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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/12/2021 - Memorandum From Lawrence Pollack Re: Councilmember Requests From The September 14 And 28 Work Sessions On The 2022 Budget - Part 2 1 Financial Services 215 N Mason Street PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6795 fcgov.com/finance M E M O R A N D U M Date: October 7, 2021 To: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer From: Lawrence Pollack, Budget Director Re: Councilmember requests from the September 14 and 28 work sessions on the 2022 Budget Part 2 City Council has completed the first two of three scheduled work sessions to review the 2022 budget requests (offers), as well as some more general inquiries about the budget. Staff follow-ups that were not answered during the meeting were summarized in the September 14 and 28 work session summary memos. All remaining responses are included below in this memo and a summary of each request and when it was addressed in included in Attachment #1. Outcome: Economic Health 1) Request from Kelly Ohlson: What is the total and complete cost of the downtown flowers, including landscaping and maintenance as they grow? What do the City, DDA and GID contribute to those services? Response from Mike Calhoon (Parks): Downtown flowers and horticulture for 2020 totaled approximately $300k. This figure includes the plant matter, direct and indirect materials, and labor associated with downtown flowers maintained by the City. The breakout by area and contributors is captured below: 2 2) Question from Shirley Peel: How is the City directing money to local businesses to support their recovery, beyond just development review? Response from SeonAh Kendal (Economic Recovery): There are several proposals supporting small businesses in the short-term ARPA allocation being considered that will not only assist immediate needs, but support long- term resilience for our businesses. Additionally, the recovery team is doing targeted outreach to understand business needs for our long-term recovery. Short-term ARPA proposals being reviewed: For Fort Collins Business and Entrepreneur Center Special Events Recovery Fund Utility Late Payment Assistance Program Outcome: Environmental Health 3) Question from Kelly Ohlson: Please summarize the offers supporting the City's climate commitment along with the budget for each component. Response from Lindsay Ex (Environmental Services): Bottom Line: Forty-five offers across multiple Outcome Areas in the 2022 Recommended Budget advance Fort Collins Attachment 2), critical tool and one of several mechanisms for advancing this work. Achieving the 2030 and 2050 climate action goals will require continued and new partnerships and community leadership to be successful. greenhouse gas emissions approximately 2.7% below 2005 levels next year. Based on Council feedback at the September 14 Work Session, the Budget Lead Team has identified three additional offers that could be funded by Council, which would have an imate goals, for a total impact of reducing emissions by approximately 2.9% in 2022. Pathways to Fort Collins Climate Goals - Our Climate Future, Collaboration and Partnerships: Our Climate Future (OCF), the recently adopted plan to advance our climate, energy, and zero waste goals, is a holistic, people-centered approach to addressing the climate emergency. The budget analysis below examines City-led efforts through the lens of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and future analyses will be inclusive of community/partner-led efforts as well as equity and resilience considerations. OCF highlights three critical paths to the 2030 goal of 80% below 2005 levels composting, transit, and renewable electricity all of which are supported in this budget while necessarily being community-wide efforts. 3 Numerous partnerships and additional work not directly reflected in the City budget contribute to the 2030 goal, including: o To help advance critical path climate objectives for waste, energy, and transportation, the City relies on regional partnerships with Larimer County, Platte River Power Authority, the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, and others. o Updates to the building, energy and land use codes, currently underway, will have long-term benefits. o Ongoing policy engagement through Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA) helps us to engage at a state level to support climate outcomes, such as the 2019 commitment via HB19-1261 that for the first time codifies emissions by at least 26% by 2025 (below 2005 levels), 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050. 2022 and Climate Action Offers: Funded offers in the Recommended Budget would reduce GHG emissions in 2022 by ~2.7%, and staff would offer the following notes: Though steady progress of 2.7% each year would not achieve the 2030 goal, this work and its results are not expected to be linear. For example, due to the Roundhouse wind project and more local solar, community-wide renewable electricity sources doubled from 2019 to 2020 and accounted for approximately 4% progress alone. Many of the offers funded in this cycle lay the foundation for future, deeper reductions, e.g., 19.9 Battery Electric Buses and Related Equipment; 13.5 CCIP Bicycle Infrastructure. Further, while the 2019 community GHG inventory was only 7% below the 2005 baseline in 2019, projections achieve its 2020 goal of 20% below no later than 2021. Renewable electricity projects by Platte River Power Authority will show reductions in emissions in 2021 beyond those reported for 2020 (scheduled for October 19 staff report for Council). The full year of operations for the Roundhouse wind project and Rawhide Prairie solar projects are anticipated to bring the non-carbon electricity resource mix to be greater than 50% in 2021. With the Black Hollow solar project scheduled for 2024, this percentage will increase to approximately 60%. Additionally, several of the funded offers that do not have calculated GHG reductions enable stronger partnerships, which are critical for meeting the goals and reaching beyond the work the City can do on its own, e.g., 45.1 Sustainability Services Admin, includes annual dues for Colorado Communities for Climate Actions; 48.1 Environmental Services Leadership; 48.4 Climate Commitment. Additional Offers Identified for Funding Based on Council Direction to Scale Up Climate Action Impacts: Since the September 14 Work Session discussion on the Environmental Health outcome area, the Budget Lead Team identified three currently unfunded offers that will be brought forward Work Session. These offers are included in the table below and have an additional 0.2% impact on our climate action goals. 2022 Recommended Budget & Offers that Measurably Impact Climate Action: Forty-five funded budget offers impact Fort 2). Of these forty-five, eight offers are quantified below for direct carbon inventory savings. The 4 three offers that the Budget Lead Team recommends Council consider for additional funding at the October 12 Work Session are highlighted in grey. Offer # Offer Name Funded in Recommended Budget? Estimated annual carbon savings (MTCO2e)* 2.7 Utilities: Light & Power - Attrition- Based LED Streetlight Conversion Program (Ongoing) Yes 2,500 1.11 Utilities: Light & Power - Energy Services (Ongoing) Yes 35,000 1.13 Utilities: Light & Power - Renewable Customer Programs (Ongoing) Yes 4,500 1.16 Utilities: Light & Power Energy Services (Restore) Yes 1,750 48.11 Innovate Fort Collins Challenge Housing/Climate Nexus (Enhancement) Yes 2,850 19.5, 19.6, 19.11 Capital Assets and Projects (Ongoing); CCIP ADA Bus Stop Improvements; and ADA Bus Stop Easements Yes 16,000 13.8 Shift Your Ride Travel Options Program (Enhancement) Note: Scaled offer of $200K will be presented at the 10/12 Work Session. To be considered by Council at the 10/12 Work Session ~4,200 1.16 Utilities: Light & Power Energy Services (Restore) Note: fully restores the offer with an additional $99,259 in resources. To be considered by Council at the 10/12 Work Session ~875 55.14 Lincoln Center - Sustainable Performance Hall Lighting (Enhancement) To be considered by Council at the 10/12 Work Session 66 *Note: Every ~23,300 MTCO2e reduced equals 1% of impact on our community carbon goals. commended Budget are estimated to reduce emissions by 62,600 MTCO2e, or approximately 2.7% toward the goals. If the additional offers identified are also funded by Council, they would have an additional, approximate 0.2% impact *The offers in the table above are those that are directly quantifiable. Others in the table of Attachment #2 are difficult to quantify with confidence. 4) Request from Kelly Ohlson: Please expand on the rationale for no longer conducting the two annual Household Hazardous Waste events. Response from Theresa Connor (Utilities) and Lindsay Ex (Environmental Services): 5 Bottom line: Waste Collection events to year-round collection methods is to support more cost- effective, safer and consistent options throughout the year. If Council would like to fund HHW events in 2022, one event will cost $150,000-$200,000 to ensure appropriate staffing. See Attachment #3 for a detailed explanation of the year-round collection and promotional efforts as well as a breakdown of the $150-200K cost estimate. Outcome: Transportation and Mobility 5) Question from Kelly Ohlson: Which public and private entities are responsible for maintaining specific streetscapes, parkways and medians throughout Fort Collins? Response from Mike Calhoon (Parks) and Brad Buckman (Engineering): Please refer to the detailed response included in Attachment #4. Outcome: Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 6) Question from Shirley Peel: What is the effectiveness and results of the Restorative Justice Program? Response from Paul Sizemore (Community Development and Neighborhood Services): The Fort Collins Restorative Justice program started in 2000 and since then has provided Restorative Justice Services for more than 3,200 young people who committed crimes in our community. Fort Collins Restorative Justice Services also includes the victims of those crimes, families, friends and affected community members. RJ program results: 89% - Young offenders who complete successfully (RJS database since program inception) 7.5% - Recidivism rate for DA-referred youth (2013-18 Omni Research Institute study for Fort Collins program) 96- In an analysis of pre and post surveys done by Omni Research and reported in June d by Fort Collins Restorative Justice Program have shown significant Youth in the program showed a reduction in stress, and an increase of: Sense of Accountability Self-Esteem Locus of Control Community Connection Connection to Non-Familial Adults Connection to Familial Adults 6 7) Request from Shirley Peel: Please provide a written response around the community benefits of the Historical Preservation Program and the Design Assistance Program (DAP) Response from Paul Sizemore (Community Development and Neighborhood Services): Historic Preservation Services (Ongoing Offer 22.4) is recognized as the model Certified Local Government (CLG) program by the Stat has brought in more than $21 million in grant funding to Fort Collins to date. The -time staff members support the preservation, enhancement, and promotion of Fort Collins' significant heritage by helping to save and protect the places that are meaningful to our residents. Program staff demonstrate commitment to our strategic vision through predictable, transparent, and responsive processes based on best practices, while continuously striving for innovation and improvement. In FY2020, Historic Preservation staff comprehensively reviewed 341 applications for development and building permits to ensure they met our code; wrote and receive grants for $63,423 in survey & rehabilitation work; researched and processed 9 new landmark designations; evaluated 866 older properties for historical importance; provided financial management for 49 projects; and staffed 22 Historic Preservation Commission meetings. To-date, $494,895 of invested City funds in the landmark loan program have yielded $1,655, through public-private partnerships. To ensure high-quality decisions and outcomes for al staff conduct ongoing, comprehensive monthly trainings for Historic Preservation Commission members that includes understanding board members' roles, correctly applying federal, state, and local requirements, and conducting effective meetings. This staff initiative is now serving as a model for achieving training goal for other City boards and commissions. grants for property owners to receive expert advice on sustainable design and rehabilitation issues, ensuring this technical information and guidance is available to folks who could not otherwise afford these services. In addition to reducing controversy around compatible development (19% reduction in Access Fort Collins complaints since 2011-12, despite increased development), reducing approval times by an average of 3 weeks, and offering far greater assurance that a project will be approved, the Design Assistance Program significantly increases opportunities for lower-income homeowners to obtain professional advice on building and construction issues; and enables residents and business owners to use these funds to fulfill requirements for larger grants and loans to sustainably rehabilitate these older buildings. 8) Question from Shirley Peel: Are we helping business clean up and maintain temporary outdoor dining in City streets? 7 Response from Ginny Sawyer (City Manager’s Office ): No, the City is not currently assisting with business clean-up and/or maintenance of outdoor dining spaces in City streets. A cross-functional team is in the process of developing design standards, criteria and streamlined permitting for ongoing expanded dining unrelated to COVID. 9) Question from Emily Francis: How can Offer 40.9 - Co-created Canopy (Private Tree Planting Subsidy) be modified to also include outreach for residents who may not otherwise be ready to plant trees? Response from Kendra Boot (Forestry): Please refer to the detailed response included in Attachment #5. Outcome: Safe Community 10) Question from Kelly Ohlson: With the environmental impacts of mowing operations, what is the justification of why we need to continue mowing our stormwater basin facilities? Please include the environmental benefits to water quality from this offer. Response from Andrew Gingerich (Utilities – Water Field Operations): Please refer to the detailed response included in Attachment #6. 11) Request from Kelly Ohlson: Please describe the rationale and justification behind Offer 4.5-Utilities: Stormwater - North Mason Stormwater Improvements for $1.5M. Response from Matt Fater (Utilities – Water Engineering): Please refer to the detailed response included in Attachment #7. Outcome: High Performing Government 12) Request from Kelly Ohlson: Please provide clarification of why 7 new pickup trucks are needed to support downtown maintenance. Response from Ken Mannon (Operations Services): The replacement of 7 pickups for downtown park maintenance is because all seven units meet the replacement criteria of 15 points in our fleet replacement program. The Fleet replacement policy is calculated in a 15-point scale which assigns up to five points each for age, mileage and maintenance costs. Once a vehicle reaches a total of 12 or more points, it is considered ready for replacement. For example, for a calculation on a police patrol vehicle, the maximum score in each category is: Age - 9 years = 5 points 8 Mileage - 90,000 miles = 5 points Maintenance - 100% of original cost = 5 points The average age of these units ranges from 14 to 32 years old. Of these 7 units, a couple could be replaced with electric trucksters; two need to be large enough to pull equipment trailers and the remainder would be midsize pickups. The City has delayed replacement of Parks equipment for a few years and that is why they are included in the offer. We will continue to look for electric vehicles as an option. 13) Request from Kelly Ohlson: Please provide more information on why the City has a limit of 29 hours for hourly employees. Response from Teresa Roche (Human Resources): In the City, business needs determine talent requirement both in terms of capacity and capability. Hourly positions are intended to be part-time positions, allowing for flexible staffing in terms of hours needed, seasonality, and variability such as our summer lifeguards, stagehands needed for specific performances, recreational programs including camp counselors, and summer park maintenance. In 2015, a team addressed a concern that we had full-time hourly positions that were not benefitted. From 2017 to 2019, staff worked with the City Council to approve the conversion of 99 hourly positions to classified, benefited positions. The analysis revealed that these positions were needed to meet ongoing community services full- time, year-round. The result was an increase of 98.25 FTE classified positions that are fully benefited. We no longer allow full-time hourly positions in the system to ensure there are not any inequities in full-time positions to meet business needs. Currently, hourly positions are capped at 29 hours a week or less, in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. If an hourly employee works over 29 hours based on business defined schedule to determine benefit eligibility. The City currently employs over 600 hourly employees. From June 2020 May 2021, 86 employees averaged over 20 hours a week, 104 employees averaged between 8 and 20 hours a week, 286 averaged less than 8 hours a week, and 71 had no hours worked. When facilities were closed and programs canceled during the pandemic, we had over 600 hourly employees on furlough as well as many had their hours reduced. As City services change over time, departments continue to assess staffing models through budget offers and exception requests. Part-time classified employees are benefit eligible at 20 or more hours. If we wanted to include hourly employees at 20 or more hours to be benefit eligible, the additional costs to the City per employee for medical coverage would be $10,431 per year or $869.25 per month. The City would also pay 6.5% retirement. Employee paid premiums depending on the choice of coverage range from $121 to $765 monthly, and an average salary for hourly employees at 20 or more hours is $17.66 / hour. 9 14) Request from Tricia Canonico: Is the Council redistricting study something that could be done in-house instead of funding this offer, especially if the Deputy City Clerk offer was funded? Response from Kyle Stannert (City Manager’s Offers ): Staff has proposed use of one-time funding to complete the required Council redistricting study, no later than October 2022. The use of internal staffing would require a cross-discipline team, including staff Deputy City Clerk position for this purpose would require ongoing funding, would not necessarily meet the full set of competencies to complete the work, and would increase risk of not completing the work on schedule due to hiring, onboarding, and training the new staff member. 15) Request from Kelly Ohlson: Please provide an analysis of the historical use of the Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG) revenues including the amounts of money we thought would be raised, was actually received, how it was spent and what did residents get from that tax? Response from Lawrence Pollack (Budget) and Amanda King (Communications): The Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG) tax approved by the voters in 2010 for the years 2011 through 2020 was a critically necessary revenue increase to support the needs of our community, including long-term residents, as well as new families and individuals. The economy was just beginning to recover from the Great Recession and this tax was originally estimated to generate just under $20 million of revenue in 2011. Over the decade the tax was in existence, it generated $257.1M as this table displays: Those revenues were categorized into six areas with a defined percent of how all revenue raised would be spent, as follows: Street Maintenance and Repair 33% Other Transportation Needs 17% KFCG Revenue History Budget Actual Variance 2011 19,747,200 19,895,029 147,829 2012 20,642,400 21,845,820 1,203,420 2013 21,082,664 22,809,474 1,726,810 2014 21,964,508 26,107,877 4,143,369 2015 24,465,339 26,829,782 2,364,443 2016 28,051,776 27,552,124 (499,652) 2017 28,174,640 27,625,533 (549,107) 2018 27,963,333 28,119,630 156,297 2019 28,461,304 29,156,699 695,395 2020 28,605,456 27,207,727 (1,397,729) 249,158,620 257,149,695 10 Police Services 17% Parks and Recreation 11% Poudre Fire Authority 11% Other Community Priorities 11% Over the decade the tax was in effect, City expenses have amounted to $247.4M. The difference between the revenue generated and the expenses realized over that same time period is $9.7M. That delta is comprised of three areas: 1) previous non-lapsing appropriations for capital projects, 2) approved expenses in the 2021 Budget using KFCG reserves and 3) recommended expenses for the 2022 Budget using the remaining KFCG reserves. The KFCG revenue has had a significant impact to the City of Fort Collins and its residents. Attachment #8 is an infographic summarizing the impacts of these revenues. This can further be expanded into many of these specific programs and service that directly benefitted from KFCG. Street Maintenance (33%) - Street Maintenance operations / Pavement Management Program - City Bridge Program support - ADA-Safe Routes to Everywhere Compliance Other Transportation (17%) - Dial-A-Ride Service - FC Bikes and Bike Library - Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project - Safe Routes to School Program - School Crossing Guard Program - Signal Pole Inspection Program - Street Operations - Traffic Mitigation Program - Traffic Operations and Equipment - Transit Local Fixed Routes Police Services (17%) - Police Patrol Services - Police Body Camera and Taser Program - Police Campus West Substation - Police Patrol Specialized Units Fire (11%) - PFA Operation, Maintenance and Capital - 911 Dispatcher Position Parks & Recreation (11%) 11 - ADA Playground Compliance - Ice and Aquatics - Memorial Parks - Parks Equipment Replacement - Parks, Trails and Facility Grounds Maintenance - Recreation Activities and Programs - Senior Park Ranger Position Other Community Priorities (11%) - Additional Funding for Affordable Housing Fund - Citywide Volunteer Program Manager and Program - Communications and Public Engagement Programs and Services - Connecting Homelessness Resources - Special Agency Session Resource Specialist - Council Training and Engagement - Development Review Programs and Services - Downtown Business Association Ambassador Program - Downtown Landscaping and Maintenance - Downtown Recycling Expansion - Economic Health Office Programs and Services - Environmental Compliance Inspector - Environmental Services and Programs - Forestry Priority Safety Tree Pruning and Removal - Homelessness Initiatives - Municipal Climate Adaption Planning The programs and services funded by the Keep Fort Collins Great tax also funded both classified and hourly staffing to support those items, as displayed in the following charts: - 1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Classified FTE's Police PFA Other Classified Salary Cost 12 Thanks to the voters of Fort Collins, the tax was renewed as a General Fund tax with 0.60% being held in perpetuity and 0.25% being renewable at the end of 10 years. Part of the KFCG tax ballot language included a requirement for the City to report annually to the community on how the KFCG tax revenues were spent. These comprehensive reports, along with a companion document summarizing annual City improvements and efficiencies, are located at fcgov.com/kfcg. In the header of that webpage, clicking on the -down will display links to those 20 reports. Each report contains significant amount of detail including the specific impacts to the community for each budget offer the KFCG tax funded. Outcome: Culture and Recreation 16) Request from multiple Councilmembers: Please provide information on the plan to evaluate and revise the City aquatics (swimming) strategy. Response from Seve Ghose (Community Services): The City of Fort Collins currently operates one outdoor aquatic complex at City Park, and three indoor aquatic facilities at The Senior Center, Edora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC), and at Mulberry Pool. The outdoor facility was renovated and upgraded with new equipment, amenities, and overall aesthetic and access improvements in the early swimming clubs and school teams. EPIC saw some renovation recently but is not complete, and the Senior Center pool is also open and available to the community. Mulberry Pool is undergoing ADA access improvements to the elevator and some work in improving the moisture barriers. It needs HVAC and structural improvements, currently estimated at $3.5m. These improvements will allow for a fully functioning facility for the next few years. Discussion will also begin on EPIC soon as to equipment - 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Hourly FTE's Parks & Rec Hourly Other Hourly Salary Cost 13 and structural challenges. These conversations will be guided in many ways by the Aquatics Study we have commissioned. To create an un-biased, objectively thought-out Aquatics Plan, we have asked our Consultant on the SE Community Center Project Perkins and Will/Counsilman Hunsaker, to expand the scope of the aquatics study they were working on for the SE Community Center aquatics component to now produce an Aquatics Study that will offer some more depth and scope for the suggested next steps along with projected costs for all our pools. The estimated cost for this Aquatics Study is $25,000 and we have shared with them the urgency of the project and look forward to having the Study delivered to us in thirty days. In addition, Recreation staff have had a couple of fruitful conversations with Poudre School District personnel specifically regarding aquatics and also the SE Community Center project and we are keeping all lines of communication open. The goal is to have them as a contributory partner on the chosen path of action related to aquatics in Fort Collins. Colorado State University has also unofficially expressed interest in a larger water complex with competitive pool and aquatic center. Based on the findings and suggested next steps, we will embark on a higher-level 2022 Budget Council Request tracking file Attachment #1 Mtg Date Outcome Council member Offer # Question / Request Notes 31 Aug N/A Ohlson N/A Request Please explain how Council will be informed about how proposed programs and services in the 2022 Budget will address the twelve Council identified priorities that are consdidered as ongoing in nature. These are separate from the 32 adopted priorities. Done Sent 9 Sept 31 Aug N/A Ohlson N/A Question Although there were no budgeted salary increases in the 2021 Budget, how many staff members received actual increases and what was the total ongoing cost of those? Done Sent 9 Sept 31 Aug N/A Ohlson N/A Request Please explain the detail behind the $38.7M of 'new' revenue available for the 2022 Budget and where it is coming from. Done Sent 9 Sept 31 Aug N/A Ohlson N/A Request Please provide information on how the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the federal government is proposed to be spent. Done Sent 9 Sept 31 Aug N/A Ohlson N/A Question How will fund balances (reserves) be built back up and what is our targeted level of reserves? Done Sent 9 Sept 14 Sep T&M Ohlson N/A Why was there no improvement to the cross walks and the adjacent sidewalks when the intersection of Prospect and Shields was recently redone? This intersection is considered part of Safe Routes to School. At what point is this intersection planned for comprehensive arterial intersection improvements? Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep T&M Ohlson 13.2 Please provide more detail on Safe Routes to School program along with other related offers. Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep ENV Ohlson 1.24 Why is Offer 1.24 Utilities: Halligan Project Additional Capital Funding for Continued Permitting and Design in the Environmental Health Outcome? Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep T&M Pignataro / Canonico / Ohlson 20.6 Please break out the details of the Parking Structure Security Upgrades and the scalability for each item. Could these be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)? Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep T&M Peel 11.12 Is there a plan for ongoing traffic signal optimization as the community grows? Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep T&M Canonico / Ohlson 11.13 Please describe the scalability of Offer 11.13 Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program Expansion and the amount of each component Done Sent 23 Sept 14 Sep C&R Ohlson 35.4 What is the history and consensus agreement around the use of Conservation Trust for Parks O&M? Done Sent 30 Sept 14 Sep ENV Ohlson 48.14 What is the status of construction and demolition waste efforts, as it relates to Offer 48.14 1.0 FTE Construction and Demolition Waste? Done Sent 30 Sept 28 Sep NLSH Peel 47.8 Regarding Offer 47.8 Childcare System Support ARPA Funded, is this going to become a permanent budget item or is it going to be taken away in the next budget cycle? Done Sent 30 Sept 14 Sep C&R Ohlson N/A Why do we have separate funds within the Governmental Funds? For example, why is there a separate Recreation Fund instead of those revenues and expenses being within the General Fund? Done Sent 30 Sept 14 Sep ENV Ohlson N/A Where is increased stream restoration work in the budget?Done Sent 30 Sept 14 Sep ENV Ohlson 48.13 How are we planning to address our Air Quality issues and what can we do for only $35k in Offer 48.13 Local and Regional Air Quality Monitoring Improved AQ Priority & Regionalism? Done Sent 30 Sept 28 Sep SAFE Ohlson 4.14 With the environmental impacts of mowing operations, what is the justification of why we need to continue mowing our stormwater basin facilities? Please include the environmental benefits to water quality from this offer. Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep NLSH Peel 22.11 How is the City directing money to local businesses to support their recovery, beyond just development review? Done Sent 7 Oct 14 Sep ECON Ohlson 36.1 5 What is the total and complete cost of the downtown flowers, landscaping and maintenance? What do the City, DDA and GID contribute to those services? Done Sent 7 Oct Mtg Date Outcome Council member Offer # Question / Request Notes 28 Sep HPG Ohlson 7.9 Please provide clarification of why 7 new pickup trucks are needed to support downtown maintenance. Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep NLSH HPG Ohlson N/A Please provide more information on why the City has a limit of 29 hours for hourly employees. Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep SAFE Ohlson 4.5 Please describe the rationale and justification behind Offer 4.5 Utilities: Stormwater North Mason Stormwater Improvements for $1.5M. Done Sent 7 Oct 14 Sep T&M Ohlson 39.1 5 Which public and private entities are responsible for maintaining specific streetscapes, parkways and medians throughout Fort Collins? Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep NLSH Ohlson / Peel N/A Are we helping business clean up and maintain temporary outdoor dining in City streets? Done Sent 7 Oct 14 Sep ENV Ohlson Various Please summarize the offers supporting the City's climate commitment along with the budget for each component. Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep HPG Ohlson / Canonico Various What are we doing in the way of environmental enhancements that go beyond the status quo to help achieve City climate goals? Done Included in 7 Oct response from Lindsay referenced in the line above 28 Sep NLSH Francis 40.9 How can Offer 40.9 Co created Canopy (Private Tree Planting Subsidy) be modified to also include outreach for residents who may not otherwise be ready to plant trees? Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep HPG Canonico 8.5 / 8.9 Is the Council redistricting study something that could be done in house instead of funding this offer, especially if the Deputy City Clerk offer was funded? Done Sent 7 Oct 14 Sep ENV Ohlson 1.58 Please expand on the rationale for no longer conducting the two annual Household Hazardous Waste events. Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep NLSH Peel 10.3 What is the effectiveness and results of the Restorative Justice Program? Done Sent 7 Oct 28 Sep NLSH Peel 22.4 / 22.15 Please provide a written response around the community benefits of the Historical Preservation Program and the Design Assistance Program (DAP) Done Sent 7 Oct 14 Sep ECON HPG Ohlson N/A Please provide an analysis of the historical use of the KFCG revenues including the amounts of money we thought would be raised, was actually received, how it was spent and what did residents get from that tax? Done Sent 7 Oct List of Budget Offers in the 2022 City MaAttachment #2Outcome Area Offer # Offer Name Offer Type Funded in Recommended Budget? Relevant Our Climate Future (OCF) Big Move Environmental Health 1.10 Utilities: Light & Power - Community Renewable Purchased Power Ongoing Yes 100% Renewable Electricity Environmental Health 1.11 Utilities: Light & Power - Energy Services Ongoing Yes 100% Renewable Electricity; Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Environmental Health 1.12 Utilities: Light & Power - Demand Response Ongoing Yes Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Environmental Health 1.13 Utilities: Light & Power - Renewable Customer Programs Ongoing Yes Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Environmental Health 1.14 Utilities: Light & Power - Demand Response Equipment Technology Replacement Capital Yes Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Environmental Health 1.15 Utilities: Light & Power - Epic Loans Capital Accounting Ongoing Yes 100% Renewable Electricity Environmental Health 1.16 RESTORE: Utilities: Light & Power - Energy Services Restore Yes (Full restore will be recommended for funding at the 10/12 Work Session Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Environmental Health 1.17 Utilities: Light & Power - Electric Vehicle Monitoring and Management Demonstration Enhancement Yes Electric Cars and Fleets Environmental Health 1.65 Utilities: Stormwater - Dirt Recycling & Management Study Enhancement Yes Zero Waste Economy Environmental Health 48.1 Environmental Services Leadership Ongoing Yes Shared Leadership and Community Partnership Environmental Health 48.4 Climate Commitment Ongoing Yes Climate Resilient Community Environmental Health 48.5 Municipal Sustainability Ongoing Yes Shared Leadership and Community Partnership Environmental Health 48.2 Waste Reduction & Recycling Ongoing Yes Zero Waste Neighborhoods Environmental Health 48.6 Timberline Recycling Center Ongoing Yes Zero Waste Neighborhoods Outcome Area Offer # Offer Name Offer Type Funded in Recommended Budget? Relevant Our Climate Future (OCF) Big Move Environmental Health 48.8 Timberline Recycling Center Equipment Replacement - Enhanced Enhancement Yes Zero Waste Neighborhoods Environmental Health 48.9 Timberline Recycling Center - Budget Right-Sizing for Ongoing Operations Enhancement Yes Zero Waste Neighborhoods Economic Health 2.7 Utilities: Light & Power - Attrition-Based LED Streetlight Conversion Program - Ongoing Asset Management Yes Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings High Performing Government 17.3 Planning, Development & Transportation Administration Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices High Performing Government 45.1 Sustainability Services Administration Ongoing Yes Shared Leadership and Community Partnership Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 40.1 Urban Forest Management Ongoing Yes Healthy Natural Spaces Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 40.2 Urban Forest Management - Tree Replacement - Ongoing Ongoing Yes Healthy Natural Spaces Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 40.6 RESTORE: Tree Replacement Reduction Enhancement Yes Healthy Natural Spaces Neighborhood Livability & Social Health 68.1 Strengthening Relationships with Indigenous Communities to Develop City Land Acknowledgement 1-Time Enhancement Yes Shared Leadership and Community Partnership Transportation and Mobility 13.11 School Traffic Safety Assessments & Strategic Traffic Infrastructure for Youth Enhancement Yes Live, Work, and Play Nearby Transportation and Mobility13.2 Safe Routes to School Ongoing Yes Live, Work, and Play Nearby Transportation and Mobility 13.6 School Crossing Guard Program Ongoing Yes Live, Work, and Play Nearby Transportation and Mobility 19.11 ADA Bus Stop Easements Enhancement Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.5 Capital Assets & Projects - Ongoing Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.6 CCIP - ADA Bus Stop Improvements Capital Project Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.1 Capital Projects Division and Administration Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Outcome Area Offer # Offer Name Offer Type Funded in Recommended Budget? Relevant Our Climate Future (OCF) Big Move Transportation and Mobility 21.10 Engineering Survey Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.16 Siphon Bike / Pedestrian Overpass Capital Project Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.3 Transportation Capital Expansion Fee Program Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.5 CCIP - Pedestrian Sidewalk - ADA Capital Project Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.6 Railroad Crossing Maintenance - Ongoing Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 11.12 Traffic Signal Timing Optimization Enhancement Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.1 FC Moves Mobility Management Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.3 Active Modes Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.4 FC Moves Education & Engagement Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.7 RESTORE: Mobility Management in FC Moves Enhancement Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.5 CCIP - Bicycle Infrastructure Capital Project Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.4 Poudre Express Regional Transit Service Partnership from Greeley to Fort Collins Cont. Enhancement Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.7 Midday and Weekend FLEX to Boulder Bus Service Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.9 Battery Electric Buses and Related Equipment - Enhanced Enhancement Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 9.3 Essential Street Operations Ongoing Yes Convenient Transportation Choices Environmental Health 48.12 1.0 FTE Contractual - Environmental Volunteer Coordinator Enhancement No Shared Leadership and Community Partnership Outcome Area Offer # Offer Name Offer Type Funded in Recommended Budget? Relevant Our Climate Future (OCF) Big Move Environmental Health 48.7 Municipal Innovation Fund Enhancement No Efficient, Emissions Free Buildings Environmental Health 48.14 1.0 FTE Construction and Demolition Waste Enhancement No Zero Waste Economy High Performing Government 29.9 Print Management and Auditing Software Enhancement No Zero Waste Neighborhoods Culture and Recreation 55.14 Lincoln Center - Sustainable Performance Hall Lighting Enhancement No (Will be recommended for funding at the 10/12 Work Session Efficient, Emissions-Free Buildings Neighborhood Livability and Social Health 22.14 Land Use Code Updates - Phase 2 Enhancement No Live, Work, and Play Nearby Transportation and Mobility 19.12 2.0 FTE Facilities Maint Technicians - Part-time Hourly Conversion to 1.0 FTE Classified and additional 1.0 FTE Enhancement No Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 19.13 3.0 FTE Transit Service Officers - 2 Officers & 1 Supervisor Enhancement No Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 21.8 Laporte Avenue Roadway and Multimodal Safety Improvements Capital Project No Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.13 0.73 FTE Hourly Conversion and Increase to 1.0 FTE Classified - Active Modes SpecialistEnhancement No Convenient Transportation Choices Transportation and Mobility 13.8 Shift Your Ride Travel Options Program Enhancement No (Will be recommended for funding at the 10/12 Work Session Convenient Transportation Choices Attachment #3 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)Detailed Explanation of Year Round Collection & Promotional Efforts and Cost Breakdown to a Provide a Single HHW event in 2022 Bottom line:As noted in the memo,proposal for a redeployment of funds for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection events to year round collection methods is to support more cost effective, safer and consistent options throughout the year. If Council would like to fund HHW events in 2022, one event will cost $150,000 $200,000 to ensure appropriate staffing. This attachment includes a detailed explanation of the year round collection and promotional efforts as well as a breakdown of the $150 200K cost estimate. Larimer County already provides this service and allows for reuse:With an annual budget of $775K, the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts the full suite of materials that have been collected at HHW Collection events (antifreeze, batteries, oil and paint (a.k.a. ABOP), pesticides, household chemicals and other toxic chemicals) and is open 5 days a week year round (including Saturdays). Larimer site is specifically designed for this purpose and the staff is specially trained to handle hazardous materials. More information is available at larimer.org/solidwaste/haz/household. When paint or other chemicals are still usable and are taken to the Larimer County HHW facility, they are placed in the Drop and Swap for the highest and best use of all: reuse. Community members may visit the Drop and Swap and take materials for no charge. The majority of materials received at collection events have other recycling options in Fort Collins: 60%+ of the materials received at the one day collection events are the less toxic ABOP materials (antifreeze, batteries, oil, paint). Thanks to state level extended producer responsibility legislation, Fort Collins now has six locations where residents can recycle paint. Motor oil can be recycled at most auto shops, and antifreeze and batteries can also be recycled at multiple locations in the community. Details can be found via the A Z recycling tool:https://www.fcgov.com/a z. The City already funds collection of the items most frequently received at collection events (ABOP antifreeze, batteries, oil and paint) via the TRC five days a week:Thanks to funding from the Stormwater Utility, the items most frequently received at the one day collection events (antifreeze, batteries, oil and paint, a.k.a. APOB) are collected five days a week at the TRC for no charge. contribution allowed for ABOP to be collected for no charge starting in 2019. Prior to that, TRC visitors recycling ABOP paid the same $5 entry fee as visitors recycling other hard to recycle materials. The current Stormwater Redeploy Offer (Offer #1.58) would continue to fund the ABOP collection and allow TRC visitors to recycle ABOP materials for no charge. This $20k is assumed in the TRC budget projections, so a change from the redeploy commitment would leave a $20k gap in the TRC budget. Note the TRC cannot accept the broader suite of HHW materials such as pesticides, household cleaners and other chemicals. Doing so is limited by zoning and fire code requirements, would require permitting and associated site infrastructure improvements, spill containment, and specially trained staff. Alternatively, the TRC was analyzed as a potential location for HHW special collection events, but due to the already high visitorship of the site (300+ users per day) and other site limitations, it is not suited to hosting HHW special collection events. Note that the TRC also accepts a wide array of other materials: Everyday Recyclables such as bottles, paper, cans etc. as well as Hard to Recycle materials including scrap metal, wood, bulky plastics, electronics, yard trimmings etc. Full details are at fcgov.com/trc. Participation and Material Received:Note that apples to apples data exist for the items below. There were no HHW events in 2020, and data is collected in different ways for different locations. County wide information from Larimer HHW facility can be available in mid October. Location Date All HHW (lbs)Paint (lbs)Batteries (lbs)Participants Larimer County HHW facility Info will be available in mid October TRC 2020 200,000 (ABOP only) 2,000+ Collection Event Sept 2019 28,800 16,400 770 556 Collection Event May 2019 81,700 47,500 1,600 1,288 Collection Event Sept 2018 66,600 36,300 1,900 1,001 Collection Event May 2018 81,500 50,800 2,400 1,356 Promoting ABOP collection at the TRC:The City regularly promotes the ABOP collection at the TRC. This fall, the campaign includes social media postings, website spotlights, a utility bill insert (mailed to over 40,000 households), newsletter articles, and radio advertisements in English and Spanish. Impacts of this campaign will be assessed in the coming months. In addition, the City regularly promotes the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste collection efforts as well, including on all recycling guidelines distributed in the community (fcgov.com/recycling/pdf/2018_recycle_guidelines.pdf) and Utilities includes a direct link to their site on their webpage (fcgov.com/utilities/residential/hazwaste/). Collection events can cause safety risk for community members and staff:Collection events require dozens of individuals to staff the event and accept materials quickly to avoid traffic backups. We do not have sufficient City staff with specialized training to collect materials from the public. Members of the public and non specialized City staff may not identify when a particularly toxic item is brought, such as when a resident delivered liquid mercury in a plastic bottle. Had that mercury spilled on an employee or the ground, it would have been a major health and environmental hazard. The staffing and facility at the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Facility are specially trained and designed to safely handle these specific materials. Estimated Cost of adding a single HHW Collection event in 2021:If Council desired to add a HHW collection event, the table below highlights the costs and staffing scenarios that could be achieved. While prior events have been budgeted at $125K for two events, the resourcing available did not address staff and community safety at the level recommended. Thus, if these events were to be reinstated, the cost of a single event would be higher than in the past. Further, actual event costs can vary widely based on the number of attendees and the types of materials they bring; disposal costs are based on volume and type of material. Element City staffing scenario Contractor staffing scenario Project management and event planning City staff City staff Day of event staffing City staff (lead); Contractor (support) Contractor (lead); City staff (support) Estimated total cost $150,000 $200,000 Implications: Both scenarios include 1 City project manager, 1 City support staff, and safety training required to support the event. Includes 27 staff members being trained to support the event in lower and moderate risk areas, e.g., customer service, helping to unload vehicles. 20 trained contractual team members support the high risk area. 17 trained staff support the low risk area. 32 trained contractual team members support the event in moderate and high risk areas. HHW event funding source considerations:While funding for HHW collection events has been sourced solely from Fort Collins Utilities Stormwater funds in the past, the connection to Stormwater protection needs to be evaluated and the correct contribution determined. If Stormwater funding is allocated to collection events rather than ABOP collection at the TRC, there may be a deficit in the TRC budget. This deficit could necessitate charging the $5 entry fee for ABOP materials again; staff can further evaluate this implication if further direction is received. It would also eliminate enhanced Stormwater outreach and education tools and campaigns associated with the redeployment offer, see below. Note that a proposed Offer, 1.22 Environmental Regulatory Affairs technician, could provide internal capacity for HHW, and may reduce the overall resource need for a single event if funded. The proposed FTE would also support growing regulatory needs and environmental compliance support for other City departments like Streets, Fleet Services, Transportation, and Community Services facilities. Redeployment Offer:In addition to funding ABOP collection at the TRC, the proposed redeployment of funds (Offer #1.58) allows for improved and expanded educational campaigns with the community such as the new Drip and campaign, which addresses the impact of leaking vehicles on surface waters. Leaking vehicles are a far more common issue to which the spill team responds, versus abandonment of hazardous waste. Council may want to consider educational efforts to help the community avoid over purchase of household hazardous materials to reduce risk to our community, home health, and our environment. Engineering Department 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6605 970.221.6378 - fax fcgov.com/engineering Planning, Development & Transportation MEMORANDUM DATE: October 1, 2021 TO: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers THRU: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Kyle Stannert, Deputy City Manager Caryn Champine, Director of PDT Seve Ghose, Community Services Director Dean Klingner, Deputy Director of PDT FROM: Mike Calhoon, Parks Director Brad Buckman, Interim City Engineer RE: Question Regarding City of Fort Collins Streetscape Maintenance Responsibilities The purpose of this memo is to provide a response to a question raised by Councilmember Ohlson regarding the City of Fort Collins Streetscape maintenance responsibilities. Specifically, what is the distribution of responsibility in terms of landscaping and tree maintenance in the City streetscapes (medians and parkways) both in the City right-of-way and private property parking lots, etc. Bottom Line: Maintenance of landscaping in the City right-of-way is critical to the health of the tree canopy and to maintain the high quality appearance of public spaces. Generally, landscaping and trees within arterial and collector street right-of-way are maintained in the following ways: (1) By the City Parks Department and Forestry Division. (2) By an adjacent or nearby Homeowners Association, property manager or business (usually assigned in a Development Agreement). (3) By a Developer or other City Department while the installation is still under warranty. (4) Sometimes by a combination of the above. (For example, the water system may be owned and operated by a homeowners association and the tree be maintained by the City Forestry Division). Staff uses the criteria above to track landscaping responsibility for each location. For sites that are required to be maintained by entities other than the City, the City enforces these requirements both pro-actively and on a complaint basis. The best way for an interested party to report a maintenance problem is via Access Fort Collins. Additional Detail: The City maintains landscaping and has published standards that reflect the distribution of responsibility. The purpose of these standards is to foster a consistent, high-quality appearance for all streetscapes, whether maintained by the City, its agents, or by private developers, businesses, or individuals. An excerpt from the current City of Fort Collins Streetscape Standards, Section 7 which covers maintenance standards, is included at Exhibit 1. Typically, the City will maintain the medians in arterial streets unless there is a warranty period for establishment of median landscaping as part of a City project. Street trees located in the City right-of-way are the responsibility of the City Forestry Division, again with the exception for warranty periods put in place at the end of a City capital improvement project or commercial development project. Parkways can fall to either the City or adjacent property owners along arterial streets, or the adjacent property owners for collector streets. There are instances where trees and landscaping fall into the category of adjacent property owner maintenance and this maintenance is not kept at an acceptable City standard. In these instances, the City right-of-way enforcement or Code enforcement sections within the Planning, Development, and Transportation (PDT) service area and the Forestry Division, when a street tree is affected, would be responsible to contact the adjacent property owner. If more than one department is involved a coordinated effort to contact the property owner is made. After initial contact the property owner usually makes progress towards full compliance. In the event corrections are not made, a summons to court with potential fines may be issued to the property owner. There is currently a map of the Parks maintained median and streetscapes available at https://gisweb.fcgov.com/HTML5Viewer/Index.html?viewer=FCMaps Click on Available Maps and select Medians and Parkways. Here is the legend: City staff is considering options to improve this tool by adding additional layers of ownership to provide a comprehensive resource of ownership responsibilities of the median and streetscapes. Exhibit 1: Excerpt from the City of Fort Collins Streetscape Standards Section 7, Maintenance Standards (full set of current standards found at the following link: https://www.larimer.org/sites/default/files/apdxc.pdf EXHIBIT 1 EXHIBIT 1 Forestry Division | Parks Department 413 S. Bryan Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80521 970.221.6660 fcgov.com/forestry MEMORANDUM DATE: October 5, 2021 TO: City Council Members THRU: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Kyle Stannert, Deputy City Manager Seve Ghose, Community Services Director Mike Calhoon, Parks Director FROM: Kendra Boot, City Forester RE: Strategic Outcome Area: Neighborhood Livability & Social Health Question from Mayor Pro Tem Francis regarding Offer 40.9 Co-created Canopy (Private Tree Planting Subsidy) The purpose of this memo is to provide a response to a question raised by Mayor Pro Tem Francis regarding the 2022 budget offe property tree planting subsidy. More specif Canopy be modified to also include outreach for residents who may not otherwise be ready to plant trees? Bottom Line: includes the following: Offer Amount - $35,000 o $25,000 for 1000 trees grown locally at Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery o $8,000 for Arbor Day Foundation Platform o $2,000 for education, outreach, and marketing Tree Canopy Equity: o CSU provided canopy cover maps within City Limits in 2019. Data includes canopy cover percentages by block, hot areas lacking canopy, low-to-moderate income by block, and percentage of Hispanic population by block (See Exhibit 1 for example). For the last two years, Forestry has utilized this data to equitably prioritize tree planting throughout the community on public property Forestry is currently exploring ways to utilize these data/maps to prioritize planting in the underserved neighborhoods in the community on private property. Potential barriers for these efforts: o Arbor Day Foundation Website Platform capabilities and exploration o Making sure that trees being planted are trees wanted/needed by property owners and planted/cared for in the right place. Additional Detail: This offer supports an existing program, the Community Canopy Program, at a much larger scale in 2022. This program is in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation which provides guidance and direction on calling utility locates, and right tree/right place to maximize tree canopy benefits on private property. The Forestry Division also provides details on how to care for the newly purchased tree and always has educated staff available at the tree pick-up days to answer questions and provide guidance to the new tree owners. The Forestry Division is doing a pilot project to reach parts of the community where the importance of tree canopy or tree planting may not be known or present. The Division obtained an internal grant through Natural Ar the planting of 50 trees on private property within manufactured home communities. The insight obtained from this pilot project will help shape future outreach within some of the community identified in Exhibit 1. Future Exploration/Needs: o Offering underserved community members trees at an even more discounted price 1st then opening tree sale to the rest of the community trees that they purchase, that they are more invested in the growing asset and tend to care more about the success of that tree. A future rebate or resource for watering the purchased tree(s) o Increasing ongoing education and outreach around the long-term benefits of trees as living infrastructure around homes. o Spanish translation through Arbor Day Foundation and other education and outreach materials is currently being explored for 2022. Exhibit 1: Hot and Vulnerable Areas Map* *Rassmussen, Warziniak, Neel, O’Neil-Dunne, and McHale, 2021. Utilities electric · stormwater · wastewater · water PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.212.2900 V/TDD: Dial 711 for Relay Colorado utilities@fcgov.com fcgov.com/utilities M E M O R A N D U M DATE: October 4, 2021 TO: Mayor Arndt and Councilmembers FROM: THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director RE: September 28, 2021 City Council Work Session Agenda Item #01 SAFE Offer 4.14 Utilities: Stormwater - Maintain Mowing Levels of Service including the environmental benefits of water quality from this offer? Mowing of Stormwater basin facilities is an important and required component to promoting the environmental health of our waterways including rivers and streams. The following are many of the water quality benefits of mowing stormwater basin facilities: - Mowing is an efficient method to control invasive weeds and woody vegetation which reduces herbicide applications. - Ponds that are not mowed lead to excessive build up of sedimentation and trash accumulation which promotes invasive species, affects water quality and increases routine maintenance. - Accumulation of materials in basins can decay and lead to higher releases of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus which can deplete oxygen in water and promote algae growth. - Mowing and maintenance is required for compliance with FEMA Community Flood Rating System. It is recognized that vegetation within a stormwater basin, specifically along the waterway or low-lying areas, can provide some water quality benefit and habitat for species. Over many decades, the procedures for mowing have been refined and now each basin has a dedicated mowing standard operating procedure map and description (see attached). The Utilities investment into Maximo computerized work order and mapping systems have increased the ability to be efficient and effective in mowing operations that allows specific maintenance procedures for each pond based upon site specific criteria. Safe Offer 4.14 ensures that the current level of service for mowing operations is maintained by hiring a contractor annually; it does not cause an increase in mowing levels. The mowing contractors will be selected annually and will follow the standard operating procedures for each stormwater basin. Most of the seasonal mowing being provided by a contractor will allow City stormwater personnel to focus on additional routine pipe and inlet cleanup to improve water conveyance and quality as the stormwater system grows with the community. Please reach out with any additional questions. CC: Doug Groves, Stormwater Maintenance Division Manager POLICY NUMBER AND TITLE: UOPS 3.0: STORMWATER WOODY VEGETATION POLICY ers, Drainage System Division Superintendent LOCATION OF DOCUMENT: S:/STAFF/Policies and Procedures/POLICIES- APPROVED/UOPS 3.0 Stormwater Woody Vegetation Policy INITIAL ADOPTION DATE: March 12, 2012 REVISION HISTORY (Last revision listed represents the version currently in effect): Name Date Reason for Change Version Suffix .01 .02 .03 .04 REVIEW SCHEDULE: Annual ATTACHMENTS: REFERENCES: 1) City of Fort Collins Municipal Code, Ch Guidelines for Natural Areas and 3) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinators Manual, Section 540, 4) City of Fort Collins Flood Emergency Response Plan 5) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Page 1 WARNING! Print copies may reflect an out-of-date version. This document is uncontrolled when printed. PURPOSE:To establish woody vegetation management guidelines that minimize potential threats to human life and property from flow blockages and flooding while preserving other desirable aspects of natural stream corridors such as wildlife habitat, wildlife travel corridors and recreational activities. By participating in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) program and receiving credit under the drainage system maintenance activity, the City must maintain all stream corridors to a minimally acceptable level by keeping them free of trash, debris, and managing woody vegetation growth. Woody vegetation that is not managed in stream corridors creates the potential to impede flows and cause blockages resulting in flooding, erosion and a build-up of sediment. Management of all woody vegetation in stream corridors is necessary to prevent these conditions. This policy does not include the Poudre River Corridor. The Poudre River Corridor is covered in the City of Fort Collins U SCOPE: This procedure applies to all offices and departments of the City of Fort Collins Utilities. RESPONSIBILITY: The Stormwater Operations and Maintenance (O&M) division performs the majority of the clean-up work. Specifics of the clean-up are coordinated and documented for NFIP and Chapter 10 compliance with Utilities Floodplain Administration, the City Natural Areas Department, and the City Forestry Division 3.1 POLICY: Unless otherwise specified, woody vegetation such as willows should only be removed if they cause split flows or cause deflections resulting in channel bank erosion. Woody vegetation on top of channel banks and outward should only be removed if it is dead or dying or has the potential to become an impediment to flows. Woody vegetation will be managed within 20 ft. upstream and downstream of a bike/pedestrian, low water crossing. Woody vegetation will be managed within 100 ft. upstream and downstream of a roadway, bridge, or culvert crossing. Woody vegetation will be managed within 50 ft. of channel stabilization, grade control structures. Woody vegetation will be managed within 15 ft. of any detention pond inlet or outlet structure. Other woody vegetation within the detention area may be removed as deemed necessary on a case by case basis. Woody vegetation will be managed from all outfalls when flows are impeded. Page 2 WARNING! Print copies may reflect an out-of-date version. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Noxious trees will always be removed, i.e., Russian Olive, Siberian Elm, and Salt Cedar. Some stream sections were designed to have some amount of woody vegetation. These sections need to be maintained with the types and quantity per the design. The floodplain models for these areas and the original design plans should be consulted in determining the degree of maintenance required. Below is a typical channel profile of which woody vegetation will be managed, removed/thinned/trimmed, depending on the channel zone in which they are located: E D C B A B C D E All woody vegetation will be removed from the low-flow or exception is for channels that were designed to include some woody vegetation, such as willows (see guidelines above). Remove all noxious, dead, and fallen trees from both sides of low-flow channel outward 10 ft. (+/-). Trim woody vegetation as necessary within 10 ft. (+/-) buffer area. Remove all noxious trees; discretionary removal of dead and fallen trees and utilize discretionary thinning from 10 ft. (+/-) buffer outward to toe of channel bank. Tree stumps to be left in place for channel stabilization. If it is necessary to remove stumps, compact with suitable material. Remove all noxious trees; discretionary removal of dead and fallen trees and utilize discretionary thinning from toe of channel to top of bank. Tree stumps to be left in place for channel stabilization. If it is necessary to remove stumps, compact with suitable material. Woody vegetation management from top of channel bank outward to property line or other boundary may be conducted at the discretion of the Stormwater O&M Department in order to best optimize interdepartmental coordination for cost savings of equipment, Page 3 WARNING! Print copies may reflect an out-of-date version. This document is uncontrolled when printed. personnel, and mobilization. All City-owned areas outside of the established 100-yr. floodplains are managed as open space and subject to open space objectives. 3.1.1: RELATED POLICIES:This policy meets the requirements, goals and objectives of: Chapter 10 of the City of Fort Collins Municipal Code titled Flood Prevention and Protection Title 44 of the Code of Federal regulations titled Emergency Management and Assistance Colorado Department of Natural Resources Colorado Water Conservation Regulatory Floodplains in Colorado Guidelines for Natural Areas and detailing the policy for undesirable non-native tree and shrub maintenance in Natural Areas. City of Fort Collins Utilities Department Approved and Adopted by: ______________________________________ Utilities Executive Director ______________________________________ Date of Approval and Adoption Page 4 WARNING! Print copies may reflect an out-of-date version. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Utilities 700 Wood Street PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221-6700 970.221-6619 - fax fcgov.com M E M O R A N D U M DATE: October 4, 2021 TO: Mayor Arndt and Councilmembers FROM: Matt Fater, Interim Utilities Deputy Director, Water Engineering THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director RE: September 28, 2021 Council Work Session Budget Offer Safe 4.5 - North Mason Storm Stormwater Improvements The purpose of this memorandum is to respond to two questions asked by City Council at the September 28th worksession regarding the North Mason Stormwater Improvements. 1. What is the purpose of the project and will the project benefit new development along North Mason? The purpose of the project is to provide stormwater service, including water quality treatment and flood protection, for existing and new development along the future North Mason St. The area is currently not served by a stormwater system leading to existing flooding, nuisance drainage problems and polluted runoff. In addition, any new development sites are challenged because there is no stormwater system to convey on-site stormwater to the river. The total cost of the project is estimated at $9.8 million. The project will be funded with three sources: stormwater capital funding, North College Urban Renewal Authority funding, and developer contributions as properties develop. The stormwater capital funding is intended to fund the portion of the project serving existing development. 2. Does the project address stormwater quality? Yes, the project will provide stormwater quality treatment at the outfall prior to releasing into the Poudre River. Also, any new or redevelopment will be required to provide water quality treatment with low impact development measures.