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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/15/2014 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 063, 2014, APPROPRIAgenda Item 16 Item # 16 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY April 15, 2014 City Council STAFF Dan Weinheimer, Policy & Project Manager Kelly DiMartino, Assistant City Manager Mike Calhoon, Parks Supervisor SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 063, 2014, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the General Fund to Fund Enhancements to the Fort Collins West Nile Virus Management Program for the 2014 Season. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to appropriate funds to execute the City's West Nile Virus Management Program. Additional funds are sought to enhance the public outreach program, to increase the City's larval control boundary and to allow for a more flexible larval control season. In total, funds requested add $75,100 to the program budget. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION This budget appropriation would fund public education and outreach materials as well as larval management for the City's West Nile Virus Management Program. The additional funds support education and mitigation efforts aimed at reducing the likelihood for a pesticide application. Fort Collins' West Nile Virus Management Program uses an integrated pest management (IPM) approach which prioritizes steps that reduce the use of pesticides. The City's program emphasizes education and public information, source reduction on public and private property, and larval management ahead of a pesticide application. This appropriation reflects consensus items from the City's West Nile Virus Technical Advisor Committee (TAC) which has met from December through April, discussing ways to improve the operation of the City's program. In addition to the two areas of budget appropriation, the 2014 season will also include additional source reduction measures in cooperation with City staff groups - backyard inspections, planning and zoning, and Utilities - and with County and CSU Extension staff. The education and outreach appropriation is $17,500 and will enhance the current program. The budget enhancements will allow the City to promote its message, develop additional outreach tools and to extend when outreach could occur. It is hoped that this approach will help improve community members' understanding of the risks associated with West Nile virus and the personal protection steps individuals can take. Staff also expects to develop a video series explaining elements of the City's program and to maintain a program manual to further explain the City's program. Larval management is a proven mosquito management approach. The City contracts with Colorado Mosquito Control (CMC) to conduct West Nile virus management, including larval and adult mosquito control. The current larval program is conducted both within City limits and a boundary extending about one (1) mile to the east outside of Fort Collins. The current season for larval management is limited by the program budget to Agenda Item 16 Item # 16 Page 2 June 1 to August 31. This budget appropriation will extend the boundary of larval management outside of Fort Collins' borders from one mile to approximately two to three miles. The appropriation would also fund a more flexible larval management season by allowing extension to April through September. Extending the season provides flexibility to address weather and other observed or anticipated mosquito season conditions. The amount requested in this appropriation for larval control is $23,500 and $34,100 to extend the season. Staff expects to bring additional enhancements to improve the efficacy of the City's West Nile Virus Management Program to Council at the May 6 regular Council meeting. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Applying a pesticide in some or all of Fort Collins represents an environmental impact. This budget appropriation is anticipated to reduce the likelihood of an adulticide application. The larval control product used is deemed to have a low environmental impact but it does reduce the abundance of mosquito larvae which has a cascading impact on species which feed upon larvae and adult mosquitos. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Staff has presented the 2014 season recommendations to the Parks and Recreation Board, Air Quality Advisory Board and to the Natural Resources Advisory Board for comment. PUBLIC OUTREACH The recommended budget enhancements are the consensus recommendations of the West Nile Virus Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC is a group of citizens that have volunteered their time and expertise to review the City's program. TAC members include representatives of the Air Quality Advisory Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, CSU scientists, a representative from urban agriculture, a representative of the pesticide sensitive registry, and the Larimer County Public Health Director. The TAC held seven (7) public meetings from December to April, discussing the West Nile Virus Program Response Guidelines and the issue of adulticide applications. ATTACHMENTS 1. Larval Program Enhancements to City of Fort Collins Mosquito Control (PDF) 2. 2014WNV Communication description (PDF) 3. Powerpoint presentation (PDF) Project Title: Mosquito Control Services Contractor: Colorado Mosquito Control, Inc. 1. Expanded Environmentally Driven Inspection and Larvciding Program. CMC will inspect larval sites within the service area for the City of Fort Collins for vectors of West Nile Virus. CMC will apply larvicides to control the development of larval Cx. spp. mosquitoes…..…$ 7,500 in April $ 12,500 in May $ 14,100 in September 2. CMC will increase the larval control area an additional 1-2 miles beyond city limits. This will bring the total square miles of the larval control area to 120. CMC will map new larval sites and perform inspection and larviciding applications at new habitats once a week to control larval Cx. spp. mosquitoes …………………….. $23,000 2014 West Nile Virus Management: Public outreach program Enhancement Total: $17,500 Goal: Communicate risks associated with contracting West Nile virus Inform public about personal protection Communicate with hard-to-reach and at-risk populations Existing public outreach includes things like: Fcgov.com/westnile updates Spotlights online Utility bill inserts Door hangers Cable 14 bulletins Press releases Social media (Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor) Email and phone notification 2014 Communication enhancements (in addition to existing communication efforts): • Paid announcements • Educational video series • Posters, signs & banners • Event booths • Radio spots • Bus ads • Facebook ads • Billboards 1 1 West Nile Virus Management Plan 2014 Appropriation April 15, 2014 2 Ordinance No. 063, 2014 • Appropriate prior year reserves to fund enhancements • Funds enhance communication and larval control • Total 2014 appropriation: $75,100 • Enhancements will continue into 2015-16 WNV budget 2 3 West Nile Virus Program Purpose “Reduce the risk of human WNV infection while limiting adverse human health and environmental impacts.” -- West Nile Virus Management Policy Adopted July 1, 2008 4 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) • Provide a wide range of public outreach and education • Extensive ongoing mosquito populations data collection and monitoring, including WNV testing • Aggressive larval control program focusing on Culex mosquitoes • Periodic review to ensure program efficacy 3 5 Communication Enhancements: • Paid announcements • Educational video series • Posters, signs & banners • Event booths • Radio spots • Bus ads • Facebook ads • Billboards 6 Larval Management Enhancements: • Expand boundary of larval control program • Return to a weather based larval program 4 7 Source Reduction Enhancements: • Education of City employees: – Water auditors – Planning department – Parks and Natural Areas employees • County inspectors • CSU Extension-assistance with agricultural watering practices 8 Proposed 2014 Budget Enhancements • Communication: $17,500 • Larval Management: – New inspection and applications $23,500 – Expand existing program $34,100 • Existing program budget: $236,497 • Total new program: $311,597 - 1 - ORDINANCE NO. 063, 2014 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND ENHANCEMENTS TO THE FORT COLLINS WEST NILE VIRUS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE 2014 SEASON WHEREAS, the Fort Collins West Nile Virus Management Program (the “Program”) emphasizes education and public information, source reduction on public and private property, and larval management ahead of a pesticide application; and WHEREAS, larval management is a proven mosquito management approach that is currently conducted within the City’s limits and a boundary extending about one mile to the east outside of the City; and WHEREAS, the current season for larval management is limited to June 1st to August 31st based on the current Program’s budget; and WHEREAS, additional funds are needed by the Program to further enhance the public outreach and education, to increase the City’s larval control boundary, and to allow for a more flexible larval control season; and WHEREAS, staff is requesting an appropriation in the amount of $75,100 from prior year reserves in the General Fund for the Program in 2014; and WHEREAS, the appropriation will fund items that the City’s West Nile Virus Technical Advisor Committee has recommended to improve the operation of the Program; and WHEREAS, the funds would enhance public education and outreach through developing additional tools to communicate and foster public understanding of the risks of the West Nile Virus and benefits of personal protection; and WHEREAS, the funds would also allow for the larval management area to be expanded by an additional one to two miles and the larval management season to be extended to the period from April through September, so as to better address weather and anticipated mosquito season conditions; 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. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from reserves in the General Fund the sum of SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($75,100) to fund enhancements to the City’s West Nile Virus Management Program in 2014. - 2 - Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 15th day of April, A.D. 2014, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of May, A.D. 2014. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 6th day of May, A.D. 2014. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk