerd: But we don’t have documentation on that though?
Watson: No not that I can find.
De Weerd: It seems that before we’ve done land swaps or purchase land we’ve
asked for an appraisal. This – he’s charging us developed land price?
Watson: Council Member de Weerd whatever I would assume five bucks a
square foot is developed land.
De Weerd: Well what is the value of paying for developed land to put our well
site on? Because didn’t we develop that? I don’t know if we’re splitting hairs but
you know whatever we do, we’re going to be setting some kind of precedence on
this. We don’t want someone else coming back and saying hey well you paid
developed land price for that well we want developed land price for this well site.
I know what your conundrum is but I think you shouldn’t be the one presenting
that to us the developer should be in here standing in front of us answering these
questions. Maybe I guess if the rest of Council agrees we need to ask the
developer to come here and we can ask these questions of them and not of our
staff who’s in an awkward situation.
Corrie: Because we get the same answers.
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Yes I’m all for that. I think we’re at – is in a very difficult position but I think
it is a situation that if they want the city to purchase this property they’re going to
have to come here and talk to us about it. Not make Brad be their gopher boy.
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Watson: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Brad.
Watson: In all fairness I do have to take some of the blame on this because I
have put it off for several months since we wrapped up the water and sewer
agreements I think that was last October somewhere in there.
Bird: That’s okay.
Watson: That’s probably why I was more inclined to bring this to you rather than
have them come in is to see if there was an easy answer that you saw so I could
proceed that way.
Corrie: Well then we could take the blame too and then have them come in
anyway.
De Weerd: Yes.
Corrie: We don’t care who takes the blame let’s have them come in.
Watson: Okay.
Corrie: We can certainly talk to them and maybe shift some blame somewhere.
Shall we have them next meeting?
Watson: I will contact them tomorrow and see what their schedule is.
Corrie: Then let me know right away –
Watson: Okay.
Corrie: -- and we’ll get it on there.
Watson: Thank you.
Corrie: Thank you Brad.
Item 4. Discussion on PAR Forms (Pauline Skeggs and Mike Worley):
Corrie: Chief’s here. The second one is the discussion of the PAR forms we
have Pauline Skeggs and the Chief so both of you can take the spotlight here.
Worley: Well Mr. Mayor and Members of the Council I think I started this thing so
I’ll start the discussion. If you recall in the budget session last year and even
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April 15, 2003
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going back to the time that I was hired as the Police Chief we had several
discussions about finding ways to objectively evaluate our need for staffing in the
Police Department. In the budget presentations last year, we presented to you a
Crime Analyst position, which we viewed as key to actually understanding what
our workload was, and how we deployed people. How much time was spent on
calls all the kinds of things that determine how busy we are and thus how many
people we need to adequately police the City of Meridian and getting away from
things such as officers per 1,000. The Council did agree with that position in the
last budget and approved a position of Crime Analyst. I don’t think we’re here to
debate the salary setting of it but sufficed to say that in two correct me if I’m
wrong Pauline two advertisements of that position we were unable to find
anybody who even met minimum qualifications. Pauline and I did have
discussions about the salary and maybe revisiting that. In the meantime,
however I had a discussion with a current Record’s Clerk who is – and by the
way the position of Crime Analyst which requires a statistical background is
classified the same as a Record’s Clerk or a File Clerk. I will acknowledge that
that’s exactly the way it’s done in the Ada County Sheriff’s Office although not the
way it’s done in the Boise Police Department. Those are the only other two
agencies that have that type of position currently. We did have one of our very
highly rated people come forward, express an interest in a job someone who is
already very knowledgeable in at least one aspect of how we do business within
the department somebody who would have – something that would have to be
trained in another position or if we went outside. I took it upon myself in this
position since we did have somebody who was interested in stepping forward,
helping us to fill what I view is a very critical position to authorize a slight pay
increase of three percent to recognize that individual. I did that knowing that I
was above what had been budgeted for the position. The budget amount was
2,046 dollars and what I was offering her was 2,062 or 16 dollars more. Frankly I
viewed that as dominius for what we were getting out of it but I understand that I
– I didn’t have an understanding at the time of what the definition in this city was
of out of guidelines because it is still far below the midpoint of the range for this
position. Given that it is above what was budgeted by the amount of 16 dollars a
month I also viewed that the fact that that positions been vacant for six months
so we should have sufficient salary savings to cover 16 dollars with my approach
to it. That’s what brings us here because my recommendation is still that we set
the salary for that particular individual bringing some expertise to the job already.
It is above the budget amount so I’ll go with any questions or comments from
there.
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: I guess the question I have and I don’t have a question for you Chief.
Pauline what I’m curious is when we set the budget amount and what I’ve heard
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April 15, 2003
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the Chief say a couple of different times is that the amount of salary he’s wanting
to pay is below the midpoint of this job position. I guess one thing I wasn’t clear
of in this discussion is how do we set the salary position for this lower than what
the Chief could offer to higher. If we would have hired a brand new person,
would we be having this discussion? Is it still the same amount or is it because
this is a current employee and it’s a raise?
Skeggs: No we may not have this discussion with a new individual because they
can get hired anywhere from the minimum of the range up to what was budgeted.
Last year when we did our budget enhancement asking for new a position
accounting told Department Heads to use the midpoint of the salary range.
That’s the current salary range in effect at that time. Every year when we do the
st
budget, we also ask for a COLA increase that goes into effect on October 1.
During that process, we don’t know whether or not that COLA gets approved.
When it is approved that shifts the ranges so last year we’re working off last
year’s budget ranges which didn’t include the cost of living that we go October
st
1. That shifted the new ranges so that’s where you’re seeing the difference. I
don’t think in looking back at what was budgeted for this position last year we
were told to put up to midpoint. In going back and reviewing it, I don’t think Chief
did that. He only put in you know 24552, which is 2, 046. That wasn’t midpoint
of last year so he put in less. He actually was the only Department Head that put
in less. All the other Department Heads for new positions did put the midpoint of
the salary range at that time.
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: But I did hear you say that if this is a new hire and not a current employee
we wouldn’t even have to have this?
Skeggs: With a new employee it depends on their experience. We hire
individuals based on their experience so if they don’t have a lot of experience
most of the times they start at entry level. The dollar amount in the budget is
about entry level it’s below the midpoint. In this case, he only had up to what
was in the budget.
Nary: I guess I don’t – one I don’t have a problem with the 16 dollars a month I
think that’s fine. I guess what I would ask and if the rest of the Council agrees is
we obviously don’t – there’s obviously a little lump of gap here in this particular
case and maybe this is an isolated circumstance. I don’t have a big problem in
having an amount of a certain amount or percentage of what’s authorized to pay
to give some flexibility to the department. I want to know and I think the Mayor
certainly needs to know and I think the Council would like to know within the
certain amount of guideline how much we have to adjust for this. To me this
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situation probably shouldn’t be here. We should have a process in place to deal
with this so that we do not have to come here for 16 dollars and the only reason
we’re here is because it’s a current employee not a new employee. If a new
employee could have got hired at 16 dollars more without us having to review it
then a current employee should get the same.
Skeggs: Yes. We would only be here if they were trying to hire the new
employee at more than what was in the budget.
Nary: Right I understand. What I’m saying is I guess what I would be asking if
the Council is in agreement is that you with the Department Heads work on a
policy to bring back to us in whatever time is reasonable so that maybe these
types of situations can get remedied without it taking an extra two or three or four
weeks for something like this. I guess my thought is and we can discuss it when
we actually have a policy to work from but I don’t have a big heartburn in giving
some flexibility as long as we get notified of it you know. As long – within a small
amount, I mean not a large number but I mean if it’s a small amount. Then you
and the Department Heads can and the Mayor can talk about what that amount
is or what that percentage is appropriate. The Department Head with your
approval and the Mayor’s approval can agree to do that and give us notice of it I
think that’s fine. Again, I think we’re trying to not to make the system so
cumbersome that some of this you know 10 dollars, 15 dollars or 20 dollars some
of those things if it’s – again if we could hire somebody in the new position a new
person and this wouldn’t be here then obviously there’s a way to fix this problem
to make it a little simpler.
Skeggs: I know when we were discussion the Boise’s audit it came up that any
out of guideline increase needed to be approved by City Council. This was the
first one that has come up since then so this is why it was brought up to City
Council for approval. As the Department Heads, we can work with the Mayor on
making a recommendation of what we think you know we can go over. I agree I
don’t think 16 dollars is a significant difference. I know Chief does have the
money in his budget but we also have to look at what the impact to the base for
next years budget this is going to impact. I had asked Reta in accounting today
what that would be if she looked at the benefits, workers comp, you know
retirement and she estimated gave me a rough estimate of about 48 percent we
would have to add to base.
Nary: One more thing though Mr. Mayor. Pauline I mean let’s compare apples
and apples the Boise audit and they’re talking about out of guideline increases
dealt with Department Heads Mayor’s Office staff. Not general employee’s, not a
clerk position, not a support staff position it only was talking about out of
guidelines in regards to the Mayor’s staff and the Department Heads. It’s not a
real fair comparison to use that as a reason to be here for 16 dollars. That was a
totally different circumstance. What I am suggesting is that you, the Department
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April 15, 2003
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Heads, and the Mayor have a policy in place so that obviously like I said if we
could have hired a brand new person we’ve already authorized the position.
We’ve already authorized a salary for that type of position and where it’s
classified has already been done and all that we could have hired a brand new
person into it we probably don’t need to be here just because it happens to be a
current employee. That doesn’t make any sense. It’s almost like a penalty for
our current employee and it delays the hiring for two, three or four weeks for
somebody who already works here. That doesn’t make any sense.
Skeggs: Our current policy states that out of guidelines would be approved by
the Mayor with the Department Heads approval and HR signature. When we
were discussing the Boise audit Councilwoman de Weerd had mentioned that the
out of guidelines that we had discussed last year be brought before City Council.
At that time, I said well I can change the policy but we never really discussed the
process of the limit that needed to be addressed. I could go back to Department
Heads, we could come up with something, and then we could go from there.
This is the first situation since then so I was just trying to follow the directive
given.
Nary: I appreciate that. I think again I think it’s just the tweaking of that a little
bit. For my personal preference and I’m not speaking for any of the other Council
Members my personal preference is I want to know. I don’t know that we need to
approve everyone that’s 10 bucks. I think if we’ve got a problem with it to take
that scenario if that’s where we were at today and you were bringing to us that
we’ve hired this new position the Chief’s advising us I’ve adjusted her pay to this
amount for this reason here it is. If we don’t like it, we can deal with the Chief
about that. That’s okay we can deal with the Department Head about why we
don’t like it but I think a guideline is the way to go and I think this is more fodder
for that to come up with something that’s a little bit more flexibility but at least
gives us some notice about what’s going on.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Skeggs: Are the other Council Members in agreement that staff come up with
what they want the process or I thought maybe that was something that Council
needed to discuss and give us that but I’ll do whatever’s required or requested.
Corrie: Okay I’ll find out Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: You know it sounds like and maybe I’m unclear whether this is a new
employee or an existing employee if they stay within budget it doesn’t matter
correct?
Skeggs: It doesn’t and also –
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April 15, 2003
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De Weerd: So it’s only because it’s going over that budget whether it’s new or
existing that we’re having this conversation.
Skeggs: Right and also on transfers that are in the same salary grade our past
practice has been to transfer that individual into that position without an increase.
If we gave them an increase then that would fall under out of the guideline of our
Compensation Program as well.
De Weerd: Well and most might be the technicalities that come up in this that
certainly you’re more knowledgeable and familiar with some of the situations that
come up. If Council wants to give some suggestions on minimums I just have in
my budget backgrounds when budgets change there’s a reason for it that we
need the heads up. That’s not only for the current budget year it’s for all budget
years after that. We just need to know what the consequences are. There does
become a point where that seems real minimal. Where that breaking point is I
guess that’s the point that we need to discuss and that we would look for a policy
to come back to us so we can have that discussion. We do have to realize that
you know this could be an isolated case or you know at some point it could be
more than one and then that does add up and can snowball as well. I would just
look to your experience Pauline and what you’ve seen come across your desk
and how many incidence this has even happened with to use your experience in
what those requests have been and find something that’s reasonable and
appropriate to bring back.
Skeggs: I could do that.
Nichols: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Go ahead Bill and then I’ll have something to say.
Nichols: I just want to try to make sure I understand this. Pauline if the Chief
had not been quite so conservative in his budget salary projection and had put in
at the mid range then this position would clearly be within budget is that correct?
Skeggs: That’s correct.
Nichols: So one of the ways that we avoid this problem is we make sure we hit
that mid range on those requests. The second questions and I guess this is
maybe on to Councilman Nary when you’re talking about guidelines are you
thinking about a dollar amount above what was budgeted or are you talking
about a percentage or both. Maybe if 16 dollars over 2,000 dollars looks to me to
be about it’s not even one percent. Is that the kind of thing you’re looking at you
know an increase of one or two percent is that what you’re looking at there?
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Nary: Mr. Mayor yes I think a percentage makes sense. What that percentage
should be I think as Council Member de Weerd said should be based upon Mrs.
Skeggs and the experience we’ve had here with the city how these have been. I
just think there has to be a reasonable number that of a smaller percentage that
with the Department Head, HR, and the Mayor’s input and approval is
reasonable and give us notice. There is a certain percentage above that that I
think from a cautious sake as Council Member de Weerd is saying there’s a
certain percentage above that and whatever that is five percent 10 percent I don’t
know again I don’t know what the experience has been. That I think my
preference from the Council is that we have approval. If we’re going to vary to
that degree because it’s a significant more significant experience and so that’s
what I guess I was looking for is some input from the Mayor, Department Heads
and Mrs. Skeggs as to what our experience has been. What’s a good number
that seems to fit the practical aspects so that we again like I said in this
circumstances here we hold up a hiring of person into a position for three or four
weeks –
Bird: For 16 dollars.
Nary: -- for 16 bucks. That just seems a little silly but obviously, we need a little
bit more room to address that a little bit better going forward. Again, it may be an
isolated incident but maybe this – a good way to have that exercise to say what
works and what makes the most sense and kind of balances both of the needs.
Worley: Mr. Mayor and Members of the Council Pauline and I were just
discussing this a little bit. To put it I guess in perspective of what Mr. Nichols
mentioned we don’t have the figures right in front of us and I can’t tell you why
we put in less than midpoint. I don’t recall that being conscience discussion.
Midpoint is somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 250 dollars a month more
than what we’re requesting.
Corrie: Let me say here that anytime anything is requested by HR, Finance, and
my office there is a definite question that’s asked. Where are we, how much is at
midpoint? I can’t recall anything that’s been over a very small percentage at any
time. My question is much as similar as Bill’s was and it’s going to be is what is
that limit before City Council really gets involved to say yes we need to approve
this or that. I think Bill is absolutely right we need a percentage whatever that is
and gives us the guidelines the policy to follow and then we follow that. I have no
objections to this what’s going but I do agree that 15 or 16 dollars is still under
budget it’s in the guidelines that we don’t need it to be discussed (inaudible).
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
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Bird: I agree with everything that’s been said except the percentages. I don’t
mind having a percentage but you’ve got to have a maximum amount on that
percentage. Five percent of 100,000 is a heck of a lot different than five percent
of 2,000. You’ve got to have a top figure there regardless of the percentage but I
think that’s something that the departments and yourself can come back to us
with and we can work it out. I’m like Mr. Nary I don’t know why we’re sitting here
arguing over 16 dollars a month because it’s in the Chief’s budget and
everything. I know we’re out of guidelines and I understand that and I appreciate
that but that’s something I think could be done at staff level with the Department
Heads, Pauline and yourself Mayor. If it’s something that is a larger amount then
we should be involved with it.
Corrie: There’s no question about it the Council holds the purse strings. Let’s
face and you’ve got to be informed of what it is. I think with Pauline and the rest
of the Department Heads we can work up a situation and what you think of it and
if you approve it that’s fine. If you don’t well, we can adjust it accordingly so
okay.
Worley: Mr. Nary anything else?
Nary: No. Thank you. So the Chief knows everyone is okay with going ahead
and hiring.
Bird: Yes.
Nary: Okay thank you.
Worley: Thank you.
Item 5. Report on Creamery Building Update (Brad Hawkins-Clark):
Corrie: The next one is report on the Creamery Building update. Is Brad
Hawkins-Clark here? Oh, thank you Brad glad to see you. We also have
Giussepe is also here with us to fill in so we’ll let you go first Brad and then we’ll
have Giussepe fill in any holes that we might have.
Hawkins-Clark: Great thank you. Mr. Mayor Members of the Council good
evening. This item is on the Pre-Council Agenda mainly to get City Council’s
feedback on a potential grant that the city would apply for. I was contacted by
Giussepe Veneziano several months ago. We’ve had numerous discussions
about the creamery site. He has he’s here to give you a little bit more
background so I won’t go into that but I thought just generally to kind of lay the
framework. As you know this has been a site of much discussion as he has put
in quite a bit of time researching various options of how this site could redevelop.
One of those options has come around to the potential involvement of the city
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and the Meridian Historical Society or historical groups. The grant is the
Brownfield’s pot of money that is through EPA. EPA as you may recall they’ve
had this pot of money I think since the early 90’s but then January of last year
President Bush signed into legislation a bill that basically increase this pot of
money significantly as well as decreased the amount of bureaucracy that’s
involved in accessing the funds. The main catch is that in order to apply for –
there’s three different types. In order to apply for the one that Mr. Veneziano is
interested in an assessment project which is one of the subsets of the
Brownfield’s and it’s just basically to assess the site does require either a non-
profit, a public or quasi-public entity or a tribe et cetera to apply for the funding.
That has kind of led us into numerous discussions about what would be involved
after that. I didn’t give you any information ahead of time tonight. There’s I
guess mainly to just get the initial discussion out on the table and at the Mayor’s
recommendation just to sort of present what the situation is. Mainly what I have
come through and the discussions I’ve had with Mark Mazurick of the local EPA
and Joe Nagel of DEQ who are both sort of the Idaho Brownfield’s
representatives is that there is a good opportunity for a public entity to help to
cleanup a site such as this. It is only certainly one part of the puzzle so I guess
that would be from our department standpoint from what I have looked into the
amount of time it would take to do an initial application should we get that
direction from the Council. It probably involve you know 10 to 15 hours of staff
time just to get that first round through. It’s a pretty minor application and you do
have to go through another round of course but the City of Caldwell has passed
the first round of these so we do have some local agencies in the Treasure
Valley that have some experience with it. I think in terms of the city side that’s
that and I’ll let the folks that are here to talk about the private angle and what
they’re looking at doing with the site talk.
Corrie: Just for the record Giussepe give us your name and then –
Veneziano: My name is Giussepe Veneziano I’m a Meridian resident. Members
of the Council Mayor good evening we have been working on the site probably
for the last two solid years look at me I’ve got no hair left. I lost it all in the
process. After tons of research that has been done, what we have accomplished
is far more than anybody could ever dream. The site is suitable and it will qualify
for the Brownfield clean up which is a major part of this project is the clean up.
Come to find out I found across it by accident because we had to do some
studies and stuff like that. What we’ll involve will involve the city and the
Historical Society, which I (inaudible) try to involve them by giving them a position
in the creamery one better site for them. The Meridian Historical Society and
said you know what they have a room about eight feet wide and about 15 feet
long and I said my goodness how do you guys cram you guys in here. I’ve
offered them 1,000 square foot of space inside the creamery, which will provide
an excellent accommodation not to mention the historical site that has been
practically the oldest one in Idaho. I mean not in Idaho Meridian I will say built in
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 15, 2003
Page 14 of 17
what 1928. A ton of stuff that needs to be done but the majority is the cleanup.
The cleanup is a big burden and we will ask for you guys’ help to apply. We will
donate the second floor, which is about 7,000 square feet of dedicated as a
public area fully finished and beautiful view. You can see practically from Bogus
Basin all the way to down field. Any questions?
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: I believe that you’ll be doing this community a whole lot more than
just the space by taking care of that building and turning it into something. I think
that whatever this city can do to help assist you in that I would be more than
supportive of it. If we can help you to pass through for a grant --
Veneziano: That would be very, very, very helpful.
De Weerd: I certainly would wholeheartedly support that.
Veneziano: Beyond that we already have some funding that are coming over
from overseas and we have some funding that have been applied in this area.
Apparently the majority is going to have to be the clean up. Since we came
across this is like a gift from god and I say you know what why not take
advantage of it. I hope this evening has conceived what I’m trying to do I mean
this is beyond any in my recollection I mean I’ve never been in anything this size.
Maybe I have a little (inaudible) with my little coffee shop but –
De Weerd: Well I know you shared some of the information to the Meridian
Development Corporation and this would be huge for redevelopment.
Veneziano: It’s a huge step (inaudible) to totally develop in the core of Meridian.
I mean we’re looking at everybody’s trying to go outside of Meridian where do we
want people to go.
Corrie: Well Giussepe when we discussed in the office I think that the Council all
of us are going to be behind you –
Veneziano: That’s very, very appreciated.
Corrie: -- is one of the advantages that we have as the US Conference of
Mayor’s this is one of the flagships that they have worked with over the years.
We’ve been pretty successful getting these Brownfield’s through them. Our
chances are 99.9 percent (inaudible). Of course, when you’re working with the
government you never look at one tenth percent. Still we – I’ve talked to Brad,
we can get that put together and that will do an immense amount of cleanup for
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 15, 2003
Page 15 of 17
you with that amount of money. There’s a lot of asbestos and stuff you know
that.
Veneziano: Oh yes. (Inaudible) from one end to the other. I don’t know if you –
I hope that you if you’ve even gone in the site where they have that paintball
place and it’s like a little pig sty where you can just let some pigs loose and
maybe shoot them down or something.
Corrie: Yes I think we all want to get that place over there cleaned up and get
something nice that you have here.
Veneziano: Well this is the place to start, we can also go forward from there, and
we’re going to make that site over there something to look at and not an eyesore.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Giussepe are you owner of record of the property now?
Veneziano: Not on the record not yet but I have –
Bird: Is Mr. Amyx still and is he agreeable to this?
Veneziano: Mr. Amyx knows very little about it and all he wants is his money.
I’m slowly giving him some.
Bird: This grant isn’t purchasing the property though.
Veneziano: No see the grant will be given only after you buy the property.
(Inaudible discussion amongst Council Members)
Bird: (Inaudible) stuff like that but before you apply for the grant the owner has to
–
Veneziano: We will have the title before the grant will be given. See they can
approve it but they will not disburse the money unless you own the property. At
this point, I have my leads straightened out that we’re going to have the title on
the property before the money gets disbursed. That’s a major, major issue.
Corrie: That’s one of the (inaudible). Any other questions Giussepe anything
else?
Veneziano: Not at the moment.
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 15, 2003
Page 16 of 17
Corrie: Brad anything else.
Corrie: Okay then we’ll get working on that one too.
Item 6. LID Delinquent Assessments (Janice Smith):
Corrie: Okay the next one is Janice the LID.
J. Smith: Thank you Mayor and Council for putting me on the agenda. I will only
take five minutes. What this is is just a heads up on what we have been doing
with the delinquent LID Assessments. We met with our City Attorney yesterday
and went over what we have done in the past. On Page 2 and 3 is a copy of the
two accounts and what we have done, any payment we’ve received and a
summary of sum correspondence. What I have prepared today is the
delinquency certificate, which I issued for the two LID outstanding accounts.
These two outstanding accounts right now total $6,769.16. A copy of these two
delinquency certificates is on Page 4 and 5. I’ve also made a copy of these
delinquency certificates and will be sending those to the owners of the property.
Every year they do get the notice of the LID that was due. Last year was the end
th
of the 10 years and we can now actually in July or June 30 of last year we could
have went ahead with this process but we had other fires to put out so it got
passed along. Yesterday we decided to take some action on this and go through
the steps that the State Statutes require. This is just a heads up in the very back
of the paperwork that you have is the correspondence with a said property
owners. There is one property owner that has not made any payment. I’m sure
she will be calling my office after she receives this notice. I was just giving you
the heads up, information and if you have any questions on this.
Corrie: Any questions.
Bird: I have none just thank you Janice.
De Weerd: Appreciate the heads up.
J. Smith: Okay thank you.
Corrie: Real self-explanatory. Okay that takes care of the Pre-Council Agenda.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: I move we close the Pre-Council.
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 15, 2003
Page 17 of 17
Bird: Second.
Corrie: Okay motion been made and seconded to close the Pre-Council Meeting
any further discussion? Hearing none all those in favor say aye. Opposed no.
All ayes motion carried and back at 7:00.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:50 P.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)
APPROVED:
/ /
ROBERT D. CORRIE, MAYOR DATE
ATTESTED:
WILLIAM G. BERG, JR., CITY CLERK