HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation And Stewardship Board - Minutes - 01/13/2021
Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
Regular Meeting/Zoom Meeting
January 13, 2021
5:30 pm
0 1 /13 /20 21 – MINUTES Page 1
1. CALL TO ORDER:
5:30 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL: Raymond Watts, Vicky McLane, David Tweedale, Alycia Crall, Joseph
Piesman, Kelly Ohlson, Cole Kramer, Mike Weber
Excused: Andrea Elson
Current Board members introduced themselves to the new Board member, Cole Kramer
and provided a short background of their experience.
Citizen Participation: Jeff Stahla, Public Information Officer for Northern Water;
Jim Struble, Real Estate Agent for Northern Water; Rob Graves, Community Member;
Kelly Smith, Senior City Planner, City of Fort Collins; Kraig Bader, Director Electrical
Engineering, City of Fort Collins
NAD Staff: Julia Feder, NAD Environmental Planning Manager; Jennifer
Shanahan, NAD Senior Specialist/Sciences
3. AGENDA REVIEW:
Ray made comments regarding the agenda. Rather than construct a Consent Agenda
he suggested adopting those items by consensus. The items are the Oil and Gas
memorandum, Realigning Boards and Commissions memorandum and the 2020 LCSB
Annual Report. Ray announced that Dave Myers would do a Larimer County Landfill
IGA update at the end of the meeting to be included in his Land Conservation report out.
Without any objections, the Board moved forward.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Joseph Piesman made a motion to approve the December
2020, LCSB meeting minutes. Alycia Crall seconded the motion. The motion was
unanimously approved 7-0. Cole was not in attendance of the December meeting and
was unable to vote.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Ray submitted a final draft of the Oil and Gas Regulations memorandum. Ray opened
the floor for discussion. In summary, the memo recommends that the City develop
standards and maps that will apply to applications for oil and gas development on City-
owned lands outside the City limits. Existing standards and studies provide a good
starting point for new specific oil and gas standards. The memorandum was approved
by Consent.
Ray moved forward with the Reimagining Boards and Commissions memorandum . He
will send the final memo to Michelle to forward to City Council. Ray explained the
memo discussed certain aspects of concern by the LCSB. Alycia reported those
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concerns were somewhat addressed at the Boards and Commissions Super Board
meeting. There will be a continuation to attend Board meetings, variant term length for
some Boards will be considered. City Council will continue to discuss the issue on
January 26th. Ray asked Alycia to resend the presentation to him. The memo to City
Council was approved by Consent.
Zoe introduced the Club Outdoors Year End Summary Memo addressed to the Board.
A grant proposal to continue funding Club Outdoors was submitted in the fall of 2020 to
the Pulliam Charitable Trust. However, Club Outdoors funding was not renewed.
Instead, the Trust is funding Cameron Peak Fire recovery at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area.
The purpose of the memorandum is to update the Board on how the prior grant was
spent and the work the funding was able to support. Vicky encouraged staff to apply for
City Grants, from Social Sustainability. Zoe thought it was a great suggestion.
6. NEW BUSINESS:
Lighting Code Q&A
Kelly Smith, Senior City Planner
Kraig Bader, Electrical Engineering, Director
Kelly and Kraig were available for questions on the proposed new Lighting Code.
Specifically, the Board raised concerns and questions regarding retrofitting the new
Code and Policy within the City. Kelly Ohlson asked about best practices nationally.
Kelly Smith reported that a consultant, internationally known for developing lighting code
and standards to control light pollution, from a design and a code perspective reviewed
the proposed new Code. She reported the consultant recommendations and how the
City reviewed and made changes to the proposed Code based on the feedback and
tools provided by the consultant. Kraig reported an approximate 37% conversion status
for the City has already taken place. Stu Reeve, with Operation Services is leading and
managing the City’s retrofit conversion. Kelly Smith went on to explain their analysis of
the consultant’s report and summary of other communities’ efforts to roll out retrofits.
Kelly Smith reported the new regulations will go before City Council in the Winter of
2021 for adoption. Kelly Ohlson requested Kelly Smith to follow up with him.
2020 LCSB Annual Report
Ray opened the floor discussion for any comments or suggestions on the LCSB Annual
Report. The Board agreed to list Board member names in all future reports. Michelle
offered to insert Board member names in the report prior to submitting to the City Clerk’s
office. The Board approved the Report by consensus.
2021 Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) & Site Plan Advisory Review
(SPAR)
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Jennifer Shanahan, NAD Senior Specialist
Jennifer provided an update on the status for all NISP permitting tracks and recent events,
in 2020 NISP pertaining to the 1041 permit from Larimer County. Included was City
Council’s restatement of its position on NISP to oppose NISP in the FEIS and 1041
application and opposes those aspects of NISP that include the use of City-owned natural
areas for NISP infrastructure. Jennifer’s memo to the LCSB included summaries for the
404 permit and Record of Decision, The Poudre Intake Pipeline, the Site Plan Ad visory
Review and the Natural Areas easement application for Homestead, Kingfisher Point and
Riverbend Ponds natural areas. The LCSB has the option of communicating its
perspective as a board or an individual member of the public to Planning and Zoning
Board, via a memo. The LCSB will also be asked to provide a recommendation to City
Council per standard easement application process. Jennifer continued with a summary
of 2021 NISP permitting activity and those options for LCSB to engage.
Discussion:
Ray pointed out that the Colorado 1041 review and permitting process is available to the
City. He does not understand why a city like Fort Collins, has not adopted regulatory 1041
powers. Jennifer will seek advice from the attorneys and why they have not chosen that
approach. Kelly would like to know why the SPAR route, rather than 1041 authority, has
been chosen. He believes it might not be a City choice to circumvent that process. Ray
noted that under the 1041 law water projects are specifically of state interest and therefore
subject to local 1041 authority when a local government so chooses. When a municipality
adopts regulations of water development, within its city limits, environmental protections
are required for that development, then the city can declare it being handled through a
SPAR process, and that case circumvents standard City code reviews. Julie understands
that CSU, as owner of the Hughes Stadium property and has a governmental agency, is
not being held by the City and as a governmental agency, is not being held by the City to
normal development review standards. Jennifer agreed to follow up with the City
Attorney’s office to define why the City chose that route and get back to the LCSB with a
memo. Ray will pursue reaching out to City Council to obtain a better understanding the
reasoning behind 1041 authority for NISP.
Appropriating Pulliam Fire Recovery Grant
Zoe Shark, Interim NAD Director
Zoe announced a $75K grant from the Pulliam Charitable Trust designated for Cameron
Peak Fire recovery efforts at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. The Trust has outlined specific
allocations for the funds. In order to appropriate the funds into NAD budget Zoe is asking
for a recommendation to City Council from the LCSB.
Mike Weber made a motion that City Council approve the appropriation of $75K
from the Pulliam Charitable Trust to be used for fire recovery efforts at Bobcat
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Ridge Natural Area. Kelly Ohlson seconded the motion. The motion was
unanimously approved 8-0.
Land Conservation
Dave Myers, NAD Land Conservation Manager described three potential land
acquisitions. Dave suggested going into Executive Session for the February LCSB
meeting. A confidential year-end report has been submitted to City Council. He would like
to discuss the potential land acquisitions in February to provide specific details on the
properties.
Mark provided an update on the Fossil Creek Reservoir Surface Rights Lease Agreement.
Northern Poudre Irrigation Company held their monthly Board meeting and the chose not
to review NAD’s proposed lease agreement and will address it at their February meeting.
In the meantime, they requested a 90-day extension from NAD. If the City Manager
approves the extension, NAD will extend the current lease for 90 days to provide additional
time to continue negotiations on the proposed lease. Mark will provide an update to the
Board in February.
IGA related to Remediation Activities on the Landfill and Cathy Fromme Prairie
Natural Area
Dave Myers provided an update on th e Landfill IGA and potential easement on Cathy
Fromme Prairie Natural Area. He reported on a toxic plume at and emanating from the
landfill site, which extends onto Cathy Fromme Prairie. Dave explained the purpose of
the IGA to establish a framework for the allocation of responsibilities and sharing of costs
between the owners of the landfill site to address the contamination and perform the
landfill corrective measures work. The County would pay 100% of the first $3 million of
remediation costs. If the remediation costs exceed that the parties would apportion those
extras costs. The County would pay 60%, Fort Collins would pay 30% and Loveland
would pay 10%. Dave continued with a description of the remediation process opti ons.
7. COMMUNICATION & BOARD MATTERS:
8. OTHER BUSINES:
The Board agreed to hold election for Board officers during the February meeting.
9. Bicycle Advisory Committee - Mike reported the Committee has not met since the last
LCSB meeting and has no update.
Meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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_____________________ _________________
Raymond Watts, Chair Date
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2/16/2021