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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-04-17 Town Council MinutesVail Town Council Evening Meeting Minutes • Tuesday, April 17, 2007 6:00 P.M. Vail Town Council Chambers The regular meeting of the Vail Town Council was called to order at approximately 6:00 P.M. by Mayor Rod Slifer. Members present: Rod Slifer, Mayor Farrow Hitt, Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Moffet Kim Newbury Mark Gordon Kevin Foley Not present: Kent Logan Staff Members: Stan Zemler, Town Manager Matt Mire, Town Attorney Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager The first item on the agenda was Citizen Participation. There was none. 19 Foley stated the Vail Chamber and Business Association Premier Impression Awards Ceremony was successful. The second item on the agenda was appointments to the Vail Local Licensing Authority (LLA) and Vail Local Housing Authority (VLHA) boards. Earlier in the day Council interviewed all of the applicants. All applicants for the LLA roust be citizens of the United States, qualified electors of the Town of Vail, and have resided in Vail for not less than two years preceding appointment, and shall have no direct financial interest in any license to sell alcoholic beverages or any location having any such license. Duties of the five -member board include review of all Town of Vail liquor license applications. There are currently three vacancies on the LLA. The Town received five (3) applications for the. vacancy. Moffet moved to appoint Mark Conlin, Connie Knight and Bryant Roth to the board with Hitt seconding. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. Foley thanked Bill Bishop and Dick Cleveland for their past service on the board. All applicants for the VLHA must be full-time, year-round residents of Eagle County who either are residents of the Town of Vail or work for a business holding a Town of Vail business license. Authority members must have a proven ability to be an effective advocate for a full range of housing projects and be able to promote a vision for local employee housing that has been approved of by the majority of the Authority. The role of • Authority members is to act as Board of Directors for the business of the Vail Local Housing Authority. The duties may include budget approval, adopting policies, • advocacy, staff oversight, strategic and long-term planning, setting development and acquisition parameters and potentially managing the existing Town of Vail deed - restricted housing inventories. Technical experience in one of the following areas is also desirable: financing of large projects, development, construction/construction management, planning, design, or legal. Hitt moved to reappoint Sally Jackle with Moffet seconding. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. The third item on the agenda was the Town Manager's Report. Vail Pass Environmental Assessment Update. Town Engineer Tom Kassmel reported the process continued. For more information and a detailed time line please visit www.westvailpass.org. Police Department Annual Report Police Chief Dwight Henninger presented Council with the 2006 Police Department Annual Report. The report documents the activities of the Police Department and Vail Public Safety Communications Center during 2006. Highlights include a 14.5% increase in calls for service and no significant increases in crime rates. Gordon thanked the Police Department for their hard work. Henninger then thanked Council for their continued support. • Seibert Circle Update. • Project Manager Todd Oppenheimer reported significant engineering work still needed to happen before the proposed fountain could be completed. He said the town did not have the necessary schedule to guarantee a price with a general contractor. 'We are not going to start this on April 23... 1 wish it was a lot better news." Hitt asked when the news came to light. Oppenheimer replied, "This company (project designer WET Design) is not a responsive company." The design of an intrusion system surrounding the sculpture was also discussed. Slifer asked that the intrusion element be brought before Council for approval prior to it being installed. Zemler said he would like the Town Attorney to review the contract with WET Design and determine an appropriate course of action. The fourth item on the agenda was a Noise Ordinance Discussion and opportunity for public Input. Police Commander Steve Wright asked Council to discuss and obtain public input regarding the existing noise ordinance and give direction to staff if change is desired. During the Council meeting of March 20, there was discussion of possibly amending the current town ordinance section 5-1-7, extending the time periods for allowable outdoor entertainment. The current ordinance prohibits amplified sound between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Wright said, "The current ordinance appears to have a good balance between the needs of the commercial establishments and the residential occupants of the core areas. However, if Councii is desirous of making a change, staff recommends extending the period of allowable amplified sound on Friday and Saturday nights by one • hour." Hitt and Gordon recommended allowing sound to be amplified for an additional hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Representing Vail Resorts, Tom Miller asked Council to consider Special Entertainment Districts. Vail local Sheika Gramshammer asked • Council to support an hour long amplified sound extension on Friday and Saturday. Representing the Vail Chamber and Business Association, Kaye Ferry said an extension would be appropriate. Hitt moved to have the Town Attorney bring back an ordinance extending the hours of outdoor amplified sound from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with Gordon seconding. Slifer explained he had concerns that amplified sound ultimately turns into street entertainment. Representing the Red Lion, Scott Dolgitt spoke in support of the extension. The motion passed 5-1, with Slifer opposed. • • The fifth item on the agenda was a 2007 Integrated Weed Management Plan Update. Landscape Architect Gregg Barrie presented an update on Noxious Weed Management efforts for 200' . "Beginning this spring, the Department of Public Works will be stepping up efforts to effectively manage noxious weeds on town -owned property. The Town of Vail has a pretty significant noxious weed problem." Management efforts will include: inventory and mapping, public education, and then management efforts. Four different management efforts are proposed: --Mechanical --Chemical --Biological --Cultural The town is planning a first annual "Weed Pull" toward the end of the summer. Hitt cornmented he had participated in noxious weed management efforts in his neighborhood. Gordon encouraged using as few chemicals as possible. The sixth item on the agenda was an Environmental Program Update. Town Environmental Officer Bill Carlson provided Council with an overview of environmental programs the town has undertaken and was researching. Zemler said when the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) funding mechanism for environmental programs was approved, staff assured Council they would be informed as to how the funds would be spent. Carlson went on to explain the town's recycling, renewable energy, green building and energy management plan and water quality protections. Council discussed the potential use of a cardboard compactor for commercial cardboard collection. Zemler said he would investigate commercial cardboard collection. Gordon encouraged the use of compostable plastics at town special events. Gordon asked what the town could do to encourage photovoltaic systems. Hitt clarified the United States Forest Service and Eagle County also provided Forest Health Project Funding. Newbury thanked Public Information Officer Suzanne Silverthorne for her successful work regarding the bear -resistant container awareness program. The seventh item on the agenda was a LionsHead Parking Structure Update. Zemler reported much progress had been made in regard to the structure's redevelopment. Legal counsel for both parties are meeting and beginning to put appropriate language together. The possible use of Timber Ridge will also be discussed. Bond counsel has begun investigating the project's funding. A group of community leaders was convened to have a dialogue about the potential uses of a conference center/performing arts facility. . The eighth item on the agenda was Conference Center Fund Reallocation Next Steps Report. Zemler reported that during the April 3, 2007, meeting, following public input from the business community, Town Council voted 5-2 to proceed with a telephone poll to probe voter interest regarding various reallocation scenarios for the Conference Center Fund, so long as Council's procedural questions are satisfactorily addressed during the April 17 work session. It is estimated the fund will be approximately $9 million by a fall election. The conference center taxes (a half -cent sales tax and a 1.5 percent lodging tax) were approved by voters in 2002 and rescinded in 2006. The funding may be redirected to an alternate use(s) with the consent of Vail's electorate. Options for next steps include: • Proceed with the telephone poll to be fielded in June and provide direction on the list of questions and possible uses to probe with input from a working group to be identified by the Town Council. Results ;mould be used to determine readiness to set the ballot for November 2007, which would require second reading of an ordinance by August 21. • Postpone the telephone survey and create a working group to be identified by the Town Council to recommend a possible ballot question for November 2007, which requires second reading of an ordinance by August 21. A telephone poll could be scheduled later to evaluate voter interest prior to a go/no-go ballot decision. Postpone the survey and ballot -setting process until 2008 when additional information will be known regarding future plans for public parking and a privately -funded conference center as part of the LionsHead parking structure redevelopment negotiation process. Moffet moved to postpone the survey and ballot -setting process until 2008 when additional information will be known regarding future plans for public parking and a privately -funded conference center as part of the LionsHead parking structure redevelopment negotiation process with Hitt seconding. Representing the Vail Valley Partnership, Michael Robinson spoke in support of the motion. Montaneros building representative Keith Ozda asked Council to continue efforts in determining what to do with the funds. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. The ninth item on the Discussion of Ordinance No. 13, Series of 2007, an Ordinance making supplemental appropriations to the Town of Vail General Fund, Capital Projects Fund and Real Estate Transfer Fund, of the 2007 Budget for the Town of Vail, The Town of Vail, Colorado; and authorizing the expenditures of said appropriations as set forth herein. Moffet moved to approve the ordinance with Newbury seconding. Fire Chief. John Gulick explained a town owned ladder truck had been recently refurbished. The Katsos Ranch recreation trail renovation was also discussed in detail. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. • The tenth item on the agenda was the Second Reading of Ordinance No. 1, Series of 2007. An ordinance amending title 10, Vail Town Code; adopting chapter 3, "in -building public safety radio system coverage"; providing minimum standards for in -building radio . system coverage. Town Fire Marshal Mike McGee reported the ability of police, fire, ambulance and other emergency providers and personnel to communicate with each other within buildings and structures, and to communicate from within structures and buildings to personnel and locations outside of the building and structures, is vital to the public and these responding agencies. A breakdown in communications among emergency responders and public safety personnel creates a serious risk of harm and is a serious threat to the safety and welfare of emergency personnel, the residents Vail and the public in general. McGee said he had recently found 18 buildings within town limits where radio communication was not available inside. Costs to install amplification systems range from ten cents to one dollar per square foot. Slifer clarified property owners were generally willing to be compliant. Moffet moved to adopt the ordinance with Hitt seconding. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. For details, contact Matt Mire at 479- 2460. The eleventh item on the agenda was Resolution Number 11, Series 2007. A resolution supporting the efforts of the Vail Valley Foundation to proceed with a bid for the 2013 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships. Vail Valley Foundation President Ceil Folz announced in 2004 the Vail Valley Foundation (the "Foundation") executed a challenging, yet unsuccessful bid to bring the Alpine World Ski Championships to Vail. The Foundation now believes it is time to "put • our foot back in the pool' and submit a bid for the 2013 World Alpine Ski Championships. The Alpine Ski Championships gather the greatest skiers from over forty countries to compete over a two week period of time in every alpine discipline. The Alpine Ski Championships are expected to attract more than 800 athletes, 1,800 members of the media, 2,000 volunteers and several large international sponsors. Folz clarified that philosophical support would lead to financial support if the bid is successful. Moffet moved to adopt the resolution with Gordon seconding. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. For details, contact Pam Brandmeyer at 479-2113. The twelfth item on the agenda was Adjournment. Slifer said he had indicated to St. Moritz, Switzerland officials the Town of Vail had a desire to increase interaction. Moffet moved to adjourn with Foley seconding at approximately 8:02 p.m. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0. ATTEST: 0 *0 0 ••1•••••. Rodney E. Slifer, Mayor CO1. Omf A/�•• Lorelei Donaldson, Town Clerk : Ca ••....ate . Minutes provided by Corey Swisher. • 0