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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/05/2006 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 127, 2006, APPROPRI ITEM NUMBER: 8 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: September 5, 2006 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Daylan Figgs SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 127, 2006, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the Natural Areas Fund and Authorizing the Transfer of Existing Appropriations in the Natural Areas Fund to be Used to Gather Information Necessary for the Development of the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area Management Plan. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL IMPACT This Ordinance authorizes the appropriation of$62,760 to meet the requirements of the grant and includes the grant amount awarded by the Colorado Division of Wildlife ($32,760) as well as the required cash match of$30,000 from Natural Areas Program funds. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Natural Areas Program was awarded a Colorado Wildlife Conservation Grant by the Colorado Division of Wildlife for$32,760. The grant,titled Initiation oflnventory and Monitoring Program for Breeding Shortgrass Prairie Birds of Greatest Conservation Need on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area(Larimer County, Colorado), will be used to gather information necessary for the development of the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area Management Plan. BACKGROUND Natural Areas staff currently is developing a management plan for Soapstone Prairie Natural Area with an anticipated public opening in June 2009. Information provided by this inventory and monitoring project will establish baseline conditions on the distribution of grassland birds on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. When combined with vegetation and habitat baseline information, results of this effort will be used to develop public improvement and recreation plans that minimize impacts to bird species. Further, information gathered from this effort will be used to develop educational and interpretive materials for use at Soapstone and other natural areas. Last,this project will provide the Natural Areas Program the ability to detect trends in avian abundance and distribution relative to habitat management, recreational use and development, and grazing management of the property. rr Soapstone Meadow Springs Laramie Foothills owl Canyon x i Welling on s W HIGHWAY 14 Upper Poudre N. Dry Creek Wellington Separator z BellauslMouth 1 of Poudre Canyon ........is A Rist Canyon = .� p.a r ■ a.. ■ Sao lad Fort Collins in .... Windsordstr eparator n •Kok es FoothillslBuckhorn L.2 �■q~ /Redstone ■ ■ ■ tial Legend LEM.No■• a e Lenraer Gounry ■I�.�IonoopwM. ..r GMA ia` Reads Water Features r..O Mass • N..d QTY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL AREA 0 ■ Loveland COUNTY OR CITY OPEN LANOS r ,�.L. LEASE � ■aa�..� communiry Sewreton Af Local 1 r Re Tonal getting a ilaftab AN City of Fort Collins Focus Areas September 2005 1 0 300= ORDINANCE NO. 127, 2006 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE NATURAL AREAS FUND AND AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF EXISTING APPROPRIATIONS IN THE NATURAL AREAS FUND TO BE USED TO GATHER INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOAPSTONE PRAIRIE NATURAL AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program is currently developing a management plan for the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, which area is scheduled to be opened to the public; and WHEREAS,the City's Natural Areas Program applied for and has been awarded a Colorado Wildlife Conservation grant of$32,760 by the Colorado Division of Wildlife which will be used to gather information to be used in developing a management plan for the Soapstone Natural Area;and WHEREAS, proceeds from the aforementioned grant, titled Initiation of Inventory and Monitoring Program for Breeding Shortgrass Prairie Birds of Greatest Conservation Need on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, will be used to establish baseline conditions on the distribution of grassland birds on the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area; and WHEREAS,the aforementioned baseline information will be combined with vegetation and habitat baseline information and will be used to develop public improvement and recreation plans that minimize impacts to bird species; and WHEREAS, additionally, information gathered will be used to develop education and interpretive materials for use at Soapstone and other natural areas, and will provide staff the ability to detect trends in avian abundance and distribution relative to habitat management,recreational use and development, and grazing management of the property; and WHEREAS, local matching funds, totaling $30,000, are required and are available in the form of existing appropriations within the 2006 Natural Areas Fund operating budget; and WHEREAS,Article V, Section 9,of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins permits the City Council to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the total amount of such supplemental appropriations,in combination with all previous appropriations for that fiscal year,does not exceed the then current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Grant funds as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Natural Areas Fund budget to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during any fiscal year; and WHEREAS,Article V, Section 10,of the Charter authorizes the City Council to transfer by ordinance any unexpended amount or portion thereof from one fund or capital project to another fund or capital project,provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged; and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Council to appropriate the sum of$32,760 in Colorado Wildlife Conservation Grant funds in the Natural Areas Fund-Breeding Shortgrass Bird Inventory Grant Project,and authorize the transfer of appropriations,totaling$30,000,from the Natural Areas Fund 2006 operating budget to the Natural Areas Fund- Breeding Shortgrass Bird Inventory Grant Project, to be used for the purposes as stipulated in the grant. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated revenue in the Natural Areas Fund - Breeding Shortgrass Bird Inventory Grant Project, the sum of THIRTY- TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY DOLLARS ($32,760), upon receipt from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, to be used to gather information and meet the requirements as stipulated in the grant. Section 2. That the unexpended appropriated amount of THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($30,000) is hereby authorized for transfer from the Natural Areas Fund 2006 operating budget to the Natural Areas Fund - Breeding Shortgrass Bird Inventory Grant Project, to be used to gather information and meet the requirements as stipulated in the grant. Introduced and considered favorably on first reading and ordered published this 5th day of September, A.D. 2006, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of September, A.D. 2006. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 19th day of September, A.D. 2006. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk