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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - COMPLETE AGENDA - 03/14/2023 - WORK SESSIONNOTICE: Work Sessions of the City Council are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month in the Colorado Room of the 222 Building. Meetings are conducted in a hybrid format, however there is no public participation permitted in a work session. City Council members may participate in this meeting via electronic means pursuant to their adopted policies and protocol. Fort Collins City Council Work Session Agenda 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023 Colorado River Community Room, 222 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521 How to view this Meeting:: Meetings are open to the public and can be attended in person by anyone. Meetings are televised live on Channels 14 & 881 on cable television. Meetings are livestreamed on the City's website, fcgov.com/fctv Upon request, the City of Fort Collins will provide language access services for individuals who have limited English proficiency, or auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities, to access City services, programs and activities. Contact 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Dial 711 for Relay Colorado) for assistance. Please provide advance notice. Requests for interpretation at a meeting should be made by noon the day before. A solicitud, la Ciudad de Fort Collins proporcionará servicios de acceso a idiomas para personas que no dominan el idioma inglés, o ayudas y servicios auxiliares para personas con discapacidad, para que puedan acceder a los servicios, programas y actividades de la Ciudad. Para asistencia, llame al 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Marque 711 para Relay Colorado). Por favor proporcione aviso previo. Las solicitudes de interpretación en una reunión deben realizarse antes del mediodía del día anterior. Meeting agendas, minutes, and archived videos are available on the City's meeting portal at https://fortcollins-co.municodemeetings.com/ While work sessions do not include public comment, mail comments about any item on the agenda to cityleaders@fcgov.com City of Fort Collins Page 1 of 1 City Council Work Session Agenda March 14, 2023 at 6:00 PM Jeni Arndt, Mayor Emily Francis, District 6, Mayor Pro Tem Susan Gutowsky, District 1 Julie Pignataro, District 2 Tricia Canonico, District 3 Shirley Peel, District 4 Kelly Ohlson, District 5 Colorado River Community Room 222 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins Cablecast on FCTV Channel 14 on Connexion Channel 14 and 881 on Comcast Carrie Daggett Kelly DiMartino Anissa Hollingshead City Attorney City Manager City Clerk CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION 6:00 PM A) CALL MEETING TO ORDER B) ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Staff Report - Communications Strategy The purpose of this staff report is to update Council on the City’s current Communications Strategy. 2. Future Considerations for the Former Hughes Property. The purpose of this item is to review previous activity regarding the Hughes property, provide findings from recent outreach, and discuss potential and desired next steps as the City gets closer to acquisition of the property. 3. Economic Health Strategic Plan and Circular Economy. The purpose of this work session is to provide Councilmembers with an update on and seek Councilmember feedback about the planned elements to include in the updated Economic Health Strategic Plan. C) ANNOUNCEMENTS D) ADJOURNMENT Upon request, the City of Fort Collins will provide language access services for individuals who have limited English proficiency, or auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities, to access City services, programs and activities. Contact 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Dial 711 for Relay Colorado) for assistance. Please provide advance notice. Requests for interpretation at a meeting should be made by noon the day before. A solicitud, la Ciudad de Fort Collins proporcionará servicios de acceso a idiomas para personas que no dominan el idioma inglés, o ayudas y servicios auxiliares para personas con discapacidad, para que puedan acceder a los servicios, programas y actividades de la Ciudad. Para asistencia, llame al 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Marque 711 para Relay Colorado). Por favor proporcione aviso previo. Las solicitudes de interpretación en una reunión deben realizarse antes del mediodía del día anterior. Page 1 City Council Work Session Agenda Item Summary – City of Fort Collins Page 1 of 1 March 14, 2023 WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY City Council STAFF Amanda King, Communications Director SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Staff Report - Communications Strategy EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this staff report is to update Council on the City’s current Communications Strategy. ATTACHMENTS 1. Communications Strategy Plan 2. Communications Strategy Plan Presentation Page 2 Item 1. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN A guide for how the City of Fort Collins communicates internally, externally and in an emergency or crisis Rev. 7/19 19-21318 Page 3 Item 1. 2 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Page 4 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 3 Table of Contents Introduction 5 About Fort Collins 6 Role of Communications 8 Public Engagement Spectrum 9 Current State 10 Communication Roles & Authority 11 SWOT Analysis 12 Tools of the Trade 14 Goals, Objectives, Strategies & Tactics 16 Internal Communication 16 External Communication 19 Crisis Communication 22 APPENDIX: A. Communications Toolkit B. Public Engagement Guide C. Governing Policies, Guidelines 1. Brand 2. Social Media 3. Communicating With the Media 4. Public Notification & Involvement D. Social Media Disclaimer Page 5 Item 1. Page 6 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 5 The City of Fort Collins’ mission is to provide exceptional service for an exceptional community. Strong communications and engagement are essential to this mission and ensure residents, businesses and visitors are connected to their local government and to each other. An engaged and thriving community is well-informed, enabled and encouraged to participate and equipped to make informed decisions. As Fort Collins continues to grow and change, the ways in which the City interacts with the community also will evolve. New technology has shifted how information is shared, and an overabundance of information has created both a challenge and an opportunity for local governments to rise above the noise by embracing creativity and innovation, soliciting candid feedback, sharing rich stories and encouraging meaningful engagement. This Strategic Communications Plan serves as a guide for how the City of Fort Collins communicates internally, externally and in an emergency or crisis. It enables a consistent approach across the organization and outlines opportunities for coordination, alignment and continuous improvement. As we implement the plan, we strive to build strong organizational relationships, inspire improved collaboration, foster partnerships and deliver an outstanding experience for our entire community. Sincerely, Amanda King Communications and Public Involvement Director This plan was crafted in partnership with the Strategic Communication Department at Texas Christian University as part of the Certified Public Communicator program. Introduction Page 7 Item 1. 6 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN About the City of Fort Collins VISION MISSION VALUES VISION: To Provide World-Class Municipal Services through Operational Excellence and a Culture of Innovation MISSION: Exceptional Service for an Exceptional Community VALUES: Collaboration - Excellence Integrity - Outstanding Service Safety & Well-being - Stewardship Defining Our Values: Collaboration We partner internally and externally and believe that by working together we achieve better results. Excellence We set high standards, explore creative approaches to service delivery and problem solving, and seek ways to innovate and improve. Integrity We exemplify the highest standards of ethical behavior. We treat others with respect, and are honest, inclusive and transparent. Outstanding Service We seek to understand our customer’s diverse needs and explore ways to exceed their expectations. Safety & Well-being We embody a culture of safety and wellness and believe that life balance matters. Stewardship We are dedicated to protect and enhance our organization and community’s social, economic, and environmental resources. Page 8 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 7 Strategic Outcomes The City has organized the community’s priorities within seven key outcome areas: Neighborhood Livability and Social Health Provide a high quality built environment, support quality, diverse neighborhoods and foster the social health of residents Culture and Recreation Provide diverse cultural and recreational amenities Economic Health Promote a healthy, sustainable economy reflecting community values Environmental Health Promote, protect and enhance a healthy & sustainable environment Safe Community Provide a safe place to live, work, learn and play Transportation Provide for safe & reliable multi-modal travel to, from, and throughout the city High Performing Government Deliver an efficient, innovative, transparent, effective and collaborative city government Page 9 Item 1. 8 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Role of Communications Communications Philosophy In line with the City’s mission, vision and values, City communicators are committed to transparent and inclusive information and engagement, the core tenants of which include: • ACCURACY: We share accurate information and correct ourselves when we haven’t. • HONESTY: We are truthful in our interactions with the community and each other. • TIMELINESS: We are proactive and communicate early and often. • RESPONSIVENESS: We are attentive to the questions and concerns of our community and quick to respond. • DIVERSITY: We leverage a wide range of tools and methods to share information and welcome feedback from all the unique voices within our community. • EQUITY: We reduce barriers and meet people where they are. • CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: We regularly evaluate and measure the effectiveness of our communications and adjust to further enhance our work. Page 10 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 9 Public Engagement The City of Fort Collins places a high value on the involvement and engagement of our residents and businesses. Local government has the advantage of being closest to the people it serves. It protects and enables the lives of the community’s residents every day by providing basic needs from sidewalks and roads, to cultural enrichment, like festivals and healthy natural spaces. The City has adopted the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) model as the framework for how it will engage the community. Communications and engagement work in tandem and in support of one another. It’s important that IAP2 principles are considered when designing any communication or engagement campaign. The backbone of this model is the public engagement spectrum. This spectrum outlines the roles, relationships and responsibilities of both the City and public and the corresponding methods of communication or engagement required based on the impact or perceived impact to the community. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INCREASING IMPACT OR PERCEPTION OF IMPACT ON PUBLIC 19-20984citynet/fcgov.com/cpio/ﬁles/PublicEngagementGuide.pdf SPECTRUM UNDERSTANDING THE SPECTRUM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE PE1 PE2 PE3 PE4 PE5 Purpose Provide balanced and objective information to keep the public aware and build understanding Public engagement is not always a linear process and communicators should feel empowered to move between levels as needed. *Recommended tool for business engagement Refer to the City's Public Engagement Guide for more information about each of the engagement tools and techniques. This publication oers full descriptions of each tool and technique and their strengths and weaknesses. Obtain responses and feedback from the public on options, decisions and resources Work with the public throughout process to ensure an understanding of public concerns, needs, aspirations and ideas Partner with the public throughout the process to cocreate alternatives and design solutions Place ﬁnal decision making in the hands of the public Tools and Techniques Example Projects and Outreach • Fact Sheet or Brieﬁng • Expert Panel or Forum • Newsletter • Press Release • Videos & Bulletins (FCTV) • Response Summaries • Informational Mailers • Simple Surveys • FAQs • Social Media Posts • Open House or Event Fair • Tours and Field Trips • Complex Surveys (questions around alternatives and guaging public opinion) • Social Media Engagement (reactions, comments, etc.) • Question and Answer Panels • Informal Polls • Small Group Discussions • World Cafes • Stakeholder Meetings • Focus Groups • Scenario Discussions • Interviews • Speed Dating (timed & focused rotating discussions with project leaders) • OurCity Platform • Brainstorming Activities • Charettes • Resident and Technical Advisory Groups • Consensus Building • Boards and Commisions • Community Facilitators • Resident Juries • Coee Klatches • Study Circles • OurCity Platform • Business Listening Sessions • Elections • Emergency communications • Weather and snow removal • Public safety updates • Marketing • Nearly ﬁnished plans • Capital projects restricted by zoning laws • Program and project assesments • Neighborhood updates • Open comment at Council meetings • Policy or ordinance changes • Developing comprehensive plans • Designing neighborhood parks • Policy or ordinance changes INFORM City of Fort Collins Community (Residents & Businesses) CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATE INFORM CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATEPUBLIC ENGAGEMENTRELATIONSHIPEM P OW E RE MPO W ERPUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INCREASING IMPACT OR PERCEPTION OF IMPACT ON PUBLIC 19-20984citynet/fcgov.com/cpio/ﬁles/PublicEngagementGuide.pdf SPECTRUM UNDERSTANDING THE SPECTRUM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE PE1 PE2 PE3 PE4 PE5 Purpose Provide balanced and objective information to keep the public aware and build understanding Public engagement is not always a linear process and communicators should feel empowered to move between levels as needed. *Recommended tool for business engagement Refer to the City's Public Engagement Guide for more information about each of the engagement tools and techniques. This publication oers full descriptions of each tool and technique and their strengths and weaknesses. Obtain responses and feedback from the public on options, decisions and resources Work with the public throughout process to ensure an understanding of public concerns, needs, aspirations and ideas Partner with the public throughout the process to cocreate alternatives and design solutions Place ﬁnal decision making in the hands of the public Tools and Techniques Example Projects and Outreach • Fact Sheet or Brieﬁng • Expert Panel or Forum • Newsletter • Press Release • Videos & Bulletins (FCTV) • Response Summaries • Informational Mailers • Simple Surveys • FAQs • Social Media Posts • Open House or Event Fair • Tours and Field Trips • Complex Surveys (questions around alternatives and guaging public opinion) • Social Media Engagement (reactions, comments, etc.) • Question and Answer Panels • Informal Polls • Small Group Discussions • World Cafes • Stakeholder Meetings • Focus Groups • Scenario Discussions • Interviews • Speed Dating (timed & focused rotating discussions with project leaders) • OurCity Platform • Brainstorming Activities • Charettes • Resident and Technical Advisory Groups • Consensus Building • Boards and Commisions • Community Facilitators • Resident Juries • Coee Klatches • Study Circles • OurCity Platform • Business Listening Sessions • Elections • Emergency communications • Weather and snow removal • Public safety updates • Marketing • Nearly ﬁnished plans • Capital projects restricted by zoning laws • Program and project assesments • Neighborhood updates • Open comment at Council meetings • Policy or ordinance changes • Developing comprehensive plans • Designing neighborhood parks • Policy or ordinance changes INFORM City of Fort Collins Community (Residents & Businesses) CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATE INFORM CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATEPUBLIC ENGAGEMENTRELATIONSHIPEM P OW E RE MPO W ERPUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INCREASING IMPACT OR PERCEPTION OF IMPACT ON PUBLIC 19-20984citynet/fcgov.com/cpio/ﬁles/PublicEngagementGuide.pdf SPECTRUM UNDERSTANDING THE SPECTRUM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE PE1 PE2 PE3 PE4 PE5 Purpose Provide balanced and objective information to keep the public aware and build understanding Public engagement is not always a linear process and communicators should feel empowered to move between levels as needed. *Recommended tool for business engagement Refer to the City's Public Engagement Guide for more information about each of the engagement tools and techniques. This publication oers full descriptions of each tool and technique and their strengths and weaknesses. Obtain responses and feedback from the public on options, decisions and resources Work with the public throughout process to ensure an understanding of public concerns, needs, aspirations and ideas Partner with the public throughout the process to cocreate alternatives and design solutions Place ﬁnal decision making in the hands of the public Tools and Techniques Example Projects and Outreach • Fact Sheet or Brieﬁng • Expert Panel or Forum • Newsletter • Press Release • Videos & Bulletins (FCTV) • Response Summaries • Informational Mailers • Simple Surveys • FAQs • Social Media Posts • Open House or Event Fair • Tours and Field Trips • Complex Surveys (questions around alternatives and guaging public opinion) • Social Media Engagement (reactions, comments, etc.) • Question and Answer Panels • Informal Polls • Small Group Discussions • World Cafes • Stakeholder Meetings • Focus Groups • Scenario Discussions • Interviews • Speed Dating (timed & focused rotating discussions with project leaders) • OurCity Platform • Brainstorming Activities • Charettes • Resident and Technical Advisory Groups • Consensus Building • Boards and Commisions • Community Facilitators • Resident Juries • Coee Klatches • Study Circles • OurCity Platform • Business Listening Sessions • Elections • Emergency communications • Weather and snow removal • Public safety updates • Marketing • Nearly ﬁnished plans • Capital projects restricted by zoning laws • Program and project assesments • Neighborhood updates • Open comment at Council meetings • Policy or ordinance changes • Developing comprehensive plans • Designing neighborhood parks • Policy or ordinance changes INFORM City of Fort Collins Community (Residents & Businesses) CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATE INFORM CONSULT/INVOLVE COLLABORATEPUBLIC ENGAGEMENTRELATIONSHIPEM P OW E RE MPO W ERPage 11 Item 1. 10 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Current State Organizational Structure The City of Fort Collins employs a hybrid centralized and decentralized communications model. The Communications & Public Involvement Office serves as the centralized team. Other departments with unique business needs or private-sector marketing competition may require embedded marketing or communications staff. Regardless, the City strives for an aligned and consistent approach to community communications and engagement. DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS Amanda King MANAGER, GRAPHIC DESIGN (CREATIVE DIRECTOR) MANAGER, VIDEO PRODUCTION Lead Technician, Graphic Design Senior Specialist, Communications Specialist, Communications Specialist, Communications Senior Coordinator, Communications Senior Coordinator, Communications Business Support III Senior Coordinator, Public Engagement Lead Technician, Video Production Lead Technician, Graphic Design Lead Technician, Video Production Lead Technician, Graphic Design Lead Technician, Video Production Lead Technician, Graphic Design Lead Technician, Video Production Communications & Public Involvement Structure CITIZENS OF FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL CITY ATTORNEY Carrie Daggett Centralized communications through CPIO Embedded PIO or Communications Team POLICE SERVICES Jeffrey Swoboda ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & TRANSPORTATION PDT ADMINISTRATION UTILITY SERVICES INFORMATION & EMPLOYEE SERVICES ACCOUNTING & TREASURY CULTURAL SERVICES ECONOMIC HEALTH OFFICE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES STREETS ENGINEERING TRANSFORT/ PARKING SERVICES WATER RESOURCES & TREATMENT OPERATIONS OPERATION SERVICES INVESTIGATIONS BUDGET RECREATION ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WATER ENGINEERING & FIELD SERVICES OPERATIONS WATER YIELD OPERATIONS CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS LIGHT & POWER OPERATIONS ELECTRIC FIELD SERVICES UTILITY STRATEGIC FINANCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HUMAN RESOURCES REVENUE PARKS FC MOVES TRAFFIC PURCHASING NATURAL AREAS SAFETY, SECURITY & RISK MANAGEMENT PARK PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS CITY GIVE PATROL COMMUNITY & SPECIAL SERVICES INFORMATION SERVICES FINANCIAL SERVICES Mike Beckstead BROADBAND Colman Keane, Jr. SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Kelly DiMartino OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Jim Byrne CITY MANAGER Darin Atteberry CHIEF JUDGE Kathleen Lane DEPUTY CITY MANAGER Jeff Mihelich BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Wade Troxell - Mayor Kristin Stephens - District 4 (Mayor Pro Tem) Susan Gutowsky - District 1 Julie Pignataro - District 2 Ken Summers - District 3 Ross Cunniff - District 5 Emily Gorgol - District 6 Page 12 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 11 Information is shared at many levels throughout the organization. It’s important to understand what topics or messages should be shared by each level, and the corresponding audience. SPOKESPERSON MESSAGE DESIGN MESSAGE APPROVAL TOPICS AUDIENCES Mayor/Council • Mayor/Council • CPIO • Other staff subject matter experts • Mayor/Council • Ordinances, resolutions & policies • Priorities & other organizational topics • Official Council direction/opinion • Public • Media • Other Govt entities City Manager • City Manager • CPIO • Other staff subject matter experts • City Manager • Council direction • Policy & procedural updates • Priorities & other organizational topics • Community topics • Council • Staff • Public • Media • Other municipal leaders ELT • ELT • CPIO/Embedded Comms • Other staff subject matter experts • City Manager • ELT • Priorities & other organizational topics • Policy & procedural • Council • Staff PIO’s/Other staff subject matter experts • ELT • CPIO/Embedded Comms • Other staff subject matter experts • ELT • CPIO/Embedded Comms • Other staff subject matter experts • Public information • Operational updates • Education • Council • Public • Media • Staff Communication Roles & Authority Page 13 Item 1. 12 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES • Centralized consistent brand management & strong brand standards and awareness • Shared resources, strengths & talents within centralized team • Back-up/support and fewer silos within centralized team • Centralized team has high-level view of all organizational priorities • Embedded staff allows for subject matter experts and custom focus, prioritization and quicker response time • Decentralized teams provide unique perspectives and additional career growth opportunities • Collaboration and information sharing across disciplines and within teams • Dedicated and talented staff (marketing, communications, graphics, video and web) • Robust external communication and engagement • Key internal communication tools (intranet, newsletter, etc.) • Strong social media presence/following • Large network of crisis communication support • Educated, engaged and active community audience (residents, businesses and partner agencies) • Team building and collaboration across centralized and decentralized teams • Regular crisis communications training exercises • Consolidate and coordinate surveys and public engagement efforts • Improve information sharing and transparency within teams and across the organization • Share priorities • Strategic storytelling/narrative focus • Provide training and skill building workshops • Coordinate and align internal communications • Meet the community where they are in person and online • Leverage user generated content to share the story of our broader community • Clearly identify roles, responsibilities and authority of various communications staff/teams • Use a common process and work flow • Network and learn from partner agencies like PFA, PSD, CSU, etc. • Update and enforce brand standards across the organization Page 14 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 13 WEAKNESSES THREATS • Decentralized teams can be siloed or exhibit turf mentalities • Lack of coordination, alignment and collaboration • Different levels of service, capacity and budget • Confusing, inefficient or different processes • Disjointed or inconsistent voice, messaging & branding • Lack of dedicated knowledge/focus with centralized team – divided attention • Unclear roles and responsibilities • Lack of central communications authority • Over-communication with the community • Reactive vs. proactive • Inconsistent (or non-existent) crisis communication plans • Lack of prioritization • Inconsistent and overabundant internal communications • Risk adverse • Limited community diversity • Emergencies or disasters we are unprepared to respond to • Crisis/controversy • Lack of resources/capacity & changing workforce (budget cuts, turnover, etc.) • Politics or changes in elected/executive leadership • County, state and federal political changes/climate • Decline in civility or civic engagement - apathy • Not keeping up with new technology/tools • Survey fatigue • Information overload • Barriers to communicate or participate (language, accessibility, etc.) • Cyber security attacks • Population changes • Diminished trust in government • Decline in traditional media outlets Page 15 Item 1. 14 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN PAID EARNED SOCIAL OWNED • Print/digital Advertising• Videos• OOH Advertising (buses, benches, shelters, banners, billboards)• Festivals & events• Direct mail/post cards• Utility bill inserts• Print materials (brochures, rack cards, • Posters, door hangers)• Signage • Press Release/ media advisory• Interviews• In the City Column/ Op eds• Stakeholder presentations• Festivals & events• Features• Press Conference • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram posts• YouTube videos• Nextdoor • CityNews• CityView • FCGov.com (webpages, spotlights, events calendar, etc.)• OurCity• Cable video programming• Live Stream video programming• Public meetings/ presentations• Public hotlines/phone• Information kiosks• Apps (FC Parking, Alexa, Transfort, etc.)• Access Fort Collins FAQs• LETA notifications• Council memos & staff reports• Newsletters/City Manager’s Monthly Report• Open Data portal• CityNet• FortShorts/Dept. Newsletters• City Manager’s Video Blog• Citywide email (requires CPIO review/approval) • Telephone Town Hall• Scientific Surveys• Festivals & events • Press Conference• Stakeholder presentations• CORE 34• Festivals & events • Quick polls• Posted questions/ voting• FB Live/ Twitter Chats• Nextdoor • OurCity• Online/Opt-in surveys• Open Houses/ Workshops/ Charrettes• Listening sessions/ Coffee Chats• Ask me anything/ panels• B&C Super issues• CityWorks 101 & Alumni Forums• Summer in the City• Public comment• Access Fort Collins • Lunch n’ Learns• Talk it up Sessions• Wellness classes or presentations • Employee forumsINFORMCONSULT/INVOLVETools of the Trade • Internal Only• Two-Way Communications Page 16 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 15 PAID EARNED SOCIAL OWNED • Focus Group • Editorial Board • Facebook groups• Discussion forums • OurCity platform• Community Issues Forum• Stakeholder meetings • Ballot initiatives • TakeoversCOLLABORATE EMPOWERPage 17 Item 1. 16 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Audit all internal communications to review format, platform, frequency & effectiveness and identify opportunities to streamline, combine and calendarize messages Audit/Strategy Implementation Create a shared internal messaging calendar to organize and prioritize regular updates SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Develop approved department templates to ensure consistent branding across all internal communications Goals, Objectives, Strategies & Tactics INTERNAL Communications Goal To build a team of strong City ambassadors and foster an informed and engaged workforce through an efficient, comprehensive and valued internal communication framework (Strategic Plan Alignment: 7.4 Attract, retain, engage, develop and reward a diverse and competitive workforce to meet the needs of the community now and in the future) Coordinate & align internal communications across the organization Objective I-1: STRATEGY I-1A: Streamline key employee messages (powerful not prolific) STRATEGY I-1B: Ensure unified brand standards are applied to all internal communications TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 18 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 17 SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Work with eGov to transition CityNet to Word Press CMS Revamp department content strategy and best practices for CityNet Develop employee engagement page that provides various cross-functional teams/ committee opportunities and other resources SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Refresh City Manager communications plan including (Vlog, Talk it Up sessions, Issues & Answers) Develop an ELT communications toolkit with opportunities available (i.e., listening sessions, video messages, etc.) SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Work with IT on an education plan for using OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, etc. Leverage new tools and technology to enhance employee communication and engagement and improve efficiencies Support and improve the flow of information up, down and through the organization Objective I-2: Objective I-3: STRATEGY I-2A: Make CityNet a robust and dynamic hub and source for organizational information STRATEGY I-3A: Revamp executive communication strategy STRATEGY I-2B: Support understanding & adoption of Office 365 tools for enhanced collaboration TACTICS TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 19 Item 1. 18 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Create a manager’s toolkit for deploying key information Partner with HR LOD to identify opportunities to include in management/ leadership curriculum SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Effective Council communications training series Develop/expand Council communications guide PROGRAM OUTCOMES OUTPUT EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS CORE 34 scores:• I am clear on my work priorities - i.e., what I need to achieve in the next 3-6 months• Senior leaders of my Service Area communicate honestly• I have the materials, equipment and information to do my work Reduce number of daily all staff emails by 25% Increase in CityNet use by 25% CORE 34 scores Workforce metrics Completed audit/ toolkit and shared calendar by Q4 2020 Increase adoption of O365 tools by 30% 100% internal branding compliance STRATEGY I-3B: Enable and support better cascade of information STRATEGY I-3C: Support effective and consistent Council communications INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PERFORMANCE METRICS TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 20 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 19 SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Communication leads team (CLT) meetings to share priorities, strategize and align work (Bi-Weekly) Develop a shared communication and event content calendar on SharePoint Develop shared learning and training opportunities for continuous growth and improvement Work with CLT & HR/LOD to evaluate options for curriculum Deploy basic required training & investigate enhanced training opportunities SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Update and expand the City’s brand guide and AP style guide Draft in 2019, deploy in 2020 Regular updates & reminders Develop a template and resource library for all communicators including but not limited to:• Presentation & report templates• Event planning guides & checklists (Groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings, awards, etc.) Start building library in 2019 Continued growth/ expansion of library EXTERNAL Communications Goal To develop and support policies, procedures, best practices and resources that enable staff across the organization to communicate and engage effectively and consistently with all corners of the community (Strategic Plan Alignment: 7.3 Broaden methods of community engagement with additional consideration to diverse backgrounds, languages and needs) Ensure organizational alignment for both centralized and decentralized communications and engagement teams Objective E-1: STRATEGY E-1A: Foster improved coordination, transparency and best practices to promote effective and consistent communications across departments and channels STRATEGY E-1B: Establish and reinforce City brand standards and policies TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 21 Item 1. 20 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Identify team and establish work plan Assign channels/tools Develop owned media strategies as local/regional media declines (be the news source) SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Work with eGov team to audit, update and improve FCgov.com Bootstrap 4 (mobile first UX) upgrade Press Release CMS upgrade Council Dashboard application Social Media strategy – cross promotions & best practices Use video – 360, drone, etc. Audit, align and streamline eNewsletters SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Establish best practices & training for working with the media like:• when/how to respond• when to issue a press release, media advisory or statement• how to conduct a press conference Develop best practices and training curriculum Roll out training Proactively connect with and build relationships with local reporters Support enhanced storytelling and a common voice across all departments and channels to improve information sharing and meaningful engagement with the entire community (reach, retention and response) Objective E-2: STRATEGY E-2A: Develop an internal storytelling/editorial team(s) to guide and direct content strategy for key community-wide communication channels STRATEGY E-2B: Leverage shared data, resources, tools & technology to reach all corners of community STRATEGY E-2C: Cultivate strong relationships with local, regional and national media TACTICS TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 22 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 21 SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Regular training and certification opportunities for staff Update Public Engagement spectrum and guide & educate community around our process Spectrum & PE guide update in 2019/2020 Community education/training after update SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Identify and promote training opportunities for inclusive communications to diverse audiences Develop best practices for using informal and formal cultural broker partnerships Identify formal/ informal partners and begin building best practices Develop long term framework SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Work with Title VI partners and Language Access Plan to determine what must, should and can be translated, and develop best practices for non-required translation Develop translation guide and FAQ Ensure written and digital materials meet ADA requirements:• Launch SiteImprove platform• Begin closed captioning for cable broadcast & online video Establish a translation bank with local and regional partners Foster inclusive engagement by reducing barriers and meeting people where they are Objective E-3: STRATEGY E-3A: Leverage IAP2 principles to inform, listen & respond to the community STRATEGY E-3B: Cultivate cultural competency STRATEGY E-3C: Prioritize accessibility in communications by leveraging opportunities to reach diverse audiences and unique learning styles TACTICS TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 23 Item 1. 22 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN PROGRAM OUTCOMES OUTPUT EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS Community/NBS Survey trend – “City does a good job and informing residents & businesses” 95% CLT meeting attendance & calendar use 100% Brand compliance Improved Community/NBS survey response rate/ratings Community/NBS Survey trend – “City does a good job welcoming resident/business involvement” Reduced Site Improve page errors Diverse in-person/ online engagement Community/NBS Survey trend – “City does a good job listening to residents/ businesses” EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PERFORMANCE METRICS SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Outline types of crisis/emergencies, roles and response requirements Collect & update emergency contact information & formalize/align on-call process for response & recovery CRISIS Communications Goal To be the first and most reliable source of information in a crisis, during risk management, or whatever timely communication is needed to ensure public safety and to protect the organization’s reputation (Strategic Plan Alignment: 5.1 Improve community involvement, education and regional partnerships to increase the level of public trust and keep the community safe) Ensure the City has a clearly articulated and current emergency communications plan Objective C-1: STRATEGY C-1A: Work with OEM to update, align and share Citywide emergency communications plan TACTICS TIMELINE Page 24 Item 1. CITY OF FORT COLLINS 23 SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Identify potential situations, roles/ responsibilities, standard processes, sample messages and best practices Develop ‘go kits’ for each role SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Education and outreach on the updated plan & how each department fits into the plan (roadshows, webinars, etc.) SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Quarterly training opportunities/exercises (tabletop, larger scale, LETA911) NIMS/FEMA/DHS training compliance Maintain regional PIO contact list and ensure regular networking/learning opportunities Ensure all departments are resourced and prepared to manage/support Citywide or smaller scale crisis/emergency communications consistently Objective C-2: STRATEGY C-2A: Develop a common SOP template that can be modified by each department to use in their own smaller scale crisis/emergencies STRATEGY C-1B: Ensure all departments have and understand the Citywide emergency communications plan STRATEGY C-2B: Ensure staff is ready to respond through regular training and learning opportunities TACTICS TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE Page 25 Item 1. 24 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Align, deploy and market LETA 911 alerts and notification options Leverage website & social media alerts & notifications Regularly test cable override system SA ONGOING 1-2 YEARS 3-5 YEARS Proactively create a Spanish language library of common emergency messages Cultivate an email, social media or SMS subscription for Spanish speaking residents Develop mini-communication plan with service providers for reaching those experiencing homelessness Ensure the community, media and other agency partners are well informed and prepared to respond to crisis/emergency Objective C-3: STRATEGY C-3A: Leverage all tools & technology to ensure the community gets timely and accurate updates STRATEGY C-3B: Identify alternative communication methods/tools for underrepresented parts of the community including non-English speaking residents/businesses or those experiencing homelessness TACTICS TACTICS TIMELINE TIMELINE PROGRAM OUTCOMES OUTPUT EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS Community survey: Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for natural disasters or other emergency situations) Updated approved plan completed w/ OEM Plan is shared with all City leaders # of staff trained with NIMS/other basic training Community survey: Disaster response and restoration of services # Trainings offered each year CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PERFORMANCE METRICS Page 26 Item 1. Page 27 Item 1. Page 28 Item 1. Communications Strategy 03/14/2023 Staff Report Amanda King, Communications DirectorPage 29 Item 1. 2Strategic Alignment 7.3 -Engage the community more effectively with enhanced inclusion of diverse identities, languages and needs. Page 30 Item 1. 3Public Engagement Spectrum Page 31 Item 1. 4City Communications Structure Fort Collins Residents City Council City Attorney Chief JudgeCity Manager Deputy City Manager Planning Development & Transportation Sustainability Services Community Services Assistant City Manager City Clerk Equity & Inclusion Assistant City Manager Information & Employee Services Emergency Preparedness & Security Utilities Connexion Broadband Police Services Human Resources Financial Services Boards & Commissions Page 32 Item 1. Sources of Information Word of Mouth Website Social Media Local Newspaper City Staff (email, phone, in person) 88% 86% 70% 61% 60% Page 33 Item 1. Tools Used 6 Paid Media (Advertising) •Print •Digital •Radio •Direct Mail •Out of Home •Events & Sponsorships Earned Media (Public Relations) •Press Releases •Story Pitches •Media Relations Page 34 Item 1. Tools Used 7 Shared Media (Social) •Facebook •Twitter •Instagram •YouTube •NextDoor •Combined audience = +274,000 Owned Media •Website (3K-18K active users daily) •City News (3,500 subscribers) •OurCity (9,241 registered users) •Access Fort Collins (800-2,000 cases per quarter –average response time < 2 days) •Info sessions and forumsPage 35 Item 1. Communications Strategy 8 •Internal •Coordinate/Align •Tools/Tech •Support Info Up/Down •External •Coordinate/Align •Enhance Storytelling •Reduce Barriers •Crisis/Emergency •Scalable Plan •City & Community Education/Training Page 36 Item 1. Operational Improvements 9 •Functional role & service delivery structure •Digital media & communications •Creative services •Empowerment & accountability for Citywide engagement •Overall communications & media strategy Page 37 Item 1. Emerging Trends 10 •Information overload/engagement fatigue •Changes in social/paid media & shifts to mobile •Accessibility & DEI •Diminished trust in government, science and media •Shrinking news readership •Data & analytics •Artificial Intelligence Page 38 Item 1. Areas of Focus/Next Steps •Implementation of Strategic Plan & Operational Improvements •Updated Crisis Communication Plan (ARPA funded) •Inclusive Engagement Guide (ARPA funded) •Accessibility, document management and website assessment (HB 21-110) 11 Page 39 Item 1. QUESTIONS? 12 Page 40 Item 1. 13Emergency Notifications Page 41 Item 1. City Council Work Session Agenda Item Summary – City of Fort Collins Page 1 of 3 March 14, 2023 WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY City Council STAFF Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Sr. Project Manager Ginny Sawyer, Sr. Project Manager SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Future Considerations for the Former Hughes Property. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to review previous activity regarding the Hughes property, provide findings from recent outreach, and discuss potential and desired next steps as the City gets closer to acquisition of the property. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED 1. What initial thoughts does Council have regarding feedback to date? 2. Are there activities Council would like to continue to explore on the site? 3. Does Council support staff bringing 2-3 options that could include both short-term and long-term opportunities for discussion later in 2023? BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION In 2021, a citizen-initiated ballot initiative passed, requiring the City to purchase the former Hughes Stadium property, rezone the 164.56 acre parcel to Public Open Lands District (POL) and use the site for “parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration.” Since the fall of 2022, staff has been working with a consultant to conduct public outreach regarding the future of the former Hughes Stadium site. Following is some background information regarding the site, engagement previously conducted, results of the most recent outreach effort and possible next steps in the process. Project History The original Hughes Stadium was built in the 1950s and opened in 1958. To build the stadium, the entire site was re-graded to create large parking lots that accommodated thousands of visitors during football games and other events. The site remained open to pedestrians and a disc golf course was later built in the southeast corner of the site where a large, regional stormwater detention pond is located. In 2016, CSU closed Hughes Stadium as plans for an on campus stadium moved forward. Page 42 Item 2. City Council Work Session Agenda Item Summary – City of Fort Collins Page 2 of 3 In 2017 CSU submitted a Request for Qualifications and later a Request for Proposals (RFP) toward future development of the site for housing. The property was annexed into the City from Larimer County and was zoned “Transition (T) District” in anticipation of a future process to rezone the site for other uses. In 2019, a development plan was submitted to the City and staff began the process of conducting community meetings to gather input regarding the future of the site. A regular Council meeting was held on November 5, 2019. Engagement feedback and materials were included in the Council packet for the November 5 regular meeting. On first reading, property was rezoned to allow residential uses on a split vote. After multiple postponements, the ordinance failed on second reading in May 2020. In response to the potential development, residents began organizing a campaign to rezone the property to “Public Open Lands (POL.)” The initiative was put on the ballot for voters in April of 2021 and was passed. Ballot language (April 6, 2021): “Shall the City enact an ordinance requiring the City Council of the City of Fort Collins to immediately rezone upon passage of the ordinance a 164.56-acre parcel of real property formerly home to the Hughes Stadium from the Transition District to the Public Open Lands District, and requiring the City to acquire the property at fair market value to use said property for parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration, and further prohibiting the City f rom de- annexing, ceasing acquisition efforts or subsequently rezoning the property without voter approval of a separate initiative referred to the voters by City Council, and granting legal standing to any registered elector in the City to seek injunctive and/or declaratory relief in the courts related to City noncompliance with said ordinance?” In 2022, City staff began the process of acquiring the property. In late 2022, in anticipation of acquisition, staff began the outreach process to engage community members in potential future activities on the site. staff engaged Kearns & West, a third-party consulting firm specializing in public engagement efforts. Engagement Process  Previous Engagement o Public Meeting information o Parks & Recreation Masterplan Survey  Groups and Individuals engaged: o Recreation o Wildlife Rescue o Conservation o PATHS o Boards & Commissions o Native American/Indigenous Groups  Surveys: o #1- based on ballot language o #2- based on impact/activity level  Focus Groups Throughout this process it remained clear that this site is a highly valued, cherished piece of property, and it is a relatively large parcel of land with countless opportunities. General consensus regarding preserving views of the foothills emerged as did recognition that a community space for recreation and nature is needed. Staff and consultants also realize that the available surveys became a mechanism for residents to mobilize their interests. Page 43 Item 2. City Council Work Session Agenda Item Summary – City of Fort Collins Page 3 of 3 These interests range from making the entire property a Natural Area to support for a bike park. In between these stated desires were numerous possibilities including restoring native grassland habitat, creating an accessible and balanced space, the addition of a few amenities such as a basic restroom, signage, and more parking, and a need for more shade and seating areas. Staff made a basic attempt at grouping activities presented as low, medium, or high impact based on infrastructure required, estimated use, parking required, sound levels, etc. It is important to note that engagement with Native American/Indigenous groups is just beginning and discussions regarding Hughes have been very preliminary. This is based on staff utilizing culturally appropriate facilitation and the early relationship building occurring with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office. See attached engagement report for full details. Current State Since 2019, and throughout the negotiations for acquisition, the Hughes site has seen little to no improvements or management. The disc golf course sees continued use and the sledding hill is utilized when conditions allow. The City worked closely with Colorado State University when residents self-hosted gatherings. Neither the City General Fund budget nor the Natural Areas budget planned for costs associated with the Hughes property. Acquisition is estimated to cost $12.5M with $2M each from General Fund and Natural Areas and the difference coming from bonding. Final costs will be allocated proportionally and retroactively to corresponding funds once land uses are determined. NEXT STEPS The City anticipates executing the contract for acquisition of Hughes this month and completing the purchase in July. Currently, there are no plans or dedicated funding/budget offers for improvements or activity on the site and there are not any anticipated changes in the near term. Currently the Parks Department manages the disc golf course including trash pick-up in a few locations. Staff is proposing continuing to work with Council and the public to determine potential activities or improvements to pursue in future budget cycles. This will likely be a multi-year iterative process. Council will approve a 2025-26 budget in November 2024. ATTACHMENTS 1. Kearns and West Hughes Engagement Report 2. Minutes from Boards & Commissions 3. Presentation Page 44 Item 2. Prepared by Kearns & West for the City of Fort Collins Engagement conducted between October 2022 – February 2023 Community Engagement Findings for the Former Hughes Site to the City of Fort Collins City Council Page 45 Item 2. Neutral Engagement, Collaboration, and Strategic Communications 1776 Lincoln Street, Suite 1825 Denver, Colorado 80203 www.kearnswest.com Cover Photo: Aerial photo of the Hughes site and Maxwell Natural Area. Credit: City of Fort Collins. Page 46 Item 2. Page 2 of 24 Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 4 II. Background ............................................................................................................................... 6 III. Engagement Findings .............................................................................................................. 7 A. Areas of Universal Common Interest ....................................................................................... 7 B. Leveraging Existing Data ......................................................................................................... 7 C. Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #1) ............................................................... 8 D. Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #2) ............................................................... 9 E. Focus Groups......................................................................................................................... 10 Recreation Focus Group ........................................................................................................ 10 Wildlife Focus Groups ............................................................................................................ 11 PATHS Focus Group ............................................................................................................. 12 Conservation Interests Focus Group ..................................................................................... 13 F. City Boards & Departments Discussions ............................................................................... 14 Parks Department .................................................................................................................. 14 Natural Areas Department ..................................................................................................... 15 Land Conservation and Stewardship Board .......................................................................... 16 Parks & Recreation Board ..................................................................................................... 16 Disability Advisory Board ....................................................................................................... 17 Natural Resources Advisory Board ....................................................................................... 17 G. Indigenous Peoples Involvement Findings ............................................................................ 17 IV. Engagement Procedure ......................................................................................................... 17 A. Goals ...................................................................................................................................... 17 B. Key Messages........................................................................................................................ 18 C. Participants ............................................................................................................................ 19 D. Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 19 OurCity Platform and Community Surveys ............................................................................ 20 Focus Groups......................................................................................................................... 21 City Boards & Departments Discussions ............................................................................... 21 Neighborhood and Adjacent Property Owner Outreach ........................................................ 22 Indigenous Peoples Involvement ........................................................................................... 22 V. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 23 Page 47 Item 2. Page 3 of 24 A. Potential Impact Measurements ............................................................................................ 23 Page 48 Item 2. Page 4 of 24 I. Executive Summary This document provides the Fort Collins City Council with findings from five months of community engagement to understand the community’s desired uses of the former Hughes Stadium site. This document does not provide the City with agreed-upon future land use scenarios, but reflects the input heard from the community through a variety of engagement methodologies to inform next steps that Council may decide to take to advance planning at the Hughes site. Although this discrete phase of engagement spanned five months, the City has been conducting engagement with the community regarding the Hughes site since 2016, as different land use scenarios were discussed. This engagement phase revealed that there is a diversity of desired uses for the site. With this report, neither the engagement consultant, Kearns & West, nor City staff are providing recommendations. However, as the property comes into City ownership and engagement continues, these findings ideally promote a conversation among Council Members that is informed by an understanding of the variety of community interests in Fort Collins surrounding Hughes. Throughout surveys, focus groups, and discussions with and among City boards and staff, it’s clear that the former Hughes Stadium site is a highly valued, cherished piece of property, with endless opportunity. In April 2021, nearly 70% of voters supported ballot language to rezone the property as Public Open Lands and use the property for “parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.” The community group Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) collected 8,300 signatures in support of placing the measure on the ballot. This property already meets many community needs. Adjacent property owners use it as an informal place to spend time outdoors, within proximity of their homes. In some respects, Hughes is an extension of some their backyards and neighbors feel a sense of ownership over it. It’s used by bird watchers and wildlife observers, and is adjacent to the Maxwell Natural Area, Dixon Reservoir, Pineridge Natural Area, and Horsetooth Reservoir, where countless families, bike riders, hikers, and nature enthusiasts enjoy outdoor, nature-based experiences. The existing disc golf course and sledding hill are seasonal uses. FIGURE 1: THE HUGHES SITE. PHOTO CREDIT: CITY OF FORT COLLINS. Page 49 Item 2. Page 5 of 24 The community members who contributed their time to share input on potential future uses for Hughes share a common set of interests and none are mutually exclusive. Community members showed up to focus groups, surveys, meetings, and other forms of outreach in good faith, ready to think creatively about the site, willing to hear other perspectives, and willing to find compromise. The care that the community feels for the site and its potential to bring people together, regardless of their interest, came across, and is a true testament to the health of the Fort Collins community and ability for individuals and groups to find common ground behind an opportunity for inspiration, connections both physical and spiritual, and restoration in all forms. Overall, people share the belief that the views of the foothills that Hughes provides should be preserved; that a community space for recreation and nature in that part of the City is sorely needed; that the existing and potential future habitat and buffers for nature should be enhanced; and that access to nature, wildlife habitats, recreation opportunities, and community spaces should be prioritized. The themes of a community was the common thread throughout all outreach, regardless of an individual or group’s position or desires. However, there are divergent opinions about what that means. For some, it means a place for people of all ages and abilities to ride a bike in a safe, closed, family-oriented environment. For others, it means a place to demonstrate how to restore native grassland habitat and together “do the right thing” to create an accessible and balanced space. For others, that could mean a place where little happens beyond current activities, with the addition of a few amenities such as a basic restroom, some signage, more parking, and the continuation of sledding and disc golfing at the site. This document does not represent a consensus outcome, but reports on the engagement heard, and reflects on the engagement to represent the highest need combined with the best use of the property given its history, ecological state, and using this property versus another property. Tensions will remain between interests groups, which could manifest in skepticism or distrust of this particular engagement phase. Some groups reflected that the community focus groups should have been sequenced to first engage PATHS, the group that spearheaded the community organizing effort to build community support for placing the rezoning and acquisition effort on the ballot. PATHS leaders argued that understanding PATHS’ perspectives and experiences speaking directly with voters in the earliest part of this engagement phase would have yielded valuable background on the project and key community members to engage. Other criticisms of the public process include that some renters did not get postcards during the neighborhood outreach, and that the process favored recreation or infrastructure-heavy uses. All engagement was valued and incorporated equitably, and although it benefitted the process in some respect to hear from PATHS members mid-way through the process to report back on feedback heard and contrast it to PATHS’ experiences, it’s been acknowledged that the sequence for engagement was called into question. However, as is noted throughout this document, divergent opinions on how the space should be used, or critiques of the engagement process don’t preclude forward momentum on the Hughes site planning process. With the energy, positive mindset, and depth of knowledge that community members have brought to this process to date, there is unmistakable willingness to bridge gaps, find creative paths forward, partner on funding opportunities, and create an inclusive and innovative space. Page 50 Item 2. Page 6 of 24 II. Background The City of Fort Collins’ citizen-initiated ordinance related to the former Hughes Stadium site was approved in April 2021. The ordinance requires Fort Collins to “rezone upon passage of the ordinance” the 164.56-acre former home of the Hughes Stadium to the Public Open Lands (POL) District and required the City to acquire the property at fair market value, for “parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.” To understand community desires, visions, and uses of Hughes, a project team comprised of Fort Collins staff and Kearns & West, a neutral third- party outreach and engagement firm (the project team) designed an engagement plan to solicit community input into potential development options for City Council's considerations. The team considered each community group’s relationship to the Hughes site and sought to balance priorities and needs in these findings. In the engagement, many community members were confused by the terms used in the ballot measure and between “Public Open Lands” and “Natural Areas,” terms explained below:  “Public Open Lands” is a zoning designation that allows for designated uses that can include parks, recreation activities, urban agriculture, composting facilities, wildlife rescue and education centers, small scale solar.  City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department-managed lands are called “Natural Areas” where the primary focus is conservation and restoration with limited recreational activity, with dedicated funding through a voter-approved tax that articulates designated uses. This is noted because community members interpret “Natural Areas,” “Open Lands,” “Parks,” and “Recreation” differently, which may have affected the survey results conducted as part of this engagement. That said, the survey conducted via the City’s OurCity platform does provide an overview of general desired uses, beyond the specific terms such as natural areas or open lands. The ballot language can be interpreted to meet many community needs, and although the City is obligated to follow the POL zoning in its Land Development Code, there are different uses allowed based on different levels of review. The City intends to try to deliver on as many of the uses stipulated in the ballot language as possible, based on feasibility. Community members by and large did ask questions about the meaning of the ballot language – whether structures are allowed to be built in the first place, if all the desired uses must be developed, if the list contained within the ballot language serves as a series of options, and what constraints there are on the proposed uses. It is recommended that the meaning of the ballot language and rezoning parameters be described and interpreted for community members beyond this engagement phase. FIGURE 2: THE HUGHES FOOTBALL STADIUM. PHOTO CREDIT: THE COLORADOAN-DON REICHERT Page 51 Item 2. Page 7 of 24 III. Engagement Findings The following findings reflect what the project team heard over the course of the five-month engagement period. These findings can serve as the basis for discussion among City Council and staff, and the basis for future outreach and deliberation around next steps. As scenarios are developed, various community members can assist in refining the approach and providing user- specific insight into the planning. For many, Hughes is in a part of the City that many consider to be a “programming desert.” The community generally would like to see the City develop a coherent vision for the whole site that incorporates multiple uses and fosters public/private partnerships. Funding and management could come from a combination of departments and creative third-party funding sources. In the most basic sense, there is support for wildlife center, potentially in one corner, disc golf in another, small bike park in another, and restoration/connected habitat in another. A. Areas of Universal Common Interest B. Leveraging Existing Data To ensure current engagement builds on previous efforts, the project team used findings from the 2021 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the 2022 Fort Collins Community Survey, both statistically valid and recent surveys. Understanding residents’ outdoor facility needs amenities assisted the project team in framing engagement strategies and activities regarding the Hughes FIGURE 3: AREAS OF UNIVERSAL COMMON INTEREST HEARD THROUGHOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. Page 52 Item 2. Page 8 of 24 site. During the time in which development of the Hughes site was an option, residents did express the desire to restore the property and plan uses that fostered conservation and recreation. W hile a "no development" option was not on the table at that time, community preference still pointed to desires for that outcome. The Fort Collins Community Survey identified quality outdoor and recreational opportunities as an asset to City residents, results that the public engagement efforts around the Parks and Recreation Master Plan reiterated. The survey found that 97% of the Fort Collins population believe that quality parks, paved trails, and recreation facilities are important to the City’s identity. Within outdoor facilities, respondents identified the following top five amenities as most important to their households:  Paved, multi-use trails  Hiking trails  Natural areas and wildlife habitats  Unprogrammed spaces  Playgrounds Similarly, residents identified the follow ten items as recreational needs for their households:  Multi-use paved trails  Multi-use soft surface trails  Natural areas & wildlife habitats  Unprogrammed space  Parks and plazas downtown  Park shelters and picnic areas  Community gardens  Playgrounds  Dog parks  Water-play features C. Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #1) The first round of digital engagement specific to this phase asked community members to share their desired potential uses for the former Hughes site. The survey was live from the launch of the website in late December 2022 until January 31, 2023. Duplicate responses were removed, and the data were FIGURES 4 AND 5: RESULTS FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT. THE WORD CLOUD SHOWS ANSWERS TO “HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE SPACE USED?” Page 53 Item 2. Page 9 of 24 summarized to understand the respondents’ priorities and desired activities for the site. The survey received 2,710 unique responses. Respondents supported an even distribution of community priorities for the site. Fifteen percent of respondents supported recreation, 16% open lands, 16% parks, 11% natural areas, and 18% wildlife rescue and restoration. The public was also given an opportunity to prioritize “other,” elaborating on the type of open lands or recreational activities they hoped to see on the site. Figures 4 and 5 show answers to the question of how community members would like to see the space used. High preferences were voiced for a bike park, open and natural space, mixed use recreation space, multi-use connected trails, an Indigenous Peoples community gathering area, and maintaining the disc golf course. The word cloud was populated from the question: “How would you like to see the space used?” Responses that were most popular are represented with larger font size, including trails, natural, area, wildlife, park, bike, open, and space. The results of the first survey helped draft the second round of digital engagement, which looked to understand the desired level of impact and potential phasing of activities on the site. D. Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #2) The second round of digial engagment specific to this phase asked community members to share their preferences for level of activity on the Hughes site. The survey was live between February 10 – 24, 2023. Duplicate responses were removed, and the data were summarized to understand the community’s desired activities for the site. The survey received 1,896 unique responses. When asked about their desired level of impact/activity for the site on a scale of 1-5 (1 being low impact activities and 5 being high impact activities), about 50% of respondents supported high impact activities, 11% supported medium impact activities, and 20% supported low impact activities. Both levels “2” and “4” received support from 10% of respondents. Respondents could pick their top five preferred activities on the site. Figure 6 shows results of the question as a bar chart starting from highest to lowest. FIGURE 6: RESULTS FROM THE SECOND ROUND OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT. Page 54 Item 2. Page 10 of 24 High preferences were voiced for trail connections and improvements, a bike park, a Nordic skiing course, land restoration, restrooms, and a cross country running course. The survey also included a free response question where many respondents reiterated their activity preferences. E. Focus Groups Findings from focus groups and conversations across the community are represented by engagement opportunity below. The separation between recreation, wildlife, conservation, and other interests as reflected in the summaries helped the project team make space for group- specific interests to be heard, but don’t imply that future conversations should be segregated by use or interest, or that scenarios for Hughes should exclude one group or another. At this stage of the engagement process, it’s helpful to gather like-minded interests together to hear, collectively, thoughts on the direction of the property from a particular point of view. Community members were identified based on their role within community organizations and previous engagement with City efforts, including Hughes site outreach, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and wildlife rehabilitation discussions. Across all engagement, community members reflected a desire to understand each other’s interests and come together on proposed approaches for Hughes. The sense of community and co-creation was strong across all engagement. The focus groups either took place in person, as a hybrid meeting, or virtually. The meetings typically began with a short presentation on the process, after which the project team facilitated a discussion to understand the group’s or individual’s position on using the Hughes site and how that relates to the original ballot language. The input under each theme reflects thoughts from a variety of attendees and is not weighted based on frequency of mentions or type of organization who provided that feedback. The comments are summarized to indicate key themes, then organized by topic. Recreation Focus Group A November 16 focus group was held with recreation community members from the following organizations: Parkour, Overland Mountain Biking, Wolfpack, YourGroupRide.com, Poudre School District, Radio Controlled Rock Crawlers, Fort Collins Baseball Club, Bike Fort Collins. The project team also spoke separately (due to scheduling conflicts) with individuals representing drone park, velodrome, and disc golf interests. Their feedback is incorporated below. Key themes: Community members reflected the desire to maintain the natural, open space feel of the property, while providing a space that allows residents and visitors alike to play sports, build community, improve their quality of life, spend time outdoors, and be inspired. Community members representing bike interests greatly wish to see a bike park built at Hughes, modeled after the Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, while others could use the space for a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Community members widely support the spirit of the ballot language and desire to maintain the views of the foothills and ensure that any new structures are consistent with the zoning requirements in the POL zoning district. Community members also reflected the need to offer unique amenities for the community and visitors in a public space, rather than a Page 55 Item 2. Page 11 of 24 private one, to promote connecting with others and inspire future generations of outdoor enthusiasts.  Enhance Recreational Spaces and Build a Bike Park o Consider building a bike park or "bike hub" that includes all ages features, including a paved perimeter trail, unpaved mountain bike and cyclocross courses, a pump track, and dirt jumps; with opportunities for skills development and intermediate/advanced features. o A bike hub could connect to the Maxwell Natural Area, nearby trails, and the City bike route system. o A bike hub could accommodate other uses than a bike park such as a radio- controlled rock crawler track, a Nordic skiing course, and cross-country running track, and a parkour facility. o Community members support maintaining the disc golf course and water retention areas. Community members generally agree that the site does not need to house sports fields for a local school district or to meet community needs. o The disc golf course is suitable for disc golfers in its current form but could benefit from enhancements such as trees or movable pin locations.  Consider a Community Center o Community members advocated for a space that inspires residents to explore new recreational hobbies and connect to the natural environment. o The history of the site could be interpreted in any development and incorporated into future land-use scenarios. o The space could be left open in areas for informal community or neighborhood uses. Wildlife Focus Groups Two November 16 focus groups were held with the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center and the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center, separately. Key themes: The Hughes site is an ideal location to help the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center grow its organization and expand its ability to help the community. The Rocky Mountain Raptor Center also sees opportunity in relocating its center to Hughes. The footprint it requires is greater than that of the wildlife center, but there’s the possibility of co-locating the facilities. Both organizations believe that the capital investment in building a new center would be significant but are willing to help with fundraising. Hughes is an optimal site because it also offered the opportunity for community members to become more integrated into nature through educational opportunities.  Build a Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility o Community members would like dedicated, spacious facilities to house existing and future rehabilitation services and presented a variety of site location scenarios. FIGURE 7: GREENWOOD WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER IN LONGMONT, COLORADO. Page 56 Item 2. Page 12 of 24 o Community members suggested the concept of a “Nature in the City” visitor center that provides community engagement and education on raptor and wildlife rehabilitation practices. o Rehabilitation spaces require a natural buffer space from development. o A rehabilitation space could provide emergency rescue operations for wildlife. o Developing dedicated, suitable rehabilitation and recovery spaces can build upon Fort Collins’ efforts to promote conservation and preservation within the City and to meet broader county and state needs. PATHS Focus Group The project team met on January 25 with Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS). PATHS is a citizen-funded, nonprofit, grassroots organization that organized the citizen-led ballot initiative. The organization is founded on preserving the Hughes land as a public open space for the Fort Collins community and local wildlife. Key themes: Representatives from PATHS would like to see Hughes turned into a Natural Area with a wildlife center. Ecological continuity is a priority. PATHS supports maintaining the disc golf course and sledding hill, and opposes a bike park, built facilities, hard surface paths, and playground. It was indicated that the word “recreation” was included in the ballot language to ensure that the disc golf course and sledding hill were preserved. They reflected that the essence of the ballot initiative process was to create open space with no development, and people voted to protect Hughes, not develop it.  Continue the community engagement process. o Use the PATHS group as a resource and reflection of the community’s desires. o Consider increasing participation in the engagement process by keeping the survey open. o Describe the differences between “natural areas” and “open space” in future engagement activities. o Foster a relationship with CSU and the Poudre School District to teach students about the natural environment.  Consider the intent of the ballot language. FIGURE 8: RED FOX MEADOWS AND A RAPTOR OVER FORT COLLINS. PHOTO CREDIT: CITY OF FORT COLLINS. Page 57 Item 2. Page 13 of 24 o Turn Hughes into a Natural Area and prioritize protected open space. o Keep the disc golf course and sledding hill as a recreational space due to its low impact and the City’s love of the activity. o Lease space to the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center.  Preserve the land as a natural, open space. o Preserve the dark, natural open space to allow stargazing. o Preserve the views of the foothills. o Prevent recreation uses that require infrastructure. o Use the space for only low-impact recreation use, such as low-impact trails. o Consider incorporating a shaded community space. o Emphasize the value of this property in relation to Pineridge and Maxwell Natural Areas. o Protect the highly traveled migrations routes for the wildlife in the area. o Prevent the expansion of parking at the Hughes site. Conservation Interests Focus Group Two identical February 9 focus groups were held with individuals and organizations representing conservation interests. The first focus group was attended by individuals from CSU’s Conservation Leadership Thru Learning program, Colorado State University’s Warner College Diversity and Inclusion Program, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and Audubon Fort Collins. The second focus group was attended by individuals from the Save the Poudre, The High Plains Environmental Center, The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Colorado Open Lands, and the Sierra Club-Poudre Canyon Group. Key themes: The Hughes site offers countless opportunities for innovation – innovation in restoration, inclusivity, integrating technology, and accessible design. The opportunities to bring back habitat for birds is rare, and the grassland habitat at Hughes provides a chance to let the community watch the land be restored. Any restoration effort at Hughes should be guided by a study of the existing plant and animal habitat and what areas can be restored. Restoring Hughes can give future stewards of the land a vision of what their legacy could look like, but we need to design systems that allow people to enjoy the space.  Engage and create a space for a diverse demographic of people. o Use the wealth of knowledge and lively student population from CSU. o Create spaces that are inclusive for all populations including underrepresented communities, older generations, and those with physical and mental disabilities. o Ensure engagement with underrepresented communities to better understand how to make the space inclusive for all. o Understand what will attract or invite community members to the space. o Create a space on the property that is planned for nature appreciation for all people, including those with cognitive and mental disabilities. o Create community agreement amongst different interest groups and the community.  Use current and past City examples as a guide. o Consider how people view or socialize with this space to understand future uses. o Learn the mistakes of previous planning efforts and incorporate lessons learned into this project. Page 58 Item 2. Page 14 of 24  Plan for multiple uses on the site. o Expand the definition of restoration to include social dimensions such as restoring the history of the site and giving future generations a vision of legacy. o Incorporate low impact recreation opportunities with the grassland habitat, such as a community pavilion, playground, nature observation points, or bike paths. o Consider lighting on the site to be sensitive to birds and wildlife, while also promoting a safe experience for community members. o Find balance in the various perspectives to create a site. o Consider a multi-use park where activities vary from season to season. o Develop trail connections to Natural Areas. o Plan for additional shade, whether natural or manmade. o Consider moving the disc golf course to the northeast part of the property to create a contiguous tract of development and recreational uses on the northern half of the property, and a contiguous tract of Natural Area (abutting Maxwell) on the southern part of the property.  Restore the land to its natural grasslands’ habitat. o Use the Hughes site as an opportunity to bring back the grassland habitat for local birds and animals and connect to wildlife corridors. o Continue to engage the community while restoring the land to a grassland habitat to create learning and community volunteer opportunities. o “Tiny” areas of restoration are not as valuable as contiguous habitats.  Explore partnerships and opportunities for Hughes. o Explore grants and partnerships to secure funding. o Embrace areas of conflict or tension to understand points of consensus, creativity, and innovation. o Consider the history of fire and flooding in this area when designing the site. o Prioritize a space that would bring more environmental education to the community, school districts, and CSU students. F. City Boards & Departments Discussions The input under each theme reflects thoughts from a variety of board and department members and is not weighted based on frequency of mentions or group that provided feedback. The comments are organized by themes. Parks Department Key themes: The Parks Department is interested in exploring the use of Hughes to fulfill many of the facilities gaps identified in its master plan. There are trail connectivity options and relatively large swaths of land that make the property an appealing option for passive or active recreation opportunities. The Department has a need for a large footprint park, and Hug hes meets that need.  Use the Hughes site to address gaps identified through the City’s Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment Findings Report. o Include passive recreation activities on Hughes (e.g., seating/casual use spaces, community gardens, walking trails, landscape features, sledding, and regional stormwater detention). o Implement active recreation on Hughes (e.g., bike trails, outdoor fitness and exercise facilities, naturalistic play attractions, playgrounds, cross-country track, RC car track). Page 59 Item 2. Page 15 of 24 o Build Facilities on Hughes (e.g., dog park, individual picnic and seating areas, group picnic areas, park shelters, restrooms, Native American center, educational facilities).  Explore the Department’s interest in the area. o Desire for proximity to the foothills to allow community members such as mountain bikers and Nordic skiers to use in this area. o Desire for a paved trail that connects north- south, and ideally, crosses through the Hughes site. o Understand the funding needs to acquire the property and open a new facility. Natural Areas Department Key themes: The Natural Areas Department understands the community’s desire to see Hughes restored to meet high conservation and ecological values. Hughes is a highly disturbed site, and it would take significant investment to preserve it. Land use regulations would shift when comes under the City’s management (e.g., related to off leash dog use). The opportunity cost of acquiring and restoring Hughes would compromise the Department’s capacity and resources to acquire and/or restore other parcels of land. There’s a middle ground between wholesale Parks Department management of the site and Natural Areas Department management of the site that should be explored. A blended, cost-shared solution is preferred.  Continue conversations about restoring Hughes to natural habitat. o Acknowledge that restoration costs are high for Hughes to meet ecological goals. o Be flexible, if Hughes were to be designated a Natural Area, to understand where the property fits within the Department’s restoration framework and mission. o Explore ADA and accessibility considerations for the space. o Explore the trade-offs of restoring Hughes versus restoring and acquiring other City properties.  Explore how natural areas could integrate with wildlife rescue on the site. o Discuss whether a wildlife center can be placed within a natural area and what relationship, or partnership would exist between the City and the center, particularly around facility management and the site’s mission.  Connect to surrounding natural areas. FIGURE 9: FORT COLLINS NATURALIST COMMUNITY. PHOTO CREDITS: CITY OF FORT COLLINS. Page 60 Item 2. Page 16 of 24 o Explore connections for visitors to the adjacent Maxwell Natural Area. o Explore connections to the existing trails within the Foothills Zone. Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Key themes: Equitable engagement is a priority for outreach. Restoration at the area should be prioritized and informed by a natural resource inventory and habitat study. Partnerships with community groups is critical to success.  Consider how to fund potential activities on Hughes. o Consider additional funding sources to fund the planning or implementation. o Explore public-private partnerships that could assist in funding future activities. o Embrace the cost of restoration as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore this site. o Connect funding with uses – for example, funding for natural areas should be spend on natural area activities, and funding for recreational activities should be spent on parks and recreation activities. o Avoid investing significant funding into maintenance and facilities costs.  Prioritize open natural space. o Conduct a resource inventory at Hughes. o Restore the natural habitat for grassland birds. o Prevent Hughes from becoming a tourist destination. o Understand that recreational activities negatively impact wildlife. o Maintain the disc golf course as a compatible use to a natural area. o Minimize the use of water.  Engage the community on potential uses and partnerships. o Connect with conservation interests and the PATHs group to hear their perspectives. o Partner with the Raptor Center and Northern Colorado Wildlife Center. o Engage with those who visit the Maxwell Natural Area to understand how their activities could expand into Hughes. o Develop online surveys in multiple languages and engage underserved communities. o Align community engagement with property acquisition. o Restore trust with citizens by engaging those who developed the ballot measure to understand their perspective on current desired activities. Parks & Recreation Board Key themes: Funding will be a key issue to address in any scenario, and many of the scenarios advanced by recreation group will require significant funding. City Council should align the uses at Hughes with gaps identified in previous planning documents and master plans. There is overlap between desired uses and values for the property, regardless of individual’s positions.  Collaborate with Indigenous Peoples and understand their needs. o Consult or hire Indigenous People in subsequent phases of work on the Hughes site. o Create opportunities for Indigenous Peoples storytelling.  Understand how Hughes can support other City planning efforts. o Use the Trails Master Plan, the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, and the Active Modes Plan to see how Hughes could support City priorities.  Use the site for recreation programming. Page 61 Item 2. Page 17 of 24 o Explore the idea of a mountain bike park. o Develop a “safe” list of agreed upon amenities that allows future Hughes planning processes to be successful. o Consider community gathering spaces, such as a festival or community garden space. o Create a space that blends with the surrounding Natural Areas.  Create transparency with the public. o Discuss funding considerations in public. Disability Advisory Board Key Themes: The board supports the idea of a community space, but with little new development. A potential bike park is generally supported, given the size of the cycling community. Hughes would be an ideal location for walking trails, if the area is developed with adaptive needs in mind. The property could become a sanctuary for birds or other animals through a nature or wildlife preserve with education opportunities. Accessibility key, especially with parking, and the board would like to be part of future discussions to ensure accessibility. The board raised questions and concerns were raised regarding water usage, Dial-A-Ride services, and shade. Natural Resources Advisory Board Key Themes: The board generally supports the idea of this being an important area to transition between Natural Areas and surrounding urban uses and preserve existing wildlife habitats. A desire to incorporate community feedback for potential restoration as a Natural Area at least on portions of the property and consider other areas for recreational uses. The board raised questions regarding upcoming engagement and whether youth and other interested parties have been engaged in the process. Indigenous Peoples Involvement Findings These conversations are ongoing. On February 25th, City staff met with a group of Native American and Indigenous community members to discuss more broadly the topic of land use and meaningful community spaces within the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado region. IV. Engagement Procedure The engagement process to inform potential uses for Hughes entailed developing overall communications goals and objectives, developing consistent project messaging, facilitating discussions with community members, engaging Indigenous Peoples, and managing digital engagement focused on educating, engaging, and surveying the Fort Collins community. A. Goals The project team developed a “Hughes Engagement Plan” that outlined the messaging, strategies, and tactics to implement in support of listening to the community on desires for Hughes. The public engagement process aimed to inform the broader community through shared knowledge and consult various groups regarding the continuum of future options available for the Hughes site. The following engagement goals were established to ensure alignment throughout the project: Page 62 Item 2. Page 18 of 24  Inform the Fort Collins community about the Hughes site engagement effort and opportunities to engage.  Engage the community through focus groups and digital platforms to identify and record potential uses and preferences for the Hughes site and identify other parties to engage in the process.  Report on and inform the community on a variety of scenarios and budget constraints for the Hughes site.  Present findings to the Fort Collins City Council. B. Key Messages The project team sought to advance key messages about the history of the site, the engagement effort, and next steps in the process to equitably inform the community and make sure that the correct information was disseminated through community partners. These messages were as follows:  A citizen-initiated ballot measure was added to the April 2021 municipal election ballot and was passed.  This ballot language required the City Council of Fort Collins to rezone the former Hughes Stadium property to a Public Open Lands District. Language in the ballot requires the City to acquire the property at fair market value and use the property for parks, recreation, open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration.  The City completed the rezoning of the former Hughes Stadium property, and is in the process of acquiring the former Hughes Stadium site.  The City is in the process of meeting its obligation of the ballot language.  The engagement builds upon past engagement efforts specific to Hughes, and acknowledges the broad range of desires related to the property from those who voted on it.  Engagement efforts are in coordination with existing City plans, including the City's Master Plan, City's Transportation Master Plan, Fort Collins Park, and Recreation Master Plan, and builds upon previous engagement around the site.  The City is engaging internally, across departments, to discuss appropriate uses given the area’s context.  This phase of community outreach focuses on determining and envisioning the continuum of options the Hughes site could offer given the ballot language. Targeted community outreach will help the City understand potential future uses for the land, which will then be presented to City Council.  The Hughes site is a valuable but relatively small parcel of land, at 164 acres. The ballot language gives the City flexibility in how to meet a broad set of community needs with the land. While the City cannot accommodate all desires for the property, it will make every effort to listen to community needs and plan the property in a useful and beneficial way for the community.  There is not currently funding in place to proceed on any potential use scenarios. Page 63 Item 2. Page 19 of 24 C. Participants Between October 2022 and February 2023, the project team engaged with the community in a variety of ways. A postcard was sent to 633 residents with proximity to the Hughes site. Digitally, approximately 14,600 visited the website, and the first survey saw 2,710 unique responses (open December 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023). The second survey saw 1,876 unique responses (open February 10, 2023 – February 24, 2023). The City sent email blasts, reached out to adjacent HOA property management companies, posted on social media, and provided updates on Hughes in e-newsletters. For in-person board presentations and focus groups, the project team also met with about 67 community members with a variety of interests and sent invitations to about 111 community members. D. Methodology The outreach effort sought to inform and hear feedback from interested individuals through digital communications and engage community members through focus groups. The community’s interests are infinite and conversations with community members about their views, desires, and needs related to Hughes are a never-ending source of inspiration and a true window into the Fort Collins community. Understanding the community’s interest and vision for the site within the context of the ballot language was a key tenet of engagement. The project team conducted a variety of engagement activities to collect feedback on specific desired uses, aspirations, barriers, and community concerns or opportunities for the Hughes site. The structure of those activities is explained above and summaries of the outcomes from each activity are available in III.Engagement Findings. Across all engagement, the questions asked followed these themes:  How have you been involved in planning the former Hughes site?  What have you heard from the community to date?  Given the allowable uses, how would you like to see the space used?  What would you like to see here?  Do you have a view on what uses (within the parameters of the ballot language) should be prioritized?  What do you see as the keys to success for ensuring an effective, inclusive engagement process?  Is there anyone you know who should be involved in this process, who is not currently? FIGURE 11: AUDIENCES ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS. FIGURE 10: NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS CATEGORIZED BY AUDIENCE TYPE. Page 64 Item 2. Page 20 of 24 OurCity Platform and Community Surveys Consistent communications strategies are important to understand how the target audiences will be engaged throughout the process. Considerations were given to tools that would best inform, educate, and engage the community throughout the process. Outreach to community members and groups through a community survey administered on the City’s OurCity website was the first tier of engagement. The built-in engagement activities available on the OurCity platform lent themselves well to conducting the following two community surveys:  Future of Hughes Stadium Site Desired Uses Survey (survey #1)  Future of Hughes Stadium Community Prioritization Survey (survey #2) Using the OurCity engagement platform, community members could stay informed on the current process and ideas heard to date. Community members were able to provide additional feedback through digital questionnaires with potential activities and a prioritization exercise. In addition to the OurCity platform, the project team used existing communication channels, including e- mail and newsletter to promote the website launch and online engagement opportunities. This allowed the project team to provide updates to the various audiences and keep all informed. The first survey questions were designed by the project team. Translation for additional languages was provided through the OurCity interface. The survey asked individuals to rank which of the five uses in the ballot language they would like to see prioritized, asking the following questions:  How would you like to see the space used?  Who else should be engaged in this process?  Is there anything else you would like the City to know? Over the course of the outreach during the first survey, 7,700 community members visited the site. Figure 12 shows the various spikes in digital engagement from November 1, 2022, until February 2023. When analyzing the sources of traffic to the OurCity page, many community members used a direct hyperlink to access the page followed by social media, referrals, or emails. A small portion found the site through search engines. The spikes on the graph are the following:  The first spike corresponds with the launch of the website around December 1, 2022.  The second spike happens around January 3, 2023, likely due to the neighborhood postcards arriving to mailboxes.  The third spike of 1,244 visitors was on January 31, 2023, the day the first community survey closed and the day after a Coloradoan article on the topic. FIGURE 12: VISITORS TO THE OURCITY PROJECT PAGE IN THOUSANDS OVER TIME. Page 65 Item 2. Page 21 of 24  The most recent spike correspond to the launch and closure of the second community survey with 1,135 visitors. The second survey was designed similarly to the first survey. Questions were drafted by the project team. Translation for additional languages was provided through the OurCity interface. The bulk of the engagement was performed in English. This survey asked community members to consider their preferred level of activity on the site on a scale of 1-5 (1 being lower impact or activity uses, and 5 being higher impact or activities). Additionally, the survey asks community members to answer the following questions:  Of the items listed on the survey, pick your top 5 uses or activities that you prefer to see on the site.  Is there anything else you would like the City to know? The activities and uses included on the survey were not exhaustive or comprehensive, but were instead a list of most common requests on current and past engagement phases. An option for other was included in the list for community members to raise an additional activity or use for the site. Focus Groups Representatives that participated in focus groups were engaged because of their relationship to the ballot measure, the mission of their organization aligned with the allowable uses in the ballot language, they were identified as potential users of the Hughes site, or they expressed interest in the process. These groups included those who worked to pass the ballot measure, wildlife rescue and restoration interests, conservation interests, recreation groups previously engaged during the City's Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and open space and natural areas advocates. The main goals of the focus groups were to:  Gather input and suggestions on potential uses and preferences for the Hughes site.  Share information on a variety of scenarios and budget constraints for the site.  Assess the community’s continued interest in participating in the process. Each meeting began with a short presentation on the process, after which the project team facilitated a discussion to learn each group’s interests in using Hughes (and how), and the feasibility of implementing those uses. For consistency, the project team developed a script and discussion guide for each conversation. City Boards & Departments Discussions A primary interest in engaging with key City advisory boards was to inform community leaders about the process while collecting feedback on outreach efforts and findings to date. The project team met with the following four City boards:  Disability Advisory Board  Land Conservation and Stewardship Board  Natural Resources Advisory Board  Parks & Recreation Board Page 66 Item 2. Page 22 of 24 Neighborhood and Adjacent Property Owner Outreach The project team engaged residents and adjacent property owners to inform them about the Hughes site engagement process through a post card mailer. Kearns & West supported the City’s communications department in developing the postcard. Six hundred and thirty-three households surrounding the Hughes site received the postcard in early January 2023. The postcard was designed to educate these households about the Hughes site engagement process, knowing that many neighbors and adjacent property owners use the site informally to walk and be in nature. Hearing from these community members is especially important since they will bear witness to any changes to the site, and their daily lives may be temporarily impacted, or their daily routines may be altered. The call to action in the postcard to adjacent property owners was to visit the OurCity website and take the survey to share their vision for the land. Indigenous Peoples Involvement The project team listened to Indigenous Peoples to understand their needs and how these needs could be folded into the Hughes site planning. The project team worked with City staff engaged in Indigenous programming to ensure engagement was responsive to cultural needs. FIGURE 13: THE FUTURE OF HUGHES POSTCARD SENT TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. Page 67 Item 2. Page 23 of 24 V. Conclusion Community members approached potential planning scenarios with creativity, flexibility, and pragmatism, suggesting ways for multiple facilities to exist on the site, and offering that various organizations’ desired uses for the site could be adapted and blended for co-location while maintaining safety, particularly for wild animal enclosures. All community members reflected their willingness to find opportunities for collaboration among organizations and partners. Despite the appetite for a variety of restoration or recreation scenarios, an option to make minimal changes to the property represents one end of the spectrum of development (or no development), to keep the property as is, with its existing uses. These might be considered of lower potential impact, as detailed in this section. On the other end of the spectrum of potential scenarios, generally considered medium- or high-impact is an option to fully develop the property consistent with both the various options in the ballot language (“parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration”) and the cross section of desired City activities from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the City’s community wide survey (paved, multi-use trails, hiking trails, natural areas and wildlife habitats, and unprogrammed spaces). Land ownership plays a big part in what can happen at Hughes. It appears that there are multiple scenarios for land acquisition, the three most notable being whether the land is acquired by the Natural Areas Department, the Parks Department, or with general funds; or a combination of all three, depending on how the site will be used. The plan for uses will determine funding for acquisition, and the different uses have tradeoffs and opportunity costs. While the topic of funding various proposals was addressed through engagement, no conclusions were made on specific funding streams. All groups recognized that implementation of most, if not all, scenarios, would require funding partnerships or external funding, but were committed to leading those efforts and entering in creative funding partnerships with the City. Community members also support the idea creating consensus-based proposals to expand the list of potential partners who could help fund and fundraise toward development, and bringing in a variety of funding partners. Each scenario has its own phases of construction, funding, challenges, departmental constraints. A. Potential Impact Measurements Many of the desired uses for the former Hughes site sit along a spectrum of implementation considerations – some may be relatively easily implemented with little budget and a short development schedule or requiring minimal restoration. For example, developing a pit toilet or enhancing the disc golf course could be realized with minimal investment and a relatively low footprint or staff mobilization. In the second survey, community members were asked to reflect on how the site could be used, on a scale from lowest level of impact/activity and the highest level of impact/activity, based on activities categorized by three levels of potential impact – low, medium, and high. Then, community members were asked to pick the top five uses or activities that they would prefer to see on the site in the future. Community members were reminded that there is currently no funding designated for restoration or any other potential activities or uses on the site, and that overall funding sources were could combing Natural Areas and Parks resources based on usage/activities; and that uses and activities are not exhaustive or comprehensive and are instead a list of most common requests on various survey and outreach results to date. Page 68 Item 2. Page 24 of 24 In this context, the level of impact generally reflects the amount of effort and resources required to implement a potential use or the ease of implementing a scenario but can also reflect the amount of time it would take to implement or the level of funding. The potential level of impact and the ease of implementation from funding and construction perspectives are correlated, and implementation costs are generally consistent with the implementation timing. FIGURE 14: CORRELATION BETWEEN THE POTENTIAL LEVEL OF IMPACT/ACTIVITY, FUNDING STREAMS, AND IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD. Page 69 Item 2. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Regular Meeting | 1745 Hoffman Mill Road December 14, 2022 Members: Andrea Elson, Chair Vicky McLane, Member Ross Cunniff, Vice Chair Alycia Crall, Member Mike Weber, Member Elena Lopez, Member Denise Culver, Member Cole Kramer, Member Joe Piesman, Member 12/14/2022 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL: Andrea Elson, Ross Cunniff, Elena Lopez, Cole Kramer, Mike Weber, Joe Piesman, Denise Culver, Vicky McLane Excused: Alycia Crall NAD Staff: Katie Donahue, Kristy Bruce, Zoë Shark, AJ Chlebnik, Tawnya Ernst, Alynn Karnes; Charlotte Norville City Staff: Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Project Manager, City Manager’s Office (CMO) and Ginny Sawyer, Sr. Project Manager, CMO, Dean Klinger, Interim Community Services Director 3. GUESTS: Councilmember Kelly Ohlson, Caitlyn Sheridan, Project Coordinator, Kearns & West; and Morgan Lommele, Director, Kearns & West 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS: Ellis Carpenter 5. AGENDA REVIEW: Chair Elson amended the agenda to allow for Councilmember Ohlson, and LCSB to thank members whose terms are ending, add time for Councilmember Ohlson to make a statement about the Hughes stakeholder engagement, and a general discussion of the Bicycle Advisory Committee. 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Vice Chair Cunniff made a motion to approve the November LCSB meeting minutes. Member Kramer seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved 8-0. 7. DISCUSSION ITEMS: Thank you to exiting board members. Councilmember Kelly Ohlson voiced his and Council’s appreciation to board members Vicky McLane, Mike Weber and Alycia Crall and stated their work on the board made a difference. He invited Members McLane and Weber to comment about their time on the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board. Member McLane described her time on the board as an amazing education and an opportunity to share her knowledge and LCSB has been an important part of that outreach. Chair Elson voiced with her appreciation of Member McLane’s feistiness and DocuSign Envelope ID: 5509B47A-FA2B-443C-ACAE-32A49A33549F Page 70 Item 2. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Regular Meeting 1 2/14/2022 MINUTES Page 2 willingness to passionately defend her positions on issues and thanked her for serving. Member Weber also mentioned the educational aspect of serving on the board and his gratitude for the opportunity. He appreciated learning about the LCSB perspective, process, and history. He also stated the hope that his time on the board, as perhaps more recreation focused than other members, helped to increase an understanding that conservation and recreation are not mutually exclusive. Members, Kramer and Cunniff stated their appreciation for the diversity of opinions on the LCSB and how diversity enriches discussion and can help members find common ground. Member Kramer reiterated Member Weber’s about the value a recreation perspective brings to the board discussions. Vice Chair Cunniff also thanked Member McLane for your effective voice before Council. Councilmember Ohlson noted there is still one opening on the board, and instructions from the Clerk’s Office for filling the vacancy will be coming in the next few weeks. He also stated his intention to attend the January 11, 2023, meeting to welcome incoming members Scott Mason and Holger Kley. Hughes Stakeholder Engagement Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Project Manager made a brief introduction of the Hughes Stakeholder Engagement process being managed by the communications firm Kearns & West. Kearns & West are in the early stage of the engagement process regarding the potential reuse of the former Hughes Stadium property and will be conducting extensive outreach in the next few weeks. They are currently presenting to various advisory boards and commissions to determine board priorities and identify any community groups they might have missed. They anticipate going to Council in late February-early March 2023 with potential use scenarios for the site. Morgan Lommele and Caitlin Sheridan led LCSB through a brief review of the project milestones, ballot language, public engagement work to date, and the next steps needed in preparing site use scenarios for Council. The ballot language specifies permitted uses of the property which guided Kearns & West in determining which members of the community to contact. The ballot language also frames the questions posed to the community regarding priorities and potential uses. Kearns and West communicated there is some flexibility in the site development within the constraints of both the ballot language and existing uses (disc golf course and water detention area are likely to remain). Morgan stated that Kearns & West are specialists in determining appropriate ways to engage with a variety of community members, and they employ an assortment of tools to gather feedback. Morgan then listed several of the outreach efforts to date: Online survey available on the City’s engagement hub Our City, three focus groups discussions (wildlife restoration, recreation, and raptor rescue and recovery), conversations with indigenous community members and city staff working with the indigenous community, and informational mailers sent to 700 households adjacent to the site. Input from the three focus groups included creating a regional destination for wildlife recovery or bike recreation and capitalizing on the open land to attract visitors to Fort Collins. Kearns & West recently met with the Natural Areas Department DocuSign Envelope ID: 5509B47A-FA2B-443C-ACAE-32A49A33549F Page 71 Item 2. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Regular Meeting 1 2/14/2022 MINUTES Page 3 and learned of the site characteristics and potential for restoration; this information will also be included in the scenarios. In the next several weeks of continued engagement activities, Kearns & West will deepen outreach to indigenous peoples and community members who represent the interests of indigenous peoples, pursue conversations with the Parks and Recreation Departments, and increase community awareness of the online survey. They will also be presenting to other boards and commissions. The culmination of community feedback collected will be distilled in to 4 or 5 different scenarios. They will likely seek additional input from the community prior to finalizing possible use scenarios for presentation to Council. Discussion Councilmember Ohlson opened the discussion emphasizing he was speaking for himself, not on behalf of Council. He first stated his objection to the use of “stakeholder” as it has come to represent special interest groups rather than people who have and continue to work for and support open space for its intrinsic value. He is not aware of the City nor Kearns & West having met with the leaders of Planning Action to Transform Hughes Sustainably (PATHS) or leaders of any other citizen-led open space initiatives and asked why that had not occurred. Councilmember Ohlson voiced opposition to reuse scenarios that would provide a regional draw or function as tourist attractions. He is interested in providing open space, wildlife habitat and recreation for the people that live in the area. Sylvia Tatman-Burrus reiterated they are in the early stage of the engagement process and part of the feedback they are seeking from boards and commission is to identify additional groups for engagement. Councilmember Ohlson also stressed the need to communicate with the community the Natural Areas funding constraints and budget transparency for the project. Chair Elson asked if Kearns & West planned to come back to LCSB to present the scenarios before taking them to Council, with Sylvia Tatman-Burrus replying yes they could share scenarios or groupings of uses, but would not yet have fully developed plans. Ginny Sawyer, Sr. Project Manager, reminded everyone there is no funding for implementation, this is likely a long- term plan. City staff will want to accurately assess what community wants and be able to outline some rough costs and the processes to realize the proposed scenarios. Vice Chair Cunniff asked if K & W included fiscal information in the community engagement; is the public being informed about funding sources and associated constraints. Natural Areas expenditures are specifically defined by the ballot that funds Natural Areas. Morgan replied it is Kearns & West’s intention to provide Council with a clear view of the scenario options including rough costs estimates, and to be very clear during community outreach in conveying there is no budget. In response to member Culver, Sylvia Tatman-Burruss stated funding sources outside of the City budget process are being explored. Katie Donahue, Director explained that because several city departments utilize Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grants there are ongoing conversations, especially among Community Services, in prioritizing requests. Ginny restated everyone is communicating there is no budget but also recognized a responsibility to be prepared to respond to community expectations and having ideas for funding mechanisms. DocuSign Envelope ID: 5509B47A-FA2B-443C-ACAE-32A49A33549F Page 72 Item 2. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Regular Meeting 1 2/14/2022 MINUTES Page 4 In response to Councilmember Ohlson’s question as to why the PATHS organizers were not consulted at the beginning of the outreach, Ginny Sawyer reiterated the city does want to make sure they connect with those voices and asked board members share contact information. She also pointed to the Parks and Recreation Master plan which included a statistically valid survey identifying community needs and the City’s plan to utilize the data to help inform the priorities for reuse scenarios. Sylvia Tatman-Burrus said they have not yet conducted Indigenous outreach and are coordinating with the City’s Equity Office before starting that conversation. Member Lopez responded that the PATHS group is still active and looking forward to participating in outreach. They would love an opportunity to convey the importance of the spirit of law with the priority to protect it for wildlife habitat. She also noted the three pioneering members of the group are indigenous people and yet no one has reached out to them. At Chair Elson’s request, Katie Donahue summarized the conversation between the Natural Areas Department and Kearns & West. Topics covered included the limitations on how NAD funds can be spent, the department’s framework for land conservation prioritization, and very rough costs estimates for habitat restoration and mitigation (many unknowns about stadium demolition) on the Hughes site. They also discussed the purchase fee arrangement which is subject to change depending on the final acreage to be managed by Natural Areas. Additionally, Katie explained no formal resource assessment of the site will be done until after acquisition: an inventory of species, habit restoration opportunities, trail connectivity, etc. Several board members expressed concern for hazardous waste on the site with Member Kramer asking if the seller can be held liable for any remediation not addressed prior to closing. Member Lopez followed by stating there are many assumptions about contamination that may or may not exist and suggested putting those assumptions aside until a formal resource assessment has been conducted. She added the PATHS group has some information to share in that regard. Vice- Chair Cunniff agreed it’s best to make zero assumptions and look for best restoration opportunities on the site. Morgan confirmed that Kearns & West will reach out to those who helped pass the ballot measure. She then invited board members to share any perspectives or opinions not yet captured. Several board members were adamant that Natural Areas funds be used only for land conservation and restoration. Recreation uses should not be funded with Natural Areas dollars nor should the construction of wildlife or raptor recovery buildings. Member Piesman stated these other items might be candidates for public-private partnerships. Vice Chair Cunniff and Member Kramer stressed any aspect of the site not managed by natural areas should still strive for low maintenance features to control costs and consider native landscaping (low water use). Katie Donahue added there has been some discussion about potential Nature in the City projects and funding at the site. Member Lopez asked again for clarification around GOCO funding for land acquisition. Katie Donahue replied that GOCO has specific goals for awarding grants and perhaps this site did not align. Zoë Shark, Public Engagement Program Manager added GOCO only funds acquisitions for properties selling at appraised value. Member Piesman stated the property should not be dismissed as a parking lot and described the habitat on the west side as pretty rich. He reported seeing a juvenile moose on the west side about four years ago, and more recently a bobcat crossed in front of his bike near to the former stadium site. DocuSign Envelope ID: 5509B47A-FA2B-443C-ACAE-32A49A33549F Page 73 Item 2. Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Regular Meeting 1 2/14/2022 MINUTES Page 5 Member Piesman suggested connecting with the frequent users of Maxwell perhaps via trailhead tabling. Member Kramer asked if informational signage could be installed to raise public awareness of the survey. Katie Donahue explained Natural Areas is not managing the public engagement for this project but offered to check with the City Manager’s Office regarding signage. Charlotte Norville, Public Engagement Specialist offered to include the survey information in the department’s January newsletter. Vice Chair Cunniff pointed out the survey information and link are not on the City’s website home page. Sylvia Tatman-Burrus explained the survey has been shared with groups they’ve connected with, and the link will go out to general public on January 1st. Katie Donahue shared that she recommended to K & W to present to LCSB early in the process. Some of the future outreach mechanisms and groups to contact identified during this meeting are in fact on their list for the coming weeks. Chair Elson stated it would have been helpful if the presentation outlined the broader scope of the process as much of the conversation was focused on planning and use concepts. Member Kramer stated the LCSB has not seen the survey or any other materials. He asked if the survey and other engagement mechanisms are offered in both English and Spanish, and if underserved communities are being engaged. Member Lopez thanked everyone for their work and asserted the community wanted the property preserved and it will become a great asset. She also expressed a need to restore trust between the City and the public, including the PATHS group. Morgan Lommele thanked everyone for their insight, input, and perspective. 1041 Regulations Vice Chair Cunniff reported on the feedback and discussion of the subcommittee, much of which was whether to limit 1041 to natural areas and parks, or to cover the entire city and growth management area. Several committee members including Member Cunniff advocated for expanding the geographic area subject to regulations. It would be useful in regulating projects that might interact with parks and natural areas, i.e., water flows from these projects into our stream sheds. Vice Chair Cunniff also reported it was Council’s decision to limit 1041 regulations to water, wastewater, and transportation and to not include electric and natural gas utility lines. He suggested if LCSB wanted to make a recommendation to Council to expand 1041 regulations to cover the larger geographic area and include utility lines, doing so in January 2023, prior to Council work sessions would be ideal. Members Lopez and Kramer expressed concern about Council’s decision to narrow the geographic scope to a small subset of areas in the city. Member Kramer asked if there was a downside to adding gas and electric utility lines to 1041; could it be as simple as adding appropriate language? It was Vice Chair Cunniff’s opinion that adding those two items would likely involve discussions with utility providers and require staff direction from Council. He suggests the LCSB move forward with preparing a memo and making a recommendation to Council to add gas and electric utility lines to be subject to 1041 regulations Bicycle Advisory Committee Member Weber stated there was not a lot to share other than the ongoing discussion of Vision DocuSign Envelope ID: 5509B47A-FA2B-443C-ACAE-32A49A33549F Page 74 Item 2. NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR December 15, 2022 6:00 – 8:00 pm Via Zoom 1 2 /15 /2022 – MINUTES Page 1 CALL TO ORDER 6:02pm ROLL CALL •List of Board Members Present – −Dawson Metcalf (Chair) −Kevin Krause (Vice Chair) −Danielle Buttke −Drew Derderian −Lisa Andrews −Matt Zoccali −Barry Noon −Kelly Stewart •List of Board Members Absent – Excused or Unexcused, if no contact with Chair has been made −Avneesh Kumar −Victoria McKennan •List of Staff Members Present −Honore Depew, Staff Liaison −Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Senior Project Manager −Kirk Longstein, Senior Environmental Planner −Katie Collins, Water Conservation Specialist −Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Manager −Danielle Reimanis, Senior Specialist •List of Guests −Lisa Andrews, Board Member starting in January 1.AGENDA REVIEW 2.PUBLIC PARTICIPATION a.None 3.APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST Page 75 Item 2. NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /15 /2022 – MINUTES Page 2 a.Dawson moved and Drew seconded a motion to approve the November minutes. Motion passed unanimously. 6-0 4.NEW BUSINESS a.Future of Hughes – Sylvia Tatman-Burruss (Sr. Policy and Project Manager) gave an update on the engagement process so far and the feedback received through focus group conversations. Staff also engaged the Board in a series of questions regarding potential future uses of the property. (Discussion) −Discussion | Q + A −Dawson – Q – Some of my students were doing some work around this conversation, in doing community engagement with methodology survey with them. A lot of what they were hearing was a notion of co-management practices thinking about indigenous communities and what that looked like. I know you made a mention of that in one of the previous slides. I am curious to know if there has been a little more conversation there and what that conversation looked like in the past. I know there was a website at one point about it and then the website came down so just curious in that space. Sylvia –A – Unfortunately I have not been involved in that conversation for a while . We have a new Indigenous Engagement Specialist that has been hired within the City Manager’s Office recently. I think she is going to get plugged in on this project. With conversations I had with that team this week is that this may not be the piece of land of interest for an indigenous community center but that there is still interest for one within the community. I think they are looking to have that conversation probably mid-January or so. We would really hope to get that feedback incorporated into the scenarios for Council then. −Dawson – Comment – The only other piece that is burning in my memory was the notion of people wanting it to be a natural area and I know there are some challenges with that regarding terminology and legal pieces but that was the other conversations we got a lot of feedback on. Sylvia – Comment – We have engaged with our Natural Areas staff and the natural area restoration on this site would be pretty costly. Usually sites are purchased that already have some really great features there or something there to preserve. That may take away from their ability to purchase those typ es of properties in other areas of the community. I think that is something we are grappling through right now. −Matt – Comment – In a previous slide I think you sort of summarized what you had heard and that is very similar to the things I have heard about this site. I also think it is important, I talked with Honore and Dawson offline about this, but I don’t think it impacts too much of tonight’s discussion but I want to be open and honest. The company I work for did the environmental Page 76 Item 2. NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /15 /2022 – MINUTES Page 3 assessment for the City of Fort Collins on this property. I did the site reconnaissance and am familiar with some of the site conditions. If it ever gets to a point where there is some perceived conflict of interest, I want to have an open conversation about that. Then I am going to jump ahead a little bit to my personal view on the site. These areas where we have a transition from the plains to the foothills are really unique. I understand its challenges around it not being a pristine site and I get it. I know there has been a lot of use but there may be an opportunity to sort of preserve that type of corridor. I know it is a small site that is bounded by development, roads, and past use but it does present a really unique opportunity for that transition ecotone area. − Kevin – Comment – I would agree with that, with the added context bei ng especially that the property is different than natural areas parcels typically have been from my understanding, since it was previously developed and has a footprint/significant remnants of the previous use. This makes it more favorable in considering a conversation to recreation in a nature-oriented setting, rather than the extensive effort required to fully restore the property. It is a great opportunity to take advantage of the transitional area while offering a unique community recreation hub that is outdoor focused-meeting the requests from the community. Specifically, doing so in a manner that is not just putting in large amounts of e.g. non-native turf that would require extensive amounts of water like a traditional park may. As indicated by community members, we have significant lack of recreational bike focused, park type, infrastructure in the city compared to many others. This was highlighted in the parks and recreation master plan community outreach, where two labels of bike-related priorities emerged from community members. One being “mountain bike courses” and the second being “bike parks”. Despite several requests to staff by multiple individuals to combine these items, they were instead perceived in the planning process as separate types of needs, even though the community members did not see it this way. In fact, if you do combine those two priority areas in the planning feedback document, the total is 18.9%, which actually makes it the number one need identified by the community during the parks & recreation master plan outreach. It would have beat out community gardens, dog parks, natural areas and so forth. I am engaged with the bike community but also with parents who are not necessarily in the bike community but have kids who want to bike, young kids who are not in the sport yet with parents who don’t necessarily do that. To have a place close to town with different levels of access without having to get out on significant trails which is often not possible for parents is where the need is. So many facilities exist for other sports and activities but there is a large gap here. As Sylvia mentioned, these activities compliment each other and, particularly, in a unique natural environment/transition space would get kids connected with the outdoors. It is Page 77 Item 2. NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /15 /2022 – MINUTES Page 4 a great opportunity for our community. I will say that I am almost here in this seat on the Board because of biking. That is what years go got me outside and, ultimately, engaged in sustainability. It is a unique space with great chance for our community for things that have been asked for, for a long time. I think it is important when this is brought to Council to remind them that in 2020 a whole lot of kids, young adults, young women came and spoke directly about what biking has done for them in their lives especially during the pandemic and there being lack of space to do that in Fort Collins. That was so inspirational. − Danielle – Comment – I don’t have much experience with this site beyond personally hiking during burrowing season to look for burrowing owls, never successfully unfortunately. I was kind of surprised by the suggestion/recommendation to have a wildlife rehab center built there both because there is quite a bit of existing infrastructure in the city for these purposes and as not mentioned this site is being at this transition ecotone is highly erodible. Additional infrastructure there to me, doesn’t seem ecologically like a great fit. That is not a very climate friendly design simply because there isn’t mass transit going there, there are not bus systems going there and there are not other ways the employees or other people that would be visiting to get there. Driving more car-based transition to that site goes against what I would envision a natural area’s goals and vis ion would be. The fact that it is degraded to me means that it is even more at risk of being even more erodible and having other impacts there. I also think there is some great prairie dog habitats in that space and prairie dogs continue to be pushed out of other suitable habitats along the front range. It being again, in a transitional ecotone puts it in a really great place to host a higher diversity of predators that would not otherwise be viable in these locations, even if it is a small patchy habitat. So that unique aspect and the close proximity that humans have to observe these species in that particular site is also really fantastic. − Kelly – Q – I was wondering if you have reached out to any of the groups among the disabled community. I think there was an article a couple of months ago maybe in the Washington Post about these all-terrain wheelchairs that are popping up along state parks across the county. That makes me think that with the uniqueness of this site and the opportunity we have here, that it might be a cool way to give access to the disabled community. That would maybe be my one suggestion if you haven’t already. Sylvia – A – Ginny Sawyer, we are tag teaming this project and she is presenting to the Disability Advisory Board tonight to rea lly figure out are there types of trails or features that they would specifically like to see on this site. We have heard some issues certainly and the issue of ADA accessibility or just appropriateness or what they really need or want out of recreation to get a better understanding of that. Page 78 Item 2. NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /15 /2022 – MINUTES Page 5 −Sylvia – Comment – We didn’t have the disc golf folks at the recreation conversation. We have reached out to some folks on this kind of older stakeholder outreach list, and I think we are going to be able to get with the disc golf folks. We are going to meet with PATHS (Planning Action To Transform Hughes Sustainably). They are the folks who put together the ballot language, so we are going to meet with them soon. We are really filling in the pieces and parts right now and again, haven’t done that big outreach push yet. If you talk to folks and they ask why they haven’t heard about this, it is because we just haven’t done that yet. You can also feel free to reach out to me with anyone else you think we haven’t gotten to. −Dawson – Q – What does the engagement around youth look like potentially going forward with this decision making? Sylvia – A – That is a great question and might be a little tricky for us as I don’t know if the Youth Board is super active or if that is happening right now. I think that would be an easy place for us to go. I think we will be reaching out to the Nordic skiing folks at PSD , some of the contacts for Bike Fort Collins, and other places like that but if you think of groups that would be helpful that would help us as well. Kevin – Comment – So maybe just clarifying that PSD had a representative at least at one of the focus groups and some of the other youth focus groups were there too at least when I was there. A baseball focused individual was there too. Sylvia – Comment – We may not be doing specific outreach to engaging youths specifically but that may be something we could look at as we get a little more specific about those uses. −Sylvia – Comment – I am going to move onto the next slide to give you my contact information. I think that is the best way to reach out to me, by email. You can of course contact Honore as he knows where to find me. Let me know what questions you might have as we start to really develop these scenarios. I think we are looking at March for Council. If we can’t come back for a Board meeting before that time, we can certainly share materials with you and get that feedback. That Council meeting with be a work session and will be a very preliminary conversation. Any scenarios we would refine we would certainly come back to this Board and others to get your feedback. I really appreciate the time tonight and look forward to more conversations in the future. b.1041 Regulations – Kirk Longstein (Senior Environmental Planner) shared what has changed in the proposed revisions to 1041 regulations since NRAB’s last discussion of the topic in October. (Action) −Discussion | Q + A −Dawson – Q – I know in October there was potentially discussion around a Page 79 Item 2. Parks and Recreation Boards TYPE OF MEETING – Regular January 25th, 2023 413 S Bryan 01/25/2023 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER Ken Christensen called to order at 5:36 PM 2. ROLL CALL List of Board Members Present Ken Christensen Bob Kingsbury Mike Novell Nick Armstrong Meghan Willis Joshua Durand List of Board Members Absent – Excused or Unexcused; if no contact with Chair has been made Jon Corley Paul Baker Marica Richards (excused) List of Staff Members Present LeAnn Williams Recreation Director (remote) Mike Calhoon Parks Director Matt Day Sr. Landscaping Architect Jen Scott Business Support II List of Guests Richard Thorp Utilities Lead Specialist, Sciences Jill Oropeza Utilities Director, Sciences Sylvia Tatman-Buruss CMO Sr. Project Manger Morgan Lommele Kearns & West (remote) Caitilin Sheridan Kearns & West (remote) 3. AGENDA REVIEW Changes announced at the meeting by the Chair 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Page 80 Item 2. Parks and Recreation Board 01/25/2023 – MINUTES Page 4 Hughes Stadium Presentation Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Sr. Policy & Project Manager Kearns & West Morgan Lommele (remote) Caitlin Sheridan (remote) 2016 Hughes stadium closed 2021 Citizens voted to rezone the site for “parks, recreations, open lands, natural areas, wildlife rescue and restoration”. City rezoned the parcel as “Public Open Lands”. 2022-Currently City is developing scenarios for the use of the site 2023 City anticipates acquiring site from CSU No current funding for scenarios which would be helpful for Council to address how to use the land. Meeting with multiple boards, neighbors, and Indigenous people for input. Focus groups have noted the desire for: maintain the connections to nature, feeling of being in open spaces, maintain community character, become a regional destination for biking, wildlife rehabilitation, and opportunity to use the land by Indigenous Peoples. Continue outreach and discussion of community desires. Board feels the importance of fully engaging and advocating for the Indigenous People in their interest for this space. Bring Indigenous People in as consultants. Questions Tying into the Parks Master Plan- gaps What is allowed from the Master Plans to fill in the gaps for the space. What are the steps to include Indigenous community in the process. Diversity, equity, and inclusion team with the City to engage with Indigenous people. Create a process February is to go over multiple properties. What is the timeline for the project? Unsure- funding, what are the needs of the community. Transparency is key. Page 81 Item 2. Parks and Recreation Board 01/25/2023 – MINUTES Page 5 7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS FC Bikes Update Marcia Richards (presented by Ken Christensen) FC Moves Parks Forever Card Active Modes Plan/Policy Approved Recommend Connecting access to Trails Bike City Rating 2018 Fort Collins was 1st 2019 Fort Collins was 2nd 2022 Fort Collins is 43rd. The drop in position due to increase in participation in the Bike City Rating program International). 8. OTHER BUSINESS RECREATION Update– LeAnn Williams Registration system RFP to go out Record amount of registration 8 New Employees 2 vacancies ADA Bathroom at the Farm Northside Program Funded for Renovations this Fall 2023 PARK PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Update– Matt Day Dovetail East Maintenance Facility In punchlist process Mail Creek Still working with Engineering and Railroad to connect Trails I25 and Poudre River Trail Montava Page 82 Item 2. Parks and Recreation Board 01/25/2023 – MINUTES Page 6 WatersEdge (ongoing) CAPRA Certification Process is ongoing David Kemp is starting with us February 6th as the Senior Trails Planner and he will be coordinating closely with FC moves PARKS Update – Mike Calhoon Ice Rink Opened at City Park Every Wednesday Unhoused Encampment cleanup Restructure Park Planning 9. ADJOURNMENT Time Ended 8:23 PM Page 83 Item 2. Future of Hughes City Council Work Session March 14, 2023 Page 84 Item 2. 2Agenda •History and Project Overview •What We’ve Heard •Next Steps •Discussion Page 85 Item 2. 3Council Questions QUESTIONS: What initial thoughts does Council have regarding feedback to date? Are there activities Council would like to continue to explore on the site? Does Council support staff bringing 2-3 options that could include both short- term and long-term opportunities for discussion later in 2023? Page 86 Item 2. 4Milestones 1958 2016 2019-2022 CSU Closes the 164-acre Hughes Stadium Site 20232021 City considers options for the site (Council considers rezoning the site for housing in Nov 2019) Consider community input on activities for use of the site Stadium opens for CSU football games 2022-2023 Citizens vote to rezone the site for “parks, recreation, open lands, natural areas, wildlife rescue and restoration.” Council rezones property as “Public Open Lands” City anticipates acquiring the site from CSU Page 87 Item 2. 5Historic Site Context 1950 2017Page 88 Item 2. 6 •August 8, 2019 •Approximately 265 attendees •Many drawings indicated a desire for “Public Open Lands” or POL across the entire site. •Many other drawings indicated a preference for some development on the site with a protective naturalistic or open space buffer along the western edge of the site. •Protect views of the foothills. •Create community space for recreation and nature. •Consider environmental protections and buffers for nature. •Maintain and increase access to nearby natural areas. •Increase trails, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure. Page 89 Item 2. •In 2019, citizen-initiated petition to rezone the164.56- acre Hughes Stadium to the Public Open Lands District for “parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration” •Acquire the property (in progress) •3,531 verified signatures for the petition (8,385 lines used) •28,492 voted “Yes” for the ballot initiative (68.6% approval rate) Ballot Language & Background 7 Page 90 Item 2. Engagement Process •Groups engaged •Recreation •Wildlife Rescue •Conservation •PATHS •B&Cs •Surveys •Purpose and structure of #1 •Numbers •Purpose and structure of #2 •Numbers 8 Page 91 Item 2. 9Context and Definitions Natural Areas: •Program established in 1992 •Mission: To conserve and enhance lands with natural resource, agricultural and scenic values, while providing meaningful education and appropriate recreation opportunities.” •Dedicated funding through the “Help Preserve Open Space (County)” and “Open Space Yes (City)” sales taxes •Land generally owned by the City and protected/preserved for ecological/aesthetic value Public Open Lands (POL): •Zoning designation or district for Natural Areas, Publicly-Owned Parks, and open lands which have a community-wide emphasis Parks, recreation and open lands: ”shall mean natural areas as described in the Natural Areas Policy Plan, parks and recreation facilities as described in the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan whether such facilities are owned or operated by the City or by another not-for-profit organization, environmental interpretation facilities, outdoor environmental research or education facilities, or public outdoor places.”Page 92 Item 2. 10Survey Results Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #1) 2,710 unique responses •Based on the 2021 ballot language, how would you prioritize the following uses? •15% of respondents supported recreation •16% open lands •16% parks •11% natural areas •18% wildlife rescue and restoration •An “other” option was also available for elaboration on the type of open lands or recreational activities they hoped to see on the site •How would you like to see the space used? •High preferences for a bike park, open and natural space, mixed use recreation space, multi-use connected trails, Indigenous Peoples community gathering area, and maintaining the disc golf course Page 93 Item 2. 11Survey Results Future of Hughes Stadium Site Survey (Survey #2) 1,896 unique responses Desired Level of Impact •High preferences were voiced for trail connections and improvements, a bike park, a Nordic skiing course, land restoration, restrooms, and a cross country running course. •The survey also included a free response question where many respondents reiterated their activity preferences. Page 94 Item 2. 12Focus Groups-What We’ve Heard •Maintain connections to nature and the feeling of being in open space. •Maintain the community character of the site. •Use the space for only low-impact recreation use, such as low-impact trails. •Emphasize the value of this property in relation to Pineridge and Maxwell Natural Areas •Help the City become a regional destination for bike riders and wildlife enthusiasts. •Create a multi-use recreational space (encompassing a bike park and “lower footprint” activities). •Create a wildlife rehabilitation center and a space for wildlife-related education opportunities. •Provide a space that inspires residents to explore new hobbies or nature. •Create opportunities for use or preservation of the land by Indigenous Peoples. Page 95 Item 2. 13 NEXT STEPS: Staff is proposing continuing to work with Council and the public to determine potential activities or improvements to pursue in future budget cycles. This will likely be a multi-year iterative process. Council will approve a 2025-26 budget in November 2024. Page 96 Item 2. 14Council Questions QUESTIONS: What initial thoughts does Council have regarding feedback to date? Are there activities Council would like to continue to explore on the site? Does Council support staff bringing 2-3 options that could include both short- term and long-term opportunities for discussion later in 2023? Page 97 Item 2. Discussion 15 Page 98 Item 2. Page 99 Item 2. City Council Work Session Agenda – City of Fort Collins Page 1 of 5 March 14, 2023 WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY City Council STAFF SeonAh Kendall, Economic Health Director Jillian Fresa, Economic Health Manager Molly Saylor, Waste Reduction and Recycling Lead Specialist SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Economic Health Strategic Plan and Circular Economy. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this work session is to provide Councilmembers with an update on and seek Councilmember feedback about the planned elements to include in the updated Economic Health Strategic Plan. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED 1. What feedback does Council have on the proposed elements to include in the updated Economic Health Strategic Plan? 2. Do Councilmembers have feedback about the circular economy portion of this planning effort? BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Economic Health Strategic Plan Background The Economic Health Strategic Plan (EHSP) is an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded project to develop an updated strategic plan for the Economic Health Office (EHO) to layout a roadmap for long term economic recovery and resiliency efforts. Strategic plans are meant to be forward looking that can also address resiliency. The previous Economic Strategic Plan, developed in 2015, did not reflect integration of the triple bottom line (TBL) or the changing economic landscape due to disasters such as the pandemic. Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, etc. are discrete events, however, the pandemic has continued to have long-term effects and uncertainty. Having an updated plan means EHO will be better positioned to support businesses and the local economy during recovery and beyond while incorporating the guiding principles of livability, sustainability, and community. The updated Economic Health Strategic Plan works to be people-focused to support economic mobility and access such as supporting underrepresented and underserved individuals and business owners for income and job stability, leveraging workforce opportunities to reskill, upskill and new (RUN) skill to support a resilient community. Staff is working closely with the selected consultant, Hickey Global, to develop strategic recommendations and an implementation plan that will support the local economy and community. Page 100 Item 3. City Council Work Session Agenda – City of Fort Collins Page 2 of 5 Key Milestones Hickey Global has conducted an initial stakeholder engagement analysis, benchmarking research, and a comprehensive economic analysis which includes a cluster verification study. Staff and the consultant are working to incorporate discovered data into a comprehensive strategic plan. Vision & Guiding Principles EHO’s vision is to support businesses, enabling a healthy, equitable, resilient economy and community. The EHO guiding principles of Livability, Sustainability, and Community are integrated throughout the EHSP strategic focus areas. Alignment to Council Priorities The EHSP is the primary implementation step for the Council Priority to Develop a Circular Economy Plan. The EHSP also aligns with the additional Council Priorities below:  Advance Regionalism: collaboration regionally while maintaining the unique character of Fort Collins o Regional economic and workforce initiatives such as NoCo Works and the Northern Colorado Regional Cluster Study o Partnerships with Innosphere, CSU Research Innovation Center (RIC), Front Range Community College and other educational and entrepreneurial partners  Attract and retain competitive and diverse talent to meet the needs of the community o Support the growth and retention of diverse talent through a community-led diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) Talent Network initiative to create a stronger sense of belonging  Explore climate emergency messaging and action o Develop resiliency program to support businesses for economic, climate, or human-caused emergencies  Reduce plastic pollution o Champion a circular economy o Support the Sustainable Business Program  Develop a circular economy plan (EHSP) o Opportunity to support businesses, especially manufacturers transition to circular economy  Partner with Poudre School District (PSD) for workforce development o Responsive education and training partners such as PSD and Larimer County that collaborate to meet the evolving needs of learners, businesses, and the economy (Attachment 1)  Affordable, quality, and accessible childcare infrastructure o Collaborate with Larimer Small Business Development Center Early Childcare Business Training Program  Create a targeted, specific plan for community recovery o Ensure safe and stable employment, current and future (recovery) o Restore the Fort Collins Small Business Revolving Loan Fund  Implementation of 15-minute community concept Page 101 Item 3. City Council Work Session Agenda – City of Fort Collins Page 3 of 5 o Develop a space or storefront assistance program to support underrepresented, underserved businesses Economic Analysis, including a Cluster Verification Study The Economic Analysis provides insight into a cluster verification study, demographic and workforce analysis, and economic trends while benchmarking other competitive markets nationwide. Within the analysis, a cluster study was completed. “Clusters” are geographic concentrations of organically interconnected small, medium, and large businesses, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and economic development organizations in a particular field. Cluster activities increase opportunities for these segments to participate in and promote innovation, identify research, create jobs, and attract capital within a particular industry and generally enhance regional economic growth. (Attachment 2) Stakeholder Engagement & SWOT Analysis Hickey Global conducted a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis as a fundamental building block for the Economic Health Strategic Plan framework. One-on-one interviews were conducted directly, engaging representatives of the Fort Collins public and private communities, regional leaders, and external business/industry experts, including large employers, small businesses, and creatives. The assessment provides valuable insights into where the EHSP may recommend investing time, energy, investments, and policymaking for the economic health of the city as well as a framework to the implementation of the plan. (Attachment 3) Strategic Focus Areas Four Strategic Focus Areas have been identified based on the analysis and research done so far. These Areas also align with existing City initiatives including City plans and Council priorities. The four Strategic Focus Areas and examples of the potential strategies within them are:  Business Retention & Expansion o Support primary employers in attaining their Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) goals that align with the City Strategic Plan o Transform ForFortCollins.com to post-COVID community online platform  Examples: procurements matchmaking, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) business lists, and ambassador program  Workforce & Talent o Advance regionalism such as NoCo Works  Partnerships with PSD and Larimer County for workforce development that supports future business growth (Council priorities) o Collaborate regionally on workforce initiatives including the growth and retention of diverse talent and innovative pathways for climate resilience (Reskill, Upskill, and New skill for new and existing employees)  Small Business o Design and Implementation of a Small Business Development Plan  Develop resiliency program to support businesses for economic, climate or human- caused emergencies (Council priorities)  Development of a legacy business program  15-min cities (Council priorities)  Develop a space or storefront assistance program to support underrepresented, underserved businesses Page 102 Item 3. City Council Work Session Agenda – City of Fort Collins Page 4 of 5  Revolving Loan Fund o Character-based loan fund for underrepresented, underserved businesses.  Innovation o Alignment with Our Climate Future while leveraging Innosphere, CSU, and other research within bio, life-science, and clean tech cluster o Champion circular economy (Council priorities)  Opportunity to support businesses, especially manufacturers transition to circular economy Circular Economy as part of the Economic Health Strategic Plan Incorporating a circular economy focus within the Economic Health Strategic Plan positions the City to support an increasingly circular Fort Collins economy and progress toward the community’s zero waste goal by 2030. Fort Collins has integrated circular economy strategies into two of its primary environmental plans (Our Climate Future (OCF) and the Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan (MSAP), with the strategies focused on individuals, small businesses, institutions, and the construction and demolition sector. Further integrating circular economy through inclusion in the Economic Health Strategic Plan is an opportunity to close gaps not addressed in other plans, including:  Economic health dimensions of the circular economy o Cluster support, wealth generation, skills and training, business attraction, etc.  Manufacturing sector strategic gaps. o The manufacturing sector has the greatest global impact and opportunity for innovation.  Non-regulatory strategies o Support businesses transitioning to circular business models. Early engagement and learnings:  International connections o The City has learned from international cities working on a circular economy, including the City’s ongoing collaboration with Vila Nova de Famalicao in Portugal, and will continue to do so through several upcoming opportunities.  Business connections o The City has connected with businesses from the local to international scale to understand how cities can support their circular economy work. Attachment 5 includes more detail on the background concepts, starting place for circular economy work in Fort Collins, and early recommendations for planning consideration. NEXT STEPS  The project team will continue to develop Economic Health Implementation Plan while incorporating feedback from Council as well as exploring integration of other City plans into the Economic Health Strategic Plan ahead of the second scheduled Work Session on August 8, 2023, where a draft plan will be presented to Council prior to adoption.  Continue learning about the circular economy through local manufacturer survey and international collaboration opportunities. ATTACHMENTS Page 103 Item 3. City Council Work Session Agenda – City of Fort Collins Page 5 of 5 1. Increasing Good Jobs in Colorado, TalentFound 2. Economic Analysis, December 2022 3. SWOT Analysis, January 2023 4. Best Practices, January 2023 5. Fort Collins Circular Economy Concepts and Existing Conditions Analysis 6. Presentation Page 104 Item 3. Increasing Good Jobs in Colorado Good jobs are key to a strong economy and opportunity for all Coloradans. ELEVATE ATTRACT CREATE Leaders ELEVATE opportunities for growth, connection, and meaning Strong leaders elevate good jobs by establishing trusting and inclusive work environments that support employees in developing new skills, advancing along career pathways, and feeling connected to one another and the broader goals of the organization. Companies CREATE good jobs that meet basic needs Companies and industries work collaboratively to create good jobs that meet basic needs and offer conditions that promote equity, inclusiveness, and opportunities for career and economic mobility. Communities ATTRACT and grow businesses committed to job quality Community members and local stakeholders in economic development, workforce development, education, and community organizations work collaboratively to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for their community by attracting and growing businesses that offer a variety of high-quality jobs. To learn more about job quality in Colorado, please visit cwdc.colorado.gov/job-quality.Page 105 Item 3. Coordinated policies and incentives that promote the creation and growth of good jobs Long-term attraction and retention plans that prioritize quality jobs Responsive education and training partners that collaborate to meet the evolving needs of learners, businesses, and the economy Wages that provide predictable income that covers basic living expenses and allows for wealth building Benefits that facilitate a healthy, stable life A schedule that enables workers to balance the other demands of life Working conditions offer an environment that promotes physical, emotional, and psychological safety and wellness Employers establish transparent growth opportunities to advance along a career pathway and increase pay Sense of belonging in an inclusive environment where individuals are accepted and connected to one another Continuous opportunities for personal growth, creativity, and problem solving Open and transparent communication keeps employees informed and connected to broader organizational goals and decision makers Worker voice and agency are taken into account with key decisions and workers are recognized for their contributions to the organization Work is meaningful and provides a sense of satisfaction and purpose ATTRACT Communities ATTRACT and grow businesses committed to job quality CREATE Companies CREATE good jobs that meet basic needs ELEVATE Leaders ELEVATE opportunities for growth, connection, and meaning Take Action to Increase Job Quality Good jobs are key to a strong economy and opportunity for all Coloradans. Ensuring good jobs for Coloradans requires a commitment to equity and the individual and collective actions of communities, employers, and leaders. To learn more about job quality in Colorado, please visit cwdc.colorado.gov/job-quality. Page 106 Item 3. Economic Health Strategic Plan –Economic Update December 2022 Proprietary and Confidential. © 2022 Hickey Global. All Rights Reserved.DRAFTPage 107 Item 3. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.Defining the Mission 2.Understand the Findings DRAFTPage 108 Item 3. Defining the Mission Evaluating and influencing the economic health of the City of Fort Collins ✓Recent changes have provided an opportunity for the City of Fort Collins to evaluate its current processes and direction moving forward. ✓The City expressed the need to integrate the triple bottom line framework into economic development efforts. ✓With an eye towards sustainability and improving the economic health of the City, a Strategic Plan will be drafted to incorporate prior studies, new data, and stakeholder viewpoints to achieve economic resiliency in the face of dynamic global pressures. DRAFTPage 109 Item 3. Defining the Mission Project Components ✓Updated economic analysis inclusive of cluster verification, demographic and workforce analysis, and economic trends ✓Assessment of the circular economy and instructive materials on how Fort Collins can develop a roadmap ✓Community Engagement to gather anecdotal information on the City and incorporate diverse voices ✓Benchmarking of current economic development efforts against best practices both domestically and internationally ✓Full strategic plan with implementation guide in order to achieve direct and practicable results ✓Final delivery and presentation of Economic Health Strategic Plan DRAFTPage 110 Item 3. Meet Your Competitors Competitive markets were chosen based on discussions with Fort Collins ✓Austin, Texas ✓Bozeman, Montana ✓Boise, Idaho ✓Boulder, Colorado ✓Phoenix, Arizona DRAFTPage 111 Item 3. 7 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 1.Recessions & Resilience 2.Demographics 3.Skills Gap Analysis 4.Education 5.Commuting 6.Quality of Life DRAFTPage 112 Item 3. National Impacts of COVID-19 Unemployment Rate 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0% 18.0% 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Unemployment Rate U.S.ColoradoDRAFT Page 113 Item 3. Massive Spikes and the “Return to Normal” COVID-19 Impact on Employment 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0% 18.0% 1/1/2019 7/1/2019 1/1/2020 7/1/2020 1/1/2021 7/1/2021 1/1/2022 7/1/2022 Unemployment Rate U.S.Colorado Pre-COVID COVID-19 Recovery DRAFTPage 114 Item 3. Industry Diversity Percentage Share of Regional Employment •Industry diversity is a measure of how evenly employment is distributed between 11 industry clusters found in the typical MSA. Markets with high diversity are considered to be more resilient in the face of adversity such as recessions and layoffs. Fort Collins has above-average Industry Diversity (ranked 150 out of the 384 Metro MSAs), with favorable distributions in Knowledge-Intensive business Services, Higher Education, and Healthcare. Based on distribution alone, Boise is the most industrially diverse market in the competitive set. •Non-function employment refers to industries that primarily serve local markets and are non-export such as retail, dentist offices, and construction. This cluster is the most heavily represented for all MSAs. 57% 58% 59% 60% 47% 59% 12% 11% 9% 9% 16% 9% 6% 8% 7% 5% 8% 9% 6% 6% 5% 5% 6% 6% 4% 3% 4% 5% 6% 4% 4% 3% 4% 5% 5% 3% 4% 3% 4% 3% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 4% 3% Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Bozeman, Montana Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Phoenix, Arizona Regional Industry Distribution Non-Function Employment Knowledge-Intensive Business Services Higher Education Healthcare Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Media, Entertainment & Recreation Distributive Services Corporate Management & Administration Labor/Capital/Resource-Intensive Research, Engineering, and Technology Agriculture & Natural Resource Extraction Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 115 Item 3. Industry Diversity Percentage Share of Regional Employment Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% National Average Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Bozeman, Montana Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Phoenix, Arizona Regional Industry Distribution Compared to Typical MSA Knowledge-Intensive Business Services Higher Education Healthcare Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Media, Entertainment & Recreation Distributive Services Corporate Management & Administration Labor/Capital/Resource-IntensiveDRAFT Page 116 Item 3. Fort Collins, CO Regional Outlook The table below highlights key economic indicators for Fort Collins compared to the State and National levels. The Fort Colli ns MSA (geographically equal to Larimer County) has experienced greater population and job growth than the State of Colorado, which in turn experienced higher growth than the U.S. as a whole. Fort Collin’s population represents roughly 6% of the State’s overall population. Region Population (2021) Population Growth (2017 –2021) Job Growth (2016 –2021) Labor Force Participation Rate (June 2022) Net Migration (2020) Median Household Income (2020) Unemployment Rate (June 2022) Fort Collins, CO 367,152 8.2%8.2%69.09%964 $76,400 2.89% State of Colorado 5,884,424 6.1%6.7%69.23%9,194 $75,200 3.24% U.S.331,820,028 2.7%1.8%62.53%N/A $65,000 3.84% Source: EMSI, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 117 Item 3. General Demographics Total Population and Labor Force •Total population is one piece of the overall economic potential of a region. Trends and growth prospects are considered in detail in the following slides. Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global 0 1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000 Austin, Texas Boise City, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Bozeman, Montana Phoenix, Arizona Fort Collins, Colorado Total Population and Labor Force (2021) Total Population Labor ForceDRAFT Page 118 Item 3. General Demographics Population by Generation •The generational composition of a region’s workforce is a key consideration for large-scale workforce projects, as the generation categorized as Baby Boomers begins retiring and Generation Z enters the labor force. A high concentration of aging workers can threaten the overall sustainability of a labor-intensive project. •The competitive set has very similar age distributions, rendering an even playing field between markets. Fort Collins has a higher percentage of young individuals than Boulder by a small margin. •Bozeman, Montana has the largest Gen Z populace within the competitive set. •Age cohort definitions follow standards set by Pew Research. Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global (5 –24)(25 –39)(40 –54)(55 –74)(75+) 4% 6% 5% 6% 4% 6% 28% 25% 30% 26% 28% 26% 22% 26% 24% 21% 20% 21% 17% 21% 17% 19% 19% 18% 22% 18% 19% 22% 22% 21% 7% 5% 5% 7% 7% 8% Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Bozeman, Montana Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Phoenix, Arizona Population by Generation (2022) Under 5 Generation Z Millenials Generation X Boomers Silent GenerationDRAFT Page 119 Item 3. General Demographics Population by Race and Ethnicity 81% 50% 79% 77% 90% 53% 11% 30% 13% 12% 4% 28% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 3% 2% 7% 2% 5% 5% 7% 6% Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Bozeman, Montana Phoenix, Arizona Population by Race and Ethnicity (2022) White, Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic Two or More Races Asian American Indian or Alaskan Native Black, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderDRAFT Page 120 Item 3. General Demographics Population by Gender 45.00% 50.00% 55.00% Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Bozeman, Montana Phoenix, Arizona Chart Title Female MaleDRAFT Page 121 Item 3. Hickey Diversity Index Background DIVERSITY INDEX Hickey’s Diversity Index is our proprietary customized measurement of a community’s overall diversity. Whereas many companies evaluate diversity purely in terms of higher percentages of racial minorities, Hickey’s measurement allows clients to define what diversity means to them and can include the following categories: •Race •LGBTQ •Hispanic origin •Age •Generational groups (i.e., Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, etc.) •Language •Citizenship After input is received from our clients, each category is weighted based on its importance and evaluated based on the balance of the distribution of their sub- groups (e.g., different races, ages, etc.) within each category. The greater the balance, the higher the diversity index score. A score of 100% is equal to the U.S. national average.DRAFTPage 122 Item 3. Hickey Diversity Index Fort Collins vs. Competitive Set After analyzing the diversity of each category for every metropolitan and micropolitan area in the United States,an indexing formula was calculated representing each market’s variance from the national average.The weightings below represent the significance of the individual categories relative to each other (based on traditional weighting measures).A weighted average score was calculated resulting in the Hickey Blended Diversity Index.The U.S.average score equals 100%.Higher scores represent greater diversity. HICKEY DIVERSITY INDEX SCORES METRO/MICROPOLITAN HICKEY BLENDED DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY RACIAL DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY LGBTQ+ DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY HISPANIC DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY LANGUAGE DIVERSITY INDEX HICKEY CITIZENSHIP DIVERSITY INDEX DIVERSITY GROWTH INDEX Fort Collins, CO 80%43%153%108%95%78%77%81% Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 141%147%95%192%127%166%145%130% Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX 108%120%73%197%121%173%150%28% Boulder, CO 96%65%153%124%110%125%120%94% Boise City, ID 84%71%45%120%134%94%89%146% Bozeman, MT 39%15%53%55%83%50%56%83%DRAFTPage 123 Item 3. •According to the U.S. Census, the majority of counties (73.1%) had more deaths than births from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, a marked increased from prior years. This “natural decrease” can be partially or completely offset by in-migration, as has been the case for 58% of U.S. counties. •Before COVID-19 and during the initial stages of the pandemic, Southern states experienced significant growth in migration, drawing population predominantly from the Northeast and Midwest. •In addition to regional trends, counties adjacent to major urban centers have experienced significant in-migration as individuals seek housing options outside of the city. General Demographics Domestic Migration Trends 2019-2020 DRAFTPage 124 Item 3. •Trends from 2019-2020 largely continued in the following year, though with fewer outmigration counties overall. Large markets centers continued to see a net decrease in migration, particularly in counties with populations over 500,000. •Over the entire 2019-2021 period, only Southern states saw a net increase in migration, drawing over one million individuals from other areas of the U.S. •Economic developers will need to understand the decision drivers for talent in addition to businesses in order to maintain population growth within their communities. While multifaceted, one of the predominant themes is the availability of affordable housing. General Demographics Domestic Migration Trends 2020-2021 DRAFTPage 125 Item 3. General Demographics Net Migration With the most recent data based in 2020, the net migration of the competitive markets was largely driven by trends exacerbated by COVID-19. Most large urban markets saw a net migration loss as individuals sought more stable environments during the onset of the pandemic. However, markets in the southwestern U.S. were net recipients of migration, as seen in Texas and Phoenix. •Fort Collins experience a modest net migration surplus in 2020, consistent with migration into the state at large (net migration was 9,194 in 2020 for Colorado). •Boulder was the only market in the competitive set to experience a net migration loss in 2020. Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global 3,456 732 -1,351 16,530 25,183 964 -5,000 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 Phoenix, Arizona Bozeman, Montana Boulder, Colorado Boise, Idaho Austin, Texas Fort Collins, Colorado Net Migration (2020)DRAFTPage 126 Item 3. Commuting Patterns Use of Transportation Region % of Commuters Carpooling to Work % of Commuters Driving Alone to Work % of Commuters Taking Public Transportation to Work % of Commuters Walking to Work Remote Workers % Remote Workers Mean Commute Time Fort Collins, CO 7.3%73.0%1.4%2.8%21,302 11.7%23.6 Austin, Texas 8.8%73.1%1.7%1.9%143,711 12.5%27.4 Boise, Idaho 8.3%78.1%0.3%1.9%31,591 8.9%22.6 Boulder, Colorado 7.0%62.7%4.8%4.6%27,740 16.1%23.5 Bozeman, Montana 8.4%71.9%0.5%5.5%6,631 10.6%18.3 Phoenix, Arizona 10.8%73.9%1.7%1.5%220,023 9.7%26.9 Source: Census Bureau, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 127 Item 3. Commuting Patterns Total Commuters Region Total Inbound Commuters Total Outbound Commuters Total Net Commuters Larimer County, CO 61,643 59,864 1,780 Inbound Regions Commuters into Larimer Commuters from Larimer Total Net Commuters Weld County, CO 29,563 15,654 13,909 Boulder County, CO 5,386 11,438 -6,052 Jefferson County, CO 4,618 4,272 346 Arapahoe County, CO 3,791 4,595 -803 Adams County, CO 3,723 5,249 -1,525 Denver County, CO 3,304 8,035 -4,731 DRAFTPage 128 Item 3. Regional Income Factors Driving Wage Growth and Migration Region Median Household Income Per Capita Personal Income Median Gross Rent Cost of Living Index1 United States $64,994 $59,510 $1,191 100.0 Fort Collins, Colorado $76,366 $64,913 $1,463 108.3 Austin, Texas $80,852 $98,317 $1,427 96.6 Boise, Idaho $64,717 $50,474 $1,222 97.5 Boulder, Colorado $87,476 $79,649 $1,732 117.4 Bozeman, Montana $70,124 $63,432 $1,315 104.4 Phoenix, Arizona $67,068 $51,851 $1,384 107.0 •This table highlights some of the macroeconomic indicators that factor into wage expectations within a community. Median Household Income shows the income level earned by a given household and is considered an accurate measure of income at the geographical level. Per capita personal income is a key gauge of economic performance. These factors are countered by the costs of living in the community, identified here by Median Gross Rent and the overall Cost of Living. •Fort Collins has the third highest median household income behind Boulder and Austin. Median gross rent and cost of living are the second highest, indicating that Colorado is a high-cost environment compared to other competitors. •Austin has an attractive mix of high per capita personal income and low cost of living. The cost of living index is likely lowered by the inclusion of Round Rock and Georgetown. 1.The Cost of Living Index (COLI) provides a baseline for regional costs of living compared to the nation and to other markets.The index is comprised of six categories: grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. An index below 100 means the region has a lower cost of living than the national average, while an index above 100 means it is more expensive to live. A commonly used Cost of Living Calculator is published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).DRAFTPage 129 Item 3. Regional Income Factors Driving Wage Growth and Migration 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 $0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000 United States Fort Collins, Colorado Austin, Texas Boise, Idaho Boulder, Colorado Bozeman, Montana Phoenix, Arizona Median Household Income/Cost of Living Median Household Income Cost of Living IndexDRAFT Page 130 Item 3. Educational Attainment Education Achievement by Level Region High School Diploma Some College Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Graduate Degree and Higher Fort Collins, Colorado 19%20%9%28%20% Austin, Texas 19%19%6%29%16% Boise, Idaho 26%24%10%22%11% Boulder, Colorado 11%15%6%35%28% Bozeman, Montana 17%22%7%33%18% Phoenix, Arizona 24%25%9%19%11% •Fort Collins is highly competitive for positions requiring advanced degrees, with 20% of the populace possessing a Graduate Degree or higher. Boulder has the largest proportion of post-secondary attainment. •Nearly 50% of the populace in Fort Collins has a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Boulder leads the pack with 63%, while Bozeman has 51%. •Not all occupations require secondary degrees, however, and other markets may be better suited for industries requiring technical or trades skills rather than academic accreditation. Markets with a high rate of Associate’s holders or a populace with some college experience are more likely to be a draw for these types of roles. 19%19% 26% 11%17% 24% 20%19% 24% 15% 22% 25%9%6% 10% 6% 7% 9% 28%29% 22% 35% 33% 19% 20%16%11%28%18%11% Fort Collins, CO Austin, TX Boise, ID Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Phoenix, AZ High School Diploma Some College Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Graduate Degree and HigherDRAFTPage 131 Item 3. Educational Attainment Completions by Select Degree Program Region 2021 Total Agricultural/ Animal/Plant/ Veterinary Science Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services Education Engineering and Engineering Related Technologies/ Technicians Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Biological and Biomedical Sciences Mathematics and Statistics Physical Sciences Public Administration and Social Service Professions Social Sciences Visual and Performing Arts Health Professions and Related Programs Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services Fort Collins, CO 15,653 680 705 495 1,222 1,874 946 138 149 191 594 263 1,497 3,055 Austin, TX 38,291 142 2,273 1,039 2,749 2,296 1,882 650 475 697 1,908 1,519 3,776 5,884 Boise, ID 10,313 19 327 764 387 1,119 260 52 83 414 297 204 1,821 1,718 Boulder, CO 12,445 0 641 187 1,566 24 1,001 279 375 5 946 365 148 1,656 Bozeman, MT 3,444 106 89 354 599 126 269 62 122 5 152 136 310 352 Phoenix, AZ 135,884 519 6,467 14,515 3,880 5,744 2,163 319 921 3,793 2,020 6,512 26,697 32,813 •While the pipeline does not have the same volume as its competitors, Fort Collins has particular strengths in the production of Biological and Biomedical Science, Engineering and Technician, and Business Management degrees. The most active programs are: Business Administration, Psychology, Business Family and Consumer Sciences, Exercise Science and Kinesiology, Biology and Biological Sciences, and Computer and Information Sciences. •Fort Collins has the highest percentage of degrees in Biological and Biomedical Sciences within the competitive set, as those programs represented 11.7% of the total degrees awarded in Fort Collins in 2021. •The markets in Colorado have a high percentage of their overall degrees in Engineering and Engineering Related Technologies. The degrees represent 11% of total degrees in Fort Collins and nearly 13% in Boulder. Bozeman has the highest percentage with 17%. •Fort Collins awards the most degrees in Agricultural, Animal, Plant, and Veterinary Science.DRAFTPage 132 Item 3. Educational Attainment Completions and Enrollment by Institution 2020 Enrollments Enrollment Change (2016 –2020) 32,428 2% 5,981 6% 18,703 -1% 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Aims Community College Front Range Community College Competions by Degree Type (2021) Certificates Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctor's DegreeDRAFT Page 133 Item 3. Employment Growth Occupation Growth in Fort Collins vs the US Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global Educational Instruction and Library Personal Care and Service Protective Service Community and Social Services Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Management Transportation and Material Moving Legal Occupations Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Office and Administrative Support Business and Financial Operations Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations Production Occupations Computer and Mathematical Sales and Related Occupations Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Military-only occupations Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Life, Physical, and Social Science Construction and Extraction Healthcare Support Architecture and Engineering Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations Projected Change in Jobs (2021 -2026) Expected Change in Jobs (2021 -2026) Net Difference (2021 -2026)DRAFTPage 134 Item 3. Housing Values Median Home Values and Growth Rates Source: Zillow Housing Data Research •Median home prices Fort Collins are moderate compared the competitive set. Boulder has the highest median home value, and Phoenix has the lowest. •Price inflation in Colorado has been slower than in competitor markets, with Fort Collins having the lowest annual average growth of the competitive set at 9%. •Home values have been increasingly steadily nationwide, with most markets in the study having an annual average growth rate of over 10%. $461,499 $596,673 $517,471 $577,296 $840,063 $711,397 14.3% 15.2% 18.1% 9.0% 9.2% 12.4% 0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%18%20% $0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $800,000 $900,000 Phoenix, AZ Austin, TX Boise City, ID Fort Collins, CO Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Median Home Value, March 2022 Avg Annual Growth March '17 - March '22DRAFT Page 135 Item 3. Health Access to Healthcare and Outcomes Fort Collins, CO Austin, TX Boise City, ID Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Phoenix, AZ Phoenix, AZ Life Expectancy 81.6 81.4 80.1 83 82.4 80.6 80.6 Combined Health Index 67.1 64.5 58.6 72.4 73.3 56.1 56.1 •Fort Collins has positive health outcomes compared to the national average and an overall life expectancy of 81.6 years. •Access to healthcare at the MSA level is average, with 8.4% of residents without insurance. Austin and Boise City have the highest percentage of uninsured adults within the competitive set. •The combined health index takes into account dozens of data points including prevalence of health issues, number of primary care providers, premature mortality, and more. Fort Collins lands in the middle of the competitive set.17.1%15.5%7.7%9.5%13.8%8.4%1,4021,4138171,2711,5681,1570 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 0% 10% 20% Austin, TX Boise City, ID Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Phoenix, AZ Fort Collins, CO Percentage of Uninsured Adults and Population per Physician DRAFTPage 136 Item 3. Crime Crimes per 1,000 People •The violent crimes rates are highest in Phoenix and the highest property crime rates are in Boulder. Phoenix is the only market with higher violent crime rates than the national average. •Crime rates for Fort Collins are lower than the U.S. average. The violent crime rate is the lowest of the competitive set. •Boulder has similar violent crime rates as Fort Collins but significantly higher property crimes. At over 25 per 1,000 people, Boulder has the highest property crime rate of the competitive set. Source: Lightcast, FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2021051015202530 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Boise City, ID Fort Collins, CO Chart Title Property Crimes per 1,000 people Violent Crimes per 1,000 peopleDRAFT Page 137 Item 3. 36 INDUSTRY VERIFICATION 1.Cluster Concepts 2.Cluster List 3.Food &Beverage Manufacturing 4.Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology 5.Information Technology 6.Life Sciences 7.Wood &Wood Product Manufacturing 8.Metals,Plastics,Mineral Product, and Chemicals Manufacturing 9.Professional Services 10.Distribution &E-Commerce DRAFTPage 138 Item 3. 37 Cluster Strategy Definition WHAT IS A “CLUSTER”? The U.S. Small Business Administration defines clusters as geographic concentrations of organically interconnected small, medium and large businesses, universities, non -governmental organizations, and economic development organizations in a particular field. Cluster activities increase opportunities for these segments to participate and promote innovation, identif y research, create jobs and attract capital within a particular industry and generally enhance regional economic growth. INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATIONS Traded Industry Traded industry clusters are groups of interlinked businesses that sell goods and services in markets outside of their local region. Traded industries tend to offer higher wages and stronger career pathways to their employees and bring larger investment and tax revenues into a community. Economic development organizations favor traded clusters for target industry efforts. Local Industry Conversely, local industry clusters are groups of industries that primary serve the local region. Because local industries ar e not as competitive, they do not typically benefit from competitive advantages inherent to a community. DRAFTPage 139 Item 3. 38 Why NAICS? Methodology NAICS IS NECESSARY BUT NOT SUFFICIENT Pros •Allows for data-driven analysis and justification of cluster •Tracks changes in cluster growth over time •Provides ability to crosswalk to skills and occupations Cons •NAICS are self-identified by companies •Does not include emerging industries •Will not capture all business types within a cluster •Does not represent fixed limits on the cluster definitionsDRAFT Page 140 Item 3. 39 Clusters NAICS List Food & Beverage Manufacturing 311213: Malt Manufacturing 312120: Breweries 312140: Distilleries 311423: Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing 311941: Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce 311511: Fluid Milk Manufacturing 311119: Other Animal Food Manufacturing 311352: Confectionary Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate 311811: Retail Bakeries 311812: Commercial Bakeries 311920: Coffee and Tea Manufacturing Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology 333618: Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 333112: Lawn and Garden Tractor and Equipment Manufacturing 333413: Industrial and Commercial Fan, Blower, and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing 333992: Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing 333519: Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 333618: Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 333112: Lawn and Garden Tractor and Equipment Manufacturing 333413: Industrial and Commercial Fan, Blower, and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing 333992: Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing 333519: Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 333618: Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 333112: Lawn and Garden Tractor and Equipment Manufacturing 333413: Industrial and Commercial Fan, Blower, and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing 333992: Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing 333519: Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing Information Technology 334111: Electronic Computer Manufacturing 334516: Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing 334515: Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals 334418: Printed Circuit Assembly Manufacturing 334519: Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing 334510: Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing 334513: Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables 334419: Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 334514: Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing 334511: Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing 518210: Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 511210: Software Publishers 335999: All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing 541511: Custom Computer Programming Services 541512: Computer Systems Design ServicesDRAFT Page 141 Item 3. 40 Clusters NAICS List Life Sciences 325412: Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing 541715: Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) 339116: Dental Laboratories 339114: Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 325411: Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing 339112: Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing Wood & Wood Product 321114: Wood Preservation 337110: Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing 321999: All Other Miscellaneous Wood Product Manufacturing 321918: Other Millwork (including Flooring) 337211: Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing 321992:Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals 325320: Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing 331523: Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries 325613: Surface Active Agent Manufacturing 332323: Ornamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing 327991: Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing 324121: Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing 331210: Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 331420: Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying 327215: Glass Product Manufacturing Made of Purchased Glass 332439: Other Metal Container Manufacturing 327320: Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing 332919: Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 327110: Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing 326122: Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 326199: All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing 326130: Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing Professional Services 541620: Environmental Consulting Services 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541330: Engineering Services 541613: Marketing Consulting Services DRAFTPage 142 Item 3. 41 Clusters NAICS List Distribution & E-Commerce 424910: Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 488991: Packing and Crating 423490: Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 424590: Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers 493130: Farm Product Warehousing and Storage 425110: Business to Business Electronic Markets 424950: Paint, Varnish, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 423330: Roofing, Side, and Insulation Material Merchant Wholesalers 424490: Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers 423430: Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers 423910: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 423320: Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers 424810: Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers 423210: Furniture Merchant Wholesalers 423710: Hardware Merchant Wholesalers 423990: Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant WholesalersDRAFT Page 143 Item 3. 42 Target Industry Identification Introduction to Cluster Analysis DRAFTPage 144 Item 3. 43 Fort Collins Growth Potential Location Quotient and Annual Growth Fort Collins is projected to experience growth in most major industries over the next five years. Traded Industry Local Industry Blended Industry Note: Dot Size represents Regional Employment within the Sector Government 50,000 Employees Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Utilities ConstructionManufacturing Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Transportation and Warehousing Information Finance and Insurance Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Management of Companies and Enterprises Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Educational Services Health Care and Social Assistance Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Accommodation and Food Services Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Other Services (except Public Administration) Government -1% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 0 1 2Projected CAGR 2020 -2025Location Quotient Location Quotient vs. Projected Annual Growth DRAFTPage 145 Item 3. Title Date Company name or logo Target Industries DRAFTPage 146 Item 3. Top Employers Food & Beverage Manufacturing NAICS 312120: Breweries Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology NAICS 333618: Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing Information Technology NAICS 334418: Printed Circuit Assembly Manufacturing Information Technology NAICS 334111: Electronic Computer Manufacturing Information Technology NAICS 334111: Electronic Computer Manufacturing Life Sciences NAICS 325412: Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals NAICS 326199: All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing Information Technology NAICS 513120: Software PublishersDRAFT Page 147 Item 3. 46 Manufacturing Location Quotient and Annual Growth Fort Collins has distinct specializations in multiple manufacturing verticals, particularly: •Beverage and Tobacco Product •Computer and Electronic Product •Machinery •Plastics and Rubber Products •Furniture and Related Product Traded Industry Local Industry Blended Industry Note: Dot Size represents Regional Employment within the Sector Government 1,000 Employees Food Mfg. Beverage and Tobacco Product Mfg. Textile Product Mills Wood Product Mfg. Printing and Related Support Activities Petroleum and Coal Products Mfg. Chemical Mfg. Plastics and Rubber Products Mfg. Nonmetallic Mineral Product Mfg. Primary Metal Mfg. Fabricated Metal Product Mfg. Machinery Mfg. Computer and Electronic Product Mfg. Electrical Equipment Mfg. Transportation Equipment Mfg. Furniture and Related Product Mfg. Miscellaneous Mfg. -5% -3% -1% 1% 3% 5% 7% 9% 0 1 2 3 4 5Projected CAGR 2021 -2026Location Quotient Location Quotient vs. Projected Annual Growth DRAFTPage 148 Item 3. 47 Professional Services Location Quotient and Annual Growth Fort Collins specializes in: •Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services •Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services •Scientific Research and Development Services Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services includes industries such as commodity inspection services, patent broker services, appraisal services, and other establishments engaged with the provision of professional, scientific, or technical services outside of the industries with specific NAICS codes. Traded Industry Local Industry Blended Industry Note: Dot Size represents Regional Employment within the Sector Government 1,000 Employees Legal Services Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services Specialized Design Services Computer Systems Design and Related Services Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services Scientific Research and Development Services Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services -6% -4% -2% 0% 2% 4% 6% 0 1 2Projected CAGR 2021 -2026Location Quotient Location Quotient vs. Projected Annual Growth DRAFTPage 149 Item 3. 48 Food & Beverage Manufacturing Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 311213: Malt Manufacturing 31 $51,251 21.33 7.16% 312120: Breweries 1,492 $91,484 13.48 1.50% 312140: Distilleries 96 $64,425 3.81 4.75% 311423: Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing 54 $35,154 3.74 10.01% 311941: Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce 61 $69,627 2.62 10.14% 311511: Fluid Milk Manufacturing 145 $64,617 2.37 1.61% 311119: Other Animal Food Manufacturing 66 $68,012 1.56 2.46% 311352: Confectionary Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate 49 $40,009 1.37 1.01% 311811: Retail Bakeries 150 $29,622 1.24 1.70% 311812: Commercial Bakeries 151 $78,108 0.97 0.70% 311920: Coffee and Tea Manufacturing 26 $65,278 0.89 6.52% Sub-Cluster Total 2,321 $59,781 3.74 2.27% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 150 Item 3. 49 Food & Beverage Manufacturing Cluster Overview Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 2,321 49 out of 927 3.74 57 out of 927 ▶︎Food & Beverage Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 299 2%$28.19 Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters 189 1%$18.62 Bartenders 134 1.8%$13.05 Bakers 103 1%$14.27 Food Batchmakers 101 3.4%$17.27 •The Food & Beverage sub-cluster identifies establishments that transforms raw agricultural goods into food products. The sub - cluster relies heavily on infrastructure, the quality of materials, and the local supply chain from processing, packaging, and distribution. •Fort Collins has cluster strengths in a diverse range of Food & Beverage Manufacturing, with notable specializations in beverage- related industries such as Malt Manufacturing, Breweries, and Distilling. As for Food Manufacturing, Fort Collins is an employment hub for Dried and Dehydrated Foods,Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce, and Fluid Milk Manufacturing. •The overall Food & Beverage Manufacturing cluster covers a diverse range of products and processes beyond the clusters identified as potential strengths in the region.DRAFTPage 151 Item 3. 50 Food & Beverage Manufacturing Companies in the County COMPANIES HIRING IN THE DISTRICT: •Retail Project Merchandisers •Route Sales Professionals •Center Leaders •Delivery Drivers •Loaders Total: 33 Unique Job Postings Key Jobs Posted October 2021 through October 22 •Maintenance Technicians •Warehouse Associates •Cellar Operators •Field Sales Representatives •Labor Technicians Total: 25 Unique Job Postings •Truck Drivers •Forklift Operators •Custodial Shift Supervisors Total: 16 Unique Job Postings Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 152 Item 3. 51 Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 333618: Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 1,507 $123,558 28.98 0.78% 333112: Lawn and Garden Tractor and Equipment Manufacturing 169 $71,067 7.72 5.70% 333413: Industrial and Commercial Fan, Blower, and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing 203 $68,998 5.78 5.39% 333992: Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing 91 $111,324 5.36 -6.90% 333519: Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 62 $72,853 4.63 -11.87% 333241: Food Product Machinery Manufacturing 95 $93,517 4.26 0.69% 333922: Conveyer and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing 87 $84,540 2.12 4.70% 333611: Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing 48 $78,657 2.07 11.85% 333314: Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing 35 $86,907 1.40 3.02% 333517: Machine Tool Manufacturing 39 $101,216 0.86 -4.89% 333242: Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing 25 $103,978 0.81 -0.99% 336330: Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components Manufacturing 75 $103,770 2.04 8.12% 336320: Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing 89 $66,191 1.33 9.14% 336991: Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing 16 $53,805 1.16 4.77% Sub-Cluster Total 2,541 $106,652 5.72 2.00% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 153 Item 3. 52 Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology Cluster Overview Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 2,541 33 out of 927 5.72 6 out of 927 ▶︎Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 189 2.2%$17.71 Mechanical Engineers 175 2.4%$38.31 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers 168 0%$17.13 Machinists 138 1.4%$22.83 Industrial Engineers 86 4.8%$46.43 •The Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology sub-cluster identifies establishments that apply mechanical force (e.g. gears and levers) to perform work as well as establishments that produce equipment for transporting people and goods. Both Machinery Manufacturing and Production Technology can involve complex assembly operations, and Production Technology incorporates these processes with final assembly into finished vehicles. •Fort Collins has pronounced cluster strengths in Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing driven in part by the presence of Woodward in the region. The MSA also has specializations in Lawn and Garden Tractor and Equipment Manufacturing, Industrial and Commercial Fan, Blower, and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing, Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing, and Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing. DRAFTPage 154 Item 3. 53 Machinery Manufacturing & Production Technology Companies in the County COMPANIES HIRING IN THE DISTRICT: •Assembly Technicians •Application Engineers •Customer Support Engineers •Software Automation Engineers •Automation Specialists Total: 52 Unique Job Postings Key Jobs Posted October 2021 through October 22 •Assemblers •Material Handlers •Forklift Operators •Build Technicians •Direct Installers Total: 28 Unique Job Postings •Mechanical Engineers •Mechanical Assemblers •Supply Chain Leaders •Electrical Controls Engineers •Field Service Technicians Total: 23 Unique Job Postings Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 155 Item 3. Information Technology Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 334111: Electronic Computer Manufacturing 1,499 $269,870 11.97 1.28% 334516: Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing 555 $161,505 11.78 -1.36% 334515: Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals 511 $208,819 11.67 -7.75% 334418: Printed Circuit Assembly Manufacturing 423 $213,396 6.36 2.14% 334519: Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing 227 $89,646 5.70 2.71% 334510: Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing 237 $124,491 2.74 4.32% 334513: Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables 132 $132,596 1.92 5.46% 334419: Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 131 $84,546 1.89 0.69% 334514: Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing 16 $113,719 1.59 -9.19% 334511: Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing 193 $171,197 1.26 4.06% 518210: Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 616 $98,489 1.34 -0.27% 511210: Software Publishers 716 $96,949 1.12 2.54% 335999: All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing 84 $114,064 2.39 5.10% 541511: Custom Computer Programming Services 1,450 $166,365 1.11 5.74% 541512: Computer Systems Design Services 1,331 $125,059 1.00 3.37% Sub-Cluster Total 8,121 $166,466 1.81 2.18% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 156 Item 3. 55 Information Technology Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 8,121 63 out of 927 1.81 6 out of 927 ▶︎Information Technology Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Software Developers 1,107 2.8%$57.90 Computer Hardware Engineers 850 0.2%$62.91 Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers 305 0.8%$18.08 Computer User Support Specialists 244 4%$28.32 Project Management Specialists 217 2.4%$38.40 •The Information Technology sub-cluster identifies establishments that create, implement, and connect technological systems and processes through computing. The industry definition used in this study includes companies that manufacture the various technology hardware and equipment used to compute as well as the companies involved in using software to create products and services. •Fort Collins has pronounced cluster strengths in Electronic Computer Manufacturing thanks to the presence of companies like Intel and Broadcom. The MSA also has specializations in Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals, and Printed Circuit Assembly Manufacturing among others. Cluster Overview DRAFTPage 157 Item 3. 56 Information Technology Companies in the County COMPANIES HIRING IN THE DISTRICT: •Software Engineers •Project Managers •Business Analysts/Programmers •Network Engineers •Solutions Architects Total: 373 Unique Job Postings Key Jobs Posted October 2021 through October 22 •Software Product Managers •Software Engineers •Product Managers •Project Management Office Managers •Cybersecurity Risk Analysts Total: 314 Unique Job Postings •Firmware Engineers •Electronic Service Technicians •Design Engineers •Electronics Engineers •Electrical Engineers Total: 213 Unique Job Postings Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 158 Item 3. 57 Life Sciences Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 325412: Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing 803 $119,805 3.14 4.12% 541715: Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)988 $152,524 1.72 -5.47% 339116: Dental Laboratories 94 $57,895 1.61 1.15% 339114: Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 29 $118,547 1.56 10.02% 325411: Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing 63 $69,061 1.43 6.09% 339112: Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing 205 $219,290 1.29 8.09% 621511: Medical Laboratories 284 $76,145 1.04 6.01% Sub-Cluster Total 2,467 $132,463 1.78 1.39% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 159 Item 3. 58 Life Sciences Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 2,467 62 out of 927 1.78 80 out of 927 ▶︎Life Sciences Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Biochemists and Biophysicists 89 -1.2%$38.36 Microbiologists 89 -1.1%$29.99 Natural Sciences Managers 89 -3.2%$63.13 Chemists 87 2.2%$36.88 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians 86 3.8%$28.54 •The Life Sciences sub-cluster identifies a broad category of establishments that perform research, development, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices and technology in order to improve health outcomes. Pharmaceutical companies create and distribute medicines, while biotech firms use natural cellular and biomolecular processes to create products. •Fort Collins has the largest cluster strength in Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing, with regional employment three times that of a similar sized community in the U.S. due to Tolmar. The community also has specializations in Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences as well as Dental products and processes seen in Dental Laboratories and Dental Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing. Cluster Overview DRAFTPage 160 Item 3. 59 Life Sciences Companies in the County COMPANIES HIRING IN THE DISTRICT: •Clinical Laboratory Assistants •Phlebotomists •Medical Laboratory Scientists •Phlebotomy Technicians •Phlebotomy Supervisors Total: 27 Unique Job Postings Key Jobs Posted October 2021 through October 22 •Image Analysts •Pathology Assistants •Pathologists •Research Scientists •Quality Assurance Auditors Total: 20 Unique Job Postings •Medical Support Specialists •Plasma Center Technicians •Medical Screeners •Center Supervisors •IT Product Owners Total: 17 Unique Job Postings Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 161 Item 3. 60 Wood and Wood Product Manufacturing Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 321114: Wood Preservation 41 $78,300 3.32 0.97% 337110: Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing 446 $61,729 2.93 1.46% 321999: All Other Miscellaneous Wood Product Manufacturing 54 $39,541 1.55 1.58% 321918: Other Millwork (including Flooring)69 $51,519 1.50 2.02% 337211: Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing 27 $58,700 1.48 -0.03% 321992:Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing 23 $30,160 1.08 1.74% Sub-Cluster Total 661 $58,644 2.32 1.44% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 162 Item 3. 61 Wood and Wood Product Manufacturing Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 661 72 out of 927 2.32 188 out of 927 ▶︎Wood and Wood Product Manufacturing Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 187 1.2%$18.16 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 56 0.4%$17.71 Carpenters 26 1.6%$21.83 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 25 1.6%$15.52 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 25 1.6%$35.06 •The Wood and Wood Product Manufacturing sub-cluster identifies establishments that manufacturing products such as lumber, plywood, veneers, wood containers, wood trusses, and prefabricated wood buildings. The cluster includes businesses that create intermediate products directly from wood as well as companies that purchase sawed lumber and create final products.Firms conducting Wood Preservation activities treat wood with creosote or other preservatives to prevent decay and to protect against fire. •The Fort Collins MSA has high location quotients in a number of Wood and Wood Product Manufacturing industries, such as Wood Preservation, Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturing, and All Other Miscellaneous Wood Product Manufacturing. Cluster Overview DRAFTPage 163 Item 3. Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 325320: Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing 47 $76,267 2.90 4.60% 331523: Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries 64 $50,042 2.50 5.26% 325613: Surface Active Agent Manufacturing 13 $62,595 2.41 1.22% 332323: Ornamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing 110 $58,540 2.20 4.72% 327991: Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing 85 $66,900 2.00 4.18% 324121: Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing 35 $50,664 1.89 4.22% 331210: Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 38 $69,766 1.37 9.36% 331420: Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying 40 $51,980 1.34 10.71% 327215: Glass Product Manufacturing Made of Purchased Glass 68 $65,555 1.29 2.05% 332439: Other Metal Container Manufacturing 21 $78,213 1.27 10.22% 327320: Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing 138 $92,288 1.19 1.31% 332919: Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 19 $45,180 1.12 11.19% 327110: Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing 23 $44,013 1.10 6.48% 326122: Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 222 $78,428 6.61 4.70% 326199: All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing 1,222 $86,790 3.44 2.23% 326130: Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing 26 $74,972 1.15 8.40% Sub-Cluster Total 2,169 $79,405 2.55 3.43% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 164 Item 3. 63 Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 2,169 164 out of 927 2.55 68 out of 927 ▶︎Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 157 2%$17.71 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 126 3.6%$17.75 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 82 2.2%$22.23 Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 76 2.8%$20.08 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 57 2.8%$28.19 •The Metals, Plastics, Mineral Product, and Chemicals sub-cluster groups together establishments that use a variety of materials in order to create intermediate components or final products. These firms process metals, plastics, rubbers, and mineral product such as gravel, clay, and sand to be used in a variety of applications. Similarly, chemical manufacturing establishments transform organic and inorganic raw materials through chemical processing to formulate products. •Due to Otterbox,Fort Collins is a large employment base for firms operating in Plastics such as Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing and All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing. The region also has distinct specializations in Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing, Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries, and Surface Active Agent Manufacturing. Cluster Overview DRAFTPage 165 Item 3. 65 Professional Services Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 541620: Environmental Consulting Services 358 $88,962 3.33 2.74% 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 908 $158,481 2.15 3.39% 541330: Engineering Services 1,936 $138,383 1.51 0.76% 541613: Marketing Consulting Services 449 $82,052 1.11 7.66% Sub-Cluster Total 3,652 $131,603 1.65 2.56% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 166 Item 3. 66 Professional Services Cluster Overview Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 3,652 81 out of 927 1.65 28 out of 927 ▶︎Professional Services Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Civil Engineers 454 1.4%$38.06 Project Management Specialists 142 1.8%$38.40 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 136 4.4%$29.93 Environmental Engineers 100 0.4%$37.38 Interpreters and Translators 95 5.6%$25.18 •The Professional Services sub-cluster draws from the wider Professional, Scientific, and Technical services industry that comprises most businesses that perform activities for other firms. For Fort Collins, the industries compiled into the sub-cluster represent high-value employment opportunities in technical fields such as environmental and civil engineering as well as marketing consulting. DRAFTPage 167 Item 3. 67 Professional Services Companies in the County COMPANIES HIRING IN THE DISTRICT: •Java Developers •Software Developers •Full Stack Developers •Software Engineers •Computer Programmers Total: 78 Unique Job Postings Key Jobs Posted October 2021 through October 22 •Algorithm Developers •Software Engineers •Site Reliability Engineers •Computer Vision Software Engineers Total: 58 Unique Job Postings •Construction Materials Testing Technicians •Materials Engineering Technicians •Staff Scientists •Engineering Technicians •Chief Geologists Total: 45 Unique Job Postings Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 168 Item 3. 68 Distribution & E-Commerce Cluster Definition NAICS DEFINITION:MSA Employment (2021) Average Wage (2021) MSA Location Quotient (2021) MSA Projected CAGR (2021 –2026) 424910: Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 934 $172,982 6.77 4.66% 488991: Packing and Crating 126 $79,225 5.12 4.41% 423490: Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 168 $83,333 4.26 1.39% 424590: Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers 49 $51,715 3.51 0.29% 493130: Farm Product Warehousing and Storage 30 $62,128 2.52 2.96% 425110: Business to Business Electronic Markets 63 $129,312 1.77 6.22% 424950: Paint, Varnish, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 42 $67,794 1.65 5.00% 423330: Roofing, Side, and Insulation Material Merchant Wholesalers 76 $97,791 1.56 2.61% 424490: Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers 386 $61,827 1.43 6.44% 423430: Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers 347 $184,459 1.35 6.05% 423910: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 96 $73,599 1.33 5.80% 423320: Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers 99 $74,811 1.32 0.14% 424810: Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers 162 $65,169 1.27 1.23% 423210: Furniture Merchant Wholesalers 72 $101,196 1.23 6.24% 423710: Hardware Merchant Wholesalers 121 $78,494 1.18 3.29% 423990: Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 108 $78,794 1.05 3.94% Sub-Cluster Total 2,882 $120,346 2.05 4.47% Source: Lightcast, Hickey Global DRAFTPage 169 Item 3. 69 Distribution & E-Commerce Comparative Ranking 2021 Employment 2021 Employment Rank 2021 Location Quotient 2021 Location Quotient Rank Fort Collins, CO 2,882 63 out of 927 2.05 46 out of 927 ▶︎Distribution & E-Commerce Employment Top 5 Occupations in Fort Collins Occupation 2021 Industry Employment 5-Year Annual Growth Median Hourly Earnings Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 449 4.8%$29.43 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 160 5.6%$23.33 Stockers and Order Fillers 129 5.2%$14.52 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 111 7.2%$17.56 Drivers/Sale Workers 103 4.8%$14.09 •The Distribution & E-Commerce sub-cluster identifies establishments that act as the link between production and market by performing the physical transport of goods. Increasingly, the distribution industry and supply chain are utilized as part of the fulfillment of e-commerce orders, and these clearinghouses are also including within the industry definition. Businesses operating in Distribution & E-Commerce benefit from proximity to one or both ends of the supply chain or to other, more active markets. •Fort Collins has cluster strengths in Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers with a location quotient of nearly 7. Other specializations include Packing and Crating, Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers, and Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers. Cluster Overview DRAFTPage 170 Item 3. Proprietary & Confidential © 2021 Hickey Global. All Rights Reserved. Title Date Company name or logoBarry I. Matherly, CEcD, FM, HLM President & CEO, Hickey Global +1 917-410-4626 bmatherly@hickeyglobal.com 125 Park Avenue, 25th Floor New York, NY 10017 hickeyglobal.com DRAFTPage 171 Item 3. Submitted by: IO.INC in collaboration with Hickey Global, Inc. January 2023 CITY OF FORT COLLINS, CO ECONOMIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN SWOT ANALYSIS REPORT DRAFTPage 172 Item 3. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report2DRAFTPage 173 Item 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Introduction .............................................1 Section 2: Mainstays for Economic Development Health .....3 Section 3: Top 15 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats .............................................7 Section 4: Stakeholder Perspectives About Fort Collins’ Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ...........................................10 IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 3DRAFTPage 174 Item 3. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION The Fort Collins Department of Economic Health embarked on the development of a new economic health strategy in September 2022. The consulting team of Hickey Global, Inc. and IO.INC was selected to perform this work. A critical building block for the Fort Collins economic health strategy is stakeholder engagement – the success of any community and economic development strategy, plan or project is directly dependent on the active engagement of a broad range of Fort Collins stakeholders – public and private sectors; community members; regional and state partners and civic institutions. With the active engagement and awareness of the community’s stakeholders in what the city is aiming for, the economic health strategy will be far better positioned for achieving desired results over the long term. For Fort Collins’ government, a sustained commitment for implementation will be required, accompanied by measurement and evaluation to assess progress. Understanding where the community now stands in terms of stakeholder perspectives on Fort Collins provides the basis for identifying assets that need to be treasured and strengthened; weaknesses that need to be minimized or ameliorated; opportunities that will enhance the city’s livability and economic health and competitiveness, and internal and external threats that need to be factored into all facets of the City Government’s planning and budgeting. Beginning November 1 through December 21, 2022, IO.INC conducted a SWOT analysis as a fundamental building block for the Department of Economic Health’s economic health strategic framework. One-on-one interviews were conducted directly engaging 27 representatives of the Fort Collins public, private and civic communities; state and regional leaders, and external business/industry experts. In addition, Hickey Global conducted a roundtable comprised of eight (8) leading business executives. As well, through collaboration with Hickey’s and IO’s network of business executives in the expansion and location process, an additional 10 business decision makers with familiarity of Colorado provided input into the SWOT analysis. Combined, stakeholders who participated in the SWOT process included: ®Business executives representing a broad range of economic sectors ®Community and civic leaders ®Public sector officials from local, county and state government ®Educational leaders – K-12 through postsecondary institutions ®Small business owners ®Artists and arts advocates ®Nonprofit organizational leaders ®C-suite executives and national experts in economic development, business locations, ®hospitality and tourism and advanced technologies and other targeted economic sectors In addition, a review of all prior economic development-related strategies, plans and studies was conducted to maximize existing information and investments in these endeavors. The SWOT assessment provides invaluable insights into where the City of Fort Collins government may choose to devote its time, energy, investments and policy-making for the economic development of the city. Just as important, the SWOT assessment provides the framework for Fort Collins’ economic health strategy and a “move ahead” action plan. IO.INC is very IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report1DRAFTPage 175 Item 3. appreciative of the enormous investment of time and consideration invested by all of the Fort Collins stakeholders who participated in this SWOT assessment, as well as by the Fort Collins Department of Economic Health and Hickey Global, Inc. in arranging the interviews of all of these individuals. The SWOT analysis has been organized based on six critical mainstays that directly support, contribute to and determine economic diversification, sustainability and resiliency with the overarching goal of creating more opportunities for community prosperity that will benefit all segments of Fort Collins’ population and economy today and for generations to come. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 2DRAFTPage 176 Item 3. SECTION 2: MAINSTAYS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HEALTH Locational Assets and Business Climate: This mainstay encompasses the competitiveness and desirability of a community for business growth and success, and includes proximity to other markets/metro areas; access to major airports and interstates; access to suppliers and other goods and services; the relative tax burden for business and people; the cost of doing business; local and state tax burdens, local and regional amenities, and the relative business friendliness of governmental entities and the support environment for innovation and business growth. Governance and Leadership: This mainstay pertains to how a local government plans and prepares for the delivery of services, the quality of those public services, the integrity of public sector processes in permitting and entitlements, stability of public sector finances, budgeting and deployment of financial resources, and integrity of public election and appointment processes. Infrastructure and Growth Capacity: This mainstay focuses on the foundational importance that water/wastewater, power, transportation, telecommunications and land use have on economic growth and sustainability. Talent Development and Education/Training: This mainstay entails ensuring that children, youth and adults are prepared for college or careers through P-12 and postsecondary education and training systems and opportunities that deliver the knowledge, skills and opportunities required in today’s and tomorrow’s economy. Civic Community, Culture and Quality of Life / Place: This mainstay reflects the “heart and soul” of a community and its people, as well as the livability and quality of life and place that encompass a diversity of lifestyles, amenities, activities – indoor and outdoor – that appeal to a broad range of interests and aspirations. Economic Development Programs and Resources: This mainstay incorporates the ability of business and government to work collaboratively toward common goals, the funding and investment in economic development programs and resources, availability and quality of business assistance programs, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and the charter and resources given to the primary economic development organization. Why These Economic Development Mainstays Matter Locational Assets and Business Climate Locational assets rank in the top ten criteria for business location decision making.1 The City of Fort Collins is strategically located in Rocky Mountain West, just 65 miles from the Denver- Aurora-Lakewood Metro. Fort Collins is located along Interstate 25, which spans New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. The community also benefits from the connectivity of I-25 with other interstate highways (I-70 and I-76). The State of Colorado ranks as the 4th best state for business overall in CNBC’s annual America’s Best States for Business 2022. Forbes Magazine ranked Colorado second among the 50 states in its 2023 annual ranking for Best States to Start a IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report3DRAFTPage 177 Item 3. Business.2 These rankings are important considerations in positioning the City of Fort Collins as a competitive and favorable operating cost environment for business. Indeed, Fort Collins enjoys many locational assets. External perceptions of the city’s business climate among executives and site location consultants will be largely influenced by Colorado’s relatively high standing as a desirable state for business. Still, every state, region, county and city are well-advised to continually invest in their locational assets to ensure that they remain a durable competitive advantage over time. Governance and Leadership Governments promulgate laws and regulations, and business recognizes the fundamental public sector structures and roles that must be in place to ensure that society and commerce can function and flourish. Among its internal stakeholders, Fort Collins is highly regarded for its sound stewardship and management of its public sector resources. A fiscally stable local government is an important consideration for investors pursuing new projects and for businesses seeking new locations.3 Having a customer service / business friendly approach also is important, as is maintaining commitments in terms of time/turnaround for permitting, etc. Companies today are accustomed to working with municipalities that have been ranked as the best cities for business and benefit from these high performing local governments and economies. Fort Collins previously ranked in the top 10 of the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities, and while its ranking in 2020 (over 2019) dropped 12 places, in 2021, its ranking was elevated due in large measure to high tech job growth.4 However, Fort Collins’ 2022 ranking was 43, a drop of 31 places in this highly respected annual analysis.5 What this suggests is that the City needs to be mindful that high status rankings can be fleeting, and like all organizations, Fort Collins’ governance and leadership can adopt best practices for continuous improvement and results. Infrastructure and Growth Capacity In today’s intensely competitive and uncertain economic environment, investors and companies have become even more risk averse while also accelerating plans for strategic speed from idea to market.6 Stability and predictability in times of great change and uncertainty are extremely important to CEOs and their decision-making framework when considering locations for new facilities.7 Of great importance to business is knowing with as much certainty as possible that the site they choose will be available, fully-serviced with infrastructure, zoning and other land use protections. Modern, efficient and operational infrastructure is even more important today than in previous years due to climate impacts, disasters and cyberattacks.8 The availability of infrastructure is a clear indicator to business decision makers that the governing body of a particular community is committed to economic and business growth and to its future as well. Just as important is having the capacity to grow in the future, not only in terms of essential infrastructure to accommodate population and business growth, but also the land base as well.9 To effectively diversify and grow its economy and create quality and meaningful earnings and employment opportunities for Fort Collin’s present and future residents over the long term, it is critically important that the City Government plans for and makes the requisite investment in essential infrastructure: water, wastewater, broadband and roadways, while creating the environment for assured electrical and gas power sources. In addition, the same holds true for land use planning, zoning and preparation of appropriate sites to accommodate desirable business. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 4DRAFTPage 178 Item 3. Talent Development and Education/Training Systems and Opportunities Communities across America are confronted with an ever-increasing talent gap, exacerbated by a decline in workforce participation, changes in the structure of work as well as by a dramatic shift in workers’ priorities and values. Businesses and public and nonprofit institutions are dealing with acute shortages in human capital and an expanding gap in the skills and proficiencies they need in their workforce. As technology continues to impact all facets of life, more innovation and new products and services will emerge to address the unrelenting demand for solutions to make everyday life more manageable and efficient.10 Having a well-educated and trained available workforce is mission critical for every community and Fort Collins can proudly proclaim that its population is highly educated and with the presence of Colorado State University, there is a sizable pipeline of potential future talent for startups, existing employers as well as prospective new employers. Civic Community, Culture and Quality of Life/Place A community’s civic life, values, culture and quality of life are critically important aspects of the quality of a place – for people first and foremost, and for business as well. The City of Fort Collins has a beautiful natural environment as well as a richly endowed built environment that has contributed to its multiple high rankings as a great place in which to live, recreate and raise a family. In terms of quality of life and quality of place, Fort Collins has invested heavily in several public venues for the performing and visual arts, open spaces and similar facilities. Since the pandemic, increasingly, communities have re-oriented their external recruitment efforts from attracting business to attracting people. They are doing this by working on initiatives to improve the quality of life and place in their communities.11 Quality of life is a highly subjective measure and factors that contribute to quality of life will differ depending upon one’s personal values and preferences may include family life and well-being, health, personal and community safety and financial security among others.12 Increasingly, there are more universally accepted definitions of quality of life, especially as they pertain to communities, both urban and rural, large and small. The Global Development Research Center defines quality of live as the “product of the interplay among social, health, economic and environmental conditions which affect human and social development”.13 Research conducted across the nation has found that communities with high levels of civic engagement and volunteerism enable residents to feel that they “belong” and they “matter”.14 In its research on smaller communities, Brookings Institution found that “community amenities such as recreation opportunities, cultural activities, and excellent services (e.g., good schools, transportation options) are likely bigger contributors to healthy local economies than traditional “business-friendly” measures.15 In this research, Brookings found that even small communities that have measurably higher levels of quality of life benefitted from higher population and job growth than comparable smaller communities whose quality of life was not ranked high by their own and external ranking sources.16 Fort Collins topped Market Watch’s list of the 20 best places to live in America, but ranked number 11 in the same ranking for 2022.17 Consistently ranked as a top city for best place to live in Colorado, as well as among the state’s safest cities, among other accolades, and these rankings signify the high quality of life and place that is foundational to the community.18 In addition, Fort Collins enjoys a revered status among its stakeholders who universally cites the community’s warm and caring civic culture and beautiful and majestic vistas. Having the kinds of amenities that are important to children, youth and families, as well as ensuring the availability and accessibility to housing for all age cohorts, income levels and lifestyles are vital to Fort Collins’ ability to maintain and further enhance the city’s quality of life and quality of place. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report5DRAFTPage 179 Item 3. Economic Development Programs and Resources In recent years, the concept of economic development has evolved even more in part driven by the impact of increasing national disasters and the SARS-CoV2 pandemic have had on local communities, families, businesses and neighborhoods.19 A more expansive vision of economic development embraces the idea that this activity can and should drive stable and continuous growth that generates earnings and employment opportunities, creates equitable access to prosperity and in general, provides pathways to an enduring higher standard of living and quality of life for all.20 The Fort Collins Department of Economic Health is the city’s formal economic development organization and is charged with a broad range of responsibilities that encompass community and economic development. The Economic Health Strategy will serve as a roadmap and guidepost for many of the organization’s activities, and the funding that the Department of Economic Health will need over time to execute, evaluate and refine/adjust the strategy as economic dynamics shift and new opportunities emerge is mission critical to its success. The City Government needs to ensure that the Department of Economic Health is provided with the resources it needs to develop its internal organizational capacity as well as to conduct its vitally important external-facing work. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 6DRAFTPage 180 Item 3. SECTION 3: TOP 15 STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS The following summarizes the top 15 qualities that have been identified in terms of highest frequency cited by the 35 local stakeholders and 10 national/global experts who participated in this stakeholder engagement process. While many more strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were cited in the interviews, these factors were universally viewed as having the greatest impact on the City of Fort Collins’ sustained economic health. Top 15 Strengths ®Combination of the critical mass of highly educated workforce, coupled with a great climate for the outdoors and beautiful natural environment, community culture and abundant amenities for all age groups make Fort Collins a highly desirable place to live, work, learn and do business ®Colorado State University ®Diversity of economy with many major employers across multiple sectors ®“Right-sized” community – not too large, not too small – opportunities and challenges can be successfully capitalized upon and/or addressed ®Idea friendly elected officials ®Established communications and collaboration with private sector and economic clusters ®City Officials genuinely understand what livability means in terms of investing in the community and quality of place ®I-80, I-25 ®Outstanding public school district - Poudre School District ®Front Range Community College and its Business Center ®Open and welcoming community ®Vibrant Downtown with many amenities, including historic “Old Town” areas ®Beautiful, safe and friendly quality of place ®Very family-friendly community – great place to raise a family ®Department of Economic Health is Very open and accessible to businesses, residents and people interested in doing business in Ft. Collins Top 15 Weaknesses ®Insufficient workforce size to keep up with the demand for qualified workers ®Insufficient/inadequate accessible/affordable housing for college graduates, young professionals, teachers, first responders and other population cohorts – housing is available only for the very affluent or wealthy ®Insufficient water supply and the cost of water is becoming more expensive ®Limited land for housing and business growth because half of Fort Collins’ terrain is mountainous ®Some stakeholders viewed the City Government as not favorable toward growth, economic development or businessTOP 15 STRENGTHSTOP 15 WEAKNESSESIO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report7DRAFTPage 181 Item 3. ®Rapidly escalating cost of doing business in Fort Collins which was believed to be brought on by City Government attitudes, policies and regulations ®Extremely high property taxes ®Lack of identifiable shovel-ready sites, period; lack of shovel-ready sites that could accommodate a larger employer that would bring immense value-add to the community (one that is desirable to the local government and community) ®Stakeholders mentioned resistance on the part of City Council and staff to allow more density in housing that would help to address the absence of attainable housing ®Inadequate public transit system ®Inadequate transportation infrastructure to accommodate the projected growth of the community ®Perceived community resistance to growth and expansion of infrastructure ®Predominantly white community – BIPOC diversity in the population is lacking to the extreme ®Increasing community resistance to change, e.g., population and business growth ®Significant staff turnover can cause discontinuity and very long and protracted time frames in implementing plans and initiatives that have been deliberated and approved Top 15 Opportunities ®Define Ft. Collins’ brand – what are we striving to be? Need to define who we are and make ourselves known for something ®Invest in cohesive branding about what makes us who we are ®Capitalize on the “Silver Tsunami” that is taking place and encourage startups and recruitment for innovations, products and services to support this population segment ®Capitalize on the very predominant population of children and encourage startups and recruit new business for innovations, products and services to support this population segment ®Capitalize on Ft. Collins’ Great Outdoors and encourage entrepreneurship as well as business recruitment to support this lifestyle and related activities ®Position Ft. Collins as one of the nation’s leading music cities and pursue building on that brand ®Increase government engagement with large private sector employers – the latter of which do not have a visible presence in many community activities/causes ®Commit to a philosophy and practice of business recruitment, focusing on high value-added sectors and companies ®Raise minimum wage to help with employee retention ®Refine and strengthen focus of industry sector partnerships – lack of direction and purpose can be construed as a waste of time and resources ®Champion more DEI across the board throughout the community and make Fort Collins more appealing to racially and ethnically diverse individuals and families ®Work to expand the culture inside of City Government by increasing the level of curiosity and inquiry; encourage City staff to ask questions and push the envelope ®Direct the Office of Economic Health to be more action and results-oriented ®Adopt policies that catalyze the development of attainable housing ®Plan for and actualize the development of sites and spaces for business growthTOP 15 WEAKNESSESTOP 15 OPPORTUNITIESIO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 8DRAFTPage 182 Item 3. Top 15 Threats ®Drought in the Western U.S. ®Increasing water scarcity in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin states ®Enormous cost associated with securing water – more expensive than acquiring land and going through the entitlement process ®Need for additional state and local investment in transportation infrastructure »Colorado DOT has said that they will no longer make major investments in increasing transportation capacity »The city has not demonstrated the capacity to invest in and expand local public transit ®Escalating cost of living and doing business in Fort Collins believed to be in large measure due to City Government policies ®The City Government has not been recognized as willing to adopt policies, make plans and encourage investment in more attainable housing across the spectrum of income-earners, ages ®Outflow of young, college educated workers in search of more accessible housing ®Opportunity for the City Government to better connect with existing employers and small businesses to earnestly address concerns about the increasing public sector hostile business climate ®Identification of a growing, vocal anti-growth contingent – within local government and among citizenry ®Extremely limited land availability – Fort Collins is severely land-constrained ®Young workers cannot afford to live in Ft. Collins ®Rising crime ®Rising homeless population ®Residents are loudly complaining about how Ft. Collins is changing – potential anti-growth sentiment ®High levels of suicide ideation among youth in the communityTOP 15 THREATSIO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report9DRAFTPage 183 Item 3. SECTION 4: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ABOUT FORT COLLINS’ STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS STRENGTHS LOCATIONAL ASSETS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE ®Combination of the critical mass of highly educated workforce, coupled with a great climate for the outdoors and beautiful natural environment, community culture and amenities make Fort Collins a highly desirable place to live, work, learn and do business »Fort Collins is a beautiful mesh of amenities, technology and quality of community ®Colorado State University: »First-rate university that has created a culture of innovation »Superb university research capability – world renown in some fields of research »Internationally recognized, world-class land grant research university – Colorado State University (CSU), especially its Research Innovation Center including green technologies, infectious diseases and genome phenotyping/sequencing »Fort Collins is known as a “clean tech” city – this image is derived from Dr. Brian Wilson’s Energy Institute at CSU ®Gateway to the Front Range from the north ®Close proximity and equidistance to Denver and Boulder, as well as to the Wyoming West, providing a broad range of options – urban, suburban and rural – for living and recreation/ entertainment ®Diversity of economy with many major employers across multiple sectors »Home to “household names” of business and industry »Presence of large employers across many sectors »Diversity in the business base »Many companies are committed to climate management and making positive contributions to the environment ®People and businesses are moving to Ft. Collins because they want to be there »Fort Collins attracts bright and enterprising people and businesses who want to be there and they stay there, too »Very attractive community for business owners who want to establish their lives and livelihoods in Ft. Collins – and they stay there ®A competitive location for professional services and tech-oriented businesses ®Strong collaborative partnerships between City Economic Health Office and major economic sectors »Strong sector partnerships in healthcare and manufacturing »Strong synergy between the economic location, university presence and connected community ®Well-planned and vibrant Downtown Core with services and amenities that support residents, visitors and employees IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 10DRAFTPage 184 Item 3. ®Very good reputation for the arts and creative industries »Vibrant creative industry sector »Growing recognition as a music city ®Many existing buildings that can be repurposed for business locations ®Small business can succeed due to high disposable incomes ®Regional collaboration between business, government and education (city, county) ®Very reliable/stable power generation ®“Right-sized” community – not too large, not too small – opportunities and challenges can be successfully capitalized upon and/or addressed GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ®Idea friendly elected officials ®Established communications and collaboration with private sector and economic clusters ®“Unusually” cooperative and collaborative Department of Economic Health ®City Government is keenly focused on business growth ®Philosophy of “better is better” rather than “bigger is better” ®Supportive of “smart growth” – concerned for the future and sustainability of the community and natural environment ®City Officials genuinely understand what livability means in terms of investing in the community and quality of place ®City Officials very much see the community as part of a larger region ®Very positive local government response to Covid, e.g., public health; grants for small businesses ®Outstanding public services (with the exception of public transit) INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH CAPACITY ®I-80, I-25 TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION/TRAINING ®Highly educated workforce ®High concentration of workforce engaged in STEM occupations ®Colorado State University, especially its research in energy, infectious diseases and other science and health disciplines ®CSU – industry partnerships and collaborations ®Ft. Collins is the regionally-based center of talented workforce and there is a regional partnership between and among various organizations that work together to plan for and deliver workforce development programming ®Work-Based Learning (WBL) Coordinators in PSD high schools ®Career & Technical Education (CTE) Pathways that are aligned to postsecondary ®Very easy to retain workers ®Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce is an outstanding partner in the talent/workforce development solutions arena IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report11DRAFTPage 185 Item 3. ®Fort Collins is a single-district community (public school district) ®Outstanding public school district - Poudre School District ®Front Range Community College and its Business Center CIVIC COMMUNITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE/PLACE ®Open and welcoming community ®People are: »Very supportive and collaborative »Warm and welcoming ®Vibrant Downtown with many amenities, including historic “Old Town” areas ®Beautiful, safe and friendly quality of place ®Great bike community ®Great outdoors recreation/experience ethos – well-developed parks and trails system -can be accessed very easily ®Very family-friendly community – great place to raise a family ®Great place to retire ®Abundance of amenities and activities for people of all ages – children, youth, families, young adults and older adults too »Well-maintained »Clean ®Arts and cultural facilities: »The Lincoln Center (performing arts center) »10 museums »Botanical gardens »Art in Public Places »Historic Carnegie building »Vibrant music community ®Healthy lifestyle ®Very pet friendly community, especially for dogs ®Presence of the Western “grit” of Fort Collins’ founding fathers ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES ®Office of Economic Health: »Very open and accessible to businesses, residents and people interested in doing business in Ft. Collins »Very supportive of small business »Very effective convener of community-based partners and industry groups »Provides a forum/platform that gives business a voice ®TIF (Tax Increment Financing) is an important and valuable tool for Downtown development IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 12DRAFTPage 186 Item 3. WEAKNESSES LOCATIONAL ASSETS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE ®Insufficient workforce size to keep up with the demand for qualified workers ®Insufficient/inadequate accessible/affordable housing for college graduates, young professionals, teachers, first responders and other population cohorts – housing is available only for the very affluent or wealthy ®Insufficient water supply and the cost of water is becoming more expensive ®Limited land for housing and business growth because half of Fort Collins’ terrain is mountainous ®Some stakeholders viewed the City Government as not favorable toward growth, economic development or business ®Rapidly escalating cost of doing business in Fort Collins which was believed to be brought on by City Government attitudes, policies and regulations: »City Government initiatives can have the effect of making it more expensive to do business in the city »Insufficient understanding of how City policies are impacting residents, their families, as well as business and industry »City Government’s “clean/climate management” regulations can be perceived as onerous and do not take into account the impact on business nor does City Government understand the negative consequences of some of these regulations »Very time-consuming licensing and permitting regulations and processes at the City Government level, raising the cost of doing business in Fort Collins ®Extremely high property taxes ®Lack of identifiable shovel-ready sites, period and also, lack of shovel-ready sites that could accommodate a larger employer that would bring immense value-add to the community (one that is desirable to the local government and community) ®Absence of a strong relationship between government, economic development and the university ®Identified obstacles to evolving an idea into commercialization in Fort Collins due to the growing anti-growth, no change environment that is growing in the community – in the City Government and among residents ®Lack of alignment and “common language” between business and education ®CSU grads move elsewhere in pursuit of the kinds of jobs they seek because those jobs do not exist in Ft. Collins; local government does not support business recruitment to attract these types of jobs ®Absence of overarching strategy for creative industries ®Power generation is derived primarily through fossil fuels ®Some stakeholders perceived the Chamber of Commerce to be weak and underperforming ®Underdeveloped entrepreneurship ecosystem; very low rate of VC investments IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report13DRAFTPage 187 Item 3. GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ®City Government is seen as cautious about growth – there is a perceived lack of desire on the part of the elected officials and city staff for Fort Collins to grow ®The City has grown through external trends and changes not attributable to a strategic effort ®Public sector elected officials and employees: »Are seen as extremely risk adverse; they eschew taking chances and blazing new trails »Can be overly sensitive to citizen criticism/complaints – they allow the “tail to wag the dog” »Lack business acumen and experience »Are sometimes known for a lot of talk but very little action »Seek public engagement and input that does not always translate into changed/new policies or actions »City originates ideas that are at times believed to be departed from reality whereas the ones that are implemented have been described as harmful to business and the economy »City supports projects that are doomed for failure, e.g., Foothills Mall »Fairly new staff (significant turnover in the last few years) – there is a perceived reluctance to go outside of the “group think” – very little openness to input from the business community ®Underdeveloped/insufficient City Government relationships with major employers ®City Government is overly dependent on graduates of CSU for city employees – hiring is about friends of friends, classmates, people who think alike – contributes to homogeneous thinking and idea generation which are manifest in how staff develops and recommends new policies and regulations ®Unwillingness to implement policies to allow more density in housing that would help to address the absence of attainable housing ®Costly, time-consuming regulations are enacted/adopted that create significantly increased costs for business operations, especially small and medium-sized businesses, e.g., energy audits for businesses ®Environmental-related regulations pertaining to water catchment are increasing costs to do business and also are causing environmental harm ®City’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality in the next 10 years would require robust plans to ensure that power generation will be stable; full cost studies for this transition are absent ®Insufficient planning for and provision of sites and space for business ®City Government does not conduct surveys about the business operating environment or business climate, which some stakeholders viewed as an indicator of the City’s attitude toward business ®City Council and staff do not emphasize the importance of marketing the community to business and visitors; there is very little awareness of external outreach ®Absence of overarching strategy for creative industries »Absence of an arts council »Absence of a dedicated, sustainable funding source for the creative sector – arts and culture – other than for music »Lack of affordable performance spaces IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 14DRAFTPage 188 Item 3. ®Inequitable local taxation system between national chain retailers/food establishments and locally owned businesses ®Some believed that the City could expend more resources maintaining and upgrading public facilities rather than invest in new “shiny” projects at the expense of aging and deteriorating public structures and infrastructure ®Cumbersome and confusing budgeting process for external stakeholders ®Fort Collins is sometimes described as homogeneous in thought – permeates the local government and a large segment of the community INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH CAPACITY ®Inadequate public transit system ®Inadequate transportation infrastructure to accommodate the projected growth of the community ®Community resistance to growth and expansion of infrastructure ®Colorado State Government policies and pronouncements about expanding transportation capacity (they do not plan to expand existing transportation infrastructure) ®Over-reliance on the automobile which is counter to the City’s desire to minimize carbon footprint ®I-25 gateway into Fort Collins is challenging and unsightly ®Cost of water is increasing TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION/TRAINING ®Talent is moving to outer areas where housing is more affordable; commuting long distances is a growing concern for employers and employees ®Lack of diversity in the community; diverse individuals find it challenging to live in Fort Collins when there is an absence of people like themselves. This is especially problematic for diverse individuals who have young children – the schools lack diversity as well ®Increasingly difficult to recruit workforce as a result of: »Increasing cost of doing business tied to local regulations and policies »Lack of attainable housing »Increased traffic congestion »Less appeal to early professionals (young, single – they prefer amenities of bigger cities such as Denver) ®Higher ed: »More private sector engagement in innovation and collaboration with CSU is needed ®K-12: »Lack of equitable access to CTE pathways »Lack of Work-Based-Learning opportunities in the IT and Construction sectors »Very high suicide rate and/or ideation among teenagers and very few local behavioral health resources and facilities in Fort Collins; in addition, local officials “have their heads in the sand” because this is counter to the public, award-winning image that the city has IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report15DRAFTPage 189 Item 3. CIVIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE/PLACE ®Predominantly white community – BIPOC diversity in the population is lacking to the extreme ®Increasing community resistance to change, e.g., population and business growth ®Cost of living escalating rapidly in addition to housing in crucial societal areas: »Childcare »Transportation »Food ®Lack of housing options for service workers that support the quality of life amenities that everyone finds so attractive ®Woefully inadequate childcare facilities/providers ®Underdeveloped philanthropic support for creatives, other than for music ®Multiple nonprofits, many of which were described as underperforming ®Some stakeholders questioned the vision and identity of the community: who are we building/ enhancing Fort Collins for? Those who can afford to live here or those whom we want to move here? ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES ®Lack of user-friendly processes for permitting and licensing, especially for small business ®Significant staff turnover can cause discontinuity and very long and protracted time frames in implementing plans and initiatives that have been deliberated and approved ®Duplication of efforts, e.g., establishment of a multi-cultural business and entrepreneurship center – there are existing organizations who could have assumed this responsibility ®Collapse of private-public economic development partnerships over the last 30 years; government now the arbiter of economic development with no business input ®Lack of capital to invest and transition to renewable energy sources, e.g., solar and wind OPPORTUNITIES LOCATIONAL ASSETS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE ®Define Ft. Collins’ brand – what are we striving to be? Need to define who we are and make ourselves known for something ®Invest in cohesive branding about what makes us who we are ®Capitalize on the “Silver Tsunami” that is taking place and encourage startups and recruitment for innovations, products and services to support this population segment ®Capitalize on the very predominant population of children and encourage startups and recruit new business for innovations, products and services to support this population segment ®Capitalize on Ft. Collins’ Great Outdoors and encourage entrepreneurship as well as business recruitment to support this lifestyle and related activities ®Ensure the sustainability of the micro-brewery industry in Ft. Collins by working to address any supply chain gaps ®Position Ft. Collins as one of the nation’s leading music cities and pursue building on that brand ®Increase government engagement with large private sector employers – the latter of which do not have a visible presence in many community activities/causes IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 16DRAFTPage 190 Item 3. ®Establish stronger P3’s to cultivate relationships with both existing and prospective new business/industry ®Identify, target and recruit employers whose lines of business are compatible with the community ®Encourage existing business – large and small – to reduce their carbon footprints ®Build on CSU’s excellence in veterinary medicine and attract more companies, including R&D, in human medicine ®Build a strong and vibrant biotech sector ®Increase level of equity in the community, e.g., racial and ethnic businesses, restaurants ®More fully integrate and participate in the greater region – contribute to regional opportunities and solutions ®Redevelop the area north of the Cache la Poudre (Old Town North) GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ®Commit to a philosophy and practice of business recruitment, focusing on high value-added sectors and companies ®Raise minimum wage to help with employee retention ®Refine and strengthen focus of industry sector partnerships – lack of direction and purpose can be construed as a waste of time and resources ®Champion more DEI across the board throughout the community and make Fort Collins more appealing to racially and ethnically diverse individuals and families ®Change the culture inside of City Government from the top down – need to increase the level of curiosity and inquiry – City staff does not ask questions, push the envelope or listen very well ®Direct the Office of Economic Health to be more action and results-oriented ®Adopt policies that catalyze the development of attainable housing: »Encourage more multi-family residential development that can help ease the lack of attainable housing, especially workforce housing »Plan for and approve more mixed-use developments that include more housing density ®Make and sustain a commitment to targeted business recruitment in sectors that are compatible with the built and natural environment ®Transform from a non-business friendly climate into a more business friendly climate ®Increase City investment in basic upkeep and maintenance of publicly-owned facilities and infrastructure ®Plan for and actualize the development of sites and spaces for business growth ®Promote Shop Local ®Adopt procurement policies so that local government is compelled to buy from locally based vendors INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH CAPACITY ®Work with developers/landowners to identify and plan infrastructure for sites that are suitable for business and industry IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report17DRAFTPage 191 Item 3. ®Business growth along the I-25 corridor – prime opportunity for high quality employers ®Establish a designated area for a Research Triangle Park-type development to attract more STEM-related companies TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION/TRAINING ®Grow the talent pipeline in our “own backyard” »Develop programs to stay connected with college graduates from CSU and keep them in the community »Connect with high school students to keep them informed and knowledgeable about career and college opportunities in Fort Collins »Repatriate young people who have left the community – create a meaningful “Return to Fort Collins” program ®Strengthen and improve the alignment of public and private partners in the talent/workforce development arena ®Better braid and blend funding sources (WIOA, Perkins, Workforce Innovation Grants, etc) ®Increase the number of youth apprenticeship (16+) opportunities in healthcare, IT, construction, and manufacturing ®Expand industry collaborations with K-12 and community college to train/educate youth ®Intensify outreach to encourage youth and their parents to consider careers in manufacturing ®Implement asset map of career pathways across all sectors ®Establish and launch a regional talent initiative encompassing: »Community, business government »Education – P-20 »Housing, healthcare and child care »Talent pipeline (half of the local students in Fort Collins do not go to college) »CSU student retention »Improve communications with high school students about career pathways available in Fort Collins ®Design and execute a college-going culture initiative for Fort Collins youth CIVIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE/PLACE ®Develop, educate and execute a “Shop Local” commitment year-round so that residents of Ft. Collins understand that when they shop local, they are supporting their neighbors ®Recruit more behavioral health professionals and facilities to Fort Collins ®Institute training and development programs for nonprofits in the human services and arts/cultural sectors to help improve and increase their business acumen and organizational performance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES ®Improve outreach and communications about Fort Collins – do a better job telling our story ®Institute a targeted and consistent business marketing campaign for business recruitment, entrepreneurs and business retention IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 18DRAFTPage 192 Item 3. ®Increase focus on the visitor/hospitality sector – visitors become residents and business owners too »Capture more of the travelers on I-80 »Increase focus on attracting visitors from the north and east in addition versus just looking to the south ®Expand and build a more sustainable creative sector: »Establish a Fort Collins Art Council »Attract creatives, including “makers” »Establish a grants program that encourages innovation and outside the box thinking and inventions »Establish a Creative Industries Vitality Index »Include creative industries’ economic and fiscal contributions in annual report to the City Council ®Develop and execute intelligent, focused marketing plan to attract business ®Identify specific targeted sectors that complement smart growth philosophy and policy of the City Government (elected officials, city management and staff) ®Deliver more value to the sector partnerships – lots of talk and very little action ®Significantly increase support of small business and gig workers ®Through public education and appreciation, encourage increased wages for service workers and gig workers THREATS GLOBAL ®Online commerce – will force locally-owned businesses to go out of business ®Rising energy costs ®Climate change NATIONAL/STATE ®Drought in the Western U.S. ®Increasing water scarcity in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin states ®Perception that Colorado is business unfriendly ®Insufficient investment in transportation infrastructure – Colorado DOT has said that they will no longer make major investments in increasing transportation capacity ®Amazon is a threat to Fort Collins’ small businesses LOCATIONAL ASSETS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE ®Escalating cost of living and doing business in Fort Collins, in large measure attributed to City Government policies ®Perceived lack of interest from the City Government to adopt policies, make plans and encourage investment in more housing development ®Outflow of young, college educated workers in search of more accessible housing IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report19DRAFTPage 193 Item 3. ®Some stakeholders believed the City Government could better connect with existing employers and small businesses to earnestly address concerns about the increasing public sector hostile business climate ®Neighboring cities are sometimes considered more business friendly than Ft. Collins ®Growing and very vocal anti-growth contingent – within local government and among citizenry GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP ®City Government policies and programs literally invite the homeless to move to Ft. Collins and provide little in the way of helping move homeless into rehab and other such programs ®Stakeholders referred to a lack of excitement around economic development opportunities and potential ®Perceptions that State of Colorado, Larimer County and Ft. Collins are business unfriendly ®City Government construction projects that force business disruption and closures, especially in Downtown Fort Collins – need better traffic management and public information dissemination so that businesses are not harmed ®Rising energy costs due to local government regulations and policies ®Local government intolerance for fossil fuels and impending costs to transition to a fully carbon neutral status in 10 years ®Local government is felt to be prone to initiating plans without the means to execute, e.g., climate economy – leading to skepticism about the circular economy ®Local government enacts regulations that exceed federal requirements, e.g., defining FT and PT employment ®Failure to address the lack of affordable housing situation in Fort Collins ®Failure to acknowledge “who is Fort Collins, really?” INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH CAPACITY ®Enormous cost associated with securing water – more expensive than acquiring land and going through the entitlement process ®Identifiable need to invest in and expand local public transit ®Extremely limited land availability – Fort Collins is severely land-constrained TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION/TRAINING ®Young workers cannot afford to live in Ft. Collins ®Credentialing requirements for secondary and postsecondary CTE instructors CIVIC COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE/PLACE ®Rising crime ®Rising homeless population ®Residents are loudly complaining about how Ft. Collins is changing – potential anti-growth sentiment ®Failure to address the need for attainable housing across the spectrum of ages, professions, etc. ®High levels of suicide ideation among youth in the community IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 20DRAFTPage 194 Item 3. ENDNOTES 1 Site Selection, Seven Sights of a New Site Selection Reality, January 2022, https:// siteselection.com/issues/2022/jan/seven-signs-of-a-new-site-selection-reality.cfm. Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey, March 2022 slide show: https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml; Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey: Access to Major Markets and Skilled Labor Are Clients’ Primary Concerns, March, 2022, https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml. 2 Forbes, Ranked: The Best States To Start a Business In 2023, November 30, 2022. https:// www.forbes.com/advisor/business/best-states-to-start-a-business/. 3 Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey, March 2022 slide show: https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml; Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey: Access to Major Markets and Skilled Labor Are Clients’ Primary Concerns, March, 2022, https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml. 4 Milken Institute, Best-Performing Cities 2022 Charting Economic Resilience and Opportunity, https://milkeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Best-Performing%20Cities%20US%20 2022.pdf, March 28, 2022; Best-Performing Cities 2021 Foundations for Growth and Recovery, April 13, 2021, https://milkeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/Best-Performing- Cities-2021.pdf. 5 Milken Institute, Best-Performing Cities 2020: Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained, https://milkeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/reports-pdf/BPC-2020%20Report_0. pdf. 6 Journal of Corporate Finance, CEO risk-taking incentives and corporate social responsibility, Volume 64, October 2020, 101714 , https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S09291199203 01589?token=2CAF5E0499C6FD080D2B90853C061A158F13B2EB38F05A8E1E4386B5C092AD2ECB 7062635981D859954FB1ECAE360818&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20221207225220; Harvard Business Review, Your Company Is Too Risk-Averse, March-April 2020, https://hbr. org/2020/03/your-company-is-too-risk-averse. 7 Fortune/Deloitte Fall 2022 CEO Survey, October 27, 2022; file:///C:/Users/Ioanna/ Downloads/us-fortune-deloitte-CEO-survey-fall-2022-highlights-final.pdf; Journal PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), PwC’s 25th Annual Global CEO Survey, Reimagining the outcomes that matter, January 17, 2022, https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2022.html; 8 Area Development, CEO Survey – March 2022, 36th Annual Corporate Survey, slide show of results, https://www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1- 2022/36th-annual-corporate-survey.shtml ; Area Development, 36th Annual Corporate Survey: Executives Focus on Labor, Energy, Shipping Costs, https://www.areadevelopment.com/ Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/36th-annual-corporate-survey.shtml. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report21DRAFTPage 195 Item 3. 9 Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey, March 2022 slide show: https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml; Area Development, 18th Annual Consultants Survey: Access to Major Markets and Skilled Labor Are Clients’ Primary Concerns, March, 2022, https:// www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/q1-2022/18th-annual- consultants-survey.shtml. 10 Area Development, 36th Annual Corporate Survey: Executives Focus on Labor, Energy, Shipping Costs, March 2022, https://www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants- Survey-Results/q1-2022/36th-annual-corporate-survey.shtml; NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business), NFIB Jobs Report: Labor Quality Continues to Be a Top Business Issue on Main Street, November 2022, https://www.nfib.com/foundations/research-center/ monthly-reports/jobs-report/; U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries, October 31, 2022, https://www.uschamber.com/ workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage-the-most-impacted-industries; The Heritage Foundation, What Is Happening in This Unprecedented U.S. Labor Market? July 2022 Update, No. 3716 | July 7, 2022, https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/ BG3716.pdf; McKinsey, The Great Attrition: Facing the labor shortage conundrum, December 6, 2021, https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/ our-insights/the-organization-blog/the-great-attrition-facing-the-labor-shortage-conundrum. 11 The Economist, The new economics of global cities, September 9, 2021, https://www. economist.com/finance-and-economics/the-new-economics-of-global-cities/21804271. 12 National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, Definitions of Quality of Life: What Has Happened and How to Move On, August 11. 2014, https://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4257148/. 13 Global Development Research Center, Quality of Life, retrieved December 8, 2022, https:// www.gdrc.org/uem/qol-define.html. 14 National Academies, Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion: Measuring Dimensions of Social Capital to Inform Policy (2014), http://nap.nationalacademies.org/1883. 15 Brookings Institution, Improving quality of life—not just business—is the best path to Midwestern rejuvenation, January 26, 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the- avenue/2022/01/26/improving-quality-of-life-not-just-business-is-the-best-path-to- midwestern-rejuvenation/. 16 Brookings Institution, Improving quality of life—not just business—is the best path to Midwestern rejuvenation, January 26, 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the- avenue/2022/01/26/improving-quality-of-life-not-just-business-is-the-best-path-to- midwestern-rejuvenation/. 17 Market Watch, The best places to live in 2022, August 16, 2022, https://www.marketwatch. com/story/here-are-20-of-the-best-u-s-cities-to-live-in-2022-and-they-are-attracting-big- waves-of-young-people-11659031044?mod=mw_more_headlines; The best places to live in America in 2020, October 17, 2020, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-best-places-to- live-in-america-in-2020-2020-10-12?mod=home-page&fbclid=IwAR3Vml-a7MKL9rCOYj2tfHAmw 4E35867oWf3eh80-p-nDLIuiZYCO2W4MXU. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 22DRAFTPage 196 Item 3. 18 Forbes, Best Places to Live In Colorado In 2022, October 18, 2022, https://www.forbes. com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/best-places-to-live-in-colorado/; 19 Brookings Institution, Remaking economic development: The markets and civics of continuous growth and prosperity, February 29. 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/research/ remaking-economic-development-the-markets-and-civics-of-continuous-growth-and- prosperity/. Brookings Institution, Why economic development matters, March 7, 2016, https://www. brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2016/03/07/why-economic-development-matters/. 20 International Economic Development Council, What Economic Development Does for a Community, 2020, https://www.iedconline.org/clientuploads/Downloads/Key_Strategies/ IEDC_Why_and_Impact_Economic_Development.pdf. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report23DRAFTPage 197 Item 3. IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report IO.INC | City of Fort Collins, CO | DRAFT Economic Health Strategic Plan SWOT Analysis Report 24DRAFTPage 198 Item 3. HICKEY GLOBAL 125 PARK AVENUE 25TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10017 917.410.4626 WWW.HICKEYGLOBAL.COM IO.INC 3104 E. CAMELBACK ROAD SUITE 1000 PHOENIX, AZ 85016 602.626.8560 WWW.IOWORLDWIDE.COM DRAFTPage 199 Item 3. Innovation Section 1 DRAFTPage 200 Item 3. 2 AUSTIN STARTUP & SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM 2022 In partnership with database provider Dealroom.co, the Austin Chamber created an online platform to track the growth of the region’s tech industry, match investors with opportunities, and highlight successful companies in the area. The database provides data on startups, scaleups, and the Central Texas tech ecosystem to bring data & up - to-date information on venture capital activities as well as resources for startups. The open-access platform allows entrepreneurs to profile their company to interested stakeholders by adding or claiming their business within the ecosystem. Investors and venture capital firms can discover promising startups and scale-ups, track founders, and perform market research and analysis across industries and locations. Explore the Ecosystem here. Austin, Texas Innovation DRAFTPage 201 Item 3. 3 OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN INNOVATION ZONES 2018 Opportunity Austin is the economic development initiative aimed at fostering job-creating investment in the five-county Central Texas region. Begun in 2018, Opportunity Austin 4.0 was the most recent five - year stage of the ongoing effort to diversify the economy and deepen the regional talent pool; the plan introduced both an Innovation Agenda and the further development of the Austin Innovation Zone. Innovation Agenda The Opportunity Austin initiative provided the region a cohesive platform to develop innovation -driven economic development practices. The Innovation Agenda prioritizes “homegrown” operations and headquarters in innovative spaces through a suite of activities, shown below. The goal of the platform is to increase the number of companies with $500 million and $1 billion valuations (unicorns). •Engagement plan for Austin’s “A-list” companies who have been prescreened for growth potential. •Intentional outreach plan for existing firms in target sectors, including staffing resources for sector - specific issues. •Promotion of the Opportunity Studio to influence engagement and influence for startups •Generate leads and engage in corporate recruitment efforts for companies that have the potential to expand or relocate from their startup location. •Development of an “Austin Buys” program. Innovation Zones Opportunity Austin has also brought addition resources to bear in the Austin Innovation Zone, which extends from the local Dell Medical School and Dell-Seton Medical Center. The innovation Zone has catalyzed innovation in life sciences and translational medicine within the downtown corridor, and additional planning is being done to consider the impact of additional anchor institutions and redevelopment tools to further grow the district. In addition to the downtown Innovation Zone, the Opportunity Austin 4.0 plan sets the framework to conduct discovery research on the development of Regional Innovation Districts to support additional clusters in communities within the broader metropolitan area. In addition to broadening the scope of innovative economic-development successes, the regional Innovation Districts could help lessen congestion in the robust downtown area. Austin, Texas Innovation DRAFTPage 202 Item 3. 4 PORTLAND REGIONAL INNOVATION HUB 2022 Business Oregon has awarded Portland State University and metro region partners one of 11 $140,000 planning grants. The funding supports the development of regional innovation hubs, the purpose of which is to enable the coordination of resources to maximize support for innovation-based entrepreneurs. The development began in September of 2022 and will continue through June 30, 3023. During that time period, partnering organizations (including Portland State University, Greater Portland Inc., and Oregon Bio among others) will create an inventory of existing regional entrepreneurial resources and programming and contribute to an assessment of engagement among ecosystem participants including a survey of regional entrepreneurs. The inventory, resources, and programming will be conducted in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. Portland, Oregon Innovation DRAFTPage 203 Item 3. 5 REIMAGINE WASHTENAW 2010 The ReImagine Washtenaw initiative was put together by the four communities along the Washtenaw Avenue Corridor: Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Pittsfield Charter Township, and Ypsilanti Charter Township as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Washtenaw Area Transportation Systems. With a strategy formed in 2010, this initiative aims at revitalizing an area that was long-forgotten by these communities. Determined as a primary transportation corridor between the region’s jobs and education centers, this area is now being developed into a mixed-use transit corridor. In October of 2022, the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study kicked off, expected to take approximately 12 months. Once the study is complete, plan implementation and construction should begin. Ann Arbor, Michigan Innovation DRAFTPage 204 Item 3. 6 CCDC URBAN RENEWAL DISTRICTS 2019 Cherie Buckner-Webb Park This park in downtown Boise replaces a half-block, private surface parking lot and was created via a public-private partnership in 2019 between Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC), the City of Boise, and Eleven Eleven West Jefferson, LLC. This redevelopment has led to the revitalization of the entire city block –catalyzing and influencing a resurgence of activity in an area where it was desperately needed. In 2019 when the park designs first began, there were 77 apartments along the 8 city blocks of the 11th street corridor. To date, there are 800 new apartments under entitlement, as well as 500 new hotel rooms in 5 different hotels. Urban Renewal Districts In addition to Cherie Buckner-Webb Park, the CCDC has established 6 Urban Renewal Districts in Boise. The city created a Participation Program for each of the Districts, outlining plans and goals for each area based on determined needs. The Participation Program is CCDC’s development assistance program and is designed to advance the aims of urban renewal and economic development in Boise, as well as goals identified for the various neighborhoods in and around the districts as identified in Blueprint Boise. The program has specific goals and scorecards unique to the six districts, and is crafted to be transparent, understandable and responsive in order to encourage private investment. Read more here. Boise, Idaho Innovation DRAFTPage 205 Item 3. 7 THE POINT 2021 Located on the outskirts of SLC in Draper, Utah, the former site of the Utah State Prison is under development as the Point. The prison was demolished in November of 2022 to make room for the revitalization of the area –much needed in an area that has grown exponentially in the last few years, facing a potential housing shortage. The Point’s core district will be a 78-acre mixed-use area of opens spaces, trails, housing, office buildings, retail, and more –with hopes that this development will spur growth on the surrounding 20,000+ acres deemed “The Hub”. The goal of the area is to utilize public transit and become an area for individuals of all income levels. The Framework Plan was developed for The Point in 2021, with implementation beginning in late 2022. Salt Lake City, Utah Innovation DRAFTPage 206 Item 3. Talent & Workforce Section 2 DRAFTPage 207 Item 3. 9 HEALTHCARE INNOVATION BLUEPRINT 2022 Healthcare Innovation Hub: Tech Lake City and the Health Care Innovation Blueprint The healthcare innovation sector has been deemed an economic strength for the Salt Lake City region and, therefore, the community chose to focus economic development efforts towards its expansion, citing a more “people-focused” approach to economic development. Within the Blueprint, published by the Mayor’s office in 2022, the city created four pillars of recommendations to create the foundation of this program. Those pillars are: 1.Brand, Promote, & Grow: to grow and maintain SLC’s reputation as a leader in healthcare innovation all while building a global brand and highlighting successes 2.Emphasize Pathways & Partnerships: in order to supply a workforce, it is imperative for the program to promote all education and training opportunities within the community 3.Increase Investment: maximize industry partnerships, capitalize on private capital, and target social impact investments 4.Strengthen Foundation & Remove Barriers: create a baseline, reduce barriers, inventory R&D opportunities, ensure lab and office space is available as needed Salt Lake City, Utah Innovation + Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 208 Item 3. 10 ANN ARBOR SPARK 2021 The Spark is a community resource that helps drive economic growth in Ann Arbor, Michigan, offering: •Startup Services: Entrepreneur Boot Camp, workshops, training events, networking, and business acceleration grants as well as mentorships and access to their Incubator Program with two innovation centers in the region. •Business Expansion Services: Site Selection Consulting, state and local incentive navigation, talent acquisition and workforce resources, demographic data, and municipality support. •Access to Funding: early-stage startup funding resources such as angel investors, grant programs, and grant programs. A new program within SPARK, launched in March 2021, is stemForward. This program matches students attending Michigan colleges and universities, as well as Michigan residents attending out-of-state institutions, with internship opportunities at the state’s leading innovative companies. SPARK makes these initial connections, but also aids with onboarding paperwork and pays 50% of an intern’s wages. In the first 18 months of the program, SPARK placed more than 500 students in STEM internships. Michigan STEM Forward | Paid Internships with Innovative Companies (annarborusa.org) Ann Arbor, Michigan Innovation + Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 209 Item 3. 11 ICONIC WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM 2022 For several years, Idaho has been one of the fastest-growing states in the country. With increased infrastructure improvement and construction needs, there was a large gap in qualified laborers –specifically heavy equipment operators, carpenters, truck drivers, and concrete/cement masons. The Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Civil Rights, in partnership with their Workforce Development Council and several other groups, implemented the start of the ICONIC program in 2022. The program offers hands-on as well as classroom training in multiple trades, with students receiving certifications such as OSHA-10, forklift, Hazardous Waste Operations Emergency Response, flagging, and more as well as required soft skills for employment success. In addition to the hands-on training and certifications, the program also offers a Contractor Day, where students get to network with employers and demonstrate skills in hopes of finding employment. There were 15 graduates in 2022, and 11 of the 15 graduates were employed in the highway construction industry within 30 days of graduation. Boise, Idaho Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 210 Item 3. 12 AUSTIN STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT 2017 The City’s Strategic Housing Blueprint, adopted by Council in 2017, is a 10-year plan to help align resources and facilitate community partnerships around a single, strategic vision to a) create 60,000 affordable housing units for those making less than 80% of the median family income, b) create an additional 75,000 units for households earning greater than the median family income, and c) ensure that there is affordable housing throughout the city. The process is guided by five community values: 1.Prevent households from being priced out of Austin. 2.Foster equitable,integrated,and diverse communities. 3.Invest in housing for those most in need. 4.Create new and affordable housing choices for all Austinites in all parts of Austin. 5.Help Austinites reduce their household costs. HousingWorks Austin publishes an annual Scorecard detailing the progress made towards the Blueprint’s goals. The publication makes sue of data provided by the City’s Affordable Housing Inventory and Housing Repair Program, CoStar, and geospatial data among others to index the units built since the program’s inception. The 2021 Scorecard showed that progress on the affordable housing goals is lower than projected, though some Districts are outperforming on an annual basis. The production of Moderate-and High-Income Goals is currently on track. Austin, Texas Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 211 Item 3. 13 COLONY PARK 2022 A community-led project, Colony Park is the largest redevelopment of City-owned land since the award-winning redevelopment of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. The development of the site is projected to deliver approximately 1,072 single-family homes, 831 multi-family apartments, 230,000 square feet of mixed-use office/institutional space, 130,000 square feet of mixed-use retail space, 53 acres of parks, trails, and open space. The city is partnering with the same developer used in the Mueller project to execute the plan. The land was purchased by the city in the early 2000s, and the majority of the project’s funding will derive from the sale of the city’s land. $10 million has also been allotted from a public improvement district.The project is a culmination of years of community engagement, development of a master plan, and the downselection of the development partner. Austin, Texas Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 212 Item 3. 14 METRO HOUSING BOND 2018 Voted into law in 2018, the Metro Housing Bond allocates $652.8 million to create permanently affordable homes across Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties. Metro is working with local partners and communities to bring affordable homes to 12,000 people with a focus on seniors, families and veterans through at least 3,900 new affordable homes. . So far, 3,200 individuals in the region have been housed through the bonds and 1,320 units are open or currently in development. The Metro Housing Bond follows four principles: 1.Lead with racial equity. 2.Create opportunity for those in need. 3.Create opportunity throughout the region. 4.Ensure long-term benefits and good use of public dollars. Portland, Oregon Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 213 Item 3. 15 COMMUNITY LIVABILITY GRANT 2006 The Community Livability Grant Program gives funding priority to projects that improve access to jobs and workforce development services; support wealth creation opportunities for small business owners; honor and enhance the neighborhood’s cultural diversity and history; deliver a community asset tailored to the community’s expressed priorities and opportunities; and advance goals of area-specific action plans. Since 2006, Prosper Portland has awarded more than $13 million to more than 230 community livability projects across multiple neighborhoods and TIF districts . In fiscal year 2022-23, 32 projects in five tax increment districts were awarded a total of $1,805,738 in Community Livability Grant. The projects included: •Expansion of classroom space for Childswork Learning Center; •The construction of an ornamental roof parapet for the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Associations; •Tenant improvements for the Kickstand Comedy club; •A gallery expansion of the Oregon Jewish Museum; •and many more. Portland, Oregon Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 214 Item 3. 16 INSPIRE DIVERSITY GRANT 2019 Prosper Portland’s Inspiring Diversity Grant is intended to encourage private employers to incorporate creative, equity-related best practices around workforce, marketing and communications. The grants are up to $10,000 and support companies that provide high-paying and middle-wage jobs and opportunities for Portlanders, representing technology,manufacturing,architecture and engineering and consumer products. In 2022, more than 60 applications were received for the Inspire Diversity Grant. Prioritization was given to companies that sell goods and services outside of the Portland region. Award amounts for the fiscal year were between $2,500 and $10,000 with an average grant size of $8,400. The selection process considers matching grants in the evaluation of the awards, with matches totaling $251,000 in cash and in -kind staff time. Awarded projects included: •DEI training program for Good Rain Farm,a woman-and Indigenous-owned organization; •Craft Ice Cream Apprenticeship program for currently incarcerated women; •BIPOC On-the-Job Apprenticeship program for Willamette Technical Fabricators, a fabricated structural metal manufacturing company; •and more. Portland, Oregon Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 215 Item 3. 17 BIOHIVE 2020 Created by Utah’s life science and healthcare innovation collective in November of 2020, BioHive serves as the brand representing this sector in the community with the purpose of telling the story of this “hub” and spurring continued growth. Company leaders, industry researchers, as well as local governmental and economic development officials join this group of more than 1,300 Utah companies within these sectors. A need for this collective became apparent, as Utah has been recognized as the nation’s fastest-growing life science community –employing 43,000 people directly and 88,000 indirectly. Future goals of BioHive include recruiting talent, raising capital funds, and any other resources needed for successful economic development in this field. Salt Lake City, Utah Talent & Workforce DRAFTPage 216 Item 3. Small Business Section 3 DRAFTPage 217 Item 3. 19 CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 2020 The Creative Space Assistance Program offers grants between $5,000 and $50,000 to creative organizations and independent artists facing displacement or new commercial leases at higher and unaffordable rates. Grant funds may be used for revenue-generating space improvements, lease payments, and gap financing for creative space purchases. The 2023 round of funding will provide a total of $1.5 million in support of eligible applicants (located within the Austin city limits or a surrounding Extraterritorial Jurisdiction). The fiscal year brought improvements in the disbursement of the award, with awards now paid up front and on a scheduled basis. Award amounts are determined according to a scoring matrix, with new recipients weighted heavier in the calculation. The city also conducts a webinar to discuss how to access the grant program. The program is open for applications from January 24 to February 28. Austin, Texas Small Business DRAFTPage 218 Item 3. 20 SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH ACTIVATOR 2020 The Small Business Growth Activator is an economic development program through Washtenaw County that uses grant funds to assist small businesses in starting and/or growing their business. This program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with specific parameters to help those that may have not qualified for PPP funding through the SBA. There are 5 different programs business owners can choose from during the application process: 1.Food Businesses and the Collaborative Kitchen when Growing Hope: participants will learn alternative strategies for growing their food-based business in shared spaces. 2.The Digital Pivot Program: this is an 8-week cohort designed to support entrepreneurs who are scaling their business through e-commerce. 3.Ready to Uplift: through the Uplift Michigan program from the Michigan SBDC, business coaching, mentorship, and peer-to-peer support is offered to diverse businesses in the county. 4.Mind Your Business: individuals work with a coach within a community of peers in a weekly online mastermind course. 5.Advance Your Business: individuals are paired with a business consultant to address challenges or current projects (ex. Strategic planning, marketing sales, etc.). All programs also offer up to a $5,000 grant to each business owner selected to go towards business expenses. Ann Arbor, MI Small Business DRAFTPage 219 Item 3. 1 of 13 Fort Collins Circular Economy Concepts and Existing Conditions Analysis Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Conceptual Framing for Fort Collins ............................................................................................................. 2 Circular Economy Definition ..................................................................................................................... 2 Key Concepts ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Baseline Research ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Cluster Study: Understanding Local Industries ......................................................................................... 3 Initial Engagement and Peer Learnings .................................................................................................... 4 Local Manufacturers Survey ..................................................................................................................... 4 Existing Conditions ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Examples of Circularity in Fort Collins and Colorado ................................................................................ 5 Fort Collins’ Landfilled Materials .............................................................................................................. 7 Opportunity Materials .............................................................................................................................. 8 Future Materials At-Risk of Being Landfilled ............................................................................................ 9 Barriers and Opportunities to a Circular Economy ..................................................................................... 10 Barriers to Increased Circularity in Fort Collins ...................................................................................... 10 Opportunities to Support Circular Economy ........................................................................................... 11 Regulatory Strategies .......................................................................................................................... 11 Non-Regulatory Strategies .................................................................................................................. 12 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Page 220 Item 3. 2 of 13 Introduction Fort Collins is updating its Economic Health Strategic Plan with a first-ever focus on the circular economy (CE). While the City of Fort Collins has already integrated circular economy strategies into some of its other environmental plans like Our Climate Future and the Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan, the Economic Health Strategic Plan offers a significant opportunity to advance Fort Collins’ circular economy and zero waste goals, as well as close planning gaps, including gaps around: - Economic health dimensions of the circular economy (cluster support, wealth generation, skills and training, business attraction, etc.). - Manufacturing sector strategic gaps. o Other plans have focused primarily on individuals, small businesses, institutions, and the construction and demolition sector. o The manufacturing sector has the greatest global impact and opportunity for innovation. - Non-regulatory strategies that support businesses transitioning to circular business models. The following sections offer the conceptual framework Fort Collins is using, examples of local and regional successes to date, materials available for integration into manufacturing processes, known opportunities and barriers to circularity, as well as recommendations. Conceptual Framing for Fort Collins The circular economy elements of the Economic Health Strategic Plan are focused on local manufacturers. They are intended to provide opportunities for local manufacturers to transform their production processes from linear ones into connected loops with a little help from the City organization. The circular economy also includes non-manufacturing businesses, other institutions, and individuals. Strategies for these entities are included in Our Climate Future, the City’s waste, energy, and climate plan. Our Climate Future is a living document that will grow over time with the community’s awareness and capacity to build a circular economy. Circular Economy Definition For Fort Collins, the definition of circular economy is rethinking products and processes to eliminate and reduce waste while effectively utilizing natural resources to increase supply chain resilience, create sustainable employment opportunities to enable wealth stability, and ensure the resilience of our natural and built environment. Page 221 Item 3. 3 of 13 Key Concepts There are a few key strategic frameworks for achieving a more circular economy, including applying “R” strategies and creating systems for industrial symbiosis. Figure 1: “R” strategies to prevent waste “R” strategies. Expands on the adage of “reduce, reuse, recycle” to include a variety of other approaches to preventing waste. “R” strategies are organized into a hierarchy based on how waste can be prevented. For example, refusing means preventing material from being used in the first place. A material never mined, processed, used, and disposed of has the least environmental impact. On the lower end of the hierarchy is recycling. Recycling is important, yet it still requires energy and other resources to collect, transport, and manufacture something new. Industrial symbiosis. Is similar in concept to recycling but cuts out the middleman and brings companies into a direct relationship by sharing outputs from one manufacturing process as the inputs to another. Baseline Research Cluster Study: Understanding Local Industries Hickey Global conducted a cluster study on behalf of the City of Fort Collins to enhance our understanding of industries operating in Fort Collins. They identified four key industries as a focus in the overall updated Economic Health Strategic Plan. Top Four Clusters Overall: - Professional Services - Information Technology (Software Development) - Distribution & E-Commerce - Manufacturing For the circular economy portion of the revised Plan, the cluster study helped to understand Fort Collins’ extensive and robust manufacturing cluster, which has opportunities for circularity. Within the Manufacturing Cluster: • Food & Beverage Manufacturing • Computers and Electronic Products • Machinery • Plastics and Rubber Products • Furniture and Related Products - Wood Manufacturing Page 222 Item 3. 4 of 13 The study showed examples of and opportunities for industrial symbiosis in Fort Collins. An important next step in expanding opportunities for industrial symbiosis is to identify barriers the manufacturing sector encounters to achieve circularity as well as what support the City could provide to address those barriers. One known opportunity is to foster cluster activities to promote innovation, identify research, create jobs, and attract capital within a particular industry and generally enhance regional economic growth. Initial Engagement and Peer Learnings Initial engagement on the circular economy has included connections in the U.S. and abroad. • U.S. connections o Fort Collins has connected with U.S. cities with circular economy plans • International collaborations: o The City’s participation in the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) program has enabled Fort Collins to connect about circular economy strategies with other international cities, conduct site visits, and attend international conferences. o Fort Collins continues its circular economy collaboration with friendship city Vila Nova de Famalicao in Portugal. o This engagement has included learning: • About frameworks for advancing the circular economy • What businesses most need from cities to make the transition o Business panel featured local and international businesses • What types of strategies cities should prioritize, including; o Awareness and education o Convene and coordinate o Connect to funding o Municipal procurement o Policy o Infrastructure Local Manufacturers Survey Fort Collins is conducting a survey to better understand local manufacturers’ current circular economy work and their interest in future circular economy work, as well as materials they may generate as waste and/or be able to use as feedstocks. This information will be central to recommending strategies for the local manufacturing sector. Page 223 Item 3. 5 of 13 Existing Conditions Circular Economy Strategies in City Strategic Plans Several City strategic plans already include strategies that will support Fort Collins’ transition to a circular economy. Strategies span actions for individuals, small businesses, manufacturers, the construction industry, and the City organization. Examples of strategies already in plans include: • Our Climate Future o Examples: Explore collaborative consumption apps and platforms; Explore policies and incentives for more local green jobs; Establish a dedicated innovation platform for the circular economy • Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan o Examples: Require recycled/recyclable construction materials in city projects; Update Purchasing Procedure No. 08, Sustainable Purchasing Not all identified strategies have the same potential or foundation to start from. For example: • Strategies for individuals and small businesses are mainly focused on improving recycling and reuse behavior and are largely underway. • Strategies for the City organization and the construction industry are largely planned strategies that will be integrated into workplans and budgeting processes in coming years. • Manufacturing strategies represent significant potential but also emerging practices and more exploration through the Economic Health Strategic Plan is needed. A full overview of existing strategies is attached at the end of this document. Examples of Circularity in Fort Collins and Colorado The following table illustrates known examples of circularity in Fort Collins and Colorado. Figure 2: Examples of circularity in Fort Collins and Colorado Strategy Local example Material recycled or avoided Refuse Businesses • HP Inc allows customers to select if they need accessories when purchasing a laptop to avoid them being wasted. E-waste Reduce Businesses • New Belgium Brewing has ongoing efforts to light- weight their beer bottles, reducing glass. City of Fort Collins • Asphalt • Plastic film • Building materials • Plastic • Cardboard Page 224 Item 3. 6 of 13 • Adopts locally and advocates for State waste prevention regulations. o Policy requiring use of Class IV hail-resistant Shingles o Disposable Bag Ordinance o Durable material policy in building code State of Colorado • Colorado Producer Responsibility Program • Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act • Glass • Metal • Paper Redesign Businesses • Extended guarantees on Otterbox products drives increased product durability o Reduces e-waste by better protecting phone. • Plastic • E-waste Re-use Businesses • Leapin Lizards Labels re-uses their label backing as packing cushion for shipping. City of Fort Collins • Streets Department runs a crushing yard to recycle municipal- and community-generated asphalt, concrete, and soil. Products are used by the City or sold back to the community. • Forestry Department mulches City trees that must be cut down and provides the mulch back to the community for no charge. • Streets Department composts leaves collected from public street sweeping and uses the compost in City parks and flower beds. • Plastic • Wood • Soil • Asphalt • Concrete • Leaves Repair Businesses • Fjaell Raven runs a repair shop in Denver. Textiles Refurbish Businesses • HP Inc takes back and refurbishes laptops, then distributes them into Fort Collins schools. E-waste Remanufacture Businesses • Lightning eMotors converts vehicles to electric in Loveland. • Metal • E-waste • Plastics etc. Recycle Businesses • Rocky Mountain Bottling in Wheat Ridge and the Colorado beer industry successfully recover, recycle, and recycle beer bottles and other glass. • Owens Illinois in Windsor recycles glass from Colorado into new glass products • Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel in Pueblo uses local recycled content to create new steel items • Glass • Metal Industrial symbiosis Businesses • New Belgium Brewing provides spent brewing grain to • Spent grain • Water treatment Page 225 Item 3. 7 of 13 local livestock operations as animal feed. City of Fort Collins/Institutions • The Fort Collins water treatment facility is using an internal innovation fund grant to reuse water treatment residuals to remove phosphorous from stormwater (project status is pre-implementation as it is seeking regulatory and legal approval). • The Fort Collins wastewater treatment facility uses a biogas digester to create heat for on-site uses. • Colorado State University recovers waste heat on campus and at the National Western Center residuals • Heat Awareness and innovation City of Fort Collins • Hosts periodic Innovate Fort Collins Challenge to provide start-up funds for innovative sustainability concepts. o Funded have included a circular economy focus such as funding a food waste project utilizing Black Soldier Flies. • Provides ongoing awareness and education programming to the community around reusing, reducing, and recycling. o One key asset is the City’s A-Z list that provides recycling and other diversion options for a host of materials. Varied Fort Collins’ Landfilled Materials Fort Collins adopted a goal to be Zero Waste (i.e., send no materials to the landfill) by 2030. Currently, the community recycles or composts a little more than 50% of its waste, leaving the other half still to be diverted. About half of the remaining materials can be addressed by improving existing recycling systems or developing new ones (such as food scrap composting). The other half is hard or impossible-to-recycle materials, such as complex consumer goods or hazardous materials, that can be tackled through circular economy strategies. Page 226 Item 3. 8 of 13 Figure 3: Materials generated in Fort Collins Opportunity Materials One way to view circular economy opportunities is through materials that are generated in large quantities. The Figure below includes the top materials landfilled in Fort Collins by weight. Figure 5: Top Fort Collins materials landfilled by weight Material Percentage Anticipated reduction pathway(s) Soil and aggregates 18% Municipal industrial waste reuse and recycling Consumer goods 15% Circular and sharing economy strategies Yard trimmings 12% Regional and home composting Food scraps 13% Regional and home composting; food waste reduction (e.g., food rescue organizations, behavior change and education) Another lens through which we can view materials is their impact. The following figure includes materials in Fort Collins’ waste stream that could be a focus for circular economy work. Figure 6: Top Fort Collins materials landfilled by CE priority Materials Already Recycled or Composted 52% Materials Addressed through Improved Systems 24% Hard or Impossible-to- Recycle Materials 24% Remaining Material Strategies Page 227 Item 3. 9 of 13 Material Percentage Context and current end-of-life recommendations Consumer goods 15% Challenging because they are so diverse and designed with many compound materials not intended to be recyclable. Existing recommendations direct consumers to thrift stores and online platforms to sell/trade. Treated/painted wood 8% Due to the toxicity of most wood treatments and paints, this type of wood cannot be used for mulch or other land applications or recycled into paper products. Existing recommendations are to donate usable materials to thrift stores that accept building materials and to place unusable materials in the trash. Clean wood 6% Because contractors require specific quantities and types of lumber, small batches of wood are unattractive. Homeowners can donate and shop for clean wood at the Habitat Restore. Existing recommendations are to donate usable clean wood to thrift stores that accept building materials or recycle unusable materials for mulching. Textiles 2% There is not a textile recycler in the Fort Collins region that meets the City’s criteria to recommend as a viable recycling option. Textile recycling can be associated with negative impacts on textile markets in developing countries where much of the U.S.’s “recycled” clothing ends up. When clothing floods local markets, it puts local producers out of business and often negatively impacts traditional fashions. Existing recommendations are to reuse clothing or bring it to a thrift store or other donation options. E-waste 1% While e-waste already has a recycling option in Fort Collins and is a small waste stream by weight, the mining and extraction of rare minerals for electronics production has such a significant impact on human and ecosystem health that they are also a CE priority. Future Materials At-Risk of Being Landfilled The figures above reflect the materials Fort Collins landfills today, however there are additional materials to consider when looking a few years out. Figure 7: Materials at risk of being Landfilled in the future Page 228 Item 3. 10 of 13 Future material Context Ash trees infected with Emerald Ash Borer Emerald Ash Borer is now in Fort Collins. It is estimated that 30% of the Fort Collins tree canopy will be affected over time. The City of Fort Collins Forestry Division already has a robust wood reuse program that first separates and coordinates with a sawmill to mill logs into higher value products such as lumber, with the ultimate end goal of reusing higher value products back into City facilities. Wood material not suitable for milling is then mulched and used by the City in Parks and City facilities, is shared with Poudre School District for its facilities, and mulch is also placed at the Timberline Recycling Center and Gardens on Spring Creek for residents to self-load and use at their homes. However, the amount of wood anticipated to be generated from private property by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) will exceed the capacity of these systems. The Forestry Division is seeking regional partners to identify space and processes needed to handle the large volumes of wood that will be generated by EAB impacts. Solar panels Occasional solar panels are already disposed of as electronic waste; however, most are recent enough that they have many more years on the rooftops of Fort Collins homes. Eventually, solar panels will present a significant source of hazardous waste to be managed. Electric vehicle batteries While behind solar panels in terms of adoption rates, electric vehicle batteries will present a similar issue to solar panels. There is likely to be a high volume each year that will be disposed of as hazardous waste. Barriers and Opportunities to a Circular Economy Barriers to Increased Circularity in Fort Collins The sections above have illustrated the existing conditions around materials available (currently landfilled as waste) and examples of local and regional manufacturers making strides in the circular economy. While there are success stories, there is currently a greater supply of materials than demand by manufacturers. The following elements have been identified thus far as barriers to circular economy progress. Lack of recycling markets. Cities, policymakers, industry, and recycling advocacy groups are working to develop recycling markets and connected/coordinated supply chains for various materials. However, today’s lack of these markets and coordinated supply chains is a major barrier to regional recycling. Globally, the lack of recyclers and end users (producers who purchase recycled materials for remanufacturing) are key barriers, especially to low-grade plastic recycling. Page 229 Item 3. 11 of 13 Local vs. Regional vs. Global scales. In working to understand how Fort Collins manufacturers and the City as a large institutional user of materials can best contribute to the circular economy, scale is a major piece of the puzzle. For example, creating loops around agriculture, uneaten food, and nutrient recovery is locally and regionally possible. In contrast, other materials may be mismatched in terms of supply and demand at the local and regional scales. Regarding remanufacturing and industrial symbiosis, products are produced locally but distributed globally. In these cases, distance becomes a greater barrier or, at best, supports more indirect strategies like strengthening global recycling markets. A few international brands have introduced global take-back programs that are exceptions; however, those types of programs are likely not accessible or practical for all types of manufacturers. Strategies like refusing, reducing, and redesigning require the greatest transition away from traditional business practices and the most innovation, regardless of scale. Other barriers to implementing circular economy strategies. While not all local barriers are well understood, some emerging themes from other global cities include: • Regulatory barriers to circularity • Lack of awareness broadly, or specifically at the implementation level • Proprietary information or trade secrets that prevent material sharing. • Lack of connections between industries preventing industrial symbiosis opportunities • Market/consumer trends that incentivize the production of low-quality, short-lived consumer goods. Opportunities to Support Circular Economy Regulatory Strategies There are many ways cities can influence circularity. Many strategies focus on regulations that are most effective when implemented at a State or Federal level. Cities can and do organize to influence the passage of these types of regulations. A recent example is Colorado’s passage of a Producer Responsibility Program in 2022 focused on packaging. A Fort Collins City Councilmember and staff member testified in support of this Bill, as did elected officials and staff members from local governments across Colorado. Further opportunities include: - Expanding and leveraging producer responsibility regulations o Beyond packaging, producer responsibility regulations could be implemented for other hazardous or hard-to-recycle products like e-waste, household and automotive cleaners and chemicals, and low-grade plastic packaging materials. Page 230 Item 3. 12 of 13 o Producer responsibility helps develop strong regional markets for recycled materials, making it easier for producers to access recycled content and achieve corporate sustainability goals. o Producer responsibility can be a precursor to more systematized take-back systems like bottle deposits. - “Right-to-repair” regulations o A type of consumer protection that gives consumers the right to repair consumer goods they purchase; may also require producers to provide repair manuals. - Lifespan and/or recyclability disclosure regulations o Like the disclosure of fuel efficiency in cars, other types of environmental disclosures are being adopted. One Fort Collins example is a requirement to disclose the energy efficiency of homes at the time of sale. Indicating the anticipated lifespan of products could increase consumer awareness of how often they will have to reinvest in the product. - State Waste Diversion and Circular Economy Development Center - Fort Collins’ Our Climate Future and Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan o Include 31 strategies that support the transition to a circular economy. Recyclability disclosures could put guardrails on how companies describe recyclability and indicate when products are not recyclable so consumers could make more informed choices. For context, many products are labeled with a “recycling” chasing arrows symbol when recyclability depends on local recycling systems rather than the product’s physical properties. Non-Regulatory Strategies The following are best or emerging practices from cities around the world: • Convening and raising awareness about circular economy with key accounts and local business partners. • Creating a process for producers to request temporary exceptions to existing regulations from their local municipality to remove policy barriers that stand in the way of circularity. • Circular economic development support that is tailored through City-business partnerships. • Leveraging the City’s purchasing power and procurement practices to create markets. • Circular coordination of municipal industrial materials. Page 231 Item 3. 13 of 13 Recommendations Taking into consideration the existing conditions noted in this document, the Circular economy-focused updates to the Economic Health Strategic Plan should consider strategies that build on these existing conditions to: • Focus on non-regulatory options that support Fort Collins manufacturers in implementing the circular economy. • Highlight and scale existing local and regional success stories and business leadership. • Integrate lessons learned and best/emerging practices from cities in Fort Collins’ network. • Continue to learn about and address local barriers to business circularity. • Be clear about the City’s role and identify roles that the business community can or should play. • Design work through the Economic Health Strategic Plan to work in tandem with and complement the strategies and work identified in Our Climate Future • Leverage circular economy strategies to prevent the creation of materials that cannot be recycled or composted. Page 232 Item 3. Circular Economy Strategies in Existing City PlansKey Strategies in progressPlanned strategies Future Exploratory Strategies Individuals Small/local businesses Manufacturers Construction industryLeading by example/ City of Fort CollinsGreatest global waste reduction leversPlan Chapter6 strategies5 strategies4 strategies9 strategies7 strategiesOur Climate Future Council Action RoadmapIncrease Construction and Demolition materials recycling complianceConstruction and Demolition sorting facility and related policyOur Climate Future Big Move 2: Zero Waste NeighborhoodsFacilitate the sharing of commonly neededitems through librariesHighlight businesses who reuse, reduce, and recycleExplore collaborative consumption apps and platformsExpand recycling and reuse education campaignExplore additional community-needs donation optionsExplore barriers to accessing reuse and recycling systemsSupport sharing, repair, and reuseOur Climate Future Big Move 9: Healthy Local Economy and JobsExplore policies and incentives for more local green jobsExplore policies and incentives for more local green jobsReimagine a sustainable business recognition programSupport small businesses and workforce development in times of crisisSupport small businesses and workforce development in times of stabilityGreatest local waste reduction leversGreatest culture change leversPage 233 Item 3. Individuals Small/local businesses Manufacturers Construction industryLeading by example/ City of Fort CollinsGreatest global waste reduction leversPlan Chapter6 strategies5 strategies4 strategies9 strategies7 strategiesOur Climate Future Big Move 10: Zero Waste EconomyEstablish a dedicated innovation platform for the circular economyPrioritize retaining and improving existing buildingsContinue to explore ways to further reuse and recycle soil from City projectsBuild a reuse-focused innovation hubEstablish or support materials reuse facilitiesRequire recycled/recyclable construction materials in city projectsSupport work on a digital marketplace for industrial wasteExplore prefabricated or modular construction opportunitiesRequire circular and affordable land use developmentExpand construction and demolition waste ordinanceExplore reuse partnerships for exclusive salvage rights of reusable materials from transfer stations with local partnersMunicipal Sustainability and Adaptation PlanGoal 4: We are Zero WasteUpdate Purchasing Procedure No. 08, Sustainable PurchasingCity departments adopt systems for comprehensive Sustainable Materials ManagementEducate employees on how to sustainably utilize products and services.Implement waste reduction and recycling at all City facilities and operations.Adopt comprehensive best management practices to handle and reduce municipally generated industrial waste.Greatest culture change leversGreatest local waste reduction leversPage 234 Item 3. Economic Health Strategic Plan 03-14-2023 SeonAh Kendall, Economic Health Director Jillian Fresa, Economic Health Manager Molly Saylor, Waste Reduction and Recycling Lead Specialist Shannon Hein, Economic Health Manager Page 235 Item 3. •What feedback does Council have on the proposed elements to include in the updated Economic Health Strategic Plan? •Do Councilmembers have feedback about the circular economy portion of this planning effort? 2Questions for Council Questions for Council? Heritage & Bloom Page 236 Item 3. •Why an update? •How is this EHSP different? o Integration of Triple Bottom Line o Circular Economy o Our Climate Future: Healthy Local Economy & Jobs Big Move o Housing Strategic Plan o Workforce (RUN: Reskill, Upskill, New skill) o 15-min Cities •Rooted in equity –economic inclusion 3Introduction to Economic Health Strategic Plan Avila's barbershopPage 237 Item 3. 4Introduction to Economic Health Strategic Plan Guiding Principles Vision Livability Sustainability Community We exist to support businesses to enable a healthy, equitable, and resilient economy and community. Project Pizza Page 238 Item 3. 5SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis Strengths: •Highly educated community •Educational institutions •Quality of place Weaknesses: •Housing affordability •Lack of diversity Opportunities: •Define Fort Collins brand •Sector partnerships •Retaining talent •Inclusive opportunities Threats: •Water •Cost of living & doing business DEIA Talent Network, Oct 2022 Page 239 Item 3. 6Strategic Focus Areas Business Retention & Expansion Small Business Talent & Workforce Innovation Major Initiative: Circular Economy Motherlove Herbal Company Page 240 Item 3. 7Strategic Focus Areas Business Engagement & Retention Support primary employers in attaining their Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) goals that align with City Strategic Plan Create opportunities for local small, medium, and large businesses to purchase from each other (procurement practices) Transform ForFortCollins.com to post-COVID community platform Examples: procurements matchmaking, DEIA business lists, and ambassador program Workforce & Talent Advance regionalism such as NoCo Works Partnerships with PSD and Larimer County for workforce development that supports future business growth Champion the growth and retention of diverse talent in the workforce Collaborate regionally to work toward innovative pathways for climate resiliency (RUN) Safe and stable employment, current and future (recovery) Page 241 Item 3. 8Strategic Focus Areas Small Business Design and Implementation of a Small Business Development Plan Develop resiliency program to support businesses for economic, climate or human-caused emergencies Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center Sustainable Business Program Development of a legacy business program Available and accessible resources to thrive (recovery) 15-min cities (council priorities) •Develop a space or storefront assistance program to support underrepresented, underserved businesses Revolving Loan Fund aSIANA FOODS Page 242 Item 3. 9Strategic Focus Areas Innovation Leverage partnerships Life-and bioscience, clean tech cluster Address priorities such as Our Climate Future and Circular Economy •FC Innovate –TBL focus •Opportunity to support businesses, especially manufacturers transition to circular economy Page 243 Item 3. 10Introduction to Circular Economy The circular economy is… •rethinking products and processes to eliminate and reduce waste; •effectively utilizing natural resources to increase supply chain resilience; •creating sustainable employment opportunities to enable wealth stability; •ensuring the resilience of our natural and built environment. What is the Circular Economy? Circular Economy is bigger than recycling –it is about redesigning systemsPage 244 Item 3. 11Fort Collins and Colorado Examples of “R” Strategies Fort Collins/Colorado businesses already leading by example, lots more room to grow Refuse prevent use Reduce Use less raw materials Redesign with circularity in mind Reuse products (secondhand) Repair and maintain Refurbish Remanufacture New from secondhand Repurpose Reuse differently Recycle Recover (energy) City of Fort Collins adopted Class IV Shingle policy Extended guarantees on Otterbox products City of Fort Collins crushing yard for industrial materials Fjaell Raven (clothing brand) runs repair shop in Denver HP refurbishes and distributes laptops into local schools Lightning eMotors converts vehicles to electric in Loveland New Belgium’s brewing grain becomes livestock feed Rocky Mountain Bottling recycles glass into beer bottles CSU waste heat recovery on campus and at National Western Center HP asks customers to opt-in to computer accessories MOST SUSTAINABLE LEAST SUSTAINABLE Page 245 Item 3. 12Circular Economy Background Who is part of the circular economy? Individuals Small/local businesses Manufacturers Construction industry Institutions •Small volumes of many materials •Impacted by culture change; availability of sustainable products •Large volumes of a few materials •Impacted by changing product design, business models, and supply chains/materials markets Zero Waste Neighborhoods Zero Waste Economy Page 246 Item 3. 13Circular Economy Background Who is already identified or underway? Individuals Small/local businesses Manufacturers Construction industry Institutions Zero Waste Neighborhoods Zero Waste Economy 6 5 4 8 7 •10/11 circular strategies in Our Climate Future plan already underway •4/20 circular strategies in Our Climate Future & Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan underway Page 247 Item 3. 14Manufacturer Strategies Awareness and Education Convene and Coordinate Connect to funding “We work with Vila Nova de Famalicao to incubate start-ups and share lessons learned” “Cities can bring businesses together in a room to cultivate knowledge and resource sharing, and ideas for innovation to move into the circular economy.” “It’s great when cities are tuned into state & federal programs which benefit decarbonization and circularity goals." What can cities do to help manufacturers on the circular economy? Page 248 Item 3. 15Manufacturer Strategies What can cities do to help manufacturers on the circular economy? Municipal Procurement Policy Infrastructure "Hoffman Mill diverts aggregate materials from the landfill for reuse materials to go back into our Community." "Producer Responsibility Program requires companies to fund recycling state-wide." "Utilize our Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan to update sustainable purchasing. Page 249 Item 3. •Overall Economic Health Strategic Plan •Develop Economic Health Implementation Plan while incorporating feedback from Council into the Economic Health Strategic Plan •Continue to explore integration with other City plans •Second Council Work Session on August 8, 2023, where draft plan will be presented to Council prior to adoption •Circular Economy •Continue learning about the Circular Economy through: •Multiple international collaboration and learning opportunities •Circular Economy focused business survey •Continue to explore integration opportunities with OCF Big Moves 16Next Steps Page 250 Item 3. •What feedback does Council have on the proposed elements to include in the updated Economic Health Strategic Plan? •Do Councilmembers have feedback about the circular economy portion of this planning effort? 17Questions for Council Questions for Council? FoCo DoCoPage 251 Item 3. THANK YOU! Page 252 Item 3.