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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-02/26/2008-Work SessionMEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Hutchinson and City Councilmembers THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Diane Jones, Deputy City Manager FROM: Lucinda Smith, Sr. Environmental Planner CC: Marty Heffernan, CPRE Director John Stokes, NRD Director DATE: February 29, 2008 SUBJECT: February 26, 2008 Work Session Summary — Climate Task Force On February 26, 2008, City Council held a work session to discuss the Climate Task Force work to date. All Councilmembers were present except Councilman Brown. In addition to John Stokes and Lucinda Smith, several staff were present in the audience as well as a number of Climate Task Force members, in case questions arose. In summary, Councilmembers present indicted support for Fort Collins working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They did not discuss many details of the Short-term Provisional Package, but raised questions about the appropriateness of the existing 2010 greenhouse gas goal. They recognized the challenge of achieving a 2010 goal that was accentuated by the cost estimates of the Short -Term Provisional Package. They encouraged an approach that reflects longer -term thinking yet be appropriately aggressive in the short-term. They asked about the relationship of Fort Collins' existing goal (to reduce emissions 30% below predicted 2010 levels, by 2010) to the state's 2020 goal (to reduce emissions 20% below 2005 levels by 2020). Councilmembers individually suggested that the task force consider economic opportunities and impacts to Fort Collins, whole energy -systems thinking, green building, regional coordination, the importance of community engagement, the importance of periodic progress reporting, and ensuring synchronization with other City planning efforts currently underway. Next Steps On March 3, 2008, the City Leadership Team will discuss the process by which the City's greenhouse gas goal will be revised to consider a longer planning horizon. The results of this discussion will be communicated to the Climate Task Force so the next steps can be planned accordingly. where renewal is a way of life Neighborhood Services 281 N. College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.224.6046 970.224.6050 - fax fcgov.com Memorandum - Revised To: Mayor & City Council Members Thru: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Diane Jones, Deputy City Man0 Jeff Scheick, PDT Director From: Felix Lee, Neighborhood & Building Services D' Beth Sowder, Neighborhood Services Manager Date: March 3, 2008 Re: February 26, 2008 Council Work Session — Exterior Property Maintenance Codes Diane Jones, Felix Lee, and Beth Sowder presented various options for Council consideration regarding Exterior Property Maintenance Codes. Ginny Sawyer, Neighborhood Administrator, was also present to assist with questions. Council members David Roy, Lisa Poppaw, Kelly Ohlson, and Ben Manvel support the following: • Staff should bring forward for Is' Reading an ordinance that adds property maintenance codes that will apply to all properties within the City of Fort Collins. • Apply all four standards addressed (dirt/dead yards, dilapidated fences, extensive chipping/peeling paint, and deteriorated roofs/gutters). • The preferred approach for enforcement is to enforce the codes from all public rights -of -way and the ground level of neighboring properties. • Provide reasonable lengths of time for people to be able to correct a violation. • Staff should bring more detailed information and provide a matrix explaining all possible assistance programs for owner -occupied properties with low incomes. • Emphasis should be placed on providing assistance to people in order to help them collie into compliance before the need to issue citations or other enforcement efforts to gain compliance. Mayor Hutchinson expressed a need for standards to exist; however, he would like a solution that would explore in more detail utilizing assistance programs and public -private partnerships to help enable people come into compliance without the possibility of it being a code violation. He suggested that this could be done for a trial period of 1 or 2 years to see if it's effective. Council member Wade Troxell expressed that he is not in favor of adding any new property maintenance codes, and would like more work done to find an answer by utilizing public -private partnerships to assist people with property maintenance concerns. He also expressed that he believes that current nuisance codes should be enforced before adding new codes, and that he believes that the proposed codes are biased against low-income and student households. Staff will bring code language to the April 1, 2008 Council meeting for Is' Reading. Staff will also prepare a matrix including more detailed information about assistance programs and public -private partnerships. where renewal is a way of life