21 Sep Meeting Minutes September 2, 2015
Sugar House Community Council Board of Trustees Minutes
Meeting Minutes- September 2, 2015
Trustees Present: Teddy Anderson, Amy Barry, Robin Bastar, Laurie Bray, Stacey Carroll, Landon Clark, Tina Escobar-Taft, Deborah Henry, Joedy Lister, Larry Migliaccio, David Mulder, Maggie Shaw, Judi Short, Carole Straughn, Christopher Thomas, Rawlins Young, Natalie Watkins, Bryce Williams
Trustees Excused Absent: Sally Barraclough, Lucy Hawes, Michael G Kavanagh, Benny Keele, Steve Kirkegard, Susan Koelliker
Trustee Absent: Topher Horman, Sue Ann Jones
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by Amy Barry, SHCC Chair
Approval of the Aug minutes: Joedy moved to approve, Bryce seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
Secretary Report: Judi Short (Sally excused absent)
There were no trustee petitions that are expiring and there were no new petitions presented. Robin Bastar, at large trustee is resigning as is David Read, trustee from the Grandview area.
Treasurer’s Report: Robin Bastar
There was a reimbursement payment of $59.00 from the city. There was 18 cents in interest for an ending balance of $4099.16. This is the balance after the $1000 Special Event Grant money was taken out to fund the Sugarmont Concert Series.
Maggie presented a fundraising opportunity for the council to help fund the Christmas Tree. She approached the Sugar House Whole Foods regarding their “5 cent grocery bag donation” program and their “5% of profits for the day” program that are available for area nonprofits. She filled out an application and was notified last week that we have been accepted for the “5% of profits day” for the first quarter of 2016. Unfortunately it won’t be in time for the Christmas Tree fund raising. The Council needs to select a day sometime between January and the end of March which will be our day for the 5% donation from Whole Foods. The Sugar House store would like to have some kind of event or display on that day for the Sugar House Community Council. Maggie will report to the council once the event details are available.
Chair Announcements: Amy Barry
The SHCC is hosting another Mayoral Debate between incumbent Ralph Becker and Jackie Biskupski, and City Council District #6 candidates incumbent Charlie Luke and Tracey Harty. The debates will be held on Wednesday, Oct 21st at Clayton Middle School. The middle school was chosen in order to accommodate the expected 300+ attendees and associated parking.
The City Council was briefed on the Fire Station #3 relocation to the Forest Dale parcel at last night’s work session. A public hearing for this issue has been set for October 20, 2015 at the City Council meeting. To review the report that was submitted to the planning commission and the city council go to the link on our website. Comments can be submitted to [email protected] any time prior to the October 20th meeting.
The City Council also reviewed the applications submitted for Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Amy had previously submitted a CIP application for improvements to the pond in Fairmont Park. The application received a favorable vote in a straw pole of the council members. The application has made it through two steps in the process and is hopefully headed toward funding in 2016. It would pay for erosion control and spring flood control. Upon reviewing all of the projects submitted for CIP funding, it was noted that only three were submitted by community groups rather than city departments. Two were from Sugar House, the Fairmont Pond and bathrooms for Sugar House Park. The other was for a project in the Harvard-Yale area. All three community based applications received favorable votes by the council.
Landon has volunteered to spearhead a CIP project list for the Sugar House Community Council. Some projects that have been mentioned include improvements to the Dilworth tennis courts, traffic lights, speed bumps. If trustees know of any projects that would improve their area, please submit those ideas to Landon. Amy noted that to qualify for CIP funding the project must be over $50,000. Hawk Lights cost $150,000.
Fire Department Report Station #3: Richard Platt, Fireman and Paramedic
The department has been taking “active shooter” training. The goal for the fire department is to train department personnel to be able to respond within a hot zone. The training is being coordinated with the police department.
Last month they had a large scale drill at the airport. It was a simulation of a terrorist gas attack. The department participates in large scale drills on a regular basis, in order to prepare in the event of various disasters.
There was a donation of an animal rescue kit made to the department by Invisifence. They upgraded the equipment used to provide oxygen to cats and dogs that are caught in a structure fire. The animals respond quite well when oxygen is administered in a timely manner.
The department has recently promoted 4 captains and graduated 8 to 12 firefighters from a recent recruitment camp. They are currently preparing for another recruitment camp and are going to start a recruitment program that will increase the diversity within the department.
Station #3 had 196 calls in the past month. The majority of the calls were medical heart incidents including heart attacks, strokes, and diabetic incidents. They also responded to medical calls for the homeless population living in the Sugar House area.
- An audience member asked how many homeless live in the area. Station #3 responds to calls for about a dozen “regulars”, but they are meeting new homeless all the time. They know the regulars very well, including their first and last names, ages, where they are from, and past medical issues.
- Another audience member inquired about the types of calls for the homeless. The fire department responds to injuries related to fights, drinking, and various health issues.
- A trustee asked for confirmation regarding the number of recent hirings and if there was anything the council could do to increase their recruitment. The new camp started on Monday and has 8 in sixteen week training session. With these new trainees and the 10 new hires, the department is now full, however, recruitment is ongoing. There is an interest card that can be submitted and the department notifies the potential recruit about the next testing time. The next written test will be in May. Interested parties can go to www.SLCFire.info . There will be a sample test available online starting in January. The department has also started a Explorer group for youth between the ages of 15 to 18 to get them interested in fire service. The Police and Fire Departments throughout the county are also sponsoring a public safety expo on Sept 12th at the public safety building plaza from 10am to 2pm. Members from all fire stations, police departments, dispatch, and Gold Cross Ambulance will be there to answer questions and provide demonstrations.
Police Department Report: Detective Lowe
The SLC Police Training Unit presentation on the agenda for later in the meeting was cancelled. The training lieutenant was ill and was not able to make the meeting. The purpose of the presentation was for the trustees and audience members to provide input on topics for the Citizen’s Academy. The Citizen’s Academy provides community members who are not police officers the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a police officer. The presentation will be rescheduled for a future meeting.
- Amy asked how often the Citizen’s Academy is held. The academy is held at least once a year. It is usually held on a Saturday.
- Deb asked about the level of training that officers receive in dealing with cyclists. Detective Lowe feels it is very minimal, but because the city in encouraging biking and has added more bike lanes and the green bike program, it may become a specific part of their training. Deb asked how we could advocate for more training and Amy suggested that it could possibly be a topic for the Citizen’s Academy. Detective Lowe said that citizens can also call the Sergeant on duty who oversees officers working at any particular time regarding any issue involving an officer’s response to a biking incident or any other complaint.
- It was pointed out that it is legal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalks, except in the four block downtown area.
- Teddy pointed out that we need more enforcement regarding motorists running red lights. It is becoming an increasingly bigger problem in Sugar House due to the traffic congestion. Deb pointed out that while most states ticket drivers if they are in the intersection when the light turns red, in Utah it is legal. Detective Lowe asked that we submit problem locations to him and he will pass the information to the patrol unit.
Detective Lowe’s position as a Sergeant-In-Training is being changed. After he leaves this position, it will be changed to a permanent 2-3 yr assignment. That means there will be less turnover, thereby adding some stability to the position.
Car prowls in District 7 are still a big problem. There was a recent situation where a Sheriff’s officer pursued a stolen car that subsequently crashed. There were two teenage girls driving the car who fled but were caught. In the course of the investigation they have recovered stolen items that belong to 33 different people who have not even reported that their cars were broken into. Detective Lowe does not know why people haven’t filed reports. Most of the stolen items were taken from cars located in the 21st and 21st area.
- Larry asked if there is any particular reason that car prowls are on the rise. Detective Lowe said that there are many reasons including drugs, opportunity, and parking lots with unlocked cars.
- An audience member asked if we are going to get written crime reports like in the past. The reports are only available online. Detective Lowe volunteered to show her how to pull up the reports on the library computers.
Public Comments For Items Not On The Agenda:
Cabot Nelson asked for an update on the bid process for the north playground in Fairmont Park. Amy said there was a meeting today to finalize the bid package before it is released for bids. The engineer who is in charge of the project will make a presentation to the council at next month’s meeting. Cabot reiterated that the playground has been closed for a year which is way too long. He also thanked Amy for submitting the CIP application for the Fairmont Park pond. They are hoping to get funds for improvements which would include cobblestones around the perimeter to diminish the erosion caused by the ducks going in and out of the pond, and a boardwalk around the northeast edge where there is a natural spring that causes flooding in the spring.
Jennifer Miller-Smith made a reminder regarding the neighborhood facebook page called Sugar House Neighborhood. She asked everyone who is on facebook and interested to please sign up as they currently only have 80 people following the page. She also commented on an abandoned home in the area that has 10 raccoons living in it. Various city departments have declined to help with the problem. In the past there were federal funds that helped the county pay for urban wildlife pest control. The funding was cut during the recession and has never been restored so the county refuses to deal with the raccoon issue. There is a consortium of several cities in the county that is trying to restore funds to deal with wildlife pest control. Jennifer was encouraged to report the home for other city ordinance violations including broken windows, weeds, and an unmaintained park strip. The home is located at 1852 Ennison in the parking lot of Tanner Transmission.
Anita Murphy who owns two rental homes in Sugar House rents the one on Redondo for short term vacation rentals via Airbnb. Last week one of her neighbors filed complaints with the city against four homeowners in the area. The complaint against Anita stated that Anita is running a business in a residential area. The enforcement officer informed Anita that she could continue to rent the home on Airbnb, but that they had to be 30 day minimum stays. By far the bulk of her business is for shorter stays. There are many people in Salt Lake advertising short term rentals on various websites. When Anita asked the enforcement officer if she was going to shut them all down, she was told that they only respond to complaints. To Anita that seems very unjust.
- Amy pointed out the District 7 Councilperson Lisa Adams was excused from this meeting but that she would be a good contact. Anita has left a message for Lisa. John Anderson from the SLC Planning Dept was in attendance and took note of the situation. Amy said she should also contact Charlie Luke, District 6 Councilman. Amy reminded the council that there was a similar situation that occurred with park strips several years ago. There was spotty enforcement of the city ordinance which outlined what was allowed to be planted on a park strip. That eventually led to a change in the law.
Presentations
Public Utilities Project Highland Drive Update: Derek Velarde, SL Public Utilities
The department was able to complete the emergency sewer line repair on Highland Drive this summer. They did a full replacement of the sewer line between Wilmington and Sugarmont. They are getting ready to start a second phase which will involve lining the section of pipe that was repaired This will involve minimal excavation and will take 3-7 days to complete. They will access the pipe to install the liner through the manholes located in the middle of the street. They will also be staging in the middle of the street, so they may have lane closures for a couple of days. They are still working out the schedule but it will mostly likely take place this winter, before the holidays. The department is hopeful that the work can be done during off hours or over the weekend to minimize the interference with traffic.
There is more work that needs to be done from Wilmington north to 21st South but they are holding off on this project until they know where the streetcar is going. The hope is that the work can be done at the same time to minimize disruption to traffic flow.
The department is also currently replacing storm drain boxes throughout the area. They have finished the box on 21st and Highland.
- Amy asked about the difference between the storm box and the canal. The box on 21st and Highland is a box for Parley’s Creek. The canal (SL-Jordan canal) that runs under the Monument Plaza intersects with Parley’s Creek near the box, with the creek passing under the canal. There is an overflow mechanism between the canal and the creek that allows canal water to enter the creek.
- Rawlins asked if Public Utilities has had any discussion with Transportation regarding the alignment of the Streetcar. They have some documents that outline the alignment but it is still in the design phase. Rawlins also asked where the stormwater is discharged. Some of it goes into Parley’s Creek and some into the canal. Rawlins would like to see a discussion between Public Utilities, Transportation, and Open Space regarding the Streetcar construction. It was noted that the Monument Plaza is not zoned open space. John Anderson stated that the Monument Plaza is part of the public street right of way that extends to the middle of the street and is zoned Sugar House Business District 1.
21st and 21st Small Area Plan Update: John Anderson
The Salt Lake City Planning Division, working in conjunction with local consulting firm CRSA, has commenced work on the creation of a small area master plan for the 21st and 21st neighborhood. The project will study an area stretching along 2100 South from approximately 2000 East to 2300 East. The small area master plan will address the characteristics of the future development of this neighborhood. The goal of this plan is to create an improved and beautified business district that is a unique destination but still remains compatible in scale with the nearby existing, well established neighborhoods.
The 21st and 21st Small Area Master Plan will eventually be part of the Sugar House Master Plan, but is specifically for this location. The intent is to maintain the single family home zoning, while improving the existing nearby business district. Single family residential areas are still very important to the city. In addition to planning appropriate uses for the area, they are also going to provide guidelines for development in the area including things such as public spaces, landscaping, lighting, and art.
The first phase of the plan, Data Gathering, is now complete. The planning team began this phase gathering data by conducting site visits in and around the neighborhood, mapping the area, studying information provided by other city divisions such as traffic counts and existing infrastructure and identifying existing conditions of the neighborhood. The next step was to meet with residents, local business owners and community leaders and stakeholders. A community open house was held on June 17, 2015 at Dilworth Elementary School. Over 3,200 flyers were mailed to community members in the surrounding neighborhoods. Nearly 500 people attended the open house and participated throughout the evening. Many favorable comments were made regarding the 9th and 9th and 15th and 15th areas. Results from that meeting were shared with the Salt Lake City Planning Commission and they can be found here: http://www.slcdocs.com/Planning/Planning%20Commission/2015/21.pdf
The planning team has been busy analyzing the comments that the have received from the public so far. Some general conclusions were:
- No high buildings, nothing over 2 stories
- Strong preferences for restaurants, small retail, local businesses
- People identified with, and like the businesses in the area and want to see improvements
- General fear of too many multifamily structures
- Preferences toward upgraded landscaping, lighting and art
- High priority for safety, especially for children crossing 21st South to reach Dilworth School
- General walkability, sidewalk width, outdoor spaces etc.
- Teddy made the observation that for an area like 9th and 9th to be developed, local businesses should get some kind of subsidy to help them with their rents/leases. John noted that while there may not be a mechanism for subsidizing business, Jill Love the new economic developer for the city’s Economic Development Plan has arranged for over 3 million dollars in loans year-to-date to small locally owned businesses. There will be more programs in the future.
- Deb asked if John was aware of any other cities where small businesses are financially assisted when moving into a new upscale development. He is not personally aware of any. SLC will continue to support small businesses in any way that they can but it will not likely be through direct payments.
- Judi commented that the redevelopment of two parcels at in Sugar House will force some of the small businesses out of the area because of the increase in lease prices. She is concerned that because of these redevelopment projects, the smaller businesses will have no place else to go.
- An audience member who has lived in the 21st and 21st area for 35 yrs wanted to make sure that there is an awareness of the number of schools in the area. There are 3 public schools and 5 private schools all in close proximity. There are many single family homes. She feels the area is not like the rest of Sugar House, nor do they want to be like downtown Sugar House. John said they are carefully looking at all the intersections that children use to get to school. The project extends from 2000 East to 2300 East and will be consistent with the Parley’s Way Corridor Plan.
- Amy asked if they are looking at street redesign or if the plan is strictly land use. The area plan is currently for land use only. If they can do some street improvements they will, but a civil engineering consultant has not been hired to do street design. The right of way on 21st South is too narrow to make significant street changes. The Transportation Department will be reviewing the plan.
- Amy also asked when the Parley’s Way Plan is going to be done. The Parley’s Way Plan is in the rough draft stage and should be completed in the next two weeks and should be ready for the public within a month.
- Lastly, Amy commented that the 9th and 9th Area has an inconsistent look, and she wondered if the 21st and 21st Small Area Plan will contain design standards to provide compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. The 21st and 21st plan will have design standards.
- Some trustees and audience members stated that they like the diversity of design at 9th and 9th, incorporating a variety of styles with existing vintage buildings. Joedy commented that we should reread the Sugar House Vision Statement.
- A trustee asked if the plan will accommodate a the Streetcar expansion if it were changed from the 11th East Preferred Alternative. John said that because the plan does not involve major street changes, any change in the Streetcar route would not affect the 21st and 21st Small Area Plan.
- Joedy asked if there is a moratorium on development petitions while they are working on the Small Area Plan. There is not a moratorium on development petitions but the city council did approve a moratorium on buildings heights on lots zoned CB where the building exceeds 20,000 square feet. The moratorium has a six month expiration, and the Planning Department is watching that deadline very closely in case they need to get an extension from the city council.
The planning team is looking at environmental issues. As most are aware, there is a plume of pollution that runs under the area. They have received a report from the EPA that contains the results of the air quality tests that they ran in homes throughout the area. Those samples came back clean, but they did find that there was pollutants beneath the foundations of the homes. The state has provided $20,000 to conduct more testing.
- An audience member asked if there has been any discussion about the amount of soil remediation that will have to take place before any new development could be built. John said that certainly the city and the various developers are aware of the problem. They are aware that the plume has moved all the way to Sugar House Park, but it is deep under ground.
- Tina asked Christopher if he had any input on the issue of the ground pollution. He agreed with John that it is totally dependant on the type of construction. Surface construction may involve very little or no remediation while digging down will require different protocols.
- Joedy asked if there has been any new testing of the dry cleaner and the gas station that are still operating in the area. John said that chemicals from the dry cleaner are now stored above ground which is safer. Gas stations built after a certain time also have protections in place. He doesn’t know if these specific businesses have been tested recently.
The next phase of the project which is Scenario Development. In this phase they will generate potential development scenarios and create proposed guidelines for review. The scenarios will be presented to the community for their review at an open house that will be held this fall. At this event, they will be seek feedback from the community to help the planning team determine whether or not the scenarios accurately capture the desired future of the community. The planning team will also be utilizing online resources to allow interested parties to participate in reviewing the scenarios at their own convenience. The goal for this phase is to identify a preferred scenario concept that can be used to create a succinct and focused draft plan for the area. More information about this open house will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
There will be further opportunities in the future to provide input on the proposed small area plan. As always, please feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors. John left his contact information.
- Joedy complimented John on the public process and transparency with which they have conducted the development of the 21st and 21st Small Area Plan. This was met with applause from the audience.
SHCC Candidate Speeches: Carole Straughn
Carole stated that this year we have many qualified trustees who are willing to run for offices on the Executive Council.
Running for office:
Treasurer: Landon Clark and Larry Migliaccio
Secretary: Bryce Williams, Teddy Anderson assisting
Vice Chairs: Judi Short, Maggie Shaw, Steve Kirkegard
Chair: Amy Barry
Larry Migliaccio who is running for Treasurer stated that he has been on the council about 6 yrs and is now retired so he has the time to devote to the job. Landon Clark withdrew his nomination but agreed to assist Larry in any capacity needed.
Bryce Williams who is running for Secretary represents the Beacon Heights neighborhood and works at the University of Utah as the Student Program Coordinator. He works with students on service and civic engagement. He is responsible for overseeing 8500 volunteers working on various projects throughout the year. He feels his experience in coordinating and tracking student volunteer projects qualifies him to keep SHCC minutes, paperwork, and petitions in order. He has been living in Sugar House for a year and has been a trustee since February. Teddy Anderson has volunteered to assist with this position.
Judi Short, running for Vice Chair has been on the SHCC since 1985. Senator Gene Davis introduced her to the council and she has been serving ever since. In the past she has served on the City Planning Commission for 9 yrs and as SHCC Secretary in the early “90’s. She is currently a Vice Chair, and Chair of the Land Use Committee. She is also currently the Sugar House Representative on the Salt Lake Community Network which is a group made up of all the community council chairs or their representatives.
Maggie Shaw, running for Vice Chair started on the SHCC in 2007. She is currently a Vice Chair and has served on the Land Use /Zoning and Parks, Open Space Committees but has found her hidden talent is asking people for money so has started fundraising for the SHCC. She was involved with Love Utah Give Utah this past spring, and is now working on Whole Foods fundraising opportunities for the council.
Steve Kirkegard, running for Vice Chair was excused from tonight’s meeting. He has been on the council for several years starting after his son Matt resigned as trustee from the Dilworth area to perform non-profit work in South America. Steve has enjoyed being involved on the council and has continued to represent his neighborhood even after Matt returned home.
Amy Barry, running for Chair has been a trustee representing the Westminster area for 7 yrs. In the past she was Secretary for 2yrs, Vice Chair for 2yrs, and has served as Chair for the past year. Her goal as Chair is to keep us organized and moving forward, and to respond to the desires of the community in arranging presentations to the council. She also wants to promote avenues for the community to get good and accurate information. She wants to help them participate in discussions through the appropriate channels regardless of their opinion. It is her desire to help citizens learn how to access the system.
- Tina asked if as Chair, Amy would be willing to reach out to the neighborhoods within the Sugar House Community Council who have been approached about forming their own community council to find out why they would consider this option. Tina wanted to know what Amy would do to stop that from happening. Amy replied that as Chair of the SHCC she would not try to stop these areas from forming their own council. She feels they have every right to start their own council if that is their desire. SHCC is the largest community council in the city. We have had three areas break off in the past, Emerson, Wasatch Hollow, and Bonneville Hills. These neighborhoods remain in our historic boundaries and the people who live in these areas are encouraged to come to/join our council but they have to understand that land use issues within their areas do not get presented at our council meetings. Amy did not talk to the trustees from the areas in question because they were approached by someone outside of our council, asking if they would like to form a new council. Amy was not informed ahead of the trustees being approached via email. She does not have the impression that it had anything to do with people being unhappy. Most of the trustees who were approached have contacted Amy saying they are fine with staying on the SHCC. She is encouraging the trustees involved to have a discussion and come to a conclusion on their own about staying or starting a new council. If there is a group that actively wants to start another council then we will talk about it. She feels it is important that those trustees hear from the full council.
- Rawlins mentioned that SHCC trustees represent neighborhoods that were recognized by Salt Lake City in the 1967 Master Plan. Salt Lake City gave a name to each of the neighborhoods. The SHCC represents the areas which were considered to be within the Sugar House trading zone, not the planning zone which explains why it is the largest community council in geographical size.
Announcements:
Teddy Anderson extended an invitation for the trustees to come to her home on Friday, Sept 18th for a summer get together. This event is for all family members of trustees or they can bring a friend. Bring a food item to share.
Teddy also wanted to also express her concern that there are so many things happening in some of the neighborhood areas and it is difficult to sometimes get information and responses from the city. Judi stated that trustees need to bring issues of concern to Amy and the executive council to get advice on how to move forward or to get them on the SHCC agenda. Amy confirmed that letters sent on letterhead from the council must be vetted through the council. Trustees can write emails asking for information or help with a situation but can not independently represent an opinion of the SHCC.
Teddy wanted to know what is happening with the fences separating the Habit Burger parking lot from the Vu property. Amy stated that Lisa Adams supports the fence and they are located on private property. Judi heard that the fence issue will be addressed in the second phase development of the Granite and Mecham parcels. We will hear more about those developments after the first of the year.
Amy Barry reminded the trustees that election of SHCC officers is next month. The duties of officers and responsibilities of trustees is spelled out in the SHCC Bylaws which can be found on our website.
Landon Clark is starting a list of prospective CIP applications for the Sugar House community. Trustees are asked to notify him if there are projects in your area.
Christopher Thomas made the suggestion that we create a document that explains what the community council can do to have an impact on decisions being made about our community. The document could also inform individuals about how to work through the council to make their wishes known. Some trustees may not know that they can make a motion, have it seconded and passed regarding issues in their respective neighborhoods.
Judi noted that about every five years, the council holds an orientation for new trustees. Amy sends a welcome email to new trustees that talks about some of the basics.
Christopher would like to jump start the Communications and Outreach Committee that has been a bit dormant while he has been attending grad school. He would like to revisit the original goals of the committee to see if those are still applicable. He would also like to address the leadership role and investigate whether there is someone willing to move this committee forward. He is willing to continue working with the website. He is also willing to help with community outreach which proved very helpful to get the 21st and 21st development discussion out to the community. He is holding a meeting on Monday, Sept 28th and is inviting anyone interested to attend.
Sprague Library: Dolly Rauh
There is a lecture series starting at the Main Library to celebrate The Nation Magazine’s 150th anniversary. Dolly placed a poster in the back with a list of the speakers and event dates and times.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:56pm