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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 09/27/2017Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 1 of 6 BE A GOOD STEWARD: Protect & Respect your Parks, Trails & Recreation Facilities Call Meeting to Order: Scott Sinn called the meeting to order at 5:32 PM Agenda Review & Items of Note: Work Plan update during the Parks Staff update Citizen Participation: None Approval of Minutes: Jessica MacMillan made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board Minutes of August 23, 2017. Seconded by Mary Carlson Passed 8:0 Meeting Summary • Ragan presented an update on a working group City Council asked to be formed to work on Capital Expansion Fees. The working group, a combination of City staff, citizen board members and citizens representing community groups, is covering existing policies to learn about Capital Expansion fees and how they are calculated. • City of Fort Collins Parks Department presented the Urban Forest Storm Damage rating policy they developed to better organize how to classify storm damage and the city services provided in response to each storm classification. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday, September 27, 2017 5:30 PM Board Chair: Scott Sinn – 2017 scott.sinn@ymail.com Council Liaison: Ken Summers - ksummers@fcgov.com Staff Liaisons: Mike Calhoon, 970-416-2079 – mcalhoon@fcgov.com Kurt Friesen, 970-221-6618 – kfriesen@fcgov.com Bob Adams, 970-221-6354 – badams@fcgov.com Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 2 of 6 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: Impact Fee Working Group Update – Ragan Adams • Ragan presented an update on a working group City Council asked to be formed to work on Capital Expansion Fees. The working group first covered policy and existing laws to learn about Capital Expansion fees and how they are calculated. The working group is a combination of City staff, citizen board members and citizens representing community groups. The working group is moving through the process of understanding & developing how the fees are set and are open to discuss & ask questions. The questions are being recorded to provide insight into the different stakeholder’s points of view and could be used to change Capital Expansion fee policy and how local government is funded in the future. • Question for the Board: What information would you like to receive from me regarding the Capital Expansion Fee Working Group? o Board requests an update when progress is made that would impact the Parks Planning & Development Funding via a presentation by Ragan & Kurt. Discussion Board – When do you meet? Ragan – The 2nd & 4th Monday of the month from 5-7PM at varying locations Board – Is the group going to publish the information they’re receiving to a general FAQ so the general public could learn about Capital Expansion Fees, or even how it relates to specific departments like Park Planning & Development? Ragan – All the information that we’ve received has been presented in presentations to boards. I don’t believe at this stage the information is published on the city website. Board – Is there more information that we hadn’t seen in previous presentations from Tiana Smith & Kurt? Ragan – The presentations are directed toward different audiences. We are the only group that is completely funded by Capital Expansion Fees. The Parks & Recreation Board also has a better understanding of Level of Service. Board – Do we need to understand the other presentations and how we relate to other types of government funding to best do our job? Ragan – Yes, we need to understand how all the Capital Expansion Fees relate to each other and stack together to understand the overall impact in funding new Parks & local government. Board – What do you see as the end goal for this group? Are you coming up with ideas for the next ten years? Ragan – We don’t yet have a goal, which I feel is good. It allows for the flowing of ideas, encouraging discussion, digging into the issues to cover all our bases. This is remarkably more complicated than I think anyone ever thought. Board – Do economic cycles affect Capital Expansion Fees? Has there been any discussion about that? Ragan – I don’t think so. They get raised every two years to match inflation. I don’t think it will be impacted by economic cycles unless that policy is changed. Board – So they’re saying the Build Out in Fort Collins is coming to its end. When do they anticipate that to happen? Ragan – 2030 is the estimate. It may seem far off, but it will be here before you know it. Urban Forest Storm Response – Molly Roche & Tim Buchanan • City of Fort Collins Parks department has developed an Urban Forest Storm Damage rating policy to better organize how to classify these storms and the services provided with each classification. The city can end up spending $2 Million or more on response to these storms. • Classification Policy – Each category has three sections. Classification determination, Incident Command System (a personnel management structure) & City Services & Resources Provided to the Public. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 3 of 6 • The storm damage is assessed by a team that completes a visual survey using a matrix of 6 questions & rating system categorizing the damage is then provided to the City Manager for final approval of the city response. • Categories o Category 1 – Low Impact to Urban Forest – City-wide clean-up and designated drop-off locations are not provided; less damage than May 19, 2017 storm and comparable to a microburst; storm damage rating less than 1.5 o Category 2 – Moderate Impact to Urban Forest – Designated limb drop-off locations provided; operational departments involved in providing storm clean-up services will be reimbursed for costs through the City of Fort Collins Emergency Reserve Fund; comparable to May 19, 2017, storm; storm damage rating greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than 2.5. o Category 3 – Sever Impact to Urban Forest – City-wide clean-up, curbside limb pick-up and designated drop off locations provided; operational departments involved in providing storm clean-up services will be reimbursed for costs through the City of Fort Collins Emergency Reserve Fund; comparable to 1995 & October 2011 storms; storm damage rating greater 2.5 Discussion Board – Do you have a theory as to how our forest continues to mature; are we going to see more extensive damage? Staff – Yes. As the average size of trees in the community grows, the amount of damage and debris will continue to grow. Board – Will you coordinate with Larimer County due to the growing number of communities outside city limits? Staff – People in unincorporated areas can haul to drop-off locations or seek information from the Forestry Department for help hauling limbs. Board – Can I suggest that under the Weather Conditions on the Matrix you add duration? The conditions do provide insight, but the duration of a storm can be impactful for identifying trends. Staff – We can consider that addition. Board – I’m not aware of many departments that have such a clear and concise policy. I’m impressed. Have you considered integrating this planning into other departments for the response to storms and other disasters? Staff – Yes. There is another team that is developing an Incident Command System categorization policy & response plan that relates to departments other than the Urban Forest. Parks & Streets have similar plans we use in regards to snow removal. Board – This is helpful to develop an understanding and set expectations with the public for the response provided by the city. Board – On your Incident Command System, is Utilities only included in the response team for a Category 3 because it assumes there will be downed power lines? Staff – They are included in a Category 2 storm also as a supporting department. Board – Regarding integration, did you develop this plan with the other departments included? Staff – We had an initial meeting with the other departments as a group following the May 19, 2017, storm response, now defined as a Category 2 storm. We drafted this plan after that initial meeting and will be presenting it to them. Board – In light of the hurricanes in the news recently, do other communities have plans like this? How does this compare to other municipalities? Staff – We did some checking around other cities in Colorado, but we found they mostly had basic policies. A policy this in-depth seems to be breaking new ground in our state. Rob Cagen moved to support the final draft of the Storm Damage to Urban Forest Rating Policy. Bruce Henderson seconded. Passed 8:0 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 4 of 6 STAFF UPDATES: Parks • Hosted New West Fest last month. • Mulch giveaways have continued, but we still have about half of the material remaining. We’re going to put it over a Hoffman Mill to get it out of the way for Streets next week. The other locations will remain. • Just received our bid on the Rolland Moore ballfield lights upgrade. We’re within budget. One field will have electrical upgrades, another in 2017; the other two will come in the next BFO process for 2019 & 2020. We’ll have two fields done before the next baseball season. We’re upgrading to LED lights which will have less light- bleed. • Introduced Kevin Williams, new Park Supervisor. Also first Parks Maintenance Worker hired as a classified position, rather than a year-round hourly position. This sets the stage for our long ranging staffing policies. • Assisting the EPIC contractor with irrigation installation. • Marketing staff very helpful with the Avery Park grand opening, Emerald Ash Borer information, & mulch giveaway. • Work Plan Update o Diversify & gain support for lifecycle funding. Right now we don’t have any lifecycle funding for Trails. It all comes from GoCO. o Input on New Parks, including the Whitewater Park project o Public Safety in Parks – We need to have a discussion on illegal drug use and the transient population. o Accelerate land acquisition for the development of new parks & trails. Approaching the end of this goal. Discussion Board – We should add connectivity and capacity of Trails to the Work Plan on the next update. Recreation • EPIC Project – ADA improvements & tile work is completed on the pool deck & in the locker rooms. The therapy pool is still in progress. • Reduced Fee Program Proposal – We met with Social Sustainability & will be hosting two open houses at Northside on the 24th & the Senior Center on the 26th. We will be implementing this program for the Winter Recreator and will incorporate automated discounts in person, on the phone or online. We are planning a follow-up to align with Plan, Check, and Act. • City Park Train – Found a contractor to work with our design team to bring a better end product for the train. We’re working with the Lions Club as this contractor is a little over budget. An update will be provided once we discuss with the City Manager. • Rental Fees – We’re working on consistency on our rental rates & policies across facilities. Some groups that had handshake deals in the past are upset as they feel fees are going up, but we are working to set a consistent policy for public, non-profits & affiliate groups. We may reexamine the non-profit rates as we have noticed some taking their rental business elsewhere. • Work Plan Update - Reduced Fee Program proposal update & public communication plan Discussion Board – What is the timeline for the completion of the Therapy Pool? Staff – Mid-November is the current estimate by the contractor. We found an additional leak in the wading pool that put it a little behind schedule. Board – Are you going to be doing citizen outreach to notify of the new Reduced Fee Program? Staff – Yes, we are already working on an English & Spanish campaign to provide information to past participants in the program, as well as outreach to other organizations. Board – Who services the tennis courts for the city? Staff – We have a contractor that does that. Currently, it’s a company out of Denver called Evergreen. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 5 of 6 Park Planning • New Hire - Park Planning and Development welcomed a new member to the team; Senior Landscape Architect Jennifer Torrey. Jennifer has 25 years of experience in the field of landscape architecture, 22 of which have been in Northern Colorado. Currently, she is focused on the City Park refresh project. We are very excited to have her on our team. • Neighborhood Open House - Park Planning and Development hosted a Neighborhood Open House on September 14th to meet with neighbors who will be most affected by the Long View Trail and Fossil Creek Trail construction. Natural Areas, FC Moves, Northern Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) and the City of Loveland participated in the event and provided information about these and other trails in the area. This event had a great turnout with lots of feedback. • Crescent Park - Crescent Park is currently under construction and slated for substantial completion in December. Earthwork is complete, and construction of the site utilities, irrigation pond, structures, and sidewalks are underway. After the structures are complete the irrigation system and playground structures will be installed. Landscape plantings and turf are anticipated to be installed in the spring. • Fossil Creek Trail – Shields to College - After reviewing plans, City of Fort Collins Storm water is working with Park Planning & Development regarding the request for the construction of a channel and bank stabilization measure at the location of one of the pedestrian bridges. This need for additional construction has led to environmental permitting requiring a contract change order of $22,000 and causing a delay in the design process of 3-months minimum. Landowners have voiced their concerns over the interactions between trail-users and livestock due to the proximity of the future trail to the existing and/or proposed property lines (a minimum offset of 3’). With this concern, the project will now include the construction of approximately 2,500 linear feet of 4.5 foot to 5 foot high, 3-rail fence with wire mesh. The fence will be constructed on private property and will not be maintained by the City. The estimate for this additional fencing is approximately $60-70K. • East Community Park - The underdrain system installed on the proposed park site at the beginning of this year continues to perform well, even with the surfacing of groundwater from an adjacent property to the west draining onto the site. Park Planning & Development has agreed to address this problem to stay in compliance with the active mining permit on the site, even though the landowner of the private property is not interested in funding an extended underdrain. Approximately $150K has been expended to-date on the underdrain project. No estimate has been determined yet for extending the underdrain to the west • Whitewater Park - The Whitewater Park construction schedule has been delayed. The construction of the park is tentatively being scheduled to now begin in December 2017, but this date is contingent on receiving a site work permit. Based on the current cost estimation, the project currently has a budget gap of $1.6 million; however, Park Planning & Development is working with the contractors to find where there can be a reduction in cost, and identify funds for the project. • Trailhead Park - Park Planning and Development, along with Real Estate Services will be taking the consideration of a land swap to City Council for consent on October 17th. A final draft of the Water Services Agreement for irrigation water is being reviewed by the City’s Attorney’s Office, Parks department and Park Planning and Development. The anticipated completion and signing of these documents are expected to be the end of October. • Poudre River Trail on I-25 – When C-DOT replaces the Poudre River Bridge on I-25 they’ve agreed to build a trail along the bridge underpass. So when they plan to do that, we will apply for a grant to follow their construction schedule. • Front Range Trail – Opening Late October 2017. We’re shooting for an October 18th ribbon cutting off Carpenter Road, but the weather is putting us a little behind schedule. • Harmony Underpass – Engineering is leading the project. We don’t yet have it fully funded, but we’re looking into grant options. They’re doing a study on grade separated crossings throughout the city (underpasses.) This is probably 5-6 years away from being constructed. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – September 2017 Page 6 of 6 Discussion Board – Ragan will send the information about the City Park Neighborhood Association holiday party at Club Tico, which Jen & Bob should attend for the City Park Refresh project. Board – What kind of the fencing will be provided to owners along the trail? Staff – 4 to 5-foot western rail, or wire for horses & livestock. Board – What kind of amenities will be at East Community Park based on the FEMA Floodplain mapping? Staff – Based on what we’ve seen, the remapping of floodplains will move it out of the floodplain. Board – I’ve noticed from Maple Hill Park there is no trail connection to Downtown Fort Collins. Are there plans to connect that area of town to the other trails and downtown area? Staff – We’re working on chasing development to get an easement to connect a trail to that area. Due to the increased development in that area, it’s been quite challenging. We are looking to work with developments to cost share trail spurs for an increased 30-foot easement. We have three deals like this currently in the works. It’s a new method to get trails built; we just have to get ahead of development. Board – Do we drop Capital Expansion Fees if developments help cost share for Parks & Trails? Staff – No, we do not do that. We do provide developers more options to determine the location of parks & trails but do not reduce the fees required to fund future parks & trails. Board – There is no update on here about Twin Silo Park. Are they going to meet their October 21st ribbon cutting? Staff – I’ll ask Kurt to provide you an update. BAC Report • FC Moves just finished doing a travel behavior survey. They modeled it on a survey Boulder has been doing for ten years. As we get more data over time, we’ll get better results. Respondents from cyclists & pedestrians were pretty low. • Electric Bicycles on Trails white paper was presented to the Transportation Board. BAC will be reaching out to Mike Calhoon to present at the Parks & Recreation Board, Natural Areas & Senior Advisory Board. Schedule of Articles • Dawn’s article about Club Tico was submitted for the Winter Recreator. Bullet Points • Ragan Adams’ update on the Capital Expansion Fees working group • The City of Fort Collins Parks Department’s development of a Storm Damage to Urban Forest Rating Policy Adjournment: 7:28 PM Respectfully submitted, Coleen Elliott Board Attendance Board Members: Ragan Adams, Rob Cagen, Mary Carlson, Bruce Henderson, Kenneth Layton, Jessica MacMillan, Scott Sinn, Dawn Theis Staff: Coleen Elliott, Bob Adams, Mike Calhoon, Tim Buchanan, Molly Roche, Suzanne Bassinger, Kevin Williams Guest: Bob Kingsbury