HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Town Board Strategic Planning Study Session #2 2026-04-30RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Town ofEstes Park, Larimer County, Colorado April 30, 2026
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 30th day of April, 2026.
Board: Mayor Hall, Mayor Pro Tem Hazelton, Trustees Brown,
Eshelman, Igel, Lancaster, and Mieras
Attending: All
Also Attending: Town Administrator Machalek, Deputy Town Administrator
Damweber, Attorney Kramer, Town Clerk Williamson, Directors
Bergsten, Careccia, Fetherston, Greear, Hinkle, and Zimmerman,
Chief Stewart and Deputy Town Clerk Beers
Absent: None
Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.
Review of Objectives and Goals
Town Administrator Machalek reviewed changes or additions from departments and the
Board to the Strategic Objectives and Goals for each Key Outcome Area. Revisions and
additions have been listed below:
Exceptional Community Services
The following Strategic Policy Goals were added or modified:
Goal 1.B Add - Continue efforts with the Housing Authority to develop additional
workforce housing on Town owned property.
Goal 1.C Add - Continue efforts with the Housing Authority and business community to
address seasonal housing needs.
Goal 2.A Modify - Continue engaging with senior community members and partner
organizations that support seniors. Identify opportunities for the Town to help address
new and existing matters of importance, including housing and transportation for
seniors.
Goal 6.A Modify - Ensure the Estes Park Development Code continues to align with the
new Comprehensive Plan and other Town policies and goals by processing new
amendments as necessary.
Goal 6.C Add - Develop a process to ensure that the costs of development code,
municipal code, and building code changes are understood when changes are being
proposed.
Goal 10.A Modify - Explore the potential to create a program to incentivize art on both
public and private property, especially with new development in non-residential areas
and/or the Estes Arts District.
Governmental Services and Internal Support
The following Strategic Policy Goal was modified:
Goal 11.E Modify - Develop a long-term Master Plan for Town Hall that includes a
space utilization study, life cycle replacement needs (roofs, windows, siding, HVAC,
etc.), and considers the possibility of reconstruction to allow for mixed use/or relocation
of Town offices.
Outstanding Guest Services
The following Strategic Policy Goals or Objectives were added or modified:
Goal 2.C Add - Upgrade and maintain the quality, function, and safety of the Town's
Town Board Strategic Planning Session #2 Minutes dated April 30, 2026 - Page 2
visitor and event facilities.
Goal 5.B Modify - Visitor Services will work with Visit Estes Park and the Rocky
Mountain Conservancy on developing and implementing ways to help educate and
entertain guests at the Visitor Center.
Goal/Objective would be added for off-peak events financial considerations.
Public Safety, Health and Environment
The following Strategic Policy Statement, Goals or Objectives were added or modified:
Statement 8 Modify - We believe restorative practices are essential to a healthy and
resilient Estes Park community by repairing harm, strengthening relationships,
facilitating engagement, and deepening understanding.
Goal 2.D Modify- Remain an active partner with Larimer County in managing the Estes
Valley's solid waste, including recycling.
Goal 2.H Add - Enhance the quality of environmental planning within the Town's
development processes.
Goal 2.1 Add - Consider implementation of Climate Action Plan recommendations as
appropriate.
Goal 10-AAdd - Continue to re-evaluate current evacuation areas/procedures based on
the best-available data and information about our community.
Objective 1.B.1 Modify - Ensure the completion of pre-design work for a new Public
Safety Facility with projected completion of construction and occupancy of a new police
facility by 2029. (Multi-year Objective)
Objective Add - Join and actively participate in MT2030.
Objective 2. D. 1 Add - Evaluate opportunities to expand curbside recycling.
Objective 2.H.1 Modify - Evaluate the need for a dedicated environmental planning
function within the Community Development Department that would be responsible for
ensuring new and existing development complies with sustainability and environmental
regulations and policies, especially regarding wildlife, wildfire, flood, and
Comprehensive Plan objectives.
Objective 10.A.1 Add - Establish regularly recurring emergency preparedness and
evacuation education opportunities for the public.
Robust Economy
The following Strategic Policy Goals or Objectives were added:
Goal 1 A. Add - Explore the possibility of enhanced higher education presence in Estes
Park.
Goal 5.B Add - Continue collaborative planning efforts regarding a shared facility
concept on Cleave Street that includes a new parking structure, retail space, and
housing units.
Town Financial Health
The following Strategic Policy statement was added:
Statement 4 Add - We responsibly steward public funds and carefully manage Town
expenditures to support cost-effective services for our residents, customers, and
visitors.
There were no changes to goals/objectives.
Town Board Strategic Planning Session #2 Minutes dated April 30, 2026 - Page 3
Transportation
The following Strategic Policy Goals or Objectives were modified:
Goal 1.B Modify - Evaluate the possibility of adopting fee-in-lieu mechanisms to assist
in funding multimodal transportation improvements.
Goal 1.D Add - Monitor and address the impacts to the Town sidewalk and trail system
from electrified micromobility devices.
Goal 8.B Modify - Obtain funding to design and build a functionally connected bike and
pedestrian network within one mile of Estes Park public schools.
Objective 5.A.1 Modify - Explore partnership opportunities, consider options, identify
funding, and construct a 3-level parking structure at the Big Horn parking lot. (Multi-year
Objective)
Utility Infrastructure
The following Strategic Policy Statement, Goals or Objectives were added or modified:
Statement 3 Modify - We use a risk-based approach for achieving an appropriate level
of resiliency in the provision of all Town utility services.
Statement 5 Modify - We encourage and support responsible stewardship of our
utilities' natural resources, including the use of renewable energy sources and storage.
Goal 1.A Modify - Ensure at least one water treatment plant can reliably operate year-
round by designing water treatment operations that increase reliability and lower
operations and maintenance costs by leveraging modem technologies, improving
chemical handling and staff safety, and mitigating natural disaster single-point-of-failure
vulnerabilities.
Goal 2.A Add - Identify and remove high-risk/high-frequency power outage areas
through the targeted replacement of bare overhead conductors and the deployment of
intelligent fault-isolation technology.
Goal 3-AAdd - Evaluate the reliability risks faced by each of the Town's three utilities.
Goal 5.B Add - Reduce water waste.
Goal 5.C Move to Public Safety, Health and Environment section.
Objective 1.A.1 Add - Begin process to site, design and construct a new water
treatment plant.
Objective 6.A.1 Modify - Complete the ESRI Utility Network (UN) migration for Fiber
GIS that improves network visibility with PRPA and other owner communities.
Town Administrator Machalek would prepare a provisional 2027 Strategic Plan to be
considered on May 26, 2026. A final Strategic Plan would be considered at the end of
the year following the annual budget process.
There being no further business, Mayor Hall adjourned the meeting at 4:08 p.m.
iitfhny' Victoria Beers, Deputy Town Clerk