D A T E T U E S D A Y J U L Y 30, 2013
THE SALT LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL, STATE OF UTAH, MET ON TUESDAY, JULY 30, 2013, PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT ON TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013, AT THE HOUR OF 4:06:29 PM, AT THE SALT LAKE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, 2001 SO. STATE STREET, ROOM N1100, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
PRESENT: RANDY HORIUCHI
RICHARD SNELGROVE
ARLYN BRADSHAW
DAVID WILDE
SAM GRANATO
STEVEN DEBRY, Chair
COUNCIL MEMBERS
EXCUSED: JIM BRADLEY
MICHAEL JENSEN
MAX BURDICK
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: BEN MCADAMS, MAYOR
SIM GILL, DISTRICT ATTORNEY
PLANNING & ZONING MEETING:
By: THOMAS CHRISTENSEN, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
JASON ROSE, LEGAL COUNSEL, COUNCIL OFFICE
SHERRIE SWENSEN, COUNTY CLERK
By: LINDA DUFFY & NICHOLE WATT, DEPUTY CLERKS
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Council Member DeBry, Chair, presided.
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Mr. Brian Maxwell, Council Aide, led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.
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Council Member Bradshaw, seconded by Council Member Horiuchi, moved to approve the minutes of the Salt Lake County Council meeting held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The motion passed unanimously, showing that all Council Members present voted “Aye.”
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Mr. Jim Huber spoke under “Citizen Public Input” regarding the difficulty of completing a form each year to indicate he is blind and entitled to a property tax reduction. He asked why a person with a permanent disability had to complete an annual application for the property tax reduction.
Council Member Horiuchi stated the County Treasurer could work out a policy to do that.
Council Member Bradshaw stated this would probably require an ordinance change.
Council Member DeBry stated Mr. Huber should speak to the Treasurer, and the Council will look into the matter. It may have to be changed by statute.
Mr. Sim Gill, District Attorney, stated the Council may want to adopt a local rule consistent with whatever the State statute might be. Perhaps the form could be required every four or five years.
Council Member DeBry stated this made perfect sense to him, and the issue will be brought back to the Committee of the Whole for discussion.
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Mr. D. B. (who requested anonymity) spoke under “Citizen Public Input” regarding mental health issues. His daughter has a bipolar disorder. Without her medication for only a few days she becomes incoherent. This also creates a huge expense. People with mental health issues can be treated with counseling and medication. If that lapses, the person often ends up hospitalized costing thousands of dollars per day. He asked that the County’s audit of Valley Mental Health focus on communication with the patient and measures of success.
Council Member Horiuchi stated the Council shares his concern about the continuum of mental health care. He asked if there was an ombudsman or backstop for people who could not fill out their forms.
Ms. Lori Bays, Director, Human Services Department, stated there is a process in place to help such individuals. This has to be addressed from a system standpoint.
Council Member DeBry stated the audit of Valley Mental Health will be extremely thorough. Many people have approached him about this issue, which affects the entire community. The Council will make sure this service is running efficiently and effectively.
Council Member Horiuchi stated the Federal government is considering an expansion of Medicaid. If that is not done, the County will lose millions of dollars towards mental health care.
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Mr. Marion Cox spoke under “Citizen Public Input” regarding putting a statue of his great-grandparents in the Fort Union area.
Council Member DeBry stated the cost of the statue was estimated to be almost $70,000. That is not doable with taxpayer dollars. Although this is a worthy project, it is just too much money. He asked if Mr. Cox was asking the County to fund the statue or a place to put it.
Mr. Cox stated he wanted the statue placed at a house in the Fort Union area. His great-grandparents gave 10 acres of land to build Fort Union and they should be recognized for it.
Council Member DeBry asked who currently owned the property, and about the size of the statue.
Mr. Cox stated Midvale City was the property owner. He was asking for 50 square feet for a statue on a raised platform with two life sized people sitting on a bench.
Council Member Wilde asked if Mr. Cox had contacted private organizations to help fund the statue.
Mr. Cox stated yes, he had.
Council Member Horiuchi asked that the Council’s legal counsel look into what can be done to allow Mr. Cox to use some land for the statue.
Council Member DeBry stated the County needs to collaborate with Midvale City on this. The Council would look into the legalities and get back to Mr. Cox.
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Mr. Jeff Hatch spoke under “Citizen Public Input” regarding the Pioneer Craft House. Several years ago Salt Lake County funded the acquisition of the real estate where the Craft House is located, and entered into an interlocal agreement with South Salt Lake City to operate and maintain the facility. After the Zoo, Arts, and Parks (ZAP) facilities bonds were paid off, the building would be turned over to the Craft House. The 10-year lease with South Salt Lake is now four years old, and the City claims it is not a legal document because the City cannot be involved in funding a charity. South Salt Lake is seeking to remove the business from the Craft House. Although the County may not be able to do anything about this due to the terms of the interlocal agreement, he wanted to keep the Council informed. The Craft House has been a recipient of ZAP funding since the beginning of the program.
Council Member Horiuchi asked that this matter be brought back to a Committee of the Whole meeting for further discussion. He would like to draft a resolution to the South Salt Lake City Council.
Mr. Justin Miller, Associate Deputy Mayor, stated the County has been involved in conversations with South Salt Lake and the District Attorney’s Office about this matter. Currently, there is a Federal lawsuit pending. Any action taken should be deferred to the District Attorney.
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Mr. Don Skinner spoke under “Citizen Public Input” regarding the discontinuation of the 3-course golf pass at Salt Lake County golf facilities. The loss of this pass, and the overall lack of promotion for discounted passes, has resulted in fewer weekday customers. He also spoke about the great job done by golf course employees, the ancillary revenue generated by golfers, and the dangers in the Meadowbrook driving range.
Mr. Justin Miller, Associate Deputy Mayor, stated he would be happy to connect with the Director of the Community Services Department to address these issues.
Council Member Bradshaw stated this should be further considered in a Committee of the Whole meeting.
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Council Member Snelgrove spoke under “Report of Council Members” regarding a July 23, 2013, editorial in the Victorville (CA) Daily Press by Steve Williams, Opinion Page Editor. He read the following parts of the editorial:
San Bernardino County’s jobless rate remains in double digits. Supervisor Robert Lovingood said when elected his first priority was jobs. Has he heard about Salt Lake County? In the past year the Salt Lake County Council has slashed 150 pages of business regulations, eliminating dozens of license requirements and 45 fees, [including the exemption of] lemonade stands and similar operations run by children. Most encouraging of all, the County set fees for its remaining licenses at a level no higher than necessary to cover the cost of processing applications. In other words, the fees are revenue neutral; county government does not pocket any extra cash in keeping the cost of doing business at a bare minimum.
The article goes on to encourage San Bernardino (CA) County to follow the example of Salt Lake County using this as an economic tool.
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Council Member Wilde spoke under “Report of Council Members” regarding the Mick Riley Golf Course. He asked what the situation was with the golf course because many constituents have told him they thought Mick Riley was closing.
Council Member Horiuchi stated Salt Lake City wants to charge the County a higher rate for the County’s rental of the ground. This is under negotiations.
Mr. Justin Miller, Associate Deputy Mayor, stated the County currently has a short term lease, and continues to negotiate for a long-term lease.
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Council Member DeBry spoke under “Report of Council Members” regarding a program in the Fleet Management Division that hires temporary employees from the local high school auto mechanics programs.
He also read the following letter he received from U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch in response to the Council’s letter asking the Senator to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA):
Dear Mr. DeBry:
Thank you for taking time to write to me regarding S.815, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 (ENDA). This is an important issue and I appreciate the opportunity to share my views on the matter.
As you may know, S.815 was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley. If enacted, ENDA would prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. On July 11 of this year I voted to move S.815 out of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Please know that I believe that individuals should not have to face discrimination for any reason in their employment. At the same time I have always stood up to preserve and protect the rights of religious organizations. And I am careful to avoid legislation that contains any unintended consequences affecting these groups. Because S.815 protects the rights for religious groups, I felt comfortable with supporting this legislation’s movement out of the HELP Committee to be debated and voted upon by the Senate as a whole. As S.815 comes before the Senate floor, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.
Thank you again for writing. I am grateful for the privilege to serve to you and the people of our great state. I hope that you continue to write to me about issues that area important to you.
Your Senator,
Orrin G. Hatch
United States Senator
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The Council reviewed the appointment of Sam Granato to serve on the Environmental Quality Advisory Commission.
Council Member Bradshaw, seconded by Council Member Horiuchi, moved to ratify the vote taken in the Committee of the Whole meeting. [Council Member Bradshaw, seconded by Council Member Granato, moved to approve the appointment and forward it to the 4:00 p.m. Council meeting for formal consideration. The motion passed unanimously. Council Member Jensen was absent for the vote.] The Council motion passed unanimously, showing that all Council Members present voted “Aye.”
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The Council reviewed possible procedures for reviewing and approving rewrites of Human Resources Policies and Procedures. The Council decided to delay its decision on the proposed revisions until it receives the Mayor’s recommendation.
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Ms. Pat Iverson, Contracts Administrator, Contracts and Procurement Division, submitted a letter recommending approval of the following RESOLUTION authorizing execution of an INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT between Salt Lake County for its Clerk’s Office and the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District – EL 13040c. The Clerk’s Office will be paid an amount not to exceed the estimate given to the District by the County to provide 2013 Trustee Elections. The County shall provide a written invoice to the District at the conclusion of the elections, and the District shall pay the County from the invoice within thirty days of receiving it. The invoice shall contain a summary of the costs of the election and shall provide the formula for allocating the costs among the issues and jurisdictions participating in the election. The term of the agreement is from date of execution to December 31, 2013.
RESOLUTION NO. 4720 DATE: July 30, 2013
A RESOLUTION OF THE SALT LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING AN INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BY WHICH THE SALT LAKE COUNTY CLERK WILL PROVIDE ELECTION SERVICES TO TAYLORSVILLE-BENNION IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (THE “DISTRICT”) TO CONDUCT THE 2013 SERVICE DISTRICT ELECTION.
The Legislative Body of Salt Lake County resolves as follows:
WHEREAS, Salt Lake County and the District are local government units under the laws of the State of Utah;
WHEREAS, they are authorized by the Utah Interlocal Cooperation Act, Utah Code Annotated §§ 11-13-101-314 (2010), to enter into an agreement, upon resolution to do so by their respective governing bodies, to enable them to make the most efficient use of their resources;
WHEREAS, the County and the District have prepared an interlocal agreement providing for the Salt Lake County Clerk to provide election administration services to the district to conduct the 2013 district election;
WHEREAS, the County wishes to enter into the interlocal agreement with the district.