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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 9/20/2016 - Memorandum From Parks & Recreation Board Re: Recommendations For The Bfo Offers - 2017-2018 BudgetPage 1 of 3 Park Planning & Development Department 215 N Mason St PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-221-6618 fcgov.com/parkplanning MEMORANDUM DATE: July 27, 2016 TO: Wade Troxell, Mayor City Council Members FROM: Parks & Recreation Board CC: Darin Atteberry, City Manager RE: Recommendations for the BFO offers During several meetings this year, the Parks & Recreation Board received updates on the latest Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) offers presented by the Parks & Recreation Staff. The offers were broken by Staff into two categories: On-Going Offers and Enhancement Offers. The On-Going offers presented by the Parks, Recreation and Park Planning Staff were unanimously approved and supported by the Board. The primary purpose of this letter is to offer our support for the Enhancement offers. While we understand that all of the Enhancement offers cannot be supported, there are few keys ones in each Department that we would want to see included in the upcoming 2017-2018 budget cycle. The following is a list of preferred Enhancement offers listed by Department. PARKS DEPARTMENT 1. Parks life Cycle Program Supported by 1 FTE – Offer 15.5 Enhancement a. Initiated in 1993, this program supports repair, replacement and renovation of over 1,000 varied Parks assets within many different component categories including: building, fields, trails, courts, structures, playgrounds, irrigation, sidewalks, parking lots and water related park components. The program prioritizes projects based on health and safety concerns and regulatory related mandated. The program is essential to keeping park facilities and infrastructure in safe and useable condition as well as enhancing the infrastructure to support growing demand in the parks. 2. Forestry Division, 4.0 FTE to Support Increased Pruning of Smaller Trees to Meet the Frequency Standard Set by the City Forester – Offer 34.4 Enhancement a. Funding will increase the pruning of smaller City broadleaf trees to the pruning frequency standard set by the City Forester. Currently, smaller Broadleaf trees are pruned on an average of 9.2% and the standard is set at 20%. By not following this standard, it will cause significant problems with public safety, reduced tree health and diminished benefits. The new crew will close the gap and the pruning frequency standards. Page 2 of 3 3. Forestry Division – Increased Contractual Pruning of Larger Trees to Meet the Frequency Standard Set by the City Forester – Offer 34.5 Enhancement a. Similar to Enhancement 34.4, the City is currently pruning larger Broadleaf trees on an average of 9.4% and the standard is set at 14% for larger trees. By not following this standard, it will cause significant problems with public safety, reduced tree health and diminished benefits. The increased funding in contractual pruning will close the gap and meet the City Forester’s pruning standards. 4. Southeast Community Park and 4.5 FTE – Offer 15.6 Enhancement a. Funding for this offer will provide maintenance of the new Southeast Community Park. This is the first community park to be built since 2007. The park is scheduled to be completed in July 2017 but the maintenance facility will not be completed until late 2018. Funding has been requested based on this opening date. 5. Additional Offers Supported if Funding Available: a. Downtown Parks Shop – Offer 16.6 Enhancement b. Forestry Emerald Ash Borer Pre-Infestation – Offer 34.6 Enhancement RECREATION DEPARTMENT 1. Administrative Position Change: 10 FTE – Offer 65.4 KFCG Reserves a. The City has been engaged in an assessment of existing full-time hourly positions that have historically been used to provide ongoing, primary City services. The assessment resulted in a decision to move forward with proposed ‘Administrative Position Changes.’ The adjustments would change the classification of 156 current, full-time hourly positions throughout the organization to classified positions. This is intended to be a one-time fix and the Organization will not pursue creating any new full-time hourly positions. 2. Recreation Facility Improvements and Equipment Replacement – Offer 65.5 Recreation Reserves a. Funding will enable needed facility improvements and replacement of aging amenities and equipment throughout the Recreation Department. The funding for these improvements will come from Recreation reserves. 3. Recreation Vehicle Replacement and Facility Improvements – Offer 65.7 KFCG Enhancement a. This offer will utilize KFCG Reserves to make improvements to EPIC aquatic locker rooms and replace three 15 passenger fans used for recreational programs. The vans are over 10 years old and in need of replacement due to repair costs, safety and reliability. 4. PSD After-School Programs for Title 1 Schools – Offer 87.1 Enhancement a. This will provide after-school and summer academic enrichment programs to PSD students through a partnership with the City of Fort Collins, Colorado Health Foundation, Bohemian Foundation, BASE Camp, and Boys and Girls Club. The after- school programs provide a safe and nurturing environment for over 600 students per year all located in high poverty areas of our community. 5. Additional Offers Supported if Funding Available: a. Ice Program Leader: 1.0 FTE – Offer 65.8 Enhancement b. Administration Position Change: 0.5 FTE – Offer 65.9 Enhancement Page 3 of 3 c. Recreation Aquatic Safety Program – Offer 65.12 Enhancement PARK PLANNING DEPARTMENT 1. 1 FTE Landscape Architect – Offer 70.4 Enhancement a. The Department currently employs three landscape architects and one civil engineer, whose primary role is the development of new parks and trails in the City. Currently, these four project managers are responsible for over 50 projects, many in support or in partnership with other departments. Many departmental projects are complex and time consuming and require significant time and attention. The volume of projects currently being managed is not sustainable without additional support. Funding will come from the Neighborhood Park Impact Fees. 2. Poudre River Downtown Project – Offer 71.1 Enhancement a. Funding will provide for the appropriation of funds necessary for the construction of Phase I of the Poudre River Downtown project through the Community Capital Improvement Program Tax Initiative. The project is currently in the design phase and is scheduled for completion in Spring 2018. This offer will begin to transform one of the least attractive reaches of the Poudre River into a beautiful community amenity. As a Board, we are aware of the budget constraints Council must deal with. We are confident that Council realizes that the Parks & Recreation Board takes its advisory role seriously and is extremely deliberate in its discussions to provide that advice. The Board will continually support the on-going offers as they are essential to maintaining a minimum standard of excellence that the citizens of Fort Collins have come to expect from its Parks system. The Enhancement offers were presented and reviewed by the Board over several meetings. Our overarching theme has always been and will continue to be the support of the maintenance of our existing parks and recreation system and the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. We thank the Council for their time and consideration of our recommendations of the 2017-2018 BFO offers.