HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Family Advisory Board 2022-06-02June 2, 2022
3:30 p.m.
Rooms 202/203
1. Public Comment.
2. Liaison Report. Trustee Younglund
3. Minutes dated December 2, 2021 and May 5, 2022. Board Consideration
4. Appointment of New Vice Chair. Board Consideration
5. Chair Report.
a. Attendance
b. FAB Team Building Gathering
c. Background Reports on Housing & Childcare
d. Readings on Families
Chair Brown
6. Community Resource Guide. Board Discussion
7. Subcommittee Assignments. Board Discussion
8. HB22-1117 Overview. VEP Lodging Task Force
Project Manager Bill Brown
Adjourn.
AGENDA
FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, December 2, 2021
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the COMMUNITY AND FAMILY
ADVISORY BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado.
Meeting held Virtually in said Town of Estes Park on the 2nd day of
December, 2021.
Committee: Chair Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Almond, Members Brown,
Bryant, DeLorme, Douglas and Strom
Attending: Chair Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Almond, Members Brown,
Bryant, Douglas and Strom, Town Board Liaison Younglund,
Assistant Town Administrator Damweber, and Deputy Town
Clerk Beers
Absent: Member DeLorme
Chair Dale Marshall called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT.
None.
MEETING MINUTES DATED NOVEMBER 4, 2021.
It was moved and seconded (Brown/Bryant) to approved the minutes dated November 4,
2021 and it passed unanimously.
TRUSTEE AND STAFF LIAISON UPDATE.
Trustee Younglund stated she would assess Town Board interest in establishing a
Childcare Reserve Fund at a future Town Board meeting. Assistant Town Administrator
Damweber provided an overview of the CFAB discussion from the November 9, 2021
Town Board Study Session, where it was determined Mayor Pro Tem Martchink and
Trustee Younglund would create recommendations on how to proceed with CFAB. He
requested input on how to address issues previously identified by staff related to
community and family needs. CFAB bylaw amendments were briefly discussed, though
no changes were determined.
Vice Chair Almond joined the meeting at 4:12 p.m.
REFLECTION & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
Chair Dale Marshall requested CFAB provide feedback on the role of CFAB,
representation, makeup and expectations. Responses have been summarized: The
benefits of establishing a quarterly round table to discuss what is happening in the
community and gather information related to needs, gaps and barriers for families; the
importance of a diverse membership on CFAB and hearing from educators, healthcare
workers, business owners, and all types of demographics; the removal of “community”
from the focus which created too broad of a spectrum, and confusion regarding whether
CFAB identifies both issues and solutions for Town Board consideration. Concerns were
heard related to meeting effectiveness, empowerment struggles and worth of CFAB by
the Town Board. Trustee Younglund provided distinction between an advisory board and
a task force and discussion ensued on whether CFAB should be one or the other. It was
determined CFAB would hold a three-hour working meeting to further discuss essential
elements of restructuring CFAB.
There being no further business Chair Dale Marshall adjourned the meeting at 4:59 p.m.
Bunny Victoria Beers, Deputy Town Clerk
DR
AFT
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 5, 2022
Minutes of a meeting of the FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD of the Town of
Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in Rooms 202/203 of
the Estes Park Town Hall in said Town of Estes Park on the 5th day of May,
2022.
Committee: Chair Laurie Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Nancy Almond,
Members Debra Avezzano, Patti Brown, John Bryant, Deanna
Ferrell, Rut Miller, Jessica Moffett, Nicole White, and Sue
Yowell
Also Attending: Town Board Liaison Younglund, Assistant Town Administrator
Damweber, Interim Captain Life, and Deputy Town Clerk
Beers
Absent: Member Bryant.
Chair Dale Marshall called the meeting to order at 3:34 a.m.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS.
Member introductions were made including backgrounds and interest in participating in
the Family Advisory Board. It was recommended Interim Captain Rick Life attend the
meetings to participate in an advisory role and provide a view from the perspective of the
Police Department who often interact with families in the community.
OVERVIEW OF BYLAWS AND EXPECTATIONS.
Assistant Town Administrator (ATA) Damweber reviewed roles, past struggles of the FAB,
meetings and notice requirements. He noted meetings would take place with all members
in-person or virtual, without hybrid participation. Clarification was requested regarding
communication between members and Open Meeting Law requirements. ATA Damweber
encouraged members to submit information to staff for FAB distribution to avoid
deliberation through email and any violations of Open Meeting Law. Discussion ensued
regarding conflicts of interest and specifically any recommendations to the Board from
FAB supporting local funding for which members may participate or hold employment.
ATA Damweber would confer with the Town Attorney regarding local funding support from
FAB and conflicts of interest.
APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHAIR.
It was moved and seconded (Yowell/Miller) to appoint Patti Brown as Chair, and it
passed unanimously.
It was moved and seconded (Dale Marshall/Yowell) to defer the appointment of the
Vice Chair to the June 2, 2022 meeting, and it passed unanimously.
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES DATED JANUARY 6, 2022.
It was moved and seconded (Yowell/Brown) to approve the special meeting minutes
dated January 6, 2022, and it passed unanimously.
OUTCOME GOALS AND STRUCTURE REVIEW.
Chair Brown distributed prepared on-boarding documents including FAB history and
responsibilities. She requested feedback from FAB at the next meeting regarding how the
FAB can advise the Town Board on current issues in the community.
HB22-1117 OVERVIEW.
ATA Damweber reviewed impacts and highlights of HB22-1117. The House Bill would
enable the Local Marketing District (LMD), Visit Estes Park (VEP), to allocate a portion of
the lodging tax revenues toward workforce housing and childcare issues. Changes to the
allocation or any increase of the lodging tax would require a vote. The LMD would form a
Task Force to develop the ballot questions and identify funding specifics to be considered
Family Advisory Board – May 5, 2022 – Page 2
on the November 1, 2022 election. The Task Force would be appointed on May 9, 2022
and hold their first meeting on May 19, 2022, overseen by the LMD.
NEXT STEPS.
LMD Task Force Project Manager Bill Brown would be invited to the June 1, 2022 FAB
meeting to provide more details on the Task Force.
Chair Brown requested FAB interest in a social gathering to encourage teambuilding.
There being no further business Chair Brown adjourned the meeting at 5:02 p.m.
Bunny Victoria Beers, Deputy Town Clerk
Ch
a
n
g
e
s
in
Lo
d
g
i
n
g
Ta
x
e
s
Ov
e
r
Pa
s
t
5
Ye
a
r
s
Ne
w
Ne
w
Pr
i
o
r
Pr
i
o
r
Ne
w
Ne
w
Co
m
b
i
n
e
d
Co
m
b
i
n
e
d
Po
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
Lo
d
g
i
n
g
Ta
x
ST
R
Fe
e
LG
d
g
i
n
g
Ta
x
SI
R
Fe
e
Ef
f
Da
t
e
of
Ch
a
n
g
e
Sa
l
e
s
Ta
x
Lo
d
g
i
n
g
ST
R
Fr
i
s
c
o
2,
9
2
8
2.
3
5
7.
3
5
6/
1
2
0
2
2
8.
3
7
5
15
7
2
5
15
7
2
5
Av
o
n
6,
7
1
1
4.
0
0
4.
0
0
2.
0
0
1/
1
2
0
2
2
8.
4
0
0
12
4
0
0
14
4
0
0
Cr
e
s
t
e
d
Bu
t
t
e
1,
3
3
5
7.
5
0
1/
1
2
0
2
2
9.
4
0
0
9.
4
0
0
16
9
0
0
Go
l
d
e
n
20
3
9
1
6.
0
0
1/
1
2
0
2
2
7.
5
0
0
13
5
0
0
13
5
0
0
Le
a
d
v
i
l
l
e
2,
7
3
1
1.
9
2
4.
9
2
1/
1
2
0
2
2
6.
9
0
0
11
8
2
0
11
8
2
0
Ou
r
a
y
1,
0
4
6
3.
5
0
15
0
0
12
1
2
0
2
1
9.
4
5
0
12
9
5
0
27
9
5
0
Te
l
l
u
r
i
d
e
2,
0
5
9
2.
0
0
2.
5
0
20
2
0
20
2
2
8.
6
5
0
10
6
5
0
13
1
5
0
Va
i
l
5,
6
1
4
4.
0
0
4.
5
0
1/
1
2
0
2
2
8.
9
0
0
13
4
0
0
13
4
0
0
Du
r
a
n
g
o
19
4
1
3
2.
0
0
5.
2
5
6/
1
2
0
2
1
8.
4
0
0
13
6
5
0
13
6
5
0
Fr
u
i
t
a
14
0
6
8
3.
0
0
6.
0
0
20
2
0
8.
2
7
0
14
2
7
0
14
2
7
0
Gr
a
n
d
ju
n
c
t
i
o
n
62
2
1
8
3.
0
0
6.
0
0
20
1
9
8.
5
2
0
14
5
2
0
14
5
2
0
Cr
i
p
p
l
e
Cr
e
e
k
97
5
6.
0
0
1/
1
2
0
1
8
6.
2
0
0
12
2
0
0
12
2
0
0
Si
l
v
e
r
t
h
o
r
n
e
4,
6
1
0
2.
0
0
6.
0
0
6/
1
2
0
2
2
8.
3
7
5
14
3
7
5
14
3
7
5
Es
t
e
s
Pa
r
k
6,
5
0
4
2.
0
0
2.
5
9
1/
1
2
0
2
3
8.
7
0
0
10
7
0
0
13
2
9
0
Av
e
r
a
g
e
e
x
c
l
u
d
i
n
g
Es
t
e
s
Pa
r
k
12
9
8
9
15
0
6
6
ST
R
fe
e
co
n
v
e
r
t
e
d
to
pe
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
ba
s
e
d
on
5
3
6
8
4
av
e
r
a
g
e
an
n
u
a
l
re
n
t
a
l
an
d
1
3
9
0
an
n
u
a
l
fe
e
Lo
d
g
i
n
g
ta
x
co
v
e
t
s
en
t
i
r
e
Lo
c
a
l
Ma
r
k
e
t
i
n
g
Di
s
t
r
i
c
t
ST
R
s
pa
y
bo
t
h
lo
d
g
i
n
g
ta
x
an
d
ST
R
fe
e
in
Av
o
n
Ou
t
a
y
Te
l
l
u
r
i
d
e
an
d
Es
t
e
s
Pa
r
k
Cr
e
s
t
e
d
Bu
t
t
e
ha
s
no
lo
d
g
i
n
g
ta
x
an
d
on
l
y
an
ST
R
fe
e
1 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
MEMO
To: Family Advisory Board Member
From: Patti Brown, Chair
Re: Onboarding for the members of the FAB
Date: May 17, 2022
Welcome new Family Advisory Board members! Thank you for volunteering to sit on this board
which I believe is a very important advisory board. It is also a unique advisory board for a town
government to put in place. If you Google “family advisory boards” you will find family advisory
boards in place in many hospitals, but there are few family advisory boards in city governments. It is
significant that the Town of Estes Park has identified families as a focus for a advisory board to its
mayor and town trustees.
I was very impressed when we went around the table at the May 5, 2022 board meeting as you all
introduced yourselves. There is a lot of talent, diversity of backgrounds, and new energy on this
board, and I am honored to serve as chair as we get to know each other and attend to the business
of his board.
The Family Advisory Board is an advisory board that serves at the pleasure of the Estes Park Mayor
and Town Trustees. We are not a fundraising board, a working board, or a managing board. We are
tasked with providing information to the Mayor and Town Board about the issues, concerns, and
needs of families in our community including gaps and barriers to resources and services. I am a
visual person and I put together a flow chart of our relationship to the Mayor and Town Trustees
because the visual helps me to understand where the Family Advisory Board sits in relation to all the
other moving pieces and parts of our town government. (See Appendix #2.)
The role of the FAB is to keep our finger on the pulse of the issues, concerns, and needs of families
in our community, to share that with the mayor and Town Board Trustees, and to provide advice
and or recommendations on policy matters related to these issues.
In order to do this, the FAB needs to keep abreast of the town’s annual strategic planning process
particularly as it relates to families, and we can provide consultation and advice to the Mayor and
Town Board about issues that are of concern to families in the community.
Since the board’s inception in 2017, the primary focus has been about gaps in services related to
childcare and housing. These are important issues, but the Mayor and Town Trustees have asked us
to also pay attention to other matters of concern to families, such as domestic violence, mental
health and substance abuse, food insecurity, youth concerns, and senior and elder concerns.
Additionally, the FAB needs to be aware of the Estes Park Annual Budget process and provide
consultation and advice to the Mayor and Town Board about family related matters in the budget,
including “base funding” for family centered programs and services. Per the Town’s Community
Funding webpage, base funding is “funding from the Town intended to support the general
RECEIVED FROM CHAIR TO BE INCLUDED IN PACKET 2022-06-08
2 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
operations and overhead of nonprofit entities that play a critical role in supporting the Town's
Strategic Plan.”
Assistant Town Administrator Jason Damweber reviewed the bylaws of the Family Advisory Board
for us at the May 5th meeting. Please review several things in the bylaws:
•Regular attendance is expected at the FAB monthly meetings. A board member who misses
3 consecutive meetings or 4 meetings in a calendar year can be removed from the board so
that someone else who is able to attend the meetings can be appointed.
•In addition to the 1.5 hour monthly meeting, you should expect that the board business will
take additional time for a total commitment of about 6 hours monthly. This may involve
reading reports and other materials about town business, meeting with various stakeholders
in the community in order to bring information back to the board and then on to the Mayor
and Town Trustees, and attending various meetings and other functions as a representative
of the FAB.
•Should you need to resign from the board during your term, if possible, please provide the
FAB with as much notice as possible so that the town can recruit a replacement.
•It is important to observe the Colorado Sunshine law on open meetings. Remember the
“Rule of Three” — if any three FAB members deliberate, whether in person or otherwise, it
constitutes a meeting that needs to be publicly noticed in advance.
Each Family Advisory Board Member will be asked to serve on at least one focus subcommittee,
such as childcare, domestic violence, education/schooling, employment, healthcare, housing, mental
health, seniors and elders, and substance abuse, etc. These subcommittees are not set in stone at this
time but can be identified by the members of FAB as we begin with the new board. Subcommittees
will provide a brief report each quarter which will be included in the quarterly report provided to
the Mayor and Town Board.
I don’t think I have ever written a longer memo, so please bear with me. The remainder of this
memo contains:
1)a brief history of the FAB since its inception in 2017 (Appendix 1)
2)an visual/organizational chart of the FAB’s relationship to the Mayor and Town Board
(Appendix 2)
3)the roles of the members of the FAB (Appendix 3)
4)links to several important reports about childcare and housing issues in the community
issued over the past five years (Appendix 4)
5)links to the 2021 and 2022 town Strategic Plans and Town Budgets (Appendix 5)
6)FAB member contact info and interest areas (Appendix 6)
7)a brief questionnaire about you and areas of interest you have in serving on the FAB
(Appendix 7)
Please read through the links provided related to the above matters prior to our July 7, 2022
meeting. Hopefully that will give everyone a chance to really dig in and get familiar with things that
are of importance to the FAB.
3 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
If you have questions about any of these things, particularly the reports on housing, childcare, and
the quality of life or “livability” in Estes Park, please make a list of your questions and email them to
Jason Damweber (jdamweber@estes.org). We (me, Jason, our Town Trustee liaison) will attempt to
get your question answered before our July 7 meeting.
And because there may not be time to answer all the questions during the meeting, I can prepare a
follow up memo of the questions and the answers to share with everyone. Your question may be
something someone else also wanted more information or clarification about, so please look at what
has been done, as it will help us as a board to chart a path forward for the FAB.
I would like to ask you to review the Family Advisory Board Community Resource Guide prior to
our June 2 meeting. This resource guide is an online list of information about organizations and
services in the Estes Valley that provide a host of services and resources to families, and this guide
fits into our mission of monitoring the issues, concerns, and needs of families in our community
including gaps and barriers to resources and services
The Estes Park Non-Profit Resource Center took over updating the FAB Community Resource
Guide in 2020, as they also have a guide to all non-profits. These resource guides are similar with
some overlap, but are also different. There are nearly 80 different agencies and organizations on the
FAB Community Resource Guide list, and 100 on the EPNPRC list.
Visually, I like the look of their list. Our list looks like an EXCEL Spread sheet. I like that their list
includes the mission of each agency/organization. Our list is grouped in categories whereas their list
is in alphabetical order. Our list is perhaps easier to search because of the categorical listings.
I’d like to have a discussion at our June 2 meeting about the best ways to keep the FAB Community
Resource Guide not just up to date but also to make it “family friendly” as a resource to families in
Estes. What do you think might make this guide a better resource and how can we not duplicate the
efforts of the EPNRC. And what are the gaps in our guide that we need to address?
Over the next several weeks, I would love an opportunity to meet each of you for coffee, so I will be
reaching out to see if we can set up a good time and date to meet. Thank you all again for your
interest and commitment to this advisory board.
4 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 1
History of the Family Advisory Board Based on a Review of Board Mutes
2017: The first meeting of the Family Advisory Board was May 3, 2017. The first board was
comprised of Laurie Dale-Marshall, Karen Randinitis, Jessica McGee, Nancy Almond, Courtney
Hill, John Bryant, Bin Greer, Floyd Collins, Rachel Balduzzi, Jodi Roman, Shannon Faith, and
Marion Stallworth.
Trustee Ron Norris served as the Town Board Liaison. At the first meeting, the FAB was
encouraged to provide the Town Board with a FAB annual report. The board was also informed
that the Town Council would conduct an annual review of the advisory board.
Bin Greer was elected as the first chair of the FAB and Marion Stallworth was elected to serve as the
vice-chair.
The FAB defined its first focus area as: “To identify gaps in support services available to families in
the Estes Valley.”
In its first few months, the FAB developed a Community Resource Guide. This guide, which can
be found on the Town of Estes Park’s webpage, is a clearing house of information about
organizations and services in the Estes Valley that provide a host of services and resources to
families.
By the end of 2017, the FAB had decided that “childcare needs in the community” and “childcare as
an identified service gap in the community” would replace “to identify gaps in support services
available to families in the Estes Valley” as the FAB’s primary focus.
This was in harmony with the 2018 Town Board Strategic Plan which identified that one of the
town’s 5-year goals was to be a catalyst for childcare, with a one year objective that building and
development codes would be reviewed which could help make more cites available as potential
childcare facilities.
Building and development codes deal with Daycare Centers (institutions), Family Home Daycares
(both small and large, with small being eight or fewer and large being more than eight), and with
principal and accessory uses, zoning districts, and permitted uses. While these codes and zoning
restrictions are in place to protect children in daycare centers and family home daycares, they also
are barriers for some structures to be used for daycare.
2018: Bin Greer began the year as chair but announced that he would be moving out of Estes Park.
At the May meeting Karen Randintis was elected chair and Laurie Dale Marshall was elected co-
chair.
Based on research by board members, FAB passed a resolution to recommend code changes to the
review process for S1/S2 categories as they relate to childcare facilities
5 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Discussion continued during 2018 around the gaps in childcare resources for working parents,
especially for infants to children 2.5 years of age. There are 12 licensed childcare slots in Estes Park
for children 2.5 years of age and under. Additional concerns identified were affordability and
childcare for parents who do not work traditional 8 to 5 jobs.
As the Town Board began to prepare the 2019 budget, the FAB decided to recommend to the Town
Board five initiatives regarding childcare:
1. Engage local, county and statewide organizations to advocate for the passage of a childcare
taxing district at the 2019 state legislature and other legislation supporting childcare
2. Establish a community fund to collect seed monies for the startup costs of a quality
childcare center with a two-year target of $1 million, contribute to this fund, and coordinate
efforts to engage others to contribute to this fund.
3. Identify and dedicate town property, such as Stanley Park, of approximately 4 acres to be the
site of community based high quality childcare.
4. Identify and create multiple sustainable funding sources for ongoing investments in quality
childcare.
5. Dedicate town staff time to coordinate quality childcare initiatives in cooperation with FAB
and other community organizations
The FAB heard a report from Charley Dickey on the objective of the Estes Park Economic
Development Corporation’s Childcare Services Committee (CSC) which asked the FAB to
recommend to the Town Board that it would:
• Advocate for the passage of state legislation enabling the creation of a special district for
childcare;
• Contribute to a childcare “Enterprise Fund”;
• Advocate that employers contribute to this “Enterprise Fund”;
• Ensure that four acres be set aside for a childcare facility during the Stanley Park Master Plan
process; and
• Explore options for guest-based funding for childcare versus property tax.
The FAB brough in Jennifer McAtamney from Breckenridge to discuss that community’s model of
meeting the needs for childcare.
The FAB explored definitions of the term “family,” especially since the focus of the board up to this
point had been on childcare and “a family structure was implied in the Family Advisory Board’s
priorities (childcare), and in that context family appears to be defined as referring to a household
with at least one child. The priorities of the board were geared toward families with at least one child
because the community struggles to keep them.” The FAB also discussed how other family
households fit into the focus and discussion of the FAB.
2019: Laurie Dale Marshall was elected as chair. The FAB decided that its main focus area for the
year would be “Identifying barriers to family success in Estes Park.” The FAB identified the barriers
as: 1 quality of community, 2 affordable housing, 3, childcare, 4, living wages, 5, food availability,
and 6, diversity.
6 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
The FAB decided to select several families to do interviews in order to develop “family portraits” of
families in Estes Park.
The town instituted a childcare assistance benefit. The Graves apartments which house many low-
income families was listed for sale, and the town board was provided with information about the
waitlists for childcare and the difficulties families experience in finding licensed care for children.
EVICS became a Family Resource Center.
Several reports on childcare and housing were reviewed by the FAB, along with the Stanley Park
Master Plan, and the town’s strategic plan. The FAB received updates on the 2015 Avalanche
Report and on the Communities that Care Coalition.
The FAB discussed preparing a pie chart report on the economic impact of the community’s lack of
childcare similar to the report prepared by Breckenridge as a way to help make the information
visible to the town.
Governor Polis signed HB 19-1052 enabling local communities to establish early childhood
development service districts to provide services from birth to age 8. And the measure for full-day
kindergarten was passed and was to begin for the 2019/2020 school year.
FAB received information on the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and changes to
this program.
The FAB discussed the need for support groups for health problems (such as chronic pain), and the
need for mental health resources, particularly a non-profit mental health resource in the community.
Also the FAB received information from a MedX member who expressed concern about a lack of
elder care and respite for caregivers in the community. The board heard from Crossroads Ministry
about the various human services it provides to the community, and the board heard about the high
suicide rates in Colorado.
The FAB recommended to the Town Board that the number of FAB members be changed reduced
from 10-15 to 7-10.
2020: As 2019 concluded, there had been discussion about what impact if any HB-12 1230 (public
spaces for “marijuana clubs”) might have on the town in terms of families. The town administrator
informed the board that because of the town ordinances, such establishments were prohibited in
Estes Park and the FAB therefore did not need to take a position on the matter.
The board decided that not enough progress had been made on the 2019 focus area goal of
identifying barriers to family success, so the FAB decided to continue to pursue this as its focus for
2020. The FAB identified several areas of “barriers” including affordable and accessible housing,
children (childcare, particularly for infants and toddlers), living wage, advocacy, engagement, access
to products and services.
7 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
One of the issues with childcare is that Colorado has stringent licensing requirements which deters
many people from wanting to open a licensed childcare home particularly that can serve infants and
toddlers.
The FAB also discussed that Hispanic families make up approximately 30 to 35 percent of the
community. There are many barriers to success that Hispanic families encounter, beginning with
communicating information to the Spanish speaking community.
With the onset of Covid, FAB meetings were not held in April, May or June. The July meeting was
held via Google Meet. While virtual meetings were necessary due to the pandemic, this took a toll on
the work of the FAB.
Trustee Cindy Youngland was appointed to serve as the Trustee Liaison to the FAB.
The FAB worked to develop an operative definition of family. There was discussion about the role
of an advisory board and if the FAB should be reframed as a “community service board.” Several
board members expressed that they had a “hard time understanding the role of the Family Advisory
Board.” The FAB also acknowledged that it was important for the board to understand the Town’s
Strategic Planning Process and Budget Process and how the FAB could provide advice to the Mayor
and Trustees regarding matters related to families.
The FAB reviewed the town’s draft policy for childcare funding and the FAB decided to “support”
the draft proposal with some modifications related to flexibility related to in-home providers.
The FAB discussed recommending to the Mayor and Town Trustees to change the the name and
focus of the Family Advisory Board to Community and Family Advisory Board (CFAB). The
intention was to be more inclusive of all kinds of family household in addition to households with
children. Since its inception the advisory board has focused a great deal of its attention on families
with children, particularly around the need for affordable and accessible childcare, especially for
children from birth through 2.5 years of age.
The community experienced many difficulties between the onset of the Covid pandemic and the
Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Creek fires in the fall of 2020. The CFAB discussed concerns
about how children were being affected with remote learning and how parents were fairing with the
disruptions from evacuations and the fears created by the fires.
The CFAB discussed conducting “community listening session” to hear from the community in
order to better represent the community with the Mayor and Town Trustees. Because of Covid, the
board decided on a community survey instead.
2021: The CFAB conducted a survey of concerns and barriers in the community in December and
reviewed the results at the January meeting. The key takeaways were transportation, housing, cost of
living, and childcare.
The 2021 focus areas were identified as 1) “advance and ensure awareness of and equitable access to
existing community resources, and 2) “provide a current report of childcare needs and gaps in the
community.”
8 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
The CFAB invited Quinn Brett to talk with the board as a person with a mobility disability about
challenges in the community such as parking lots, crosswalks and sidewalks. She identified that there
has been “thoughtfulness given to connecting trails around town.” Quinn’s attendance also shed
light on the issue of crosswalk clearing during snow events, resulting in the Town doing a much
better job focusing on clearing these areas when practical.
It was decided that the Family Advisory Board’s Community Resource Guide would be updated by
the Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center.
The CFAB put together an update on childcare resources for the Mayor and Town Trustees. One
thing of note is a drop in the number of births at Estes Park Health which may be indicative of
fewer young families having children in Estes Park or a shift to midwives and home births. This may
affect childcare needs and kindergarten enrollment in the near term.
Funds have been made available through the Town’s Childcare Funding Program and the CFAB
was encouraged to make recommendation in the Comprehensive Planning Process about childcare.
One area of interest is to incentivize new childcare providers to come to Estes Park, and to
encourage employer-based childcare options. Prior efforts to do this with the school district and the
YMCA have not been successful.
The CFAB discussed that all town signage should be in English and Spanish. There are barriers with
the CDOT to fully implement this.
In the fall of 2021, the Mayor and Town Trustees discussed the future of the CFAB and expressed a
concern about the advisory board’s role. The board had several meetings that had to be canceled due
to a lack of quorum.
The CFAB worked with the Assistant Town Administrator and the Town Trustee Liaison to revise
the CFAB and to return to the original name of FAB. The FAB members recommend that the bylaws
of the advisory board be modified from:
• Research and summarize factual data on issues of importance to families in the Estes Valley,
• Develop recommended policies that align with the Town Board Strategic Plan to address these
issues, and
• Present these recommendations to the Town Board and/or Town staff
to:
• Research, review, and summarize data on issues, challenges, needs, service gaps, and barriers to
services facing families in the Estes Valley.
• Discuss, prioritize, and summarize information to share with Estes Park Town Board, and
present policy recommendations that align with or inform the Town Board’s Strategic Plan.
• Provide the perspective of families on current projects and plans of the Town Board and
deliver informed and timely responses to Town Board for information as requested.
Additionally, it was decided to do away with the requirement to adopt Focus Areas on an annual
basis.
9 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
2022: The Mayor and Town Trustees adopted new bylaws for the FAB and the Mayor appointed 6
new members to the FAB and the board met for the first time in May, 2022.
.
10 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 2
An organizational chart of the Family Advisory Board in relation to the Mayor and Town
Trustees.
The Town of Estes Park, a statutory municipality, operates under a Council/Town Administrator
form of government. The Board of Trustees and Mayor are elected by voters residing within the
Town of Estes Park. The Mayor and Town Board Trustees govern our community enacting local
legislation and overseeing expenditure of funds. The Family Advisory Board is one of several
Boards, Commissions, and Committees which are appointed by the Mayor with approval of the
Town Board of Trustees.
Mayor &
Town Trustees
Liason Trustee
to FAB
(Cindy Youngland)
Family Advisory
Board
Town Administrator
Town Clerk
Deputy Town Clerk
(Bunny Beers)
Ass. Town Administrator/
Liason to FAB
(Jason Damwebber)
Key
Town
Contacts:
Asst. Town Administrator, Jason Damweber, jdamweber@estes.org, 970-577-3707
Trustee Cindy Youngland = cyounglund@estes.org
Deputy Town Clerk Bunny Beers = bbeers@estes.org, 970-577-4772
11 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 3
ROLES of FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Chair: Set the agenda for each meeting; convene and preside at all meetings; to guide the Board
meetings through the agenda items; ensure that all meetings are conducted with decorum
and efficiency; call special meetings in accordance with the bylaws; authority to cancel a
meeting; sign any documents prepared by the FAB for submission to the Town Board or
Town departments; represent the FAB in dealings with the Town Board or other
organizations; the Chair has the same right as any other member of the Board to vote on
matters before the FAB, to move or second a motion, and to speak for or against proposals;
to on-board new board members; to work with the Board and the City Liaison to develop
annual FAB calendar; and to work with the Board to annually review and recommend
updates to the FAB Community Resource Guide.
Vice Chair: Assist the Chair as requested; accept and undertake duties delegated by the Chair; preside
over meetings or perform other duties of the Chair in the event the Chair is absent or unable
to act.
Board Member: To attend the regularly set FAB meetings at the appointed time (currently on the First
Thursday of the Month from 3:30 to 5 p.m. although this can be renegotiated annually by
the sitting board members); to advise the chair in advance when you are unable to attend a
regularly scheduled meeting; to select at least one area of concentration related to services in
EP that you will help to monitor for the FAB and be prepared to submit a brief written
report on a quarterly basis about this to the board for the Town Council.
Trustee Liaison: A member of the Town Council is appointed by the mayor to serve as the liaison to
the Advisory Board. The liaison’s role is to communicate to the Mayor and Town Council
about the activities of the Advisory Board, and to provide consultation to the FAB regarding
the matters it addresses.
Staff Liaison: The Staff Liaison provides guidance to the Board on the operations of the town and the
proper procedures related to the interface of the Family Advisory Board and the Town
Council. The Town Administrator’s Office is responsible for proper notification of meeting,
preparation and distribution of agenda, assembly of packet and minute taking for all
meetings.
Town Clerk: The Clerk takes the official minutes of the meetings and handles the documents of Family
Advisory Board, such as processing applications for Board membership.
12 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 4
Links to important reports about childcare and housing issues in the community issued over the
past several years.
CHILDCARE
Estes Valley Childcare Needs Assessment 2018 Report – click here for link
Family Advisory Board Child Care Recommendations 2018 – click here for link
Workforce Housing and Childcare Ad Hoc Task Force Final Report 2019 – click here for link
Workforce Housing and Child Care Report 2019 pitch deck – click here for link
HOUSING
Estes Park Housing Needs Assessment 2016 – click here for link
Estes Park Workforce Housing Forum 2017 – (long YouTube 1:31 hour) – click here for link
Estes Park Workforce Housing Panel Presentation – (short YouTube 2:51 minutes) – click here for link
The Economic Benefits of Implementing Workforce Housing in Estes Park 2018 – click here for link
Estes Park Housing Market Report April 2022 – click here for link
A link to the Estes park Housing Authority’s webpage – click here for link
Vacation Rental and Housing by Root Research (go to page 49 of this link) – click here for link
LIVABILITY
NCS National Citizen Survey: Estes Park, CO Community Livability Report 2018 – click here for link
13 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 5
Estes Park Vision, Mission, Goals and Links to the 2021 and 2022 Estes Park Strategic Plans
and Town Budgets
Vision: The Town of Estes Park will be an ever more vibrant and welcoming mountain community
Mission: The Mission of the Town of Estes Park is to provide high-quality, reliable services for the
benefit of our residents, guests and employees, while being good stewards of public resources and
our natural setting.
• 2021 Strategic Plan – click here for link
• 2022 Strategic Plan – click here for link
• 2021 Town Budget – click here for link
• 2022 Town Budget – click here for link
14 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 6
Important upcoming 2022 dates as of 5/17/2022
• May 17: Strategic Planning Session #1, Town Hall Board Room, 5:00 p.m.
• May 24: Town Board Meeting, Town Hall Board Room, 7:00 p.m.
• June 2: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• June 13: Strategic Planning Session #2, Town Hall Board Room, 5:00 p.m. Session #2, 5:00 p.m.
• June 14: Town Board Meeting, Town Hall Board Room, 7:00 p.m.
• June 28: Town Board Meeting, Town Hall Board Room, 7:00 p.m.
• July 7: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• August 4: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• September 1: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• October 6: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• November 3: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
• December 1: FAB Meeting, Room 203, 3:30-5:00
15 | P a g e ▪ F A B O n b o a r d i n g M e m o
Appendix 7
Family Advisory Board Members contact info, and interest areas on the FAB
Name:
Email Address:
Phone:
As a board member, what 4 family issues are you most interested in following. Please rank them.
□ year-round affordable and
accessible workforce housing
□ services for families with
special needs children
□ community transportation in
Estes Park
□ increasing availability of
licensed childcare
□ services for families with
senior and elder members
□ crime victimization
□ domestic violence problems
and services
□ mental health
services/resources
□ access to health care
□ food insecurity concerns for
families in Estes Park
□ substance use disorder
resources
□ the Covid pandemic
□ child abuse and neglect □ youth and teen resources □ Race relations/racial
discrimination
□ services for people with
disabilities
□ child abuse and neglect □ homelessness in the
community
Other concerns not mentioned:
Ideas and thoughts for what you’d like to see the FAB provide to the Mayor and Town Board: