11/29/2009 10:56:00 PM Prescott meetings deal with
wastewater, vendors, orientation
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT - Three Prescott City Council meetings over the next two days will focus on issues ranging from wastewater treatment to simplification of the city's tax and licensing for vendors to an orientation for new members.
First, during a workshop at 1 p.m. Tuesday, the council will hear an update report on the wastewater treatment plants' master plan that a consultant recently conducted for the city.
City Manager Steve Norwood explained that the master plan looks into the capacity at the city's wastewater treatment plants.
"The plants both are really struggling," Norwood said of the city's Sundog and Airport plants.
Because residents are using less water under water conservation efforts, Norwood said, "The solids are too solid, and the plants are having to work a lot harder."
The master plan makes a number of recommendations, including expansions, new plants, and new methods.
Then, at the regular study session at 3 p.m. Tuesday, the council will consider changing its tax and licensing code to make bazaars and other special event licensing easier and more affordable.
Norwood called the current city code covering special events "cumbersome," and he said the change aims to simplify it.
According to a city memo, one of the proposed changes would make vendors at Christmas or church-type bazaars exempt from the $25 fee they currently must pay to the city.
"The city currently requires each vendor at a church or Christmas bazaar to pay the $25 fee," states the memo. "Often this is more than the participant may make for an event."
The memo adds that the changes would allow the city code to follow the tax code by offering a definition of a casual seller (selling three times per year or less), and making them exempt from the $25 fee.
On Wednesday, the council will conduct a workshop at 8:30 a.m. for orientation of new council members.
Norwood said the city is conducting the workshop because four new members joined the council this past week. The orientation will give them information about the various city departments.
All of the meetings will take place at Prescott City Hall, 201 S. Cortez St. The Tuesday meetings will be in the City Council chambers, and the Wednesday meeting will be in the basement conference room.
