Moab City Council Meeting Report 2021-02-23

Citizens to be Heard
Christy Williams: Downtown Art can and will be repaired, and the next iteration will go on in the fall. Artists have responded w/ kindness and trust. A donor has pledged to double the reward for info leading to an arrest.

Admin Reports
Joel – Law enforcement has leads on the Art Crime. Public art will continue. Comments have been received about dirt patches in road; when stuff (especially water lines) breaks in the winter and gets repaired the city has to wait until paving can occur after the weather warms up. Shooting for 3/2 opening of city hall to public for treasurer business. Other individuals will be, and are, available by appointment. Masks will still be required. Finance Director position will be posted in the next few days. Sales tax revenue is up relative to past years. Spring may well be very busy. 191N should have 4 lanes before Easter.

Chuck – USU campus. Walls are going up, looking at completion next winter. Waterline should be in by next week, and Aggie Blvd reopen for foot and bike traffic. SITLA is putting in Aggie Blvd phase 2 utilities now. SITLA has a developer on board, have begun phasing discussions with city.  Regional Transportation Plan stakeholder meeting next week, final draft coming out soon. Local unified transportation plan with Grand County is on tap for 2021. Bike skills park bathroom infrastructure going in, delivery of bathroom by mid-March.

City of Moab Grant Program 2021
In December the City council approved $100,000 in funding for a one time grant program; which was indirectly facilitated by CARES act funding. 30 applications were received – 26 from nonprofits and 4 from government agencies, in total $235,621. A committee recommended an allocation in the amount of $100,000. Council approved

Water Bond
There are current and projected deficiencies in the City Water system; very little buffer (flow and storage) for high demand situations, especially fire fighting, and old pipes and facilities in need of reconstruction. The council approved the next but not final step in issuing a $7M bond to pay for the highest priority projects identified in the water Master Plan, and paid for from water rates developed in a Rate Study.

Walnut Lane Bond
City Council approved the next but not final step in issuing a bond for phases 1 and 2 of the Walnut Lane affordable housing in an amount not to exceed $6.5M, and to include additional funds to refinance the initial property purchase if that results in a savings.