HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - SUMMARY AGENDA - 12/11/2012 - SUMMARY AGENDA (WORK SESSION)Karen Weitkunat, Mayor Council Information Center
Kelly Ohlson, District 5, Mayor Pro Tem City Hall West
Ben Manvel, District 1 300 LaPorte Avenue
Lisa Poppaw, District 2 Fort Collins, Colorado
Aislinn Kottwitz, District 3
Wade Troxell, District 4 Cablecast on City Cable Channel 14
Gerry Horak, District 6 on the Comcast cable system
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Steve Roy, City Attorney
Wanda Nelson, City Clerk
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WORK SESSION
December 11, 2012
6 p.m.
1. Call Meeting to Order.
2. Student Housing Action Plan. (staff: Beth Sowder, Laurie Kadrich, Seth Lorson; 1 hour
discussion)
The purpose of this work session item is to discuss housing needs, data, and draft action
items that were derived from several months of working with participating stakeholders
regarding the Student Housing Action Plan. Council feedback will be sought regarding
draft action items and the timeline to move forward.
The Student Housing Action Plan project has involved working with Colorado State
University, Front Range Community College, neighbors, students, developers, and other
stakeholders to identify strategies and recommend action items to address the increasing
need for multi-family student housing and the potential negative impacts and
compatibility concerns to existing neighborhoods. Feedback received through the public
engagement process has driven the proposed draft action items.
December 11, 2012
3. Paved Trail Study. (staff: Marty Heffernan; 45 minute discussion)
City Council requested staff undertake a trail study and develop a long-range plan for our
paved trail system. Staff formed a trail team to review best practices and collect
information about trail use, trail users and trail improvements. The team deployed
automatic trail counters at 11 locations, and utilized volunteers to count trail users at 10
locations on 9 different days and to interview 588 trail users. Staff also developed and
promoted an online trail questionnaire, which generated 541 responses.
Staff learned trails are important to resident’s quality of life and there is a high level of
satisfaction with the trail system. The trails are very well used but are not generally
congested, they are well maintained, and the 10-foot wide concrete trail standard is
working well. Citizens want more trails, more underpasses, and gaps in the trail system
completed. Users want trails to be scenic and close to nature. Trail users are courteous
and people generally feel safe on the trails. Bicyclists outnumber pedestrians (70/30) and
males outnumber females (61/39).
4. FortZED. (staff: Bruce Hendee, Steve Catanach, Katy Bigner; 30 minute discussion)
FortZED (Zero Energy District) is a community-driven initiative to create one of the
world’s largest net zero energy districts in Fort Collins. The mission of FortZED is to
transform the downtown area of Fort Collins and the main campus of Colorado State
University (CSU) into a zero energy district- by reducing the amount of energy used, plus
generating as much renewable energy locally as is used on an annual basis. For
FortZED, public and private cooperation is a key to success. The FortZED initiative has
a long standing history of collaboration and partnership with a diverse group of regional
and international organizations, private enterprise, public organizations, and passionate
individuals. The supporting project partners include: City of Fort Collins, Colorado
Clean Energy Cluster (CCEC), Colorado State University-Main Campus (CSU) and its
Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, Brendle Group, Woodward, Spirae, New
Belgium Brewing, and many others.
This visionary project will help prove out the concepts, pathways and technologies to
achieve both the carbon reduction and energy goals established by City Council.
FortZED offers many benefits to the community and region, supporting a progressive
utility, fostering local innovation, entrepreneurship, economic health, climate change
mitigation and support for local innovative energy technology companies.
The substantial public recognition FortZED has received demonstrates that the vision of
creating zero energy cities is an important issue, not only for Fort Collins, but for the
state, the nation and internationally. The work of FortZED is a leading edge effort that
partners the City, University, community and the business world to create a replicable
model that can be used around the world.
5. Other Business.
6. Adjournment.