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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Read Before Packet - 6/24/2014 - Memorandum From Wanda Nelson Re: Leadership Planning Meeting - June 23, 2014City Clerk 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221-6295 - fax fcgov.com/cityclerk MEMORANDUM DATE: June 23, 2014 TO: Mayor and Councilmembers FROM: Wanda Nelson, City Clerk RE: Leadership Planning Team (LPT) Meeting Mayor Karen Weitkunat, Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Horak, City Manager Darin Atteberry, Assistant City Managers Wendy Williams and Kelly DiMartino, City Attorney Steve Roy, and City Clerk Wanda Nelson met on Monday, June 23, and the following summarizes the discussions that began at 8:03 a.m. June 24 Work Session It was requested that the order of items for this Work Session be changed as follows: 1. Staff Report – Panhandling. Staff is asked to provide an update on efforts to address panhandling and how we are coordinating our responses with those who provide services to the homeless. 2. Long Term Financial Planning Process. Staff is asked to identify budget trends over the next five-ten years and discuss potential funding shortfalls. 3. Snow and Ice Control Program and Sidewalk Snow Removal Compliance Update. Staff is asked to describe: a. The source of funding for snow removal on bike paths and trails. b. Who is responsible for snow removal at bus shelters. c. What measures have been taken to ensure adequate access to transit lines. July 1 Regular Meeting Because the discussion of a possible tax on retail marijuana has been delayed until 2015, a Special Municipal Election for November 4, 2014 is not needed. Members of the Smoke Free Youth Coalition may be attending the meeting to participate in the discussion on expanding the City Code pertaining to smoking in public places. This amendment proposes prohibiting electronic smoking devices in all places where conventional smoking is prohibited, and requires 100% of hotel/motel rooms to be smoke-free. For the discussion on disposable bags, staff is asked to address the following: 1. What alternate programs have been reviewed? 2. Are there communities that have been successful in reducing the number of disposable bags without adopting a local ordinance? 3. Why does the proposed ordinance just target grocers and not all retail establishments? The Mayor will be recusing herself on the discussion concerning the City Council Mall Redevelopment Committee. Leadership Planning Team Meeting June 23, 2014 Page 2 of 3 A Water Utility Enterprise Board Meeting will follow the Regular Meeting to discuss IGA’s concerning potable water and amendments to existing IGA’s. Six Month Calendar Rather than having a presentation at the July 8 Work Session on the Board and Commission Structure Review, staff is asked to provide a written report. The Mayor will be absent from the July 15 Regular Meeting due to her attendance at President Obama’s State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Taskforce on Climate Preparedness and Resilience meeting. The item, “Naming Natural Area at Woodward” will be moved to the August 19 Regular Meeting. A staff report on “Nature in the City” has been requested for July 15. A discussion on possible Charter amendments will be held at the August 12 Work Session. Staff is also asked to bring forward term limits as part of this discussion. The item, “Naming a New Arterial Street Resolution (Vine Street)” will be removed from the Planning Calendar because, just as Lemay was not renamed when it was extended further south, Vine Street will remain so named as only a section of the arterial street is changing. A timeline is attached that outlines the dates for discussions regarding the ¼ cent Capital Improvement Program and ¼ cent Street Maintenance Tax (“BOB 2.0”). A second Work Session will be added to the September 30 “URA Work Session,” and staff has been asked to find another Work Session date in October (and therefore perhaps eliminating the need for a Work Session on November 25). Staff has been asked to determine if the discussion “On-bill Energy Financing” item can occur earlier than at the October 28 Work Session. Mayor Pro Tem Horak will send a proposed resolution regarding this topic (attached). The Art in Public Places Board has requested that their spending authority be increased from ten thousand dollars to sixty thousand dollars. Staff has been asked to schedule this Code amendment for future placement on a Regular Meeting. A memorandum was included in the June 19 Thursday Packet regarding “Senior Household Occupancy Permit,” in which staff recommends creating a process allowing four unrelated senior citizens to share a home. City Manager Atteberry is reviewing this recommendation for a possible Work Session discussion. Other Discussion Items: Deputy City Manager Mihelich reported on: 1. The Planning and Zoning Board will be meeting with their Council liaison Mayor Weitkunat regarding their recommendations concerning the APU process. 2. A citizen has requested a Code amendment that overrides an HOA’s ban on beekeeping (similar to the Code amendment permitting clotheslines and xeriscaping). Staff will be bringing this forward for Council’s consideration in the next two – three months. 3. Mayor Weitkunat and Councilmember Poppaw will be meeting with AARP Associate State Director Roberto Rey on Monday to discuss Fort Collins’ possible participation as an “AARP Network of Age Friendly Communities.” Leadership Planning Team Meeting June 23, 2014 Page 3 of 3 4. He will be bringing forward information regarding billboards at next week’s LPT meeting. City Manager Atteberry participated in a conversation last week at the CML Conference with other interested municipalities regarding train horn noise waivers. Currently these waivers only grant a three year approval and additional dialogue is needed to discuss longer term solutions A memorandum was included in the June 19 Thursday Packet regarding Paved Trail Funding Options and Discussion. Staff was asked to address an option discussed at the February Council Finance Committee: “Continue Natural Areas funding of $350,000 per year provided the County ¼ is extended.” What is the funding plan for trails for 2015/2016? Because there may be fewer dollars for trails from Conservation Trust Funds and Natural Area Funds, staff is asked to detail how this possible shortfall may be addressed. Mayor Pro Tem Horak mentioned an article in CML’s Colorado Municipalities June magazine (page 26) that discusses the use of civilians to conduct certain police and fire work. Staff has been asked to provide information to the owner of “Chippers” (bowling alley) on North College regarding the distance requirements between medical marijuana businesses and recreational facilities. Mayor Pro Tem Horak indicated that the sessions on “Running Effective Meetings” at CML’s conference were helpful and Fort Collins may be able to incorporate some of the suggestions into our meetings. Mayor Weitkunat will provide an update at next week’s LPT meeting regarding a recent airport meeting. The discussion ended at 10:05 a.m. Attachments 1. Timeline for BOB 2.0 2. Resolution On-Bill Utility Financing Program Timeline for BOB 2.0 Discussions 2014 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2015 Feb Mar Apr 2015 Election 4/7/2015 Ballots Mailed Ballots mailed 2-2 1/2 weeks prior Legal Deadline to Adopt Ballot Language 2/3/2015 Council Meeting-Goal: Refer Ballot Language 1/6/2015 Council Work Session-Goal: Finalize package 12/9/2014 Council Work Session-Goal: Present Package Options Special mtg in Oct/early Nov or Nov 25 Council Work Session-Goal: Public Outreach Update/Narrow to 90M 9/30/2014 Council Work Session-Goal: Narrow to $150M 7/22/2014 RESOLUTION 2014-0XX OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP AN ON-BILL TARIFF PROGRAM FOR FINANCING HOME ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS WHEREAS, in 2012 City Council approved an ordinance establishing an On-Bill Utility Financing Program to allow residential Utilities customers to make home energy and water efficiency improvements, repair or replace a water line, or install a solar photovoltaic system; and WHEREAS, the goals of the On-Bill Utility Financing Program are to facilitate more efficiency upgrades in the residential sector in order to reduce the need for future electrical generation capacity, reduce the community’s environmental footprint, promote local economic health by investing in the built environment, and improve the health, comfort, and safety of homes in Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, the On-Bill Utility Financing Program is intended to support the policy goals of Plan Fort Collins, the Climate Action Plan, the Energy Policy Plan, and the Water Conservation Plan; and WHEREAS, the City’s 2013-14 biennial budget dedicates $1,000,000 to the On-Bill Utility Financing Program; and WHEREAS, the On-Bill Utility Financing Program has been available to Utilities customers since January of 2013 in the form of a Home Efficiency Loan Program, which offers an interest rate of 5% or 6%, depending on qualifications, and finance terms of five, seven, or ten years; and WHEREAS, the Home Efficiency Loan Program is tied to the Utilities customer or the homeowner, and must be paid off in full when the customer or homeowner moves; and WHEREAS, since January of 2013, a total of nine Home Efficiency Loans have closed, and an additional two have been approved; and WHEREAS, Midwest Energy based in Hays, Kansas has pioneered a successful On-Bill Financing Program named “How$mart”, which is also known as an On-Bill Tariff Program, that has been replicated in three other states; and WHEREAS, How$mart programs typically limit loan repayments to 90% of the estimated savings generated, tie loan repayments to the premise instead of to the customer or homeowner, charge no upfront fees, and require no credit checks; and WHEREAS, the relatively easy credit terns offered by How$mart programs make them appealing to low-income residents and renters, who might otherwise not be able to implement home energy and water efficiency improvements; and WHEREAS, How$mart programs have averaged 125 home efficiency projects in their first year. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That City Council directs the City Manager to develop an On-Bill Tariff Program for Financing Home Energy and Water Efficiency Improvements, which is to be modeled after the Midwest Energy How$mart program, and which is to be ready for implementation in the first quarter of 2015. Section 2. That said Program shall include the following elements: a) Repayments shall be limited to 90% of the estimated monthly electricity, water, and natural gas savings resulting from the measures installed; b) Interest rates and fees shall not exceed the cost of providing service to the customer; c) As a line item on the utility bill, loan repayments shall transfer automatically from one customer to the next at the same meter until the loan has been repaid in full; d) The program shall be available to any residential customer in good standing, regardless of whether or not the customer owns the property affected; e) The finance term shall not exceed the estimated service life of equipment and material installed; and f) Eligible measures shall include, but shall not be limited to, energy audits, air sealing, insulation, HVAC system maintenance and replacement, refrigerator replacement, lighting upgrades, water heating system maintenance and replacement, solar photovoltaic systems, window and door replacement, and low flow plumbing fixtures. Section 3. That it is the intent of the Council to vote on the adoption of said Program by February 28 th , 2015. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this XXth day of [Month], A.D. 2014. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk