HomeMy WebLinkAboutConstituent Letter - Mail Packet - 9/28/2021 - Letter From Mayor Jeni Arndt To Parks And Recreation Board Re: Offers For The 2022 Budget
Mayor
City Hall
300 LaPorte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2154
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
September 23, 2021
Parks and Recreation Board
c/o Mike Calhoon
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Dear Board Members:
On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the September 22, 2021
memorandum regarding “Offers for the 2022 budget” wherein the Board encouraged Council to
support offers that restore service to pre-COVID levels. Thank you for outlining various
unfunded offers that are important. Council will continue budget deliberations in the upcoming
Work Sessions and regular Council meetings and we encourage you to watch the meetings on
fcgov.com or on FCTV if you wish.
We appreciate your perspectives on this important topic of the budget.
Best Regards,
Jeni Arndt
Mayor
/sek
Cc: City Council Members
Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
1
Sarah Kane
From:Catherine Carabetta <ccarabetta@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, September 22, 2021 8:48 PM
To:Amy Resseguie
Cc:Mike Calhoon; Lawrence Pollack; Ken Christensen
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Budget recommendation letter from Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
for City Council
Attachments:Members of the Fort Collins City Council.pdf
Hello Amy,
Attached a letter from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to the City Council on the 2022 City budget.
Thank you,
Catherine Carabetta
Chair, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
312-339-3479
September 22, 2021
Dear Members of the Fort Collins City Council,
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board discussed and prioritized the Parks and Recreation offers for
the 2022 budget. As a Board, we are grateful for Council’s support of Parks and Recreation
opportunities. The 2021 Fort Collins community survey shows strong satisfaction with and support for
parks and recreation facilities, which are the gem of our community. We are thankful for the City
Manager’s and Council’s support of Parks and Recreation budget offers, particularly the support of
recreation funding that will restore operations to pre-COVID levels and increase reduced fee
scholarships to provide equity in our community.
While there are many compelling offers in the 2022 City budget, a few items of importance for Parks
and Recreation are “unfunded.” These requests will support asset management and investment in
assets and programs, which are in alignment with Council priorities and our new Council approved Parks
and Recreation Master Plan:
35.8 Library Park Irrigation $100,000 This request for efficient irrigation at Library Park will bring in a
match of $300,000 in funding from the Library District.
41.3 City Park Train and Tennis and Pickleball Court Improvements $5,100,000 If all or a portion of this
offer is not funded, it’s likely the city park train will be sold for half of what the City paid and there won’t
be a train in City Park. This is a scalable offer as written, a portion of the offer could help move the
pickleball and tennis courts forward as provided in the Master Plan.
41.4 Park Planning and Development Special Project Support $50,000 This position supports Park
Planning with donor funded projects in existing parks, as they evaluate sites, conduct feasibility,
determine costs and conduct design. Without this funding, there is no support for donors when they
come with requests. A recent example is the pickleball group, who is seeking help in identifying a
location for a 12 court complex in an existing park, and conducting fundraising to fund the
improvements. Park impact fees cannot be used for improvements to existing parks, including funding
staff time for design/feasibility.
41.5 Master Planning Existing Parks $50,000 This provides important funding for Park Planning and
Development to evaluate existing parks and prepare master plans for parks in need of refresh. As park
refresh is a Council priority, funding this offer would help accomplish a Council goal.
7.14 Mulberry Pool HVAC and Roof Replacement $3,450,000 This offer is necessary to keep the
Mulberry Pool facility open. If there is an issue with the HVAC system or roof at Mulberry Pool, the
facility will have to close. Lap swimming lanes are at more than 90 percent capacity and closing a facility
with six lap lanes would leave a major gap in facilities.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory board appreciates your tireless commitment to our community ,
particularly your time and thought on the City’s budget. It is the most important work that you do. As
you make 2022 budget decisions, please consider these recommended offers.
Thank you,
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board