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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Town Board Study Session 2025-05-27 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado May 27, 2025 Minutes of a Study Session meeting of the TOWN BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held at Town Hall in the Board Room in said Town of Estes Park on the 27th day of May, 2025. Board: Mayor Hall, Mayor Pro Tem Cenac, Trustees Brown, Hazelton, Igel, Lancaster, and Younglund Attending: Mayor Hall, Trustees Brown, Hazelton, Igel and Lancaster Also Attending: Town Administrator Machalek, Deputy Town Administrator Damweber, Special Counsel White and Recording Secretary Campbell Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Cenac, Trustee Younglund and Town Attorney Kramer Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. HIGH IMPACT PROJECT PROCESS. Deputy Town Administrator Damweber provided an overview of the current process for high impact capital projects with recommendations for process improvements. He noted all capital projects go through a four-stage process: 1) Initiation and Policy Direction, 2) Planning, 3) Implementation/ Construction and Monitory, and 4) Close Out and Evaluation. Through the review of the existing project processes, staff would recommend addressing areas that would improve communication and efficiency, minimize risk, and ensure long-term success and sustainability of projects. Staff would further endeavor to be cognizant of the number of projects occurring simultaneously or in quick succession; engage key stakeholders, such as the Town Board, utility companies, partnering agencies, and impacted business owners early in the project; prioritize through planning to address risk assessments, cost-benefit analyses, impact studies, and utility locates early in the process to avoid challenges during the implementation process; build-in contingency funding when budgeting for a project; identify a dedicated project manager for each project, as well as a main point of contact; identify possible safety concerns from both a construction and post-construction perspective to minimize risk; review internal processes related to contracts, change orders, and decision-making, and spending authority to ensure efficiencies; and implement a formal process for project evaluation. Board discussion and questions were heard and summarized: the need to establish centralized communication on projects and the opportunity to share information utilizing various platforms; questioned the current process used to determine when outside consultants are used for a project; suggested the Systematic Development of Informed Consent (SDIC) training be reintroduced for project managers and those involved in public engagement; and recommended the presentation and report be provided to new board members during their orientation to build an understanding of the process used for high impact projects. The Board consensus was to implement staff recommendations. REVISED POLICY 671 – OUTSIDE ENTITY FUNDING. Management Analyst Simpson presented updates to the policy addressing all three funding areas, including Base Funding, Community Initiative Funding, and Event Sponsorship Funding. Staff recommended Base Funding changes, including updating the list of eligible entities with the removal of the Estes Park Housing Authority (EPHA) and the addition of the Estes Park Senior Citizens Center Inc., (EPSCC) and a discussion on the current reporting requirements which currently require a written report and a presentation to the Town Board at a regular Town Board meeting. The Community Initiative Funding recommendations presented an effort to focus the Town Board on substantive budget amounts and streamline the process for deliberating on the specific funding for non- Town Board Study Session – May 27, 2025 – Page 2 profits. Staff reviewed a hybrid and full funding approach with the Estes Park Nonprofit Network (ENN) engaged in the review of the applications along with an advisory committee to include Town Board members. Staff further recommended the Event Sponsorship applications be reviewed and evaluated by the Town Administrator or designed to streamline the review and approval process previously completed by the Executive Leadership Team. Board discussion and questions were heard and summarized: requested a report listing current organizations receiving funding and dollar amount; suggested the application be revised to a single page; questioned if an entity needs to be a non-profit to apply for funding; and Board consensus to remove the EPHA and add EPSCC to base funding, to work with the ENN on a hybrid approach for Community Initiative Funding, and to move forward with the recommended changes for the Event Sponsorship Funding. The revision to Policy 671 would be presented as an action item during the June 10, 2025 Town Board meeting. VISIT ESTES PARK INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT Town Administrator Machalek discussed possible changes to the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Town of Estes Park and Larimer County to include eliminating the rule of six members of the elected bodies to terminate an appointed Visit Estes Park (VEP) board member in lieu of a simple majority of the respective elected body to remove a board member they appointed; the seven-member VEP board be decreased to a five-member board through attrition with two Town Board members, one County Commissioner and the appointment of one member by each elected body; creation of a Marketing Advisory Board to focus on the mechanics of marketing versus governance that reports directly to the VEP board; additional requirements for the Operating Plan with regard to budget and policy compliance report; the completion of an annual evaluation of the Chief Executive Office; add the need to be consistent with disaster operations as it relates to communication to provide a unified message; and other miscellaneous items. Board discussion and questions were heard and summarized: questioned the authority of the Marketing Advisory Board; suggested the VEP Marketing Advisory Board include a member from the community without restriction; concern one of the two at-large appointees to the VEP Board would have to be from the accommodation sector; the Marketing Advisory Board could have members from all sectors of the business community, including accommodations; require VEP Board to comply with the same governance policies as the Town and County; raised concern with the timeline of the revisions due to the ongoing search of a Chief Operating Officer, and the need to come into compliance with items such as the governing policies without this position filled by a permanent staff member; and questioned if there could be additional time to bring forward the Operating Plan annually to the elected boards. A draft agreement would be brought forward for review at an upcoming Study Session meeting. TRUSTEE & ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS & QUESTIONS. None. FUTURE STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEMS. It was requested and determined to schedule a presentation on the Future Estes Park Water System Service Area Population and Demands for July 25, 2025, and retitle the June 10, 2025 item from Vacation Home Individual Accommodation Unit to Process for Classifying Vacation Home and Accommodations Business Licenses. Mayor Hall requested the addition of Motorcycles or Three-Wheel Motorcycles Parking on Private Property at a future Study Session with a date to be determined. COMMENTS & QUESTIONS. None. There being no further business, Mayor Hall adjourned the meeting at 6:50 p.m. /s/Gretal Campbell, Recording Secretary