HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation And Stewardship Board - Minutes - 12/08/2010MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
LAND CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP BOARD
Regular Meeting
December 8, 2010
DATE: Wednesday, December 8, 2010
LOCATION: 215 N Mason Street, Conference Room 1-A
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
For Reference: Linsey DeBell - 217-7436
Aislinn Kottwitz - 692-9915
Mark Sears, Staff Liaison - 416-2096
Board Members Present
Linsey DeBell, Lesli Ellis, Juli Germany, S. Kathryn Grimes, Michelle Grooms, Trudy
Haines, Linda Knowlton, Paul Mills, Linda Stanley
Board Members Excused
Council Liaison
Aislinn Kottwitz
Staff Present
Natural Resources / Natural Areas Department: Daylan Figgs, Mark Sears, John Stokes
Guests
Dan Moore, Greeley Utility Department
Public Comments
Agenda Review
Review and Approval of Minutes
GOCO Declaration of Covenants – Soapstone Trails Grant
• Figgs: In July 2008 Natural Areas Program (NAP) staff submitted a joint
application with Larimer County for a special cycle trails grant offered by the
Stanley approved the November 10, 2010 meeting minutes with revision. Knowlton second.
It was unanimously approved.
Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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State of Colorado’s Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). The grant provided
funding for trails (including new trail construction and retrofitting ranch roads,
trail signs, pedestrian gates, etc.) and trailhead features (vault toilets, interpretive
signs, fencing, etc.) at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open
Space. All projects have been completed and currently we are working on due
diligence process. This process we will be reimbursed in 2011. To finalize the
due diligence process we need our Declaration of Covenants and Conditions
signed. So the action item this evening is asking for a recommendation to City
Council to approve that ordinance.
• Grimes: Doesn’t the Open Space tax expire at some point?
• Figgs: We have a capital improvement fund for these types of items. We do not
know the full maintenance cost given the nature of these types of improvements.
• Knowlton: These are existing trails correct?
• Figgs: yes.
Utility Easement Request City of Greeley
• Figgs: The City of Greeley is constructing a new 60 inch diameter pipeline to
transport water from Greeley’s Bellvue water treatment plant to the City of
Greeley and surrounding communities. The City of Fort Collins Utilities
Department owns the City Ditch, a property that will be crossed by the pipeline.
As such Greeley is requesting a 50’ permanent easement, a temporary easement,
and a permanent access easement. In addition, Greeley is requesting a shared
location agreement to cross an existing City utility line.
There was a description of the project given by Dan Moore, Greeley Utility Department,
with reference to maps of the pipeline location, which were provided to the Board for
viewing.
Knowlton moved that the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board
recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing the Declaration
of covenants to be signed, and the trails and amenities constructed at Soapstone
Prairie Natural Area to be maintained by the Natural Areas Program for a period
of not less than 25 years. Grooms second. It was unanimously approved.
Ellis moved that the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board (LCSB) recommends
that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing the conveyance of a permanent
utility easement, a temporary construction easement, and an access easement on City
Utility property to the city of Greeley for construction of its water pipeline. The LCSB
also recommends that City Council approve a shared location agreement to cross an
existing City utility line. Stanley second. It was unanimously approved.
Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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Review City Plan
• Sears: The Board was sent a link to view the Plan on-line, and I also printed a
hard copy of just those sections of the environmental resources and principles that
we reviewed two months ago. Tonight we have the opportunity to review that
again and it is your first chance to provide comments on the entire document and
in January you’ll have the choice, if you take it, to make recommendation on the
whole document.
There is an open house on December 13, at the Sunset Club on Linden Street from
4 – 7 p.m.
The Board reviewed and discussed those sections of the environmental resources and
principles, which are specific to the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board.
• Linsey: Would any Board member like to comment on the City Plan?
• Knowlton: I’m inclined to support the work that has been done on the Plan so far.
• Grimes: We’ve addressed the different areas specific to our Board.
• Haines: Everything we’ve discussed is in the Plan.
• Sears: We’ve made all the changes that the Board discussed. The opportunity
tonight is to comment on the whole document.
• Stokes: The section on the environment is the most relevant to the Board.
• Knowlton: Is there a section that you would like to highlight for the Board to pay
particular attention to.
• Stokes: You can pay particular attention to the section on the Poudre River.
• Knowlton: I’d like to make a suggestion that if any of the Board members have a
comment on the City Plan, other than what was addressed tonight, which we seem
to be comfortable with, they should send them to Mark Sears.
• Sears: John and I feel very comfortable on the environmental section, but if there
are other sections that you would like to comments on, this is a good opportunity.
In January you will have a chance to make recommendations to City Council.
New Business:
Land Conservation Updates and Announcements
• Sears:
o The Three Bell project – the Conservation Easement will go to the Board
of County Commissioners within the next couple of days. If approved by
the Board of County Commissioners the Conservation Easement will then
go to the Mayor for his signature. The closing will be within a few days
or a week after that.
o The Wellington Community Separator – the final appraisals are in, the
values didn’t change significantly. The NRCS has ninety days to review
the appraisals and the conservation easement. The closing will be in either
February or March.
o We hired a new employee, Public Improvement Technician, Todd Juhasz.
o We will also hire for a new Environmental Planner.
o The 300 acre prescribed burn at Soapstone went well.
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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o In October 2010, at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, visitor vehicle count
was 392 and in October 2009 is was 446. The level has drop a bit, but
visitation is still strong.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Submitted by Geri Kidawski
Administrative Clerk II
Approved_______________________________________________________________