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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/17/2012 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 026, 2012, APPROPRDATE: April 17, 2012 STAFF: John Stokes AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 8 SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 026, 2012, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Natural Areas Fund for the Purpose of Providing Natural Areas Programming Not Included in the 2012 Adopted City Budget. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 3, 2012, appropriates prior year reserves in the Natural Areas Fund for the purpose of land conservation, construction of public improvements, restoration of wildlife habitat and other natural areas program needs to benefit the citizens of Fort Collins. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary - April 3, 2012 (w/o attachments) COPY COPY COPY COPY ATTACHMENT 1 DATE: April 3, 2012 STAFF: John Stokes AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 9 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 026, 2012, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Natural Areas Fund for the Purpose of Providing Natural Areas Programming Not Included in the 2012 Adopted City Budget. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Prior to 2004, the Natural Areas Program was housed within the Capital Projects Fund; therefore, funds did not lapse from year to year. During 2004, in order to comply with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Natural Areas appropriations and the dedicated funding sources were moved into the Natural Areas Fund, a lapsing fund. Any unspent funds and excess revenue lapses into fund reserves at year-end. These reserves then need to be appropriated into the following year’s budget to use the funds for their intended purpose. The purpose of these appropriations is land conservation, construction of public improvements, restoration of wildlife habitat and other natural area program needs to benefit the citizens of Fort Collins. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The funds for the Natural Areas Program come from the following designated sources of revenue, including: the City Open Space Yes! sales tax; the Larimer County - Help Preserve Open Space sales tax; and, miscellaneous unanticipated revenues. All of these funds are restricted to the purposes of the Natural Areas Program, including unanticipated revenues which consist generally of income from leases or grants. The anticipated use of these funds is as follows: • Land Conservation - $2,100,000. For ongoing land conservation efforts per the Land Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan. • Rangers - $30,000. To purchase software and hardware to improve efficiency and effectiveness of encroachment enforcement. • Education - $148,400. Included are education activities at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area funded by a grant from the Pulliam Family Charitable Trust; the development of a comprehensive online registration and volunteer coordination database to greatly improve our customer service and volunteer coordination; provide additional interpretive features; and preparation of a written history of Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. • Program Management - $62,500. For contingency for all aspects of the Natural Areas Program and partial funding for the Regional Land Conservation, Stewardship and Recreation Study, a cooperative effort with Larimer County and all other communities receiving a portion of the County’s open space sales tax. • Resource Management - $203,000. Unspent Resource Management funds that will be appropriated to finance several major habitat restoration projects along the Poudre River in 2012. • Public Improvements - $725,729. A portion of these funds are being appropriated for paved trail construction. Each year, Natural Areas contributes $350,000 to Parks to help fund the regional paved trail system. Parks spent a significant portion of its 2011 allocation, but there is $128,000 remaining to appropriate. Other items included in this appropriation include major maintenance on Rawhide Flats Road (access to Soapstone); a new trail to an outdoor classroom at Red Fox Meadows; Pelican Marsh trails; Reservoir Ridge parking lot and trail construction; match for a possible GOCO grant for Arapaho Bend trailhead parking; and a natural play area along the Poudre River near the Museum. • Facility Operations - $146,999. For capital improvements including: maintenance for the caretaker house at Reservoir Ridge; an equipment storage building at Soapstone; Gateway caretaker house and office COPY COPY COPY COPY April 3, 2012 -2- ITEM 9 improvements; the Nix office addition/remodel design; a storage shed and a trash compactor at the Nix Farm - Natural Areas maintenance facility. • Land Management - $40,000. For the development of water rights and construction of new fencing at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS This Ordinance increases 2012 appropriations in the City’s Natural Areas Fund by $3,456,628. The requested appropriation is from prior year reserves in the Natural Areas Fund. These funds are restricted to the purposes of the Natural Areas Program. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. ORDINANCE NO. 026, 2012 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE NATURAL AREAS FUND FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING NATURAL AREAS PROGRAMMING NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2012 ADOPTED CITY BUDGET WHEREAS, the City is committed to preserving natural areas and providing educational, interpretive and appropriate recreational opportunities to the public; and WHEREAS, Natural Areas programming implements open land conservation priorities identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan by purchasing conservation easement interests in key natural areas, community separators, or other open lands; providing stewardship for lands purchased; and developing trails and interpretive features for public use; and WHEREAS, the Natural Areas program is funded primarily through the collection of Open Space - Yes sales and use tax revenue, as well as revenues from the Larimer County Help Preserve Open Space sales and use tax, investment earnings, and other miscellaneous revenues; and WHEREAS, the Natural Areas Fund has unspent and unencumbered appropriations from 2011 in the amount of $3,456,628; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 11 of the City Charter requires that all appropriations unexpended or unencumbered at the end of the fiscal year lapse to the applicable general or special revenue fund, except that appropriations for capital projects and federal or state grants do not lapse until the completion of the capital project or until the expiration of the federal or state grant; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9 of the City Charter permits the City Council to appropriate by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year such funds for expenditure as may be available from reserves accumulated in prior years, notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously appropriated; and WHEREAS, City staff recommends appropriating from prior year reserves in the Natural Areas Fund $3,456,628 to be used for acquisition, construction, enhancement and maintenance of trail systems, wildlife habitat and other natural areas to benefit the citizens of the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from prior year reserves in the Natural Areas Fund the sum of THREE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS ($3,456,628) to be used for acquisition, construction, enhancement and maintenance of trail systems, wildlife habitat and other natural areas to benefit the citizens of the City. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 3rd day of April, A.D. 2012, and to be presented for final passage on the 17th day of April, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ Interim City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 17th day of April, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ Interim City Clerk