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Residents urge action on public-works spending, downtown heights and park access during Roy public comment
Summary
At the March 18 public comment period residents criticized perceived waste in public-works spending and management, urged caution on proposed downtown height increases, and requested better public access to soccer goals at Emma Russell Park.
Dozens of residents spoke during the public-comment portion of the March 18 meeting, raising concerns about city services, taxes and park access.
Steve Thomas criticized public-works travel and training expenses and the department's staffing structure, calling management layers excessive and urging implementation of time-card controls to reduce what he called "wasteful spending." Thomas said public works recently spent large sums on travel and training and that, in his view, cutting management titles could free dollars to improve frontline staffing.
Dennis Brown and other landlords raised concerns about rising property taxes and the cost of owning and renting residential units; Brown asked when the city would present its draft budget, and staff replied that the manager will deliver a draft May 1.
Several residents addressed proposed changes to downtown building heights. Dennis Brown urged the council not to approve taller buildings, describing a 12-story limit as "too tall for Downtown Roy." Brown referenced earlier zoning decisions that allowed varying heights by distance from 1900 West and said the council should preserve lower scale in some places.
Alexis Jackson, a resident and AYSO coach, raised a parks-access issue about portable soccer goals at Emma Russell Park. Jackson said AYSO frequently reserves prime goal access during the season and that the goals are removed or locked in summer, making them unavailable to casual players. She told council she had discussed field access with Parks and Recreation staff and AYSO officials, and she requested a work session to explore solutions for balanced access that also address vandalism and field quality.
Kevin Homer urged council support for a proposed resolution that later passed designating Roy Days parks as "safe zones," saying it was reasonable to put the public on notice the city will enforce disorderly-conduct and public-safety laws during the events.
Ending: Councilors and staff responded with procedural answers, noted the budget schedule, and said staff will explore options for park goal access and consider further public outreach where appropriate.
