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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORK SESSION SUMMARY-02/10/2009-Work SessionFort`tYColons MEMORANDUM Date: February 18, 2009 To: Mayor and City Council Members Through: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Diane Jones, Deputy City Manager Jeff Scheick, Planning, Development & Transportation Director Transportation Administration 281 N. College Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2029 970.416.2081 - fax fcgov. com From: Mark Jackson, Transportation Group Director Kathleen Bracke, Transportation Planning Director Re: City Council Work Session February 10, 2009 - Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement The following is a summary of City Council comments received by staff and the CDOT's consultant project manager for the North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): • Good information to discuss and North I-25 EIS process should address social, environmental, and economic needs in addition to transportation needs. • Transportation needs to include moving people and commerce — goods & services. • Need to consider how the findings in the North I-25 EIS tie to the High Speed Rail Study • Natural Resources staff comments are very important and need to be addressed in Final EIS document, in particular: o Commuter Rail fence disruptive to wildlife movement. o Mapping needs to be improved to be more accurate for locations of natural areas, water features, drainage ways, and floodplain areas_ o Concern regarding impacts to wildlife habitat areas, large cottonwood trees, and Threatened & Endangered species. o McKee Farm land may be restricted from impacts due to Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCo) agreement and/or other agreements with funding partners. o Concerns regarding water quality and stormwater contaminants. • Concern regarding CDOT's willingness to address City comments. Tom Anzia, representing Felsburg Holt & Ullevig and serving as the consultant project manager for CDOT's. North I-25 EIS project team, stated that they are responding to all comments received on the draft document and take these comments very seriously. They will be doing more detailed analysis as part of the current work effort as well as during the preparation for the Final EIS document. • Interest in recent CDOT workshops. Input from Council members is important to share with CDOT and representatives from other communities. J City of Fort Collins • CDOT is hearing a lot of enthusiasm for Package A Commuter Rail service from many communities because it serves the existing, largest population centers and people like the idea of using rail service. • Starting to hear conflicts arise between communities east of I-25 vs. west of I-25 due to concerns about current land use patterns and population centers compared with future growth areas. • The average trip length on I-25 is less than three miles, so the highway is being used for local trips, rather than the regional and inter -regional trips that it is intended for. Cities need to address future improvements to other local north/south arterials to serve the shorter distance trips to provide alternative routes to I-25. • More insight on rail alternatives needs to be examined and EIS needs to coordinate with other rail studies. • Why does the North I-25 EIS not show Commuter Rail service between Greeley and Denver? o Tom Anzai's response: Frequency of freight train traffic is very high; potential ridership projections didn't warrant rail service and the proposed Commuter Bus service is able to handle future ridership projections for less cost. • Core to Core connection is very important to serve population centers. • Move away from status quo highway planning. We need to plan for sustainable, long- term solutions to connect our communities in the future. Not like the T-Rex example that only provided 46 seconds of travel time savings after millions of dollars in investment. • Consider environmental impacts, social mobility for all people, and growth impacts. • How does Commuter Rail alternative handle existing freight rail traffic? o Tom Anzai's response: Collaborative work with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). Can cohabitate with freight rail with the passenger rail service. • Concern was expressed by Council regarding the number of commuters that leave Fort Collins daily to commute to Denver and/or other communities. Commuter rail could potentially change nature of Fort Collins to become a bedroom community to Denver. Project should compare Fort Collins' numbers to the numbers leaving our neighboring communities. Fort Collins' numbers are much lower. Staff will continue to work with CDOT as the North I-25 EIS process continues this year and will provide additional updates to Council at key milestones. Staff will also continue outreach efforts to City Boards & Commissions and with the community. City of .Fort Collins MEMORANDUM DATE: February 12, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Council Members THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager �-- Diane Jones, Deputy City Manager Community Services` FROM: Jeff Scheick, Planning Development & Transportation Director Mark Jackson, Transportation Group Director Transportation Administration 281 N. College Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2029 970.416.2081 - fax fcgov.com RE: February 10`h, 2009 Work Session Summary -Transportation Update, Part II Planning, Development & Transportation Director Jeff Scheick, Transportation Group Director Mark Jackson, and the six Transportation Department heads returned to the City Council for the second of three planned discussion on transportation and transit opportunities and challenges facing Fort Collins now and in the future. This second discussion focused on budget and revenue challenges, and on operations and maintenance needs and funding shortfalls. Staff highlighted the precipitous decline in federal, state, county and local transportation revenue sources. While this decline in revenues began as early as 2005, the sharp national economic decline in the second half of 2008 exacerbated the revenues shortfall. As a result, forecast . revenues are not in place to meet budgeted expenditures for 2009 and beyond, and transportation revenues are being extinguished at an alarming rate. Without additional revenues, service levels will need to be further reduced this year. Significant service cuts have already occurred since 2005 to transportation services such as street maintenance, sidewalk repair, and neighborhood traffic calming. Staff emphasized that these operations and maintenance funding shortfalls affect basic services, not add -on services or frills. The theme of the evening's presentation was "Focus on the Basics". Staff presented Council with a recommended priority for dealing with transportation and transit needs in this economically challenged times: 1. Community Safety 2. Maintain our current investment; take care of what we have 3. Maintain our level of service to the greatest degree possible 4. Expand transportation/transit systems, programs, and services as opportunities emerge. City Council had several questions and comments for Staff covering a variety of topics and interests. These comments included: of �Footrt Collins • Two Council Members noted that neighborhood traffic calming and safety, and school zone safety should receive more attention in the future. • The identified transportation and transit funding needs should be emphasized in upcoming 2010-2011 Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) offers. • All Council members concurred with the recommended funding priorities: Council members requested the following follow up information and attention at or before the third work session transportation discussion, scheduled for July 14`h: • Please provide more detailed data regarding pavement condition ratings, including the percentage of pavement at each Level of Service, as well as more historical data regarding average condition and projected pavement condition at current funding levels. • Keep City Council updated regarding work with Poudre School District on school zone safety needs and plans. • Commerce City has completed its Railroad Quiet Zone process plan. What did they do? What can Fort Collins learn from their efforts? • Staff provided Council some data regarding Greeley and Loveland's local vs. state and federal shares of transportation funding. What does the data tell us? Are these other communities receiving greater shares of per capita funding from, outside agencies or do they have fewer per capita resources from local sources? • More information is requested on North College capital project and infrastructure needs. What are funding needs, shortfalls and options for making improvements? • Look at funding scenarios for addressing these shortfalls. What could be done with varying levels of additional revenues? Transportation Staff will follow up with Council on these comments no later than the July 14`h Work session discussion. Staff is very appreciative of the Council's continued interest in addressing the transportation issues and challenges we face now and in the future. City of F6ft Memorandum DATE: February 13, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager�� Diane Jones, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Transfort / Dial -A -Ride 6570 Portner Road Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6620 970.221.6285 - fax fcgov.com FROM: Kurt Ravenschlag, Assistant General Manager, Transfort/DARZ . SUBJECT: February 10, 2009 Work Session Summary - Transit Strategic Plan Update The following memorandum summarizes the February 10, 2009 Work Session regarding the 2009 Transit Strategic Plan. Council Members Present: Mayor Doug Hutchinson, Mayor Pro Tern Kelly Ohlson, Councilor David Roy, Councilor Ben Manvel, Councilor Wade Troxell, Councilor Lisa Poppaw. Staff Present: Darin Atteberry, City Manager; Jeff Scheick, Planning Development and Transportation Director; Marlys Sittner, Transfort/Dial-A-Ride General Manager; Kurt Ravenschlag, Trans fort/Dial -A-Ride Assistant General Manager. Direction Sought from Council: The agenda item was informational only, with no action by Council required. The feedback received from Councilmernbers will be incorporated into the plan development. Council Feedback and Key. Discussion Points: • Regional service should be funded through a partnership of various agencies participating in service. y • Regional service should be implemented only after local service has been fully improved. • Focus on providing east/west connections to serve the Mason Corridor in Phase 1, rather than in later phases. • Pursue additional coordination with Front Range Community College, Colorado State University, Poudre School District, State of Colorado, and Larimer County. City of F6rt Collins Next Steps: Februarv: • 10 — Incorporate comments from February 10 Work Session • 13 — Poudre School District Briefing • 24 — Loveland Open House • 25 — Fort Collins Open House March: • 24 — Loveland City Council Meeting to Provide Project Overview/Status • 26 — Citizen Financial Advisory Committee Provides Final Funding Recommendation April — May Board and Council Adoption Process City of F6rt Collins Finance To: Mayor and City Council Thru: Dann Atteberry, City Manager From: Mike Freeman, CFO Date: February 12, 2009 Re: Work Session Summary — Economic and Finance Update II On February 10, 2009, staff presented the second of three economic and finance updates for the City Council. The presentation focused on 2008 revenue in the General Fund (i.e. sales tax, use tax, property tax, etc.) and the initial workplan for 2009 for Economic Health activities. A longer version of the presentation was taped prior to the City Council Worksession with a summary version being presented at the February 10`h meeting. There were several follow-up items that were requested of staff as a result of the presentation, these include: 1. Modifying the overall economic health goal to more accurately reflect the adopted goal of the City Council. 2. Considering budget offers for 2010/2011 to enhance economic health programs and activities. 3. Inviting members of the Economic Advisory Commission' to the next update and have them provide a briefing for City Council on their work plan. 4. Providing a more thorough update at the next Economic Update on potential development around the Anheuser Busch plant; the Mulberry Airpark; and Campus West. 5. Providing more information on the potential economic benefit of the Mason Corridor and North College as projects are proposed. For detailed information on the Mason Corridor economic potential, please refer to: litto:i7fcsov.coni mason/pdf./mc-ea.pdf for a copy of the frill length economic analysis for the corridor.