HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport - Mail Packet - 3/4/2014 - City Of Fort Collins 2013 Report To The CommunityREPORT
TO THE
COMMUNITY
City Hall Workers, 1957
Fort Collins Local History Archive H05379
City Government rated much above national
and Front Range benchmarks in the following areas:
Safe City • Welcome Community Involvement
Business Friendly • Accepting of all Citizens
– All data taken from the 2013 Citizen Survey
87% rated the overall quality
of City services as good
or very good.
(Much higher than national
and Front Range benchmarks)
#1 place to work
on the Front Range
rated the overall
quality of life in
Fort Collins as good
or very good.
rated Fort Collins
as a good or very
good place to live.
97% 92%
Letter from the
Mayor and City Manager
Dear Citizens,
Fort Collins is a fantastic place to live, work and play. Nearly
everyone can agree on that. But what makes Fort Collins uniquely
“Fort Collins?” Is it the endless sunny days, the Rocky Mountains as
a backdrop, the miles of trails or perhaps the history of innovation?
While the answer is “yes” to all of the above, the real reason our
town is so great is you! In the past 15 decades our community has
cared enough to intentionally create a place that’s vibrant and
thriving and yet retains a refreshing charm.
Fort Collins has much to celebrate. This year marks the 150th
anniversary of our town. Following a flood in 1864, what was known
as Camp Collins, a military outpost, moved down river to higher
ground. Now, 150 years later we celebrate that historical event, our
rich heritage and our successful accomplishments as a community.
It is notable that our town was shaped out of a flood 150 years ago,
as we also faced and overcame historic rains and floods this past
year. Like our forefathers, our caring community joined together to
rise above the natural challenges and help our neighbors.
As a City and as a community, we’ve made great strides
throughout our history and we can certainly be proud of what we’ve
accomplished this past year. We also recognize that there is always
more to do. Like the flowing water of the Poudre River that energizes
and sustains Fort Collins, our city is in constant motion. Together,
we will continue to show the citizens of today as well as future
generations that we are a community that cares about our history,
our surroundings and our people.
Sincerely,
Mayor City Manager
Report to the Community 3
Culture & Recreation
FC 150 In honor of Fort Collins’
sesquicentennial, the Museum
of Discovery is planning a
special exhibit that presents
the stories that have shaped
Fort Collins. A “living time
capsule” will be curated
throughout 2014 so future
generations can know what
makes Fort Collins unique
in 2014.
Senior Center The Senior
Center is expanding to
accommodate our active adult
population. The expansion will
create an additional 17,000
square feet, adding multi-
purpose rooms, a cardio-fitness
room, a dance and exercise
studio, additional storage
space, a larger lobby and
social cafe, a wellness center,
new administration space,
and more parking.
Fort Collins Museum of
Discovery In its first year the
museum was a resounding
success, as more than 114,000
residents and visitors took in
the array of exhibits from The
Music Garage to the Otterbox
Digital Dome Theatre.
The quality of cultural
and recreational
opportunities in Fort
Collins is much above
the national and Front
Range comparisons.
Nine in 10 rated the quality
of recreational opportunities
as good or very good.
4
Economic Health
Foothills Mall Redevelopment
Construction on the Foothills
Mall is underway now that the
City of Fort Collins and Walton
Foothills Holdings VI LLC
have signed a redevelopment
agreement to clean up blight
and improve the property’s
public infrastructure.
Midtown Fort Collins In
October, City Council adopted
the Midtown Plan, which will
help establish guidelines for
future redevelopment of a
major economic engine in the
city. Midtown promises to
be a bustling, vibrant core
of the community.
Woodward Construction of
the new 101-acre Woodward
Technology Center campus
began in the fall of 2013 on
the site of the former Link-
N-Greens golf course. The
legacy project supports the
City’s desire to retain and
grow primary employers.
Fort Collins has a healthy,
sustainable economy
reflecting community values.
Out of 30 Front Range
communities Fort Collins
ranks first as a place
to work.
72% of residents say that
Fort Collins supports
businesses (up from 65%
last year).
Report to the Community 5
Environmental Health
Climate Preparedness
and Resilience Task Force
President Barack Obama
named Fort Collins Mayor Karen
Weitkunat to the Task Force
on Climate Preparedness and
Resilience. The Task Force is
advising about how to best
prepare communities for the
impacts of climate change,
including modernizing federal
grant and loan programs
to more effectively support
local efforts.
Road to Zero Waste In October
2013, civic and industry
leaders from around the world
converged in Fort Collins to
promote the creation of net
zero energy, carbon and water
communities at the Net Zero
Cities conference.
Advanced Meter Fort Collins
The Advanced Meter Fort
Collins project leverages
new technology and
communications systems
to allow customers to manage
their electric consumption, and
Fort Collins Utilities to optimize
system operations. Meter
installation was completed
in 2013, and the customer
web portal will be available
in early 2014.
90% of residents
say that Fort Collins
has good or very
good air quality
(up from 84% last year).
92% of residents say that
Fort Collins has a good
or very good quality
of the environment.
6
Neighborhood & Community Livability
Adopt-A-Neighbor Program
The program, which matches
volunteers with disabled
or elderly neighbors who
need assistance with snow
shoveling, had 57 matches and
11 pending requests in 2013.
Fall Clean-Up Program This
collaboration between the City
of Fort Collins’ Neighborhood
Services and CSU’s Off-
Campus Life had record
numbers of volunteers and
projects again in 2013. United
Way and Faith E. Free Church
also partnered with this event.
Roughly 1,200 student and
staff volunteers assisted with
210 yard clean-up projects,
focusing on elderly and
disabled residents, resulting
in nearly 3,300 bags of
leaves composted.
Community Welcome Fort
Collins Police Services and
Neighborhood Services visited
more than 1,700 homes close
to the CSU campus welcoming
students. They checked in
with residents, provided
useful information about the
Fort Collins community and
encouraged good neighboring.
Nine in 10 residents
give positive reviews to
the community’s visual
attractiveness.
Report to the Community 7
97% rated Fort Collins as a good
or very good place to live.
92% of residents say that
Fort Collins is a good or very
good place to raise children.
Transportation
MAX Bus Rapid Transit A new
era of public transportation
will commence this spring
along the Mason Corridor as
MAX starts rolling. The new
arterial that is already spurring
business through the core of
the city extends from Harmony
Road to Downtown Fort
Collins, offering service
every 10 minutes.
Street Maintenance Program
(SMP) The SMP performed
maintenance on 38 miles
of streets in 2013; repaired
more than 19,000 linear feet
of concrete curb, gutter and
sidewalk; and installed 120
pedestrian access ramps.
Platinum Bicycle Friendly
Community The League of
American Bicyclists announced
Fort Collins as a Bicycle
Friendly Community with
Platinum designation.
8
83% of residents say
that traveling by bike
in Fort Collins is
good or very good.
Opinions about
driving are mixed;
52% say ease of
driving is good or
very good.
Safety
100-Year Anniversary The
community joined Fort Collins
Police Services in celebrating
its 100-Year Anniversary.
A variety of activities
commemorated this historic
event. The legacy of Fort Collins
Police Services was honored
in the City’s 4th of July parade
with Police Chief John Hutto as
the Grand Marshall.
September Flooding Heavy
rains in early September led
to unprecedented flooding
in 17 Colorado counties.
During and after the flood,
staff from Utilities, Police
Services, Poudre Fire Authority,
Streets, Engineering, Parks,
Communications and others
responded quickly to keep
residents safe and informed,
and to monitor water quality.
In addition, the City provided
assistance to neighboring
communities who sustained
greater damage.
National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Police partnered
with the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration twice in 2013
for the National Prescription
Drug Take-Back Day event.
They collected nearly 1,967
pounds of unneeded and
expired over-the-counter and
prescription medications.
Nine in 10 residents
said they feel safe
in Fort Collins.
(Well above
national and
Front Range
benchmarks)
High Performing Government
Strategic Plan The City
conducted outreach to the
community through the 2013
Citizen Survey, community
conversations and online
dialogue, gathering information
to help update the City’s
strategic plan.
Performance Measurement
The City, using its innovative
online Community Performance
Measurement Dashboard,
is providing transparency
about the progress of its
objectives.
Budgeting for Outcomes
The City is preparing for its
2014–2015 biennial budget by
ensuring that we put the citizens
and their priorities first, rather
than the status quo.
10
70% of residents say the
overall direction of the
city is good or very good,
up from 54% in 2008.
Community Awards 2013
Timberline Award
Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence – December 2013
2nd Best Place for Job Seekers in Colorado
NerdWallet – December 2013
2013 Best Towns in America
Outside Magazine – October 2013
Gold Level Certification
for Utilities’ Water Treatment Plant and Drake Water
Reclamation Facility: State of Colorado’s Environmental
Leadership Program – October 2013
Safest Driving City in America
Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report:
Allstate Insurance Company – August 2013
#7 Best Places for
Business and Careers
Forbes – August 2013
#2 of Top 10 Metro Areas
for High-Tech Startup Density
Kauffman Foundation – August 2013
Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community
League of American Bicyclists – May 2013
Gold Level Certification
Solar Friendly Communities – April 2013
2012 Tree City USA
The Arbor Day Foundation – April 2013
Robert Havlick Award for Innovation
in Local Government
Alliance For Innovation – March 2013
4th Healthiest Mid-Size City in the U.S.
2012 Gallup-Healthways Survey – February 2013
Bob Overbeck
District 1
Karen Weitkunat
Mayor
Wade Troxell
District 4
Lisa Poppaw
District 2
Gerry Horak
Mayor Pro Tem, District 6
Gino Campana
District 3
Ross Cunniff
District 5
Darin Atteberry
City Manager
City Council and City Manager
Horsetooth Rock, Circa 1930
Fort Collins Local History Archive H02679
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