The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/02/2017 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 053, 2017, APPROPRAgenda Item 2 Item # 2 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY May 2, 2017 City Council STAFF Mark Jackson, PDT Deputy Director SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 053, 2017, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Transportation Fund for Consulting Services Related to Interstate 25 (I-25) Traffic Solution Efforts. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 18, 2017, renews a one-year contract with a lobbying and communications firm (Capitol Solutions) to advocate for solutions to Interstate 25 traffic congestion and appropriates $30,000 from the Transportation Fund reserves to pay for these services. City leaders are working in partnership with regional partners to identify and pursue funding for the I-25 corridor in Northern Colorado. Numerous regional efforts, initiatives, and actions have been taken or are underway to urge the Colorado legislature and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accelerate improvements to Interstate 25 (I-25) and find long-term sustainable funding for the state’s transportation infrastructure needs. This $30,000 appropriation for services will continue to augment and enhance regional efforts and ensure Fort Collins has representation in discussions on I-25. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, April 18, 2017 (w/o attachments) (PDF) 2. Ordinance No. 053, 2017 (PDF) Agenda Item 10 Item # 10 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY April 18, 2017 City Council STAFF Mark Jackson, PDT Deputy Director SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 053, 2017, Appropriating Prior Year Reserves in the Transportation Fund for Consulting Services Related to Interstate 25 (I-25) Traffic Solution Efforts. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to renew a one-year contract with a lobbying and communications firm (Capitol Solutions) to advocate for solutions to Interstate 25 traffic congestion and to appropriate $30,000 from the Transportation Fund reserves to pay for these services. City leaders are working in partnership with regional partners to identify and pursue funding for the I-25 corridor in Northern Colorado. Numerous regional efforts, initiatives, and actions have been taken or are underway to urge the Colorado legislature and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accelerate improvements to Interstate 25 (I-25) and find long-term sustainable funding for the State’s transportation infrastructure needs. This $30,000 appropriation for services will continue to augment and enhance regional efforts and ensure Fort Collins has representation in discussions on I-25. This item supports the adopted recommendations of the 2011 North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and also supports Council priority for I-25 funding; Strategic Plan Objectives: Transportation 6.1, 6.4; and Council legislative priority re: I-25 funding. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Numerous efforts, initiatives, and actions have been taken or are underway to urge the Colorado legislature and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accelerate improvements to Interstate 25 (I-25). Plans for road capacity and transit improvements were identified in the North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement (2011), but funds needed to make these changes were not identified by CDOT in the foreseeable future. I-25 is the key interstate linkage in Northern Colorado, and serves as a major freight route as well as traveler connection between the Denver metro area to the south. Current infrastructure deficiencies, combined with increasing travel demand on the corridor result in safety and congestion issues along the Northern Colorado I- 25 Corridor. Sandra Hagen Solin, Founder and CEO of Capitol Solutions, was retained in 2016 by the FIX I-25 Coalition to lead advocacy for solutions to I-25. The City contracts directly with Capitol Solutions for the purpose of I-25 advocacy, as do several other local agencies in Northern Colorado. In 2016, Capitol Solutions held numerous conversations with CDOT officials, area legislators, legislative leaders in both parties, the Governor’s office, and business associations around Colorado. As a result of that work, transportation funding legislation was introduced during the 2017 General Assembly Session. In addition, CDOT and the State of Colorado have committed funds necessary to make improvements to I-25 between SH- 14 (Mulberry) and SH-402 (south Loveland). Construction will begin in late 2017 and completion is expected by end of 2020. ATTACHMENT 1 Agenda Item 10 Item # 10 Page 2 CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The City would appropriate $30,000 from Transportation fund reserves to continue to retain the services of Capitol Solutions. Financial impact of this request to the City Transportation Fund reserves is negligible. Failure to make improvements to the Northern I-25 Corridor may have an adverse economic impact on Northern Colorado. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The I-25 Improvements Project (as part of the 2011 North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement) was presented to the Transportation Board. The Transportation Board received two briefings on the I-25 project in 2016 and one to date in 2017. No action was taken but feedback was positive. PUBLIC OUTREACH The I-25 Improvements Project (as part of the 2011 North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement) conducted significant public outreach in Fort Collins. CDOT, in conjunction with other regional agency partners, will continue to provide significant communication and information resources throughout the I-25 project using a variety of media. -1- ORDINANCE NO. 053, 2017 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES IN THE TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR CONSULTING SERVICES RELATED TO INTERSTATE 25 (I-25) TRAFFIC SOLUTION EFFORTS WHEREAS, numerous efforts, initiatives, and actions have been taken or are underway to urge the Colorado legislature and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accelerate improvements to North Interstate 25 (I-25); and WHEREAS, plans for road capacity and transit improvements were identified in the North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement from 2011, but funds needed to make these changes are not identified by CDOT in the foreseeable future; and WHEREAS, local governments and business organizations in the Larimer and Weld County area have coalesced around the goal of securing funding to widen North I-25; and WHEREAS, Sandra Hagen Solin, Founder and CEO of Capitol Solutions, was retained by the FIX I-25 coalition to lead advocacy for solutions to I-25; and WHEREAS, the Director of Purchasing and Risk Management as the City’s Purchasing Agent has the authority pursuant to City Code Section 8-161 to approve an exemption to the competitive bidding process; and WHEREAS, the City seeks to renew a one-year contract and appropriate $30,000 for the services of Capitol Solutions for the purpose of I-25 advocacy; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits 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 have determined that the appropriations as described herein are available and previously unappropriated in the Transportation Fund. 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 Transportation Fund the sum of THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($30,000) for the services of Capitol Solutions for the purpose of I-25 advocacy. -2- Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 18th day of April, A.D. 2017, and to be presented for final passage on the 2nd day of May, A.D. 2017. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 2nd day of May, A.D. 2017. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk