MINUTES OF A REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING

City Council Chambers

125 South Main Street, Vineyard, Utah

January 29, 2025, at 6:07 PM

Present                                                             Absent

Chair Julie Fullmer

Boardmember Sara Cameron                          

Boardmember Brett Clawson

Boardmember Jacob Holdaway

Boardmember Mardi Sifuentes

Staff Present: City Manager Eric Ellis, City Attorney Jayme Blakesley, RDA Director Josh Daniels, Lieutenant Holden Rockwell with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Building Official Cris Johnson, Community Development Director Morgan Brim, Senior Planner Cache Hancey, Finance Director Kristie Bayles, Communications Manager Jenna Ahern, City Recorder Pamela Spencer

1. CALL TO ORDER/INVOCATION/INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Play >> Chair Fullmer opened the meeting at 6:07 PM. Boardmember Holdaway gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. PRESENTATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/PROCLAMATIONS

There were no presentations.

3. CONSENT ITEMS

3.1. Approval of December 11, 2024, RDA Meeting Minutes

Chair Fullmer called for a motion.

Play >> Motion: BOARDMEMBER SIFUENTES MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEM AS PRESENTED. BOARDMEMBER CLAWSON SECONDED THE MOTION. CHAIR FULLMER AND BOARDMEMBERS CAMERON, CLAWSON, HOLDAWAY, AND SIFUENTES VOTED YES. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

4. BUSINESS ITEMS

4.1. Bid Award for Architectural Services for the new Vineyard Center (Resolution U2025-01)

Play >> Chair Fullmer turned the time over to RDA Director Josh Daniels.

Play >> Mr. Daniels reviewed the costs for the contract.

Play >> Community Development Director Morgan Brim reviewed the bid process and the recommendation to award the bid to Method Studios for architectural services of the new Vineyard Center. He explained why they had changed the name from the Civic Center to the Vineyard Center, to reflect that there would be other entities using the building. He reviewed the process and timeline for the project.

Play >> Chair Fullmer asked about inviting other users of the building. Mr. Brim explained that they were reaching out to other business to utilize the space.

Play >> Boardmember Clawson asked about the other bidders. Mr. Brim explained that they had narrowed it down to six firms and felt that Method Studios met their needs the best. Boardmember Clawson asked for additional information on the selection process. Senior Planner Cache Hancey reviewed the selection process. Mr. Brim mentioned that staff would be coming back for an RFP for a contractor. A discussion ensued.

Play >> Boardmember Sifuentes asked at what time in the process would they be able to come to the board with costs to build the building. Mr. Brim explained that they would narrow down the costs throughout the process. Boardmember Sifuentes asked if they could receive more information about the process and costs. City Manager Eric Ellis explained that at the February 18, budget retreat RDA’s financial consultant would have a presentation on their recommendation for their funding process. He noted that when working with the Architectural Firm and Construction Manager they would refine the costs and give them a budget to stay within. Mr. Brim mentioned that items such as electrical systems would take longer to get costs. He recommended that they start ordering some things early.

Play >> Boardmember Cameron asked about the estimated timeline for completion of the plans. Mr. Brim replied that they said that the completion of the plans would take six to nine months. He said that there was an alignment process on materials that would help the process move quicker. Mr. Brim commented that construction completion was anticipated to be towards the end of 2026. A discussion ensued.

Play >> Boardmember Holdaway noted that this project was 20 times larger than any other spend they had ever done in the city and felt that a sixty-to-ninety-day social media survey should be done especially if they were going to bond for it. Chair Fullmer asked for clarification on Boardmember Holdaway’s comment on 20 times larger than any other spend. There was a discussion about the cost of the building and how the city would pay for it. Mr. Ellis explained how the costs would be divided up and how this building would be a multipurpose structure that would create an economic development driver and community space in a cost effective way.

Play >> Chair Fullmer asked for clarification on Boardmember Holdaway’s comment about the RDA not producing. Boardmember Holdaway felt that the RDA had not produced at the rate to keep the same tax rate. Boardmember Sifuentes clarified that they city had only adjusted the tax rate once in 20 years. Boardmember Holdaway thought that they paid twice the property taxes. Mr. Daniels clarified that the total property and sales tax had grown. Boardmember Holdaway felt that they had not grown at the level to keep the property taxes at the same rate. Chair Fullmer asked for clarification of the amount of property in the RDA. Boardmember Holdaway replied that half of the property in the city was in the RDA, and they were not paying the normal tax rate. He said that 25 percent of the property taxes went to the city and 75 percent went to the RDA. Boardmember Sifuentes explained that the RDA was allowing for development of a property that needed cleaned up. Mr. Daniels explained how the RDA worked and the value of the land from 2012 through 2022. He noted that the city received 25 percent of the increased value. If it had not been developed it would have remained with a green belt exemption and have a possible negative land value. He noted that the land had a significant increase in value. He added that as the property develops there would be an increased share in sales tax revenues as well as property taxes.

Play >> Boardmember Clawson asked if the increase would be markedly larger than it would have been if it had been left sallow. He noted that the RDA property values had increased about 12 times since 2012 and that his home value had increased one a half times in that time. Mr. Daniels further explained the value of developing the property in the RDA area.

Play >> Boardmember Holdaway asked if they could get a second option on the RDA. Chair Fullmer asked for clarification. Boardmember Holdaway wanted other financial advisors to come and give their opinion of the RDA. Chair Fullmer explained that they had multiple advisors talk to them about the RDA and they voted to allow it. She reviewed the growth of the city and the needs that the city had today and felt that they had established a pattern of being considerate of the taxpayer’s dollars.

Play >> A discussion continued about the value of the project area. Chair Fullmer asked for two examples of growth.

Play >> Boardmember Cameron thanked staff for the work they had done to this point. She thought that they were going to have a financial assessment before moving forward and wanted to postpone the vote until they got those numbers at the retreat. Chair Fullmer asked about the timeline and if they could have Lewis Roberston and Young come in sooner. Mr. Ellis reviewed the process and stated that the numbers were not part of tonight’s request. A discussion ensued. Boardmember Sifuentes wanted to get a ballpark number before they start the architecture process. Chair Fullmer suggested they postpone it two weeks so they could present updated numbers. The expectation was to have a sales tax revenue bond. Boardmember Cameron thanked Chair Fullmer for her work to make this happen. The discussion continued.

Play >> Chair Fullmer felt that the community would not be what it was unless they cleaned it up. It was not a tit-for-tat, they were investing in a cleanup to make it livable and viable. Boardmember Holdaway hoped that they would find a cheaper solution. Chair Fullmer agreed that they would get to a final resolution. A discussion ensued about additional plans and the growth of the city.

Play >> Motion: Boardmember Sifuentes moved to postpone this item to the meeting. Boardmember Cameron seconded the motion.

Play >> A discussion ensued regarding the motion.

Play >> Chair Fullmer, Boardmembers Cameron, Clawson, Holdaway, and Sifuentes voted yes. The motion carried unanimously.

5. ADJOURNMENT

Play >> Chair Fullmer adjourned the meeting at 7:09 PM.

MINUTES APPROVED ON:    02/12/2025

CERTIFIED CORRECT BY:  

     Pamela Spencer, CIty Recorder