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01/17/2000 Minutes I I I OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION January 17, 2000 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Study Session of the City Council of the City of Grand Island, Nebraska was conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall. Notice of the meeting was given in the Grand Island Independent on January 12, 2000. Mayor Gnadt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The following members were present: Mayor Gnadt, Councilmembers Larson, Pielstick, Hosier, Seifert, Preisendorf, Whitesides, Ward, Samuelson, Murray and Sorensen. The following City Officials were present: City Administrator Marlan Ferguson, City Clerk Cindy Johnson, Public Works Director Steve Riehle, and Interim Finance Director Larry Fox. Discussion on Joint Efforts Relative to Pool Facility. Steve Paustian, Parks and Recreation Director, reported that a Committee had been discussing a proposal for construction of a pool facility at Grand Island Senior High School due to the high usage at the YMCA and the difficulty in maintaining water temperature to meet the varying needs of the users inasmuch as the arthritis patients desired warm water and the swim club needed cooler water. Grand Island High School representatives, including Principal Kent Mann, Activities Director Jeff Johnson, and David Horn, swim team leader, spoke on the proposal and noted that the effort was a collaborative one involving the YMCA, High School, St. Francis and the City and that it was envisioned that the school and YMCA would share operating costs and it was hoped that the City would fund the construction in conjunction with other funding sources, including foundations and challenge grants. Dr. David Swift spoke on the need for a warm water pool for arthritis sufferers. Mr. Johnson noted that the maintenance costs were approximately $10 per square foot and that initial construction costs were estimated at $132 - $142 per square foot. TJ Niehaus, YMCA Director, stated that this joint effort was an excellent opportunity for Grand Island. Marie De Martinez, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development at St. Francis spoke in support of the need for the facility. Rick Pelland, 4164 Norwood Drive, and Bea Fiala, 3548 Hillside Drive, members of aquatic class voiced support for the warm water pool. David Horn, Andrew Dalton, and Kelly Penrose, members of the GISH Swim Team, spoke in support of the competitive pool. Glendale Reiss, 910 North Boggs, questioned where the funds would come to build the pool. Doug Wittman, 2808 Stagecoach Circle, Swim Coach at GISH, spoke in support. Jerry Bryant, 1313 West Hagge, stated that this was a wonderful opportunity for the community. Brian Jensen, head coach of competitive swim at YMCA, also spoke on the need. Councilmember Whitesides questioned if the pool had been included in the bond issue. Dr. Mann stated that the pool had been included in the original estimates but due to costs it had been eliminated along with other planned improvements. Steve Paustian stated that the Committee had asked the City to fund the physical construction of the facility (approximately $2-3 million) and that the ongoing operation and maintenance costs for the eight lane competitive pool and the two lane warm water pool would be borne by the other entities. Councilmembers Whitesides questioned user fees. Mr. Paustian stated that he did not anticipate the City receiving any resources back from user fees. Councilmember Ward questioned how many people were in the therapeutic program. Robyn Hichler, Aquatics Director, reported that there were approximately 70 I I I Page 2, City Council Study Session, January 17, 2000 people in the YMCA program. Councilmember Murray asked if the Committee anticipated this request going on the ballot as a bond issue. Mr. Paustian stated that this was the initial presentation to the Council. Councilmember Preisendorf stated that this request was a quality of life issue for the betterment of the community and that this needed to be balanced with the financial issue. Councilmember Sorensen stated that he had supported the construction of a full size pool at the Water Park and think the proposal was a good one but that he believed it would have to go to a bond issue. Councilmember Larson stated that he was impressed that the issue was coming in as a cooperative effort and that it was a real plus for the community and that it made sense to work together with all entities. Councilmember Murray suggested that the issue could be discussed at the upcoming Council Retreat. A break was taken from 8:00 p.m. - 8:05 p.m. Discussion on Extension of Independence Avenue. Steve Riehle, Public Works Director, reported that the growth in the northwest portion of Grand Island had happened with a grid of arterial streets on the normal one mile county road interval that was inconsistent with the recommended 1/2 mile grid spacing for arterial streets and that because of pending development in the area it was important for the City to consider extending Independence A venue at this time. Mr. Riehle noted that the Northwest Neighborhood Association had been pressing the City of Grand Island to extend Independence Avenue south from Manchester from 13th Street but that the City had been reluctant to do so based on substantial expense, and the incomplete traffic projections and benefits identified. Mr. Riehle stated that normally the City had been able to minimize their expense in new developments by requiring the developer to shoulder the majority of the costs of infrastructure improvements in new subdivisions. Mr. Riehle suggested that a request for proposals be developed for a consultant to review the entire northwest area of Grand Island. It was noted that this would not be a comprehensive plan but one that could be used in the upcoming development of the Comprehensive Plan scheduled for 2002 after the Census 2000 information became available. Mike Yost, member of the Northwest Neighborhood Association, spoke in support of an alternative too the assessment process inasmuch as the road would be a benefit to more than the adjacent land owners and asked the Council to look into new alternatives. Councilmember Murray reiterated that this would be a traffic plan for the Highway 281 area. Greg Baxter, 1723 Bridle Lane, stated that there was a need to question all the options to improve on what was currently being done. Councilmember Larson questioned whether the existing regulations could be modified. Mr. Riehle stated that some were in City Code and some were regulated by state or federal guidelines. Councilmember Seifert spoke in support of the consultant process. Mayor Gnadt agreed and recommended that the area from Highway 281 to Engleman Road, Highway 2 to Highway 30 be reviewed. Discussion on Traffic Modifications to Third Street. Steve Riehle, Public Works Director, reported that the Public Works Department had completed a study of Third Street from Eddy Street to Blaine Street, to determine if modifications were needed to improve traffic flow. Mr. Riehle stated that the study involved review of traffic accidents, speed limit surveys, and vehicle parking counts and that the results of the study indicated that the average speed limit was 29.05 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. It was also noted that parking on the south side of Third Street near the park was a concern, as well as the darkness of the street. Councilmember Whitesides spoke in support of adding more street lights. Councilmember Pielstick spoke against increasing the speed limit. Councilmember Murray stated that the 1992 Comprehensive Plan recommended elimination of parking along Third Street but that there had 2 I I I Page 3, City Council Study Session, January 17, 2000 been objections to that recommendation. Mr. Murray added that it was possible that eliminating the parking on one side of the street might be an acceptable compromise. Ron Eakes, 2505 Lakewood Drive, spoke on the issue. Mr. Riehle suggested that another alternative might be to shift parking from one side of the street to the other in specific spots. Presentation of Year End Report. Larry Fox, Interim Finance Director, and Paul Mueller, Accounting Manager, presented the City's year end report for fiscal year 1998-1999. Mr. Fox reported that the projected revenues were 90 % of the budget and 99 % of the projected budget and that the sales tax revenue for 1999 remained the primary source of income for the City over property taxes. Mr. Fox noted that the general fund had a significant increase in the public safety arena due to the hiring of additional police officers and the planned hiring of six additional firefighter/paramedics. It was reported that the cash balance had decreased from $45,000,000 in 1999 to $33,000,000 as a result of the increased one time capital improvement purchases. Mr. Fox presented an operating analysis and reported that based on projected expenses in upcoming years, including salaries, the City would eliminate the operating surplus by the year 2002-2003 if no additional revenue source were implemented. Mr. Fox updated the Council on the Government Accounting Standards Board #34 that changed the framework of financial reporting for state and local governments and included a focus on major funds, government wide reporting and additional changes that would impact the City's financial reporting processes. An overview of an integrated accounting software package was also discussed and a summary of the City's self-insurance program was given. Review of Goals and Priorities for Last Four Years. City Administrator MarIan Ferguson stated that updates to the Council's goals and priorities had been collected and would be reviewed in more detail at the Retreat. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~fi~~~ City Clerk 3