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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 06/20/2000 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 78, 2000, AUTHORIZI AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 23 DATE: June 20, 2000 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Thomas L. Frazier STAFF: Jack Gianola SUBJECT: First Reading of Ordinance No. 78, 2000, Authorizing the Transfer of Appropriations from the Transit Fund to the Capital Projects Fund to be used for the Final Design and Construction of the Downtown Transit Center. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL IMPACT: This item authorizes the transfer of existing appropriations, totaling $1,698,400, from the Transit Services Fund to the Capital Projects Fund for construction of the downtown transit center. The sources of funds for the transferred appropriations are Federal Transit Administration grants. The estimated cost for final design and construction of the transit center is $2,652,200. Currently, there is $953,800 of revenue from the civic center financing package in the Capital Project Fund for this project. This transfer will expedite the financial management of this project from one capital fund. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Downtown Transit Center will be constructed on the site of the historic railroad freight depot located on the northeast corner of Mason Street and Laporte Avenue and will serve as the northern hub for Transfort/Dial-A-Ride. With these transit center improvements, in conjunction with the Mason Street Transportation Corridor conceptual design, this facility will become a premier multi-modal operation serving the civic center and the entire downtown. The City has verbally committed to rent two bus spaces and office space at the transit center to the Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma Coaches. Inc. (TNM&O) for its over-the-road bus operations. It will also provide public waiting areas for all passengers and office space for the Fort Collins SMARTTrips staff. The freight depot's architectural features will be maintained to exemplify the historical nature of this facility and site improvements will be added to match the current civic center architectural theme. The project is scheduled to go to bid in September 2000, to start construction in November, and to open for operation in June 2001. BACKGROUND: In late 1998, the City completed a feasibility study for a downtown transit center, and the old freight depot site was selected as the right location for transit operations. In conjunction with the other facilities proposed in the Civic Center Plan and the Mason Street Transportation Corridor Plan, this transit facility will provide an important multi-modal transportation center for the DATE: June 20, 2000 2 ITEM NUMBER: 23 Civic Center and the entire downtown area. Funds were initially appropriated in 1998 to begin site review and preliminary design. The City removed the asbestos from the depot and stabilized the building with a state historic grant. The transit center site has been used for temporary and displaced parking caused by construction of the Civic Center Parking Structure and the County Justice Center. The temporary parking will end on the site when construction begins, in compliance with the conditions applied by the Planning and Zoning Board. The Federal Transit Administration has reviewed the project and its recommendations are included in the project scope. . ORDINANCE NO. 78, 2000 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE TRANSIT SERVICES FUND TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND TRANSIT CENTER CAPITAL PROJECT TO BE USED FOR THE FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRANSIT CENTER WHEREAS, in 1995, the City began earmarking funds for land acquisition and implementation of the Civic Center Plan and the General Government Services Strategic Facility Plan; and WHEREAS, on July 16, 1996, City Council adopted Resolution 96-86, adopting the Civic Center Master Plan as an amendment to the Downtown Plan; and ` WHEREAS, one of the components of the Civic Center Master Plan is the design and construction of a downtown transit center (the "Transit Center"), providing a northern hub for Transfort's fixed route buses and paratransit(Dial-A-Ride) services; and WHEREAS,plans call for the Transit Center to be developed through the renovation of the historic Colorado & Southern Freight Depot located on Block 22; and . WHEREAS, on September 1, 1998, City Council adopted Ordinance No. 144, 1998, appropriating funds in the Capital Projects Fund for the Transit Center capital project; and WHEREAS, upon completion of final design, the estimated cost to construct the Transit Center is $2,969,300; and WHEREAS, the balance of the funds needed to construct the Transit Center, totaling $1,698,400, has been identified and is available in the form of Section 5307 and Section 5309 Federal Transit Administration grant funds, appropriated in the City's Transit Services Fund; and WHEREAS, under Article V, Section 10 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (the "Charter") the City Council may, by ordinance, upon the recommendation of the City Manager, transfer any unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount or portion thereof from one fund or capital project account to another fund or capital project account provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged; and WHEREAS, the purpose for which the Federal Transit Administration grant funds in the Transit Services Fund were initially appropriated remains the same, and the City Manager has recommended that said unspent and unencumbered funds be transferred into the Capital Projects Fund, Transit Center capital project and that such funds be earmarked for expenditure for the construction of the proposed Transit Center; and • WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Council to authorize the transfer of unspent and unencumbered appropriations, totaling $1,698,400, from the Transit Services Fund to the Capital Projects Fund, Transit Center capital project to be used with previously appropriated funds for the purpose of constructing the Transit Center as designed. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the sum of ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1,698,400) is hereby authorized for transfer from the Transit Services Fund to the Capital Projects Fund, Transit Center capital project and appropriated therein for the purpose of constructing the Transit Center as designed. Introduced and considered favorably on first reading and ordered published this 20th day of June, A.D. 2000, and to be presented for final passage on the 18th day of July, A.D. 2000. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 18th day of July, A.D. 2000. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk