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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2021-06-08 June 8, 2021 4:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Board Room/Virtual The Town Board of Trustees will participate in the meeting remotely due to the Declaration of Emergency signed by Town Administrator Machalek on March 19, 2020 related to COVID-19 and provided for with the adoption of Ordinance 04-20 on March 18, 2020. To view or listen to the Study Session by Zoom Webinar ONLINE (Zoom Webinar): https://zoom.us/j/91077906778 Webinar ID: 910 7790 6778 CALL-IN (Telephone Option): 877-853-5257 (toll-free) Meeting ID: 910 7790 6778 If you are joining the Zoom meeting and are experiencing technical difficulties, staff will be available by phone for assistance 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting at 970-577-4777. 4:45 p.m. Downtown Loop Quarterly Update. (Director Muhonen) 5:15 p.m. Cameron Peak and East Thompson Zone Debrief. (Captain Rose) 5:45 p.m. Demonstration of Laserfiche Process Automation for Municipal Court. (Deputy Town Clerk Beers) 6:15 p.m. Trustee & Administrator Comments & Questions. 6:25 p.m. Future Study Session Agenda Items. (Board Discussion) 6:30 p.m. Adjourn for Town Board Meeting. Informal discussion among Trustees concerning agenda items or other Town matters may occur before this meeting at approximately 4:15 p.m. AGENDA TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION Page 1       Page 2 PUBLIC WORKS Report To: Honorable Mayor Koenig Board of Trustees Through: Town Administrator Machalek From: Greg Muhonen, PE, Public Works Director Project Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Date: June 8, 2021 RE: Quarterly Update on Downtown Estes Loop Project (DEL) Objective: Update the Town Board on the activities that have taken place on the Downtown Estes Loop (DEL) project since the March 23, 2021 Town Board Study Session. Present Situation: • Right of Way: The Phase 2 Right of Way negotiations continue for the acquisition of easements and rights-of-way slivers from 23 property owners. Eleven agreements are complete or awaiting closing. • CLOMR: the application to FEMA for the Conditional Letter of Map Revision was submitted April 30, 2021. The FEMA review and approval process is expected to take 9 to 12 months. A flood bypass culvert is proposed to mitigate rises in the 1% flood base flood elevation otherwise caused by Crags Drive roadway and intersection work proposed in the floodplain. • Budget: No changes since the March update. Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) previously updated the project budget from $17.2 million to $22.58 million to reflect the estimated additional costs to complete the preliminary engineering (design, right of way acquisitions, easement acquisitions, and building demolition). This is reflected in the amended MoA. • Schedule: The project schedule anticipates completion of the construction documents by the fall of 2021. Right of way and easement acquisitions are expected to extend to the end of 2021. The incomplete ROW and CLOMR processes are delaying the project construction work. Bidding is targeted for spring 2022 with off-roadway construction occurring in the summer of 2022 (new wall near Fun City and Ivy Bridge). The primary project construction is expected to begin in October 2022 and extend thru June of 2023. • Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The MoA and Reimburseable Agreement amendments were approved by the Town Board March 9th and have been signed by all parties. This amendment process is complete. Page 3 Proposal: The TAC proposes to continue the design and right-of-way acquisition efforts in 2021 and bid the construction work in the second quarter of 2022. Advantages: The project benefits are numerous and include relief to the Town’s downtown traffic congestion problems, improved downtown mobility for bicyclists, reduction in downtown flood risk from the Big Thompson River, improved water delivery for fire protection, and closure to property owner uncertainty surrounding the DEL. Disadvantages: Some community members do not support the partner agencies building the DEL. Action Recommended: n/a Finance/Resource Impact: The Town has expended no additional funds for this project since the previous quarterly update. The 2014 Memorandum of Agreement between the Town, CDOT, CFLHD, and RMNP estimated this project would cost $17.2 million with construction occurring in 2016. In 2019 CFLHD dedicated more than $2 million of additional Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) funds to cover increased right of way acquisition costs. The Town remains obligated to pay a local match of $4.2 million (CDOT devolution funds) for the Phase 1 project. The Town has spent $3,823,977 to-date. A total of $9.5 million has been spent by CFLHD on the project to-date. Level of Public Interest The known level of public interest in this item is high. Attachments: 1. Presentation slides for the Phase 1 project Page 4 6/8/2021 1 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Downtown Estes Loop Project Estes Park Town Board Study Session June 8, 2021 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Today’s Agenda • Progress Update •Right of Way •CLOMR Permitting •MOU Amendment/ Budget Update • Project Schedule • Next Steps •Q&A 6/8/2021 2 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Project Scope – Phase 1 • Phase 1: – Reconstruction and realignment of Riverside Drive – Reconstruction of the Ivy Street Bridge – New and Coordinated traffic signals with Riverwalk – Associated transportation improvements along Elkhorn and Moraine – New on street bike lane on Moraine and Riverside – Continuous sidewalks along entire Loop – Channel Improvements between Ivy St and Rockwell St – Wayfinding signs, parklands • Does not include: – Rockwell and Riverside Bridges – Relocation of Public Restroom – Downstream Floodplain Improvements Draft Presentation subject to change.  Right-of-Way Acquisition • CDOT is the lead agency for Right of Way (ROW) Acquisition on the Project. • Process follows Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (Uniform Act). • CDOT continues to assist the property owners and tenants who require Relocation. • Currently, acquisition is in process for the remaining parcels, which are primarily temporary work easements. • Of 23 ownerships, 11 agreements are complete or awaiting closing. • Acquisition will continue through 2021. CDOT owned properties 6/8/2021 3 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Summary of Right-of-Way Acquisition Process Draft Presentation subject to change.  General Condemnation Process 6/8/2021 4 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Budget Update PROJECT BUDGET FOR ALL SEGMENTS Item Estimated Cost for  CFLHD Performed  Services Comments Preliminary Engineering  (PE) and Environmental  Compliance PE Subtotal $2,880,000 ROW Acquisition & Utility  Relocation ROW Subtotal $7,100,000 Construction Contract (CN) CN Subtotal $11,200,000 Schedule A $10,600,000 Option X $600,000 100% of Cost Borne  by Town  of Estes Park. Construction Engineering  (CE)CE Subtotal $1,400,000 TOTAL $22,580,000 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Project Schedule 6/8/2021 5 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Construction Schedule Scenarios Major Factors Driving Schedule: – CLOMR Application Approval – ROW/Easement Acquisition Construction Schedule*: – Advertise Spring 2022 – Construction 2022/23 *Pending permit approvals and ROW acquisition Draft Presentation subject to change.  Next Steps •Upcoming Milestone: – 95% Design Submittal – June 2021 – Continue Right of Way Acquisition through 2021 – CLOMR Application submitted 4/30/21 – Submit USCOE 404 Permit Summer 2021 – Utility Relocations (Xcel, CenturyLink, EPSD, UTSD, Town of EP Water/Power) October, 2021 through May, 2022 • Monthly Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings – Members include representatives from CFLHD, CDOT, Estes Park • Town Board Quarterly Updates – next presentation on September 14, 2021 6/8/2021 6 Draft Presentation subject to change.  Questions and Answers POLICE Report To: Honorable Mayor Koenig Board of Trustees Through: Town Administrator Machalek From: Captain Eric Rose, Emergency Manager Christy Crosser, Grant Specialist Date: June 8, 2021 RE: After Action Report East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires Objective: This report presents issues and recommendations from the wildfire events; improvements that can be applied in emergency management of future disasters and emergencies and in particular, wildfire evens. Present Situation: The Town experienced a rapidly moving and growing wildfire, the East Troublesome Fire that resulted in a valley-wide evacuation order on October 22, 2020. Evacuation planning had been completed; however, a full-scale test was never feasible. This was a live test. We were fortunate with the pandemic likely meant fewer visitors in the area. The Cameron Peak Fire also impacted Estes Park including Town employees as well as the Utilities Department Power & Communications. Following these events, department staff were invited to participate in virtual meetings to receive an overview the events from the Emergency Manager, and an opportunity to provide feedback on their experience and observation regarding the event including the evacuation. Five virtual meetings were held and employees unable to attend or if they had additional feedback were invited to talk with me or send email messages. Meeting notes were compiled and combined with all written messages received and used as source data for this report. Proposal: This After Action Report provides an opportunity to share information on what worked and areas of improvement. The lesson learned are many; however, overall the evacuation worked. In a matter of 6 hours, people were out of the valley with the exception of authorized personnel. Page 5 Improvements are noted; however, each event will present challenges in a different situation requiring unique responses. The intent is to apply lesson learned in preparation for the next emergency and disaster and adapt accordingly. This report is the first step in preparation and more work will need to be done to detail the Town’s effort to implement the recommendations including working closely with leadership. Advantages: • This report will provide the first step in implementing recommendations and sharing lessons learned with the Board, Town staff, partner organizations and the community. • This report will continue the ongoing effort to improve emergency and disaster response to keep people and property safe. Disadvantages: • No two disasters are alike; however, lessons learned can be applied to other disasters with a measure of flexibility. • Emergency preparedness is ongoing, never-ending. This is one more step in a process. Action Recommended: There is no Board action required; however, Town staff will continue to work on emergency and disaster preparedness with the community and partner organizations. Among the actions for Town staff will be training, review of Intergovernmental Agreements and Mutual Aid Agreements, review event-essential employees’ roles and responsibilities, and discuss improved communications methods. Finance/Resource Impact: None identified at this time. Level of Public Interest This report should be high; however, we also know the longer the time between a disaster and implementation of change that interest wanes. Attachments: 1. After Action Report Page 6 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 1 After Action Report East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires August-December 2020 Report version 05/26/2021 CPF, Estes Park, Denver Post, Oct 16,2020 ATTACHMENT 1 Page 7 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 2 Table of Content Contents About the Fires .............................................................................................................................................. 3 East Troublesome Fire .............................................................................................................................. 6 Cameron Peak Fire .................................................................................................................................... 6 Process .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Report Format ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Communications ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Communications ⸻ Internal..................................................................................................................... 9 Communications ⸻ Dispatch ................................................................................................................... 9 Communications ⸻ Public Information ................................................................................................. 10 Communications ⸻ Partner Agencies .................................................................................................... 12 Operations .................................................................................................................................................. 13 Operations ⸻ Organizational ................................................................................................................. 13 Operations ⸻ Community partnerships ................................................................................................ 15 Operations ⸻ Town Departments ......................................................................................................... 15 Utilities ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Public Works – Streets and Engineering ............................................................................................. 17 Community Services – Events Complex .............................................................................................. 17 Operations ⸻ Emergency Management ................................................................................................ 18 Emergency Management .................................................................................................................... 18 EVACUATION ............................................................................................................................................... 20 EDUCATION AND TRAINING ........................................................................................................................ 22 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 Page 8 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 3 About the Fires The Cameron Peak Fire (CPF) started on August 13 near Chambers Lake/Cameron Pass area. On September 7, the fire moved into Chapin pass area within Rocky Mountain National Park. This action prompted the Town of Estes Park Emergency Manager and Fire District Chief to review previous fire emergency and evacuation planning developed in 2017 and begin preparation if the fire moved closer to Estes Park, Glen Haven, and nearby communities. The planning developed in 2017 included modeling and fire predictive behavior. Modeling identified a fire in the Chapin pass area of Rocky Mountain National Park, driven by prevailing westerly winds and dry conditions which could predictably take a similar path as the Fern Lake Fire (2012), causing a substantial risk to the Estes Park community. Our preparation included expanding the current plan to incorporate shared resource allocation with our partner agencies, evacuation mapping, tracking the current fire movement and revisions to field guide procedures. Through the remainder of September and into October our local firefighters from Estes Park and Glen Haven joined with the National Incident Management team in firefighting efforts in and around Glen Haven, Storm Mountain, and nearby communities. While supporting these efforts we were monitoring the East Troublesome Fire (ETF) in Grand County, for fire behavior and the affects to Trail Ridge Road for potential evacuation routing. The fire, originated near Kremmling, was moving towards the two communities of Grand Lake and Granby. On October 21, the East Troublesome fire ran approximately 18 miles causing rapid evacuations of over 6,500 residences in Grand Lake and Granby areas and continued to move into the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park near Green Mountain. ETF, Granby Oct 21, 2020 CPF, from Medicine Bow Curve, RMNP CPF, from Prospect Mtn, Estes Park Page 9 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 4 On the morning of October 22, a notice from partners at Rocky Mountain National Park stated that a satellite had located a “heat signature” east (Estes Park side) of the Continental divide in Spruce Creek/ Forest Canyon area. It is not uncommon for heat indications from smoke clouds to show up on satellite imagery, which could explain the indication was from the East Troublesome Fire smoke cloud we experienced overnight and into the day. An Infrared flight was unable to fly due to high winds and poor visibility prompting a member of the Incident Management Team to attempt a visual sighting of the location. A branch Division Chief travelled by vehicle to the area and confirmed a fire was active in the Spruce Creek drainage, indicating the East Troublesome fire had spotted over the Continental Divide to ignite the area. Later investigation determined the fire had spotted approximately 1.5 miles from the head of Tonahutu Creek on the west side of the Continental Divide to the head of Spruce Creek on the east side of the Continental Divide. Due to the fire’s location, extremely high winds, predictable travel path, and evidence of swift fire movement witnessed in the communities of Grand Lake and Granby the day prior, evacuations for the majority of the Estes Valley were implemented. Approximately 15,000- 25,000 people were evacuated to neighboring communities within an approximate 4-hour timeframe. Estes Park, NPR, 1:00 pm Page 10 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 5 Our populace managed the evacuation process well, due in part to daily public messaging regarding the nearby Cameron Peak fire provided a sense of readiness throughout our community in the days prior. The smoke cloud lingering over the Estes Valley that morning contributed to the Schools closing which resulted in easing parents’ stress of collecting their children during the egress. The fire’s outlook was indistinct due to forecasted dry winds (cold front) predicting more movement to the East, endangering properties along US Highway 66 and High Drive Corridor. A cold front with significant snowfall stalled the fire on October 25 allowing firefighting actions and favorable weather conditions to halt the major movement of both the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires. Approximately 30,000 acres, or 9 percent of the Rocky Mountain National park, was impacted by the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires. (photos, Denver Post) Estes Park, Loveland Herald, 1:00 pm Estes Park, Loveland Herald, 3:00 pm Page 11 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 6 East Troublesome Fire 48 days, October 14- November 30, 100 % contained, 4 Incident Management Teams, 193,812 acres. Inciweb, National Wildfire Coordinating Group Summary The East Troublesome Fire was reported on the afternoon of October 14. The origination point was northeast of Kremmling in Grand County in the Arapaho National Forest. The cause is still under investigation. Within three days, high winds and low humidity allowed the fire to spread to over 10,000 acres. The direction of fire spread threatened State Highway 125 and forced the closure of the road and mandatory evacuation of approximately 90 homes by October 17. Between Oct. 20-23, the fire spread increased dramatically with 24-hour increases of around 18,000 to 87,000 acres during the four-day run. The peak fire spread of 87,093 acres occurred between late afternoon on Oct. 21 and the early afternoon of Oct. 22. The size of the fire exploded from 18,550 acres to 187,964 acres during this period. The fire crossed Highway 125 on the afternoon of Oct. 21 and spread eastward into the Rocky Mountain National Park on Oct. 22, crossing the Continental Divide, and reaching the western edge of Estes Park on Oct. 23. Th e fire was fueled by wide-spread drought, numerous dead and down beetle-killed trees, red flag weather conditions created by high winds and dry conditions, and poor humidity recovery overnight. The combination of these factors led to unprecedented, wind-driven, active fire behavior with rapid spread during the overnight hours. During this period the area north of US Highway 40 from near Granby and extending eastward to Grand Lake and Estes Park had over 7,000 structures threatened, and a population of over 35,000 placed under a mandatory evacuation. A winter storm from Saturday, Oct. 24 through the morning of Oct. 26 brought very cold temperatures, precipitation in the form of snow and lighter winds, resulting in a dramatic drop in fire behavior with smoldering and reduced fire spread on both sides of the Continental Divide. Over this 3-day period, fire growth fell to a total of around 4,500 acres for a total of 192,457 acres. From that point forward, fire activity remained minimal with little change in area and a final total acreage of 193,812. The fire was declared contained on Nov. 30, 2020. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) InciWeb, 2020. East Troublesome Fire. Retrieved from: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7242/ Cameron Peak Fire Inciweb, National Wildfire Coordinating Group Summary 112 days, August 13- December 2, 100 % contained, 9 Incident Management Teams. 208,913 acres. The Cameron Peak fire ignited on August 13 on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake. The East Thompson Zone Fire started on Oct. 22 when the East Troublesome Fire spotted across the Continental Divide and became established in Rocky Mountain National Park between the Divide and Estes Park. The fires burned in heavy timber stands over rugged terrain. High winds combined with critically dry fuels drove fire growth. Cooler temperatures and widespread snow over the area had been dampening fire activity. The fire was declared contained on Dec. 2, 2020. Page 12 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 7 National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) InciWeb, 2020. Cameron Peak Fire. Retrieved from: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/ Page 13 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 8 Process Each Town Department was invited to participate in virtual meetings with the Emergency Manager (EM), who presented a brief information on preparedness and how the evacuation transpired. With this background information, the EM proceeded to ask for feedback on areas of improvement. Each participant was provided an opportunity for input. Email messages were also received from Town staff who could not attend one of the department meetings. The discussions focused on the first 48 to 72 hours of the incident and what Town staff experienced during this time frame. Purpose This report considers improvement recommendations from the wildfire events; improvements that can be used in emergency management of future disasters and emergencies. Report Format •Issue Summary •Recommendation •Responsible Department •Implementation Timeframe Page 14 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 9 Communications (within the Town of Estes Park government) Communications ⸻ Internal Issue Summary: Internal staff communications among departments proved to be challenging during the incident response. Swift moving events and COVID restrictions provided the lack of an engagement forum for Department Directors with staff, creating information imbalances and lost efficiencies. Recommendations: 1.Event-essential personnel are assigned radios for improved communications; 2.Utilize Hip Link tool to provide current and changing field information with event-essential employees and leadership; 3.Training and education on radio communications; 4.Training and education on roles and responsibilities during emergency and disaster responses; and 5.Daily morning and evening briefings activated for event-essential Department Directors when Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is established. Briefings will be consistent with Incident Command (ICS) structure. Department Directors will gain knowledge about the incident, assist in planning, receive assignments, collaborate across departments, and disseminate information and tasks to employees. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, Police, and Department Directors Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Communications ⸻ Dispatch Issue Summary: To better coordinate the multijurisdictional evacuation zones an agreement was made for Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to launch evacuation notices. This proved more challenging than initially determined as the plan was to provide a single source for communications. Notifications were not mutually determined with the Estes Park Police Department (EPPD) and the EPPD Dispatch for successful coordination and information-sharing regarding field operations in the areas of law operations, evacuation measures and utilities. Recommendation: Dispatch will provide a representative to attend briefings as available and resources allow, and if this is not possible, then the Operations Section Chief or designee will provide briefings for dispatch following morning and evening briefings. Information will be coordinated with LCSO Dispatch and Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority. Responsible Department: Police, Larimer County SO, and LETA Page 15 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 10 Implementation Timeframe: this recommendation has been approved and will be implemented during the next emergency event. Communications ⸻ Public Information Issue Summary: Distributing communications to key community stakeholders experienced a number of challenges including timeliness of the information; accuracy; and a consistent and centralized place for people to access information. A comprehensive list of stakeholders is needed. Recommendations: 1.Develop procedures for contacting partners in the event the EOC is activated. Partners include and not limited to; Estes Valley Fire Protection District (EVFPD), Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA), Larimer County Sheriff Office (LCSO), Estes Park Sanitation District (EPSD), Upper Thompson Sanitation District (UTSD), Estes Valley Library, Estes Park Health and other health care providers, Estes Park Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Estes Chamber of Commerce, Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center (EPNRC), community organizations and association that represent businesses. 2.Provide area training with partners to improve coordination and messaging procedures. 3.Develop shared messaging practices for consistency. 4.Develop a comprehensive list of stakeholders, with contact information. Review the list annually. Responsible Department: Police, Administration’s Public Information Officer (PIO) Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Issue Summary: Residents, business owners, and property owners were concerned about the security of their homes, businesses and property for fire protection and other threats such as vandalism. Little to no information was provided to ease these concerns. Recommendations: 1.Provide public messaging to inform evacuees that security measures are in place by police personnel supplying protection of property. 2.Public messaging to include that only authorized personnel area allowed in the areas. 3.Provide public messaging for evacuees about law enforcement role in providing security to evacuated areas. Responsible Department: Police and the Administration’s PIO. Implementation Timeframe: Information will be presented as a community preparation effort and during an emergency event. Page 16 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 11 Issue Summary: Contraflow traffic allowance during the evacuation was not communicated and caused confusion and traffic issues. During evacuation, emergency vehicles inbound to Estes Park had their sirens on so the outbound motorist would stop and pull over which slowed the traffic down considerably. This is a common occurrence in emergency situations and is to be expected and was not communicated. In an emergency evacuation, contraflow lanes roughly double the number of lanes available for evacuation traffic. During the evacuation, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) determined that contraflow would be difficult because of the number of side roads along US Highways 36 and 34, and Colorado Highway 7. It was also determined by emergency personnel that the fire threat was not so imminent to require contraflow traffic. Recommendations: 1.The Town’s Portable Variable Message Signs could include relevant information for outbound traffic. 2.Provide clear and concise information before and during evacuation measures if contraflow traffic is allowed or not. 3.Provide information and education to evacuees that they are not required to pull over and stop for inbound emergency vehicles. Responsible Department: Police and Administration’s PIO. Implementation Timeframe: This will be included in the routine information and education prior to an evacuation event. Issue Summary: The Town’s permanent variable message signs (VMS) are for inbound traffic only and likely not useful during evacuation events. However, the Town owns portable VMS that could be strategically placed with public information messages. Recommendations: 1.Event-essential personnel need to know where the portable signs are located to be able to retrieve and put into use as needed. 2.Coordinate the message with Public Works and CDOT. 3.Draft pre-approved messaging for rapid deployment. Responsible Department: Public Works, Administration PIO, and Police Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Page 17 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 12 Communications ⸻ Partner Agencies Issue Summary: Fire-related communication from different agencies was sometimes contradicting and confusing and described as too much information for people to understand during an emergency. There were longer than anticipated delays experienced from the time a decision was made to the actual message release, including the evacuation notice. Cross- jurisdictional information needs improvement. Recommendation: Develop communications procedural guidelines through an operations manual developed in partnership with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District. Responsible Department: Police and Estes Valley Fire Protection District Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Issue Summary: The high usage of the cell towers stretched its capacity to provide reliable services. This challenged communications between the Emergency Managers, EOC personnel and Town staff. Calls were dropped or did not go through. Recommendation: 1.Partner with Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA) and cell providers to enhance cell coverage and capacity for Estes Park and Estes Valley. Crown Castle will be providing the power for proposed cellular coverage installation along US 36 and may lease dark fiber form Larimer County and LETA911, or possibility Town Power & Communications. 2.Research priority calling options via service providers. Provide Government Emergency Telephone Services (GETS) to designated staff. 3.Issue radios to key personnel. 4.AT&T has installed a new site on the north side of the YMCA and they have plans for additional sites within Estes Park and on US Hwy 36 between Estes Park and Lyons. Responsible Department: Police Implementation Timeframe: 12-24 months Page 18 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 13 Operations Operations ⸻ Organizational Issue summary: A lack of clear and concise information and expectations on roles and responsibilities for Town employees resulted in confusion and opportunities for improvement. Recommendations: 1.Provide training workshops for each departments’ Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) use. 2.Provide tabletop exercises with emphasis on training and information for individuals with limited Incident Command System (ICS) experience. 3.Revise the COOP to include employee tracking: attendance and location system for employee safety and resource allocation. 4.Revise COOP to include duty descriptions for event-essential and define roles for Town employees during ICS/EOC activations. Define ICS positions for Town employees. 5.Revise COOP to include a check-in/ reporting system for event-essential Town employees. 6.Revise COOP to be accessible electronically. 7.Include safety protocols information and education. Responsible Town Department: •Police and other Departments assigned to participate in the response. •The Emergency Manager or designee provides training for Department Directors, Division Managers and Supervisors during their regular meetings, and also to employee groups who have event responsibilities. •COOP revisions: Department Directors •EOC manual: Police Department with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District •EOP: Emergency Manager, Department Directors. Implementation Timeframe: 12-24 months Issue Summary: Some Town employees did not have proper identification to access authorized areas. Also some Town employees were using their personal vehicles to access areas which resulted in delays to their destinations. Recommendations: Develop a policy that requires event-essential employees to always have Town identification with them during an emergency and disaster event. Provide signage for personal vehicles to access travel in restricted areas. Responsible Department: Police Department and Department Directors Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Page 19 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 14 Issue summary: During and following emergencies and disasters, people and organizations want to help. This should be expected and planned for and the Town should document offerings and be responsive to volunteers and organizations. A coordinated effort will also help to avoid unwanted donated items. The 2020 wildfires proved to be challenging because of multi- jurisdictional agencies involved in the response making the coordination of donations challenging. The volunteer and donation coordination by the Town would be specific to the Town’s responsibility for an emergency and disaster response. For events with multiple jurisdictions, this would require clear organization among partners. Recommendation: 1.The Town's volunteer manager will coordinate with the emergency manager and logistics manager for Town-specific incidents on donations, utilizing volunteers for recovery, etc., as well as work with Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center (EPNRC) through their volunteer clearinghouse, and Volunteers Active in a Disaster (VOAD). 2.The Town volunteer manager will promote the needs of the Town during an emergency through established communication channels including social media, email, and website. 3.The Town’s volunteer program will coordinate opportunities the EOC Branch Director for Town-specific responses to emergencies and disasters. 4.A list of possible volunteer and donation opportunities could be developed in advance and in preparation of emergencies and disasters. Responsible Departments: Administration and Police Implementation Timeframe: 6-12 months Issue Summary: Town employees were making last minute decisions on what to remove from their offices and facilities and where to take valued items. This includes physical assets (equipment, materials, artifacts, etc.) and unique and original documents, as well as digital backup. Recommendation: 1.Develop a safekeeping plan for critical Town assets. 2.IT has multiple servers in various locations and is planning on additional remote or cloud backup. 3.Documents should be in digital format and saved on the Network and/or in LaserFiche for safe keeping. Responsible Department: Department Directors, IT Implementation Timeframe: 12- 24 months Page 20 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 15 Operations ⸻ Community partnerships Issue Summary: Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) is the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development. It is the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. Communities adjacent to and surrounded by wildland are at varying degrees of risk from wildfires and Estes Park is no exception. Recommendation: 1.Collaborate with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District (EVFPD) to provide education and training for neighborhoods within Estes Park and the Estes Valley on fire mitigation measures. 2.Partner with area homeowner associations (HOAs) to provide fire prevention education and inspections, and other mitigation measures. 3.Conduct outreach efforts to inform and educate the community about wildfire risks. 4.Participate and support resiliency efforts provided through the Colorado Resiliency Office (CRO), Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). 5.Integrate mitigation and resiliency efforts in planning and projects at every opportunity, including the 2021 Comprehensive Plan. 6.Reference the Larimer County Hazard Mitigation Plan and maintain this plan as a resource to respond to and prepare for hazards. Provide training for staff members related to hazards, mitigation and resiliency efforts, projects, and funding in partnership with Larimer County and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). Participate in community-based recovery groups. 7.Reference Larimer Connect. Responsible Departments: Police and Community Development, EVFPD Implementation Timeframe: 12-24 months Operations ⸻ Town Departments During the 2020 wildfire response, some of the challenges experienced by Town Department employees can be attributed to multiple jurisdiction agencies “in charge”. This event placed the Town in a partnership role and not in a lead role. This section is a brief description of the issues Town Department experienced, and includes some recommendations. The recommendations generally include education and training for Department Directors and event-essential employees, which is considered ongoing and continuous. In some cases, the recommendation is to review plans and update these as indicated. Page 21 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 16 Depending on the recommendation, the implementation timeframe is generally between 6 and 24 months. Utilities Issue Summary: Town Utilities personnel received communications from various sources making it difficult to determine priorities. This added to the challenges that some of the Town’s utilities assets were in high-risk areas requiring fire or law enforcement escort coordination to keep utilities personnel safe. Recommendation: 1.Assign an EOC primary and secondary (backup) contact for Town Utilities and communicate who this will be with the Utilities Department. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, Police. 2.Communicate who the contacts are with EOC personnel and dispatch. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, Police. 3.Contractors and private sector entities will need to be provided a liaison for power, gas, and water shut off and on requests. Issue Summary: Coordination with private sector utilities was necessary during the wildfire event including Xcel gas. Shutting off and turning on gas services in coordination with the Town Water and Power & Communications Divisions was necessary for the safety of people and properties. Recommendation: Communication with Xcel administration (and general service providers) can be improved by aligning their representative with a designated logistics role or Branch Director. Issue Summary: Utilities was not included in daily briefings which would have beneficial in coordination efforts. Recommendation: Supervisors will attend daily briefings, as noted in the Communications section and relay information to all workgroups. Issue Summary: The Water Division received requests from customers for services that are the responsibility of the customers. Water Division staff expressed a need to inform and educate customers on who is responsibility for what services and repairs. Recommendation: The Water Division drafted a customer service letter for distribution that outlines service and repair responsibilities. This letter has not been distributed yet. Page 22 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 17 Issue Summary: Employee safety protocols for water plant operations during emergency events are in need of revisions to include protective resource sharing with other departments and improved communications. Recommendations: 1.In the event of emergency operations that require on site management of water plants in a hazardous area, water employees will follow established safety plans to include law enforcement and/or fire personnel to assist. 2.A revision of the COOP will include safety plans for escort, on site accompaniment and needs deemed necessary to ensure the safety of water employees while performing duties in a hazardous area due to an emergency event such as wildfire. 3.The employees and accompanying emergency personnel will maintain communications with Police/ Dispatch Communications center via radio for safety and welfare. 4.Training in safety plans, multi-department response and radio use will be required. Public Works – Streets and Engineering Issue summary: Traffic control, roadblocks and directional signage are often a critical component to emergencies responses are not limited to evacuations. Not all event-essential Town staff are trained on responding nor are their roles and responsibilities well defined which requires Town staff to make immediate decisions that impact public safety. Recommendation: 1.To improve traffic control management during emergency and disaster responses, by training event-essential employees on roles and responsibilities. 2.Develop training exercises for emergency traffic management that includes signage, routing, and flexible planning in the event of activation. 3.Partner with agencies in Larimer and Boulder Counties for multi-jurisdictional implementation of traffic control in the event of an evacuation. Partners include: EVFPD, CDOT, LCSO, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Larimer County Office of Emergency Management (LCOEM), CSP, and others as identified. Community Services – Events Complex Issue Summary: This was the first time that the Events Complex was used for the EOC. The EOC was moved from Town Hall to the Events Complex which was greatly beneficial for the coordination of resources and meeting space; however, there were some challenges including establishing the layout and clearly communicating this to users Recommendation: 1.Outside the buildings: provide directional signage for easy location for each jurisdiction. 2.Inside the buildings: label areas for specific jurisdictions including Town, County, RMNP, federal agencies, etc. Page 23 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 18 Issue Summary: Large animal rescue and sheltering proved to be challenging. While the Fairgrounds could accommodate livestock and large animals, there was concern if the Events Complex had to be evacuated. Recommendation: Establish mutual aid with other jurisdictions to transport (if needed) and shelter large animals and livestock in the event the Town is unable to accommodate. Operations ⸻ Emergency Management Emergency Management Improve Emergency Operations Center operations and communications at the Events Complex Issue Summary: Employees and partner agencies/contractors were sometimes unsure of the organizational framework at the emergency operations center (EOC), who to contact, where resources were located. Recommendation: 1.Develop a variable based expanding/decreasing staffing system to effectively manage emergency incidents as influenced by changing events. 2.Develop mapping at the EOC setup to ensure easy access by various teams to locate their respective areas. This is subject to the incident make up EOC needs. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, and Community Services Improve planning for equipment storage and use by the private sector. Issue Summary: Partner agencies and contractors need specific parking and storage locations at the EOC. Federal Firefighters required space and storage for personnel and equipment. Recommendation: 1.Add a policy addendum to EOP to manage Town and public equipment and vehicle storage. 2.Determine pre-planned areas and signage to allow for organized storage and travel for EOC personnel, Federal Incident Management Team, partner agencies, and private sector contractors on Town property. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, Community Services, Public Works Improve coordination with Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Issue Summary: During this incident multiple jurisdictions were affected and Unified Command structure was adapted to manage multiple resources within and outside of the Town and Fire Page 24 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 19 District jurisdictions. This contributed to multiple layers of communication causing confusion for utilities crews including power and water. Recommendation: Assign a dedicated liaison who will be provided to contractors and private sector entities for power, gas, and water shut off coordination. Responsible Department: Emergency Manager, Power and Communications, Public Works, EVFPD Harden critical infrastructure in high-risk areas. Issue Summary: During the wildfire event it was discovered multiple Town infrastructure would benefit from mitigation measures. Recommendation: Identify high-risk infrastructure and discuss opportunities to harden against future wildfires with the aid of generators, design, mitigation work, and implement a variety of precautionary measures to protect infrastructure from wildfire. Responsible Department: Town Departments with assets and infrastructure in high-risk areas. Page 25 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 20 EVACUATION Many issues overlap with evacuation and areas of improvement. Please see the Communications and Operations Sections for related information. Improve evacuation notification alerts. Issue Summary: Everbridge evacuation notices were confusing and lengthy, creating delays that made it difficult for evacuees to determine instructions and direction. The notices were only sent in English, with no resources posted in Spanish. Resource limitations caused decreased coordination among Larimer County, Estes Park Dispatch and Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA). Recommendations: 1.Coordinate plans with LETA, the Estes Valley Fire Protection District (EVFPD), and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to make improvements in evacuation notification procedures. This recommendation is currently in progress, discussions are ongoing as to the responsible entity in providing emergency notifications for all residents in Larimer County, and a recommendation is for LETA to be in this role for all jurisdictions. 2.In future incidents a County representative assigned to the EOC would provide a more direct line of communication in planning the emergency. Responsible Department: Police, EVFPD, LETA Implementation Timeframe: In progress, 6-12 months Improve evacuation egress and traffic coordination with partner agencies. Issue Summary: Colorado State Patrol (CSP), Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) coordination are areas for improvement. During the mandatory evacuation, plans were in place to provide maximum outflow of traffic movement; however, there were challenges that require attention for improvements. Planning agencies included EPPD, Estes Valley Fire Protection District (EVFPD) and LCSO. CSP was requested by LCSO during this event to assist. Additional productive preplanning with partner agencies offering contingency evacuation routes due to unforeseen road closures would provide more effective results. CDOT provided information regarding the challenges of contraflow traffic on highway with multiple side roads and used for incoming emergency vehicles. Recommendation: 1.Develop and maintain evacuation traffic management plan within Police EOP addendum. 2.Corroborate with Law Enforcement, CDOT, and Public Works for updates and training exercise. Page 26 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 21 3.Assign a Law Branch Director within the Operations section of the ICS to manage this effort during an event. Currently this recommendation is in progress with the Town Emergency Manager, Fire Chief and LETA Director, revising Estes Park proper/Valley evacuation zones and vehicle routing. Responsible Department: Police and Public Works and Partner agencies Implementation Time Frame: In Progress, 6-12 months Improve patrol evacuation traffic management planning. Issue Summary: Evacuation planning had been completed, but a full-scale test was never feasible. Sergeants were provided planning packets and materials for familiarity and input. Recommendation: 1.Provide patrol officer training/awareness regarding evacuation planning and implementation. 2.Partner with Public Works for traffic flow management, detour routing, and signage assistance during an evacuation. 3.Update evacuation traffic management plans based on plan revisions and experience. Responsible Department: Police and Public Works Implementation Timeline: 6-12 months Page 27 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 22 EDUCATION AND TRAINING Issue Summary: Training in the Incident Command System (ICS) management system improves preparedness, safety and efficiency by providing a coordinated systematic approach to incident management. Recommendation: Develop an annual training schedule which includes new hire orientation for ICS 100-200, and Supervisor training ICS 300-400, including Tabletop specific exercises. Ensure supervisors train their employees so all Town employees receive department specific emergency, hazard mitigation and/or resiliency training. Training could be expanded to the community and includes business owners, nonprofits, residents, and property owners. Responsible Department: Human Recourses, Emergency Manager Implementation Timeframe: 12-24 months Page 28 Wildfire After Action Report – Estes Park 23 Glossary COOP Continuity of Operations Plan IAP Incident Action Plan IC Incident Commander-Overall responsibility for incident ICS Incident Command System Command Staff-Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance, Public Information, Liaison, Safety EOC Emergency Operations Center EOP Emergency Operations plan VMS Variable Messaging Sign VOADS Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster Page 29       Page 30 TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE Report To: Honorable Mayor Koenig Board of Trustees Through: Town Administrator Machalek From: Deputy Town Clerk Beers Date: June 8, 2021 RE: Demonstration of Laserfiche Process Automation for Municipal Court Purpose of Study Session Item: To review process automation and updates to municipal court records and court day operations utilizing the Town’s enterprise-wide document management system Laserfiche. Town Board Direction Requested: No direction is required for this item. Present Situation: In April 2018, Municipal Court was moved to the Town Clerk’s office with the Municipal Court Clerk supervised by the Town Clerk. Prior to the move, Municipal Court consisted of a contracted Municipal Judge and contracted Municipal Court Clerk which operated out of the Police Department. The Court Clerk operated mainly from a home office with paper files stored offsite and with little oversight. The current Municipal Court Clerk brought experience from a larger communities which utilized court software to manage court processes. In reviewing options, it was determined the initial cost to purchase software, approximately $10,000, was too high for the Town level of citations processed annually. The software purchase would have also required an annual maintenance fee. In lieu of purchasing a separate software package requiring additional fees, in 2018 staff engaged Peak Performance, the Town’s Laserfiche software support company, to begin developing a business process to reduce paper consumption and digitize the court procedure. Laserfiche was selected in 2016 as the Town’s enterprise-wide document management software. The software is used to store official Town records, set retention on records, and make documents available to the public through the Town’s records portal. In addition, Laserfiche has various programs which can be used for business process automation such as creating digital fillable forms, digital business processes/workflows, and enhanced scanning, including character recognition. This powerful software has been used in the Clerk’s office to automate other processes such as annual invoicing for business licensing, agenda management and production, processing open records Page 31 requests, etc. Each automated business process has created significant improvements in both time and hard costs. Proposal: Staff has prepared a presentation to provide the Town Board an overview of the final business process automation for Municipal Court. The process sources Municipal Court citation information stored in the Police Department’s ticketing software for the virtually paperless court process. The automated process stores all information digitally and creates a separate electronic file for each citation. As staff will demonstrate, the process has also eliminated the need to shuffle paper files from the Prosecutor and the Municipal Court Judge during court proceedings as files are moved electronically throughout the process. Staff anticipates the automation of municipal court may initially result in a material cost savings of $0.75 per citations paid prior to court and $4.65 per citation for those heard at court. Staff further anticipates staff time savings of 25 minutes per citation for citations paid prior to court and 40 minutes per citation which go through court. These are initial estimates. Staff will update these numbers as the new process is used throughout the year. Advantages: •The continued use of the Town’s enterprise-wide document management software Laserfiche. •Increase efficiency and streamline workflow for both internal operations and services provided to the community. •Decrease paper files and improve record retention. Disadvantages: None. Action Recommended: None. Finance/Resource Impact: Staff time and contracted services to build the process were minimal compared to the cost and time saving anticipated by staff. The Town realizes a cost savings in purchasing an additional software package at an approximate cost of $10,000 and the annual maintenance cost. IT staff time to upload and maintain the software on a local service is not required, which saves additional staff time. Level of Public Interest Low. Attachments: 1.Municipal Court Presentation Page 32 Confidential Customized for Lorem Ipsum LLC Version 1.0 Town of Estes Park Municipal Court Process through June 8, 2021 Process Overview 1. Citations issued from the Police Department are routed to the Municipal Court Clerk a.The Municipal Court Clerk collects payment and closes the file b.Creates files for i.Citations entered as a summons to court ii. Defendants who desire to contest the violation iii. Defendants who fail to remit payment c.Defendants who appear before the Court i. May be offered a plea by the Prosecuting Attorney ii. Appear before the Judge for sentencing 1. Payment Agreement/Sentencing Conditions 2. May reappear before the court d. Case Closed Page 33 ATTACHMENT 1 Obtaining Information from Citations A process has been developed to handle Municipal Court processing digitally through Laserfiche Forms. A Workflow captures citation information issued via SmartPrint and creates a citation folder in the TownofEstesParkPolice Repository. Use of Contact Information COVID-19 Changes Defendant contact information (primarily email) is used in the entire Municipal Court process. ●Primary means of contact ●Payment confirmation ●Court notifications/follow up ○Virtual Court Procedures/Instructions ○Court ordered requirements ○Plea Offers ○Hearings ○Post court emails i.e. payment agreement/sentence conditions Page 34 970-577-4777 name@domain.com *NEW Page 35 Retention Record retention can be applied directly into the system to meet the Colorado Records Retention Manual. Retention is confirmed prior to the final disposition of any record. Creating the Docket Page 36 Docket Example Prosecuting Attorney Review Laserfiche Forms Process Automation Judges Orders Court Clerk Confirmation Emails/Paperwork Advertisement of Rights/Guilty Plea Acknowledgement Follow Up, Close File, Set Retention Returns to Court/Conditions Page 37 Laserfiche Forms Process Automation ●Available on the website ●Can be completed in advance of court ●Provided in English and Spanish Advertisement of Rights/ Guilty Plea Acknowledgement ●Dynamic ●Intuitive ●Simplistic Prosecuting Attorney/Plea Offer Page 38 Judges Orders Court Clerk Review Page 39 Confirmation Emails/Letters to Defendants The system will send an email to the defendant with payment instructions and conditions of the court as applicable. Password Protected Emails Password protected/encrypted emails to protect personal identifiable information (PII). Page 40 Process Map ROI - Return On Investment 2019 Citation Totals 2020 Citation Totals 523 - Issued into Municipal Court 315 - Paid/Closed 208 - FTA, BW, Dismissed 485 - Issued into Municipal Court 366 - Paid/Closed 119 - FTA, BW, Dismissed Page 41 Prior to 2020/2021 Laserfiche Implementation - Preliminary Citations paid prior to court Staff Time - .5 Hour(s) per citation Processing payments, phone and email communications, data entry, complete forms and filing. SUPPLIES Paper, printing, envelopes, postage etc. Approximate Cost for Materials = $1.25 Staff Time - 1 Hour(s) per citation Phone and email communications, data entry, preparing court documents (docket sheet, driver history, case reports, supporting documents etc.), mailing letters/notices file follow up, complete forms and filing. SUPPLIES Paper, printing, labels, folders, envelopes, postage, carbon copy paper etc. Approximate Cost for Materials = $5.40 Citations which go through Court ROI - Return On Investment Post Laserfiche Implementation Staff Time - 5 Minutes per citation Processing payments, phone and email communications, data entry, complete forms and filing. SUPPLIES Paper, printing, envelopes, postage etc. Approximate Cost for Materials = $0.75 Staff Time - 20 Minutes per citation Phone and email communications, data entry, preparing court documents (docket sheet, driver history, case reports, supporting documents etc.), mailing letters/notices file follow up complete forms and filing. SUPPLIES Paper, printing, labels, folders, envelopes, postage, carbon copy paper etc. Approximate Cost for Materials = $0.75 Citations paid prior to court Citations which go through Court ROI - Return On Investment - Preliminary Page 42 Citations Paid Prior to Court Citations which go through Court 40%86% Material Cost Savings of $4.65 per CitationMaterial Cost Savings of $0.75 per Citation ROI - Return On Investment - Preliminary Citations Paid Prior to Court Citations which go through Court 83% Staff Time Savings of 40 Minutes per CitationStaff time Savings of 25 Minutes per Citation 67% ROI - Return On Investment - Preliminary Page 43 Questions? Page 44 June 22, 2021 • Rooftop Rodeo Financial Overview July 13, 2021 • Revisit Fee Waiver/Subsidy Policies Items Approved – Unscheduled: • Park Planning and Pocket Parks • Distributed Energy Discussion • Oral History Program Discussion Items for Town Board Consideration: • Quarterly CompPAC Update Future Town Board Study Session Agenda Items June 8, 2021 Page 45       Page 46