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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 11-12 Pre Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 The Pre-Council Meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 6:00 P.M. on November 12, 2002, by Mayor Robert Corrie. Members Present: Robert Corrie, Tammy de Weerd, Bill Nary, Keith Bird. Members Absent: Cherie McCandless. Others Present: Bill Nichols, Mike Wardle, Brad Watson, Pauline Skeggs, Stacy Kilchenmann and Will Berg. Item 1. Roll-call Attendance: X Tammy de Weerd X Bill Nary O Cherie McCandless X Keith Bird X Mayor Robert Corrie Corrie: The Pre-Council Meeting Tuesday November 12, 2002 at 6:00 P.M. If we could have, roll call attendance please Mr. Clerk. Item 2. Adoption of the Agenda: Corrie: Council you have the Pre-Council Agenda item in front of you Items 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Is there any additions or corrections that you would have? Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: I don’t hear anything so I’ll move that we adopt the agenda as published. Nary: Second. Corrie: Okay motion as been made and seconded to approve the agenda the adoption of the agenda any further discussion? All those in the favor say aye. All ayes motion carried. MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES, ONE ABSENT Item 3. Discussion of MUBS: Corrie: Discussion of MUBS. Bird: Mr. Mayor As I emailed you last night and stuff and we discussed today my main concern is -- I talked to Stacy a week ago and my main concern is that Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 2 of 17 when you have a department that is handling the amount of money they are handling that we need to have a policy. As I understand from you and from Stacy that we are getting a policy in place so really if that is being put in place I have no problem of over who is over it as long as a policy is lived with and made sure that it is done by. I realize that the City Treasurer by State Statute is required to be in charge of all monies in the city so I have no problem with that as long as the policy is put in place and the Bookkeeping Financial Treasurer is over seeing that part of it. I could care less who it’s under. Corrie: Just a question to Keith. You did get the email that shows all those policies? Bird: Yes I did. Corrie: Okay. Stacy do you have any other additions to that? Okay any other comments from Council? Okay fine good thank you Keith. I’ll keep you up on what is going on with that. If any body else would like to see those policies I think we’ve got them so I’ll send them to you if you’d like. Item 4.Discussion of Walt Morrow’s Letter of Response to Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law: Corrie: Item Number 4 is discussion of Walt Morrow’s letter of response to Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. I believe he is not here. Mr. Nichols can you kind of inform us on what’s going on here and I think take care of that too. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council the letter from Mr. Morrow objected to the form of the order that granted his appeal that included in it a finding, which reflected the concerns that were raised by Shari Stiles and Gary Smith in their letters to the Council. There were letter or reports dated, well I can’t remember the dates but anyway from both Shari and Gary Smith that essentially said here is the issue that we have with this Building Permit that caused them to issue this cease for order. Now the Council over turned the decision to issue the cease Work Order and directed that a Building Permit that you know that they go forward with that building. All that finding does is reflect why the Stop Work Order was issued. It doesn’t mean that the Council finds those things were true or that that’s what was found after the hearing. It was simply this is the reason the Stop Work Order was issued. Then in the order it basically grants the appeal, overturns the Stop Work Order, and allows Mr. Morrow to proceed with the building. That’s, I believe that’s, I mean that was my intent when I prepared the findings which were approved by the Council. I believe the order was approved, I think it was on a Council Agenda for approval but so I mean he has issued his letter. The only thing he was worried about was that particular finding and we only intended that finding was this is the reason why the Stop Work Order was issued to back up on. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 3 of 17 Corrie: Okay. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: May I ask Mr. Nichols a question. Corrie: Sure. Bird: If this is left from these findings are they legally binding, those findings in that even though we did overturn all them findings. Nichols: Councilman Bird, Mayor, and Members of the Council. For the record Mr. Morrow has just joined us so I’ll repeat what I said. My intent in that finding was simply to reflect what the staff members reasoning was when the Stop Work Order was issued. It was not intended to be a finding that those were in fact conditions that existed, just simply that’s the reason the staff did what they did or at least that’s what they submitted they felt the facts were. Mr. Morrow disagreed with those facts and he asked for this Council to consider it on appeal and the Council granted his appeal and overturned the decision to issue the Stop Work Order. As far as your questions Councilman Bird do the findings stand? Again, the finding is simply that this is the reason put forth by staff for the Stop Work Order it doesn’t mean that you found that those things were true. Just simply that is what was contended by staff. It doesn’t mean that you have found that those things existed but that was the reason that staff submitted to you for their stop work decision. Nary: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Nary. Nary: Maybe Mr. Morrow can tell us if this maybe what he is trying to address. I guess in looking at these Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law again I understand perfectly what Mr. Nichols is saying. I’m not sure that it’s clearly in these ruling that that’s what the intent is because if you look in the preamble part of it before it gets to the findings. It says that the after (inaudible) the arguments and presentations of the parties and being fully advised. In the premises issues the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and Decision of Order. All these findings were intended meet before the reasons for why the Stop Work Order was issued. There is nothing in the conclusion that says we didn’t necessarily agree or disagree with those findings but we did rule on that issue on what those findings are. Maybe that’s the clarity that in the conclusions to make it clear that we’re not whether we address the point or counter point that Mr. Morrow is asking or we simply have a statement in this conclusion that we are not ruling on those. That we made a decision based upon what else is in here? Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 4 of 17 Then at least its clear cause I think what you are saying makes perfect sense I just don’t know that it says that in here. Maybe that’s why there is this discrepancy but maybe Mr. Morrow would shed some light on it at least what his perspective is. Corrie: Well we can certainly find out, Walt. Sorry we started without you. Thought you would get here just in time. Morrow: I got here just in time. I just found out maybe 10 minutes ago that I was supposed to be here. Corrie: Who told you? Morrow: My answering machine so my apology Mr. Mayor, Council, and staff for being tardy. My response is Council that the Findings of Facts and Conclusions as written leave the impression for future Council’s, future staffs that I’ve in fact done something wrong in the pursuit of this particular process. The staff is saying to my way of thinking that I didn’t go through a design review process. Nowhere in the Findings of Facts and Conclusions did they mention that Meridian doesn’t have a design review process and hasn’t had for 22 years. When this ground was annexed and zoned a stipulation of the annex and zoning was that time a building to go through a design review process, if there was one. Staff sided that I didn’t go through the design review process. For people reading these in the future, I’m prejudice by an attitude that this guy didn’t do what he was supposed to and he is getting away with something. That’s the impression that those Findings of Facts and Conclusions leave me with. My response to that as a layman is that I don’t want that stigma, if that’s going to be sided as that’s what the staff’s point was in issuing the Work Order then there ought to be some verbiage that says Meridian doesn’t have a design review process. How could the guy go through that process? Why are we hanging him because he didn’t go through that process, so to speak? The other issues with and I understand Mr. Nichols point in terms of the technicalities but the net result for those of us that are lay folk is that we form an opinion based on what we read in terms of future projects. When future staffs submit to us a Findings of Fact from 2002 and the year 2010 that’s the impression that is left and that’s the wrong impression. That’s my concern in terms of the issues that I responded to in those Findings and Conclusions that’s the only thing within that document that I disagree with. Everything else is fine, everything is as we’ve discussed. We went through three or four meetings with the Council, we’ve discussed the issues. The balance of the findings are factual and they are fair but the impression that is created by these comments without having some sort of information that rebuts those or sets the record straight in the same area. Then it leaves a lasting impression that we’ve done something wrong and in fact we didn’t do anything wrong. We’ve followed the same procedures for this project that we did with the prior four building permits at that site. That’s my position in terms of how I interpret these findings. What I’m asking is that be clarified on the same page so that in Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 5 of 17 the future their doesn’t become an automatic bias or prejudice by those who don’t know the facts or who are not willing to take the time and review the minutes of the prior four or five meetings that we all went through spaced over a years period of time. That would take real diligence on the part of staff and future Councils, future Mayor, whatever. I’m suggesting to you that that doesn’t happen from a practical standpoint. That’s my position. Questions? Mr. Mayor. Corrie: I guess that could be added to that on the findings. I mean we are not changing anything. Morrow: That’s correct. Corrie: It’s just that you are dissatisfied that it wasn’t in there. For future. I don’t see any problem with that. We are not changing the Findings of Facts we are just making an addition to it. Mr. Nary. Nary: I was just going to say. I mean I guess I think how it reads I guess the only thing I would say Mr. Morrow is what impressions other people have I don’t know that if we can totally control that. Morrow: I understand that but if we put that there – Nary: To clarify like what you are suggesting to make sure it’s clear cause I -- Mr. Nichols did say the intent was to show what, how, why were we there. What was the reason we were making this decision and I don’t have a problem with that. I think it does need to be clearer that we weren’t agreeing with those findings or those reasons that were brought forward and that was the reason that we overturned that decision. We just maybe need to clarify that either in the findings or in the conclusions to make it crystal clear that we didn’t necessarily agree with that. That was the reason we overturned. Corrie: Any other comments? Bill do we need a motion to add the show the clear intent. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council whatever assistance you can give me to get it right the fourth time or whatever it is on this would be greatly appreciated. If you tell me to put it in the, at the end of that finding that Mr. Morrow disagreed with those we can do that. If you want it in the order part of it that the Council disagreed with the administrators reasons. Or certainly the design review thing has been consistent in Mr. Morrow’s comments all the way through this process and he is correct there is no Design Review Ordinance. Nary: Mr. Mayor. It probably just needs and how you place it I feel I think is probably more of (inaudible) but I do think it just needs to be clarified in the findings that there was testimony, like you said, testimony on all sides Council after reviewing all of that information that then make the following conclusions Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 6 of 17 based upon that. Especially the design review part, I mean it does seem a little silly to have that when we know we don’t have that process so I don’t think that’s probably a poor thing to add just to make it clear as to what the reasons for those findings were and I don’t think it probably would take that much clarification. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council and Mr. Morrow. I could also perhaps clarify that particular finding to more state that you simply found that that was the directors reasoning or the administrators reasoning for the Stop Work Order, but that you did not agree with the reasoning. Would that solve your problem Mr. Morrow? Morrow: I think it helps but I want the point made that its not there. That we don’t have a design review process. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council, and Mr. Morrow I don’t have a problem putting something more in there about there is no design review process at the time that you pulled that permit. Morrow: The issues of the letter are point by point with respect to the reasons for the Stop Work Order all those are also facts and ACHD doesn’t require impact fees for non-development. ACHD doesn’t require additional right of way, I furnished you a copy of the letter, and so those were things that staff either knew or should have known in terms of how they write up reasoning’s for Stop Work Order that really weren’t valid reasons. I have no problem with the stop work order if we are wrong you bet, we will fix it and go from there. If their issues put in a Stop Work Order that aren’t factual then we got a problem with that. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council. If you will direct me by motion as to how you want me to change the findings. If you want me to just go on based on your discussion. What we will do is provide a copy of the draft order to Mr. Morrow for his comments and come back to you for adoption. We would do that as a matter of course anyway. I mean I think we’ve tried lately to try and get Mr. Morrow a copy like the one I’ve sent you so that he at least understands where we are coming from. Corrie: Is there anything else in that letter that you particularly disliked. Morrow: I didn’t think the ACHD issues are important issues. Corrie: The letter from ACHD said that you weren’t that you didn’t have to do it at this time. Morrow: It was a non-development issue. Their policy is that non-development stuff we don’t have to pay impact fees nor do we have to sell roadway right of way or those kinds of things. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 7 of 17 Corrie: At this time. Morrow: At this time and at some point in the future if we develop the property then those things are do in payable. Corrie: Okay. But I guess I’m not following why you want to change that cause the word at this time. That’s not a future thing its right now so whatever you do in the future is ACHD and your business. Morrow: That’s true. Corrie: Is there any others here now, so we can address them at one time and get them all done for you. Morrow: And once again the issue of water and sewer being outside the statutory distance and if we are going to have a Stop Work Order it ought to site that the sewer and water is outside the statutory distance and that we want to review that our whatever the case might be. I have a problem with that being a citation as a reason for a Stop Work Order. When it’s essentially a non-issue because there is no way to hook up to the water and sewer. Corrie: Mr. Nary. Nary: Again Mr. Morrow I think the intent that Mr. Nichols had was simply stating those reasons that were the basis. We didn’t agree with those reasons. I guess I’m not sure that it makes sense to change the reason. I think that we just need to clarify why we disagree with them. Morrow: And you and I agree on what each of us are saying but coming from a different angle. As far as I’m concerned, the reasons can stay there for the Stop Work Order but I’d like it to also have some sort of verbiage that says we don’t have a design review. Nary: Correct we need to clarify what is really accurate that we don’t have a design review process that the water flow that was outside the statutory requirement. All of those, we need to clarify what is true. Morrow: Correct. That is all I’m asking. Nary: Sure and I don’t think that’s a problem. I think that we can do that. Corrie: I’m just trying to clarify what you are looking for. Morrow: Well I’m sure Mr. Nichols can craft something up that he and I can look at and agree that it’s fine. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 8 of 17 Corrie: We will try. (Inaudible discussion amongst Council Members) Corrie: Mr. Attorney does that give you enough time. I mean you’re busy but three weeks. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council I’ll do my best and we’ll try to get – I’ll get Mr. Morrow a draft before I send it to you. Corrie: That will be fine. De Weerd: That would be preferred. Bird: Mr. Mayor. rd Corrie: December the 3. thrd Bird: December the 4 remember we’re not going the 3. Corrie: That’s right I got this other engagement. th Bird: We’re going the 4. th Corrie: December the 4 that’s fine. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Yes, Mr. Bird. Bird: With that, I would make a motion to make Mr. Nichols happy that he change these Findings and Decision of Order as has been discussed and re- discussed and have them ready for review by Mr. Morrow and the Council on December 4, 2002. Nary: Second. Corrie: Okay motions made and second any further discussion. All those in th favor? All ayes, motion carried for December 4. MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES, ONE ABSENT Morrow: Thank you. Corrie: Thank you. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 9 of 17 Item 5. USGA Inspection Report for Cherry Lane Golf Course / Cherry Lane Golf Course Inspection: Set up Committee to Review Corrie: Item Number 5, USGA Inspection Report for Cherry Lane Golf Course / Cherry Lane Golf Course Inspection. Does the Council have this report – one of those? Bird: Yes we do. Corrie: Mainly tonight, I really wanted to make sure that everybody got one. You got one of these too guys right, the attorneys, and everybody’s, record show that the heads are nodding up and down not sideways. Okay and there are some things in here that we do need to discuss and talk about. I will open it up to Council if there’s anything that they want to discuss about this right now I think we should really set a time and talk about this because there is some questions about what the city can do, what the lessee and lessor. I’m not an attorney I don’t know lessee or lessor. Maybe we can do that so anybody have any other suggestions? Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: I definitely do. Most of these agreements and stuff were drawn up before any one of us was in our seats that we’re in now. I’m probably the oldest regarding (inaudible) and kind of know something about it. De Weerd: You are the oldest. Bird: I am the oldest no I’m second to the oldest. Corrie: All right, we’ll just get on with business please. Bird: Anyway I believe – and I agree with you Mayor we need to get a group together, sit down, and discuss at the Council Mayor. I also believe that we need to have people involved that were in the original design. I can name you a few that I think – Grant Kingsford, Bert Meyers, and Walt Morrow guys that were on the Golf Course Commission that helped design these. I was not real shocked because I knew that the original developer that we had do the front nine didn’t do a real good job. I was quite shocked that the back nine didn’t adhere to standards, which the city put in at that point. I agree 100 percent with you. We need to get down, get a set, see who’s going to be liable for what and get it going. I realize that regardless who does it we’re probably going to have to do it a hole at a time or a backside or a front side at a time but we need to have it done. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 10 of 17 Corrie: Any comments? I think we need to set some time aside that we can all sit down, talk, and kind of go through this step by step because there is numerous questions involved in this report. If we can do that maybe we can get with you, the golf course people and set some time up here. Does that sound reasonable? Butler: Yes, JoAnn Butler, 251 East Run Street. It does, we first of all wanted to say that we thank the Council for funding this USGA Baseline Study because we know that that’s what the city’s been looking for, for a long time something to give the city and Cherry Lane Recreation some direction here. Clearly, the issue is that was raised in this report that face the city, the irrigation system, that face Cherry Lane Recreation replacing equipment are not inexpensive items. They are the items that it’s going to take to make this a first class golf course. That’s what since the late 70’s the city has always said that’s what we’re looking for in Meridian a first class golf course for recreation and something to draw business to the city as well. I just wanted to tell you that today we had a meeting with the folks that walked the course with the USGA Representative. Mr. Berg was there and Creg Steele was there from the Park’s Commission. Elroy Huff was there and the folks from Cherry Lane Recreation and Sharon Gallivan from my office who frankly has gone through every file that this city has since the early 70’s, mid 70’s on the golf course and all the subdivisions around this area. It’s been incredible. I’m always surprised that she still has hair, that she hasn’t just taken it out by the tops. Pulling it together and understanding exactly where the city has come through over the last two decades and where you’ve gotten to now I think with this USGA Baseline, the group that went and met today we had a really positive meeting. It was a really upbeat meeting. We said look, we’ve got something we didn’t have in the late 70’s a golf course. Yes, there are problems we need to address them but everybody agreed that it’s – even today, we could see the steps, the tasks and the direction that we could take. We did say – and I’ll propose this to the Council that what is probably needed most of all – what you had back in the 70’s was a volunteer committee. Volunteers are tremendous especially those with professional background. If the city can possibly see it’s way clear to dedicate a staff person even a couple hours a week to be the point person, to be the person that can coordinate and direct, and kind of make sure that things are kept on task. This will happen a lot faster, a lot more methodically and I think everybody would be a lot more satisfied with that. That’s something as we work towards an overall master plan I think that would be really important. Yes, we would love to possibly meet with staff again, maybe a liaison. Would the Council perhaps, Park Liaison might be the best person to sit down very shortly, set a series of meetings, and get those tasks underway. Thank you. Corrie: Okay thank you JoAnn. Okay will do. Any other discussion? Butler: One more question, statement. My client says we wanted to say when we all got together just so you know we did all agree that this fairly captured the tour of the golf course. In fact, what we’re going to do, we had other notes and Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 11 of 17 we had digital pictures that we put together on a CD. We’ll get those to staff as well so they have them. Thank you. Corrie: Good, thank you. Okay, I’ll be getting in touch with you or JoAnn or whomever you would like and we’ll get that going. Good, thank you. Any other questions? Bird: I have none. Item 6. Discussion of City Public Information Officer: Thinking about possibility of position Corrie: Okay discussion on City Public Information Officer. This was brought to me by the Chief that was talking – Chief of Police about some information officer that he was thinking about using. I told him that it would probably be, might be a good idea that we might have it for the whole city rather than just one department. I did want to – I didn’t get a chance to talk to you did I? I wanted to talk to everybody before we got it on the agenda but I thought I would get this done. Just kind of informational purposes to the City Council some of the things that I was looking at when the Chief was talking about a Public Information Officer for the department is that it might be better if the city, not necessarily now but if we don’t talk about it. I didn’t want to go and put somebody on for the city though we may have the money for it at this time that then it comes the time to do it next year we don’t have the money or it didn’t (inaudible). I wanted everybody to think about it on a Public Relations Officer it would help us with some of the things that we have discussed with the media and what have you. Chief do you have any ideas what you were thinking about? I put down here someone that would be a local media personnel. Some of the things that they would have – I think Boise has a public relations person and Nampa does, Dale Dixon. A lot of times we have the messages go out of here in different departments, the Mayor’s Office or Park’s and Rec. We just need somebody that can kind of help us do some high profiling of the city some of the things we do that’s good. If we do it bad that we could have, a way to do the press and this was one idea of getting – an idea of how we could – if the mill levy they could get to the press handier. I just wanted to run it by you, let you think about it we’re not going to be doing anything now. I talked to Cheri, Tammy and like I say I didn’t get with Bill so let’s – have you got any ideas? I know Keith, I talked to him this morning and he said he had some ideas so we’ll start with you Keith. Bird: Let’s listen to the Chief. Corrie: Okay Chief. Worley: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council I don’t know that I really have anything to add to what the Mayor has already informed you. We were talking about the need to have within the Police Department some training and an Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 12 of 17 individual that could be a primary contact for some of the more high profile things that we may get into. Certainly, that’s not a full time job. There are some benefits to rather than having somebody that has some other type of training and then try to indoctrinate them into media presentation. I think the finding of many other agencies, public and private is that it’s better to get somebody that has the media background and go the other direction. That was kind of our discussion that there are several things going on in the city, certainly there is not enough going on in any individual department to justify a full time media person but the potential of doing it citywide. This is not – what we discussed the issue of whether or not it’s a full time job certainly just doing stand ups in front of a camera on any high profile kind of thing no there is not. There isn’t enough to do that in our sister city to the east. The benefits lie in preparing other things. One of the things that we talked about in the Department Head meeting this morning is things like timeliness story which are human interest kinds of things that promote the city but really doesn’t make any difference whether they are put forth in the media today or next month. Something that can be put forth that supports the city just on an as available basis, space available within the print media particularly. Those are just some ideas that we may be able to use somebody of that stature and that caliber to promote the city. Corrie: One of the things too, I failed to mention was the full time position. Next year it may require to take something from somebody else so you have to think about that if you do want to do something like that next October. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: As I told you I had quite a few views on it and probably don’t agree with a lot of it. I’ve got to do – I would have to do more thinking when you get with it. Right now, just off the cuff I have a real problem with it. We want to compare to Nampa who just hired over 65,000 people a .90 mill levy down turn, the economy’s down. Private people are tightening their belts. The public people I guess want to loosen theirs. Boise I can understand that 200,000 people. They have twice as many people in their Police Department alone as we have in our whole city employed. I am open-minded about it. I’m not completely closed- minded like I am on some issues. I really, really have a hard time when I hear people up here talking all the time about raising the mill levy, wanting the mill levy raised and we just keep putting staff on. We just keep growing the city staff. It’s kind of hard to go – and you know, we’re out here getting partnerships within our parks, which I think is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to help finance the development of parks. Yet, we’re doing all this other stuff. Like I said, I’m open- minded. It’s not something that I would want to make a decision on immediately. I want to look at it and I want to put the facts in the figures. I have the most utmost respect for the gentleman that brought it forward on the deal. I would be very fair about it but I also think we need to really look at the valleys economy Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 13 of 17 and you know we’re affected with the State’s budget too. When they’re down, we don’t get the revenue sharing that we have in the past and then everybody knows the State is down. Like I said in private, we’re tightening our belts so that’s my saying. Like I said Mayor, I’m very open-minded about it. De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: Next time Keith Bird says he says thing very short and concise I will argue that point. I do have a couple of comments. First, fundamentally I am opposed to this because I think this is something that should be part of the budget process. When Council approves a budget, they approve the number of part time and full time employees as well as the dollar figure. These kind of discussions while I see that this position is needed but it should be weighed against all the other needs of the city and shouldn’t be isolated from those. That is why we do a budget process. The second issue is right now we don’t have a public image problem right now. It’s one thing when there’s a lot of crisis and maybe this is more of a proactive approach and that’s why I think it can wait for the budget process. I guess with Keith’s comment about the approaching mill levy conversation which we’ll have next week in Pre-Council I would hope that it’s not seen as we’re adding a position in the middle of a budget cycle that we have extra money to spend. They’re all things that we just need to take into serious consideration and I think we have a process and we really should follow it. Nary: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Nary. Nary: I’m not going to promise to be short but it’s going to be anyway. I think there are some conceptually good things that can be done through this Public Information Officer type of position. I just think we’re really not there yet. We don’t have a proposal of what this job would do, how would you make it full time, what would it cost, I mean there’s a whole lot of other questions to be asked. With Boise, they have a Public Information Officer that works for the Mayor that doesn’t only do that that has other functions besides that. There is a Public Information Officer that also works for the Police Department separately and that is a full time job. I think there are probably some things that could be considered in whether or not it’s in the middle of a budget year or at budget time. It doesn’t matter to me at least at this time but I think we need a whole lot more information. I also think we would have to evaluate whether or not contracting for that type of function would be just as beneficial to the city and we’re looking at a task that we’re talking about whether it’s a mill levy. Whether there’s a necessity for on going need versus a particular project then we would have to look at whether or not tasking that through a contract would may be a better more official way to go. Then you’re not incurring a long-term commitment. You’re not Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 14 of 17 incurring the growth in our personnel at a time like Councilwoman de Weerd said where we’re also telling the voters that we don’t have tremendous amount of funds to be able to provide a certain level of service that we would like to be able to provide yet we can add staff. I think there is a way to get to some of those things. I don’t think the city has an image problem but I think that we’ve seen over the course of time that I’ve been here that there are occasional issues that have come along where we’ve thought if we had a person who had the particular training, particular expertise in those areas and getting that information out to the public in a very good way it wouldn’t have hurt. It would be a positive. I think there’s a seed here that really makes some sense. I don’t think we’ve really got all of it yet and whether or not it’s a full time position or something else we’re probably not ready yet on that. I guess I’m not really ready to say we don’t need it at all I just think we need to look at what possibilities, what would we have to do and whether or not it needs to be a full time position, contracted or something like that. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Let me – Mr. Bird go ahead and I’ll tell you. Bird: I just wanted to mention and I agree with Tammy and Bill that it’s something that we could look in on a contract. There are people out there that do media work on contracts. We used them for quite a few years at the speedway they were very successful on the deal. That’s the – the Mayor had talked about that with me this morning too. I forgot to mention that. Corrie: Thank you. Yes, just to kind of set the record straight. I wasn’t trying to do this now with a city person taking over. I would (inaudible) mainly what Mr. Nary said it’s a seed for you to think about. I, in thinking about in our staff meeting too I got the staff’s ideas and what they thought of it. They came up with a lot of good ideas but one of the things that we definitely have to look at is the cost. What are the factors? Really, what I was doing tonight is I wanted you to think about this and maybe in the next six or seven months that you can be thinking about it do we want to do something like that? You have the capabilities of this (inaudible) whether you want to do it or not. I did want to plant the seed that there’s a possibility that might work for us. It might not be this year it might not be next year but at least you’re thinking about it. Like I told Keith this is not a town of 5 or 6,000 anymore it’s 40 and it’s growing rapidly. As far as what they could do I think that they could be a tremendous asset to the things that we want to get done. Mainly tonight I just want you to see what you could think about it and I didn’t even think about we were going to make a decision tonight. The fact is if I were sitting on the Council the same thing, I wouldn’t make a decision tonight either with not any more facts than we have. When Chief asked about that as a part time person that training for the Police Department I just said maybe we could have the Council think about it for down the road. With that being said – Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 15 of 17 De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: You know I appreciate boy all this advanced notice in thinking about a position. Certainly, again, I go back to, and I appreciate the thought that we can look at this in the budget cycle because when you start talking about on going positions that’s when we really need to look at it. This position compared to a Fire Inspector or another Police Officer you know I want to know not only more about the position that we would be looking at but how funding is for all the other anticipated needs. That’s why it’s difficult for me to look at something outside of the budget presentations when we don’t know – well then, Stacy comes for a need for another Accounting Tech and Pauline comes to us for a Training Tech. I’m sure there’s a whole – will you stop it. I’m sure there’s a whole multitude of need out there but I would like to weigh it against other things. I like the idea of maybe contracting on an as needed basis if those are the kind of things we need to do because we do have discretionary funds that we can do professional type of services for. Maybe it’s even a reallocation of a positions duty. There’s a lot to explore between now and the budget process. The seeds been planted and I think we all agree there is a definite need for someone to do it. I thought that’s what we gave you the raise for. Corrie: You didn’t give me a raise. (Inaudible discussion amongst Council Members) Item 7. Update on PAL and MYB Development Partnerships: Meeting tonight with Elroy Corrie: The last items the update on PAL and MYB Development Relationships. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Keith. Bird: Yes, they are meeting PAL, Meridian Youth Baseball and the Lions Club are meeting at 6:30 tonight down at the Park’s and going over -- as we already know we have a meeting tomorrow. Elroy is working with them to give it – I’ll report to you. I’ll send you all an email and see what comes up and if they discussed anything. We do have a letter of intent that the Council authorized the Mayor to send out to the Meridian Youth Baseball for the remaining 25 acres or so whatever the acreage is at the west side of Settlement Park so that they could start their fund raising. That has been basically taken care of on that part we just need to get the agreement and Mr. Nichols is looking at Boise’s agreement with the Boise Noon Optimist and basically all we need to do is change the names as I understand. It’s a pretty good deal. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 16 of 17 Nichols: Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council it’s not quite so simple as just changing names. Bird: I know in long term you kind of have to (inaudible) money. Nichols: Certainly, we are appreciative of the work that Boise City put into the Optimist Agreement and then we’ll use that as a template for what we do. The key thing is to make sure that the groups and at least the city is able to recommend to this Council who does what. That’s what staff is working on with these groups is what are the groups saying they’re going to do and what do they expect the city to do so that we have something to put forward to you that to then put into an agreement? Bird: Anyway that’s the update. Corrie: Okay. De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: I know that Mr. Bird said that he would email us an update but if we can also have it on our Pre-Council just to be on public record. Bird: You bet no problem – ***End Of Side One*** De Weerd: -- appreciate you sending out the letter of intent. Did it specify that it would be specifically in Settler’s Park? Bird: Yes it did. Corrie: Yes in the west part. Bird: Yes. De Weerd: So that discussion has already been had with PAL and everyone is on board with that? Bird: That’s what’s being taken care of I believe tonight down there. De Weerd: Okay. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting November 12, 2002 Page 17 of 17 Corrie: I think just a little more clarification that Keith will be talking to that group tomorrow because there are some misunderstandings of that group and Keith can straighten it out. De Weerd: With what group? Bird: The Park’s and Recreation. Corrie: Park’s and Rec Commission. They’re working on it as well (inaudible). That (inaudible) the Pre-Council Meeting items so with that I will entertain a motion to close the Pre-Council Meeting Agenda. Then we’ll open the Regular Meeting in about 10 minutes. Bird: So moved. De Weerd: Second. Corrie: Okay motion made and second all those in favor say aye. All ayes, motion carried. The Pre-Council closes at 10 minute till 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