Meeting Minutes May 6, 2015

06 May Meeting Minutes May 6, 2015

Sugar House Community Council Board of Trustees Minutes

Meeting Minutes- May 6, 2015

Trustees Present: Sally Barraclough, Amy Barry, Robin Bastar, Laurie Bray, Ed Dieringer, Lucy Hawes, Deborah Henry, Topher Horman, Steve Kirkegaard, Susan Koelliker, Sue Ann Jones, Joedy Lister, Larry Migliaccio, David Mulder, Maggie Shaw, Judi Short, Carole Straughn, Christopher Thomas,  Bryce Williams

Trustees Excused Absent: Teddy Anderson, Michael G Kavanagh,  Benny Keele

Trustee Absent: David Read, Rawlins Young

The meeting was called to order at 7:01 by Amy Barry, SHCC Chair

Approval of the April minutes: Joedy moved to approve, Larry seconded. The motion passed with no corrections to the April meeting minutes.

Secretary Report: Sally Barraclough

There was a new trustee petition submitted for a position in the Dilworth area.  Landon Clark moved to Sugar House from Minnesota 13 yrs ago.  He likes the sense of community that Sugar House provides and would like to serve the community in any way that he can.  Sally indicated that there are three trustees from Dilworth and one more position open.  She moved to accept Landon’s petition, Carol seconded and the motion  passed unanimously.

Sally circulated a trustee contact information directory and asked that trustees check it for correctness and add any additional information that they would like to include.  Once corrected and completed, this document that will be distributed to the trustees only.

Treasurer’s Report: Robin Bastar

Robin reported YTD revenues and expenses.  YTD the council has collected $2100 in donations, noting that Love Utah Give Utah was a great fund raising effort. There have been $1100 in expenses for such things as printing, the website, and the crosswalk sponsorship, leaving a balance of $4787 in the account.

Chair Report: Amy Barry

• The 4th of July Street Fair booth will cost $180 this year.  That is the rate for non-vendor booths.  Sally made a motion that we pay for a booth again this year.  Larry seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.  Dave Mulder circulated a signup sheet for volunteers to run the booth.  He needs two trustees for each hour from 10am-6pm.  He also needs help for setup and takedown of the booth.
• There will a candidate debate on July 28th in the Gore Auditorium located at Westminster College.  The debate is being sponsored by all the community councils in Districts 6 and 7, the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce, the Westminster Student Association, and the League of Women Voters. There will a candidate Meet and Greet from 6-7pm and the debate will be from 7-9pm.  There is a primary election this year in August.  Ballots will be mailed to every registered Salt Lake City voter on July 14th. Amy stressed the importance of attending the debate to get informed on the issues and the candidate positions.
• The Public Services Dept. has informed Amy that the sewer replacement project in Sugar House has been pushed back to June 1st. The SHCC newsletter and website have been updated to reflect that change.
• The Historic Preservation application for the Forest Dale Clubhouse and Golf Course has been approved by the state history board and will now go to the National Parks Service for final approval.
• This Monday will be the opening night for the Sugarmont Monday Night Concert Series and Food Truck Rally.  The food truck league is arranging the trucks this year and there will be plenty of food and live music. This event will continue throughout the summer, so please plan to attend.
• Brian Fullmer from the SLC Council’s Office has indicated that Lisa Adams from District 7 has donated $300 from her discretionary funds to the SHCC for our outreach efforts.

Fire Department Report: Matt Hovermele, Paramedic

Fire Chief Cook announced his retirement after 30 years with the fire department.  Chief Dale will be the new Fire Chief.

The fire department is rolling out their Ready, Set, Go program for people who live in the urban/ wildlands interface.

• Ready-maintain a defensible space between your home and the natural areas by clearing away brush and weeds.
• Set-stay informed about wildfires in and around your area
• Go-be ready to leave on short notice

This month’s safety tip is regarding BBQ grills.  Check for propane gas leaks by applying little soap around the valve connection.  If it bubbles, there is a loose connection and gas is leaking from the line indicating that it needs to be tightened.  Also, if you live in an apartment do not grill on your balcony which puts you and your neighbors at risk for an apartment fire.

Station #3 had 214 calls in April, 739 calls YTD.  Compared to the other SLC stations, this puts Station #3 in the middle of the list for the number of calls.  The majority of calls were medical calls.

Police Department Report: Detective Lowe

There has been some concern in the community regarding the response time from officers after they receive a call.  The police respond to every call, but the police department prioritizes calls in the following order of urgency.

• Level 1 – Crime in progress or a crime that has just occurred in the past 5min.  This is the highest priority call for the police department.
• Level 2 – Minor crimes that have just occurred It’s been longer than 5 min but requires immediate attention such as a burglary that just occurred.
• Level 3 – Non-emergent crimes that require attention such a shoplifter who is being held by a store employee or manager, where the perpetrator is cooperative.
• Level 4 – Service and investigative calls that require an officer to report to the scene.  This would be like a car prowl where there is damage and items stolen, but it happened sometime in the past 2 hours.  Another example would be the report of an intoxicated transient.

On a busy night it may take longer to get to Level 3 and 4 calls.  The department tries to send the closest car available to Level 1 calls but if the first available car is located in the Avenues and the call comes from Sugar House it will take them a few minutes longer to respond. They respond according to priority level first and then by the order in which the calls came into dispatch.

Detective Lowe encouraged us to go to the SLC Police web site, www.slcpd.com and click on “crime reports” located at the bottom of the page to look at incidents that have occurred in Districts 6 & 7.  He will not be bringing written reports to future meetings.

• Amy asked about officer follow-up with a citizen who calls dispatch.  The officers do not necessarily contact the person who made the call.  This is because, depending on how busy the officers are, it may take some time to respond.  If you want to talk to the responding officer, please let dispatch know when you make the report.  They do respond to every call, but you may not see or speak to an officer every time.
• Judi asked Detective Lowe to comment on the problem of skateboarders on the Monument Plaza.  He is aware of the problem, and he has informed all of his patrol officers to keep an eye on the plaza.  New signs that state that skateboarding is prohibited have been placed on the east and west sides of the plaza.  An audience member stated that she and her husband recently reported 8-10 boarders, who when confronted, were very belligerent and confrontational.  Judy said that in a meeting held with the owners and managers of businesses located on the plaza, they agreed to report any skateboard activity that they observe.  The number to call to report problems is (801) 799-3000.  Detective Lowe would like to know what hours seem to be the greatest problem, and he will schedule a project on the plaza for his officers that coincide with that time.

Public Comments for Items Not On The Agenda:

• An audience member asked Judi if she is aware of a development going in on the north side of 21st South and 17th East, across from Highland High on the northeast corner.   She has a neighbor who has heard that they are going to tear down the duplex and one single family home to build a multi unit building.  Judi will research this and report back to the SHCC.
• The same audience member asked about the development on 17th South and 17th East.  Amy confirmed that it will be three homes, not a multi story building.  Amy sent an update to the Highland Park Watch.  The developer is waiting on a plan for one of the houses before they can move forward with the project.
• Amy also confirmed that there will be Dilworth and Country Club trustees involved in the discussions regarding the 21st and 21st Small business Plan.

Candidate for City Council District 6

Tracey Harty   www.traceyharty.com  [email protected]  (801) 953-5678

The District 6 seat on the City Council is currently held by Charlie Luke.  Tracey will be running against him in the fall elections.  She ran against Charlie and JT Martin four years ago.  She feels that now is a good time for us to reflect on the work Charlie has done over the past several years, look at our concerns, and decide who can best represent us on the City Council.  She left contact cards for trustees and audience members.

Blaine Hollow Preserve Update

Chris Lee

Blaine Hollow is located between Blaine Ave and Glen Arbor St. (Christmas Street) in the Garfield area of Sugar House.  Chris came to a SHCC meeting a year ago.  Since then, the neighborhood has formed a non-profit organization whose goal is to restore and maintain the natural area located on this section of Emigration Creek.

After becoming a non-profit, they received a neighborhood grant from Salt Lake City.  In the future, they hope to become a federally designated non-profit.  They received $12,000 from Salt Lake City, matching the funds and work hours supplied by the neighborhood.  They are working with the Open Space Department of Salt Lake City. That department is looking for other grant opportunities for this project.  Chris acknowledged the city for their support once the local citizens made them aware of community willingness to spearhead the project. The Open Space Department continues to look for working relationships throughout the city where they can partner with local community groups to improve city lands.

Last fall they sponsored a cleanup day and a planting day in Baine Hollow where they planted willows that don’t require a lot of sunlight, down by the stream-bed. This spring they had a massive cleanup day in which over 5 tons of debris was removed from the area.  They have had two planting days this spring and are currently planning a third.

The group would like to expand their outreach to a larger area of the community.  They are going to be holding a meeting and potluck on Friday, May 8th at 6:00pm at 1580 Blaine Ave, and all are invited to attend. If it rains it will be moved to the LDS Church on the corner.  The planning meeting will focus on the future of the organization. They are planting native plants but they need water to get established.  The city has offered to put in a temporary water line.  They are also looking at putting in a path through the area.  Since this project has started, the area is vastly improved.  It is no longer full of litter, debris, and construction material.  The organization hopes to continue to improve and maintain this area into the future.

They are tentatively planning their last planting day for Saturday May 30th,  and a block party celebration on Saturday June 27th.

House District #40 Representative Update

Justin Miller

House District #40 covers the area south of 21st South to Murray-Holiday Rd and 7th East to approx Highland Dr. with some additional neighborhoods further east .

Justin worked with former District #40 Representative Glen Hemingway to advance his minimum wage bill. The first component involved raising the state minimum wage to $10.25.  This bill did not make it out of committee.   The second component was to raise “tip” minimum wage from $2.13 to $7.25 which is the federal minimum wage. This bill did gain some traction and Justin will try to forward these bills again in the next legislative session.

Three bills that Justin did get passed were suggested by a constituent from the Sugar House area, University of Utah Law School student Stephanie Pitcher.  The bills addressed breastfeeding in the workplace.

The first bill gives breastfeeding mothers an extension from jury duty so that they do not have to serve on a jury if they are breastfeeding.  The second one provides that all human resource departments for public employees must establish a policy for accommodating breastfeeding at the workplace, and see that the policy is being followed.  The last was an amendment to non-discrimination code for the state to accommodate breastfeeding in the workplace.

Looking forward to the next session, work has already begun on future bills.  Justin had a meeting today regarding the Tesla new car franchise law.  He met with car dealers, manufacturers, and business leaders to work on a compromise that would allow the Tesla model of direct sales to operate in the state.

There was a recent legislative audit regarding water usage in the state.  The audit showed that the public has been misinformed about the amount of water usage, and that we don’t need the extra water that would be provided by building pipeline projects or damming some of our large rivers such as the Bear River.  Justin wants to look at the true cost of water.  Currently, property owners are assessed on their property tax, not based on water usage. Statistically if people are assessed for water usage, for every 10% increase in cost, users decrease their consumption by 4%.  Water managers in the state are saying we need another 25% water production especially in Washington County and the Bear River Valley to keep up with future consumption.  Justin feels we can decrease the 25% estimate by changing the way people are billed for, and use water.  This is a very complicated issue, but the recent audit should help spur the legislature into action.

• Amy inquired as to the best way to contact Representative Miller.  He can be reached by email at www.le.utah.gov.  You can find all his contact information along with his committee assignments on this website.

In closing Justin encouraged us to contact him with any suggestions for bills that we would like to see go to the legislature.  Many good bills come from constituents, so do not hesitate to contact him with ideas.

• Amy invited Justin to join us for the Imperial Park Ribbon Cutting on Friday, May 8th.  This is a new park that has been constructed in his district.  The project was spearheaded by Sally, SHCC Trustee from the Wilford Area.

Committee Reports

Land Use and Zoning: Judi Short

The Planning Commission has hired a team from Colorado, who along with local representatives will be addressing levels of service and frequency of service for the Transportation Master Plan.  Members will be taking a tour using the Jingle Bus and interviewing people about their concerns regarding the current transportation service.

The petition for the CVS Pharmacy project proposed for the northwest corner of 21st South and 13th East is still off the Planning Commission’s agenda.  Judi is watching this closely and will inform us if, and when it will come before the commission.  The Land Use Committee sent an unfavorable recommendation for this project to the commission.

There will be a grand opening for the Wilmington Gardens complex on Friday, May 8th at 11:30 on the plaza area, located on Wilmington Ave.  There will be a ribbon cutting, tours, and refreshments.  They will also be introducing the launch of the Legacy Village project that has started across Wilmington Ave from Wilmington Gardens.

The 21st and 21st Small Business Plan is underway.  The city hired Cooper – Roberts CRSA who is the same group doing the Parley’s Way Small Area Plan.  The goal of the plan is “to create an improved and beautified business district that is a unique destination but still remains compatible with scale of nearby existing well-established neighborhoods”.  They are currently in the data gathering stage.  At the request of Lisa Adams and Charlie Luke Salt Lake City Council Districts #6 and #7, there will be representatives from the SHCC on the committee.  Joedy from Dillworth, Susan, and Sue Ann from Country Club will be reporting to the council.  The meetings will be open to the public so any of us can attend.

• Lucy asked how the 21st Small Business Plan is being funded.  The city council put $50,000 in the 2015 budget to fund the plan.

Judi will be gathering contact information for turning on the Monument Plaza electrical and lights.  That information will be posted on the SHCC and the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce websites for future reference when we schedule an event.

Parks, Open Space,and Trails: Sally Barraclough

The committee had a review of upcoming Earth Day activities taking place during the week of April 20th.  Earth Day was on April 22nd.

There was an update on the Blaine Hollow restoration work.  Chris Lee presented that information earlier tonight to the SHCC.  They have been doing an amazing community outreach effort to improve this area along Emigration Creek in Sugar House.

There was a group discussion regarding the content of a letter that is being submitted to UDOT regarding the deplorable state of the 13th East on-ramp/off-ramp area.  Since the POST meeting, we have been contacted by Jani Iwamoto, Senate Representative for District 4 and she has agreed to contact UDOT on our behalf.  The letter was sent to Jani along with photos showing our concerns. We recognize that this could be a long term effort, as there are several entities involved.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Imperial Neighborhood Park on Friday, May 8th at 3:00pm.  The new park has been a seven year project that has come to fruition.  Everyone is invited to attend. The location of the park is 1560 East Atkin Ave (2830 South).

Transportation: Deb Henry

There has been an interest in seeing the Green Bike program come to Sugar House.  Green Bike is a non-profit organization that supplies bikes for short term rent to use around the area.  There are monthly and yearly passes available for purchase.  Unfortunately due to lack of funds, providing Green Bike Stations in Sugar House is probably a couple of years away.  Ben Bolty is the project manager for Green Bike and he will be presenting at a future SHCC meeting.

There is a Transit Master Plan in progress and consultants have been hired as mentioned in the Land Use Report. They will be addressing such topics as the decision to locate the S-Line extension on 11th East (Highland Dr.) vs 21st South.  They will make recommendations for a large area transit plan, rather than a patchwork of small individual projects.

The city has hired Clayton Scrivner to the position of Civic Engagement Manager.  He will be working the Community and Economic Development team, bringing more transparency to the community regarding housing and transportation issues.

The city also hired Blake Perez who is Chair of the Rose Park Community Council to manage the second phase of the Hive Pass Program.  The Hive Pass is the SLC Residential discounted transit pass.  Some facts that emerged after the seven month trial period for the Hive Pass were that District 5 had the least number of passes purchased, followed by District 7, Rose Park and West Valley.  The greatest number of passes were purchased by residents in the downtown area.  51% of those that purchased a Hive Pass were previously cash paying riders.  Most of the trips were short trips that were made more convenient by having a readily available pass. The more people who use transit systems, the less cars and congestion on our streets. The new Hive Pass will be available on a monthly basis and can be purchased on-line.  There will be more advertising this time, and they hope to release the new Hive Pass by the middle of June.

Deb recently heard the comment that our busses and trax trains are mostly empty.  She stated that this is a misconception because not all the people who use a particular bus or train are on it at the same time.  A bus route may be serving 150 people on any given day, but because of the on-off nature of passengers using mass transit, it may look empty at certain times and locations.

Arts and Cultural: Laurie Bray

The dedication of the Monument Plaza will be held on Friday, June 12th starting with a press conference at 10:00am with dignitaries.  There will be an evening celebration starting at 5:30.  There will be a band, displays, and discounts at some of the businesses in the area.

The time capsule will be buried at 6:00pm. The committee working on time capsule has accumulated many historical artifacts to be included in the box. There are photos, 3 dimensional items, things made in Sugar House, and DVDs  with stories and interviews about Sugar House.  Laurie just finished a video interview with Bryce from CRS who talked about who designed a lot of the art features on the Monument Plaza.  Suzie Pethrum from the Historical Society, Sugar House Design asked Laurie to distribute some cards to trustees and the audience that solicit comments regarding “my favorite Sugar House place to go” and “one thing I remember about Sugar House Monument Plaza”.  Some of the cards will be included in the time capsule, which won’t be opened again until 2054 on the 200th Anniversary of Sugar House.  If you have stories/memories, particularly of the Monument Plaza please get them to Laurie before May 25th.

Sugar House Art Walk is this Friday, May 8th from 6-9.  There will be 12 venues featuring local artists, with maps located at each participating business.  This event is growing and gets better all the time, so please come out and support local art.

Historic Signs:  Joedy Lister

Last year Judi and others got a matching grant from the RDA for the preservation and restoration of historic/vintage signs in Sugar House.  The RDA grant will expire, so a subcommittee of the SHCC has been formed to help save a handful of signs located in our area.  The New Crisp Popcorn sign, the Snellgrove Ice-Cream sign, and the Starks Steering Electric Sign are among the signs we are hoping to save and re-activate. The committee is starting to survey the owners of the signs.  The owners of the Snellgrove and Starks signs have already expressed an interest in restoring their signs.

The committee members include Lynne Olson, Kirk Huffaker, Lynne Schwartz and Joedy Lister. Anyone else is welcome to join.  The members will be at the Monument Plaza dedication giving out  information about the grant and the effort to save these signs.

Sugar House Park Fireworks Announcement

Joedy Lister, President of the Sugar House Park Authority

Joedy announced that Scott Workman, who is a small business owner and who produced the fireworks display for the last 3-4 years, will not be doing them again this year due to time constraints. Joedy has been trying to raise the $40,000-$50,000 that is needed to put on the display.  He set a May 5th deadline in which to get the funds, and unfortunately has not met that goal.  At this point, it would take someone coming forward with a large donation in the next day or two to save the fireworks show in the park.  There will most likely not be fireworks this year.

Joedy is going to approach the city and the county about funding future fireworks shows on an annual basis.  It is too much to expect a single member of the community to raise the large amount of money required to fund the fireworks show.  He is hopeful that the show can be produced next year.

Presentations:

Aabir Milik, Colmena Group

Wilmington Flats (Wilmington Garden) / Legacy Village

The apartment portion of the complex opened one month ago.  There are 105 units and 45% are leased. There is 70,000 sq ft of commercial space that is 50% leased, and is currently being finished to meet tenant requirements. Tenants will likely start to move in in early fall.  There is 30,000 sq ft of retail space consisting of 7 spaces, of which 3 are leased and will be restaurants.  Two are local new restaurants being started by people who came from other area restaurants, and one will be a second location for a restaurant that is currently open downtown.  There are 7 town homes and 3 of those are already under contract.  There will be a ribbon cutting on this Friday, May 8th at 11:30am on the plaza, weather permitting.  If it rains they will move the event inside.

Legacy Village of Sugar House will consist of 268 senior living units located across Wilmington Ave from the Wilmington Flats complex.  They broke ground on this project in December, and are currently doing utility  and underground work.  They are scheduled to have two levels of parking ready by Feb 2016.  This will include some parking for Wilmington Flats.  The rest of the building should be completed by Feb 2017.

Aabir has been asked if the north-south alleyway between the CineMark Theater and the Dolce Coffee will remain open to allow access to Whole Foods and other businesses.  They are waiting for the city to complete the sewer line improvements on Highland Dr., after which they will be able to connect the Legacy Village sewer line, then move the construction fences to allow pedestrian traffic through the alleyway.

• Sally asked if any of the parking levels will include public parking.  There will be public parking and the  fees will be consistent with other structures located in the city.  They will not be charging the excessive fees that are being charged in the Vu parking structure.
• An audience member asked the difference between commercial space and retail space.  Commercial space is office space and the company that has leased half of the space is Traeger Grills, currently headquartered in Portland Oregon.  They are moving their headquarters here and will be bringing 150 employees.  The new CEO is the former CEO of Skullcandy which manufactures headphones and earbuds. He currently lives in the Harvard/Yale area of SLC.
• An audience member asked if the developments would be interested in being involved in the clean up of Hidden Hollow.  Aabir said they approached Wendy Fischer of Utah Open Lands which holds the conservation easement for Hidden Hollow.  They will be working with her organization to provide volunteers to help maintain the open space.
• An audience member asked if a traffic study was done in the area.  A traffic study, conducted by Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants,  was done at the time the S-Line traffic study was being done.  This was part of a master plan being done for the Shopko complex.  It was determined by the city that the current streets could handle the future developments of Wilmington Flats and Legacy.
• Deb asked where the townhouses are located.  They are in the 2nd and 3rd stories of the west building in Wilmington Flats.
• Larry asked how the complex connects to the Hollow.  There is a path that connects from the plaza to the Hollow and there is a dedicated bicycle path to the east that connects with the Hollow.  The bike path has not been painted yet.
• Deb asked about the lighting in the area.  There is lighting in the plaza and in the alleyway between Wilmington Flats and the Comcast property.  They are dusk to dawn lights.
• Laurie complimented Aabir on the beauty of the project and the connectivity to Hidden Hollow.
• Larry asked about the rental fees.  The studios start at $650 and the two bedroom seventh floor suites rent for $2,100.  20% of the units are workforce housing which restricts the rent to 80% of the area median income, and 80% of the units are renting at market rate.  The rents are less than the Vu but more than Liberty Village.

Spotlight On Business

Utah Applied Solar Energy – Scott Kisling

Scott started Utah Applied Solar Energy with a partner from California in 2012.  A lot has changed in the solar energy business in recent years.  Prices for solar systems continue to come down, making it a more affordable option than in the past.  Utah prices are still relatively high, so Utah Applied Solar Energy is helping people do their own installations.  With a drill and a wrench, it is a fairly easy installation.  Utah Applied Solar provides the design and the panels, and oversees the installation. You can save $3000-$5000 by doing the installation yourself.

There is a 30% federal tax credit that comes directly off your tax bill for installing solar panels.  That credit expires in 2016.  There is a 25% state tax credit with a $2000 limit.  The tax savings pays for 55% of the installation.  Solar upgrades can also qualify for the tax credits.

There is a new system called the daylight emergency backup system that allows you to produce power even if the electrical power grid goes down.  Currently, when the electricity goes out, solar systems quit working also as a safety measure for workers trying to make repairs.  With the daylight emergency backup system, you can manually switch your solar system off the grid and restore power to your home as long as the sun is shining, until the power grid repairs are complete. The announcement by Tesla to start producing battery storage units for home use will really change the way solar power is stored and utilized.

As far as Scott knows, Utah Applied Solar Energy is the only solar company that provides the do-it-yourself kit with instruction and oversight to customers.  He and Deb Henry are partners in the company and are both degreed engineers.  The third partner, Tony Tersol, is a physicist who does a lot of work on their larger commercial installations.

• Larry asked if there is a rule of thumb for the size of the system needed based on the square footage of your home.  The size of the system required is based on energy usage/needs, not house size.  It is money well spent to improve the efficiency of your appliances including your air conditioner before considering solar panels for your home.
• Deb pointed out that Scott and Tony have the NABCEP Certification,  which is a very stringent process of classes and tests to become certified in solar design and installation.  This qualifies him to design better, more efficient solar systems.   She is currently taking the classes will be taking the exam in October.

Scott left business cards for anyone interested in solar energy.   Their  websites are  www.UASE.us and www.utahappliedsolarenergy.com.

Sprague Library Update: Dolly Rauh

The Summer Reading Program kickoff will be on Saturday, May 30th.  There will be a big party at the downtown library from 1-4pm.  This year’s theme is “Superheros” and there will be costumed people from SLComiccon attending the kickoff. You will receive  a free book when you sign up for the reading program.

While Dolly knows how busy everyone is, she wanted to remind us how important it is for kids and others to see us reading.  It affects people when they see you reading, so please consider joining the SLC Summer Reading Program.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:42pm