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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 06/18/1997• Draft Minutes to be approved by the Transportation Board at the July 16, 1997 Meeting TRANSPORTATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES June 18,1997 FOR REFERENCE: 493-0100 Chair Paul Valentine Vice Chair Paul Perlmutter 229-2549 Council Liaison Mike Byrne 493-3255 221-6893 Tom Frazier Staff Liaison Secretary Micki White 224-6173 LJ 40 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Mark Egeland, Sara Frazier, Steve Hanna, Tim Johnson, and Paul Valentine BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Alan Beatty, Donn Hopkins, Ray Moe, Paul Perlmutter STAFF/COUNCIL/GUESTS PRESENT: Guests: Tom Kehler, CSU Mick Aller, Aller-Lingle Architects, P.C. Transportation Services: Ron Phillips, Randy Hensley, Tom Frazier, Gary Diede, Susanne Edminster, John Daggett, Matt Baker, Marybeth Snyder, and Micki White AGENDA: A. CALL TO ORDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES B. INTRODUCTIONS C. COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT E. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS 1. CSU Transfer Center Update - John Daggett Alter -Lingle Architects, P.C. 2. Budget Issues - Ron Phillips, Randy Hensley 3. Street Oversizing Fee Adjustments - Matt Baker 4. Resolution Supporting Statewide Ballot Issue For Transportation Funding - Ron Phillips F. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. B•7ard Member Reports 2. Staff Reports 3. Summary/Next Agenda 4. Other Business Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 2 Mr. Paul Valentine, Board Chair, called the meeting to order at 5:55 p.m. Mr. Valentine asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting: Tim Johnson moved the minutes be approved with the exception of Page 9, Paragraph 1, Line 1. Mr. Johnson wished the sentence be changed from "what they are proposing" to "what CDOT is proposing." Mark Egeland seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. Tom Frazier introduced Randy Hensley, the new City of Fort Collins Policy and Budget Manager. It was also noted that the secretary had inadvertently spelled Hensley incorrectly in the packet materials. 1. CSU Transfer Center Update John Daggett began his presentation with introductions of Mr. Mick Aller, representing Aller-Lingle Architects, P.C. and Mr. Tom Kehler, a planner with Colorado State University (CSU). Mr. Daggett told the Board that he wanted to update them on the CSU Transfer Center project, which is nearing completion. He told them the study began in September of last year in an effort to design a transit center serving the university and the public where various transportation modes and other services would be coordinated in such a way that public access to transit services could be enhanced. Mr. Daggett also informed the Board that Staff is currently preparing an intergovernmental agreement and beginning negotiations with the university on both the funding for the center as well as the conditions for its operation and maintenance. The final report will include a conceptual site plan, a final conceptual design, an environmental assessment, and a full cost estimate for the transit center. The following are the highlights of the presentation: PURPOSE To select a new Transit Center Site on the University Campus To prepare a conceptual design for a new Transit Center To secure funding & an agreement to build a new Transit Center PRINCIPAL TASKS • Site selection • Identify potential users • Define partnership opportunities • Identify community benefits • Site evaluation • Grant application Program uses Conceptual site plan Cost estimates Recommended next steps Intergovernmental agreement • Transportation Board Meeting Minutes • June 18, 1997 Page 3 r-IL COMPLETED TASKS Initiate project CSU benefits • Site evaluation Site selection Program uses Potential users • Conceptual site plan Community benefits Cost estimates PENDING TASKS Time line: Review June Final Design July IGA August Grant Process October Build 1998? COST: $6.875 Million After presenting these highlights, Mr. Daggett turned the floor over to Mr. Mick Aller. Mr. Aller began by giving the Board a little bit of background information. Mr. Aller said they had looked at three possible combinations. Mr. Aller said their first plan was to establish a program with certain needs. Mr. Aller said those needs included a parking structure, retail area, and transit center with the buses and Transfort and other types of transportation and how that would relate to the plaza going up to the top part. He said they began by looking at different ways that this could happen. Mr. Aller offered several large plans of the entire proposed structure, scheme A, scheme B, and scheme C. Each of these schemes had the parking structure situated in a different location. Mr. Aller said that scheme c was the scheme of choice by the majority of those that had viewed the plans. Steve Hanna asked if there would be some type of covered seating for those waiting outside and Mr. Aller responded affirmatively. Mr. Aller said there would be some type of glassed -in area so people would be able to sit and wait. Mr. Aller told the Board that, with their design, they were trying to create a sense of movement, which includes a spiral effect. Mr. Aller explained, also, to the Board that there would be an elevator that wo, dd go up to the second • and third level. Mr. Valentine asked if there would be more than one elevator and Mr. Aller said no, only the one. Mr. Valentine was concerned that there would be no access to the retail area above for a wheelchair -bound person. Mr. Aller said there was an elevator already there. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 4 Tim Johnson said that with the City of Fort Collins and CSU working together, he felt this was a great opportunity and would encourage this Board to give its total support. Mark Egeland said that while this was a fine facility, what would the City of Fort Collins have to gain with this structure. He asked if there were any other designs other than a replacement for the existing transfer center. Mr. Daggett responded by saying staff feels there are a lot of benefits here, both to the -University and to the City. The benefits to the City are that the quality of the transfer center is being upgraded and making it a place where people want to be. There will be mixed use of the facility. Mr. Daggett said it will be the ideal place to pick up and drop off passengers. Mr. Daggett said he hoped to come in, in the near future, with a three-dimensional model of the facility. 2. Budget Issues Ron Phillips introduced Randy Hensley to the Board. Mr. Hensley told the Board that he wished to begin with an overview of the budget. The breakdown Mr. Hensley presented is as follows: TRANSPORTATION FUNDING Capital Operations Maintenance TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROGRAM 1998 - 2005 Capital Total = $205,692,800 CAPITAL FUNDING 1998 - 2005 UNFUNDED - $160,576,800 GENERAL FUND - $4,616,000 BUILDING COMMUNITY CHOICES - $22,500,000 STREET OVERSIZING - $18,000,000 TOTAL = $205,692,800 • Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 5 STREET OVERSIZING FUNDING 1998 - 2005 Current Street Oversizing Proposed Street Oversizing Program _ Capital Expansion Fee General Fund - $1,600,000 Fee Revenue - $9,600,000 Unfunded - $6,800,000 General Fund - $ 4,000,000 Fee Revenue - $14,000,000 Total...............$18,000,000 Total ................ $18,000,000 ' Transit Paratransit Planning Enforcement Development Review Administration Financial Clerical Management Engineering Neighborhood Safety Education Marketing CAPITAL Infrastructure - Streets Sidewalks Bike lanes Facilities - Parking Lots Buildings Garages Equipment - Traffic Computer Signals MAINTENANCE - Rolling Stock Infrastructure Facilities Equipment Randy Hensley continued by explaining further each piece of the breakdown. He called attention to the unfunded number of $160,576,00, which is more or less a wish list. He said it would be nice to have the ability to fund all of the things on the list, from a practical point of view, Mr. Hensley said that was probably not going to happen. Mr. Hensley said our priorities have been addressed through the Building Community Choices, but a lot of the things included in the unfunded amount will probably not get done over the next eight years but will still remain on the list so they will not be forgotten. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 6 Mr. Hensley then touched briefly on the Street Oversizing issue. As shown in his breakdown, $18,000,000 is the amount given. Under the current fee structure, Mr. Hensley said staff feels that this entire scenario is underfunded by about $6.8 million. Mr. Hensley went on to say that the capital expansion fee that Matt Baker would be addressing in his portion of the meeting, would certainly go towards filling in that unfunded portion. At this point, Mr. Hensley relinquished the floor to Mr. Ron Phillips, who planned to discuss the Operations and Maintenance portion of the breakdown. Mr. Phillips told the Board that they would be hearing the approximate presentation that had been given to John Fischbach, City Manager, and his budget team about a week and a half ago. Mr. Phillips said that he would welcome questions. Mr. Phillips said that the existing service levels need to be maintained for transportation in the community and unfunded needs should be provided for. Mr. Phillips said he had a list of service level requests above the target budget staff has been given. Mr. Phillips said staff had tried to include, in their budget requests, everything that is anticipated as needs in the operations and maintenance area. He said included are very few capital needs with the exception of $300,000 for street oversizing. Mr. Phillips said staff has included, in their budget request, everything that can be identified as operating and maintenance needs for the future. Mr. Phillips explained that there were several ways of funding the anticipated shortfalls in the budget. Included in these would be to add general fund monies for some service level request, to institute a Transportation Maintenance Fee, to increase the Transportation Impact Fee (Street Oversizing Capital Expansion Fee), to possibly increase parking fees, and to have some kind of dedicated funding for Transit. Ron Phillips also briefly updated the Board on the memorandum (packet enclosure) sent to the City Manager identifying specific service information, productivity improvements, base budget service levels, service level needs and requests, service area needs, and future issues, along with a complete list of service area needs in both 1998 and 1999. Steve Hanna asked about item #4 under complete list of service area needs, the South Side Shuttle service continuation, and the plan for this. He asked if there were plans for an all day route. Mr. Frazier responded that this was put on the list based upon comments made last year. Mr. Phillips explained that the South Side Shuttle just runs during commuter hours and if Hewlett Packard, Symbios Logic, and PRPA (Poudre River Power Authority) decide not to fund it, he felt there was a good chance that it will not continue because there are other higher priority projects than meeting the needs of those three businesses, and the public riding it. Mr. Phillips felt that the outcome would be very interesting. Mark Egeland said he was a little bit "mystified" as to the statement that there was a lot of "public' (non -employees) riding. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes • June 18, 1997 Page 7 Mr. Phillips said the City might be willing to pick up a percentage of the cost of this shuttle but he said if the City was expected to pick up the entire tab, it probably wouldn't happen. There was a short break in the meeting at this point. The new Council Liaison, Mike Byrne, stopped in to the meeting to introduce himself and meet the Board members that were present. He expressed his eagerness to be a part of the group and invited them to call or e-mail him at any time. Mr. Byme said he would welcome their questions and input. Mr. Byrne told the Board that he would try and attend the meetings at least one per quarter. Mr. Byrne said that he was very interested in, and has a lot of concern about the Transportation financing and how all of it will "play out" over the next couple of years. Mr. Byrne said he hoped that most of the people in the room want City Plan to succeed and he said that in his mind, the success or failure would hinge on how well things are handled. Mr. Valentine then said he sees the Board's role as looking at transportation projects before they are actually brought to the City Council. 3. Street Oversizing Fee Adjustments • Matt Baker, City of Fort Collins Engineering, then began his presentation by introducing his co- worker, Marybeth Snyder. Mr. Baker talked about the purpose of the Street Oversizing Impact Fee Study. The City of Fort Collins' policy is to require new development to pay for growth -related impacts on public facilities. The Impact Fee was enacted in 1979 and revised in 1988 and 1996. Additional impact fees for Fire, Police, Library, General Government and Community Parks were adopted in 1996. Recent changes in City Land use regulations and Transportation Plans have raised issues in the current Street Oversizing Program that need to be addressed. The purpose of this study is to recommend ways to bring the Street Oversizing Program more in line with these new regulations and capture the actual costs of growth. Impact fees are one-time payments that fund the development or expansion of public facilities needed to accommodate new development. The intent is for new development to pay for its proportionate share of the capital costs of additional infrastructure capacity. In order to balance the City's funding policy for new growth and its goals regarding affordable housing, the City Council may grant Street Oversizing Impact Fee rebates for residential development designated for low and low to moderate income residents. The ordinances for these rebates were adopted in 1996. The basic approach used to calculate this fee is the impact based method. A general requirement • that is common to all development fee methodologies is the evaluation of credits. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 8 Mr. Baker referred the Board members to his packet information which included a Street Oversizing Methodology Chart which demonstrated the difference between residential development and non- residential development. The general approach used to calculate the expansion fee is an impact based approach, based upon the City's plan for transportation infrastructure. Staff has recommended that the name of the Street Oversizing Fee be changed to the Street Oversizing Capital Expansion Fee to acknowledge it recommended broader use for multi -modal transportation improvements. Mr. Johnson also asked what portion the City expects to capture from these fees if this recommendation is adopted, based on the wording of the document. Gary Diede responded to this question by saying the City will collect all costs associated with the transportation facilities. Ron Phillips then said what he thought Mr. Johnson was saying was the portion attributable to new growth is being captured with the proposal for street oversizing because the City's portion is not paying for new growth, but to pay for improvement necessary for pass -through traffic that is already existing. When asked where the City stood, fee wise, in comparison with other Front Range communities, Matt Baker told the Board that we were middle -high range. Mr. Johnson felt that the Board should recommend adoption by Council but identify to the public the areas of shortfall in the fee proposal. Mr. Johnson said there would be questions asked by the public and questions asked very seriously. Mr. Diede said that in meeting with the consultant and the City Attorney, they are saying that we can not make growth pay for everything. Growth has a portion to pay for, and the City has tried to capture a portion of the growth cost in improvements, but growth can't pay for all the costs. Tim Johnson said he felt it important, in the short run with a program like this, that we identify clearly those things that we are not attempting or not approaching, at this point. Mr. Johnson said the public should be told what kind of impact growth has had and that we need to be honest about it. Paul Valentine said that since this was an action item, he asked for a motion. Tim Johnson said he moved that the Board recommend that City Council adopt this program and that areas of shortfall are identified for the public and that the name of the program be changed. Sara Frazier she would second the motion for a name change to TGIF. Tim Johnson told Mr. Baker that he felt the name staff had chosen was quite a mouthful and he felt that while the definition of the fee had been changed, he liked the title Transportation Impact Fee, better than the new title, Transportation Oversizing Capital Expansion Fee. Paul Valentine also remarked that at one time, this fee could be called the Transportation Growth Impact Fee (TGIF). There was some discussion within the Board members about what they would actually prefer this fee Transportation Board Meeting Minutes • June 18, 1997 Page 9 to be named, some humorous, some serious. Mr. Phillips suggested they call it any name they wanted by for legal purposes and requirements, they would go with the name recommended above, by staff. Tim Johnson said he would then withdraw his motion for a name change and Sara Frazier said she would withdraw her second. Tim Johnson said he would then make the motion to recommend this program to City Council, but identifying shortfalls to the public. Sara Frazier seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. Ron Phillips asked that the minutes show that an actual quorum was not present but for the five members present, the vote was unanimous, and it was an expression of the Board in lieu of a quorum. Paul Valentine said that presently, there are only nine active members, but Ron Phillips said after checking with the City Clerk and City Attorney about this in the past, a quorum is based on eleven members whether there are eleven current members or not. Ron Phillips said he would check on the quorum status since this action could not be put off until the July meeting. 4. Resolution Supporting Statewide Ballot Issue for Transportation Funding • Ron Phillips, Director of Transportation, City of Fort Collins, said this resolution was presented to the Council's Legislative Review Committee last week. The Legislative Review Committee took action recommending the Council adopt this resolution. Mr. Phillips said he was asking the Transportation Board to take similar action recommending to the City Council that this resolution be adopted. Mr. Phillips said this had been discussed in the past and he didn't want to take up any more time explaining the ballot issue, but would be happy to address any questions. There was limited discussion before Paul Valentine, Board Chair, asked for a motion to recommend the City Council adopt this resolution. Tim Johnson made a motion to recommend the adoption of this resolution. Mark Egeland seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Phillips thanked the Board. F. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Board Member Reports Mark Egeland offered a Bike - to - Work challenge from Hewlett-Packard to the City of Fort Collins. Mr. Egeland said that last year his company had participation of 13% and this year, he felt they should be doing 100%. He thought a friendly competition on Bike - to - Work day would be good. Mr. Egeland said he had done a C4 meeting (Choice City Cycling Coalition) and wrote a letter • backing the project to re -prioritize Whedbee and Elizabeth to have on -street cycling. He said C4 thought that Elizabeth from Stover to Lemay was particularly important because the street narrows there. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 10 Sara Frazier reported that as a Board representative of the Clean Cities Program, she had been asked to request from her Board, as a Stake Holder, a paragraph describing who the Board is, what is currently being done to support alternative fuel vehicles. The program would also like, in bullet form, what the Board proposes to do over the next four years, in support of this program. Mr. Valentine asked for a volunteer to write this for the Board. Tom Frazier said that staff would do this for the Board. Steve Hanna reported that he had attended a Natural Resources meeting Tim Johnson said he had talked with Kelley Roberts, the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coordinator about surveying the trails in the next year for what are the use -defined connections to the bicycle trails. Mr. Johnson said a couple of good examples are, if you ride down the Spring Creek Trail down by near Prospect and Robertson Street, the kids from the junior high use it all the time and can beat their parents, so they prefer to go that way. Mr. Johnson thought that Mr. Roberts might have an intern this summer look into this and map bike trails for these use -defined trails. Paul Valentine said there was also one like that northeast of Shields. Mr. Valentine thought this trail should be developed. Mr. Johnson thought he would invite Kelley Roberts to a meeting at some point to see how this project is going. 2. Staff Reports Ron Phillips reported that the Transportation Alternative Feasibility Study is going well. Mr. Phillips said the contract was signed in early May. Mr. Valentine remarked that he felt Mr. Phillips was a pretty strong negotiator. Mr. Phillips shared with the Board the Transportation Transfer Center Summary. He felt it turned out very well considering CDOT had said the City would have to shoulder all the costs beyond basic costs. Mr. Phillips said CDOT has agreed to pay for everything with the exception of a small portion of the landscaping at the interchange, design features on the bridge which make it an entry -way into Fort Collins, and signs welcoming people to town, which Mr. Phillips felt we should pay for anyway. Mr. Phillips said there was now $500,000 "in the pot" to be considered. Mr. Phillips said the City has agreed to do maintenance at the transfer center, particularly landscaping, trash pickup, shelters, etc. Mr. Valentine commented that he really hated to see the loss of the restrooms that were to be out there. Mr. Phillips said staff would be working to find a business located adjacent to this that would provide security by being located there, provide restrooms, etc. Mr. Phillips felt that restrooms alone were troublesome both security -wise and keeping clean. Maintenance would also be a definite issue. Mr. Valentine mentioned that when the welcoming signs went up to please not use the abbreviation "Ft." for Fort Collins. He felt that "ft." is the abbreviation for foot, not Fort. Transportation Board Meeting Minutes • June 18, 1997 Page 1 I 3. Summary/Next Agenda • Transportation Master Plan • MPO Presentation • Tim Harmes - Definition of Service Levels • Election of Officers Paul Valentine, Board Chair wanted the minutes to show that he would not be a candidate for the Board Chair for the next term. 4. Other Business Mark Egeland brought up the fact that he had volunteered to go to a meeting to gain better understanding of the issue of City operated Dial - A - Ride (DAR) versus Shamrock Taxi operating DAR. This issue has been an Action Item at the past two Transportation Board meetings and had been tabled both times. At the May 21" meeting, it was decided by the Board that a member sit in on additional meetings and Mr. Egeland said he would. Mr. Egeland said that "in a nutshell", the same thing happened at the meeting he attended that had • happened at the past two Board meetings. Mr. Hofmann continued to express his belief that any dollar amount that the City of Fort Collins produced, he could do it for less. Since that meeting, Mr. Egeland said that he has found out that the Commission on Disability Board, the DAR Advisory Board, and the Senior Advisory Board have all recommended that the DAR vans be operated, in all aspects, by the City of Fort Collins. Mr. Egeland said the decision is now left to the Transportation Advisory Board to make a recommendation or opt to drop the issue completely. Mr. Egeland then asked the Board for guidance on this issue. Tom Frazier then said the Board had asked staff to go back and evaluate the two different ways of operating; (1) all blue vehicles and (2) a combination of blue vans and taxis, generating the comparative costs of the two. Mr. Frazier informed the Board that a method had been worked out at the meeting Mr. Egeland referred to, in order to do the evaluation the Board requested. Mr. Frazier said this method would require an involvement of 30-40 hours, possibly more, to complete this method. Mr. Frazier then said that the issue is before the Transportation Board because the three other Boards have not recommended the combination of taxis and blue vans. Mr. Frazier then said the Transportation Board would be the only board that would want to see this evaluation. Mr. Frazier then asked the Board if they still wished for staff to evaluate the operation of combined blue vehicles/taxis? is Mr. Egeland then said that since a priority concern would be customer satisfaction, the only way to go would be to do another customer survey. The most recent survey completed was in the fall of Transportation Board Meeting Minutes June 18, 1997 Page 12 1996. Mr. Valentine asked if it was in the plan to use smaller vehicles, such as sedans, if the City took over the operation. Mr. Frazier told him it would probably be more mini -vans, rather than sedans. Tim Johnson commented that, with regard to customer satisfaction, the other three boards would be looking at it more closely and would know results far better than this board. Mr. Johnson said he was satisfied that these other three boards must be comfortable with the customer satisfaction piece. Mr. Valentine then asked the Board if they wanted to address this issue again in future meetings or did they wish to just "drop it". Mr. Valentine also commented that with the blue van/taxi operation, Shamrock Taxi might be able to build their service up by providing better service to the public, rather than go out of business, as Mr. Hofinann continues to claim. Mr. Valentine said that he, personally, has not been satisfied with the amount of time it takes to get a taxi in Fort Collins. Mr. Johnson felt that in spite of that fact that Mr. Hofmann's numbers had a tendency to fluctuate, the difference in dollar amounts were pretty much "a wash". Mr. Johnson then said his inclination was to go with the other three boards. Mark Egeland brought up the fact that this entire issue was originally an Action Item so he asked that the Board take some kind of action. Paul Valentine asked for a motion to go with the Transportation Staff recommendation that the DAR become a solely City operated service. Sara Frazier made the motion that the Transportation Board concur with Transportation Staff recommendation for the City to self - operate fully, the Dial - A - Ride Service. Tim Johnson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There being no further business, Paul Valentine asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Tim Johnson moved the meeting be adjourned, Sara Frazier seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.