HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/17/2024 - Economic Advisory Board - SUMMARY AGENDA - Regular Meeting
Economic Advisory Board
REGULAR MEETING
April 17, 2024, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
HYBRID MEETING OPTIONS
Physical Loca�on: CIC Room @ 300 LaPorte Ave.
Virtual option via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84688470753
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. AGENDA REVIEW
4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Meet & Greet with Mayor Jeni Arndt, EAB Council Liaison
i. 2024 Priorities Discussion – 15 minutes
b. New Member Welcome – Braulio, Chair and Erin, Vice Chair – 20 minutes
i. Icebreaker & Q&A
BREAK FOR DINNER (~10 min break)
c. Fort Collins Development Update – Paul Sizemore, Planning, Development, &
Transportation (PDT) Deputy Director
i. Presentation and Q&A Discussion – 30 minutes
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
9. OTHER BUSINESS
10. ADJOURNMENT
04/17/2024 – AGENDA
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03/20/24 Minutes
Economic Advisory Board
REGULAR MEETING
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 – 4:00 PM
215 N Mason, EOC Training Space
1. CALL TO ORDER: 4:00 PM
2. ROLL CALL
a. Board Members Present –
• Denny Coleman
• Thierry Dossou
• Erin Gray
• Mistene Nugent
• John Parks
• Braulio Rojas
• Richard Waal
• Renee Walkup
b. Board Members Absent –
c. Staff Members Present –
• Jillian Fresa, Economic Health Manager, Economic Health Office
• Erin Sporer, Business Support, Economic Health Office
• Shannon Hein, Economic Health Manager, Economic Health Office
• Michael Bussmann, Capital Projects Business Liaison, Economic Health
Office
• Edgar Ramos, Sr. Bilingual Business Connector, Economic Health Office
Tommy Meritt, Bilingual Business Connector, Economic Health Office
• Kelsey Baun, NoCo Works Project Manager, Larimer County
• Ashley Kailburn,
• Katie Geiger,
d. Guest(s) –
• Chris Denton
• Val Kailburn
3. AGENDA REVIEW
4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
a. Chris and Val are starting as board members next month.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. Renee motioned and Richard seconded to approve the February minutes.
Motion carried unanimously. 7-0.
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6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7. NEW BUSINESS
a. Small Business Ecosystem Overview & Multicultural Business &
Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) Update
• Team
• Michael, Capital Project Business Liaison
• Tommy, Bilingual Business Connector
• Leisha Talley, Business Connector
• Edgar Ramos, Sr. Bilingual Business Connector
• Small business is 50 employees and under
• Capital projects
• The impacts related to capital construction can be manageable
through better project navigation
• The business and the project managers are stakeholders in good
engagement
• Providing information and resources is key to success.
• Capital impact grant program – within capital constructions zone -
$2000 grants to help mitigate impacts from construction
• Major current projects
• Utilities
• Oak St. storm water
• Engineering
• Laporte Ave.
• College and Trilby intersection
• Streets
• Harmony Rd.
• Mason St.
• Centre Ave.
• Other duties
• Development Review, Heavy Hitters, Linden Street
• MBEC
• Free business support
• English and Spanish
• Multiple Locations
• Focuses on navigation, mentorship, and connection
• No limit on number of appointments
• Funded by the American rescue plan act (ARPA)
• Secured funding through 2025
• Will be looking for funding after that through BFO
(budgeting for outcomes)
• Includes three business connectors
• Programming
• Alignment with the Economic Health Strategic Plan and the City
Recovery Plan
• 2023 MBEC Report
• 248 appointments
• 37 businesses created
• 40% of customers base is Spanish monolingual
• Both programs support business survivability
• Other internal work
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• Internal navigation, business engagement internal coordination,
Business Engagement Executive Team, barriers to business, power
of the p-card, ForFortCollins.com, restaurant roadmap, and lease
agreement education
• Broader business resources
• Larimer Small Business Development Center, Founded in FoCo,
Poudre River Library District Business Librarian, NOCO Biz
Connect, Restaurant Roadmap, sector partnerships, revolving loan
fund (on pause).
•
Questions
• How far down Linden are you going?
• Just the 200-block zone: Jefferson to Walnut. They received full
treatment with pavers and lights. It was a major project a couple
years back.
• The board expressed appreciation for a position like Michaels.
• The board expressed concern regarding parking on that block of Linden
because there are not lines and people park badly there. Seems like more
cars could fit if lines were put in and there would be better service to
businesses.
• In the total picture of Linden St. parking is a big issue. There is data
to support unlined parking creates more parking as people will
squeeze in another car or two however, often you will see horrible
parking jobs. It is on the priorities for Linden St. It will be looked at.
Michael will also take that feedback to the proper channels.
• During Covid a lot of small businesses got shut out if they didn’t have
banking relationships. Is that something MBEC helps establish?
• Yes, the big problem was not having proper bookkeeping or an
accountant doing the taxes. We help entrepreneurs plan and focus
on it as it is an important part. We try to connect them to proper
avenues and create templates throughout the process. We are
trying to make connections with bankers to make it a friendly
handoff. It is in the works, but we focus on having a basic business
foundation. We have done some grant programs too. A lot of folks
are applying for grants that didn’t have business licenses or were
operating out of compliance. Through these programs we have
helped them be in good standing so they can apply for grants.
Banks have reached out that have bilingual bankers. It can be hard
to make referrals to a specific bank since we are a government
entity. We are navigating that.
• Are you open to clients regardless of status like having a social security
number (SSN)? Do you need an SSN to run a business?
• Yes, a lot of our clientele would not fit in that criteria or having an
SSN. We rely on our partners as well. We partner with nonprofits in
the area to join events and speak to their community members to
offer our services. It is a sensitive topic. Edgar and Tommy are both
from outside the United States. How we frame it is we help anyone
who comes through our doors. There are certain requirements to go
through the business journey and that is an ITIN. We make that
known to them. Surveying past clients, the trend we have seen is
that we are able to build close relationships with clients so they can
trust us with personal stories and things they are not comfortable
speaking about. We will have that conversation when it comes to it,
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but it doesn’t limit anyone from using our services.
• Can we identify an optional buyer if a business is profitable but closing
due to retirement or something similar? Do we have a pool of potential
investors?
• If it’s a restaurant it’s easy to have another restaurant in there. It can
be hard to go from a bank to a restaurant. The opportunity does
exist, but it can be hard to fill those opportunities. It is worth
exploring and would be interesting to see if the City could have a
role in it. Larimer SBDC is launching programming for owners
looking to sell businesses. It has them looking ahead and to see if
there are opportunities for employees to buy the business. We are
partnering with them.
• The board suggested using internships/college students to help business.
For example, if a small business needs an accountant have them use an
intern.
• Our department partners with CSU’s Institute for Entrepreneurship.
They do events and accelerator programs. There are some other
Latino business groups that have reached out so there could be
some collaboration there too.
• Do you provide honest feedback upfront if you don’t think a business
would work?
• We do in the nicest way and it’s not usually like a hard stop. We
want to focus on this might not be a great fit right now . Funding can
be a barrier, so how do we pivot that energy and shift it to not be as
cost intensive in the beginning. That is part of the role we play is
saying let’s save you some money and time. funding barrier, how do
we pivot, that energy and shift it not as cost intensive in the
beginning, that is part of the role of saying let’s save you some time
and say this might not be the best use of your time. The goal is not
to just start as many businesses as possible. We get a lot of
questions, not just on the entrepreneurial side.
• Who does the fixed asset financing for this area?
• We have close relationships with local Credit units. It might be the
local SBA or ENT Credit Union, but I am not 100% sure. There is
one here.
• Are there some entities in town that do technology commercialization
start-ups equity financing?
• Rockies Venture Club does some. They have a women investors
group that sometimes has events here. We have been trying to
partner with them. I would say it is not super strong in Northern
Colorado
• Do you think there will be a commercialization part to this NFS grant that
is coming?
• Yes, so there are two components, there is a workforce component
and entrepreneurial component.
• The board expressed a concern regarding conflicting priorities on Linden
Street. It is a priority to expand sidewalks but also expand outdoor seating.
It seems like the sidewalk grew but the passable walkway has shrunken.
• That is another hot item on Linden Street. Covid accelerated it.
People like outdoor seating and want max patio space to maximize
revenue. The conflicting priority is pedestrian access to window
shopping. Businesses want them to walk past windows as closely as
possible. The walkway is through attached and detached patios,
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which was an agreement but now it creates pinch points. If you look
down Linden Street it creates a visual barrier to walk down the
street. We want to improve the walkability site lines and other
aspects. The detached patio at what was the Blind Pig is gone.
There are still two detached patios at Old Elk and Pour Brothers, but
they don’t have as big of issues. Outdoor guidelines are being
rewritten for more opportunity for discussion regarding detached
patios. We are trying to figure out what is working and not working
but it is hard to do with a drawing. The things that work and don’t
work are changeable, we are just trying to figure out the best path.
• The board mentioned days of sunny weather compared to cold days
and how there is a need to develop flexibility. There are more cold
days than nice days for patio socialization and people need to
appreciate the indoor spaces as well.
• Staff sent out a survey in November regarding the future of
Linden Street. There were over 1,000 responses. An
overwhelming number of people in the community want to
close Linden Street in some capacity for pedestrian space.
There are no plans right now, but we are discussing how to
utilize it and see if there is an opportunity to have more
flexibility in cold vs warm months/days. The discussion is
occurring.
• Is there anything you need from the board?
• Not currently.
b. NoCo Works Update
• Mission: To create an effective, efficient, and aligned talent and workforce
ecosystem for NoCo that can show measurable results.
• Vision: A regional coalition to foster an inclusive and economically healthy
community
• Commitments
• Streamlining access to resources and services
• Minimizing duplication of efforts
• Elevating best practices and rally support for 3 existing efforts
• Guiding Pillars
• Support NoCo employers in attracting, retaining, and growing their
workforce
• Support workforce (future and current) in obtaining and retaining
Quality Jobs in NoCo
• Support NoCo ecosystem to improve the prosperity of our talent and
workforce systems
• Regionalism Successes
• Joint Regional Workforce Development Board Meetings
• Workforce Symposium
• Work-based Learning Alliance (NoCo Inspire)
• Sector Partnerships
• REDI (Regional Economic Development Initiative)
• Memorandum of Underserved between Larimer and Weld County.
• Timeline Highlights
• First Steering Committee Meeting – February 2023
• Launched 6 different subcommittees and official public launch at
workforce symposium in September.
• Noco Works Structure
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• Noco Works Steering Committee
• Ensure long term solvency & sustainability of NoCo Works,
Communication Strategy, and Develop Resources & Tools
• Co-chairs elected by Steering Committee
• Program Manager
• 26 Members
• Three cities, three chambers, two counties, two
workforce development boards, five sector partnerships,
seven education k-12 and higher education, two
foundations, two nonprofits.
• Subcommittees
• Economic Inclusion, Business Resources, External Barriers
(transportation, childcare, and housing), Talent Pipeline,
Training & Development, and Work-Based Learning
• Weld Trust Funding
• $75,000 through the end of 2024
• Website development - $50,000
• Talent Pipeline - $5,000
• Work-based Learning - $10,000
• External Barriers - $10,000
• 2024 Goals
• Annual Report
• Marketing and Communications
• Launch intranet landing page for NoCo Works participants
• External Barriers Findings Event
• Launch Website – NoCoWorks.com
• Create finance committee and pursue ongoing project funding
• Develop Talent Pipeline Toolkit
• How can EAB help
• Interested in participating in subcommittees
• Spread word among networks and share annual report
• Do you know of examples similar, successful initiatives you’ve seen
in other communities we can learn from?
• Do you know of any local companies there making positive
contributions in the workforce space?
Questions
• The board hopes that NoCo Works is aligned with Polis’s transportation
initiatives and thinking about additional options.
• Want to make sure NoCo Works is aligned with what is coming
down from the state. We want to advocate for the region and elevate
actions and outcomes to benefit this area.
• Are you working with Leeds School of Business and the data they collect
for businesses around the state?
• Yes, and within the economic data there are key components within
the workforce data we utilize and then having that relationship with
NoCo REDI to be our local data experts are components as well.
• Are you including any of the trade schools or private higher education so
they can help with training? They are worth considering since they are
training people for trades. It is not just hourly jobs but professional jobs as
well. People are paying a lot of money to get training and then usually
leave institutions with a lot of debt. They don’t always have the funding to
have a good placement program. It is a good way to loop them in and be a
win-win for everyone.
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• To my knowledge I don’t think so, but it really models the
apprenticeship push that is happening in the state. Another buzz
word going around is job quality or quality jobs. We as a state have
a definition of what that means. The feds also came out with a
definition as well around salary, benefits, flexibility, etc. Many of the
quality jobs are tier one or two jobs that don’t require a four-year
degree. The state is very much behind that.
• The board agrees that trade schools can be overlooked particularly
for young women. It can provide a lot of job opportunities upon
graduation. It is a need and would be great to incorporate.
• The board mentioned that another thing is hiring people from our counties
and keeping them here. A lot of people come up from Denver to do work
here. They are not sure if there are incentives that can be talked about, for
example a local builder, building here. Would be interested to know where
workers come from. They also mentioned that many examples of trades
not able to find anyone young in Larimer County to be interested in trades
because the area is highly educated and that is not an easy problem to
solve.
• That is where the regionalism perspective comes in. If Fort Collins
is growing tech in bioscience and education, let’s own it. If the
electricians and plumbers come from Weld County, then lets own
that. Another statistic is the average age of someone in the trades is
56. There is an age out that is coming. Front Range and Aims is
having a hard time filling that curriculum work that would proceed
going into those trade positions.
• The board has heard it takes a long time to get a contractor license
in Larimer County. How can we make that process faster to
encourage younger people to do it.
• The City is working with Front Range and they launched a
program but it is not getting a lot of interest.
• The board mentioned folks who might not be at the
college age who are coming from a different state and
already a contractor but still need a license here. It
discourages trades and entrepreneurship.
• Part of the benefit of NoCo works is understanding the systems that
impact NoCo workforce. For example, there is a goal to have students,
when they graduate with their high school diploma to also graduate with
their associate degree, specifically focusing on industries experiencing a
labor shortage so they can enter the work force and help fill those gaps
and shortages.
• The board believes part of the problem starts with the high school
counselors. There is a bias in high schools to avoid trade schools.
They need to start the incentives earlier.
• Many trades recognize the need to get in front of them at a
younger age. Another piece is demystifying what the industry
is to families and parents. An example is Construction Con
where they target 8th graders and their families to debunk
some of the stereotypes of construction and construction
workers.
• The board had a concern about when the City annexes the Mulberry
corridor and how it could affect leases going up. It could affect many
plumbers, painters and other tradespeople and we need to think about
where they will have their spaces as many of them are in that area. If they
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can’t afford it they will leave Fort Collins or Northern Colorado.
• What grants are you applying for?
• Senator Bennet and Hickenlooper have specific federal dollars
marked for Colorado localized projects. So, we will see what we can
get.
• You mentioned a data point that there are two openings for every one
applicant. Do you have a breakdown of what kind of jobs. Are they entry
level, management, technology based, etc.?
• It comes from the Colorado Workforce Talent Pipeline Report. It
goes into different tier jobs and what industries have the most
vacancies and most job growth. The Leeds School of Business
Economic Forecast in February said that went up to two and a half
job openings per applicant. Jillian will share the report with the
board.
• New generations are being smarter and finding career paths thought
community colleges and being cost effect. The facts are changing
behaviors.
8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
9. STAFF REPORTS
10. OTHER BUSINESS
a. John motions and Renee seconds to approve draft letter for IEDC Accreditation.
Motion passes unanimously 8-0.
b. Thank you to Mistene and John for serving on the Board !
11. ADJOURNMENT
a. (6:00 PM)
Minutes approved by a vote of the Board/Commission on XX/XX/XX
2024 Fort Collins Development Update
April 17, 2024Paul Sizemore, Director of Community Development &
Neighborhood Services
2Recent Development Activity
0
50
100
150
200
250
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
DEVELOPMENT
APPLICATIONS
Devt Applications Minor Amendments
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
PRE-SUBMITTAL REVIEWS
Conceptual Reviews Preliminary Design Reviews
3Recent Development Activity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Development Applications by Type – 2019-2023
Single Family Residential Multi-Family Residential Commercial Other
4Building Permit Trends
187 145
271
173 196
133 169
113
110
152
545
3
314
362
596
88
1
145
13
60
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Single Family Detached Single Family Attached Multi-Family Mixed-Use
SNAPSHOT:
PROJECTS
UNDER REVIEW
5
6
MASTER PLANNED
COMMUNITIES
Montava Planned Unit Development 7
Phase G
Phase E
Phase D
Montava Planned Unit Development 8
Phase G
Phase E Phase G and E Overview
•455 dwelling units
•Townhomes
•Single-family
•Extension of Timberline
•Sites for future multi-family
•On hold
•Need ditch agreement
9Montava Planned Unit Development
Phase D Overview
•Conceptual phase
•330 dwellings
•Single-family only
•Future multi-family
•Expect formal submittal in May
Bloom 10
11Bloom in the Development Review Process
Filing 2
Filing 1
Filing 3
Filing 4
Single-
Family
Multi-
Family Status
Filing 1 271 -Complete
Filing 2 -176 Complete
Filing 3 -360 Final Plan
Filing 4 -419 Final Plan
Filing 6 --PDP
Total 271 955
Filing 6
Sonders Village
•Second phase of Sonders
•129 acres
•689 dwellings
•95 units of affordable
housing
•Neighborhood center
•Under review currently
•Timeline for completion TBD
12
13
COMMERCIAL,
INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS
Commercial Development
•Very few new non-residential
development applications in
2023
•Parts of larger developments
•Prospect Sports only
commercial project recently
approved by Planning and
Zoning Commission
•Basketball venue with courts for
league practice, games, and
tournaments.
•Located on Sharp Point Drive off
East Prospect.
14
Prospect Sports
Projects Under Construction
Morningstar/ Block 23 Midtown King Soopers
15
16
MULTI-FAMILY
OVERVIEW
Multi-Family Snapshot
Project # Units Stage
Crowne at Suniga 267 Approved
209 Cherry St.100 Approved
Bloom Filing 3 – Affordable
Housing 360 Approved
Bloom Filing 4 419 Approved
Gateway Apartments 275 Approved
The Landings at Lemay 337 Approved
Snow Ridge Apartments 8 Approved
Prospect Ridge Multi-family 228 Pre-hearing
17
209 Cherry St.
Prospect Ridge
18
POLICY, PROCESS,
AND CUSTOMER
SERVICE
LAND USE CODE: FOUNDATIONAL UPDATES
Phase 1:
New Land
Use Code
Land Use Code Phase 2 Preview
•Focus on commercial corridors
•15-minute City
•Revise processes & procedures
•Modernize development
standards
•Work session with City Council
June 11 to confirm scope
20
21State of Development Review
22Optimizing Development Review
For Questions or Comments, Please Contact:
Paul Sizemore
psizemore@fcgov.com