Video Description:
Longmont City Council Pre Session – May 22, 2024
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Let’s get started.
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So is Hello, council
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folks.
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Let’s just pull around and give our names are really fast you want to start dialing?
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Councilman Diane Crist. John PacMan.
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Councilman Yarborough. Suzie berry Council shuffle boys Council, Aaron Rodriguez city council, Harold Domingo, city manager,
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Dunkin Donuts.
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Eugene raised city attorney.
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So you want to start hearing with updates. This is going to be very fascinating. I
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don’t really have any updates, and GLA. The questions were about our our conversation concerning parking minimums. And then also they had a question about, which I’ve already spoken with Farrell about
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what is the
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process look like after a subcontractor or contractor gets done with the street projects, because some people have complaints about some of the work that’s been done.
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So I said, Well, that’s not a council policy issue. That’s an operations issues.
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We’d really be making policy concerning the process
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of Planning and Zoning Commission, we’ve already in our last meeting dealt with where they talked about the last time, which was the project must have a warehouse pattern, whatever you call it. So we’ve already dealt with that. As far as housing and Human Services, they have a special meeting on Thursday, to talk about constraints concerning grant funding for 2025.
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Find out more about that on Thursday. That’s interesting. Out there are too many constraints.
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Yes, that’s what it is.
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So consortium to cities only meets every other month. So
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next month, the
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one mind,
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public media canceled their meeting this month. So they didn’t meet.
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I missed the
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grab meeting.
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What was going on, it felt like it was something to do something that the council was doing on that day. But
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and then last night was the golf course. And golf course, they’ve got some interesting things going, they have a new sprinkler system at Twin Peaks. And before you know, if the Greens themselves, the putting greens needed
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extra water, you had to do the entire area. But now they have this technology that just got put in on the front nine, that allows it to be much more specific about how much water so we’re saving water there, the system, if some they have sensors in the system now that if the system gets
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the notices too much water, they can back off on water saving some water that way, and things like that. Looking at Creek, they have taken out the the old buildings for the maintenance and everything like that, to put in a new one. They’ve got some great before they had their, their, their piles of dirt and sand and things like that just piles now they have actually areas like you go to some of these places where they have actually cement kind of barriers in the bottom to them so that they don’t lose as much of that material
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to the wind and other things like that. So that’s the end. And then it’s there really have been despite some of the weather conditions, they’ve actually had some pretty decent number of rounds. And so they’re doing pretty well there. So overall, they’re doing pretty good
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it’s will be it will be soon. That’s why they took the buildings down, right. Yeah.
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Yeah, they’re they’re not Oh, they got silver.
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steel, steel. Yeah. Steel. Yeah. It didn’t sound like the steel about that. See? That’s why
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they missed that part.
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So
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that’s something that’s
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right. Okay, so
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we did get during the museum Advisory Board meeting, we did get a presentation on the expansion. So I don’t have printout of it, but I will be happy to pass my laptop around. It’s really quite phenomenal. So yeah, we will do that. So you know, it’s mostly kind of asking questions around that, I think at all the arts and public places the
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library and
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museum again, there was a lot of concern around getting new people to apply.
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I think in the museum and library get both of those, they’ll have vacant seats, because not enough applicants come in. So it really minimizes the opportunity to be able to
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to be
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board members to miss a day because then they won’t be quorum. So, one of the
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board members from the light library Advisory Board had asked about the Longmont housing authority that there was an advertisement she saw on the leader and wanted to know if that’s an option for other board members, but those are aren’t those paid? Plans? You had her own board? Okay, so she saw that specific one or she I don’t know, there’s a different cycle that we do. Okay. So I will let, I will let them know that there. Those were out there as well. So, you know, just how can we get folks to apply to apply? So we can add Susie? Yes, we have
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a large list of all the ways we recruit and advertise Yes, mail it out. We do it for every recruitment. Yeah. And and, you know, I had said, you know, I’ve seen it on my social media feeds, Facebook, Instagram, because we boost those. So I see those. Yeah. So that was, you know, people aren’t looking. But again, it’s one of those things like, it gets to the point when you’re organizing or trying to get the new word out. I mean, you practically have to knock door to door, knock on each ever every single door and ask them personally, and at least three times, because they’ll forget.
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So it’s it’s a challenge. So I think those two boards really had articulated that frustration, like how do we get more people coming in?
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So that was the museum, the library,
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you know, the talking about the recruitment, and then they voted on approving the budget needs. So what they want to present to to Harold, our guests are what is it the two, level two and level one. So level one is must pay bills, and then the level two items, and they showed you shared with the board our jobs shared with the board the priorities, and the board came to a consensus. So they did say that they would put out an email, great to all Council
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letting you know what the priorities were and statement on that component.
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Yeah, I think wasn’t much I think in the art in public places. I’m trying to go back a memory and look at my notes. There was a great discussion on those wrapped traffic boxes. There’s a little they’re what they’re looking to do is add a little QR code. So when you are at those traffic boxes, and you see the vinyl wrap around there, you can actually those are vinyl wrap. They’re not there. No, they’re vinyl wraps and Yeah, and so there you’d be able to scan the QR code and get a history texts on the the images that they see there. So that’ll be working its way down the pike and then a couple of dates to keep in mind if you’re interested. The Clover Meadows Park is having their artists proposal presentations on June 4 and the fox Meadows Park the artists proposal presentations will happen on July 22.
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They were going to be I lasted on lap dogs and the dogs
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was a product of those dates and notes on that yesterday there was
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just a lot of
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funding for from taking the next chair and doing all the
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ins and outs Do you think there’s fewer applicants for library
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a lot of interesting time to do than me. Nothing made me the afternoon I mean that’s why I’m able to do it because they meet at 634 30.
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Right Um, no, not sister cities. Just all the all of the students are working together they because I’ve talked about how I want the students to they have to go over to the whatever
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place with it. The students are going whether it is Mexico or Japan they do a dance from here. And so now they are going to have a choreographer
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All of them together and they’re going to do the same dance hallelujah. So.
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Okay, they’re gonna do that. And they’re, of course, in the fundraising mode right now the parents are.
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And so we got to everybody got tickets, but they’re right now fundraising. So everything has been reserved, at least I know, for, for everything. So right now everybody or all the parents and everything aren’t in fundraising mode. Um, and let’s see tap meeting just had June 26, his bike to work day live music and food is going to be at the Senior Center, I believe.
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And I believe they’re going to have is that really senior center?
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I think so. Okay.
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Back to work.
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Okay.
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So we had Front Range passenger rail presentation.
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And that was a lot. It was a lot going on. They are taking surveys at all. I never got the ticket thing back again. So I don’t have it.
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I took the rest of the code. No, no, no, no, just the original one I wanted to out get it emailed out to all the counselors to take a survey as to what they want to see. And on that little survey, it’s like a regular ticket. They let you know what stops they’re gonna stop that. And I don’t even I hadn’t even taken the survey yet. Because I just wanted to make sure the mayor and I were at coffee with council. And so we pass those out during coffee with council so people can take those surveys.
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And I know the Italian pizza place is opening up downtown. They’re working on it almost done, which is really good.
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Yeah, so Oh, and then third, we have Nate up on this coming Thursday. So the meeting have been a month later. And last time, I think already talked about we had a retreat. Yeah. And they talked about the history and all of that stuff. So.
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So and then they did bring up back to front range, Front Range passenger rail, they did talk about the three Hounsfield 1012. Well, counting. These are my notes on just housing House Bill 1012, Senate Bill 184, Senate Bill 230. Those are the bills that they’re supporting. And
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he was really talking a lot about 230. Senate Bill 230 would create three new finds clean transit enterprise CDOT
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20%, dedicated for passenger rail needs, and at a cost of around $300 billion.
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They have not completed their service development plan. And they are trying to from my understanding the governor, the governor is trying to decide if they want to put this on a ballot or you just covered my home
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Well, I’ll let you complete that then. No, you’re fine. So another thing too, they’re talking about buying the trains.
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That’s another thing.
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It could be 10 year timeframe before we can get trains as well. So
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that’s an issue.
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Anyway, there’s a I have a lot of notes, so but I’m sure mayor, you’re gonna cover the rest. And that was Andy Carson and Christie. Revlon. Brett from Chief of Staff. Yeah.
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Okay.
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Just to piggyback off of that, and because this was me first, so it’s kind of early on. So 25 coalition,
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which the bus tank platform is set to open in the fall.
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That’s the one in Weld County Road 25 between here and Firestone
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just having a little trouble with the platform, the northbound platform.
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They
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the SP 24 Dash 24 did pass and they were successful in amending it so that they were able to keep their toll revenue they built a toll road north, going up to Loveland which by the way is free
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until fall, so
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We want to go try it out. And then
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they were also excited the House Bill 1313, according to density bill,
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a stripped off funding loss, and also remove the credible lawsuit if you don’t comply. So I mentioned that hospital 32 There’s ozone free communities. And they’re working on funding for fairs and like a statewide pass. So if you’re taking our GED, you can also take us aid you can also take Front Range passenger rail, without having to buy one from each organization. So they’re doing a statewide pass study.
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So that we can have a seamless access to the system. Now, interestingly enough, there was an article regarding 29 and 230 about oil and gas offering funding for transit. Something nice, not having
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count. Point counterpoint. There you go.
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Visit Longmont. They are having a monte Balaam monster costume design to show up at events. And we’re always looking for someone to wear like
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Eugene is tall enough for Yeah, yeah.
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Do recent surveys indicate that visitors to Longmont are 49 and a half years ah, on average, and the highest travels between May to October
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was interesting. So we discussed more ways to green travel during the winter, we are having an ice climbing, Amanda got signed. And they’re discussing a partnership with the air show in September to offer you know, micro transit is a big thing. And then also maybe offer maps. Everybody goes to the same restaurant, but it’s dispersed throughout the city. And then they’re also discussing or looking at a tip which is a Tran
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tourism tax district.
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We’ll see we’ll see about that.
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See, then the others the whole bunch of things that kind of relate to the budgeting that’s coming up from one, the LE DP we had Front Range passenger rail, there was a vigorous skepticism
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and lots of questions. But I think what is interesting, and I’m sorry, I don’t have
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a place where I can make copies but elevate which is part of LLDP put out some data about Longmont gave me my extra copy. And Carol test one. What is interesting about this
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is the relationships I think between the information, one they said the population is 106,006 people.
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I mentioned that because it comes up in our housing authority packet about our population, we actually are bigger than older people
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are right about the same
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out about the labor force is 59,000 and almost 500. And the school district has 31,000 enrolled, which means there’s only 15,000 people that aren’t working, which there’s only 14% 14% of population is not working. What is your minute those 31,000 and SVPs details? Those are the employees, Officer enrollments, so it’s jumped
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or retired or maybe unemployed? Well, you know, 18 year olds could be working for us was the SBB SD enrollment, according to this school district.
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And that seems to support national data that people are working to 75 at the same conversation, your retirement pension funds. So like all of these topics overlap, so bear with me.
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What was interesting about this is the median family income,
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according to
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elevate online is 144,000.
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And that the
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average earnings per job is 4000, which means that most families were the 1.7.
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And if the median family income is 144,000,
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it’s really can’t afford more than $300,000 to qualify for that.
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And
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that was also resonated in our retirement pension funds that they’re saying that
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what
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And then staying steady. Whereas, you know, inflation is all over the place. And so what seems to be true is like this is a standard that somewhat not
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changing with inflation.
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There was a people power presentation from Steve
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Ekena economic and demography department of Dola was on April 24. Some of the planning group was there, there was a set of slides that were sent to Harold. I think the Planning Department got it. But he was saying that we are aging, the 65 Plus group is expanding,
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says the only studies births, deaths, jobs, migration, migration being traveled between states.
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And the birth rate is slowing down to the point of a negative population growth. And we’re going to have to rely on migration for future growth. And this kind of relates to one that I heard 10 years ago from his predecessor, who said that generation Z would be smaller, would have to be more efficient to produce as much as generation.
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So
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once back to elevation, or elephant pinging, like, can you get all of that to Dom so that we can share that? That would be nice. I know, the slides are, while some of the some of the softer businesses that came out of there. So that was a lot of data. It is all color coded, you know, won’t have any trouble with it. And then this, I think it’s very interesting. This have to be, you know, this at average, you need to
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relate them together. But union numbers is terrible, and I discuss are more relevant in some ways. But the gross national regional product is $9 billion.
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So one of the ways to help with inflation is to increase production. And it looks like if
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based on earnings, everybody’s producing 150,000 per employee, they went up to 200,000, we could actually
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affect inflation into
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a more reasonable level. I know, we more efficient, just what they said. The State Department’s, okay.
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Interesting information, I think will be useful when we start seeing purchase stuff. We’ll make it a little more fun
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that way.
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For me, I don’t think I had anything else going on except for
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John and Marsha and I participated in the leadership panel for the
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government facility. And that fill out conversation there was about transportation as well.
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Yeah, and one thing we didn’t get you mentioned was patient zero, I thought about that.
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They were concerned that micro transit based on how much ridership on buses, that micro transit would not be
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as Bible however, I see flex ride via being overwhelmed. So
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it’s a pilot program.
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And we said we needed their feedback, constant feedback, as we move forward, looking at your networking. How can we change it? Yeah.
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is interesting. So I sent out to each of you a series of
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epics of behavior, conduct. And just so you have it, if you want to put it in procedure, or take parts of it out for Rules of Procedure. It’s up to the council. I just think going forward and some of the things that have happened, that have been labeled free speech at different places. I think it’d be a good idea, just my opinion, if we discussed at some point in our tonight.
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Are we as leaders of the city of certain
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ways of rules of behavior, and conduct?
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Do we do we act differently in the public events or whatever, as far as engaging with the public?
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But if you’re interested, next year or whatever, then we should talk about it because when last year when I brought up the ethics, we also brought up the rules and procedures.
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So by the way, Marsha is still in New York, right? And she was going to join us but didn’t
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so the only thing that I’m really working on is that Front Range passenger rail because it is involved in Dr. cog and RPG and NEDA with the governor’s office is it’s huge. So I give what we do
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Doing that is a little bit different than what she just said. Today we had our governance meeting, there are different groups finance, governance, planning. And this, this discussion was around station locations, because when we do this service development plan, we have to have our locations in SB 138, when the governor statutorily created RPR, he said where the nine stations were going to be, but all it was just locations for cities. But now each city has to decide within their city where the stations are going to be. And every platform is going to be a low platforms, high platforms, are you going to be able to take bicycles on? Are you going to walkers, dogs, I mean, I thought it would just be built stitch. But it’s not. It’s pretty involved. And some of the jurisdictions, especially
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Colorado Springs.
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pueblos in different they pretty much have a station, I’m not sure it’s what we want, because of the Southwest chief.
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And that’s where we would switch from FRP, RG to southwest to go to San Francisco. So that it’s a huge conversation. And before we can do the plan and actually get some of these dollars.
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We have to have all of that. So each city is trying to figure out even though about where are these going to be where the substation will look like and play in that. So it’s a huge deal. We’re ahead of the game. state that we are ahead of the game. We’re still headed.
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But what concerns me this was Chiquita says that the trains they don’t have the locomotive step.
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So that is true that we do have to buy them. But
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what there are three or four places in Colorado in the United States that actually invade trains. And there are we heard that.
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Yeah, so that’s part of the problem right now. But we’re not going to get this done tomorrow. And they’re making the trains now, but we do get, and this is what the survey is about as well. What do you want the train to look like? If they’re going to make for us? What do you want it to be? What area service do you want? A place? A car just for bicycles? brewery? Yeah, brewery. Oh,
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locomotive, they were short.
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The cars I was thinking it was locomotive, they were behind on everything.
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So
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that discussion is going on. But that is a later discussion, because our discussion today was was choosing an operator
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there. When
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when the governor came out with the SB 138, the discussion was all about Amtrak because Amtrak has a lease with BNSF on the tracks. However, FRP er is an entity
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of do its own, and we get to decide who operates it. So last week, last month, at our meeting,
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Amtrak presented and it was a very in depth presentation of what they would do what they would offer, pricing just went on and on and on. As far as there’s the local entity gets to decide what the fares are going to be. But before Amtrak can have one, a one thing fits all one price. And now they’re looking at different levels of pricing.
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As they learn more and more about being a passenger rail system.
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The interesting thing that that I told Harold and we’ve been working on, is that lovely to Fort Collins, do not have anybody on the board. So I’ve been sending them stuff, they didn’t even know what’s happening. So we have compensation for them. They are now pretty excited about being able to play them and we’re going to have another big meeting with them and the mayor’s who were not on that meeting about
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what kinds of grants are available, what is their station going to look like all of the things that everybody else is discussing. So I guess we are the ones
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going with the North. Yeah, it seems
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That’s was frustrating, because when I learned that too,
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I mean, that’s gonna put set everything behind because they don’t even have all the information, let alone a station in idea of a station. So I mean, we got to get them up to par, they got to get money, and then you go, you know what I’m saying it is so like, well, Harold, Harold and I are working with them and having we’re having another meeting planned. But this other part I’m going to tell you about, we want to have it first and then go bring it to Fort Collins and Loveland. They’re engineers, their
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operations and their mayors. And the other interesting thing about
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is London or Estes Park, it was Estes Park, they got a new mayor.
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a loved one has an intro interim mayor.
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I know that just because of some news on Northland 25. Coalition is an interim mayor.
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His name is Jimmy Junie artists Fort Collins,
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Jackie Marsh before, so it was Justice Potter.
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So they have to be brought up to date, they don’t even know what’s going on. So we’re taking on that role.
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The other thing that their discussion is
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we are at our last governance meeting, the gentleman and I can’t remember his last name, his name is Jeff from Cheyenne, Wyoming was there, and they’re very interested in this North rail as well. So we want to pull them into the conversation, because they are trying to go after their service, no corridor ID plan next year in 2025, where there’s another tranche of money being put out to do that. And that quarter ID plans was where we got our first $500,000 to decide what the quarter was going to look like.
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So I said that Amtrak came to our last meeting this Thursday, the Association of Independent rail operators are going to be at our meeting, which is just an association that
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I’d like to manage a company that has a whole bunch of apartment buildings under their management company, they have independent rail operators, the rail operators, I’m very interested in hearing from them. But I personally am skeptical, this is my bias. Because some of those rails that those train
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were purchased by venture capitalist companies. If they were for sale, if they were being if they were not doing well, then venture capitalists would buy them. That doesn’t mean that they’re not good. I don’t understand that. And I personally am hesitant to go with someone that we I don’t want to be the day
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getting
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my talking about
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the ones that were in
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Vietnam,
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so.
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So it’ll be interesting to hear from them, but they don’t have the
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least
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why should we not go with the best? So it’d be interesting to hear from them, but the board has to decide that. Here’s the other piece that is with 184
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in 184 and part of SB 232. The governor has somewhat mandated that RTD build the Northwest corridor. But then in
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in 184 There is a part of it that’s hard to explain that from Fort Longmont to Fort Collins RTD was to bring them into the district, the way Andy Congressi and interprets it I don’t interpret it that way at all that they’re going to end operate it from for tuck from Loveland to Fort Collins and not from Longmont to Fort Collins. They sit but they’re not in the RTD district. But that’s why they trying to create this power district developed the IDA two that’s different. Oh, that’s a different one. That’s very different. And this is why it’s confusing.
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So I’ve had conversations with Eric Davidson, and we’ll have lunch with him on Friday, because he’s confused about it as well. What it actually says that I emailed all my questions together Johnson, the director of our team
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Add to say, this is what it says. And then she answered. But basically what that means is that they can operate it if they want to. But it would not be pulled into the district. Because to go into the district that has to be a vote of the people. And I sent that all of that are highlighted and my questions to Deborah to the mayors of both Loveland and Fort Collins. And they said, have you read this to you want to be in the district? I don’t interpret it this way. But this is the way of our PR is interpreting it. So what I’m trying to do is work with RTD, Loveland, Fort Collins, and FRP. Er, and say, We have to get this straight. What are we talking about? So
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if they.
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So as Deborah, if you are the operator from Longmont to Fort Collins, who pays for the operations and maintenance on that line? Because they are in the FRP. Our district that makes no sense. So according to SB 30, at least a cognitive supposed to send me all of the pieces of that, that say what it’s supposed to be, is that
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the state will give them upgrading.
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Now why that makes no sense to me, because FRP are supposed to be getting operating money from the federal government, not like the state. So you can see how confusing this is. Well, you should have heard when he hits excuse about the federal money talking about people never use this amount of money. They don’t know how to distribute the money. They never had to distribute this amount of money before. And so hold up, we just got out of a pandemic. So people have to learn how to distribute money real quick, fast and hurry. So you tell me they don’t know how to distribute money? Are you serious? And then he said, then went to Dallas, Fort Worth for about the plan. And
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and so they are talking with BNSF. That’s what BNSF is that? And now they’re talking about getting some more consultants or consultant. So listen.
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How many consultants have you all gotten already? And what are you doing with the consultants? What is the what are the results? And I said, it’s been someone asked on the advisory board is BNSF contributing financially, and he was like, No, and I was like anybody else? BNSF you’re going all the way to Fort Worth to talk to him. You ask him for no money?
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Yeah, it was a little frustrating meeting to me, because I felt like they just kept making excuses. And they’re trying to wait to see to put this on the ballot. So what is the point the 23 cent per every $100? That’s what they’re trying to get a tax in order to pay for. I think it’s zero point. Point Zero to 3.0 to three, it’s not 22. I would love 23 cents with
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zero. Okay, yeah.
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That’s what polars wants. That’s what he wants. Yeah, point zero to every $100. Right. So I was excited. And this is just barely in the words, but it’s a discussion that the chair of frbr wants to have. He emailed me today and said, Yeah, let’s do this.
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Jeff from Cheyenne, we’re going to do an MOU with them.
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He said, And I heard this four or five years ago from another person or entity, grounder Grace’s name student rail, Colorado rail every forever. He’s very smart.
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The discussions between up and BNSF, about five or six years ago was that because of a rule that was made in the 60s, they can share their lines, they don’t have to go used to be that they had to get congressional. Okay on that. But now they don’t if I understood it correctly. So what they are working on in this is to be in SF.
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To their credit, they want to move all the freight out of
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Colorado, basically but this area, the district, Boulder County, up to Union Station, and rerouted all the way around bringing east to the east and coming into Longmont switching it from going the freight from going through our city to go East and around that way, which is a huge benefit because we’re supposed to share the line with freight. And one of the reasons that from my understanding that BNSF wants to do it is because of the risk of that
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After going through accounts, and the
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the speed, they can’t get the speed they need for freight or not making timelines, etc.
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So we are in those discussions as well.
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I could go on and on. But what’s the point?
40:20
So, one of the things that I, oh my gosh,
40:26
no, we have.
40:29
So one of the things I talked to Andy Carson on the phone Monday, he checks in every once in a while.
40:36
He keeps saying we are working through and I brought it up on the meeting today, when they gave the updates on everything. He said, we are working through this, and we are working through that we are working through it, I stopped him. And I said, that doesn’t mean anything to me. What are you talking about? And I asked Andy, you’re supposed to be
40:59
having a meeting between RTD and see Doc, are you doing a meeting sitting down in the room of everybody discussing this? Are these one off phone calls to see to see that to RTD to be said there when a phone calls, it’s so each entity is not hearing what the other one said.
41:22
So I brought that up on the meeting today. And I got three thumbs up really from the other people on the board. There’s somebody, you’re only six or seven years, it was a commitment.
41:34
I said you need to all sit down in the same room. See that RTD frbr, the governor’s office and
41:45
legal
41:47
and hammer this out. Because you were supposed to be either in IGA with three entities having an IGA or a Power Authority. I don’t think what’s happening is unusual at all, we’re trying to build a railroad. And
42:08
the ones who know how to build the railroad
42:11
are the ones we’re trying to contact.
42:15
So
42:17
we had to wait until the legislation came down because we didn’t know what the government was.
42:24
So now that everything’s signed, and delivered, it’s going to be hit hit the road hard, make motions, make decisions, and go at it as hard.
42:40
I like boards and councils that are active. I get a lot of people just taking the seats and filling them and have our 15 member board, I would say there’s probably four people that are in that city RTD that really are interested in working hard.
42:59
That’s going to change. Gov wants to reduce the all these boards have the smaller people who are very interested.
43:08
Anyone work so
43:12
the vote.
43:14
We were supposed to, according to the governor go to the ballot this November.
43:20
We’re not ready.
43:24
And one of the reasons we’re not ready is that and I brought it up I said I’m not happy with SB of 230. Because I work very hard and getting fracking out of Longmont and and our city has moved very hard in getting the wells out of here. So to turn around and say we’re going to use those dollars to build this railroad, I have to say that people blew up at me and I said I didn’t do that. And I told him on the board. I’m very unhappy about it. I do not support this. But that was before it passed. But now that it’s passed, we have to use it. So the lynchpin for me in getting the vote, because this is going to be an incredible trade. It’s going to be amazing
44:09
is getting the freight outta here that will make people happy if we can get the frayed out and made good. So that’s why I’m working really hard on it.
44:19
Because
44:20
they’re not happy about you know, three fifty.org
44:25
The Sierra Club and earthworks but bought into Paulus’s things so but there are other organizations that are just unhappy that
44:40
we’re going to use
44:43
so anyway
44:46
that’s it. We’re probably Thursday’s meeting got to decide should we go in 26 for the boat, which is an off year.
44:57
I would like to go in
45:00
In 25,
45:02
Andy wants to go in 26. I know my reasons why he wants to go there, which are worth saying.
45:10
I
45:12
think that if we wait too long, he’s telling me the service delivery plan will take two years? No.
45:20
It should not, it should be done. It could be done by January if they got it together.
45:27
So getting RTD to do their part is really hard. And this is why I’m talking to Eric because he needs to know what FRP R is doing. If we’re all going to work together, we have to know what each other’s doing.
45:40
He’s
45:42
RTD is paying for the feasibility study. For the fiscal part of it.
45:49
For the Northwest corridor, I said, Why is it BNSF giving you that said, because they’re confused, they don’t know who’s asking for these FRP are working. And the reason they’re confused, is because the three entities are supposed to be working together. And BNSF is evaluating the cost, how big of a cost of a valuated. But Eric is right RTD already paid for it. They should have.
46:21
So that’s another part of it, push hard on BNSF. Give RTD the feasibility study, so they can start working this out.
46:36
Well, actually, remember, when Brian and that whole group went to Fort Worth, Fort Worth of the peak study was ready to go.
46:46
It was RGD. That was they just will not move. But the governor,
46:54
I heard from somebody from the governor’s office that I talked to said that RTD is not ready for January, by January, they’re going to mandate and just take, and they can’t statutorily they were created statutorily, just like FRP AR was. Do you mean it separate RGD from the project? No. The bill that did not pass it didn’t even make it out of committee. And I forget the number of that bill. But it was the one that was going to redo our TV, cut down the number will never afford seats, they were going to be appointed they were going to be some would be elected, some will be appointed, but it would be no more than seven or eight.
47:41
We should put down during the opening up great questions, some of which cannot be answered. And he said so.
47:52
This isn’t going to happen until they say something he
47:56
said so.
48:00
This isn’t going to happen until
48:03
this will only happen
48:05
until everything falls apart. It doesn’t happen. Something.
48:10
It was like yeah, the governor has put a ton of money toward this.
48:15
The thing is it is going to happen.
48:20
We just need to get all the players on the same path. And Harold has been great working with me and Phil Greenwald and
48:31
just kind of making their own little community.
48:37
Material users are saying if there’s not movement, I would guess by September.
48:43
They
48:44
are going to start
48:47
and so part of it I know councilmember Yarborough that Grant said something BNSF CDOT and Walmart are working on a grant application for Harper Abrams ROTC.
49:00
And then also planning grant. So there’s a lot of work being done.
49:08
And I think, you know, of course, you know, there’s plenty Andy presented to Ellie Peters stuff that
49:17
you think you do in the year?
49:19
This is not
49:22
hard. I think, you know, to Don’s questions or certain questions you can’t answer just because
49:31
the money’s going to dictate it because they won’t talk to you unless they know the money’s appropriated.
49:37
And so you know, there’s a chicken I mean,
49:41
we know the egg comes first and the eggs the appropriation before the real companies are really talked to.
49:49
But you know, there’s, there’s dirt, putting money into this huge amounts of money and
49:57
I wanted to
50:00
Just share because I know you’re going to get asked questions of
50:05
how hard it is to get the, I would say the base of what this is all going to be together, first of all, and
50:19
I don’t think that FRP are moved fast enough.
50:23
However, they did need to wait for the legislation. So because there were too many groups working on different parts of the legislation, no one knew where this was going to end up. So now that that has been done,
50:39
well, full disclosure, I did tell them they need to hire outside consultants, which our staff I did
50:48
feel
50:51
comfortable. I said,
50:55
I’ll say sales.
50:57
Consultants, I say you got him right here. I said, Yeah, we don’t, I’m sorry, I kicked them out. But
51:06
as part of what we’re doing, as part of what we’re going to be with the other communities is talking about rail. And so the governor’s office ones about us to kind of talk about our position.
51:20
And
51:21
different projects related to society,
51:25
connecting some of the dots. So that’s part of the meeting of mayors talking about Mayor city managers planning transportation planners,
51:35
on the Northern Corridor, so we could get a live, should we send them a proposal to the governor, consultant.
51:44
I mean, we shouldn’t be given the information for free. I know we all that work together. But it’s not our fault that they’re not up to speed, up to speed to come join the board.
51:55
I need another loud voice. So I will say I think that’s what’s helping us on some of these transportation projects. So you know, when you partner with the railroad state,
52:06
multimillion dollar products, transit oriented development,
52:12
it’s probably a different way of doing it, but leveraging it for different state funding to be more positive or bring things to our community. So I would say that’s what we’re trying to do. Yeah.
52:25
And just like any other huge organization, you’ve got egos that get in the way, and politics. And that’s why they all need to sit down in the same room
52:37
and hash it out.
52:40
When needed media
52:42
savvy?
52:45
No, no.
52:48
We have the staff.
52:52
So that’s basically all I got. And
52:56
but I did find out I didn’t know this, I emailed Melinda Stephens or Dr. Conrad before I came, I found out they’re meeting Rhett’s Doug Rex, the director said, because we’re just talking about Fast Tracks, and they even update on fast tracks, which I didn’t agree with, because it wasn’t what I’ve been hearing for years. And
53:18
he said, Whatever Fast Tracks does, Dr. cog has to Okay.
53:25
And I know I misinterpreted that so I emailed Melinda and said, Can you have somebody called clarify that because I didn’t understand it correctly. But basically,
53:39
the guy who presented on Fast Tracks what Doug was saying called in the room down was it doesn’t matter because Dr. Congo has to weigh in on this first
53:52
and maybe because it’s federal funding, but I don’t know I never heard that before
54:00
so that’s all like that.
54:03
Which is more than enough Well, I think NPO connections so I don’t know if they have oversight
54:13
working with LTO so that would be the northern MPO would love for Collins
54:20
but maybe what he’s referencing I’m sure I just have never understood as well
54:30
Phil will know the answer
54:36
was the way it comes together is for it to seem like nothing’s going to come together. Well everybody said yeah, that’s that’s
54:45
but I think we we are pushing to make it come together because it has to
54:50
the confusion really is the primary intercity rail is what is the driver and then sort of any use and advice and dollars and already coming in for
55:00
Denver logging
55:01
in where they need to increase
55:05
and see that they put money in to help get it to Fort Collins, but they need the increase to help operationalize that. And that’ll be the inner city rail, they will go to Loveland Fort Collins, Boulder do
55:18
RTDs connection that’s causing all the confusion is they can run a computer.
55:25
And that’s where that legislation gives them the ability to run a commuter lie in between the inner city around it, you can’t, you’ve got to start with the inner city rail, because that’s what’s going to leverage the federal dollars they’re
55:39
setting up
55:41
because they can’t use it for
55:44
right, are we gonna own those rails? No, why are we doing a capital improvement on BNSF? Property?
55:53
Equipment? Because they have an easement? Well, actually, I mean, the railroads. So that’s part of it is it’s too expensive. If you have to build your own mines, it’s part of the agreement.
56:07
Not asking for a little bit. Well, here’s the
56:11
thing, when the when you were you were on the train, they had to go slow, because if they didn’t go slow, they would
56:22
travel jump tracks, or something like that, because it was too heavy. And so they have to do the upgrade. Right? Right, that’s from freight rail to work
56:34
that’s needed. So it sounds like they had to upgrade the entire system. Alright, we’re gonna pay for time on the
56:42
train.
56:46
Track leases has leased from BNSF. We don’t lose that. But we can pay, we pay the operator to run the service.
56:57
And that comes from all of the funding that is out there now, as well as the cost of attendance,
57:06
which is why we need to add some kind of a tax or how we’re going to fund it from the residents. So how do we sell that to the residents? Is the marketing? How do we sell back to them?
57:25
Yeah, that’s kind of the operator question where
57:29
Mayor and I’ve talked about this and triggering agreements around a BNSF. Truck, right? So why are you considering an operator that doesn’t have an agreement, and then you’re gonna have to negotiate?
57:41
So there’s some decision points that I think are clear
57:47
in certain areas, and I think that’s what everybody has to work for. Why can’t we just use their trainings?
57:55
And you can question if we don’t have a train that we would use where Andy’s confusing if you choose a different operator Yes, choose Amtrak. Amtrak already has to train kids. And they already have the agreement would be an except for Amtrak can run on any BNSF why the United States right, because of an other another agreement and that’s what’s causing all
58:22
right, which there was a lot of confusion presents.
58:26
His point of view, we always teach him it’s just a marketing class. As for the business, and what we need to do
58:34
to your point.
58:39
Oh, sorry, I guess we’re running over. Sorry.
58:44
Everybody,
58:46
because more information is needed covering
58:50
how to get it out there.