Video Description:
City Council Study Session – June 1, 2021
Note: The following is the output of transcribing from a video recording. Although the transcription, which was done with software, is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or [software] transcription errors. It is posted as an aid to understanding the proceedings at the meeting, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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Unknown Speaker 8:56
Thank you very much Mayor Bagley could not be with us tonight So, as mayor Pro Tem I would like to now call the June 1 2021 Longmont city council study session to order. Can we please start with the roll call? Mayor Bagley. Councilmember Christiansen your Councilman vote. Councilmember a dog appearing here. Councilmember Martin. Here. Councilmember Peck. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez here. Councilmember waters, dear Mayor Pro Tem you have a quorum. All right, thank you very much. Just as a reminder to the public meetings are still being held remotely due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Please watch the meeting live stream by clicking play on the video link within the interactive agenda window. Or you can also view us on YouTube as well as Longmont public media.org. At this time, we will do the Pledge of Allegiance and I will go ahead and lead that Instead of calling on other folks, all right. I pledge allegiance, allegiance to the flag and the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty. All right, thank you very much everybody. You’re here. So just as a reminder, tonight is a study session. So we will only have a public invited to be heard at the beginning of the meeting. So I’ll give a couple extra minutes. While we’re waiting folks to call in since we will not have a second opportunity. So anyone wishing to provide public comment during public invited to be heard, must watch the livestream of the meeting and calling only when the meeting is open for public comment. callers are not able to access the meeting at any other time. As the screen is up, the toll free call the number is 888-788-0099. Please watch the live stream and write down the meeting ID when it’s displayed as in right now. at the appropriate time, I will invite callers to call in and dial the toll free number. Enter the meeting ID and when asked for your participant ID press the pound sign or number sign please please mute the live stream until you are called for and listen for the instructions. Because there is a delay between the live stream and when you would hear on your phone when it is your turn to call him. You will hear confirmation when you have entered the meeting and will be told how many others are already participating and will be placed in a virtual waiting room until admitted into the meeting. You will be called upon by the last few digits of your phone number and allowed to unmute at that time. Just remember that comments are limited to three minutes per person and each speaker will be asked to state their name and address for the record prior to proceeding with their comments. Please, once you’re done speaking, hang up. At this time, we will take motions to direct the city manager to add agenda items to future agendas. Do I have any emotions? Councilmember waters?
Unknown Speaker 12:17
Yeah, me first. Can I ask a question? Mayor Pro Tem. Absolutely. Thanks for for recognizing me. I’m wondering Have you have any other council members received calls from county commissioners about the county’s interest in putting together a group of representatives from municipalities in from the county to determine is you it was used was to collaborate? I’m not certain exactly what that’s going to mean. I think it’s to communicate at least about what municipalities in the county intend to do what the priorities are for the use of rescue funding this coming into the county with the interest being to avoid unnecessary duplications, leverage opportunities when we can make invest in High Street use of the resources. Does anybody else had that conversation?
Unknown Speaker 13:09
I’m not sure if hands are being raised to say that they’ve heard had communication. I will say that I have not had communication.
Unknown Speaker 13:17
I I know that I had a conversation with with Commissioner loach. I mean, and I know she reached out to the mayor. I don’t know if if they she closed that loop or he closed that loop with her. But the reason I bring it up is that if if I got a text earlier today just a little bit ago that they’re planning on proceeding, and would like our involvement. And I think what they’d like is probably one of us. And and unlikely somebody from the city manager’s team and maybe others I don’t know, but maybe our experts on the use of, of ARPA funding. But anyway, I hate to not respond if if they’re putting that together.
Unknown Speaker 14:01
Okay, thank you very much. Councilmember waters, I would say that. While I haven’t heard about it and have not been briefed by the mayor, I would like to take this time to allow council members to chime in on this specific topic first, and then if they have anything additional, we’ll address that next. Councilmember Peck please.
Unknown Speaker 14:25
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and Councilman waters. I have heard not specifically from the commissioners but I did have a conversation with Claire levy about what I heard in this was from another mayor in Boulder County that that concern and this Mayor had said she had met with our mayor Bagley that what they would like is for the local municipalities. Shares of whatever dollars they receive to be put into a communal bundles that would be in the county, and that it would be then we would meet. And it sounds a little bit like the tip prog process on Dr. cog, where the municipalities with a bundle of money decide which areas of concern are the most important. But Commissioner levy denied that she said no, if that’s the message going out, it’s the wrong message. But that is the message I heard from another mayor. This was discussed at the MCC meeting, if I remember correctly.
Unknown Speaker 15:35
All right. Thank you very much. Next is Councilmember Martin. Thanks,
Unknown Speaker 15:39
I just would put in that I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it because it wasn’t a data invitation. But I did on a personal email based on an interest group, get a just a notice that this was in the works. So no, I can’t really offer any information. But I can’t say that I had there’s been complete radio silence either.
Unknown Speaker 16:02
Alright, thank you, Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 16:06
I just think our whole council needs to be informed about this. And, and if possible, all of us need to be participating in it. Um, I understand that becomes unwieldy. I have the consortium of cities tomorrow night, and I will that’s a, you know, a collection of representatives as some of the mayor’s some of them, council members from all over the county. And I’ll ask them what they’re doing and report back to you. But this is really a lot of money. And I think we all ought to be part of it. So thanks. Alright,
Unknown Speaker 16:46
thank you. Councilmember, your doggo fairing.
Unknown Speaker 16:50
I do have a question. I know before the pandemic, we had talked about having a joint meeting with the Boulder County Commissioners, Do we have anything scheduled in or anything lined up to meet with them? I think this would be an if we have something coming up in the next month or so I think maybe this would be a good time to discuss this. Because as Councilmember Christiansen said, I think it really needs to be a council to Commissioner board meeting. So we are all privy as to the information that’s being shared firsthand. Do we have anything scheduled in the works?
Unknown Speaker 17:33
I mean, Sandy, Sandy is looking at that in terms of meaning I haven’t seen anything on my schedule. I’m just what I’ve seen in another email is that they were looking at how he handled the collaborative from the 2013 flood as a forum for the conversation. And the areas that they wanted to look at, for collaboration where and I think it’s different. So housing, are Can we meet our 12% goal, human services, and how those funds go their digital divide broadband, and business support. But they haven’t schedule a date to meet. Okay, and so, or at least I haven’t heard of a date to meet and so I can follow up with, with the mayor to see if he’s received an email on this in terms of the county commissioner meeting. That is going to be on the 29th of September. That’s been scheduled for the 29th of September. Okay, in terms of this other conversation, I’d heard that from some council members, but in terms of an actual meeting, I haven’t been made aware of that. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 18:54
because I am interested in following up in a meeting with to discuss this particular topic with their Boulder County Commissioners. I think any opportunity we have to meet as a council to commissioners board, I think would be great. So, um, you know, I am willing to to make time in my schedule to to appear if we have any, you know, if they are interested in meeting with us as a council. I would support that. All right,
Unknown Speaker 19:25
thank you very much. So Councilmember waters, you’ve gotten a fair amount of information back, would you like to make a motion or clarify anything?
Unknown Speaker 19:36
I guess maybe I would do this. If this is going to be something that’s handled by the consortium of, of cities that didn’t. Councilmember Christiansen obviously, is already there. Our liaison if it’s something different from that, it seems to me that we ought to, we ought to have a council liaison or a council representative. So I’d move that we appoint someone and then so that to the We’re ready to have somebody in and take our priorities into those conversations. That’s different, obviously than the whole council meeting with with with county commissioners, which I hope I’m well, we’re obviously scheduled in September. So I would move that, that we identify somebody and, and at least get that council member Rep. Ready to represent our, our priorities when the opportunity comes.
Unknown Speaker 20:27
There’s a motion on the table for lack of a second. The motion fails. Next on my list of speakers would be Councilmember Peck.
Unknown Speaker 20:47
Sorry, I my hand wasn’t up for a question or comment.
Unknown Speaker 20:52
All right, thank you. The next handout that I saw was Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 20:58
when I spoke about the consortium of cities I I don’t think this is something they will take the lead in or do whatever you know i that isn’t exactly what what they do but they because if that does not include all three of the county commissioners, and I think we should meet with all three of the county commissioners and all of us as a body because we act as a body that’s all I’m suggesting.
Unknown Speaker 21:31
In this way, sorry. Errol, go ahead. And just for you know what I’m seeing here it looks like it’s not just Longmont looks like they want to get boulder Longmont, Lewisville, Lafayette superior, Jamestown in Lyons into the conversation. So it seems much broader than just the Longmont conversation. But I just sent an email to see if they’ve set a meeting because I haven’t had any meeting invite or anything, just an interest piece. And so as soon as I hear something, I’ll let council know.
Unknown Speaker 22:10
I’m just gonna say real briefly, before I call on Councilmember Martin, that it sounds like this is still in the very early stages, and that we may not be close to a true, functional organization for this concept yet. But that just seems to be what I’m hearing so far as various pieces of the conversation. Councilmember Martin, please. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 22:32
I was just gonna say the same thing as the mayor Pro Tem, pretty much. I didn’t second this, because it doesn’t seem like we know enough about how it’s going to be organized in order to decide whether we need an appointee or what so. Yeah, seems like we’ve got time if there haven’t been any invitations. Yeah. Thank you, Councilmember waters.
Unknown Speaker 22:54
I’ll pass I was just gonna ask for clarification that this council doesn’t want somebody from this council as a representative to a group that the Board of County Commissioners intend to convene. Just to be clear, but it sounds like well, maybe if we if he had more information about it, so I’ll just I’ll let it go there.
Unknown Speaker 23:17
And, you know, I would agree with you, Councilmember waters, that I, I would, if there is such an ad hoc group, I would definitely want somebody be it either from the staff, or the council, or both to be a member of that decision making process. As in this was something that we kind of heard about as, as problematic when we were talking about the compost facility earlier is that we were not necessarily included in these conversations. And so I think that we should be consistent, and that would be consistent. But I guess until we hear something a bit more definite. We’re not quite there yet. All right. Are there any other motions to sit to the city manager at this time? Seeing Seeing none? Oh, oh, Mayor, Virginia,
Unknown Speaker 24:05
I want to just tell you on this conversation with staff, because the way the money is being allocated, we’re going to be very careful with it because ultimately, we’re responsible for it, unlike in the way some of the other funds came down into into the collaborative. And so there will be some technical pieces we’re going to, we’re going to really need to understand to when they move into this conversation. All right,
Unknown Speaker 24:33
thank you very much. As you can see, there’s a lot of moving pieces here, not just within the city but also within the county and the other municipalities within our county. So looking forward to these conversations because it will just help us provide certainty towards our governance as well as the you know, the governance surrounding us. At this time, though, I would like to invite the public to call in, the information is being displayed on the screen. Make sure to please mute the live stream and dial in now, we will take the entire five minutes, and maybe even leave it open a little bit longer because this is the only time tonight that people can call an invited me and make their comments because this is a study session tonight. So, five minutes from now, counsel, I expect to see you all back and we’ll listen to some comments. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 25:49
For folks watching at home now is the time to call in for the public invited to be heard, please dial the number that you see on your screen, which is 1-888-788-0099 and enter the meeting id 87157893403. And if prompted for a participant ID please press the pound or hash sign. Remember to mute the live stream when you call in so that you don’t hear feedback. When is your turn to speak. When you come into the meeting. We will call on you by the last three digits of your phone number you will be asked to state your name and address for the record and then you have three minutes.
Unknown Speaker 28:31
Welcome to the caller’s who just entered the room. We are going to hang tight for a few more minutes to give folks some more time to call in. And we’ll get started here shortly by calling on you by the last three digits of your phone number
Unknown Speaker 30:32
All right, if council members can start making their way back. All right looks like we have all the council members back if we could just leave the meeting open for the first caller. And then after the first caller is done, then we can close if there are any callers
Unknown Speaker 31:19
All right, Mayor Pro Tem, we do have one caller. So I will leave the screen up for that one caller see if we get any other folks calling? caller with a number ending in 285. I’m going to ask you to unmute you can do so by hitting star six on your phone. Please state your name and address for the record and you will have three minutes.
Unknown Speaker 31:48
Yes, Mayor Pro Tem council members, can you hear me? You can hear I can hear you? Great. Thank you. My name is Gary Hasson flew 5635 high drive, Mission Hills, Kansas. I’m the owner of the garrison companies, which is a mixed use development company based in Kansas City, but does a lot of work in Colorado and I work with calling to tell you that I think it’s a great idea. with you all moving forward with the Main Street corridor plan. It will be a fabulous way to redevelop and re energize that area. You know, so many of us developers, like a comprehensive plan for for an area that we develop in. And I can tell you that we are interested in developing in that area. And very much like the idea of a good plan for that area. Good planning, development and citizens and affordable housing. I think it’d be I very much encourage you to move forward through the process to allow that type of reneges that reenergize ation of that area as soon as you well. Practically can. Thank you. Alright, thank
Unknown Speaker 33:30
you very much. That was about a minute and a half of his time. So we gotten any other colors? No, Mayor Pro Tem, we do not have any other colors. All right, very well, that will conclude public invited to be heard for this evening. At this time, we’ll proceed to special reports and presentations. I do not see any on the agenda. So just to get a confirmation from Errol that we do not have any. All right, I’m seeing none. That means that will move us into our study session items for tonight. The first item being the rate study introduction in operating expenses, and I believe that Becky Doyle will be walking us through this. So I’d like to invite her to the meeting, if available. Actually, not me this evening, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez. I think Dale’s gonna start us off.
Unknown Speaker 34:42
Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and city council. So tonight we’re starting and continue actually continuing that discussion with regards to analyzing the sufficiency of our rates, in particular into the utilities of the city. First the the electric utility. And then secondly, the storm drainage utility, no interest. Interestingly, both of these utilities are sort of facing some difficult and unique sort of challenges. Storm drainage in particular has been heavily influenced and drawn upon, if you will, since the 2013. Flood. And we’re really at a point in time where in the revenues coming into the storm drains utility, or load longer sufficient for us to maintain the integrity of that system. And so it is it is similar to the discussions that we’ve had with you on water and sewer, on your all of these utilities, quite frankly, are quite capital intensive, especially the wet utilities, the water, the sanitary, and the and the storm sewer. And so tonight, we’re going to be talking about the, the operating expenses. In a future meeting, we’re going to be talking about the capital side of the equation, because we have to pay attention to both. And then lastly, with regards to the electric utility, as council knows, we have a very important goal in front of us for 2030. Namely, to achieve 100%, renewable, carbon free electric generation in our community. And I think it’s important if you’ll recall, when we did the last rate study in electric, we only did it for two years, for a couple of reasons. One was because of the changing environment in the electric utility world. In other words, it wouldn’t be wise to try to put out a five year rate plan given all the specific changes going on and different changes. But we’re still in that type of environment. So what you’re likely going to hear is, again, another fairly short term rate adjustment in the electric utility. So as to, first of all, first and foremost, again, maintain the financial integrity of the utility, but also to acknowledge the changing environment as we move towards the 100% renewal goal. So staffs going to talk to you more about that, this evening. And you’re going to hear a lot more about that as we go through. Later in June. We’re going to be returning to with another presentation. And then I believe another one in the July August timeframe. Again, we’re trying to do this. So that Council is fully appraised of the situation, the options that you have in front of you, before we ever asked you to make a decision with regards to any rate adjustments. So with that, I’ll I’m going to turn it over to Raven, who is actually new to making presentations to the city council, but Raven does a great job. And if you have any questions I can take those now otherwise, Raven I believe we’ll be ready when we get the slideshow pulled up.
Unknown Speaker 38:13
I see no questions from the council this time so whenever ravens ready.
Unknown Speaker 38:20
Mayor Pro Tem Rebekah’s and members of council, I’m Raven Martin with pw and our business services. And tonight Brian McGill and I will be presenting information about proposed rate studies for electric and storm drainage. There’ll be CMP w nr, are jointly conducting our rate studies because conducting them at the same time, reduces multiple rate increases at different times, which can be daunting to the public. Next slide please. municipal utilities are typically nonprofit and seek only to cover the cost of providing services to the community. The method for doing this is common regardless of the service provided. The first step is to determine what the revenue requirements are, which is how much money is needed to deliver the programs and services that have been approved by council to serve the community. That revenue requirement is typically split between operating expenses and capital expenses. We will be coming back to the council at the end of June to speak more about capital expenses, but tonight we will focus on operating expenses. Once we know what the total revenue requirement is, we allocate those costs among the customer classes. This aims to determine the cost of providing services to each class residential services as a class for example, commercial customers has a class and so on. To do this, we look at service characteristics aiming to determine which parts of the system each classes using. The cost of service analysis is the part of the rate study which allows us to analyze these components. The rate proposal portion of the race study allows us to look at the various ways that these costs can be recouped by Based on the rate design implemented. Next slide please. Determining the revenue requirements allows the city to ensure that we have sufficient revenue to operate the utilities sustainably in the future. The cost of service analysis ensures that we have equity among various customer classes so that each customer class is paying their fair share and not paying for the cost of providing service to a different customer class. The rate proposal portion of the rate study allows us to consider what other goals the council and community might have, such as what behavior we would like to incentivize, and how are commodities priced to achieve those behaviors. Next slide, please.
Unknown Speaker 40:46
Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, members of council. My name is Brian McGill utility rate analyst with Longmont power and communications. And tonight, we’d like to introduce the topic of operating expenses because operating expenses form the majority of the revenue requirement for both the storm drainage and electric utilities. For storm drainage, the operating expenses account for 60% of the total revenue requirements with the other 40% being debt service, which rainbow we’ll talk about in a minute, and capital projects, which we will be discussing with you at the end of the month. For the past several years, the electric utilities operating expenses have accounted for 99% of the total revenue requirements. However, for the next couple of years, that percentage will be lower due to the advanced metering infrastructure capital project. These two pie charts represent the operating expenses from the 2021 budget for the two utilities. While the budget amounts differ greatly. The expense categories are similar because they demonstrate the operating and maintenance costs of providing both of these services. The one exception is the purchase power expense on the electric side, which is the largest expense by far. The purchase power expense covers long months portion of Platte River Power authorities cost to provide electricity to our city. This is more than just the cost to generate and deliver electric electricity. It is also the OEM expenses associated with the generation facilities, including the renewable energy generation facilities. It also covers the owner expenses on the transmission lines and prps administrative and general costs. If we were to remove the purchase power expense for comparison purposes, you can see that personnel expenses would be the largest category for both utilities. The other expense types the utilities share our operating and maintenance and transfers to the General Fund, which includes the administrative transfer fee for services provided by the general fund divisions, such as accounting, legal and HR services. For the electric utility This also includes the franchise fee, which is 8.64% of most electric revenue streams. However, the storm drains utility does not pay a franchise fee. The final expense that is included in both utilities is the replacement of the customer information system or cis, which is the city’s utility billing and customer service system. Next slide please. This graphic displays how Platte rivers wholesale rates stack up against the other regional providers. We are showing the 2019 rates because not all the 2020 rates have been published yet. And it is fortunate for long lock that prps rates are low because this allows LPC to keep overall costs low, which translates into lower electric rates for our customers, including the second lowest residential rates in Colorado added the 43 utilities that responded to the January survey. Next slide please. This chart is a brief history of the budgeted expenses in the electric utility. As you can see expenses increase over time, including purchase power expense. We generally anticipate at 3% annual increase in operating expenses due to inflation, increased cost of inputs and the growth in the number of customers we serve. An exception to this is the purchase power expense for which we receive a long term forecast from trpa. The reason there’s a decrease from 2020 to 2021 is due to the amount budgeted for the new customer information system. This expense decreased from $2.3 million in 2020 to $500,000 in 2021. If we were to remove the CIS expense, you would see a slight increase from 2020 to 2021. Next slide please. Okay, now I’m going to turn it back over to Raven and she’ll talk more in depth about the storm drainage utility. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 44:56
Over the same timeframe in the storm drain budget Personnel is the largest expense followed by operating and maintenance expenses, which have stayed relatively the same over the last several years. The cis funding has decreased as decreased for this project, as it has been allocated in previous years. Next slide please. cost drivers for the storm drainage utility are quite different. However, rather than providing a commodity the storm drainage utility is focused on maintaining its assets and meeting regulatory requirements. The city’s ms four permit from the municipal storm drainage system outlines requirements the city must meet to maintain the health of our waterways by ensuring the water quality of runoff. Most of this cost is reflected in personnel where the regulatory program represents approximately 20% of the overall expense. In addition to the operating expenses for maintaining the storm drainage utility. In meeting regulatory requirements, another primary driver of storm drainage utility costs is debt service. The storm drainage utility issued revenue bonds in 2008 to fund improvements to drainage ways such as lichens Gulch and spring Gulch number two, as well as bridge replacements of left hand Creek and South partway, as well as the construction of a regional detention pond north of highway 66. A special election authorize additional debt following the devastating flood in September of 2013. Using bond proceeds as local match funding 34 point 6 million in federal funding has been leveraged to complete the funding portfolio for this extensive drainage improvements. While the total outstanding principal balance for all storm drainage bonds is currently over 21 million, the annual payment for principal and interest in 2021 is 2.4 million. The annual percent payment is not reflected on the graph above which is limited just to the cost of operation, but it is a critical component of the overall revenue requirement that will be presented following a review of capital requirements. Next slide please. Because you have seen these before, I will not spend time going over these items in detail but wanted to present them to ensure that these goals are aligned with Council’s goals. If there are any specific questions we can return to this slide. Next slide please. At the end of June, we will be presenting information on the capital expenses and associated fees portion of the rate study. In August we will be presenting to council the rate proposals. This year’s rate study for electric will propose a two year rate schedule for adoption. And the storm drainage rate study will propose a three year rate schedule for adoption starting in 2022. Next slide please. Thank you so much for your time this evening. And please let us know what questions you have. This crap in my hand is like heavy duty. Alright, thank
Unknown Speaker 48:00
you very much. Councilmember Peck.
Unknown Speaker 48:05
Thank you for this presentation. It. It was very informative. But I do have a question of Raven. When you talk about the debt service for the water, can you tell me the story storm drainage? I mean, can you tell us when that debt service will be retired? And is do we only have the one bond issue that we put to the public or is there more than one bond?
Unknown Speaker 48:36
I’m gonna ask Becky Doyle to answer this question. I believe she has the information. Yes. Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, Councilmember Peck.
Unknown Speaker 48:46
We have two outstanding bond issuances right now, the first from 2008 will be paid off in 2028. These are both 20 year bonds, and the second issued in 2014 will be paid off in 2034. Okay, that answered my question. Thank you very much. Sure. Councilmember Martin. Thank you, Mayor
Unknown Speaker 49:09
Pro Tem. I have two questions. First about the customer information system. Even though it was not shown as a line item on in 2018. It was under discussion in in 2018. Some some somebody was working on it even if it isn’t a thin, thick enough slice to show up on the bar graphs. So my question is, oh, why is the investment going down and what milestones on this project have been achieved? Because I don’t believe we have a new customer information system. I haven’t seen the paper and my bill change or anything. So where are we Stand on that and why is the expense going down? seeing if anybody will.
Unknown Speaker 50:11
Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and Councilmember Martin, a couple thoughts on that. So the costs aren’t going down. What you’re seeing is that we’re appropriating funds in multiple years for the project. And and I think we appropriated significantly more money back in 2020, than what we’re needing to appropriate in 2021. But the project costs unfortunately, have not gone down. And in fact, they may have increased a bit. As far as milestones, David can correct me, but I believe we’re close to sending the RFP out. As you know, we have been closely working on both the electric ami project as well as the CIS and making sure that those two projects are synchronized and working together. So the AMI project, RFP went out a month or so ago, I believe we’re due to receive those proposals in June, we will then have that information in front of us. As we issue out the RFP for the CIS system. I think that will help us to sync up those two projects, so as to get best value right back for the city in the overall project. Does that answer your questions?
Unknown Speaker 51:34
Most of it? Thank you. So those yellow bars are appropriations and not expenditures. So there’s, there’s, there’s money in a sack somewhere for when we actually get ready to spend money on the CIS?
Unknown Speaker 51:51
Yeah. So if you remember, in the carry and the carry over ordinances that we do on an annual basis, the only fund that we don’t have to do that on is our public improvement fund. So if you remember, you will see those in the carry over for our hats project for we may find them pretty heavy in one year, but then we just carry those funds over into the following years. So we can expend them on those projects. And so that’s why you see the difference.
Unknown Speaker 52:17
Okay, thank you. Um, the other question I have is, is regarding expenditures, operating expenditures, and that this this kind of shades over into capital expenditure, so I’m giving you an out here, but I’m, in the last two years of the rate study for electric. A big part of that was planned capital expenditures for the AMI and for grid enhancements. Those were going to be underway, but they’re not yet. Is Is that going to be something that impacts this rate study? And if so, if so, how? What can What can we expect to see and in terms of our rates, and then I have one more question about definition of terms.
Unknown Speaker 53:21
Pro Tem Rodriguez, council member Martin, Brian Gill, yes. So what we did for the AMI project is, in the past two, in the previous rate study, we said that we were going to, we included two and a half million dollars each year for the AMI project. So that will, that should just continue into the future until until it completely pays off that ami program. We’re planning to use fund balance when we use the actual expenditures, because we won’t have collected all of the we won’t have collected sufficient funds for the entire project. And when we have to actually make those expenditures. I think that answers the question.
Unknown Speaker 54:15
I’m not sure whether it does or not. I guess that might my question is whether we expected to be in the in the payout phase of this fund accumulation by now and and what impact that’s going to have on rates that we’re not yet because it seems to me like we’ve we’ve again, got more money in the sack than we expected to have at this point.
Unknown Speaker 54:43
So I think you’re right, we’ve collected we’ve collected ami funds in 2020. And we’re going to click more additional ami funds in 2021 but only at the $5 million level where the project is going to cost significantly more than that. So we do have some funds built up to put towards the AMI project, but we still need to collect funds in the future as well, to finish that to complete the pay for that project.
Unknown Speaker 55:12
Okay, and then I promise this is the last question. But there was language in the packet about avoiding cross class subsidies. And, um, without knowing a more precise definition of a class, I’m not sure how that’s done, because we had in our previous rates, we had cross tear subsidies. And so I would like to understand the difference.
Unknown Speaker 55:51
Yeah, so when we talk about classes, we’re really talking about residential versus commercial. And then there’s the different there’s just a residential energy class, the residential demand class, the self generation class, small, commercial, large, commercial industrial customers.
Unknown Speaker 56:14
So don’t those different. I don’t remember what you call them rate classes or commercial rate. I mean, I understand it’s, it’s very different between residential and commercial. But a consumer could could change from a low consumption class, which is in one rate tear to another one just by buying an electric vehicle, for example. So what does it really mean to say we don’t have cross class subsidies, if those that consumer might be in one class at one time of the year and another class at another time of the year?
Unknown Speaker 57:00
If I could jump in. This is Kate Medina, Director of internal services at LPC. What we do is we look at the various classes that Brian mentioned, and how are they contributing to the peak. And then we decide how much money do we have to collect from each rate class to cover their expense to serve that customer. And so, we set rates different, we don’t have a, you know, a flat rate for everybody. So then we have the various commercial rates and the various residential rates, what we don’t want to do is have a residential customer cross paying for commercial usage. So we want to make sure that the class that’s using the energy they’re paying for that appropriately,
Unknown Speaker 57:50
if I can jump in, I think the class is residential, commercial, the tears or the tears within resident right within residential. And so when we structured the rates, the last time you had the higher tiers, supporting the lower tiers of lower usage tiers, that’s within the class that you all dictated what we’re talking about is out of class, meaning residential or commercial or commercial residential. Thank you. Alright,
Unknown Speaker 58:25
Councillor waters, I saw your hand first. So co with you and and Councilmember Peck, I saw your hand second.
Unknown Speaker 58:31
Thanks, Tim. To hear all the nail and in the team bed, tonight’s presentation. And and you know, as we build our knowledge base, as we head into the budgeting cycle, you’re getting us ready to make decisions that undoubtedly the recommendation will be based on need to increase rates in at least two areas here. Is that fair? Yes, yes. Yeah. So in, in the in the narrative. I appreciate and I hope others will read and appreciate as well, your reference to long my head having a second lowest residential electric rates out of the 44 electric utilities that responded to the Colorado Association, municipal Municipal Utilities rate survey. When we get to the point, that you’re bringing the recommendation, specifically to what rates, what you’re proposing, what the rate should be, all this discussion about classes and in tears and how it’s going to apply. Is it going to be possible for you to pick from that list of 44 comparable sized communities, to Longmont and given what we understand about what their rate structures, what costs would be for residents, in Longmont, if they lived in whatever those communities are Using the same level of electricity or paying the storm drainage fees, so we could get side by side. It’s we no matter I mean that the narrative here is is is clear, and I appreciate it. But we all know that in January of 2000, or whenever the rates go into effect, no matter how much discussion we have, we’re going to hear a lot about that. We’re going to read about it, we’re going to hear about it. And it’ll be it would be really helpful. Dale, if we could just have some real, real benchmarking, right, of where we end up with whatever our rate structure is, and have some comparables to two other municipalities of comparable size. So we can, so our residents could see it, and we have that information, when we’re engaged with residents about understand the rate went up, we made that decision. But let’s look at where we are it with some specific examples and company comparison to other communities. Is that possible?
Unknown Speaker 1:01:01
At Mayor Pro Tem and Councilmember waters? Absolutely. And not only that, we believe it’s important to show the entire cost to our customers. So in other words, we’re going to look at their entire utility bill. But what we can also break out electric and storm and we can break it out in any number of different ways. And you’re absolutely right, it’s important for us to provide accurate information both to the community, as well as the council so that you’re informed as you’re making those decisions. And it is important to understand how we sort of stack up right with our neighbors. I’ve always said though, at the end of the day, what I’ve heard back from customers is, but I don’t live in Fort Collins and I don’t live in culture I live here. And all I know is my bills gone up. We are very sensitive to that issue, because that’s the reality for our customers is is their bill right there bill in their city. And so I believe we stack up very well. I think we have efficiently run utilities and organizations. And so we hope to maintain that trust, not only with counsel, but with the public through this. Thanks. Thanks. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 1:02:23
I think what I’m going to ask them to do if I can jump in is to do it on a low, medium and high user understanding that I can move between different dig a little electric high water, but just do low, medium and high to kind of give a sense of what that impact is, if a different level sawston to add that to it. More will be better than less at that point in time terms of comparison, I think. So thanks. All right. Thank you very much. Councilmember Peck.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:52
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, Dale, this is also for you. I’m wondering if it would be possible as we try to move more toward renewable energy within our city, if we could have some comparison with electric rates, if people would go to solar or wind power on their homes, to help us educate people and to move this whole conversation and transition a little more toward renewable energy. Would that be possible? Are there any? Is there any data on comparing the electric bills the utility rates for now, I think it would be really helpful as we as a council try to move forward.
Unknown Speaker 1:03:42
So Mayor Pro Tem and council member Peck, what I’d say to that is, I’m more than happy to share my bill out here with United power. I’ll be the guinea pig. And unfortunately, for me being a united power customer is I have no doubt I’m going to be paying more than what a Longmont solar customer will pay. But I’ll tell you this, if that’s not the case, the Longmont customers should be paying less for solar just as they’re paying less for electric power in general. And so I think we need to maintain our competitive edge in in all forms of energy generation. And and I agree with you as well, if we have the ability to further incentivize. I call it distributed energy generation within our community. We had to be looking at that and there’s a number of things we can do. We can start requiring solar on all new houses, which by the way, is not an unusual phenomena these these days in the entire state of California. You do not build a new house without solar and so there A number of things. And I think as we move towards, together, right, the 100% goal we have. So thank you so much. All right,
Unknown Speaker 1:05:13
I saw Councilmember Christensen’s hand go up. Did you still want to say anything? No. Okay, you’re good. Just as a quick two cents for me, is that I think that what we might hear from some folks is when I saw some of the same graphs that we saw, showing that the budgetary allocation for the customer information system they see is going down on both the electric as well as stormwater folks going to ask us why we need to raise rates. And so I just hope that that’s included in the presentation. When we get to that actual point of talking about specific rates, because I know those graphs that we were showing, were not the most scientific, if you will, which is fine. I think they demonstrated their point adequately, but I just want to make sure that that’s that’s clarified when we get to that point of our series of conversations here.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:11
And okay, Mayor Pro Tem just to add to that, you’re absolutely right in is Paul Harvey used to say, we have to tell you the rest of the story, right, and the rest of that story is the capital side of the equation, what you’re going to see is we’re quite challenged on the capital side, in some ways, just maintaining the reliability of the existing systems. And so that’s where we’re going to focus is reinvesting back into the assets of the utilities, so as to continue to provide the level of service that Longmont customers expect and have relied on that that can carry into the future. So you’re going to see that towards the end of June. But great question and great point.
Unknown Speaker 1:07:01
Thank you. And believe you, me, there’s new, there could be just as big of champions, as I have the infrastructure that our city needs to not just maintain the great level of service that we have, but also to accommodate the the growth that we’re seeing not just here in Longmont, but across the Front Range. And so yes, we have to deal with it as well. And being smart about that includes continuing to monitor as well as account for our infrastructure. But I did see Councilmember Martin’s hand go up. So she was so okay. Yes, Councilmember Martin, please.
Unknown Speaker 1:07:43
Every so often my spacebar decides not to work. It is capital expense. And so I was I was sort of trying to have mercy because every I asked a bunch of questions. But you know, since the the idea of solarization has been brought up, and since Dale has said something on an ominous about capital expenditures in general, I’m wondering if in the transition to capital expenses, are we going to learn the number of net meters that we have here in Longmont now, and the amount of revenue that is generated by the difference in the Connect fee for net metering users?
Unknown Speaker 1:08:33
Let Brian and Dave reply to that, but I would hope that is information we’re going to be able to share with Council. Thank you. Yes, David Hornbacher here. Councilmember
Unknown Speaker 1:08:47
Martin, yes, we can provide that type of information as to the number of net leaders and really more specifically, sort of what that looks like from a financial perspective. Thank you, Director Hornbacher.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:07
Herald, you can go ahead and chime in if you’d like outside of that I would call on Councilmember Peck next.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:13
And I just wanted to say I think part of that when we talk about distributed energy, that’s going to be a different conversation that we’re going to bring in, in conjunction at the entire rate study as well.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:29
So thanks again, real fast as we brought this around to infrastructure. And I know that staff is really really good about looking for grants doing grants, but in this huge package for that is that is has a huge climate change focus that is coming from the federal government. Before we go into costs and stuff are for capital improvements. Do you think any of this would fall under the grant opera Unity’s for infrastructure, climate change, etc. Is there a possibility that we could get some dollars from the federal government for this?
Unknown Speaker 1:10:11
Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and Councilmember pack? I’ll say this, I’m always the optimist. I would hope we’re going to go after every dollar we can. And certainly to the extent that we’re successful doing that, which and we have a pretty good track record, I do, I always think we can do better. But you bet we’re going to go after that. And then what that does for us is that it may not influenced the, like the next year rate increase. But it certainly does start to stabilize the utility in a way so that our customers are not having to bear the full cost of bringing the systems up to the current standard. And so to the extent we can finance that with assistance from the federal or state government, absolutely, we’re going to do that. And that will stabilize that will help to stabilize your rates, so that you’re not continually having to increase the rates in the absence of that kind of funding.
Unknown Speaker 1:11:13
So Dale, I think in the presentation to the public, that point would be well accepted, so that they know that it isn’t just us going after more money from our residents, but that we’re looking at all all types of grants and input. So thank you once again.
Unknown Speaker 1:11:38
Alright, at this time Seeing no other comments from Council, I would like to move to accept the rate study introduction, operating expenses report as presented by staff. Second. All right, thank you very much. I moved. And I believe Councilmember Martin was the first one to second the item. At this time, I’ll take the vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay? Hearing none, the motion passes six to zero with Mayor Bagley absent. Thank you very much staff that as brought us the rate study. At this time, we’re going to move on to our next study session item, rental housing licensing and inspections. At this time, I’d like to invite Glen van Nene vegan and Dan hermsen. And any other staff members that would will be presenting or speaking on this topic.
Unknown Speaker 1:12:40
Thank you, Mayor port Pro Tem Rodriguez, we I think we presented you a program that, first off, let me just say I’m the planning director for a city a long line. And that includes responsibility not only for planning, but code enforcement. So we are part of the solution of making sure there’s safe and decent housing for our rental residents in the city a long month. But we’re only one part of that. And so I did invite a couple of other guests, one of them being Susan Spaulding, who is the community relations specialist in community services. And she runs a mediation program. And two of her probably largest clients are either property owners or residents that have issues with their rental housing. So we often interact with her because we may get a complaint about a substandard housing unit and not find enough and maybe there’s other issues involved. So Susan will kind of pick up the ball from there and hopefully get these folks into a mediation program so we can find a solution for their issues, or it could work the other way they’re through mediation, they might find out that there are some serious physical issues with their rental housing unit. And they’ll bring Dane into it investigate from there. So Susan is here to answer any questions that you might have. I’ve also invited master police officer Sarah Arnie, with of course the police department. And she’s responsible for the crime free housing program that has been in place I think, close to a decade in will six years 16 years. Now 1111 years, thank you. Good hand signal. So that was effective. But what that program does is partner directly with residents and property owners to do an audit of the property and also just wait of proactively reducing crime in residential rental housing projects. And then, of course, our Dane hermsen, who is our senior code enforcement inspector. He’s also a certified housing inspector. So when we have issues regarding the safety of a particular unit, we will call on Dane and I wanted to show you this is what we use, we use the international property maintenance code, it’s as you can see, it’s a pretty concise volume, in comparison to other building codes, but it hits on pretty effectively, all those main aspects of how to keep a rental, residential housing unit safe and, and good for residents from now until into the future. So that is what we use to as a guide when we get housing inspections. And what I thought I’d do is we kind of laid out a pretty big tool that for council to consider, which would be changing from a complaint basis, to a proactive basis where we’re licensing and then requiring inspections of any residential rental property. And we could set different criteria of what those properties are. But I thought I would just pause and see if Did we miss the mark? Are we really addressing with this program what counsel had intended? So Mayor Pro Tem, I don’t have to launch into a full presentation. But I think it would be worth if we just kind of start that discussion there. If that would be okay. Fair enough. I did not have a presentation on my agenda for this item. So I don’t really have a formal presentation, I would just walk you through our staff report and answer any questions. Fair enough.
Unknown Speaker 1:17:08
And I assume that my colleagues on Council have gone through the packet as provided to us. So at this time, I will move on to some at least questions. And then maybe we’ll we’ll transition again to more staff. But Councilmember Martin, please. Thank you, Mayor
Unknown Speaker 1:17:28
Pro Tem. I did go through the packet and it was in fact, quite informative. Um, did I understand correctly that you were thinking of not including single family detached rentals in in this process?
Unknown Speaker 1:17:50
Yeah, the program of Councilmember Martin, the program that we laid out is I was just looking at some of the other communities and just guessing at what those criteria would be. So you’re correct. We didn’t include single family residences that are being rented in the numbers we provided you.
Unknown Speaker 1:18:09
Okay, and that, you know, the reason that I asked is, I talked to a number of residents who rant. And also I will say, just to give credit, where it’s due landlords who were very helpful in in increasing my understanding of what goes on with them, and what is important to them. But a number of concerns about from people in neighborhoods who have a fraction of their houses, as rentals, as well as a number of renters have possibly even disproportionate concerns if they’re renting a single family home.
Unknown Speaker 1:19:01
Yeah, it’s the only the only program we saw that included single family residence was in Boulder. They have quite a robust system where they look at everything that’s being rented. And they not only look at it from a property maintenance code, but also from an energy efficiency and dark sky requirements as well. So that’s the only community I’m familiar with that that goes beyond attached rental properties.
Unknown Speaker 1:19:33
Okay, and then I have one other question that’s kind of related, and then I’ll let somebody else ask the rest of the questions. But you didn’t say anything about how much licenses or inspection fees we’re going to cost or whether that was even the funding mechanism that you had in mind. And of course, everybody, no matter which side of the fence they’re on, go straight. To that when they’re talking about it. So can you elaborate on that a little bit more?
Unknown Speaker 1:20:05
sure you’re right, I didn’t really go into fees for the license and inspections. I can tell you the communities I looked at probably averaged about 40 to $50. Have an inspection fee. So and if you apply that to the numbers we gave you of about 5500 units, it potentially could create, you know, upwards of $200,000 a year that would help us defray some of the costs. And then licensing fees, if we do it annually. I’ve seen everywhere, everything from 50 to $100. On top of that, so there would be some potential offsetting revenues. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 1:20:54
Thank you very much, and that boulders are a lot higher than that. But as you said, they’re doing a lot more with it. Right, right. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:04
All right. Thank you. Councilmember Christiansen is next. And then Councilmember Peck will be after that.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:11
A lot of the questions I was going to ask, Councilwoman Martin already asked, and I appreciate that. Um, so I do think yes, that people are very concerned about the cost. And I I want to also, I do think that you telling us that means that out of 40 or $50, once every two years to four years, that is not really going to ruin any landlords and 50 to $100 a year is also for just for a license fee, that’s not per unit that’s for a licensing fee. I don’t think that’s going to harm anybody, and it will help offset the program. And this is not to demonize either landlords or tenants. This is so that the city can operate like a professional organization, have a database of what sort of housing stock we have understand who owns the housing stock, provide for the health and safety of the people living in the housing stock. And also put all landlords on the same basis so that the people, the landlords who are not actually maintaining their buildings right now have a tremendous advantage over the people who actually do take care of their buildings. And that’s not fair. So I wanted to ask a question about the international property maintenance code. I do think that there’s concern justifiably on the point of landlords thinking, we’re going to make them upgrade to every code. I think, from what you’ve written down here, that I’m hoping this is the IP MC is a fairly
Unknown Speaker 1:23:11
robust, but still not code nitpicking. It’s just saying, I would hope that this unit does not have leaking gas pipes, it does not have leaking sewer pipes, leaking sewer lines, leaking water lines, a roof that is leaking faulty electrical circuits, all the things that could actually kill a tenant or certainly cause property damage, and causes a lot of problems for landlords. Is that correct? That it’s the IP MC is looking for the most basic problems with a unit not looking for every single? What may be something that in a house that was built 40 years ago, we’re not expecting them to upgrade it to cold.
Unknown Speaker 1:24:05
Yeah, I’ll ask Dane, who’s the expert on the ipmc to respond to that?
Unknown Speaker 1:24:13
Yeah, Councilmember Christiansen you’re exactly right. The property maintenance code is very general. The, the code sections I wrote up most commonly say things like the electrical system must be properly installed and maintained in a safe working order. That kind of stuff. And it’s meant to work with the other building codes that we have and the way those work is. So the new codes apply to new construction. The older buildings are meant to be in compliance with the code from the time it was built. So sometimes we have to do a bit of research to see if what we’re seeing out there is a violation. But it’s it’s kind of through that method. It’s very general in the ipmc. And we kind of go through the whole history. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 1:25:01
I did see that your virtual hand was a senior and Code Enforcement Officer hermsen. Was there anything else you’d like to add to that? No, it was it was just to respond to Councilmember Christiansen. Thank you, Councilmember Christiansen,
Unknown Speaker 1:25:16
I forgot to add, um, I really I agree with Councilman Martin, that, I believe that all short and long term rentals, whether they’re apartments or ad use, or houses should be part of this, because in my experience of 20 years of renting, when I lived in houses there, first of all, there are more people living in a house and more people who can be damaged. And also, houses tend to be older, and they tend to have more things wrong with them. And they tend to cause more damage to the people living in them. And, and as Councilmember Norton pointed out, to the neighbors, who have no way to complain, when there’s, there’s a house that is not, it’s not up to snuff, so to speak. So I would really like to see something happening here on all short and long term rentals at us and houses that are eight years old or greater. Thank you, Harold, would you like to add something?
Unknown Speaker 1:26:24
actually wanted to go back to the first question regarding the rate? I think that there’s any number of ways you can do that. And so obviously, you know, if you add some of these other components, that’s going to drive the cost up. I’ve talked to some council members about this. And so in terms of how you set that some of the basic questions are going to that are going to come from us is if council wanted to do this, do you want it to be fully supported via fees and licenses? Or do you want to offset that expense with general fund dollars knowing that that’s then going to have other impacts in the process. And so depending on how you set that structure, in terms of the rates and what you want to charge, that’s then going to indicate how much money you have to pull in into the point of, if you if you say now we want to recover it all through the process, then we have to figure out from a financial perspective, if the program is going to cost you 300 $400,000, you have to collect that three or $400,000 on an annual basis to ensure that your funding, which may mean that if you’re getting just to be completely transparent, if you’re only able to get a quarter of the units and on an annual basis, then you have to allocate that cost to the amount of units that you’re going to be able to inspect. And so depending on how it’s structured, there could be any number of ways that you create the rate structure for it. But there’s going to be a lot of questions that we will have to go over with counsel if counsel decides to head down that path in terms of how you set those rates. All right. Thank
Unknown Speaker 1:28:12
you, Councillor waters, please. Councilmember Peck was in front of me in the queue. I’ll follow her. All right here is about a dead heat on that one. But go ahead.
Unknown Speaker 1:28:25
Thank you, Councilman waters. I think when I made this motion a couple of weeks ago, I actually asked, and I know it’s too soon to get this information, what the rate structure would have to be if it was a if it paid for itself. So I’m curious to know what that rate structure would have to be. Also, do we have any idea about the cities that you’ve contacted? Is this a self sustaining program? Or does their general fund to have to backfill it as well? And I think that would determine some of our rates to see what else?
Unknown Speaker 1:29:09
No, that wasn’t a specific question that we asked, but we follow up. Yeah, some, some of the cities actually backfill with private consulting to where they require the landowner to hire their own inspector that is certified by the city. So there are a lot of different looks to what the model looks like.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:33
Okay, so I do have a couple of other questions. We are on a complaint basis. What happens if the landlord the apartment building, whatever the residence is, is not in compliance and refuses to come into compliance. How does that work? Sure, yeah. I’ll turn it over to Dane. Councilmember Peck, so
Unknown Speaker 1:29:57
our processes will give them I noticed with a reasonable timeline to complete repairs, which is what the code requires. And that depends on kind of how much work they have to do how difficult it is to find the expert they need. If they refuse to comply, which I don’t think I’ve ever had happened, we would start probably just issuing fines which the first one’s $100. second one’s 200. Everyone after that is 500. And they go as liens on the property. So they are going to have an effect.
Unknown Speaker 1:30:27
Okay. Yeah. All right. Um, and let’s see, I had one more. Oh, Dane, this is probably for you in Berlin. Are you the only inspector that we have in the city? And we have to hire more? Or how does that work? Yeah, we
Unknown Speaker 1:30:47
council member pack, we would probably need more people to do the license inspections, I wouldn’t be able to handle them all on my own. I am right now the only person that does substandard housing inspections. I work quite a lot with the building inspectors. But I’m the only one specifically doing this job.
Unknown Speaker 1:31:06
Okay, thank you. My next comment is actually to the residents, if they’re watching, and who were complaining about this process. I brought this forward because I had gone on some neighborhood walks with chief butler and Dan pena vetus. In the past, and the 60 complaints are only those that were made to the city, we I had gone into buildings where the washing machines in the community buildings didn’t work. And we’re actually flooding out of three, there was only one that was working. And in one gentleman’s apartment, a couple of burners on a stove didn’t work, I asked why he didn’t call in. And he said he was very much afraid to call in for fear that the cost of that would be put on his rent, and that he wouldn’t be able to live, he would have no other place to live because he didn’t have the the ability to pay a higher rent or even to pay for the repair of the stove. So that was just one example. But as a landlord myself, for just in defense of landlords, some people who rent are not, let’s say, carrying about the property, we’ve had kitty litter thrown down the toilet, paper towels, in the garbage disposals with huge repair bills, it was so nice to have that inspection and saying it This was all working when you rented it, we’ve had an expense an inspection. So it kind of cuts that conversation and oppose the renter the landlord’s position as well. So for me on Council, this is not about one side or the other, it is about having equity in our in our city, and that we’re not having marginalized part of our community afraid to call in for fear and complain for fear they would lose their housing. So I just wanted that to walk to the residence as examples of why I feel this is important. I do agree that we should have all houses as well as single family residents that are rented as part of the inspection process. And the eight years, I think is a good base model for anything eight years or older. So to be inspected in license. Alright, thank
Unknown Speaker 1:33:49
you. Councilmember waters was next. And then just to let people know, I saw hands from Councilmember Christiansen Councilmember Martin and Councilmember you dog fairing now, just recently.
Unknown Speaker 1:34:00
Thanks, Mayor Pro Tem. I’m less persuaded that that we have I mean certain. I mean, I appreciate what I just heard from Councilmember pack, both in the interest of landlords and of tenants. But I just don’t have a sense of the scope and breadth of the problem. Apparently like other council members do, because I have not heard from renters. I’ve heard from a couple of landlords, but we probably have all heard from them in terms of email correspondence and those who are not pleased about this. But I do. I didn’t realize that our complaint based approach was broken. I what I hear repeatedly is what and I know what great work Susan Spaulding and her team do. I’m somewhat familiar with landlord Alliance, the work that our community service has done has has done with landlords on section eight vouchers and in all of trying to get people housed so I don’t know what, what whatever problems might be associated with implementing the kind of plan the breadth and scope to be determined that Glenn laid out here. Whether or not whether or not the new problems we would be dealing with in terms of enforcement are better or worse than the problems that we’re now solving with the approach the complaint based approach that we have. But I but I, there’s some questions, Glen, not that I would expect you to answer tonight. But if we’re gonna if the staff, or if the council gives direction to the staff, to bring something back, I would like to know, from the other municipalities, that that that are that have moved forward with this that are implementing a program? What were the problems they were trying to solve? and to what degree did their approach solve those problems? What were the new problems that they’re dealing with that we ought to be able to anticipate? I’d like to learn a lot more about what the the actual costs are going to be. I’m not the only one, everybody, you know, has mentioned costs. But we just went through a conversation about raising utility rates, which we are clearly going to do it to some level going into 2021. And now we’re talking about raising costs for somebody, which no doubt are going to be passed along to renters. I don’t know what those are going to be. I’ve heard from Councilmember Christiansen that they’ll be minimal. I asked Harold, what the implications of this would be for Lh a, and Harold’s response was a little unsettling. The costs as laid out in this proposal or in this plan without a lot of specificity, specificity are pretty significant. And there is no doubt those costs are going to be transferred, transferred, right to the to our render. So on a scale of one to 10, I asked Harold, with 10 being the worst in terms of poor facilities and poor response and health and safety concerns. And those kinds of things. Were with Lh a fall girls response was viewed as a one or zero, I mean, we are immediately responsive, we maintain the facilities and yet all the costs we’re talking about creating will have to ultimately be paid by la residents. In a town where we keep talking about trying to keep costs for homeownership or or rental units down. Now we’re talking about increasing them. And if we’re going to do that, I just would like to know, we’re going to do it with benefits commensurate to whatever those costs are. Because I know who’s gonna end up, end up paying them. Beyond that, we’re talking about creating it sounds like a program that’s going to be have a fairly significant implications for code enforcement, planning and code enforcement. And I sat down this afternoon to just make a list of what I what have we done, what have we created? Since just in the time I’ve been on the council since 2018, as fairly significant projects that not all of which the council directed but but but have been created for a staff that is currently implemented. And here’s here’s the shortlist, the first in main transportation hub planning, financing, what that is going to require. We are trying to manage the projects being implemented as a result of the 2018 bond election. We’re spiraling costs. It looks to me and I think to the staff, like there was none of money in that bond to cover all that we were trying to get done. So we have staff scrambling with with with project management and construction management on the facilities currently underway and problems be solved with the fire stations and the recreation facilities etc.
Unknown Speaker 1:38:54
The adaptation of the sustainable sustainability evaluation system and its implementation, the Climate Action Task Force resolution and recommendations. Costco and its economic benefits to the city but with implications for finance, Public Works housing attorney, the city manager, quiet zones, Longmont Housing Authority, which we have assumed, right we’ve taken over in the interest of our residents to keep their costs down and to offer maintain quality housing, the updates on short term rentals, accessory dwelling units and RV ordinances to feasibility studies. updates to our elanco was specific into intention to design standards, the stream steam and Mainstreet vision projects, and we’re going to talk about the breadth and scope of the Maine state court mystery corridor plan later on this agenda, which is, you know, pretty dramatic in scope, the wildlife management plan and protection of our riparian corridors the inclusionary housing inclusionary housing ordinance, where the hard work is in the implementation, much beyond the time that the staff spent just to get us the ordinance. Miracle medical marijuana both licensing and delivery, multimodal plans with specific attention to bike lanes button rock management plan, windy gap chimney house, the planning and litigation that goes along with that. Not to mention prairie dogs, and all of that happening in the context of a once in a century pandemic, and all of the personnel, financial management facilities management challenges that go along with it. My point is, if we’re going to do this, we have to take a hard look at this list, and decide which of the things that we created on this list. Come off the list. add one more major thing, in addition to what we’ve already done to a staff that is stretched pretty thin right now seems to me to be irresponsible. If we’re not willing to say there’s some abandonment we need to do. This is more important. Whenever we’re talking about doing with with rental licensing has to be more important than what’s on the list. If we’re going to add it to the list, we got to take something off. Now I got a bunch of other questions about costs, benefits, how we would evaluate the effects of our ordinance how other municipalities have evaluated the effects of theirs, if we go farther with this, but I’m telling you, this feels like a huge, huge hammer. For I’m not certain how big of a nail. And I’d like more information, more evidence of the magnitude of the problem, before I’m going to get behind a program that’s going to create cost for our residents. And another significant burden for the staff. Thanks.
Unknown Speaker 1:41:36
Thank you, Councilmember waters, just a reminder, the speaking order is still Councilmember Christiansen next Councilmember Martin and Councilmember daga fairing. I encourage anybody to go beyond opining and make a motion. Otherwise, I mean, I will make a motion after this. Next three speakers. So Councilmember Christians,
Unknown Speaker 1:42:02
thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, I will make a motion I think there for to hire two more extra people. And to actually understand the cost that will be problems with our housing, when we are in the midst of a huge housing crisis 58% of the people renting cannot afford to rent. They at least deserve to have safe and decent housing. And it’s up to us as the people who are doing this to who were in charge of policy to be sure that the residents of the city have safe and decent housing. I don’t there’s nothing really more important to me than that the residents have a safe and decent city to live in. So I think $300,000 that can be factored out with which it’s $40 for an inspection a year, every two years, that would be about $2 a month. I think people can afford that. Plus, this is tax deductible for the landlord. They don’t need to pass this on to the tenant at all. Anyway, I really think this is extremely important that we have a database that we know what’s going on here that we have licenses, many, many cities this size have done this for since the 50s. I mean, this is not this is not a new thing. We’ve just been ignoring it for a very long time. And we need to not ignore it anymore. Because for the last eight years, I have gotten lots and lots and lots of complaints about housing, about from about landlords and also about houses that are not being taken care of by my neighbors. And so they don’t complain to their landlord because they’re afraid of losing their house. They complain to everybody else, but they they don’t complain because they’re afraid that they’ll be thrown out. So I don’t think it’s just 60 complaints a year. That’s the problem of having it be something that has to go through time that a tenant has to take off, to go through meetings time that a tenant has to go often filing paperwork, and the fear that a tenant has when they’re not being taken care of. And as Councilwoman Peck said, This upholds the landlord’s ability to say you know when you moved in, everything was working fine. Now I am spending a small fortune to repair this and this and this. So clearly, you’ve done Something that is costing money. So I would move that we move forward with this, I wouldn’t I would move forward. I would direct staff, I’m sorry, to bring forth an ordinance in which we decide what kind of housing would be attached and what the schedule for inspections would be. I think if we put it off for every three years, we could, it would cost less. And rough expenses for what that would be. I think, Mr. Van nim vegan gave us some pretty, pretty fair assessments of how much this would cost for both the inspection and the license, I would expect the license and the inspection to be as the very least that we can charge and still make this at least partially self financing. So Do I have a second? Second?
Unknown Speaker 1:46:18
All right, we have a motion on the floor that direct staff to bring forward an ordinance with to paraphrase definitive measurables. Many of which were outlined by Councilmember Christiansen, I think there are many that counsel would like to hear. For the sake of the speaking order, I would still like to continue on with who I have in the queue. And because we have now have a motion in a second, if we can try to limit our questions and opinions to the motion, that would be helpful as well. Please, sir, at this time, Councilmember Martin?
Unknown Speaker 1:47:02
Yes, thank you. First, I would like to say to the public landlords and tenants that as Councilmember Peck pointed out, this is for all of you, but but for the for the for the persons that I think are most at risk. I spend about two hours a day doing direct outreach to residents, most of whom are renters. And I hear over and over and over again, that they are afraid to complain to their landlords. And I there was a really clear cut, sort of, of
Unknown Speaker 1:47:55
divide between low income residents who do not have good relations with their landlords, and maybe they’re afraid because they’re late with the rent sometimes, you know, and their landlord thinks maybe they can do better the next time. And then, you know, if more affluent or at least more comfortable, secure. renters have have perfectly fine relationships with their landlords. And actually, that’s the experience that I have as a person who has been up and down in terms of my my personal fortunes, when I was down, I had trouble with my landlords. And when I wasn’t down, it was all just fine. And I’m not very scared of confronting landlords. I suspect it’s worse for a lot of people. But to address council member waters concerns, I think, first of all, that this is not the scale of many of the other initiatives that he was comparing it to. And second, that this is a matter of infrastructure, like potholes, and sidewalks and streetlights. You know, it is something that a city does as base level operations and our city hasn’t done it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it would not achieve economies if it did do it. And that landlords wouldn’t, you know, the good landlords that I talked to, they said, Well, you know, I make sure that I maintain my properties every couple of years no matter what, because if I let it go, it gets old, and then the the costs are higher. So if on the older buildings we inspected and produce lists of needed repairs, it would probably end up in the long term saving landlords who tend to put things off money, I also think that we are in a housing crisis. And that the inventory of housing stock that we would develop by licensing rentals, that would be it would tell us things that we don’t know now, like the density of rental properties in different neighborhoods, and the condition of our rental properties. And, you know, and many other things. You know, we’ve all of us complained at one time or another, that when we’re talking about affordable housing, we’re not really sure what we’ve got. And we, you know, we hear a lot about the need, but it’s very hard to quantify. So I really like the idea of anything that is going to help us quantify it. And then that’s why I believe that we should continue in this assessment. I don’t know whether a friendly amendment is needed or not a council member Christmas, and you can talk about that, we may, we may not be yet in a position to go straight to an ordinance. And I could see this happening as several incremental ordinances, if any, you know, just to make sure that we get it right. But to make a start on it, that it’d be the be the initiative. So that is just my opinion on we could implement something basic as an ordinance immediately. And it sounds like that’s what Councilmember Christensen would prefer. But, you know, I think this is unnecessary beginning. All right. Thank
Unknown Speaker 1:51:46
you, Councilmember. You dog fairing. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 1:51:49
thank you. Um, so I did see on one of our options was to direct staff to begin program development to include stakeholder outreach and draft a budget. So I would assume that that would be the first step in the process before we went on to any type of ordinance anyway. So I’m wondering if that would already be in that in that component. So if that’s the case, I don’t think it would be necessary to have an amend an amendment because that would be the next step in the process is to gather that information and draft the budget. The question I have is around the, you know, for to collect landlord input on inspection preference, would they want the city to be providing that? Or would they prefer to have hire their own inspectors? So, you know, I think we really need to guide what the overall preference of our landlords are. So I think that should be something that is included in the in the input. The other thing is I I heartily agree with Councilmember Barton, Councilmember Peck and Councilmember Christiansen and, you know, to have these numbers quantified a large portion of our population, rent their home, these are our constituents. So we need to be able to, to have data on what’s happening in these places. And, you know, over the year, over several years, because I rent, I rent my home, and I’ve had some great homes, and I’ve had some, there was one home where we lasted three weeks in there, it ended up having and we’ve bought, we had someone come in and do a mold assessment on the house. It was 80% mold. My kids were sick, my husband got really sick, we were essentially evacuated the home. So in that particular case, that could have been one that would have been resolved through an inspection. And even you know, you kind of smelled it when you went down into the basement. It kind of had that musty smell. Um, but you know, our kids wake up. More than half my family got really sick. And that when I did like, like Councilmember Martin, I have no problems going to the landlord and saying, hey, but other over the years I’ve talked to and it’s predominantly low income 20 something young, you know, just out of leaving their parents homes and rented on their own and our lower income and second language learners where English is not their primary language, just concerns after concerns one of the apartment complexes and this was where my daughter had used used to live. They actually had bungee cords holding up the stair rail in the apartment, and I think they’re recently had gotten it fixed. Because I said something. And then another apartment that I had spoken with some residents, that the front door going into the complex was brought So anyone could have access coming into those apartment complexes. Another one and this was a single family home, gas, the smell of gas. And in all these cases, tenants were afraid to say something they were afraid that their leases were not going to be renewed. They were afraid that their rent, the rates would go up if they complain, so retribution. So, you know, I have a question, if anybody knows, are there any types of protections? I know we have whistleblower protections for employees. Are there any type of tenant protections if they report something in regard to substandard housing, and safety issues? So if there’s somebody on staff that could lead I saw your hand up?
Unknown Speaker 1:55:47
Yep. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and Councilmember Hidalgo faring. Maybe I’ll as Susan who has her internet is knocked out by the storm, but she is on the phone. And I think there are a renter Bill of Rights, but maybe Susan could address that.
Unknown Speaker 1:56:08
I’m here. Should I talk? Yes. Okay. This is this is Susan. The the new warranty of habitability, which is a state law does have provisions prohibiting retaliation, and they have some quite vigorous penalties for retaliation. Of course, retaliation is a state of mind. And sometimes it’s hard to prove that but I wanted to address something that counsel woman is algo fairing talked about, which is mold. And I don’t think that the ipmc or our code officers actually inspect for mold. So that that that that is the one issue that I hear the most about. Yeah. And it is the one issue that we don’t have the ability to address through our inspections. Although there is quite a strong law of state law requiring landlords to engage with the mold it on a strict timeline. That’s not something that at present our our code officers would address. Can I can I say a couple of other things out, okay. I’m not a policy person. I, everything I’m talking about is based on anecdotes. But believe me, I’ve heard 1000s and 1000s of anecdotes. I don’t perceive that there’s great fear on the part of tenants there. Of course, there is some times but that would always be the case. But I, I think that what I’d like to see I kind of have this vision, Longmont has already has the structure set up. We have a strong crime free program. We have a strong landlord tenant housing retention, and mediation program already set up, we have the basic setup for what I see as we could actually create a mediation centered approach to the landlord tenant relationship. And I’m not saying that there’s not role for enforcement and not role for litigation, which of course, is what boulders going down that road. But I really do think that we could, we could have a different kind of vision about how to strengthen the rental situation in the landlord tenant relationship in our city. I would like like to see a kind of like in housing ombudsman office, not just rental licensing, and we’re talking about when we’re talking about this whole rental licensing thing. We’re talking about several different things. There’s registration, which addresses the database. Part of that would be having some kind of an agent of record on hand for law enforcement and for fire and code. Then we’re talking about licensing and then we’re talking about inspection. I think those are four different things. So we should keep that in mind that it doesn’t need to encompass all of that. I I’m going back to what council person water said, I’m not sure I know the nature of the problem. I talked to landlords and tenants all day, every day. And I have for 13 years. I’m not sure I perceive that there’s
Unknown Speaker 2:00:19
the problem that I don’t know. You know, it’s To me, it’s interesting having this conversation and, and talking about, about this relationship, but I’m not sure. There’s, you know, there’s all different kinds of ways we could really think outside of the box. One of the things I was thinking about was, what if we had a forgivable loan program, where if a landlord had code violations, there could be a forgivable loan program through the city, where if the landlord upgraded the rental, the low end kept the rental at an affordable rate for five years that the loan will be forgiven. Like we have other kinds of forgivable loan programs. There’s just other ways I’m thinking we could use the money that would truly benefit pennants without having it as Councilman water says, using the huge a huge hammer to pound a small nail. Anyway, I would like to invite, we’re going to have a landlord training next week and I would like to invite some council members to come and speak to the landlords and talk to them about this issue, if anybody would like to attend next week.
Unknown Speaker 2:01:47
And that’s very similar, Susan to the one that Councilmember pack and I attended prior to the pandemic. Okay, yeah, the same one, we do it every we do it every month. Okay. And then so one thing I did notice is that there weren’t very many, if any, landlords are representation of people of color. And, you know, I just I’m trying to, like I want I want to look at it from and so the a lot of the folks that I spoke to are monolingual Spanish speakers. And, you know, I worry that there’s a group of people that are not being included into the conversation, and I just want to make sure they are represented.
Unknown Speaker 2:02:30
And I agree with you. And of course, the landlord training is is, you know, people, it’s not, we’re not it’s not invited, anybody can come when we used to hold them and in person, we did have various, for instance, Latino landlords attend the trainings. But true, they’re not they’re not held in Spanish. So anybody can come. So we’re not inviting people by race? No, I’m not in the waiting that. Sorry.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:09
I just just a second Councilmember, you dog with me. Are you Are you finished with your comments? Questions? Yeah, I am. I am. That’s okay. Harold real quick. I’ve got dogs acting up behind me. Sorry. Okay. Well, let me let me just let everybody know right now I have. I’m going to speak because I haven’t spoken on the topic yet. But after I speak, if there are some some chairman’s from staff, that’s fine. But Councilmember waters, Councilmember Beck and Councilmember Martin. In that order. I’ve seen your hands. So I just want to say, right now, for me, the current motion on the table is a bit premature. I think it’s been mentioned by various council members that there’s been some items that were not in the packet that need to be explored further, before we get to a point of really talking and getting in the nitty gritty of an ordinance. Another thing for me is the uncertainty still of where we are economically, I know we are getting closer to open and some sort of concept of normalcy. But when all of the various executive orders concerning moratoriums, and the rent forgiveness or rent assistance programs, when all those things start to come to a head, what is our housing situation really gonna look like then? Because what it is, I don’t know anybody that has been paying attention to what our our real estate values are like in this area. Who’s to stop any of these these landlords from just cashing out and saying, Hey, you know, I bought this house for $100,000 in 1998, but like Get $500,000 for it now, you know. So we need to keep that in mind in the sense of we don’t know what this markets going to continue to look like, over the next few months or whether there’s going to be another upsurge in COVID. When it gets cold again, we don’t know these things. So adding this kind of program at this time, to me, there’s just too much uncertainty involved. I would, I’m happy and actually interested in the program. If If I felt that we had more certainty with our housing market, and what that looked like at this time, and also with the fact that we have so many unanswered questions. For instance, I thought that season just brought up a really great concept about, say, a housing office that doesn’t just deal with rental licenses. I’m like, okay, that’s a really good idea that wasn’t explored, necessarily. So those are just my concepts. So I’d be interested in continuing to do the research. For instance, why did Lakewood get rid of theirs in 2015? You know, we heard why they enacted in 2009, based on concerns around foreclosure. But in 2015, they they scuttled the program. I didn’t really get that in in the packet on why exactly they did that, and the various different programs we see from around the state. I definitely could do my own research into that at the same time, don’t get me wrong, but I just feel that there’s so many questions right now that I’m not quite comfortable moving forward this quickly. I’d rather see more research taking place. And I know we’re just gonna hear noise about we just like to do studies, and spend money to rubber stamp things. I saw that statement made by somebody in social media. That’s not my concern is not so much the studies, it’s that I am just not comfortable at where we are at this place in time. Economically, two out of $300,000 program, whether it’s paid off $250,000 depending on which units we actually bring into the fold at a certain, you know, rental licensing fee. There’s just too much too many moving parts for me to be comfortable with this moving forward. With the motion on the table. As again, I said, I’d be happy to move forward with exploring the option as we get more certainty. As such, I’ll move on with what I said was the speaking order. So that will be Councilmember waters. Councilmember Peck, Councilmember Martin. And then Councilmember Christianson male. Yes, sir. I didn’t mean to cut you off. At which point after Councilmember Christiansen, we will ideally take the vote on the motion on the table is what I was just saying. Cast my waters, it’s your floor.
Unknown Speaker 2:08:04
Thanks. I’m gonna vote against the motion. That was it’s on the floor. Because I also think it’s premature I there’s there’s, there’s there’s so much we need to learn. And I appreciate appreciate Susan and our work. But I really appreciate Susan’s willingness to speak truth to power here in this, you know, in a public forum. Of all the people in this conversation, she knows more about the problem beyond even even she offered that it’s anecdotes, although she has 1000s of them. I don’t know how many anecdotes members of the Council have. But but it sure sounds like that we know more than Susan does about the magnitude of the problem. And I just I don’t think that could possibly be true. And I don’t think we’ve explored the range of options or the or creative approaches, in an ordinance feels like the hammer, proverbial hammer, looking for a nail to hit. And, and I and I, to start down the path of an ordinance and not know what the potential, we can say that it’s not going to cost a lot to renters. I’d like to see some data, write statements without evidence or say without data to back them up, are nothing more than statements. And I’d like to see see something if we’re gonna if we’re serious about this. And I won’t come back to tab this in an hour. And if we’re unwilling to have conversations about what we take off the agenda for the staff, especially given what we’re going to talk about next in terms of the Main Street corridor. It’s the same people. We asked that we we give the assignments to the same staff, different projects, but every Tuesday or Tuesday night after Tuesday night. And it so I’m voting against it for the reasons I’ve shared. And I think we ought to I think we ought to reject this motion and talk about other more creative approaches. Under get we have a live To learn before we’re ready, start giving direction on on ordinances in my opinion. Thank you, Councilmember Peck.
Unknown Speaker 2:10:08
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, on, I guess that I misinterpreted this motion. It did not have to do with an ordinance. And I think that was mentioned a couple of times. This is more about continuing the process of looking into, and Councilwoman Christiansen, correct me if I’m wrong, but I didn’t think this was about an ordinance. I totally appreciate Susan Spaulding and I have talked to her two or three times about renter’s. However, I do want the process to continue to do research to find information about what’s going on. And where we can go with this. I think that the mediation should always be there, it should never go away. That is the first step of any kind of a renter or landlord conflict. And I, for me, this is about equity as well. We can’t just talk about that we have to walk the walk. And if our housing is not up to date, as far as code goes, with some of these things that are going wrong, and some of them are not anecdotal come from in waters. So I I want the motion to be clarified. I did not interpret it as an ordinance at all. We are not ready for an ordinance. So Mayor Pro Tem Can you clarify that motion? Please?
Unknown Speaker 2:11:46
Yes. As I understood it, the word ordinance was included in the motion, I had it as a direction for staff to bring forward an ordinance with definitive measurables. And I paraphrase the definitive measurables portion, because it was very specific, according to Councilmember Christiansen, as far as safety measures and things like that, and I didn’t necessarily want to repeat a litany of items on a list, but it was specific to bring forward and an ordinance as far as I remember, and the notes that I’ve made here. I’m sure that our clerk could correct me if wrong.
Unknown Speaker 2:12:28
And if that was it, I I won’t vote for an ordinance at this point either. But that I will also make a motion unless council woman Christus and west to change the motion to continue the process of gathering information and how we can have what are some of our other ways out of the box to approach this.
Unknown Speaker 2:12:56
Okay, thank you seeing nobody else’s hand up besides just continuing in order. as and as I stated after Councilmember Christiansen, we will be either moving to vote on this motion, or we will be withdrawing and making another motion just to let you know Councilmember your dog a fan, because we’ve got around the horn, if you will. So Councilmember Martin, and then Councilmember Christiansen, and then I’m going to call the question. Thank you, Mayor
Unknown Speaker 2:13:23
Pro Tem. And I do agree with Councilmember Peck I suggested it once. But having seconded the motion I you know, I sort of realized belatedly that we were going to fast toward an ordinance because I do think we need more understanding of where we’re going. I do want to point out a couple of things. One is that we have a deep misunderstanding of scale here. You know, we’re either believe Mr. Van inwagen, that this is a $300,000 a year program, or we don’t and we should know more if we if we have this big disconnect. Miss Spalding also mentioned that, you know, we could use we could have a loan forgiveness program instead of this program. And and I can’t imagine doing a loan forgiveness program that would only cost $300,000 a year and be funded by fees. So well I have huge respect for her and have talked to her on several occasions about the Ombudsman, but ombudsman program and in fact talk to the landlord and formance that I had running up to this discussion. I never saw that as an alternative to an inventory and inspection program. I think that that that program is As, as she has described it, to me would be an asset to the community. In fact, it was on my wish list of things that I thought we would put in the budget in, in this year and or next year, and the year after that, probably to get it up full bore, but I don’t see that as an as an, an alternative. And then finally, on the subject of whether people are scared of their landlords or not. Again, I, you know, Susan sees the ones that aren’t scared. And, and she does very well with them and is universally admired among the public who are in precarious positions with regard to their housing. But there’s a whole layer of people who will not come forward. And and I talk to them every day. So I would be much more comfortable if we voted to continue, rather than rather than to call for an ordinance.
Unknown Speaker 2:16:11
Thank you, Councilmember Martin, Councilmember Christiansen, please.
Unknown Speaker 2:16:17
Yes, I do want an ordinance. We’ve discussed this at City Council for about eight years, and no one has had the courage to actually turn this into an ordinance tonight, we have scattered this discussion into every single thing other than simple licensure for $50 a year, and every three year inspection for anything over eight years. For $40 and inspection. That’s a very simple thing. can wait. That’s what I wanted to explore and bring forward and that in itself has different thing, different things that we can do to temporary between landlords and tenants and our costs and whatever. That’s a very simple ordinance, licensure, and inspections, every three years for houses or anything, anything that rents in this town that is over eight years old. That’s all I’m asking for is to bring forth something. And that would require several months of discussion anyway for an ordinance. That’s what I’m still asking for people to vote on, vote up or vote down, but have the courage to vote. All right.
Unknown Speaker 2:17:49
The motion is still on the table, and we’ve gone around the proverbial Deus or the virtual days, if you will. And as such I’m going to call the vote. Here, Harold real quick, I guess before we vote,
Unknown Speaker 2:18:03
well, I guess depending on the vote, I’m going to have some questions afterwards in terms of getting some specificity. Absolutely.
Unknown Speaker 2:18:12
So the motion on the table is to direct staff to bring forward an ordinance with as I called it. definitive measurables that brings forward a rental licensing and inspections because Councilmember Christiansen just made that abundantly clear and direct direct staff to bring that forward. As such, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay? Hey, they the motion passes with Councilmember Christiansen Councilmember Peck Councilmember Duggal ferien, Councilmember Martin for and Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and Councilmember waters against Harold, did you have some more questions?
Unknown Speaker 2:19:04
As we look at this to bring it forward? I have a few questions. Do we want to include detached homes in this?
Unknown Speaker 2:19:16
So we can go around and make these individualistic motions. I’m just wondering if as normally the ordinances come forward to Council, we get the options in a study session with a you know, with an ordinance that’s ability to be redlined instead of going around the horn again, with every single item, is that possible?
Unknown Speaker 2:19:44
Yeah, it is just you know, there’s going to be a lot of options on this to give you a sense of what we’re looking at. And we can do that we may need to go into zero reading on this. But
Unknown Speaker 2:19:55
I have no doubt that’s what’s gonna happen. So
Unknown Speaker 2:19:58
because there’s questions on it Just to give you a sense of what I was gonna ask is detached homes yay or nay general fund dollar supporting it yay or nay? community involvement process. Yay Are you know, those are all questions that we’ve got to get answered because it can make a fairly tangible difference in the numbers, both, you know, in all directions and then really diving into the why in more detail may also help to
Unknown Speaker 2:20:24
answer based on whatever operationally needs to be done to accomplish this in the most logical and efficient way. Be it a zero session as you called it. I think that would be the next step. Okay. Cuz I don’t think that we’re going to be efficient in making those recommendations tonight. That’s right. Thank you. Thank you. Sorry, everybody doesn’t mind the chair needs a biological break. So we’re going to take a quick five minutes and we’ll be right back to carry on with our agenda. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:26:43
All righty, it’s been about five minutes, I’d like to invite any council members to join us. Are you It looks like we have everybody back. So this time we’ll move on to our next study session item, Main Street corridor update, including implementation public improvements and leveraging investment within the corridor. I see we have Aaron fosdick on with us. And I’d like to invite Okay, Tony Chico, and as well as joined us and any other staff members that are part of this presentation and update. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor
Unknown Speaker 2:27:22
Pro Tem Rodriguez, members of council. I’m Erin fosdick with the city’s planning division, and I’m joined by Tony chacoan. Our redevelopment manager. We also have another few members of city staff who have been involved in the Main Street corridor plan update and can answer questions that council might have. So we’ll introduce them if Council has questions. staff has provided a number of updates on the Main Street corridor plan since its acceptance in October of 2019. Most recently, we provided updates really regarding completed and planned transportation improvement projects, some development projects that have been ongoing in the corridor, additional sub area planning that we’ve been doing as part of the steam effort, as well as Park renewal and planning within the corridor. We included this information which was an information item in your packet for your reference and we can certainly circle back to that if Council has questions. Council will recall that the Main Street corridor plan does provide detailed guidance on implementation in a number of areas, land use transportation history, public realm and green infrastructure as well as market incentives. The plan also does provide some detailed guidance on recommended code updates that we would like to undertake. Staff continues to work on implementation in many of these areas. So we continue to work with public works c dot and RTD on transportation projects and opportunities. A good example is council knows we’re in the midst of planning for the Kauffman street busway, which was a major project that supports the Main Street corridor plan vision. We’ve recently also been working on drafting budget and see IP requests to continue plan implementation, particularly in the areas of transportation, public realm and green infrastructure. We provided a short summary in your packet for this discussion item. But council will also see this information in more detailed form later this year as part of your budget discussions. Tonight, what we really wanted to focus on were the market incentive pieces that were identified in the plan. We haven’t talked too much with council about that. Council will recall that there were a number of overarching goals included for the corridor within the plan. One of these was to promote economic growth by attracting and retaining a diverse range of businesses and housing to strengthen the corridor while preventing displacement of existing businesses and homes. And it’s important to call out this last piece because I know that something Council has talked about and so the plan does provide a number of recommendations on strategies we might use to ensure that this does remain a vibrant part of the corridor, both for new businesses but also for the folks that are there making it a great place today. So the plan that council accepted in 2019 identified a number of recommendations to support this overarching goal around economic development and vitality. And those were really in four areas providing support for businesses within the corridor, again, both new and existing, leveraging opportunity and Enterprise Zone designations, encouraging reinvestment through business incentives, and exploring tax increment financing or TIF through urban renewal. And Tony, I’ll talk a little bit more about that. During the last year, as you can imagine, much of our efforts around business support in the corridor were targeted to pandemic relief. And we did assist a number of businesses throughout the corridor, but we’re really excited to get back to generally supporting the recommendations and plan implementation a bit more. For example, we’ve initiated early discussions with the city sustainable business program, the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, commerce and other advanced Longmont partners on ways we can support the businesses within the corridor, particularly those businesses outside the GTA, where we already have a structure for business support in existence. So the plan does contain some specific recommendations on exploring the formation of business associations or even formalized stakeholder groups, particularly within the Midtown and North Main Character areas. So we’ll be working towards that. We continue to work with the long run Economic Development Partnership to leverage the enterprise and OPERS opportunity’s own designations, as much of the corridor study area does fall within these areas. As a reminder, the long run opportunity zones there are two census tracks run from ninth Avenue down to the river and are on both sides of Main Street. So covering a fairly good portion of the downtown character area,
Unknown Speaker 2:31:39
as well as some of the the South Main area and then the Enterprise Zone covers the majority of the corridor study area really running from highway 66 on the north, down to the river and quail road with with a few gaps here and there. But it does cover a majority of the of the study area. The plan contains specific information on funding and financing tools. The majority of the strategies and tools in the plan I do want to note are really things that the city can do to support continued investments such as investing in public spaces, investing in utility and infrastructure improvement, as well as other public types of improvement. But there are also a number of District sources in partnership that the plan explores, such as urban renewal. So within specific areas of the corridor, particularly like in Midtown and North Main, the plan recommends exploring the creation of urban renewal to support redevelopment revitalization. So with that, I want to turn it over to Tony to discuss some of these targeted district funding options that are available to support investment and revitalization again, particularly in Midtown and North Main. And I’ll be available to answer general questions as well, Tony.
Unknown Speaker 2:32:46
Yes, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, members of council tonic trichome redevelopment manager. What I’d like to just address are a few funding mechanisms that really promote public private partnerships. And those have been identified in the main street plan as real opportunities to pursue because the private sector can bring a lot more money to the table than maybe what we can through this general city funding that we have out there. So the first mechanism just to advise, that is available in that particular area, it could encompass large areas along the corridor is particularly the north part of Main Street, or it could be a more defined area or areas. But just to advise, as of right now, along Main Street, we do have one large urban renewal area that covers that area, effectively from St. brane. Creek, up to about Second Avenue, then we also have a downtown Development Authority District, which just to advise that they actually have a mill levy tax against the properties that helps generate money that they can use as investment in that downtown area and help business promote themselves. So back to the urban renewal. Again, there are opportunities on the north end, we believe there are certain rules as to the creation of those districts. Effectively they have to meet certain conditions of what the state considers life. And let me just tell you, when they refer to Bly it is mostly is about the physical conditions of the area. It has nothing to do about the demographics or the economics of that particular area there. So it’s purely about the physical aspects. upon finding barriers or meeting the criteria, you can then create urban renewal districts and then within those urban renewal districts, you can create sub areas, which would be the tax increment areas. Just to let you know, urban renewal creation of an urban renewal district Does not impose additional taxes on the properties and works exclusively with the tax revenues that are generated from the other public entities that, in fact do collect taxes in that particular area. So there’s a lot of confusion as to whether they have the ability to impose new property taxes under fees. under state law, they cannot do that they work exclusively with the existing taxes that are generated. And what the TIF is, is actually the the new tax revenue generated from the reinvestment and development in those TIF areas, not not necessarily the entire urban renewal area, but the TIF area. A couple of other mechanisms, we have identified that Council, we felt it would be advisable to let you know what they might be there are both actually taxing entities. One is a business improvement district, and the other one being a general Improvement District. In that capacity, they are defined geographic areas, they do impose a mill levy on the properties within those areas there, they can impose these. And then they have various voting requirements. So the city can’t just go establish a business improvement district, or a G ID without a vote of the various eligible voters in those areas there. So that one, those two are a little more challenging, because again, you do have to get effectively a majority of the eligible voters to agree to create these districts and then effectively take on debt to make any improvements or provide any support for that community. So those are the three mechanisms, we wanted to point out to you. And I’d be glad to answer any questions that might you may have one other item back to the urban renewal districts, I did forget, I can tell you we have had several development interests, approaches about developing in the north corridor. But it is extremely challenging for them to make the numbers work to get the development done. And they have actually inquired about the possibility of working in conjunction with an urban renewal district. So I just wanted to put that on the table also. Thank you. Already. Thank you, Tony. Counselor, repec.
Unknown Speaker 2:37:31
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. And thank you, Aaron, and Tony, for your answering my questions before this meeting. I really appreciate it and you brought up what I was concerned about. So my other concern is the shoot I just lost the I just left the word is about the opportunity zones. When I look at the map of where the opportunity zones are, it is a bit concerning in the fact that they extend into residential areas. When and I am, I’m just going to present what I heard at the National League of Cities a couple of years ago, when Ben Carson, one of my favorite people who was in charge of HUD was really patting himself on the back is that he came into an area that was low income, ethnic and and they decided whoever the developers were, that this was going to be a blighted area, took out those homes which were affordable and put in a private school, some other high end development. And I’m very concerned that I don’t know if we do this by code or what we do to protect our residential areas from not being turned into opportunities. For developers, even though those opportunities might have a huge economic effect positively on the city. We need to protect our residents. And I don’t know how to do that. I just want to bring that to the attention of our staff that the opportunity zones make me very nervous. I totally agree with the opportunity zones around the sugar mill and other commercial areas and our 287 North 287 I think that’s a perfect area. But I am very concerned when I look at the map for the opportunity zones of our city that we don’t encroach upon our housing. So I just want to put that out there. Thank you. I totally approve of this whole presentation and I’m excited about what you’re doing and where it can go.
Unknown Speaker 2:40:00
If I can answer that question, I think part of the challenge with both the enterprise and the opportunity zones is that they were done by census tract. So it did grab these other areas. And I think the way that you know, we’re going to have to look at that is really their zoning, and how you approach it, because if it’s zoned single family residential, that’s probably going to be the mechanism that we’re going to have to look at as a rezoning process, so that you can take advantage of it in those more urban areas that you just mentioned. But it was the nature of the way those programs are created at the federal level, and it’s by census tract.
Unknown Speaker 2:40:42
The other thing that I would add to that council member pack is, we have worked with lldp, who is generating perspectives that will sort of highlight different areas within our opportunity zones. And we’ve been very direct in not including our residential neighborhoods in those specific sub areas within the opportunity zone. In other words, we’re not highlighting those as the best areas for investment. So there are other areas, as Harold mentioned, that are part of those census tracts that make a lot more sense. And those are the areas we’re really focused on.
Unknown Speaker 2:41:15
Thank you for that Aaron. And I do appreciate what staff is doing. I think you’re doing an incredible job. But I just want to make sure that was at the top of our intent for what the city wants to be. So thank you for that. Alright, Councilmember Christiansen Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:41:39
I, I also want to echo what Council, Councilman Peck said, this is a great, great report and a good reminder of all the little things all up and down Main Street that we have improved in small ways, but they really make a difference. They build up to make a whole, a much, much better community without destroying it and displacing it. As you said. I also wanted to echo what she said about the opportunity zones in the enterprise zones A few years ago, Bruce Katz, who wrote this book, the new localism, how cities can thrive in the age of populism. So Sarah Levison was taking him on a tour of my neighborhood, I guess, which had just been declared blighted by the state for an enterprise zone. And he said, How is this blighted? How much are these houses selling for said, you know that the definition of blighted is kind of kind of odd. And that, and Laura, I have been problematic for many, many years. But the other thing that concerns me about the opportunity zones in particular is that, from what I’ve studied through Pew Research Center, and through Brookings Institute, and through National League of Cities and talking to people from different cities, through National League of Cities, the opportunity zones are actually very difficult to implement, or the opportunity money is difficult to implement for commercial things. So what people have been doing is buying up real estate, buying up single family homes, and doing exactly what, what was discussed earlier, they just kind of level it and turn it into high end, fancy stuff that none of us can afford. So I’m glad that you’re addressing that and that we won’t find that happening in Longmont. We do want to be able to do all the things just as you’ve done them, you know, implementing all these different great little smaller projects that have a big impact. That makes a huge difference to this town. A lot of people don’t even notice these. But in the end, it builds up and it makes this a much, much better town to have all these smaller projects that actually add to the town. Thank you. All right, thank you, Councilmember waters.
Unknown Speaker 2:44:20
Thanks, Mayor Pro Tem, I’ll add my appreciation to the to the report, Aaron and Tony and everybody else has worked on it Nice job. In particular, I appreciate the scoring of the of the I guess tasks, or you know, the list of projects, I’m not certain how to think of them or priorities, the in the color coding but based on the scoring of cost, ease of implementation and in time to implement. If I look at that, and I think of the references now to financing mechanisms and what’s going to be kit what we’ll see in the capital, this tip budget Somewhere, Aaron, I suspect it’s you. And maybe it’s you and others, or maybe it’s somebody else, but somebody it has a has a project plan here, or a project management plan that you’ve already developed is that or it’s in the process of being developed. And you end up in and I’ll jump in. And listen, the reason I’m asking I’d like to know, I’m curious about of the work that of all the work and it’s, it’s pretty dramatic. What what is happening simultaneous simultaneously, in a period of time, and the sequencing of tasks, it would help me and I hope it would help all of us to see that in relationship to all the other things we ask you to do. But in particular, the timeline, what’s what simultaneous? What sequence over what kind of timeframe for the North, the Main Street corridor plan.
Unknown Speaker 2:45:55
And Merica Pro Tem Rodriguez council member waters, I’m sure. It would be a nightmare for someone using like a project management software to think how we think about long range plans. Because as you can imagine, some of those implementation tasks are much longer term. I mentioned that we have been working closely with staff and public works and natural resources on generating CRP and budget requests. The majority of those are not completely funded, or are completely unfunded. And so as you know, there’s difficult prioritization decisions with regard to our budgeting. So yes, a lot of the tasks are more simultaneous. Being that we may tackle a portion of the task. You know, the transportation projects are a good example. The Main Street corridor plan outlines recommendations for essentially every intersection on Main Street, every kind of section of roadway and Tyler stay me and his team have been great at sort of chipping away at that and working with c.as opportunities arise for, you know, them to complete projects, but obviously, we can’t do the whole five mile corridor at once. And I anticipate that, you know, as we finish the corridor, then we’ll be back to sort of starting on improvements on areas we’re working on now. So it is it is simultaneous, but we are focused on certain areas. And one way we do that is through development. You know, obviously, since we have the policy that development pays its own way in Longmont, we are able to achieve some of the improvements recommended by the plan in conjunction with the development that’s happening. And so that’s one way, we don’t always have control of that schedule. So I think we are looking at some of those items that are, you know, kind of the green and the the single dollar sign sooner rather than later. We’re looking at how can we pair things, you know, for example, with code updates. Are there other code updates that we’ve been tasked by council to look at? Can we maybe combine some of the recommendations from main street with those? Are there other projects that you know, public works or Longmont power is doing that we can tag on to? It looks like Tony and Harold may have some additional thoughts they want to add. For a time I want to go ahead. No, no.
Unknown Speaker 2:48:16
Okay, so, Counselor, Walters, just want to advise all council members that the three districts we identified, what they do is any funding that’s generated through those districts actually has to be spent in those districts. So what it does is it doesn’t then compete with all these other projects across the city for funding. And each of those districts with their various boards and authority. They make the decisions, what those improvements are, and again, the money that’s generated with them them has to be spent within those districts.
Unknown Speaker 2:48:53
What I was gonna say to when we take that and we take the planning process that Aaron’s been going through, so you know, we started very 1000 feet on the steam area, we’re now moving down, as we’re focusing in on the next level, we’re looking at the same thing on the north end of Main Street. As we start moving through those, those projects are now starting to fold into our capital improvement requests that are coming in the budget process. And I’ve had a couple of conversations literally today about what that’s looking like and what they’re putting in to then develop that project plan. And so that’s where, you know, we’re just moving through this and seeing all of these projects coming in of what you will see in the budget process. And then you’ve also got to balance that with the work that we’ve done with some of the grants that we’re having coming forward. So when you take the Kauffman street project and the grant that we have there, it is connected to Main Street, but it’s the bus process the bus, the buses will move to relieve the traffic on Main Street, you then add what we’re looking at at the transit station. bringing that to bear. And so these pieces are now starting to come together. And you know, we’ve been funding some of them ongoing and other budgets to bring money to bear for these projects, there’s going to be a continuation of that. We’re getting more focused now on the project plan, as they’re coming out of their planning efforts that now is moving into how do you operationalize this and create an implementation plan. And that’s what we’re moving into now. Thanks to you enter Tony into there. Alright,
Unknown Speaker 2:50:32
I don’t see any further comments from Council. So I guess at this time, is there any further direction staff would like from Council on this item? No, I’m not seeing any, then I move to accept the update as presented by counsel. Second. All right, thank you very much. I believe that Councilman Christiansen got that second in before everybody else. All those in favor of accepting the update from staff say aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay? Hearing none, the update. Acceptance has passed unanimously six to zero with Mayor Bagley absent. All right, thank you very much, staff very much. Appreciate that. Moving on to our last study session item, it’s, I believe the last bill from the legislative session for recommendation. And I’d like to welcome assistant city manager Sandy cedar.
Unknown Speaker 2:51:40
Thank you very much, Mayor Pro Tem assistant city manager, Sandy cedar, and I am here with what I believe is the last legislative update. There’s been some rumors that the the legislative session was going to end like today or tomorrow and then they were going to adjourn and come back to finish up bills. But we haven’t seen anything official yet. Either way, in the next week or two, they’ve already fulfilled all of their required days to meet. And so this is really probably our last legislative update. If something else comes up, then I’ll certainly bring it to you. And in the meantime, let’s talk about Senate Bill 21 273. This is a measure about pre trial. I don’t even know how to exactly lay it out. It’s very similar to Senate Bill 2162, which really talked about, you know, saying that we’re not going to be having felonies, we’re going to be really restrictive on what kinds of things we can arrest for really trying to put in some of the the ideas that that courts were able to implement during COVID. And trying to make them more permanent. Of course, we’re not against necessarily these types of you no changes to our legal system. But it does seem like they’re doing it without a whole lot of study or a whole lot of data behind them. And so the recommendation is that a city council opposed to 73 unless it’s amended to a study, I think it makes a whole lot of sense for them to take a look at what types of things does it really makes sense for us to arrest on? What types of things in there Do we want to make sure that we’re not sending the wrong message to the community about and so the suggestion certainly from law enforcement is to oppose it. Colorado Municipal League is also opposed. But I recognize that the last time when we talked about Senate Bill 62, you all saw some merit in some of this reform. And so the staff recommendation is to oppose less as amended to a study so that we can really take a look at all of the issues combined. Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 2:53:37
many levels, what I would like to do is support this bill, I think it is the impulse was very good, which was to not arrest just everybody off the street for any little tiny thing. And the reason for that is because it isn’t everybody who gets arrested, we all know that we all know that. I’m probably not going to get arrested. Other people who don’t look like me are going to get arrested. So the impulse is to make our arrest and our police force behave in a more equitable way. I do agree with the fact that this can create an environment in which the offenders rights are are a priority over the community in the victims. Having lived in some very low income neighborhoods in Oakland, I can tell you that people want people arrested who are doing acting out you know, so, you know, as a balance, I think it is good for us to oppose it unless amended. And this this study of the issues in perspective should be from an equity lens because that is at the core of this. The problem is that laws are being enforced. Unfortunately, across The state in some places in a very unacceptable way, and people are just being pulled off the street for nothing. But there are plenty of people who need to be pulled off the street because they’re doing things that are dangerous and wrong. So I would go with what staff suggests which is oppose SB 21 273 unless amended to a study of the issues and perspectives. Second, all right,
Unknown Speaker 2:55:31
we have a motion to follow the staff recommendation to oppose unless amended. Seconded by Councilmember Martin. Any other further comments or dialogue? Seeing none, we’ll move to the vote. All those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. The motion passes six to zero with Mayor Bagley absent. Thank you very much, Sandy. Cool. All right. Now it’s time any council comments at this time? Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 2:56:17
I still know people who haven’t been vaccinated. And I am just pleading with anybody out there who has not been vaccinated. To do your civic duty, this is a pandemic, we need to have the virus hit a dead wall and hit a dead end when it gets to you who are vaccinated. If you’re not vaccinated, it’s just going to be kept alive. And it can mutate and grow stronger. And then we’ll have to go through this all over again. So please, do what is right and get vaccinated. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:56:58
Thank you, Councilmember Christiansen, I agree. Although boulder County’s numbers are pretty significant. And I think Colorado in general is doing not too bad of a job. So but yes, I can continue to encourage people. Go get go get the Poke. Any other council member comments? Okay, seeing none. errata, can you come in at this time? Or do you got dogs running around there? What’s going on?
Unknown Speaker 2:57:26
No, I’m good. They’re not they’re not going crazy right now. I do have a question for you all. I know, when we talked about the open forum, we sent some information out to Council, it looked like July 20 would work for everyone for an open forum. And we were wondering if we could go ahead and schedule that for July 20. Just following up on that. So looking for council input on that one.
Unknown Speaker 2:57:53
I guess first of all, I asked for any council members that would not be able to do that. Council Councilmember Christiansen looks like outside of that, as I said, last week, that’s the only time this year I can take a vacation. That was that July. I just Oh, July July. Never mind when we get on July 20. I think that was a yes. replica. Yes.
Unknown Speaker 2:58:36
All right. So we’ll move the open forum to July 20. It leaves you on June 15. Open. Um, it’s kind of hard for us to pull stuff. But you will still have three meetings in June. So we meet the requirements that we need to we will probably need the 15th. I’m on June, June 15, we’re probably going to need an executive session on that day to go over and economic development items. So we will still have something unless council wants to look at something else because that’s where we are now.
Unknown Speaker 2:59:11
And it’s also rumored that we’ll be in cafe in chambers as of the 15th. Is that accurate?
Unknown Speaker 2:59:18
Correct. Since it’s just since it’s just an executive session, we will be executive session and then the 26th this was cancelled. And that was a date where we had other scheduling conflicts. So the 29th will then be the first meeting in chambers.
Unknown Speaker 2:59:34
Very good. I know that members of the media were asking for that. Council Member Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 2:59:42
thought also the when we were discussing this, because Councilman waters was not going to be here that Jim golden said that he needed to present something on the 15th is the 29th Oh It is now. Okay, that’s fine. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 3:00:04
And then we may also need a pre session on the 29th to start the future transportation conversation. We wanted to start that in the pre session on the 29th. The 29th was the big day. And then the last question I have for you also on on on June in June 25. Coffee with counsel, do you want to do that in person? Or do you want to do it remotely?
Unknown Speaker 3:00:33
Well, I know that I don’t know if any council members have been able to swap with council member waters, because I believe he was the one that was not going to be available for the 26th 26. Yeah, yeah. Councilmember Beck.
Unknown Speaker 3:00:50
I swapped with him. So I’m actually coffee with Council is tomorrow. I just wanted to remind people that we have that tomorrow morning. No, I’m sorry. I’m hoping it’s Friday. But it’s only Tuesday. Saturday morning is our coffee with council this week. So it’s been moved up? Yes. And I swapped with Councilman waters.
Unknown Speaker 3:01:14
So I guess the question still is this is then still going to be virtual? Also, because it’s been moved up to this weekend? Yes, I think,
Unknown Speaker 3:01:27
no, it’s it’s the 25th. It’s at the end of this month where we have coffee with counsel. So not this weekend. So my question are the 26. Let me get to the calendar. The 26 is the coffee with council this month. And that is the one and I see with Councilmember Hidalgo faring impacts. I guess it was shifted. And I guess for you all the question is do you want to do this one remotely? Or do you want to do this one in person?
Unknown Speaker 3:02:02
So if it’s on the 26th I I’m okay with doing it in person. It’s the 26 Yeah. Okay. Yes. Okay. Okay. In person it is.
Unknown Speaker 3:02:19
Thank you so much counselors, Iago ferry and Councilmember pack.
Unknown Speaker 3:02:23
Um, since we got on the COVID talk, can I, I, we didn’t have the COVID discussion. But is there any word on when the 11 year old and under will be eligible for vaccines?
Unknown Speaker 3:02:37
I’m not hearing anything or at this point on that. As soon as we hear it, we’ll let you all know. Okay. Sandy, have you heard anything?
Unknown Speaker 3:02:50
Harold, I just took a look at all the Boulder County information we received today. And I haven’t seen anything to that quite yet. I know a lot
Unknown Speaker 3:02:56
of us are crossing our fingers for sure. Yeah. Well, and I am teaching summer school. So yeah, technically, I’m still not out of school yet. Um, so you know, as long as I’m working with the little ones, I will be masked.
Unknown Speaker 3:03:10
So say my, my understanding is there’s no vaccines yet approved for anybody below the age of 12. Yeah, right.
Unknown Speaker 3:03:18
And I think that’s where they’re, typically what we’ve seen them do is so they started 12, not long 12 to I guess 15 not long ago. And they’ll typically go a little bit of time on that. And then they’ll start running. And they may be running trials now. But when they implement they start the next group. And then they move shortly after into that next group. That’s that’s what they’ve been doing thus far through the process.
Unknown Speaker 3:03:44
I heard earliest was going to be late summer. Yeah. For anybody on yours. The earliest I’ve heard.
Unknown Speaker 3:03:52
Yeah, just to give you a sense, since the question was brought up in Boulder County 72.5% of eligible Boulder County residents are vaccinated. And so over 210,000 Boulder County residents 12 or older have received at least one top COVID vaccine. So we are performing it at a higher rate than most of the state and the state’s performing higher than other states. So you know, we’re still working on very targeted populations trying to really have targeted clinics, but they’re really doing well. And as we get into that last 25%, we are finding that it is more difficult, but they’re continuing to plug away that issue. And just so you know, the point of why we’re asking everyone to do this is there’s been some studies released recently that I started to read that depending on what the vaccine uptake is for the nation as a whole. It’s really getting into that herd immunity concept and what that’s going to look like in the future in terms of variants. And so that’s that’s the emphasis. It’s continues to be the emphasis right now.
Unknown Speaker 3:05:08
All right, thank you very much. I’m going to spoiler alert a little bit. A little TV spot that’s coming in the near future that I think my fellow council members participated in. Hey, Eugenia is still awake. Can one Mayor Pro Tem Yes, I am. No comments. All right. Thank you very much. At this time, I’ll move to adjourn. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. All right, the motion passes six to zero with Mary Bagley absent. Thank you all so much for allowing me to chair this meeting tonight. It’s been a pleasure. See you guys next week.