Greater Avenues Community Council Minutes
Jan. 5, 2005, Sweet Library
 Jill Van Langeveld, chair, conducted.
  Meeting began at 7:00 p.m. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
RECYCLING between 8- 12 at the Best Buy at 2100 S. 300 West you can bring your T.V., computers, etc. and they will recycle them.  Those things are not good for the landfill.  Please abring them if you want to get rid of them.

 UTA BUS MEETING: There will be a UTA meeting Jan. 26^th at the Sweet Library at 7:00 p.m. with the GACC Community Council and Capitol Hill Community Council to get our input before they make their bus route changes.  We have heard that they want to discontinue some routes in the Avenues.  If you are interested in bus routes, please attend this very important meeting.

LEGACY HIGHWAY MEETING: Construction stopped on Legacy Highway because they didn't do all their homework.  They have now redone plans and they are having an Open House Friday at the Davis County Fairgrounds. The period for comments goes until March 4^th.   Call me for phone numbers or email addresses to make phone calls or email.  

Barricades:  You may have seen the "GACC No Parking This Block."  Bill Rutherford gave the permission to use the signs, who is the City Forester.  They change the Community Council logo on the barricades when they trim trees in other neighborhoods.  

SPECIAL PRESENTATION:UDOT - John Montoya came to comment on the snags/problems that have been found near Capitol Hill as they are trying to put in the traffic lights that we wanted to help with traffic flow.  They need a small amount of easement and the removal of two trees in order to put in the traffic lights at Columbus Avenue 3-5^th north, because they need to put in left turn lanes and widen the road out a bit.  They will take almost all of the park strip on the west side, but none of the parking strip on the east.  They will place more, but smaller, trees on the Capitol site, working with the Reconstruction Committee.   

Eric Jergensen:  Capitol Hill would like the trees replaced on the same general area. As soon as the work is done those vacant homes on that intersection will be placed back on the market.  They are planning some landscaping with the funds that the Capitol Hill people have raised for the area - xero-scaping. 

 Questions from the audience addressed the left turn lane at the West-bound on 2^nd. Avenue onto State Street -- needs a dedicated turn light.  Response: I am not the project manager on that area.  I will be happy to get back to you on that. Question: Is Columbus ever going to be closed?  Response: It could happen some time in the distant future, but right now we think the traffic lights could help the problems. 

QUESTION: Should we have a vote supporting this proposal?   Because we did not announce this ahead of time, we can't take a vote, but we are generally supportive of what ever Capitol Hill Community Council wants to do, as this proposal is in their area, and we did vote to have the traffic lights put in. 

LEGISLATURE:  Paula Julander -  Things are about to begin on Capitol Hill and we are really busy.  I don't have specific things right now, as we are just getting started.  You may call me at home at 363-0868, or my office 538-1406.  My email address is in the newsletter.  I really want to know how you want me to vote on specific issues.  I work for you, so please let me hear from you.  There were 700 bills filed.  They expect between 1000 - 1200.  400 of the bills have numbers.   The budget numbers look like we have approximately 200 million for special building projects that we have put off.  There is about 324 million in on-going fiscal notes for 2006.  State personnel have not had a raise for several years and we have not kept up with the Cities and Counties.  Gov. Walker and Huntsman both favored increasing salaries.  Medicaid has had inflation so it costs more for our match rate so that is another large expenditure that will come out of that extra money. 

Question:  Will any of that one-time money go to education? 

We have not seen what Gov. Huntsman will do.  He said that he will have some budget numbers in a couple of weeks.  He suggests that we put forth our Legislative budget and vote on it within four weeks instead of waiting until the end. Comments: We have seen tax cuts by the Legislature and State employees have not had their salaries and health benefits keep up with inflation.   

Question: Is the hazardous waste moratorium about to expire in February?   

CITY COUNCIL: Eric Jergensen - Good to be with you. Happy New Year to all of you.  First, I want to emphasize how important it is for you to come to the Bus Meeting.  It is SO important if you have any concerns or thoughts.  This is really a coup for the GACC and Captiol Hill to have this meeting - this is the only chance the community has to communicate with UTA before they announce their new routes.  If you want to see transit happen, please come. Send a neighbor with your info if you can't come.  Bus service above 11^th Avenue will be on the agenda - and hear-say has it they will cancel all bus service above 11^th Avenue.   

THREE Issues for the Legislature:  As a City we have identified some issues that are important to us.  3 main priorities:  1) Salt Palace Expansion.  They are adding 175,000 of exhibit space and 60,000 sq. feet of meeting space.  We can then compete with big cities.  We made a commitment to Outdoor Retailing to expand.  This needs increasing fee/tax on hotel rooms.  A half-million dollars a year comes to us from that one convention.  It is important that Salt Lake have that expansion so we can attract the big conventions here.2) RDA - redevelopment areas -- we do not want to lose this wonderful tool.  It allows Cities to spruce up their aging central cities.  We really do not want to lose this or have it compromised.   3) Photo-radar:  Photo-cop.  Should Cities have the right to choose for themselves?  This needs to be a City-run affair - private companies can not manage this. 

Questions about people appealing because they are not the owner of the car - clog justice courts?  Research shows that over the years there are less appeals from the photo-cop than from regular.  Also, intersection accidents went down 20 percent and total accidents went down 30 percent in the cities that tired it for a year. Broadband policy is being formulated in the next few weeks.  We are trying to push a free wireless accessibility in parks and on the Trax line, so you will have access while you use the Trax.   Zoning issue:  Neighborhood business zone - from residential to business.  We are trying to create a neighborhood business zone. 

MY GOALS for GACC: Take a serious look at Neighborhood Watch in terms of reducing crime in neighborhoods if we participate.  I just got a call from a man who had his car broken into.  I asked him 3 questions: was there stuff in your car?  Were your house lights on?  Do you know your neighbors.  Answers were no to all questions.  We would like to have every neighborhood organized into neighborhood watch groups by summer.  Call me if you have opinions or ideas on any issues 532-4804 my home.   

CITY REP: Gwen Springmeyer - Handed out Calendar for City Events.   Many events that would be of interest to Avenues residents.  See the City Web site. Jan 12 at 7:00 pm - Bridging the Religious Divide discussion.  U of U Social Work building.  I have included a map for you to find it.  The first discussion was very good.  We've been asked what our goal for these forums.  There is not necessarily a goal -  the process is the goal.  If something comes out of this, that would be a wonderful by-product.  I would like you to attend this and offer suggestions.   - Jan 17th. Martin Luther King Day we are doing a service project - collecting food.  Come join us. - Jan 22 at 10-11:00 Saturday Morning Meeting with the Mayor inside new coffee shoppe in Sam Weller's Book store.  Come ask questions of the Mayor. - Jan 27^th 7:00 is the Freedom Forum discussion.  Family Planning and Reproductive Health.  Held at the Main Library.  We want your input.   Free wireless internet access going in.  We are very excited about it.  Let us know what areas you would like to see it available. 

ZONING CHANGE AT SMITHS:  Right now that block is CS-Community Shopping Center.  We want to downsize it CB - Community Business.  All the uses/businesses that are there will still be there.   We are doing it because we are changing the definitions, and the CS zone would permit businesses that are not appropriate for the Avenues.  (Example, a Walmart would be permitted in a CS zone, but not a CB zone.)   Motion made and seconded that we support the City's plans to rezone the Smiths block. Vote taken, all in favor. 

SHRINERS HOSPITAL PARKING:  We have been trying for a long time to get satisfactory parking.  We hope you will support our solution.  We have chosen the most expensive option, but it will work best for us.  We are going to build a structure on the property -  one floor on the ground, the other underground parking.  We will use the existing in -and-out parking.  He showed drawings to the audience - showed the ramp and berm around it, and the trees that they will plant.  It will look just like the existing hospital.  We will re-do the lighting so it is down-ward direction so less light-pollution.  It will double the size of our parking and get the cars off the street.  There will be a short-term pain in that we will have no parking during construction.  We will ask the Church (we have an arrangement with the Church next door) to have patients use their parking.  It will be finished in about 6 months after beginning.  We had hoped to begin this year, but we have to get a lot of permits, so it could take longer before we begin.  

COUNTY COUNCIL PEOPLE: Jim Bradley and Jenny Wilson - Jim: It is a pleasure to be here.  We have a 9 Member Council and Mayor.  It is difficult for Democrats to win an election here, but we are happy to have the 3 at-large members and the Mayor are all Democrats.  We have very fine people working  Jenny: I have been on the job 2 whole days.  Having observed the Council for several days, and I think that Jim and I will agree on most things.  We have an amazing situation on our AAA bond rating.  It really allows our county to be healthy.  I think 99% of the employees are very hard working.  There is a lot of work to be done.  You all know our new Mayor - he has a great vision.  He wants to initiate a better public process and more public participation.  Only a few people showed up to a budget meeting.  I have a goal to create people-interest and energy in the county processes and also additional ethic reform.  We will be getting public input.  Being new, I am trying to get the phones installed.  I want to hear from you.  Jim and I can be reached at 468-2930.  I will try to be there 3 or 4 days a week. County will give $100,000 to the lighting of the Legacy Memory Grove Project Legislature is planning on taxing our internet.  To make it more palatable, they want to go with a "standard tax" for everyone, and that would do away with all the "boutique" taxes such as ZAP tax.  These are really important to us.  The zoo-arts-parks funding is scheduled to be eliminated when they go to "standard taxing."  We need help with the Legislature on this. We need to go to the Legislature and ask for the ability to raise a county-wide tax on the restaurants so we can fund the addition to the Salt Palace. 

COMMENT: I hope you will support the Japanese Church of Christ when you do the addition.

RESPONSE:  We are taking that into consideration. 

QUESTION: What about this soccer field and the 30 million dollar bond they are talking about on building a stadium? 

ANSWER: We have been approached on this, but where it will be or what it will cost I don't know.  I would want them (those who briefed us on the soccer idea) to prove to me that it can work.   

BY-LAWS - Wayne Green - I was counting on the projector to show the by-laws to the people in the audience, and the projector is not in service.  And I think that it will take more than 25 minutes to discuss them.  So perhaps we should wait until next time.  The revised by-laws are posted on the Web site, and I will leave a hard-copy for people to look at in the Library. People in the audience wanted to be able to make comments on the by-laws.  They can email them to Wayne at  wayne.green@cors.utah.edu Jill's comments:  My only concern is that we have to use Robert's rules of order to conduct.  I am afraid that it will make it less inclusive.  But luckily, our chair-elect is an expert in it, so I think that it will be okay. 

 JILL's STATE OF THE AVENUES:  Issues and Events:  Jim Jenkin was asked to be a member of the City Traffic Committee to be able to give input.  Also, Phil Carroll is Mr. Memory Grove.  He has been working on our Olympic Memory Project with the City to improve trails, lighting, etc. in Memory Grove.  He also organizes a Memory Grove clean up.  The City provides trucks and sacks to haul out garbage. Then he makes sure that we are fed with donated food from area grocery stores.  In April the Avenues purchased flags at cross walks.  If you have a busy corner that you would like to flags, the City will put up the containers and we have the flags stored in the Sweet Library.  The Street Fair is one of the best things that we do in the Avenues.  It is fun in 2003 we had 200 booths and 10,000 people.  Last year, 2004, we had a smaller fair because of lack of volunteers.  Our dunking booth was situated too far away for people to see.  Walter Jones will be our Chairman for our Street Fair this year and we will begin in April.   What about the future?  I would like to see the Neighborhood Watch Program organized in all the areas, even in the lower Avenues where there is more turn-over.   When we first moved into our new neighborhood a family went on vacation and they did not want to bother anyone and so did not tell anyone.  Someone broke into their back door, opened their garage, brought in a van and cleaned out their valuables.  Now, we look out for one another.  We have 30 homes, and we all have each other's addresses and phone numbers.  The following year we saw footprints around our neighbor's yard, and knowing that they were on vacation, we called the police and they apprehended criminals who were just coming back for a second load.   

COMMENTS of NOTE:  There are a high number of car prowls on 4^th Avenue and A Street. 

RESIDENT Jeff McCarthy:  Community based response is important, but we do have lights on, we had nothing in our car, and we know our neighbors, and our car was still broken into.  We have a pattern of people going up and down A Street, especially where the stairs are.  We need some lighting and better maintenance on those stairs.   

QUESTION:  Can we ask the City as a GACC Council to light and maintain those stairs on 4^th Avenue? 

COMMENTS:  It is a real problem, and I think we should take that on as a priority project.

COMMENT:  I called about those stairs and they are under the Parks department.  They said that it will take some time to come to the top of their agenda, and there is a possibility that all their funds could be used up before they got to us. 

COMMENT: We also need some resident parking signs there as well.

COMMENT:  Those stairs are on the City's Capitol Appreciation Committee' agenda, but it never comes to the top of the heap.   

COMMENT:  Maybe we should form a committee to work on that.  (People volunteered to be on that committee.)  Come to the Board meeting next week at the Library at 7:30 and ask to be on the Agenda.  QUESTION: Can we organize car pools for elderly people to get to these meetings? Who gets the most out of service - the person served or the person serving? GUEST: I am the Pastor of the 1^st Presbyterian Church and I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know that you are always welcome.  We were really grateful for the community's help in the restoration of our beautiful Church.   Thank you for attending.   

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.