Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 08/05/2004CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD MEETING MINUTES 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, Colorado August 5, 2004 4-6p.m. Kay Rios, Chair Isabel Garity, Vice Chair Ken Waido, Staff Liaison, 970-221-6753 Marty Tharp, City Council Liaison, 970-484-5711 Board Members Present: Kay Rios, Isabel Garity, Jon Fairchild, Joe Rowan, Peter Tippett and Joe Hebert. Staff Present: Maurice Head Council Members Present: Marty Tharp Guests: Tom Frazier, general manager of Transfort; Mark Radtke, City Manager's Office of Legal Affairs. Chair Kay Rios called the meeting to order with a quorum present at 4:05 p.m. Open Public Discussion None. New Business Minutes The minutes of July 1, 2004, were unanimously accepted as presented, on a motion from Joe Rowan seconded by Joe Hebert. Transfort System Proposed Improvements Tom Frazier discussed what's happening with Transfort and Dial -A -Ride today and in the next 25-30 years, and some of the steps in between. Board members received maps showing existing and proposed new routes. The current system serves about 1.5 million riders per year, primarily the transportation dependent, the elderly and the disabled, with about 35 buses. About 37 percent of ridership is CSU students; only about 8 percent is the general public or "choice" riders paying full fare. The cost to taxpayers to provide this service is $2.84 per ride for big buses. Dial A Ride service is more expensive; Kay Rios said about 60 percent of Dial A Ride customers are from the general public. When transit became part of the updated Strategic Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board August 5, 2004 Minutes Page 2 of 5 Plan in 2002, low ridership routes were eliminated as part of the first of four implementation phases. By 2025, the goal is to have a grid transportation system following the city's major arterials providing service on enhanced travel corridors as frequently as every 10 minutes to more than 5 million riders per year with about 180 buses of various sizes. The first step is to increase choice ridership by making it faster and easier to use Transfort to commute to work than drive a car; today 85 percent of commuters drive by themselves. The estimated cost is $20 million per year, compared to current annual expenditures of $6 million. In response to a question from Kay Rios, Mr. Frazier confirmed that this would mean adding coverage rather than eliminating current routes, because going to the grid system will provide a higher level of service for everyone. Specific routes proposed for expansion target Harmony Road out to Front Range Community College; Route 10 to Timberline and Prospect; and increased frequency around downtown and the Foxtrot to Loveland. Ms. Rios emphasized the importance of dependable transportation to affordable housing. However, none of the proposed new service is funded, and will need to be implemented in increments. According to Mr. Frazier, it all depends on ballot initiatives As part of the Building on Basics (BOB) 2005 campaign, Transfort is asking for $1.5 million in funding for replacement buses and new vehicles. Mr. Frazier distributed a brochure about BOB and a community feedback survey asking for ranking of the 34 projects under consideration. The transportation component includes $90.7 million in unfunded costs. Rental Registrv/Licensing Proaram Mark Radtke presented an overview of the work staff has done at the direction of City Council to formulate an ordinance to address neighborhood concerns about a variety of problems associated with rental properties in residential neighborhoods. Mr. Radtke said they have looked at regulations in 16 other communities, primarily college towns, and have found everything ranging from a simple local contact registry to a system tied to zoning overlays that allows neighbors to petition to ban new rentals. The local ordinance could address health and safety, occupancy and parking issues and focus primarily on single family and duplexes without on -site property managers. The ordinance could include some kind of inspection program and fees to cover the cost of those inspections. Estimates of the proposed fee have been between $100-$200 per property. Some of the many issues yet to be resolved include frequency and timing of inspections, what penalties would be assessed for violations, and who would be held responsible for violations. Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board August 5, 2004 Minutes Page 3 of 5 Marty Tharp explained that she was the driving force between this effort. She feels the three -unrelated ordinance has proved unworkable, since larger homes can easily accommodate more tenants, and the existing public nuisance ordinance and Neighborhood Resources does not address the important issues. Without some kind of rental licensing, landlords in effect are doing business without the kind of oversight afforded other businesses that collect sales taxes. Mr. Radtke pointed out that registering the name and address of the owner and/or manager would be an improvement over the level of information currently available. In general, the Board found little to support in the proposed ideas. Jon Fairchild didn't see any value in increasing the number of unrelated people allowed to live in one home, because it still didn't address the issue of proving individual relationships. Joe Rowan asked approximately how many rental properties were considered nuisances. Ms. Tharp estimated about 15, to which Mr. Rowan replied that such an ordinance would cast a hard -to - enforce net over the other 85 percent while most likely not changing the behavior of the offenders. Ms. Rios agreed, pointing out it's more important to target the properties that present the problems than raise the cost of rental housing for everyone. She would rather see existing regulations made more efficient than imposing a new ordinance and fee. Joe Hebert added that while there are real problems with some rental properties in neighborhoods, this type of ordinance is not the solution. Ms. Tharp countered that the City has to do something to keep neighborhoods from deteriorating into slums because rental properties are not regulated. Mr. Rowan was concerned that the more regulations you put in place, the more loopholes you create. Mr. Radtke confirmed that at the moment the proposed ordinance has no teeth. Isabel Garity, speaking as a landlord, supported changing the existing public nuisance ordinance to allow neighbors as well as landlords and tenants to make complaints about offending properties so issues can be addressed before they become nuisances. Mr. Fairchild opposed charging for annual inspections, preferring to levy a nominal fee at the time the license is issued to give the City the means to inspect properties when a complaint has been filed. The Board supported that idea by consensus. Ms. Rios summarized the Board's position, saying that while the Board agreed with Ms. Tharp that there are real problems that need to be addressed, this did not seem to be the best way to go about it, and licensing fees can only make rentals less affordable. A survey is being distributed and a public meeting is scheduled for August 30 at Lincoln Center on the issue of residential licensing. A draft of the proposed ordinance should be ready in September or October, according to Mr. Radtke. Ms. Rios asked Maurice Head to be sure the Board received a copy for review before it went to the Council study session. Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board August 5, 2004 Minutes Page 4 of 5 Development Fee Comparison An article in the July 18, 2004, issue of the Co/oradoan compared development impact fees in three communities, showing Fort Collins at least 50 percent higher than Westminster or Longmont. What impact does this have on the affordability of housing in Fort Collins? In response, Maurice Head explained that the fees cited in the comparison were for commercial development, and that the largest percentage went to street oversizing. This can be affected by number of factors, especially the use and location of the building. Kay Rios said her concern was with the conclusion of the article, which quoted a developer who no longer builds homes in Fort Collins but has concentrated in Wellington where the fees are not as expensive. Marty Tharp said it depends on which fees you look at, and the bottom line isn't that much different. Mr. Head will research this further with Felix Lee in the Building Department and report back at the next meeting. Amendment 34 Joe Rowan reported on the proposed amendment to the state Constitution to prohibit limits on construction liability. A copy of the draft amendment, awaiting verification of petition signatures prior to being placed on the November ballot, was distributed to the Board. According to Mr. Rowan, the intent of the amendment is to roll back award limits to property owners who sue builders for faulty construction passed by the State Legislature last year, but there is not much analysis available. He will do more research on the issue and report back. Land Bank Prooram Update At 5 p.m., Isabel Garity moved the Board go into executive session to discuss properties under consideration for purchase as part of the Land bank program. Joe Rowan seconded; the motion passed 4-1 with Kay Rios opposed and Jon Fairchild having previously left the meeting. At 5:25 p.m., Joe Rowan moved the Board return to regular session to conclude the remainder of the agenda. Isabel Garity seconded and the motion carried unanimously, 5-0. Old Business Update/Reports on Subcommittee Efforts Kay Rios thanked Joe Rowan and Jon Fairchild for their efforts on the letter to City Council on the Right -of -First -Refusal Ordinance for mobile home parks. Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board August 5, 2004 Minutes Page 5 of 5 Liaison Reports None. Open Board Discussion Joe Rowan said he will have an outline of the homebuyers assistance down - payment program for discussion at next month's meeting. Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki August 19, 2004