HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation And Stewardship Board - Minutes - 12/08/2021
Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
Regular Meeting/Zoom Meeting
December 8, 2021
12/08/2021 – MINUTES Page 1
1. CALL TO ORDER: Raymond Watts, Chair called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL: Raymond Watts, Andrea Elson, Vicky McLane, Elena Lopez, Cole
Kramer, Mike Weber, David Tweedale, Joseph Piesman, Alycia Crall
NAD Staff: Zoe Shark, Michelle Vattano, Alynn Karnes, Barbara Brock, Dave Myers,
City Staff: Seve Ghose, Community Services Director
Citizen Participation: Ross Cunniff
3. AGENDA REVIEW: Ray noted the Ranger presentation will be postponed.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mike Weber made minor changes and sent them to
Michelle. Cole Kramer made a motion to approve the amended November meeting
minutes. Mike Weber seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously
approved 8-0.
5. NEW BUSINESS
New NAD Director Hire
Seve Ghose, Community Service Director, thanked everyone for participating in the
public forums during the Natural Areas Director hiring process. Katie Donahue was
selected as the new Director. Katie will launch her duties on January 10, 2021. Seve
thanked Zoe for her interim role as NAD Director for the last two years.
Katie Donahue will take over the LCSB Liaison position that Zoe has held for the last two
years.
Seve provided an update on the Recreation Director hiring. The hiring process was very
similar to the Natural Areas Director hiring process. That process concludes next week.
The goal is to have that position appointed by the end of the year.
LCSB Appointments
Ray reported interviews for boards and commissions, with City Council, are being
scheduled. Joe Piesman will be interviewed in the next week. Unfortunately, he felt
once recommendations are made to City Council it is unsure when applicants will be
appointed. Zoe stated that she was informed those appointments would hopefully be
made by the first of the year to get new appointees on board in time for the January 12
meeting.
Zoe shared a spreadsheet signifying the rotation of appointments. New to the process
are one year and two-year terms versus the traditional four-year term. Board members
were unsure why that new process was implemented. It appears to be a little confusing
right now but more to come on the issue later.
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Regular Meeting
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Board Appreciations
Zoe and Ray both thanked Board members for all their hard work, commitment,
experience, and knowledge that has come forth out of their work and participation on the
Board.
Ray and Zoe discussed hosting an in-person meeting January 12, 2022. Ray suggested
hosting a dinner prior to the meeting. If a member feels uncomfortable meeting in
person, the current video capability system can certainly accommodate those. Most of
the members were comfortable with an in-person meeting. More details will be shared
as details are worked out.
Budget Update
Zoe reported the Natural Areas Department is at the end of the 2022 budgeting. The
budget was read two times at City Council and has been finalized. We will begin the
2023-24 budgeting process this spring. All ongoing offers were funded to included
operations, land conservation, rangers, education, etc. All our enhancement offers were
approved. It’s unusual that all the offers were approved but NAD is in a good financial
position with sales taxes. Those enhancement offers included restoring the land
conservation budget that was reduced in 2020. We also were funded for restoration at
Bobcat Ridge and Cottonwood Hollow Natural Areas. The Poudre River diversion
structure was funded for construction. We have a design in place so the funds will be for
construction purposes. Included were funding for new positions; a Facility Operation
Technician, a Trails and Visitor Amenities technician, and then we were able to
discontinue long- term hourly positions which will now be classified Worker 1s. We also
contributed to a Water Resources Engineer, which is a collaborative position with
Utilities, Park Planning and Development, Parks, and Natural Areas.
Vicky complimented Zoe for converting the hourly classified positions. The
enhancement offers being approved is outstanding. Joe congratulated Zoe and asked
how many FTE NAD currently has. There were eight hourly positions that were
converted.
Hughes Stadium Property
Elena Lopez reported CSU has agreed to sell the Hughes parcel to the City of Fort
Collins for $12.5 million. The City Council Work Session on November 23 covered the
funding, and the staff recommendation and Council Finance Committee
recommendation was presented to City Council. Essentially there were three funding
options, all assume a “true-up” between funds once land use is determined:
1. Cash Purchase: Pay the entire purchase amount up front with cash, with a 50/50 split
($6.25 million each) between NAD reserves and the General Fund
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Regular Meeting
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2. 100% Financing: Finance the entire purchase amount over 20 years
3. Hybrid Option: Pay $4 million cash up front ($2 million EACH from NA D reserves and
General Fund), and debt finance the other $8.5 million over 10 years.
Council decided to finance most of the purchase as debt with $4 million in cash from
NAD and General Fund. The key points that we should be aware of are the future land
use determination will also determine how the financing occurs across city funds. For
instance, if the detention pond and frisbee golf course stays that would be Parks
funding. There’s also a potential for a wildlife center, so there’s all these other op tions
for future funding assistance. Elena discussed the 50/50 split between natural areas
and the general fund as a placeholder to be revisited once land use is known.
Ray asked if Elena had heard about development of an actual plan for the parcel and
how it might be used. Public engagement will determine how the land will be used.
Council directed that a third-party consultant will be hired to engage the community. It
could be potentially over a year before they make any decisions on land use.
Ray suggested considering an arboretum. It would be an opportunity that might be
considered. Obviously, the Board might have an opportunity to provide suggestions.
Joe suggested considering adding onto Maxwell Natural Area. Zoe reported at the City
Council Finance meeting it was expressed that it would take a couple of months to set
up the financing but didn’t anticipate it would hold up the sale.
LCSB Annual Report
Ray asked if there were any Board members that might be interested in reviewing the
annual report to finalize a draft. Cole Kramer and Andrea Elson agreed to work on the
report. Michelle reminded the Board the report is due at the end of January, a final draft
should be submitted in the January packet material for Board approval.
Bicycle Advisory Committee
Mike Weber reported the last month meeting included an update from Cortney Geary’s
presentation to the Board Active Modes last month. They also discussed their 2022
workplan and were updated on SPIN, their access program and the BAC’s meeting
calendar for 2022.
Joe asked if there was an update on the new trail from Arapaho Bend, under I -25 and
completing the trail to Greeley. Mike thought it depended on the bridge being completed
and might be spring or early summer before they can complete the brid ges. Zoe
reported the Cottonwood Land and Farms parcel could be an access as well as the
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Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
Regular Meeting
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park, just east of the area. There is a huge desire to complete the process but there’s a
lot of moving parts that need to be resolved.
Land Conservation
Dave Myers, Land Conservation Manager, provided a year end update. This year we
have all the acquisitions that we’ve closed on 189 acres at a cost of $3.1M. Some
projects that we’ve been working on for a couple of years are now under contract or we
have verbal agreements. Conservation easement of 17 acres on the river that will close
in two weeks, in the northwest Fort Collins area we have one property that’s 15 acres
that we are buying over the next 2 years. That’s a partnership with Stonewater. A huge
acquisition in the foothills, 414 acres and 261 acres, two ranches. The 168 acres
includes the Hughes parcel. We are partnering with Larimer County as part of the
Mountains to Plains project and that will be 428-acre conservation easement. We also
have 37 acres adjacent to another natural area that will close next year. We have 1,333
acres that will be conserved and under contract.
Ray congratulated the land conservation team on their work over the last year for the
work they have done and the acquisitions.
Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm
_________________________ _______________
Andrea Elson, LCSB Vice Chair Date
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