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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/04/2021 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 055, 2021, AUTHORI Agenda Item 5 Item # 5 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY May 4, 2021 City Council STAFF Basil Hamdan, Civil Engineer II Mike Calhoon, Director of Parks Ingrid Decker, Legal SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 055, 2021, Authorizing Transfer of Funds from the Nat ure in the City Program and the Parks Department Operating Budget to the Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 20, 2021, transfers $75,000 in funds that were previously appropriated in the 2021 Budget from the Nature in the City Program in the Capital Projects Fund and $20,000 in funds that were previously appropriated in the 2021 Budget from the Parks Department operating budget in the General Fund into the Capital Projects Fund for the Spring Canyon Park Urban Ponds Project. The proposed transfers of funds will pay for the design and construction of a bioswale and natural habitat system within the existing Spring Canyon Park that will improve wildlife habitat, reduce bacterial c ontamination of Spring Creek, provide an enhanced natural habitat within Spring Canyon Park and serve as an educational opportunity for the public to learn about natural treatment systems and the importance of minimizing waste input into natural streams. The total project cost is $95,000. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, April 20, 2021 (w/o attachments) (PDF) 2. Ordinance No. 055, 2021 (PDF) Agenda Item 13 Item # 13 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY April 20, 2021 City Council STAFF Basil Hamdan, Civil Engineer II Mike Calhoon, Director of Parks Ingrid Decker, Legal SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 055, 2021, Authorizing Transfer of Funds from the Nature in the City Program and the Parks Department Operating Budget to the Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to transfer $75,000 in funds that were previously appropriated in the 2021 Budget from the Nature in the City Program in the Capital Projects Fund and $20,000 in funds that were previously appropriated in the 2021 Budget from the Parks Department operating budget in the General Fund into the Capital Projects Fund for the Spring Canyon Park Urban Ponds Project. The proposed transfers of funds will pay for the design and construction of a bioswale and natural habitat system within the existing Spring Canyon Park that will improve wildlife habitat, reduce bacterial contamination of Spring Creek, provide an enhanced natural habitat within Spring Canyon Park and serve as an educational opportunity for the public to learn about natural treatment systems and the importance of minimizing waste input into natural streams. The total project cost is $95,000. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The Nature in the City program aims to increase wildlife habitat and access to diverse forms of nature for the entire community. Nature in the City achieves this goal through investment in small urban projects. The program supports cross-departmental work to leverage funds, increase knowledge of Nature in the City principles, and showcase City lands as leading examples of nature integration. Nature in the City appropriated 2021 funds in support of other City projects that further Nature in the City principles and opened the funds up to other City departments. Through a competitive process, supporting funds were awarded by the Nature in the City program to the Parks program to build a bioswale and associated landscape improvements in Spring Canyon Community Park. The resulting project has been named the Spring Canyon Urban Pond (SCUP) project. Pursuant to the award of supporting funds from the Nature in the City Capital Projects Fund to the Parks Capital Projects Fund and to complete the design and construction of the proposed improvements in Spring Canyon Park, the supporting funds provided by the Nature in the City program must be transferred into the Parks program. The proposed SCUP project aims to improve the water quality of the water discharged from the existing Dog Park located in Spring Canyon Community Park. That discharge water is currently undergoing minimal treatment ATTACHMENT 1 Agenda Item 13 Item # 13 Page 2 before it enters the headwaters of Spring Creek, which is on the State's list of impaired waters for E. coli. The objective of the project is to implement an innovative green infrastructure approach that addresses water quality issues while improving habitat and creating an aesthetically interesting landscape. To achieve this objective, work will be done on two existing ponds - an existing water quality pond north of the skatepark and a pond within the dog park area. At the water quality pond north of the skatepark, a bioswale will be installed to biologically treat the runoff in the pond to help improve Spring Creek water quality, minimize/eliminate E.Coli discharge from the pond, and create a hospitable environment and habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife. The bioswale is near a heavily trafficked path that will serve as an educational outreach to community members. At the wet pond in the dog park, new vegetation will be planted to stabilize the banks of the existing dog park pond and increase plant diversity and structure. Additionally, the water intake/outlet from the pond will be modified to enhance water quality. The pond has high visitation from park goers and the proposed educational signage will provide another opportunity to engage the community in the benefits of Green Infrastructure and Nature in the City. Staff will provide the educational messaging as well as ensure the new signage matches the design character of the existing community park. Building an effective treatment system is essential for the continuous operation of the Dog Park pond, which has been heavily used as a recreational outlet for the community. Without addressing water quality, the Dog Park pond is at risk of permanent closure. This project allows the City to address water quality, keep a well utilized recreational area operational, and enhance the user experience and habitat values. Locations and conceptual plans of the two ponds that will be enhanced are attached for reference. (Attachment 1 and 2) Nature in the City, in conjunction with Parks and Utilities, have collaborated on the Spring Canyon Urban Pond project. This cross-departmental project is aimed at building improvements at the Spring Canyon Community Park that will improve wildlife habitat while treating the runoff and the water released from the existing dog park pond and eliminate or reduce any bacterial contamination of Spring Creek. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The Parks Department has received supporting funds from Nature in the City in the amount of $75,000 for the Spring Canyon pond project. The $75,000 will be transferred from the Nature in the City budget that has been previously appropriated within the Capital Projects Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Pond Project within the Capital Projects Fund. In addition, $20,000 will be transferred from Parks Department operating budget that has been previously appropriated within the General Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Pond Project within the Capital Projects Fund. The total cost for the project of $95,000 is less than $250,000 and is therefore not subject to a contribution to the Art in Public Places Program. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The funding for this project from the Nature in the City Program was approved by the City’s Land Conservation Stewardship Board. PUBLIC OUTREACH The Nature in the City Program budget and the Parks Department operating budget were appropriated through the City’s 2021 budget process which underwent extensive public outreach. This project is consistent with the purpose of the originally appropriated funds. ATTACHMENTS 1. Bioswale Site (PDF) 2. Dog Park Site (PDF) -1- ORDINANCE NO. 055, 2021 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM THE NATURE IN THE CITY PROGRAM AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OPERATING BUDGET TO THE SPRING CANYON PARK PONDS PROJECT WHEREAS, the City’s Natural Areas Department runs the Nature in the City program, which provides funds to increase wildlife habitat and access to diverse forms of nature for the entire community through investment in small urban projects, including projects by other City departments; and WHEREAS, Nature in the City has awarded $75,000 in funds to the Parks Department for the Spring Canyon Urban Pond Project (the “Project”); and WHEREAS, an additional $20,000 in the Parks Department operating budget is available for transfer to the Project; and WHEREAS, the Project is intended to help protect the water quality in Spring Creek by improving the quality of the water discharged from the existing pond in the dog park and Spring Canyon Community Park (the “Park”), and from an existing water quality pond in the Park; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 10 of the City Charter authorizes the City Council, upon recommendation by the City Manager, to transfer by ordinance any unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount or portion thereof from one fund or capital project to another fund or capital project, provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged, the purpose for which the funds were initially appropriated no longer exists, or the proposed transfer is from a fund or capital project in which the amount appropriated exceeds the amount needed to accomplish the purpose specified in the appropriation ordinance; and WHEREAS, the City Manager has recommended the transfer of $75,000 from the Nature in the City Program within the Capital Projects Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project within the Capital Project Fund and determined that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged; and WHEREAS, the City Manager has recommended the transfer of $20,000 from the Parks Department operating budget within the General Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project within the Capital Project Fund and determined that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. That the unexpended appropriated amount of SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($75,000) is authorized for transfer from the Nature in the City Program in the Capital -2- Projects Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project within the Capital Projects Fund and appropriated therein. Section 3. That the unexpended appropriated amount of TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($20,000) is authorized for transfer from the Parks Department operating budget in the General Fund to the Parks Department Spring Canyon Park Ponds Project within the Capital Projects Fund and appropriated therein. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 20th day of April, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 4th day of May, A.D. 2021. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 4th day of May, A.D. 2021. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk