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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/07/2017 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 038, 2017, APPROPRIAgenda Item 19 Item # 19 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY March 7, 2017 City Council STAFF Kurt Friesen, Director of Park Planning & Development SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 038, 2017, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Neighborhood Parkland Fund for Neighborhood Park Site Development and Transferring Appropriations to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for the Art in Public Places Program. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to request appropriation of Neighborhood Parkland Funds for the 2017-2018 budget cycle. During the regular 2017-18 budget appropriation process, Councilmember Campana recused himself from the appropriation of funds for Sidehill Park, resulting in a neighborhood park offer that was only partially funded. This appropriation will complete the neighborhood park offer, providing funding in the New Park Site Development business unit for Sidehill Park and other neighborhood park projects. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION A portion of Offer 70.2: Neighborhood Park Development was not funded through the 2017-18 budget process due to a conflict of interest with Councilmember Campana, and the funding of Sidehill Park. The City Manager’s Recommended Budget provided approximately 1.8M be appropriated to the Sidehill Park business unit. Instead, the department would prefer the 1.8M be appropriated to the New Park Site Development business unit. Reasons for this include:  The Department is moving towards a parent/child business unit system. In this case, the parent business unit is New Park Site Development, and the child business unit would be Sidehill Park.  The parent/child arrangement provides more flexibility in how neighborhood park fees are spent, providing greater flexibility to respond to opportunity projects and unforeseen needs that arise during the budget cycle.  This is the same system utilized by the Stormwater Department. The 1.8M is anticipated to be spent in the following manner:  Approximately $900,000 for Sidehill Park, including raw water and land acquisition, design services, and potentially a portion of the budget needed to construct the park. After design of the park has progressed, additional appropriations will be needed to fully fund the project. A date for completion of the park has not been determined.  Approximately $900,000 available for other neighborhood park projects, including phase I development of the Streets Facility Park located at the Streets Maintenance Facility near the intersection of Vine & Lemay, raw water and land purchases for other neighborhood parks, and opportunity projects that may arise. Agenda Item 19 Item # 19 Page 2 As outlined in the original offer narrative provided in the City Manager’s Recommended Budget, design of Sidehill Park is planned to begin in the current budget cycle, with future appropriations likely prior to construction of the park. In addition, appropriate amounts for these projects must be transferred to the APP program accounts, pursuant to Section 23-304 of the City Code. These amounts total 1% of the Project budgets. Since $9,000 has already been transferred with prior appropriations, this item transfers another $9,000 to the APP program accounts. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS This offer appropriates funding for the design and construction of neighborhood parks. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Parks and Recreation Board unanimously approved of this approach at its February 22 meeting. (Attachment 1) PUBLIC OUTREACH Significant public outreach was conducted during the 2017-18 BFO process. ATTACHMENTS 1. Parks Recreation Board Minutes, February 22, 2017 (draft) (PDF) 2. Power Point Presentation (PDF) Parks & Recreation Board Meeting Minutes _ DRAFT February 22, 2017 2017-18 Neighborhood Park Budget Offer - Sidehill Park Staff will be going to Council to ask for appropriation of the remainder of the Neighborhood Park Budget Offer, which was not approved during the regular 2017-18 budgeting process due to a conflict of interest with Councilmember Campana and Sidehill Park. As part of the offer, staff is requesting funds be appropriated to New Park Site Development, a parent business unit under which child business units can be set up. The offer will provide funding to begin development of Sidehill Park, which is planned in the Bucking Horse development near the intersection of Timberline & Drake. The offer will also provide funding for the Streets Park located at the Streets Maintenance Facility near the intersection of Vine & Lemay. To date, City Council has earmarked $150,000 for this Streets Park project. We would like to supplement this funding to provide for a more complete phase I park, and not make the mistake of constructing a park that appears incomplete, such as was the case at Richards Lake Park. The City Manager’s Recommended budget provided $1.8 Million for Sidehill Park. The new proposal provides approximately $900k for Sidehill Park & $900k for other projects, including Streets Park. Board Discussion Board – So you’re asking for a different process for funding this park? Staff – Slightly. Really what I’m asking for is instead of the $1.8 Million going to one project, I’d like it go to into a larger pot that will only be spent on Neighborhood Parks. This will allow for some wiggle room on other projects if needed, and the ability to be responsive to opportunity projects that don’t fall within the Parks & Recreation Plan. We’re trying to be responsive as there is a lot of interest in the Streets Park site. Another example is Avery Park, which was an improvement project conducted based on Council direction and partnerships with other departments. Board – Would it make sense to ask Council to do this for all parks? Staff – We’re transitioning to the parent/child system now, and will do so completely once Trailhead Park is finished. This new process will streamline our accounting system and give us a little more flexibility. But we will still be bound by offer language, the Neighborhood Park Program & the Parks & Recreation Plan. Board – I have one small concern. I think this approach is really creative, but, as a resident, how do you prioritize projects? Staff – We prioritize the construction of parks based on our Parks & Recreation Plan, and the pace of development throughout the city. Parks are constructed in locations identified in our Parks & Recreation Plan as new development occurs. On occasion, we encounter opportunity projects that are not within the plan and have partnered with other departments to tackle those. Board – I’m worried that this approach may become “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” If the public realizes that going to Council gets them a park, how will you be able to maintain your plan? Staff – I’m not worried about that with this current project. Part of the reason we’re moving toward this approach is to be able to respond to Council’s requests, and develop neighborhood parks in a responsible way. Motion: Bruce Henderson made a motion to approve Kurt’s proposal to the City Council Seconded : Kelly Smith Vote: Approved, 7:0 ATTACHMENT 1 Neighborhood Park Budget Appropriation 3-7-17 Kurt Friesen, Director of Park Planning & Development ATTACHMENT 2 Funding Request • 1.2M was appropriated for neighborhood parks during regular 2017-18 Budget Process • 1.8M of the offer related to Sidehill Park was not appropriated • This appropriation will complete funding of neighborhood parks for the 2017-18 budget cycle • A slight adjustment to the original offer is proposed 2 Funding Request Original Offer • 1.8M to Sidehill Park Business Unit Proposed Offer • 1.8 M to New Park Site Development Business Unit • Approximately $900k for Sidehill Park • Approximately $900k for raw water purchases and other neighborhood park projects, including Streets Park 3 Parks Location Map 4 Streets Park Sidehill Park Streets Park Existing Conditions 5 Streets Park Concept 6 Streets Park Phase I 7 -1- ORDINANCE NO. 038, 2017 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKLAND FUND FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK SITE DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFERRING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE CULTURAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES FUND FOR THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM WHEREAS, Parks staff has identified a need to appropriate $1,800,000 for Sidehill Park and other neighborhood projects; and WHEREAS, staff has identified a need to appropriate half of those funds ($900,000) for the Sidehill Park capital project, to include raw water and land acquisition, design services, and potentially a portion of the budget needed to construct the park; and WHEREAS, staff has also identified a need to appropriate the second half of those funds ($900,000) for other neighborhood park capital projects, including phase I development of the Streets Facility Park located at the Streets Maintenance Facility near the intersection of Vine and Lemay, raw water and land purchases for other neighborhood parks, and opportunity projects that may arise; and WHEREAS, this project involves construction estimated to cost more than $250,000, as such, Section 23-304 of the City Code requires one percent of these qualified appropriations (to include design and construction of the parks totaling $900,000 out of the $1,800,000) to be transferred to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for a contribution to the Art in Public Places (APP) program; 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 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 (project) to another fund (project), 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 the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. That there is hereby appropriated from prior year reserves in the Neighborhood Parkland Fund the sum of ONE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,800,000) for expenditure in the Neighborhood Park Site -2- Development Fund for Park Development of Sidehill Park and other neighborhood park capital projects. Section 3. That the unexpended appropriated amount of SEVEN THOUSAND TWENTY DOLLARS ($7,020) in the Neighborhood Park Site Development Fund is authorized for transfer to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and appropriated therein for the Art in Public Places Art Project. Section 4. That the unexpended appropriated amount of ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS ($1,980) in the Neighborhood Park Site Development Fund is authorized for transfer to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and appropriated therein for the Art in Public Places Program Maintenance and Operations. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 7th day of March, A.D. 2017, and to be presented for final passage on the 21st day of March, A.D. 2017. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 21st day of March, A.D. 2017. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk