HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 6/16/2020 - Memorandum From Paul Sizemore And Josh Birks Re: Metro District Policy Update - Agenda Item #11Community Development & Neighborhood Services
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Planning, Development & Transportation Services
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 15, 2020
To: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
Thru: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, Planning Development and Transportation Director
Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
From: Paul Sizemore, Interim CDNS Director
Josh Birks, Economic Health and Redevelopment Director
Re: Metro District Policy Update
The purpose of this memo is to provide information and considerations related to
advancing a project to update the City’s Policy for Reviewing proposed Metropolitan
District Service Plans (the “Policy”).
Bottom-Line
Updates to the Policy were postponed accommodating work related to COVID-19
economic response. Staff from Planning, Development and Transportation (PDT) and
Sustainability Services have met to discuss the resourcing of this project and have
developed a plan to re-initiate the work. Accelerating the project may impact other
priority work – more details will be available before second reading.
Background
Updating the Policy was originally on the Economic Health Department work plan for
this year but has been postponed accommodating work related to COVID-19 recovery.
At the June 9, 2020 Adjourned City Council meeting, City Council discussed
accelerating updates to the Policy to ensure completion this year. In addition, Council
requested that an item be placed on the June 16 agenda to consider a moratorium on
all new metro district applications.
Staff from Planning, Development and Transportation (PDT) and Sustainability Services
have met to discuss the resourcing of this project. This memo outlines the impacts of a
potential moratorium, the general phases of the project, as well as considerations in
determining how to resource the effort.
DocuSign Envelope ID: CD946347-4405-4562-8221-2BAC3A1F67FA
Moratorium Impacts
The moratorium, as written, will apply to the consideration of new Service Plans only,
not to the amendment of Service Plans previously approved by Council or to the
consideration of agreements with the City as contemplated in such Service Plans. This
has the following potential impacts:
• Two or more proposed development projects may experience a delay in
establishing a metro district to support the projects.
• Two existing districts may still proceed with requests for amendment (Block 23
and Harmony and Interstate 25).
• One or more projects may still proceed with the requesting Council consideration
of the Public Benefit Agreement contemplated in certain existing Service Plans
(Water’s Edge).
Project Details
The primary purpose of this project is to complete a systematic review of the Policy’s
categorization of public benefits and to ensure predictability in the process for both
Council and developers. The current categories of public benefits in the Policy lack
objective criteria to determine whether they rise to the stated standard of
“extraordinary”. This project would create guidance to assist staff and Council in
evaluating metro district proposals while still providing flexibility for innovation and
advancement of Council priorities. The project would proceed in three phases:
• Phase 1 – Internal Working Group (2 Months): The project could be initiated in
late June/early July. This phase would focus on organizing internal City
departments to develop a draft rubric for evaluating public benefits. Additionally,
this team would draft potential process changes to allow for earlier and more
significant Council involvement in metro district development.
• Phase 2 – Stakeholder Engagement (Early Fall): The next phase involves
facilitated stakeholder engagement, assisted by the Institute for the Built
Environment. It should be noted that the regulatory environment around COVID-
19 in the fall is currently unknown and could impact this external-facing work.
Revision of draft materials and incorporation of stakeholder input would occur in
this phase.
• Phase 3 – Council Review (Mid-Fall): The final phase involves returning to
Council to review options and recommendations and determine a path forward.
If updates are completed by November potential applicants could apply to the City
seeking a May 2021 election.
Project Management Considerations
Staff from PDT and Sustainability Services are attempting to establish a project
management structure that allows this work to proceed while minimizing impacts to
other high priority projects. Economic Health is currently occupied with COVID-19
related work and can provide a support role in the initiation of the project. Community
Development and Neighborhood Services (CDNS) is determining a plan to provide
project leadership, especially during the initial stages.
DocuSign Envelope ID: CD946347-4405-4562-8221-2BAC3A1F67FA
While staff is working to avoid impacts to other priority projects, this work may require
resources to be allocated from other projects such as oil and gas regulations, mobile
home community amendments, East Mulberry planning, or Home2Health. In the
coming weeks, staff should know the extent of these impacts based on resources
coming available from other projects nearing completion.
Next Steps
• Consideration of a moratorium and additional direction from Council on June 16
• Potential consideration of second reading of moratorium on July 21
• Internal development of project management model throughout June
• Potential kickoff of internal first phase by early July
DocuSign Envelope ID: CD946347-4405-4562-8221-2BAC3A1F67FA