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MINUTES OF UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL <br />STUDY SESSION <br />May 17, 2010 <br />The Council Study Session, held on the Fifth Floor of the City Hall, on Monday, May 17, <br />2010, was called to order at 5:30 p.m. The following members of the Council were <br />present: <br />Mr. Arthur Sharpe, Jr. <br />Mr. Michael Glickert <br />Ms. Lynn Ricci <br />Mr. Terry Crow <br /> Stephen Kraft <br />Mayor Shelley Welsch <br />Mr. Byron Price was excused. <br />Also present were the Interim City Manager Janet Watson, Public Works Director Evelyn <br />Shields Benford, Assistant Public Works Director Mariella Tapia-Alpasian, Project Manager <br />Angelica Gutierrez and City Attorney John Mulligan. <br />The study session was for discussion of the Olive Blvd Phase III improvements, whether to <br />proceed with grant and City match funding. The Olive enhancement project began in July <br />2000 when Community Development and Public Works applied for grant funds to construct <br />streetscape elements consistent with Olive Boulevard Land Use study and economic <br />development plans for Olive. Olive enhancement project Phase I took place from 2000 to <br />2005 including new seven feet wide sidewalks, double headed lighting fixtures tree <br />plantings and bus shelters.Imprinted asphalt was installed in some locations <br />Phase II began in 2001 and was completed in 2009, which consisted of one new sidewalk, <br />fifty decorative street lights, eight tress and grates for all sidewalk trees, one bus shelter, <br />more decorative imprinted asphalt, of which it was later found to deteriorate and crumble. <br />Phase three, the final stage of the grant has been scaled down in order to reduce matching <br />funds needed. The question to the Council was where the matching funds would be taken <br />from or should the project be abandoned. Abandoning the project could risk future grants <br />from East-West Gateway, especially when projects begin at I170 and Olive or Delmar and <br />I170. Council asked why representatives from the Economic Sales Tax Board were not <br />present in order to hear their opinion. Due to the limited time frame on the grant and the <br />economic status of the City, the consensus of the Council was to use Economic <br />Development Sales tax money for matching funds. <br />The next topic of concern was the process of hiring a new City Manager. Several <br />members of the Council heard from constituents advising them to hire a professional <br />consulting firm, as it was felt the total process would consume more time than <br />Councilmembers could give. The consensus of the Council was to have the City put out <br />an Request for Quotes (RFQ), listing two options: one with the consultant handling the <br />complete process and the second would be with the consulting firm doing only a portion or <br />portions of the process, with the City completing any remaining steps. <br /> <br />