Meeting Minutes August 5, 2015

24 Aug Meeting Minutes August 5, 2015

Sugar House Community Council Board of Trustees Minutes

Meeting Minutes- August 5, 2015

Trustees Present: Teddy Anderson, Sally Barraclough, Amy Barry, Robin Bastar, Landon Clark, Deborah Henry, Topher Horman, Sue Ann Jones, Michael G Kavanagh, Benny Keele, Steve Kirkegaard, Susan Koelliker, Larry Migliaccio, David Mulder, Judi Short, Christopher Thomas, Rawlins Young, Natalie Watkins, Bryce Williams

Trustees Excused Absent: Laurie Bray, Joedy Lister, Maggie Shaw, Carole Straughn

Trustee Absent: Lucy Hawes, David Read

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 by Amy Barry, SHCC Chair

Approval of the July minutes: Dave moved to approve, Steve seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Secretary Report: Sally Barraclough

There were two petitions presented for new trustees.  The first was from Stacey Carroll from the Forest Dale area of Sugar House.  Stacey has lived in Sugar House for 5yrs and has a background in Marketing and Communications.  She looks forward to representing her neighborhood and being more involved in the community.  Sally moved to accept Stacey’s petition, Topher seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.  The Forest Dale area is now fully represented with four trustees on the community council.

The second petition was from Tina Escobar-Taft from Highland Park.  Tina has lived in Sugar House for 10yrs and is actively involved in Utah Mom’s for Clean Air.  As their Utah Media Manager she lobbies at the legislature for issues surrounding social justice and the environment.  Sally moved to accept Tina’s petition, Larry seconded.  The motion passed unanimously. Currently Tina will be the only trustee representing Highland Park.

Treasurer’s Report: Robin Bastar

There was a donation of $74 added to the account.  There was $235 in expenses for printing brochures leaving a balance of $5039.39.  Amy reminded us that $1000 of that money is special event grant money that will be used to pay for the Monday evening Sugarmont Plaza events.

Chair Announcements: Amy Barry

• Benny announced that the election committee for the SHCC has formed.  Carole, Michael G, and Benny are the members of the committee.  They will be contacting the trustees in the next few weeks to ask for nominations for officers.  Speeches will be made at next month’s meeting and the election will be held in October.
• Amy said the Robin has decided to not renew his petition which expires at the end of the month, so we will be looking for a new Treasurer.  Amy thanked Robin for his six years of service on the SHCC and his role of treasurer.   She will work with Robin to make sure there is a good transition for the future treasurer.

Fire Department Report: Station #3, Jeff Kauffmann

The Fire Station Community newsletter can be found at www.slcfire.com.

There will be a Public Safety Recruitment Fair held on Sept. 12th at the public safety building located at 475 South, 300 East from 10am-2pm.  It will include fire, police, and medical recruitment opportunities.

Station #10  received the Compassionate Fire Department Award from PETA for a dog rescue that they conducted a couple of weeks ago.  They rescued a dog that was stranded on a cliff.  There have also been some cat rescues from burning structures.  The fire stations all carry masks that are made to provide oxygen to animals that are caught in burning buildings.

There was a memorial service held July 13th for a “line of duty death” for Asa Hancock.

Dispatcher  Jennifer Saratan was recognized in July as an outstanding employee and received the “Dispatcher of the Year” award.

Station #3 had 187 runs in July, the majority were medical calls.

Police Department Report: Lt Rich Lewis

Sugar House is being hit particularly hard with car prowls.  The majority can be attributed to one suspect.

The audience was reminded to leave nothing of value in vehicles even if the vehicles are parked at home.

The bike patrol is starting again in Sugar House.  Right now there are only 12 officers who are certified as bike patrolmen. The department is waiting for a grant that will allow them to hire 10 more.   They are in Sugar House about two hours per day, but as they hire more officers they are hoping to have two bike patrol officers in Sugar House for an entire shift each day.  The department has had two HOST officers recently leave the department which leaves only two HOST officers for the city.

• An audience member asked if there has been an upward trend in burglaries and mail theft  in Sugar House.  Burglaries are not up, car prowls are.  Officer Lewis has not heard of an increase in mail theft but they do prosecute this crime when it’s reported.
• An audience member asked about an increase in graffiti in the Dilworth area.  Officer Lewis stated that they are not seeing an increase in gang graffiti and that the graffiti seems to be coming from individuals just making a mark in the neighborhood.  He recommended calling the graffiti hotline.  They will photograph the graffiti to determine if it is gang related.
• Topher asked for clarification regarding the number of bike patrolmen.  The aforementioned numbers are for all locations in the city including Liberty Park, Pioneer Park, Fairmont Park, Downtown area including the shelter area, Sugar House, 4th St Corridor, Main St. and the Library Square.  There is no graveyard shift.  He has 6 officers in the morning, and 11 officers from 12:00 noon until 10:00pm each day to cover all the areas.  Topher also asked if the bike patrolmen are being reassigned to cover car patrol.  They are, but as soon as more officers are hired they can be returned to the bike patrol.  The city council has provided the budget for social workers, which will also free up the HOST officers to work patrol.

Public Comments for items not on the agenda:

• An audience member complained that the playground in Fairmont Park at the end of Simpson Ave is still fenced off with no progress on the reconstruction.  He was given assurances by the parks department that construction would start at the end of July but so far nothing is happening. Amy stated that the Parks Advisory Board did not meet in July but that she will be seeing Lee Bollwinkel, Parks Program Manager at the August meeting and will address it with him. The SLC Parks Department Director was recently fired so the Parks Department is undergoing management changes. An audience member asked about issues surrounding the Sugar House Park pond regarding ducks and a small dog contracting botulism from the water.  Amy reported that Joedy Lister, SH Park Authority President is hopeful that if pond improvements are covered in the proposed park bond, that the pond can either be rebuilt or at the very least dredged. That will make the pond deeper so that the water will stay cooler in the summer, thereby alleviating the algae bloom that is the source of the problem. Amy encouraged audience members to take the SH Park Survey that can be found on the SHCC website www.sugarhousecouncil.org.  Sally added that the pond will be drained in the next few days and allowed to dry out but that it could take 2-3 years to secure funding to dredge the pond.
• An audience member asked who is in charge of the park.  Amy stated that the park is run by the SH Park Authority and that they receive maintenance funding only from the city and the county who jointly contribute to the park.  The Park Authority holds public meetings, the dates of which can be found on their website.
• Luke Garrott, Salt Lake City Councilman District 4 introduced himself as a candidate for SLC Mayor.  He has been on the City Council for two terms and is also a political science professor at the University of Utah.  He feels he the reformer running in the mayoral race.  He has a passion for good government at the local level.  He is interested in creating programs that would include   cleaning our air by increasing solar power, improve transportation by developing a neighborhood circulator bus system, and provide after school and summer educational programs to increase opportunities for children in our community.  Amy thanked Luke for attending our meeting.

Committee Reports:

Land Use and Zoning – Judi Short

The Planning Commission has an update on the 21st and 21st Small Area Plan scheduled on their agenda for their Wednesday, August 12th meeting. This will be a briefing to the commission regarding the data that has been collected from the public so far.  Many of the trustees attended the open house regarding the 21st and 21st area that was held at Dilworth School last month.

The new Ivory Homes subdivision located 1019 East 2700 South is nearing completion. This project was approved by the SHCC several months ago.   An older art deco house on the parcel was left in place with new homes built behind and in front of the existing home.  The one nearest the street has been sold, reportedly for $531,000.

New businesses have been moving into the street level of The Vu.  Cubbies Sandwiches has opened and the Square Nest boutique is scheduled to open in September.

Salt Lake City Planning is looking at revising their parking ordinance.  Several years ago, they changed it so that mixed use buildings (retail on the main, residential on the upper stories)  had to provide only ½ parking stall for each residential unit, if they provided a bike rack and building was located along a transit line.  Unfortunately there isn’t enough mass transit to replace the cars that are trying to park in these areas.  They now realize that they were about 20yrs premature and that parking ordinance needs to be revised again.

Last night the Salt Lake City Council placed a moratorium on any new buildings on lots zoned CB where the building exceeds 20,000 square feet.  The moratorium is effective immediately.  A 20,000 square foot building  is the standard for a CB zoned lot.  Unfortunately there is a process whereby the developer can ask for an exemption via the Conditional Building and Site Design Review Process.  This process allows for the construction of  larger buildings with very little parking.  The moratorium has a six month expiration so SLC Planning has very little time to correct the parking ordinance and the building issue.

The next LUZ meeting will be on Monday August 17th.  On the agenda is a conditional use permit for a flag lot located at 3101 South 900 East.  The CVS Pharmacy is coming back with a new proposal.  They are hoping to draft a design that does not require them to go back to the Planning Commission.

Parks, Open Space, and Trails – Sally Barraclough

The POST Committee met on July 20th and were given a presentation regarding the proposed SLC Parks & Public Lands Bond by Rick Graham, SLC Public Services Director and Nancy Monteith SLC Parks Department.

Sally distributed a spreadsheet and map that showed the areas and projects that are being considered on each of the two proposals for the bond.  The major elements include:

1. The 9-Line Trail extension (trans-valley corridor) connecting Emigration Canyon to the Jordan River Parkway
2. The Folsom Trail from the parkway to downtown and City Creek Canyon
3. Improvements to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail including four trailheads with bathrooms and 30 miles of new soft-surface trail
4. The Foothill-Wasatch Boulevard connector hard surface trail from Wasatch Trail to Foothill or Sunnyside.
5. Jordan River Parkway improvements including streamside amenities, habitat restoration, trail upgrades, and three new bridges.  Boat and kayak launches and a formalized portage at 21St South are envisioned for the Jordan River/Surplus Canal.
6. Central Business District Park for downtown
7. The Jordan River Nature Park north of the Day-Riverside Library for environmental education and play
8. Glendale Regional Park which would replace the golf course with a multi-use park for the west side of Salt Lake.
9. Water conversions to secondary water at Forest Dale and Nibley golf courses,  and 11th Ave Park.

The annual projected operating and maintenance costs for the two options are 3.35 million for the 150 million bond option and 2.9 million for the 125 million bond option.

Judy reported that at last night’s city council meeting, Lisa Adams and Charlie Luke reminded the council that there is a 10yr plan for park and open space improvements that have already been approved but have been waiting for funding because of the recession.

Luke Garrott stated that the SLC Council allotted 50 million for planned capital projects that are already on the 10yr plan. That cut the bond proposal to 98 million.  They also approved 18 million for the conversion of other parks to secondary water. There needs to be 5 votes (a super majority) in favor of the bond from the council for the bond to be put on the fall ballot. At this time there are not 5 council members in favor of the bond.  The final vote will be at their meeting on August 18th.

The public can still weigh in on “Open City Hall” or send comments directly to the City Council Office or to any council member.

Transportation – Deb Henry

UTA Change Day is coming up on Sunday, August 16th.  This is the day UTA will offer increased services.   These changes include extended hours on TRAX and the S-Line and increased service on select bus routes including the bus route on Highland Dr.  The S-Line Streetcar will now have the same hours as TRAX which will make it possible to go downtown for an evening event and still be able to get back to Sugar House before it quits running for the night.  Change Day happens once a year.  The small downside to UTA Change Day is that people who have gotten used to the routes and times may have to adjust to a new schedule.

There is a group looking at an alternative to the Green Bike Program for Sugar House, because Green Bike has said that it will be a several more years before they can provide a program for Sugar House.   There is a similar  company called Zagster that is now in 100 locations around the United States, mostly those cities with college campuses.  The surrounding businesses work in partnership with Zagster to determine costs.  Customers are charged after returning the bike to designated racks based on the pre-determined fee schedule. They are currently looking at potential sites for the bike share program.

In regards to the parking ordinance, there is a study underway being conducted by Nelson\Nygaard Consulting who is also working on the Transportation Master Plan.  They have been in the business of transportation policy for 25 yrs.  They are collecting data on the current parking situation in Salt Lake City.  This includes what areas are busy and when, and how many spaces are paid public parking, free parking, private parking etc.  This will help the city pre-evaluate the impact when they create a new parking ordinance or alter the existing ordinance.  It seems that there is a significant amount of parking available in Salt Lake City, it’s just not well known where those areas are located.  There needs to be more information sharing and education for the public.  The consultants have been interviewing business owners and other stakeholders in the city and Sugar House to gather parking data.  They have not made any report or recommendations to the city yet. It is anticipated that will happen in November.  Chris Jones, who is a Level Three Transportation Engineer for the SLC Transportation Department will be reporting to the SH Community Council in the near future regarding parking in SLC.

Arts and Cultural – Laurie Bray

Excused

Summer Shumway, Chair of the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce, announced that the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival is taking place in Sugar House August 6-9th.  There is a one time entrance fee of $5.00. Local businesses will be selling tickets to various performances, including plays, magic acts, musicians and art displays.   The opening event will be a light party on the Sugarmont Plaza starting at 9:00 pm tomorrow.  Tickets are also available at the venues and the old DI building. The entire list of events is on www.greatsaltlakefringe.org and they also have a Facebook page.

Amy made a reminder that there are many events going on in Sugar House this summer that are free to the public.  They include the Sugar House Farmers Market, Food Truck Mondays, Hidden Hollow Concert Series, Sugarmont Plaza Concerts, Sounds of Summer at the Library, and the monthly Art Stroll.

Historic  Signs – Joedy Lister

Excused

Bylaws Committee – David Read

Excused

Spotlight on Business – Michael G. Kavanagh

Elemental Inspirations – Leanora “Lee” Perry, owner

2152 S Highland Dr (Hyland Plaza)

Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm

Elemental Inspirations opened in June 2004 and just celebrated their 11th anniversary on the day of the summer solstice.  The store is a spiritual, metaphysical, and pagan gift and supply store. They assist customers in their personal journey of self discovery.  They sell incense, candles, sage and oils along with symbolic jewelry, tarot cards, and meditation supplies. They also have classes, daily tarot card readings,  and sponsor meetups four times a month. Their purpose is to help anyone with the support and supplies that they need for their personal transformation.

Salt Lake City Council: Lisa Adams District 7

Excused

Mayor’s Office Report: Shawn McDonough

SLC is in the process of writing a Mass Transit Master Plan and they are currently taking  public comments.  This plan will impact city transportation for the next 20 yrs, regarding UTA bus routes, TRAX, and Streetcar.  Comments can be made by going to www.SLCRides.org. They are also collecting feedback at various events taking place in the city through the end of the year.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by August 10th.  Otherwise, voting will be taking place in a few walk-in locations on Aug 11th.

For more information regarding the Parks and Open Space Bond, read Mayor Becker’s “Connecting You to Nature” proposal.

There is a new rain barrel water conservation program being started by Salt Lake City utilities.  The Water Check Program will be offering rain barrels to residents of Salt Lake.

Applications for the Special Events Signature Fund Grants will be taken starting in September.  Shawn distributed a flyer that shows some of the events that have received grants in the past.  The list included the Sugar House Farmers Market and the Sugarmont Concert Series.

• Larry asked if there are any plans for the old public safety building and the Barnes Bank building in Salt Lake.  There are plans to convert the public safety building to low income/affordable housing units.  Shawn is uncertain about the Barnes Bank building but will get information to us at a future meeting.  Larry would like to see the buildings used to assist the homeless that are using the public library for a daytime shelter.
• Sally made an announcement regarding a child who was missing for 3 hrs today in her  neighborhood in the south area of Sugar House.  She thanked the SLC Police Department for their great response.  The neighborhood received an auto phone call alert which was followed up with a door-to-door notification.  The child was found inside a vacant home near by.  He had crawled through a dog door, and was standing at the front window watching the police go door-to-door.

Sprague Library: Dolly Rauh

Sprague Library is a venue for performances for the Fringe Festival.  These will be free performances and they are scheduled for 12:00 noon and 1:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

There are two more Sounds of Summer Concerts, Aug 6th and Aug 13th, on the plaza at the back of the library.

The downtown library is starting their book sale on Saturday August 8th from 9-6.  “Friends of the Library” members can buy books on Saturday.  Memberships can be purchased on the day of the sale.  The cost is $10 to $25 depending on the level of membership.  The memberships provide tremendous support for the library.

Prior to adjournment Amy announced that the last Household Hazardous Waste Collection for the summer will be tomorrow at Sugar House Park at the Mt Olympus Pavilion from 7am-10am.  This will be for chemicals, paint, batteries, electronics and expired medications.

Ballots for the primary election are due on Aug 10th.  Voting will also be taking place at the County Building and at the First Congregational Church on Foothill Dr. on Aug 11th.

The agenda for the September meeting is very full, including presentations by the Salt Lake Police Dept, SLC Public Utilities Highland Dr Project, and the 21st and 21st Small Area Plan Update.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:08pm