HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-06/13/2023-Work Session
City Manager’s Office
City Hall
300 LaPorte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 22, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer
Ginny Sawyer, Policy and Project Manager
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
RE: Work Session Summary – June 13, 2023 Sustainable Funding
Mayor Arndt, and Councilmembers Canonico, Pignataro, Peel, Gutowsky, and Ohlson were
present.
Staff provided brief background information and focused on the addition of aquatics/recreation
capital in the conversation and on the specific package of funding options (Franchise Fee,
Property tax, Dedicated ¼-cent.)
There was a brief review of Charter Amendments and discussion on what to bring forward.
Discussion included:
x Overall support for consideration a new (renewable) tax dedicated to “climate umbrella”
(transit, housing, climate) activities. There was discussion regarding the preferred and
optimal duration of this option. Considerations included:
o Acknowledgement that the City has not run a renewable tax longer than 10-
years. The Open Space tax is a citizen referred example of a longer running tax
(20-years.)
o Agreement that tying the duration to climate goals makes sense.
o Consideration for avoiding sequencing that results in bringing voters tax renewals
every 2 years.
o Consideration for updated naming/branding of “climate umbrella”
x Overall support for considering a property tax for Parks and possibly aquatics and
recreation capital.
o 3-Mills addressing the known Parks asset replacement gap.
o General councilmember consensus for going up to 5 mills, plus councilmembers
desire additional information for how 4-5 mills would be utilized over time.
x Overall support for pursuing increasing the Xcel Franchise Fee from 1.04% to 3% and
dedicating that revenue for climate needs.
x Based on new large emitter analysis there was not general support to bring a large
emitter tax forward.
x Overall support to bring the following Charter amendments:
o Residency Requirements
The Charter currently contains residency requirements for certain
positions. Based on position title these requirements include living in Fort
Collins, living within the Growth Management Area (GMA), living within 5
miles of the GMA boundary.
Amendment will maintain the City Manager requirements in the Charter
and staff will separately bring Code language that mirrors the Charter
requirements for the other positions to ensure no immediate change.
o Referendum Process Clean-up
Cleaning up contradictory provisions in Article X of the Charter between
sections 2 and 5.
Next Steps:
x Work session on July 25, 2023 to review draft ballot language.
x Ensure there is greater detail on how additional mills would be applied.
x Staff will bring code language to provide clarity and consistent guidance for interpretation
of the time computations in the Charter.