Monticello City Council addresses parking issues

_by Anna Thayn_

Mayor Doug Allen presented the Monticello City Council with parking concerns at their October 10 meeting. Allen said that there have been issues raised over parking on several streets in town where there is limited parking for numerous businesses.

The City has received complaints from business owners about having no parking for their patrons, as employees of other businesses are taking up all the parking available.

Mayor Allen suggested possibly instituting a two or three hour parking limit or “customer only” parking on Main Street and several other key streets.

Councilman Jeremy Hoggard expressed his concern over the issue, but questioned where employees and owners of such businesses would be expected to park if not in front of their business location. Hoggard also questioned whether or not the city should be able to tell business owners they can’t park in front of their own stores.

The council discussed the possible purchase of the lot south of Wagon Wheel Pizza to pave and provide off-street parking for Main Street. Some council members shared concerns about providing parking for some businesses in town without participation by the business. The issue looks to be one that may become a serious issue for the city in the future.

City Manager Trent Schafer gave the council an update on construction of the new airport. He reports that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will allow the city to begin using more than $300,000 rolled over from the previous year for design of the new airport. The city is working with Armstrong Engineering for design.

Schafer said the City plans to start moving forward with the design over the winter. There were some concerns raised over zoning regulations on the properties adjacent to the new airport and requirements of the FAA regarding housing in the area. The issue is something that will have to be brought to San Juan County. The council also discussed the possibility of a billboard on the location, announcing the future airport to people who are buying land in the area.

The council approved the Community Impact Board (CIB) priority list. It includes a funding request for an Aquatic Center. The council added other items to the list including Main Street upgrades, including possible decorative lighting, concrete, and crosswalks.

Councilwoman Cassie Boyle questioned if an aquatic center/ community center/ golf course clubhouse could be combined into one building so they could all be done sooner and provide an “all in one” opportunity for families.

The possibility of expansion to the water treatment facility by way of expanding or building a new culinary storage pond was also discussed. The council said that this would eliminate some of the need to divert so much water to Loyd’s Lake every year, which eventually leads to water loss.

The council asked Schafer and Assistant City Manager Martin to outline a project for the city’s upcoming Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. The application is due December 1.

A public hearing will be held on the proposed grant application on October 24 at 6:45 p.m.

Mayor Allen pointed out new priority ranking guidelines as 1) housing 2) water/sewer 3) facilities 4) recreation and parks and 5) other. Allen told the council the prioritization was made by the State to relate more to the core mission of the grant. The maximum amount of CDBG funding is $100,000 per project, with a minimum of $30,000.

Councilwoman Cassie Boyle asked the council about the possibility of budgeting more money in the coming year for the purchase of additional planters for flowers on Main Street. She said that money has already been budgeted for plants next year, but additional planters may want to be added. The Council reported hearing good things about the planters and in general said that more planters were a good idea.

Councilman Jeremy Hoggard said he had no problem with ordering more, but felt that it was a good idea to wait until after winter to see if there are any problems with the planters before purchasing more.

The council also talked about planting the flowers in separate containers in a greenhouse type setting in order to start growing and get them established earlier in the season. Councilman Brad Randall suggested using the swimming pool as a location to start the growing before the pool opens in the spring.

The council sent several issues to the Planning Commission for their input, including concerns over infrastructure for one lot or small subdivisions. The council discussed the possibility of requiring impact fees for streets, sidewalks and curb and gutter for these types of subdivisions as the fee could then be put into an escrow account for future development of the street or to recover some costs from infrastructure previously put in.

It was pointed out that the City already regulates regular subdivisions by requiring them to put in infrastructure. The Planning Commission will also be asked to draft a new ordinance requiring the surveying of property before any building permit is issued.