minutes OF A REgular
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
City Council Chambers
125 South Main Street, Vineyard, Utah
July 26, 2023, at 6:00 PM
_______________
Present Absent
Mayor Julie Fullmer
Councilmember Tyce Flake
Councilmember Amber Rasmussen
Councilmember Mardi Sifuentes
Councilmember Cristy Welsh
Staff Present: City Manager Ezra Nair, City Attorney Jayme Blakesley, Lieutenant Holden Rockwell with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Finance Director David Mortensen, Chief Building Official Cris Johnson, Community Development Director Morgan Brim, Planner Cache Hancey, Public Works Director Naseem Ghandour, Admin Intern Bradley Day, Environmental Utilities Manager Sullivan Love, City Recorder Pamela Spencer
Others speaking: Residents Aljay Fuimaono, Randy Gray, Daria and Russell Evans, Karen Cornelius, Tyler Haroldsen, Jordan Christensen, David Pearce, and Christian Haroldsen; Karla Mata with X Development
1. CALL TO ORDER/INVOCATION/INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT/Pledge of Allegiance
Play >> Mayor Fullmer opened the meeting at 6:00 PM. Councilmember Flake gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Work Session
2.1 Water Tank Mural design
Planning will lead a discussion about the Water Tank Mural Design.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer turned the time over to Community Development Director Morgan Brim.
Play >> Mr. Brim explained the process staff had gone through to this point. He then turned the time over to Aljay Fuimaono who is the artist chosen to paint the water tank mural.
Play >> Mr. Fuimaono explained that he had presented a rough draft as part of his original proposal. The proposal was displayed on the screen. There was a discussion about the timeline for completing the mural, the design, and the time allotted for public comments.
3. Public Comments
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for public comment.
Play >> Resident Randy Gray, living in The Villas subdivision, thanked the council for the recent Town Hall that had been held for his subdivision. He expressed his concerns with the proposed property tax rate increases. He asked the council to coordinate a meeting with state legislators to discuss these increases. He also expressed his concern with tax abatement and the income that was used to determine the qualifications. Councilmember Sifuentes read the property tax rate increase proposed by Alpine School District. She said that the hearing for this item would be held on August 8, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the Alpine School District board room. Mr. Gray felt that seniors on a fixed income needed special consideration.
Play >> Resident Daria Evans, living in The Villas subdivision, thanked staff and council for the town hall meeting that was held last week. She also thanked the Sheriff’s Department for patrolling Vineyard Loop Road. She thanked the Public Works Department for their work in cleaning the city. She expressed concerns that there was a lack of parking at venues in the city. Mayor Fullmer shared that there was more parking coming. A discussion ensued.
Play >> Resident Karen Cornelius, living in The Villas subdivision, felt that the Yard development was wonderful but gave up going because she couldn’t find a place to park. She said that the city had to plan ahead for parking needs. There was a discussion about parking in the Yard and Edgewater developments.
Play >> Ms. Cornelius asked about the timeline for a grocery store. Mr. Nair replied that they were in the site planning process and hoped to have an announcement in about two weeks.
Play >> Resident Tyler Haroldsen, living in the Edgewater development, felt that a good location for a grocery store would be on the empty lot on Mill Road. He mentioned that he had purchased a home a couple of months ago and stated that the more walkable they made the city, the more he would leave his car home. He was in support of having more mid-street crossings.
Play >> Resident Jordan Christensen, living in The Preserve, felt that people who were choosing to live with roommates might be the ones who chose to leave their cars home. He felt that the city should include protected bike lanes. He felt that it was unacceptable if driving was the only option.
Play >> Mr. Gray commented that, 15 years ago, the largest developer in Maricopa County made the observation that parking garages were expensive, but there were times when they needed to be imposed. Mayor Fullmer responded that they were being included in the downtown area.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for further public comments. Hearing none, she closed the public comments session.
4. Mayor and COUNCILMEMBERS’ REPORTS/DISCLOSURES/RECUSALS
Play >> Councilmember Welsh reported that they would be holding the first ARCH Commission meeting on August 8, 2023. She also reported that the city had grant funds to improve the shoreline. She reviewed some of the improvements that would be happening soon.
Play >> Councilmember Sifuentes reported that there would be a Vineyard community event on August 7 at 7:30 PM at Grove Park.
Play >> There was a discussion about the shoreline improvement process.
5. STAFF, COMMISSION, and committee REPORTS
5.1 Play >> City Manager Ezra Nair reported that the partial closure on Main and the Connector
installing the water line had been delayed and that they would put out a notice on social media when it would start again. He suggested that residents take their trash cans in as soon as they can after they are emptied because of the high winds they had experienced lately. He reported that the 1600 North mid-block crossing had been designed and was sent out for pricing. He also reported that the installation of stop signs and red curbing in neighborhoods was ongoing.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer asked council to schedule time with Mr. Nair and Mr. Mortensen to discuss the proposed fire station before the next council meeting.
6. CONSENT ITEMS
6.1 Approval of the June 27, 2023, City Council Town Hall Meeting Minutes
6.2 Approval of the July 12, 2023, City Council Meeting Minutes
6.3 Approval of an Amendment to the Municipal Code Chapters 5, 8, and 10 (Ordinance 2023-25)
6.4 Ratification of an Amendment to Homesteads Impact Fee Agreement
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for a motion.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER SIFUENTES MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER WELSH SECONDED THE MOTION. ROLL CALL WENT AS FOLLOWS: MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer appointed Kevin Sekaquaptewa to the ARCH Commission and then called for a motion to support the appointment.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MAYOR’S APPOINTMENT. COUNCILMEMBER FLAKE SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
8. Presentations/recognitions/awards/PROCLAMATIONS
No items were submitted.
9. BUSINESS ITEMS
9.1 PUBLIC HEARING – Zoning Text Amendment (Ordinance 2023-26)
Planner Cache Hancey will present a proposed Zoning Code amendment to the VZC Section 15.38.030 Parking Requirements to modify the off-street parking requirements for hotels or motels. The mayor and City Council will act to adopt (or deny) this request by ordinance.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for a motion to open the public hearing.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER FLAKE MOVED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:55 PM. COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer turned the time over to Planner Cache Hancey.
Play >> Mr. Hancey reviewed the proposed zoning text amendment and the research staff had done. A discussion ensued.
Play >> Karla Mata with X development reviewed Provo’s code. A discussion ensued about the code and parking requirements.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for public comments.
Play >> Resident David Pearce, living in The Cascade subdivision, asked about the hotel research that had been done, specifically had they looked at the occupancy rates in the Wasatch Front and, and seasonal occupancy rates. Mr. Hancey replied that he had pulled the occupancy rates from the national association of hotels and lodging and were specific to Utah. He noted that nothing had listed seasonal uses.
Play >> Mr. Tyler Haroldsen handed out a hotel peak parking demand report from the Institute of Transportation Engineers. He asked if any of the council had been to a hotel where they could not park. There was a brief discussion about parking at hotels. He reviewed the handout. He felt that the city should let the hotels determine their parking needs. He also felt that the current Utah code was not applicable to hotels.
Play >> Resident Russell Evans, living in the Villas subdivision, stated that he had expressed his concerns during the Planning Commission meeting and that after further discussion was okay with removing the visitor parking. He also felt that the mayor should allow for public comments during the council discussion period, which was after the public hearing had been closed.
Play >> Resident Christian Haroldsen, living in The Cottonwoods subdivision, expressed concern with how the code was studied. He felt that it should be up to the hotel to determine their parking needs.
Play >> Resident Jordan Christensen, living in The Preserve subdivision, felt that they should make the decision on evidence-based research. He felt that they were trying to predict how many cars would be showing up at the hotel, which was hard to do. He said that there was only one variable used, which was the number of rooms. He felt that they should collect other variables, such as what amenities exist around the hotel. He also felt that the hotel had a profitable interest, and the city should not be controlling their parking.
Play >> Mr. Hancey noted that the seasonal occupancy for hotels was 70 percent during high demand in July and 39 percent during low demand in January.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for a motion to close the public hearing.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER SIFUENTES MOVED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:21 PM. COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Play >> Councilmember Rasmussen mentioned that the last update to the code was in 2018. Mr. Brim added that this section was not altered at that time.
Play >> Councilmember Sifuentes stated that she was frustrated to see this request. She felt that it was a common theme that there were a lot of concerns about parking. She said that she had been in a position where she was without a car but was able to work it out. She had no interest in changing the code at this time.
Play >> Councilmember Flake added that having sat here for eight (8) years, he had had people scream at them about parking and then had people question their judgment. He had been through a number of interesting occupations and when he was able to separate the talk and the fallacies that some people believed, there were answers. He had made a number of judgments in the eight (8) years and found that he could never please anybody. He was a firm believer that if you build bigger roads and parking lots you invite more cars, and with smaller parking lots you invite more criticism. He stated that he was not pleased with the proposal and expressed his frustration.
Play >> Councilmember Welsh expressed appreciation to the residents who shared their experiences in the city. She felt that this was a tough decision and wanted to get it right. She felt that that there was nothing wrong with looking at what other cities had done before they made a decision.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer stated that she was big on property rights and liked the comments that were made tonight. She felt that if the hotels controlled their parking and their occupancy rate, they would have enough parking. She added that they wanted these types of businesses to come to Vineyard. She felt that this amendment would not be an issue. She said that they could stipulate that hotels had to control their parking and have the code only added to the (Geneva Regional Mixed Use) GRMU District. Mr. Brim requested a continuance so staff could draft language. There was a discussion about the possible motion.
Play >> Councilmember Sifuentes wanted to know what future businesses would need. Ms. Mata replied that they were not ready to disclose the potential businesses because of ongoing negotiations. She noted that they would not be able to fit the hotel on that lot if they had to include the 10 additional spaces.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer recommended a continuation with the additional stipulations.
Play >> Councilmember Flake was in support of the mayor’s motion.
Play >> Councilmember Rasmussen felt that they should not overregulate the parking.
Play >> Councilmember Welsh was in favor of continuing this item and looking into Provo’s code.
Play >> There was a discussion about the motion.
Play >> Councilmember Sifuentes added that she had concerns about there not being enough parking in the area where the residential building would be located. Mayor Fullmer responded that hotels would regulate their own parking and if there was not enough parking for the residential, they should ramp it up. A discussion ensued.
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for a motion to continue the item to a future meeting.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER FLAKE MOVED TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION OF ITEM 9.1 ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO A FUTURE DATE. COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
9.2 PUBLIC HEARING – Zoning Code Text Amendments (Ordinance 2023-27)
Planner Cache Hancey will present proposed Zoning Code amendments to the VZC Section 15.12.060-Dimensional Standards Table to increase the maximum building height in the RMU District. The mayor and City Council will act to adopt (or deny) this request by ordinance. (The council will not be taking action on the proposed text amendment during this meeting.)
Play >> There was a discussion about the motion to continue or strike this item.
Play >> Motion: COUNCILMEMBER SIFUENTES MOVED TO STRIKE ITEM 9.2 PUBLIC HEARING - ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENTS (ORDINANCE 2023-27) FROM THE AGENDA AND HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING RE-NOTICED FOR A LATER DATE. COUNCILMEMBER WELSH SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
No closed session was held.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Play >> Mayor Fullmer called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Play >> COUNCILMEMBER RASMUSSEN MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:46 PM. COUNCILMEMBER SIFUENTES SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR FULLMER, COUNCILMEMBERS FLAKE, RASMUSSEN, SIFUENTES, AND WELSH VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MINUTES APPROVED ON: August 9, 2023
CERTIFIED CORRECT BY: /s/Pamela Spencer
Pamela Spencer, CIty Recorder