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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/17/2005 - RESOLUTION 2005-053 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER T ITEM NUMBER: 19 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: May 17, 2005 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: John Stokes SUBJECT Resolution 2005-053 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Board of The Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund and an Intergovernmental Agreement With Three Partner Entities for the Laramie Foothills: Mountains to Plains Grant Project. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. FINANCIAL IMPACT Fort Collins will receive a grant award in the amount of$976,000. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On December 1, 2004, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded the City, Larimer County, Legacy Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy an $11.6 million grant for the Laramie Foothills Mountains-to-Plains Project. A portion of this grant in the amount of$976,000 will be allocated directly to the City of Fort Collins to help support the project. A Grant Agreement between the partner entities is required to set out the respective obligations of the parties and to enable the City to receive the grant award. A Project Agreement also is necessary to designate a "grant agent" for the local partners. Larimer County will serve as the grant agent. BACKGROUND Over the course of 2004, the City, in partnership with Latimer County, Legacy Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy, helped organize a major land conservation endeavor known as the Laramie Foothills Mountains-to-Plains Project. The project occurs within an area roughly described by U.S. Highway 287 North, the Wyoming-Colorado border, I-25, and Owl Canyon Road. Working together, the partners identified approximately 55,000 acres that were owned by families and individuals who were (and are) willing to participate in the project. The conserved area will help maintain the last relatively undeveloped foothills transition zone along Colorado's developed Front Range. Within this zone occur fabulous scenic vistas, historic ranches, abundant wildlife and big-game migration corridors, and one of the most important archeological sites in North America — the Lindenmeier Site. In addition to the conservation values, the May 17, 2005 -2- Item No. 19 approximately 20,000 acres that will be retained and managed by Larimer County (Red Mountain Ranch) and the City (Soapstone Prairie Natural Area), will provide substantial recreation opportunities, including approximately 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities, and other activities. In December, 2004, Great Outdoors Colorado recognized the special nature of the Mountains to Plains project when it made the largest grant award in its history to the partners. Funds already have been used by the County to acquire the Red Mountain Ranch, a property that bounds the City's Soapstone Ranch to the west. The remaining grant funds will be used to acquire land or property rights from surrounding landowners and to reimburse the City for previously incurred expenses. Funds allocated to the City are required to be reinvested in the project area. ATTACHMENTS 1. Location Map ATTACHMENT Larimie Foothills Mountains to Plains Project Location Map NE PRAIRIE NA MA- RED MO SPACE I] m r2 _ d EZ / ► Welli ■ Legend Public Conserved Lands Soapstone Prairie FORT LUIVS Conservation Easement T! NATH ® Lease N - Red Mountain Ranch _ DOW Land W E � I/ L?SFS Land LOVE S NDSOR RESOLUTION 2005-053 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TRUST FUND AND AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THREE PARTNER ENTITIES FOR THE LARAMIE FOOTHILLS: MOUNTAINS TO PLAINS GRANT PROJECT WHEREAS, the Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (the "Board") is a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, created by Article XXVII of the Colorado Constitution, adopted at the November 1992 General Election, which article designates a portion of the net proceeds of the Colorado Lottery to the Board and directs the Board to invest those proceeds in the State's parks, wildlife, open space and recreational resources; and WHEREAS, on August 6,2004, an application was submitted to the Board on behalf of the City,Latimer County,the Nature Conservancy and Legacy Land Trust(collective referred to herein as the"Partners"),seeking grant funding to assist the Partners in carrying out the Laramie Foothills: Mountains to Plains Project (the "Grant Project" or the "Project"); and WHEREAS, for the Grant Project, the Partners proposed to work with the owners of approximately 55,000 acres in an area roughly described by U.S.Highway 287 North,the Wyoming- Colorado border, I-25, and Owl Canyon Road to conserve the last relatively undeveloped foothills transition zone along Colorado's developed Front Range, and to preserve the scenic vistas,historic ranches, abundant wildlife and big-game migration corridors in that area as well as one of the most important archeological sites in North America—the Lindenmeier Site; and WHEREAS, in addition to the conservation values to be protected and preserved by the Grant Project,approximately 20,000 acres of land will be retained and managed by Larimer County (Red Mountain Ranch) and the City(Soapstone Prairie Natural Area), and will provide substantial recreation opportunities, including approximately 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities, and other activities; and WHEREAS, on December 1, 2004, the Board authorized a grant to the Partners of up to $11.6 million for the Grant Project, and of that amount the City will receive grant funds in the amount of$976,000 in reimbursement for City land acquisition expenditures; and WHEREAS, the Board and the Partners have negotiated a Grant Agreement (the "Grant Agreement") for the Grant Project to provide for the administration and implementation of the Project; and WHEREAS, the Partners have developed a plan for cooperatively working to carry out the Project and to coordinate their activities in that regard, and have documented their mutual commitments and obligations in connection with the Grant Project in a Project Agreement (the "Project Agreement"); and WHEREAS, in connection with the administration of the Grant Project the Board will require the preparation and submission of annually updated workplans, budgets, and related submittals, which shall each be incorporated into the Grant Agreement and the Project Agreement upon approval by the Board; and WHEREAS, in order to provide for the efficient and effective management of the Grant Project, the Partners are required by the Board to designate a Grantee Agent to prepare and submit such updated workplans,budgets,and other related submittals as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of the Grant Agreement and the Project Agreement; and WHEREAS,Larimer County has agreed to act as the Grantee Agent and will be responsible for said submissions and other coordination responsibilities,as set forth in the Grant Agreement and the Project Agreement; and WHEREAS,the City is authorized to enter into intergovernmental agreements to provide any function, service or facility, such as the Grant Agreement and the Project Agreement, as provided in Article II, Section 16 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins and Section 29-1-203, C.R.S. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into the Laramie Foothills: Mountains to Plains Project Grant Agreement with the Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, together with Larimer County, the Nature Conservancy, and Legacy Land Trust,dated May 13,2005,a copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk and incorporated herein by this reference (the "Grant Agreement'), subject to such additional terms and conditions or modifications in form or substance as the City Manager, in consultation with the City Attorney, may deem necessary to effectuate the purposes of said agreement. Section 2. That the City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into the Laramie Foothills: Mountains to Plains Project Agreement with Larimer County, the Nature Conservancy and Legacy Land Trust, dated May 13, 2005, a copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk and incorporated herein by this reference(the"Project Agreement'),subj ect to such additional terms and conditions or modifications in form or substance as the City Manager,in consultation with the City Attorney, may deem necessary to effectuate the purposes of said agreement. Section 3. That the City Manager is hereby authorized to further modify or amend the Grant Agreement and the Project Agreement upon consultation with the City Attorney,by approving and agreeing to such annual or updated workplans,budgets,or other submittals,as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Grant Agreement and/or the Project Agreement. Passed and adopted at regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 17th day of May, A.D. 2005. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk