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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/07/2004 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 138, 2004, APPROPRI ITEM NUMBER: 15 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: September7, 2004 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Matt Baker EXECUTIVE SUMMARY First Reading of Ordinance No. 138, 2004, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the General Fund for Transfer to the Capital Projects Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project to be Used for the Engineering Design of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL IMPACT The additional $200,000 cost of the full and complete 4-lane design would be funded by advancing General Fund Reserves in anticipation of funds from the $1,000,000 General Fund Transportation Capital reserve budgeted for 2005. This is a good use of the budgeted transportation capital reserve in that it has the potential to leverage significant savings, and accelerates a BOB project so that the residents will see near term improvement as a result of the election. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance appropriates funding for the final design for the full and complete 4-lane widening project of Timberline Road between Prospect and Drake in anticipation of potential project construction funding through the Building on Basics ballot measure. The design would be conducted concurrently with the Interim 4-lane project design now underway assisted by developer funding. The additional $200,000 cost of the full and complete 4-lane design would be funded by advancing General Fund Reserves in anticipation of funds from the $1,000,000 General Fund Transportation Capital reserve budgeted for 2005. It is requested that Council authorization be granted to amend the existing contract with Interwest Consulting Group to perform the design of the full and complete 4-lane project concurrently with the Interim Timberline 4-lane design work. September 7, 2004 -2- Item No. 15 BACKGROUND The engineering process for the Interim Timberline Road (Prospect to Drake) widening is proceeding at this time. Interwest Consulting Group has been retained as the lead design engineering firm. The design timeline allows roadway construction to begin in the fall of 2005 and to be completed in 2006. The interim design is of necessity a compromise. For the portion of the project that does not front the two properties under development, plus the intersection at Prospect, the project cannot be built to full standards with the funding available. Only enough right-of-way may be acquired and improvements made to expand the roadway sufficiently to provide four lanes and remove the APF restrictions at the intersection. Additional improvements to meet full standards would largely be the responsibility of the City as they will address existing deficiencies. If the interim improvements are built as envisioned, once the incremental funding is available to complete the project, it would require a follow up project in the same location with the accompanying additional disruption. Additional funding of $3.1 million for the full and complete 4-lane improvement, including constructing the Prospect intersection to full standards, is included as a candidate for funding in the proposed sales tax renewal (Building on Basics - BOB). If the measure is successful in April 2005 and includes this project, the City will have money programmed for the full and complete improvements before construction of the interim project begins. If the BOB measure passes, it will be important to conduct the construction of the full and complete 4-lane improvements, rather than allow the interim widening to be built, then following it with another construction project on the same stretch of road. Besides the savings from efficiencies, it's a far better public relations approach. The proposal is to conduct the design of the full and complete 4-lane widening of Timberline concurrent with the interim design work. To wait to initiate the ultimate design until after the election would delay the entire project nine to twelve months. If the design is already complete when the BOB vote occurs, the original schedule can be retained. Conservatively estimating construction cost escalation rates, not delaying the full project design could save about $350,000 over a year. If the BOB measure passes, the General Fund Transportation Capital reserve will be reimbursed for the $200,000 amount. This is a good use of the budgeted transportation capital reserve in that it has the potential to leverage significant savings, and accelerates a BOB project so that the residents will see near term improvement as a result of the election. Since the 4-lane standard arterial roadway will be needed at some point in the future, this design effort will not be wasted. ORDINANCE NO. 138, 2004 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND - TIMBERLINE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT TO BE USED FOR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF TIMBERLINE ROAD FROM PROSPECT ROAD TO DRAKE ROAD WHEREAS,a section of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road is well below the City's level of service requirements,with almost all legs and turn movements failing during the morning and afternoon peak rush hours; and WHEREAS,improvements for the aforementioned section of Timberline Road are not a part of any of the City's current capital improvement programs,and funding for these improvements has not yet been identified; and WHEREAS,the developers(the James Company and the Cumberland Group)of two parcels within a one-mile radius of the Timberline Road and Prospect Road Intersection proposed privately funding the interim improvements necessary to meet the minimum levels of services at the Timberline Road and Prospect Intersection; and WHEREAS,on November 4,2003,City Council accepted a petition on behalf of the James Company and the Cumberland Group, with regard to the construction of certain interim improvements along the section of Timberline Road,to create a special improvement district("SID") as a mechanism for repaying the cost of the interim improvements through assessments levied by the City against benefitted properties in the SID; and WHEREAS, the City received a total of $100,000 from the James Company and the Cumberland Group, which City Council appropriated by adopting Ordinance No. 026, 2004 on March 2, 2004,and such appropriated funds were to be used to prepare plans,estimate of costs, and maps of the proposed SID in order to complete the engineering design of interim improvements along Timberline Road; and WHEREAS, at this same meeting, City Council is considering adoption of Ordinance No. 132,2004 on second reading,which Ordinance would authorize the transfer of appropriations from the City's Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Projects Fund - Timberline Road Improvements project, to be used to complete the street oversizing portion of the design, the geotechnical reports and environmental studies associated with the Timberline Road Improvements project; and WHEREAS,City staff is recommending that the contract for design of interim improvements associated with the Timberline Road Improvements project be amended to include the full and complete four-lane widening project of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road, in anticipation of potential project funding through the Building on Basics ("BOB") ballot measure, scheduled for April 2005; and WHEREAS, the additional cost of the full and complete 4-lane design of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road is $200,000; and WHEREAS, staff recommends using General Fund prior year reserves to fund the aforementioned additional design cost; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins ("Charter") permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years,notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated; and WHEREAS,it is the desire of the Council to appropriate the sum of$200,000 from prior year reserves in the General Fund for transfer to the Capital Project Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project to be used with existing appropriations for the full and complete 4-lane design of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated from prior year reserves in the General Fund, the sum of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS($200,000),for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund - Timberline Road Improvements Project, and appropriated therein, to be used for the full and complete four-lane design of Timberline Road from Prospect Road to Drake Road. Introduced and considered favorably on first reading and ordered published this 7th day of September, A.D. 2004, and to be presented for final passage on the 21st day of September, A.D. 2004. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 21st day of September, A.D. 2004. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk