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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/06/2012 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 109, 2012, APPROPRDATE: November 6, 2012 STAFF: Craig Foreman AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 10 SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 109, 2012, Appropriating a Grant from Great Outdoors Colorado for the City’s Portion of Larimer County’s Poudre River Corridor and Regional Trail Initiative Grant. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on October 16, 2012, appropriates a grant received from Great Outdoors Colorado in the amount of $737,597. The funds will be used as part of Fort Collins’ portion of the Poudre River Corridor & Regional Trail Initiative project. The grant request includes open space acquisitions, trail easements, and trail development along the Poudre River from Fort Collins to Greeley. The total grant project cost is $8,074,826, with the Great Outdoors Colorado grant being in the amount of $5,098,150. The City of Fort Collins portion of the project is $1,558,880, with the Great Outdoors Colorado grant amount being $737,597. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary - October 16, 2012 (w/o attachments) COPY COPY COPY COPY ATTACHMENT 1 DATE: October 16, 2012 STAFF: Craig Foreman AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 13 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 109, 2012, Appropriating a Grant from Great Outdoors Colorado for the City’s Portion of Larimer County’s Poudre River Corridor and Regional Trail Initiative Grant. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Great Outdoors Colorado has awarded a grant to Larimer County for its Poudre River Corridor & Regional Trail Initiative project. Larimer County is the lead agency for the grant application that includes the City of Fort Collins, Town of Timnath, Town of Windsor, and the City of Greeley. The grant request includes open space acquisitions, trail easements, and trail development along the Poudre River from Fort Collins to Greeley. The total grant project cost is $8,074,826, with the Great Outdoors Colorado grant being in the amount of $5,098,150. The City of Fort Collins portion of the project is $1,558,880, with the Great Outdoors Colorado grant amount being $737,597. The City’s portion of the project involves a new trailhead parking lot along Strauss Cabin Road, extending the 10-foot wide concrete Poudre River Trail to the west side of I-25, an overpass of I-25 and short trail connection to Timnath’s trail east of I-25. The total length of new trail will be about 0.5 of a mile. The trail placement on Arapaho Bend Natural Area has been coordinated with the Natural Areas staff. Construction of the project is scheduled to start in 2013. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The City’s Parks and Recreation Policy Plan in 1996 and 2008 shows the Poudre River Trail connection to Timnath. The trail segment on Arapaho Bend Natural Area is shown on the Cache la Poudre River Natural Area Management Plan that was completed in 2011. Obtaining the Great Outdoors Colorado funds will make the trail overpass possible by 2015. Without this grant, the project would have had to be phased over several years as City trail funding would allow. Pursuant to the grant agreement, the City has until September 2015 to complete the project. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS The City has been awarded a grant of $737,597 from Great Outdoors Colorado for the development of the Poudre River Trail connection to Timnath. The total cost for this trail section, overpass of I-25, and trailhead parking lot is estimated at $1,558,880. The City’s cost share of $821,283 is available in the Conservation Trust Fund, the Natural Areas Paved Trails Fund, and the Natural Areas Public Improvement Fund. The awarding of this grant will provide funding and allow City funds to be used for other needed trail projects. Funding for the annual operation and maintenance cost of the 0.5 mile of new trail, overpass and trailhead parking lot is estimated at $10,000 and is included in the 2014 Park Maintenance and the Natural Areas Maintenance budget offers. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The new trail on the Arapaho Bend Natural Area will be located to minimize impacts to the natural area and the Poudre River’s more sensitive environment. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. COPY COPY COPY COPY October 16, 2012 -2- ITEM 13 BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Parks and Recreation Board was informed of the project over the past year through staff updates. The Land Conservation and Stewardship Board also was informed of the project numerous times over the past year through staff updates. Both Boards are supportive of the project. PUBLIC OUTREACH The trail connection to Timnath was discussed with the community during the 2008 Parks and Recreation Policy Plan Update. The connection is frequently noted in news articles about future trail segments. ATTACHMENTS 1. Location map ORDINANCE NO. 109, 2012 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE FROM GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO IN THE CONSERVATION TRUST FUND FOR THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS’ PORTION OF LARIMER COUNTY’S POUDRE RIVER CORRIDOR AND REGIONAL TRAIL INITIATIVE WHEREAS, the City has been awarded a grant in the amount of $737,597 (the “Grant”) from Great Outdoors Colorado (“GOCO”) for the City’s portion of Larimer County’s Poudre River Corridor and Regional Trail Initiative, an initiative that includes the City of Fort Collins, the Town of Timnath, the Town of Windsor and the City of Greeley; and WHEREAS, the grant request includes open space acquisitions, trail easements, and trail development along the Poudre River from Fort Collins to Greeley; and WHEREAS, the City’s portion of the project will involve the construction of a new trailhead parking lot along Strauss Cabin Road, the extension of the Poudre River Trail on the west side of I-25, an overpass of I-25 and a short, 0.5 mile trail connection to Timnath’s trail, east of I-25; and WHEREAS, the trail placement on Arapaho Bend Natural Area has been coordinated with the Natural Resources staff; and WHEREAS, the total project cost is estimated to be $8,074,826 with the GOCO grant covering $5,098,150 of that total cost; and WHEREAS, the City’s portion of the project cost is $1,558,880 and is funded from the following sources: GOCO grant ($737,597), the Conservation Trust Fund ($471,283) and the Natural Areas Fund ($350,000); and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter authroizes 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 grant as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Conservation Trust 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 that there is hereby appropriated from unanticipated grant revenue in the Conservation Trust Fund the sum of SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN DOLLARS ($737,597) for expenditure in the Conservation Trust Fund for the City’s portion of Larimer County’s Poudre River Corridor and Regional Trail Initiative. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 16th day of October, A.D. 2012, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of November, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 6th day of November, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk