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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 03/17/1999MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE March 17, 1999 For Reference: Phil Murphy, NRAB Chair - 491-6303 Bill Bertschy, Council Liaison - 484-0181 Susie Gordon, Staff Liaison - 221-6265 Board Members Present Phil Friedman, Randy Fischer, Kelly Ohlson, Reagan Waskom, Phil Murphy, Bill Miller, Nate Donovan, Rick Harness Board Members Absent Don Rodriguez Staff Present Natural Resources Dent: Terry Klahn, Susie Gordon, Tom Shoemaker Utilities: Steve Comstock Guests Sally Craig, Planning and Zoning Board Susan Hazaleus, Land owner Rick Zier, Attorney Matt Leman, Citizen Jeff Lott, Citizen Agenda Review Review of Minutes and Committee Reports were moved to the end of the meeting. Follow-up on communiqu6s to Council Phil Friedman: In future memos pertaining to recycling we need to make sure the reader understands the difference between rate of participation in recycling and solid waste diversion rates. Other Business Randy Fischer: Update on Flood Plain Task Force - Rick Harness attended the last meeting. Fischer received follow-up information from Bob Smith about concerns. The committee voted on ideas that had been proposed for different ways of managing flood plains. Fischer was surprised at the number of people supporting no new development in flood plains. There has been concern expressed over procedural issues, mainly about what the Stormwater Department intends to do with this information. Ultimately, the Natural Resources Advisory Board March 17, 1999 Page 2 'City Utilities will make the final decisions. No recommendations will come from the task force; this is a process to gather ideas. Fischer will see what transpires at the next meeting and determine when might be a good time for Bob Smith to make a presentation to the NRAB. Phil Friedman requested that Smith address the Utilities' perspective on floodplain management. Randy Fischer: Martha Roden, a citizen who has mounted a one -woman campaign to get the City to quit mowing everything except ornamental turf grass, asked Fisher to share her ideas with the NRAB. Her main concern is stormwater detention ponds; she. is trying to get the City to develop a policy to let those areas grow more naturally. Tom Shoemaker said that in regard to Roden's specific neighborhood, we're ready to do it, but not until the neighbors are in agreement. Phil Murphy urged the board to read the information presented and suggested it might be appropriate for this matter to go to a subcommittee. Meadow Springs Ranch Update, Steve Comstock Steve Comstock presented an overview of the background and history of Meadow Springs Ranch. The ranch was purchased by the City in 1991. It is approximately 26,000 acres (about the size of Fort Collins) and is located twenty-five miles north of Fort Collins. The sole purpose of the acquisition was to create a beneficial waste solids program. To date, this program is viewed as extremely successful. Natural Fort Grazing Association currently holds the lease for grazing rights on the land, as well as first -right -of -refusal for future leases. The terms of the lease are quite extensive, with requirements that are not usually seen in the cattle business. These requirements sometimes drive the value of the lease down, but there is pressure to compete based on the market. Grazing is a necessary piece of the bio-solids program and is integral to the sustainability of the program. The waste begins as waste -water that is de -watered to about 16% moisture content. Next, it is transported to the ranch where it is thinly spread and solar dried throughout the summer. Application is usually made in late November and December. At the time of application it is a dry, powdery material. There is intense rotational grazing on a series of segmented pastures. The results have been remarkable; ranchers are fighting over whose cattle get into the rotation. The recovery of the land is also remarkable. There are many individual management plans for dealing with prairie dogs, eagles, coyotes, foxes, burrowing owls and other species. Previously man was the top predator in this ecosystem. Now there is no hunting except for antelope. The ultimate goal of this program is to provide a model that this community can take pride in regarding the way its bio-solids are managed, in conjunction with good environmental management, including the grazing of this piece of ground. We are off to Natural Resources Advisory Board • March 17, 1999 Page 3 a good start, and believe given a little time we can show that all of these things can be compatibly integrated. Natural Areas Acquisitions, Tom Shoemkaer Shoemaker told the board he wanted to discuss two different acquisition proposals. The first is a piece of property that Randy Fischer mentioned a few weeks ago, located at the intersection of Shields and Trilby. It is a 170-acre semi -working farm that is mostly irrigated pasture land. On the southern end of the property there is a prairie dog colony. The concept of a joint acquisition is being considered that would involve the potential for future development of affordable housing. Susan Hazaleus, the land owner, likes that concept and has reduced the asking price to approximately $10,000 per acre. Motion: Kelly Ohlson made a motion to go into executive session to discuss this land acquisition. The motion was seconded by Nate Donovan and unanimously approved. The second potential acquisition is north along the Poudre River at Taft Hill Road, and is outside of the UGA. This piece of property has been a high priority for a long time. In the past it has been looked at as a strictly natural areas deal. Tonight we're looking at the possibility of a joint acquisition with Utilities, with the idea being that the property has water storage potential. The owner's price expectations on the NE corner of the Lamb farm are not being met by the City. If the price is not met he is considering donating the land to Poudre School District. Shoemaker stated unless we are confident that PSD's values are compatible with natural area values we should go ahead and pay the extra $160,000. Bill Miller and Nate Donovan expressed their agreement. Review Future Agenda Items: April 7, 1999: Budget Process Solid Waste Follow Up April 21. 1999: Budget Proposal Natural Area Acquisitions May 5 1999: Poudre River Management Plan Mobility Report Card Cities for Climate Protection River Corridor Plan May 19, 1999: City Separators Project Review Action Log See update included in packet. Review Minutes February 3, 1999 Natural Resources Advisory ward March 17, 1999 Page 4 Donovan: Page 3, last bullet; change to "Confused on the 500-year flood plain which prohibits building critical facilities." Donovan: Page 6, 5s' bullet, last sentence; change to "In Flagstaff, basically everything that can be put in the Larimer County Recycling Center, can be commingled and picked up curbside. Murphy: Page 1, Bill Miller announcement; change to "The goal of this meeting is to determine the role of the EAB; advisory to BCC only..." The February 3, 1999 minutes were unanimously approved as amended. February 17, 1999 • Ohlson: Page 4, P bullet: change to "How are you going to determine that the cost of housing per square foot has risen due to City Plan?" • Ohlson: Page 4, 6a' bullet: change to "The City is responsible for two dollars of increase in the cost of housing for every 100 dollars." • Donovan: Page 3, 7'" bullet; change to "Once the tax breaks expire, the turbines would stand idle." The February 17, 1999 minutes were unanimously approved as amended. Committee Reports Education Committee: Sue Kenney has requested a letter of support from the board in support of a GOCO grant for outdoor interpretation at Coyote Ridge and Poudre area natural areas as a whole. Sue will draft the letter and send it to the Education Committee for approval. Budget Committee: The Budget Committee met and went over the schedule for the 2000/2001 budget process. The budget won't be adopted until November. There will be an opportunity at the April 7 meeting for input from the full board. Nate Donovan asked if there would be materials available so new members would have some context. Tom Shoemaker added the input doesn't have to be restricted to NRD budget issues. Solid Waste Committee: The committee met Monday, March 1. There will be a roundtable meeting with the trash haulers on March 24 to work through issues and get their feedback. CSU is open to further discussion regarding their recycling drop-off facilities. Announcements • Ohlson: All Council and mayoral candidates have been invited to a FIDOS meeting. • Ohlson: The radon issue regarding new home construction and resale has been moved to the 1999 work plan. • Harness: Every weekend for the last four weeks there have been dogs running loose in the area behind the ELC. There is a need for better signage clarifying that dogs are only permitted on the paved portion of the trail. Natural Resources Advisory Board March 17, 1999 Page 5 • Harness: The LaFarge company must go through the DOW and get a permit before they can cut the trees down at the heron rookery. • Harness: The wetland area at County Rd. 32 and Lemay that recently burned might be a good place for a study to determine the effects of fire on natural areas. • Gordon: Air Quality staff member Aaron Fodge is coordinating a calendar of events for the Earth Day celebrations. He is also holding an Environmental Household Products Show at Foothills Fashion Mall on March 27 featuring environmentally friendly products. • Gordon: The John Carver presentation on strengthening board effectiveness is April 30 at Fort Collins High School. Phil Friedman, Bill Miller and Phil Murphy asked to be registered. • Shoemaker: The Natural Area Regulations have been passed. The Land Use Code passed unanimously and will become law in ten days. • Shoemaker: Advertising for the new Natural Areas Program Manager has begun. The closing date for the position is April 16, 1999. • Shoemaker: The new Clean Screen Program being developed by the State of Colorado was going to use a less stringent cut point than research shows is appropriate. Air Quality staff member Lucinda Smith identified this and helped the City express the concern. In the end the State backed down and went along with Smith's recommendations. • Donovan: Distributed a written commentary by conservative George Will about urban sprawl issues. He added that it has been six months since he was appointed to the NRAB and he appreciates the opportunity to serve on this board. • Miller: The Gateway Mountain Park committee has met three times to date. Staff has created an issues list of the general operation and uses of the park. There has been a lot of good discussion. The committee will take a field trip to the park on the 271'. Members will be driving separate vehicles so they can experience the limited parking first-hand. • Murphy: Requested that everyone be respectful of one another and allow ample opportunity for each individual to say their piece in a timely fashion. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m.