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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/8/2020 - Memorandum From Cameron Gloss Re: November 24, 2020 Work Session Summary - Metro District Evaluation System Update 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6376 970.224.6134 - fax Planning, Development & Transportation MEMORANDUM DATE: November 30, 2020 TO: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager Caryn Champine, Director of Planning, Development & Transportation Paul Sizemore, Interim Community Development & Neighborhood Services Director FROM: Cameron Gloss, Long-Range Planning Manager RE: November 24, 2020 Work Session Summary – Metro District Evaluation System Update Attendees: City Council: Mayor Wade Troxell, Mayor Pro-Tem Kristin Stephens, Councilmember Ross Cunniff, Councilmember Ken Summers, Councilmember Emily Gorgol, Councilmember Julie Pignataro, Councilmember Susan Gutowsky, all virtually via Zoom. City Staff: Darin Atteberry, Cameron Gloss, Paul Sizemore Discussion Summary: Council’s discussion ranged across several values, perspectives, and concerns. Specific items included:  Whatever system is ultimately chosen needs to be more predictable for developers and the community.  The points system needs more refinement and clarity as to how it will be applied. Just achieving a certain number of points should not automatically result in Metro District approval.  Consideration should be given to adjusting the mill levy limit.  Benefits delivered to Metro District residents should be greater or equal to the costs they are bearing in increased property taxes.  Benefits need to truly extraordinary when talking about affordable housing.  Developers need to be held accountable to agreements made under a Metro District approval.  More needs to be done to enhance transparency for home buyers and the manner in which District governance is applied. DocuSign Envelope ID: E2296F5A-850C-4926-BEF5-517C25DFC49D November 24, 2020 Council Work Session Summary Page 2 Metro District Evaluation Summary Update  Any affordable housing approved through the Metro District process should be deed restricted in perpetuity.  Metro districts may not be the appropriate tool to provide affordable housing since it can compete with other funding mechanisms.  Walkable communities should be considered as part of ‘community livability’. Council Direction: City Council was supportive of the general concepts presented and of staff moving forward with a more refined residential metro district evaluation system. The focus on the next version of the system should be based on metro districts that are not merely mediocre, but clearly demonstrate excellence. Great care needs to be exercised with the weighting of criteria as a way to achieve outcomes that meet our policy objectives. Generally, Council asked staff to ‘tighten things up’ from both the perspective of providing more clarity about District governance and transparency that respond to expressed consumer concerns, and to be more intentional on how the system relates to CDBG and other housing funding sources. It was agreed that there will likely be the need to be an extension to the moratorium for some period of time prior to bringing a more refined evaluation system back to Council for its consideration. DocuSign Envelope ID: E2296F5A-850C-4926-BEF5-517C25DFC49D