HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 11/03/2016MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD
Date: Thursday, November 3, 2016
Location: CIC Room, City Hall, 300 Laporte Ave.
Time: 4:00–6:00pm
For Reference
Jeff Johnson, Chair
Ray Martinez, Council Liaison
Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Staff Liaison 970-221-6753
Board Members Present Board Members Absent
Jeffrey Johnson, Chair
Diane Cohn
Terence Hoaglund
Eloise Emery
Jennifer Bray
Curt Lyons
Kristin Fritz
Staff Present
Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Social Sustainability Specialist
Dianne Tjalkens, Administrative Assistant/Board Support
Ginny Sawyer, Policy & Project Manager
Emily Wilmsen, Public Relations Coordinator
Ray Martinez, Councilmember District 2
Guests
Chris Johnson, ED Bike Fort Collins
Mike Devereaux, Commission on Disability
Call to order: Jeff called to order at 4:04pm.
Agenda Review: Moving Communications Campaign discussion to beginning of meeting.
Public Comment: No comment
Council Comment: Ray Martinez, let him know if need any support.
Review and Approval of Minutes
Eloise moved to approve the October minutes as presented. Terence seconded.
Motion passed, 5-0-2. Jeff and Diane abstained.
AGENDA ITEM 1: Affordable Housing Communications Campaign—Eloise Emery
Sue: One charge of board is to promote citizen participation and education on affordable housing
issues. All boards do not have permission to be outward facing. Last campaign was Faces of
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Affordable Housing poster campaign, which is available on the website. Eloise drafted a plan. Does
the board want to take it on, set a goal, form a subcommittee, etc.?
Emily: Emily is Sustainability Services Area marketing representative. She works with project
managers on strategic marketing and communication, public engagement, etc. Unusual request to
work with B&Cs. Can be member of support team to advise on what can and cannot do.
Consultative. Constraints around use of City logo, when to identify as AHB, etc. Was this part of
work plan shared with Council? Worked out with Social Sustainability in strategic planning? What is
strategy for budget? Goals?
Sue: Could push out things that are already in public domain. If want to develop exhibits would have
to ask for a budget. Could make request in off-cycle budget process. Could tier projects as well.
Emily: Human Relations Commission does forums throughout the year—they do own marketing and
publicity. Fairly well attended. CPIO does not see what they are working on. Could host panels
around community and find strategic partner to assist with messaging or budget.
Sue: Clearly in the work plan.
Eloise: Drafted plan. Lessons learned from poster campaign to take into consideration, especially
around using local people, local projects, etc. that may show favoritism. The problem being
addressed is lack of exposure for the public. Intent to change perception.
Comments/Q&A
• Jeff: Budget?
o Emily: No, AHB is advisory to City Council. Project managers have budgets for
promotion of certain projects.
• Curt: Agree that there are misconceptions and public doesn’t understand how much income it
takes to live in Fort Collins.
o Eloise: Sue’s presentation with salaries and sample positions—good information to
give.
o Sue: That slide was developed by Housing Catalyst.
o Kristin: Have to have community understand issue and who the users are before can
do any project. Great for City to embrace right way to message. Why is there a need?
Why is it important to community?
o Diane: Lot of press around AH in last couple years. People can understand the need,
but think no one is doing anything. Want to show what exists, what is being done,
and what the future need is.
• Sue: Diane’s presentation on senior boom—have educated each other. Great next step to be
outward facing. Ex: Letter writing campaign from board to Coloradoan, to advertising
campaign with developed messaging. Would want to get other experts involved if going big.
Take on in 2017? Who will volunteer for subcommittee?
o Diane: Key piece of what should be doing. A lot going on that the public doesn’t
know about.
o Jen: Only board members for subcommittee?
Sue: Up to the board/subcommittee.
• Emily: Consider if promoting City efforts around AH, staff is going to be doing it anyway. If
it is promoting efforts of body of agencies, that becomes board’s purview.
• Curt: Interest from Neighbor to Neighbor, Housing Catalyst, etc. to be involved?
o Kristin: There would be interest from partners. Bring issues very specific to Fort
Collins. Median prices, gaps, hourly rates, etc. Highlight successes. Message needs to
make people rethink why AH is important.
o Sue: Address big issues like stigma and NIMBY.
• Curt: Lesson learned at Denver annual housing conference: If listener doesn’t hear
themselves in your story, you have lost them.
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• Jen: Different problems that need to be highlighted: 30% AMI, veterans, seniors, etc.
• Jeff: Will volunteer for subcommittee.
o Diane: Suggest communication via email about subcommittee so people can take
more time to consider participation.
• Ray: Change what perceptions?
o Eloise: NIMBY, don’t want AH because ugly, don’t want “those kind of people,” etc.
If can show projects—board took tour of AH and many comments on how beautiful
the product is—people will change perception.
o Kristin: Being priced out of community—people you want as neighbors and
perception of quality of product.
o Ray: Not using local pictures?
Eloise: Former campaign, child in photo got bullied for living in affordable
housing. Avoid pitfalls of prior campaign.
• Ray: Comment on informing people of who we are—what does that mean?
o Jeff: Informing public of users of AH. Who are the people in need—in this
community they are young professionals and young families. More than just
homeless people—it’s your employees.
o Sue: Purpose is not to answer questions, but to raise questions in people’s minds so
they don’t have negative knee jerk reaction. Feeling of inclusiveness. Economic
diversity is needed here.
o Jeff: Couple years ago, started using term housing affordability—AH has stigma of
welfare and a hand out. Changing term to cover broader spectrum. Users are fire
fighters, police, hospital, teachers—people the community relies on.
o Ray: Misperception of AH, association of stereotypes. Neighbor of his was concerned
about crime and juvenile problems if additional AH. Showed nearby apartment
complex that is AH that neighbor thought was nice. People carry on myths because
they don’t know.
o Jeff: Bus tour of AH is phenomenal—remarkable product, integrated into
community, spread out throughout community.
o Sue: Haven’t done bus tours in some time.
• Diane: What feedback does Ray Martinez get from constituents on AH?
o Ray: Council sees the need. Land Bank went through Work Session. But can’t do just
one thing—Land Bank won’t solve it all. Things like utility rates going up complicate
lives of people of lower incomes. Don’t want more in-commuting—creation of
bedroom communities. Unintended consequences. Passing of minimum wage or not,
will have impact. If have to pay more may have to let people go. Complex. Don’t
want to push workforce outside of the community. Realizing that workforce needs to
be close by.
ACTION ITEMS: Sue will send email asking for volunteers for subcommittee.
AGENDA ITEM 2: Short Term Rentals—Ginny Sawyer
Have had four Work Sessions and various public outreach. Short term rentals are those less than 30
days—must pay sales and lodging tax. Looking at more formal regulation and licensing system.
“Primary” short term rental is the owner’s primary residence, “non-primary” is second home that
owner doesn’t live in but rents out. Two strong camps: pro, personal property, not different than long
term rental; con—business not residence, takes away from neighborhood, unfamiliar people coming
and going, parking, noise.
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Primary: Rent out rooms on short term basis. Must have sales tax license and pay lodging tax. For
licensing, proposing allowing anywhere. Would require one off-street parking for each bedroom
renting, smoke detector, CO2 detector, and some amount of liability insurance. Determining if would
inspect all units. Main concern is basement space that is not up to code and not safe.
Non-primary: Limiting by zone—only in zones that allow bed and breakfast, hotels, etc. Covers
fairly large amount of city, not just a few zone districts.
Defining primary and non-primary. Non-primary is exclusively rental to single party. Primary is
owner occupied. Distinguished from bed and breakfast use. Will be some grandfathering—some
units that have been remitting sales and lodging taxes. Additional permitted use process can be used
to get allowed in other locations. Looking at ~$200 annual fee for licensing. If do onsite inspections
will take a lot of staff time.
Getting draft ordinance out for review. Ginny will send to Sue to share with the board.
Comments/Q&A
• Jeff: Didn’t mention national argument that short term rentals reduce long-term rental stock
and increase price of rental housing. Sounds like genesis here was neighbor complaints.
o Ginny: Guessing have about 300 units. Numbers have stayed consistent over last five
years. Small percentage of existing housing stock. Ex: Estes is 8% of exiting housing
stock; we’re at less than 1%. Are we allowing people to stay in their homes by
allowing rental for additional income? Boulder and Denver have said they won’t
allow non-primary. Trying to find middle ground by only allowing in certain zones.
• Diane: Where does this policy cross over with You+2.
o Ginny: Can have guests no more than 30 days. Difficulty enforcing over-occupancy
on weekend rentals. Keeping these separate issues. License owners, require off-street
parking, behold all to nuisance ordinances.
o Diane: Non-primary could consistently have more people than ordinance allows?
Ginny: Technically yes. Would have to prove that people aren’t related. By
doing regulations, manage expectations. Enforcement is challenging. Don’t
want to include what cannot enforce. If find having a lot of issues, can update
ordinance.
• Jen: Starts with good intentions. For snow-birds leaving for Arizona for three months, would
that be non-primary use?
o Ginny: Can prove that it is their primary residence. If doing more than 30 day rental,
won’t apply anyway.
o Jen: If only rent a couple weeks a year, still subject to $200 fee.
Ginny: Yes.
• Curt: Why do inspections on short-term rentals and not long-term if about health and safety?
o Ginny: Will do inspections on long-term rentals on request. Expect that if living in
space long-term will know home operations and potential hazards.
• Curt: Interesting that charge fees for short term, not long term. Long term doesn’t have to pay
same taxes either. Houses first time buyers could afford are snatched up by long term rental
investors.
o Ginny: Looking at occupancy ordinance and whether has helped first time buyers get
into homes. Will also be interesting to see what happens in a few years with all new
apartments coming online.
• Jen: Will this set a precedent for long-term rentals to be licensed and have fees?
o Ginny: Rental licensing trends come and go. Community desire is split. Great
benefits in having it, but cons as well. Must be well vetted process.
• Jeff: How much could be handled by zoning change—mixing licensing and zoning?
Generally opposed to more licenses and fees.
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o Ginny: Both license and zoning—similar to marijuana issue. Want license to run with
person, not property. Zoning review will happen in each application.
• Jen: Pleased to see how much more clear and concise this has become since last presentation.
o Ginny: May present as a two-year pilot.
o Diane: Then can analyze trends and see impact on AH in community.
o Ginny: 115 have sales tax licenses already. Will divvy out to code compliance to see
how many have adequate parking already.
o Curt: Parking requirement for whole house? Ex: Two spaces off-street, one counts?
Ginny: Yes.
Curt: When mandate driveway cut, you eliminate one on-street parking place.
Ginny: Will probably have a process to request variance/modification.
• Jen: Noticing to neighbors has gone away?
o Ginny: Will bring back up with team at next meeting.
Jen: There are enough things in place that this is not necessary.
o Ginny: May be able to have GIS map with contact information for non-primary.
Curt: Would be great for long-term rentals also. Most problems have had with
rentals are with long-term.
ACTION ITEMS: Sue will forward code language to board and add to December agenda.
AGENDA ITEM 3: Bike Fort Collins—Chris Johnson, Executive Director
Local 501(c)3. Very concerned with livability and affordability. Looking at land use, planning and
inclusiveness. More Bikes: determining and addressing infrastructure and cultural barriers, especially
for low income people. Safe Streets: Advocacy for underserved. One Voice: Policy and advocacy for
safer and more accessible transportation options. AH: You can put a bike lane on every street, but if
the workforce can’t afford to live here, can’t meet goals around mode share, VMT, GHG reduction,
safety, etc. Building bike friendly communities requires building affordable and inclusive
communities. Public safety concern—7% increase year after year increase in traffic fatalities.
Contributors are lack of affordable housing near job centers and lack of transportation infrastructure.
The more people drive the more fatalities you have; mode shift increases safety. Work with Safe
Routes to School, Bike Friendly Business Network, Chain Reaction, Neighborhood Active Living
Grant, etc. Interested in messaging to support projects and policies that promote AH.
Bike share model—City has contract and administers the program, Bike Fort Collins staffs the hub,
and Zagster owns the bikes. Have sponsor partners that pay for infrastructure. Model is that each
station is a $9K investment from sponsor. Station is then branded for sponsor. Sponsors come
together to determine where to put station. Zagster balances where bikes are, does maintenance and
replacement. Customer pays for subscription—rides under 30 minutes are free with subscription,
over 30 minutes are small hourly fee. In Fort Collins service is mostly a tourist amenity. Great end-
user deal—$60/year membership and don’t have to do maintenance or storage. Challenge is to get
this as part of transit oriented affordable development. City currently sponsors 6 stations. Would like
to see sponsorship discounts for affordable housing providers and subsidies for low income people.
What kinds of incentives could be deployed to encourage bike shares with affordable housing?
Comments/Q&A
• Kristin: Housing Catalyst would like stations at each location, but cannot do $9K/year for
each location.
• Sue: Philanthropy/matching grants or have multiple businesses share sponsorship?
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o Chris: Because private sponsorship, dependent on private sector for build-out. Cannot
strategically place stations. Nike has put multiple millions into Portland bike share to
be strategic inplacement.
• Jen: $9K/year gets what?
o Chris: Station, maintenance, refreshment, logo on bikes, maps and stations. Don’t
have large sponsor to help with overall build-out.
• Jen: Partnering to co-sponsor is a good idea. Sell advertising space at stations or on
individual bikes.
• Jen: What happens in the winter?
o Chris: Don’t know yet. This will be first winter. Bikes will stay out.
o Kristin: In Denver bikes stay out year-round and get used.
• Jen: Liability issues?
o Chris: Upgrade from Bike Library. However, had all kinds of bikes at library—kids
bikes, adaptive bikes, etc. Not as equitable/inclusive as would like to be. Bike Library
bikes were donated to local nonprofits when it closed.
• Kristin: Was important to have Chris speak at Planning & Zoning Board.
o Chris: Thinking about land use and transit oriented development. Making the case
here.
o Curt: Urban planning, zoning, etc. all related.
o Chris: Conversation on development fees—can use impact fees strategically to create
kinds of projects we want to have. Ex: Former Kmart building—not getting ideal
development for the space. Missed opportunity for mixed use.
AGENDA ITEM 4: Other Business
Land Use Code Updates
Safe Place to Rest
• Using churches and nonprofit buildings for additional winter sheltering options. Hoping
community will run with this. Want it to be exempted from land use code—as part of mission
of host organization. Parallel to seasonal overflow shelter program. Seasonal overflow is
having professional shelter operators offering a remote location at a church. Safe Place to
Rest is mission-driven to house people in building—to provide community, offer assistance,
etc. Not professionally organized; volunteer driven. Will increase community capacity. Will
not change zoning—defined out of regulations for shelters.
Density Bonus Maximums for Affordable Housing
• P&Z having formal Work Session tomorrow. Consultant reports request expanding density
bonuses. In LMN could have 9 units/acre go to 12 units for up to 10 acres. Can seek
modification. Looking at removing density bonus maximum for all AH. Right now AH
means 10% of development needs to be affordable to 80% AMI and below. Sue working with
P&Z to get automatic additional density bonus for more affordable units over 10 acres. 5 acre
step-ups based on % units and AMI.
o Kristin: Going backwards—25 acres, don’t want 100% AH. As get bigger,
affordability % goes up. Appreciate bonus for AH, but weird that affordability gets
bigger.
o Sue: To get maximum, would only be at 30% affordability requirement for entire
property.
• Jeff: Thought sites were too big anyway and want more density.
o Kristin: 12 units density bonus is very low density.
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o Sue: will continue to request additional density. Most vacant land is in this zone.
Optimistic City Plan will give opportunity to look at rezoning some available land.
• Jeff: Seems to conflict with need for additional density.
o Sue: Currently have insufficient density bonus in LMN. Dealing with land use code
update, which is vehicle to make small tweaks. Requesting not having 10 acre
maximum for density bonus.
Terence: Intent was to not create swathes of AH. 10 acres was arbitrary
though.
Sue: Asking to get rid of 10 acre maximum density bonus. P&Z is asking for
more affordability if giving advantage. Decided to provide additional
automatic exemptions in five acre increments. If have 15 acre parcel, must
have 10% of development to 80% or less. For automatic bonus want 20% of
units to 60% AMI and below. Get some units at lower AMI for additional
bonus. More benefit=more ask. Don’t need to ask for modification.
Kristin: Weird relationship of bonus to acreage—developers don’t have a lot
of control over size of parcel.
• Sue: Not asking for 100% affordable. Most would be 20% at
60%AMI or less and 10% at 80%AMI or less (no more than 30% low
income total).
• Kristin: Just a way to get density bonus over 10 acres.
• Terence: If trying to get higher density, LMN doesn’t allow three story buildings.
o Sue: Not a fix, just a small change. If think it won’t hurt anything or could be
beneficial, then will ask for it.
Jen: Won’t hurt anything, but won’t help much either.
o Diane: Bigger issue of density can take on next year.
Terence: Height issues as well.
Diane: Can push for 12 consistently, rather than a bonus.
Terence: LMN is 4-9 units/acre, MMN starts at 12. Nothing available
between 9 and 12.
Kristin: Need to be at 20 for AH.
• Curt: Impacts to land bank?
o Kristin: If another land bank property was going to be developed soon, this would
help. Does not preclude consideration of larger land bank ordinance updates.
Jeff moved to support the suggested modifications to the Land Use Code density bonus
maximums for affordable housing, because it would reduce the request for modifications needed
to develop affordable housing, even though it does not go far enough. Curt seconded.
Motion passed unanimously, 7-0-0.
Capital Expansion Fees Recommendation to Council
Kristin drafted. Can authorize chair to sign for the board.
• Eloise: Appropriate to include AMI ranges?
• Terence: Trying to keep code creep down, but simultaneously increasing fees.
• Members suggested edits.
• Sue will find out when item is going to Council and best way to give input.
Jeff moved to approve memo as amended. Jen seconded.
Motion passed unanimously, 7-0-0.
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Open Board Discussion
• Kristin: P&Z unanimously approved Horsetooth project. No road through property.
• Sue: Next month is Terence’s last meeting. Can start thinking about new officers next month.
Jeff is willing to continue as chair but prefers to give another an opportunity to be chair.
Meeting Adjourned: 6:19pm
Next Meeting: December 1
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