HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport - Mail Packet - 9/14/2021 - City Managers Monthly Update - September 9, 2021
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September 9, 2021
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
Table of Contents
ISSUES BEFORE COUNCIL ................................................................................................................... 4
SEPTEMBER 14 WORK SESSION ............................................................................................................................. 4
SEPTEMBER 21 REGULAR MEETING ...................................................................................................................... 4
SEPTEMBER 23 URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING ........................................................................ 4
SEPTEMBER 28 WORK SESSION ............................................................................................................................. 4
OCTOBER 5 REGULAR MEETING ............................................................................................................................ 5
OCTOBER 12 WORK SESSION ................................................................................................................................. 5
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT – UPCOMING EVENTS ................................................................................... 5
SALES TAX - MONTHLY & YEAR TO DATE ......................................................................................... 7
CITYWIDE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 7
VINE AND LEMAY BNSF IMPROVEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 8
TIMBERLINE ROAD CORRIDOR PROJECT ............................................................................................................... 9
LINDEN STREET RENOVATION PROJECT ................................................................................................................ 9
NORTH MASON DESIGN – ALPINE TO HICKORY .................................................................................................. 11
DRAKE AND HAMPSHIRE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INTERSECTION PROJECT ................................................... 11
TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROJECTS PRIORITIZATION STUDY ......................................................................... 12
CP - PARK PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 12
BUCKING HORSE PARK ......................................................................................................................................... 12
EAST PARK DISTRICT MAINTENANCE FACILITY .................................................................................................... 13
MAIL CREEK TRAIL ............................................................................................................................................... 13
POUDRE TRAIL AT I‐25 ......................................................................................................................................... 14
SPRING CANYON DOG PARK ................................................................................................................................ 14
TRAVERSE PARK ................................................................................................................................................... 15
THE HAND THAT FEEDS/SUGAR BEET PARK ........................................................................................................ 15
CP - OPERATION SERVICES ............................................................................................................... 16
FORT COLLINS/LOVELAND POLICE TRAINING CENTER ........................................................................................ 16
BLOCK 32/42 – CIVIC MASTER PLAN REFRESH .................................................................................................... 16
UTILITIES SERVICES CENTER‐RENOVATION FOR SCO AND NOC .......................................................................... 17
CP - UTILITIES ....................................................................................................................................... 18
PRIORITY #7 VILLAGE EAST CABLE REPLACEMENT .............................................................................................. 18
27” POUDRE CANYON RAW WATERLINE ............................................................................................................. 18
OAK STREET STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ..................................................................................... 19
MAIL CREEK STREAM REHABILITATION AT TWO‐CREEKS NATURAL AREA ......................................................... 20
PUBLIC SAFETY ................................................................................................................................... 21
POUDRE FIRE AUTHORITY.................................................................................................................................... 21
POLICE SERVICES .................................................................................................................................................. 23
PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT &TRANSPORTATION ........................................................................... 25
BUILDING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW .......................................................................................... 25
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ................................................................................................................................. 25
GRAFFITI UPDATE................................................................................................................................ 29
SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES ............................................................................................................... 30
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ................................................................................................................................ 30
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ...................................................................................................................................... 30
ECONOMIC HEALTH ............................................................................................................................................. 31
UTILITIES ............................................................................................................................................... 31
CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS .................................................................................................................................. 31
COMMUNITY SERVICES ....................................................................................................................... 34
RECREATION ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
PARKS ................................................................................................................................................................... 35
CULTURAL SERVICES ............................................................................................................................................ 35
NATURAL AREAS .................................................................................................................................................. 36
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................ 37
BROADBAND – FORT COLLINS CONNEXION ................................................................................... 38
COMMUNITY DASHBOARD HIGHLIGHT ............................................................................................. 39
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 4
ISSUES BEFORE COUNCIL
SEPTEMBER 14 WORK SESSION
2022 Recommended Budget #1
o Review the Budget Offers included in the City Manager’s Recommended Budget and answer
questions of Councilmembers. The order of which Outcomes will be reviewed on September 14
and 28 will be finalized by the Leadership Planning Team closer to meeting date.
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses.
SEPTEMBER 21 REGULAR MEETING
2022 Recommended Budget - Public Hearing #1
o Conduct a public hearing to gather public input on 2022 proposed City Budget.
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses.
528 W Mountain Avenue – Involuntary City Landmark Designation Request
o Quasi-judicial hearing to consider an involuntary Landmark designation request for 528 W.
Mountain Avenue. The designation was resident-initiated and recommended by the Historic
Preservation Commission. It is not supported by the owner.
Neighborhood Livability & Social Health 1.5 - Enhance the quality of life in
neighborhoods, empower neighbors to solve problems, and foster respectful
relations.
1041 Regulations
o Discuss next steps in designating areas and activities of statewide interest pursuant to the
1041 state statute. The discussion will focus on selecting the areas and activities to designate,
conducting a public hearing, and appropriate funds for consultant services.
Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 1.6 - Align land use regulations and
review procedures to guide development consistent with City Plan.
Annual Adjustment Ordinance
o Appropriate expenses related to unanticipated revenue, grants and unforeseen costs that had
not previously been budgeted.
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses
Executive Session
o Collective Bargaining Update
SEPTEMBER 23 URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING
5:00-7:00 p.m.
o Agenda available at renewfortcollins.com
SEPTEMBER 28 WORK SESSION
2022 Recommended Budget #2
o Review the Budget Offers included int eh City Manager’s Recommended Budget and answer
questions of Councilmembers. The order of which Outcomes will be reviewed on September 14
and 28 will be finalized by the Leadership Planning Team later in the summer.
Please note that this list is subject to
frequent change. Please call the City
Clerk’s Office for up-to-date
information. 970-416-2774.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 5
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses
OCTOBER 5 REGULAR MEETING
2022 Recommended Budget #2
o Conduct a public hearing to gather public input on 2022 proposed City Budget
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses
Menstrual Equity Ordinance
o Advance gender equity in City Sales Tax Code and establish a menstrual equity ordinance to
exempt certain products from sales tax.
High Performing Government 7.9 - Proactively influence policy and legislative
development at all levels.
1103 Wabash Street – Appeal of Excess Water Use Fee
o Consider an appeal of the Excess Water Use Fee charged to the Mountain Ridge Farm HOA.
Environmental Health 4.4 - Provide a reliable, high-quality water supply.
OCTOBER 12 WORK SESSION
2022 Recommended Budget #3
o Review the Budget Offers included in the City Manager’s Recommended Budget and answer
questions of Councilmembers. The order of which Outcomes will be reviewed on September 14
and 28 will be finalized by the Leadership Planning Team later in the summer.
High Performing Government 7.1 - Provide world-class municipal services to
residents and businesses
Oil and Gas – Approval Processes and Operational Standards
o Seek direction on desired approval processes and operational standards for oil and gas
development within City limits.
Environmental Health 4.2 - Improve indoor and outdoor air quality
Light and Power Utility Overview (moved from October 26)
o Present a holistic overview of the light and power utility including strategic direction and
challenges.
Economic Health 3.5 - Invest in and maintain utility infrastructure and services while
ensuring predictable utility rates.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT – UPCOMING EVENTS
2022 City Manager’s Recommended Budget
The City of Fort Collins published the 2022 City Manager’s
Recommended Budget Sept. 1 and has scheduled several
opportunities for community members to learn more and provide
feedback to City Council.
The Recommended Budget was developed by City staff
and provided to City Council, who will now spend the fall reviewing and modifying the budget prior to
adoption in November. Community members can review the proposed budget and share
feedback at ourcity.fcgov.com/2022budget.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 6
Budget Forums:
The City will host three online budget forums in early September to review the 2022 Recommended
Budget. Each session will focus on programs and services recommended for funding within two or
three of the City’s seven outcome areas:
Budget Forum #3 :Sept. 9, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
o Outcome Areas: Economic Health | Culture & Recreation | High Performing Government
The forums will be held on Zoom; to access the forums and participate,
visit ourcity.fcgov.com/2022budget. Live Spanish-language interpretation will be provided.
Participants will have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of City budget and finance staff,
and to weigh in on which kinds of City programs and services are most important to fund in 2022. The
feedback will be shared with City Council as they make revisions and finalize the 2022 Budget
throughout the fall.
Share your Ideas for a Resilient Recovery
Public engagement for the development the Fort Collins
Recovery Plan is underway.
We want to hear from you! What does a resilient, vibrant
recovery for all residents and businesses look like? How can
we get there? Even if you only have a few minutes, your input
matters.
Have 1 minute?
Share One Idea: Click the "One Thing" tab below and
share one topic we should focus on to support pandemic recovery.
Have 5 minutes?
Take the Survey: Tell us your ideas for a resilient and vibrant recovery
Have more time?
Dive Deeper: Join us for a community conversation to talk about recovery and share your ideas.
o Thursday, August 26, 2021 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - View Recording(External link)
o Wednesday, September 22, 2021 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Virtually via Zoom - Sign Up
Future of Outdoor Dining
City staff are currently studying what a future outdoor dining and retail program could look like and we
would like to collect feedback from Fort Collins residents and visitors. Businesses are being surveyed
separately. To take the survey, visit https://ourcity.fcgov.com/forfoco and find the survey under the
“Surveys” tab.
Mountain Avenue Improvements
FC Moves is looking at new design ideas to improve Mountain Avenue from Howes Street to Willow
Street. Specifically, FC Moves is looking at current use and circulation for pedestrians, bikes, vehicles,
pick-up/drop-off, deliveries, and other new ideas like outdoor dining and green space. With input from
the community, the City hopes to create a toolbox of ideas from long-term streetscaping to short-term
projects that could be easily piloted.
A short survey is available at http://ourcity.fcgov.com/mountainavenue and learn more about this
visioning project!
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 7
SALES TAX - MONTHLY & YEAR TO DATE
This report reflects Sales and Use Tax collected in July for economic activity that occurred in June.
Please note the sales and use tax collected in July is predominately from June sales but also includes
delinquent collections from prior periods.
JULY SUMMARY OVER PRIOR YEAR
Month Year to Date
Net Sales Tax Collected: 23.4% 18.7%
Net Use Tax Collected: 10.5% 3.2%
Net Sales and Use Tax Collected: 21.5% 16.4%
Year to date, sales and use tax collections excluding rebates are up 16.4% and total $89.4M.
JULY SUMMARY OVER BUDGET
Month Year to Date
Net Sales Tax Collected: 26.1% 20.0%
Net Use Tax Collected: 31.3% 10.2%
Net Sales and Use Tax Collected: 26.8% 18.6%
Year to date, the City has collected 18.6% more sales and use tax revenue, totaling $14.0M over
budget. CP - ENGINEERING
CITYWIDE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS PROJECT
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 8
Funding Source: Community Capital Improvement Program (CCIP)
Estimated Project Budget: 2020 - $1.2M
Estimated Completion Date: Ongoing
Phase: Construction
Project Details:
This project maintains a complete City sidewalk inventory, identifies sidewalk inadequacies, and
access needs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and develops a prioritized work
program to achieve goals of providing unobstructed access for transportation and recreation.
Project Status:
The contractor is working multiple locations in the City, and has completed several
locations in August; to complete north side of Harmony from Lady Moon to Strauss Cabin
in Sept.
More information is available at http://www.fcgov.com/engineering/pedneeds.php
VINE AND LEMAY BNSF IMPROVEMENTS
Funding Source: Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG),
Transportation Capital Expansion Fee (TCEF), 2017 / 2018
BFO, 2021 BFO
Estimated Project Budget: $24M
Estimated Completion Date: 2021
Phase: Construction
Project Details:
The existing Vine and Lemay intersection, which includes the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway crossing, is
severely congested with limited options to expand through or
turn lane capacity due to land use constraints.
Project Status:
Lemay at Lincoln is now open to traffic.
The intersection of Lincoln and Lemay, and the project’s southern tie-in are largely
complete.
The embankment and the walls for the bridge approaches are complete.
The drainage lines and structures south of the bridge will be complete by the second week
of September.
The curb, gutter and sidewalks should be largely complete by the end of September.
Large sections of paving will be complete by the end of September.
The bridge girders are planned to be set at the end of September.
More information is available at fcgov.com/engineering/vine-lemay
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 9
TIMBERLINE ROAD CORRIDOR PROJECT
Funding Source: Transportation Capital Expansion Fee
(TCEF), Developer Contribution, Federal Grant
Estimated Project Budget: $8M
Estimated Completion Date: 2022
Phase: Design and Right-of-Way Acquisition
Project Details:
This project will reconstruct South Timberline Road from
Stetson Creek Drive to Zephyr Road to the City’s four lane
arterial roadway standards. Zephyr Road to Trilby Road will be
restriped to include two northbound lanes and one southbound
lane. Planned improvements include intersection
improvements at Kechter Road and Zephyr Road, multi-modal
accommodations, raised medians and center turn lanes,
access control, landscaping improvements, and roadway
improvements. A pedestrian underpass crossing Timberline
Road will also be constructed near Bacon Elementary School.
This project serves to build upon the development improvements that have been completed along the
corridor. This project will improve safety, reduce congestion, and provide improved accommodations
for alternate travel modes.
Project Status:
Design is under final review.
Construction is anticipated to begin in November 2021.
More information is available at https://www.fcgov.com/engineering/timberlinewidening
LINDEN STREET RENOVATION PROJECT
Overall Project Improvements
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 10
2022 Construction
Funding Source: Community Capital Improvement Program (CCIP)
Estimated Project Budget: $3.8M
Estimated Completion Date: 2022
Phase: Construction
Project Details:
The goals of this project are to renovate Linden Street between Walnut Street and Jefferson Street.
Initial concepts include converting this section of Linden Street to a “convertible” street; one that can
function primarily as a roadway but can also be closed to vehicles and converted to a pedestrian plaza
during specialty events.
Project Status:
Staff has initiated conversations with the design and construction teams to complete the
remaining improvements on Linden Street in 2022.
Staff is evaluating minor design changes to the Linden Street project to better
accommodate outdoor dining.
More information is available at: https://www.fcgov.com/engineering/linden-street-renovation/
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 11
NORTH MASON DESIGN – ALPINE TO HICKORY
Funding Source: Transportation Capital Expansion Fee (TCEF),
Storm Water Utility, Urban Renewal Authority (URA) funding
Estimated Project Budget: $1.0M
Estimated Completion Date: 2 quarter 2022
Phase: 30% Design
Project Details:
A collaborative effort between City departments and the North
College URA to find solutions to existing drainage issues along
the west side of College Avenue, north of the Poudre River.
The project was approved through the 2019/2020 Budgeting for
Outcomes (BFO) process and will focus on roadway and storm
sewer alignments for North Mason. Construction of the storm
sewer backbone is expected to occur in 2021/2022. No funding
has currently been identified for the roadway construction.
Project Status:
City staff will bring an agenda item to City Council the month of September for approval of
Authorization to use Eminent Domain, if needed.
DRAKE AND HAMPSHIRE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INTERSECTION
PROJECT
Funding Source: Safe Routes to School Federal Grant
Estimated Project Budget: $620,000
Estimated Completion Date: Winter 2020
Phase: Preliminary Design
Project Details:
This project will add a signalized intersection and bike/ped improvements to the intersection of Drake
Road and Hampshire Drive. Planned improvements include: full signalized intersection, pedestrian
ramp improvements, crosswalks, and revised roadway striping to better accommodate cyclists. This
project will provide a Safe Route to School connection between Blevins Middle School and the Spring
Creek Trail.
Project Status:
Construction was scheduled to begin on September 1, 2021.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 12
TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROJECTS PRIORITIZATION STUDY
Funding Source: Community Capital Improvement Program (CCIP – Arterial Intersection
Improvements)
Estimated Project Budget: $400,000
Estimated Completion Date: 2022
Phase: Project Kickoff
Project Details:
In 2010, the City hired an engineering consultant to conduct a study to prioritize capital improvement
projects at arterial intersections based primarily on safety and congestion concerns. The resulting data
and list of prioritized locations allowed the City to program funds, receive grants for and construct
improvements at top tier locations.
The Transportation Capital Projects Prioritization Study (TCPPS) will produce a similar prioritized list of
improvements at arterial intersections as well as arterial corridors. The TCPPS will focus on safety and
congestion, as well as additional criteria such as multi-modal connectivity. A public outreach campaign
through the course of the TCPPS will gather input from and inform Fort Collins residents of the
progress of the study.
Project Status:
Staff has developed a preliminary project prioritization list for intersections and arterials
corridors based on safety and congestion data. Staff will be incorporating qualitative data
in the upcoming months to finalize the list.
CP - PARK PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
BUCKING HORSE PARK
Funding Source: Neighborhood Parkland Funds
Total Project Cost: $2.5 - $4 million
Phase: Design
Estimated Completion: 2023
Project Details:
Bucking Horse Park is a park planned for the Bucking Horse neighborhood.
Project Status:
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 13
Park design is underway.
Playground Designer/Fabricator and CM/GC RFP’s have been issued.
More information available on project webpage.
EAST PARK DISTRICT MAINTENANCE FACILITY
Funding Source: Neighborhood Parkland &
Community Parkland Funds
Total Project Cost: TBD
Phase: Design
Estimated Completion: Fall/Winter 2022
Project Details:
A maintenance facility to serve the East Park
District, which includes multiple neighborhood and
community parks, is proposed near the intersection
of Drake & Ziegler near the water treatment facility.
The maintenance facility will house Parks Department staff, equipment, and some minor material
storage.
Project Status:
City staff met with Council Finance committee, who were supportive of an additional
appropriation for the project.
MAIL CREEK TRAIL
Funding Source: Multiple Funding Sources including Grants, TCEF, and Conservation Trust Funds
Total Project Cost: TBD
Phase: Pre-Design
Estimated Completion: TBD
Project Details:
When completed, the Mail Creek Trail will create a
trail connection from Kinard Middle School to the
Power Trail, providing much needed trail access for
southeast Fort Collins. Currently, design of the
Siphon overpass and Timberline trail
widening/underpass are in progress, in partnership
with the Engineering Department. In addition, Park
Planning & Development is working to identify the
best location for the future Mail Creek Trail.
Project Status:
Team actively evaluating several grant opportunities for the project
More information available on project webpage.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 14
POUDRE TRAIL AT I-25
Funding Source: Conservation Trust Fund & GOCO Grant ($1M for Fort Collins)
Total Project Cost: $3 million
Phase: Design
Estimated Completion: 2023
Project Details:
Construction of this 2-mile section of the trail will complete the entire extent of the approximately 10-
mile Poudre Trail in the City of Fort Collins. Fort Collins partnered with Timnath, Windsor, and Larimer
County in 2019 to win a $2 million GOCO Connect Initiative Grant to complete all remaining segments
of the Poudre Trail. The GOCO project will complete approximately 4-miles of missing trail segments,
to complete the entre 40+ mile Poudre Trail from Bellvue to Greeley. The Fort Collins project will
connect the existing trail ending at the Colorado State Environmental Learning Center through the
future East Community Park to the proposed I-25 underpass to be constructed by the Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT) with the North I-25 project, and thereafter to the existing trail
segment in Timnath.
Project Status:
Review of trail alignment and cost estimates are underway
SPRING CANYON DOG PARK
Funding Source: Nature In the City Grant for $75,000
Total Project Cost: TBD
Phase: Design
Estimated Completion: Fall 2021
Project Details:
The water quality at Spring Canyon Community Park was adversely
affected by the drainage out of the dog park pond. Particularly, issues
like E. coli were difficult to manage and put the dog park pond at risk of
closure. Park Planning & Development worked with Stormwater,
Parks, and Environmental Regulator Affairs to seek and receive a
grant from Nature in the City. This grant will allow for much needed
LID improvements and restoration work on the dog park and SCCP water quality ponds.
Project Status:
Construction anticipated to begin soon
More information available on project webpage.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 15
TRAVERSE PARK
Funding Source: Neighborhood Parkland Funds
Total Project Cost: $3.5- 4 million
Phase: Construction
Estimated Completion: December 2021
Project Details:
A new neighborhood park to be built in the Trail Head
neighborhood, located on East Vine Street. The park will
include typical neighborhood park features including a
shelter, playground, multi-purpose field, basketball court, and
play area for teens.
Project Status:
Construction on the park continues, with earthwork and concrete flatwork nearly complete
Staff continues to coordinate with the developer on some challenging irrigation and water
rights issues
More information available on project webpage.
THE HAND THAT FEEDS/SUGAR BEET PARK
Project Details:
PPD will be constructing a small plaza and donated sculpture in the northeast corner of Sugar Beet
Park. The art commemorates the Hispanic population’s contribution to the sugar beet industry in Fort
Collins. All funding has been raised for the project and was provided by the donors. The City is
providing design and construction administration services for the plaza, donor pavers, and sculpture
installation. An unveiling of the sculpture is planned for Oct. 9.
Project Status:
The City is providing design and construction administration services for the plaza, donor
pavers, and sculpture installation.
An unveiling of the sculpture is planned for Oct. 9.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 16
CP - OPERATION SERVICES
FORT COLLINS/LOVELAND POLICE TRAINING CENTER
Funding Sources:
$9.25M generated from bonds for the
City of Fort Collins
$9.25M from City of Loveland
$1M from DOLA Grant
Estimated Project Cost: $19.5M
Phase: Phase III Added Site Amenities - Permitting
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2021
Project Details:
The City of Fort Collins is partnering with The City of Loveland to
construct a new Police training facility which will be located on the
west side of the Northern Colorado Regional Airport. This new site will
offer a 50-yard pistol range, a 1.4-mile driving track, concrete skills pad, and classrooms for special
training.
Project Status:
Phase I – Track & Skills pad is open and being used.
Phase II - Building Construction is open and being used.
LEED Certification – Finalizing the submittals for USGBC review.
Phase III – Adding Site Items with project savings.
Storage Shed – Building is ordered and Sitework is scheduled to begin mid-September.
Observation Tower for Track & Skills Pad – Sitework to follow Storage Shed, Tower to
deliver November 15.
Breach/Blast Pad – Sitework to follow Tower prep, construction to follow.
K9 Training area – Sitework to follow Breach pad, fencing and finishes to follow.
Construction start for phase III items has been pushed back to September with permitting
delays and building delivery.
Scheduled to complete phase III scope - fall of 2021.
BLOCK 32/42 – CIVIC MASTER PLAN REFRESH
Funding Source: Capital Project via BFO: $300,000
Estimated Project Cost: TBD
Phase: Conceptual Master Plan
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2021
Project Details:
Space planning for Block 32 and 42 that was performed
in 2013-2014 and needs to be updated. The new
planning effort will involve each affected department to
determine their space needs and anticipated growth over the
next 10-12 Years. With the completion of the refresh the City can decide which departments to house in
215 N. Mason, 300 Laporte Ave - Building A, and the new City Hall. The refresh will also help determine
an appropriate size of the new City Hall. Once this is determined and a conceptual design is produced it
will be submitted to Council for review, next recommended steps and approval.
One Possible Conceptual Plan
New Observation Tower for Track
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 17
Project Status:
Planning for the Master Plan DRAFT to be brought before Council, asking to pass on
consent in the Fall.
Currently working to determine the proper timing to proceeded with the next steps outlined
in the Council Work Session presentation. Specifically, the traffic and parking studies.
UTILITIES SERVICES CENTER-RENOVATION FOR SCO AND NOC
Funding Sources: $2.61M – Light & Power (SCO)
$1.75M – Broadband (NOC)
Estimated Project Cost: $4.36M
Phase: Conceptual Master Plan
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2021
Project Details:
This project will renovate approximately 9,800 square feet
of interior space at the Utilities Services Center. The
existing space occupied by Light and Power - SCO will be renovated to serve current and future
needs. Existing interior space will be reconfigured to accommodate the needs of Broadband for a
Network Operations Center (NOC). Conference rooms will be developed to replace those displaced
by interior renovation. SCO staff will be housed in the existing Training Room for the duration of the
renovation.
Project Status:
The project was deemed substantially complete on August 13.
Technology installation and Commissioning is nearing completion.
HVAC Commissioning is complete.
SCO console delivery and assembly is complete and SCO Commissioning, move-in and
training are complete.
NOC Commissioning is complete and SCO personnel are operational in their new space.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 18
CP - UTILITIES
PRIORITY #7 VILLAGE EAST CABLE REPLACEMENT
Funding Source: BFO 8.9
Estimated Project Budget: $242,000
Phase: Design Complete, Construction Initiated
Project Details:
Electric primary cable has been evaluated through the
City based on year of installation, style of cable, and
manufacturer to establish a prioritized failure risk. This
area was calculated as Priority Area #7 citywide and
involves the replacement of 36 sections of single-
phase power and 5 sections of three-phase power.
The replacement primarily occurs within the Village
East Subdivision located between Stover Street and
S. Lemay Avenue, north of E. Horsetooth Road.
Project Status:
Approximately 97% of all the single-phase cable
sections have been replaced.
Approximately 30% of all the three-phase cable
sections have been replaced.
100% of the existing transformers designated for replacement have occurred with minimum
outages.
27” POUDRE CANYON RAW WATERLINE
Funding Source: Water - BFO#12.21 (2021)
Estimated Project Budget: $3,2000,000
Status: In Design
Estimated Completion Date:
Final Design – March 2022
Construction - August 2023
Project Details:
The goal of this project is to ensure the structural
integrity and operational longevity of the City’s 27”
raw waterline in the Poudre Canyon. An existing,
exposed section of the pipeline in the river near
Gateway Natural Area will be replaced to eliminate
the risk of failure which ensures the continued
delivery and reliability of raw water from the Poudre
River to the Water Treatment Facility. The design will
consider the existing geomorphology of the river to
develop a long-term solution which may require pipe alignment modifications and deeper burial depths
of the pipeline. Final design and construction of the selected alternative are included in this project.
Project Status:
Aerial of Village East Cable
Replacement
Selected Alternative Pipe Route – River
Crossing (approx. location)
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 19
Final Design began last month.
Team held a site visit to discuss final pipe alignment options.
Supplemental survey was recently completed.
Exploratory potholing (approx..5 holes) will be conducted in October.
OAK STREET STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
Funding Source: Stormwater
Estimated Project Budget: $2.0M (Design), $23M (Construction), $25M Total
Status: In Design
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2022 (Design), Early 2023 (Construction)
Project Details:
This project is for the design and construction of stormwater infrastructure for the Oak Street Stormwater
Improvements Project (OSSP) that is part of the larger Downtown Stormwater Improvement Program
(DSIP). The project is located on Oak Street from Mason to Jackson and will include a few storm laterals
extending to the blocks both north and south of Oak Street. There will be approximately 8500 LF of new
storm pipe installed with this project, ranging in size from 78” to 48”.
Project Status:
Conceptual Design (30% plans) was completed July 30th
BT Construction to provide pricing from Conceptual Design (30% plans) by August 27th.
Early morning stormwater manhole inspections
August 24, 2021
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 20
Data Collection (Phase 2) – September/October 2021
Preliminary Design - September 2021 through January 2022; Risk Analysis and Value Engineering
to be included as part of Preliminary Design
MAIL CREEK STREAM REHABILITATION AT TWO-CREEKS NATURAL
AREA
Funding Source: Stormwater
Estimated Project Budget: $3,100,000
Status: In Design
Estimated Construction Completion Date: Fall 2023
Project Details:
The Mail Creek at Two-Creeks Natural Areas stream reach is within an urbanized corridor and is
experiencing bed and bank erosion, which in some cases is threatening private property.
Rehabilitation, using bio-engineered stream sections, typically includes replacing existing grade
control structures and disconnected channel segments with riffle drops and pools to promote native
fish passage and improved aquatic habitat.
Mail Creek at Two-Creeks Natural Areas is located just northwest of Fossil Creek Community Park in
southeast Fort Collins. This reach is approximately 3,240 feet in length and intersects at the
confluence of Fossil Creek.
Project Status:
Design Consultant Under Contract – Completed
Site Assessments & Data Collection – Completed
Preliminary Design – In Progress
Project coordination with Natural Areas & Parks – In Progress
Target Construction Start: Fall 2022
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 21
PUBLIC SAFETY
POUDRE FIRE AUTHORITY
PFA Members Deployed to Dixie Fire and Hurricane Ida
A crew of three PFA wildland firefighters and a brush unit returned late on Thursday, Sept. 2 after
about 14 days working the Dixie Fire in California. The Dixie Fire was 917,579 acres and 59% on
Sept. 7 according to the latest update on the Incident Information System
Seven members of PFA were deployed on Aug. 28th as part of Colorado Task Force 1. They assisted
in the response to Hurricane Ida by providing urban search and rescue, emergency medical care,
damage assessment and other tasks as needed. They returned on Tuesday, Sept. 7. The task force is
a Colorado-based team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is sponsored
by West Metro Fire Rescue.
Three Citizen Lifesaving Awards were Presented at the PFA Board Meeting | Aug. 24
In the early morning hours of June 9, 2021, Andrew and Brett separately discovered a neighbor’s
attached garage engulfed in flames. They immediately knew they had to make sure everyone was out
of the home. They entered through a backdoor and although they weren't familiar with the house and
smoke was thick in some areas, they diligently searched for potential occupants. They followed the
sound of a barking dog and found a resident upstairs who then let them know where another person
was sleeping. Thanks to their brave efforts and the help of Gus the dog, everyone made it out without
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 22
injury. “We need help before we get there,” said
Chief Bergsten. “It takes a community and it’s
actions like these that make the difference.
Thank you.”
Fire in Home without Smoke Detectors |
Aug. 14
PFA responded to a fire in a multi-family
building on the 3000 block of Windmill Dr. in the
early morning hours after reports of an
electrical smell. During their initial investigation
the crew saw charring on one of the unit’s
windows and upgraded the call to a structure
fire. Upon making entry into the unit the
firefighters extinguished the fire with a water
can and performed a search. They found three
sleeping residents who were unaware of the fire (two adults and a child).
The unit did not have smoke alarms or CO detectors. Levels of smoke and other toxins in the unit
were high enough to cause serious injury and even death. Thankfully, the residents were sleeping in a
room with the door closed. A decision that likely helped save their lives. A PFA fire investigator
determined that it was likely caused by overheating of an electrical cord that was covered with
miscellaneous materials. It likely smoldered for a few hours before it was discovered, and firefighters
were dispatched at about 4:30 a.m. The door protected them from the harmful environment long
enough for someone to report the smell and help to arrive.
High Angle Rescue | Aug. 7
PFA conducted on a complex high angle rescue that took about six hours. The patient had reportedly
climbed to the top of Horsetooth Rock to watch the sunrise early Saturday morning. They fell
approximately 100 ft. and landed in a bush on a ledge. At around 6:00 p.m. that evening someone
heard a noise which ended up being a call for help. They could see a bush moving on the ledge below
but not the patient. PFA was dispatched just after 6:00 p.m. and began preparations for a high angle
rope rescue while en route to Horsetooth Mountain Park.
After working with the person that reported the call for help, the patient was located and a PFA
responder was lowered down from the rock. The responder did an initial medical assessment and
began care. The patient suffered multiple injuries including fractures and a laceration but was
conscious for the majority of the rescue. Fire Chief Bergsten visited the patient while they were in the
hospital recovering. The patient was happy to have the opportunity to say thank you.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 23
POLICE SERVICES
Traffic Safety
Impacting Dangerous Driving Behaviors – Traffic
safety is a priority for FCPS. In response to
concerns from community members about unsafe
and disruptive driving behaviors on weekends,
FCPS has been working on making an impact
through focused education and enforcement.
During Friday and Saturday nights over the course
of several weeks, officers from District One, the
Neighborhood Engagement Team, and Traffic
Unit teamed up to impact unsafe driving behaviors
in the Downtown area and along College Avenue.
CBS4 reporter Dillon Thomas rode along one night and filmed a story about the ongoing effort:
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/08/23/fort-collins-police-cruising-vandalism-rolling-
coal/?fbclid=IwAR2x2cBCNz4_NLITnR-dIgf3Mh5zDShW5KEhmG6Kq2gtibKRTTkXVeJHIpM
Notable Cases
Suspect arrested for robbing high school student - On August 19, 2021 around 2:30 p.m., a Poudre
High School student reported to the School Resource Officer that she had just been the victim of a
robbery. The victim said that she was approached in the parking lot by an unknown adult woman who
asked to borrow the victim’s phone. A short time later, the suspect pointed a handgun at the victim and
tried to take her car keys. A brief struggle ensued, and the suspect ultimately ran away on foot. The
victim immediately reported the incident to her SRO, who accessed security video and was able to
determine the suspect’s direction of travel. Police located the suspect nearby and took her into
custody. A realistic replica handgun was recovered during the investigation.
Suspect arrested for July 5 murder – Since the violent death of homicide victim Todd Stout on July 5,
detectives worked diligently to gather information, including digital forensic evidence, that would
provide further insight into the incident and person responsible. Through this process, they were able
to identify a suspect. On August 17, police contacted the 16-year-old suspect at his home in South
Fort Collins. He was arrested for First Degree Murder (class 1 felony). He was formally charged as an
adult and remains in custody at Platte Juvenile Detention Center awaiting criminal prosecution. News
releases about the investigative effort can be found online at https://www.fcgov.com/news/?id=8102.
Please note, all charges are simply an accusation by law enforcement officers, and all parties must be
presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Community Connections
Asian community meeting – Chief Swoboda and members of the FCPS Executive Staff met with Asian
American business owners and community members in August. The group started meeting earlier this
summer to create space for discussion around any issues this group might be experiencing. The group
shared overwhelming feedback that they feel supported by FCPS, and Chief Swoboda emphasized
the importance of investing in relationships before an issue or incident occurs. This approach reflects
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 24
our mission of Safety and Service for All, and FCPS will continue to find and create opportunities to
build connections like this with different community groups.
Barbers & Badges event – The School Resource Officer team held its first “Barbers & Badges” event.
With the help of Avila’s Barber School, over 70 kids got free haircuts and fresh styles! While they
waited, families played cornhole and ping pong, challenged each other in Mario Kart, met K9 Trigger,
and enjoyed lunch courtesy of PSD’s Language, Culture and Equity department and the Fraternal
Order of Police Benevolent Fund. Kids also got a chance to pick out a new backpack from an Otter
donation to local schools. Huge thanks to Rocky Mountain High School for providing a great venue, as
well as the SRO team and our community partners who made this event possible for Fort Collins
families navigating a variety of different challenges. This was a fun way to wrap up summer and kick
off a great school year ahead!
Back to School – Students returned to school in August, and our School Resource Officers were glad
to be back to help create a safe, welcoming educational environment. From playground fun to lending
a helping hand to supporting safety, our SROs are dedicated to supporting student, families, and staff.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 25
PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT &TRANSPORTATION
BUILDING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
Monthly Reporting
Monthly construction reporting and mapping of development review proposals and construction can be
found by visiting:
http://citydocs.fcgov.com/?dt=MONTHLY+REPORT&dn=NEIGHBORHOOD+%26+BUILDING+SERVI
CES%2FZONING&vid=2&cmd=showdt
For a detailed listing of development Proposals under review, please visit:
https://www.fcgov.com/developmentreview/proposals/
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES
Community Welcome
Community Welcome happened on August 25th. CSU and City staff, CSUPD, FCPD, and students
visited 964 homes and had conversations with 773 people, 44% were students. Thanks to Mayor Pro
Tem Francis for participating in the presentation and to Council members Peel and Gutowsky for their
support in attending the event.
Neighborhood Services Mini Grants
Neighborhood Services Mini-Grants Round 2 focused on sustainability. For 2021, the Neighborhood
Night Out mini-grant round and the regular neighborhood mini-grant round were combined to evaluate
the efficiency and customer service impact of holding two grant application and review rounds per year
instead of our usual three. All mini-grant application processes have been moved into the E-proval
online management system that assists with streamlining the review and approval process to increase
collaboration across departments and allows residents access to a “one stop shop” for block party
permits, traffic plans, mini-grant applications, and Block Party Trailer requests.
In Neighborhood Services Mini-Grants Round 2 for 2021, 25 neighborhoods were awarded a total of
$11,826.02 in mini-grant funds for projects and events. 29 applications were received for this round.
Awarded neighborhood projects include Neighborhood Night Out activities, Food Forest, Mindful
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 26
Movement, Little Free Library, Leaf Recycling, Park Clean-Ups, Celebrations, and more. All mini-grant
funded projects must be completed by November 30, 2021 and comply with Larimer County Health
Department regulations.
2021 Round 1 Mini-Grant Project
The Village at Southridge
Before: An unused space After: A community hangout with a Free Little Library,
communication board, and benches
Eviction Legal Fund (CARES Act)
Legal Service providers, Colorado Poverty Law Project and Fuerza Latina, completed their work under
2021 contracts to provide legal services, educational resources, and Legal Clinics for tenants and
landlords in July. The federal eviction moratorium expired on July 31, 2021, raising alarm that Fort
Collins residents would be without these additional legal resources at a time when they would be
needed most. The CDC issued a more limited eviction moratorium for counties with “high” or
“substantial” risk of community transmission of COVID-19 on August 3, 2021. At the same time, Staff
from multiple City departments worked with the COVID Recovery Team to identify funding to extend
the contracts of the eviction legal service providers through the end of October. City Attorney’s Office
is currently drafting contract amendments.
City Staff has also worked with the Chief Judge from Larimer County Courts, Larimer County Bar
Association Access to Justice, Larimer County’s Housing Stability Program Manager, and the City’s
Community Mediation Team over the last eight months to outline the role voluntary mediation could
play in eviction caseload management and customer service. After reviewing eviction diversion and
mediation resource programs across the U.S. that were implemented because of the COVID-19
pandemic, the City is moving forward with:
advertising mediation services in conjunction with Larimer County Court Self-Help Center
creating educational videos about mediation as alternative dispute resolution in landlord/tenant
disputes pre-eviction case filing
collaborating with the Chief Judge to recruit retired judges and attorneys knowledgeable in
housing-related policy and mediation to volunteer their services for eviction-related voluntary
mediation during this urgent time
additional training for existing Community Mediation volunteers
applications for American Recovery Act funding to support outreach and training efforts beyond
expiration of eviction moratoria
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 27
Mobile Home Park/Manufactured Housing Community Residents’ Rights
The Mobile Home Park (MHP) Residents’ Rights Team is currently developing a comprehensive code
enforcement program for mobile home parks to improve livability in parks across the city, improve the
city’s relationship with MHP managers and owners, and increase manager and owner accountability.
This program will consist of 6 components: local park registration, annual manager certification,
proactive enforcement, comprehensive inspections, code updates to support this work and utilities
water rebilling solutions, and an education/engagement approach leading the entire project. The
enforcement program was presented to City Council on July 15 and received unanimous support, as
well as some direction on priorities for the next few months. Staff has since hosted cross-departmental
workshops on the details and structure of enforcement program components.
This program supports, and is supported by, the formation of residents’ associations within MHP’s.
Modeled after the Neighborhood Connections program, Staff are supporting the development of
Residents’ Associations in MHP’s including Skyline MHP, North College MHP, and Hickory Village
MHP. Once established, Residents’ Associations have support but not guidance or management by
the City and are entirely run by residents. Residents’ Associations improve outcomes for residents and
property managers by streamlining and strengthening communication, organizing projects and
initiatives, and enhancing the sense of community within a park.
Municipal Immigration Legal Fund
Following the appropriation of $150,000 in general fund reserves for an 18-month pilot by City Council
on July 6th, Staff developed a draft Request for Proposals for service providers that is currently under
review by City Attorney’s Office and Social Sustainability Department. A list of potential interested
grant review panel participants from community organizations, legal professionals, and residents
familiar with immigration issues, processes, and the Fort Collins immigrant community was created.
Eligibility for the grant review panel excludes representatives, staff, and board members of any
organization or service provider that might apply for funding under the pilot. Invitations to serve on the
panel will be made in August. A community listening session to allow the grant review panel to hear
directly from community members about the pilot and priorities for selection criteria will be held in
August 2021. A grant applicant informational workshop will also be hosted by the City during the RFP
process.
4th of July – Neighborhood Chalk Across FoCo
With large public gatherings for 4th of July reimagined again in 2021, Neighborhood Services
sponsored a neighborhood chalk art activity to encourage social connection in dispersed locations
along the City’s low-stress bike network. 263 boxes of sidewalk chalk were distributed to neighbors at
all public libraries. Participants were asked to submit photos of their chalk art on the theme of
“Neighborhood Celebrations”. We received 17 photo entries and three were selected through random
drawing to receive $50 DBA gift cards as thanks for participating this year. Neighborhood Services
heard from many neighbors that the dispersed locations were a great way for more people to
participate in 4th of July festivities and folks using the bike trails enjoyed happening upon the works of
art as they traveled the city.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 28
Artist: Samira W. Artist: Abi, age 11
Artist: O’Dell Family Artist: CJ, age 13
CityWorksEDU/CSU Key Civics
In anticipation of the uncertainty surrounding social distancing requirements that continue to impact in-
person delivery of CSU classes in Fall 2021, co-instructors for the CityWorksEDU/Key Civics course
on the power of local government are adapting the curriculum to shift to at least a partial online setting.
The Senior Neighborhood Planner, JC Ward, and CSU Community Liaison, Jenn Rieskamp,
collaborate with numerous City departments to provide engaging field trips and personal experiences
for freshmen students who are at risk of not completing their degree due to a variety of risk factors
including status as a first-generation college student and high school drop-out rate. Since some City
facilities are restricting public access to large groups, particularly those offering behind-the-scenes
tours to students, the course has been adapted to allow maximum flexibility to respond to changing
conditions. This year’s course will have two one-hour sessions per week with video field trips that
integrate existing videos about City programs into the regular curriculum, self-guided experiences, and
in-person facilitated public participation exploration. A number of options along the spectrum of in-
person instruction have been developed and ready for deployment as the situation and COVID-19 risk
levels evolve.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 29
YEAR TO DATE COMPARISON
2020 2021 YTD % Change
Development Project Submittals Received 255 174 -32.16%
Conceptual/Preliminary Design/Staff Reviews 160 176 10.00%
Building Permits Issued 9,520 6,593 -30.75%
Building Permit Valuations ($M) $227.26 $262.06 15.32%
Building Inspections Performed 20,142 20,504 1.80%
Zoning Inspections Performed 286 267 -6.64%
Zoning Plan Reviews Performed 1,901 2,123 11.68%
Overall Development Review Center revenues are $584,712 over projection for 2021 as of August
31st with Building Services over by $441,777, Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance over by
$31,805, Development Review over by $6,450 and Engineering Development Review over by
$104,681.
GRAFFITI UPDATE
During the month of August 2021, the Graffiti Abatement Team abated 87 issues consisting of 452
tags measuring 1,954 square feet of graffiti-covered surfaces.
The issues were distributed throughout the City in the following Council Districts:
Month One Two Three Four Five Six
January 12 0 3 2 6 2
February 5 3 0 3 2 6
March 4 1 0 3 5 11
April 23 5 4 2 6 12
May 16 14 1 5 9 8
June 22 6 1 5 17 12
July 13 6 2 3 10 12
August 26 5 1 4 14 32
Month Access
FC
Hotline Pro-Active Total
January 7 2 17 26
February 8 2 9 19
March 5 2 17 24
April 21 8 23 52
May 20 9 25 54
June 22 9 32 63
July 18 14 15 47
August 52 11 24 87
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 30
SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Shift Your Water Challenge:
In 2020, 91% of all Fort Collins Utilities customers turned off outdoor irrigation by October 1. Let's do it
again! That’s equivalent to the annual water use of 1,250 homes!
Do you want to save money on your water bill? Do you want to join thousands of community members
working to save Fort Collins' vital water supplies? Join the Shift Your Water Challenge today and
pledge to turn your outdoor irrigation off by October 1.
Eligible Fort Collins Utilities residential water customers who complete the pledge will be entered to
win $50 off their next water utility bill. You could be one of the 100 winners!
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Virtual Fair Housing Education Event
The City hosted a free Fair Housing Educational
Event on Tuesday, August 31 via Zoom and had
over 55 people in attendance. Landlords and
tenants were invited to learn about:
- Fair Housing rights and responsibilities
- City resources for housing and
neighborhood livability
The purpose of the event was to increase efforts
to end housing discrimination by raising
awareness of the Fair Housing Act and
educating landlords and tenants about their
rights and responsibilities. A representative from
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development presented fair housing information which
was followed by a Q&A session with City staff.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 31
ECONOMIC HEALTH
Register for this Year's Business Appreciation Celebration
Take a mental health break with us at 3pm on October 7, 2021, for the City of Fort Collins’ 2021
Business Appreciation Celebration as we gather virtually to speak on the topic of mental health and
our business community. We believe healthy minds mean healthy business.
Tune in to hear from special guest speaker, Marah Lidey, CEO & Co-Founder of the mental wellness
app, Shine. The Shine app was named the best mental wellness app by Apple in 2020.
We will also be hearing the powerful stories of some of our very own Fort Collins businesses sharing
how they were able to adapt and remain resilient even in the most difficult times. Featured stories
include IOME, Colorado Cutz, La Cocina, R Bar, and Woodward.
Registration for this free event is OPEN NOW! For more information, visit the BAC webpage.
The event will be available in English and Spanish.
UTILITIES
CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS
SHIFT your Water – Utilities Water Conservation has partnered with Environmental Services this year
on its newest SHIFT campaign. By joining the SHIFT your Water challenge residents will become part
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 32
of a community of water-saving champions dedicated to saving water in different ways over the next
year:
Turn off outdoor irrigation by October 1
Shorten your shower - Coming soon
Get a water-efficient toilet installed for free - January 2022
Details can be found here: fcgov.com/climateaction/shift/
Water Shortage Watch – the City Manager elected to continue the Watch through the irrigation
season. A declaration will be issued to the interim City Manager for signature in Sept. to end the
Watch by Oct. 1, 2021.
Sprinkler Checkups – We are 82% through the 2021 season and have completed 448 checkups to-
date. We are on track to finish the season with the highest number of checkups ever completed. To-
date 100% of our 89 post-checkup survey responses indicate the service met or exceeded
expectations. We still have checkup openings for ELCO and Fort Collins Utilities customers (FCLWD
has met their maximum number of checkups (200) and must sign up on the waitlist for next year),
which can be scheduled at fcgov.com/sprinklers. The season will close on September 17. An annual
report to Council will follow in late October or early November.
An all‐Colorado‐native landscape, freshly installed and inspected through XIP this August. The plants are expected to fill in
all the open space in this landscape in 3‐5 years.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 33
The 2021 Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP) for Residential Customers, which incentivizes water
customers to convert thirsty to waterwise landscapes, has issued rebates to 42 customers so far this
year. Staff estimates 75 projects will be completed through the 2021 program.
The 2022 Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP) for Residential Customers officially starts on Sept.
18, 2021, with the first XIP Basics Training for the program year. Participants of the program are
required to attend the XIP Basics Training to be eligible for a XIP rebate.
Classes:
Mandatory Annual Certified Landscape Professionals (CLP) Meeting, Sept. 21 from 8-10 am
o Drop in for 30-minute visits
o New format to be considerate of the landscape professionals time restraints
o Will provide information on City programs and resources available to landscapers to assist
in efficient irrigation and landscape transformations
In the month of September, Utilities will offer the following engagement opportunities:
September 1 – CSU Involvement Exposition – Utilities will collaborate with CSU Registered
Student Organizations, University departments, and other community agencies to showcase
opportunities for students to get involved in campus life and speak one-on-one about their
organization.
September 14 – CSU Career Panel – Utilities Education staff will attend a career panel for
Ecosystem and Sustainability Science course at CSU. The purpose of this program is to highlight
alumni and their careers in sustainability for incoming first year CSU students.
September 15 – We Are Here for You – T Utilities staff will present about payment assistance
options and programs available to customers wanting to lower their utility costs. Open to the public.
September 15 & 28 – Epic Homes Rental Property Owner Focus Group – Epic Homes staff will
hold two in person focus group sessions for rental property owners who have had an Epic Homes
assessment, or completed a project, to hear about their experience and understand their priorities
around energy efficiency and their rental home investment.
September 16 – St. Joseph Catholic School Watershed Program – Utilities education team will
offer a watershed field trip for 25 third graders at St. Joseph Catholic School. Students will explore
the Poudre River at Lee Martinez Park by dip netting for macroinvertebrates which are an indicator
for water quality health.
September 18 – XIP Basics Training – Staff will virtually present how to participate in a Utilities
Xeriscape Incentive Program and be eligible to receive a 2021 rebate for transforming their high-
water use areas into water-wise landscapes.
In 2021, Utilities Customer Connections has reached 3,007 participants through 65 outreach events
and programs.
In the month of August, Utilities offered the following engagement opportunities:
August 1 – Watershed Education Program: Westminster Presbyterian – Utilities education
team collaborated with Westminster Presbyterian Church to discuss water restrictions, present on
what the watershed is, and how to protect it to 15 residents.
August 4 – Mindfulness and Wellness Fair – Utilities collaborated with Colorado State University
to present utility affordability options to 20 CSU employees.
August 9 – Salud Farmers Market – Salud Family Health customers held a farmer’s market;
Utilities presented information to 14 attendees on different programs available to help customers
save money and energy.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 34
August 18 – Science Behind the Scenes: Watershed Health & Wildfires – Utilities education
team collaborated with Natural Areas to present on water quality, wildfire, and watershed health
education to 9 participants.
August 18 – Safe Water Action Program (SWAP) Neighborhood Meeting – Utilities invited
impacted customers to engage in a neighborhood meeting where a short project presentation was
given, and subject matter experts were available to answer any questions.
August 20 – CSU Watershed Program – Utilities education team provided a watershed program
for a CSU Watershed Practicum course. 12 students dip-netted for macroinvertebrates at the
Poudre River Whitewater Park to learn more about Fort Collins water quality and treatment.
August 21 – Poudre RiverFest Celebration - The Poudre RiverFest celebrated the Poudre River,
promoted restoration, and educated people about our river corridor: an important natural resource
in our community. This is the third and final event for Poudre RiverFest this year. It was held at
New Belgium Brewery and included booths, bands and educational activities and information for
attendees. 133 members of the community visited our booth.
August 24 – Heat Pumps in Colorado – Utilities hosted a hybrid event to 150 attendees to
present information on the latest in heat pump technology and discuss how it aligns with Our
Climate Future goals of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improves resiliency, health, and
efficiency within our buildings and homes.
August 26 – Eco-Week Staff Training – Staff trained 5 eco-week instructors on how to deliver
water curriculum to 5th and 6th grade students at CSU’s Mountain Campus.
August 28 – Family Resource Fail – Homeward Alliance – The Utilities Affordability team
collaborated with Homeward Alliance to provide utility assistance options for 17 families
experiencing homelessness or facing financial concerns.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
RECREATION
EPIC hosted a charity hockey tournament for fallen police officers as well as the 2021 National
Showcase, which included 650 figure skating competitors from all over the world
A community favorite, Pooch Plunge, took place at City Park Pool
The Northside Aztlan Community Center weight room floor was cleaned
A Volunteer Open House took place at the Senior Center
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 35
PARKS
Hops were harvested at Twin Silo in coordination with
Gardens on Spring Creek and Odell’s Brewing
Grandview hosted a 10Th Anniversary Service for Major
David Carter whose helicopter was shot down in
Afghanistan in 2011
Prepared City Park for hosting the City Picnic on August 19
Continued promotion for the Urban Forest Ambassador
Program
First official event in Old Town Square since March 2020:
Art in the Square – August 6th and 7th (1500 +/- people)
Grandview and Roselawn have completed the conversion
from gas to electric for handheld lawn and garden
equipment including push mowers, robotic mowers, string
trimmers, blowers, tampers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, etc.
CULTURAL SERVICES
Mental Health: Mind Matters Exhibition
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery has brought back the groundbreaking exhibition “Mental
Health: Mind Matters.” Opening on September 25th, this important exhibit aims to build a greater
understanding of the importance of mental health and create a safe space for important
conversations about mental illness. Hands-on experiences throughout the exhibit bring the visitor
closer to the facts, feelings, and issues surrounding this topic that touches so many lives. Hosting
the exhibit a second time allows more people in the community to experience this special
exhibition – it will be open through January 2, 2022.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 36
Tickets for the 2021 – 2022 Lincoln Center LC LIVE Season go on sale September 15th.
Highlights include the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Winton Marsalis, Broadway shows
CATS and WAITRESS, Comedian George Lopez, The Daily Show Writers Comedy Tour, Ajijaak
on Turtle Island, and the Kronos Quartet - many more offerings can be viewed in the season
brochure.
NATURAL AREAS
Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Dump Clean-Up
The Cameron Peak Wildfire burned through Bobcat Ridge Natural Area in 2020, including a legacy
dumping site. Clean-up will begin soon. Bobcat Ridge is on-track to reopen to the public in mid-
September.
Background
The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment that was conducted ahead of the purchase of Bobcat
Ridge Natural Area noted that there was a location where “…twine, wire and other fencing materials
were located…”. However, the environmental consultant that conducted the site assessment could not
locate the dump and the report conclusion did not list this as a “recognized environmental condition”
that warranted additional follow-up.
In 2017, field work in the dump location brought to staff’s attention potentially asbestos containing
materials. An environmental consultant was contracted, and it was discovered that asbestos-
containing materials and other potentially hazardous materials indeed were in the dump. The
consultant developed a draft remediation and materials management plan for the site. Because the
site was stable and not accessible to the public, the dump was managed in place.
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 37
During the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area and the dump site were burned. The
City notified the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and a compliance advisory
was issued to the City, due to the known asbestos containing materials in the dump. Fencing and
signage now indicates the dump is a regulated work area. A 2021 WSP Consultants report estimated
dump clean-up costs to be between $1,109,384 and $1,388,058. The Natural Areas Department is in
the process of appropriating unanticipated revenues to fund the clean-up. A full mechanical removal
of the undocumented dump is anticipated to start this fall. Bobcat Ridge is on-track to reopen to the
public in mid-September.
Nature in the City Update
The Nature in the City Biodiversity Monitoring Project has been training community members how to
perform bird and butterfly surveys across the City since 2015. To date, over 190 people have been
trained and completed almost 2,000 surveys! This year is the second year of collecting bird and
butterfly data at Nature in the City project sites that received funds from the City to install their habitat
projects. The goal is to track if installing these projects increases biodiversity at the sites as they
mature. There was a statistically significant increase in species from last year compared to this year.
To see if this positive trend continues, monitoring will continue at these sites in the coming years.
A new round of Nature in the City grants is opening on September 1st to fund more projects that bring
natural spaces into neighborhoods and the community. Applications are due October 20th, 2021.
Interested community members are encouraged to visit the grant application portal to apply or visit the
NIC granting opportunities page for information about how to apply. You can check out past projects
here and learn more about the goals in the Nature in the City Strategic plan.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
2021 Community Survey Results
The results are in - thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey!
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After taking a pause in 2020 due to COVID-19 budget reductions, the annual Community Survey was
resumed in April 2021.
Overall, the report is positive with a few areas of concern and opportunities for improvement.
Some of Fort Collins’ strongest areas are:
Overall as a place to live and overall quality of life
Quality of outdoor and recreational opportunities
Overall safety of residents
Some of the City’s greatest areas for improvement are:
Affordable quality housing
Transportation and Traffic
Neighborhood livability and social health
This is just one of many methods of public input the City uses in decision-making processes and as in
input into various planning efforts like the budget, strategic plan and departmental work plans.
Visit: https://www.fcgov.com/communitysurvey/ to learn more and read the full report.
BROADBAND – FORT COLLINS CONNEXION
Monthly Reports
Connexion is publishing our monthly reports on our website! Visit fcconnexion.com/reports to view and
download.
Leadership Transition
On September 3rd, Colman Keane stepped down from his role as Broadband Executive Director.
Colman was hired in 2017 to lead the launch and build out of our municipal broadband utility. He has
led us through design and the majority of construction while standing up a diverse team that includes
24/7 technical support, a field operations group, and a network engineering group, and we are now
approaching final buildout of our newest utility service. We are deeply grateful for everything or he has
done to get us to where we are now and wish him all the best in his next chapter!
We are excited to share that Chad Crager is Connexion’s new Broadband Executive Director. Chad
has a strong history of collaboration and effective leadership, a deep commitment to learning, and
demonstrated success in leveraging the expertise of staff and industry partners. Chad will not only
help us complete the build out of Connexion in the next year and a half, but he will ensure that it is a
thriving business for our community well into the future!
Regional News
Connexion is collaborating closely with Larimer County and Loveland Pulse on the possible broadband
buildout to County residents beyond Fort Collins and Loveland city limits. Stay tuned for more
information in the coming months!
Address Look-up
Fort Collins residents can now input their address and see whether their residence is In Design, In
Construction, or has Service Available! Our address look-up tool can be found on the Connexion
website at www.fcconnexion.com.
Social Media
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 39
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Join the Connexion community—get updates and information on
services and more! @FCConnexion @ConnexionFC
COMMUNITY DASHBOARD HIGHLIGHT
The Community Dashboard features performance data and information that highlights how the City is
doing in achieving its seven Outcome areas: Neighborhood Livability and Social Health, Culture and
Recreation, Economic Health, Environmental Health, Safe Community, Transportation and Mobility,
and High Performing Government. The Dashboard is made up of 37 total metrics that are published
quarterly and demonstrate where the City is doing well and where there are opportunities to
improve. The color status of performance for each metric is determined based on the actual result for
the quarter compared with the target. The color status of performance for the Outcome is determined
based on the average calculation of the performance of each metric within that Outcome.
Each month the City Manager’s Update will highlight a metric from the Community Dashboard. This
month’s feature is from the Neighborhood Livability & Social Health Outcome Area.
Analysis:
The NoCO Continuum of Care now reports all data to the Homeless Management Information System
(HMIS), so these numbers reflect more robust and complete data than was available previously.
Data sourced from the HMIS lead agency, Homeward Alliance.
Total number of clients enrolled in the HMIS across Fort Collins was 1,951 in Q2.
The total number of people experiencing chronic homelessness (6 months or more) was 569 in Q2.
50 people experiencing chronic homelessness were exited into permanent housing in Q2.
Data is evaluated based on comparison to prior quarter.
Definition:
In partnership with Homeward Alliance, data for this metric comes from the Homeless Management
Information System (HMIS), which is utilized by agencies across the Northern Colorado Continuum of
Care. https://www.nocococ.org/
CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE 40
Why is this metric important?
This is important because the data helps us understand who is experiencing homelessness and to
deliver efficient services from our response system. It helps us understand unique categories of
people in the system, know who is eligible for existing resources, and find opportunities for targeted
services to fill gaps.
City’s impact on this metric:
Medium – The City Organization has a medium impact on the performance of this metric due to the
amount of resources committed to homelessness initiatives in general, and funding of the
Homelessness Lead Specialist position specifically.
Benchmarks:
No applicable benchmarks—data and dashboard specific to Fort Collins, although we may set our own
benchmarks in the future.
To view the entire Dashboard, please visit: http://fortcollins.clearpointstrategy.com/