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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Study Session 2016-02-23 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado February 23, 2016 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 23rd day of February, 2016. Board: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Ericson, Holcomb, Nelson, Norris and Phipps Attending: All Also Attending: Town Administrator Lancaster, Assistant Town Administrator Machalek, and Town Clerk Williamson Absent: None. Mayor Pinkham called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. VACATION RENTAL TASK FORCE SCOPE OF WORK AND TIMELINE. Terry Gilbert/Larimer County Planning Director presented a Scope of Work and Timeline for the Vacation Rental Task Force as requested by the Larimer County Commissioners and the Town Board of Trustees at their February 2, 2016 meeting. The Task Force would be charged with developing recommendations, concerning vacation rentals accommodating nine (9) or more guests. The Boards requested the final recommendations of the Task Force be considered by mid November 2016, with possible Development Code amendments being adopted. The Task Force would consist of eight (8) individuals (three (3) neighbors of existing vacation home rentals in the unincorporated areas and three (3) from within Town limits, and one (1) vacation home rental owner from the unincorporated area and one (1) from Town limits) approved by the Town Board and the County Commissioners and six (6) individuals from local organizations (one (1) member from each of the following Estes Area Lodging Association, Estes Park Vacation Rentals Owner Association, Estes Park Board of Realtors, Estes Park Central, Economic Development Corporation, and Visit Estes Park). The members of the Task Force would be approved by both Boards the week of April 11th. Discussion followed and has been summarized: The Task Force should include local residence representing local families and the retired population; Task Force members should be full-time residents; should have knowledge of the Estes Valley Development Code; questioned why the Estes Valley Planning Commission was not included as a member of the Task Force; and representatives of the EDC and the VEP should be members that do not sit on both boards. Mr. Gilbert stated the EVPC would not participate in the Task Force as they would be the recommending body to the County Commissioners and the Town Board. The Task Force would be assisted by a group of Planners, Assessors, Building Officials, etc. when reviewing the issues. Meetings would be held in the Museum meeting room and meeting minutes would be posted online for the public. Throughout the process both Boards would be briefed on the current status of the Task Force. An open house would be held for the public as the Task Force narrows in on its recommendations. The proposed timeline includes a joint meeting in September to review the recommendations, consideration of the final recommendations by the Estes Valley Planning Commission in October and consideration of the recommendations by the two Boards in November. Town Board Study Session – February 23, 2016 – Page 2 The Board raised concern with the need for consistent enforcement throughout the valley and the need for the Larimer County Sheriff to be involved in the enforcement of the regulations adopted. Trustee Phipps requested the Board review the recommended code amendments for vacation homes of eight (8) or less prior to the joint March 30th meeting. The Board consensus was to bring the item forward for review at the March 8th study session. NAMING OF TOWN FACILITIES POLICY. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek presented a policy that would establish a process and criteria for the naming or re-naming of Town-owned property or facilities. The policy would ensure the names are appropriate, aid in the identification and location of property or facilities, and encourage the donation of lands, facilities, and funds to the Town. The naming criteria would be reflective of at least one of the following criteria: specific purpose of the facility, geographic location, prominent geographic feature or local reference point, adjoining subdivision/community, historical feature, deceased individual, or an individual or group via a donation or sponsorship agreement. The naming process would include a public announcement to call for prospective names for projects; an administrative review by the Leadership Team and recommendation of at least two names to the Town Board for properties and facilities and if a park or open space the recommendation would be forwarded to the Parks Advisory Board for consideration and recommendation to the Town Board for final approval; and a notice of recommendation would be published. The Board raised concern with the Leadership Team bringing forward two possible names, and the Board may have more historical knowledge when naming properties or facilities. Staff suggested the Leadership Team would be removed from the process and would only vet the names to ensure they meet one of the criteria. Mayor Pro Tem Koenig suggested the policy address items such as memorial boards or other naming options such as plaques or memorials. The renaming of Town-owned properties and facilities are deemed to have historic recognition and would not be changed without a compelling reason, thorough study and public hearing, and a unanimous vote of the Town Board. Miscellaneous naming of meeting rooms located on Town-owned properties or facilities may be named administratively by the Town Administrator. Staff would update the policy and bring it forward for consideration by the Town Board at an upcoming meeting. UPDATE ON TRANSIT GOING YEAR ROUND IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. Brian Wells/Shuttle Coordinator proposed the expansion of the Town’s shuttle service to include year-round service on fixed routes with ADA accessibility in the Estes valley. The proposed service would cover an additional 40 weeks of service. The Federal Transportation Administration FTA) has grants available that would match 50% of the local operational costs and 80% of the capital expenditure costs, i.e. vehicle purchases, bus shelters, etc. if certain criteria are met. Other funding options may include the State of Colorado FASTER funds, rider fares, sponsorships, retail sales or other unidentified sources. To meet FTA grant qualifications, the routes must be ADA, be Title IV compliant, information available on the exterior of buses, year- round service, and have the ability to provide door-to-door service within ¾ mile of the route. The projected operating expenses for 2016 are estimated at $434,395 and for 2017 the cost increases to $449,255. If the Town was successful in obtaining an FTA grant 50% of the operational costs would be funded, thereby reducing the overall shuttle costs for the Town. Staff proposes the addition of Friday and Saturday service with one hour routes operating from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm by combining the red/blue route and combining the silver/gold route. Sunday service would be the Gold route only starting at 11:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm. The next steps would include the formation of a focus Town Board Study Session – February 23, 2016 – Page 3 group with citizens and businesses, finalize service offering and operational parameters, review with Town Board, budget commitment and grant application, apply for the grant by late May 2016, if awarded issue an RFP for service, prepare new materials, begin promotional campaign and begin year-round service in the fall of 2017. The Board stated support for a year-round transportation service as it would benefit the community members as well as the guest. If the Town can secure FTA funding, it would reduce the overall cost of the current shuttle system and expand the service at no additional cost to the Town. Trustee Holcomb questioned if the summer shuttle system could be expanded to begin in April or May. UPDATE 2024 STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. Kelly Stallworth/Engineer provided a presentation on the proposed street improvements utilizing the 1A sales tax funding through 2024 to bring all Town roadways to a minimum 70 Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating. The current average PCI for Town roads is 65 and in 2008 the average rating was 81. The decline in pavement condition has occurred due to a lack of maintenance (crack sealing, overlays, patching, etc.) over the past 8 years. Implementation of the street improvement plan would result in improved road conditions throughout Town; extensive preventative maintenance would impact a larger percentage of roadways, as opposed to focusing on only major reconstruction projects; and the entire road system PCI would be increased. The projected revenue from the 1A sales tax has been estimated at $1.4 million. The yearly allocation of funds for the program would include $200,000 for personnel, equipment, etc., $124,150 for project contingencies, and $1,117,350 for construction expenses. The annual construction costs would be broken down into structural repairs (overlay, mill and overlay, reconstruction and in-place recycling) at a cost of $650,000 and $467,350 for pavement sealing and contracted patching (crack sealing, chip seal, slurry seal and cape seal). The sales tax funding would be sufficient to raise the system-wide PCI by 2024 and increase the number of streets falling into the “good” category for road condition. TRUSTEE AND ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. Town Clerk Williamson stated the Board has reviewed the compensation for the Board during the biennial elections. Staff has completed a preliminary review of the comparison communities. The Board requested staff bring the item forward for consideration at the March 8th Town Board Study Session meeting. Trustee Phipps stated he would work with Trustee Nelson on the Pride Award Scholarship Committee. Mayor Pinkham reminded the Board members to speak for themselves and not for the entire Board when responding to questions from the press or writing letters to the editor. FUTURE STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEMS. A review of the draft Sign Code would be added to the March 22, 2016 study session. The Town and the Estes Park Housing Authority met to discuss the development of a strategic action plan in March to address housing issues. The action plan would be brought forward for the Board to consider and prioritize next steps. There being no further business, Mayor Pinkham adjourned the meeting at 6:43 p.m. Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk