HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2021-10-12
October 12, 2021
5:10 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Board Room
5:00 p.m. -Dinner
In Person Meeting – Mayor, Trustees, Staff and Public
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.
5:10 p.m. Trailblazer Broadband Project Update.
(Director Bergsten)
5:35 p.m. Distributed Energy Resources (DERs).
(Director Bergsten)
5:55 p.m. Pre-Election Town Board Compensation. (Town Clerk Williamson)
6:10 p.m. Vacation Home Waitlist Discussion. (Town Clerk Williamson)
6:35 p.m. Trustee & Administrator Comments & Questions.
6:40 p.m. Future Study Session Agenda Items.
(Board Discussion)
6:45 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 4:45 p.m.
AGENDA
TOWN BOARD
STUDY SESSION
Page 1
Page 2
UTILITIES Report
To: Honorable Mayor Koenig
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Utilities Director Bergsten
Date: October 12, 2021
RE: Trailblazer Broadband Project Update
Purpose of Study Session Item:
Staff and our consultant, eStrategies3, will provide an update on the operations and
construction of the community owned Trailblazer Broadband project.
Town Board Direction Requested:
No direction needed
Present Situation:
During the study session staff will cover sales, marketing, call center performance,
construction progress and financial information. Unfortunately, time constraints will not
allow an update on network engineering and operations. You can watch an upstream
redundancy presentation 1 from Josh Cramer, FullStack, on Colorado Broadband
Office’s YouTube channel.
Proposal:
Staff proposes we continue to provide modern high speed Trailblazer Broadband
internet service coupled with superior customer service.
Advantages:
• Construction and ownership of modern fiber optic infrastructure will increase
communities’ opportunities and communication
• Use of fiber which will power the electric smart grid technologies required to
integrate DERs
Disadvantages:
• The increased workload through startup and build out is exhausting; however, it is
also exhilarating
1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbbqo9FsCoI Page 3
Finance/Resource Impact:
The Board annually approves the rollover of funding in the first quarter of every year
Level of Public Interest
High interest
Attachments:
None
Page 4
Power & Communications Report
October 2021
Overview
Sales
Marketing
Customer Experience / Customer Care
Construction Schedule
Financials
Sales Dashboard
Sales by Cabinet
Marketing
“How Did You Hear About Us?”
භ Multi-Channel
Marketing is
necessary to
create overall
awareness.
භ Creates brand
awareness and
recognition.
භ People often act
after multiple
touch points.
Customer Engagement
Social Media
General Advertising
Public Outreach
(HOA, Meetings, Events)
Website
(Register to Stay Informed
Construction Schedule),
Email Updates
Social Media
10,000 2,262 1,410 4.8 out of 5
Notice of Service
Availability
(Direct Mail, Email, Follow-
up Calls)
Social Media
Installation
Customer Service
24 Hour Technical
Support
Attract Engage Close Delight
Potential Customers Leads Clients Service Score
Service Center Metrics
Customer Experience
Learnings & Adaptations
භ CSRs Handling double the call volume for sales and
service with no staffing additions since launch
භ 24 x 7 x 365 IGA Technical Support Representatives
(TSRs) added in August 2020
භ Adapting & building processes for commercial
sales, buildout changes, COVID restrictions, etc.
භ Training and monitoring to build skill sets
භ Maintaining consistency throughout for a positive
customer experience.
HHow likely are you to recommend
Trailblazer Broadband?
Now that we have Trailblazer, we feel so
much more connected and have the level
of Internet service that ensures we can be
professional and have good access for
entertainment as well.
Thank you!
"Cory & crew came by as scheduled today
and did a FANTASTIC job of running our
new fiber line across some challenging
terrain and onto extra high telephone
poles, successfully ran the cable through
our underground conduit, and gave us two
new system splices. I believe our service is
now faster than ever measured at the
gateway; my last reading was 983 up and
979 down. Which is somewhere between 3
and 20 times better than anything we got
from (a competitor)."
“The connection is very strong and
stable. I can stream anything I like
without worrying about what other
members of the household are doing.
Having used Dish Network for over 20
years, I am now comfortable for the first
time that my internet service is strong
enough to consider replacing satellite
with streaming.”
Testimonials
"The speed of internet is great. Our daughter
is a physician and wanted to visit us in EP, but
did not think our prior internet would be
adequate for downloading records."
“This service is an asset to the community and
every person at TB I’ve dealt with has been
fantastic. I work in web development
(remotely, from home) and all of my
computer geek coworkers are jealous of my
Internet connection. Keep up the good work
and thank you.”
“I can’t believe that this small mountain town has such a great Internet provider in Trailblazer. I
look forward to hooking up my vacation rental when it gets to the
Fall River Lane area.”
“
Construction
{{COVID forced us to focus on feeder construction
(from the huts to the cabinets)
COVID forced us to alter the buildout to customers
(from the cabinets to the customers)
56
Woodstock Dr.
Customer Care Center, Utilities
Dept. and one of our “Huts”,
network hub.
Construction
Construction-Successes
Ŷ 25 out of 56 cabinet areas are complete
Ŷ 2 out of 4 computer network huts are up and running
Ŷ HOA agreement process has been modified to help keep
construction on track
Ŷ Overall ahead of schedule
Ŷ Cost of installs is higher than anticipated, adjustments
are being implemented to bring this cost down
Ŷ Completed high cost areas: Downtown and longer
feeder lines (Little Valley and Tunnel Road)
Construction-Impacts Addressed
i. COVID impacts:
1. Stopped installs for approximately one month
2. Delayed material deliveries
3. Increased construction contractor costs
ii. Adjusted our schedule to maximize construction to cabinets and
maximizing take rate using the sales dashboard for customer interest
iii. Downtown was VERY expensive & longer construction duration
iv. Downtown, Little Valley, Windcliff- the most difficult build areas are
behind us.
v. Woodpeckers - Flickers repair of existing lines this past year
Monitoring Budget
1. We recognize we are over budget, however:
a. Completed our highest cost construction areas
b. Installed major equipment huts
c. Revamping install process to lower costs
2. Lost four Journey Lineworkers in the first year. We had to
contract out overhead construction in-lieu of doing it in-house.
a. Started migrating some work back to in-house staff.
3. Addition of 2 cabinets increased buildout expenditures
Overall On Track
Financials
Thank
you!
Thank
you!
UTILITIES Report
To: Honorable Mayor Koenig
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Utilities Director Bergsten
Date: October 12, 2021
RE: Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)
Purpose of Study Session Item:
Staff will present information regarding distributed energy resources and their relevance
in our target of 100% non-carbon electric generation by 2030.
Town Board Direction Requested:
No direction needed
Present Situation:
Wind and solar energy are environmentally responsible and financially sustainable;
however, they are intermittent. The wind can suddenly stop, and the sun can disappear
behind clouds. These resources alone will not support the three pillars, Reliable,
Environmentally Responsible, Financially Sustainable.
DERs is a term that embodies a variety of devices and systems we will use to overcome
the intermittency/reliability problem. There are barriers between owning DERs and
integrating DERs. In 2019, PRPA and its owner communities formed a distributed
energy resource strategy committee to address the obstacles facing DERs.
Proposal:
Staff proposes we continue our collaborative DER work with PRPA and the other
municipal partners.
Advantages
Working together ensures an economy of scale and lowers the cost of services to our
customers.
Disadvantages:
Loss of individuality. Municipal communities deliver personalized and branded options
to their customers; however, the duplicated teams in each community are inefficient.
Page 5
Finance/Resource Impact:
None at this time.
Level of Public Interest
High interest
Attachments:
None.
Page 6
10/12/2021
Estes Park Power and Communications
DERs
Town Board Study Session
DERs - Big Picture Perspective From the 70s
Listen to the Children, Colorado State University, Technical Journalism Dept.
DERs
Overview of this presentation
DERs
-What
-Why
-When
-How and
-Who
shutterstock.com
DERs
OBJECTIVE of This Presentation
To Highlight the importance of transition
and integration and setting rules/policies
for transition and integration.
Our transition to non-carbon electric service is complex.
We are in a race. We can move faster with ONE team.
Don’t Duplicate - Consolidate
Our biggest barrier to becoming a fully integrated system* is the
human barrier.
*”Transmission and distribution delivery systems must be more fully integrated”
https://www.prpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/12.06.2018-Resource-Diversification-Policy.pdf
shutterstock.com
TOWN WEBSITE
“Wide-spread adoption of DER is expected to provide benefits
for the electric system and retail customers. We recognize a
solid DER strategy will be increasingly important for Platte
River and its owner communities to achieve non-carbon goals.
In 2019, PRPA and its owner communities formed a DER
strategy committee.”
https://estespark.colorado.gov/der
WHAT IS DER - They Are Important
WHAT IS DER
The DER Strategy Committee has defined
Distributed Energy Resources (DER):
“DERs are physical or virtual devices or systems that can be
deployed on the electric distribution system or on customer
premises that can be used to provide value to all customers
through electric system optimization and/or individual customer
benefits.”
https://www.prpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-Distributed-energy-resource-strategy.pdf
WHAT IS DER
https://www.prpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-Distributed-energy-resource-strategy.pdf
What -- Unofficially
DER is any smart device or
human that
-Uses
-Stores or
-Generates
Electricity
WHY DERs
Supply MUST Equal Demand1
We are very good at predicting demand and then
controlling carbon based power plants to ensure
supply and demand are balanced.
We are not good at controlling the wind and sun.
Wind and solar are appropriately called intermittent
resources.
1.Google “what does an electric balancing authority do” to read more.
Supply MUST Equal Demand1
TRANSITION REQUIRED
We must continue predicting demand, predict
supply, and use integrated DERs to ensure supply
and demand are balanced to achieve reliable,
environmentally responsible, and financially
sustainable electric service.
WHY DERs
1.Google “what does an electric balancing authority do” to read more.
HOW DERs
https://www.prpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-Distributed-energy-resource-strategy.pdf
Unofficially: DER is any
smart device or human that
-Uses
-Stores or
-Generates
Electricity “...valu
e
t
o
all
c
u
s
t
o
m
e
r
s
t
h
r
o
u
g
h
electri
c system
o
p
ti
mi
z
a
ti
o
n ...”
A Smart Grid is an electricity
network that can cost efficiently
integrate the behaviour and
actions of all users connected to
it – generators, consumers and
those that do both – in order to
provide reliable, economical,
sustainable, high quality, safe,
and secure electric service.
http://smartgridireland4d.org/en/ THE TOWN HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $4.4M IN SMART GRID
HOW DERs
WHEN DERs
We are not behind.
NREL continues to
develop their
Advanced Distribution
Management Systems.
@2:35 into video
“... the industry does not
know how these DERs
assets are going to be
modeled and incorporated
into the grid.”
*National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeDxFKhpssg&t=164s
WHEN DERs
Cost Projections for Utility-Scale Battery Storage: 2021 Update, NREL
We need
LOTS!!
of batteries
In four years ~30% more
batteries can be purchased
for the same amount of
money.
We are not behind. PRPA has bought
batteries for development &
integration into our grid.
WHO DERs
COOPERATION, Definition from the process perspective:
We can do it ourselves. We’ll coordinate with each other so we don’t
get in each other's way.
This is what
DER cooperation
looks like.
The result is duplicated
teams in our five
organizations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOwXsALhAnQ
WHO DERs
COLLABORATION, Definition from the process perspective:
Doing together what we can’t
do alone.
This is what
DER Collaboration
looks like.
One focused effort on
one outcome
Ferrari's 1.97-Second Pit Stop | 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAd_t4wibM0
WHO DERs
Illustrating the Importance of collaboration:
Real Time Pricing and DERs
A Balancing act: Bringing Price Signals to Consumers, at Last
“It’s time to fix the information asymmetry between energy
supply and demand, create new pricing models and seize new
communications channels to bring signals to consumers..”
Gregory L. Craig, 3-21-2017, POWERGRID International,
https://www.power-grid.com/executive-insight/a-balancing-act-bringing-price-signals-to-consumers-at-last/#gref
https://sepapower.org/knowledge/can-utilities-cut-peak-demand-price-signals-give-customers-control/
WHO DERs-Real Time Pricing and DERs
https://sepapower.org/knowledge/can-utilities-cut-peak-demand-price-signals-give-customers-control/
WHO DERs-Real Time Pricing and DERs
An element of change management includes the identification of who
has the ability to be responsible for tasks.
Today PRPA has 2 FTE Day-ahead supply/demand schedulers (Mon –
Fri) and 7 FTE Real-time supply/demand schedulers (24/7)
Cooperation: PRPA sends the real-time pricing to the four
municipalities, the municipalities send the information to their customers
& bills accordingly. Five duplicate groups.
Collaboration: PRPA sends real-time to customers & bills accordingly,
eliminating duplication and increasing value to our customers.*
●Today PRPA does billing for Longmont and Fort Collins
ADKAR https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar
WHO DERs
PRPA has the ability to be the driver.
WHO DERs
DERs: any smart device or human that uses, stores or generates electricity
DERs - Summary
shutterstock.com
The race to non-carbon is COMPLEX
DERs - Summary
shutterstock.com
ONE collaborative team is faster than FIVE teams.
DERs - Summary
Don’t Duplicate, Consolidate shutterstock.com
Transitio
n
Integra
t
i
o
n
Policies/Rules For:
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)
Roadmap for Collaboration
& Consolidation:
Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG)
is a non-profit organization providing
strategic and technical services to 52 public
power communities with utility operations.
Our services are designed to maximize
utility performances while creating
successful communities with economic
prosperity and opportunity.
https://ecoga.org/about-us/about-us/
QUESTIONS?
TOWN CLERK Report
To: Honorable Mayor Koenig
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk
Date: October 12, 2021
RE: Pre-Election Town Board Compensation
Purpose of Study Session Item:
To review compensation for the Board of Trustees prior to the upcoming Municipal
election on April 5, 2022 and determine if an Ordinance should be brought forward to
make adjustments.
Town Board Direction Requested:
Provide staff direction on whether the Board would like to maintain or change the
proposed compensation for those board members newly elected during the 2022
election. Any increase in compensation would be brought forward for consideration at
an upcoming Town Board meeting for consideration.
Present Situation:
The Town Board was presented with compensation data collected from other
municipalities for board positions at their September 14, 2021 study session. The data
demonstrated the current Estes Park Board salaries are within the average range for
Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and Trustee. Board discussion was heard during the study
session on the need to review additional data such as the market adjustments for the
management pay family, annual merit increases, and benefit increases over the last
several years to determine if the current salaries are keeping pace with the increased
cost of living and benefits.
It was noted that only the Board members elected during the regular Municipal Election
on April 5, 2022 would receive the new compensation if it were adjusted, and they
would not be eligible for any future increases that may be considered in 2024. The
Board requested staff take into account the increased costs over the four-year term for
benefits, compensation adjustments, etc.
Proposal:
Staff is providing the following information for Board review and discussion.
Page 7
MGMT
Market
Adjustment
Annual
Merit
Insurance
Premium Increase
Mayor Mayor
Pro Tem
Trustee
2012-2017 $7,500 $6,500 $5,500
2018 0% 2% 5% $11,000 $9,000 $8,000
2019 1.70% 2% 0%
2020 2% 2% 2% $12,000 $10,000 $9,000
2021 2% 0% 0%
2022
(Proposed)
1% 2% 2% $15,000 $13,000 $11,000
Staff reviewed the cost increases outlined in the chart above from 2018 to 2022 and
determined a Trustee receiving the $8,000 salary in 2018 would have an adjusted
salary of approximately $9,000 in 2022. Using the same method and using an average
adjustment for compensation and annual merit it is anticipated that a Trustee receiving
9,000 in 2020 would have and adjusted salary of approximately $10,000 in 2024.
If it is the Board’s intention to ensure the newly elected board members would be
compensated at a rate that would reflect potential increases throughout their term, staff
would propose a $2,000 increase for Trustee and $3,000 increase for both the Mayor
and Mayor Pro Tem.
Advantages:
The Board salaries for the newly elected Board members would be set to address future
compensation adjustments and merit increases throughout the four-year term.
Disadvantages:
The change in salaries would require an adjustment to the Legislative budget.
However, if the Board considers this change prior to the adoption of the 2022 budget
the change could be included in the adopted budget.
Finance/Resource Impact:
Any change to the Board’s salaries would increase the overall Legislative budget and
corresponding taxes and retirement costs.
Level of Public Interest:
Low.
Attachment:
1. Comparison Compensation Chart
Page 8
Board Compensation Using Employee Compensation Municipalities
(Estimated)
Municipality Mayor Mayor ProTem Trustee Annual Budget Population
City of Aspen $29.06/hr $21.25/hr 66,000,000 6,871
Town of Avon $12,000/year $9,000/year $6,000/year 33,400,000 6,525
City of Black Hawk $11,200.44/year $11,200.44/year 31,000,000 127
Town of Breckenridge $18,000/year $14,400/year 84,000,000 4,896
City of Broomfield $13,200/year $10,800/year $9,600/year 103,600,000 65,065
City of Boulder $11,942.32/year $11,942.32/year $11,942.32/year 321,800,000 108,090
Boulder County 319,372
City of Brighton $16,800/year $14,400/year $12,000year 22,000,000 38,314
Central City $8,410.32/year $5,607.36/year 6,700,000 733
Town of Cripple Creek $8,326.56/year $8,002.80/year 12,500,000 1,175
Town of Dacono $900/year $600/year 8,200,000 5,090
Town of Dillon $10,800/year $4800/year $4,800/year 17,800,000 961
City of Durango $13,404/year $6,000/year $10,404/year 74,000,000 18,503
Town of Erie $6,000/year $3,600/year $3,600/year 51,100,000 22,803
Town of Estes Park $12,000/year $10,000/year $9,000/year 50,000,000 6,362
City of Evans $5,100/year $3,600/year $3,600/year 13,000,000 21,615
Town of Firestone $3,600/year $3,000/year $3,000/year 10,000,000 12,917
Town of Frederick $3,600/year $3,600/year $3,600/year 25,800,000 12,154
Town of Frisco $12,600/year $7,200/year $7,200/year 21,000,000 3,084
City of Fort Collins $15,168/year $10,104/year 619,400,000 164,207
City of Glenwood Springs $14,400/year $12,000/year $12,000/year 80,000,000 9,997
City of Greeley $14,393/year $9,600/year 306,700,000 103,990
Town of Johnstown $4,800/year $3,000/year $3,000/year 20,200,000 15,389
City of Lafayette $12,376.42/year $9,556.56/year $8,994.18/year 57,300,000 28,261
City of Longmont $18,000/year $12,000/year 282,000,000 92,858
City of Louisville $6,000/year $11,664/year $11,664/year 71,300,000 20,801
City of Loveland $12,000/year $9,600/year $7,200/year 618,700,000 76,897
Town of Lyons $4,800/year $2,400/year 33,000,000 2,148
Town of Mead $4,992/year $3,600/year $3,600/year 6,900,000 4,553
Town of Palisade $3,600/year $2,400/year $2,400/year 3,300,000 2,644
Town of Platteville $2,400/year $960/year $960/year 6,200,000 2,722
Town of Silverthorne $9,000/year $3,600/year 39,200,000 630
Town of Snowmass Village $26,400/year $20,400/year 32,700,000 2,900
City of Steamboat Springs $14,974.92/year $11,795/year $11,244.24/year 56,000,000 12,690
Town of Superior $9,000/year $6,000/year $6,000/year 42,000,000 13,155
Town of Telluride $23,316/year $14,916/year $14,916/year 41,600,000 2,444
Town of Vail $12,000/year $7,500/year $7,500/year 73,400,000 5,483
City of Westminster $17,736/year $15,204/year $12,672/year 230,000,000 113,875
Town of Windsor $12,000/year $8,000/year 57,000,000 22,776
Town of Winter Park $9,600/year $4,800/year $4,800/year 158,400,000 1,029
ATTACHMENT 1
Page 9
Mayor Annualized Salary - Low to High
City Mayor Population
Total Operating
Budget in Millions
Town of Dacono $900 5,090 8.2
Town of Platteville $2,400 2,722 6.2
Town of Firestone $3,600 12,917 10
Town of Frederick $3,600 12,154 25.8
Town of Palisade $3,600 2,644 3.3
Town of Lyons $4,800 2,148 33
Town of Johnstown $4,800 15,389 20.2
Town of Mead $4,992 4,553 6.9
City of Evans $5,100 21,615 13
Town of Erie $6,000 22,803 51.1
City of Louisville $6,000 20,801 71.3
Town of Cripple Creek $8,327 1,175 12.5
City of Central City $8,410 733 6.7
Town of Silverthorne $9,000 630 39.2
Town of Superior $9,000 13,155 42
Town of Winter Park $9,600 1,029 158.4
Town of Dillon $10,800 961 17.8
City of Black Hawk $11,200 127 31.5
City of Boulder $11,942 108,090 321.8
Town of Avon $12,000 6,525 33.4
Town of Estes Park $12,000 6,362 50
City of Loveland $12,000 76,897 618.7
Town of Vail $12,000 5,483 73.4
Town of Windsor $12,000 22,776 57
City of Lafayette $12,376 28,261 57.3
Town of Frisco $12,600 3,084 21
City of Broomfield $13,200 65,065 103.6
City of Durango $13,404 18,503 74
City of Greeley $14,393 103,990 306.7
City of Glenwood Springs $14,400 9,997 80
City of Steamboat Springs $14,975 12,690 56
City of Fort Collins $15,168 164,207 619.4
City of Brighton $16,800 38,314 22
City of Westminster $17,736 113,875 230
Town of Breckenridge $18,000 4,896 84
City of Longmont $18,000 92,858 282
Town of Telluride $23,316 2,444 41.6
Town of Snowmass Village $26,400 2,900 32.7
Average $10,917
*Municipalities marked with a black solid line indicate the average.
$0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000
Town of Dacono
Town of Platteville
Town of Firestone
Town of Frederick
Town of Palisade
Town of Lyons
Town of Johnstown
Town of Mead
City of Evans
Town of Erie
City of Louisville
Town of Cripple Creek
City of Central City
Town of Silverthorne
Town of Superior
Town of Winter Park
Town of Dillon
City of Black Hawk
City of Boulder
Town of Avon
Town of Estes Park
City of Loveland
Town of Vail
Town of Windsor
City of Lafayette
Town of Frisco
City of Broomfield
City of Durango
City of Greeley
City of Glenwood Springs
City of Steamboat Springs
City of Fort Collins
City of Brighton
City of Westminster
Town of Breckenridge
City of Longmont
Town of Telluride
Town of Snowmass Village
Annualized Salary -Low to High Mayor
Page 10
Mayor ProTem Annualized Salary - Low to High
City Mayor Pro Tem Population
Total Operating
Budget in Millions
Town of Platteville $960 2,722 6.2
Town of Palisade $2,400 2,644 3.3
Town of Firestone $3,000 12,917 10
Town of Johnstown $3,000 15,389 20.2
Town of Erie $3,600 22,803 51.1
City of Evans $3,600 21,615 13
Town of Frederick $3,600 12,154 25.8
Town of Mead $3,600 4,553 6.9
Town of Dillon $4,800 961 17.8
Town of Winter Park $4,800 1,029 158.4
Town of Superior $6,000 13,155 42
Town of Frisco $7,200 3,084 21
Town of Cripple Creek $7,478 1,175 12.5
Town of Vail $7,500 5,483 73.4
Town of Avon $9,000 6,525 33.4
City of Lafayette $9,556 28,261 57.3
City of Loveland $9,600 76,897 618.7
Town of Estes Park $10,000 6,362 50
City of Durango $10,404 18,503 74
City of Broomfield $10,800 65,065 103.8
City of Louisville $11,664 20,801 71.3
City of Steamboat Springs $11,795 12,690 56
City of Boulder $11,943 108,090 321.8
City of Glenwood Springs $12,000 9,997 80
City of Brighton $14,400 38,314 22
Town of Telluride $14,916 2,444 41.6
City of Westminster $15,204 113,875 230
Average $7,882
*Municipalities marked with a black solid line indicate the average.
$0 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000 $12,000 $14,000
Town of Platteville
Town of Palisade
Town of Firestone
Town of Johnstown
Town of Erie
City of Evans
Town of Frederick
Town of Mead
Town of Dillon
Town of Winter Park
Town of Superior
Town of Frisco
Town of Cripple Creek
Town of Vail
Town of Avon
City of Lafayette
City of Loveland
Town of Estes Park
City of Durango
City of Broomfield
City of Louisville
City of Steamboat Springs
City of Boulder
City of Glenwood Springs
City of Brighton
Town of Telluride
City of Westminster
Annualized Salary -Low to High Mayor Pro Tem
Page 11
Trustees Annualized Salary - Low to High
City Trustee Population
Total Operating
Budget in Millions
Town of Dacono $600 5,090 8.2
Town of Platteville $960 2,722 6.2
Town of Lyons $2,400 2,148 33
Town of Palisade $2,400 2,644 3.3
Town of Firestone $3,000 12,917 10
Town of Johnstown $3,000 15,389 20.2
Town of Erie $3,600 22,803 51.1
City of Evans $3,600 21,615 13
Town of Frederick $3,600 12,154 25.8
Town of Mead $3,600 4,553 6.9
Town of Silverthorne $3,600 630 39.2
Town of Dillon $4,800 961 17.8
Town of Winter Park $4,800 1,029 158.4
Central City $5,607 733 6.7
Town of Avon $6,000 6,525 33.4
Town of Superior $6,000 13,155 42
Town of Frisco $7,200 3,084 21
City of Loveland $7,200 76,897 618.7
Town of Vail $7,500 5,483 73.4
Town of Windsor $8,000 22,776 57
Town of Cripple Creek $8,003 1,175 12.5
City of Lafayette $8,994 28,261 57.3
Town of Estes Park $9,000 6,362 50
City of Broomfield $9,600 65,065 103.6
City of Greeley $9,600 103,990 306.7
City of Fort Collins $10,104 164,207 619.4
City of Durango $10,404 18,503 74
City of Black Hawk $11,200 127 31.5
City of Steamboat Springs $11,244 12,690 56
City of Louisville $11,664 20,801 71.3
City of Boulder $11,942 108,090 321.8
City of Brighton $12,000 38,314 22
City of Glenwood Springs $12,000 9,997 80
City of Longmont $12,000 92,858 282
City of Westminster $12,672 113,875 230
Town of Breckenridge $14,400 4,896 84
Town of Telluride $14,916 2,444 41.6
Town of Snowmass Village $20,400 2,900 32.7
$0 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000 $12,000
Town of Dacono
Town of Platteville
Town of Lyons
Town of Palisade
Town of Firestone
Town of Johnstown
Town of Erie
City of Evans
Town of Frederick
Town of Mead
Town of Silverthorne
Town of Dillon
Town of Winter Park
Central City
Town of Avon
Town of Superior
Town of Frisco
City of Loveland
Town of Vail
Town of Windsor
Town of Cripple Creek
City of Lafayette
Town of Estes Park
City of Broomfield
City of Greeley
City of Fort Collins
City of Durango
City of Black Hawk
City of Steamboat Springs
City of Louisville
City of Boulder
City of Brighton
City of Glenwood Springs
City of Longmont
City of Westminster
Annualized Salary -Low to High Trustee
Page 12
Average $7,832
Population Comparisons Population
Total
Operating
Budget in
Millions Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Trustee
Town of Dacono 5,090 8.2 $900/year $600/year
Town of Vail 5,483 73.4 $12,000/year $7,500/year $7,500/year
Town of Estes Park 6,362 50 $12,000/year $10,000/year $9,000/year
Town of Avon 6,525 33.4 $12,000/year $9,000/year $6,000/year
Budget Comparisons
Total Operating
Budget in
Millions Population
Town of Estes Park 50 6,362 $12,000/year $10,000/year $9,000/year
Town of Erie 51.1 22,803 $6,000/year $3,600/year $3,600/year
City of Steamboat Springs 56 12,690 $14,975/year $11,795/year $11,244/year
Town of Windsor 57 22,776 $12,000/year $8,000/year
City of Lafayette 57.3 28,261 $12,376/year $9,556/year $8,994/year
*Municipalities marked with a black solid line indicate the average.
City of Longmont
City of Westminster
Page 13
Page 14
TOWN CLERK OFFICE MEMO
To: Mayor Koenig
Town Board of Trustees
Through: Travis Machalek, Town Administrator
From: Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk
Date: October 12, 2021
RE: Vacation Home Waitlist
Purpose of Study Session Item:
To review the status of the residential vacation home waitlist and discuss options on
how to manage the waitlist.
Town Board Direction Requested:
Staff requests direction from the Board on the management of the vacation home
waitlist to guide staff in the development of a potential Municipal Code amendment.
Present Situation:
The Town established a cap on the number of residential vacation homes with the
adoption of Ordinance 29-16. Along with the adoption of the cap the Ordinance
established a waitlist for residential vacation homes once the cap was met. Ordinance
8-21 which moved vacation home regulations from the Estes Park Development Code
to the Estes Park Municipal Code in July 2021 maintained the waitlist and states as
follows:
(b)Residential zone vacation home cap. (1) Vacation home licenses in residential
zoning districts (designated for the purposes of this section as zoning districts E, E-
1, R, R-1, R-2, RE, RE-1, and RM) shall be held at a maximum total (“cap”) of 322
licenses in effect at any given time. This cap shall be reviewed annually by the
Town Board, in or near the month of April. Applications received at any time such
that their approval would cause the cap to be exceeded shall be held and kept on
file in the order they are received and deemed complete by the Town Clerk’s Office.
Applications held on such list (the “waitlist”) shall be issued during the calendar year
as licenses may become available.
The waitlist has grown considerably in 2021 with a total of 58 applications at the time
this report was written, of which 41 have been submitted since January of this year.
The next application to come off the list and begin the licensing process was received in
December 2019. The Town has processed 15 applications in 2021 through September.
Page 15
Proposal:
Staff intends to provide the Board with additional information on management options at
the study session in order to receive direction from the Board on potential code
amendments.
Advantages:
• To engage the Board in discussion on the waitlist and receive direction for future
code amendments related to the management of the waitlist.
Disadvantages:
• A change to the waitlist could impact current and future residential vacation home
applicants.
Finance/Resource Impact:
The only known financial impact may be staff time depending on the direction received
by the Board.
Level of Public Interest
Medium. Vacation homeowners, property managers, and neighboring properties have a
strong interest in any changes to the vacation home regulations.
Attachments:
None.
Page 16
Vacation Home Waitlist
Town Board of Trustees
October 12, 2021
Why Are We Here?
Review the current status of the
waitlist for residential vacation homes.
Determine if alternatives are needed
to the waitlist.
Outline
1.Review Waitlist Status.
2.Procedures for Waitlist.
3.Proposed Alternatives.
4.Board Discussion and Direction.
Residential Vacation Home Waitlist Status
At current processing rate – 4 to 5 year
waitlist.
Should there be a cap on the waitlist?
Value of waitlist?
Waitlist by Year Applications
Processed
2018 8
2019 16
2020 15
2021 15
A i
Waitlist 60
Grown by 43 in 2021
Next Application on
Waitlist Received
12/2019
Procedures for Waitlist
Completed application submitted to Clerk’s Office.(No Limit)
Application reviewed for completeness prior to adding it to the
waitlist.
Zoning determined. Added to waitlist if residential.
Life Safety Inspection determined. Property owner notified how to
complete, if required.
Sales tax & property manager information not required due to length of waitlist. No fee required.
Application removed from waitlist
Property owner notified with 10 days to review the application for completeness.
Registration packet issued with 90 days to complete licensing process.
120 if Life Safety Inspection required and not completed previously.
Proposed Alternatives
A. Place a cap on the waitlist
XEstablish cap at the number of applications processed during the previous 2 years, i.e. 30.
XAdd additional applications during the month of February annually up to 30.
B. Moratorium on the waitlist
XOption 1 - Process current list.
XOption 2 - Limit list to top 30; i.e. 2 years.
XUse lottery for future years with applications submitted in February annually.
C. Status quo with no limit.
XLimit Life Safety Inspection
to first 2 years; i.e. first 30
on list.
Board Discussion & Questions
Town Clerk <townclerk@estes.org>
Public Comment - Short Term Rental Waiting List
KAREN THOMPSON <skksthomp@msn.com>Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 8:03 PM
To: "wkoenig@estes.org" <wkoenig@estes.org>, "pmartchink@estes.org" <pmartchink@estes.org>, "cbangs@estes.org"
<cbangs@estes.org>, "tmachalek@estes.org" <tmachalek@estes.org>, "jdamweber@estes.org" <jdamweber@estes.org>,
"nschlichtemier@estes.org" <nschlichtemier@estes.org>, "townclerk@estes.org" <townclerk@estes.org>,
"krusch@estes.org" <krusch@estes.org>
TO: Mayor Koenig, Town Trustees, Town Administrator Machalek, Assistant Town Administrator Damweber, PIO Rusch,
IT Manager Schlichtemier, Town Clerk Williamson:
FROM: Karen Thompson, 714 Sanborn Drive, Estes Park, CO 80517
RE: Management Plan for STR Waiting List
At a previous Town Board Study Session, Town Clerk Williamson stated one of the reasons behind the elimination of
license transferability was to move faster through the waiting list. She indicated the waiting list was long and people could
be on the list for years. When the Town Board adopted a cap on Short-term rental licenses, a waiting list was inevitable. If
reducing the number of property owners on the list is a main goal for this action, I think it could be easily solved.
I understand how maintaining and managing this waiting list could be very time-consuming for the employees in the Town
Clerk’s office. It seems there could be an alternative that would use less staff time and more technology. I make the
following suggestions:
Those on the STR waiting list could be issued a number, similar to a building permit number
A read-only Google document could be created using these numbers, along with other pertinent information, and
be posted to the Town website on a dedicated STR Waiting List page. Staff could update the list when applicable,
making sure to list the date of the last update. I’m sure there is already a list, so this would be a very simple step.
Each person on the waiting list would be provided with their unique number, the web page address, and specific
email address and/or phone number to contact. I’m sure the employees repeat the same information many times
over to the people calling or emailing regarding their status on the waiting list. These questions and answers could
be provided on the webpage as Frequently Asked Questions. If the FAQs are thorough, it should drastically cut
down on phone calls and emails.
The phone number could be one that is unique to the waiting list, which could automatically provide a voice
message to the caller, giving instructions on how to view the web page to find the information they’re looking for.
I think an automated management plan could eliminate a lot of the time-intensive issues that I would assume staff is
dealing with. The waiting list will not go away as long as there is a cap on STRs. I am not against the cap, but I am
against removing the transferability of current license holders, especially if the reason for doing so is simply to get rid of
the waiting list. That is one of the consequences of establishing a cap, so learn the best way to deal with it to make it easy
on everyone.
Our world today is full of waiting lists, whether it be for a library book at our local library, curbside delivery of groceries, a
backordered item on Amazon or for season tickets to the Denver Broncos. Everyone has a workable system. Surely the
intelligent employees at Town Hall can come up with a manageable system to monitor, maintain, and update the waiting
list for Short-term rentals without taking up so much staff time. Employee time is valuable, and a sound management plan
using today’s technology would benefit everyone.
Thank you for considering something to make the waiting list more manageable, and to allow transferability of STR
licenses.
PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED BY 2021-10-08
Page 17
Thank you for serving our community.
Karen Thompson
P.S. The vote to remove transferability was passed after this was written. I would hope you would reconsider,
acknowledging the negative effect this ordinance will have on those homeowners who have been on the waiting list, and
will at least allow those people to remain on a waiting list and be grandfathered in with the new ordinance. Of course, this
would only apply to those on the waiting list when the ordinance was passed; otherwise, you would have a mad rush at
Town Hall.
FYI – I am not on the waiting list.
Page 18
October 26, 2021
•Paid Parking Program Results and
Recommendation for 2022
•Estes Park Grand Prix
•Ballot Questions Discussion
November 9, 2021
•Community and Family Advisory Board
Discussion
•Stormwater Utility Discussion
Items Approved – Unscheduled:
•Quarterly CompPAC Update
•Park Planning and Pocket Parks
•Downtown Loop Updates as Necessary
Items for Town Board Consideration:
•Art in Public Places
•Home Rule Overview
•TABOR Restrictions/Debrucing
Discussion
•Thumb Open Space Management Plan
Update
Future Town Board Study Session Agenda Items
October 12, 2021
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