HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.20140127Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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CITIZEN PARTICIPATION .......................................................................................................... 2
COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS .............................................................................................. 2
CONSENT CALENDAR ............................................................................................................... 3
Resolution #7, Series of 2014 - Municipal Facility Master Plan Project Design Services .. 4
Minutes – January 13, 2014 ................................................................................................. 4
ORDINANCE #2, SERIES OF 2014 – Code Amendment – Growth Management Competition . 5
ORDINANCE No. 2 ....................................................................................................................... 5
ORDINANCE #1, SERIES OF 2014 – Creating the Next Generation Advisory Commission and
Initial Appointments ....................................................................................................................... 5
RESOLUTION #9, SERIES OF 2014 – Pitkin County Library Easement .................................... 6
Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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Mayor Skadron called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. with Councilmembers Frisch, Daily,
Romero and Mullins present.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
1. Nikki Mayer presented a letter addressing the complaints of Denise Reich. Ms. Mayer
told Council the city attorney is working with them to get the issues resolved. Jim True, city
attorney, told Council the appropriate way to handle these issues is with the attorney and
community development departments.
2. Neil Siegel told Council he feels it important to recognize the efforts and expertise of
members of the city’s water department. Siegel said their homeowners association received
notice their water meter had to be replaced. The city staff coordinated the work with the HOA’s
plumbing contractor. Siegel commended the department for being proactive in providing
planning, timing and expertise.
3. Broadery Nelson, Straighten out the Rainbow, noted they are bringing attention to the
Sochi Olympics and Russia’s anti-gay stance. Nelson presented Council with Straighten Out the
Rainbow tee-shirts and asked them to wear the tee-shirts to the Olympics send off this week.
4. Larry Meyer said Denise Reich has blocked off the river access and their views and has
built fences so one cannot get to the river.
5. Mike Maple said the city should be taking care of its property and showed a picture of
Lift One chair and building on the site. The city is not being good stewards of their property; one
building on this property fell down from lack of care. Maple brought up the contract for an
outside firm examining all city assets and asked why the city waited so long to address city
assets like the Art Museum and Mountain Rescue when the city has known for some time they
will be vacated soon. Maple noted nothing is being done with the Maroon Creek bridge, which
could be used as a pedestrian corridor. Maple encouraged Council to put the Art Museum
building to effective use and not to create a use to fill the building. Maple pointed out Section
13.4 of the Charter, restrictions on use of city property, requires a public vote to change use of
city property. Maple brought up the housing mitigation fees and that Council directed staff to
review them. Maple pointed out many people who live in single family and duplexes are
employees and are paying sales taxes and contributing to the community. Maple said members
of Boards and commissions should have term limits as do elected officials.
COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS
Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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1. Councilwoman Mullins thanked citizens for their comments. It is important for Council
to hear these comments.
2. Councilman Frisch said the X-games were good. There are four Aspenites participating
in the Olympics and wished them a medal-filled trip.
3. Councilman Romero agreed the X-games were great. The Abetone school children sister
city exchange was happening during the X-games and the Abetone students enjoyed the X-
games.
4. Mayor Skadron thanked the Aspen Ski Company and ESPN for the great winter X-games
and concerts and stated he is looking forward to 5 more years of X-games in Aspen.
5. Mayor Skadron announced there is a discussion of skateboard park expansion going on
now at the Rio Grande meeting room and public comments are invited.
6. Mayor Skadron expressed condolences to Jackie Lothian’s family. Jackie was a long
term employee of the city.
7. Councilman Daily noted the Sister cities is a healthy, happy program that has five school
relationships with exchanges from Aspen to our sister cities and vice versa. Councilman Daily
said the board is having a strategic planning retreat. This is a bare bones operation with one paid
position. They rely on donations. The Sister Cities exchange program provides opportunities for
kids from Aspen to represent Aspen to the world.
8. Mayor Skadron reported he recently attended the CAST meeting in Jackson, Wyoming,
where funding air service, trails and integrated path system, and VRBO was discussed.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilman Romero requested Resolution #7, 2014 – Municipal Facility Master Plan Project
Design Services be pulled for discussed. Councilman Romero asked for an explanation about
the intent and scope of services so that the community can have more information. Jack
Wheeler, asset department, told Council this project and RFP is in response to one of Council’s
top ten goals, to develop a comprehensive facility master plan. Wheeler said city properties from
Maroon Creek through town have been included. The contractor will do an overall inventory of
city property, buildings and size of the property, they will do site assessment to determine
development potential. Staff and the contractor will develop a 20-year capital maintenance plan
to include structural, mechanical, electrical engineers looking at the buildings to develop both
best practices as well as energy efficiencies for the future. Wheeler reminded Council the city is
renting space for some departments, other departments are spread throughout multiple buildings,
Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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and departments in county facilities. Wheeler said they will be looking at document storage
requirements and trying to rearrange staff in places that would be better used for storage.
Wheeler told Council there were 4 qualified responses to the RFP that represented teams of
professionals. The team that was selected is from Denver and has an Aspen component, Charles
Cunniffe. The contractor has expertise that is not available in the valley. Wheeler told Council
the bid prices came in between $198,000 and $430,000. Staff had a scoring committee and
agreed this was the best response to meet the needs of the city. Councilman Romero asked why
this project has not been done earlier. Scott Miller, asset department, said staff has worked on
this analysis internally building by building and has only completed 3 or 4 buildings and during
that work realized professional help of an architect, structural and mechanical engineers is
needed. Miller noted circumstances are changing rapidly, the police and housing departments
need new locations. Councilman Romero asked if the result of this plan will give the city usable
action plans. Miller said it will facilitate key decisions that need to be made and give the city
conceptual drawings for proposed solutions. Councilman Romero asked about the earlier work
done on private/public partnerships for city-owned land. Miller said that work was for properties
owned by the housing development fund; those properties are not included in this scope of work.
Councilman Frisch asked if the ten year is too short-sided. Miller said beyond that and the
changing conditions, the city will have to readdress those conditions and staff feels that ten years
is appropriate.
Councilwoman Mullins noted other bidders were also from out of town and that about 40% of
the contract is going to local firms. Councilwoman Mullins agreed staff could do this work but
there are economies having experts brought in. Miller reiterated there are not structural or
mechanical engineers on staff. Councilwoman Mullins asked why not all city properties are
listed. Wheeler said some of the buildings have already had work done and staff did not want to
duplicate that work. Councilwoman Mullins asked when there will be a more detailed schedule.
Miller said after the project is kicked off, staff will return with a schedule and with the proposed
public process. Councilman Daily stated there is a clear need for this work. Mayor Skadron
agreed and noted this is budgeted for and this is one of Council’s top ten goals and is needed to
meet the future operational needs of the city. Some of the cost is for conceptual design work.
One of the questions is whether the existing city hall can be retrofitted to meet future needs or
does the building have to be demolished inside and have a new building built within the historic
structure.
Councilwoman Mullins moved to approve the consent calendar; seconded by Councilman Daily.
The consent calendar is:
• Resolution #7, Series of 2014 - Municipal Facility Master Plan Project Design Services
• Minutes – January 13, 2014
Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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All in favor, motion carried.
ORDINANCE #2, SERIES OF 2014 – Code Amendment – Growth Management Competition
Jessica Garrow, community development department, told Council at the last meeting, Council
directed staff to bring forward a code amendment regarding deadlines for certain projects within
the growth management competition; the current deadlines are February 15 and August 15 to
apply for allotments. This amendment would eliminate those deadlines and allow any project to
come in on first come first serve basis at anytime. Ms. Garrow stated amending the deadlines
renders the growth management competition obsolete. Ms. Garrow reported since the
competition was implemented in 2006, there has never been a competitive environment. There
have always been more allotments than applications.
Councilman Romero moved to read Ordinance #2, Series of 2014; seconded by Councilwoman
Mullins. All in favor, motion carried.
ORDINANCE No. 2
(Series of 2014)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE ASPEN CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO
CHAPTER 26.470 – GROWTH MANAGEMENT QUOTA SYSTEM, OF THE CITY OF ASPEN
LAND USE CODE
Councilman Romero moved to adopt Ordinance #2, Series of 2014, on first reading; seconded by
Councilwoman Mullins. Roll call vote; Councilmembers Romero, yes; Mullins, yes; Daily, yes;
Frisch, yes; Mayor Skadron, yes. Motion carried.
ORDINANCE #1, SERIES OF 2014 – Creating the Next Generation Advisory Commission
and Initial Appointments
Mayor Skadron opened the public hearing.
Skippy Mesirow thanked Council for trusting the next generation with this responsibility and the
Commission members look forward to working hard and meeting Council’s expectations.
Mayor Skadron closed the public hearing.
Mayor Skadron requested (1)(b) that the commission consist of no more than 7 and no less than
12 be changed to 7 members plus an alternate.
Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 27, 2014
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Mayor Skadron moved to adopt Ordinance #1, Series of 2014, on second reading; amending
Section 1 (b) to read up to 7 members and 1 alternate; seconded by Councilman Romero. Roll
call vote; Councilmembers Daily, yes; Frisch, yes; Romero, yes; Mullins, yes; Mayor Skadron,
yes. Motion carried.
RESOLUTION #9, SERIES OF 2014 – Pitkin County Library Easement
Jim True, city attorney, told Council the proposed library expansion has been rolled back from
the previous approval. The expansion will require an easement over the garage for support and
will extend 16’ beyond the current easement. True requested this be continued to the next
meeting to complete the details of the agreement. True said the library’s expansion will not
have an impact on the garage; the easement will be extended 16’ for support so there does not
have to be separate supports driven through the garage. Staff is working with the library and
with the county to try and move this forward with the Galena Plaza remodel. True reminded
Council a 44’ easement was reserved to the county for library expansion. Chris Bendon,
community development department, noted the library has an existing approval that will need to
be amended for this new plan.
Mayor Skadron opened the public hearing.
Kathy Chandler, library, told Council city staff has worked to get this coordinated with the city’s
project and so that the project can begin this summer.
Councilman Romero moved to continue Resolution #9, Series of 2014, to February 10, 2014;
seconded by Councilman Frisch. All in favor, motion carried.
Councilwoman Mullins moved to go into executive session at 6:25 p.m. pursuant to C.R.S. 24-6-
402(4) (b) Conferences with an attorney for the local public body for the purposes of receiving
legal advice on specific legal questions and (e) Determining positions relative to matters that
may be subject to negotiations; developing strategy for negotiations; and instructing negotiators;
seconded by Councilman Daily. All in favor, motion carried.
Councilwoman Mullins moved to come out of executive session at 7:05 p.m.; seconded by
Councilman Daily. All in favor, motion carried.
Councilman Romero moved to adjourn at 7:05 p.m.; seconded by Councilman Daily. All in
favor, motion carried.
Kathryn Koch
City Clerk