HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/5/2021 - Memorandum From Lawrence Pollack Re: Councilmember Requests From The September 14 And 28 Work Sessions On The 2022 Budget
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Financial Services
215 N Mason Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6795
fcgov.com/finance
M E M O R A N D U M
Date: September 30, 2021
To: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer
From: Lawrence Pollack, Budget Director
Re: Councilmember requests from the September 14 and 28 work sessions on the
2022 Budget
City Council has completed the first two of three scheduled work sessions to review the
2022 budget
requests (offers), as well as some more general inquiries about the budget. Staff follow-ups
that were not answered during the meeting were summarized in the September 14 and 28
work session summary memos and some of those responses are included below in this
memo.
Other requests made during those work sessions, however, require additional time to
adequately research and respond. Please refer to Attachment #1 to see the status of all
requests currently being tracked. All unanswered requests are intended to be responded to
in a memo to Council in the Oct 7 Thursday Packet.
Outcome: Culture and Recreation
1) Questions from Kelly Ohlson: Why do we have separate funds within the
Governmental Funds? For example, why is there a separate Recreation Fund instead of
those revenues and expenses being contained within the General Fund?
Response from Blaine Dunn (Accounting):
Fund accounting is a system used within the Governmental and Non-Profit space, as
required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. The main goal of fund
accounting is accountability. Funds are created to track the amount of revenue and
expenses for different activities the City is engaged in. Creating these funds restricts the
use of how certain money may be used. By setting up different funds the City is able to
create a separate balance sheet and income statement for each fund. This provides
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more transparency and accountability in how different monies are being used across the
organization.
2) Question from Kelly Ohlson: What is the history and consensus agreement around
the use of Conservation Trust for Parks operations and maintenance expenses?
Response from Lawrence Pollack (Budget) and Kurt Friesen (Parks Planning &
Development):
Per your request, below are the uses of 271-Conservation Trust Fund for operations and
maintenance instead of trail development over the last decade. This funding has helped
cover continually increasing expenses and highlights the structural challenges in the
business model. Specifically, the City has dedicated funding sources for both the
creation of new parks and additional paved trails. However, community driven design
standards have significantly increased operations and maintenance costs, and there is
no such dedicated funding source for existing parks as equipment needs replaced,
additional parks come on-line, and more paved trails need to be maintained. Council has
identified it as a priority to address this unsustainable model.
2011 - $161k Trail maintenance
2012 - $161k Trail maintenance
2013 - $161k Trail maintenance
2014 - $161k Trail maintenance
2015 - $95k Tree planting
2016 - $30k Tree planting
2017 - $0
2018 - $0
2019 - $400k Parks O&M
2020 - $400k Parks O&M
2021 - $800k Parks O&M
2022 - $400k Parks O&M
Outcome: Environmental Health
3) Question from Kelly Ohlson: What is the status of construction and demolition (C&D)
waste efforts, as it relates to Offer 48.14 1.0 FTE Construction and Demolition Waste ?
Response from Lindsay Ex and Cassie Archuleta (Environmental Services):
Existing efforts: In prior budget cycles, Council has funded 1.25 FTE to ensure
compliance with 9 environmental compliance policy areas (pay-as-you-throw (residential
recycling), cardboard landfill ban, Community Recycling Ordinance (commercial and
multi-family recycling), hauler hours of operation, fugitive dust, outdoor residential
burning, construction and demolition recycling, hauler licensing, and grocer composting).
With this capacity, staff is able to respond on a complaint basis. This current level of
staffing accomplishes the goal of having dedicated capacity and expertise to respond to
these policies.
Opportunities: The current level of 1.25 FTE staffing for compliance does not allow for
proactive compliance. Thus, Offer 48.14 creates an enhanced role specifically for C&D
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recycling compliance, as data have shown that when a dedicated position is added for
proactive compliance, compliance has increased to 90% or higher for similar roles, e.g.,
nuisance violations. In addition, with a dedicated FTE, this position can support recycling
market development for C&D materials at the state and regional level, which is critical for
achieving our zero waste goals as this sector generates 53% of the material landfilled
from Fort Collins (2020 data).
4) Question from Kelly Ohlson: How are we planning to address our air quality issues
and what can we do for only $35k in Offer 48.13-Local and Regional Air Quality
Monitoring - Improved AQ Priority & Regionalism?
Response from Lindsay Ex and Cassie Archuleta (Environmental Services):
ongoing Air Quality work and through an EPA grant, including the following:
Offer 48.3 Air Quality ($451,785 and 4.00 FTE, ongoing): Supports continued
operations for the Environmental Services department (ESD) Air Quality (AQ) Division.
Currently, the AQ Division supports efforts related to air quality monitoring, messaging,
volunteer management (Healthy Homes program), policy development (e.g., oil and gas)
and compliance support (e.g., wood burning and fugitive dust). Also includes a match for
a radon grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ($6K)
with staff support for implementation of radon program.
EPA Grant ($0K City, $200K EPA, 2-years): In 2021, the AQ Division was awarded a
grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) targeting program
improvements to better address indoor air quality concerns in alignment with residential
energy efficiency and resiliency efforts. Existing staff capacity (Offer 48.3) will be
leveraged for grant and project management for this effort, and the grant includes
additional capacity (0.5 FTE) to support grant coordination.
The Recommended Budget also includes a one-time enhancement Offer to advance the
following:
Offer 48.13 - Local and Regional Air Quality Monitoring - Improved AQ Priority &
Regionalism ($35,000, one-time): Supports purchase and installation of ten (10) low-cost
particle monitoring sensors at additional locations within the community and potentially in
the County. This would increase accessibility to accurate and highly localized information
about particle pollution, especially during wildfire impacts, to better characterize the
health threat from smoke. The offer also includes funds to support updated regional
data displays (e.g., websites), including regional/County data to better reflect regional
transport of particle pollution.
Beyond these ongoing and enhancement offers, increasing the impact of the City
Quality efforts could include funding for additional monitoring sites and/or increased
capacity for air quality outreach, messaging, and public engagement. These ideas are
planned for further discussion in the October 12 work session.
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5) Question from Kelly Ohlson: Where is increased stream restoration work in the
budget?
Response from Theresa Conner (Utilities):
Please refer to the detailed response included in Attachment #2.
Outcome: Neighborhood Livability and Social Health
6) Questions from Shirley Peel: Regarding Offer 47.8 - Childcare System Support -
ARPA Funded, is this going to become a permanent budget item or is it going to be
taken away in the next? What additional capacity will this offer provide to the
community?
Response from Adam Molzer (Social Sustainability):
Budget offers to support the childcare system in Fort Collins using City general funds
have historically been submitted in the past several BFO cycles. Future budget offers are
anticipated to continue to be requested since childcare is a Council priority and may also
align with broader regional conversations about funding.
Additional capacity within the Fort Collins childcare system may include deployment and
activation of the substitute teacher recruitment pool technology (recruitment goal of 50-
100 subs); additional enrollments in EAP services for childcare teachers/staff; additional
mental health staffing hours for childcare programs; approximately 100 additional
subsidized spots for families needing summer care/enrichment.
Utilities
700 Wood Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221-6700
970.221-6619 - fax
fcgov.com
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: September 29, 2021
TO: City Council Members
THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director
FROM: Matt Fater, Interim Deputy Director Water Engineering
Ken Sampley, Director, Stormwater Engineering and Development Review
RE: Stream Rehabilitation Program Update (Council Priority #22)
SUMMARY
Improving and accelerating the stream rehabilitation program has been identified as a
2021 City Council Priority. City Council funded $3.1M to support the Mail Creek Stream
Rehabilitation project in the 2021 budget. This project will take through 2022 to
complete, so there is not funding in the 2022 budget as the funds are already
appropriated. Staff will present options for systematically accelerating the program at
the Council Finance Committee in November as part of the discussion on Utility Rates
and Strategic Financial Plans to assure alignment as we are moving forward.
BACKGROUND
The City is divided into thirteen stormwater basins each with a master pIan addressing
the unique set of stormwater challenges for that basin. In 2012, the City updated these
basin master plans to incorporate stream rehabilitation and water quality best
management practices. The updates were based on an urban stream health
assignment, completed by Colorado State University on behalf of the City. The following
ten stream sections within the city limits were evaluated:
Burns Tributary
Fossil Creek
McClellands Creek
Boxelder Creek
Clearview Channel
Mail Creek
Spring Creek
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Foothills Creek
Stanton Creek
The study identified detailed habitat, susceptibility to erosion, and baseline geomorphic
data for approximately 18 miles of channels across ten City streams. These streams
have been impacted and degraded over time due to agricultural practices and urban
development. The information was utilized to identify and prioritize rehabilitation projects
to be incorporated into the stormwater capital improvement plan. The study did not
evaluate the Poudre River as the river has been evaluated with other efforts led by the
Natural Areas Program. A Multi-Criterion Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool for prioritizing
stream rehabilitation projects was developed to identify areas where the greatest
opportunities exist for simultaneously improving habitat and stream connectivity while
stabilizing high-risk, erosion-susceptible reaches.
Based on 2012 Council direction, 16% of stormwater capital funding was to be
budgeted for stream rehabilitation and water quality best management practices. The
remaining funding was to be budgeted for flood mitigation (64%) and opportunity
projects such partnerships with new developments and other agencies (20%). This
translated to approximately $650,000 annually for stream rehabilitation and water
1,150,000/year.
Projects Completed
Since 2013, four stream rehabilitation projects have been complete. All four projects
were identified as high priority based on the stream health assessment. Stream
rehabilitation is an emerging science and success of projects is dependent upon site
specific criteria. A lot has been learned through the initial projects to build a solid
foundation for accelerating the program. The following table outlines the projects
completed:
Stream Location Reach Length
(feet)
Completed Total Cost
Fossil Creek
Upstream Lemay through Fossil
Creek Community Park
2,250
2015
$1,370,000
Spring Creek
Union Pacific RR to Riverside
Ave.
810
2019
$1,342,000
Spring Creek
Riverside Ave. to
Edora Park Dam
780
2019
$575,000
Mail Creek
North of Meadow Passway
980
2020
$1,541,000
Total 4,820 feet $4,848,000
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Future Projects
The 2021 budget identified $3.1M for continuing the stream rehabilitation program. The
next high priority project is the 3,200 feet reach of Mail Creek within the Two Creeks
Natural Area. The design is underway with construction planned for the fall of 2022.
Staff from Natural Areas is part of the multi-disciplinary design team.
Staff has also been partnering with the developer of the Gateway at Prospect
development at the intersection of I-25 and Prospect Road. Boxelder Creek borders the
eastern edge of the site and is identified as part of the stream rehabilitation program.
The construction of the development may be leveraged to also accomplish rehabilitation
goals for Boxelder Creek. If the project moves forward, a budget offer for the 2023
budget would be submitted.
There is significant work remaining for the stream rehabilitation program with 55
projects to be completed with an estimated cost of approximately $70M (based on 2019
estimate). Utilities is in the process of updating the overall Stormwater Capital
Improvement Plan which includes flood mitigation, water quality, and stream
rehabilitation projects. This plan and associated financing options will be reviewed with
the Council Finance Committee in November 2021. Options to accelerate the build out
of the program will be discussed at that time. Accelerating the stream rehabilitation
projects can be done either by delaying the implementation of other stormwater projects
or by increasing fees so that we can accomplish more work.
Some of the options that can be considered for accelerating this program include:
Combining two segments to make larger projects that allow us to complete more
linear feet of stream rehabilitation in any given project. This could be more
efficient administratively and with staff resources.
Have a segment in design while we are constructing another segment. This
could take additional staff resources to administer.
Currently the Stormwater CIP assigns $800,000 to Stream Rehabilitation each
year. That could be increased to $1,200,000 each year that allows flexibility to
address larger projects or partnerships depending on conditions that exist at the
time.
Attachment: Prioritized List of Stream Rehabilitation Projects
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Attachment 1: Prioritized List of Stream Rehabilitation Projects
Rank Creek Name Reach Subreach Reach Length
(ft) Location Status
1 Fossil 4 1 2,250 Upstream of Lemay through Fossil
Creek Community Park Completed
2 Spring 1 5 810 Between RR tracks and Riverside Completed
7 Spring 1 6 780 Between Riverside Ave and Edora
Dam Completed
3 Mail 3 1 980 Directly north of Meadow Passway Completed
4 Mail 1 1 3,240 Confluence with Fossil Creek,
northwest from Fossil Park
Under
Design
5 Fossil 1 1 1,120 Between RR tracks and Trilby Rd
6 Spring Remove Edora
Dam NA Along north side of Edora Park,
west of Riverside Ave
8 Spring 3 2 1,040 Directly west of Lemay Ave
9 Fossil 2 1 1,880 North of Trilby Rd partway through
Paragon Point open space
10 Spring Reconnect to Poudre NA From confluence with Poudre River
through Cattail Chorus NA
11 Fossil 9 1 2,130 From Applewood Estates pond
through neighborhood to Shields
12 Fossil 8 1 2,020 From RR tracks through open space
to Applewood Estates pond
13 Stanton 1 1 4,630 From confluence with Fossil Creek
to Carpenter Rd
14 Mail 2 1 1,370 Between Mail Creek Ln and
Meadow Passway
15 Boxelder 3 3 1,180
16 Fossil 3 1 1,130 Runs southeast partly through the
gold course
17 Spring 5 1 1,590 Just east of Stover St to just
southwest of Stuart St
18 Spring 1 4 870 Between Timberline Rd detention
Pond and RR tracks
19 Fossil 3 2 1,210 From Lemay Ave southeast partly
through the golf course
20 Spring 6 2 1,150 Between Centre Ave and Hillpond
21 McClellands 7 2 From RR tracks west of Timberline
Rd east through neighborhood
22 Fossil 6 2 3,530 From College Ave east through
HOA open space
23 McClellands 5 2 Through Stetson Creek HOA open
space
24 Fossil 2 2 3,430 Through Paragon Point HOA open
space
Page 5 of 6
Attachment 1: Prioritized List of Stream Rehabilitation Projects (continued)
Rank Creek Name Reach Subreach
Reach
Length
(ft)
Location
25 Clearview 2 1 1,440 Between Castlerock Dr and Taft Hill Rd
26 Spring 4 1 1,550 Just west of Lemay Ave to just east of
Stover St
27 Boxelder 6 1 1,330 Through private property south of Vine Dr
28 Spring 2 1 1,070 Between Edora Dam and Welch St
29 Spring 1 3 1,180 Between Prospect Rd and Timberline Rd
30 Foothills 1 1 1,470 Between confluence with FCRID and
Chase Dr
31 McClellands 7 1 From White Willow Dr west through HOA
open space
32 Mail 3 2 1,490 From Fairway Estates dam south through
HOA open space
33 McClellands 6 1 Through Stetson Creek HOA open space
34 Burns 1 1 1,780 From confluence with Fossil Creek north
to Shields St
35 Boxelder 3 1 2,860 Directly north of Prospect Rd through
provate property
36 Fossil 6 1 2,410 Through HOA open space along Fossil
Creek Pkwy
37 Foothills 2 1 1,530 Between Chase Dr and Rigden Pkwy
38 Boxelder 1 4 Through open space south of Prospect Rd
39 McClellands 3 1 1,250 Between Ziegler Rd and Corbett Dr
through HOA open space
40 Spring 3 1 1,600 Between Welch St and Lemay Ave
41 Spring 5 2 1,890 From just SW of Stuart St to RR tracks
west of College
42 McClellands 4 1 630 Between Corbett Dr and Rabbit Creek Rd
through HOA open space
43 Boxelder 4 1 1,410 private property
44 Boxelder 1 3 2,340 Through open space south of Prospect Rd
45 Boxelder 5 1 770 Through private property north of
Mulberry St
46 Spring 1 1 520 From entrance to Cattail Chorus NA west
to bike trail crossing
47 Fossil 7 1 2,610 Between College and RR tracks through
natural area
48 Spring 7 1 820 From entrance to Hill Pond west through
open space
49 Boxelder 1 2 1,270 Through open space south of Prospect Rd
50 Boxelder 5 2 1,240 Through private property north of
Mulberry St
51 Boxelder 1 1 1,770 From confluence with Poudre River north
adjacent to BE Sanitation
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Attachment 1: Prioritized List of Stream Rehabilitation Projects (continued)
Rank Creek Name Reach Subreach
Reach
Length
(ft)
Location
52 Boxelder 6 3 1,450 Through private property south of Vine Dr
53 McClellands 5 1 2,200 Through private property SE of Stetson
Creek neighborhood
54 Spring 1 2 580 Through open space directly north pf
Prospect Rd
55 Boxelder 5 3 1,880 Through private property north of
Mulberry St
56 Boxelder 6 2 1,460 Through private property south of Vine Dr
57 Clearview 1 1 360 Between Avery Park pond and Castlerock
Dr
58 Foothills 3 B From Horsetooth Rd NE through HOA
property to Power Trail
59 Clearview 3 D Between Taft Hill Rd and Hillcrest Dr
60 Foothills 2 C Between Rigden Pkwy and Power Trail