HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2025-01-14Town of Estes Park
TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION
January 14, 2025 from 5:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Town Hall Board Room
170 MacGregor Ave, Estes Park
Accessing Meeting Translations (Accediendo a las Traducciones de la Reunión) can be
found on the Town website at www.estes.org/boardsandmeetings
Public comment is not typically heard at Study Sessions, but may be allowed by the Mayor
with agreement of a majority of the Board. This study session will be streamed live and
available at www.estes.org/videos
AGENDA
5:15 p.m. Law Enforcement Event Security MOUs.
(Chief Stewart)
5:50 p.m. Police Department Facility Update.
(Director Fetherston)
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 and staff concerning agenda items or other Town matters may occur before this
meeting at approximately 4:45 p.m. followed by dinner at 5:00 p.m.
POLICE DEPARTMENT Report
To: Honorable Mayor Hall
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Ian Stewart, Chief of Police
Date: January 14, 2025
RE: Law Enforcement Event Security MOUs.
Purpose of Study Session Item:
Provide information to the Town Board on the value and status of a special event MOU
with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, inform the Town Board of the
efforts going into an equitable agreement for all parties.
Town Board Direction Requested:
Police Department staff requests any input from the Town Board regarding a potential
MOU. The discussion would help staff evaluate if there are any additional
considerations the Town Board would like to assure PD staff addresses prior to any
proposal.
Present Situation:
There is not any MOU in place that allows Estes Park Police Officers to work special
events in Larimer County.
Proposal:
This is an informational item only to ensure a future proposal addresses as many
concerns as possible. No specific proposals are being presented currently.
Advantages:
If at some point an MOU is approved, there will be benefits to the Town for the Police
Department as well as for Police Officers:
• Exposure to planning and operational practices for different special events
outside of Estes Park
• Increased experience for our officers who will inevitably be working Estes Park
special events
• Greater exposure of the Estes Park Police Department resulting in strengthened
partnerships as well as recruiting opportunities.
• Aligns with EPPD leadership philosophy of eliminating “siloed” or “stagnate”
thinking in our special event planning and response.
• Many of these benefits are transferrable to Incident Command for critical
incidents that can (and have) occurred in Estes Park.
• Allows EPPD Officers an opportunity to participate in a manner, or specialty, an
agency our size may have difficulty supporting
• Provides overtime opportunities
• Strengthening relationships
Disadvantages:
Two potential disadvantages to entering into an MOU with Larimer County have been
identified:
• Uncertainty of budgetary impact: This MOU will identify an agreed upon hourly
rate for officers and supervisors. If over the course of a calendar year the
majority of officers are junior, and at a lower hourly rate, there will be a net
surplus for our budget. The opposite is true if only the most senior officers are
signing up to assist. There is no way to know with certainty that the agreed upon
rate will accurately reflect what officers and supervisors actually make. PD staff
will need to be reviewing this periodically.
• Implementing this MOU could require additional oversight and supervision to
assure officers are not overworking themselves. This is something other
agencies are able to successfully manage.
Finance/Resource Impact:
Not yet identified at this stage of this informational presentation
Level of Public Interest
This is not known to be a high level of public interest. There is interest however from
Estes Park Police Department employees and staff as well as the Larimer County
Sheriff’s Office.
Attachments:
1. Presentation
Law Enforcement Event Security
IGAs & MOUs
Background
Northern Colorado is one of the most active areas in
Colorado for special events
They range from small in size lasting hours to multiday events with
tens of thousands of attendees
Examples include Venus de Miles cycling event, CSU football
games, the Larimer County Fair and the Colorado Marathon
From a safety and security standpoint the home law
enforcement agency can rarely handle the larger events
alone
In Estes Park we can observe this with Frozen Dead Guy Days, 4th of
July festivities, the Scottish-Irish Highland Festival and the Catch
the Glow Parade
There is not a law enforcement agency in the region that
can single handedly cover staffing for all their special
events.
ATTACHMENT 1
Background
When “The Ranch” events complex was completed,
Larimer County recognized the need to build out a more
formal staffing arrangement for county-wide special events
Other agencies have been cooperating in these efforts and
there is recognition of the need for a larger, reciprocating,
multi-year agreement.
There is also a strong recognition for the need of an
agreement that is fair and equitable for all parties.
Local Benefits
EPPD has placed great focus on standardizing our
procedures, training and practices to be consistent with
our Northern Colorado public safety partners
Participating Northern Colorado special events benefits
the EPPD in the following ways:
Exposure to different Incident Action Plans (IAPs) for different
events
Exposure to regional public safety special event philosophies
Potential to build the experience base of our officers who will
inevitably be working Estes Park special events
EPPD exposure in the region resulting department pride
Strengthening relationships
Recruiting opportunities
Excellent opportunities for us to combat “siloed” or “stagnate”
thinking in our special event planning and response
Many of these benefits are transferrable to Incident Command for
critical incidents that can (and have) occurred in Estes Park.
Local Benefits
The EPPD is exploring any, and all, ways we can remain
competitive in the Northern Colorado law enforcement job
market. Our leadership team is doing everything we can to
recruit new officers and retain the quality officers we have
serving this community
Participating Northern Colorado special events benefits
the EPPD Officers in the following ways:
Provides an opportunity to experience special events that interest
them on a professional or personal level
May satisfy the desire to participate in a manner or specialty an
agency our size may have difficulty supporting
Provides overtime opportunities
Strengthening relationships
Attempts at Equity for all parties
My intention is to bring before you a proposed MOU
between the EPPD and the LCSO regarding special events
This is not specific to the EPPD and the LCSO. The LCSO
is also working with the other regional law enforcement
agencies to achieve this MOU with them as well
Unlike years past this is a multi-year MOU so we are not
revisiting this year after year
The officer and supervisor rates are negotiated with the
LCSO considering EPPD’s average overtime rate, FICA,
Medicare, Employer ICMA and Employee ICMA rates
into consideration
Situational Awareness
We are doing our best at a standard officer/supervisor
compensation rate that leaves both the LCSO and the
town believing this is as close as we can get to equitable
to all parties
There will rarely be the average officer working an
event.
Staff belief in the benefits and value for the department
and it’s members to be afforded these opportunities
Versus the cost of training and artificially creating these
experiences.
Officer development opportunities can not be understated
This is hoped to be a building block MOU for a future
reciprocating addendums
EPPD with numerous other agencies
Law Enforcement Event Security
IGAs & MOUs
INTERNAL SERVICES Report
To: Honorable Mayor Hall
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Machalek
From: Paul J. Fetherston, Internal Services Director
Derek Pastor, PMP, Public Works Project Manager
Ian Stewart, Chief of Police
Date: January 14, 2025
RE: Police Department Relocation Update
Purpose of Study Session Item:
Present to the Town Board an overview of the status of the strategic goal of starting
design efforts and pursuing land acquisition necessary to relocate the Police
Department out of Town Hall.
Town Board Direction Requested:
Share feedback regarding this update to help guide staff’s on-going due diligence and
prepare a timeline to return to the Town Board for additional information and direction.
Present Situation:
The current Town Hall facility, which includes the Police Department, was originally
constructed as a public school in the 1930s and converted to Town Hall in 1974.
According to the Town of Estes Park 2022 Facilities Master Plan (Facilities Master
Plan):
The current police facility in Town Hall is entirely inadequate. The
department has been shoe-horned into a space that jeopardizes the
Police Department’s ability to respond to emergencies and keep offices,
staff, and residents safe.1
The Facilities Master Plan key findings recommend that the police department should
not be located in the Downtown area due to safety concerns. Instead, it should be
planned and constructed outside of Downtown during the first phase of the plan’s
implementation.2
1 Town of Estes Park 2022 Facilities Master Plan, page 12.
2 Town of Estes Park 2022 Facilities Master Plan, page 7.
To ensure reliable, efficient, and up-to-date infrastructure serving the community and
customers, the Town Board adopted a key outcome as outlined below:
Governmental Services Objective 11.D.1 - Start design efforts and pursue
land acquisition necessary to relocate the Police Department out of Town
Hall.
Potential Location Assessment
In alignment with the strategic plan goal relative to land acquisition, Town staff has
diligently identified and assessed several potential sites for a new police facility.
Following the Spring 2024 Study Session presentation to the Town Board of Trustees,
staff efforts were concentrated on securing a long-term lease with the Bureau of
Reclamation for property adjacent to the Dannels Fire Station at 901 North Saint Vrain
Avenue. However, due to challenges anticipated in securing this lease, the focus has
shifted to evaluating other potential locations.
The assessment includes parcels currently on the market, those previously listed for
sale, and some not presently available. The primary focus is on centrally located
opportunities along Big Thompson Avenue, both east and west of North Saint Vrain
Avenue, and in the vicinity of South Saint Vrain Avenue. Staff will continue to evaluate
these opportunities and seek guidance from the Town Board on negotiations, as
appropriate, in closed sessions.
It is anticipated that the pre-design assessment will help identify the most suitable
properties for the Board's consideration and direction.
Pre-Design Study Phase
In alignment with the strategic plan goal related to design, Town staff recently secured
the services of a third-party professional architectural firm to conduct a pre-design study
aimed at identifying space needs and evaluating potential sites. This study will involve
site visits and engagement with Town and Police Department leadership and staff
through interviews to assess both short and long-term operational needs. The study
process includes several key steps:
• Space Needs Analysis: Assessing the specific space requirements for a new
facility.
• Bubble Adjacency Diagrams for up to five sites: These visual tools help
architects conceptualize the spatial dynamics of a project before detailed plans are
developed, ultimately aiding in the selection of the best site option for conceptual
planning.
• Conceptual Floor and Site Plans: Developing initial layouts and designs, including
elevations and exterior renderings, for public education and cost projection
purposes.
• Initial Cost Projections: Utilizing regional construction experts to estimate project
costs for capital planning.
It is anticipated that the pre-design study process will be completed by the end of the
second quarter of 2025. The Board will be updated and consulted throughout the
process as appropriate.
This is a significant step in moving the Town closer to a new police facility.
Funding/ Financing
In Colorado, municipalities have several options to finance significant capital projects
like the relocation of a police department/ construction of a new police facility. While
some Colorado communities have recently funded similar projects using cash reserves,
the Town is not in a position to do so. However, there are several alternatives available,
including:
Method Electorate Vote
Current sales tax revenues No vote required
New or increased sales tax revenues Vote required
General Obligation Bond funded by property tax Vote required
Certificates of Participation No vote required
The Town does not currently have funds appropriated for land acquisition, relocation of
the police department, or construction of a new facility. However, an application for
Congressionally Directed Spending grant funding was submitted to the Colorado federal
legislative delegation. Legislation, which includes $1.2 million in funding to support an
Estes Park safety campus, has been drafted with no action to date. Congressman Joe
Neguse’s staff confirmed that the numbers are not final and that there are several steps
left in the process to receive congressional approval for any such funding.
While the method of funding a capital project of this significance is crucial, an in-depth
discussion is best informed once the pre-design study is completed and the initial cost
projection is available.
Construction Timeline
The timeline for the relocation of the police department/ construction of a multi-million-
dollar new police facility involves several key phases ranging from pre-design, design,
land acquisition, method of financing and any required public vote, and construction.
Based on the project’s status, it is anticipated that construction of a new police facility
will take approximately 48 to 60 months.
Based on that timeline, as an example – if everything was in place to move forward with
the relocation of the police department/ construction of a new police facility in 2025, it is
anticipated that it would be ready for occupancy in 2029 or 2030.
Capital Improvements to Current Police Department Space
Given the current conditions of the Police Department space, along with the anticipated
timeline for the new facility to be ready for occupancy, and the need for the existing
space to be repurposed for other town operations thereafter, it is expected that funding
for capital improvement projects to the existing space will be requested in the upcoming
annual budget processes.
Communication Plan
To keep the community well-informed about the reasons for the police department's
potential relocation and the benefits it will bring, the Public Information Officer is
developing and will implement a comprehensive communications plan. The key
purposes of this plan include:
1. Maximizing Transparency: Ensuring the community has clear, accurate information
about the potential relocation.
2. Engaging Stakeholders: Involving the community to address their concerns and
incorporate their suggestions where appropriate.
3. Managing Expectations: Providing detailed timelines, processes, and steps
involved in the potential relocation to reduce uncertainty and manage expectations.
When implemented effectively, the communications plan will:
• Build Community Support: Foster a positive reception and backing from the
community.
• Reduce Misinformation: Prevent the spread of misinformation by sharing accurate
and timely information.
• Enhance Public Relations: Strengthen the town's relationship with its residents
through transparency and active engagement.
In the coming months, the public will receive more information through various channels
about the need for the potential relocation and the benefits it would bring. This proactive
approach aims to ensure a successful relocation project and maintain strong community
relations.
Proposal:
That the Town Board ask any questions or provide feedback based on the update
provided. No specific proposals are being presented at this time. Upon completion of
the pre-design study phase, additional information and proposal(s) will be presented for
Board consideration.
Advantages:
The following advantages associated with the relocation of the police department/
construction of a new police facility have been identified:
• Modernization: A new police facility will incorporate the latest technology and design
standards, maximizing operational efficiency and safety.
• Safety: A new modern facility not located within a public parking flow of a popular
downtown corridor can better meet safety standards, providing a safer environment
for staff and the public. Generally, meeting current building code and other
requirements is more cost effective through new construction than remodeling of an
existing building.
• Enhanced functionality: A new police facility can be designed specifically for police
operations – including evidence, records, etc. – addressing space and layout issues
that older buildings have.
• Durability: A new facility can be built with advanced materials and construction
techniques that enhance durability and reduce maintenance needs over time.
• Future Proofing: A new facility can be designed to accommodate future
technological advancements and expansions, ensuring it remains functional and
relevant for decades.
• Energy Efficiency: Modern construction standards include energy efficient designs
and systems, which can reduce operational costs and environmental impact over the
facility’s lifespan.
• Alignment: The relocation of the Police Department is aligned with the Town’s
Strategic Plan, Facilities Master Plan, and 2018 Downtown Plan.
Disadvantages:
The following disadvantages associated with the relocation of the police department/
construction of a new police facility have been identified:
• Initial Costs: The relocation of the police department/ construction of a new facility
involves significant upfront costs, including land acquisition, construction, and
outfitting the facility with necessary equipment.
• Time Consuming: Planning, designing, and constructing a new facility and
relocating the police department can take several years, during which the
department must continue to operate from the current facility.
Finance/Resource Impact:
A cost projection is being developed as a part of the pre-design study. The capital costs
associated with the relocation of the police department/ construction of a new police
facility are substantial. The funding mechanism has not yet been identified.
Level of Public Interest
There is public interest within the community regarding the relocation of the current
police facility, the effective operations and location of the Police Department, and
funding related to the planning and construction of Town owned facilities.
Attachments:
1. Presentation.
Police Department Relocation
Update
Police Department Relocation Update:
The NeedThe Need
ATTACHMENT 1
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Public and Staff Safety
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Evidence & Found Property Records Management
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Locker Room Facilities including restrooms/ showers
Lockers in Open
Hallway Lockers in Open
Hallway
Lockers in Report
Writing/ Roll Call
Room
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Sergeant’s Office Space Detective Office Space Auxiliary Office
Space
70-75 sq. ft 75-80 sq. ft 95-100 sq. ft 45-50 sq. ft
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Report Writing/ Roll
Call/ Locker Room
Kitchen/ Meal Break/
Common Area
Booking/ Fingerprint
Area
Storage
Direct Access
into/ from Board
Room
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Sole Interview Room
–doubles as Juvenile
Holding Space
Cells & Storage
2nd Cell
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Communications Center/ Dispatch
Bathroom Lockers Kitchen Space
Conference Room Dispatch
Dispatch
Police Department Relocation Update
The Need: Inadequate Space
Additional Deficiencies of Current Facility:
•Lack of multi-purpose use room
•Training
•Roll Call
•Emergency Operations Center Integration
•Sally Port
•Secure, controlled entry way – transfer of individuals
(inmates & suspects)
•Access control
•Secure & Integrated Evidence Facility
Police Department Relocation Update:
Potential Location/ Land Acquisition
Assessment
Police Department Relocation Update:
Pre-Design Study
Space Needs Analysis:
Assessing the specific
space requirements for a
new facility (including future
growth needs).
Bubble Adjacency Diagrams for up to
five sites: These visual tools help
architects conceptualize the spatial
dynamics of a project before detailed
plans are developed, ultimately aiding in
the selection of the best site option for
conceptual planning.
Conceptual Floor and Site Plans:
Developing initial layouts and
designs, including elevations and
exterior renderings, for public
education and cost projection
purposes.
Initial Cost Projections:
Utilizing regional construction
experts to estimate project
costs for capital planning.
Slated for completion by
June 2025
Police Department Relocation Update:
Financing Options & Construction Timeline
Construction Timeline
¾Generally 48-60 months from
approval
¾Example:
If everything in place to move
forward in 2025, new facility ready
for occupancy in 2029-2030
General Options Electorate
Vote
Current sales tax revenues No vote
required
Debt Service Funding
Current Sales Tax Revenue No vote
required
New or increased sales tax
revenues
Vote required
General Obligation Bond
funded by property tax
Vote required
Lease-Purchase
Certificates of Participation No vote
required
Police Department Relocation
Update
Communication Planning
Transparency
Community Engagement
Build Community Support
Reduce Misinformation
Strengthen community relationship
Coming Up! More information
through various community
channels about the need
Ongoing Capital Needs
¾Based on need to address current
conditions of police facility,
capital funding will be sought in
upcoming annual budget
processes
Police Department Relocation
Update
QUESTIONS
FEEDBACK
January 28, 2025
•Scoping Project for Capacity
Improvements on the Big Thompson River
and Fall River
February 25, 2025
•Senior Needs Assessment &
Recommendations
•Stanley Park Master Plan and Performing
Arts Center
Items Approved – Unscheduled:
•OHV/Golf Carts on Roads
•Annexation Policy
•Cleave Street Redevelopment Update
•Town Board Email Listing on Website
•Hosted Short-Term Rentals
•Police Department Facility Financing
•HB 24-1175: Local Government Rights to
Property for Affordable Housing
•Parking Enforcement Ordinance Updates
•Curb and Gutter Philosophy
•Liquor License Process
•Stanley Park Master Plan Implementation
•Noise Ordinance Enforcement
Items for Town Board Consideration:
•None
Future Town Board Study Session Agenda Items
January 14, 2025