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Home My WebLink Aboutminutes.council.special.20200409 1 SPECIAL MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL APRIL 9TH, 2020 At 4:00 p.m. Mayor Torre called the special virtual meeting to order with Councilmembers Richards, Mullins, Hauenstein and Mesirow. Councilwoman Mullins gave an update on the RFTA regularly scheduled meeting. She said rider numbers have stayed consistent and increased slightly. They have made some improvements. They are not charging fares and the rows behind the driver are roped off and only 9 people can sit at a time. As of Monday, you’ll have to wear face covering and this will be required. RFTA has put forth $380,000 to make the buses safe and respond to Covid-19. Mayor Torre said there is a request for an executive session. Jim True suggested that council go into executive session regarding receiving legal advice for entities of negotiation. Councilwoman Mullins motioned to move into executive session and Councilwoman Richards seconded. Roll call vote: Hauenstein, yes; Mullins, yes; Torre, yes; Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes. The special meeting reconvened at 4:58 p.m. Mayor Torre said the special meeting is being held for consideration of Resolutions #033 and #034, as well as Ordinance #05. Mr. True said the ordinance needs to be read today and adopted next Tuesday at the regular meeting. Mayor Torre asked Sara Ott about the relationship between the resolutions and the ordinance. Ms. Ott said #033 provides the five outcomes council would like to accomplish for relief efforts and economic stimulus. The current appropriations are not sufficient enough to meet so it allows staff to start working on these items. Ordinance #05 is not the only opportunity for council to make appropriations. Councilman Hauenstein asked if additional funding would again be in the form of an emergency ordinance and Ms. Ott said all appropriations should happen via ordinance. RESOLUTION #033, SERIES OF 2020 – A resolution adopting five outcome statements and related objectives. Mayor Torre went through each outcome with discussion on each with Ms. Ott providing clarity. Councilwoman Mullins said she is supportive of all outcomes and will let staff take the lead. All council members support outcomes #1 and #2. All council members said they are supportive of outcome #3. Ms. Ott said we need to have another conversation on this, but the gaps are closing quickly. There is aid in the valley that is already going out and the federal funds are flowing down into our community now. Mayor Torre said we don’t want to rush this and want to get this right the first time. Councilwoman Richards said she would like a work session on Monday night to continue the discussion. She suggested adding landlords into this conversation. She said we need to identify and respond to gaps. Councilman Hauenstein agreed that the landlords should share in the sacrifice and be a part of the conversation. 2 SPECIAL MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL APRIL 9TH, 2020 Councilman Mesirow suggested working “swiftly”, and Councilwoman Mullins supported that. Councilwoman Mullins said she understands that all council members want to provide support to the entire valley, not just those in Pitkin County. Councilman Mesirow agreed. Councilwoman Richards really likes outcome #5, but said it’s needs some elaboration at a later date. Councilwoman Mullins supports outcome #5. She would make a motion with the amendments they spoke about. Regarding outcome #6, Ms. Ott said they need to do some homework on the staff side as she does not want this to get too prescriptive. Mayor Torre asked Mr. True if they should take a motion on resolution #033 at this time or wait and do all of them together. Mr. True said that they can take care of them separately. He said that resolution #033 is ready to be passed. Councilwoman Mullins motioned to pass Resolution #033; Councilwoman Richards seconded. Roll call vote: Richards, yes; Mullins, yes; Mesirow, yes. Ms. Ott recommended a break as two of the councilmembers went offline. The roll call vote continued after the technical break. Roll call vote: Richards, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Torre, yes; Mullins, yes; Mesirow, yes. 5-0, motion carried. ORDINANCE #05, SERIES OF 2020 – Adopting Emergency Appropriations to the Municipal Code Councilman Hauenstein motioned to read Ordinance #05, Councilwoman Mullins seconded. Roll call vote: Hauenstein, yes; Mullins, yes; Richards, yes; Torre, yes; Mesirow, yes. Mayor Torre said to make sure you’ve read through the “whereas’” and they can move on to the “now therefore”. Councilwoman Richards asked for clarification on who terminates this. Mr. True said city council will make that determination. Ms. Ott said council does not want to prematurely end our emergency declaration so as not to receive help on a federal level. Councilwoman Richards said she thinks the 2 million listed is too low. She suggested increasing it to 3 million. Councilwoman Mullins thinks it’s a good first step and she’s happy to pass as written tonight. Councilman Hauenstein said he’s comfortable with the 2 million as Ann is and said it’s a good starting point. Councilman Mesirow supports Rachel’s idea of an extra million if need be. He would prefer not to take money from the housing fund, but the general fund. He would make those two amendments. 3 SPECIAL MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL APRIL 9TH, 2020 Councilwoman Mullins said that we have to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers. She’s in favor of a measured response. Councilman Hauenstein said we have a whole list of unknowns here and he would leave the money in the housing fund as well. Mayor Torre said he is supportive of the amount being raised by 1 million. Councilman Mesirow said staff’s rationalization for the housing fund is in line with Ward’s idea. Pete Strecker clarified that they are using general fund dollars and not really Wheeler fund dollars. Whatever you take from the Wheeler fund does have to be paid back. We do have options to borrow when going out to build new affordable housing. You cannot borrow for rent relief. This is a good source of resources which goes towards affordable housing. Mr. True reminded Mayor Torre that he never had Ms. Henning read the ordinance. Mayor Torre asked her to read. Councilwoman Mullins motioned to approve Ordinance #05, Series of 2020 as amended by Jim True, seconded by Councilman Hauenstein. Councilwoman Richards made a substitute motion to approve Ordinance #05, Series of 2020 as amended by Jim True, and amended by council in section #2 to increase the amount from 2 to 3 million and added verbiage to section #2, item A; “and/or governmental partners”. Councilman Mesirow seconded Rachel’s motion to amend. Roll call vote: Torre, yes; Mesirow, yes; Hauenstein, no; Mullins, no; Richards, yes. 3-2, motion carried. Roll call vote for Councilwoman Mullins’ motion as amended: Hauenstein, yes; Mullins, yes; Mesirow, yes; Torre, yes; Richards, yes. 5-0, motion carried. RESOLUTION #034, SERIES OF 2020 – Mr. True said you can pass this tonight or wait until Tuesday. Councilman Hauenstein motioned to continue resolution #034 to next Tuesday night to have an exact amount reflected, Councilwoman Richards seconded. Roll call vote: Mesirow, yes; Richards, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Mullins, yes; Torre, yes. 5-0, motion carried. Mayor Torre said they will discuss having a work session on Monday night. Councilman Hauenstein motioned to adjourn, Councilman Mesirow seconded. Roll call vote: Mesirow, yes; Hauenstein, yes; Torre, yes; Mullins, yes; Richards, yes. 5-0, motion carried. ______________________________ Nicole Henning, City Clerk 4 SPECIAL MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL APRIL 9TH, 2020