HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 06/07/2016 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 061, 2016 APPROPRIAgenda Item 2
Item # 2 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY June 7, 2016
City Council
STAFF
Mark Sears, Natural Areas Program Manager
John Stokes, Natural Resources Director
SUBJECT
Second Reading of Ordinance No. 061, 2016 Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Natural Areas Fund for
the Purpose of Land Conservation, Public Improvements and Related Natural Areas Programming not
Included in the 2016 Adopted City Budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on May 17, 2016, appropriates $9,598,100 in prior
year reserves and unanticipated revenues in the Natural Areas Fund for the purpose of land conservation,
construction of public improvements, restoration of wildlife habitat and other Natural Areas Department
programs to benefit the citizens of Fort Collins.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading.
ATTACHMENTS
1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, May 17, 2016 (w/o attachments) (PDF)
2. Ordinance No. 061, 2016 (PDF)
Agenda Item 7
Item # 7 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY May 17, 2016
City Council
STAFF
Mark Sears, Natural Areas Program Manager
John Stokes, Natural Resources Director
SUBJECT
First Reading of Ordinance No. 061, 2016 Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Natural Areas Fund for the
Purpose of Land Conservation, Public Improvements and Related Natural Areas Programming not Included in
the 2016 Adopted City Budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to appropriate $9,598,100 in prior year reserves and unanticipated revenues in the
Natural Areas Fund for the purpose of land conservation, construction of public improvements, restoration of
wildlife habitat and other NAD programs to benefit the citizens of Fort Collins.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Funding for the Natural Areas Department (NAD) for purposes other than capital projects, lapses each year if
not spent. Unspent funds need to be appropriated into the following year’s budget before they can be used.
Of the total appropriation, $7,180,000 will be used for land conservation. Over $5M land and water acquisitions
are under negotiation; there is a reasonable likelihood that most of these funds will be spent in 2016.
In addition to prior year reserves and unspent 2015 appropriations, the Natural Areas Department received
$1,769,719 in unanticipated revenues; these funds are being appropriated for the purpose of providing Natural
Areas programming not included in the 2016 adopted City Budget.
The funds for the Natural Areas Department come from the following designated sources of revenue, including:
the City - Open Space Yes! ¼ Cent sales tax; the Larimer County - Help Preserve Open Space ¼ cent sales
tax; and, miscellaneous anticipated and unanticipated revenues. All of these funds are restricted to the
purposes of the Natural Areas Department, including unanticipated revenues which consist generally of
income from sales tax revenues, easements, leases or grants.
The prior year reserve funds being appropriated in this Ordinance are more specifically described:
$7,828,381 Unspent 2015 Budgeted Funds - reappropriated for same purpose
$1,769,719 Unanticipated Revenues & Unspent Funds
$9,598,100 Prior Year 2015 Reserves
The anticipated use of these funds is as follows:
ATTACHMENT 1
Agenda Item 7
Item # 7 Page 2
Land Conservation
$7,180,000 will fund land conservation efforts per the Natural Areas Master Plan.
Education
$43,000 will fund unanticipated department needs:
maintain the newly developed NatureTracker web-based registration and volunteer coordination
software
new interpretive signs at Soapstone Natural Area (NA)
new interpretive signs at Bobcat Ridge NA.
Resource Management
$1,153,100 in unspent 2015 funds will fund:
the completion of the restoration of the Shields Pit, POE Pit and Rigden Reservoir along the Poudre
River
the new restoration and restoration maintenance
the purchase of a used grasslands fire truck to improve staff’s ability to conduct prescribed burns.
Public Improvements
$1,079,000 will fund:
$350,000 in paved trails constructed by Parks
ADA parking and trail improvements at Arapaho Bend-Strauss NA trailhead
ADA parking and trail improvements at Riverbend Ponds NA-Cherly Street trailhead
ADA trail improvements, ADA fishing access improvements and vault toilet at North Shields Ponds NA
(partially funded by a Fishing is Fun grant)
fencing at new natural area along Spring Creek
crusher fines trail rehabilitation at Bobcat Ridge NA (fully funded by a Pulliam Charitable Trust Grant)
drainage improvements around historic structures at Bobcat Ridge
Powerline Trail repairs at Bobcat Ridge
new trail and bridges at the new natural area at the Evergreen West Pond NA
canoe/kayak slide and trail improvement at Pineridge NA
road and parking lot maintenance at Soapstone NA
trail counters for foothills natural areas
construction of an access road to the newly purchased Legacy and Williams parcels
McMurry bridge repairs and new railing
a used tandem dump truck.
Land Management
$143,000 will fund:
administrative costs
grazing fencing projects at Soapstone NA and urban sites
water augmentation for Topminnow NA
bird survey at Soapstone and Bobcat to monitor grazing results
two summer interns for wildlife monitoring projects at Soapstone
a utility off trail vehicle for Soapstone.
Agenda Item 7
Item # 7 Page 3
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The Ordinance increases 2016 appropriations in the City’s Natural Areas Fund by $9,598,100. The requested
appropriation of $9,598,100 in the Natural Areas Fund represents 2015 appropriations that were unspent and
unencumbered at year-end 2015 and unanticipated revenues. These funds are restricted to the purposes of
the Natural Areas Department.
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Land Conservation and Stewardship Board voted unanimously, at its regular meeting on April 20, 2016,
recommending that City Council approve the appropriation.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Natural Areas Funds will be spent in alignment with the Natural Areas Master Plan, which was extensively
reviewed by the public prior to its adoption in October 2014.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Land Conservation and Stewardship Board minutes, April 20, 2016 (PDF)
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ORDINANCE NO. 061, 2016
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE NATURAL
AREAS FUND FOR THE PURPOSE OF LAND CONSERVATION, PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENTS AND RELATED NATURAL AREAS PROGRAMMING
NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2016 ADOPTED CITY BUDGET
WHEREAS, the City is committed to preserving natural areas and providing educational,
interpretive and appropriate recreational opportunities to the public; and
WHEREAS, Natural Areas programming implements open land conservation priorities
identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan by purchasing conservation easement interests in
key natural areas, community separators, or other open lands; providing stewardship for lands
purchased; and developing trails and interpretive features for public use; and
WHEREAS, the Natural Areas Department is funded primarily through the collection of
City Open Space - Yes sales and use tax revenue, as well as revenues from the Larimer County
Help Preserve Open Space sales and use tax, investment earnings, and other miscellaneous
revenues deposited in the Natural Areas Fund; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 11 of the City Charter requires all appropriations
unexpended or unencumbered at the end of the fiscal year lapse to the applicable general or
special revenue fund, except appropriations for capital projects and federal or state grants do not
lapse until completion of the capital project or expiration of the respective grant; 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, City staff recommends appropriating from prior year reserves in the Natural
Areas Fund $9,598,100, comprised of $7,828,381 in unspent and unencumbered appropriations
from 2015 and $1,769,719 in unanticipated revenue and prior year reserves, to be used for
acquisition, construction, enhancement and maintenance of trail systems, wildlife habitat and
other natural areas to benefit the citizens of the City.
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 for expenditure from prior year reserves
in the Natural Areas Fund the sum of NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT
THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($9,598,100) to be used for acquisition,
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construction, enhancement and maintenance of trail systems, wildlife habitat and other natural
areas to benefit the citizens of the City.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 17th day of
May, A.D. 2016, and to be presented for final passage on the 7th day of June, A.D. 2016.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 7th day of June, A.D. 2016.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk