SHCC Meeting Minutes – December 1995

SHCC Meeting Minutes – December 1995

SUGAR HOUSE COMMUNITY COUNCIL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES

December 6, 1995

Present: Rawlins Young, Alice Edvalson, Matt, Jim, & Jana from Dancing Cranes Imports, Jim ?, Cathy Richards, Brandon Richards, Kathy Daly, Everett Joyce, Rich Bennett, Ruth A. Robbins, Casey Knowlton, Melanie and Andy Stewart, Jared E. Stoddard, David Sturt, Justin Cromar, Tony L. Martinez, Rhett Barney, David Bona, Russ Terry, Tonia Torrence, Gary W. Southern, Ray Puglsley, Afton Kyriopoulas, Cheri Carleson, Dolores A. Donohoo, Marvin Stewart, Doris Williams, Tyson Sharp, Brett Van Wagoner, Jon Sharp, Jeff Chapman, Johnathan Bernstson, Brian Anderson, Dorothy Tuddenham, Katina Ventura, Joe Clark, A T Woodruff, John Richards, Jan Haug, Donna H. Rigby, Veronica Crandall, B.L. Smith, Keith                                                                                                Christensen, Bill Samon, Lynne Olson            Excused: Tree Brown Hayes, Scott Kisling, Julina Parker Meeting was called to order at 7 00 PM by Chairman Rawlins Young. Minutes of the November meeting were approved. Rawlins encouraged everyone to follow what is happening with the Governor’s council on growth. A meeting is being held tonight in connection with this. We should also watch the National Urban Policy issues from the Federal Government level. The Federal Government wants to download a lot of responsibilities from the Government level to the local level. Rawlins questioned whether the cities are prepared to take on these additional responsibilities. Jan. 24 is the CDBG meeting for our area. Part of the discussion will be the Capitol Improvement General Fund program. Trustees need to contact Rawlins on projects in our areas that could fit into this program. There will be a City Council question and answer meeting for District 7 on Jan. 24 Call Keith Christensen for meeting information or agenda. Kathy Daly, Sprague Librarian, reported that a display of art by Brandon Rodriguez, a SL Community College student, is being shown in the Sprague Library, downstairs. They want to display more works of art in the future. If anyone knows of artists that would be interested, contact Kathy. City Council Update: Councilman Keith Christensen presented Dorothy Tuddenham a certificate from the SL Police Dept. in appreciation for her efforts in the Crime Prevention program. Certificates were also presented to the Country Club and DeLoy Wilson for their efforts in Crime Prevention. Keith expressed a desire for the City Legislature to heed the crime prevention needs in the upcoming legislature session. Keith indicated the City is not in a position to sustain all the programs the Federal Government is talking of downloading to the local level. He indicated, however, that we would come as close to being able to do this as any other city in the country. He indicated that developers are continuing to want to do more and more in our area. The City Council will see that developers are required to present plans to the SHCC for development in our area. They will also be looking at plans environmentally, crime wise, etc. The City Council is also working on the fine tuning process of the Zoning Ordinance. Keith indicated the City Council will have 3 new members this next year, Bryce Jolley (Dist. 6), Deeda Seed (Dist. 4), and Joann Milner (Dist. 2). Keith has been nominated as chairman of the City Council for the coming year. Committee Reports: Sustainable Communities – Crime Report -Dorothy Tuddenham reported there is now a good team working together for crime prevention in the Sugar House area. There were several members from the Mobil Watch program in attendance. Bill Samon, Mobil Watch training coordinator explained the Mobil Watch program. There are only 21 participants in our area and there is a great need for more. We have the largest area in the city to patrol. The cars patrolling in the neighborhoods are marked as Mobil Watch. The intent is to present an obvious presence in the area. The West side has a program called Winning in Neighborhoods (WIN). The object of this program is to saturate the neighborhoods in a short time looking for crime activities. There were a group from this program working with our Mobil Watch group in the Sugar House area last Friday night from 7:30-11:30 and met with major success. If we are interested in a similar program in our area, we need to contact, in writing, the Mayor or Chief of Police. B.L. Smith presented the monthly crime report. This printed report is available at each council meeting for those that are interested. Katina Ventura reported they are trying to get an ordinance that would allow arrests to be made of individuals found in possession of graffiti tools (paint etc.). Sugar House Business District Issues:Veronica Crandall reported that the minutes of the last two Sugar House Business District meetings will be available at the Sprague library on Dec. 18th. The next meeting will be sometime in February. The CAT team is trying to make a better way for the city to deal with issues in our area. The Sugar House Chamber of Commerce is working with the city in an effort to maintain a more aesthetic and appealing environment in the business district. There is a great need for input from the citizens regarding their desires for the community. Boys & Girls Club: Jeff Chapman reported on the meeting regarding the expansion at the Boys & Girls Club. They have received CDBG money to expand. The neighbors have tried to be involved and work with them, but feel their needs are being ignored. There has been no building permit issued but construction has begun. There is a need for a variance for the project. They have been given a stop work order, but stopping the work is costing the city $1,000 a day which is really hitting the tax payers. There are a lot of questions from the neighbors regarding this project. They need to have some response from the project regarding their concerns.Community Organizations as Corporate Entities – Rawlins indicated that the Recognition Ordinance Hearing has been extended again to the end of Jan. Rawlins first explained the maps

that had been included in previous handouts and in the handout presented to trustees at this meeting. He indicated the difference in boundaries that are recognized in various ways in the city. The census tract boundaries were set up for the census taking and also provide a way of tracking statistics by area and are also used by various government agencies. Different boundaries are recognized by the City Neighborhood Planning Districts, Community Councils, City Recognition Ordinance, City Council Districts, etc. This sometimes gets very confusing for the various organizations. Rawlins then explained the corporate structure that was set up with SLACC as an umbrella organization with the community councils subordinate to it, neighborhood associations, were subordinate to community councils and neighborhoods were subordinate to the neighborhood associations. One of the reasons for this structure was for the purposes of non-profit/tax exempt status.. To qualify as a tax exempt and non-profit organization several things have to be done, I) filing of a 50lC3 /4 with the IRS which costs $3-400.00, 2) filing of a Group Exemption letter defining the subordinate organizations, 3) the annual filing of a group exemption letter to keep the group exemption in force, 4) filing with the state as a non-profit organization and paying an annual fee of $100.00, 5) registering with the Consumer Protection Agency to be able to raise money as a non-profit organization,. SLACC is registered as a 501 C3 /4 and the Community Councils are the subordinate organizations to SLACC. As such, we qualify for the tax exempt status under their 501C3/4. SLACC is also registered with the State of Utah as a non-profit organization. The Sugar House Community Council is also registered with the State of Utah as a non-profit organization. Originally, the mayor’s office provided a staff person to administer SLACC, later, SLACC staff was funded by CDBG grant money, now that funding has been eliminated because the City Council did not recognize SLACC as a corporate entity. SLACC was responsible for mailing out our agendas and other services. Since funding for SLACC has been eliminated, these services are being provided by the Mayor’s office of Community Affairs. In order to qualify for these services, we must be recognized by the City Recognition Ordinance. At the present time, SLACC has not been dissolved; it can only be dissolved by its members. If SLACC goes away or does not take care of the necessary things to maintain the tax exempt status, community councils could not legally collect funds nor would they have the necessary tax exempt status. This also causes problems for the city’s matching grant program and other similar programs because the neighborhoods cannot legally solicit funds for their part of the process. In order to continue to perform as a community support organization we would need to get our own 501C3/501C4, register as a non-profit organization, and pay the fees so we can solicit funds. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to continue this discussion at our next meeting with the potential of sending a letter to the City Council regarding our stance of the SLACC and Community Council relationship. Parks and Recreation – Lynne Olson reported that several students from the Hidden Hollow group were in attendance at the Sugar House Business Dist. meeting. The students want to have input into the problem solving process in the area. They want to help identify the problems and suggest solutions. Cheri Carleson reported on an issue regarding Sugar House Park and Highland High’s desire to expand their ballpark into the park. She indicated the school agreed to present their plans to the Community Councils in the area. They have not done that, but are proceeding with their plans. The Park Authority meeting on Dec. 14 has an agenda item to have a final vote on the ballpark project. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to send a letter to the SH Park Authority requesting that Highland High come to the SHCC with their plans. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to send a letter to the Sugar House Park Authority requesting Highland High come to the Sugar House Community Council with their plans for the baseball field. Traffic – No report. Housing, Land Use, Zoning ­Everett Joyce presented some of the issues that affect our area which have been amended in the fine tuning process for the City Zoning Ordinance. These include: Park and Ride lots shared with a church parking lot (Conditional use in Residential zones), restaurants with drive through windows (Conditional use in small commercial zone), Appeal procedures for landmarks and conditional uses, legal conforming status for single family homes in the business districts, handicapped ramps in required yard areas, legalization of excess dwelling units, and the planned development table. Issues that need further analysis include: legal conforming status for 3 & 4 unit apts., definition of “Family”, and American flag height and size regulations. Rawlins explained that the down zoning of our area was intended to get back to the single family dwellings that once made up our neighborhoods. The Unit Legalization process that has been established is trying to legalize those houses that have been divided. This is in direct conflict with what the down zoning wanted to accomplish. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to reimburse the secretary for miscellaneous expenses for postage and copies to the amount of $42.67. Meeting adjourned approximately 9:00 PM.

Landon Clark
minnesotaute76@gmail.com