Minutes of the Work Session held November
3, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
Members Present
Mayor Ronald Drake and Council Members Marie
Lopez Rogers
Chuck
Wolf
Stephanie
Karlin
Raymond
Shuey
Betty
Lynch
Albert
Carroll, Jr.
ALSO PRESENT
Todd Hileman, City Manager
Andrew McGuire, City Attorney
2) AVONDALE URBANIZED AREA TRANSIT PLAN
Progress on the Avondale Urbanized
Area Transit Plan.
Charlie McClendon, Assistant City Manager, stated that three
route extensions were planned including Route No. 41 to Estrella Mountain
Community College, Route No. 70 to Litchfield Road and Estrella Mountain and
the Green Line to the Civic Center. He stated that the money was in the
transit budget because the grant funds would pay for 50% and staff planned to
work with the neighboring jurisdictions to implement those enhancements. He
stated that the McDowell Route could be moved up sooner if the funding was
secured.
Council Member Lynch stated that the McDowell Route was the
most critical route at that time.
Mr. McClendon stated that if funding was found, the route
could be implemented sooner. He added that the City of Phoenix is also part of
the agreement and has already signed.
Council Member Lynch stated that it was more important to do
the McDowell Route than the Rapid Transit Route.
Council Member Carroll asked what kind of feedback was being
received from other jurisdictions concerning connectivity.
Mr. McClendon stated that there had been a lot of feedback
and the plan was flexible enough to make adjustments.
Council Member Carroll stated
that it appeared that some routes would stop at local sites while others would
be more express in nature.
Mr. McClendon stated that was
correct.
Council Member Carroll asked if
the expansion of services or frequency of services would be implemented first.
Mr. McClendon stated that there
was more public demand for covering a larger area than for expansion of
frequencies at that time.
Council Member Shuey stated that
service to McDowell Road could be served with the Green Line and that services
should be extended to include the Gateway Pavilion.
Mr. McClendon stated that staff
would investigate that.
3) UNCONTAINED TRASH SERVICE FOR MOBILE HOME PARKS AND APARTMENTS
Status of uncontained trash service
to mobile home parks and apartment complexes.
Cindy Blackmore, Deputy Director of Field Operations, stated
that Council had decided that service to mobile home parks would be
discontinued as of December 2003. She stated that staff met with representatives
from mobile home parks who were concerned about the change in service and
illegal dumping. She stated that staff did an analysis and found that
providing the service once per month on Saturdays would have the least impact
on the current schedule. She stated that the estimated cost for one half hour
of service would be $245.00. She asked if the Council wished to provide a fee
based service or phase it out completely.
Council Member Wolf asked if $245 would cover the cost to
pick up tires.
Ms. Blackmore stated that staff would have to do an analysis
on how many tires were being picked up.
Council Member Lynch stated that there were many compelling
reasons presented last time as to why the service should be discontinued and
the concerns raised were the responsibility of the property managers. She
stated that a fee based service would not cover the costs and would hinder
residential service.
Todd Hileman, City Manager, stated that staff was trying to
envision a different way to conduct the sanitation business as the City grew in
population.
Council Member Wolf stated that property owners would be
responsible for illegal dumping and could contract with the private sector.
Council Member Carroll asked about staff costs. Mr. Hileman
stated that the overtime costs would be different but the other costs would
remain stable. He stated that if the service was offered, it would have to be
offered on Saturdays to accommodate the other schedule.
Council Member Karlin stated that many cities did not provide
uncontained trash and not all of the costs would be recovered because the City
was charged extra for tires at the landfill. She stated that she did not want
to start something that would have to be discontinued.
Mr. Hileman stated that when the population grew to 60,000,
the City would have to compete for existing commercial accounts and uncontained
service.
Vice-Mayor Rogers thanked staff for meeting with the
property managers and getting their input. She stated that she had concerns
about tires and large appliances but would like to offer the option of a fee
based service as long as it was monitored closely.
Ms. Blackmore stated that if a fee based service was
provided, staff would do an analysis and provide information to the Council.
Council Member Shuey stated that commercial sanitation
should pay for itself and cover a share of the fixed costs. He stated that one
of the benefits of providing the service would be to cover the administrative
costs.
Ms. Blackmore stated that was correct.
Council Member Lynch stated the cost would not cover
everything and there was no need to provide the service now when the City would
have to revisit the issue when population grew to 60,000.
A representative from the Country Hills Mobile Estates, 119th Avenue and McDowell Road, stated that she was not opposed to getting
service from another company but wanted something in writing on whether the
service would be discontinued. She stated that she did not have a preference
whether the City or a private company picked up the trash but was concerned
with the cost.
Wesley Wright, Palm West Mobile Home Park, 300 W. Lower Buckeye Road, Avondale, stated that one half hour was not enough time to pick
up trash and felt the City was taking away the tools needed to clean up the
City.
Mayor Drake stated that the City was not taking away tools
but recouping costs.
Mr. Wright stated that no other companies would come into
Avondale.
Mayor Drake explained that the City crew would do the job of
picking up the trash until it was done at a cost of $245 per half hour.
Council Member Shuey asked if Waste Management could service
the mobile home parks.
Mr. Hileman stated that was the direction staff was heading
to privatize the service. He stated that when population reached 60,000, the
City would be competing for commercial and uncontained accounts.
Council Member Shuey asked if Waste Management could come in
at the present time.
Ms. Blackmore stated that commercial haulers could be asked
to come in.
Council Member Karlin stated that she believed that if
service was being provided, outside agencies could not come in. She asked if
there was a certain percentage of service needed before other providers could
come in.
Andrew McGuire, City Attorney, stated that the City would have
the ability to provide the service up to a population of 60,000; but could also
allow outside haulers to come in.
Council Member Wolf stated that the estimated fees were not
remotely competitive and service would take longer than one half hour. He stated
that having an outside provider may be a better option for the users.
Mayor Drake asked that the issue be placed on the next work
session agenda as an action item.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Council,
Council Member Lynch moved to adjourn. Council Member Shuey seconded the
motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
Mayor
Drake
Linda M. Farris, CMC
City Clerk
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing
minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the work session of the
City Council of the City of Avondale held on the 3rd day of
November, 2003. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held
and that the quorum was present.
City Clerk
