CITY OF
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
COUNCIL
MEETING
CITY
OFFICES
PRESIDING Council Chair LeRoy Turner
CONDUCTING Council
Member Marilyn BruschRea Goddard
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/
SERIOUS MOMENT OF REFLECTION Council Member John Weaver
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Sgt. John Ferguson
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
Marilyn Brusch, Casey Fitts, Boyd Marshall, Michael Rutter,
Shane Siwik, LeRoy Turner and John Weaver
STAFF PRESENT:
David Carlson, City Attorney,
Kyle Kershaw, Finance Director
Larry Gardner, Community/Economic Development
Cherie Wood, Assistant Mayor
Craig Burton, City Recorder
Karen Rynearson, Deputy City Recorder
STAFF EXCUSED:
Mayor Robert Gray
OTHERS PRESENT:
See Attached List
APPROVAL OF MINUTES –
Council Member Casey Fitts moved that the Council approve the minutes of
MOTION: Casey Fitts
SECOND: Boyd Marshall
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Abstained
Mr. Weaver abstained from voting because he was not present at the July 8 meeting.
NO ACTION COMMENTS
1. INFORMATION
a.
Council Member Siwik thanked Ms. DeLaPlaine for her five years of good service for the City and the Youth Council.
b. D’Ambrosio Economic Development Project. He was co-owner with his brothers of the dealership D’Ambrosio Chrysler/Jeep and he ran the dealership on a daily basis. They still own the real property. He is here tonight with Russ Minik, who is a partner in the Bridge Group.
They bought the dealership from
John Mecham in 2002.
They were approached by the
Mr. D’Ambrosio
said they have been working with the
Mr. D’Ambrosio turned time over to Russ Minik of the Bridge Group to discuss what we’d look at as a development opportunity.
They are here to show the project they have conceived. They have worked with several projects before with City of Salt Lake. There are limited opportunities today. We feel they can get financing and build a good, multi-family project on this site. They would like to build condos, which at first they would lease, then sell them later on. They would also propose a six-story commercial tower/office building on the site as well. Together they would share a parking structure which would have visitor or public parking which could be used for the transit-oriented area that would help the development site. We know there is no way we can pull the project off without the RDA and the City’s help. We want to make sure we are working together to make sure that the final concept that’s put on the site is in company with the vision of the City, the RDA and obviously the D’Ambrosios.
The project cost for the
apartment site would be about $33,000,000.
They have a construction site in
Most of his partners have worked
with the Prowswood Group in
The apartments are one bedroom, more two bedroom and some three bedroom units. Square footages run from 680 for the one bedroom, 952 for the two bedroom and 1,000 for the larger twos and then 1177 for the three-bedroom units. The rents run from $816 to almost $1,300. These are rents that are already approved in a marketing report with HUD, which is how we would do the financing on this project.
There will be a pool and a park-like setting. Also they will have exercise facilities, community rooms, business centers. We are required by HUD to have 1.2 parking stalls per residential unit and the code and benefits that the City allows with other parking structures. They would want to have visitor parking so that people could use it and then take the trolley. They thought they would have a station where people can get on and off the trolley and it would become a portica share, a covered facility.
It takes about six months to get through the process. They are working with the City the whole time. It takes another six months to get through HUD’s requirements. They figure it will take about 2.5 years. The financing would be a HUD 221-d4. Of the $33,000,000 they would finance $27,200,000. They would have the land coming in that the D’Ambrosios are bringing as their investment. They are requesting RDA funds to help us get the project put together. There is no bank financing available for new construction. HUD offers this.
There are some restrictions – it has to be rental for 10 years because there are prepayment problems. That’s how you put the project up and that’s why we would convert it to condos at that time. The rent that people pay is basically what it would qualify them to buy a unit down the road. Our experience is that 30 percent of the people that rent on a project (when we convert it to condos) buy and stay there. Even at the end of 10 years there is still a 5 percent prepayment penalty. By that time things will have moved in the financial markets and we will be able to get funding for condo sales.
City Attorney David Carlson said the D’Ambrosios have been good corporate citizens. They’ve done a great job running their business and have worked well with the City. They were cooperative in the process of creating the Market Station RDA. They’d be patient and willing to have their property incorporated into that project. They mentioned the deal with Hinckley Dodge. That ended up being a good deal with the D’Ambrosios and that the timing was great for them to sell their dealership. Nobody could have seen what would happen with the auto manufacturing industry. They deserve credit for what they have done working with the City.
We have to look at this as a rental project. That’s how they are going to finance it. It would be a departure from what you have set as a policy for the Market Station RDA. There is no legal impediment in making that change. But it is a policy change you’d have to make. Everything that has been proposed to you in terms of Market Station has been owner occupied. Mr. Carlson said he is convinced that what they’ve said can get financed in this market is true. Probably the only project you can get financing for is the rental. That’s part of the policy decision you’re going to have to make, sitting as an RDA board. Is it better to stick to your guns and say we only want owner occupied, or is it better to have something going up at that site now? If you want to see something happen there, you’re going to have to consider rental in this market because that’s the only thing that’s getting financed.
Even though the City has a bad history with rental property, this may not be a bad fit for this location. The Council will have to make the decision. Where it sits on a future street car stop, that combination will help this project hold its value. It will always be a desired location for people who want to step off public transportation and be on their doorstep. Multi-family does fit the transit oriented model.
The Bridges developers do have a good track record. They can and will build what they say they can. They have a history of working with the Salt Lake City RDA. There are some things that are permitted in the zone. There are some requirements in the zone that would make this project expensive for them – the structured parking requirement. They would ask the RDA work with them.
You should continue this discussion in an RDA meeting.
A meeting with the RDA was
scheduled for
2. SCHEDULING. The City Recorder informed those at the meeting of upcoming events, meetings, activities, etc.
3. MAYOR COMMENTS. None
4. CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS. Council Member Marshall said he appreciates it that there are so many people present. He thanked all the candidates who are present.
Council Chair Turner said people in his area got a letter about a problem on 3550 Park Meadows Street signed by the 16 residents there. A gentleman is renting out a garage. He asked for an update.
Cherie Wood said that on July13 Mike Florence sent Mr. Horsley a letter saying he needed to cease and desist and it would be going before the Administrative Law Judge. Ms. Wood said the decision by the Judge will be final and the issue should not come up again.
Council Member Fitts said it is good to see such a full crowd. He thanked Representative Larry Wylie for being here.
Council Member Siwik said little things make a big difference. The fact they have put barricades on the 1100 West Oxbow Trailhead has made a big difference in the traffic that is there (and not there) during the day.
Council Member Brusch said the Farmers’ Market is doing well. She invited everyone to attend.
5. CITIZEN COMMENTS/QUESTIONS. Tammi Diaz, 292 Welby Avenue – She is here as a community advocate. Elected officials have demoralized the citizens. They are scared to speak up. The City did not fund the community councils to keep them going. People are complaining about the garbage. Granite High closed because the citizens are divided. They feel like the Council and the Mayor do not care. She would rather pay more for some of the things that we need in the City. People don’t want to pay for garbage with the way we’re getting treated. They need freedom to be involved in the City and making decisions. What if there is a disaster? There’s no planning.
Council Member Weaver said that disaster plans are fully in place from the perspective of what the City employees and agencies can accomplish. The CERT program is continuing. That’s not an issue that’s been taken lightly or pushed to the side. It’s been worked on.
Ms. Diaz said that citizens feel
like the Council and Mayor do not care.
When she is at the Legislature or the UTA, they ask where she lives and
she tells them
Council Member Rutter asked her to help the Council encourage citizens to come to these meetings. He asked her for one thing that she could suggest. Ms. Diaz said get them more involved – like the community councils and show people that you care. Council Member Rutter said we need to take a look at community councils to see if that would be an appropriate thing to reorganize or to stimulate again. Ms. Diaz said to start listening to the citizens. Council Member Rutter asked if we could get on the agenda the subject of community councils.
Cherie Wood said the City has a really active Neighborhood Advisory Committee. We redesigned the community councils. We meet monthly. Council Member Marshall said apparently the citizens do not know that. Ms. Diaz said they have been appointed by the Council and the Mayor. They are opposed to it. Ms. Wood said it is an “open door.” Anyone can come who wants to come. Ms. Diaz said it may be an “open door”, but if they’re not on the agenda, they can’t voice their opinion.
Council Member Rutter said lets get these matters on the agenda and see if
we can come to a better way of communicating with the citizens so they feel
they have a voice. That’s how we move
the City forward. Ms. Wood said the next
NAC meeting is on July 30 in the Council Room at
Karen Rynearson,
Candice Bourgeois,
Council Member Marshall said
that is his district. It is a very nice
park. Most of you are there because of
the Sandlot, which is baseball. The park
was considered for citizens of
Council Member Weaver said in terms of the timeliness of converting the sale of that asset into the acquisition of additional green space, there are already in place letters of intent. The location of the probable new green space is very advantageous – the old Woodrow Wilson property. It’s over nine acres and most of it is green space. There has been dialog and discussion for a long time. It sits in the middle of a residential area.
Mr. Carlson said it will happen
as soon as we can sell the
Ms. Bourgeois commented that Workman Field, from a baseball perspective, is fabulous. Most people didn’t have an idea that the City had such a facility. Hopefully, you will consider that in the building of the new facility.
Council Member Marshall commented that this group would not be here tonight if it weren’t for Sandlot. We’re trying to buy more property, which will give us a chance to do better facilities and more facilities. We want something in the City for the citizens of the City, not on the outskirts of the City. Most residents of the City won’t go out there because of what goes on out there.
Ms. Bourgeois asked that the City consider a public hearing asking the citizens. There are 177 people who visited your park and found it amazing and would like the Council to reconsider.
Council Member Weaver said that the community, city staff and City Council have been working on a general plan for the City for some time. We’re near the completion of that process. In the next several weeks we’ll have a working document that’s approved. As part of that, “green space” is a high priority and this transaction represents one component of a broader vision of what the green space amenities will be for the City. We’re sensitive to this and nothing is cheap, as far as real estate. There is a draft on the web site.
David Carlson advised that the
City is aware that Sandlot was using the
Wes Losser, 2445 South 300 East – He was
the Mayor that installed the park out there.
The General Plan denotes the priority of open space and adding more, not
less, and not trading parcel for parcel, but adding more. If the City is that concerned about open
space and parks, they ought to finish the 30 percent enlargement to
It was a futuristic thing, that
part of this Council, when he was Mayor there was a conscious effort to develop
that. All the municipalities along the
Jordan River Parkway Trailway committed to developing
that.
To sell one parcel of open space
for another is ridiculous. The open
space they’re talking about (he already guessed that) is
Why are we catering to UTA for
heaven’s sake? Sixty acres sit out there
with junk buses and cars on it that he cleaned up, and they’ve got it
stockpiled again. They’ve now purchased
the Meier & Frank property north of there, which he was hoping to add to
the
Workman Field was purchased and
developed for the church groups in our City – St. Ann’s, both LDS stakes, for
Scouts to camp out overnight and do merit badges. That’s what it was built for. Are you going to let them camp out overnight
at Woodrow Wilson in the center of the City. Woodrow Wilson will still be there and
there’s plenty of time to purchase that.
It’s not going anywhere, nor is the parcel at Granite, nor the parcel
that the
Linda Turkovich,
Council Member Marshall said the reason he backs this is that park does not get used by citizens, it doesn’t get used by church groups or Boy Scouts. It’s a beautiful park out there. We have a chance to take a very small piece of land far removed from the citizenry of this City and do an even bigger park right in the middle of the City, which is only part of a bigger plan.
Ms. Turkovich
said our whole premise of developing that was our commitment to the
Council Member Marshall said it’s been advertised forever in all the papers.
Ms. Turkovich said there could be a little more advertisement that the park is there.
Jake Conrad, 2198 South 300 East – He went to
Council Member Weaver referred the citizens to the General Plan. If you look at the General Plan, you’ll find that it’s a high priority. There’s a serious and solid commitment to green space in the City. It has been going on for two years now in terms of citizen input. Because of real estate transactions, he wishes he were able to say more than he’s able to say currently. We don’t want to compromise the position of the City and some of the things we are looking into.
Council Member Marshall said he served on the Council for 12 years. We did walks along the Parkway. Every time something was going on we invited citizens to come and join in. It’s sad that fewer people than are in this room ever showed up. We can do what we can do, but it’s up to the citizens to take it upon themselves to do some things. It makes him sad to think that everybody thinks it’s up to these seven people and the Mayor to make sure that their life runs the way it should. We were elected to make sure that this City runs well. He asked where are the parks for the people who are here from Draper and Sandy, etc.?
Nick Gosdis,
Council Member Weaver said he is asking for a change in the form of government.
He pointed out that Mr. Gosdis is here telling this body how he feels about it. If you want to move the City to a direct democracy where every citizen votes on every issue……….
Mr.Gosdis said it is important enough that the people should be heard. Make people come. Get them off their ……….It’s important enough to keep the green space. Everybody has his own opinion. Five or six years from now we’ll buy it, and if we don’t somebody who develops it has to do it residential. If you are still here, you can make them make nice houses instead of cracker boxes and then they become rentals.
ACTION ITEMS
CONSENT AGENDA
MOTION: Shane Siwik
SECOND: Boyd Marshall
Roll Call
Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
UNFINISHED COUNCIL BUSINESS
Council Member Siwik asked when the law went into effect that Work Meeting minutes must be recorded and approved and will we get work meeting minutes caught up.
Mr. Carlson
answered that the law went into effect
Council Member Siwik moved to put this item on Unfinished Business.
MOTION: Shane Siwik
SECOND: Casey Fitts
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
Council Member Marshall asked Mr. Carlson to check and clarify if Work Meeting minutes have to be approved.
NEW COUNCIL BUSINESS
The third resolution declaring four properties surplus is necessary in order for a potential sale to go through. They need to declare the parcels surplus. The four parcels are the old fire station that’s now vacant, the Workman Field parcel, the parking facility and then the old abandoned storm sewer lift station.
By adopting
this resolution you authorize the Mayor to enter into a purchase and sale
agreement with UTA for the sale of the property. The terms of the agreement have been agreed
to in substance. The way it was done is
both parties had an appraisal done and then they split the difference. There are some other conditions to the
sale. If the Council approves the sale,
the City can salvage any of the fixtures, equipment or anything that’s out
there. The Parks Department has provided
UTA with a list of items they intend to salvage. The City is currently installing fiber optic
cable in UTA’s
The Council
also has a letter of intent from the Superintendent of Granite School District
indicating his willingness to work with the City regarding the sale of
The Workman Field property is about four acres and Woodrow Wilson is a little over nine acres.
Council Chair Turner suggested that the residents have time to put in their input on this sale. The Council doesn’t know what the majority of the people feel about this proposal. He thinks they ought to give the people a chance to speak.
Council Member Brusch said she used Workman Field for a family reunion
last summer and they had a great time out there. Her relatives said it was a great asset to
Council Member
Marshall moved to put these three items on Unfinished Council Business on the
MOTION: Boyd Marshall
SECOND: John Weaver
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Nay
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
MOTION: Casey Fitts
SECOND: Boyd Marshall
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Nay
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
Council Member Rutter moved to suspend the rules.
MOTION: Michael Rutter
SECOND: Boyd Marshall
Voice Vote:
Brusch Nay
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
Council Member
Marshall moved to pass the resolution of the City of
MOTION: Boyd Marshall
SECOND: Michael Rutter
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
Council Chair Turner asked if State Representative Larry Wylie would like to address the Council before they take a break and then go to executive session.
Mr. Wylie
remarked that his experience with
Council Member Siwik moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss the sale, purchase, exchange or lease of real property, after a ten minute break
MOTION: Shane Siwik
SECOND: John Weaver
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
The Council
went into Executive Session at
In accordance with U.C.A. Section 52-4-204, 1953, as amended by Chapter 180, Laws of Utah, 1987, as amended, written minutes were made of the Executive Session held to discuss the sale, purchase, exchange or lease of real property. Such minutes are protected records under Title 63, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act.
Executive
Session ended at
Council Members reconvened to Council Chambers.
Council Siwik moved to adjourn.
MOTION: Shane Siwik
SECOND: Michael Rutter
Voice Vote:
Brusch Aye
Fitts Aye
Rutter Aye
Siwik Aye
Turner Aye
Weaver Aye
Council Meeting
adjourned at
____________________________________
LeRoy Turner, Council Chair
___________________________________
Craig D. Burton, City Recorder