Highland City Council
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Appearances:
• Beacon Hill representative expressed the responsibility of city to build a park in their subdivision citing a contractual obligation the city has to put the park in. Beacon Hill has collected money from lots sold specifically for the building of park. Law shows that impact fees must be accounted for. The citizens are getting angry.
Response: Lynn Ritchie expressed that the money has been spent on parks, but not on the Beacon Hill Park yet. He said we intend to do that, we just need the money. The code specifies that it needs to be spent on parks in six years, but not a specific park. They are looking to start a multi-year project to work towards putting one in.
• Paul Reynolds wants the city to revisit the fence ordinance in Beacon Hill.
Response: The city is in the process of putting together an Open Space Committee. They will be sending letters out to participants for that in the next day or two and will work with each of the subdivisions.
• Richard Miller from Highland Heights wants deck problem addressed.
Response: The Open Space Committee will address that too.
Presentation/Public Hearings:
• UDOT SR-92 – Widening Project Update
The overall corridor theme is to mimic what you would find in American Fork Canyon. The entrance city monument sign will be made of cultured stone, and “Highland City” will light up on the sign. There will be walls on the sides of Dry Creek, with a pedestrian pathway underneath highway. A box covert will carry the stream flow. The corridor will accommodate bikes. UDOT asked for acceptance of landscaping concept, concurrence of entry feature, agreement of city participation and maintenance agreement.
Response: Mr. Braithwaite expressed concern regarding the entrance logo, that it is too busy. UDOT will make adjustments in a week, and then the City will get back to UDOT in two weeks at the next meeting.
• Public Hearing on the Surplus of Property located along 4800 West to include the home at 10945 North 4800 West. Home was bought by city. It will be either sold and moved or demolished.
Action Items:
• 9.1 Gary Cooper owns the burned out house on 6800 West and appealed to the City Council to stay the condemnation of the structure until 31 July 2010. The City first contacted Mr. Cooper in September 2009 but for various reasons (some legitimate) he ignored the City. The City has been receiving as many as five phone calls a week about the structure and they finally sent Mr. Cooper a notice he couldn’t ignore. After about twenty minutes of discussion the Council agreed to give Mr. Cooper until 31 July to clear the property. The Council was rational in their deliberation, insistent and fair.
• 9.2 UDOT is widening SR-92 and will landscape both sides. UDOT is asking the city to sign an agreement to maintain the landscaping. “It the gateway to the city.” The Council did not give the Mayor permission to sign the agreement until certain clarifications were made. The Council anticipates approval on 4 May 2010.
It was interesting and pleasing to see care with which the Council debated the issue.
Councilman Brian Braithwaite questioned the wording of the agreement pointing out many inconsistencies and ambiguities in the process. “I want to make sure we understand what we are committing to.”
Councilman Scott Smith objected to the grass and tree plan because it is going to be expensive maintain AND we do NOT have the money to finish the parks in the city. Scott suggested we look at low maintenance, low water landscaping for at least part of the project. He wants a maintenance estimate before he approves it.
Councilman Tom Butler had estimated it would cost $5,500 a season to mow the mile lone landscape based on the number of square feet of grass involved. Water and sprinkler maintenance was not included.
Councilman Larry Mendenhall reminded the Council that SR-92 is the gateway to the city and it should not be landscaped and maintained “on the cheap”.
Councilman Scott Smith pointed out that we need to recognize that we live in a desert and need to conserve our resources. Someone supported this notion by pointing out the median on Alpine Highway is low maintenance and quite attractive.
• 9.3 Similar to 9.2 and continued to 4 May for the same reasons.
Minutes:
• 11.1 The PC and CC had a joint working session concerning the new ordinance for rehab facilities. The PC will discuss their final draft on 27 April and the CC anticipates reviewing in the following Tuesday, 4 May. Note: Mr. Barfuss submitted a one-page critique to the Planning Commission and City Staff on the current draft on 18 April. The ordinance, as written, looks quite good.
Council/Staff Reports
• 12.2 Open Space landscape maintenance cost $636,000 last year. The Parks Department estimates they can do the job in house at a substantial savings. Councilman Braithwaite was complementary BUT skeptical. There was considerable discussion. Councilperson Kathryn Schramm pointed out the MD Properties came back two different times asking for more money; an additional $111,000 for sprinkler repair, for example, in addition to a gas price increase and a cost of living increase.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 6, 2010 City Council Meeting
Items presented at the Highland City Council meeting on April 6, 2010
1) Delinquent Business Licenses. There were 29 out of 365 business licenses delinquent. Authorization to revoke these delinquent business licenses passed council unanimously.
2) Consideration of Removal of Stice Acres Subdivision Plat Condition, 6900 West 10300 North. Consideration about removing the restriction for Large Animals. After lengthy discussion, it was decided that the City does not have the authority to enforce the subdivision plat requirements.
3) Discussion about a proposal from UDOT to transfer the jurisdiction of SR-74 from UDOT to Highland City. Questions arose about the cost to Highland City to assume this jurisdiction. Discussion about exchanging 4800 West for SR-74 occurred. Motion to study the cost of each, 4800 West and SR-74, was passed. Also goal set to have UDOT present at a city council meeting to present more information passed unanimously.
4) IM Flash/Lehi Annexation Proposal discussed. IM Flash has requested that Highland not protest Lehi's annexation of IM Flash. Discussion covered following:
a) annexation is proposal of property owner (IM Flash) not Lehi City.
b) Kathryn Schramm argued that annexation policy had already been agreed on earlier.
c) Larry Mendenhall suggested a "sales pitch" to IM Flash for Highland's land.
Plan decided on: Letter from City to Lehi notifying that HIghland will protest the annexation. This was agreed on unanimously by the Council.
5) Timpanogos Special Service District Information. There are plans to expand this adjacent to the existing site. Bids are in. Highland utilities have already had one increase to support the cost of this facility. There will be two more increases over the next three years, likely a 15-20% increase in our sewer costs.
6) There is a Special Council Meeting set to interview the final 3 candidates for City Administrator on May 6th.
Though this summary seems short, the meeting lasted 2 1/2 hours; this is the Readers Digest version. Thanks to all for supporting HOPE and being involved in our community.
1) Delinquent Business Licenses. There were 29 out of 365 business licenses delinquent. Authorization to revoke these delinquent business licenses passed council unanimously.
2) Consideration of Removal of Stice Acres Subdivision Plat Condition, 6900 West 10300 North. Consideration about removing the restriction for Large Animals. After lengthy discussion, it was decided that the City does not have the authority to enforce the subdivision plat requirements.
3) Discussion about a proposal from UDOT to transfer the jurisdiction of SR-74 from UDOT to Highland City. Questions arose about the cost to Highland City to assume this jurisdiction. Discussion about exchanging 4800 West for SR-74 occurred. Motion to study the cost of each, 4800 West and SR-74, was passed. Also goal set to have UDOT present at a city council meeting to present more information passed unanimously.
4) IM Flash/Lehi Annexation Proposal discussed. IM Flash has requested that Highland not protest Lehi's annexation of IM Flash. Discussion covered following:
a) annexation is proposal of property owner (IM Flash) not Lehi City.
b) Kathryn Schramm argued that annexation policy had already been agreed on earlier.
c) Larry Mendenhall suggested a "sales pitch" to IM Flash for Highland's land.
Plan decided on: Letter from City to Lehi notifying that HIghland will protest the annexation. This was agreed on unanimously by the Council.
5) Timpanogos Special Service District Information. There are plans to expand this adjacent to the existing site. Bids are in. Highland utilities have already had one increase to support the cost of this facility. There will be two more increases over the next three years, likely a 15-20% increase in our sewer costs.
6) There is a Special Council Meeting set to interview the final 3 candidates for City Administrator on May 6th.
Though this summary seems short, the meeting lasted 2 1/2 hours; this is the Readers Digest version. Thanks to all for supporting HOPE and being involved in our community.
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