HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 07/08/2025 - Memorandum from Dana Hornkohl re Engineering Department Capital Projects Follow – Up June 3, 2025, City Council Regular MeetingEngineering Department
281 N. College Ave.
PO Box 2047, Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6605
engineering@fcgov.com
CC: Marc Virata, Brad Buckman, Dave Kemp, Georgia Fruh
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 30, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director of Planning Development & Transportation
From: Dana Hornkohl, Capital Projects Manager
Subject: Engineering Department Capital Projects Follow-Up
June 3, 2025, City Council Regular Meeting
BOTTOM LINE
At the June 3, 2025, City Council regular meeting there was a question from Councilmember
Ohlson concerning agenda item no. 17 during consent calendar follow-up. The Councilmember
raised two concerns. First, there is no mention of wildlife crossing issues in the Transportation
Capital Improvement (TCI) prioritization or planning. How is that addressed and in what
document? Second, the qualifying statement in the agenda item summary “where they make
sense” was noted and asked to be addressed.
On the first item, the Agenda Item Summary (AIS) outlined the current “Environmental
Considerations” evaluated for capital projects. Councilmember Ohlson wanted to know how
these considerations were memorialized. The Engineering Department has identified an
opportunity to coordinate with the Parks Department to formalize an administrative
“Environmental Stewardship for Trail and Transportation Capital Project Development Policy”
within six months of adoption of the TCI methodology and Strategic Trails Plan (STP). Building
off the environmental stewardship policy goals preliminarily identified in the STP, this
coordinated effort ensures an efficient, consistent, and holistic approach to assess, evaluate,
and mitigate potential impacts on wildlife habitat while identifying opportunities to enhance
habitat through restoration and reconciliation ecology.
Docusign Envelope ID: D357A398-A738-41C0-AA03-547BC517022C
Memorandum to Mayor and City Councilmembers, dated June 30, 2025
Page 2
On the second item, The Agenda Item Summary (AIS) included the following statement,
“Minimizing and mitigating loss of tree canopy, working with various stakeholders to further their
environmental stewardship goals, evaluating projects to provide riparian and wildlife corridors
where they make sense, and limiting the footprint of projects are all examples of how
environmental impacts are considered during the design phase.” The qualifying statement
“where they make sense” should not have been used. Every TCI project will be evaluated with
respect to riparian and wildlife corridors, not just a subset.
BACKGROUND
Agenda item no. 17 sought the adoption of a Resolution 2025-061 (Attachment 1). The
resolution adopts the Transportation Capital Improvement dashboard as a methodology and
foundation for the transportation capital improvement program prioritization and planning. The
resolution was adopted at the June 3, 2025, City Council regular meeting.
NEXT STEPS
The Engineering and Parks Departments will initiate a coordinated effort to formalize an
administrative “Environmental Stewardship for Trail and Transportation Capital Project
Development Policy” within six months of adoption of the TCI methodology and the Strategic
Trails Plan (STP).
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution 2025-061
Docusign Envelope ID: D357A398-A738-41C0-AA03-547BC517022C
RESOLUTION 2025-061
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
ADOPTING THE TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
DASHBOARD AS A METHODOLOGY AND FOUNDATION FOR THE
TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
PRIORITIZATION AND PLANNING
A.The purpose of this item is to adopt the Transportation Capital Improvement
TCI”)dashboard as a methodology and foundation for the transportation capital
improvement program prioritization and planning.
B.The TCI dashboard is a geographic information system (“GIS”)based
project management tool that supports the TCI process.Exhibit A attached hereto and
incorporated herein,is a technical memorandum that summarizes the methodology and
standard operating procedures for the TCI dashboard.The TCI dashboard is a
methodology for evaluating and prioritizing transportation capital projects identified in the
City’s capital improvement type plans,including the Active Modes Plan (“AMP”adopted
December 2022),Transportation Capital Projects Prioritization Study (“TCPPS”adopted
September 2023),and Strategic Trails Plan (“STP”scheduled for City Council
consideration in Summer 2025).The TCI dashboard uses criteria developed from the
City’s various strategic plans and analyses that speak to the City’s strategic goals and
inform the selection,implementation,and construction of transportation infrastructure
improvements including City Plan,2024 Strategic Plan,Our Climate Future,Transit
Master Plan,Vision Zero Action Plan,and the 15-Minute City Analysis.
C.The TCI dashboard does not seek to prioritize maintenance work (street
maintenance program),programmatic work (pedestrian sidewalk program and bridge
program),primary transit infrastructure (bus rapid transit),or trails outside of arterial
corridors.These efforts all have dedicated funding sources and are prioritized based on
the specific evaluation criteria for those programs and projects.However,these efforts
inform the scope of work of TCI projects (transit,trails,bridges),as well as the
coordination/synergy of TCI projects (street maintenance program,pedestrian sidewalk
program,transit).
D.The TCI dashboard is a data driven approach to prioritize the various
infrastructure projects recommended by the plans using criteria that aligns with the
recommendations and goals of the City’s governing planning documents.
E.The TCI dashboard was envisioned as a living tool that can be updated
moving forward by including new projects and updating criteria to match future strategic
planning efforts.Newly identified projects can be added as the various transportation
infrastructure plans are updated.The criteria,weighting,and scoring can be updated to
reflect updates in governing plans,and the prioritization list can be reordered to focus on
funding opportunities and sources that emphasize specific criteria,such as air quality,
safety,or active modes.
Docusign Envelope ID: D357A398-A738-41C0-AA03-547BC517022C
F.The TCI dashboard includes consideration of environmental impacts and
fiscal constraints,and the initial TCI dashboard criteria weighting and scoring was arrived
at after careful consideration and robust discussion of the various groups that plan,
deliver,and maintain transportation infrastructure for the City.The criteria includes:
safety,greenhouse gas reduction health equity index,regional significance/alignment,
synergy,coordination with Streets Department Maintenance Plan,coordination with
Utilities Department Capital and Field Operations Projects,ability to further the goals of
the Urban Forestry Master Plan,coordination with capital projects originating from other
entities such as water and sewer providers like Fort Collins-Loveland Water District and
private utilities such as Xcel,community benefits,bicycle access,and pedestrian access.
G.Primary work on the TCI dashboard began in April 2024 and Olsson
Associates was engaged to help develop and implement the tool.This work was first
brought to the City Council’s attention in August 2023,as part of finalizing and adopting
the TCPPS.Updates on progress on the TCI effort were provided to City Council in
August 2024 as part of the update on the 15-Minute City efforts.In November 2024,City
staff presented an update on the TCI dashboard to the Local Legislative Affairs
Committee.City staff received feedback from Council at the January 14,2025,Work
Session.City staff presented the TCI dashboard to the Transportation Board for additional
discussion on April 16,2025,and the Board was receptive to the TCI dashboard and
methodology.
H.The City Council finds and determines that it is in the best interests of the
City to adopt the TCI dashboard as a methodology and foundation for the transportation
capital improvement program prioritization and planning,and that using the TCI
dashboard advances the public’s health,safety,and welfare by facilitating improvement
of the City’s multimodal transportation safety and infrastructure.
In light of the foregoing recitals,which the Council hereby makes and adopts as
determinations and findings,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS that the City Council hereby adopts the Transportation Capital
Improvement dashboard,as described in Exhibit A,as a methodology and foundation for
the transportation capital improvement program prioritization and planning.
Docusign Envelope ID: D357A398-A738-41C0-AA03-547BC517022C
Passed and adopted on June 3,2025.
ATTEST:
A./
ity Clef
Effective Date:June 3,2025
Approving Attorney:Heather N.Jarvis
Exhibits:Exhibit A -Transportation Capital Improvements Methodology Dashboard
Standard Operating Procedure memorandum,dated May 20.2025
Docusign Envelope ID: D357A398-A738-41C0-AA03-547BC517022C