HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/09/2025 - Memorandum from Ginny Sawyer re Council Priorities – Last Update of Term
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Memorandum
Date: December 4, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
From: Ginny Sawyer, Project & Policy Manager, City Manager’s Office,
gsawyer@fcgov.com
Subject: Council Priorities – Last Update of Term
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 through memo and website updates (https://www.fcgov.com/council/).
This will be the last update of this Council term.
Priority Updates
1. Operationalize City Resources to Build and Preserve Affordable Housing
Expedite review of affordable housing projects to achieve decisions within 90 days or less; and
to encourage development of more affordable housing:
Consulting team delivered final report with recommendations to streamline the
development review process for affordable housing. Work is in progress to implement
recommendations for process improvement, including recently testing a new pre-
application process with an applicant.
Staff will also test a more rigorous submittal checklist with this project/applicant when
submitted.
Expand programs for healthy and stable housing – particularly for unhoused or precariously
housed residents, renters, and lower-income homeowners:
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The City provided space at 117 N. Mason for the Fort Collins Rescue Mission to operate
out of temporarily following the 8/23 fire at their Jefferson St. location. FCRM will
continue to operate the seasonal overflow shelter out of 117 N. Mason from November -
April, serving up to 70 men per night. The City continues to support FCRM and partners
to identify other potential locations for the FCRM to operate out of as they have been
unable to move back into their Jefferson St. location, leaving a substantial lack of shelter
beds for men going into the winter season. This includes identifying two churches that
want to serve as community shelters, serving up to 15 individuals per night, on inclement
weather nights.
The City has contracted for over $4 million in federal and local funds to housing and
service providers to support capital housing projects and human services and
homelessness response programs; funds were awarded through the 2025 competitive
process.
Work with partners to stand up community-based shelters as needed.
Reduce fees for affordable housing projects and evaluate all newly proposed City regulations
and fees for anticipated impact on cost to build housing:
Continuing to investigate ways to support ongoing utility fee relief. Currently working
toward implementing recommendations from the High-Density Utilities study, calibrating
capital expansion fees, and conducting indoor water conservation program pilot to
reduce water supply requirements.
Options to expand fee relief for affordable housing are being examined in internal
planning for potential future use of CCIP funds.
Create sustainable, long-term source(s) of dedicated local funding for housing:
Continuing to explore options for revolving funds to provide short-term loans or equity in
affordable housing developments, in conjunction with discussions on CCIP.
Strengthening partnerships with the Urban Renewal Authority, philanthropy and
community development finance institutions to increase available funding for housing
development.
City staff are participating in regional workgroups, convened by the NoCo Foundation, to
strengthen the regional housing landscape, including by identifying new revenue options.
Now that the CCIP renewal has been passed by voters, staff are working on the options
for both use of these funds and process for deploying the funds.
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Identify City resources that could be dedicated to affordable housing; work with housing
authority and partners to leverage resources into new/preserved units:
Land Bank finalizing acquisition of 2 acres at 1900 Laporte from Natural Areas. Process
for acquiring additional land bank property also underway.
Work is underway to complete a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RNHA),
conducted in partnership with Larimer County and City of Loveland. The RHNA is
scheduled to be completed in Spring 2026. It will include recommendations to increase
affordable housing development and preservation and will serve as the foundation for
developing a Housing Action Plan (in compliance with SB24-174).
Staff is working with Housing Catalyst to assign the City's first right of refusal for
affordable housing being offered for sale to them.
Staff are planning to bring the assignment of the City's first right of refusal to purchase
affordable housing offered for sale to Housing Catalyst for Council Consideration on
December 2.
2. Improve Human and Social Health for Vulnerable Populations
Expand human service funding; align with top community needs:
Grants for 22 human service programs began October 2025 ($785k, general fund) and 9
homelessness programs ($446k, general fund + CDBG).
Continue and expand programs that provide direct support to vulnerable populations:
Grocery Tax Rebate Program: 2,648 Grocery Tax Rebate applications processed in Jan-
Sept 2025 (12% increase over same period 2024) with $525k in rebates paid to income
qualified residents.
Equity & Inclusion:
The Office of Equity & Inclusion received 9 service requests in Q3, a 29% increase from
Q2 and 125% increase from Q1, demonstrating sustained demand for equity services.
Training and education requests doubled (from 3 to 6), and IDEA Office
overview/roadshow requests tripled (from 1 to 3).
The 2019-2023 data and dashboard work is complete.
Collaboration with Cultural Services to host proclamation and reception at City Hall for
Latiné/Hispanic Heritage Month; support for Latinos in Baseball exhibit at Center for
Creativity.
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Community Connectors Monthly Meetings: Fort Collins Police Services presented Blue
Envelope initiative; Group discussed Get FoCo application and programs and connected
to PSD Digital Inclusion Liaison support.
Address environmental concerns including air quality and oil & gas policies:
Healthy Homes Q3:
o 26 in-person assessments (10 Spanish, 16 English) 19 DIY Assessments
o 88 short-term radon tests distributed (60 used) 9 long-term tests distributed
o 16 furnace inspections/cleanings
o 24 weatherization/building envelope assessments
o YTD home projects have included: water heaters, radon systems, floors, drywall,
toilets, bathroom fans, windows, roofs, doors, oven hoods, AC, dryer vent,
insulation, furnaces, duct cleaning junk removal, leak repairs and pest mitigation.
Air Quality Monitoring
The City/County Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee continues to meet and host
engagement events including attending various public meetings such as 'Oil and Gas
Methane Reduction' and 'Air Toxics Permitting Needs Assessment' hosted by CDPHE.
Oil and Gas
While oil and gas operations have ceased, work continues to assess contamination and
make progress towards remediation and reclamation. In Q3, environmental assessments
continued as did negotiations with the Energy and Carbon Management Commission to
expedite reclamation on a property with idle wells and storage facilities and equipment.
Continue and expand programs that provide direct support to vulnerable populations:
Approximately 3,500 households are enrolled in Get FoCo with access to reduced rates
for Recreation, Spin, Gardens on Spring Creek and Connexion. 1306 households signed
up for reduced rate Connexion services.
Immigration Legal Fund
Service providers continued representing 115 clients in ongoing cases. Service
providers participated in a Mobile Home Park Resource Fair, providing notary services
for passport applications, power of attorney, and travel letters to prepare for potential
family separation during the event.
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Eviction Legal Fund
Q3 2025 for the Eviction Legal Fund saw 30 renters assisted through 436 hours of
service provided by nonprofit partners. 30 new clients were represented by attorneys
outside of court proceedings to proactively resolve eviction threats. 4 new clients were
represented by attorneys in court in eviction proceedings. 13 new clients received client
consultation/ "Ask a Lawyer" consultation this quarter during legal clinic days. 30 renters
received educational and self-advocacy materials. These results for Q3 reflect only
Colorado Poverty Law Project’s program numbers. Additional Q3 reporting from ISAAC
is not currently available due to a reporting form issue, impacting the education/outreach
numbers.
Mobile Home Park Program
A Work Session on MHP Enforcement led to Council feedback to develop a centralized
program. Staff are currently working on the foundation components like the data
dashboard, staffing assessment, and Code change drafts which will come to Council on
February 17, 2026.
A MHP resident survey was launched, and results will be available in Q1 2026 to provide
data on the breadth and scale of concerns in all Fort Collins Mobile Home Parks.
160 residents attended the AARP-funded Plumbing and Water Conservation Resource
Fair, featuring resources from 32 nonprofit organizations and City departments. We also
offered a variety of services like flu vaccines, Ask a Plumber session, and connection
with housing and immigration attorneys. Additional DIY workshops are scheduled for
November and December for seniors in affordable housing complexes and mobile home
park residents.
6 MHP Home Improvement grant-funded Climate 2050 projects were completed
including installation of new roofs, skirting, insulation, and exterior doors to improve the
function of building envelopes and decrease energy costs.
Neighborhood Mini-Grant Programs
Mini-grant funding is suspended for the remainder of 2025 due to budget cuts.
3. Pursue an Integrated, Intentional Approach to Economic Health
Business Retention and Expansion:
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EHO visited over 145 employers, generating more than 1,000 referrals to City, regional,
state, and federal partners.
The Multicultural and Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) has completed 212 appointments
with 127 unique businesses.
Capital Projects Business Liaison has visited over 465 businesses, including 35 in-depth
project managers and businesses.
Business Attraction and Investment Interest:
Nine active prospective expansion, retention, & attraction projects with a combined
potential of $4B in capital investments.
One approved and completed project (business expansion). Fort Collins business
expansion with $49.5M capex, $2M in refundable tax credits from the State of Colorado
and $745K from Larimer County.
USDA announcement of Fort Collins as a USDA Regional Hub relocation. Partnering
with CSU to support site inquiries and welcome the potential addition of hundreds of new
employees/residents to Fort Collins.
Enterprise Zone (EZ) Redesignation:
Fort Collins EZ was re-designated to include existing EZ areas. In addition, four new
areas were designated which could lead to development opportunities. Areas include:
o SW College between Harmony and Trilby
o SE College to Lemay between Prospect and Mulberry
o NE Vine to Willox from College to Conifer/Redwood to Lindenmeier
o NE Vine to ECR 56 from Turnberry to I-25
Cross- Departmental and Regional Work:
Rapid Response Team formed with Sales Tax, PDT, Liquor Licensing, PFA, and EHO.
Shop Fort Collins campaign launched in November 2025
Business Appreciation Celebration on 11/13/2025 with over 190 guests
4. Advancing a 15-minute City by Igniting our Neighborhood Centers
Council approved on First Reading the draft code updates (6-0); Second Reading Dec 2
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Completed the 15-Minute City analysis update to include case study neighborhood
centers and creation of internal assessment to set a baseline and track progress over
time.
5. Accelerate Zero Waste Infrastructure and Policies
Leverage Existing Infrastructure to Increase Yard Trimmings Composting:
Incorporating yard trimmings collection into basic residential curbside service, offered on
an opt-out basis, significantly expanded participation and diversion. Yard Trimmings
collected curbside are composted.
Total tons of residential yard trimmings diverted increased 150% in Q1–Q2 2025
compared to the same period in 2024.
Citywide participation more than tripled, growing from an average of 7,695 curbside
residential participants in 2024 to 24,665 participants by the end of Q2 2025.
Identify Pathways to Construction & Demolition (C&D) and Food Scraps Infrastructure:
A feasibility analysis was completed for the cost of a community-scale facility to process
food scraps for composting. Additionally, Council opted to include $7M towards facility
construction in the CCIP package approved by voters.
Potential Future Next Moves:
Future efforts will include continuing to explore a pathway to community-scale
composting and a facility with enough capacity to support processing needs. These
efforts will leverage the 2025 feasibility study and the CCIP funds that can be used
towards a facility. Additionally, implications of statewide extended producer responsibility
law on the contracted residential program and other city recycling efforts will be
explored.
6. Reduce Climate Pollution and Air Pollution Through Best Practices, Emphasizing
Electrification
Electrification of Buildings:
Councilmembers reviewed technical assessment pilot results with staff and provided
feedback during the October 28, 2025, work session related to Building Performance
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Standards (BPS) Policy. Staff are bringing an ordinance for first reading on December 2,
2025.
Councilmembers reviewed and discussed amended code package during September 9,
2025, work session. The Zero Carbon New Construction Code has been incorporated
into the Building Code package to be considered at First Reading on December 2, 2025.
Incentives focused programs continue to have success, supporting over 650 residential
upgrades including heat pumps and paying over $950,000 in incentives. Staff continue
to evaluate infrastructure (distribution grid and operational technology) necessary to
support energy transition and identify areas that can support electrification with minimal
upgrades.
Electrification of Transportation/Fleet Vehicles:
An update to the Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap (EVRR) will be finalized by Q4
2025.
o Next steps will be to prioritize strategies and develop near-term implementation
plans
o E.g., identify roles and responsibilities for staff and community partners, develop
budget estimates and timelines, identify potential funding sources, etc.
Phase 1 of Panasonic SMART grant pilot project is complete.
o Stage 1 grant is finished and resulted in 44 charge connectors plus software to
manage them and shut them down during coincident peak periods.
o Operation Services, Utilities and Finance departments are pursuing award
negotiations for Phase 2 for fleet vehicle and electric vehicle charging
infrastructure.
o Updated fleet conversion data: Buses- 6 electric out of 57 (5 new ones to be
delivered by Q1 2026); EVs – 66 out of 990
Conversion of 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).
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Parks’ and Natural Areas’ landscaping equipment are approximately 91% and 80%
electric, respectively.
7. Protect Community Water Systems in an Integrated Way to Ensure Resilient Water
Resources and Health Watersheds
Allotments:
In January 2025, Council approved the assignment of Water Allotment to all commercial
customer accounts who had not previously been assigned an allotment. Excess Water
Use (EWU) surcharges were waived until December 2025, to give time for customers to
adapt their water use and allowed staff time to engage with customers to understand the
impact of the new allotments.
On November 4, 2025, City Council approved a change to the methodology of
calculating the size of allotments for customers whose allotments were based on a 5-
year average use. The method changed to average plus 0.5 standard deviation, which in
effect, will provide a little more flexibility for customers and reduce some of the financial
impact from EWU surcharges.
NoCo Water Alliance:
Coming to Council on Dec 2, 2025, with a resolution to adopt NoCo Alliance principles.
Water Efficiency Plan:
The Water Efficiency Plan was approved by Council in September 2025.
Awaiting final approval from Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Now that it is complete, staff has shifted the focus to building plans and processes
for program and tactic implementation.
Halligan:
401 Water Quality Certification application continues to be reviewed by the state,
approval expected in July 2026.
Record of Decision for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act expected in August 2026.
Final 60% dam design, micro-hydro and valve house design, river crossing and access
road designs to be complete by March 2026.
CWCB Water Project Loan Program loan was approved up to 150M at the November
20, 2025, board meeting.
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Council Touchpoint: Work Session 1st quarter 2026.
Strategic Asset Management Plan:
Completed. Focus has shifted to building out the Tactical Implementation plan with
assistance from consultants.
Poudre River Water Quality Network (PWQN) & Public-facing Dashboard:
The PWQN, funded and implemented in 2023 in cooperation with Colorado State
University, continues to function well and is collecting real-time water quality data on the
Poudre River through Fort Collins.
8. Advancing a 15-minute City by Accelerating our Shift to Active Modes
Planning Efforts:
The Safer Streets Northwest study is underway which will create designs for protected
bicycle facilities on several corridors in the NW quadrant of the city. Continued focus on
design and funding for improved facilities on Lake Street and Laurel.
Engagement:
Lady Moon Open Streets event reaching approximately 6,000 people in our shift to
active modes; continued engagement with Parkwood East as part of our test program
“Shift Your Ride Neighborhood”.
Multi Modal Investment Project updates:
Siphon Overpass is ready to open in December 2025; Power Trail Underpass
groundbreaking; Zach Elementary safety improvements complete.
Council reviewed the draft Transfort Optimization Plan.
9. Develop a Use Plan for the Hughes Property
The recommendation from the Civic Assembly was referred to the November 2025 ballot and
passed with 67.7% of the vote. Staff have started to outline next steps.
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10. Make Government more Accessible, Approachable & Fun
Digital accessibility training continues, and the City's Digital Accessibility Team (comprised of
staff from the City Attorney's Office, the Equity Office, Information Technology, City Clerk's
Office and the Communications and Public Involvement Office) was recognized with a "Busy
Bee" award at the Disability Advisory Board's awards ceremony.
The new Access Fort Collins platform continues to see high use. Over 1500 cases were
submitted in its first quarter.
The new website, fortcollins.gov, is set to go live on December 10. The new site boasts a
simplified and more intuitive customer journey-based navigation that prioritizes the information
visitors seek most. The site will continue to be optimized based on user feedback in the coming
year.
Ratings on City communications and engagement increased significantly in this year's Annual
Community Survey:
Informing residents - +11%
Providing opportunities to participate in government activities- +10%
Listening to community members - +10%
Welcoming community member involvement - +8%
The end of the year provided additional opportunities to make government fun with a variety of
events like the FoCo Pop concert series, Kids in the Park, Open Streets, the 40th Anniversary of
The Farm, Pumpkins on Parade, Treatsylvania, the Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony and
more. The City's Communications & Public Involvement Office also received three awards from
the City and County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) for their fun Harmony
construction social media, Frost Fleet and the updated Emergency Communications Plan.
Finally, the nearly year-long education campaign for Ranked Voting came to close with the
November election, and the outreach paid off. With strong turnout at just over 48%, voters
across Fort Collins got to experience ranked voting for the first time, showing they remain
engaged in investing in and shaping our local government.
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11. Modernize the City Charter
Six Charter Amendments were placed on the November 2025 ballot. Five of these were
approved by voters.
The Charter amendments include:
Charter Amendment No. 1 – Corrects errors and eliminates outdated or unnecessary
language
Charter Amendment No. 2 – Modernizes and updates the Charter
Charter Amendment No. 3 – Modernizes publication requirements and requirements for
adopting ordinances, resolutions and motions
Charter Amendment No. 4 – Aligns the Charter with amended or further developed laws
and removes inconsistencies
Charter Amendment No. 5 – Addresses conflicts of interest (failed)
Charter Amendment No. 6 – Addresses the Council vacancy process
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