HomeMy WebLinkAboutEconomic Advisory Commission - Minutes - 11/15/20171 | Page
MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
ECONOMIC ADVISORY COMMISSION
Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Location: Colorado River Room, 222 Laporte Ave.
Time: 11:00am–1:00pm
For Reference
Wade Troxell, Mayor & Council Liaison
Josh Birks, Staff Liaison 221-6324
Rebecca Hicklin, Minutes 416-4349
Commission Members Present Commission Members Absent
Sam Solt, Chair Ann Hutchison
Denny Otsuga Conor Barry
John Parks Linda Stanley
Ted Settle
Craig Mueller
Staff Present
Rebecca Hicklin, Admin/Board Support
Josh Birks, Economic Health Director
Guests
Eric Sutherland, Citizen
Dale Adamy, Citizen
Meeting called to order at
Public Comment
• Eric Sutherland—Broadband is using public money to subsidize retail residential development. .
The mayoral race in the City of Loveland—described as referendum on the Mayor/practices. They
have been doling out public dollars to anyone who has asked for them. All of these projects are in
receipt of tax rebates which are outside the bounds of Colorado law. There are legal and political
avenues—Jackie Marsh ran with the promise that she would ban this type of activity, entire region is
being injured. We need tax revenues to support governmental activities across the board. Scheel’s
store—the adverse impact it has on our retail establishments. This sales tax war is not doing anyone
any good. We are a strong community with a strong economy. We should not be giving away tax
revenues for economic development. The City Attorney’s office “screwed” things up so bad, it was
idiotic. We need to look for the things that are going to hurt us. We cannot get into this tax war, we
should not give away tax revenues. All I need to do at this point is file with the Supreme Court. The
City doesn’t have a chance in pulling this project off. The fact that our City Attorney’s office is
staffed by “functional idiots”. I got straight up opposition and subterfuge. Example: Residential
Power rates--PRPA is going to attempting to reverse that mistake because it impacts their rate making
ability. This kind of crap is going on constantly. If you have any interest in looking at the problems,
solving the problems, improving our community, there is a set of ideas.
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Review and Approval of Minutes:
October minutes approved as presented.
Agenda Review—No changes.
Commission Member/Staff Updates—
• Denny—Poudre School District Board Meeting—Compass Community Collaborative School—
only one to be started by Teachers. It’s a very exciting school—hands on, experiential learning.
They may take the path to higher education—Will figure out what is best for the students.
Looking for mentors and internships for students. Grades 6-12. Option to enhance the role of
education and an experimentation.
• Craig—November 1st—went to Recognition dinner for Boards and Commissions. Video
recognizing the service of volunteers.
• John—Charter Schools are not necessarily more successful than regular schools. Loveland High
has some programs—Career Related Program to begin hopefully next year.
AGENDA ITEM 1— City Plan Update—No update.
AGENDA ITEM 2— Metro District Policy Update-Patrick Rowe
The city is evaluating its Metro District Policies. Two—Harmony Tech Park & The Mall. More often
used in Residential Communities in other areas.
Why? Policy Dates from 2008
We are seeing more interest in Metro Districts—looking to make the policy more instructive to City,
Council, etc. We want to be more outcomes based.
We started a conversation with Council Finance to determine their interest which led to the work sessions.
Basics-It includes multiple/variety of public improvements. It’s a financing mechanism to support
infrastructure. They must be public improvements, not private. Example—Broadband—location as to
whether on public or private property. Metro districts provide amenities, services, streets, etc. Metro
districts are geographically bounded. Developers establish guidelines at the onset. Metro District—
“Quasi-governmental entity” with a specific purpose and boundary. Typically utilized with a tax mill
levy.
City—Service Plan is governing document.
Formation—Formed through a district court process.
Authority to levy taxes and fees, issue debt, construct public improvements.
Governance—by 5 or 7 member elected Board.
Prevalence—1576 districts statewide, we have 2. Our percentage is only 0.5%, lowest in the area by far.
FC has a very selective use of Metro districts.
Example--Stapleton—Development was started with a Metro District.
Financial Risk Considerations—
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Metro Districts are completely separate, no City obligation/recourse.
Low Risk of failure—
1. Limited tax obligation
2. Underwriting/Market requirements
3. Existing development/construction assurances
4. Phasing and adaptability
5. Audits and independent certification
City Role—discretion to limit Metro District powers and operations
Mill Levy limit
Limit public infrastructure
Governance—elections are biannual, must reside in district, 5- or 7-member board, disclosure
requirements.
November Policy Discussion
Make it more outcome based:
Deliver on City Plan and subarea plan objectives
Achieve developmental efficiencies
Advance sustainability goals
Facilitate unique community development
We believe that we need more specificity to what it is we are looking to gain from Metro Districts.
Example—Lower carbon use—you can figure out the ways to achieve the goals. There will be a degree of
subjectivity. FC’s metro districts are both exceptions. We need to update the plan/program. Harmony
Park and Foothills Mall have both been successful.
The changes we are looking at will likely just be a re-write of the whole policy. We have criteria, we need
it to be more basic and fundamental as well as improve the processes. We want a model service plan; we
want to create a template.
Sam: What is the status of Foothills Mall?—McWhinney owns the apartments, Alberta owns the mall
area. Developers can put term limits on board members. Highlands Ranch—not an incorporated
community—it is encompassed by overlapping metro districts.
Denny: What is the cost of setting up Metro District?
It depends on the proposal. The legal effort is the biggest expense. The costs can be tens of thousands of
dollars. These will be used to be larger scale projects. Montava—good example, interesting proposition to
be able to use that tool. Market pressure is saying that we want to use them for more residential projects.
Recommendation—no longer focus on a percentage (90% commercial, 10% residential).
Denny—This (MD) is an important tool, what are the others and the costs?
One of the aspects—To understand that there isn’t a competing or better tool to use in that situation. EHO
has put the URA districts on there. The state has mapped all of these Metro Districts. City has
involvement in this process unlike an HOA, we can specify that there needs to be a hand-off process and
other things. There will be challenges which will be unavoidable. We are going to Council on November
28th.
Lunch Break
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AGENDA ITEM 3—Follow-up on Quality of Place Brainstorm Criteria—When you look at the
categories—they map back into the original criteria. We need to evaluate categories and make sure they
are want we want.
Denny: can you give us some context with 9-Box?
Josh—Beginning of 2016-there was some misunderstanding of what the EHO was and what work it
should be doing. Core, Aligned, Beneficial then Community, Organization, Team. Upper left is most high
priority work. With the 60/30/10-it was an approximation of where we want to spend our time. Any new
projects we evaluate and determine where it fits into our box. It helps with prioritizing. Core/Community
is our top priority.
Denny—Maybe a similar process to sort through this list??
Josh—We can use a similar process/matrix.
Maybe do a simple 4-box? Impact on one axis, what is the other axis? Resource, cost, availability,
Brainstorming:
Denny: Provide example—do we give each category a certain amount of points, or do some get more
weight than others?
Josh: Let’s look at the 12 we have and make sure they should all be involved in making that decision.
Agenda Item 4--Work Plan—We don’t believe it needs to change. The overview changed the most. It is
now an itemized list rather than a paragraph.
Ted: should we combine 1 & 2?
Josh: We were pushing to do a discussion guide—which is now part of the City Plan initiative, now we
are working with Staff. We are doing more than just sitting passively, we are involved in the process.
Sam: My impression is that Ted is adding value to the development of City Plan and the guide.
Josh: I will insert Ted’s language and then send out tomorrow. Need comments by end of next week.
Work plan is primarily used to let new members know what we are working on, will only get used once
per year.
Meeting Adjourned: 1:06 pm
Next Meeting: December 20, 2017