MD’s Moab City Council Meting Preview 2021-03-09

[Editor’s note: Both Mike Duncan and Rani Derasary have graciously agreed to let MADAR reuse their regular email updates to constituents. Despite the overlap, we are running both versions of the MCC previews. Readers can choose to read both, either or neither of the previews.]?

You can write City Council (anytime, on any subject): citycouncil@moabcity.org

Pre-Council Workshop 5:30 pm: ATV Noise – Council and Staff discussion

This discussion includes sub-topics: Amending our noise ordinance, noise and speed limit enforcement, a recreation opportunity spectrum analysis, and City participation in noise mitigation efforts on public lands. 

Please click on the link, below, to a PPT presentation (a PDF file) I wrote – an introduction and some suggestions as to how to proceed. It reflects my personal opinions only. But please do read it; I think it’ll help focus public outreach to come. Duncan ATV noise presentation rev A 6 Mar 2021

Regular session starts at 7 PM

Citizens to Be Heard Given the ATV workshop above, this could take a while. We are receiving public comments by phone and online through Zoom.  Citizens are limited to two (2) minutes for comments. 

Dial: 669-900-9128     Meeting ID: 843 9013 0929    Passcode (if needed):  629045

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84390130929?pwd=dudqvldkqu9ns3rivjlsanfxk0l2qt09

Please note that when joining the meeting, you will be placed in a waiting room and will be added to the meeting by the moderator. Your comments will be recorded and on YouTube.  If you’re youtube’ing, be aware this stream can be seconds or minutes behind real time. This is a big source of confusion if you’re also doing CTBH via Zoom, which is real time!

To have your written comments considered for the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the electronic meeting, please fill out the form found here: https://bit.ly/citizenstobeheard

You must submit your comments by 7:00 PM on the date of the meeting. Please limit your comments to 400 words.

Staff reports: (Expect 15-30 minutes…)

City Manager Updates

COVID-19 Updates

Mayor and Council reports: (These (6) reports typically take at least 20 minutes…)

Approval of Minutes (brief)

Sewer Rate Change for “Institutions”

• About 1 ½ years ago the City updated sewer rates, a periodic necessary step to keep the Sewer Enterprise Fund (a side business the City runs intended to break even) solvent. Since sewer volumes are not metered, the City uses two methods to best estimate sewer volumes from (metered) culinary water usage.
• For residences, all water consumed during winter months is assumed to go down the sewer, and that “winter” rate is used to calculate sewer fees during summer months when residences use much more water for landscaping that doesn’t go down the sewer.
• Commercial businesses don’t do significant landscaping –  all their water is assumed to go down the sewer throughout the year, so that their sewer fees are based on all 12 “months” a year culinary water usage.
• At that time, churches (and later, other entities, often educational “institutions” or non-profits) were declared “commercial.” They cried foul, since their watering practices resemble residences and their summer sewer bills were now much larger.  Unfortunately the smaller (but fairer) bills they would now have to pay puts a 6% hole in total sewer revenues.
• Council must now decide if, when and how to remedy the problem.

Award of MARC HVAC Bid, $54,400

• This Heating/Ventilation/AirConditioner work is part of a Moab Arts and Recreation Center building upgrade program.

An Interlocal Agreement between the City of Moab and Grand County

• The City of Moab has not updated its Transportation Plan for over a decade. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has made available $110K of its own money to assist local governments in transportation planning. The County chips in $25K, and the City, if it joins, would chip in $15K. If Council approves this item the County will publish an RFP for qualified consultants to perform the planning effort.

Outdoor dining “parklets”

• This resolution is necessary to continue the declaration of local Covid emergency so that the “parklets” for outdoor dining can continue as allowed under the restrictions previously established by the City.