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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEconomic Advisory Board - Minutes - 07/21/2021 ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR July 21, 2021, 4:00 - 6:00 pm via Zoom 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 1  1. CALL TO ORDER 4:00 pm. 2. ROLL CALL  List of Board Members Present  Connor Barry - Chair  Renee Walkup - Vice Chair  Ted Settle  Aric Light  Julie Stackhouse  George Grossman  Braulio Rojas  List of Board Members Absent  John Parks - Excused  Spencer Clark - Excused  List of Staff Members Present  Josh Birks, Director, Economic Sustainability  List of Guests  Councilmember Shirley Peel – Council Liaison to the Economic Advisory Board  Jason Licon - Northern Colorado Regional Airport  Aaron Ehle - Northern Colorado Regional Airport 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION  none 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. There was a minor adjustment to attendance. There being no other changes, the minutes were approved as amended. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 2  7. NEW BUSINESS a. Meet EAB Liaison Councilperson Shirley Peel  Introductions and expectations  Shirley Peel was elected to finish out Kristin Stephens term on City Council. Her focus is to be sure the City take cares of municipal issues such as utilities, roads, infrastructure, park, and supporting businesses. She is interested in working with the Economic Advisory Board to help address those issues. Her greatest concerns for our local economy are recovery, helping local businesses, and preparing for future expenses for infrastructure challenges.  Q&A and Board Discussion  Renee - Q - What do you think the city can do to help address homelessness in Fort Collins? A - Councilperson Peel suggested the city should focus on helping provide a stable environment for local homeless with smaller shelters. However, the location of the facilities is controversial. The City should also collaborate with non-profits and ensure the city is not hindering them from doing their job.  George - Q - Some things he suggested Council might focus on are infrastructure and other things that help businesses, such as good internet service. As a small business owner, internet connection is a problem for businesses in Old Town and other older buildings. A - Councilperson Peel agreed that a long-term economic health plan is necessary to specify where the city should spend its money to help the local economy.  Councilperson Peel - Q - Is the new proposed tourism district part of the City's economic plan? A - Josh - Historically, promoting tourism has been the responsibility of an outside entity, Visit Fort Collins, which has its own tourism master plan. The City's Economic Health Office coordinates and communicates with them regularly. The 2022 budget offer would assist them to move forward with tourism.  Josh pointed out that long term planning for City expenditures is usually done by the departments responsible for them. The EAB, and other boards would then provide advice about those expenditures. There is an offer in the 2022 budget to fund a long-term economic health plan. The EAB is looking for guidance from Councilperson Peel at this meeting to help them understand what Council would like it to focus on and what scope the Council would like the EAB to have.  Ted - Q - In the past, EAB has given feedback to staff who are working on ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 3  Council priorities, but in his 6-year term, Council has not asked the EAB to do anything specific for them. How can the EAB be confident it is doing what is helpful to Council without feedback? He encourages Council to bring together different boards and commissions to discuss a topic of interest to them to get feedback. A - Councilperson Peel is willing to work closely with the EAB to determine the best way to assist Council.  Julie - Q - She is concerned the City Council priority list did not specifically address economic health. She also suggested while the Council has adopted progressive, they should also be realistic, without incurring major expense. She encouraged Council to consult EAB when costs of proposed projects might affect local businesses. There is potential for change and uncertainty with a new City Council, mayor and City Manager and she suggested they make the transition as smooth as possible. A - Councilperson Peel - Economic health is not a unanimous priority for Council members, so having an economic health plan would be helpful to point out that as a City priority.  Councilperson Peel suggested the EAB could share expertise with Council on wage hikes – referencing the potential for a local minimum wage. Also, the EAB could review all the Council's priorities and weigh in on the economic impact of them. Q- The EAB sent a memo to Council on June 29 recommending 6 areas that Council might want to focus on. Can Council give feedback on this? A - Josh will re-forward this EAC memo to Council to Councilperson Peel.  Braulio - Q - He agreed an economic health plan would help re-define how the city can help local economic health. He suggested the Council's priority list might focus on what is possible. He pointed out the role of the EAB is a passive role that waits for Council to ask for help and advice. However, he also does not remember Council asking for assistance from the EAB. Can Councilperson Peel help define the EAB/s role with Council? He also suggested mental health issues of the homeless need to address, in addition to the homelessness issue. A - Councilperson Peel needs more clarity on the scope or overlap of the Finance Committee and the Economic Advisory Board. She suggested that might be another pathway for the EAB to advise Council.  Josh pointed out the EAB is made up of volunteer citizens appointed by Council and provides perspectives, advice and recommendations but has no authority over Council decisions. The Finance Committee is a Council sub- committee that does pre-work on expenditures that Council votes on.  Aric - suggested the pre-Covid effort to have various boards working together ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 4  on a project would be more efficient and helpful and should be revived.  Action steps for Councilperson Peel:  Review the EAB's July memo.  Review the 2022 budget offer for a Long-Term Economic Health Plan.  Get consensus from Council as to what is the best way to communicate and utilize EAB's expertise, including advice to the Finance Committee.  Get clarity where advice from the EAB should cross over into staff assignments.  She will attend more EAB meetings to become more familiar with the EAB. b. Update on Northern Colorado Regional Airport - Jason Licon, Aaron Ehle  Background  The Northern Colorado Regional airport was opened in 1965 and is a joint operation between Loveland and Fort Collins. Both Cities' City Councils are involved in airport decisions, with a – seven member board from both City Councils that meets monthly.  Current operations primarily support general and business aviation aircraft with 100,000 takeoffs and landing, 200 hangers, 250 based aircraft, 12 public aviation businesses, and a growing amount of other business. Also on site is the Northern Colorado Law Enforcement Training center and Colorado Remote Tower Project. There are plans for a new terminal facility.  The airport is a regional asset with private and commercial pilot training schools, corporate flight departments, business travel, wildland firefighting support and reseeding. There is also medical transport, military high-altitude training and support, and some commercial air service.  The airport's economic impact to the communities is approximately $300 million/year, according to a 2020 economic impact study by the Colorado Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics.  The airport is self-sustaining since 2019 through fees and other business- supporting fees and various funding sources.  The airport's 2020 master plan and capital improvement plan include funding ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 5  for critical projects such as a new terminal and runway improvements.  The airport's strategic plan focuses on economic development, fiscal sustainability, and regional collaboration  Current projects include a Colorado Remote tower project that would provide the same functionality as a traditional tower at a fraction of the cost. Testing of this concept will begin in August 2021.  Airport Development projects include 23 new hanger units for private aviation, a Discovery Air commercial aviation campus, a new fixed-based operations center, and a new terminal. United Airlines is also providing seamless bus service to Denver airport. Also, Groome shuttle service goes to DIA.  The Great Colorado Air Show will happen in October 2021, with Blue Angels and other air performance groups. More information at www.flynoco.com  Discussion  Braulio - Q- Are you anticipating enough future traffic for all these improvements? A - Yes. We have research data showing where people from this area are traveling to/from. We see an opportunity to offer different travel options than driving to DIA. We do not anticipate competing with DIA, but offering a few flights per day to various destinations for a select market as an alternative to DIA.  Ted - Q - What kind of customers do you anticipate for the larger hangers and what is the intersection with the airport and law enforcement training center? A - The expansion is market-driven and is growing significantly. The training center is mainly a land rental operation and not involved with the airport.  Connor - Q - Do you have other projects you would like to do if you get more federal funding? Are you making the airport more environmentally friendly regarding your carbon footprint? A - We are actively taking steps to lower our carbon footprint with electric charging stations and LED lighting, looking at more electric equipment and how to support projected electric aircraft and new technology. More funding would help to do this. The terminal project will be the first small airport in the U.S. to have a LEED Gold certified building. Reducing trips for people flying out of DIA would also reduce fuel usage and air pollution. 8. BOARD MEMBER AND STAFF REPORTS a. Connor announced he has moved to Denver and is resigning from the board, effective this meeting. Renee will take over as chair. The group will need to elect a vice chair ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/21/21 – MINUTES Page 6  next month. The Vice Chair meets with Josh to help plan the EAB meeting agendas. Anyone wanting to serve in this capacity until January 2022. Please contact Josh or Renee. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. 6-month Calendar review b. Agenda planning c. Discuss returning to in person meetings  Josh informed the board that Council has ruled that City boards and commissions have the option to continue to meet virtually, in person or in a hybrid meeting. The group discussed and decided that, because Covid is still an issue, it has decided to hold the August meeting virtually and make a decision at that meeting how to meet in the future. 10. ADJOURNMENT 6:00 pm.