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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 12/20/2011 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 179, 2011, APPROPRDATE: December 20, 2011 STAFF: Kurt Ravenschlag, Jeremy Yonce, Mark Clitnovici, Jerry Schaiger AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 17 SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 179, 2011, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the General Fund for Transfer to the Transit Services Fund and Appropriating Unanticipated Revenue in the Transit Services Fund for the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) has had recent discussions with the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) about creating an additional transportation option for people leaving the downtown area on weekend nights. In this partnership Police Services hopes to accomplish important goals of reducing the number of people and the associated problems in the downtown area and increasing traffic safety by giving people an additional option for leaving downtown safely and decreasing the number of drivers who have been drinking during this timeframe. The available transportation is unable to meet the demand for transportation during this timeframe. ASCSU has an interest in providing this service for students and is willing to invest funds from student fees to address this need. By combining available funding, these parties are able to provide this service to all members of our community for a modest fare. The proposal is to enter into a one year contract between ASCSU and Transfort to provide two fixed bus routes on Friday and Saturday nights, every weekend during the term of the Agreement, from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. An ongoing assessment will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this project, any potential improvements, and explore opportunities for long-term funding. This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on December 6, 2011, appropriates the funds for the operation of a late night bus service. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary - December 6, 2011 (w/o attachments) COPY COPY COPY COPY ATTACHMENT 1 DATE: December 6, 2011 STAFF: Kurt Ravenschlag, Jeremy Yonce, Mark Clitnovici, Jerry Schaiger AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 34 SUBJECT Items relating to the Safe Ride Home Program. A. Resolution 2011-108 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract with the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System for the Benefit of the Associated Students of Colorado State University to Create the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 179, 2011, Appropriating Unanticipated Reserves in the Transit Fund For the Operation of a Late Night Bus Service. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) has had recent discussions with the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) about creating an additional transportation option for people leaving the downtown area on weekend nights. In this partnership Police Services hopes to accomplish important goals of reducing the number of people and the associated problems in the downtown area and increasing traffic safety by giving people an additional option for leaving downtown safely and decreasing the number of drivers who have been drinking during this timeframe. The available transportation is unable to meet the demand for transportation during this timeframe. ASCSU has an interest in providing this service for students and is willing to invest funds from student fees to address this need. By combining available funding, these parties are able to provide this service to all members of our community for a modest fare. The proposal is to enter into a one year contract between ASCSU and Transfort to provide two fixed bus routes on Friday and Saturday nights, every weekend during the term of the Agreement, from 11:30 PM to 2:30 AM. An ongoing assessment will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this project, any potential improvements, and explore opportunities for long-term funding. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION One of the most challenging issues for the District One officers of FCPS is the safe management of approximately 4,000 people who exit the many liquor licensed businesses in the downtown area at bar closing time. The existing transportation options for people leaving the downtown area at this time primarily consist of taxis and the Ram Ride program supported by ASCSU. These available transportation options do not meet the demand at this time. This creates a situation where people either stay in the area, which contributes to the difficulty of managing the behavior of this number of people, or may choose to drive after drinking. Additionally, ASCSU has an interest in providing safe transportation for students during this timeframe. FCPS and ASCSU have developed a positive relationship in addressing issues where complementary interests exist, such as with the Party Registration program and the Community Welcome. Discussions about transportation options downtown began recently, and mutual interests were identified. This proposal involves providing four buses that will run two dedicated routes to areas where a high volume of students and other residents who frequent the downtown area live. The pilot program will operate on Friday and Saturday nights between the hours of 11:30 PM and 2:30 AM. Extensive surveying conducted by ASCSU and FCPS has indicated strong support for this service. In addition, many of the bars downtown have expressed an interest in this program and have proposed purchasing tickets for this service in advance and providing them to bar patrons. The funding for this pilot program for 2012 will include $50,000 from FCPS Camera Radar funds, $34,000 from ASCSU student fees, fares generated by a proposed one-dollar per ride fare and potential advertising revenues generated by this service. FCPS generates revenue from Camera Radar, which is used to support traffic safety initiatives and other police-related needs. This project is a good use of this non-tax funding source as it provides safe transportation for people leaving the downtown area who may have been consuming alcohol. In addition, this service provides an environmentally beneficial public transportation option during this high traffic timeframe. Even with the preliminary COPY COPY COPY COPY December 6, 2011 -2- ITEM 34 surveying that shows a very positive response to this service, it is difficult to estimate the actual ridership. For this reason, the contract for this service will be written to allow for the cancellation of the contract before the year is completed. FCPS has committed to making up any shortage in the cost of this service from the same funding source if funds generated do not pay the remaining costs for the contract. This Resolution authorizes the City Manager to enter into a contract with ASCSU to provide this service and the Ordinance appropriates $34,000 in revenue from ASCSU in two payments during 2012. The service will be provided by a private company under contract with Transfort and using existing Transfort buses. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS FCPS will contribute $50,000 from existing funds that have been generated by fines paid for Camera Radar tickets with the understanding that additional funds may be necessary to complete the payment of the contract. This partnership includes funding from ASCSU student fees in the amount of $34,000 to be paid in two payments. Additional funding will be generated from fares paid by users of this service and advertising revenues generated. This service will provide employment for drivers from a private company that will be contracted by Transfort for this purpose. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The environmental impacts of this pilot project are expected to be positive by providing mass transportation service to hundreds of people who may otherwise be traveling by automobiles. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution and the Ordinance on First Reading. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION At its November 16, 2011 meeting, the Transportation Board unanimously supported the proposal. PUBLIC OUTREACH A survey of people leaving the downtown area during this timeframe was conducted by ASCSU and FCPS. In addition, a Student Voice Survey was conducted electronically by ASCSU. These surveys showed that 94% of the people surveyed liked the idea of providing public transportation during this timeframe. This survey data also helped to determine the best routes for this service. At a meeting with bar owners and managers this concept was presented, and there was strong support. ATTACHMENTS 1. Map of the proposed service 2. Transportation Board minutes, November 16, 2011 3. Survey data 4. PowerPoint presentation ORDINANCE NO. 179, 2011 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR TRANSFER TO THE TRANSIT SERVICES FUND AND APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED REVENUE IN THE TRANSIT SERVICES FUND FOR THE SAFE RIDE HOME WEEKEND BUS SERVICE WHEREAS, Fort Collins Police Services has had discussions with the Associated Students of Colorado State University (“ASCSU”) about creating an additional transportation option for students leaving the downtown area on weekend nights; and WHEREAS, approximately four thousand people exit the downtown area during the late night hours in connection with the closing of the downtown liquor-licensed establishments; and WHEREAS, the existing transportation options for people leaving the downtown area during the late night hours is limited to taxis and the Ram Ride program and is insufficient to accommodate the need for transportation services during those hours; and WHEREAS, in order to increase traffic safety by giving people an additional option for leaving the downtown area without the necessity of driving automobiles after having been drinking, ASCSU and Fort Collins Police Services have developed the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service for the purpose of operating two fixed bus routes on Friday and Saturday nights every weekend during the term of the agreement, from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 2011-108, the City Council has determined that it is in the best interests of the City that the City Manager enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System , acting on behalf of the ASCSU, to create the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service; and WHEREAS, in Ordinance No. 114, 1999, and in subsequent City budgets, the City Council authorized the use of excess revenue from camera radar funds for other programs intended to address other City traffic problems; and WHEREAS, funding for the program will include Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) from the Camera Radar Reserve in the General Fund; Thirty Four Thousand Dollars ($34,000) from ASCSU Student Fees; an estimated Twenty-Five Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($25,500) from fares generated by a proposed One Dollar ($1) per ride fare; and an estimated Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) from potential advertising revenues that might be generated by this service; and WHEREAS, this Ordinance appropriates the total amount of $119,500 in the Transit Services Fund for the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service; 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, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter 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 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 revenue as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Transit Services Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund during any fiscal year. WHEREAS, Article V, Section 10, of the City Charter authorizes the City Council to transfer by ordinance any unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount or portion thereof from one fund to another fund, provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged. 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 prior year reserves in the General Fund the sum of FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($50,000) for transfer to the Transit Services Fund and appropriated therein for the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service. Section 2. That there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated revenue in the Transit Services Fund the sum of SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($69,500) for the Safe Ride Home Weekend Bus Service. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 6th day of December, A.D. 2011, and to be presented for final passage on the 20th day of December, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 20th day of December, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk