CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
APRIL 14, 2015 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 211 WEST ASPEN AVENUE 4:00 P.M.
MINUTES
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1. |
Call to Order |
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2. | Pledge of Allegiance The audience and City Council recited the Pledge of Allegiance. |
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3. | Roll Call
Others present: Interim City Manager Jeff Meilbeck and City Attorney Michelle D'Andrea. |
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4. | Public Participation Public Participation enables the public to address the council about items that are not on the prepared agenda. Public Participation appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end of the work session. You may speak at one or the other, but not both. Anyone wishing to comment at the meeting is asked to fill out a speaker card and submit it to the recording clerk. When the item comes up on the agenda, your name will be called. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Public Participation. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone to have an opportunity to speak. At the discretion of the Chair, ten or more persons present at the meeting and wishing to speak may appoint a representative who may have no more than fifteen minutes to speak. None |
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5. | Service Partner Presentations - 2015 | |||||||
Mayor Nabours said that the presentations tonight were to allow the Council to hear from the various service organizations on how their contracts with the City are working and what they have been doing. It was not to discuss any funding issues; those would need to be brought forward during the budget meetings next week. The following organizations then provided an update on their respective group, as outlined in the PowerPoint presentation, attached hereto as Exhibit A:
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6. | 2015 /2016 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Award Recommendations | |||||||
Housing and Grants Administrator Leah Bloom said that on an annual basis, the City of Flagstaff receives CDBG funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CDBG funds must be used for the development of viable urban communities through the provision of: decent housing, a suitable living environment or economic opportunity, principally for low and moderate income persons. In addition, City Council has also established the following CDBG funding priorities: housing, homelessness, neighborhood revitalization and seriously mentally ill /serial inebriate populations. Staff conducted the proposal process and was at the meeting to present their recommendations for the use of 15/16 CDBG funding. She then gave a PowerPoint presentation which addressed:
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7. | Discussion of Potential Business License Code Changes | |||||||
Revenue Director Andy Wagemaker said that the Arizona Department of Revenue assumes all Transaction Privilege (Sales) Tax, or TPT, licensing on January 1, 2016. This TPT simplification process has provided an opportunity to simplify and streamline other City licensing codes. He said that currently the TPT is required for any taxpayer that falls under the jurisdiction of the Model City Tax Code. It applies to in-city and out-of-city businesses. He said that there are approximately 6,000 accounts and one is required for each business location. He said that currently this is a permanent license. The Occupational Business License (OBL) is required for any business that falls under the jurisdiction of the City’s Occupational Business License Code. It applies to in-city businesses only and there are approximately 1,800 of these accounts. He said that one is required for each business location and for each person as defined by code. An example of this is that each attorney in an attorney’s office needs an OBL and this is an annual renewal. Mr. Wagemaker said that with this change in 2016, the City will lose the ability to enforce compliance with other City codes such as zoning, fire, building safety and the one-time $46 fee will now be annual. Councilmember Oravits asked if they will be able to renew the annual fee online. Mr. Wagemaker said that he did not know the answer to that question since it was being taken over by the State. He said that staff is proposing that they rename the OBL to Business License and also remove the one OBL per person requirement. He said that it would be a license subject to yearly renewal and includes businesses that currently may not have an OBL. They would be able to apply this to compliance with other city codes as a condition of issuance. He said that this change would also allow for the same exemptions currently in place and would incorporate the peddler and solicitor requirements, eliminating the need for the peddler and solicitor ordinance. It would also incorporate certain temporary use permits and special events permit requirements. They would continue with the same fee ($20) until a user fee study is completed. Mr. Wagemaker said that if staff gets head nods to move forward staff will make presentations to various groups in town and the ultimate goal would be to come back in the fall for another presentation and possible adoption, with a start date of January 1, 2016. Councilmember Brewster asked what would occur if a retail business that has been here for a long time had met the zoning codes at that time, but now they do not and would need this new business license. Mr. Wagemaker said that was a great question and he would need to follow up with the Community Development department. He said that he does not see them trying to catch businesses that way, but he would need to get an answer for that question. Councilmember Overton asked at what point the State becomes a resource to staff and the community, as taxpayers go to make a filing in 2016 seamless. Mr. Wagemaker said that unfortunately it has not been very well coordinated to date. He said that the State has been direct; staff can help taxpayers with filings, etc. but they cannot answer taxpayer questions. Mayor Nabours said, for clarification, that every business in town right now should have either a TPT or BL. With what staff is proposing sales tax will be handled by the State and everyone in Flagstaff should have a business license. Mr. Wagemaker said that was correct. Staff was asking for Council’s support in moving in this direction. Consensus of Council was to move forward; however, Councilmember Oravits said that he was not there yet and wanted to see the outreach reactions. |
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8. | Public Participation None |
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9. | Informational Items To/From Mayor, Council, and City Manager; requests for Possible Future Agenda Items. |
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Councilmember Putzova said that she would like to request a possible future agenda item for the City joining the lawsuit against the State. Vice Mayor Barotz reported that she and the Mayor, along with Mr. Meilbeck and Mr. Copley, and others, met with General Toy with the Corps of Engineers and talked for one and one-half hours. She thought it was one of the most productive meetings and feels cautiously optimistic. Vice Mayor Barotz reported that today was Equal Pay Day, and it was selected each year by the National Commission on Pay Equity to show how much longer a woman must work to receive the same as a man. Her hope is to get a CCR from staff that shows the City does not have such a pay gap. Mr. Meilbeck reported that Stephanie Smith was at a Transforming Local Government conference in Phoenix and was presenting with the author of Extreme Government Makeover. Mayor Nabours reminded everyone that next week there was no Work Session, but the budget session would be starting at noon on Tuesday, and noted there was the roundtable discussion this coming Friday. Vice Mayor Barotz requested that the setup for the roundtable be done in such a way that Councilmembers do not have their backs to the public. |
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10. | Adjournment | |||||||
The Work Session of the Flagstaff City Council held April 14, 2015, adjourned at 6:58 p.m. |
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