HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-053-05/06/2025- AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS FOR PHASE 2 OF THE MICHIGAN DITCH PRE-FIRE MITIGATION PROJECT!
RESOLUTION 2025-053
OF THE COUNCIL QF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS FOR PHASE 2
OF THE MICHIGAN DITCH PRE-FIRE MITIGATION PROJECT
A.The City owns ana operates a water utility that provides water service to
customers within its water service area. As part of the water utility, the City owns and
operates the Michigan Ditch and associated infrastructure for the purpose of providing
raw water for water supply, including for drinking water treatment.
B.Between August and December 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire significantly
impacted federal and state lands abutting the Michigan Ditch.
C.The City has identified a need to develop and execute forest health
treatment activities in priority areas at risk of future large seal� catastrophic wildfires with
regards to pre-fire mitigation thinning, fuel breaks and forest restoration, including in and
around the Michigan Ditch and its associated infrastructure.
D.The City has thus begun work on the Michigan Ditch Pre�Fire Mitigation
Project ("Project") and has worked with the Colorado State Forest Service. Phase 1 of
the Project and previous agreements with the Colorado State Forest Service are
addressed in Resolution 2024-113.
E.For Phase 2 of the Project, the Colorado State Forest Service is willing to
work with the City to fund the Project. In coordination with the Colorado State Forest
Service, the City applied for and the Colorado Department of Natural Resource, through
the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program, has awarded the City a grant for forest
health and pre-fire mitigation work in and a�ound the Michigan Ditch and its associated
infrastructure. By accepting such grant funds, the City would be agreeing to comply with
the terms and conditions of the Grant Award Letter Summary of Grant Award Terms and
Conditions, attached as Exhibit "A" ("Grant Award Letter'').
F.As .set forth!in the Grant Award Letter, the City's required matching funds
are $316,682. The City intends to appropriate such funds in 2026, before accepting any
of the grantfunds.
G.City Council finds that accepting the grant funds and complying with the
terms and conditions of the Grant Award Letter is necessary to safeguard the City's critical
water supply infrastructure and is in the best interests of the City water utility ratepayers
and the city as a whole.
In light of the foregoing recitals, which the Council hereby makes and adopts as
determinations and findings, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS.that the City Manager is hereby authorized to accept the grant funds
awarded in the Grant Funds Letter· and to comply with the terms and conditions of the
Grant Funds Letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit "A", provided that any required
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funds have been appropriated beforehand, with such additional terms and conditions as
the City Manager, in consultation with the City Attorney, determines to be necessary and
appropriate to protect the interests of the City or effectuate the purposes of this
Resolution.
Passed and adopted on May 6, 2025.
ATTEST:
Effective Date: May 6, 2025
Approving Attorney: Eric Potyondy
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