Paradise Valley Town Council begins new legislative session Sept. 14 at Town Hall
Computer Reports | Digital Free Press
After its typical summertime slumber, the Paradise Valley Town Council will emerge at Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive, Thursday, Sept. 14, about 4 p.m. for what appears to be a brief executive session, work session, and finally its regular meeting commencing at 6 p.m.
For a rundown of the items to be discussed behind closed doors, go HERE.
But to learn about the work session items, contracts to be decided upon and the dollars and cents of the Sept. 14 Town Council agenda, take a look below.
First up is the work session agenda that features three items focused on a lot split at the Club Estates, a new Statement of Direction being forged at the First Southern Baptist Church and just how Town Council will handle the recent resignation of Planning Commissioner Kristina Locke.
Computer Reports: Paradise Valley Town Council Sept. 14 work session
Paradise Valley Town Council will discuss the Club Estates 7 Lot Split (LS-21-02) with potential roadway abandonment. The proposed lot split would divide into a 2.023-acre parcel into two lots, each with a single-family home. The existing roadway on the property would be abandoned, and a new roadway would be constructed to provide access to the two new lots.
The applicant, Nick Prodanov with Land Development Group, is requesting to abandon and purchase 2 feet of Joshua Tree Lane right-of-way to make the lot split meet all town development standards. If approved, proposed Lot 1 will be 45,376 square feet in size (±1.042 acres) and proposed Lot 2 will be 43,574 square feet in size (±1.00 acres).
The next item on the agenda is where Paradise Valley Town Council will discuss the Statement of Direction (SUP-23-03) at First Southern Baptist where the house of worship is seeking an intermediate special use permit amendment at 5230 N. Scottsdale Road. This amendment would allow the church to add a solar panel system atop a new parking lot shade. The solar panel system would generate electricity for the church and would not be visible from the street.
The final item of the work session item is how to handle the formal resignation of Planning Commissioner Kristina Locke, who resigned on July 6, 2023. The Town Council will hold a Study Session to discuss and direct staff regarding the process to fill the vacancy.
In 2021, Commissioner Locke was appointed to the Planning Commission to fill the remainder of an unexpired term. In 2023, she was reappointed to a three-year term.
Section 2-5-2 of the Paradise Valley Town Code provides that Town Council shall fill vacancies for the unexpired terms of Commissioners. The Town Council may choose to draw from the applicant pool who applied and were interviewed in this most recent volunteer appointment cycle but not appointed, appoint someone currently serving on a different committee and fill the resulting vacancy, or provide direction to staff to conduct a new applicant search.
Computer Reports: Paradise Valley Town Council Sept. 14 regular session
About 6 p.m., Paradise Valley Town Council will shuffle from the executive boardroom found behind the local dais and take their respective places to discuss a handful of items that speak to establishment of interim chief financial officer through an outside firm, how a video and PR pursuit will help police department recruit and the formal correction to the municipality’s master fee schedule approved earlier this year.
First up Paradise Valley Town Council will vote on amendments to the existing financial services contract with Osuch Consulting, which appears to result in the consulting firm performing CFO duties until a new chief financial officer can be found. On May 21, 2023, the town and Osuch Consulting entered into a contract to provide Monthly Financial and Accounting services.
The term of these expanded services will run through Dec. 31, 2023, unless Osuch Consulting PLLC is otherwise notified that a full-time CFO has been hired. At such time services will be terminated or will be reduced to provide for a transition period.
The amendment increases the not to exceed amount from $25,000 to $69,000. The additional $44,000 will be used for services from Sept. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023, and will be billed at $175 per hour.
Next item for consideration includes Town Manager Andrew Ching seeking authorization to execute the amendment to the Professional Services agreement with JTKnapp Group, LLC for capital improvement services. The amendment would increase the not-to-exceed contract amount from $45,000 to $54,900. The town manager is also requesting to waive the 14-day waiting period to execute the agreement.
The Town’s Capital Improvement Project staff position is vacant, town officials report. To complete current CIPs, the finance department’s procurement division sought to extend the current contract with JTKnapp Group, LLC (the Consultant). In fiscal year 2022-23, JTKnapp Group, LLC was selected through a competitive procurement process and entered an agreement with the town on Jan. 26, 2023, in the amount of $45,000.
The consultant, in this case, JTKnapp Group, was tasked with managing current CIPs and developing the town’s fiscal year ’24 five-year CIP program. An extension of contract services is necessary to continue progressing current projects with immediate deadlines until the vacancy is filled.
Computer Reports: Sept. 14 Paradise Valley Town Council public hearings
Next item for consideration will be a discussion and possible action to adopt Resolution 2023-13, which would amend the 2023 Master Fee Schedule at the Town of Paradise Valley
When the town was updating its building permit fees, an error was found in the software. The construction value rate table had duplicated rates instead of progressive rates for two of the value ranges. This meant that some fees were being calculated incorrectly. As a result, the city has to amend the master fee schedule to increase one of the rates and decrease one of the rates.
The town is now charging the lesser of the base rates between the old and new schedules. The town is proposing a new fee schedule that will correct the error. The new rates are highlighted in the chart below:
The final item of the public hearing part of the Sept. 14 regular agenda will include Town Council being asked to authorize a contract with Epic Productions of Phoenix in an amount not to exceed $275,000 and waive the 14-day waiting period to execute the agreement.
The Paradise Valley Police Department is short-staffed, with five officers down and six more eligible for retirement, according to Freeman Carney, chief of police. Police department officials report across the country are having a hard time hiring qualified candidates, and PVPD is unique in that it focuses on hiring experienced lateral officers from around the country.
During budget discussions for fiscal year 2023-24, the Town Council expressed support for exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the town’s recruitment efforts and improve their chances of attracting highly qualified police officers. Epic Recruiting is a full-service police officer recruiting agency that has helped other departments succeed in their recruiting efforts.
Police officials say Epic Productions will learn about the town’s goals and objectives, as well as its culture and heritage, in order to develop a marketing strategy to attract the type of officer they are looking for. Epic will produce at least 13 recruitment videos, design and develop a recruiting website, and manage the department’s online recruiting and social media platforms.
