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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 10/03/2001MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE October 3, 2001 For Reference: Randy Fischer, NRAB Chair - 226-5383 Ray Martinez, Council Liaison - 416-2154 Mark Sears, Staff Liaison - 416-2096 Board Members Present Reagan Waskom, Nate Donovan, Steve Ryder, Phil Murphy, Randy Fischer, Linda Knowlton Board Members Absent Don Rodriguez, Kelly Ohlson, Bonnie Pierce Staff Present Natural Resources Dent: Mark Sears, Terry Klahn, Karen Manci, Edith Felchle Advance Plannine: Joe Frank, Ken Waido Guests Joe Martin, Citizen Ray Martinez, Mayor Eric Hamrick, Councilmember Sally Craig, P&Z Board Liaison Matthew Bates, CSU student Jason, CSU student Scott, CSU student Gary Revere, CSU student Jolon Clark, CSU student Sam Shannon, CSU student Agenda Review Time permitting Edith Felchle will present before the I-25 Regional Plan presentation Documentation of Board Recommendation on Ute/Long View Farm and Sauer Open Space, Edith Felchle Nate Donovan made the following motion: Move that the Natural Resources Advisory Board approve the covenants for the Ute/Longview and Sauer open spaces with the proposed staff changes. The motion passed with 7 votes in favor and one member abstention. Natural Resources Advisory Boa. October 3, 2001 Page 2 of 7 Mark Sears said the North Poudre Irrigation Board approved the Fossil Creek surface rights lease to the City of Fort Collins. It is a 5 year lease, with options for two additional 5 year and one 4 year lease, for a total of 19 years. Randy Fischer thanked Mark for his hard work to complete this lease. CO Redesignation, Brian Woodruff Woodruff provided background and information relative to the CO Redesignation plan. Discussion • Donovan: Why can't we just keep the programs and call them something that's under the State's control, instead of the EPA's control? That's an important consideration. There is a distinction between removing them from a federally mandated plan. We could be in a conversation about retaining air quality programs in Fort Collins at the same time they're removing them from the federal plan. • Waskom: Are those programs the reason we're at a 4 ppm? Part of it, the biggest thing is the federal emissions standards on new cars. The average emissions keep coming down. It will flatten out, unless there are major new breakthroughs. The state programs are the medium size ones, and most of the things we do at the local level are in the much smaller category. The City's role is to encourage people to avoid driving. • Murphy: From a technical standpoint, is there still a lot of room to work, or is it as good as it's going to get? A lot of people say it's as good as it will get, others say maybe not. You can never tell. • Hamrick: Have you talked to the city attorney's about home rule, and how that might apply, where the state and city policies conflict? Yes, along with the City Manager. A lot of the things we're concerned with, the I/Mprogram and oxy fuels, are run at the state level. We may not be able to do them under home rule authority. Such as, we can't direct the County Clerk to deny license plates. • Fischer: Do you predict any changes when the new air monitoring site is on line? My guess is we would not see any violations of the air quality standards. It may be a little higher or lower, but the question is how will it changeover time. • Martinez: When you measure pollution is it just vehicles, or is it all pollution? What we measure at the monitoring site is CO. Eighty to ninetypercent of it comes from vehicles. There is some from combustion from furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, and a very small fraction from industry. • Martinez: How much is blown in from other states? CO is very short lived. If we were talking about visual air pollution, or other pollutants, it would be different. • Martinez: Do we have a way to measure the amount of illness related to this? No, there are ways of doing it, but it falls into epidemiology. • Martinez: PVH has commented about that. What are the effects? The effects are short lived. CO is absorbed into the blood stream and displaces the ability to carry oxygen. That affects people who are ill, pregnant women, children and the elderly. High levels of CO will kill you. Natural Resources Adviso4ard October 3, 2001 Page 3 of 7 Ryder: Are other cities going through this? It seems like a big complex deal. We're one of the last. Denver, Colorado Springs, and Greeley have already achieved attainment status. It would be a feather in the cap of the State of Colorado to get the entire state done. I-25 Regional Plan, Joe Frank This plan was originally scheduled for City Council on Augustl4, but was pulled to allow Council additional time to consider issues that were raised at the town meeting. Council asked staff to identify some of the more objectionable parts they've been hearing about, and see what could be cut from the plan without affecting the integrity of the plan. Staff was also asked to take these deletions back to boards and commissions that have been reviewing the plan. Discussion • Fischer: What happens now? Will the deletions go forward as an attachment? Yes, if Council decides to follow through on the deletions, or have other issues or conditions, the thinking is they will go into the resolution. • Waskom: There are no edits to the other alternatives in the corridor vision? Our direction was to look at funding issues, these are the pages out of the document that were identified. We looked at the entire plan. All of the other elements are intact, except for what you're seeing right here. • Ryder: The funding and transportation agreements were big issues. Help me understand what the funding concerns were. We have a fairly clear idea of how we might fund transportation, but no idea how to fund open space. The issue had more to do with phrases. Some people thought this sent a message that the improvements would be paid for by citizens, and not by development. The talk about sales tax sharing was something that people saw as an option that wasn't desirable. The whole funding issue is a big issue that is beyond the scope of this project. We decided the best thing was to delete the whole section. • Fischer: I find that the deletions approach to changing the plan doesn't work for me. I haven't seen any of the boards concerns that we voiced on at least two different occasions addressed. This falls way short of what I would have expected after the town meeting. I thought there would be a more concerted effort to rethink a lot of the concepts. My biggest concern about the whole thing is the parallel road system. It will spur sprawl. No one wants to see more growth and sprawl along I-25. This plan is the epitome of doing that. What I see happening is these different municipalities will put these roads on their master streets plan, the MPO will take the information and come out with a regional transportation plan, and the City of Fort Collins will be the biggest contributor. I don't see how this plan won't consume every tax dollar for the rest of my lifetime. The parallel road network is not necessarily a regional system. The interchanges and widening of state highways will be a regional system. The MPO is trying to address that right now. The interchanges are already close to being maxed out. The growth that will occur will put additional pressure on them. The area is going to grow. This plan takes that growth and development for granted It's a dream to think the problem will go away. There are needs for transportation improvements, including bases, passenger rail, bike and pedestrian. • Fischer: You have to wonder where the open space is. There is no open space. The Loveland development plan is for solid development from GMA to GMA. We've been working with the Lorimer County Agriculture Board. What gets protected is up for grabs. Natural Resources Advisory Bo& October 3, 2001 Page 4 of 7 It's not a high priority for the environmental community, particularly using their funds. We're going to be talking about new funding sources, that's the next step. For some communities this has never been on their agenda. This process has started them thinking. • Hamrick: Of the entities that have approved this, how many have approved design standards? TheTown of Windsor. • Hamrick: Why are the other entities not adopting the design standards. It takes more time. The subarea plan is where the implementation will take place, with the exception of Windsor, who just went ahead and adopted the plan. It must havefit better with their form. • Hamrick: If Council approves the resolution, what would the perception of the other communities be? Other jurisdictions are on a stop and see what happens in Fort Collins. We could somehow communicate our recommendation to them. • Fischer: The biggest thing we could do to communicate would be to advise Council to reject the plan. • Knowlton: None of these deletions change anything in what this board has objections about. Nothing has changed. Linda Knowlton made the following motion: Move that the Natural Resources Advisory Board advise Council against adopting the revised I-25 Regional Corridor Plan, and that we send Council another memo reiterating it's continued concerns, suggestions and recommendations regarding the plan. • Fischer: It seems that if we approve or disapprove of the deletions, other entities will get the impression that we've adopted the plan. • Waskom: When I look at this it doesn't seem that the concerns of the citizens of this city have been addressed. You work for the City, and we advise the city government. It doesn't seem as though we've respected what the citizens of this town have said. • Donovan: Would you be recommending a resolution that says adopt the plan with these deletions? Yes. • Donovan: Our previous two memos laid out good details. I think it would be good to refresh Council's memory. The motion passed unanimously. I-25 Subarea Plan, Ken Waido Waido said the plan is to go to City Council on October 16 to receive specifics in terms of completing the plan with, or without a Growth Management Boundary expansion. Waido provided a brief description of both plans. Discussion • Ryder: Is there a strategy to work with the County in terms of design? City Plan has a suggested action to work with the County to establish a Cooperative Planning Area. • Ryder: Could you structure a CPA that has a natural area emphasis? I'm sure we could look at that. Natural Resources Advisormard • October 3, 2001 Page 5 of 7 • Knowlton: If you're recommending the existing GMA boundary, are you really just asking to delay the expanded GMA for a year or so? Those are the types of discussions we have from City Plan. There are policies and statements that talk about the size of the GMA boundary. • Hamrick: Are you proposing changes to County Road 5? Under both scenarios the plan is to have County Road S be four lanes south of Mulberry, and two lanes north of Mulberry. • Hamrick: Let's say that Council adopted the map with the GMA boundary expansion, but didn't adopt the I-25 Regional Corridor Plan. Would the City be obligated to pay for the upgrades? The roads would get improved as a function of development. Linda Knowlton made the following motion: Move that the Natural Resources Advisory Board advise Council to keep the Growth Management Area within it's existing boundaries, although this does not mean that we endorse the development that is proposed in this option. And, that we send a letter to Council spelling out our concerns, and recommendations for a subarea plan that adequately addresses the Board's views and interests. • Fischer: This will take work. I think Council would appreciate very detailed comments. The motion passed unanimously. Randy Fischer will draft a memo which will be emailed to all members for edits. New Business ➢ Nate Donovan passed around the report of the Hydrogen Task Force. The next step is a Council study session to see if Council is amenable to establishing a hydrogen program for the City. ➢ Randy Fischer said that Susie Gordon informed him that the County has decided not to expand the recycling center. Two years ago in the budget process we made a strong recommendation, and Council appropriated $100,000 in one time money for that expansion. Staff wants to use part of the $100,000 for a study that we recommended be funded in the current budget. Staff is saying they've got plenty of money now. But, to do them they'll have to use the $100,000 for the recycling center. • Ryder: Why can't that $100,000 go toward the centrally located center, and make it as big and wonderful as we can, and use that money in the spirit it was intended. • Fischer: Staff is proposing some of that money go toward the centrally located center. For example, to fund a collection site for paperboard collection that Susie Gordon says right now can't be afforded, even though the Solid Waste Committee said it's a no brainer and should be funded. My concern is that if the County is not wanting to pursue the expansion of the recycling center, maybe we should find out how much money the County would need to get it done. Murphy: I would certainly like an opportunity to look at issues about solid waste and recycling and see if there is a potential use for some of this money before we make a decision right here. Knowlton: I would agree, maybe even working with the County EAB if they're interested. Fischer: You're right, this needs more consideration. The decision we need to make is involved around asking Council for new money. What I'm hearing is we want to ask for new money, instead of using the money we thought was going to recycling. The City Manager Natural Resources Advisory Boa. October 3, 2001 Page 6 of 7 has been telling Council, when asked about the NRAB budget priorities, that staff now has the money requested. Council thinks we don't need new money. The Community Separator program has plenty of money for the coordination piece, just to identify parcels they might be interested in looking at. But there is no funding for contacting landowners. Mark has said with his time commitments, his priority is not to go outside of the Growth Management Area. • Sears: What we've said is, once they have a plan and funding, then it would be time to turn it over to the Natural Areas program. It would make sense for our program to acquire and manage those properties. • Donovan: But, not be involved in the coordination for acquisition? • Sears: If they gave us the money we would do that, but I feel that's more of a planner type activity. • Craig: There must be a lot of money. They're looking at $600,000 for a Current Planning center. This is more important than a planning center. Maybe you guys just need to keep pounding on Council. This takes separate funding. Joe Frank will be the first to admit the staff time on the I-25 Corridor is astronomical. They need to have a pot for the separator program. • Fischer: We need to have a memo. • Hamrick: We need something more specific in the memo. The Climate Wise program isn't funded to what you want it funded at, but that wasn't addressed in your previous memo. Phil Murphy will contact Susie Gordon to arrange a Budget Committee meeting. Review of Minutes: August 1, 2001: The minutes of the August 1, 2001 meeting were unanimously approved with the following changes: change "Hamrich" to "Hamrick" and Page 3, 8ch bullet, change to "it needs to be in writing the contractors and subcontractors are expressly subject to the requirements of the easement". September 5, 2001: The minutes of the September 5, 2001 meeting were unanimously approved as written. Committee Reports Solid Waste: • Randy Fischer was the only member attending. Shirley Bruns gave an update on what can be done to promote recycling in parks. Bruns said that it has been tried several times, but with the amount of contamination it's not worthwhile. • Fischer said the audit that had been authorized to see how the Pay -As -You -Throw system is working is tied up in Finance. The attorneys for the trash haulers have already been informed that it will be taking place. With the element of surprise lost, I wonder how accurate will the information be. • Susie Gordon said she was vetoing our recommendation to go forward with the paperboard container at the new drop off center, even though the expense would only be a few thousand dollars. She just firmly said that we're not going to do that. ■ Knowlton: So, the only way she'll approve the paperboard is to use part of the $100,000. Trails: • Knowlton said they talked about trails classification, and trying to get the committee to work on way of getting trails classified. Natural Resources Advisoroard • October 3, 2001 Page 7 of 7 • Fischer said the main focus was what the criteria would be like for different levels of trails. The committee has decided to continue meeting. There had been some discussion of stopping. The meeting for October has been moved from the P Tuesday to the 4`h Tuesday. Natural Areas: Mark Sears will get with Don Rodriguez to set the next meeting date and create an agenda. ■ Sears suggested having a meeting when there is something specific that needs discussed, instead of having a standing meeting. Announcements • Sears said anew director has been hired. Her name in Michelle Wyman Pawar. She's coming from ICLEA, in California. • There will be a special meeting of the NRAB on October 17, 2001. The Board would like the new director to attend and be introduced. • Donna Dees needs volunteers to do a prairie dog relocation. It could require a large number of volunteers for an extended period of time, maybe ten days or so. The relocation site is the natural area adjacent to the Fossil Creek Park. • The Volunteer Appreciation picnic is Saturday, October 6, 2001. • Fischer said four councilmembers will submit a resolution to Council in support of the Open Lands Master Plan. Review Future Agenda Items: October 17, 20011 November 7, 2001: Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. McKee Property, Mark Sears Finalize Budget Memo, Randy Fischer Natural Areas Plan, Mark Sears Open Lands Master Plan, K-Lynn Cameron E. Mulberry Corridor Plan, Pete Wray