City Council - Regular Meeting

begin. I'm going to call the meeting to order at 6 o'clock and I'm going is where our meeting is on the tax um gas tax prep discussion. I'm turning it over to John.

All right. Um thanks for everybody for uh coming tonight. Um I think as you guys know from the first time that we had conversation about this that we've started really engaging the public and trying to gain some feedback. Um one of the things there's been a lot of good information that's come from that. Um and I think even I'd have to argue that in our round table that we had that the um significant chunk of the people that showed up for that particular event had one particular thought process and seemed much more immunable once we were able to share the education that came along with it. Um, and so I feel like there's um we we at least have a good fighting chance if we continue down the path of education um between now and the and when we'd have to have everything um completed and on the ballot. Obviously, the things going on in the world right now aren't helping our casing. Um but um I think one of the biggest driving factors in all of that is is people understanding that 100% of tax that we levy here local comes back to here on local. Um whereas the um tax that is levied by the state 20% of that comes back to us. Um and so um not to mention that when they understand the potentiality of people sharing in that from that don't even live in the uh in the area. Well, one of the biggest things that has come out of several different points of discussion both at the um at the round table and several other conversations that we've had andor um that I've been able to have with people in the community um is there's a a strong appetite um as it relates to a better and more equitable application of the street user fee. Um, and there is things that we can do in order to be able to make that um, more equitable. Not perfect, but more equitable. Um, that being said, it's going to take time for us to be able to do that and to

dedicate some resources in order to implement. And so, um, I sent out to you guys today. Um, the current I think the the iteration that I'm on for the primary document for the strategic plan is number 34. Um, but with some great feedback from the staff, um, I've been able to get it to where it's at or we've been able to get it to where it's at right now. Within that plan, um, includes how we're going to get after, amongst many things is includes how we're going to get after or opens the door for us to get after the street user fee and the improvement of that.

Okay. Um, so I think in order to be fair to our community, we owe to our community to be able to make sure we're doing the right thing there and that'll be part of whatever happens going forward.

Um, intent tonight would be, I think, um, if I'm getting a good pulse on what I'm understanding from the council, um, that there's at least a desire to put it on the ballot and let the people decide, um, what our reality would be as it relates to a potential tax. My hope is that things in the world will be significantly better by the time that actually happens. But um that being said, um what I'd like to do is is unless Kyle has anything that he wants to contribute to the conversation at this point. Um what I'd like to do is spend the bulk of the conversation tonight andor um we've given you a handout that has some questions on it. Um and if we can do this one of two ways. I can ask the question and we can take notes on it. Um or um if you guys would like, we can send this out since there's uh um three that are missing.

Um we can send this out and ultimately we'd like to do is just get those notes captured and sent back to us the answers to those questions and give these back to you. Um yes. And then um ultimately that information that's on there, we're going to utilize to to uh work with legal to build the information that has to go on the ballot. Oh, okay. Um, and this all those questions in there are intended to feed things we need in order to be able to put on it. So, your guys's feedback, we'll take that, um, consolidate it, package it, make it all tell one story, um, and then make sure that we get it across the the finish line. Good idea.

Um, there's some specific I'm going to ask Stacy to talk about it. you don't necessarily have to go line by line if you don't want to, but uh as the recorder, she's very aware of the timelines that we have to meet of all things associated with putting anything on the ballot. Um and so she's put together another document I think you guys have as well.

Um that outlines um the key things that has to happen and when in order for us to be able to successfully put this on the ballot. Um, the primary thing that I would ask of you guys to keep in mind is is that as we march to August, um, we will put a full court effort, a fullcourt press effort into making sure we're educating the public, not leading them to an opinion, just simply giving them maximum opportunity to be educated. Um and then um once we get to August, we will have to as staff back away from that and then it'll be on the council um if they want to have anything more. We're happy to facilitate and set up opportunities. Um but when we get into that window, we would need for you to be um be out there advocating for whatever your perspective is in regards to desires for people to um vote in whatever particular way.

I have a question. Um, will we be having any more roundts because I know as we get closer, people are probably going to have a lot more questions and stuff. Yes. Um, so, um, and and you when you get a chance to look in the, uh, the strategic plan, you'll see a lot in there in regards to this as well. Um, I can't open any of those documents. You can't I can print some for you and we can get them to you. Yeah. Um, I don't know why. Are they PDFs? No, they're word documents. Oh. um open word and anyway um what was the round tables?

Oh the round tables. Um so um we defin we so in in June right now we're tenatively planning next summer May we have a tenative plan to do a round table. It's about the future of LRA um from the uh young person's perspective. Yeah, I saw.

Um and then uh um in June we're planning on doing kind of a budget science um for the community because one of the things we get a lot of controversial opinions about is um things having to do with the budget. Um and then we haven't see July will be another town hall month and then um Jason remind me what the topic is that we're doing for you in August. Uh yeah. What is We have a public safety one that we're doing in August. Yes. General public safety. Okay. Yeah. Um we we get to create that one however we want between now and then. Thank you.

No problem. So what I can say is through both social media and our town halls, there'll be significant education stuff that'll be going on in regards to this topic. Um, that being said, we're also going to go where the community wants us to go in order to make sure that they're getting the education that they need and want. Um, it comes up in almost every venue that I go to. So, there's no lack of talking about when I say venue, whether it's just one person meeting with me or um a, you know, any particular club or group that's been inviting me out, we like it's a it's it's a topic that people want to discuss. But I will say the feeling I get walking away from most of them is is that most people are, oh, I didn't know that and that makes sense. And so the education I think is going to make all different. I will say um I would encourage all of you um wherever you land on the topic um we were we're building into the budget um things for us to be able to communicate over social media through various different means. I think you guys probably saw that the mayor did something here fairly recently.

Yes. Um, if you're if you're willing to be a part of what we're doing or you have a message that you want to communicate, I don't know if we can do it from a political I don't know. I I don't I'd have to look into the rules in regards to that. Um, but bottom line is is that our budget is our budget. So you guys can be a voice and be a part of that too if you want to be. Um, so just just let me know and we'll work on it. We I think one of the methods that we're using right now that's proving to be most successful is the uh um the the one that you did with Brent. That's the faces behind and Joe did one too. All of all of those are getting like major plays. Yeah.

Joe's was good too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And Jason's got one that's getting ready to come out here pretty quick as well. um that I think everybody's gonna like a lot as well. Um weird. You can't walk down the street anymore. They just we're out and you know I just stay in the office now and at some point we're going to take Wear a hat and glasses.

Um at some point in time we'll take it one layer deeper. Um there's I had some really um incredible experiences with some of uh um Kyle's team this past weekend for some responsive stuff that they did. And I'm just, you know, on one hand, I'm a citizen getting taken care of while at the same time, I'm lucky enough to be the city manager that has the opportunity to make sure that this is being known, right? Um and so, um we've got some great stories that the community needs to know about and be aware of. Um, and I'm thankful for some of the pain that I've had to have so that I can help tell that story. My house has flooded twice since I've been here. So,

not our fault. So, it's from the sidewalk to the house, not from No, no, it's it's on the street belts. Oh, yeah. That happened to us when we moved in, too. Yeah. Oh, I'm so sorry. But again, like I see it as a thankful opportunity for me to tell the story because um the the team came out this weekend and soon as they found out about it, like probably 10 minutes after they I was lucky. They were just a couple blocks away, but 10 minutes after I found out about it, they're at out on my street and they're fixing the problem and like finally my flood went away. The waters receded all

good his house. From what I understand, their roots are between right at where his service comes into the main. Oh, I wasn't We weren't so lucky. Ours was in the driveway. Oh, well, they're not all that different of a situation according to our ordinance. Well, you don't take care of it on my water thing. Not if it's in the service line. I need to ask. So, anyway, lots of stories that we can tell. You guys being a part of this particular message. I would encourage you if you're willing to become a part of the uh um the conversation um and the and the education. C

can I ask you a question? I know that I went to the one that you had on the streets and I know the one gentleman and I've heard this from several people about the uh user fee. Mhm. And I thought he had a really pretty good I understanding of it. And I know that he wasn't opposed to the tax, but he wanted us to take look at that user fee and make it more equitable. Yeah. Is that part of it?

That's that's what he's referring to there is specifically what I'm what I'm So I try to stay a little bit generic so that we have maneuver room um in the things that we're doing. But I do make specific reference to the street user fee. One of the biggest problems that we have and Kyle's speak up if I say something wrong. Um, when you look at all of our apartment complexes within the community, um, a compartment apartment complex plays a street user fee. Um, you could have 40 apartments in there and only paying one street user fee. Um, there is a way for us to get after being able to make that account for each of the different apartments. But it's not even as limited to apartments. You can also take it out to the RV park,

trailer parks, um, trailer parks. Um, so there's a lot of analysis that we have to do in order to get to the answer to the question, but I I I don't know the answer to this right now, but if you really think about it, even that isn't entirely equitable. Um because um any number like um how many cars are at your house? One, two, three, four, eight. So eight potential drivers. Yeah, eight. Because because you know our driveway is with the other house. Yeah. There's eight cars there. Well, no. Okay. Just right there in the alley. Let's see. Eight. Nine. 10. 10.

So So when I So you're actually doing a really good job of making my point. We're going to charge you more. when it comes down to it at any given house there's more than that's one thing when you're you husband and wife are living there and you're both paying the straight user fee but um depending on how you look at I'm not I'm not trying to propose any particular solution right now there's more creative conversation to be had yeah um but when it comes down to it a street user fee is meant to be paid by people who are using the street and right now um you have property owners paying one single fee um regardless as how many people are living and driving. Correct.

Um and so there's work that we have to do. The best most direct way for us to right now get closer to equitable is to simply look at those apartments and RV parks and trailer parks and that's what people have been asking me about and they're saying they're not opposed necessarily to a a tax, right? But they want that to happen too. 100%. That's that's the feedback we're getting. And what I can tell you is we're committed to bringing you the path to that in this next fiscal year. Um, but it's going to just take us a little bit of time to be able we've got a lot of irons in the fire and we're we're knocking them down one at a time. And we've talked about making that more equitable in the past as well.

Before my time. Yeah. Used to be on Pitts. So, okay. She was there when we passed that recommendation on to the council back in the day. Yeah, like I can't speak to why it didn't happen before, but I can say that we're Kyle and I are committed to make sure it moves forward now and doing something similar for um initial hookups too of making those more equitable. Yeah, that's the transportation system development charge which you guys will see probably in August.

Yeah. when you when you guys look at the uh um and this is loosely related to streets but also um could be applied in other areas. When you look at the the strategic plan, you're going to see a very aggressive outline of things that we need to talk more deeply about in order to improve our revenue situation. And some of those things, I think you guys, you've been here longer than I have. Like you're going to be able to look at it and say with confidence some of this is going to be controversial. Um all I going back to the equity um conversation, what I can say is is every one of the things that are listed in there is meant to be is is getting after equity and fairness. Um and so a lot more conversation for all of us to have. Um I think I would argue that we owe to our community to get aggressive about some of the things that some people aren't going to like. Um because they're a smaller portion of the population. Don't be wrong. we need to be mindful and considerate of

the the realities of the different fiscal capabilities. Um, but there's there's I'm not trying to pigeon hole us right now. There's just a lot more conversation to have. So, I the question I have too, if if the gas tax does not go through and it sounds like you are working on different plan B's, when will we be able to discuss that? Probably after the election then, right? are we're going to be working on some of those possibilities prior to Yeah. So, what what we what I don't want to what I'm want to be a little bit careful about is I don't want to make the community feel like we're threatening them.

Um and so if we if we're not careful, um they could feel like we're saying, as an example, if you don't do PAS attacks, well then we're going to raise the street user fee x. um that could feel like we're trying to be bullies, right? Um I that's never that's not the goal here, right? It's we got a problem that needs to be solved. Um we're trying to do it in the way that is most responsible and fair and least expensive to our community. simultaneously if the community if we fail in our education or they just simply disagree with us

um then yeah we're going to be backed into a corner and the only answer to that question is going to be to leverage the things that we have in order to solve the problem because no matter what we have to fix the streets correctly so yes we will come back to you with what the um proposed way forward would be in direct proximity behind um if it should fail Okay. And it'll be prepared to for us to execute in a in a timely manner. So my question on what you just said is is it a definitive that we have to fix the streets.

I mean I was thinking that as well. It's you get what you pay for and if you don't want to are you satisfied with what we have and paying what you're paying right now. I mean that's that's kind of how I look at the at the vote of what you want. you're you're 100% I'm and and that's where we have to have more conversation leading up to it, right? Um I and I hesitate to be overly optimistic. Um but all of this civic engagement that we're doing is generating some real energy.

Um and people are coming in just today. Um maybe they're watching right now. Um the uh there was I had somebody that had come in over some of the social media communications and had some what I would say was perceivably fairly negative thought process. Um I invited them to become a part of a conversation and to dialogue and they came in and we did. We dialogued and where it came in starting out somewhat negative um left with a completely different perspective on the problem. So much so that he came back today with an application to join the PitMack. Um, and with an idea of starting his own nonprofit organization to be able to generate funds to help pay for streets and roads,

um, separate from everything else. So what is a PIPSMC? You just parking traffic. What? Parking traffic safety street. I figured it was I like that better than trying to say. Yeah. I don't know what he is. Wait a minute. Okay. Okay. But what what I'm getting at by saying that is is that it's not the perfect solution. But what I what I feel like is taking place within the community is we're if you notice the tagline and everything I'm saying is better together, right? It's like I'm taking ownership too

in the in the I'm not trying to soften the truth of our reality. I'm simply saying it's our reality, but if you're waiting for me to solve the problem for you, it's not going to happen. Um, we have to find the solution together. And I want to choose the path that we all agree on. Absolutely. One of those solutions could be we all agree that we just leave the roads like they are and we stop talking about it. We know that's not going to happen. Um, but um but when it comes down to it, that's a public's option. Yep. Exactly. I can get my recovered wagon back out and the road. It'll break the wooden wheels. Yeah, it would. It would. My road was

um so I at the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I think we're going to end up with a very unified community, more so than not. Um getting after the problem. It may not be the solution we think we're going to get, but we're going to we're going to make positive progress. Um, and we're gonna the Kyle is committed to outpacing me in regards to our community engagement stuff. So, well, he doesn't know he said that, but he is. Oh, okay. But now we're all witnesses to it. Yeah. Um, play back the video, Stacy. Watch it later.

So, um, all that being said, um, Stacy, do you want to go over the or would you guys like her to go through the, um, the timeline? keep it super simple cuz I I wanted to get some key points on the guidance sheet for okay for talking to the citizens. So like hearing all the discussion and stuff it what I like about what John has given you guys to for homework. Yeah. Homework is um

that will give you guys some some time to think about how you want to write that out. And I feel like we're some of them are going to be the same, some of them are going to be different. Um, it might be there's a timeline, yes, but it might be okay to take some time and actually work on the referral text and not file the ballot title yet. That way, the real conversations of, you know, like what you were saying with the factual stuff is great, but if you really want to know my opinion, that needs to come before we file the ballot tile. So educ having some like little popup shops and education. I don't know if it's even a matter of stillness out there. You and maybe a couple of counselors because we're under a quorum want to go and you throw out there like come and drink some coffee with us and we'll shoot it to you straight, you know, and whatever it is. Um, and all that can happen with you included because that's before and then as soon as we get that ballot title um or the referral text, excuse me, the referral texts um where you guys are all in consensus. I don't think we necessarily need to vote on it yet, but there needs to be consensus because that's kind of what we did with the charter stuff, right? Um, and then probably moving forward, we get the ballot title from Wyatt. We're done kind of going out and doing the popups, right? And then we um from there, we would we could build out some um FAQs for the website. We can probably I mean, we can even throw some stuff together. I don't think it's going to be that hard. It just has to be veryformational. So um after all of the legal steps are done right that's what so the city can get outformational outreach explaining what the measure does describing operational financial or service impacts but make it factual

right

um providing election logistics so of course that would be easy like date how to vote all the things and um we could publish neutral materials so even as far as like doing ads with Brent like what you guys talked about I think that's really great we could Um I I don't even know why these guys couldn't give factual but even their opinions. I don't I think that that would be fine and maybe we'll look into that a little bit more. But um like you said, we put some fees aside for that. So I don't think that's a bad idea at all. It's more education for the community. As far as the steps go, the sheet that I gave you kind of gives the worst case scenarios. It drags it out all the way to August. Um, August 14th is pretty much the drop dead date that we have to have the referral and the ballot title and then I can go and then I have to do I have to do a public notice for a 7-day challenge.

After the 7-day challenge is over, we kind of did this with the charter. We we did adopt a resolution saying this is our ballot title. This is what we're going to put towards um on the ballot for the general election and the voters can decide. Um that will come after. So if there's like no challenges at all, we can move forward with the resolution. We have to make sure that we do it at a council meeting. So we have to be strategic with the timing and that last one will probably have to be if we go on here September 2nd and then because September 3rd is when I have to uh send one more sheet to the county election.

So we can't go past that date. Um after that date you we could still continue to do the factual information. It has to be super neutral. Um, okay. Yeah. And then we can also put something out in the water billing. I know that we talked about that. We did that with the other stuff, too. So, so how would we get information out to those who do autopay? That would be through the um actually, you know what? We talked about this with the charter stuff. Email, too. It's an email. I never I don't think I ever got an email. I don't get an email on the list. Yeah, I got an email today. weird. No, I never get anything from the from the water. I It just automatically pays.

Oh, I always get an email saying your city bill is due or something and it's automatically so I just ignore it. But Kyle, is that like your list that's on autopay or whatever? Is that something that you could send me and I could just copy and paste into a BCC line and then send it out separately? I stole it from finance, but yeah, I can get it to you. Okay, so maybe Okay, I'll just put that on my to-do list. I'll just do it separately just in case. Yeah, but I think you could check on this new one if you wanted text messages or email messages. Oh, with the new billing software. Maybe I can talk to Heather and see if there's a way to give action on there or something because I'm sure that you can do both or either.

I don't get anything. Well, plus app that will be up and running. We're getting ready to come out with the app. Um I'm positive we can put All right. It's going to be depend on who's who's uh linked to it, right? Um but bottom line is we'll be able to push information that way to people as well.

Okay. So are you then you asking us to help during the uh before August 2? What I would say is is whatever you're if you're willing to get involved and help just come talk to me and we'll strategize how what fits fits best for you and what would I'll share with you what I think would be the most helpful to at the end of the day what we want to do is just educate people. Right. Correct. Um so whatever you're willing to do then you tell me what you're willing and I'll facilitate making it happen or we will facilitate Oh. Okay. That's good. I think right now um probably just work on your homework. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That that'd be the first thing to do. And is there a due date?

Um before August you can give it to us by the end of April. That'd be great. Well, that's a good time. Oh, that's a long time. I thought like Well, I mean, don't don't feel like you have to wait till then. Okay. But I'm trying to I realize you guys this isn't the only side. Okay. So then I'm going to give you till Friday. Okay, that's fine. Yeah. Yeah, next Wednesday. Next Wednesday. We'll try to give it to you next Wednesday. Hand it over. That'd be wonderful.

I'll uh um as the uh um mayor prom, I'm going to say that you put a suspense on when I send the summary notes out that you put a suspense on for next Wednesday. Okay. I love it. Those who aren't here don't have a vote. That's right. We voted for them. We had can't vote. And you guys can shame them for not having it done. Yeah. Well, you might as well get I mean, if you want to use that information, you've got to have it. Yeah. Don't want to wait. Yeah. No, I mean, it's definitely helpful if we get it sooner. But I realize you guys have life, too. So, and Kyle's doing his right now. Kyle doing it since high school.

That means he's doing it during class. He's done class. So, I'm walking away from this or where I'm at right now in our conversation is is that we're all in agreement that the education needs to continue to go forward, that we're going to continue to pull information together for building the um ultimate ballot submission. Um, and that uh I'll send out summary notes um from this conversation that highlights what I'm saying right now. Um provides the documents again to you guys um via digital though we need to print for you. Well, I don't know. This is the city. Yeah, I don't know why. She can't work in Word, but maybe if you made them into PDFs and just Oh, I bet you that would help. I'll make them PDFs.

I have Word on here, but I've tried it at home. I tried it here and I can't get it to come. We can print for you, too, if you want. Yeah. Um or I think we can maybe Wednesday we can. Our printer's down right now. That's should have it fixed by tomorrow, hopefully. Yeah. Um, and then, um, I, as far as I'm concerned, unless you guys have anything you want to talk about or drive the conversation further, we could probably give you, geez, an hour back. Oh, an hour and a half. But was only supposed to go to seven. Okay.

Hey, but 30 minutes. The only thing I want to understand when you're talking to people that you do say that we're looking at the user fee. I mean not adding anything to it but just the making a more equitable because I've heard it from and several people I've talked to have been living in a trailer park and they said we don't mind paying that fee.

Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm 100% on board with you. the the um if I have my way about it accompanying in the I shouldn't say my way about it whatever comes from the gas tax one way or another I foresee in the future um more information coming to you as a body um suggesting that we make some changes the way that we're applying the user fee um and then as well as depending on what comes from all of this the potentiality of an increase in um but yeah know one way or another. This, among many things, we're going to be looking at trying to one of the topics that we'll have it to be um I don't know if it's going to be in July or not, but

um remember I sent a poll out to you guys all not long ago about um talking about fees um the various different fees that we can have. One of them is a public safety fee. Um, and so, uh, um, at some point in time, I'd like to sit down and have a conversation with you guys about all the different things that are out there and see if there's something you have an appetite for. Um, and then we can pursue it from there once we've um, we're aware of what the options are that we can pursue. Do you know when you sent that out? I'm trying to remember if I read it or not. It had like in the last monthish. Okay. Yeah, I've read everything. So, I just Yeah, I've been preoccupied. you've been busy. Yeah. Okay.

Um I would ask and I've realized so you you uh I'm a little bit it's related to this but a little bit off. Um when you look at your emails that I sent out today, I sent you three documents. Um one is that a granular version of the proposed um uh strategic plan. Um another version of it that is in there. It's all consistent information, but another version that's in there is a executive brief version, which is about half the number of pages, maybe a little less than that. Um, and then the public facing version of it. So, okay. What we've done is we the team has worked together to create three different versions of communicating the same one or same information but making it so people can read it from where they want to read it and not necessarily go to the granular version and get glossed over. Okay. Um and so the desire is is to make sure that everybody can read at the level that they want to read um and not um not lose themselves in whatever is being developed.

Um and so when you see that version 34 is the granular version. Um the executive brief is one that would be like what I normally probably give to someone like this body. Um and then of course the public facing one is the one titled public. Okay. Okay. But you have all three and the information should be consistent amongst all three of them. Okay. Just just written slightly different different. I didn't look at that today. I looked at it yesterday. Okay. Yeah. No, I just I have I've not opened them. Oh, okay. I like to open computer. And if you want want us to again once our printer is working, if you need us to print for you, we can.

That would make my life easy because I can't do I'm trying to forward it to my home email and it won't let me do that either. And then I because I could print it out. You have to send me your personal your home email. I can send it from here. Sometimes I have and I can't either. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.

Um I've shared the uh the the strategic plan with all of our senior staff and they've all given a lot of feedback in regards to it that's helped get it to where it is. And I've also shared it out with a couple of people within the community, um, people that I trust that were willing to give us a critical eye in regards to it. So, we've had a lot of eyes that have helped get it to where it is. And so, um, I feel like we're we're close to the point in time where I'm going to be willing to come to you guys and say, "Hey, I'm looking for your approval."

Um, because I want to marry it up with our with our budget. Um, and I my intent would be that this will also give you a a path to make the next four to five years, assuming we can keep uh um our fiscal reality fairly balanced. Um that it'll keep us on a path for the next few years because we need that consistency in order to be able to make this plan work. Um but I think the team's done a lot of hard work to build what we have and I I I don't want to sound overimistic, but I feel like we're going to change our fiscal reality. Good. Good. Good. Yeah. In a way that people can feel good about.

That's important. Yeah. Um I'd even say the unions are um overall I feel like they're um um they're on board with helping us be successful. Oh, that's good. I don't mean that to say that it's going to be cheap. Don't Um but what I what I can say is that all of them um have the right attitudes. They care about the the city succeeding in the community. Good. Awesome. Unless you have any I don't have anything. Anybody have any other questions?