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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 8/11/2020 - Memorandum From Delynn Coldiron Re: Leadership Planning Team Meeting Minutes - August 10, 2020 City Clerk 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221-6295 - fax fcgov.com/cityclerk MEMORANDUM DATE: August 10, 2020 TO: Mayor and Councilmembers FROM: Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk RE: Leadership Planning Team (LPT) Meeting Mayor Wade Troxell, Mayor Pro Tem Stephens, City Manager Darin Atteberry, Deputy City Manager Kelly DiMartino, City Attorney Carrie Daggett and City Clerk Delynn Coldiron (all by video-conference call) met on Monday, August 10, and the following summarizes the discussions that began at 7:32 a.m. August 10 Special Meeting: The August 10 agenda item was reviewed. • There was brief discussion about meeting logistics. This will be a remote meeting. Public participation for the discussion item will be available in three ways: by phone, online through Zoom, and by email. • Siting for the Larimer County Behavioral Health Center is the only item that will be discussed. Tonight’s meeting will give Council a chance to receive updated information related to proposed sites and to provide comments to the Larimer County Commissioners in preparation for their discussion and decision on this item scheduled for tomorrow, August 11. Three possible points for discussion include: o No further action necessary. Fort Collins investigated additional sites and presented options to the County; o Take action to indicate support for a particular identified site and forward the information to the Larimer County Commissioners; and/or o Take action to indicate that a collaborative site analysis is needed that includes all County municipalities who are interested in participating. This would include having opportunity to provide more input into the site criteria being used to evaluate sites. The Mayor will kick off the meeting and set the framework for the discussion. Information from the County will be provided to Councilmembers through an email. No staff or County presentations are planned; however, both city and county staff will be available to answer questions. The Mayor and City Manager have been invited to join Loveland’s special Council meeting scheduled for tonight at 6:00 p.m. to provide an update on Council’ s direction. A vote from Council designating the Mayor as the representative to do this will be taken. Leadership Planning Team Meeting August 10, 2020 Page 2 of 5 August 11 Adjourned Meeting and Work Session: The August 11 agenda items were reviewed: • There was brief discussion about meeting logistics. This will be a remote meeting. Public participation for the adjourned meeting discussion item will be available in three ways: by phone, online through Zoom, and by email. • Planning & Zoning Board Applicants – Mayor Troxell and Councilmember Cunniff will provide the City Clerk with a list of their recommended applicants. A read-before memo will be provided to the entire Council providing this information. As part of the discussion, Councilmembers will have the opportunity to suggest additional names. The Council will vote on a final list of candidates that will move forward for interviews. • City Manager’s 2021 Recommended Budget – This discussion is expected to be focused on high level assumptions that went into the budget, including associated revenue projections. Staff will be discussing the guiding principles that were used, as well as highlighting some of the difficult trade-offs that were made and some of the key opportunities/priorities that are funded. An outline of the schedule and public engagement opportunities will also be highlighted. August 18 Regular Meeting: The August 18 agenda items were reviewed. • Master Lease Agreement for SQF, LLC – The purpose of this item is to authorize a Master License Agreement with Tillson Tech and their affiliate, SQF, concerning the use of the City’s infrastructure and rights-of-way for small cellular equipment and associated uses. Due to actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission to whittle away local government authority on these things, the City is required to approve it. Staff is asked to provide information in the agenda materials that describe what is being requested such as whether this will include ground facilities or whether this will include “refrigerator-type” boxes on tops of poles, etc. It was noted that work should be done with our legislators related to this and the urban clutter that is created. • Transfer of Record Keeping Services to Nationwide – It was noted that this is a complicated item and will include approximately 35 individual agreements that will be approved by the proposed Resolution. This item has been taken to the Council Finance Committee. • Congressman Neguse is scheduled to provide an update to Council. The order of the meeting will be shifted to ensure this is done prior to public comment. • Water’s Edge Benefits Agreement – A revised agreement will be presented to Council that staff hopes will accomplish many of the things requested at Council’s last discussion. Leadership Planning Team Meeting August 10, 2020 Page 3 of 5 6-Month Calendar: • August 25 o Election Code Amendments was added to the calendar (moved from August 11). This item was moved to accommodate the addition of an adjourned meeting prior to the work session. The related ordinance will come forward on September 1. • September 15 o 613 Meldrum Street Appeal was added to the calendar. This is an appeal of an Administrative Hearing Officer’s decision to deny a modification of use request that would enable the applicant to develop additional living space on the back lot of his property. A carriage house is proposed. The City Clerk will work with the applicant to reschedule this item due to a scheduling issue. o Hughes Stadium Site discussion item will be added to the calendar. • October 6 o Neighborhood Night Out, although scheduled, will be reimagined to include various virtual items and other things. More detailed information will be provided as soon as it is available. A regular Council meeting will be held. o Staff Report: Customer Engagement Related to Utility’s Customer Information and Billing System was added to the calendar. • January 12 o Wastewater Utility Overview was added to the calendar (moved from August 25). City Clerk Coldiron: • Noted an email received from Michael Pruznik in follow up to the Ethics Review Board review of his recent ethics complaints. This item will be turned into a Service Area Request. Deputy City Manager DiMartino: • Noted efforts are underway to promote the regional electric vehicle group buy incentive for the third year in a row. Staff from our FC Moves group will be collaborating with Northern Colorado Clean Cities, Drive Electric Northern Colorado, as well as automotive dealers on these efforts. The program is expected to start in September and is one of the strategies in the City’s Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap. • Noted that the City had 322 short term rentals renew their licenses. 52 short term rentals were closed. 28 short term rental licenses expired, including 15 grandfathered properties. 15 applications are still pending and two or three appeals are expected to come forward to staff for owners who did not meet the renewal deadline. COVID-19 appears to be changing business in this area. Leadership Planning Team Meeting August 10, 2020 Page 4 of 5 City Attorney Daggett: • Noted that to her knowledge no Councilmembers had expressed interest in being added to the Ad-Hoc Housing Committee since Councilmember Summers resigned. Staff plans to move forward with the three remaining members unless interest in participating is expressed by other Councilmembers. • Noted an executive session will be added to the August 18 agenda to discuss legal issues associated with the proposed billboard at I-25 and Harmony. City Manager Atteberry: • Acknowledged the event that occurred with demonstrators at the Police building over the weekend. There is an active investigation underway. Staff will report back to Council once information is available and it is appropriate to share. • Noted that President McConnell has been sending out various communications related to health care concerns at Colorado State University and their approach to dealing with issues. A copy of one of her communications is attached. There remains some concern about consequences for off-campus students who are holding parties. Staff should collaborate with CSU Off-Campus Life to see if the party registration program can be revised in a way that might help with this. • Noted that the Larimer County COVID-19 variance was approved to stay in place. A related announcement is attached. • Noted that staff will be providing Council with an update on the non-congregate care work that is being done with a local hotel. Good progress is being made. • Noted some challenges associated with childcare and the need for space. Additional outreach with the Poudre School District is planned to see if schools might be able to accommodate this need since they are starting online. Mayor Troxell: • Met with mayors from university communities and noted a program that is part of Ann Arbor’s Master’s program where students work with their upper administration as a communication channel between students and Off Campus Life, using presidential ambassadors to message to students information about COVID and communicating code of conduct items, etc. He interpreted this to be similar to what is done with our Community Welcome program. He thought there was merit in this and that it gives students an opportunity to be part of creating solutions. • Noted the collaboration on COVID testing between Colorado State University, the county, the city, and the state. He added that having a testing center here would help with capacity issues and ensure a performance level guarantee of 24-48 hours for turnaround time. This would also help with follow up related to contact tracing. He noted his support for this. Leadership Planning Team Meeting August 10, 2020 Page 5 of 5 • Was appreciative of the information recently shared about Connexion. He suggested staff look for ways to really differentiate Connexion from other providers of service. Meeting adjourned at 10:42 a.m. Dear Friends in the Fort Collins Community, As the President of Colorado State University, I take seriously my responsibility to CSU faculty, staff, students and their families, and the Fort Collins community. That’s why I am sharing the University’s plans for fall semester with you. Each year, I look forward to August and the start of the fall semester, but this year the annual return of students to Fort Collins and Colorado State University will look much different and will reflect our “new normal” in the face of COVID-19. Since March, we have worked with the CSU Pandemic Preparedness Team, a team of disease, public health and logistics experts, and with our public health office to implement protocols to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID- 19. We have done this in almost daily consultation with other public health offices including Larimer County and the state. Our CSU protocols exceed CDC, state and county guidelines because we want to do the best we can to restart in-person operations and mitigate the risk of coronavirus transmission on our campuses and in the community. I know many of you are concerned about students returning to campus and our community. I acknowledge that this week’s Coloradoan story, suggesting that some of our student athletes do not believe protocols are being followed by CSU Athletics, may have increased your concerns. Let me clarify several things: Before we had any knowledge of these concerns, the Pandemic Preparedness Team had already mandated a 14-day suspension of football activities to limit transmission. And when we learned of the allegations, we acted immediately to engage the law firm of Husch and Blackwell to perform a completely independent investigation of the allegations. I assure you that if we find a breach of health protocols, we will take immediate action. My hope in this letter is to address your concerns by providing a brief overview of Colorado State University’s concerted and intensive efforts to reduce the risk to our campuses and our town. CSU is committed to creating a physical environment on our campuses that reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19 yet allows us to safely continue the University’s mission of teaching, research and outreach. We have done all of our planning with the broader community in mind, and that includes all of you. Here is a brief outline of our health precautions. For greater detail please link to the following: https://covidrecovery.colostate.edu/public-health-precautions- during-the-semester/ Public Health on Campuses • Students, faculty, staff, and guests are required follow all public health orders while on University grounds, including wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. • Disinfectant supplies will be available to students and employees across campuses and in buildings. More than 600 stations of hand sanitizer or wipes are being deployed across campuses. • All employees and students are required to monitor for symptoms whenever they are going to be on campus. They are required to report on an app that is monitored by a public health team. If they have symptoms they do not report to campus, are contacted by a member of CSU’s public health team and evaluated for testing. • If an employee or student tests positive, we share information and software with Larimer County that tracks positive COVID-19 cases in the county. Our CSU Pandemic Preparedness Team immediately engages in contact tracing when students, faculty and staff have COVID-19, as well as directing those who are sick or may be exposed to self- isolate or quarantine. Move-In/Residence Hall Life • Students who live in University housing will be tested for COVID-19 as part of their move-in process. • Tests results through CSU labs will be available within 24 hours. • CSU has a detailed plan to quarantine and support students living in University housing who test positive for COVID-19 or become ill. https://covidrecovery.colostate.edu/covid- 19-quarantine-in-university-housing-faq/ Classroom Protocols • Courses will be delivered through three types of classes: in-person, hybrid of in-person and online, and completely online. • All classrooms, laboratories and other learning spaces comply with county density guidelines and have been reconfigured for required physical distancing. • Our custodial crews have increased the frequency of their cleaning and disinfecting practices across our campuses. In addition, upon entering a classroom, students will be required to disinfect their desk and chair, while instructors will be required to disinfect their podium. • More information is available at https://covidrecovery.colostate.edu/learning-and- academic-interactions/ While the University has strict protocols in place for on-campus activities, we understand that much of student life takes place off campus. For an example of the kind of clear messaging we are doing to our students regarding our expectations of them as members of the Fort Collins community, you can read the message I shared last Friday with all students returning to off- campus housing We have a robust social-norming campaign to educate students about their responsibility to adhere to protocols. All CSU students are bound by the University’s Code of Conduct. As outlined in the code, CSU students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner at all times, whether on or off campus. Students can and will be held responsible for behavior they engage in that “adversely affects the University community’s health, safety or welfare, poses a threat to persons or property, or may damage the institution’s reputation or relationship with the greater community.” The health and well-being of our community, and of our students, faculty and staff, many of whom are your neighbors and friends, is our primary concern. For 150 years and as Fort Collins’ largest employer, CSU has been an excellent economic partner and collaborator with the city in a mutually beneficial and model town-gown relationship that has allowed both to flourish. We rely on each other for wonderful experiences and opportunities. We have grown together and benefitted from each other. Now, we face a global pandemic together and we will get through it. Together Sincerely, Joyce McConnell, JD, LLM President Colorado State University LARIMER COUNTY | HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524, 970.498.6700, Larimer.org/health Contact: Katie O'Donnell 970-646-1756 kodonnell@larimer.org Date: August 6, 2020 Variance Update Larimer County, CO --- Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE) has been notified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that Larimer County’s variance will remain in place. Cases of COVID-19 have stabilized over the past two weeks, and the goal is to reduce the rate of cases. Monitoring the case count and other indicators will continue for the next few weeks to determine if the positive case rate remains stable. It is always LCDHE’s intent to keep businesses open. A spike in cases could mean that the variance is revoked or ratcheted back. LCDHE contact tracers are seeing an increase in community spread, meaning that many positive cases are unsure how they became infected with COVID-19. This is concerning and reminds Larimer County that now is the time to be diligent. On July 17, Larimer County received a letter from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that cases had risen enough to put the local variance at risk and require a mitigation plan. Larimer County was required to create a mitigation plan to show how the county would decrease and stabilize case counts. This plan was submitted on time on July 20. The plan required strong community education and outreach, enforcement and compliance plans for face coverings, social distancing, and following the required guidelines for businesses. “I appreciate our unified efforts to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in Larimer County,” says Tom Gonzales, Public Health Director for Larimer County. “We have regrouped and stabilized our case rate. But we must all continue to take this seriously and be diligent with handwashing, face coverings and social distancing. We must continue to slow our cases to keep NOCO open at our current capacity.” Test result delays continue to be a challenge for the necessary contact tracing required to keep case numbers low in the community. Larimer County is exploring other local lab options to help with testing turnaround and allow for quick contact tracing. Contact tracing is the process of identifying, assessing, and monitoring people who have been exposed to COVID-19 and to prevent onward transmission. Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the public health response adjusts as more is learned about this virus. While there is plenty of news and media information available, LCDHE is encouraging Larimer County residents to view the latest credible information on COVID-19 at www.larimer.org/coronavirus or www.CDC.gov/coronavirus. Additionally, residents are encouraged to follow LCDHE’s Facebook and Twitter accounts at @LarimerHealth.