HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 9/8/2020 - Memorandum From Marcy Yoder Re: Library Park Neighborhood Updates
Planning, Development & Transportation
Community Development & Neighborhood Services
281 N. College Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2350
970.224.6134 FAX
www.fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: September 2, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and City Council Members
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, PDT Director
Paul Sizemore, Interim CDNS Director
FROM: Marcy Yoder, Neighborhood Services Manager
RE: Library Park Neighborhood Updates
Purpose: This memo will provide a semi-weekly summary of strategies to
compassionately manage and address issues impacting the Library Park Neighborhood,
including recent trends and communication efforts.
Updates from taskforce members:
Police Services continues to monitor the neighborhood for illegal camping at
night. There continue to be a few violations. Officers are also routinely
responding during the day to calls for service. The Mennonite Fellowship has
been taking a more active role in monitoring the property and, at times, have a
security guard on site.
Code Compliance is not reporting any significant changes over the last two
weeks.
Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) continues to proactively engage with individuals in
the neighborhood, including Mennonite Fellowship volunteers, who have taken a
larger role in monitoring behaviors on the site. OFC staff report lower rates of
disruptive behaviors since mid-August. OFC staff are available to respond to
neighborhood concerns Monday thought Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Building Services and PFA have an inspection scheduled with the temporary
Community Shelter to ensure all life safety issues are addressed.
On September 1, City Council approved an emergency ordinance waiving certain
Land Use Code requirements to allow a temporary overnight homeless shelter at
1301 Blue Spruce Drive. This furthers the City’s emergency response to COVID-
19 consistent with the State’s order by providing shelter to people experiencing
homelessness as soon as possible. Fort Collins Rescue Mission will be the
operator of the shelter and will move their operations from their current location
on Linden & Jefferson to 1301 Blue Spruce; the new location is anticipated to
open by the end of this month. In coordination with Catholic Charities, there
should be enough space to accommodate overnight shelter needs for the
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season, including emergency shelter and overflow shelter. This should decrease
the need for people to seek shelter in the Library Park neighborhood.
Council member Gutowsky met with representatives from Police Services,
Neighborhood Services, Social Sustainability, Outreach Fort Collins, Mennonite
Fellowship and Peak Community Church to gain additional insight on the Library
Park Neighborhood.
A Library Park listserv has been created to share similar updates with interested
parties from the neighborhood. Last week’s update included the prior council
memo and notification of an upcoming opportunity for neighborhood
engagement.
o Open Streets is expanding to “open neighborhoods” wit h pop-up activities
across Fort Collins! On September 27, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
neighborhoods, City departments, and community partners will set up
temporary, interactive activities around the city’s low-stress bike trails in
neighborhoods and parks to get residents outside, active, and connected
with neighbors in a COVID-safe setting. Neighborhoods are encouraged to
participate by creating a fun activity for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Neighborhood Services can help with activity ideas and safety guidelines
for registered neighborhoods. For maps of the FoCo Pop Up event activity
centers or to register your neighborhood, contact
NSPrograms@fcgov.com or visit
https://www.fcgov.com/neighborhoodservices/.
Background:
A City task force is coordinating across departments to share updates and advance
strategies to compassionately manage and address issues impacting the Library Park
neighborhood. The task force includes staff from Police Services, Neighborhood
Services/Code Compliance, Social Sustainability, City Attorney’s Office and the City
Manager’s Office. It also includes Outreach Fort Collins, a community partner
offering support for people experiencing homelessness.
In September, the meeting calendar and subsequent updates will be as follows
due to the Labor Day holiday:
o Taskforce will not be meeting on September 4th due to the upcoming
holiday.
o Taskforce meeting will be September 18th and Council update memo will
be September 23rd
o Beginning October 2nd, the taskforce will meet on the first and third Friday
of each month and will share an update with Council the subsequent
Wednesday until further notice.
CC: Honore Depew, Interim Policy and Project Manager
Beth Sowder, Social Sustainability Director
Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Chief Swoboda, Chief of Police
Tim Doran, Police Assistant Chief
Jerry Schiager, Police Lieutenant
Ingrid Decker, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Nick Verni-Lau, Outreach Fort Collins Program Director
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