HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-08/08/2023-Work SessionPage 1 of 3
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: August 16, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager
Jenny Lopez Filkins, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
RE: August 8, 2023 Work Session Summary – Ad Hoc Committee on Boards and
Commissions Recommendations
Mayor Arndt, Mayor Pro Tem Francis and Councilmembers Gutowsky, Pignataro, Canonico,
Peel, and Ohlson were present.
At the August 8 Work Session, staff provided a summary of recommendations of the Ad Hoc
Committee on Boards and Commissions. The Committee was created in November 2022 and
Mayor Pro Tem Francis and Councilmembers Pignataro and Canonico were appointed to serve
on the Committee with Councilmember Ohlson selected as the alternate. The Committee started
its work in January 2023 and concluded in July 2023.
Summary of Feedback
Discussion included the following items:
Review of the themes captured from feedback by board and commission members,
Councilmembers, staff, and community members. A major theme is the need for more
support from the City Clerk’s Office (CCO) to include training and onboarding.
Recommended changes to annual recruitment due to change in Council elections from
April to November. The recommendation is to move annual recruitment from September
to December 1-January 30 with terms to start April 1.
o Exception to this is the Human Services and Housing Fund Board and Affordable
Housing Board. The recommendation is for these terms to start July 1 to align
with funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
o Currently, board member terms end December 31. Recommendation is to extend
all current board terms by three months to March 31.
Review of several application and interview improvements designed to help achieve the
need to increase communication with the staff liaison in order for the Council liaison to
have a better understanding of what the board needs
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More robust recruitment efforts to increase diversity on boards to include outreach with
Poudre School District, Colorado State University, the Cultural Enrichment Center of
Fort Collins and Heart and Sol
o There was a follow up question from a Councilmember as it relates to current
Boards and Commissions demographic information. Attachment 1 contains this
information. Staff will include this data as part of the high-level annual report that
CCO will provide to Council with the goal of tracking diversity metrics and
progress made over time.
Process for Council determination on requests received to sunset or repurpose a board
Recommendations to revise Code to eliminate all one-year terms from Type 1 and Type 2
boards and subsequently re-distribute the one-year term seat to either additional four year
or two-year term seats
Recommendations to revise joint meeting language in Code to provide more flexibility
for boards to meet together
Revisions to the Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
o Formatting and grammatical revisions needed
o Clarification needed around the forms of communication that a complaint can
come in (the draft policy calls out just in person or by phone)
Reviewed draft of the Code of Conduct to set standards of behavior and complaint
process for violations
o Request to see the evolution of the Code of Conduct from the first draft the
Committee reviewed to current draft. This is included in Attachment 2
o Discussion to add application of the Code of Conduct to include Councilmembers
o Discussion to clarify that board members should have the intention to use accurate
statements and the intention to make decisions based on the best interest of the
city
Revisions to the Council liaison responsibilities and moving it from resolution to Code
including a provision added to the ethical rules of conduct section
Revisions to Youth Advisory Board to address quorum issues and scope of work to
include completion of an annual project
Recommendation to sunset Golf Board effective January 1, 2024 and its scope of work to
be added to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB)
o One of the four current Golf Board members is interested in finishing their term
as a temporary 10th member of the PRAB
Recommendation to rename the Women’s Advisory Board to Women and Gender Equity
Advisory Board, reduce the number of members from 9 to 7 and add gender equity to
scope of work
Recommendation to rename and rescope the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) to an
Active Modes Committee, create it as a standalone 9-member board, and have ex-officio
members from relevant community organizations
o Staff was asked to provide a recommended list of ex-officio members from
community organizations.
o Transportation Board meets August 16 and BAC meets on August 28. Their
recommendations will be included in the September 5 Council materials.
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Recommendation to add an ex-officio nonvoting representative from the Housing
Catalyst to the Affordable Housing Board
o Discussion around the criteria of when an ex-officio member gets added to a
board. If it’s when the board could benefit from the expertise of a relevant
professional organization, then all the boards need to be evaluated for the
potential. Staff will be prepared to facilitate this discussion during the September
5 meeting.
Updates to the Boards and Commissions Manual
Next Steps
During the September 5 regular meeting, Council will consider:
o Adoption of the Code of Conduct via resolution
o Adoption of the Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy via resolution
o Adoption of Municipal Code changes during 1st reading
During the September 19 regular meeting, Council will consider:
o Adoption of the Boards and Commissions Manual via resolution
o Resolution to extend the terms of current board and commission terms by three
months
o Adoption of Municipal Code changes during 2nd reading
Attachments
1. Boards and Commissions Demographics information
2. Code of Conduct - Tracked Changes
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Code of Conduct
City Council
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970.416.2525
dlau@fcgov.com
Purpose:
Fort Collins aspires to be a city that addresses the needs of all members of our community and
strives to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. As a community, we commit to
building a healthy, equitable, and resilient city – for our families, for our neighbors, and for
future generations. The high quality of life we enjoy requires a city that is safe and where all
individuals are treated with dignity and respect. The Mayor and City Council are committed to
providing an environment that exemplifies the highest standards of behavior, treats others with
dignity and respect and is known for its honesty, inclusivity and transparency. Our elected
officials and those they appoint believe that how they treat others is a direct reflection of our
collective character.
Application:
This policy applies to board and commission members appointed by the City Council. The
Council also adopts this policy to establish standards for Councilmember interactions with board
and commission members,staff, and amongst Councilmembers. The term “Appointees” refers to
appointed board and commission members. The term “Members” refers to both appointees and
City Council.
The City Council appoints individuals who:
Comply with both the letter and the spirit of the laws and policies affecting operations of
boards and commissions.
Are independent, impartial, and fair in their judgment and actions.
Participate in assigned duties and functions for the public good.
Conduct public deliberations and processes openly, unless legally confidential, in an
atmosphere of respect and civility toward each other, City staff, and members of the
public.
Learn and understand the legal and ethical requirements that apply to public officials and
processes.
Therefore, members commit to the following:
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1. To uphold the standards of integrity and honesty with the intention of using true and
accurate evidence and/or statements in the decision-making process, and making
decisions based on the best interest of the city and its residents.
2. To conduct business of their board or commission that is within the scope of the specific
board or commission functions as described in the Fort Collins Municipal Code.
3. To perform Council liaison assignments and duties as described in the Fort Collins
Municipal Code.
4. Familiarize themselves with, adhere to, and comply with established policies and laws, as
applicable:
The City of Fort Collins Boards and Commissions Manual
Colorado’s Sunshine Laws regarding open meetings and public records – as
outlined in the Council Resource Guide
The City of Fort Collins Charter and Municipal Code; specifically, the ethical
rules of conduct and the open meetings, remote meetings, notice and minutes
of meetings, board or commission action and attendance requirements (see
Fort Collins Municipal Code Sections 2-71 through 2-79)
The City Council-adopted Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harrassment
Policy, which prohibits harassment, discrimination and retaliation based
on a person’s protected characteristics.
5. Aviod all ex parte communications (communications with anyone about a pending issue
including communication with City staff) about quasi-judicial matters.
6. To be aware of the open records requirement that applies to written notes, calendars,
voicemail messages, and e-mail. All written or recorded materials including notes, voicemail,
text messages, and e-mail that discuss or touch on public business or the functions of the
board or communication will likely be subject to disclosure to a requesting party.
7. Appointees are encouraged to meet with their Staff or City Council liaison to discuss any
concerns regarding work that may be outside the scope of designated functions, conflicts of
interest, appearance of impropriety, ex parte communications, or gifts. Appointees must
make disclosures to the City Clerk’s Office as appropriate under the circumstances.
8. Make decisions based on the merits of the issue, while treating all persons and decisions
in a respectful and equitable manner and committing to conducting business in a way that
exemplifies transparency and open communication.
9. Respect the legitimacy and authority of decisions that have been finalized –
regardless of personal position on the matter.
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10. (For Appointees) Strive to represent the official policies and positions of their board or
commission when serving in the member role. When presenting their personal opinions
or positions in a public meeting, such as a City Council meeting, Appointees shall
explicitly state that they are not representing their board or commission or the City.
11. (For appointees) Avoid actively participating in matters that interfere with a quasi-
judicial commission member’s ability to remain impartial in making decisions.
12. Continue respectful behavior among Members and City staff when communicating in
private. The same level of respect and consideration of differing points of view should be
maintained in private conversations.
13. To use public resources (e.g., staff time, equipment, supplies, or facilities) appropriately
and in a manner that fosters stewardship of the taxpayer and ratepayer dollar.
14. Attend meetings of your board or commission. Because contemplation, deliberation, and
decision-making require collaboration and participation, Appointees are expected to attend
their meetings. Appointees must comply with attendance requirements described in Fort
Collins Municipal Code Section 2-79. Appointees commit to attend any required trainings
and even suggested trainings that enhance a member’s ability to serve.
15. To respect fellow Members, staff, and the public by treating all with patience, courtesy,
and civility at all times during the performance of official duties, regardless of
differences of opinion.
16. Avoid making personal, , profane, vulgar, slanderous, humiliating, intimidating, or
harassing remarks that disturb, disrupt, or impede the conduct of the meeting or the
completion of the meeting agenda. Similarly, abusive language, intimidation, threats of
violence or harm, or racial or ethnic slurs directed at any person or group of persons are
prohibited. Members are expected to know that problematic behavior can cause the
targets of behavior to feel threatened, humiliated, or intimidated and such conduct is
detrimental to the proper functioning of a public body. Members are expected to avoid
publicly ridiculing or insulting fellow Members, members of the public, and City staff.
17. Act in furtherance of the principle that healthy discourse occurs when individuals of
all backgrounds and personalities are allowed to respectfully speak candidly about
matters of interest, ask difficult questions, challenge ideas and propositions, and work
together toward optimal solutions in a respectful manner.
18. Explain to a person who engages in disrespectful treatment that the behavior is
disrespectful and, if the person who is the target of the behavior feels comfortable doing
so, ask that they discontinue the behavior. If this does not change the behavior the
person who believes they are being treated disrespectfully is strongly encouraged to
report the behavior using the process described in Fort Collins Municipal Code Section
19. Report behavior that is disruptive, humiliating, intimidating, or threatening or otherwise
in violation of this Code of Conduct in the performance of City business, at City-
sponsored events, and in all interactions between members, City staff, or the public to
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the staff liaison and the Boards and Commissions Coordinator. Complaints of such
behavior will be processed following procedures in the Fort Collins Municipal Code.
Appointees may not be reappointed and are subject to censure or dismissal by the appointing authority
for misconduct, nonperformance of duty, or failure to comply with this Code of Conduct, applicable
policies, and the Fort Collins City Charter and Municipal Code.
I have read and understand the City of Fort Collins Code of Conduct and agree to abide by and
uphold this code to the best of my ability at all times while serving as an appointed or elected
official of the city.
I understand that I may not be reappointed, and may be suspended, censured or removed from
my appointment if my conduct falls below these standards.
Signature: Date:
Printed Name:
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Water Utilities
700 Wood Street
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221-6700
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 16, 2023
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Kendall Minor, Utilities Executive Director
From: Jason Graham, Director of Water Utilities
Re: August 8 Work Session Summary Fort Collins Water Supply Requirement and
Excess Water Use Fee
Summary
The purpose of the work session was to provide information regarding the need and recommended
methodology used to update both the Water Supply Requirement (WSR) and Excess Water Use
EWU) fess. All councilmembers were present. Staff presenters included Jason Graham, Jen Dial,
and Lance Smith with our external consultant, Jason Mumm, present as well. Staff asked the
following questions:
Share with City Council the need for WSR and EWU fee increases.
Does Council have any questions regarding the need and evaluation of WSR and EWU
fees?
Does Council have any specific direction for outreach and implementation of the WSR
and EWU fees?
Discussion
City Council was engaged in the discussion and asked a variety of questions. Councilmembers asked
questions regarding the methodology used especially the use of fair market value for the value of the
City’s water rights portfolio. There was also concern about how initial communication went out to
the development community ahead of City Council and the Work Session. Additional further
analysis needs to occur to provide council with additional WSR fee options to compare with the
presented method and costs by staff. Council also desired to understand the amount of future water
rights needed and the drivers (growth and climate) for the needs. Finally, a need to do extensive
outreach with the community, and work across City departments to develop a comprehensive
package of options and recommendations for City Council to consider.
Follow-Up Items
Provide clarification on the need for additional 500 AF future water rights.
Provide options for Council to consider when this item is brought back for consideration.
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Develop a comprehensive City-wide team to analysis and develop a City of Fort Collins solution
that is reflects the both the economic value of the WSR and the values of the community.
Engage with multiple boards and commissions, as well as community stakeholders, to ensure the
recommended path forward captures the concerns, challenges and opportunities of all in the
community.
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