HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 06/27/2006 - REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AD HOC COMMITT DATE: June 27, 2006 WORK SESSION ITEM
STAFF: Joe Frank URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Report and Recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee Regarding Implementation of the Urban
Renewal Authority.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff would like direction from the Commission on the following:
1. Does the Commission have comments or questions on the Final Report?
2. Is the Commission comfortable with the recommendations contained in the Final Report?
3. Is the Commission comfortable with the implementation strategy?
BACKGROUND
On February 21, 2006, the Urban Renewal Authority adopted Resolution No. 003 establishing an
Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Commissioners Karen Weitkunat, David Roy and Ben Manvel.
The purpose of this Committee was to:
"formulate recommendations to the Board regarding the most effective ways in
which the Authority can collaborate with the City, the private sector, and other
public entities to fully effectuate the purposes of the Authority and implement the
Plan."
Various staff and two members of the North College Citizen Advisory Group participated in the
Committee's deliberations. A report and recommendations of the Committee was to be submitted
by May 22. Attached is the Committee's Final Report and summary memo that includes
background information,a description of practices of other Colorado URAs,and recommendations.
Also attached is a schedule of implementation actions.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Memo to the Commission, from the URA Ad Hoc Committee, dated May 22, 2006.
2. Report entitled "Discussion Papers — URA Issues and Recommendations, dated May 22,
2006.
3. Implementation schedule.
4. Memo from Chuck Seest to Joe Frank dated June 16, 2006.
5. Powerpoint presentation.
Community Planning and Environmental Services ATTACHMENT 1
Advance Planning Deparhment
City of Fort Collins
May 22, 2006
TO: Commission of the Urban Renewal Authority
FROM: URA Ad Hoc Committee
Ben Manvel
David Roy
Karen Weitkunat
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Greg Byrne, CPES Director C b. t^'�
Joe Frank, Advance Planning Direct
RE: Recommendations Regarding Impl entation of the Urban Renewal Authority
On February 21, 2006, the Commission of the Urban Renewal Authority passed and adopted a
resolution (see Attachment #1) establishing an Ad Hoc Committee consisting of
Commissioners Karen Weitkunat, David Roy and Ben Manvel. The purpose of this Committee
was to:
"formulate recommendations to the Board regarding the most effective ways in which
the Authority can collaborate with the City, the private sector, and other public entities to
fully effectuate the purposes of the Authority and implement the Plan."
A report and recommendations of the Committee was to be submitted within 90 days (May 22)
of the date of the resolution. Attached is the Committee's Final Report.
Various City staff and two members (Ron Lautzenheiser and Dean Hoag) of the North College
Urban Renewal Plan Citizen Advisory Group also participated in the Committee's
deliberations. A work plan (see Attachment#2) guided the Commission's discussions and
schedule. The Committee met on two occasions to discuss the issues, provide direction to
staff, and review draft reports. Each of the issues in the Final Report includes background, a
description of practices of other Colorado URAs regarding this issue, and a Committee/staff
recommendation.
It is important to note that the recommendations contained in the Final Report, particularly
those regarding the North College Urban Renewal Plan area, are in the Committee's and
staff's best judgment the wisest choice in response to the needs of the URA considering the
current capacity (both financial and staff) and the start-up stage of the URA. As time passes,
and as the capacity of the URA increases, or as new Urban Renewal Plan (URP) areas are
adopted, it is expected that these choices will change. Hence, the Committee is
recommending that within five years, the Commission undertake a similar process to
reconsider these issues.
281 North College Avenue • P.O.Box 580 • Fort Collins,CO 80522-0580 • (970)221-6376
FAX(970)224-6111 • TDD(970)224-6002 • E-mail:aplanning@fcgov.com
Recommendation
In summary, the recommendations contained in the Final Report are as follows;
1. Role(s) the URA should play to assist private sector development
First, there is no universal recommendation except to carefully tailor the URAs roles to specific,
unique Urban Renewal Plan (URP) areas. For the North College URP area, the Ad Hoc
Committee and staff recommends that the role of the URA during this initial start-up phase
(next five years or so) be limited to the following primary roles until such time as the URA has a
larger tax increment revenue stream that allows an expanded role.
• Use a portion of any tax increment to stimulate and leverage development projects by
providing TIF assistance in response to proposals from businesses and developers.
• Set aside the remaining portion of tax increment revenues to accrue until an
unencumbered Tax Increment revenue stream is established well enough to allow the
URA to proactively undertake planned area-wide public capital improvements.
These overall roles include some basic operational roles:
Work collaboratively with private owners and developers to solve problems.
Bring the necessary parties to the table to facilitate private projects and plan public
capital improvements meeting the objectives of the urban renewal plan.
Proactively market and recruit desirable uses to the area.
Consider outside grants that facilitate improvements meeting the objectives of the urban
renewal plan.
As the North College URP Tax Increment revenues grows and the program matures, other,
expanded roles should be considered such as assembling property for new development and
public purposes, and revolving loan programs to improve older buildings
2. Calculation of the Tax Increment
This issue should be determined for each Urban Renewal Plan on a case by case basis. The
issue would ultimately be decided in negotiation with the County on any Urban Renewal Plan.
The Ad Hoc Committee and City staff recommends the "hybrid interpretation" for the North
College URP area. Given the sizeable storm water facility investment made by the City to
mitigate the floodway in the North College area, the URA should jointly negotiate an
arrangement with Larimer County that allows the URA to receive the market appreciation on
real property associated with parcels in the floodway. The URA would continue to capture the
increment on properties outside the floodway per the "DDA interpretation".
3. Vision and Mission of the URA, including policies and criteria for spending Tax
Increment
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommend adoption of the Mission Statement and policies
described in Attachment #5.
4. Administrative procedures for reviewing applications for TIF
The Ad Hoc Committee, staff, and NCCAG recommend that the Commission agree with
the process for reviewing applications for TIF, and accept the Application Form
(Attachment #6) and Score Card (Attachment#7).
5. Relationship between the City and URA in regards to staffing, financial support
and other matters
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommends that a formal general "umbrella" IGA be
entered into between the City and the URA which will govern the various topics listed
below and will include the possibility of supplemental IGAs for individual projects and
the funding thereof.
• The IGA should recognize the URA as a separate legal entity with its own set of
bylaws and the IGA should establish that the URA Commission shall be governed by
the ethical rules applicable to the City Council.
• The staff and legal services for the URA should be provided by the City and the
IGA should also state that the City Manager or his designee shall be the executive
director.
• The IGA should contain provisions which allow for the City Council to require the
URA to reasonably compensate the City for its costs in providing staff and executive
director services at such time that the City Council determines that the URA has a
sufficient funding source to make such reimbursement. The details regarding how
"reasonable compensation" should be defined were generally discussed by the Ad Hoc
Committee and will need further discussion and direction from the City Council as the
IGA is drafted.
• The IGA should provide that the sales tax increment will accrue to the City with
the expectation that the City may share the sales tax increment with the URA for
specific projects on a case-by-case basis, to be decided by the City Council under
established criteria.
6. Composition of the Commission of the URA
The Ad Hoc Committee and City staff recommends that Council should continue as the
Commission of the URA. This role should be reconsidered as the URA adds new Urban
Renewal Plan areas.
7. Role of the North College Citizen Advisory Group in the Activities of the URA.
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommend that NCCAG continue to fulfill the roles as
outlined in Attachment#11.
ATTACHMENT 2
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9.
Discussion Papers - URA Issues
and Recommendations
May 22, 2006
1 . URA Roles in Private Development
Lead: Clark Mapes
Outcome: Written recommendations for roles of the URA in assisting private development.
Issue
What roles should the Fort Collins URA play to assist private sector development?
Background
Colorado's Urban Renewal Law enables very wide latitude in the operation of URAs to
accomplish revitalization of blighted Urban Renewal Plan areas.
C.R.S. 31-25-105 states: Every authority has all the powers necessary or convenient to carry
out the purposes of [the Urban Renewal Law]"...followed by a broad listing of examples of such
powers.
Accordingly, the numerous URAs around Colorado operate differently. However, they all do so
within a general framework of roles as catalyst, financial partner, advisor and participant in
a variety of efforts to foster sound development and redevelopment in urban renewal areas.
Tax increment financing (TIF) is the common thread through all URAs.
All URAs focus on public benefits when they play these roles. The use of TIF is usually related
to improvements of a public, physical nature. Most common are street, highway, and other
vehicular circulation improvements, utilities, sidewalks and streetscapes, plazas, sculpture and
landscaping programs, parking structures, parking lots and public restrooms. URAs participate
in these improvements by working with private developers on a project by project basis; or
more rarely, by proactively funding area-wide public improvements.
With respect to TIF, Colorado law is identical for DDAs and URAs; so the Fort Collins DDA is
fair game as a reference when considering TIF as a role of the URA.
Other URA Practices
In March and April 2006, staff reviewed web sites and spoke to other URAs by phone to get a
good sense of the range of roles played. Roles are listed below in general order from most
common to least common among Authorities:
Work collaboratively with private developers on specific projects, either by:
1) issuing a formal request for proposals for major centerpiece projects on specific sites;
or
2) providing TIF assistance in reaction to owners or developers who propose projects
within an URP area. The former approach appears most common—that is, proactively
targeting significant, site specific projects.
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Of the few URAs that take the latter approach of designating an area and then reacting
to project proposals, Denver authorizes TIF only for individual projects within the URP
area, so that each project gets the full 25 years worth of TIF. In essence, the URP
areas have an indefinite lifespan rather than a 25-year total lifespan as is the case of
the North College URP and the DDA as well (the DDAs 25-year TIF period was actually
extended to 30 years by the State legislature.)
Participate in projects where site acquisition, clearance, rehabilitation, remediation,
conservation, development, redevelopment or a combination thereof is necessary and
beyond the abilities of the private market acting alone.
Accrue TI revenues to undertake area-wide public capital improvements not directly
related to a specific private project.
Bring the necessary parties to the table to facilitate projects meeting the objectives of
the respective urban renewal plan.
Buy and sell property for new development and public purposes, to guide key uses to
optimal locations and prevent undesirable uses from locating on key sites.
Improve older buildings with financial assistance for fire safety issues, ADA access,
facades, and restrooms, typically to assist business expansion while conserving and
updating buildings.
Exercise eminent domain to facilitate projects—this includes friendly condemnations,
leasehold interests, and other complex circumstances.
• Provide relocation assistance for businesses and residents displaced by projects.
• Undertake a variety of less dramatic, but worthwhile, endeavors including sidewalk
cleaning, sculpture themes, landscape themes, banners, and Christmas lighting.
Creation of historic districts.
• Management of federal CDBG and HOME grants received annually by cities for housing
programs.
In general, URAs emphasize proactive, strategic targeting of specific projects. Most
commonly, URAs seek significant projects, generating significant tax increment, to help cover
the costs of transforming blighted areas by adding public infrastructure and increased
economic activity.
The practice of designating areas, and then responding to proposals from developers and
businesses, including modest projects, is less common. This practice appears best suited to
areas where much of the general pattern of existing development is expected to remain intact.
Some URAs do both—that is, they proactively solicit or pursue strategic projects and also
consider requests from individual developers and businesses. This balancing act requires
careful attention to multiple obligations placed on the TI revenue stream.
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Recommendation
First, there is no universal recommendation except to carefully tailor the URAs roles to specific,
unique URP areas.
For the North College URP area, the Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommends that the role
of the URA during this initial start-up phase (next five years or so) be limited to the
following primary roles until such time as the URA has a larger tax increment revenue stream
that allows an expanded role.
• Use a portion of any tax increment to stimulate and leverage development projects by
providing TIF assistance in response to proposals from businesses and developers.
• Set aside the remaining portion of tax increment revenues to accrue until an
unencumbered Tax Increment revenue stream is established well enough to allow the
URA to proactively undertake planned area-wide public capital improvements.
These overall roles include some basic operational roles:
• Work collaboratively with private owners and developers to solve problems.
• Bring the necessary parties to the table to facilitate private projects and plan public
capital improvements meeting the objectives of the urban renewal plan.
• Proactively market and recruit desirable uses to the area.
• Consider outside grants that facilitate improvements meeting the objectives of the urban
renewal plan.
As the North College URP Tax Increment revenues grows and the program matures, other,
expanded roles should be considered such as assembling property for new development and
public purposes, and revolving loan programs to improve existing buildings.
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2. Calculation of Property Tax Increment
Lead: Clark Mapes
Outcome: Written recommendations for how to calculate tax increment.
Issue
How should property tax increment be calculated/negotiated with the County Assessor's
Office?
Background
Colorado's Urban Renewal Law has been subject to a degree of interpretation and debate
regarding exactly how to calculate the property tax increment that accrues to a URA. The
concept is simple: when an Urban Renewal Plan (URP) is adopted, the taxable value of all
property within the plan area is identified. This value is referred to as the base. Taxes on the
base continue to go to all taxing entities the same as if the URA did not exist.
After the URP is adopted, increasing tax revenues from increasing taxable value are divided
between biannual adjustments to the base, and an increment which accrues to the URA.
Increasing taxable value within an URP area is presumed to be a given, and typically does
occur due to:
1) private, taxable improvements to property;
2) public actions in the URP area such as infrastructure improvements, rezoning, and
even the general public expression of support; and
3) from the general increase in market value based on demand not necessarily
associated with circumstances in the URP area.
The debate is over how much of 2) and 3) should be above assigned to the base versus the
increment.
Thus, the simple idea proves to be extremely complex in practice, requiring clarification with
the County Assessors Office and careful documentation.
Two Main Interpretations in the Debate
To summarize the debate, there are two main interpretations.
First, throughout ongoing debates over what the increment consists of, one interpretation has
been clear, whether "right" or "wrong": the interpretation that has been used by the Fort Collins
DDA for the past 25 years or so (DDA and URA tax increment provisions are identical). The
"DDA interpretation" fits with instructions from the State Department of Local Affairs, and
analysts at the Larimer County Assessors Office have been familiar with it for years.
Under this interpretation, the increased property tax resulting from 1) taxable new
improvements to private property are captured by the URA. Subsequent appreciation on
those specific improvements over time is also captured by the URA. The bottom line is that
increment results only from specific taxable construction identified on a parcel by parcel basis.
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The increments from all improved parcels are then totaled into an overall increment for the
whole URP area.
Second, a new interpretation has recently surfaced in Larimer County: a one-of-a-kind
'Centerra interpretation', which analysts at the Assessors office have been directed to use in
that one particular URP area.
Here's what they do: In the biannual reassessment process, the Assessor applies the county-
wide average general % increase in market value based on demand, for all property in the
county, to the base. This general market increase is referred to as the Larimer County
Average, or LCA. Any and all additional increase in value of property in the plan area,
regardless of cause, is assigned as increment, whether or not any taxable construction has
occurred.
Again, the concept is simple. This approach allows Centerra to capture increases in value
created by public improvements, rezoning, the show of public support, marketing, or any other
factor, in addition to value created by taxable private improvements. The underlying
assumption is that the plan area will increase in value due to general market demand more
than the county as a whole. Because the starting base value was for vacant and agricultural
land, this has already proven to be a safe assumption as the area develops and becomes
more desirable.
The financial implications of this approach for North College is extremely complicated. And
even IF the URA wanted to pursue this, it would need to negotiate with and convince the
County Attorneys as Centerra did. The County is not necessarily simply offering this Centerra
approach as an option to be selected for other URPs.
A significant question for the URA would be whether the North College area will increase in
value due to general market demand more than the LCA. While any answer would be
speculative, it appears to be a somewhat risky assumption. If increased land values due to 2)
and 3) above proved to be less than the LCA increases, the URA could lose any increment
that otherwise would have accrued from under the "DA interpretation" that is, increment from 1)
above -- actual taxable improvements in the area.
One other aspect of any property tax increment is that 11% of any increment captured by the
URA would have otherwise gone to the City, IF one assumes the increased valuations would
have been the same without the URA. In other words, if the URA were to pursue a greater
share of appreciation, there would be a financial impact on the City along with other taxing
entities.
Possible Third New 'North College' Interpretation in the Debate
There has been interest expressed by the Ad Hoc Committee and City staff, in a new, third
interpretation unique to the floodplain circumstances of North College.
Staff has conceived such an approach, which could be characterized as a "hybrid
interpretation" based on both the Centerra and DDA interpretations above.
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The driving principle is that the URA should be allowed to capture any increases in general
market value of land, above the LCA, for those properties which are now located in the Dry
Creek Floodplain but will soon be removed due to expensive public infrastructure
improvements to the URP area, The reasoning is that such increases in market value would
clearly be related to circumstances in the URP area rather than general Larimer County market
increases. The reason this could potentially be beneficial to the URA is because property
values have been depressed by the floodplain; and as values adjust to removal of the
floodplain, the % increases may exceed the LCA.
Implementation of the concept would involve identifying the base value of property in the
floodplain, and then if the general market value increases of property within the floodway
exceed the LCA, the URA would capture the increment.
The URA would continue to capture the increment on properties outside the floodway per the
DDA interpretation.
Projecting the difference between the three interpretations for North College has been a
somewhat mind bending exercise in speculation about future appreciation. And, it comes with
big caveats. Staff has done some preliminary TIF projections for the North College URA Plan
area (see Attachment#3). The North College Avenue Urban Renewal Plan is written in such
general terms as to allow either method.
Other URA Practices
One thing is clear among all URAs: the bottom line is that a URA needs to reach agreement
with the County Assessor's Office through confirmation of the terms of standard practice or
through discussion and negotiation on some adjustment to standard practice. Anecdotal
information indicates that the Denver URA, City and County of Denver, for example, have a
good working relationship with each other and also with a coterminous school district, and as a
result they have negotiated variations to facilitate different Urban Renewal Plans for certain
areas. Likewise, here in Larimer County, Loveland now has two different URP areas with two
different approaches based on agreement with the County.
Recommendation
This issue should be determined for each Urban Renewal Plan on a case by case basis. The
issue would ultimately be decided in negotiation with the County on any Urban Renewal Plan.
The Ad Hoc Committee and City staff recommends the "hybrid interpretation" for the North
College URP area. Given the sizeable storm water facility investment made by the City to
mitigate the floodway in the North College area, the URA should jointly negotiate an
arrangement with Larimer County that allows the URA to receive the market appreciation on
real property associated with parcels in the floodway.
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3. Vision and Mission of the URA, and, Policies for Spending Tax
Increment, including:
• Criteria and policies for providing Tax Increment
Financing to stimulate private sector capital investment
(e.g. types of development, loans versus grants,
reserves and use of sales tax).
• Criteria and policies for funding public improvement
projects (not associated with any private sector
development).
Lead: Clark Mapes, Chuck Seest
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices"of other URA's.
b. Written recommendation of mission, vision and policies.
Issue
What overall mission and policies should guide the URA as it evaluates how the tax increment
financing is spent within existing and future urban renewal plan (URP) areas?
Background
Over the past few months, the URA Staff Team and the NCCAG have been preparing a
mission statement, general (URA-wide) policies, and policies specific for the North College
URP. The draft description of the Mission of the area-wide URA is as follows:
The Mission of the Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is to remedy blight by
stimulating and leveraging private capital investment, using tax increment financing in
private development projects and public improvement projects. The URA functions as a
catalyst, partner, advisor and participant to foster sound growth and redevelopment.
The "vision" for the URA should be tailored to specific URP areas. For North College, the
vision is contained in the North College Avenue Corridor Plan (1995) (see Attachment#4).
The URA Staff Team and the CAG have also prepared draft policies for how the URA should
consider using tax increment financing URA-wide, as well as policies specific to the North
College URP.
Other URA Practices
Based upon discussions with various URAs and a review of their related websites, staff noted
the following criteria and policies to stimulate private investment:
• the project is identified as a significant beneficial use which enhances the image,
economy, and appeal of the URA Plan Area
• the project involves the retention or expansion of existing businesses offering primary
jobs or unique offerings that complement the desired business mix
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• the project will have significant economic benefit to the area
• the project has not previously been funded by the URA
• the project would use the best available technologies and practices for renewable
energy and/or energy efficiency
• the project would give local contractors an opportunity to bid on the project
• the project is not for expenditures already made or committed
• the project is not in negotiations regarding a purchase price unreasonably in excess of
market rates
• the project is scheduled for completion within three years
• the project's primary source of funding is not contingent upon participation by the URA
in the project
• the project does not require the URA to hold title to an asset that is not a public
improvement (i.e. sale and leaseback arrangement)
• the project cannot use URA funds for debt retirement or operating expenses
• the project cannot use URA funds to support individuals or personal use
Criteria and policies to stimulate public infrastructure:
• the project generates infrastructure that serves other development and redevelopment
sites, facilitating further improvements in the area
• the project provides enhancements and amenities that benefit the public such as
streetscapes, enhanced architecture and building materials, special site improvements,
etc
• the project requires site clearance or site acquisition
• the project requires the removal of hazardous materials or conditions
• cannot be used for public buildings
Recommendation
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommend adoption of the Mission Statement and policies
described in Attachment #5. The recommended Mission Statement and all of the policies are
wholly consistent with the practices of other URAs, and are apparently more formal and
detailed than what most URAs have.
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4. Administrative Procedures for TIF
Lead: Joe Frank
Outcome:a. Summary of`best practices"of other URAs.
b. Written recommendation for TIF procedures.
Issue
Does the Commission accept the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee, URA staff and
North College Citizen Advisory Group (NCCAG) regarding use of the attached Application and
Score Card for receiving, reviewing and evaluating private sector applications for tax increment
financing (TIF)? Is the Commission comfortable with the TIF review process? Are there other
administrative procedures that the Commission wants to explore?
Background
Early on, it was decided that a formal process for submitting, reviewing and evaluating TIF
applications was needed. The URA Team and NCCAG spent several months working on
drafting the attached Application Form (see Attachment #6) and scoring sheet (see Attachment
#7). The URA Staff Team and the NCCAG have been using both forms. The Application Form
would be used URA-wide; and, the Score Card was developed specifically for use in the North
College URP.
The process for reviewing TIF applications is as follows:
1st Step: Pre-applications meetings and formal applications for Tax Increment Financing are
initially screened and reviewed by the URA Staff Team (see Attachment #8). The staff assists
applicants in preparing successful submissions e.g. compatibility with the Urban Renewal Plan
and funding policies, completing the Application Form and Score Card, and determining
supporting documentation for review by the NCCAG and Commission. The URA Staff Team
makes a recommendation regarding funding the application.
2nd Step: Applications (and less frequently, pre-applications) are reviewed by the CAG. The
NCCAG formulates a recommendation to the Commission.
3`d Step: The Commission makes a decision on the project.
4`" Step: Formal TIF agreements and other necessary budgetary actions are then prepared by
the URA Staff Team, and adopted by the Commission or Council, as needed.
The Commission has also formed a Finance Committee (a.k.a. Council Finance Committee)
that will review and comment on general financial policies as it pertains to the administration of
the URA.
Application Form. The Application Form is required to be submitted by applicants for TIF. It
provides general information about the applicant, project, TIF funding requested, and the
relationship of the project to the goals and objectives of the Urban Renewal Plan. It has
worked well so far.
Score Card. The Score Card is intended to provide structure to and a tool for use by the
NCCAG in their discussion and recommendation to the Commission on providing TIF to a
specific project. The Score Card includes 11 criteria that are weighted according to their
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importance relative to the other criterion. Points are then awarded for each criterion. The
Score Card has proven to be a useful tool, but will be examined and refined as needed on an
ongoing basis.
Both the Application Form and Score Card are available for review and download on the City's
URA website.
Other URA Practices:
Application forms are often used by other Colorado URAs. The recommended Application
Form is based upon the "best' of these other applications forms.
Scoring sheets and financial policies are far less frequently used by other URAs; rather, URAs
seem to rely mostly on common sense, urban renewal plans, broad mission statements, State
Statutes, etc. to make TIF decisions.
Recommendation
The Ad Hoc Committee, staff, and NCCAG recommend that the Commission agree to the
process for reviewing applications for TIF and accept the use of the attached Application Form
and Score Card.
At some point in the future, the URA will need to prepare and adopt relocation policies and
operations if the actions of the URA ever force the relocation of families and establishments
from a project area
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5. Intergovernmental Agreement Between the City and the URA in
Regards to Staffing, Financial Support and Other Matters
Lead: Paul Eckman, Joe Frank
Outcome:a. Summary of"best practices"of other URAs.
b. Written recommendations for provisions to be contained in an intergovernmental agreement ("IGA")
between the Authority and the City.
Issue
Should there be an IGA between the City and the URA, and if so, what should the IGA state
with regard to the question of URA staffing and whether it should be provided by the City, and
whether the City should provide such staffing with or without compensation. Also, what should
such an IGA provide regarding the sharing of sales tax increment, the provision of legal
services by the City or by outside counsel, and the provision of loans by the City to the URA.
The IGA should also address the question of whether the URA should adopt its own by-laws.
Background
In order for the URA to function, it must have personnel to do its work. Should the City provide
the personnel, office supplies and office space needed by the URA for this purpose? If so,
should the personnel, space and services be provided free of charge or should the City be
compensated for its costs? Currently, administrative costs are provided by the City and
included in the 2006/2007 Adopted Budget.
In order for the URA to function it must also have money. The source of funding for the URA
comes from tax increment, typically from property taxes, but sometimes from sales taxes as
well. Should there be an IGA between the City and the URA which clarifies how these tax
increments will be shared? Should the URA be receiving any sales tax increment?
An IGA between the City and the URA might also address the question of whether the City will
be willing to loan money to the URA, and if so, the general terms and conditions upon which
such loans will be made.
The IGA should also address the question of whether the URA itself should have a separate
set of bylaws dealing with officers and staff of the URA, meetings, conflicts of interest, etc. A
good model set of bylaws has been developed by the Centennial URA and is attached as an
example of potential bylaws that we could use for our URA.
Other URA Practices
Based upon a survey of Front Range communities with URAs, it was discovered that some
municipalities do not enter into general IGAs (but do enter into specific loan agreements or
specific project agreements on a case-by-case basis) while others do have umbrella IGAs.
Even in the absence of an IGA, there is common understanding between the URA and the City
as to how things are going to operate. Many of the municipalities that do not have IGAs are in
a situation where the URA has not matured to the extent that it is actually up and running as a
financing agency, or if it is, it is only in its early stages of development. The best practice
appears to be that there ought to be an IGA between the City and the URA establishing the
relationship between the two. Typically, the IGAs answer the following:
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• Whether there should be a formal general "umbrella" IGA between the City and the
URA, with the possibility of supplemental IGAs for individual projects, particularly as those
projects might pertain to the City providing loans in support thereof.
• Whether the IGA will recognize the URA as a separate legal entity with its own bylaws
and whether the URA will operate under the ethical rules which govern the City Council or
whether the URA will operate under state statutory ethical rules.
• Whether the staff and legal services needed for the functioning of the URA will be
provided by the City.
• If the City is to provide staff and legal services, whether the City will be compensated by
the URA at some point in the future when the City Council, after determination that the URA
has sufficient funding to support such payment, requests it of the URA.
• Whether the City Manager should appoint the executive director of the URA.
• Whether the City and the URA are to share any sales tax increment, and if it is to be
shared, whether that decision will be made by the City Council or the URA Commission.
The foregoing topics of importance to be contained in IGAs have been gleaned from a survey
of various municipalities (see Attachments#9 and #10).
Recommendation
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommends that a formal general "umbrella" IGA be entered
into between the City and the URA which will govern the various topics listed below and will
include the possibility of supplemental IGAs for individual projects and the funding thereof.
• The IGA should recognize the URA as a separate legal entity with its own set of bylaws
and the IGA should establish that the URA Commission shall be governed by the ethical rules
applicable to the City Council.
• The staff and legal services for the URA should be provided by the City and the IGA
should also state that the City Manager or his designee shall be the executive director of the
URA.
• The IGA should contain provisions which allow for the City Council to require the URA
to reasonably compensate the City for its costs in providing staff and executive director
services at such time that the City Council determines that the URA has a sufficient funding
source to make such reimbursement. The details regarding how reasonable compensation"
should be defined were generally discussed by the Ad Hoc Committee and will need further
discussion and direction from the City Council as the IGA is drafted.
• The IGA should provide that the sales tax increment will accrue to the City with the
expectation that the City may share the sales tax increment with the URA for specific projects
on a case-by-case basis, to be decided by the City Council under established criteria.
12
6. Composition of the Commission of the Urban Renewal
Authority
Lead: Joe Frank
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices"of other URAs.
b. Written recommendation for the composition of the Commission.
Issue
Does the City Council want to continue to be the Commission or authorize the Mayor to
appoint a Commission?
Background
According to State Statutes, the Council may designate itself as the authority (a.k.a.
"Commission") or allow the Mayor to appoint an odd number of commissioners (not less than 5
or more than 11) to govern the URA.
Council Resolution 82-10 (1982) established the Urban Renewal Authority in the City of Fort
Collins and the City Council designated itself as the Commission of the Urban Renewal
Authority.
During the discussions with City Council in 2004 regarding adoption of the North College
Urban Renewal Plan, the Council reconfirmed that they had no desire to pass the duties of the
Urban Renewal Authority to an appointed group. Instead, the Council opted to create the
North College Citizen Advisory Group.
Other URA Practices
Prior to the adoption of the North College Urban Renewal Plan, staff met with staff from other
Colorado URAs to discuss governance structure. More recently, staff conducted a survey of a
sample of Colorado URAs specifically asking how their Commission was designated
Staff heard a variety of arguments, both for and against the two forms of governance structure.
In general, the staff of the URA preferred the governance structure they operated under.
Arguments in favor of Council serving as the Commission:
• Having Council serve as the Commission provided a much stronger and clearer
connection between policy and implementation, for example, expenditure of tax dollars,
land use decision-making, etc. Council's are already very familiar with City policies and
procedures.
• Having Council serve as the Commission avoids potential conflicts and disagreement
that could arise if there was an appointed Commission.
• Having Council serve as the Commission avoids potential conflicts of interest for City
staff having to serve and represent a separate and independent governing appointed
Commission.
13
• The Council is more familiar with and accurately reflects the larger public.
Having Council serve as the Commission keeps the activities of the URA at the forefront
of their attention.
• Having Council serve as the Commission avoids issues of finding and appointing
qualified and impartial (free of conflict of interest) Commission members.
• Having an appointed Commission required special effort on the part of the City Council,
appointed Commission, and URA staff; to be sure they are all operating in concert.
Arguments in favor of an appointed Commission:
Having an appointed Commission relieves the Council from the burden of doing the
required work of the Commission.
• Having an appointed Commission removes some of the "politics" from decision-making.
Having an appointed Commission potentially sped up the decision-making process
because a non-elected Commission could be more flexible, less bureaucratic, and more
independent of City policies and procedures, generally more business-like or business-
friendly.
An appointed Commission was also perceived as potentially being more sensitive to
and reflective of the problems and needs of the particular Urban Renewal project area
because they were specifically selected from those areas to represent those areas.
• An appointed Commission could contain members with special expertise that is
important to the functioning of the URA (e.g. banking, real estate).
The results of a survey of a sample of Colorado URAs are as follows:
• Lakewood - Council is Commission
• Fort Collins - Council is Commission
• Vail - Council is Commission
• Loveland - Council is the Commission
• Longmont— Council is the Commission
Centennial — Council is the Commission
• Greeley - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Boulder - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Brighton - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Englewood - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Estes Park - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Arvada - Council appointed a separate Commission
• Denver - Council appointed a separate Commission
Recommendation
The Ad Hoc Committee and City staff recommends that Council should continue to serve as
the Commission of the URA. This role should be reconsidered as the URA adds new Urban
Renewal Plan areas.
14
7. Role of the North College Citizen Advisory Group (NCCAG) in
the Activities of the North College Urban Renewal Plan Area.
Lead: Joe Frank
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices"of other URAs.
b. Written recommendation of the role of the CAG.
Issue
Is the Commission comfortable with the current role of the North College Citizen Advisory
Group? Should the role be expanded or more limited?
Background
Attachment#11 is a description of the membership, jurisdiction, functions and minute-taking
responsibilities of the North College Citizen Advisory Group. This summary was prepared by
City staff, approved by the Commission, and recently revised and accepted by the NCCAG.
Karen Weitkunat has served as the Commission Liaison to the NCCAG.
Other potential NCCAG functions have been discussed over time, including but not limited to:
• Marketing the North College URA
• Business recruitment
Other URA Practices
The use of citizen advisory committee is rare in Colorado URAs. The Arvada URA formed a
citizen advisory group to inform their appointed Commission to guide a big, controversial
project.
Recommendation
The Ad Hoc Committee and staff recommend that NCCAG continue to fulfill the roles as
outlined in Attachment#11. The contribution of the NCCAG to the URA could be enhanced by
adding members with experience and knowledge in finance, banking, and real estate
development.
15
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Attathments
Attachment #1
RESOLUTION NO. 003
OF THE FORT COLLINS URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY
APPOINTING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO THE URA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN
WHEREAS, on January 5, 1982, the Fort Collins City Council(the "Council") created the
Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority(the "Authority") and appointed its own members to serve
as the Board of Commissioners of the Authority(the "Board"); and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Authority is to eliminate blight and prevent the spread of
blight within the urban renewal area,the boundaries of which are coterminous with the boundaries
of the City of Fort Collins (the "City"); and
WHEREAS,on June 15,2004,the Council adopted Resolution 2004-076,directing City staff'
to prepare an urban renewal plan and blight study for the North College Avenue Corridor; and
WHEREAS,on December 21,2004,the Council adopted Resolution 2004-151, approving
an "existing conditions" study for the North College Avenue area and determining that the area
defined in said resolution (the "Plan Area") is appropriate, under the relevant provisions of the
Colorado Revised Statutes, for inclusion in an urban renewal project (the "North College URA
Project"); and
WHEREAS, on that same date, the Council also adopted Resolution 2004-152, approving
an Urban Renewal Plan (the "Plan") for the North College URA Project; and
WHEREAS,on January 24,2006,the Board adopted Resolution 2006-002,approvinga 2006
budget for the Authority, and also met in a work session to discuss various options for funding that
budget; and
WHEREAS, in formulating the Plan, City staff has worked closely with the North College
Avenue Citizen's Advisory Group(the"CAG"),and the CAG continues to assist the Authority in an
advisory capacity; and
WHEREAS, the Board believes it to be in the best interests of the Authority and the City to
form an ad hoc committee,consisting of members of the Authority,to work with City staffinembers
and members of the CAG in formulating recommendations to the Board with regard to the Board's
exercise of its statutory powers as an urban renewal authority and, in particular,with regard to the
implementation of the Plan.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF
THE FORT COLLINS URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY as follows:
17
Section 1. The Board hereby establishes an ad hoc committee (the "Committee"),
consisting of Councilmembers Karen Weitkunat,David Roy, and Ben Manvel.
Section 2. That the purpose of the Committee shall be to consult with members of the
CAG and such members of staff as may be designated by the City Manager and the City Attorney
and to formulate recommendations to the Board regarding the most effective ways in which the
Authority can collaborate with the City,the private sector,and other public entities to fully effectuate
the purposes of the Authority and implement the Plan.
Section 3. That the Committee's recommendations shall include,but need not be limited
to the following topics:
a. the appropriate terms and conditions of an intergovernmental
agreement between the Authority and the City;
b. funding alternatives for the Authority;
C. policies and procedures for reviewing applications from private
parties for financial assistance from the Authority; and
d. the kinds of projects that will best advance the interests of the
Authority and the goals and objections of the Plan.
Section 4. That the report and recommendations of the Committee shall be submitted to
the Board within ninety days of the date of this Resolution, at which time the Committee shall be
dissolved, absent an extension of its term by the Board.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the BoarM Commissioners of the Fort Collins
Urban Renewal Authority this 21 st day of February, A.D 0
Mayor
ATTEST: ,�DE�FORT C���.,-i
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City Clerk Wit, ;o
18
Attachment #2
Urban Renewal Authority
Ad Hoc Committee
Work Plan
(3/24/2006)
Project Manager: Joe Frank
Purpose:
Formulate recommendations in Report form for presentation to the URA Board regarding
"best practices" of the administration of the Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority,
including:
1. Role(s) the URA should play to assist private sector development (e.g. marketing,
acquisition of sites, eminent domain, TIF, and grant management).
Lead: Clark Mapes
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA's
recommendations o the roles o the URA
b. Written f O f
2. Calculation of the Tax Increment (e.g. DDA or Centerra approach)
Lead: Clark Mapes and Chuck Seest
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA 's
b. Written recommendation for method of calculating Tax
Increment.
3. Vision and Mission of the URA, including policies and criteria for spending Tax
Increment, including:
• Criteria and policies for providing Tax Increment Financing to stimulate private
sector capital investment (e.g. types of development, loans versus grants, reserves,
and use of sales tax).
• Criteria and policies for funding public improvement projects (not associated with
any private sector development).
Lead: Clark Mapes and Chuck Seest
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA's
b. Written recommendation of mission, vision, policies and
criteria.
4. Administrative procedures for reviewing applications for TIF including application
forms, process and scoring sheets.
Lead: Ken Waido
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA 's
b. Written recommendations on procedures including application
form and scoring sheets.
19
5. Relationship between the City and URA in regards to staffing, financial support and
other matters.
Lead: Paul Eckman
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA's
b. Written recommendations for provisions to be contained in an
IGA between the Authority and the City
6. Composition of the URA Board (e.g. Council or appointed citizens)
Lead: Joe Frank
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices"of other URA's
b. Written recommendation for the composition of the Board.
7. Role of the Citizen Advisory Group in the activities of the URA.
Lead: Ken Waido
Outcome: a. Summary of"best practices" of other URA 's
b. Written recommendation for description of the role of the
Citizen Advisory Group in the URA.
20
Project Schedule:
FEB
February 21 —Resolution approved by the URA Board, appointing Ad Hoc* committee.
MAR
March 3 —URA Lead Team meets to discuss resolution.
March 17—Prepare draft work plan and schedule for distribution to URA Lead Team**
and URA Staff Team
March 24—Finalize work plan and schedule
March 17 —April 7 —Survey other URA's for best practices; formulate draft
recommendations.
APR
April 6 (noon)— Issue Lead Person delivers draft survey and recommendations to Joe for
compilation and distribution to URA Lead Team.
April 7 —URA Lead Team meets to discuss survey and draft recommendations
TBD, April 8 - 14 —Ad Hoc Committee meeting (1) (a 3-4 hour evening or weekend
meeting); staff presentation of survey results and draft recommendations;
discussion and direction from Ad Hoc Committee. CAG is invited to attend.
April 13 — CAG meeting, presentation of survey and draft recommendations
April 21 —Draft report to Ad Hoc Committee
April 22 —28 — Ad Hoc Committee review of Draft Report; sends written comments to
staff.
April 28 —May 5 — Staff makes revisions to Report.
MAY
May 5 —Final draft of Report delivered to Ad Hoc Committee and CAG
May 11 —CAG meeting, presentation and discussion of final draft report
TBD May 8— 12 —Ad Hoc Committee meeting (1) (a 1-hour meeting) to review
Final Draft Report
May 12 —URA Lead Team meets to discuss Final Report
May 12 —Final revisions to Report received from Ad Hoc Committee
May 22— Deadline for the Ad Hoc Committee to submit its Report and recommendations
to the Board.
May 22— Ad Hoc dissolved, absent an extension of its term by the Board
JUNE
June 27—Council Work Session —presentation of Report of the Ad Hoc Committee
TBD
URA Board action on the Report recommendations
21
Attachment #3
MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 3, 2006
TO: Joe Frank, Advanced Planning Director
FROM: Charles Seest, Finance Director
Clark Mapes, City Planner
SUBJECT: TIF PROJECTIONS FOR NORTH COLLEGE URA PLAN AREA
Background
Historically, there has only been one method in Larimer County under which to calculate tax increment
financing (TIF) dollars generated within the plan area of an urban renewal authority (URA). That
method was tracking the value of improvements constructed after the base year in which the Plan Area
was established. This approach did not take into account general appreciation of real property due to
other factors within the Plan Area. This method has been utilized to calculate TIF for all URAs and
other entities funded by tax increment within the County, including the City of Fort Collins' Downtown
Development Authority.
Recently, however, the Loveland URA negotiated an approach for one of its URA Plan Areas that
allowed the Plan Area to receive all growth in taxable value above the base year value, adjusted
annually for county-wide average market appreciation. This approach has been applied to the new
retail center known as Centerra, located at the intersection of 1-25 and US 34, one of the primary traffic
flow areas within the County.
In order to best understand how either approach may be applied to the North College URA Plan Area,
staff developed a few projections. One approach was labeled the DDA method and utilized the
traditional calculation applied by the County. The second approach was labeled the Centerra method
and was applied under two scenarios, one in which the North College Plan Area market appreciation
rate equaled the county-wide rate and another where it lagged the county-wide rate.
Finally, it was noted that a sizable percentage of the overall North College URA Plan Area is currently
located within a floodway that essentially precludes development from occurring on those parcels.
Since the City has expended significant resources to address this issue, it would be equitable to
capture the increased values on those parcels with a hybrid method. Therefore, a third approach was
developed to address this issue by utilizing the traditional DDA method on all parcels outside of the
floodway and applies the Centerra method to the floodway, which represents approximately 47% of the
acreage within the North College URA Plan Area.
Below is a summary of the three approaches.
1 Traditional "DDA" Approach
This approach yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of $14 3 million in constant 2006 dollars or
$18 6 million after applying an annual appreciation rate of 3%.
Benefits of the approach:
1. Recognized by Larimer County.
22
2. No additional negotiation required.
3. Receipt of tax increment from improvements is certain.
Limits of the approach:
1. Does not recognize any value associated with the appreciation of real property
currently located in the floodway.
2. Does not allow for any additional revenue should the URA market appreciation rate
exceed the county-wide growth rate.
2. Centerra Approach
This approach yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of$20 1 million after applying an annual
appreciation rate of 3% which was assumed to equal the county-wide market appreciation_rate.
The TIF stream dropped to $11 8 million if the URA Plan Area could only achieve a market
appreciation rate of 2% versus the county-wide rate of 3%.
Benefits of the approach:
1. Allows the Plan Area to receive all additional revenue above the county-wide market
appreciation rate.
2. Does recognize value associated with the appreciation of real property currently
located in the floodway.
Limits of the approach:
1. Requires negotiation with Larimer County.
2. Requires plan area have a market appreciation rate equal to or greater than the
county-wide rate. In the event that the Plan Area does not achieve the county-wide
rate, even the receipt of tax increment from improvements is not certain.
3 DDA Approach plus Application of Centerra Approach to Floodway
This approach yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of$17 8 million in constant 2006 dollars or
$23 0 million after applying an annual appreciation rate of 3%.
Benefits of the approach:
1. Except for the floodway area, TIF based on traditional method recognized by the
County.
2. Does recognize value value associated with the appreciation of real property
currently located in the floodway.
Limits of the approach:
1. Requires negotiation with Larimer County.
2. Does not allow for any additional TIF revenue if the URA Plan area overall has a
market appreciation rate that exceeds the county-wide rate.
Conclusion:
Given the sizable investment made by the City to mitigate the floodway, the URA created by the City
along with the City should jointly negotiate an arrangement with Larimer County that allows the URA to
I property associated with the parcels in the floodway. Since this
receive the market appreciation on reap p y
approach even with
over the Centerra a
approach yields the most tax increment revenue it is p P
the assumption that the North College URA Plan Area keeps pace with the market appreciation rate
23
experienced county-wide. It should be noted that staff did not propose a scenario under which the
market appreciation rate on North College exceeded the county-wide rate. Under that unlikely
scenario, the Centerra approach may yield greater revenue than the hybrid approach being
recommended.
Thus the DDA approach plus application of the Centerra approach to the_ flood%A is the
recommendation of staff for the North College URA Plan Area. Should you have any questions
about this item, please contact Chuck or Clark.
24
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26
Attachment #4
PART 1
PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
A VISION FOR THE CORRIDOR
The participants involved in creating this plan see North College Avenue
becoming a more integral part of the community through revitalization and
economic growth. This plan is a guide for changes, providing direction for
investments and improvements. It will guide development and redevelopment as
itoccurs. The plan does not propose displacement ofexisting uses and businesses,
and in fact the planning process resulted in a vision for the area based in some
ways on its existing character. Yet key aspects of the recommendations involve
incentives for development and redevelopment in order to realize the vision. A
wide range of land uses have a place here, with a balance between commercial
uses with highway frontage and a mix of other land uses in a transition away from
the highway.
In specific areas on the east side,the plan promotes the development ofpedestrian-
friendly urban neighborhoods similar in character to downtown. These areas also
happen to offer special opportunities to blend development and activity with the
natural environs of the river, ditch corridors,and other natural areas.
Many aspects of development and redevelopment are included within the
recommendations. The role of the area as an incubator for small and local
business, including basic employment, is reinforced by the policy statements.
Additional streets are proposed to connect the Corridor with surrounding
neighborhoods and make vital connections to downtown. Changes to zoning are
recommended to increase flexibility and opportunities for the compatible
development of business, commercial, and residential projects. The proposed
zoning is meant to provide incentive for development with a streamlined
regulatory process that reflects the residents' desire for positive change.
Recommendations in the plan give direction on solving infrastructure and
drainage problems, and suggest actions to take to make the improvements
happen.
The recommendations are based on a set of general goals which led to policy
statements for five major policy sections: Land Use; Storm Drainage;
Transportation;Image,Character,and Urban Form; andEconomic Development.
The Illustrative Plan portrays the main elements that are proposed. Implementation
Strategies outline the actions recommended to translate the goals and policies into
improvements that will contribute to the area's vision for its future.
27
Attachment #5
City of Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority
Mission Statement
The mission of the Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is to remedy blight by stimulating and
leveraging private capital investment, using tax increment financing in private development projects and
public improvement projects. The URA functions as a catalyst,partner, advisor and participant to
foster sound growth and development.
General URA Policies
The URA will only assist development and redevelopment projects that meet the identified objectives of
the respective Urban Renewal Plan (URP) area.
The URA will consider TIF for infrastructure needs normally required of development and
redevelopment projects if one or more of the following are met:
• the infrastructure is an extraordinary or unusually costly remedy for blight factors (e.g., due to difficulties
of retrofitting existing developed areas,need for assembly of multiple properties, etc.)
• the project is for affordable housing
• the project creates significant numbers of new primary jobs
• the project has great potential to capture spending that is currently"leaking" out of the market area, or is a
"destination"use that will attract others from outside the area
• the infrastructure serves other development and redevelopment sites, facilitating further improvements in
the area
The URA will also consider TIF for:
• enhancements and amenities that benefit the public such as streetscapes, enhanced architecture and
building materials, special site improvements, etc.
• retention or expansion of existing businesses offering primary jobs or unique offerings that complement
the business mix
• site clearance or site acquisition
• removal of hazardous materials or conditions
• projects that preserve and adaptively reuses historic structures
• projects that protects natural habitats and features both on the site and in the vicinity of the site
• projects that use the best available technologies and practices for renewable energy and/or energy
efficiency
The URA will not retroactively reimburse projects or make payments to cover costs associated with any
actions already incurred by a development or redevelopment project prior to a request for financial
assistance being considered by the URA
The URA will pursue grants and other types of financial assistance from federal and state agencies.
The URA will cooperate with other governments, entities, and agencies to accomplish redevelopment
objectives.
28
North College Corridor URA Policies. In addition to the general URA policies on the
previous page, the following specific policies apply to the North College Corridor Urban Renewal Plan
(URP) area.
The URA Commission will only consider TIF in a development or redevelopment project within the
North College Corridor URP area after the proposal has been reviewed by the Citizens Advisory Group
(CAG). The URA Commission is the final authority on all TIF requests.
The URA will give preference to funding projects that have local ownership (Larimer County).
The URAs priorities for providing TIF to development and redevelopment projects within the North
College Corridor URP area are:
• enhancing transportation infrastructure
• providing stormwater drainage or floodplain improvements
• expanding or upgrading utility infrastructure
• providing amenities that benefit the public including but not limited to streetscapes, enhanced
architecture and building materials, fagade renovations, special site improvements, etc. that
contributes to a positive identity and image for the North College area.
Last Revision: May 10, 2006
29
I
Attachment #6
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Assistance
pO APPLICATION ( REVISED 5 / 1 /06 )
COLLINS
PROJECT NAME:
PROJECT ADDRESS / LOCATION:
APPLICANT / DEVELOPER / PROPERTY OWNER INFORMATION
APPLICANT DEVELOPER PROPERTY-OWNER
Company Name
Company Owner/CEO - -
Contact Person — - -
Title -— -- - -
Complete Address -- --------{
Phone - G
FAX - -
Email
TYPE OF LAND USE DEVELOPMENT / REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
❑ Residential ❑ Mixed-Use (Residential/Non-Residential)
❑ Commercial/Retail ❑ Mixed-Use (Commercial/Industrial)
❑ IndustriaVWarehouse ❑ Other(please explain)
PROJECT ELEMENTS
❑ New Construction ❑ Site Clearance
❑ Infrastructure Improvement ❑ Building Rehabilitation
❑ Land Acquisition ❑ Other(please explain)
NEW OR EXISTING BUSINESSES (NON-RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS ONLY)
New Business for URA Plan Area? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Existing Business in URA Plan Area? ❑ Yes ❑ No Years in Business years
FORMATION
Construction Loan $
FINANCIAL / FUNDING SUMMARY IN Current Actual Value (Assessor) $
Fees $ Current Property Tax $
Soft Costs j $ Projected Actual Value (Assessor) $
-
Land Cost $ Projected Annual Property Tax $
New Construction Costs $ Total TIF Assistance Requested $
Other Costs $ Total Property Tax Increment Expected $
Total Protect $ Total Project Cost $
Current Annual Sales Tax (if any) $
Projected Annual Sales Tax $
30
TYPE OF TIF REQUESTED (include general terms & conditions)
❑ Grant_
❑ Loan
❑ Loan Guarantee
SUMMARY OF FUNDING SOURCES AND USE OF FUNDS
Amount Source Use
$ URA Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
i
$ F
$
$
$ Project Total
ATTACH DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT
Please provide an answer for each of the following questions, no more than 1 page per question.
Please include a location map, any site plans or project drawings, and any other materials related to
the TIF application not previously requested.
1. What is the nature of the project?
2. Why is TIF assistance needed; how will the funds be used?
3. How will the project help improve/upgrade public infrastructure (streets, utilities, drainage, etc.)?
4. How will the project enhance the property tax base (and sales tax base, if applicable) of the area?
5. How will the project help achieve the goals of North College Urban Renewal Plan?
6. How will the project help eliminate slum and blight conditions?
7. What is the proposed project timetable (what is the estimated time frame for major steps including
the City's planning decision, completion of financial commitments, start of construction, and
issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (CO)?
8. What is the financial capacity of the developer to complete the proposed project?
ATTACH BACKGROUND INFORMATION
❑ Owner/CEO Resume ❑ Owner/CEO Credit Report ❑ D/B Report on the Corporation ❑ Project Pro Forma
SIGNATURE REQUIRED
By:
Title:
Date:
31
Attachment #7
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Assistance
SCORE CARD
NORTH COLLEGE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN CITIZEN ADVISORY
GROUP
Date Project #
Project
Instructions: With the exceptions of#8-9, assign point values ranging from 1-10. Use the provided Points Scale as a
guide to assign your point values.
Points Scale Points Weight Score
Project Characteristics 0 5 10 (P) (W) (WxP)
FINANCIAL BENEFITS
1 Annual Property Tax $ /ac $0 $5k 7Ok+ x = of 20
(Incrementlacre)
Annual Sales Tax = 0.0
2. (increment/sf)Retail only,first $ /sf $0.00 $5.00 of 10
36 months projected.Annual Payroll = 0.0
3. $ 00 $o $soo of
(commercial only)
COMMUNITY BENEFITS
Implements City Plan & North College Slightly7Moderately X 2.0 = of 20
4. Urban Renewal Plan _ 0.0
5. Enhances Area/Eliminates Blight Slightly X 2.0 - of 20
0.0
6. Local Ownership (Larimer County) None x 0.5 - of 5
FINANCIAL STRUCTURE
0.0
7. Demonstrated Need/Financing Gap Slightly Moderately Greasy x 0.5 = of
Grant Loan X 1.0 = 0.0
8. Type of Request ofa (5 pis) (10 pts) of 10
Lump Sum Over Time X 0.5 = 0.0
9. Form of Payment n/a (5 pts) (10 pis) of 5
of Total Project = 0.0
10, P t % >50% 49%-16% <15% X 0.5 of
Cost Requested
0.0
11. % of Total TI Requested /° — of 10
TOTAL SCORE
% of MAX POSSIBLE SCORE FOR APPLICABLE CRITERIA %
Attachment #8
Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority
Organizational Chart
commission of the
North College CAG 1 P&Z Board
Responsibilities: Urban Renewal Responsibilities:
• Advice on Authority • Recommend Plans
significant NC
URA matters (City Council)
City Manager
Darin Atteberry
CPES
Greg Byrne
Progratn Manager
Joe Frank,Advance Planning
Responsibilities:
• Program Administration
• URA Commission Liaison
Financial Legal Planning
Chuck Seest,Finance Paul Eckman, Ken Waido,Advance
Dept. City Attorney's Office Planning
Clark Mapes,Advance
Responsibilities: Responsibilities: Planning
• Account payables • Legal review Sheri Wamhofl,
• Accting/financial • County Assessor Engineering
reporting Coordination Glen Schlueter,
• Project review- • Project review- Storm Water Utility
financial legal -
• Financial Analysis Responsibilities:
• County • NCCAG,PZ and
Assessor/Appraiser URA support
coordination • Property owner
contacts
• Project review
• URA Plans
Revised May 10, 2006
33
Attachment #9
VARIOUS FRONT RANGE MUNICIPALITIES AND THEIR URA
1. Loveland. Loveland presently has no IGA with its URA and the City provides all staffing for the
URA without charge to the URA. No sales tax increment is captured by the URA and the property tax
increment is "passed through" the URA to the metropolitan district (for Centerra) with the URA
retaining a small amount of the "pass through" for administrative fees which ultimately are to be
reimbursed to the City of Loveland.
2. Greeley. The URA in the City of Greeley receives staff support from the City without cost to the
URA, and unlike Loveland, there is an increment of sales tax that is shared between the City and the
URA. The property tax increment goes to the URA, and the URA administers all of the CDBG funding
that would otherwise have been administered by the City of Greeley. In the end, neither the City of
Greeley nor the URA pays for the staffing, because the staffing is covered by CDBG funding as an
administrative expense. Greeley utilizes a general IGA defining the relationship between the URA
employees and the City's employees (stating that the City's employees are the URA employees) and
prohibiting the URA from supplementing their salaries and providing that the URA legal services should
be provided by outside counsel and paid from CDBG funds. Greeley also enters into separate project-
by-project IGAs, mostly centered on funding mechanisms.
3. Boulder. Boulder has a URA which was created in 1978. Boulder's URA also has its own set of
bylaws. Although there is no umbrella IGA between Boulder and its URA, in 2003, Boulder, Boulder
County, the Boulder URA and the Boulder Central Area GID all entered into a cooperation agreement
for the provision of funding, involving the sale of $12 million in bonds for various projects in the
Boulder area. This cooperation agreement involved both property and sales tax increments. There have
been other site-specific financing agreements and loan agreements in addition to the 2003 one.
4. Longmont. Longmont has no IGA and there is no policy at present regarding staff time for the
Longmont URA, because it is in its embryonic stages. Presently, Longmont is providing staff to its
URA without charge, but the URA blight study and plan have not yet been completed. The City has
also paid for a consultant to assist in the preparation of the URA plan. A tabulation was received from
the City of Longmont containing the results of a survey that it did in November 2005 with regard to the
question of whether the City provides staff support to various URAs and DDAs around the state. A
copy of that tabulation is attached for your information. However, the tabulation does not answer the
question of whether the City staff is provided with or without charge.
5. Westminster. Westminster has no separate comprehensive IGA with its URA but Westminster
does enter into individual site-specific IGAs to cover specific funding issues as projects come up.
According to Longmont's survey, Westminster provides staff support to the URA. The Westminster
URA collects the property tax increment provided by the County and uses the collected increment to
repay loans made by the City to the URA.
6. Centennial. Centennial does have an umbrella IGA with its URA which specifically provides for
the City to supply the URA with employee assistance, supplies, office space, etc. The City is
reimbursed for the provision of these services. If the URA desires to obtain services somewhere else, it
may do so. Although the Centennial IGA does not deal with any topic other than the provision of City
34
services, if the Council should desire to receive reimbursement from the URA for the City's provision of
services, then the Centennial model is a good one.
7. Denver. Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) does have an IGA with the City of Denver
which deals with the collection, sharing and distribution of both sales and property tax increment.
Denver does not provide staff to the DURA and, beyond the tax increment issues in its umbrella
agreement, Denver also agrees, to the extent permitted by law, to cooperate with the URA in
accomplishing street and utility locations and relocations.
8. Golden. Golden has an IGA with its URA which gives the City the right to review the URAs
work programs and budgets. The City does not have the right, however, to approve or deny a budget.
The IGA provides that one hundred percent of all sales tax increment and property tax increment go to
the URA and the URA rents commercial space outside of the City Hall for its offices and staff and pays
the cost of that rent and staffing. The URA has an executive director who is not an employee of the
City, and the URA Commission is separate from the City Council.
9. Arvada. Arvada has a URA which employs an executive director who is not an employee of the
City. All other employees of the Arvada URA are City employees and are governed by an IGA between
the City and the Arvada URA. Those employees record and document their work time and bill the cost
to the URA. The IGA states that the City Council has the right to approve the employment and set the
salary of the executive director. Termination of the executive director requires the joint approval of the
City Council and the URA, but the executive director is a contract employee of the URA and not an
employee of the City. Under the IGA, the City provides all other management services for the URA
including, procurement, personnel, legal and planning services. The City is fully reimbursed for these
services. The City also provides workman's compensation and other insurance needs of the URA and
the City Manager has the right to participate in all URA meetings and, unlike Golden, Arvada has the
right to approve or disapprove of the URAs budget.
35
Attachment #10
Urban Renewal Authorities
Type of Using Tax Iris ent Does City Staff
Municl all Authorl Fin andn mvide Support?
Arvada URA Yes Yes
Aurora URA Yes _Yes
Boulder URA No Yes
Brighton both No Yes
Broomfield URA Yes Yes.
Colorado Springs URA Yes Yes
Commerce City URA No
Delta _ URA No No
Denver URA Yes No
Englewood URA Yes Yes
Estes Park URA Yes Yes
Federal Heights URA Yes Yes
D Yes o
—75
Glenwood Springs _ DDA Yes _Yes
Golden URA Yes Yes
Greeley _ URA Yes Yes
Grand Junction DDA Yes No
La Junta URA Yes No
Lafayette URA Yes Yes _
Lakewood URA Yes Yes
Las Animas URA No Yes
Longmont DDA Yes No
Loveland URA Yes Yes
Monte Vista _ DDA No _ Yes
Mt Crested Butte _ DDA Yes Yes
Nor ftlenn _ URA Yes Yes
Pueblo URA Yes Yes
Ran ley DDA No n/r
Sllverthome_ URA No Yes _
Sterling URA Yes _ No
Superior URA Yes Yes
Thornton _ URA Yes Yes
Westminster _ URA Yes Yes
Wheat Ride URA Yes Yes
Woodland Park DDA Yes Yes
urban renewal chart.xls Revised 11/17/20OF230
36
Attachment #11
Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority
North College Urban Renewal Plan
Citizen Advisory Group
(Rev. 5/10/06)
Creation
The intent of the North College Urban Renewal Plan is for the Commission of the Urban Renewal
Authority to consult with an advisory group on all significant actions and decisions of the Authority
regarding the North College Urban Renewal Plan. Therefore, there shall be created and established a
North College Urban Renewal Plan - Citizen Advisory Group (the"Advisory Group").
Membership; term
(a) Members of the North College Urban Renewal Plan Citizen Advisory Group shall be
appointed by official action of the North Fort Collins Business Association and shall consist
of nine (9) members who are landowners,business owners, tenants, or residents within the
boundaries of the North College Urban Renewal Plan. City liaisons will be appointed to
work with the Advisory Group, consisting of one (1) Fort Collins City Councilmember
appointed by the City Council, and one (1)member of the Fort Collins Planning and Zoning
Board, appointed by the Board.
(b) Members appointed by the North Fort Collins Business Association shall serve four (4)-year
terms, with the first appointments being staggered to allow for turn over and subsequent
overlapping terms. Liaisons appointed by the City Council and Planning and Zoning Board
shall serve at the discretion of the Council and Board respectively.
Jurisdiction
The Advisory Group shall exercise its powers within the boundaries of the North College Urban
Renewal Plan a map of which is on file in the City Clerk's office.
Functions
The Advisory Group shall provide advice to the Commission of the Urban Renewal Authority on all
significant actions and decisions of the Authority which the Authority may undertake within the
boundaries of the North College Urban Renewal Plan, including the following:
1. Amendments to the North College Avenue Existing Conditions Survey regarding findings of
"blight" as defined by the Urban Renewal Law.
2. Amendments to the North College Urban Renewal Plan.
Requests for redevelopment/development ro'ect financing using the property tax increment
3. qproject
and/or sales tax increment to be accrued and used by the Commission of the Urban Renewal
Authority under the property and/or sales tax allocation financing provisions of the Urban
Renewal Law.
4. Public improvements to be financed by the Authority in order to promote the effective
utilization of developed, underdeveloped, or undeveloped land in the Renewal Area.
5. Purchase of property by the Authority to for an urban renewal project to remedy blight
factors pursuant to the Urban Renewal law and the North College Urban Renewal Plan.
37
6. Demolition of existing development and clearance of existing sites by the Authority as part
of specific redevelopment/development projects.
7. Requests specifically directed to the North College Urban Renewal Plan Citizen Advisory
Group by the Fort Collins Commission of the Urban Renewal Authority and/or City staff.
Minutes
The Advisory Group shall take and keep on file for public inspection summary minutes of any meetings
where the Group discussed matters listed in the Functions section above.
38
ATTACHMENT
Schedule for
Implementing the Recommendations
Of the URA Ad Hoc Committee
Summary: Staff believes that the implementation of recommendation #1 (roles),
#4 (administrative procedures), #6 (Commission) and#7 (NCCAG) can be
accomplished by direction from the Commission during its Work Session on
June 27. Staff would also like direction from the Work Session on
recommendations #3 (mission) and#5 (IGA), except, however, these
recommendations require formal adoption by Resolution, tentatively scheduled
for next August/September. Recommendation #2 (tax increment) needs more
staff analysis and discussions with the County Assessor's Office and is not ready
for implementation.
#1. Role(s) the URA should play to assist private sector development
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like approval from
the Commission to implement the roles as described in the attached Report.
Staff believes that this action can be taken at the Work Session and no further
action is needed by the Commission on this matter.
#2. Calculation of the Tax Increment
Implementation Action: This issue is not ready for implementation. Since
preparation of the Report, staff has met with County Assessor's Office to discuss
options for calculating tax increment in the North College area and in future URA
Plan areas. And, some new ideas have emerged. Further negotiation with the
County is needed. During the Work Session, staff will update the Commission
regarding discussions with the County, some new ideas, and next steps.
#3. Vision and Mission of the URA, including policies and criteria for spending
Tax Increment
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like approval from
the Commission to use the Mission Statement and policies described in
Attachment#5 of the Report. Staff believes that the Mission Statement and
policies should be adopted by Resolution by the Commission. Adoption of the
Resolution is tentatively scheduled for next August/September.
#4. Administrative procedures for reviewing applications for TIF
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like the approval of
the Commission to use the recommended process for reviewing applications for
TIF, and accept the Application Form (Attachment #6) and Score Card
(Attachment#7). Staff believes that this action can be taken at the Work
Session and no further action by the Commission is needed on this matter.
#5. Relationship between the City and URA in regards to staffing, financial
support and other matters
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like direction from
the Commission that a general "umbrella" IGA be entered into between the City
and the URA which will govern the various topics listed in the attached Report,
including adoption of bylaws for the Commission. If so directed, the staff will
prepare an IGA and by-laws for adoption by the Commission and Council,
tentatively scheduled for next August/September, after review by the NCCAG.
#6. Composition of the Commission of the URA
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like direction from
the Commission that Council continue as the Commission of the URA. Staff
believes that this action can be taken at the Work Session and no further action
by the Commission is necessary on this matter.
V. Role of the North College Citizen Advisory Group in the Activities of the URA.
Implementation Action: During the Work Session, staff would like direction from
the Commission that the NCCAG continue to fulfill the roles as outlined in
Attachment #11 of the Report. Staff believes that this action can be taken at the
Work Session and no further action by the Commission is necessary on this
matter.
ATTACHMENT 4
MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 16, 2006
TO: Joe Frank, Advance Planning Director
FROM: Charles Seest, Finance Director
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH COUNTY ASSESSOR ON TIF METHODS
I. Background
Historically, there has only been one method in Larimer County under which to calculate
tax increment financing (TIF) dollars generated within the plan area of an urban renewal
authority (URA). That method was tracking the value of improvements constructed after
the base year in which the Plan Area was established. This approach did not assign any
tax increment to factors other than taxable construction, with some minor exceptions
involving tax-exempt property. This method has been utilized to calculate TIF for all
URAs and other entities funded by tax increment within the County, including the City of
Fort Collins' Downtown Development Authority.
Recently, however, the Loveland URA negotiated an alternative method for one of its
URA Plan Areas that assigned tax increment any and all factors which create value
increases above the base value, with the base resulting from any or all factors adjusted
annually for county-wide average market appreciation. This method has been applied to
the new retail center known as Centerra, located at the intersection of 1-25 and US 34,
one of the primary traffic flow areas within the County.
In order to best understand how either method may be applied to the North College URA
Plan Area, staff developed a few projections. One was labeled the DDA method and
utilized the traditional calculation applied by the County. The second was labeled the
Centerra method and was applied under two scenarios, one in which the North College
Plan Area market appreciation rate equaled the county-wide rate and another where it
lagged the county-wide rate.
Finally, it was noted that a sizable percentage of the overall North College URA Plan
Area is currently located within a floodway that essentially precludes development from
occurring on those parcels. Since the City of Fort Collins has expended significant
resources to address this issue, it would be equitable to capture the increased values on
those parcels with a hybrid method. Therefore, a third method was developed to
address this issue by utilizing the traditional DDA method on all parcels outside of the
floodway and applies the Centerra method to the floodway, which represents
approximately 47% of the acreage within the North College URA Plan Area.
Prior to meeting with the County Assessor's Office, staff had developed some
assumptions and applied them to the various methods.
Below is a summary of the results of the three methods.
1. Traditional "DDA" Method
This method yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of$14.3 million in constant
2006 dollars or$18.6 million after applying an annual appreciation rate of 3%
Benefits:
1. Receipt of tax increment from improvements is certain.
Limits:
1. Does not recognize any value associated with the appreciation of real
property currently located in the floodway.
2. Does not allow for any additional revenue should the URA market
appreciation rate exceed the county-wide growth rate.
2. Centerra Method
This method yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of$20.1 million after applying
an annual appreciation rate of 3% which was assumed to equal the county wide
market appreciation rate.
The TIF stream dropped to $11.8 million if the URA Plan Area could only achieve a
market appreciation rate of 2% versus the county-wide rate of 3%
Benefits:
1. Allows the Plan Area to receive all additional revenue above the
county-wide market appreciation rate.
2. Does recognize value associated with the appreciation of real
property currently located in the floodway.
Limits:
1. Requires plan area have a market appreciation rate equal to or
greater than the county-wide rate. In the event that the Plan Area
does not achieve the county-wide rate, even the receipt of tax
increment from improvements may not be certain.
3. DDA Method plus Application of Centerra Method to Floodwav
This approach yielded a cumulative tax increment stream of$17.8 million in constant
2006 dollars or $23.0 million after applying an annual appreciation rate of 3%
Benefits:
1. Does recognize value value associated with the appreciation of real
property currently located in the floodway.
Limits:
1. Does not allow for any additional TIF revenue if the URA Plan area
overall has a market appreciation rate that exceeds the county-wide
rate.
Based on the above staff discussed with the Council Ad-Hoc Committee the idea of
pursuing the last method presented above also known as the hybrid method The
Council Ad-Hoc Committee concurred and staff scheduled a meeting the County
Assessor.
II. Discussion with County Assessor Office
The above methods were presented to the County Assessor. The County Assessor staff
indicated that since a new TIF method ("Centerra") had been established since the
creation of the North College URA Plan Area, this method should be made available to
the Fort Collins URA as it was to the Loveland URA. Furthermore, in order to promote
equality among all TIF districts, the County Assessor stated that all future TIF districts
would be calculated utilizing only the "Centerra" method. However, given that the North
College URA Plan Area was established prior to that method, it would be given the
option of selecting either the traditional "DDA" method or the "Centerra" method.
City staff stated there was heightened concern regarding the application of a county
wide appreciation rate to the North College Plan Area. The County Assessor staff
indicated that without the future potential of development within the floodway, it was not
likely that the North College Area would achieve the appreciation rate experienced on a
county-wide level.
With regard to the hybrid method, the County staff stated that would not be possible as it
would require application of two methods to the same TIF district. Given that no TIF was
recognized by the County Assessor for the Plan Area in 2006, the County Assessor staff
suggested that the City review all assumptions and then notify them of which TIF method
to utilize.
City staff also requested that the County Assessor staff prepare a ten year history on the
county-wide appreciation rate to provide additional data to assist City staff with the
decision.
III. City Staff Concerns on the TIF Method Options Presented by the County
County Assessor staff provided the following table regarding the county-wide
appreciation rates since 1995 for the reappraisal years, which occur every other year:
1995 9.70%
1997 6.40%
1999 13.07%
2001 14.60%
2003 2.73%
2005 5.27%
Average 8.63%
If this trend were to continue, the North College URA plan would need to maintain pace
with the average reappraisal appreciation rate of 8.63% in order to reflect an increase in
tax increment. For greenfield developments such as Centerra or Timnath, this level of
appreciation, while not assured during every reappraisal year, is certainly achieved
during the early years of the development. As a result, a significant cushion is
established for these greenfield developments when converting agricultural land to
residential and commercial development. Unfortunately, the margin narrows
dramatically when converting existing developed parcels to redevelopment projects.
This bias toward greenfield development creates long-term issues for redevelopment
within the City of Fort Collins. Aside from those project areas that are assured of
receiving a significant infusion of construction dollars during the early years of the project
area (ie., Foothills Mall), it is difficult to assess whether adequate activity in any area of
the City would maintain pace with the county-wide appreciation rate. Certainly, one
would expect that part of the reason for pursuing redevelopment is to spur economic
activity that currently hasn't kept pace with the rest of the City or County.
IV. Next Steps by City Staff
Due to these concerns, which staff intends to pursue in joint dialogue between the
County Assessor staff and the staff of other established TIF districts within the County,
City staff now intends to pursue the DDA method for the North College Plan Area.
However, given that the North College Plan Area does have development options that
are a direct result of the City's investment in Stormwater improvements, staff will pursue
expanding the County's definition of improvements to include changes in the flood plain
map as these improvements are the result of the City's investment. This dialogue will be
part of a larger dialogue regarding the County's overall approach to TIF and how the
Assessor's application of the Centerra method yields the unintended result of favoring
greenfield development over traditional redevelopment.
ATTACHMENT 5
Urban Renewal
Authority
Report from the Ad
Hoc Committee
Work Session
IOH;t9iILV5 June 27,2006
i A
June 27 Work Session:
Direction Sought
• Does the Commission have comments or
questions on the Final Report?
e Is the commission comfortable with the
recommendations contained In the Final
Report?
• Is the Commission comfortable with the
Implementation strategy?
Brief History of the URA in Fort
Collins
• (UN)dran Urblala Rannewal Authority
(UM)
am
• Council designeted itaelt as the
governing board of the se
• Thecft Ii.bounclaries of the UM an the
h.
_l\_
• USN IIE to ancounY
radeva opmald of"blighted"are..
♦ North Col kpe Avenue:
0enmaerlthe:< Council
11
UmaadangRenewwa of n ama aos wranue I
1
Resolution # 003,
adopted February 21,2006
• Appointed an Ad Hoc Committee
• Karen Weitkunat,Commissioner
• Ben Manvel,Commissioner
• David Roy,Commissioner
• Ron I-autoenhelser,NCCAG
• Dean Hoag,NCCAG
• Various City staff
• Purpose
• Formulate recommendations In Report form to the
URA Commission regarding"bast pracNces'o(Me
administration o([he Fort Collins URA
•Timeline
• 90-days(May 22 deadline) a.r
Study Process
♦ Detailed Work Plan and Schedule
♦ Committee Meetings(2)
♦ Review draft reports prepared by staff
♦ Final Report,published May 22
*Available from WWW-fcgov.com/lURA
♦ Mold Work Session —June 27, 2006
"V
G
Final Report - Format
•7 URA-related issues analyzed; each
issue includes:
•Background Information
•Other um'Practices'review
•Committse recommendation
• Caveat on Recommendations:
•Wisest choice-considering current capacity and
^start-up-stage of the URA
•As time passes,and as capacity increases,
these clud III h
• Will need to reconsider these choices within 5-
years
2
#1: Roles the URA should play to
assist private sector development
a Will need te be tailored to specific Urban
Renewal Plan areas
. Recommendation for North College:
- Primary Roles:
♦U a pprtlpn pr TtFr,Nmuwr.anE
Inures dawlopmant pralecte
e uwiM publiciuP"l Impro..nuumm for ewa-
- Support Roles:
•warY mllahararwely wltll wlveN ownalf
arM davatagw u Ww proDume
.erina panic m twe table m facilitate
�vata prMacb am puell0 capful
mprowmaata
.Prmcewhr m.rxtimd mcrus desk.bla
uww
♦Cmader OatYde scene, r .q
#2: Calculation of Tax Increment
• How should property tax Increment becalculated?
p party
- ]axlsdag..methods in tarimar County
^oounY.p.aUaan'-Iraanlonal apprwm
"C.murn wunpwr me,-sow
- Recent discussions with County assessor's Office
M boc commlNe rewmmenaeaw-'Mena dYrprwuw'-
•anLenY1
-"Mwt\Cnllya W n oeaow•ene^nr•[e
a 14.Mww�Callwe�proalemat4 lw anlnlnp• bllpbbE aruf
- Staff is will be presented at
Tuesdays ores Session
i,111
#3: Mission and Policies
•Mission Statement:
w Mission is to remedy blight by stimulating and
leveraging private capital investment,using tax
Increment financing in private development
Projects and public improvement projects. The
URA functions as a Catalyst,partner,advisor,and
participant to faster sound growth and
redevelopment^
3
Mission and Policies — URA-wide
(cont.)
• URA-wide Policies for using TIF:
- Projects must meet objectives of the Urban
Renewal Plan
-TIF will be used for'un•syyually costly"
public Improvements associated with
redevelopment
-TIF may be used for Infrastructure normally
requited of development if:
For affordable Munn,,or
.y —as Primary Jose or
aYi /or a bupness Mat c plurse spmMing that is
e^looldn out 0 e t N madm ....rho
'dMinWon-uw.ar
the IMraatrumure IWlkates Ndhar
ra davalopment
Mission and Policies — URA-wide
(cont.)
• TIF will also be considered for projects that:
- enhances the public realm(e.g.beautifies the
street or buildings)
- retains or expands existing boo nesses
- preserves historic buildings
- protects natural habitats
- uses best practices in enemy afficiones
g.
Mission and Policies — North
College
• TIF requests will be „$
reviewed by the Citizen
Advisory Group fCAG)
♦ Preference to local
ownership --
♦ North College"orioritles^
-transportation improvements
- storm drainage improvements
- upgrading utilifim,
- public amenities
k
4
#4 Administration Procedures
♦Review Process for
reviewing TIF
applications
-Application form ® _ -
-Score Card
_ _ h
#5 Intergovernmental Agreement
• Need for a common understanding of
relationship between URA and Staff,
addressing:
•Use of City Man and serricea,and spmpepaatipa
thereof
-IlemmmmGlbn: URA Mould reasonably mm"rund.
the City a hso!hero is eufadant Tax Dlmemerd mnw
•Describe how to,Increment will amrpe and be
)hated between the City and URA
-Rw'n,nrM,:dedua: URA willfphet property tax InWnenh
bade,to ba M ded by City Council n a 4taby-uso
• Need to prepare Bylaws for the Commission
a �
#6: Composition of the Commission
• State law allows two alternatives:
-Council can serve as the Commission
-Mayor appoints the Commission
♦ Since 1982,the Council has served as the
Commission
-Recommendation: Council to continue to
serve as the Commission, but reconsider
this role as the URA adds new Urban
Renewal Plan areas
5
#7 Role of the North College
Citizen Advisory Group
♦ The intent of the CAG is for"the Commission W
rpn�ntftuel�t wiM an adviaery arord o tha North
Canada
nt
Oman Renewal Plan^
♦ NCCAG was created in 2005
• Rial(g)i
ng members/rom the _
one(I Lily 0
an one 1)Plannine and Zoning aearo m nitair.
Recommendation. The CAG should continue to
fulfill this role
r
Implementation of
Recommendations
• 5avaral of these recommendations can be
implemented admigistratiyffirfrom direction
Yiven by the Commission at thhe Work
Se..ion. These include:
r N6 CommfW n make-u0 mid 07(Rnala of d�'
• Other recommendations will require.fgpaal
�p������tpi���i1 by resolution by the Commission.
T es include:
♦*33(disdon and polidesh end,15(MA end b,
how• a2(calculating tax increment)is not_ready
for implementations and needs more staff
analysis and negotiations with the County
Assessor's Office nx3f i
June 27 Work Session:
Direction Sought
• Does the Commission have comments or
questions on the Final Report?
• Is the Commission comfortable with the
recommendations contained in the Final
Report?
• Is the Commission comfortable with the
implementation strategy?
6