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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/03/2015 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 028, 2015, APPROPRAgenda Item 14 Item # 14 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY March 3, 2015 City Council STAFF Dean Klingner, Engineer & Capital Project Manager SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 028, 2015, Appropriating Prior Years Reserves in the General Fund for Transfer to the Capital Projects Fund and Authorizing the Transfer of Existing Appropriations from the Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Projects Fund for the Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project and Transferring Appropriations to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for the Art in Public Places Program. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, adopted on Second Reading on February 17, 2015, by a vote of 4-2 (nays: Overbeck, Cunniff; Poppaw recused) appropriates partial funding for design, right of way acquisition and construction of the Lincoln Avenue Improvements from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue. Based on the Lincoln Corridor Plan estimated cost of $19.3 million for the entire project from Jefferson to Lemay, the cost to improve the section from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue is $8 million. With the reduced level of enhancements currently proposed, the project is estimated to cost $6.5 million. This Council action appropriates $3 million from General Fund Reserves and an additional $1.106 million from the Street Oversizing Fund. $155,881 is available from previous developer Local Street Obligations along the project limits, and $2,238,119 is currently unfunded. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, February 17, 2015 (w/o attachments) (PDF) 2. Ordinance No. 028, 2015 (PDF) Agenda Item 14 Item # 14 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY February 17, 2015 City Council STAFF Dean Klingner, Engineer & Capital Project Manager SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 028, 2015, Appropriating Prior Years Reserves in the General Fund for Transfer to the Capital Projects Fund and Authorizing the Transfer of Existing Appropriations from the Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Projects Fund for the Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project 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 appropriate partial funding for design, right of way acquisition and construction of the Lincoln Avenue Improvements from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue. The Lincoln Corridor Plan, approved by City Council in 2014 (Resolution 2014-040), developed a vision and a preliminary multi-modal design for Lincoln Avenue between Jefferson Street and Lemay Avenue. The scope of the proposed improvements is based on the concepts approved in the Lincoln Corridor Plan with a reduced level of enhancement consistent with the proposed budget. Based on the Lincoln Corridor Plan estimated cost of $19.3 million for the entire project from Jefferson to Lemay, the cost to improve the section from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue is $8 million. With the reduced level of enhancements currently proposed, the project is estimated to cost $6.5 million. This Council action appropriates $3 million from General Fund Reserves and an additional $1.106 million from the Street Oversizing Fund. $155,881 is available from previous developer Local Street Obligations along the project limits, and $2,238,119 is currently unfunded. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The Lincoln Corridor is unique. The corridor is growing and already reflects an eclectic mix of existing uses, historic neighborhoods, retail, industrial, and natural areas-as well as a developing technology campus. In addition, this portion of Lincoln Avenue lacks basic infrastructure in many places and needs to be brought up to current City standards. Years ago Lincoln Avenue was a main entrance to downtown, and over the years it has declined in prominence. City Plan (2011) identified the Lincoln Corridor as an important project and a gateway for the downtown and East Mulberry corridor area. In addition, City Plan recognized the potential for Lincoln to become a “Great Green Street” by developing a new road design to address context-sensitive solutions to connect with Downtown and surrounding areas. The Lincoln Corridor is also recognized as a priority gateway in the Downtown Plan (1989) and the adopted Streetscape Standards which indicate where a standard arterial streetscape approach should apply and where other corridor segments and gateway intersections warrant their own tailored and more enhanced approach to streetscape design and management. ATTACHMENT 1 Agenda Item 14 Item # 14 Page 2 Based on this guidance, the new design for Lincoln Avenue in the Lincoln Corridor Plan seeks to provide an enhanced level of amenities and a design that restores its importance as a primary entry to the heart of the City as well as providing an important connection from Downtown to the east and northeast. The Lincoln Corridor Plan (“the Plan”) was approved by City Council in 2014 (Resolution 2014-040). The Plan developed a vision and a preliminary multi-modal design for Lincoln Avenue between Jefferson Street and Lemay Avenue. This Council action appropriates partial funding for implementation of an initial phase of the project from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The Lincoln Corridor Plan estimated the total cost of the Lincoln Avenue improvements to be $19.3 million. This estimate includes Final Design, construction, and a planning-level contingency of 30% for the full project limits from Jefferson to Lemay and including replacement of the Poudre River Bridge. This equates to $8 million for the section from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue. The Lincoln Corridor Plan presents a design framework with the flexibility for refinement, scalability, and phasing during the Final Design process, including potential opportunities for cost savings. Based on this idea and feedback from Council that the project does not need to include the complete level of envisioned enhancements, it is proposed that the budget for this section be reduced to $6.5 million with the understanding that the enhancements will be scaled back as needed to meet the budget. The proposed funding is summarized as follows: Source Amount General Fund Reserves $3,000,000 Street Oversizing Fund $1,106,000 Previously committed Developer Local Street Obligations $ 155,881 Unfunded $2,238,119 Total $6,500,000 The project appropriation includes $36,954 for 1% Art in Public Places (APP). Of this amount $28,824 will be transferred to the Art in Public Places non-lapsing Project in the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for the artwork and the remaining funds will be transferred to operating accounts in the same fund for the maintenance of the artwork and operations of the APP program. As a part of the Woodward Agreement, the Developer is required to construct Right of Way improvements to both Lemay Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. At the time of the Agreement (1) the ultimate design of Lincoln Avenue was not known and (2) the full improvements were envisioned to be completed at some future date. For these reasons the Right of Way improvements on Lincoln are interim improvements. Because this council action proposes to accelerate the completion of the ultimate improvements on Lincoln Avenue, it is possible that a portion of the funding identified for the interim improvements could be applied to the unfunded portion of the ultimate improvements. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Board or commission recommendations are not applicable to this Council action. However, as a part of the Lincoln Corridor Plan process, the Transportation Board, Parks and Recreation Board and the Planning and Zoning Board all recommended Council adoption of the Plan. PUBLIC OUTREACH The development of the Lincoln Corridor Plan included extensive public outreach including: • 2 large public workshops Agenda Item 14 Item # 14 Page 3 • Multiple open houses • 3 online surveys • Regular Boards/Commissions updates • 3 Council Work Sessions • 4 formal Stakeholder Group meetings • Multiple small group/individual meetings Since adoption of the Plan, the City has conducted additional public outreach consisting of an open house on January 12, 2015, and two different survey options, an online survey and a text survey. ATTACHMENTS 1. Vicinity Map (PDF) 2. Powerpoint presentation (PDF) - 1 - ORDINANCE NO. 028, 2015 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF EXISTING APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE STREET OVERSIZING FUND TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND FOR THE LINCOLN CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT AND TRANSFERRING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE CULTURAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES FUND FOR THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Lincoln Corridor Plan (the “Plan”) was approved by City Council pursuant to Resolution 2014-040 and the Plan developed a vision and a preliminary multi-modal design for Lincoln Avenue between Jefferson Street and Lemay Avenue; and WHEREAS, City Plan recognized the potential for Lincoln Avenue to become a “Great Green Street” by developing a new road design to address context-sensitive solutions to connect with Downtown and surrounding areas; and WHEREAS, the Lincoln Avenue corridor is also recognized as a priority gateway in the Downtown Plan (1989) and the City’s adopted streetscape standards; and WHEREAS, the Lincoln Corridor portion of Lincoln Avenue lacks basic infrastructure in many places and needs to be brought up to current City standards; and WHEREAS, this appropriation is for the purpose of funding design, right-of-way acquisition and construction of the Lincoln Avenue Improvements from 1st Street to Lemay Avenue; and WHEREAS, at the level of enhancements currently proposed, the project is estimated to cost $6.5 million, of which $4.1 million is appropriated in this Ordinance; and WHEREAS, one percent of the appropriation for the construction project, net of right of way cost, ($36,954) must be transferred to the Cultural Services and Facilities fund for a contribution to the Art in Public Places (APP) program, with $28,824 reserved for the APP artwork project and $8,130 reserved for the maintenance of the artwork and operations of the 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. - 2 - NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That there is hereby appropriated for transfer from prior year reserves in the General Fund to the Capital Projects Fund and appropriated therein the sum of THREE MILLION DOLLARS ($3,000,000) for the Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project. Section 2. That the unexpended appropriated amount of ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,106,000) is hereby authorized for transfer from the Street Oversizing Fund to the Capital Projects Fund and appropriated therein for the Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project. Section 3. That the unexpended appropriated amount of TWENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR DOLLARS ($28,824) in the Capital Projects Fund – Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project is authorized for transfer to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and appropriated therein for the Art Project. Section 4. That the unexpended appropriated amount of EIGHT THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED THIRTY DOLLARS ($8,130) in the Capital Projects Fund – Lincoln Corridor Improvements Project 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 17th day of February, A.D. 2015, and to be presented for final passage on the 3rd day of March, A.D. 2015. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 3rd day of March, A.D. 2015. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk