HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 03/04/2025 - Memorandum from Ginny Sawyer re Council Priorities – Q4-2024 Update
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City Manager’s Office
City Hall
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: February 20, 2025
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
From: Ginny Sawyer, Project Manager
RE: Council Priorities – Q4-2024 Update
Every two years, following a Council election, the newly seated Council participates in a
planning retreat to identify priorities and confirm strategic direction. City Council adopted 11
priorities for the 2024-2026 term. These priorities were intentionally developed by Council to
encompass both ongoing work, previously identified strategic initiatives, and opportunities to
accelerate workstreams.
Updates are provided quarterly through memo and website updates.
(https://www.fcgov.com/council/)
Priority Updates
1. Operationalize City Resources to Build and Preserve Affordable Housing
Expedite review of affordable housing projects:
• A consultant team has been selected for a grant funded local planning capacity "fast
track processing" project. Work is underway and staff interviews have been completed.
Preliminary recommendations for process improvements will be provided in early March.
Expand programs for healthy and stable housing:
• Eviction Prevention and Immigration Legal Funds have been fully funded in 2025-2026
budget.
• The Seasonal Overflow Shelter has been operational since November 1 with overflow
beds for 70 men.
• The City has revised the Land Use Code to allow more accessory dwelling units (ADU)
and is working toward becoming an ADU supportive community.
• Rental registration is now required and 67% of Landlords have registered. The goal is to
have 80% registered by year's end. Small landlord incentives grant applications
available through March.
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Reduce fees for affordable housing projects and evaluate all newly proposed City regulations
and fees for anticipated impact on cost to build housing:
• Staff is continuing to investigate ways to support utility fee relief and are working on a
High Density Utilities study to inform recommendations for possible criteria changes,
considering calibrating capital expansion fees, and conducting an indoor water
conservation program pilot to reduce water supply requirements.
• Parking minimums have been removed for multifamily development allowing more land
for housing and cost savings.
Create sustainable, long-term source(s) of dedicated local funding for housing:
• Continuing to explore options for revolving fund to provide short-term loans or equity in
affordable housing developments through the new ¼ - cent tax package.
• Work is underway to update an affordable housing linkage fee study.
• Staff is investigating partnerships with the Urban Renewal Authority and with
philanthropy and community development finance institutions to increase available
funding for housing development.
Identify City resources that could be dedicated to affordable housing; work with housing
authority and partners to leverage resources into new/preserved units:
• Work continues to develop the Remington parking lot into mixed income housing.
• Preliminary design and site analysis for the Tilden Land Bank is underway and staff is
monitoring options for redeploying allocated but unused capital funds to purchase
additional land bank property.
• Beginning to coordinate with Larimer County and City of Loveland to conduct a state
mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment, which will include recommendations to
increase affordable housing development and preservation.
Council touchpoints:
• March 6, 2025 Council Finance Committee meeting will discuss community capital
package and the potential of a revolving loan fund for housing.
• March 2025 work session focused on Priority 1.
2. Improve Human and Social Health for Vulnerable Populations
Expand human service funding; align with top community needs:
• The annual competitive funding process and grant application acceptance for Human
Services, Homelessness, and Affordable Housing began in early January 2025.
Recommendations will be completed late April 2025.
• Human Services & Homelessness Priority Platforms completed and implementation
underway to narrow and deepen the work of SSD around these issues in the community.
This includes emphasizing the priorities in the FY25 competitive funding process,
reviewing staff work plan and programmatic alignment with the priorities, and
deliberating future engagement opportunities with the local nonprofit sector.
Embed equity throughout City programming and operations; monitor progress:
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Equity Readiness Assessments (ERA):
Building upon previous work, the ERA process has demonstrated notable maturation and
refinement, with each assessment yielding more sophisticated insights and actionable
recommendations. These improvements have enabled City departments to better understand
and evaluate their impact on community members, particularly in terms of service delivery and
program accessibility. The iterative nature of the assessment process has proven valuable in
identifying opportunities for enhanced equity integration across City operations, while providing
departments with concrete data to inform their strategic planning and decision-making
processes.
Equity Indicators Update Project:
• Equity Indicators Dashboard - Work continues to build out the dashboard across all
indicators.
• Equity & Opportunity Assessment (EOA) Map – Staff continues to build out the map and
data sources and to pilot internally. Future strategies include providing to public access.
Underserved Communities Engagement and Outreach:
Spanish language community group continues to meet. The group is comprised of members
from Mi Voz, a leadership group from non-profit La Familia, and several immigrant serving non-
profits. They are using the Budget in Brief document to select topics and invite staff in to share
more about how they design and deliver programs, services and activities.
Address environmental concerns including air quality and oil & gas policies:
Healthy Homes: In Q4 the Healthy Homes team provided:
• 14 in-home Air Quality (AQ) assessments
• 26 DIY AQ assessments
• 189 short-term radon tests
• 18 long-term radon tests
• 10 furnace inspections
• 9 weatherization installations
• Additionally, 5 new Healthy Homes Educators were welcomed and trained. Two public
educational events were held: The radon awareness event had over 120 attendees and
a fire safety workshop provided 12 residents of Collins Aire MHP with fire extinguishers,
carbon monoxide alarms, and smoke alarms.
Air Quality Monitoring:
• Staff continues shared leadership with Larimer County on regional AQ monitoring
advisory committee supporting CSU led monitoring and engagement efforts per 2023-
2026 EPA air toxics grant. We are also beginning 1-year of supplemental air toxics
monitoring at a downtown Fort Collins site to help inform State conversations about
establishing permanent air toxics monitoring sites across the region.
Oil and Gas:
• Oil and gas operations within City limits have ceased and will not resume. Staff is
beginning environmental assessments (e.g., soil monitoring) for former oil and gas
property abutting City limits to determine contamination and risk levels following recent
operator departure.
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Continue and expand programs that provide direct support to vulnerable populations:
• Grocery Tax Rebate Program: 3,150 Grocery Tax Rebate applications processed in
2024 (60% increase over 2023) with $578k in rebates paid to income qualified residents.
• As of 1-2025, 3,184 households are enrolled in City benefit programs via Get FoCo;
• Digital Inclusion:
o Heartside Hill (CARE Housing 72 units) is currently under construction and
residents will receive complimentary Connexion Internet through our program.
o Staff and IT continue to improve the Get FoCo app with accessibility
improvements and improvements to the user experience.
o Recent community awards funded laptops for La Familia and Harmony Village.
o The City of Fort Collins has been named a 2024 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by
the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
• Immigration Legal Fund: Immigration Legal Fund partners spent most of Q4 2024
preparing for changes in immigration policy at the federal level and working on safety
protocols for workplaces, schools, and public spaces. The grant review panel selected
four proposals for funding for 2025-2026 and contracting is underway for services with
grant recipients.
• Eviction Legal Fund: 185 residents participated in Know Your Rights trainings and
housing resource fairs through the Eviction Legal Fund in Q4 2024. Four residents were
represented in court in eviction cases. Five tenants received additional legal advice
during the legal clinic days. The grant review panel selected two proposals for funding
for 2025-2026 and contracting is underway for services with grant recipients.
• Community Consultants Program: The Community Consultants Program will take
applications beginning in March to work on upcoming 2025 projects around mobile home
parks, grant administration, gathering and analyzing resident feedback from Opportunity
Neighborhoods, and engagement events for an Art in Public Places Neighborhood
Gateway project design in the Tres Colonias neighborhoods.
• Mobile Home Park Program: Contracting for window replacement grant projects in
Hickory Village was completed. These windows are expected to be installed in Spring.
All grant projects from Innovate Fort Collins Challenge, Climate Tax 2050 funds (2024),
and American Rescue Plan Act are complete and resident interviews are underway.
Staff continues to work with Harmony Village residents regarding water quality issues
inside homes.
Council touchpoints:
• February 25, 2025 work session on mobile home park local and state enforcement.
• Council will receive funding recommendations from the Human Services & Housing
Funding Board in June 2025.
• Council will receive a memo in Q1-2025 profiling the Priority Platforms. This new guiding
document is now used to influence SSD staff work plans and FY25 competitive grant
funding.
• April 8, 2025 work session will focus on this priority.
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3. Pursue an Integrated, Intentional Approach to Economic Health
The Economic Health Office (EHO) is working in multiple areas to ensure effective programing
and to bolster the success of local business.
The Barriers to Business Study is underway with the Institute of Justice and they will be
participating in site visits later this year. Staff is also modernizing the Business Assistance
Policy & Procedures to better support business expansion and redevelopment.
The Economic Health Office has partnered with Larimer County Economic & Workforce
Department (LCEWD) to develop & deploy a Local Industry Grant Hire, Train, Retrain (LIGHTR)
pilot program to address upward mobility workforce training for small businesses. As of
1/31/2025, the program received 39 applications totaling over $105K in requests. Selection and
allocation of funds is anticipated 6/30/2025.
In Partnership with the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and LCEWD, the Northern
Colorado workforce data profile (Larimer and Weld Counties) is being updated. This work will
contribute to NoCo works and the development of a Northern Colorado Talent Plan.
The development of a Job Quality and Access (JQA) Tool for Larimer and Weld Counties will
assist in visualizing underrepresented groups by occupation, identify career pathways that lead
to in-demand occupations, and prioritize occupations to focus future workforce development
efforts. The results can also include other characteristics such as place of work versus
residence, geographic distribution of workers, transportation access which can support 15-
Minute City efforts.
EHO staff continues to support the Land Use Code and Place Based Assessments by providing
Citywide Retail Analysis.
Council touchpoints:
• May 27, 2025 work session focused on this priority.
4. Advancing a 15-minute City by Igniting our Neighborhood Centers
15 Minute City Analysis/Place Based Assessment:
Staff completed seven sample Neighborhood Center assessments which are informing the
identified highest priority actions for both infrastructure and land use. The team is currently
integrating Economic Health Office data sources to also identify high priority actions that support
businesses in Neighborhood Centers.
Commercial Corridors and Centers:
The Land use Code team has developed preliminary strategies to align the code with Guiding
Principles and are continuing various community engagement opportunities including focus
groups.
Digital Transformation:
March kick-off for implementation of new enterprise system implementation planned in March.
Citywide Retail Strategy:
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Initiating strategy development including developing a holistic approach to evaluate citywide
conditions, such as current & future state of assets, consumer behavior changes/habits to
identify strategies and action plan opportunities that align with 15-Minute Cities.
The project scope includes a Retail Action Plan to identify opportunities/gaps and
recommendations of prioritized corridors and nodes. The Retail Action Plan includes identifying
retail barriers and obstacles, as well as a retail recruitment and incentive strategy.
Council touchpoints:
• April 22, 2025 work session – Land Use Code update
• May 2025 work session – Economic Health Strategic Plan
5. Accelerate Zero Waste Infrastructure and Policies
Staff continues to work on the following elements to accelerate zero waste infrastructure and
policies:
• Identify pathways to food scraps and construction & demolition (C&D) materials
infrastructure. Staff is continuing conversations with Larimer County to determine
partnership opportunities with a focus on mixed C&D recycling infrastructure. Given
recent Councilmember feedback, the City will submit a letter of support for the County's
C&D facility grant application, and, if the grant is received and if the facility supports
progress toward Fort Collins' zero waste goals, commit $1.5M of 2050 Tax funding to
support the facility capital costs.
• Staff is working with grant-funded consultants to take a fresh look at potential pathways
to infrastructure for C&D materials diversion and food scraps composting. Consultants
provided a high-level comparative analysis of potential paths for food scraps and C&D at
the end of January. City staff is currently selecting a preferred path for deeper analysis
of capital costs, ongoing operations and maintenance costs, and supportive policy
opportunities, which will be completed in Q3 2025.
• Increase Yard Trimmings Collection: Supported the 9/30/24 launch of the residential
hauling contract with Republic, which includes weekly seasonal yard trimmings
collection. Staff continues collaboration with Republic as well as supporting community
education and customer support.
Council touchpoints:
• March 12, 2025 Council memo regarding proposed code updates related to the
contracted residential trash hauling program.
• April 8, 2025 Council work session on "Accelerate Zero Waste Infrastructure and
Policies."
6. Reduce Climate Pollution and Air Pollution Through Best Practices, Emphasizing
Electrification
Buildings:
• Staff continues development of a local Building Performance Standards (BPS) Policy
framework with City Council, focusing Q1 and Q2 2025 on a pilot to test assumptions of
policy development. Staff are enrolling 5 buildings in the pilot to explore both technical
and financial resources. A customer journey map activity will also be completed to
identify building owner pain points and improvements in implementation strategy.
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• The Zero Carbon New Construction Code project is on track with the development and
planned adoption of the building energy code. Staff are working through questions on
some grant funds due to federal executive orders but have continued the project plan
development and held the first community advisory group engagement on January 23.
Staff anticipates bringing building code recommendations to the broader code review
committee in Q2 2025.
• Incentive focused programs continue to have success, although they are seeing a
declining rate of participation.
• Staff continue to evaluate infrastructure (distribution grid and operational technology)
necessary to support energy transition and grid of the future.
Transportation/Fleet Vehicles:
• The update to the Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap (EVRR) is slightly behind
schedule but staff continues working with vendors on a final report with
recommendations expected in Q1 2025. Staff will begin moving into implementation of
the EVRR recommendations/strategies in Q1 and Q2 of 2025.
• Phase 1 of Panasonic SMART grant pilot project is underway and will continue until
March 2025. Operation Services, Utilities and Finance departments are pursuing award
negotiations for Phase 2 for fleet vehicle and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Small Engine Equipment:
• Environmental Regulatory Affairs (ERA) and Environmental Services staff are leading
efforts for compliance with CDPHE Air Pollution and Control Division (APCD) Regulation
29 (restricting City and City contractor use of specified gas-powered landscaping
equipment under 10 horsepower from June 1 through August 31 annually, beginning
2025).
Council touchpoints:
• April 8, 2025 Electric vehicle Readiness Roadmap staff report
• May 13, 2025 Work Session on Council Priority #6: Reduce Climate Pollution and Air
Pollution Through Best Practices, Emphasizing Electrification. Item will include an
update on a strategic refresh of Our Climate Future as well as discussion of strategies
for Electrification of Buildings, Conversion of Small Engine Equipment, and Electrification
of Transportation/Fleet Vehicles
7. Protect Community Water Systems in an Integrated Way to Ensure Resilient Water
Resources and Healthy Watersheds
One Water Action Framework
• Staff completed a Phase I Report. This report summarizes the current state of the City’s
water resources, infrastructure and planning documents, articulates the Vision & Guiding
Principles of the One Water Action Framework, as well as Strengths & Opportunities for
the City organization for advancing One Water practices. Phase 2 will commence in
early March and will focus on developing a One Water Plan for the City.
Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)
• A second workshop was completed in late January, during which several key planning
tasks were completed, including: completed maintenance, critical attributes, and
hierarchy sections of the SAMP. Workshop 3 will be scheduled for late March or early
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April, at which the SAMP will be finalized. Upon completion, the SAMP will serve as the
strategic guide for implementing comprehensive asset management across the Water
Utilities.
Water Efficiency Plan (WEP)
• The staff team continues work on the Water Efficiency Plan (WEP) and anticipate a
public comment period in Spring 2025 and seeking Council approval of the updated
WEP in summer 2025. Work to date has included development of a new quantitative
model to estimate water savings from conservation strategies that consider water
demand impacts from climate change, growth, and other factors. Extensive community
engagement has also occurred resulting in over 5,000 touchpoints using a variety of
tactics including survey, focus groups, community consultants, and meetings.
Halligan Water Supply Project
• Progress towards complete permitting on the project continues. Major milestones have
included 1041 application submittal, providing Larimer County additional 1041 permit
application information, and hosting site visits for Larimer County staff. Larimer County
Planning Commission Hearing is scheduled on February 19, 2025.
Council touchpoints:
• May 27, 2025 work session to highlight progress around One Water Planning
• February 25, 2025 Work Session item on 2025 WEP
• Anticipate July 2025 (not yet scheduled) –Council approval of updated Water Efficiency
Plan via resolution.
8. Advancing a 15-minute City by Accelerating our Shift to Active Modes
10 Year Transportation CIP:
Completed efforts to update criteria to integrate Council Priorities into the CIP and have updated
prioritized projects to reflect this work.
Strategic Trails Plan (STP):
Significant progress has been made on the STP which identifies future build-out of the paved
trail system and which serves as the backbone for the low-stress bicycling and walking
network. This network also serves to link residents to Neighborhood Centers and Corridors.
2024 Infrastructure Highlights:
• 23 Lane miles of buffered and or improved bike lanes
• 4 lane miles of separated bike lanes added or underway
• 13 bike/ped crossing improvements
A grant was awarded to move forward on a Bicycle Arterial network study for northwest Fort
Collins. This study will take recommendations from the Active Modes Plan and create a more
refined conceptual level plan. This study will be underway in Q2 2025.
Council touchpoints:
• May 20, 2025 Council regular meeting to consider adoption of Strategic Trails Plan
• July 8, 2025 Council work session – Which Wheels go Where: Micromobility
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9. Develop a Use Plan for the Hughes Property
Staff continues work with Civic Assembly partners to implement a community deliberation that
will happen over two weekends (April 12-13 and May 2-3.) The Center for Public Deliberation
has trained 26 community guides to engage residents throughout the community. Postcards
have also been mailed to 15,000 random households to start creating the pool of 20 residents
that will be eligible to the lottery to serve on the Assembly. The Assembly selection will occur on
March 18.
Council touchpoints:
• January 28, 2025 work session to provide an update on Civic Assembly.
• May 27, 2025 work session to provide Civic Assembly recommendation & report
10. Make Government more Accessible, Approachable & Fun
The Digital Accessibility Team partnered with NelNet to complete the first phase of a Citywide
Tech Survey with an opportunity to formally audit several front-facing digital tools and platforms.
The digital accessibility training plan was finalized and will begin in late Q1 - 2025.
Digital Experience Platform (website, legislative management, Access Fort Collins and more)
implementation shifted from discovery into design and development. Training and content
development will begin in Q1-2025.
The Customer Experience team continued working with consultants, BlastX, to implement City
standards for open hours, email and phone response. The team also began work on a Staff
Decision Tree to assess customer interactions and provide suggested improvements to
enhance services/routing across City departments and facilities.
Q4 brought winter and holiday FUN to Fort Collins with the Downtown Holiday Lighting
Ceremony, Garden of Lights, Business Appreciation Celebration, Holiday Makers Markets, and
an exciting partnership with Poudre School District to name several snowplows in the City's
Frost Fleet.
Council touchpoints:
• Council listening sessions at various community events
• City in :60 social media videos (piloting in 2025)
11. Modernize the City Charter
The Charter review was completed by Special Legal Counsel Geoff Wilson and a staff team. At
the January 28, 2025 Work Session, there was interest by Council in bringing forward the
following ballot questions: 1) Reformatting the Charter; 2) Addressing corrections; 3) Aligning
with amended or further developed laws and removing inconsistencies; 5) Modernizing
publication requirements; 6) Modernizing conflicts of interest; 7) Revising language that is
obsolete or no longer needed; and 8) Revising employee and other campaign contributions.
Council is expected to review these items on first reading in April together with any additional
items they may want to consider.
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Council touchpoints:
• April 1, 2025 Council regular meeting
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