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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 08/20/2013 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 111, 2013, APPROPRIDATE: August 20, 2013 STAFF: Laurie Kadrich AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 16 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 111, 2013, Appropriating Unanticipated Revenue in the General Fund for Building Remodel Costs at 281 North College Avenue. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this Ordinance is to appropriate unanticipated building permit and plan check fee revenues to facilitate co-location efforts for Community Development and Neighborhood Services (CDNS) staff. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The CDNS department is located at 281 North College Avenue. This building has some unique challenges related to space due to physical layout, the age of infrastructure and related systems and the number of employees, as well as the meeting and storage spaces that need to be accommodated. To date, the various divisions within CDNS have been located in disparate sections of the building. This has created difficulty for work groups and has decreased effectiveness and service levels to customers. Co-location of related work groups will help to address these issues, as well as facilitate a more productive, service-oriented environment. The departure of Social Sustainability and MAX consulting staff created a window of opportunity to revisit space within the building and consolidate related work groups. This change also added Long Range Planning staff to CDNS. A project team consisting of CDNS, Facilities and Social Sustainability staff worked together to develop several proposed options ranging in cost from $97,000 to $525,000. These options were vetted with impacted staff with consideration given to a forecast from Facilities that all services provided at 281 North College Avenue will be moving to a new location in the next 5-10 years. Based on this, a preferred option emerged. The cost for this option totals $151,000 which includes first phase costs of $17,000, second phase costs of $119,000 and $15,000 to cover technology upgrades for three shared building conference rooms as well as any unanticipated expenses that may arise as part of second phase efforts. The first phase of relocation efforts has already been completed. The cost was approximately $17,000. This phase transferred Neighborhood Services into a larger area on the second floor that can accommodate all staff, including Code Compliance and Restorative Justice. Relocation of FC Moves staff, as well as a small number of Engineering staff, also occurred. Very little work was required to reconfigure existing spaces which minimized costs. The next phase that is proposed includes the relocation and consolidation of all planning staff including Current Planning, Long Range Planning and Historic Preservation into a common area on the first floor. Currently, the planners are located in five separate areas of the building as well as on separate floors. Phase two also provides additional space and further consolidates Customer & Administrative staff and further consolidates Building Plan Review staff into areas on the first floor. These moves will greatly enhance communications, especially in this time of unprecedented building and planning activity. Code Compliance will join Neighborhood Services staff in their larger space on the second floor. This option entails more reconfiguration work than was required for phase one; however, maximizes the use of existing offices and reduces the number of building, mechanical and electrical system modifications to reduce expense. The cost for this phase is $119,000 and is anticipated to begin, if approved, in mid- September, 2013. Technology upgrades for the conference rooms are underway and will be finalized as part of this phase as well. Over the past several years, CDNS has undergone transformative changes stemming from a series of reorganizations. Initial restructuring efforts were done to better align City services, to reduce duplicative work and to respond to budget constraints resulting in the need to eliminate positions. The restructuring consisted of the combination of August 20, 2013 -2- ITEM 16 Neighborhood Services, Code Compliance and Building Services staff in 2005, followed by the additional consolidation of Current Planning and Historic Preservation staff in 2009 that resulted in the formation of the CDNS department. Further consideration as part of the Policy, Planning & Transportation restructuring in 2011 found opportunity to provide a more cohesive approach to community development, to more effectively utilize existing resources, to better deploy work assignments and to provide additional opportunity for succession planning. If monies are authorized for this remodel, CDNS will be positioned to successfully embrace these opportunities and provide greater benefit to our community and the customers we serve. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS This Ordinance appropriates $151,000 of unanticipated General Fund revenue resulting from building permit and plan check fees that have out-performed projections. Due to the marked increase in development and residential construction activities these revenues are currently $800,000 over initial projections as of July 31, 2013. The benefits that are expected to result from the co-location efforts described will directly add value to and improve the services associated with generating these fees. ATTACHMENTS 1. Phase 1 Costs 2. Phase 2 Proposal Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 ORDINANCE NO. 111, 2013 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR BUILDING REMODEL COSTS AT 281 NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE WHEREAS, the City's Community Development and Neighborhood Services (the “CDNS”) department is located at 281 North College Avenue; and WHEREAS, the CDNS has undergone a number of changes stemming from a series of reorganizations since 2005; and WHEREAS, the age of the infrastructure, building conditions, physical layout, and the number of employees within the various divisions of CDNS have created difficulty for work groups, decreased efficiencies, and negatively impacted service levels to customers; and WHEREAS, a project team comprised of CDNS, Facilities, and Social Sustainability staff has recommended a building remodel plan that includes reconfiguration of existing spaces, consolidation of staff within divisions, and technology upgrades; and WHEREAS, the cost of the remodel is approximately $151,000 and, if approved, the remodel should be completed by the end of November 2013; and WHEREAS, funds for the remodel will come from unanticipated building permit and plan check fee revenues deposited in the General Fund, which revenues have out-performed projections due to the marked increase in development and residential construction activities for the year to date; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter authorizes 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 estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, the appropriation of the unanticipated revenue as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the General Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund during any fiscal year. 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 revenues in the General Fund the sum of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($151,000) for the costs of the building remodel at 281 North College Avenue. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 20th day of August, A.D. 2013, and to be presented for final passage on the 3rd day of September, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 3rd day of September, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk