HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Study Session 2015-04-14
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, April 14, 2015
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION of
the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held at Town
Hall in Rooms 202/203 in said Town of Estes Park on the 14th day of April,
2015.
Board: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Ericson,
Holcomb, Nelson, Norris and Phipps
Attending: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Ericson,
Holcomb, Nelson, Norris and Phipps
Also Attending: Town Administrator Lancaster, Town Attorney White and
Deputy Town Clerk Deats
Absent: None
Mayor Pinkham called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS & QUESTIONS.
Trustee Ericson noted that he concurred with the decisions made by the Board during
the previous Town Board meeting related to The Barrel liquor license, Lot 4, and the
parking structure. Trustee Ericson was out of town and, therefore, unable to participate
in the meeting.
Trustee Norris reported that two positions on the Local Marketing District (LMD) Board
will be open during 2015. Currently, one town position is open, with a county position
opening up in September. In regard to filling the Town position, it was proposed that a
five-person interview team be created consisting of two trustees, two LMD board
members, with a fifth person, who is not a member of either board, selected by the
interview team. Trustee Norris suggested that the LMD chair be part of the interview
process.
Mayor Pro Tem Koenig noted she, Trustee Ericson, and Town Clerk Williamson make
up the Community Service Grants (CSG) committee. The CSG committee will be
reviewing the CSG program and process to make recommendations and align the
CSGs with the Town Board’s strategic plan.
FUTURE STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEMS.
Rezoning Actions – Procedures for Notifications will be moved to the “Items
Approved – Unscheduled” category.
Wildlife Ordinance. Chief Kufeld reported that staff is working on putting together
menu items for possible inclusion in the ordinance to bring forward to the Board
for discussion. He proposed that the ordinance be completed and passed this
year allowing time for an educational component to occur prior to enforcement of
the ordinance beginning in January 2016.
Truancy Ordinance. The School District, the Town, and the Restorative Justice
program are partnering together to work on the community issue of habitual
truancy. Truancy is addressed in the Colorado Revised Statutes, however,
having a truancy ordinance will allow the issue to be dealt with at the local level.
This topic will be scheduled for the May 26, 2015, Town Board Study Session.
Update on Vacation Rental Project and an Update on the Economic
Development Corp. (EDC) Broadband Project will be scheduled for the Town
Board Study Session on May 12, 2015.
PROCEDURE FOR SCHEDULING EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
Town Board Study Session – April 14, 2015 – Page 2
Trustee Ericson expressed frustration with a previous attempt to add an executive
session to a Town Board agenda. Town Administrator Lancaster said that if requested
to do so by a Board member he would add items to the Town Board agenda; and if the
item qualified as a topic for an executive session, it would be added as such. As with all
agenda items, the request must be made in a timely manner to follow the normal
agenda preparation and publishing schedule.
Mayor Pinkham recessed the meeting for a dinner break at 4:53 p.m. and resumed the
meeting at 5:07 p.m.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
Town Administrator Lancaster provided a high-level presentation on improvement
districts including Downtown Development Authorities (DDA), Urban Renewal
Authorities, (URA) and special improvement districts. He provided definitions of the
different types of districts, spoke to the various ways districts are created and
organized, and outlined the types of improvements, services, and projects the entities
are allowed to engage in. Funding for the districts ranges from property and/or sales
tax increment financing (TIF) to special assessments on benefiting properties.
He said an improvement district may be a vehicle to finance public infrastructure
improvements. He noted that one type of improvement district may be a better fit than
another type, depending on the projects and services being proposed. For example, a
URA can have multiple project areas within a municipality and a variety of projects
within these areas, as well as enter into public/private partnerships. DDA improvements
and services are restricted to the central business district as defined by the municipality.
Town Administrator Lancaster said that when improvement districts are funded by TIF,
the district should be created prior to development within their boundaries so that the
increment is larger. He identified Cleave Street and the Elkhorn Lodge property as
areas that could benefit from inclusion in an improvement district. Mayor Pro Tem
Koenig said with economic sustainability as a goal, the Town should identify areas for
development within the community and strive to make Estes Park attractive to private
investors.
COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT FUND 5-YEAR PLAN.
Due to a lack of time, this agenda item was not discussed by the Board. The topic will
be re-scheduled for a future Town Board study session.
There being no further business, Mayor Pinkham adjourned the meeting at 6:06 p.m.
Cynthia Deats, Deputy Town Clerk