HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 4/26/2016 - Memorandum From Darin Atteberry And Mike Beckstead Re: Keep Fort Collins Great 2015 Offer RecapAttachment 1
2015 Keep Fort Collins Great Offer Details
Street Maintenance and Repair (33%)
Transportation
o Total Street Maintenance Program (SMP) (Offer 25.1)
2015 Budget: $6,604,681 Expenses/Encumbrances: $6,591,729
Resurfaced an additional 60 lane miles of roadway on arterial, collector and
residential streets to maintain a Level of Service B, which correlates to a
pavement condition index of 70 or better.
Replaced broken and heaved concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter and concrete
pavement throughout the City.
Impact: Protection and maintenance of our infrastructure investment; streets ride
smoother and look better; our sidewalks, ADA ramps and bike lanes are safer for
pedestrians and other modes of transportation; improve poor drainage while
prolonging the life of the roads; and improve the overall impression of our City.
o College Avenue Concrete Work (Offer 25.17)
2015 Budget: $500,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $173,128
Collaborated with CDOT for concrete repairs and trip hazard mitigation, and
provided arborist services to provide long-term quality resurfacing. Remaining
funds are being re-appropriated for 2016.
Impact: Protect and maintain the pedestrian facilities on College Avenue to
increase safety. Improve the aesthetics and functionality of the City’s main
thoroughfares.
o City Bridge Program (Offers 1.2, 1.21)
2015 Budget: $1,955,980 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $1,316,989
The budget was spent on design and construction for replacement of several
structurally and otherwise deficient bridges including the Arthur Ditch at Olive and
Loomis and the West Mulberry Bridge near City Park Nine. Remaining capital
project funds are programmed for projects planned to be under construction in
2016.
Impact: KFCG funded the design and/or replacement of several of the City’s
deficient bridges improving the safety and functionality of our transportation
network. The funding has also been leveraged as matching funds for federal
grants.
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Other Transportation (17%)
Community and Neighborhood Livability
o Lincoln Plan Neighborhood Projects (partially funded by Parks & Recreation
KFCG funds) (Offer 17.2)
2015 Budget: $380,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $116,254
This project is designing and constructing 10 neighborhood projects identified in
the Lincoln Corridor Plan. They address infrastructure deficiencies, safety and
connectivity as well as neighborhood livability.
Projects include enhanced crossings, new sidewalks, transit stop improvements,
park improvements, alley enhancements, park upgrades, wayfinding and
historically inspired artwork.
In 2015 planning, design and implementation was initiated by forming a
Neighborhood Advisory Committee, which has provided guidance throughout the
process. Three of the 10 projects have been completed and another three are
nearing completion.
This is a two-year project; remaining funds are being re-appropriated for 2016
and the remaining projects will be completed in 2016.
Impact: These projects address critical infrastructure needs while respecting and
enhancing the cultural and historical resources of the neighborhood.
Involvement of neighborhood representatives throughout the process ensures
compatibility and a sense of the projects belonging to the community.
o Residential Parking Permit Program (Offer 64.1)
2015 Budget: $84,491 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $41,994
Parking Services KFCG funds were appropriated and carried forward from 2014
into 2015 increasing the budget from $50,916 to $84,491. In 2015, $41,994 was
spent, leaving an underspend of $42,497. This underspend was primarily a result
of the Residential Parking Permit (RP3) Program pausing for several months as
the program was restructured to better address the program goals and
objectives.
One part-time hourly position (0.5 FTE)
Maintain the existing level of service for the program
Impact: Four Fort Collins neighborhoods now have 30% availability, at minimum,
of on-street parking.
Safe Community
o School Crossing Guard Program (Offer 16.4)
2015 Budget: $94,350 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $94,350
An intergovernmental agreement between the City and Poudre School District
establishes a school crossing guard program. The City contributes a fixed
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amount each year to the program, and PSD administers the program by placing
crossing guards at major arterial crossings used by school children.
There are currently 21 staffed crossing locations. Most are staffed twice per day,
and several are also staffed during the mid-day for half-day students.
Impact: This funding represents an important collaboration between the City and
Poudre School District. Providing school children with safe crossings of major
arterial roadways is a shared responsibility of the community, and this funding
makes these crossings possible.
o Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Town (Offer 16.5)
2015 Budget: $30,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $3,605
Funding for this project is divided into two years and 2015 remaining funds are
being re-appropriated for 2016. The first year included a planning and design
study, site evaluation, and identification of a preferred location. Negotiations with
a property owner have begun and are anticipated to be completed in early 2016.
The remainder of the funds will be used to construct Safety Town elements at the
chosen location in year two. The project will be implemented in a “pilot” style
approach, with elements that are mobile and easily adapted as the facility is used
and/or expanded.
Impact: When completed, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Town will provide a
place for families, adults and children to practice skills and participate in classes
hosted by the City and community partners. The realism of the environment will
help participants become more comfortable and confident when using real-world
infrastructure.
Transportation
o Transit Local Fixed Routes (Offer 7.1)
2015 Budget: $568,164 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $568,164
Employee operations costs: salaries, uniforms and benefits.
Fleet maintenance expenses and fuel (bio-diesel and Compressed Natural Gas).
Impact: Citizens’ transit demands were met with 3.2 million trips
o Pedestrian Sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Program
(Offer 1.6)
2015 Budget: $150,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $150,000
Funds were used to construct sidewalk and ramp projects that were identified in
the Citywide Pedestrian Access Project as inadequate and non-ADA compliant.
Funds contributed to 11 projects, which included replacing or repairing nine
accessible ramps for ADA compliance and collaboration with other departments
for additional sidewalk improvements.
Impact: Provide for safer, ADA-compliant sidewalks for those walking and using
alternative modes of transportation.
o Mulberry Bridge Urban Design & Landscaping Improvements (Offer 1.8)
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2015 Budget: $750,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $9,517
These funds have been used for the design of urban design and landscaping
improvements to the Gateway Bridge on Mulberry over the Poudre River. This
project has been coordinated with CDOT’s bridge construction and is scheduled
in the first half of 2016.
Impact: The Mulberry (SH 14) Bridge over the Poudre River serves as an
important landmark and gateway to Downtown Fort Collins. These
enhancements include stone work and documentation on the bridge, landscaped
medians, decorative lighting, and other enhancements.
o Vine and Lemay Intersection Improvements (Offer 1.9)
2015 Budget: $500,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $141,327
These capital project funds are being used for conceptual design, public
communication, and right of way acquisition for improvements in the area of Vine
Drive and Lemay Avenue including a planned realignment of Lemay Avenue and
an improved crossing of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
Impact: Safety, congestion, railroad delay, and neighborhood access issues all
continue to worsen in this area. These funds are critical to advancing the project,
determining the preferred alternative, and setting the stage for construction. This
design and right-of-way work will be completed in 2016.
o MAX Bus Rapid Transit Service (Offer 7.4)
2015 Budget: $411,330 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $411,330
Employee operation costs: uniforms, salaries and benefits
Fleet maintenance expenses and fuel
Support costs for installed technology
Impact: The number of vehicles on the road and parking Downtown were
reduced with 991,159 total trips on MAX.
o Additional Transit Capital Repair and Replacement (Offer 7.18)
2015 Budget: $100,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $99,292
Maintenance and repair of existing facilities and equipment
Impact: City assets were kept in a state of good repair.
o FC Bikes and Bike Library (Offer 2.5)
2015 Budget: $255,159 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $254,112
FC Bikes continued to expand its bicycle encouragement and education
activities. Attendance to annual events such as Open Streets and Bike to Work
Day were at record levels, and nearly 500 people received bicycle safety
education.
Bicycle planning and infrastructure efforts identified in the Bicycle Master Plan
were implemented, including a protected bike lane demonstration project, a
green street demonstration project, numerous buffered bike lanes, and enhanced
intersection crossings such as at Heather Ridge and Prospect.
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In 2015, the Bike Library registered 3,460 new members and checked out 4,043
bicycles. This equates to approximately 45,000 miles traveled by bicycle rather
than by motor vehicle.
Impact: FC Bikes continues to implement programs and activities aimed at
increasing the safety, comfort and convenience of bicycling in the city. These
activities contribute to Fort Collins’ position as one of only four Platinum level
Bicycle Friendly Communities in the country.
o Transportation Planning Services (Offer 2.11)
2015 Budget: $117,518 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $66,830
KFCG funds were applied to a portion of the main Transportation Planning
budget used for consulting services for infrastructure planning and design as well
as the purchase of a Bluetooth reader to support the West Elizabeth Enhanced
Travel Corridor Plan.
KFCG funding was also applied to the City’s membership in the North Front
Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO).
Impact: These funds were part of the larger budget used by FC Moves to
provide transportation planning services. Additionally, they supported
membership in the NFRMPO, which is required in order to secure state and
federal funding for transportation projects and for regional coordination of
transportation planning efforts.
o Traffic Operations (Offer 27.1)
2015 Budget: $69,348 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $65,143
These positions worked in Traffic Operations as part of the pavement marking
crew on Street Maintenance Program (SMP) projects as well as on ongoing
pavement marking maintenance projects.
Impact: Traffic Operations crews completed standard pavement marking
maintenance operations including restriping of marked crosswalks, arrows, bike
lane stencils, railroad markings and longitudinal markings (i.e., double yellow,
white skip lines, etc.). Crews installed durable pavement markings on 117 lane
miles of newly paved streets as part of the SMP program. Focus was put on
adding bike facilities as shown in the updated Bicycle Master Plan. Notable
examples include Taft Hill from Laporte to Mulberry, Horsetooth west of Taft Hill,
and Swallow west of Shields.
o Traffic Operations Equipment (Offers 27.11, 27.12)
2015 Adjusted Budget: $268,348 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $259,635
Various traffic signal upgrades such as new signal cabinets, new communication
infrastructure, new signal poles, accessible pedestrian signals, countdown
pedestrian timers and vehicle (video) detection.
Impact: Safety and operational improvements at signalized intersections and
preventative maintenance to avoid costly failures of aging infrastructure.
Response overtime for signal malfunctions reduced in 2015 compared to
previous years.
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o Essential Street Operations (Offer 25.3)
2015 Budget: $89,012 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $89,012
KFCG funds were used to continue payments on lease purchase agreements
which include two snow plow trucks, two sidewalk clearing machines (which can
also be used on the MAX BRT guideway), and a material unloader for deicing
products.
Impact: The Streets Department replaced equipment that was aging to improve
efficiency and productivity, continuing exceptional service for maintenance
operations.
o Capital Equipment Purchases (Offers 25.11, 25.22)
2015 Budget: $805,139 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $805,139
KFCG funds were used to continue payments on lease purchase agreements
which include two snow plow trucks, two sidewalk clearing machines (which can
also be used on the MAX BRT guideway), and a material unloader for deicing
products.
Impact: The Streets Department replaced equipment that was aging to improve
efficiency and productivity, continuing exceptional service for maintenance
operations.
o Safe Routes to School Program (Offer 165.1)
2015 Budget: $74,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $73,874
KFCG funds were used to support the activities of the Safe Routes to School
(SRTS) program in its implementation of the educational programming elements
of the Bicycle Master Plan.
SRTS leveraged program funds to obtain a state grant to implement a school
rotation schedule, directing programming at schools at specified intervals to
ensure all students receive education during their time in Kindergarten through
8
th
grade.
SRTS administered the SRTS Strategic Traffic Infrastructure Program,
constructing numerous small enhancements in school zones such as ADA
ramps, sidewalks, and paths.
Impact: Safe Routes to School provides high quality programming focused on
the 5 E’s of safe cycling and walking: education, encouragement, engineering,
enforcement, and evaluation. These activities equip children and adults with
skills and information to help them live safer and healthier lifestyles.
Police (17%)
Safe Community
o Police Information Services (Offer 56.2)
2015 Budget: $597,888 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $273,065
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KFCG funding provided five dispatch positions, one Police Services Technician,
and one Property and Evidence Technician for the Police Information Services
division.
Unplanned vacancies in the dispatch center affected the overall spending in this
offer.
Impact:
Emergency Services Dispatchers (5)
The added staffing continues to contribute to the decrease in overall overtime
in Dispatch.
The initial dispatch KFCG positions were utilized as entry level call-taking
positions and with those positions being staffed across the shifts, radio
dispatchers are able to continue their focus on primary radio traffic and
channel-management responsibilities, which increases safety.
The dispatch center continues to see improvements in service (call answering
times and hold times) and operational improvements (focus on specific-job
responsibilities, such as radio and telephone answering) due to this additional
staffing. In 2015, both Poudre Fire Authority and Poudre Valley Hospital
Ambulance received accreditation due to the reduction in call processing
times.
Police Services Technician (1)
The addition of a Police Services Technician helps manage the increasing
numbers of police reports to be typed, classified, and prepared for citizens
and the District Attorney’s office. This position also helps manage the walk-in
service needs for the District One substation.
Property and Evidence Technician (1)
Demand on the Property and Evidence Unit continues to increase. There has
been an increase in evidence intake due to criminal investigation needs and
due to the body-worn camera program for officers. The camera program is
expected to expand again in the future.
o Police Criminal Investigative Services (Offer 56.6)
2015 Budget: $1,411,294 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $1,407,501
Using KFCG funding, the Criminal Investigations Division hired seven detectives,
one sergeant, four civilian investigative aides, and one Technical Services
Specialist.
Impact:
Forensic Services Unit (2 Detectives and 1 Sergeant)
Processed 93 major crime scenes that included collection of evidence at
complex sexual assaults, burglaries, armed robberies, shootings, arson and
homicide cases.
Expertise resulted in better identification, preservation, collection and
processing of critical evidence crucial to prosecuting serious cases at trial.
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Detectives gave 28 community presentations to approximately 485 individuals
in PSD, CSU and Front Range Community College classes, the Citizen’s
Academy and other community groups.
Provided training for both internal and external groups such as mini-academy,
Explorer Scouts, new detectives, CSIs, PVH nurses on evidence collection,
and coroner’s investigators.
o Police Criminal Investigations Fleet Fuel, Lease Purchase and Maintenance
(Offer 56.7)
2015 Budget: $58,794 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $58,794
This offer provides vehicles for the Investigations-based officers funded by
KFCG.
Impact:
Expenditures from funds allocated for vehicles under KFCG were used to
support purchase, management, maintenance and fuels for vehicles
leased/purchased in accordance with policy and KFCG positions.
Driving newer vehicles results in lower total fleet costs and higher fuel
efficiency. The vehicles purchased with KFCG funds are cheaper to maintain
and several of the Investigations vehicles are alternative fueled (Hybrid).
o Police Office of the Chief and Administration (Offer 56.10)
2015 Budget: $38,375 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $13,350
This offer funds the costs associated with hiring and training and the logistical
costs for all of the Agency’s KFCG employees.
o Police Patrol Services (Offer 56.15)
2015 Budget: $481,678 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $481,678
This offer funds four police officers to specifically address growth in the Campus
West area through presence and problem-oriented policing methods. Two of the
officers are assigned to the NET team to specifically address the Campus West
area, while the remaining two were assigned to patrol shifts to increase officer
availability in the area.
Impact:
The most positive impact of having two NET officers assigned to a smaller
Campus West area is the relationship building that is occurring. While a very
high level of enforcement was provided to the neighborhoods, officers are
now better learning the issues they can help address. Prior to implementation
of these KFCG-funded officers, there were numerous issues with large parties
growing to concerning levels, visible signs of disorder in the neighborhoods,
etc. Focused problem-solving has removed many of the broad repeat issues,
allowing officers to focus on other concerns affecting quality of life.
Recent community meetings have demonstrated the impacts as well.
Neighborhood concerns that previously focused on high order issues of large
parties, noisy crowds walking or gathering on residential streets, disorderly
conduct, underage consumption of alcohol, and trespassing have been
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reduced, with neighborhood focus now transitioning to occupancy
enforcement, street lighting, and similar issues.
o Police Patrol Specialized Units (Offer 56.17)
2015 Budget: $1,504,354 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $1,310,371
This offer includes a Neighborhood Policing Lieutenant, one sergeant and seven
officers comprising the Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET), a Liquor
Compliance officer and a Marijuana Compliance officer, three officers assigned
to the Downtown area, and one Patrol crime analyst.
Impact:
Patrol Crime Analyst
The Patrol crime analyst has coordinated extensively with other law
enforcement agencies for information sharing on crime trends and suspects.
This has led to increased awareness of regional issues within our agency and
has assisted in making connections on cases within our jurisdiction.
The Patrol crime analyst has assisted with the research and implementation
process for new software (Lumen) that will allow employees to more easily
search multiple databases at one time for crime information. This will provide
timely access to information that was previously difficult to locate, further
“connecting the dots” in a manner that wasn’t previously possible due to
resource constraints.
District 1 Officers (3)
The District 1 officers have developed strong, positive working relationships
with Downtown business owners/operators and the homeless community.
They are well recognized and are known by name. These relationships help
when identifying offenders and addressing both criminal and non-criminal
concerns. They have increased police presence, foot patrols and community
outreach/engagement in the Downtown area.
Marijuana and Liquor Compliance Officers (2)
With the legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana, regulation
and enforcement has taken an increasing toll on Police Services. Previously
handled by detectives as a collateral assignment, as of November Police
Services has its first full-time marijuana regulation and enforcement officer.
This position has streamlined the application process for marijuana grows and
dispensaries. Whereas the applications were previously taking three-to-four
months to process, they are now taking approximately three weeks. The
addition of this position has caught up on the backlog of pending applications
and allowed for more proactive enforcement of illegal grows in residential
dwellings throughout the city, which was previously not a focus of the
marijuana regulation/enforcement efforts due to resource limitations.
For the past 10+ years, liquor enforcement and regulation has been handled
by various District 1 officers as a collateral duty, when time from their regular
duties and responsibilities permitted. As of November 2015, Police Services
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has a full-time liquor regulation and enforcement officer who implemented
regular inspections of liquor licensed establishments throughout the city. He
has introduced himself to owners/operators of liquor licensed establishments
and has developed positive working relationships, which in turn leads to
better compliance and quicker resolutions when issues arise.
The Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET)
NET continues to develop strong relationships in the community. Each of
seven officers is assigned a particular area of town, where they get to know
the residents, business owners, and organizations. It is very common for
citizens to contact “their neighborhood officer” directly when they have
questions or concerns, because of the relationships that have already been
built. Two additional officers assigned directly to the Campus West area are
contained in the Patrol KFCG offer.
The NET Team continues to make a very positive impact in all areas of the
City in regards to property crimes, houses where suspected drug dealing is
impacting the neighborhood and many nuisance issues.
NET officers have created relationships with apartment complexes and used
creative problem solving approaches to improve the quality of life in these
complexes and reduce the police calls for service.
The NET team continued their work to impact prostitution and human
trafficking in Fort Collins. Many crimes and calls for service in Fort Collins,
primarily at hotels, have been linked to prostitution. Research shows a strong
link between prostitution and human trafficking. The NET team created and
provided an Inn-Keeper training class to local hotel and motel operators,
educating them on how to recognize, prevent and report prostitution on their
properties. The NET team also assisted in the development of an alternative
sentencing class for people arrested for soliciting prostitutes. Similar classes
in other jurisdictions have been shown to be effective in reducing the
recidivism rate in those who attend.
NET continues to work on sex crimes in neighborhoods. Multiple cases of
invasion of privacy (peepers) and sexually motivated burglaries were
investigated last year. One particular suspect apprehended by NET was
connected to multiple sexually motivated invasions of privacy cases in Fort
Collins and Eugene, Oregon. NET also provided safety presentations specific
to sexually motivated crimes to patrol officers, community members, and CSU
students.
Investigative Aides (4)
During 2015, obtained digital evidence from 172 mobile devices for 119 cases
in 2015, including DVR evidence collection from the field.
Administered a sex-offender management program, whose information is
publicly available, through a web-based system called SOTAR (Sex Offender
Tracking and Registration) to improve tracking of the 304 registered sex-
offenders in Fort Collins.
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Significantly improved and increased the collection and research of
surveillance video related to criminal cases.
Drastically reduced the administrative load of supported detectives through
such activities as researching phone calls made by criminal defendants from
the jail; assisting in collection, categorizing and logging of evidence during
execution of search warrants; photo lineup support; researching potential
suspect identifications; creating crime bulletins; daily incident log reviews;
collating data-driven policing information; SANE exam submittals to CBI;
coordination of tips in relation to criminal cases; transcribing pre-text phone
calls, 911 calls, and radio traffic; collating statistics; conducting DHS Referral
reviews; and more.
Improved community outreach by coordinating the many job shadow requests
the Division receives from members of the community at large.
Provided community outreach through various fliers and e-mail distributions,
along with community business talks at pharmacies and banks.
Property Crimes Detective (2)
Contributed to lower the average case load for each detective improving
customer service by allowing each detective to begin investigations sooner
and give additional attention to each case.
Increased our community outreach through robbery prevention presentations.
Cleared a series of criminal cases by arresting and gaining full confession
from a suspect involved in many vehicle trespasses and locker room
burglaries at fitness centers located across the community.
Facilitated partnership regionally by working a series of theft cases from
female victims in the Downtown area, coordinating with sister law
enforcement agencies having similar crimes in their jurisdictions, and
identifying and charging a suspect in these cases.
Coordinated investigations of out-of-state law enforcement agencies with
interest in local people for crimes committed in their states.
Financial Crimes Detective (1)
Adding this valuable Certified Fraud Examiner to the Financial Crimes Team
significantly and positively impacted the investigation of increasingly complex
financial crimes. In 2015, this detective was assigned 25 new cases with a
case clearance rate of 25%.
Criminal Impact Detectives (2)
Targeted repeat offenders/career criminals who are responsible for a
disproportionately large amount of criminal activity and who pose a significant
risk to the community.
Apprehended dangerous fugitives in a timely and effective manner.
Assisted other units within the agency in the investigation of serious crimes
and patterns of criminal activity.
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Impacted gang motivated criminal activity through intervention, suppression
and education.
Oversaw the Sex Offender Registration and compliance program.
Technical Services Specialist (1)
The Technical Services Specialist (TSS) has supported all investigative
teams in standardizing the purchase and application of investigative
technology. The TSS was instrumental in the repair of aging technical
investigative items as well as the research and procurement of new devices
that assisted FCPS and its law enforcement partners.
o Police Patrol Fleet Fuel and Maintenance (Offer 56.20)
2015 Budget: $341,600 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $284,835
This offer provides vehicles for the patrol-based officers funded by KFCG.
Impact:
Expenditures from funds allocated for vehicles under KFCG were used to
support purchase, management, maintenance and fuels for vehicles
leased/purchased in accordance with policy and KFCG positions.
Driving newer vehicles results in lower total fleet costs and higher fuel
efficiency. The vehicles purchased with KFCG funds are cheaper to maintain
and gain nearly a full mile per gallon more fuel efficiency than the balance of
the Patrol Division vehicle fleet.
o Police Services Daytime Specialized Enforcement Supervisor (Offer 56.33)
2015 Budget: $124,123 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $124,123
This offer added a sergeant to supervise and direct increased officer presence
and response to Downtown issues during the daytime in a broad-based problem-
solving effort. This position was filled in April of 2015. This offer is
complementary to elements of offer 56.17.
Impact:
From May-October, this sergeant worked to build the daytime District 1 unit.
As of November, the team that previously consisted of two officers now
consists of four officers, a Liquor Compliance officer, a Marijuana Compliance
officer, and a supervisor. This has been the realization of a long-term goal to
staff both daytime and nighttime teams Downtown with a directed problem-
solving approach.
This supervisory position has developed strong working relationships with
Downtown partners including business owners, residents, visitors, service
providers, business and civic organizations, other City departments, and the
homeless population. With the increased staffing and supervision, the District
1 daytime team is able to respond quickly to complaints and concerns in the
Downtown area by meeting with complainants and others impacted by the
concerns, mediating conflicts, identifying and addressing root causes of
problems, using innovative approaches to address problems and concerns,
and using reasonable and compassionate enforcement of municipal
ordinances and state laws when necessary and appropriate.
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Fire (11%)
Safe Community
o Poudre Fire Authority Operation, Maintenance and Capital (Offer 161.2)
2015 Budget: $2,649,902 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $2,520,533
South Battalion (4 FTE)
Impact: Implementation of the South Battalion has reduced battalion chief
response time by about two minutes when compared with battalion chief
response time prior to South Battalion.
Shift Safety Officers (3 FTE)
Impact: Implementation of the Shift Safety Officer places a qualified Fire Officer
on the scene of critical emergency scenes to protect the safety of firefighters.
This reduces the potential of injury and thereby reduces workers compensation
costs.
Four-Person Company (3 FTE)
Impact: The four-person company staffing has been moved from Station 12 (321
Country Club Road) to Station 8 (4104 Main Street, Timnath) in order to bring
that station to full staffing from a volunteer station. This station is projected to
respond to approximately 41% of calls within City limits.
Public Education Position (1 FTE)
Impact: The Public Education position is a key outreach role that aims to reduce
the potential of injury to citizens by developing and delivering public education
programs targeted to at-risk populations.
Accreditation Manager (1 FTE)
Impact: Poudre Fire Authority achieved accreditation through the Center for
Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and is now incorporating this process to drive
continuous quality improvement methods and outcomes measurement into its
operations. The position has allowed PFA to conduct better research to
determine areas for improvement. One significant improvement in 2015 was a
reduction in the total response time of PFA apparatus through efficiencies
identified in call processing and resource deployment.
Operations/Support Division Chief (1 FTE)
Impact: Allowed for development of the Support Division and reduced the span of
control for the Operations and Support Division Chiefs. Articulates the Fire
Chief's Mission and Vision through the chain of command and ensures the
employees in the Operations Division are living the Mission and Vision
organizationally.
Apparatus Replacement
Impact: The Apparatus Replacement funds allocated ($167,083 in 2015) helped
PFA purchase a fire engine to replace an older piece of apparatus. The regular
replacement of apparatus allows PFA to reduce maintenance costs, decrease
apparatus downtime, and helps the Authority to incorporate more
environmentally friendly technology into its response equipment.
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Parks and Recreation (11%)
Culture and Recreation
o Ice and Aquatics (Offer 83.1)
2015 Budget: $295,016 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $292,283
Funding in this offer supported all programming, facility, and clerical staff at
Mulberry Pool. Activities at Mulberry Pool include youth and adult swim lessons,
private lessons, water safety instruction, and adaptive and therapeutic aquatics,
as well as birthday parties, group swim, and team practices.
Impact: More than 3,000 enrollments occurred for swim lessons, water fitness,
and therapy activities. Team practices and leisure swim activities resulted in an
additional 49,313 visits to the facility.
o Recreation Activities and Programs (Offer 83.2)
2015 Budget: $992,812 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $935,035
The Fort Collins Senior Center provides opportunities to adults 18 and over to
engage in physical and social activities. The Northside Aztlan Community Center
is a popular facility serving all ages with a wide variety of activities, classes,
programs and events. Funding in this cycle provided youth and teen programs,
adult activities, facility maintenance, and clerical staff.
Impact: 237,429 participations occurred in programs supported by KFCG.
o Recreation Administration and Communications Services (Offer 83.3)
2015 Budget: $25,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $8,903
Funding intended for Recreation software upgrade ($15,000) has been delayed
by the vendor. Equipment replacement included outdoor umbrellas for City Park
Pool, replacement of lane lines at the Senior Center and Mulberry Pool, and a
new stage for EPIC swim meets and events.
Impact: Improved safety for patrons and enhanced the appearance of City
aquatic facilities.
o Recreation Scholarship Program (Offer 83.11)
2015 Budget: $70,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $70,000
Dedicated scholarship dollars help Recreation provide reduced fees for low
income residents to participate in programs and activities.
Impact: 3,746 youth participants received reduced fees for activity enrollments in
2015. The value of these scholarships exceeded $228,000, however no one is
excluded from participating if eligible. In addition 3,200 unlimited visit reduced fee
passes were issued although no scholarship dollars were available to subsidize
this program.
o Parks, Trails and Facility Grounds Maintenance (Offer 98.1)
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2015 Budget: $699,987 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $610,685
Seasonal employees were hired to provide summer park maintenance including
restroom cleaning, mowing, trimming, trash collection, flower/shrub bed planting
and maintenance, and sports field preps. ($138,300)
New neighborhood parks built since KFCG funds were approved in 2011 (i.e.,
Radiant Park, Registry Ridge, and Waters Way) were maintained in accordance
with Park Division standards ($146,777)
Funds for new parks and trails included Maple Hill Park, Trail Head Park, and
new trails. ($47,975) With the delay of Maple Hill construction maintenance
funds of $38,000 will be returned to the KFCG Fund.
Examples of Lifecycle projects as follows ($366,935):
Playground equipment replacement and resurfacing
Parking lot resurfacing
Tennis court upgrades and crack fill
Walkway replacement
Ballfield light poles and lights replacement
$51,302 in lifecycle funds will be re-appropriated in 2016 for Avery Park
playground replacement
Impact: Parks facilities and infrastructure continue to be replaced and repaired
with available funding, seasonal workforce continues to provide maintenance
during the growing season, and new parks and trails are appropriately
maintained.
o Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Playground Compliance (Offer 98.2)
2015 Budget: $115,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $115,000
ADA playground surfacing improvements were made at Blevins, Library,
Miramont, Overland, Rogers, Warren, and Troutman parks.
Impact: Surfacing conversion from sand to engineered wood fiber made these
playgrounds ADA accessible. This increased the number of accessible
playgrounds in the park system from 14 (35%) to 21 (52%).
o Southeast Community Park (Offer 98.3)
2015 Budget: $116,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $0
With the delay of park construction, funding for the purchase of equipment will be
re-appropriated in 2016.
Impact: Equipment purchased will be used to properly maintain the park site after
construction is complete.
o Northside Skate Park Lights (Offer 168.1)
2015 Budget: $155,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $151,749
Outdoor lights were installed at the NACC/Old Fort Collins Heritage Park skate
park.
Impact: The skate park is now available for use after dark and lights are creating
a safer environment for facility users.
o The Gardens on Spring Creek (Offer 44.1)
Page 16 of 25
2015 Budget: $107,555 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $107,555
Funded a full-time position that would have otherwise been laid off. This
employee maintains the Children’s Garden, the greenhouse propagation program
and overall site maintenance as needed.
The Gardens are open seven days a week and staffed with hourly employees as
needed.
A Colorado State University (CSU) horticulture intern was hired to help maintain
the Gardens while earning credit to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Impact: The Gardens is open seven days a week to the public during the growing
season and is maintained to the best management practices of a botanic garden.
o Memorial Parks (Offer 68.1)
2015 Budget: $100,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $100,000
Seasonal work force was hired and assisted with maintaining the cemeteries’
grounds during the growing season.
A new section of niches are currently under construction in Grandview Cemetery.
Impact: The cemeteries were well maintained throughout the year contributing to
the 83% satisfaction rating in the Citizen Survey. Additional burial options are
being expanded at Grandview with the construction of more niches.
Other Community Priorities (11%)
Community and Neighborhood Livability
o Social Sustainability Programs and Services (Offer 48.1)
2015 Budget: $250,047 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $250,047
Funded 10 non-profit Human Service Agencies that provide services to residents
living in poverty.
Impact: Low-income parents receive assistance for childcare and before- and
after-school care often allowing parents to continue working or to attend school to
work toward improving their financial situation. Single parents are given an
opportunity to participate in self-sufficiency programs; children from food insecure
families are provided good, nutritious meals; and youth who have experienced
trouble with law enforcement are given the opportunity to find a more positive
direction. People who are homeless are able to receive equipment and services
to help them while living without safe and secure housing, and children and
adults who have experienced sexual assault are able to receive necessary
services to help them heal.
o Homelessness Initiatives (Offer 48.7)
2015 Budget: $25,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $25,000
Funded $6,000 toward the 2015 Overflow Shelter and $19,000 for HMIS program
support.
Page 17 of 25
Impact: $6,000 was provided toward the overflow shelter and has enabled our
partner non-profit homeless shelter providers to provide overnight temporary
shelter during the cold winter months (November through March). It provides
shelter to families, women and men. Approximately, 4,000 shelter beds are
provided per month for men, 1,200 for women, and 150 for families.
The funding for HMIS provided to Homeward 2020 has assisted with attaining a
consistent program for collecting data regarding people experiencing
homelessness and the services they need and use. The improved data
collection will enable the community to understand the impacts, needs, and how
to best utilize future funding for homelessness initiatives.
o Additional Funding for Affordable Housing Fund (Offer 48.8)
2015 Budget: $200,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $200,000
Partial funding for FCHA Village on Redwood Project
Impact: Addresses the City’s shortage in affordable housing by providing gap
funding needed to develop 72 units of multi-family rental housing affordable to
households earning between 30-60% of the area median income.
o Alley Maintenance (Offer 172.1)
2015 Budget: $125,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $124,241
This was a reimplementation of the alley maintenance program. Graded and
shaped all the unpaved alleys in the system. Placed recycled asphalt and
asphalt in two alleys.
Impact: By grading and shaping the alleys, drainage is improved in residential
neighborhoods and business areas, and citizen feedback has been positive.
Culture and Recreation
o Urban Forest Management (Offer 99.1)
2015 Budget: $158,390 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $158,390
Tree pruning and removal in parks and City right of way with more than a 10%
increase in work.
Impact: Tree pruning and removal work addressed public safety and improved
tree health and aesthetics.
o Forestry Priority Safety Tree Pruning and Removal (Offer 99.2)
2015 Budget: $90,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $90,000
Funds were used for tree pruning and removal work on Collindale Golf Course,
Grandview Cemetery and for street trees in select areas of Old Town Fort
Collins.
Impact: Tree pruning and removal work addressed public safety and improved
tree health and aesthetics.
o Parks, Trails and Facility Grounds Maintenance (Offer 98.1)
2015 Budget: $60,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $45,825
Page 18 of 25
Funds were used for the 2015 4
th
of July celebration in City Park.
A $23,000 donation reduced the need for KFCG funding in 2015 and allowed
Parks to return $14,175 to the KFCG Fund to be used for other purposes in the
future.
Impact: A safe, successful and enjoyable event was provided to the community.
o Systems Specialist (0.5 FTE) (Offer 74.2)
2015 Budget: $52,451 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $52,451
An additional IT position was hired to support the extensive IT needs within
Recreation, Cultural Services, Parks and Natural Areas.
Impact: IT support has improved for both City departments and the citizens using
these services.
Economic Health
o Downtown Landscaping and Maintenance (partially funded by Parks &
Recreation KFCG funds) (Offer 100.1)
2015 Budget: $252,203 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $232,203
Flowers were planted and maintained during the growing season in 4,377 sq. ft.
of flower beds, 46 hanging pots and 162 pots.
Cleaning between blocks along College Avenue included eight power washings,
daily tree grate cleaning, and cigarette/trash pickup.
Maintenance responsibilities were expanded along Linden Street to the
Encompass Block.
Linden Street Park construction was delayed; therefore, $20,000 is being
returned to the KFCG Fund for future projects.
Impact: The Downtown flower program and cleanliness continue to contribute to
the success of the Downtown area.
o Industry Cluster Support and Development (Offer 46.13)
2015 Budget: $200,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $200,000
The Northern Colorado Manufacturing Sector Partnership was awarded $30,000
for continued vocational and technical skills training, facilitating industry
connections, strengthening the manufacturing talent pipeline, and more.
The Northern Colorado Food Cluster (NCFC) was awarded $30,000 to continue
industry capacity building, identifying high impact community projects and
building outcome-orientated coalitions, and preparing for a regional marketing
and promotion campaign for local producers and suppliers.
The Northern Colorado Health Care Sector Partnership was awarded $20,000
and focused on workforce training, behavioral health, community education, and
pre-admission screening and resident review regulations.
SpokesBUZZ, a local music incubator, was awarded $20,000 for creative
industry talent development efforts, and arts and music promotion and marketing.
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The Colorado Water Innovation Cluster (CWIC) was awarded $20,000 for
conducting a series of ‘Lunch & Learn Sessions’ in 2015, as well as their ‘Think &
Do Tanks,’ and BREW: Building Relationships through Education in Water.
The Colorado Clean Energy Cluster (CCEC) was awarded $20,000, which
included funding for a Transportation Area Study, funding for the next phase of
C3E (advancing women in clean energy), and funding for relevant Topical
Symposia.
The Downtown Fort Collins Creative District was awarded $15,000 as they
embark on a two-year incubator-style program with an end goal of earning State
of Colorado Creative District certification.
Idea2Product, the 3D printing lab at CSU, was awarded $14,000 for enabling
small-scale fabrication to expand innovation in Fort Collins.
The Northern Colorado Bioscience Cluster (NoCoBio) was awarded $11,000 for
continuing to grow the bioscience mentorship network, building the bioscience
pipeline, and supporting emerging Northern Colorado bioscience companies.
Launch NoCo, the entity that has hosted Fort Collins Startup Week, was awarded
$10,000 for ongoing programming that supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem in
Fort Collins.
Innovation After Hours was awarded $10,000 for ongoing programming support.
Impact: The Local Cluster Support fund received $377,000 in requests in 2015,
and allocated $200,000 in funding. Awarded funds enabled triple-helix
collaboration, workforce enhancements in the manufacturing and health sectors,
coordinated industry projects in Clean Energy, Bioscience and Water
Technology, and general support for organizations in the creative sector and
innovation space.
o Economic Health Office Programs and Services (Offer 46.1)
2015 Budget: $71,100 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $42,687
Winter Markets $15,000
Economic Impact Analysis $3,500
Business Appreciation Breakfast $13,738
CCEC Board Seat $5,000
CSU Ag Innovation Summit $5,000
EDCC Succeed Conference $449
CSU Ag Innovation Summit was held to highlight the obstacles and opportunities
of agriculture in the next decade, as well as tie in how the agricultural innovation
corridor impacts other sectors of the economy.
Impact:
Attendees:
Database 350
Post-event SOURCE article 400+
Speakers/Panelist/Moderators: 86
Innovation Fair participants: 35
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Businesses: 125 (ex-education,
government and media)
Sponsors: 32 (includes 7 CSU
partners, COIN and CDA)
Sponsorship $ raised: $100,000
• Business Appreciation Breakfast:
More than 315 business attendees came to hear Jon Schallert, an internationally
recognized speaker and business expert, provide information on making their
business a consumer destination. The 2015 Business Appreciation Breakfast
partnered with Startup Week and 1 Million Cups to host weeklong activities.
Economic Impact Analysis on companies interested in moving and/or expanding
their business into the Fort Collins market. This impact analysis was used to
substantiate the City’s position of not providing financial assistance requested by
the company.
The Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC) conference was
focused on talent development and partner resource availability. The conference
was held in Golden, Colorado in September 2015.
Colorado Clean Energy Cluster (CCEC) board seat contribution supports the
City’s participation in the CCEC mission of growing primary jobs in the area of
clean energy through formal partnerships between industry, public sector and
higher education. Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel is the City representative.
o Fort Collins Public Access Network Expanded Support (Offer 46.18)
2015 Budget: $40,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $40,000
This funding provided 40,000 to support the ongoing work of the Fort Collins
Public Media Television Network.
Impact: With the use of KFGG funds, the Fort Collins Public Media Television
Network was able to elevate their mission of providing accessible, high quality
television services to the community.
According to their 2015 annual report, FCPAN:
Exceeded their goal of providing locally produced programming by 329%
or a total of 92 programs produced.
Increased their office hours by 158% of their goal or 1860 office hours per
year using 82 volunteers.
They have achieved seven-day a week access to the public.
Hired Executive Director
Increased public outreach
Increased revenue stream
Completed new studio space at Carnegie building
o Development Review Programs and Services (Offer 62.1)
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2015 Budget: $86,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $86,000
Historic Survey Grants were used to provide surveys of historically-designated
properties, including surveys pertaining to the Old Town Design Guidelines
project; remaining encumbrance will be paid out in 2016.
Design Assistance Program funds were completely expended due to increased
popularity of this program for residents with historically-designated properties
wishing to begin renovations and improvements; 17 properties were funded in
2015.
Landmark Rehab Loans funds were expended to provide residents with
assistance in renovating and improving historically-designated properties using
approved contractors in order to maintain proper historic significance.
Demolition Alteration funds were expended to provide residents with professional
services relating to demolition or alteration of historically-designated properties.
Impact: Fort Collins residents have been able to take advantage of these
programs in their efforts to maintain historically-designated properties using the
expertise of contractors skilled in these techniques.
Environmental Health
o Poudre River Restoration (Offer 148.1)
2015 Budget: $125,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $0
The purpose of this offer is to request support for extensive ecological restoration
of the Poudre River including channel improvements, bank and floodplain
restoration, and fish habitat improvements within Natural Area properties. At the
time of this report, staff is initiating wetland creation and habitat improvements at
Gadwall Pond within Kingfisher Point Natural Area. Later this summer a Design-
Build Project will kick off to restore a half-mile of the Poudre River, its banks and
floodplain along both north and south banks at Kingfisher Point Natural Area from
east of Lemay Avenue to the Timberline Road Bridge. Finally, as part of the
Lincoln Bridge Replacement, Natural Areas will implement a planned restoration
and habitat improvements on the right bank just downstream of the
bridge. Funds allocated in the 2015 budget were held through the fiscal year as
issues related to due diligence of property inholdings and proposed
improvements (fish ladder) to the Timnath Outlet Ditch were negotiated with the
ditch company.
Impact: N/A.
o Northern Integrated Supply Project Analysis and Response; hourly River
Health Specialist (Offer 148.2)
2015 Budget: $229,050 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $155,596
We developed a quantitative vision for River Health through the River Health
Assessment Framework. This effort, along with the Supplemental Ecological
Response Model, contributed to the City’s ability to make science-based
comments on the NISP Environmental Impact Statement (and plethora of
Page 22 of 25
analyses contained within). Staff focused comments on City investments and the
services provided by the Poudre River to the community.
Staff coordinated and funded a team of technical and ecological consultants to
assist the City in evaluating the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for NISP.
Impact: Enhanced internal communication and coordination across teams that
work with the Poudre River and its floodplain.
o Municipal Energy Efficiency Fund (General Fund Buildings) (Offer 47.13)
2015 Budget: $100,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $84,668
Museum of Discovery humidification fan installation
Impact: Provides balanced humidity and temperature levels in the Traveling
Exhibit area and reduces energy use, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fossil Creek Park exterior lighting retrofit
Impact: Improved the quality of lighting in all areas of the park and reduces
energy use, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Park Shop building automation system and rooftop unit retrofit
Impact: Improved indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and control of the heating,
ventilation, and cooling systems. Reduces energy use, cost, and greenhouse gas
emissions.
o Oil & Gas Inspection and Sampling Assistance (Offer 155.1)
2015 Budget: $70,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $35,043
Air Quality Sampling: Air quality baseline sampling, including volatile organic
carbon compounds (VOCs), was completed by CSU at three sites in 2015. CSU
is currently performing additional data analysis and modeling, and a final report is
expected in April 2016.
Groundwater sampling: Groundwater sampling was conducted by Geosyntec for
two groundwater wells near oil and gas operations in northeastern Fort
Collins. A final report has been prepared stating that no evidence of oil and gas
contamination was found in these samples.
Response to Citizen Concerns: The Colorado State Department of Health and
Environment (CDPHE) Oil and Gas Health Information and Response Program
were contacted to review hydrogen sulfide (H2S) complaints and monitoring data
near a northeast Fort Collins neighborhood. The CDPHE provided a written
response stating that existing monitoring is insufficient to determine if H2S odors
in the area are related to water produced from the oil wells, or anaerobic activity
in a nearby stagnant pond. Staff has provided the CDPHE report to several of the
concerned residents.
Application of local regulations: Staff has assisted the Development Review
Team in applying the Land Use Code regulations related to residential setbacks
from oil and gas operations.
Engagement in State policy-making: Staff from the City Attorney’s Office, City
Manager’s Office, Utilities and Environmental Services has submitted comments
on statewide rulemaking related to oil and gas development.
Page 23 of 25
Impact: KFCG funding for the Oil & Gas Inspection and Sampling addresses
potential public health impacts associated with oil and gas exploration and
production, particularly with respect to fracking processes.
o Municipal Climate Adaption Planning (Offer 47.2)
2015 Budget: $45,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $41,360
Funding was used to convene a series of three interdepartmental workshops to
proactively plan better ways to prepare for and respond to two high risk areas
from climate change: extreme heat and wildfire smoke events.
Impact: The strategies, actions, and considerations identified through this
process will serve as an essential roadmap for minimizing impacts from extreme
events and enhancing City and community resilience this year and for decades to
come.
o Environmental Services and Programs (Offer 47.1)
2015 Budget: $7,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $7,000
Funded a portion of the Community Recycling Ordinance Project
Impact: Hired Zero Waste Associates consultants to conduct research into
programs across the US that could inform the Community Recycling Ordinance
development, as well as to assist with development of the Community Recycling
Ordinance. The consultants enabled the project to be discussed by City Council
in October 2015.
High Performing Government
o Citywide Volunteer Program Manager and Program (1.0 FTE) (Offer 52.4)
2015 Budget: $180,316 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $177,538
A custom Citywide Volunteer Management software system was purchased to
improve the entire “volunteer life-cycle,” from recruitment, to training, to
recognition.
Impact: In July 2015 the City hired a Volunteer Services Coordinator to provide
much needed support to department volunteer coordinators in human resource
issues, recruitment, branding, education, etc. This person serves as a single
point of contact to community members who seek volunteer opportunities, and an
advocate for 11,018 volunteers who contributed 169,946 hours to the community
in 2015. This time is the equivalent of 85 FTEs.
o Sustainability Services Area Leadership (Offer 49.1)
2015 Budget: $55,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $16,152
Funded the Durable Bags Project ($9,914), the Full Circle Show ($3,600), and
Web Portal staff support ($2,638).
Impact: 2,600 durable bags with an attractive drawing of Downtown Fort Collins
were distributed to Fort Collins citizens at a range of events during 2015. The
bags were 100% U.S. grown organic cotton and printed locally in Fort Collins.
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Each bag included an informational tag about the Enviro Web portal. Twelve Full
Circle TV show were filmed with this funding on topics ranging from Electric
Vehicles to air quality to the Mall redevelopment. The Enviro Web portal was
updated with new information about City programs. Collectively, these activities
inform and empower citizens’ environmental stewardship.
o Municipal Innovation Fund (Offer 49.4)
2015 Budget: $50,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $50,000
Since its inception, the Sustainability Municipal Innovation Fund Committee has
awarded 40 grants to employees from 23 different departments who are building
on the credibility of the City as a leader, utilizing the concept of continuous
improvement, and enhancing the City’s internal sustainability and entrepreneurial
efforts. More than $572,000 in requests have been considered and $350,000
distributed from Keep Fort Collins Great Funds. In 2015, 10 awards were made.
Not all project impacts have been quantified, but two of the projects that have
been analyzed are estimated to result in $194,990 in cumulative financial savings
and 2,330 metric tons of carbon reductions.
Impact: Select projects implemented from 2012-2015 have had significant
financial and environmental returns including $3,160,635 in cumulative financial
savings and 58,590 metric tons of reduced carbon emissions.
o Communications and Public Engagement Programs and Services (Offer 53.1)
2015 Budget: $35,275 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $35,275
Supplemented funding for a full-time Civic Engagement Liaison (from .75FTE) to
manage Public Engagement and provided additional IAP2 Training and online
engagement tools.
Impact:
Created a full-time Civic Engagement Liaison to promote, support and help
direct Citywide Public Engagement efforts.
Improved systems and resources to expand organizational public
engagement capabilities by publishing a comprehensive Public Engagement
Guide, leading public engagement roundtable discussions, and expanding
connections with hard–to-reach populations.
Joined the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2);
12 employees completed the IAP2 training in 2015.
Explored and piloted the Mindmixer Web Application, which helped identify
criteria required for a Public Engagement Platform. While this particular tool
did not accomplish all objectives, staff will continue to evaluate additional
platforms to determine the right tool for ongoing efforts.
o Council Training and Engagement (Offer 51.2)
2015 Budget: $16,000 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $8,759
Funded additional training opportunities for Councilmembers.
Impact: These events provided beneficial learning and networking opportunities
that ultimately had collaborative and positive impacts on Council processes,
organization functions, and community outcomes.
Page 25 of 25
Safe Community
o West Nile Virus Management Program (Offer 135.1)
2015 Budget: $329,865 Expenses and/or Encumbrances: $315,931
The West Nile virus mosquito management program was funded with KFCG
funds in 2015.
Mosquito traps were tested for the virus throughout the community and
larviciding occurred at various “hot spot” sites as needed.
The mosquito testing contract was less than anticipated, so $13,934 will be
returned to the KFCG fund to be used for other purposes.
Impact: This program continues to provide a scientific, methodical and citizen-
sensitive response to controlling West Nile virus in Fort Collins.
Attachment 2
2015 City-Initiated Cost Savings and Efficiencies
They are grouped by:
A. Cost savings, partnerships and leveraging resources
B. Process and operational improvements
C. Technology and upgrades
D. Customer service
E. Programs/Activities that have been eliminated
A. COST SAVINGS, PARTNERSHIPS AND LEVERAGING RESOURCES
A1) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Budget/Finance Activities
pertaining to Restorative Justice Grants
Description: CDNS received a grant of $56,192 from the Colorado Division of Criminal
Justice to support the Restorative Justice Services program.
Benefits:
Funds services for youth referred to our programs from the 8
th
Judicial District
Attorney’s Office.
Grant-funding agency also provides technical and evaluation support for programming.
A2) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Ongoing Programs (Party
Registration Program)
Description: Since its inception in spring 2009, 3,292 CSU student and non-student
households have registered parties with the program, with 97.5% (3,211) of registrations
receiving no citation related to their party. In a recent survey, 94% of participants agreed
that they would recommend this program to friends, as well as register their party again in
the future.
Benefits:
Improved neighborhood relations
Responsibility and ownership by residents
Fewer citations issued by police
A3) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Banner and Forestry
Inspections
Description: Code Compliance conducted 310 banner inspections for Zoning in 2015.
Additionally, this staff group started inspecting sidewalk and forestry encroachment
violations on a proactive basis instead of waiting for complaints to be received.
Page 2 of 28
Benefits:
Increased community safety
Increased efficiency in getting these tasks accomplished
A4) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Large Item Pickup Program
Description: Code Compliance staff formed a work group to address concerns over large
item disposal during the late July/early August timeframe as residential rental leases turn
over. Staff is working with outside agencies and non-profit organizations to find ways to
collaboratively address the issue. The program will replace the Great Sofa Round Up
effort that ended in 2009 due to concerns about bedbugs. Staff anticipates having a pilot
program ready for July/August 2016.
Benefits:
Increases safety of neighborhoods
Enhances the quality of life within neighborhoods
Supports sustainability efforts to decrease the amount of items that go to the landfill
A5) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Landscape and Habitat
Inspections
Description: Planning Services has hired a single field inspector with training as a
biologist to ensure required landscape and natural habitat improvements/enhancements
are completed. This proactive enforcement addresses complaints about the level of
landscape improvements and long-term maintenance.
Benefits:
More standardized process for habitat inspections to ensure compliance
Increased consistency in that all properties, not just those that receive complaints, are
inspected
Increased responsiveness to questions and complaints
Partnering between zoning and environmental planning divisions
A6) Cable 14 - Acquisition of Four high-definition robotic cameras
Description: Acquisition of four high-definition robotic cameras from Larimer County will
be repurposed in the Community Room at 215 N. Mason St.
Background - In November the County upgraded their hearing room with all new A/V
technology and had older cameras that, although still in great condition, did not fit the
needs of the County. Cable 14 was able to acquire them at no cost to be used to upgrade
the camera system in the Community Room to High-Definition.
Benefits:
Cost savings of approximately $40,000
Increased the quality of programs and training televised from the Community Room to
HD
Leveraged a great partnership between Cable 14 and the County
Page 3 of 28
A7) Poudre Fire Authority –Succession Hiring
Description: By hiring more firefighters than the budget allows PFA reduces the cost of
overtime when position vacancies occur due to anticipated retirements.
Benefits:
Reduces long-term overtime costs
A8) Poudre Fire Authority –Timberline House
Description: The Timberline House belongs to the City, and has been used by PFA
crews for training purposes for several years.
Benefits:
Lease partnership between the City of Fort Collins and PFA.
A9) Poudre Fire Authority –ISO Rating
Description: PFA was notified by the Insurance Services Office that its Public Protection
Classification indicated a significant improvement over the last review conducted in 2009.
This resulted in a classification reduction from a 4 to a 2 within the City of Fort Collins,
Town of Timnath, and any address within PFA’s jurisdiction outside of City limits but within
five road miles of a 24-hour staffed fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant.
Benefits:
A lower ISO rating is generally related to a higher level of fire service and may result in
lower insurance rates for residents and businesses.
A10) Police – Patrol Division Overtime Reduction
Description: A new Patrol Division deployment plan and officer schedule was
implemented at the end of 2014. This was in addition to improvements in overtime
accounting and overall accountability throughout the agency.
Benefits:
Police Services was within budget on overtime for the first time in many years.
The schedule was improved to provide more officers during busy times of the day.
The training schedule was changed to reduce the overtime associated with instructors
providing training.
Changes have been made to limit the overtime an employee can earn in one year.
A11) Police – Information Services Division: Communications Unit
Description: In 2015, a contract was awarded for 2016 ambulance service in the region.
Fort Collins 911 (FC911) worked to include a contract provision for an awardee-funded
dispatcher to assist with staffing FC911.
Benefits:
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The additional dispatcher will allow for appropriate staffing at no additional cost to the
City and follows industry practices of shared expenses for centers that support multiple
entities.
Improved handling of ambulance service calls and response to emergencies.
A12) Recreation – Coaches Training Program for Youth Sports
Description: The Youth Sports program engages approximately 700 volunteer coaches
per year. This training program provides online educational videos to train the volunteer
coaches as their time allows while minimizing staff time devoted to training. This approach
has allowed for a consistent message regarding recreational youth sports philosophy and
the City of Fort Collins in addition to the required aspects of coaching. A library of
additional coaching videos is provided to further the coaches’ knowledge beyond the
required components.
Benefits:
Ensures that all volunteer coaches receive required coaching material
Reduction of printed materials
More than 145 hours of coaching instruction provided without using staff resources
Electronic verification of completed courses
A13) Transfort – Dial-A-Taxi
Description: Beginning in April 2015 Transfort initiated a program (Dial-A-Taxi) that
provides $17.50 vouchers for taxi service to Dial-A-Ride clients. Limited vouchers were
available seven days a week and offered on a first come, first serve basis. These vouchers
saved on average $14.50 per trip compared to the ADA regulated Dial-A-Ride service.
Benefits:
Reduced Dial-A-Ride expenses by $24,258.
Increased travel options for Dial-A-Ride customers to include same-day scheduling,
Sunday trips and trips extending beyond Dial-A-Ride boundaries.
A14) Traffic CSU On-Campus Stadium
Description: The City Traffic Operations Department worked with CSU staff to evaluate
traffic impacts from the planned on-campus stadium. Traffic Ops was instrumental in
determining necessary improvements and helped draft language for an Intergovernmental
Agreement between the City and CSU.
Benefits:
An adopted IGA that is beneficial to the City with items related to mitigation of impacts
from the on-campus stadium
Strengthened an already good partnership with CSU staff.
Set the stage for transportation improvements and game day operations to minimize
impacts to the traveling public.
A15) Parking Services – Work with Transfort
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Description: Since June 2015 Parking Services has been working within the Transfort
management structure. This partnership has led to many cost savings and leveraging of
resources.
Benefits:
Cost savings from vacant Parking Services Manager position
Utilizing customer service resources across both departments to assist with coverage
without needing additional staff
Transfort assists with parking enforcement at Harmony Transfer Center to reduce strain
on Parking Enforcement Officers.
A16) Streets Department – City Collaboration with Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT) and Larimer County on Street Maintenance Projects
Description: Collaboration is ongoing on mutual street maintenance projects among the
City of Fort Collins Street Maintenance Program (SMP), CDOT and the Larimer County
Road and Bridge Department to maximize resources. Within the City limits there are many
instances where ownership and maintenance of the roadways change with agencies (e.g.,
Richards Lake Road and College Avenue). To maximize efficiencies, cost savings, and
limit impact to the public, each agency explores the ability to combine projects.
Benefits:
Collaboration increased cost efficiencies and economies of scale (i.e., the larger the
scope of work, the lower cost experienced).
City residents and those directly affected by the construction can have one point of
contact and experience one full project, instead of multiple projects in the same area by
different agencies creating confusion and frustration.
Collaboration maximizes the use of construction manpower, equipment and resources.
A17) Streets Department – Street Maintenance Program and Other City Departments
Collaboration on Construction Projects
Description: The Street Maintenance Program (SMP), Utilities, Engineering, and Parks
made a substantial effort to collaborate on construction projects (e.g., Buckingham and
1st, 2nd and 3rd Streets) to maximize City resources resulting in efficiencies and cost
savings.
Benefits:
By collaborating in all phases of construction, the crews on-site were able to utilize
materials, equipment, and labor on various items resulting in significant cost savings.
Traffic control costs were shared among departments.
The projects were looked at holistically; therefore, residents were able to experience
one project instead of several and were impacted by the construction only once.
By working together and completing these projects with one full closure until
completion, traffic control costs, patching costs, excavation costs, etc. were significantly
reduced.
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A18) Streets Department – Street Maintenance Program and City Departments
Collaboration on Construction Projects
Description: The Street Maintenance Program, Traffic Department, Engineering, and FC
Moves collaborated on construction projects with mutual interest in performing work (e.g.,
Remington Street, Laurel Street and Taft Hill Road), which maximized City resources and
created protected bike lanes.
Benefits:
Traffic control costs were shared among departments.
The projects were looked at holistically; therefore, residents were able to experience
one project instead of several and were impacted by the construction only once.
By working together and completing these projects with one full closure until
completion, traffic control costs, project costs, patching costs, excavation costs, etc.
were significantly reduced.
A19) FC Moves - Expansion of the Bicycle Ambassador Program
Description: The City of Fort Collins Bicycle Ambassador Program is administered by FC
Moves and recruits, trains, and directs community volunteers interested in making
bicycling safer. Ambassadors act as representatives of good cycling practices in the
community, teach safe cycling classes, and assist with community and City cycling
activities. In 2015, FC Moves increased the number of Bicycle Ambassadors from 44 to
90.
Benefits:
More than doubled the pool of volunteers available for bicycle safety engagements,
which leverages staff time to lead and teach more bicycle safety education classes.
Bicycle Ambassadors have a reach into the community that extends beyond typical City
networks. The additional ambassadors are able to reach family, friends, and neighbors
who may not otherwise come in contact with City programs.
Ambassadors serve as a ready-to-go pool of volunteers to help with larger projects and
activities such as Open Streets, and save time and effort recruiting volunteers for each
event.
A20) Engineering – Citywide Pedestrian Access Project
Description: The Citywide Pedestrian Access Project provides a complete City sidewalk
inventory, identifies sidewalk inadequacies, and identifies inadequate handicap
accessibilities according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The ADA
establishes federal sidewalk standards by which all local governments must abide.
Benefits:
City compliance with ADA transition plan
Generated a proactive inspection, prioritization, and implementation program for
sidewalk repairs.
Improved connectivity and safer ADA-compliant sidewalk network for alternative modes
of transportation.
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Collaboration and coordination with multiple City departments ensures continual
installation and maintenance of sidewalks to remain safe for the public.
Coordination efforts demonstrate that the City is performing and doing the most they
can to repair sidewalks, which would provide some defense against any possible
lawsuits.
B. PROCESS AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
B1) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Animal Control
Description: A voter initiative for a new shelter was approved in November 2014 and
construction is expected to start in the spring of 2016. The shelter will be located on CR32
near the Loveland/Fort Collins airport and should be completed mid-2017. Shelter health
improvements such as an improved cat isolation room and a focus on animal enrichment
have been goals of the Larimer Humane Society. Owner education also continues to be a
priority. Ensuring contact with animal owners has proven to be effective in decreasing
repeat violations. Officers are taking time to inform and educate pet owners about laws
and about how to be a responsible pet owner. Neighborhood postcard mailings, website
information updates, and training programs are other avenues used to accomplish this.
Benefits:
Increased efficiency
Improved customer service
Increased education
Improved animal care and health
B2) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Code Updates related to
Nuisance Codes
Description: The City Council adopted expansions to the Smoking Ordinance in 2015,
which established a Downtown Smoke-Free Zone, and expanded restrictions to City
facilities and related grounds, parks, trails, natural areas, and public events.
Benefits:
Supports the City’s Strategic Plan by enhancing the health and wellness of the
community.
Enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors to.
Results in cleaner air quality in public areas.
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B3) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Coordination and
Collaboration Efforts with Other Departments
Description: Partnerships have continued with Municipal Court and the City Attorney’s
Office to streamline and standardize procedures and update codes. Work has also
continued with numerous other departments and/or service areas, including Police,
Utilities, Parks & Recreation, Engineering, Transportation Planning, Streets, and numerous
others, for things such as Development Review, Neighborhood Meetings, issue resolution,
plan implementation efforts (i.e., the Lincoln Corridor Plan), and on special projects such
as Smoking Restrictions and Social Host.
Benefits:
Partnering will enhance project flow by identifying issues.
Partnering will reduce errors, because each group will view a project through their own
filter.
Working relationships will be enhanced with continued communication.
B4) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Coordination and
Collaboration Efforts (Larimer County, Events, Trebuchet and CSU)
Description: Partnership continues with Larimer County Department of Health &
Environment to further look at smoking restriction expansion into the Old Town/Downtown
area, as well as in parks, trails, Natural Areas, and at public events. Staff also partnered
with other departments, event coordinators and concerned citizens for public events and
other situations where noise was of concern. Code Compliance staff conducted noise
readings during events and for neighbors of businesses or construction sites where noise
violations were suspected. Finally, staff partnered with the Trebuchet Group and the CSU
Center for Public Deliberation for multiple events that brought neighborhood leaders
together in order to identify the direction they would like to go for neighborhood programs
and neighborhood leadership development.
Benefits:
More effective public event approval process
Fewer complaints about public events
Better community support for projects and events
Improved working relationships within the community
B5) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Neighborhood Services
Program Structure Changes
Description: Combined the Community Mediation Program with the Community
Restorative Justice Program and changed reporting responsibilities to the Restorative
Justice Program coordinator.
Benefits:
Increased and more coherent collaboration among staff
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Collaboration on recruitment and training of new volunteers; more opportunities for
cross-training and sharing of resources
Added exploration and opportunity of new services for the community
B6) Community Development & Neighborhood Services – Expired permit activity
follow-up
Description: Using existing hourly staff, a program was developed and implemented for
all expired permit applications, permits and Temporary Certificates of Occupancy that are
then reviewed, closed, or discarded as appropriate.
Benefits:
This time-consuming project will provide information to other City departments about
specific projects that have yet to be cleared by those departments.
Reduces available storage space by eliminating unneeded paper plans.
Provides a review of structures that have not been approved through final inspections
or still-needed documentation.
Provides contractors with a list of their projects that still show as open.
Ensures that expired projects are completed and approved to City standards and
ordinances.
Developed an on-going process that addresses and provides follow up to expired
permits.
B7) Community Development & Neighborhood Services – Adoption of the 2015
International Building Codes
Description: Establish a 2015 Building Code review committee, whose purpose is to
review and evaluate local amendments to the latest building codes published by the
International Code Council (ICC). Committee work is anticipated to be completed by third
quarter 2016, with adoption by first quarter 2017
Benefits:
Develops a set of local building code amendments supported by the construction
industry, developers and various stakeholders across the City.
Provides the latest national standards for use in all construction types.
Keeps Fort Collins current with industry standards and provides consistency with other
Front Range communities in enforcing the most current building codes.
B8) Communications & Public Involvement Office – Team meeting alignment
Description: Revamped weekly meeting agendas and allotted time
Benefits:
Reduced weekly communication time by 0.5-0.75 hours giving the team additional time
to spend on project workload.
Restructured meeting agenda to prioritize relevant information sharing, decisions and
actionable support items.
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Meetings are now shorter, yet more productive, and participants are more engaged.
B9) Communications & Public Involvement Office – New process for communication
requests
Description: Developed and implemented new process for communication requests. The
online request system automatically notifies the PR coordinator, CPIO director and
customers when a new project is requested.
Benefits:
Alerts PR coordinator and CPIO director of incoming work requests for quicker
processing and assignment.
Improves project initiation and clarity of requests and expectations.
Data gathered from requests helps analyze customer trends, better prepare and align
resources, and prepare for increased level of effort.
B10) Environmental Services – Municipal Innovation Fund
Description: The Innovation Fund Team received multiple requests and awarded the total
amount available ($50,000) to 10 recipients based on evaluation of nine TBL criteria
(simple payback, innovation, financial return, leveraged funds, cost effectiveness,
environmental impacts, social impacts, alignment with sustainability goals and ease of
implementation).
Benefits:
Supported two projects: a Local Food Reward Program and CSA Share Project that
increased the amount of local food used at City events, programs (i.e., Free and
Reduced Lunch) and facilities.
Installed a new system that allows online entries for Lincoln Center Gallery
applications. This system will save money, reduce paper use, increase accuracy in
recording and dealing with multiple applicants, streamline the process for artists and
staff, and provide better customer service.
Purchased and planted trees in conjunction with local nurseries, non-profits, CSU
student groups and City staff to pilot a neighborhood tree canopy improvement project
in the West Central Area.
Partially supported an electric vehicle and charging station at the NIX Natural Areas
facility, thereby reducing City fleet emissions.
Held the first FC Innovates event to assist City staff with the process of implementing
and funding innovation within their service areas.
The estimated benefits for the electric vehicle and tree projects are $194,000 in
financial savings and a carbon reduction of 2,330 metric tons over the next 10 years.
B11) Operations Services and Environmental Services – Municipal Energy Efficiency
Fund
Description: $100,000 was made available in 2015 to implement additional City energy
retrofits that have a high return on investment.
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Benefits:
Humidification system at the Museum of Discovery is estimated to save $4,000 per
year with an $8,000 one-time investment, and a two-year simple payback. As a result,
utility bills will be lower and items at the Museum will be better protected.
An exterior lighting retrofit at Fossil Creek Park is estimated to save $ 3,500 per year
with a one-time net investment of $27,812, for a 7.8-year simple payback. Lighting
quality and efficiency was improved.
In addition, three projects were dedicated as follows for the 2015 MEEF funds:
Project Cost ROI
Museum of Discovery humidification fans $7,731 50.0%
Fossil Creek exterior LED lighting retrofit $35,475 10.8%
Park Shop BAS installation and RTU retrofit $41,475 12.8%
Total $84,668
B12) Municipal Court - New Retention Schedule and Document Scanning Process
Description: In order to reduce the Court’s dependence on paper products, the Court
requested funds in its 2015 budget to purchase a document scanner. At the same time, the
Court submitted a request to revise its policy relating to retention of records from seven
years to four years for most records. The new record retention schedule was approved by
the State of Colorado Archivist and Attorney General’s Office in January 2015.
Benefits:
The revised retention schedule allows the Court to keep electronic case records
instead of paper, which is a cost and physical space savings.
The process of completing criminal records requests has been simplified due to
increased availability of electronic records.
The changes also allow for faster responses to customer requests.
The new process reduces the amount of staff time spent organizing and managing the
caseload.
B13) Poudre Fire Authority - Accreditation
Description: In August 2015, PFA was approved for accredited status by the Commission
on Fire Accreditation International.
Benefits:
Reduced call processing reduces total response time. In 2015, Poudre Fire Authority
crews arrived approximately one minute faster to emergencies than in 2014.
Alternate response model for automatic alarms that resulted in more system reliability
for units no longer dispatched to these low-risk calls.
Documentation of Authority-wide process for succession planning.
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B14) Police – Information Services Division: Communications Unit
Description: When KFCG funds were approved, the communications section (FC911)
used these four positions to start a new program of having dedicated 911 call-takers.
These positions are responsible for handling the majority of incoming telephone calls that
come into FC911.
Benefits:
Utilization of call-taker positions allows radio dispatchers to focus on their primary
responsibilities of monitoring radio traffic and channel management.
The dedicated call-taking positions also provide assistance to radio dispatchers in
calling back citizens, making arrangements for vehicle tows, and calling other
resources as needed.
This position acts as an initial step toward full dispatchers, which allows for succession
planning and individual advancement.
More call-taker positions will be sought in the next budget cycle due to two critical
incident after-action reports that recommended eliminating call-taking burdens for
dispatchers handling radio traffic.
B15) Police - Information Services Division: Records Unit
Description: In 2015, the Records Unit again restructured assignments and schedules of
personnel while beginning a pilot project of out-sourcing typing functions.
Benefits:
Eliminated a backlog of more than 500 un-typed reports with a reduction in the use of
overtime. By utilizing salary savings, the unit hired a typing service that completes all
reports (priority and otherwise) within 24 hours. Ongoing funding will be sought during
BFO.
Repurposed personnel are now categorizing and finalizing the typed narratives so that
complete reports can be more quickly released or archived as appropriate.
B16) Police – Patrol Division
Description: Police Services made several safety improvements to reduce officer injuries.
Benefits:
After a number of employee injuries, Police Services has made improvements to the
drainage in the employee parking lot, which reduced the winter ice buildup.
Patrol Division implemented an increase in the use of less-lethal technology. Tasers
have been issued to 60 patrol officers. This technology has been shown to reduce
citizen and officer injuries.
Patrol Division implemented a load-carrying uniform vest option that removes some of
the weight from the officers’ duty belts and has been shown to reduce long-term officer
injury.
Police Officers were issued new helmets that have ballistic protection and improved riot
control properties.
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B17) Recreation – Recreator Publication Content Review Process
Description: The Recreator is Recreation’s program guide and main marketing piece for
programming, and is published four times each year. With more than 110 pages and
hundreds of programs, creating the Recreator is a large undertaking. In 2015, Recreation
piloted a new process for collecting, editing and publishing program information in the
Recreator. Following the new process, programmers edit and manage their own content
and submit an almost-final product to design for final review. Programmers have learned
new processes and policies around formatting and publishing.
Benefits:
Programmers have more ownership of their program information in the Recreator.
Streamlined process for content submission
Programmers have more time to gather and submit content.
Supervisors review and approve final content, adding another level to ensure that
information is published correctly.
Holistic understanding of the editing and publishing process for all parties.
B18) Recreation – Recreation Facility Recycling Efforts
Description: In January 2015, Recreation created a committee to increase recycling
efforts in Recreational Facilities, both interior and exterior areas. A core group met to
prioritize waste reduction and recycling improvements at centers. The first phase of the
project was to align with the City of Fort Collins initiative to provide a 1:1 ratio of trash to
recycling bins. The second phase of the project is to audit the facilities’ waste-streams and
determine what additional items could be recycled (e.g., compost, ink cartridges, shredded
paper, plastic film, shrink wrap, etc.). The main focus has been to repurpose existing trash
cans into new recycling cans to minimize the cost of this process. Recreation teamed up
with the Parks Department to achieve the following low cost, high impact improvements of
recycling and trash reduction thus far:
o Expansion of recycling of shredded paper, plastic film, ink cartridges and batteries at
215 N. Mason, EPIC, & NACC.
o Implementation of Waste Watchers (connected plastic trash and recycling bins that
display signage of what items are accepted in each bin). These were installed at the
administrative offices of: 215 N. Mason, EPIC, Senior Center, Mulberry Pool, and
NACC.
o NACC, Senior Center, 215 N. Mason, and EPIC received an overhaul of their exterior
bins so each location now has a trash and recycling bin placed side by side to achieve
the 1:1 ratio. Each recycling bin is clearly marked with the City’s Recycling Guideline
Poster and recycling symbols. Each set of bins was consistently placed so the recycling
bin is on the left and the trash bin is on the right (when facing the bins).
o To help comply with the City’s new Smoking Ordinance, the ash trays on the lids of the
recycling bins at the Senior Center were filled in with Rockite and a recycling symbol.
This was done as a pilot idea to see how ash trays could be repurposed without having
to purchase new lids. Interior bins at NACC, Senior Center, EPIC, and City Park Pool
were placed in 1:1 ratio arrangement, clearly marked with universal recycling symbol,
blue color when possible, and consistent placement: recycling on left, trash on right
(when facing bins) at all facilities. All desks and office spaces received a “starve your
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trash” bin and a blue deskside recycling bin, which aligns with the City’s office BMPs for
trash and recycling.
Benefits:
Reduces recyclable materials from ending up in landfills and contributes to meeting
City’s Municipal Sustainability Goal “Solid Waste Reduction.”
Reduces contamination in trash and recycling bins by providing clear and consistent
signage.
Side-by-side bins for increasing proper bin usage (blue – universal recycling color, and
black - universal trash color)
Overhead costs kept low by repurposing trash bins into recycling bins
B19) Transfort – “Move Over for Bikes” Policy
Description: After receiving feedback from the cycling community that three feet was not
enough room when buses pass cyclists, Transfort quickly analyzed the situation and
developed a new policy for passing cyclists. Transfort bus operators are now required to
move over one-half lane width or reduce speed by half when passing a cyclist.
Benefits:
Cyclists feel more comfortable when buses pass by.
Encourages other motorists to provide more than the minimum three feet by our
example.
B20) Transfort – Performance Metrics
Description: Transfort experienced record level ridership in 2015, exceeding 2014
ridership by 25% with 3,266,194 passenger trips.
Benefits:
Total Fixed Route Ridership increased by 25%
Operating Expense per Passenger decreased by 8%
Passengers per Revenue Mile increased by 8.5%
Passengers per Revenue Hour increased by 9%
Passenger Revenue Recovery increased by 13%
Revenue per Passenger increased by 4%
Net Expense per Passenger decreased by 10%
B21) Streets Department – Alleys
Description: Alley maintenance was reinstituted in 2015 after being eliminated in 2009.
This allowed all alleys to be evaluated and all alleys received maintenance at least twice
this year.
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Benefits:
By grading and shaping the alleys, drainage is improved in residential neighborhoods
and business areas, and citizen feedback has been positive.
B22) Streets Department – Safety
Description: There has been a concerted effort to emphasize a strong culture of safety
through incident/accident reviews, researching root causes, employee coaching, and
providing training opportunities for employees.
Benefits:
Higher awareness of safety in the workplace
Reduce number of incidents and accidents
B23) Streets Department – Asset Manager
Description: This position coordinates with Streets and Engineering on the street
infrastructure assets, bridge assets, and the Safe Routes to Everywhere Program. The
Asset Manager also coordinates with other City departments to maximize the City’s
infrastructure assets and ensure minimal impact to the traveling public.
Benefits:
A single point person for Planning, Development & Transportation (PDT) to manage
street network infrastructure, bridges and sidewalk assets.
Manages the Deighton software (specialized asset management software) that helps
establish street maintenance schedules and treatments, as well as assists with budget
forecasting.
Ensures City meets goal to maintain the street network at a Level of Service (LOS) B.
B24) Streets Department – Protected Bike Lanes
Description: A new process was developed to sweep and remove snow from the new
protected bike lanes on Laurel Street in 2015.
Benefits:
Bike lanes are kept clear of debris.
Bike lanes are efficiently cleared of snow and ice.
B25) Streets Department – Refining the process of the 2016-2017 Street Maintenance
Program (SMP) Utility Coordination
Description: SMP continues to issue a full two-year project list to other City departments,
agencies, and the general public. In the past, this encompassed only a list of project
names and locations written on an Excel spreadsheet, which was sent out only once in the
early months of the project year. This year, SMP has provided those who receive the
notification an entire package of maps along with the list indicating the project limits, and
has started to issue the notification twice starting in August of the year prior. Additionally,
each time the Utility Notification was sent out it included the notes of conflicts sent back by
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the agencies in the previous notifications for others to review as well. SMP also changed
the response method, changing it from returning written notes to an electronic interaction
creating efficiencies and reducing paper waste. Each year staff has been able to issue
these project lists earlier than previously.
Benefits:
Providing this information to the public agencies, contractors, etc. creates opportunities
to collaborate on projects, thus reducing costs and increasing efficiencies. Proper
planning can also significantly reduce the impact to the traveling public.
The coordination increases communication, which results in a reduction of utility cuts in
new pavement.
These coordination efforts significantly improved our ability to budget further in
advance, thus creating efficiencies.
B26) Parking Services – Residential Permit Parking Program (RP3)
Description: In 2015 the RP3 program made many process improvements that provided
improved program structure and operations.
Benefits:
Defined process for program implementation
Defined process for initiating program request by neighborhoods
Defined program goals and outcomes
Defined program policies and procedures to accommodate diverse neighborhood types
B27) Utilities– Water Field Operations
Description: Changed On-Call Response personnel to have only one responder being
paid each week. Scheduled all personnel based on skill sets and expertise as ‘call out’ to
assist when needed.
Benefits:
Eliminate duplication of responders
Cut base level of ‘on-call’ pay by 50%
Created a defined structure of who to call to assist on any emergency.
Staff who are not on the call back list are able to relax more knowing they don’t have to
worry about emergency call outs.
C. TECHNOLOGY AND UPGRADES
C1) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Mediation & Restorative
Justice Program Changes
Description: Upgraded the cabling and network connections at 112 N. Howes to meet
City standards. Installed a shared network printer/copier/scanner. Upgraded telephones to
City standards.
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Benefits:
All staff can use the same printer/scanner/copier. Eliminates the need for additional
equipment and also meets the new City policy for efficiency.
Site now has WiFi for the first time, which allows many new technological capabilities.
Has enabled conference calls to ensure that participants can join in mediations,
meetings and RJ Conferences, when they can’t physically attend.
Has increased capacity for trainings, hosting meetings, mediations and RJ
Conferences.
C2) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Coordination and
Collaboration Efforts (Nextdoor)
Description: In 2015, staff continued participating in the neighborhood-based social
networking website, Nextdoor, a tool for residents to communicate online with verified
members of their neighborhoods. After some neighborhoods created their own
neighborhood groups on Nextdoor, the City began participating as an “agency member” in
2012. This allows the City to post information to specific neighborhoods or areas within the
community, while not allowing the City to see other conversations underway within a
neighborhood’s Nextdoor feed.
Neighborhood Services staff posts items such as invitations to neighborhood meetings and
development projects, information about the neighborhood grants program, and
information about the Adopt-A-Neighbor program that helps elderly or disabled residents
find a neighbor to assist with snow shoveling. Staff also uses Nextdoor to inform and
educate residents on various nuisance code requirements and on special projects, such as
the Neighborhood Connections project. As of December 31, 2015, there were 11,379
Nextdoor members within Fort Collins. The number of local members continues to grow
rapidly.
Benefits:
Provides an opportunity for the City to post timely information relevant to a
neighborhood or group of neighborhoods.
Allows the City to participate in a platform that can help neighborhoods to:
o Promote healthy community connections
o Share interesting or useful information
o Enable neighbors to meet via a positive forum
C3) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Technology Enhancements
and Improvements
Description: CDNS staff worked in conjunction with IT staff to:
1) Continue efforts with the Steering Committee for the Accela Development Management
System to provide increased oversight and accountability, to increase collaboration and
build understanding among users, and to identify and prioritize new activities and
modifications that have been requested. Moving toward iPads for all Code
Enforcement staff to helps increase functionality and efficiency.
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2) Continue the use of newer technologies during neighborhood meetings and public
outreach associated with special projects, including Turning Point electronic polling.
Benefits:
New technologies ensure streamlining of project resources in alignment with the entire
organization and ensure public engagement opportunities are maximized.
Collaboration creates “best practices” for all groups.
Flexibility and functionality with equipment and information
C4) Community Development & Neighborhood Services – Electronic Plan Review
Description: With initial testing completed, CDNS is leading a wider use of Electronic
Plan Review, bringing Development Review departments into hardware choices and
software training and testing. Council has asked for a project cost estimate and timeline to
be presented in the first quarter of 2016. Progress is being made to address this request.
Testing of all Development Review departments anticipated for the first quarter of 2017
with full implementation in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Benefits:
Increased efficiencies in plan review timeline
Reduced paper usage
Alignment with industry processes and standards
C5) Poudre Fire Authority - New Video Conferencing System
Description: A combined and interactive communication system that delivers video
and/or audio to internal and external customer/users provides easy access, is adaptable to
current and changing technology, records content management capability, and is used as
a reliable public communication tool.
Benefits:
Improved IT security, which includes implementing items such as stronger password
guidelines.
Implemented a single, fully functional website.
Implemented the Spiceworks helpdesk system to streamline IT support requests.
C6) Recreation – Incident Reporting Procedure
Description: In October 2015, Recreation management introduced a policy regarding
incident reporting to increase compliance to the City’s existing procedures. Recreation has
extended hours and many patrons utilizing multiple facilities, so increasing communication
was key. The new policy asks the employee on duty during the time of incident or near
miss to complete the report electronically the same day in its entirety, and to copy the
facility’s Customer Service Representative, Area Supervisor, Area Manager, and the
Administrative Support Supervisor to ensure that all parties are aware of the incident and
debriefed further if needed. If emergency services are called, the Recreation Director is
also copied on the incident report. The incident report is then saved by the Area
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Supervisor in a shared drive that all staff have access to in order to cross reference patron
occurrences.
Benefits:
Electronic completion ensures accuracy and clear communication of incident.
Supervisors and management are acutely aware of activities in the facilities and are
able to address issues immediately.
Gives Recreation the opportunity to create a safe environment for patrons and staff.
C7) Transfort – Automatic Passenger Counters
Description: Transfort deployed system-wide Automatic Passenger Counters to replace
fare box ridership counting.
Benefits:
More accurate ridership counts
Provides ridership data by location and whether they were boardings or alightings.
C8) Traffic Operations – Arterial Travel Time Measurement
Description: In 2015 Traffic Operations utilized a travel monitoring system on arterial
streets throughout the City to provide near real-time and historical travel time data. The
data was used to develop a new travel time performance measure for the Community
Dashboard to be reported on a quarterly basis. Traffic Operations also began using the
data to make low cost improvements, such as signal timing adjustments at identified
congestion hot spots and to evaluate the benefits from capital projects completed in 2015.
Traffic congestion continues to be an issue in Fort Collins. This tool provides a means to
measure and quantify the impacts of congestion throughout the City.
Benefits:
Quarterly Citywide travel time metrics reported on Community Dashboard
Identify recurring congestion issues and measure the benefit of improvements
Identify non-recurring congestion issues related to trains, incidents, weather,
construction and special events; measure the benefit of mitigation efforts
Track changes in congestion levels over time
Identify congestion problems in near-real time to improve response in the Traffic
Operations Center
C9) Parking Services – Mobile Enforcement Application
Description: Parking Services replaced their dated hand-held enforcement devices with
new mobile applications for chalking and issuance of citations.
Benefits:
Reduced the need to carry a separate camera.
Provides real-time data uploads of citations so customer service can better respond to
customers.
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C10) Streets Department – Technology Advances
Description: In 2015, the Street Maintenance Program purchased Ground Penetrating
Radar (GPR) technology, which allows staff to analyze existing pavement thicknesses in a
non-destructive way that will enable the program to plan and design appropriate street
treatments and repairs. This helps save money based on the thickness readings and
enables staff to plan accordingly.
Benefits:
The data collected will enable the Street Maintenance Program to save money and
create project efficiencies by eliminating unknown project elements.
By eliminating the unknown elements, staff will be able to minimize delays in the project
schedule.
C11) Utilities – Water Field Operations
Description: Purchased a ‘side dump’ trailer to haul aggregate on projects.
Benefits:
Side dump trailers can haul 22 cubic yard of material as compared to Utilities’ standard
tandem dump trucks, which only carry 10 cubic yards on average.
The fuel burn for hauling the greater load only increased by 10-20%.
Reduced the number of haul trips by 50% - less heavy traffic on the roads.
Corresponding 40-50% reduction in Green House Gas emissions from hauling.
D. CUSTOMER SERVICE
D1) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Neighborhood Grants
Description: In 2015, 81 neighborhood grants were awarded, which provided applicants
funding (ranging from $36 to $500 and totaling just over $16,000) for various neighborhood
projects, including multiple Neighborhood Night Out events, block parties, neighborhood
clean-ups, community gardens and holiday events.
Benefits:
Promoting healthy community connections
Improving neighborhood quality
Fostering good neighbor relationships
D2) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Citizen Training Programs
Description: The Landlord Education: Brown Bag Series continued in 2015. The class is
designed to allow landlords to converse in an informal manner about topics that are
challenging to them. The focus at this year’s training centered on service animals. In
addition, the October Landlord Training class had 43 landlords in attendance, bringing the
total since inception to more than 543 landlords who have attended.
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There were six Homeowners Association trainings offered this year, covering topics
designed to assist neighborhood governance: annual meetings, budget development,
covenant enforcement, manager/board responsibilities, case law, and more. Other
educational programs included Eviction Training, Fair Housing training, and monthly Party
Partners Noise Workshops.
Benefits:
100% of attendees report that the class was satisfactory, and they felt better informed
of responsibilities and requirements as landlords.
Better communication within the community.
Networking promotes “best practices” and encourages interactive and innovative
problem-solving.
Sharing of ideas helps landlords and tenants understand issues from other sides.
D3) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Coordination and
Collaboration Efforts (Neighborhood Development Review Liaison)
Description: During 2015, staff continued weekly publication of an e-newsletter and
webpage to help residents track development proposals and learn more about how to
participate in the review process. As of Dec. 31, 2015, this newsletter has 551 active
subscribers (up 20% in the past year, from 460 on Dec. 31, 2014). The Neighborhood
Development Review Liaison responds to citizen questions regarding development
proposals, coordinating with Planners as needed; facilitates neighborhood meetings; and
participates in a variety in planning projects.
Benefits:
Improved staff resources for residents prior to the start of Planning & Zoning Board
meetings.
Added facilitation resources for a variety of public meetings.
Increased coordination efforts with Planning and other City staff.
D4) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Community Welcome, Fall
Cleanup, Neighborhood Night Out, and Get the Scoop Program
Description:
1) Community Welcome: The 15th annual Community Welcome event saw 202 Fort
Collins/CSU Police, City/CSU Staff, community members, and student volunteers. A
total of 111 student volunteers participated, including student athletes and members of
the Associated Students of Colorado State University student government.
Approximately 1,711 homes (more than 1,400 residents) were visited the night of Aug.
26, 2015 with an additional 5,145 Community Welcome and Art of Neighboring
brochures distributed to various student-focused apartment complexes. This year,
Mayor Wade Troxell and CSU President Dr. Tony Frank kicked the event off by
welcoming the volunteers and sharing their thoughts on the importance of the event in
connecting the city with the University. Of the volunteers surveyed, 86% feel more
aware of neighborhood issues around campus by participating in this event. For
residents who had teams visit, 92% believe that student/police/staff should continue to
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educate the community about local codes and ordinances through this event and 90%
believe the event would have a positive impact in the neighborhoods.
2) Fall Clean-Up: This collaboration between the City of Fort Collins Neighborhood
Services and CSU’s Off-Campus Life office had a record number of resident projects
in the fall of 2015, matching more than 1,200 CSU student/staff with 231 neighborhood
projects. One hundred percent of volunteers reported that they would like to participate
again in the future and 98% said that the program made them feel like they are a part
of the Fort Collins community. Of those residents who received assistance, 99% were
satisfied with the level of service they received, 97% felt more connected to CSU
students as a result of the program, 96% have a greater appreciation of students as
neighbors in their community, and 95% shared they would not be able to get their home
ready for the fall/winter season without the assistance they received from the program.
3) National Night Out: In 2015, Neighborhood Services continued the annual, nationally-
recognized event, known as National Night Out. The intent of this event is to build a
strong community, help neighbors get to know one another, and promote safety in
neighborhoods. There were more than 100 registered events in 2015.
4) Get the Scoop Program: The partnership program among the City’s Neighborhood
Services, Off-Campus Life at CSU, and local business Divine Ice Cream, took place
Aug. 1-2. The program reached out to a total of 287 residents who were provided with a
free frozen treat and The Art of Neighboring brochures encouraging good neighboring
practices. Ninety-two percent of respondents agreed that the Get the Scoop program
would have a positive impact in their neighborhood; an increase of 12% from the
previous year. Additionally, 83% of respondents agreed that they were more likely to
communicate with their neighbors as a result of the event; an increase of 3% since
2014.
Benefits:
Greater awareness of neighborhood issues around campus
Improving community education of local codes and ordinances
Overall positive impact on neighborhoods
Better communication between CSU students and FC residents
Stronger, more connected communities
Higher degree of safety in neighborhoods
D5) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Added Staffing for Mediation
and Restorative Justice Programs
Description: An hourly Administrative Assistant was added to support these now-
combined programs.
Benefits:
Provides enhanced customer service for program participants, volunteers and internal
customers.
Allows other program staff to work on improvements and expansion of services.
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Assists program staff in developing tools for volunteer/community outreach and
communication.
D6) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - National Presentations
Description: The Community Liaison presented to various city/university/community
members, as follows:
1) March 2015: Presented to the University Community Relations committee consisting of
city/university/community and county officials in Laramie, Wyoming regarding the
outreach and communication taking place in Fort Collins between the University and
City.
2) April 2015: Presented as part of a webinar for Innovative Educators on “Collaborative
Partnerships: Models & Best Practices in Building Strong Town-Gown Relationships.”
3) June 2015: Presented “Make Room! Student Housing for the Future” at the
International Town Gown Association conference in Washington, D.C. Fort Collins
Mayor Pro Tem, North American Properties Partner, and the Community Liaison
discussed student-focused apartment complexes and working with national companies.
4) Sept 2015: City of Grand Forks, North Dakota visited Fort Collins. “A Town/Gown
Collaboration” presentation was provided by the Community Liaison to share with the
20 visiting business leaders how Fort Collins and CSU work together to strengthen the
community.
5) October 2015: The City’s Planning Manager, a City Planner, CSU’s Campus Master
Planner, and the Community Liaison presented at the American Planning Association
Colorado Conference on “Town & Gown: Partnerships for Success” in Laramie,
Wyoming, the efforts taking place in Fort Collins to connect student and non-student
residents.
6) Additionally, the Liaison presented on “Off Campus Student Life: Model Programs &
Best Practices” in a national Paperclip webinar.
Benefits:
Best practices are shared state-wide and nationally.
Excellent publicity for Fort Collins as a state-of-the-art city.
D7) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Ongoing Programs (Adopt-A-
Neighbor, Neighborhood Newsletter, Sophomore Transition Programming, and Keys
to Fort Collins Workshop)
Description:
1) Adopt-A-Neighbor: Approximately 37 elderly or disabled residents receive snow
shoveling assistance from volunteers. Partnerships with the local faith-based
community continue to be explored to help match more residents in need with
volunteers, particularly in neighborhoods that have not responded in the past.
2) Neighborhood Newsletter: Bi-monthly publication of the Neighborhood Newsletter
electronically distributed to 919 subscribers.
3) Sophomore Transition Programming: Produced the 10th edition of the Sophomore
Transitions handbook titled, “Off-Campus Life Student Handbook: Cruisin’ Into Living
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Off Campus.” The office distributed more than 8,000 copies to all residential freshmen,
incoming transfer students, and various offices across campus for distribution. In
addition to the handbook, more than 3,500 educational decks of cards containing
information on City ordinances, etc. were distributed to CSU students within the
residence halls and at various office presentations/events.
4) Keys to Fort Collins Workshop: Starting in the fall of 2014, a workshop called “Keys to
Fort Collins” was created to educate first-year students early on in their academic
career on how to be successful students both on and off campus. Thus far, 827
students – in 23 classes – have been educated on everything from good neighboring to
understanding specific ordinances that are unique to Fort Collins. A pre and post
survey is provided to gauge classroom learning. Prior to receiving the in-classroom
education, 15% of students knew that the noise ordinance was enforced 24 hours a
day; post-class 97% knew the correct information. Fifty-two percent of students
understood the occupancy ordinance before class; after receiving education around the
ordinance 99% accurately understood the ordinance. After the class, 97% of students
said they understood the importance of being a good community member, in getting to
know their neighbor, and how to abide by Fort Collins City codes and ordinances. In
2016, the class will be expanded to include Fort Collins Police Services presenters.
Benefits:
Quality of life is enhanced for students and Fort Collins residents.
Communication is improved among residents.
Students may be less likely to drop out of college; they have information avenues.
D8) Community Development & Neighborhood Services - Operational Activities
Description: CDNS had a variety of operational activities in 2015, including:
1) Access Fort Collins and Service Area Requests (SARs): CDNS staff was assigned to
2,505 Access Fort Collins cases (1,098 were reassigned to other departments because
they did not fall within the purview of CDNS). 1,087 responses were provided, and
1,003 cases were closed by CDNS staff. Average response time was 3.02 days.
Average close time was 11.15 days.
2) Code Compliance: 8,903 Code Compliance cases initiated, with 94% voluntary
compliance. 138 Occupancy cases initiated, 67 investigation notices issued, 58
violation notices issued and 28 citations issued. 133 locations with signs in the right-of-
way violations - Code Compliance either removed the signs or contacted the
responsible party to remove them. 370 Public Nuisance Ordinance cases initiated.
3) Community Mediation: Provided conflict resolution assistance in approximately 369
cases. Roughly 40% of those required advanced assistance, such as conflict coaching,
brainstorming, providing information regarding other community resources, shuttle
diplomacy via phone/email, and mediation. Mediation Program staff had approximately
856 contacts with parties involved in these cases and conducted 12 mediations.
4) Restorative Justice: Services were provided to 168 young people (age 10-22) who
committed chargeable offenses in Fort Collins, including the 147 young people who
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enrolled in the programs in 2015. The programs include the families of the young
people, the victims of their crimes, or victim representatives and community members
affected by the crimes. The two RJS programs are: The RESTORE program for
shoplifting offenses and the Restorative Justice Conferencing Program (RJCP) for all
other offenses. In addition, RJ staff provided restorative justice services for two victim-
requested cases.
Benefits:
Problem-solving methods have been improved through inter-departmental
collaboration.
Young people took advantage of more Restorative Justice Services.
Conflict resolution continues to be successful overall.
D9) Community Development & Neighborhood Services – Rental Housing
Description: Improve proactive enforcement of rental housing standards. Creating an
environment where renters feel safe to reach out to the City for assistance with defects in
housing standards. Provide greater enforcement with a higher degree of penalties to
owners/landlords who fail to make required corrections. Review possible ordinances that
would prohibit landlord evictions of tenants who make a legitimate request to the City for
assistance. Complete computer program designed to better track all rental housing cases.
Benefits:
Provides safer housing for renters.
Establishes a mechanism where renter concerns can be addressed quickly by the City.
Reduces the renters’ fears of being evicted.
Establishes a level playing field for all rental housing.
Establishes an accurate tracking program.
D10) Poudre Fire Authority – EMS Contract
Description: PFA secured an Intergovernmental Agreement with Poudre Valley Hospital
Ambulance to provide services to PFA’s jurisdiction and the Northern Larimer County
Emergency Response Area (NLCERA).
Benefits:
Partnership among PFA, NLCERA, and PVH ambulance services.
Ambulance fee structure made available to the general public.
Performance metrics and provisions to maintain compliance with required response
times by PVH.
D11) Police - Information Services Division: Technical Project Unit and Records Unit
Description: In 2015, the Technical Projects Unit and the Records Unit combined
disparate hourly and part-time positions to create a full-time Technical Support Specialist.
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Benefits:
Allows for a dedicated civilian employee who will support the Technical Projects
Manager with the purchase, deployment, and service for the growing number of body-
worn cameras, smart phones, tablets, radios, and many other personal technology
devices utilized by police personnel.
D12) Police - Patrol Division: District One
Description: Increased staffing in the Downtown area during the day has improved officer
presence, relationships with businesses and individuals Downtown.
Benefits:
The consistent approach to people who are repeatedly in violation of minor offenses
and nuisance issues has improved the service to these individuals and the Downtown
area.
This change in staffing has reduced calls for service on frequent violators, allowing
patrol officers to spend time on other issues.
D13) Transfort – Ride Assist Program
Description: Transfort increased the number of passes distributed to participating Ride
Assist agencies in 2015 by 64% over 2014. The Ride Assist program works with 501(c)(3)
non-profits that are assisting low-income and disabled populations with transportation
needs. Transfort distributes free and discounted passes to Ride Assist agencies to assist
with low-income and disabled population transportation needs.
Benefits:
Increased mobility for low-income and disabled populations.
Allows non-profits to reallocate limited funding to other areas of need in serving low-
income and disabled populations.
D14) Parking Services – Increased Coverage
Description: Through the partnership with Transfort, both departments have been able to
provide more reliable coverage for “front counter” customer services through increased
depth available by combining resources.
Benefits:
Increased customer service availability
Less wait time for customers
More timely responses back to customers
D15) Streets Department – Public Viewer
Description: In 2015, Streets continued using Snow Plow Public Viewer, a new
technology that allows citizens to track the last four hours of the City’s snow plows during
snow storms via the Streets Snow & Ice Control webpage.
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Benefits
Gives citizens access to information about when city streets have been plowed/de-iced
so they can better plan their routes to their destinations.
This technology also helps citizens know when the last time a street in question was
plowed/de-iced.
D16) Streets Department – Citizen Outreach
Description: In 2015, in response to concerns expressed about the lack of lead time in
our notification process on SMP projects, notification handouts were distributed five days
in advance of the work. In the past, the lead time was only two days in advance. These
notifications are distributed for each phase of work and include project contact information,
description and nature of the work, any special instructions, dates and times of the work,
and parking and access restrictions. Additionally, citizens are also notified in advance of
the project via a “Word on the Street” mailing in the spring. Signs with document holders
containing project information (such as “Word on the Street” and project notifications) are
also posted in strategic locations in neighborhoods with the intent to provide information to
residents who may have misplaced their notices or those traveling through the area.
Benefits
Allows more time for citizens and businesses to prepare for construction impacts.
Minimizes impacts and increases communication.
E. PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED
E1) Poudre Fire Authority – Interior attack of structure fires by volunteer companies
Description: PFA volunteer companies no longer engage in interior attack of structure
fires. The impact of this change is mitigated by the fact that Station 8 has converted from
volunteer to career, and Station 11 has never engaged in interior structure attack. This
renders the program change moot for two of the three volunteer stations. Stations 9 and
11 have specific guidance on what tasks they may perform on a structure fire, which
improves the safety and efficacy of tactical engagement by the first arriving career
company and to the overall incident.
Benefits:
Improved safety for volunteer firefighters. The training requirements to maintain
competency for interior structure attack were becoming unduly onerous for the
volunteer ranks. This was due in part to the low frequency of volunteer response to
structure fires.
Reduced program costs. The reduction in required PPE, apparatus, and training
creates a cost savings of tens of thousands of dollars per annum.
Improved competency in higher occurrence call types. Eliminating the need to train
and equip volunteers for interior structure attack has allowed for increased focus on
higher frequency calls such as EMS and wildland fires.
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Minimal impact to structure fire outcomes. The practical impact of this change is
minimal due to the following factors:
o Only directly affects Station 9’s area.
o Station 9 arriving first on-scene to working structure fires was an extremely rare
occurrence.
o Per Operational Directives, a standard Station 9 crew could not engage in interior
attack until the establishment of a two-out line, which typically required a career
crew to arrive on scene in any event.
o Volunteer crews have been trained to engage in structure fire assignments other
than interior attack that improve scene safety and incident stabilization (on-scene
report, establishing command, providing EMS, conducting limited exterior attack
under strict parameters when appropriate, providing exterior assistance to career
crews upon their arrival).