HomeMy WebLinkAbout082 - 06/03/2025 - APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES AND AUTHORIZINGORDINANCE NO.082,2025
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
APPROPRIATING PRIOR YEAR RESERVES AND AUTHORIZING
TRANSFERS OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE MUNICIPAL
COURT EXPANSION PROJECT AND RELATED ART IN PUBLIC
PLACES
A.In 2007,the Municipal Court moved to its current location on the first floor
of the City’s office building at 215 North Mason Street when the leased space the Court
formerly occupied in the Justice Center at 201 Laporte Avenue was needed for use by
the Colorado Judicial Department.
B.From the 2007 until recently,minimal changes were made to the 215
building to address immediate issues,but not to address increased demands on the Court
from growth in caseloads and programming.
C.On November 16,2021,Council adopted Resolution 2021-1 05,approving
the November 10,2021,Civic Center Master Plan as part of the Downtown Plan and as
the capital improvements plan for purposes of Section 7.5-31 of the City Code,regarding
use of general government capital expansion fee revenues.The approved Civic Center
Master Plan (the “2021 CCMP”)indicated the 215 North Mason Street Building as the
planned location of the Court and related purposes,including phased renovation and
future expansion to address needs driven by caseload growth and attendant increases in
City staffing to meet growing demands.
D.On June 21,2022,Council appropriated $700,000 from General Fund
Reserves,by adoption of Ordinance No.066,2022,to address urgent capital needs of
the Court in the 215 North Mason Street Building.This appropriation was provided to
address immediate safety,security,client,and accessibility needs while larger plans were
being developed for the full expansion of the Court within the 215 North Maston Street
Building,which was not designed or constructed for the purposes of the administration of
the Court nor suitable for the increased demands on the Court.
E.On February 2,2023,Council appropriated $1,507,700 from the Capital
Expansion Fund,by adoption of Ordinance No.005,2023,for the 215 North Mason
Municipal Court 15-year buildout design project.
F.On June 6,2024,staff presented to the Council Finance Committee three
options to continue progress on the 215 North Mason Municipal Court 15-year buildout
design project,which included the relocation of Parking Services,as per the 2021 CCMP.
The Finance Committee supported Option B,which addressed the urgent capital
expansion needs of the Court,the City officials and employees working in the Court,and
members of the public using the facilities for a five-year period to explore the possibility
of partnering with Larimer County to include the Municipal Court as part of a Justice
Center expansion.
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C.On May 1,2025,staff presented additional information to the Council
Finance Committee on Option B,including the progress on the design and estimated
costs to relocate Parking Services from the 215 North Mason Street Building to the Civic
Center Parking Structure (the “Parking Services Relocation Project”)and the costs of
construction and expansion of the Court within the 215 North Mason Street Building (the
“Municipal Court Expansion Project”).The Finance Committee supported bringing the
recommended appropriations for the projects to the full Council for consideration.
H.The amount requested for the Municipal Court Expansion Project is
$4,300,000.
This appropriation benefits the public health,safety,and welfare of the
residents of Fort Collins and serves the public purpose of providing near-term adequate
and necessary space and security for City officials,employees,and public users of the
Municipal Court as Court caseloads grow and demands increase.
J.Article V,Section 9 of the City Charter permits the City Council,upon the
recommendation of the City Manager,to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance
at any time during the fiscal year from such revenues and funds for expenditure as may
be available from reserves accumulated in prior years,notwithstanding that such reserves
were not previously appropriated.
K.The City Manager has recommended the appropriation described herein
and determined that the funds to be appropriated are available and previously
unappropriated from the Capital Expansion Fund and that this appropriation will not cause
the total amount appropriated in the Capital Expansion Fund to exceed the current
estimate of actual and anticipated revenues and all other funds to be received in this Fund
during this fiscal year.
L.Article V,Section 10 of the City Charter authorizes the City Council,upon
recommendation by the City Manager,to transfer by ordinance any unexpended and
unencumbered appropriated amount or portion thereof from one fund or capital project to
another fund or capital project,provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds
are to be expended remains unchanged,the purpose for which the funds were initially
appropriated no longer exists,or the proposed transfer is from a fund or capital project in
which the amount appropriated exceeds the amount needed to accomplish the purpose
specified in the appropriation ordinance.
M.The City Manager has recommended the transfer of $43,000 from the
Capital Projects Fund to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and determined that
the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged.
N.This Project involves construction estimated to cost more than $250,000
and,as such,City Code Section 23-304 requires one percent of these appropriations to
be transferred to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund for a contribution to the Art in
Public Places program (“APP Program”).
0.The total project cost of $4,300,000 has been used to calculate the
contribution to the APP program.
P.The amount to be contributed to the APP Program through this Ordinance
will be $43,000.
Q.Article V,Section 11 of the City Charter authorizes the City Council to
designate in the ordinance when appropriating funds for a capital project,that such
appropriation shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year in which the appropriation is
made,but continue until the completion of the capital project.
R.The City Council wishes to designate the appropriation herein for the
Municipal Court Expansion Project as an appropriation that shall not lapse until the
completion of the project.
In light of the foregoing Recitals,which the Council hereby makes and adopts as
determinations and findings,BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS as follows:
Section 1.There is hereby appropriated from prior year reserves in the General
Government Reserve within the Capital Expansion Fund the sum of FOUR MILLION
THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($4,300,000)to be expended in the Capital
Expansion Fund for transfer to the Capital Projects Fund and appropriated therein to be
expended for the Municipal Court Expansion Project.
Section 2.The unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount of
THIRTY-THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FORTY DOLLARS ($33,540)in the
Capital Projects Fund is hereby authorized for transfer to the Cultural Services and
Facilities Fund and appropriated and expended therein to fund art projects under the APP
Program.
Section 3.The unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount of EIGHT
THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($8,600)in the Capital Projects Fund is hereby
authorized for transfer to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and appropriated and
expended therein for the operation costs of the APP Program.
Section 4.The unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount of EIGHT
HUNDRED SIXTY DOLLARS ($860)in the Capital Projects Fund is hereby authorized
for transfer to the Cultural Services and Facilities Fund and appropriated and expended
therein for the maintenance costs of the APP Program.
Section 5.The appropriation herein for the Municipal Court Expansion Project
is hereby designated,as authorized in Article V,Section 11 of the City Charter,as an
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appropriation that shall not lapse at the end of this fiscal year but continue until the
completion of the project.
Introduced,considered favorably on first reading on May 20,2025,and approved
on second reading for final passage on June 3,2025.
ATTEST:
I /
t Cl1
Effective Date:June 13,2025
Approving Attorney:Dianne Criswell
Exhibits:None