HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Community Development Community Services 2017-07-27
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Community Development & 8:00 a.m.
Community Services Committee Town Hall Board Room
1. PUBLIC COMMENT
2. CULTURAL SERVICES
a) RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TOWN BOARD
i. None.
b) REPORTS (Information Only)
i. Museum Quarterly Reports.
3. COMMUNITY SERVICES
a) RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TOWN BOARD
b) REPORTS (Information Only)
i. Monthly Sales Report.
ii. Visitor Center Quarterly Report.
iii. Transit Quarterly Report.
4. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
a) RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TOWN BOARD
i. Revised Community Development Fee Waiver Policy. Dir. Hunt
ii. Fee Waiver Request – Estes Valley Fire Protection District Dir. Hunt
for New Training Facility.
b) REPORTS (Information Only)
i. None.
5. ADJOURN
AGENDA
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Cultural Services Memo
To: Community Development/Community Services Committee
Through: Frank Lancaster, Town Administrator
Travis Machalek, Assistant Town Administrator
From: Derek Fortini, Museum Director
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: Museum Quarterly Report
Background:
Attendance Highlights
The Book Club 1917 was a big success with a larger turnout than expected
(there was an anticipation for 10 participants, with an average attendance of 30
individuals). This was a great partnership with the Estes Valley Library and led to
book sales about local history by many local authors. Macdonald's Book Shop
benefited from book sales for the club too.
Museum Director Fortini and Curator Rochambeau participated in numerous
outreach programs to inform groups about fundraising for the new Collections
and Research Facility, along with other educational activities.
Curator Rochambeau worked with the owners of the Dunraven Cottage (located
on Fish Creek) to open the historical building to Museum members for the first
time since the 1980s. The homeowners were very happy with the turnout and
would like to offer tours through a collaboration with the Museum again in the
future. The Museum saw an increase in sales of membership since it was
required to see the site.
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A replica of a painting by Albert Bierstadt
that Lord Dunraven commissioned (presumed to be
painted from the vantage point of Dunraven’s Cottage).
The historic tour to the H-Bar-G Ranch was another example of the Curator
working with a property owner to facilitate access for Museum members. There
were 75 attendees on this tour. The Ranch has not been accessible to the public
for decades.
Collection Highlights
Accessions
There were nineteen new donations to the Museum in the second quarter. The
majority of these donations were comprised of materials contributed by members
of the Estes Park Rotary Club, for inclusion in the “Community Collection.”
These materials are meant to serve as an example of the Estes Park Museum’s
service to local organizations and to re-emphasize the critical need for more
storage space. Rotary materials include posters, photographs, archival
materials, pins, rubber ducks, and miscellaneous ephemera created, produced
by, or used in the annual Duck Race.
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The original, hand-drawn poster for the first annual duck race, drawn by
Herb Mignery, and a vinyl street banner used for several years are
highlights from this collection.
Other donation highlights:
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Archival materials from the Darkhorse/Riverside
An oil painting of Long’s Peak by local artist Hattie Sella
Several Summer Resident’s Association Round Up Booklets
In 2016, a large collection of materials was transferred to the Museum from the
Estes Valley Library. During the second quarter, work on processing this
collection has continued. The newspaper collection was reorganized on
permanent shelving to reflect chronological order with duplicates and missing
editions being tracked. The postcard collection is being cross-examined with the
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Museum’s preexisting collection to weed out duplicates and be catalogued
according to museum standards.
Research Requests
The Museum responded to 35 research requests during the second quarter,
totaling 23 hours of staff time to complete. Some highlights include hosting a
family reunion in which the participants viewed historic materials relating to the
Elkhorn Lodge and learning about the history of the Kato family, a Japanese
family that lived in Estes Park and worked for th e Manford Family.
Deaccessioning
This process has continued during the second quarter of 2017 by inventorying
materials that have been deaccessioned from the permanent collection and
preparing for distribution/disposal. Curator Michak has begun to familiarize
herself with Museum policy documents and procedures and attended an online
Connecting to Collections webinar on the Deaccession process. A collections
backlog of paperwork and processing was discovered during initial inventorying
from the new curator of collections. Work to relieve this backlog has begun in
earnest by the creation of an accessions register to track any materials in the
Museum’s possession which have yet to be worked on. This project will take
priority over others for the next several months. Additionally, the necessity for a
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collections procedures document was identified and will be worked on in the next
quarter(s).
Exhibits
Work began on compiling an exhibit component to correspond with Estes Park’s
Centennial Celebration. Museum staff has begun to create a centennial
scavenger hunt for visitors that will take place within the permanent gallery.
Upcoming Programs
June through September, Mondays and Tuesdays, from 8:15-10 a.m. –
Downtown History Walking Tours (Meets/starts in Bond Park)
July 22 from 7-8 p.m. – “Cousin Estes: A Musical Docudrama” (Performance
taking place at the Estes Park High School Auditorium)
August 5 from 9-11 a.m. – “The Centennial 5K Walk/Run: Race to Save the Past”
(Estes Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc. Fundraiser taking place around
Lake Estes)
August 31 from 3-4 p.m. – “People of the Peaks Series: Hayden’s Surveys”
(lecture)
September 28 from 3-4 p.m. – “People of the Peaks Series: Joe Mills: At Home in
the Mountains” (lecture)
October 28 & 29 (time: TBD) – “Creative Colorado TableSetting 2017” (Estes
Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc. Fundraiser taking place at the YMCA of
the Rockies in the Willome Building)
Other Highlights:
Alicia Rochambeau, former Curator of Education, decided to take a job with the
Elementary School. Staff has decided to slightly change the position to focus
more on exhibits and programming and have changed the title to Curator of
Interpretation. The process to fill the position had begun.
Museum staff worked with the Public Works Department to assist in providing 5
historic postcard images to be applied as a vinyl wrap on the electric box located
at the new parking garage. The requested theme was “driving to Estes Park.”
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Professional Development completed by staff:
• Director Fortini and Curator Rochambeau completed the Mines and
Associates Training Session “Emotional Intelligence and Leadership”
• Director Fortini and Curator Michak attended the Connecting to Collections
Care webinar titled "Why Do We Have This? Insight on and Hindsight of
Deaccessioning Initiatives"
• Curator Rochambeau attended the Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center
workshop on administering evaluations
• Director Fortini attended the webinar “Planning for Marketing at Museums &
Historic Sites” hosted by American Association for State and Local History
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Quarter II Museum Attendance January 1, 2017
1
Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD
2013 350 443 588 613 936 1,728 1,766 1,108 1,312 1,175 581 501 11,101
2014 560 556 611 405 1,042 1,537 1,633 1,490 1,460 1,203 475 305 11,277
2015 620 522 409 451 1,566 1,085 1,284 1,045 1,185 993 256 183 9,599
2016 233 306 226 328 1,382 1,661 1,572 1,604 1,278 716 495 151 9,952
2017**130 123 100 103 400 518 1,374
0
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AttendanceMuseum Gallery Visits
May -October the Museum is open Tuesday -Saturday, 10 -4 and Sunday, 1 -4*
November -April the Museum is open Friday & Saturday, 10 -4 and Sunday 1 -4
Jan Feb Marc
h April May June July Augus
t Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD
2013 0 0 0 0 159 364 723 642 31 0 0 0 1,919
2014 0 0 0 0 180 328 468 401 0 0 0 0 1,377
2015 0 0 0 0 198 400 513 518 74 0 0 0 1,703
2016 0 0 0 0 95 368 243 612 24 0 0 0 1,247
2017 0 0 0 0 11 349 360
0
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AttendanceHydroplant Visitation
The Historic Fall River Hydroplant is open Memorial Day to Labor Day,
Tuesday -Sunday from 1 -4 p.m.
*Gallery hours were adjusted in 2017.
**Beginning in 2017, the Museum reports gallery visits exclusively, whereas in years past, facility visits such as office, gift shop, and restrooms were
included.
*Hydroplant tours for third graders were cancelled in May due to weather.
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Quarter II Museum Attendance January 1, 2017
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Program details:
1. 4-11 Outreach on Storage Facility: Interfaith Alliance 11
2. 4-13 Outreach on Storage Facility: Non-Profit Resource Center 15
3. 4-20 Book Club 1917 32
4. 4-26 Conversation Cafe 10
5. 4-28 Estes Park Mountain Festival 500
6. 4-28 Estes Park Then & Now at the Estes Park Mountain Festival 18
7. 4-29 Estes Park Mountain Festival 500
8. 4-29 Real Tiny Living of the Past at the Estes Park Mountain Festival 12
9. 5-5 Dunraven Cottage Tour 45
10. 5-6 Dunraven Cottage Tour 45
11. 5-8 Outreach – Third Grade Mapping Activity 50
12. 5-9 Outreach – Third Grade Mapping Activity 50
13. 5-15 Third Grade Gallery Tours 50
14. 5-16 Third Grade Gallery Tours 50
15. 5-30 Opening Day at the Hydroplant – Kurtis Kelly as F.O. Stanley 18
16. 6-15 Book Club 1917 35
17. 6-24 Historic Tour at the H-Bar-G Ranch 75
18. 6-30 Downtown History Walking Tours 28
Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD
2013 0 201 86 70 176 338 3,328 111 122 125 31 51 4,639
2014 38 29 113 135 132 228 863 407 239 154 45 39 2,422
2015 324 127 248 486 644 373 2,775 272 136 216 74 115 5,790
2016 161 357 136 791 276 162 2,904 431 283 73 121 199 5,894
2017 100 178 43 1,098 308 138 1,865
0
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3400
AttendanceAttendance at Museum Programs & Tours
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COMMUNITY SERVICES
Memo
To: Community Development/ Community Services Committee
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Karen Lynch, Sales & Marketing Manager
Rob Hinkle, Community Services Director
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: Community Services – Sales and Marketing Update
Sales Update:
Karen’s Projected Rental Forecast in 2017:
43 events, 22 of which are first time bookings, $130,446 projected revenue at all venues
at Events Complex
· 34 Events at Event Center/Pavilion $117,946
· 9 Events at Grandstands/barns/arenas $12,500
128 days of Events
226 days of total of events, load in and load out included
Overall Projected Revenue Forecast in 2017
Revenue from all Town rental locations, figures include all events*:
195 events, $537,591 projected revenue
375 event days
516 days of events including load in/out
*Event Center, Pavilion, Barn W, Grandstands, Performance Park, Bond Park &
Riverside Plaza
Cancellation of Group Event:
Another Journey, July 29-30, 2017, two events cancelled, $1,000 cancellation fee
enforced. The reason for cancelling shows is lack of ticket sales and lack of affordable,
adequate marketing opportunities.
Marketing Update:
Colorado Meetings and Events featured Ram Katha Colorado’s event on their website
as a direct result of my efforts. This resulted in exposure to more than 10,000 meeting
planners nationwide.
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Upcoming shows:
• Discover Colorado Trade Show July 23 – 26, 2017, Sheraton Downtown Denver targets
qualified third party buyers, national planners corporate, association and government
• Connect Marketplace, August 21-25, 2017, New Orleans, LA targets expo, sports,
religious, association and specialty/fraternal events.
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To: Community Development/Community Services Committee
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Teri Salerno, Visitor Services Manager
Rob Hinkle, Community Services Director
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: Visitor Center Quarterly Report: April - June 2017
Second Quarter Visitor Center Traffic:
• Visitor Services purchased new state-of-the-art video traffic counters at the end
of 2016 (accuracy rating at 95%); they became operational in early 2017. Due to
the difference in accuracy between the new and old systems, this year is
somewhat like comparing apples to oranges. Once several years of foot traffic
have been counted with the new system, comparisons between years will be
easier to determine.
• Foot traffic is down by 25.7% in the second quarter. Other mitigating factors that
effected vehicle traffic during much of the same time complicates analysis of the
visitor counts this quarter.
• Staff has concluded the parking garage construction that allowed no access to
the VC from the south contributed to less foot traffic during the second quarter
this year. The team surmised that many people who were already heading to
RMNP continued west to either the Fall River or Beaver Meadows entrance when
they could not park on the south-side of the VC. Many visitors to the EPVC
believe they are stopping at one of the RMNP Visitor Centers (based on the
exponential increase in questions received about RMNP over the past several
years); therefore, it is probable that some continued on to get closer to RMNP,
rather than backtrack onto Big Thompson Ave to the north entrance to the VC.
• Another potential impact upon visitation was the closure until May 25 of Hwy 34.
This pushed traffic to Hwy 36 or Hwy 7, with parking access off of Hwy 36 to the
VC closed due to the construction.
• The total visitor count in the second quarter of 2017 was 88,754; in 2016 the total
was 119,495.
• The 25.7% decrease equals 30,741 less people in 2017 over last year.
COMMUNITY SERVICES Memo
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• The average daily visitation was 986 people per day this year and 1,313 in 2016.
• In spite of a slightly busier first quarter, visitor counts are down 20.52% YTD over
last year through June, which equals 29,531 less people overall.
• YTD 2017 = 114,383 people; YTD in 2016 = 143,826.
• All three months in the second quarter were down over the same months in
2016. May had the greatest decrease of 15,283 people. Weather can have an
impact upon visitation; on May 18 -19 significant snow came to our area. The
opening of Trail Ridge Road was also delayed 5 days due to weather.
Visitor Center Lobby June 2017 Visitor Center Lobby June 2017
• RMNP’s visitation was a roller coaster ride in the second quarter: When
compared to 2016, April showed a significant increase of 21.8% or 28,393 more
people, May was down (attributed to weather) by 22,646 people or by 7.9%, but
up again in June 5.75% or 40,257 more people. YTD through June, visitor counts
are up 2.05%, totaling 30,163 more people overall.
Visitor Center foot traffic: 2010 – 2017
1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. Total
2017 25,629 88,754 114,383
2016 24,419 119,495 259,349 73,760 477,023
2015 36,622 95,565 217,849 64,405 414,441
2014 27,953 95,887 210,509 57,018 391,367
2013 27,030 102,142 174,146 33,356 336,674
2012 31,464 101,192 184,459 47,275 364,390
2011 32,960 100,558 212,458 55,716 401,692
2010 19,877 76,080 179,627 49,394 324,978
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Second Quarter Telephone Calls:
• During the second quarter, 3,667 calls were answered; this is 48 more than the
same time period in 2016 and represents a slight increase of 1.34%.
• YTD totals only 19 more calls over 2016.
• A trend of decreasing calls has been steady over the past several years (with the
exception of 4th quarter 2013 and 1st quarter 2014 due to 2013 flood inquiries).
• This trend could be leveling out as expected, but more time will be needed to
make this determination.
Visitor Center telephone calls: 2010 – 2017
1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. Total
2017 2,115 3,667 5,782
2016 2,144 3,619 5,441 2,360 13,564
2015 2,018 3,844 5,822 2,244 13,928
2014 2,090 3,866 5,532 2,057 13,601
2013 2,055 4,087 6,313 3,045 15,500
2012 2,357 5,112 6,368 2,341 16,178
2011 3,119 5,946 8,779 2,855 20,699
2010 3,934 7,162 9,772 3,224 24,092
Retail Sales
• Retail sales through the end of June total $17,532. In 2016, sales through June
were $14,955, representing an 17.2% increase of $2,577.
• 2016 produced the highest retail sales revenue ever, which coincided with the
busiest year at the EPVC and in RMNP.
Total Retail Sales Revenue by year
2017 through June $17,532
2016 Total $47,045
2015 Total $46,741
2014 Total $39,533
2013 Total $29,296
2012 Total $34,499
2011 Total $39,192
2010 Total $40,175
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• In 2017, centennial items have been selling well and are likely contributing to the
increase in sales through June when compared to mid-year totals in 2016.
• Third quarter sales are the highest of the year and are the best indicator of how
sales will end for the year.
Visitor Services Annual Training
• Annual Visitor Services training was held Tuesday, May 9, in the Town Hall
Boardroom.
• The session was well attended by 67 people: 51 Ambassadors, 11 Visitor
Services staff and four guests.
• The comprehensive program included presentations provided by representatives
from Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Valley Recreation & Park District, the
National Forest: Boulder and Canyon Lakes Ranger Districts, Town staff from the
Estes Park Events Complex and Town Shuttles, and Visit Estes Park. Mayor
Todd Jirsa and Town Administrator, Frank Lancaster, also addressed the group.
• Participants once again rated the training very highly: the majority gave the
highest rating of excellent, and the remainder rated the training as very good.
• Eight volunteers unable to attend the May 9 training attended a make-up training
session held on June 29.
• All Visitor Services staff attended the training. Thank you to Special Events
coordinator, Barbara Johnson, Mayor Pinkham, and Elizabeth Wells for assisting
with the front counter during the training.
Annual Lodging Tours
• Visitor Services staff and volunteers toured a total of 27 lodging businesses over
two days in the first half of May.
• The third tour (13 properties), scheduled for May 18, was canceled due to snow
and could not be rescheduled, however several of the properties were visited the
following week by some of the team, which brings the total visited to 31.
Tour participants at Aspen Brook Vacation Homes
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Tour participants at Idlewilde by the River Tour participants at Swiftcurrent Lodge
RMNP Ranger now stationed at the EPVC
• RMNP has begun to station staff or a volunteer at the EPVC every day of the
week to assist guests with their questions about riding the Hiker Shuttle and
other general questions about RMNP such as hiking, roads, purchasing passes.
• The RMNP staff / volunteer are outside the main north entrance, near the
boarding area for the Hiker Shuttle from early morning into the late afternoon.
• The Visitor Services team appreciates this strong support from RMNP. As the
park has grown busier over the past several years, the pressure on the EPVC to
answer RMNP questions has increased greatly. Having a RMNP presence at the
center is not only a boon to the VS team, but also to the guests of RMNP.
Volunteer Ambassadors:
• As of June 30, the number of volunteer Ambassadors totaled 58.
• Eight new Ambassadors have completed training and joined the Visitor Services
team. There are no new applications to become an Ambassador at this time.
• To date, two Ambassadors have retired. Six are currently on a leave of absence;
most of these are due to illness.
• This time last year, there were 64 Ambassadors on the roster.
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Every Kid in a Park campaign
• Started in 2016, the Visitor Center continues to partner with Visit Estes Park to
distribute backpacks filled with free items to fourth grade students who are
participating in the national park system’s “Every Kid in a Park” campaign.
• Fourth graders who have received their free America the Beautiful pass from any
national park may bring it to the EPVC to receive their backpack, provided by
Visit Estes Park.
Visitor Center Hours of Operation
• On Monday, May 22, the hours changed at the VC; it is now open Monday –
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• These hours will extend through Sunday, September 24.
Budget: N/A
Recommendations: None
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To: Community Development/Community Services Committee
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Brian Wells, Transportation Program Manager
Rob Hinkle, Director of Community Services
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: 2017 Estes Park FREE Shuttles Update
Current shuttle information is always available at: estes.org/shuttles
Update:
2017 Shuttle Ridership Update:
The Silver, Blue, and Green Routes benefited from Ram Katha
ridership. The Silver Route also took over the Stanley Hotel stop
(from the Red Route) this year.
Memo
COMMUNITY SERVICES
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In 20 days (of 79), shuttle ridership is already 25.0% of summer 2016
totals. When the Green Route is stopping at the VC, it has assisted
riders who may have ridden the Silver and Gold Routes.
2017 through July 13 (above) vs. 2016 (below)
July 4 Ridership Comparison:
We had good ridership before and after the fireworks show. Traffic was lighter and
we wrapped up service about an hour earlier than the past few years. Our post-
fireworks service continues to prove to be popular and results in fewer cars on the
road. 2013 was the first year we offered the service.
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Green Route Evaluation:
The Board of Reclamation is sending a letter stating that the Town discontinue use
of the Green Route (or any shuttle) from using the multi-modal area that we were
using for the shuttle. Public Works has not received the letter as of 07/18/17 but we
decided to comply in advance. Once the letter is received; Public Works and
Transportation will address their concerns in an effort to return shuttle service to the
parking structure. In the meantime, the Green Route shuttle is using the east side of
the Visitor Center for its stops.
Ridership for the first 23 days: 691 for a daily average of 30 passengers. The Green
Route has helped carry Gold and Silver Route passengers to Bond Park and the
Park-n-Ride at the Events Complex.
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Feedback from potential riders, especially those working downtown, have requested
that the Green Route operate later than 4:59 p.m. as those leaving jobs at 5 p.m.
must wait as long at 5:25 p.m. to access the trolley to return to their vehicles. The
extra time is a deal breaker for workers. Possible solutions: operate and extra 30
minutes until 5:29 or stagger the schedule to be 12:30 p.m. through 5:29 p.m.
Early a.m. Downtown Employee Service Trial Update:
Ridership is very low for employees: one or two through the first week and a half.
Nonworkers include one resident and a local pre-school taking the shuttle to the
public library. The passenger count is at 35 through the first five days.
Remaining 2017 Service Schedule:
Summer: June 24 through September 10 (six routes, daily service)
The free trolley special service days include:
Sat-Sun September 16-17 Fine Arts & Crafts
Sat-Sun September 23-24 Autumn Gold
Sat-Sun Sept 30-Oct 1 Elk Fest
Saturday November 4 Fall Back Beer Festival
Friday November 24 Catch-the-Glow Parade
2017 Low-No FTA Grant Update:
The grant application for up to two fully electric trolleys was submitted through
CDOT in late June. The earliest news on the grant determination would be mid-
September 2017.
Background:
N/A
Shuttle Committee/Staff Recommendation:
N/A
Recommended Motion:
N/A
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Memo
To: Members, Community Development / Community Services Committee
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Randy Hunt, Community Development Director
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: REVISED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FEE WAIVER POLICY: TB #1
Objective:
Review and recommend approval of amendment to the Community Development Fee
Waiver Policy – TB #1, to align the Policy to recent EVDC changes in workforce and
attainable housing qualification criteria.
Present Situation:
The current policy, which specifies qualifications for projects requesting waiver of some
or all Community Development permitting fees, was approved by Town Board effective
July 2012, and hasn’t been modified since. Many elements in the policy still match
current Code and current practice.
However, a few sentences have been superseded by recent Estes Valley Development
Code amendments regarding attainable and workforce housing. The current policy
specifies that housing-oriented fee waivers are only for “low-income housing”. Low
income housing is usually defined as below 60 percent of Average Monthly Income
(AMI) in the host county. EVDC was recently amended to incentivize attainable housing
up to the 150 percent AMI level.
Workforce housing (defined as one household member working within the School
District boundaries) was also incentivized in the same sections of EVDC. The current
fee-waiver policy does not address workforce housing waivers. To keep consistency
with the Code, it is recommended that workforce be added alongside income or
attainability qualification.
Proposal:
The attached draft revisions are primarily aimed at updating the housing-qualification
section. Other recommended updates include:
• Clarifying the approval process to reflect the fact that the CD/CS Committee does
not formally vote on actions. CD/CS operates on a general-consensus model.
The draft is modified so that CD/CS will review all requests for waivers over
$500, but final action and signature will be completed by either the Community
Development Director (up to $3,000) or the Town Board (over $3,000). 25
• Other changes are to clarify or fix minor wording problems and inconsistencies.
Advantages:
• The new policy language will align with EVDC amendments and link Code incentives
to the Town’s ability to grant direct incentives in the form of fee waivers. Attainable
and workforce housing development and redevelopment are Town-wide and Valley-
wide goals.
Disadvantages:
• None identified for the community as a whole, but possible disadvantages exist for
Town revenues and Community Development Department revenues in particular. It
is expected that most developers proposing new workforce or attainable housing will
be interested in fee waivers. Depending on level of interest, this could begin
impacting revenues in the Community Development Department. Staff will remain
diligent in monitoring and reporting trends in this area.
Action Recommended:
Staff recommends adoption of the revised TB#1 Fee Waiver Policy as presented.
Budget:
Unknown, but could be moderate to moderately high.
Level of Public Interest
Low.
Attachments:
1. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FEE WAIVER POLICY – TB #1 (Draft revised
July 27, 2017 – redline)
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
FEE WAIVER POLICY
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FEE WAIVER POLICY – TB #1
DATE: JULY 10, 2012JULY 27, 2017
EFFECTIVE PERIOD: Until superseded
REVIEW SCHEDULE: Bi-Annually Biennially - May
PURPOSE: To establish a uniform Policy for waiver of Community
Development fees in support of essential community needs.
SCOPE: Applies to Community Development Department fees only.
RESPONSIBILITY: The Community Development Department staff shall be
responsible for implementation of this Policy.
POLICY: It is the policy of the Town Board of Trustees to support essential community
needs such as affordable attainable and workforce housing, assisted living, and health care
services through consideration of waiving in-house fees assessed by the Community
Development Department. The Estes Valley Comprehensive Plan is used as a guide in
indentifying these community needs.
The following entities may be exempted from some or all Community Development
Department fees, e.g., building permit fees, development review fees, and sign code fees
(except for direct expenses incurred in outsourcing):
1. Public funded government construction (federal, state, county, local); including tax
districts/special districts ( e.g.(e.g., hospital, library, parks and recreation); or
2. Organizations providing low-income health and human services or low-incomeattainable
or workforce housing.
The following criteria will be used to qualify private non-profit low-income health and
human services or attainable or workforce housing projects:
a. A critical service is being provided.;
b. The permitted project or building will serve or support a currently underserved and
needy segment of the community.;
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TOWN OF ESTES PARK Number: TB #1
BOARD POLICY Page 2 of 2
c. The population being served is the general public and is not subject to any pre-
qualification other than a needs- based (attainability) qualification, or (in the case of
housing) a local employment (workforce) qualification;.
d. Low-incomeAttainable or workforce housing is deed-restricted.; or
d.e. In the case of housing, a project is eligible for the attainable or workforce
incentive criteria in Sec 11.4 of the Estes Valley Development Code.
Waiver Request Decision-Making Body
≤$500 per project; or
≤$500 per affordable attainable or workforce
housing unit
Community Development Director
>$500 and ≤$3,000 per project; or
>$500 and ≤$3,000 per affordable attainable or
workforce housing unit
Community Development Director,
following review by Community
Development/Community Services
Committee
In the event of a tie vote, the fee waiver
request shall be forwarded to Town Board
for consideration.
>$3,000 per project; or
>$3,000 per attainable or workforce housing
unit
Town Board, following review by
Community
Development/Community Services
Committee
It is not the policy of the Town of Estes Park to routinely waive fees for projects meeting the
above criteria. These projects may request exemption by submittal of a written request to the
Community Development Department. The decision-making body will hear the request and
may choose to waive some or all fees based on the merits of request.
APPROVAL: _____________________ DATE: _______________________
Mayor William PinkhamTodd Jirsa
Distribution:
Signed Original/Town Clerk
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Memo
To: Members, Community Development / Community Services Committee
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Randy Hunt, Community Development Director
Date: July 27, 2017
RE: Fee Waiver Request – Estes Valley Fire Protection District for New
Training Facility
Objective:
Determine if the fee waiver request complies with Town Board’s adopted fee waiver
policy and take action on the request.
Present Situation:
The Estes Valley Fire Protection District (EVFPD) has applied for building permits and
other approvals to construct a new fire-safety training facility on their current property.
This would be a new tower replacing the current tower, with a larger footprint and a
taller profile. The new structure does require building permits; thus, building-permit and
plan-review fees would be required unless waived.
Proposal:
The attached letter from EVFPD requests waiver of the building permit fees for the new
structure. Although not explicit in the letter, discussion with EVFPD indicates they wish
to request a waiver of plan review fees as well as building-permit fees.
At the time the letter was written, calculation of fees had not been finalized. Since the
letter, the valuation and fee have been calculated by staff:
The following table estimates the fiscal impact of a full building fee waiver to address
the building permit and plan review fees for the Training Facility.
Building Division Fees
Building Permit Fees $2,673.75
Plan Review Fees $1,336.88
Tax *n/a
TOTAL $4,010.63
* EVFPD, as a public entity, is not subject to local sales and use taxes.
Staff estimates that waiving all Building division fees will reduce 2017 Budget estimated
total revenues as follows:
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• Building Safety div. (2300 series): 1.03% ($4,011 / $389,210)
Staff is not aware of any other Town fees requested for waiver in connection with the
training facility project.
Advantages:
• Aligns with Town Board’s policy of supporting essential community needs through
consideration of waiving in-house fees assessed by the Community Development
Department.
• Waiving fees will enable critical funding and timelines for the project to be realized.
• The request is supported by the Town Board’s adopted Community Development
Fee Waiver Policy – TB #1 (copy included elsewhere in today’s CD/CS packet).
Disadvantages:
• Approval of the request would reduce (by a very small percentage) the ability to
recover expenses associated with the Community Development Department’s
building permitting and inspection functions.
Action Recommended:
Because the requested fee waiver is greater than $3,000, Town Board is the decision-
making body for this request, following review by the CD/CS Committee. Community
Development recommends approval of the EVFPD fee waiver request.
Budget:
General Fund: 101-2300-322.10-00 Licenses and Permits – Building
Approximately $4,011 in reduced revenue.
Level of Public Interest
High – Fire-safety training capability
Low – This fee waiver request
Attachments:
• Written request from the Estes Valley Fire Protection District
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