CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 PM
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
ROLL CALL: City Commissioners present: Randy Gray, Bill Beecher, Sandy Hinz, and John Rosenbaum. Diane Jovick-Kuntz was excused. Also present were the Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Directors of Community Development, Planning, Public Works, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Fiscal Services, Library, Acting Director of Park and Recreation, and the City Clerk.
PROCLAMATION: National Good Neighbor Day
The Fiscal Services Department finalized the Special Lighting District maintenance cost estimate which was reflected in Resolution 9489. Maintenance and administrative fees equaled 10 percent of the estimated cost for the districts. The $1,151,930 assessment for fiscal year 2005/2006 was based on actual billings for the district and adjustments for cash balances from prior fiscal years.
In September 2004, the City entered into an energy purchase contract with Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission and has been purchasing electrical energy at 6 percent less than when the City purchased energy from NorthWestern Energy. The City was using about half the power it purchased and sold the rest under contract to the Great Falls Public Schools, Great Falls International Airport and related facilities on Gore Hill, Housing Authority, Veolia Water North America as of October 2004, and will add additional customers in September 2005. On July 19, 2005, the City Commission granted Electric City Power a supply rate increase of $2.40 bringing the cost to $40 per megawatt hour effective October 1, 2005. As of August 2005, the current default rate with NorthWestern Energy was $40.37 per megawatt. The new rate increase would continue to provide a significant savings to the consumer.
MCA 7-12-4301 and 7-12-4333, authorizes the City Commission to create lighting districts and to assess the costs of installing and/or maintaining the districts to the owners of the properties located within the boundaries of such districts. Continuation of street lighting in the SLDs requires the Commission to adopt a resolution setting the special assessment rate.
Mayor Gray declared the public hearing open. No one appeared to speak in support of or opposition to Resolution 9489. Mayor Gray closed the public hearing.
Commissioner Rosenbaum moved, seconded by Commissioners Beecher and Hinz, that the City Commission adopt Resolution 9489.
Motion carried 4-0.
The executive director of the Business Improvement District submitted the 2005/2006 budget and work plan for approval by the City Commission. State law requires that the City Commission hold a public hearing on the work plan and budget.
Greg Madson, Business Improvement District Executive Director, reported that the budget reflected about a $30,000 reduction in expenditures. He reviewed the goals that were outlined in the work plan. He added that the Business Improvement District Board was preparing a strategic planning session and would incorporate the use of focus groups.
Commissioner Hinz asked how many vacant properties there were in the downtown. Mr. Madson stated that as of last fall about 15 percent of the properties were considered vacant. He clarified that "vacant" meant space that could not be immediately moved into which primarily included the 2nd and 3rd floors of the downtown buildings.
Mayor Gray declared the public hearing open. No one appeared to speak in support of the budget and work plan. It was noted that the City Clerk received letters of opposition to the work plan and budget from Steve Gillespie and Doug Ormseth. There being no further opposition, Mayor Gray closed the public hearing.
Commissioner Beecher moved, seconded by Commissioner Hinz, that the City Commission approve the 2005/2006 Business Improvement District budget and work plan.
Motion carried 4-0
Fiscal Services Director Coleen Balzarini reported that, as required by State Statute, the Great Falls Business Improvement District developed and presented a Work Plan and Proposed Budget for fiscal year 2005/2006. As in prior years, the assessment requested to fund the 2005/2006 budget and work plan was based on the assessment formula approved with the creation of the district, which would generate $155,332.80 in assessment revenue.
Commissioner Beecher moved, seconded by Commissioner Rosenbaum, that the City Commission adopt Resolution 9488.
Commissioner Hinz noted that the amount to be assessed was less than the proposed budget and asked Mr. Madson where the other revenue was coming from that would balance the budget. Mr. Madson stated that reserves were being used to balance the budget.
Motion carried 4-0.
Planning Director Rangel reported that Ordinance 2924 assigns a zoning classification of R-2 single-family medium density district to the 7th Supplement to Skyline Heights Addition upon annexation to the City. The project consists of 34 single-family residential lots between 9th Street NE and the television facilities of KFBB and was presently zoned in the County as "A" Agricultural District.
The Planning Board, at the conclusion of a public hearing held June 28, 2005, recommended the City Commission assign the requested zoning classification.
Commissioner Hinz moved, seconded by Commissioners Beecher and Rosenbaum, that the City Commission accept Ordinance 2924 on first reading and set a public hearing for October 18, 2005, to consider adoption of Ordinance 2924.
Motion carried 4-0.
Commissioner Rosenbaum moved, seconded by Commissioner Beecher, that the City Commission accept the Consent Agenda as printed.
Motion carried 4-0.
Lynn Steinmetz, Neighborhood Council 1, stated that she was accompanied to this meeting with other mothers of Meadowlark Elementary School children and that they wanted to present a petition to the City Commission requesting that sidewalks be installed on the east side of Fox Farm Road near Meadowlark School. Ms. Steinmetz asked Char O'Dell to come forward and present the petition. Ms. O'Dell explained that this sidewalk project had been talked about for many years and that it was time to get it done. She explained she understood the project was slated to be completed in 2007, but urged the Commission to get it done sooner. She expressed concern for the safety of the children going to school each day.
Mayor Gray asked for a staff response. Mr. Rearden stated that this was a Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT) project and that City staff had requested MDOT to move the project higher on the priority list. Mr. Rearden reported that in September 2005, City staff met with MDOT and learned that this project was now slated to be bid in February or March 2006, which implied that the construction could be done the summer of 2006. He added that this project was best completed when school was not in session in order to minimize conflicts between the construction work and school children. Mr. Rearden closed stating that City staff had been trying to get this project accelerated and it would be helpful if the neighborhood could assist with their efforts.
Mr. Rangel added that he wanted to thank Neighborhood Council 1 and Ms. O'Dell for contacting staff prior to this meeting. He stated that staff was making every effort to move this project forward and that he would send a copy of the petition to MDOT.
Mayor Gray suggested that the City also send a copy of the petition to Deb Kottel who was a Highway Commissioner from Great Falls. Mr. Rangel stated he would.
Dona Stebbins, Neighborhood Council 7, explained that she visited with Eve Heim Hagen (100 Central Avenue) about the safety for residents in the Downtowner who parked their cars in a lot about half a block away from the building. Ms. Stebbins stated that she also visited with the downtown police officer regarding the concerns brought forth by Ms. Heim Hagen. Ms. Stebbins presented a petition to the City Commission stating that Lot 7 was a City lot used by Downtowner residents; that Lot 7 was unsafe and vehicles have been vandalized and a car was stolen when it was parked there last May; that the lighting was poor; that it was not patrolled on a regular basis; and that the distance away from the Downtowner was not safe at night.
The petition also expressed a desire for the Commission to allow Downtowner residents to use the parking lot directly south of the building rather than requiring them to use a lot half-way down the alley.
Ms. Heim Hagen stated that the night after her car was stolen she received a call from the Police Department stating they had found it and would she come to pick it up. She said that when she arrived at the location where her car was found, the police officer was rude to her. She also reported that recently several cars were vandalized in Lot 7. She expressed concern that there were not enough police officers downtown and that it was an unsafe place to live.
Commissioner Beecher asked Chief Jones to respond to Ms Heim Hagen's concerns. Chief Jones stated that he would visit with Ms. Heim Hagen as well as research the incidents described and report back to the City Commission shortly.
George Littlefield, Neighborhood Council 7, reported that fundraising efforts for Heren Park improvements have been very successful and that the park improvements were continuing. He also thanked those who helped organize the Meth-Free-Right-Here and the Weed and Seed Programs.
Assistant City Manager Patton reported that at the last Commission meeting a citizen expressed his opinion that the City consistently experienced cost overruns on its projects. Ms. Patton explained that while the goal of the City was to keep projects within budget, occasionally staff determined that a project should be expanded. While these decisions appear to look like a cost overrun, the end result was intentional and beneficial. Ms. Patton asked Public Works Director Rearden to report on construction project costs.
Mr. Rearden reported that over the past 7 years, the Engineering Division managed over 222 projects with a total initial contract amount of $61,614,589. The final contract amount equaled $61,595,561 or $19,028 under the initial amount. This equates to -.03 percent project cost growth while the industry standard was 3 to 5 percent.
The conclusion that could be reached with this information, Mr. Rearden stated, was that the City manages its construction projects quite well. Mr. Rearden added that the Golf Course project that was mentioned in the comments at the last meeting were not included in this analysis because the project was not managed by the Engineering Division. However, he assured the Commission, if it had been, the numbers presented would change only slightly.
Mayor Randy Gray
Peggy J. Bourne City Clerk
* Non-text and electronically unavailable attachments are on file in the City Clerk's Office.
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