HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 4/7/2020 - Memorandum From Delynn Coldiron Re: Item #20 - Emergency Ordinance No. 060, 2020�Temporary Procedures To Authorize Remote Participation In Meetings To Include Quasi-Judicial Hearings And Related NeighCity Clerk
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6515
970.221-6295 - fax
fcgov.com/cityclerk
April 7, 2020
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Re: Item #20‐Emergency Ordinance No. 060, 2020, Amending and Superseding Emergency
Ordinance No. 04, 2020, Enacting Temporary Procedures to Authorize Remote
Participation in Meetings to Include Quasi‐Judicial Hearings and Related
Neighborhood Meetings and Board Meetings as Needed to Complete Essential City
Business.
Attached please find public comments regarding remote participation in quasi‐judicial hearings,
submitted from Thursday, March 26, 2020 until 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
From: Darin Atteberry
To: Tyler Marr; Delynn Coldiron; Carrie Daggett; Caryn M. Champine; Kelly DiMartino
Subject: FW: April 7, 2020 City Council Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 12:53:09 PM
Attachments: image001.png
Noticed that you weren’t copied . FYI…
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Darin Atteberry, ICMA-CM / AICP
City Manager
City of Fort Collins, Colorado
970-221-6505 office
datteberry@fcgov.com
From: "brndnann@aol.com" <brndnann@aol.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:11 PM
To: Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>, Kristin Stephens <kstephens@fcgov.com>, Susan
Gutowsky <sgutowsky@fcgov.com>, Julie Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com>, Ken Summers
<ksummers@fcgov.com>, Ross Cunniff <rcunniff@fcgov.com>, Emily Gorgol
<egorgol@fcgov.com>, Darin Atteberry <DATTEBERRY@fcgov.com>, Jeff Mihelich
<jmihelich@fcgov.com>, Sarah Kane <SKane@fcgov.com>
Subject: April 7, 2020 City Council Meeting
All,
I have become aware of an item on the agenda tonight is a vote on whether to supersede the emergency
ordinance that disallowed remote meetings on controversial projects such as Montava and Hughes
Redevelopment because it is not possible for large numbers of concerned citizens to participate in a
meaningful way. The NEW emergency ordinance would supposedly authorize remote participation but
this is a SHAM and it WOULD NOT allow participation in a meaningful way. I am strongly opposed to this
proposed new emergency ordinance. I have attended several hearings in the past few months and even
though I have been disappointed in the outcome (i.e. your decisions), at least I was able to attend in
person, and participate in the process.
I live in a household with folks who are working from home and schooling from home. Our computer time
is shared and limited and our lives have been completely disrupted in routine, we are teaching and
working from home, and not on an 8 to 5 schedule at all. I cannot guarantee that my desire to attend a
'remote' meeting is more important than others' needs to work from home, remote learn from school, or a
real need to step up as a substitute teacher. I would not be concerned about more routine responsibilities
of the board, but things of great importance to the citizenry should be delayed as long as possible.
Sincerely,
Ann Brandon
601 Agape Way
Fort Collins, CO
601-259-4190
From: nick moilien
To: City Leaders
Subject: Hughes meeting taking place
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 7:45:23 AM
Hello,
My concern is WHY you guys have to have this meeting so rushed? Why is it that you want to come together during
covid19 and make a decision, Fort Collins values that spot so much. Who ever wants to build in that area is ruining
natural trails that people have come to love EVERYDAY. Hughes stadium area is MY GO TO SPOT. At 1,000s of
others. You all suck and I hope this meeting doesn’t go on during this because it just goes to show y’all are only
about money. Not giving one care about the beauty of that area.
FEEL FREE TO PLEASEEEEEEE EMAIL BACK ON WHY YOU WANT TO HAVE A MEETING DURING
THIS.
April 6, 2020
ATTN:
City Council Members Fort Collins
City Planning Dept. Fort Collins
City Attorney, Fort Collins
Regarding: City Council Agenda for 4/7/2020
Good Afternoon
I am writing with concerns about one of the agenda items scheduled to be discussed tomorrow evening.
Particularly in reference to a change to “virtual” hearings and discussions and how the voting and public
comment will be managed.
I am interpreting that this is in relation to the second reading of the Hughes Re-Development and your
desire to push forward on this. It seems so convenient that you would want to change policy on this
given the heightened public comment and current inability for community members to attend to voice
concerns in person.
I know you are well aware of the issues with “ZOOM” calls or similar and from what I have seen, there is
no truly FAIR way to engage comments with call ins. Passing an amendment that “quasi judicial”
hearings could be changed to allow virtual processes is another way that you can cut off public input and
vote the way you want. It seems like a comparable to a GAG ORDER.
I don’t understand with all of the needs in our community that are truly “emergency” situations, why
you are so determined to push this through as equally important. The redevelopment of Hughes is NOT
AN EMERGENCY and shouldn’t be treated as such.
City council and planners need to take care of the other issues in the community and hear this issue as it
should when things allow for small gatherings and open public comment. This has the appearance of
bias and I feel you are taking the advantage of an unfortunate time to get this checked off the agenda no
matter what.
Do not change the Quasi -Judicial voting requirements so that you may conveniently pass this item off
under the noses of your community and constituents.
Sincerely,
Tamra Meurer
80525
970-388-5588
From: Barbara Denny
To: City Leaders
Subject: Quasi-judicial Hearings
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 12:05:45 AM
Respectfully, submitting my opinion that these important community participation decisions need to be postponed
until we are past this Health crisis.
Our Community needs to focus on Health mitigation and later on everything else.
We are in Shelter at Home now.
Please respect our focus is at home.
Not ok to proceed as if everything is as it was before.
Surely you all understand this to be true.
And I trust you are in the same arena,
Focusing on Disaster Mitigation and everything else is later.
Please help our Community to know you are with us there.
Thank you for helping all of us.
I am positive in this belief.
Barbara Denny
80521
From: Delynn Coldiron
To: Delynn Coldiron
Subject: RE: Quasi Judicial Decision set for 4-7-2020
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 9:34:43 AM
From: Mary Grant <msgrant026@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 9:11 PM
To: Susan Gutowsky <susan.gutowsky@gmail.com>; Wade Troxell <WTroxell@fcgov.com>; Julie
Pignataro <jpignataro@fcgov.com>; Ken Summers <ksummers@fcgov.com>; Ross Cunniff
<rcunniff@fcgov.com>; Emily Gorgol <egorgol@fcgov.com>; Kristin Stephens
<kstephens@fcgov.com>; Carrie Daggett <CDAGGETT@fcgov.com>; Sarah Kane
<SKane@fcgov.com>
Cc: Matt Bloom <matt.bloom@kunc.org>; Marc Sallinger <marc.sallinger@9news.com>; Jacy
Marmaduke <jmarmaduke@coloradoan.com>
Subject: Quasi Judicial Decision set for 4-7-2020
City Council Members Fort Collins
City Attorney, Fort Collins
Regarding: City Council Agenda for 4-7-2020
Good Evening:
Our reality today:
People in our community are sick and dying.
Stay at home orders in place.
Social distancing critical to our recovery.
Small businesses forced to closed, possibly forever, due to this pandemic.
Employees be laid off or asked to take cuts in pay because there is no other choice.
Our medical professionals putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk every day.
The people supporting the medical professionals in hospitals and other facilities putting their
lives and the lives of their families at risk every day.
The fabric of our community, possibly changing forever due to this pandemic.
I was shocked to see that at the next Council meeting (Tuesday April 7), the City Council plans to
vote on whether to supersede a previous emergency ordinance that DISALLOWED REMOTE
meetings for quasi-judicial issues. This new ordinance would give the City Council the power to fast
track issues like Hughes and the Harmony Gateway developments at a critical time when full public
participation and convening in person is NOT currently possible under the governor's Stay at Home
Order.
In these unprecedented times, when our community is focused on helping family, friends, neighbors,
and businesses who are struggling with both health and financial emergencies, it seems
unimaginable that the City Council would vote to allow themselves the ability to fast track issues like
Hughes and Harmony Gateway developments when the community CANNOT participate effectively.
I participated remotely twice which was less that effective, and that is being kind. The last City
Council meeting, I could not even get into the meeting. This sub-par means of participation is NOT
FAIR to the community.
Right Now, it is time focus on the emergencies facing our community and to post-pone Quasi-Judicial
matters until the community can effectively participate.
PLEASE NO to allow quasi-judicial hearings that have NOTHING to do with our immediate COVID-
19 and economic crisis, and to instead focus on supporting our community and our first
responders.
Best,
Mary Grant
80521
CC: New Media