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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/16/2007 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 002, 2007, APPROPRI ITEM NUMBER: 12 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: January 16, 2007 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Mark Jackson Kathleen Bracke SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 002, 2007, Appropriating$250,000 from the Transportation Fund Reserves into the Mason Corridor Project Budget. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL IMPACT Sufficient funding is available in the Transportation Fund Reserves to support this $250,000 appropriation to the Mason Corridor Project budget. This funding will be used to complete the full Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Assessment work for the Mason Corridor Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance appropriates the necessary funding into the Project budget to complete the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Assessment (PE/EA) work for the Mason Corridor Project. This work is necessary to advance the City's funding request for the Mason Corridor Project with the Federal Transit Administration. The request is consistent with the Resolution approved by City Council on November 21, 2006, regarding the Mason Corridor PE/EA contract with the consulting fine of Felsburg Holt &Ullevig. BACKGROUND The Mason Corridor is much more than a transportation initiative. It is about building on the existing investments to make Fort Collins a community that can succeed and thrive in this new century. The Mason Corridor creates a framework for future economic development along the corridor and encourages community partnerships, private investment, active living, and attractive, urban lifestyles. The Mason Corridor will link major destinations and activity centers along the corridor including the Downtown commercial,cultural,and business centers,Colorado State University,Foothills Mall, and South College Avenue retail areas. January 16, 2007 -2- Item No. 12 The Mason Corridor is a five-mile,north-south byway within the City of Fort Collins which extends from Cherry Street on the north to south of Harmony Road. The corridor is centered along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad property,located a few hundred feet west of College Avenue (US287). The Mason Corridor includes a new bicycle and pedestrian trail as well as a future Bus Rapid Transit(BRT) system in a fixed guideway for the majority of the corridor. The BRT service will operate nearly twice as fast as auto travel along College Avenue, as well as provide high frequency service every 10 minutes. Stations will incorporate new high-quality amenities that are similar to light rail,with low-floor boarding platforms, sleek new buses, real-time next bus arrival information, and pre-pay fare machines. Funding for the Mason Corridor Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Assessment(PE/EA) work task includes existing funds in the Mason Corridor Project budget available as a result of cost savings from the construction of the Mason Trail Project, as well as the funds being requested from the Transportation Reserves. The funding requested from the Transportation Reserve fund is needed to complete the PE/EA work by third quarter 2007 in order to fit with the next Mason Corridor project report to the Federal Transit Administration's new"Small Starts"funding program. The City will continue to pursue any funding options that include federal, state and local sources, as well as public-private partnerships, to construct the Mason Corridor Project. ORDINANCE NO. 002, 2007 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FUND FOR TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND - MASON CORRIDOR CAPITAL PROJECT TO BE USED TO FUND THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WORK FOR THE MASON CORRIDOR WHEREAS, on April 8, 1997, the voters of the City approved Ordinance No. 30, 1997, authorizing the imposition of a quarter cent sales and use tax for the purpose of generating revenues to construct certain transportation projects described in the Building Community Choices("BCC") capital improvement program; and WHEREAS, one such project approved for funding by the voters was the Mason Street Transportation Corridor("Mason Corridor") project; and WHEREAS,the Mason Corridor is envisioned as a five-mile,north-south byway within the City, extending from Cherry Street on the north to approximately one-half mile south of Harmony Road, centered along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks, a few hundred feet west of College Avenue, that would enhance transportation opportunities for pedestrians, bicyclist, and transit riders; and WHEREAS, in addition to its utility as a transportation facility,the Mason Corridor would create a framework for future economic development along the corridor and encourage community partnerships, private investment, active living, and attractive urban lifestyles; and WHEREAS, completion of the preliminary engineering and environmental assessment is necessary to advance the City's funding request for the Mason Corridor to the Federal Transit Administration; and WHEREAS, on November 21, 2006, City Council Adopted Resolution 2006-116, authorizing the City to enter into change orders (Change Order #3 and Change Order #4) with Felsburg Holt&Ullevig;to amend an existing agreement for design/engineering and environmental analysis of the Mason Corridor; and WHEREAS, Staff has identified existing appropriations, totaling $300,000 in the Capital Projects Fund - Mason Corridor project as a funding source for Change Order #3 and prior year reserves in the Transportation Services Fund, totaling $220,000, as a funding source for Change Order#4); and WHEREAS, Staff also recommends an additional appropriation of$30,000 from prior year reserves in the Transportation Services Fund to be used for additional costs associated with the engineering and environmental assessment that are not covered under the contract with Felsburg Holt & Ullevig; and WHEREAS,Article V, Section 9,of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years,notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated; and WHEREAS,it is the desire of the Council to appropriate the sum of$250,000 from prior year reserves in the Transportation Services Fund for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund - Mason Corridor capital project, and appropriated therein,to be used to fund Change Order#4 ($220,000) to the contract with Felsburg Holt and Ullevig for design of the Mason Corridor capital project and any additional incidental costs incurred by the City ($30,000) associated with the design of the Mason Corridor capital project. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated from prior year reserves designated in the Transportation Services Fund, the sum of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($250,000), for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund -Mason Corridor capital project, and appropriated therein, to be used for preliminary engineering and environmental assessment work for the Mason Corridor capital project. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 16th day of January, A.D. 2007, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of February, A.D. 2007. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 6th day of February, A.D. 2007. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk