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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-12-11 Minutes, City Commission, SPEC . MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION BOZEMAN, MONTANA December 11, 2002 ***************************** A quorum of the Commission of the City of Bozeman attended a social gathering and informal discussion at the City Manager's residence. Those in attendance included Mayor Steve Kirchhoff, Commissioner Marcia Youngman, Commissioner Lee Hietala, Commissioner Jarvis Brown, Commissioner Andrew Cetraro, City Manager Clark Johnson, Assistant City Manager Ron Brey, Director of Public Service Debbie Arkell, City Engineer Rick Hixson, Project Engineer Susan Stodola, Planning Director Andy Epple, Associate Planner Chris Saunders, Director of Public Safety Mark Tymrak, Administrative Services Director Miral Gamradt, City Attorney Paul Luwe, attorney Bob Planalp, and Clerk of the Commission Robin Sullivan. The gathering began at 5:30 p.m., with participants mingling and talking in small groups. For approximately 45 minutes, everyone gathered together around a single issue. City Manager Johnson stated that staff has received proposals from developers along the North 19th Avenue corridor and Valley Center Road for development of specific parcels. City Engineer Rick Hixson reviewed the status ofthose roadways, characterizing Valley Center Road as a two-lane rural road and this section of North 19th Avenue as a heavily-used two-lane arterial. Both of these roadways are controlled by the Montana Department of Transportation; however, the MDT has worked well with the City over the past few years in determining the types of improvements needed. He suggested that, to ensure the success of the improvements, the City should step into the leadership position and, with that in mind, his office has sought proposals for the creation of a special improvement district to fund the costs. In the meantime, one of the landowners in that area submitted a request to get this project on the impact fee capital improvement project list. This request resulted in staff identifying several questions about the proper way to fund the improvements. Associate Planner Chris Saunders stated that the City updates the five-year capital improvement program every year; and projects are typically added during that process. He indicated that another option is to submit a request to the Commission to add an item when it is requested. He indicated that a review of the nature of the improvements to North 19th Avenue and Valley Center Road has revealed they are truly capacity expanding and would serve a very broad area and, as a result, could qualify for impact fee monies. The Associate Planner identified a third alternative for funding of the project-the City bearing the costs. He indicated that very rough estimates hover at $2.5 million. He then identified the land in that immediate area that could be developed in the near future, resulting in additional traffic on those roadways. Planning Director Andy Epple noted that no more development is allowed on Valley Center Road or in The Gallatin Center until these road improvements, which include turn lanes and signal upgrades, have been completed. Responding to questions from Commissioners, staff indicated that approximately $5.3 million has been collected in street impact fees, with approximately half of that being collected since July 1,2001, when self-government powers were enacted. In response to additional questions, City Engineer Rick Hixson stated that costs for this project could be incurred within the next couple of months. He stated that, if the stars were aligned, work could begin this fall; however, he noted it is more realistic to expect the project would be started next spring and completed in the summer of 2004. Further responding to questions from Commissioners, City Manager Johnson stated that if impact fee monies were used and the City lost the lawsuits on all counts, the City would incur the costs. The City 12-11-2002 Special ------- - 2 - Engineer stated that a special improvement district may be created to purchase already installed infrastructure improvements, citing the SID created for the Valley West Annexation as a recent example. Assistant City Manager Ron Brey suggested the possibility of using a petition for creation of a special improvement district as a back up to using street impact fees for this project. He then stressed that impact fees may only be used for capacity expanding projects. In this instance, however, those improvements could also address some of the safety problems that currently exist as a side product. Director of Public Service Debbie Arkell cautioned that it may be difficult to draw defensible boundaries for a special improvement district for these improvements. Responding to additional questions from the Commission, staff members indicated that this project would not bump any projects that have previously been identified as a higher priority. Staff also noted that projections of income have been deliberately conservative, with the result being that not all of the monies have been earmarked for specific projects. During the discussion, some of the Commissioners acknowledged that being able to point to this project as one that was funded through impact fees would be of benefit. They also recognized that if this project is funded in that manner, the next project should occur in a different segment of the community. For the remainder of the evening, attendees mixed and mingled in small groups, participating in informal and social discussions on a variety of subjects and issues. Adiournment - 8:30 D.m. The gathering ended at 8:30 p.m. A~- STEVEN R.-KI C ~ ATTEST: ~~~~ ROBIN L. SULLI AN Clerk of the Commission 12-11-2002 Special ...----.-