HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Minutes Budget 2015-10-16
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, October 16, 2015
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the TOWN BOARD BUDGET STUDY
SESSION of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting
held at Town Hall in said Town of Estes Park on the 16th day of October,
2015.
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, Finance Officer McFarland, Chief Kufeld,
Commander Rose, Director Muhonen, Fleet Supervisor
Nelson, Operations Manager McEachern, Parks Supervisor
Berg, Engineering Manager Ash and Recording Secretary
Limmiatis
Absent: None
Mayor Pinkham called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
COMMUNITY SERVICES FUNDING REQUESTS (General Fund)
Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustee Ericson, Assistant Town Administrator Machalek and
Town Clerk Williamson met to evaluate the grant applications and reviewed each to
determine the number of people served and affected by the services provided to
citizens of Estes Park. The application was revised in 2015 to include more detail and
the criteria were rated in conjunction with the Town Board goals and objectives. The
Committee would continue to evaluate and improve upon the application process.
Specific funding by category is outlined below with funding totaling $135,325 as follows:
Assistant Town Administrator Machalek stated the Town would continue to support
intergovernmental entities such as the Estes Park Housing Authority (EPHA), Fire
District and Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Senior Services would manage
funding for VIA and the Police Department would manage funding for Estes Valley
ORGANIZATION 2016 BUDGET
Arts & Education:
Art Center of Estes Park, $500
Cultural Arts Council, $500
Oratorio Society of Estes Park, $850
$1,850
Youth:
Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County, $3,000
Larimer County Partners, Inc., $4,000
Estes Park Learning Place, $3,000
Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success, $20,000
$30,000
Food Tax Refund $14,250
Human Services:
Audio Information Network of CO, $500
Crossroads, $20,000
Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center, $7,000
E.P. Salud, $20,000
Estes Valley Victim Advocates, $5,000
Estes Park Gun & Archery Club, $475
Food Bank for Larimer County, $2,000
Estes Valley Watershed Coalition, $1,000
$49,975
Estes Park Sister City Program, $3,500 $3,500
Town Board Budget Study Session – October 16, 2015 – Page 2
Victim Advocates as contracts for services. Some of the factors for the decreases in the
budget were a smaller contribution to the EDC, reduction in EPHA request and the
absence of pass-through grants.
Eric Blackhurst spoke on behalf of the EPHA, clarified the $33,000 request to complete
a housing study throughout the Larimer County school district boundary and stated the
EDC housing study has been placed on hold until the EPHA study is completed. The
study would be a tool used by lenders to determine the housing needs within the
community. Blackhurst thanked the Board for their continued support.
POLICE
The Police Department includes services for the Administration, Patrol, Investigations,
School Resource Officer and Communications divisions. The 2016 budget for the
department would include increases to the Tiberon annual fee from $20,000 to $27,000,
the number of Community Service Officers, maintenance costs, body camera
maintenance costs and personnel costs. The Communications Center and Victim
Advocates have been added to the Police Department budget to track costs more
efficiently. O&M is projected to be lower from 2015 end of year estimate although the
overall budget has increased due to personnel costs.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FUND (SPECIAL REVENUE FUND)
The fund was created by the April 2014 passage of the 1% sales tax for 10 years. The
fund would receive 2.5% of the new tax for capital acquisitions associated with
emergency response capabilities of the Town, such as emergency public radio and
emergency operations center equipment and associated costs. The projected revenue
for the Emergency Response System Fund in 2016 is $60,116 with which the Town
plans to complete the Highway Advisory Radio notification system signage, Emergency
Operations Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan revisions, hazardous materials
encountered training, preparedness education, Prospect Mountain emergency radio
station site expansion and purchase Mobile Emergency Operation / Joint Information
Center equipment.
Mayor Pinkham called for a five minute break at 9:45 a.m. and resumed the meeting at
9:52 a.m.
PUBLIC WORKS
Buildings – Facilities Manager Jon Landkamer was hired in 2015 to manage 20
Town owned structures, maintain all contractual documents for services and
repairs, and administer specific contracts for annual maintenance of buildings
and grounds. In 2016, all trash collection and building repair budgets for the
Public Works divisions would be centralized under Facilities. The Lucity work
order system would be implemented to manage routine repairs. The cost
effectiveness of contracted versus in-house janitorial and maintenance repairs
would be evaluated and additional staff may be requested in the future.
Fleet – The Fleet division achieved a full staff in 2015 and maintains over 500
pieces of equipment that serve all departments, including the Fire District. Fleet
would continue to extend the expected useful life of vehicles in 2016 to support
the cost saving efforts of eliminating contributions to the Vehicle Replacement
Fund. Labor rates would be increased by 37% to cover operation costs and staff
would receive expanded training in diagnostics and repair.
Streets – The Streets division is responsible for 59 miles of roadway including
snow removal, street sweeping, striping and street maintenance programs, over
100 miles of drainage ways and roadside ditches, signage replacement,
maintenance, and installation of traffic control devices during special events, and
Town Board Budget Study Session – October 16, 2015 – Page 3
oversight and coordination of infrastructure protection during high-water events.
In 2016, the division plans to enhance the in-house culvert cleaning capabilities
with the new 3000 psi jet trailer, reduce the storm drainage project budget by
80% due to limited staff resources, complete a staffing needs assessment to
evaluate the cost effectiveness of an in-house crack sealing and paving machine
in lieu of contracted services, offer year-round shallow pothole repairs with the
new spray patcher and aggregate storage tent, purchase a handheld GPS data
collector to build storm water inlet, sign and pavement marking databases, and
discontinue the use of and sell the air curtain burner due to operational safety
risks and citizen complaints.
Parks – The Parks division is responsible for the maintenance, renovation and
management of all Town-owned park land, planting and maintaining
approximately 38,000 annual flowers and 8,000 perennial flowers, maintaining
the Town greenhouse, 10 acres of turf, 32 irrigation systems, 53 flower beds and
7 bronze statues, caring for the Estes Park Area Historical Museum property,
Stanley Park Fairgrounds, Light & Power grounds, Event Center, open spaces,
Estes Park welcome signage and the downtown area, and assisting with snow
removal. In 2016, the division would oversee the design and construction of the
irrigation system and landscaping of the Estes Park Transit Hub Parking
Structure, model Town compliance with the Wildlife Protection Ordinance by
purchasing 60 wildlife resistant trash cans, discontinue the installation and
removal of the seasonal ice rink, install a third interactive musical art piece on the
Riverwalk, replace the pickup-mounted sand distribution box, and install Smart
Irrigation Controllers and moisture sensors in Bond, Tregent, and Performance
Parks.
Engineering – The Engineering division oversees capital projects, authorizes
and inspects construction work in the public right-of-way, reviews development
plans and building permits for compliance, provides guidance with traffic,
drainage, streets and parks improvement projects, and performs transportation
engineering and long-range transportation planning with state and federal
agencies. In 2016, the division has a number of projects including coordination
with CDOT on permanent flood damage repairs to Highway 34 and Rocky
Mountain National Park guide signage improvements on Highways 7, 34, and 36,
the Downtown Loop project, completion of the Elm Road drainage and landfill
leachate project, design and construction of Dry Gulch Road rehabilitation
including the multi-use path under Highway 34 to the Lake Estes Trail,
construction of Phase 1 of the Estes Park Transit Hub Parking Structure and
exploring grant funding for Phase 2, right of way acquisition and construction of
Fish Creek Road and trail flood repairs, completion of the design and NEPA
study for the Fall River Trail extension to Rocky Mountain National Park and
applying for grant funding, construction and State Engineer’s Office approval of
Scott Ponds dam modifications, implementation of Bond Park Masterplan,
providing the draft 2015-2024 Street Maintenance Program, completing a storm
water utility cost and feasibility assessment, completing the design and
installation of a new Dynamic Message Sign on Highway 36, evaluation of a paid
parking program in downtown, hiring a grant funded Project Manager for the
design of the Moraine Avenue bridge replacement, hiring a grant funded Project
Assistant to provide flood reimbursement administrative support, completing a
staffing needs assessment for a future Development Review Engineer and Storm
Water Engineer. Several future positions were outlined within the Engineering
division and the Board supported the future request to provide staffing in order to
maintain quality services.
STREET IMPROVEMENT FUND (SPECIAL REVENUE FUND) – The fund was created
by the April 2014 passage of the 1% sales tax for 10 years. The fund would receive
60% of the new tax for the construction, repair, replacement, rehabilitation and
Town Board Budget Study Session – October 16, 2015 – Page 4
renovation of streets within the Town. The budget for 2016 contains the Street Overlay
Program, personnel, Seal Coat Program, Crack Seal Program, spray patcher
replacement, Dry Gulch Road improvements, the aggregate tent and spray patcher
materials.
TRAILS FUND – (SPECIAL REVENUE FUND)
The fund was also formed with the passage of the new 1% sales tax and would receive
12.5% of the new tax for the construction and expansion of public trails within the Estes
Valley planning area. In 2016, the Dry Gulch trail work is the only project planned for
the Trails Expansion Fund.
OPEN SPACE
The Open Space Fund reflects the Town’s portion of a one-quarter of 1% sales tax
increase that was passed by Larimer County voters in 1996. The funds are for trails
and open space purchases and maintenance; the Fund will sunset in 2018. In 2016, an
unallocated fund balance of $513,000 remains after budgeting $300,000 for Bond Park
and completing the west dam repairs at Scott Ponds. These funds could be used for
trail work or grant matching money for the Fall River Trail work. The Board and staff
supported saving the money to complete future trail connectivity.
CONSERVATION TRUST FUND
This fund contains revenues from the State lottery and is used to fund bark beetle
management, weed mitigation and tree replacement for Arbor Day. In 2016 bark beetle
management would be removed and irrigation controls would be installed in Bond,
Tregent and Performance Parks. A fund balance of $29,000 would remain which could
be applied to an undetermined project.
COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER FUND – (SPECIAL REVENUE FUND)
The fund was created by the April 2014 passage of the 1% sales tax for 10 years. The
fund would receive 25% of the new sales tax increase, to be used for the construction of
a community center by the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District. If a development
application for the center has not been filed by January 1, 2016 and a building permit for
said facility has not been issued by January 1, 2017, the funds shall be used for
expansion and construction of the Estes Park Senior Center and Estes Park Museum
facilities. The account would hold funds until such time. Staff estimates a fund balance
of $1,500,000 at the end of 2016 when construction would ensue should the ballot
measure pass on November 3, 2015.
There being no further business, Mayor Pinkham adjourned the meeting at 11:35 a.m.
Barbara Jo Limmiatis, Recording Secretary