HomeMy WebLinkAboutSenior Advisory Board - Minutes - 11/10/2021 1
City of Fort Collins
Senior Advisory Board
Minutes
Wednesday November 10, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting on Zoom
Fort Collins, Colorado
I. Call to Order
a. Meeting started at 11:33 am
II. Guest introductions
a. Bill Hillsmeier: community member and Katy Mason (guest speaker)
III. Public Input
None
IV. Administrative Items
a. Attendance: Myles Crane, Sarah Schilz, Greg Wells, Deanna O’Connell,
Nancy Luttropp, Alan Kress, Suzanne King, Alicia Durand, Sarah Olear
Excused Absence: David Kovach (required work training)
Correspondence: Office of Governor, Professor N. Ehrhart, Betty Aragon,
Also Deanna O’Connell is waiting to hear back from the City staff regarding status of
her position which is terming
b. Approval of Minutes – Alicia Durand,
i. Comments on minutes: none
ii. Motion to approve: Alicia Durand; Suzanne King 2nd
c. Calendar referenced – Interim City Manager Search: member input encouraged
V. New Business: Discussion
a. Guest Presenter: Katy Mason, Co-Chair Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities -
Housing Priority Group
b. Road Map Fort Collins – study regarding coding and Missing Middle Housing
VI SAB Member Bio:
Deanna O’Connell
Current interests include: family, friends, gardening, hiking, other outdoors activity, reading
and travelling. Deanna is a native to Mishawaka, Indiana. Grew up with lots of outdoors.
Undergraduate degree from Purdue in nutrition. Completed an internship in Boston.
First job related to the mineral composition of baby food. Was married and has three children,
moved frequently. Worked in a variety of jobs including but not limited to: clinical
nutritionist, not for profit sector, and schoolteacher. Moved to CO in 2000
Purchased log furniture business with now ex-husband, which they owned for a decade.
In Fort Collins worked as a nutritionist at Banner. Currently with UC Health where she
spends about half her time in the ICU. She partners often with the Aspen club teaching
classes currently to older adults in nutrition education, mindfulness and chronic disease
management.
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VII Guest Presenter: Katy Mason, Co-Chair Housing Priority Group of the Partnership
for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County (PAFC).
Katy’s career included 23 years of service at Larimer County’s Office on Aging.
Her goal in this presentation: to encourage collaboration between SAB and the
Housing Priority Group to work together in finding a common path in addressing housing
issues with City of Fort Collins.
PAFC’s Housing Priority Group (HPG) was created because housing accessibility and
affordability are challenges facing older adults in our community. HPG includes several
current and retired professionals from related fields as well as community members.
PAFC Chairperson Sue Ballou also co-chairs HPG with Katy.
Some of the Group’s members include FC City Staff Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Michelle
Christiansen, COO, Housing Catalyst, Sam Betters, retired Exec. Dir. Loveland Housing
Authority, Ted Shepherd, retiree after 32+ years as Fort Collins City Planner, other builders,
architects and community members including SAB’s Nancy Luttropp.
HPG decided on a three prong focus to support their goals of educating and advocating on the
challenges of housing.
1. Referencing the AARP supported book: “Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and
Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis, by Daniel G. Parolek
(available on Amazon and Kindle).
The HPG created a subcommittee of industry professionals to analyze the book over a 6 month
period. The subcommittee was impressed by the content and wanted to encourage
dissemination of knowledge. To do this, they requested funding from AARP to purchase
books to advocate for missing middle housing. HPG would like to share this book with
planning and housing departments in Fort Collins as well as policy makers to support missing
middle house advocacy.
Katy cited a definition of “Missing Middle Housing as “walkable, desirable, attainable
housing many struggle to find. This includes duplexes, 4 plexes, bungalows, and others,
all on a spectrum of affordability. These types of housing address the expansion of housing
choices and affordability.
Why this is applicable to Fort Collins?
Fort Collins is full of single-family homes. Many older adults are in those homes and cannot a
afford to downsize to smaller options or there are not many smaller options available.
2. Supporting the initiative by retired City Planner, Ted Shepherd, for a current survey
municipalities in Larimer County to better understand zoning, land use codes, fees, etc.
He has spoken with Larimer County, Berthoud, Loveland, Wellington, and some other
surrounding area officials. Based on information shared, he is creating a matrix that compares
land use codes and zoning as it relates to 4 plex housing, water tap, sewer tap, and raw water
requirement fees for affordable housing.
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3. AARP’s supported study of “Enabling Better Places: A Coding Reform Road Map for
Fort Collins”.
This study was conducted by Congress for New Urbanisms and commissioned by AARP.
Three cities were chosen to be evaluated. The State office chose the City of Denver, City of
Fort Collins, and City of Loveland to compare. Each city chosen met with three urban planners
who authored the study.
The authors asked questions about zoning in Loveland and Fort Collins and what information
the committee was looking to learn about their area. The results were combined to create the
Coding Reform Road Map which was shared with SAB.
The HPG is going to analyze this study over the next few months.
The goal of the roadmap is to try and find small changes in the land use code and zoning laws to
encourage more missing middle housing. They accomplished this by focusing on five sections as
highlighted in the study.
One of the five sections, for example, examines Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
An ADU is a mother-in-law suite, carriage house, or an attached dwelling to back of house.
Many people do not know about ADU’s so there are not a lot of options in town. ADU’s are
constrained by parking requirements, U+2 law, water rights, access to buildings. The Coding
Reform Road Map looks at simple changes to code laws or zoning regulations that would make it
easier for more of these types of dwellings to be built or added.
Using all Three Resources:
The HPG is planning to create an advocacy agenda/plan that references these resources.
HPG plans to advocate to all communities in Larimer County to increase education on the missing
middle housing.
Where SAB can help?
HPG needs to determine whether to recommend starting with City staff or elected officials to share
knowledge. HPG would like to consider partnering with SAB to promote advocacy plan through
agreed on communication and tactics
Some ideas for tactics:
1. Tactic to communicate: Buy City planners lunch and share book as gift, highlights from the roadmap
to educate the group.
2. Plan to discuss with City Council and planning staff
3. Look for an SAB board member to attend Housing Priority Group as part of the partnership.
4. Books are $40 and can be found on Amazon, or SAB may request a complimentary copy
from PAFC by contacting Katy Mason.
Questions/Comments
Discounts for AARP members for book? – Not known yet,
Nancy: As housing impacts every aspect of an individual’s life, it’s a universal issue. If the middle
housing availability can be solved, it will positively impact health, community wellbeing, economics,
etc.
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Alicia: Encourages visual showcase of middle housing options to get stakeholder buy in (This is one of
the group’s ideas to advocate…working to view 4 plex currently being built in Fort Collins).
Sarah: NIMBY (Not in my backyard) is a large deterrent to missing middle housing in Fort Collins.
Nancy: Downsizing is a challenge for individuals without family support. Can community members
contact Sarah Schliz to assist with resources for downsizing?
Sarah: Downsizing is challenging and trying to find smaller space is just as expensive. Master bedrooms
on the ground floor is at a premium and out of price range for many.
Alicia: Housing market is challenging to navigate.
Gregory: CSU is noticing a trend that many candidates cannot afford cost of living. Losing talented
individuals because they cannot find affordable housing and the cost of living is more than the offered
salary.
Sarah: City needs to change focus. Currently focusing on energy saving.
Myles: To assist Council in their deliberative process, SAB should consider presenting to
other B&C’s to request their buy in to promote missing middle housing advocacy plan.
Myles also presented following Motion for Board’s deliberation:
“At such time as Housing Priority Group of PAFC has finalized a strategy for increasing housing choice
presentations to the City, the SAB would like to consider collaboration after reviewing that PAFC plan.”
Suzanne King 2nd Approval – unanimous.
HPG meets 2nd Friday of month 8:30 am to 10 am via Zoom link
December meeting:
12/10/21 8:30 am to 10:00 am “Delve into Advocacy Strategy”
SAB Liaison: Dr. Allen Kress will plan to attend.
The SAB expressed appreciation and applauded Katy for her informative presentation.
VIII
a. 2021-2022 Work Plan
Myles proposed changes under the sections for Primary Functions,
Neighborhood Livability, and Timely information to assist Council.
The Motion to approve changes: Alicia and seconded: Gregory
Approved Unanimously
b. Bicycle Advisory Board Oct 25th Meeting – Greg
a. City of Fort Collins is getting 3 electric busses in Jan 2022 ($1,000,000 a piece)
i. Test run on CSU campus
ii. 6 hours to charge
iii. Last about 180 miles per charge (temp and other factors can impact)
iv. Depending on test run may expand routes and # of vehicles
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c. Community Reports: PAFC, LCOA, CCOA, Other
d. Nomination of 2022 Officers
a. Looking for a volunteer for the Vice Chair position for Jan-March.
e. Develop 2021 SAB Annual Report
Sarah S and Myles will work on Annual Report.
IX ANNOUNCEMENTS :
“A Decent Home” – Denver Film Festival - complimentary link
SAB Dec 8 in-person meeting at 310 West Prospect
Meeting adjourned: 12:52 pm