Summary of Action | Meetings on September 21, 2021

Citizens Agenda for Meetings on September 21, 2021

Citizens Agenda

Council meeting agendas are often difficult for people to navigate. Filled with jargon and legal requirements on how an item must be listed, it can be a challenge to determine what Council members are actually discussing or deciding on. 

What follows is a staff interpretation of the agendas. 

The official published agendas and supporting materials can be found here:  http://agendas.provo.org 

This meeting will be conducted as a hybrid meeting, with some in-person components as well as continued virtual meeting access. The meeting will be available to the public for live broadcast and on-demand viewing on YouTube and Facebook at: youtube.com/provocitycouncil and facebook.com/provocouncil. The in-person meeting will be held in the Council Chambers. For information on how to view the meetings and how to contribute public comments without attending in person, click here.

PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Work Meeting Agenda

1:00 pm, Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Work Meetings are designed to be a less formal venue for discussion among Council Members. Generally, no public input is taken during the meeting.

Business

1. Fiscal Year 2021 Carryover Report to Council. (21-100)

• At the close of each fiscal year, the Finance Division compiles a carryover list detailing budget amounts from the old year that should be "carried over" into the new year. The carryover list includes the following: 1) Budget to cover encumbered invoices that were not paid by June 30th. 2) Old year balances for CIP funds, grants, vehicle replacement accounts, the Parks Capital Equipment account, and the Facilities Capital Equipment account. 3) Surplus budget for specific purchases or projects. The final carryover list is approved by the Mayor and then presented to the Council in a work meeting each fall. 

2. A resolution appropriating $8,772.09 from General Fund sales tax revenues to the Economic Development Division in the General Fund for a contractual Sales Tax Increment post performance payment to Day's Market. (21-038)

• In early 2018, the Economic Development Office worked with Day's Market to craft a post performance sales tax increment agreement with Day's Market, located on North Canyon Road. The owners of Day's Market were planning an extensive remodel of their aging store and requested that Provo City assist in reducing the construction costs by entering into a sales tax reimbursement agreement on a post performance basis. Days Market would spend approximately $1.3 million dollars on the interior remodel of the store. Similar to other sales tax agreements, Day's would be able to earn back some of their costs if they produced sales above an established baseline -- which in this case was set at $39,800. Based on sales tax information and a calculation, they qualify for sales tax reimbursement of $8,772.09 for fiscal year 2021. This is a ten-year agreement. 

3. A discussion on towing fees (21-105)

• In 2013, the City adopted City Municipal Code 9.31.110 which included a limitation on the maximum fees and charges a towing company operator may charge for: (i) booting or otherwise immobilizing a vehicle, and (ii) towing a vehicle. The fee limits in question only apply to patrol type tows at residential properties. Provo does not impose a fee cap for any consent tows or for non-consent tows (1) at non-residential properties or (2) at residential properties where the property manager or designee calls for the tow. In 2013, in an attempt to prevent predatory towing, Mayor Curtis proposed, and the Council approved, rules requiring patrol tows of residential properties to be done under a contract that meets certain requirements. One of those requirements is a cap on the fees. A local towing operator is requesting a change in the rates to help address cost increases (vehicle, employment, insurance, equipment, etc.). Options include: 1) reject the request for a change; 2) remove the cap; or 3) change the cap to: (i) a new fixed dollar amount, or (ii) a percentage of the state maximums.

Summary of Action | Meetings on September 7, 2021

Citizens Agenda for Meetings on September 7, 2021

Citizens Agenda

Council meeting agendas are often difficult for people to navigate. Filled with jargon and legal requirements on how an item must be listed, it can be a challenge to determine what Council members are actually discussing or deciding on. 

What follows is a staff interpretation of the agendas. 

The official published agendas and supporting materials can be found here:  http://agendas.provo.org 

This meeting will be conducted as a hybrid meeting, with some in-person components as well as continued virtual meeting access. The meeting will be available to the public for live broadcast and on-demand viewing on YouTube and Facebook at: youtube.com/provocitycouncil and facebook.com/provocouncil. The in-person meeting will be held in the Council Chambers. For information on how to view the meetings and how to contribute public comments without attending in person, click here.

PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Work Meeting Agenda

12:30 pm, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Work Meetings are designed to be a less formal venue for discussion among Council Members. Generally, no public input is taken during the meeting.

Business

1. A presentation regarding FY22 Budget Corrections. (21-015)

• Provo has a large budget, and after reviewing it and working with various departments, we've identified a few corrections that will require an appropriation. 

2. A presentation regarding the Parkway Village Tax Increment Finance reimbursement agreement - second payment - budget appropriation. (21-097)

•  On November 15, 2016, the Municipal Council approved a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement between Provo City and Parkway Village LLC. The Council was presented with a request to reimburse the ownership group for certain extraordinary costs associated with the removal of an existing occupied retail pad, participation of the installation of a new traffic signal and the construction of a replacement retail pad. The reimbursement would be funded through retail sales tax increment above the established predetermined sales tax revenue actually generated by the retail center as of a certain date. The baseline revenue was established at $136,476, which represents 1/2 of 1% of total sales generated at the center or that portion of sales tax revenue received by Provo City from the retail center, as provided by the State of Utah. Provo City will continue to receive the baseline amount of $136,476. The developer/owner will receive an annual reimbursement against their actual out-of-pocket expenses, any additional sales tax revenue above the baseline amount of $136,476. The term of the agreement runs for 10 years. In that time the developer/owner will be able to be reimbursed for up to 1/2 the out-of-pocket costs for the expenses. The target reimbursement amount is $1,053,395.86, which is 1/2 of the total out-of-pocket expenses ($2,106791.72). As this is the second payment in the 10-year agreement ($12,855) which represents that amount over the baseline of $136,476, it is not likely that full reimbursement amount will be achieved.

3. A resolution Appropriating up to $65,000 in the Fire Department in the General Fund for Fire Truck Equipment. (21-058)

•  Provo City held fire truck lease proceeds in escrow during the period of time it took to build a fire truck to the City's specifications. The lease proceeds earned roughly $65,000 in interest while being invested in the Utah Public Treasurer's Investment Fund during this period of time. The City is required to use these interest earnings for the same purpose of the original lease. There is equipment for the fire truck that is needed that can be purchased with these funds. The equipment includes a Raman spectroscopy, a swift water kit, a large area search systems kit, a confined space fan, and a reach and rescue standard pole kit. In order to make the purchases, a budget appropriation approved by the Council is required. The amount of the appropriation will be equal to the amount of interest earned on the lease proceeds, up to $65,000.

4. A discussion on the American Rescue Plan Act parameters and priorities. (21-096)

• The American Rescue Plan was enacted on March 11, 2021, to help with the COVID19 Pandemic. As part of the funding Provo City will receive around $32,000,000. These funds need to be spent according to U.S. Department of the Treasury rules and regulations. The Administration is giving the Council an update on what the latest guidance from the Treasury Department and how those funds can be allocated. 

5. A discussion on a Percent for Arts program and a City Center water feature. (21-098)

• Some cities and states have Percent for Art programs, which come in various flavors, whereby 1% of the cost of qualifying construction projects is set aside for public art. The proposed plaza water feature, a work of art, intended for the northwest corner of the new City Center building has been cut from the project due to rising construction costs impacting the project budget. It is proposed to discuss using remaining funds in the Legacy CIP Fund to restore the feature. Any proposed appropriation would need to be properly noticed and addressed at a future meeting of the Council. 

6. A presentation from the Kem C. Gardner Institute: "Diversity in Utah" (21-094)

• The Council has requested more discussion on diversity and inclusion. The Kem Gardner Policy Institute will present a report it released on May 6, 2021, that includes race, ethnicity, and gender data for Utah.