Video Description:
City Council Study Session – October 5, 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 6:41
All right everybody welcome nice to see such a large crowd tonight for those at home I’m I’m being sarcastic. There’s very few people here. All right let’s go ahead and start by me calling the meeting to order Welcome to study session of October 5. Let’s go ahead and have a roll call. Mayor Bagley is here. Councilmember Christiansen Councilmember dogberry Councilmember Martin. Councilmember Peck. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and counselor waters Mary have a quorum all right let’s say the Pledge
Tim Waters 7:12
of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of
Unknown Speaker 7:14
America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all all right let’s go on to any motions to direct the city manager to add agenda items anybody want to say anything all right Seeing no one let’s go ahead and move on to public invited be heard we’ve got one person and it was a special request I’ve only got a few meetings left that I’d like to hear from him as much as possible Strider Benson Ladies and gentlemen, come on up. Like always, you got three minutes to say what you want straighter.
Unknown Speaker 8:07
951 was 17th Avenue. Um, several things on my mind currently, saya miss the debate neither two ago. To much stress in my life, I can’t remember everything. But a couple of things I’d like to mention the last week when three Congresswoman Cory bush Pramila jayapal. And Barbara they testified about their only their own experience is personally a being raped or being a young teenager and not knowing what was going on or being on severely, physically compromised to where her first child was only one pound airborne and almost died and if she’d had another child, it would probably have died and killed her. So they they gave their real stories within the news report. She didn’t get to hear those stories. She only got to hear the conclusive remarks. The Texas rape in essence and vigilante law is intentionally designed to completely destroyed the entire concept of civil law in our society going back to running made in 1215 in England. There are many other things going on. I would like to speak, quote gretta Turnberry, who spoke at the World Youth Conference Mowlam this last weekend. And she said, What do you think of when you think of climate change? She said, I think of jobs. On euro. It’s not just about, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, hugging bunnies, hugging trees and stuff like that. The blah, blah, blah, just words. Our hopes and our dreams are drown in their empty promises, which are words without actions. They, you look at the context, and it goes back to colonialism and imperialism, and the whole hierarchy of our economic society that some people are not worth as much as others. And so you can wipe them out, and it’s okay. And don’t worry about it. Because you know, the great chatting night on a white horse will come and save the rich. Now the whole planet is in peril. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 11:20
All right, thank you straighter. All right, Harold. Any COVID-19 update? If
Unknown Speaker 11:28
yes, sir. This need. So mayor, council today, this is gonna be a quick one. But you can look at the seven day cumulative case rate per 100,000. And you can see that we’re continuing to trend down. The, the important part of this is, again, we’re still in high transmission rate as a county. And but the numbers are down. And when you go to this next slide, you’ll see that Boulder County has traditionally had the green arrows going down. But now it’s a red arrow going up, I think when you look at this, this slide here, you can see now that we’re starting to bounce a little bit, and that’s what it’s showing. But generally, the trend is still pretty good. What they really talked about today in the meeting with administrator meeting, is really still some of what we’re seeing in other counties. And again, this is a Kate rec case, right 400,000 to to normalize the data. And if you look at Grand county at 546, and then larrimer, at 233. And well that 299. And I’m pointing these out for a reason as we kind of get to some of the other data we’re starting to see, again, when you see the trends among age groups, continuing to move in the direction that everybody wants him to move. And I think the general theme was, we’re moving in the right direction in the briefing we got today. What’s interesting in this, and when you look at these slides, and and the reason I pointed out what we’re seeing in some of the neighboring counties, is probably the biggest shift in the data now is really what we’re seeing in terms of the case rate in Longmont compared to the other places within the county, in that it’s 44 in the last few weeks, 44 and 45%. I kind of mentioned this before, that they’re there. They’re looking at Well, what’s the influence on adjoining counties in terms of case rates and what that looks like? I have asked for data for them to break the data down for me by age groups. And the reason why I want to see that is to see are we seeing this across the board in Longmont? Are we seeing certain age groups drive this number up? When you when you look at what’s happening in hospitalizations. So the ICU availability, if you remember, I think when we first started showing this in the North Central Region, it was in the neighborhood of around 20%. Last week, we’re 13 now it’s down to nine. And then and that’s staffed ICU availability, going to the staffing component that we talked about. When you look at the med surge Bed Availability, that has decreased as well from 15 to 11%. And then hospitals are still reporting tight staffing 23% with significant staffing shortages, and they’re continuing to take patients from other states. What also came into the conversation too is we’re also seeing some of our hospitals in Boulder County, also taking patients from some of the surrounding counties that are seeing higher numbers as well. Well, and therefore they’re still activated in level one. And so depending on the facility you go to and in their individual capacity, they still are seeing some non emergency surgeries being postponed. Again, moving to where we need to be in terms of getting closer to the epidemiological capacity, but it’s still beyond what Boulder County can handle. And then once again, you’re still seeing that there are some, some deaths occurring. And we have that gap. But we’re all you know, we’re seeing it come back in. And then when we look at the vaccination, right percent of the total population is 69.1%. of the eligible folks eligible for this 77.9 for the full course. Or if you have a partial course, you can see the numbers change, we did get some information that I think it is getting more.
Unknown Speaker 15:56
They are getting, I guess, to the point where they think the vaccinations for younger adults, especially five to 11. They may see that in the next few weeks, the approval coming in the next few weeks. And so everyone’s still waiting to see that piece. So that’s really the numbers as a whole. In what we’re talking about, again, generally as a county, we’re moving in the direction that we want to as a city, we are seeing the majority of the cases in the county occur in Longmont now. And we’re just going to try to have them dig into the data. To see what that to see if we can get any kind of clue as to where and where, you know, within what age group we’re seeing the cases grow and see if there’s any strategies we can do in terms of communication. Be happy to answer any questions.
Unknown Speaker 16:44
I guess my question is, I’ve traveled all over the state and I’m not seen any other masking orders. How many others counties have masking orders?
Unknown Speaker 16:52
Um, I think there was one other county that had it. It’s not Denver
Unknown Speaker 16:55
right now. Not well, not Larimer don’t have the surrounding counties. So all right, like, like a net northa portion of the pool. All right. Okay. Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 17:09
at several at two of the forums. Recently, I’ve heard candidates for Council and mayor who say that, according to their statistics, and I don’t know where they’re getting them from 85% of people in Boulder County have been vaccinated. And 15% of people in Boulder County are disabled, and can’t be vaccinated. And then That only leaves a few percent. I don’t understand these statistics. And I I’m hoping you can clarify them specifically the fact that I don’t know why they would say that 15% of people in Boulder County are disabled, and can’t be vaccinated. Just because you’re deaf or blind does not mean you can’t be vaccinated, they’re conflating the two, have we really your statistics do not say that 85%.
Unknown Speaker 18:10
So, we have 83.5% with one dose well, that have either received one dose or full course of the vaccine in specifically 77.9 of the eligible population, right? So when you look at the eligible population, the percentages are higher, because you can’t vaccinate kids under 12. Yes. And those that are unable to get it because of medical reasons. And so I wouldn’t necessarily say that the date, if there was a slide at one point that the county had, and I can try to see if they have it where they estimated I think it was an estimate of those who are unable to get it because of medical reasons. And I wouldn’t necessarily say disabled because you can have a medical issue that prevents you from getting it, but you’re not disabled. I know that is
Unknown Speaker 19:01
so in your view, those are those are misleading or false statistics.
Unknown Speaker 19:10
I don’t know. I haven’t seen them. And I don’t know whether you’re referring. It’s hard for me to comment on that. Yeah, I can say what I’ve been briefed on and to say that there is a portion of the community that can’t get it because of medical reasons. We know that and I can try to find that information. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 19:27
I don’t think it’s 15%. But, okay, thank you, because I keep hearing this, and I don’t know where this comes from. It’s not anything that you’ve until presenting this stuff to us for a very long time and I have not seen any of those statistics that they have cited. So we’re sure yeah. Okay. Thank you very much, Dr. Waters.
Tim Waters 19:50
Thanks. Mayor Begley herald the last week we talked a little bit about the wastewater testing is a leading indicator and what it might tell us about what Because we saw the bounce last week. And and there were some you wanted there was somebody was going to do some reviewing of what the correlates might be? And what sense to make of it. Is there. Do you have any more insights on that, from that from the wastewater testing?
Unknown Speaker 20:16
I do. I don’t know if I can bring it up on this screen. The numbers just got updated a few an hour or so ago? And let me see if I can pull it up.
Tim Waters 20:31
Have you had a chance to look at it to know whether or not it’s helpful in terms of helping lead us toward? Yeah, so you’re wondering about like, where in what cohorts or, you know, what, how do you understand where the infection rate is, is coming from and moving to?
Unknown Speaker 20:47
So. So what we did is we saw a really high spike in our wastewater and the highest that we’ve seen, since we’ve been testing. And so what we were trying to figure out was, was that an anomaly? And was there something else in the testing, because we didn’t want to really say, here’s the highest spike that we’ve seen. The current data trends down, but it trends, you know, the last two data points, and if we can find a way to get teams up, other than mine, so you’re not getting bombarded was flashing it trends down. But even then, when I look at the last two data points, they’re still probably in that high range. And so what what makes sense now to us, is when we look at the cases that we’re predicting, and what we’re seeing in that 45%, there’s a connection. Now, we just got to figure out it to what extent the connection really exists. And that’s why I wanted to get some of those other data sets to understand what we’re seeing.
Tim Waters 21:51
So if I were to connect what you just said to slide eight, of the 13, in the in isssues, having gone from 13%, capacity to nine, that’s what it looks like. Depending on on how you interpret or what the implications are of the spike, or the bounce, right? If that’s a leading indicator of some, you know, surprise, we’re going to get there’s what we saw in terms of capacity, become moved from a concern to a crisis, is it with 9% capacity?
Unknown Speaker 22:32
Well, I think I think the piece on this and I’m going to go to this slide in what we’re talking about. So when you look at this point of their they’ve activated the level one in the postponement of the surgeries and things like that. We know there’s capacity within the system, you just have to shrink that down like we did before, or like they did before. And I think what they’re really doing right now, so I wouldn’t say that I heard anything about a crisis, what I would say is they’re really watching these numbers, and in there managing them daily, in terms of that, but it really is about the transferring from folks, folks from hospital to hospital, because they’re really balancing out as a system. And so, we have had members of our organization who have had relatives go to the hospital that have probably have gone to the emergency room here, but may have then been moved to Larimer County just because of what’s happened and and where people are being pushed. And so I haven’t heard crisis, I just heard that they’re still really watching this based on the numbers. But I also go back to when we were in the height of this and folks said, when they weren’t doing any non emergency procedures that really created dependents. So that’s how they’re managing the system daily, at least what we’re being briefed on.
Tim Waters 23:51
So they’re more or less Ron COVID cases that are accepted based on how elastic that that
Unknown Speaker 23:59
correct staffing is, and what we’re not we’re not seeing COVID overloading the system, but when you take a normal system, and then you dump it on top of it, and and that’s actually a good point to make. You know, one of the things that we’re still, we still see occasionally as people are afraid to go to hospitals when they don’t feel well. And if you remember early on in this, we were saying if you think you’re having a heart attack or stroke or something’s wrong, you need to go. And it’s interesting to see how that’s even started to transcend into testing for other things. It was all over this weekend on the sports channels about how people being tested for cancer dropped dramatically. And now doctors are seeing identifying later stages because they didn’t and I think that the message is also you still need to do what you need to do because that has an impact on a system as well and how you’re trying to manage the system. And I think Thanks for letting me kind of circle back to that because it is other things that are also driving the overall capacity piece.
Tim Waters 25:00
I’ll be your straight man.
Unknown Speaker 25:03
All right, let’s go ahead move on. Jim, you want to come down and we’ll do budget. Jim and Associates, Jim and company Chairman the battalion, Jim and the Legion of doom. just did one of my favorite cartoons had the Legion of doom. Okay, the Justice League How’s that?
Unknown Speaker 26:02
Good evening mayor and city council. I’m Teresa Malloy, budget manager. And so this is our final budget presentation for our 2022 budget. And we have just a few things for you this evening, I wanted to start by letting you all know that that we did provide some follow up information to things, the metric data on the FTA ease can be found an attachment or and then in attachment f s sorry, is the the new funding in the general fund that supports equity. And in that spreadsheet, what is highlighted in green is those equity items that are in the third and fourth quartile. And just to let you know that there is $345,410 out of the 432,000. That is in quartile three. And then in quarter, two, I’m sorry, four out of the total 66,844 is just a little over 2200. So on those two attachments, certainly if you have questions on any of the information, we do have staff here this evening that can help answer those questions. So
Unknown Speaker 27:50
is that a time that you’re asking for questions? Sure. All right. counsel Merrick back.
Unknown Speaker 27:55
Thank you very badly. Yeah, I have about three. It is on 182, which is the community health and diversion. Is this an F t? 182. These aren’t alphabetical orders? I mean, in numerical order. So kind of hard.
Unknown Speaker 28:29
Pardon me, it’s, I’m assuming it is the code 182. It’s under request where it says number dash 2022. And it’s called Community Health and diversion. So the clinician to Yes. So that is, so so basically what we’re doing is taking what previously was funded by grants, okay, and funding them now. In the public safety fund. One, one of those one clinician two. Okay. Thanks for that clarification. The other question I haven’t This is actually for a gentleman who emailed the boat at Lake Mackintosh, why are we buying a boat for late Macintosh?
Unknown Speaker 29:23
So there’s a couple of things and I know David bells back there, but if council were remember when so we added two Rangers in a boat, and part of it was because the increased volume of folks that we were seeing on there and then in the need to get out and actually manage the lake, but based on what we’ve seen over the last few years, David, I don’t know if there’s anything that I need to you need to add to that beyond what I just said.
Unknown Speaker 29:46
Okay, and the other half of that is do we have a boat for union reservoir? Yes. Great. All right. So if that gentleman’s listening, there’s your answer.
Unknown Speaker 29:56
We have a rescue. The rescue Yep.
Unknown Speaker 30:00
So okay, great. And the other one is about the neighborhood resource coordinator, the FTP for that. Now I know that Wayne Tomek is there now for in GLA, is this replacing him or is
Unknown Speaker 30:13
it in addition to, and this is a higher level position to help coordinate the broader work that we’re doing within the neighborhoods. And this is what I saw, when you look at Wayne’s position it, there’s different funding sources that come in in terms of what’s part of that. So the sustainability work that we’re doing in the neighborhood work. And so the neighborhood coordinating position is really above that. And to help bring everything that we have, from a neighborhood perspective to more support to then in GLA, working with neighborhoods that aren’t part of the neighborhood group leaders Association, building capacity and sustainability and resiliency within those neighborhoods. It really is about amping the work that we do and connecting to our neighborhoods, because we’re seeing more of more of a need, and more neighborhoods coming to us to do this work.
Unknown Speaker 31:09
Perfect. is Carmen still going to be working? Yes, in that area two, okay.
Unknown Speaker 31:13
So part of it is on this part of why you see this in the equity position is because if you remember when I talked about the equity positions, a lot of that work is automatically goes into neighborhood services anyway. And so we’ve asked Carmen to do more of that. So these are also to kind of help fill the gap. And then let her be more outward facing and looking more globally at what we need to do and building capacity and over time, so we can provide more services to the community.
Unknown Speaker 31:42
Good. I think that’s a great thing. Then on the property tax rebates. Can you tell me explain how that works?
Unknown Speaker 31:50
Jim, do that one. So
Unknown Speaker 31:58
Mayor Bagley, members of councils, so it’s all part of the cares program, anyone who qualifies for our care program that can get credits on on utility bill is also eligible for the property tax or rent rebate program. And so again, it’s based on on income levels. And then, if they qualify, we will rebate the city’s property tax that they paid on their property tax bill.
Unknown Speaker 32:27
Okay, great. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 32:31
All right. No more, no more in the queue. Let’s keep going.
Unknown Speaker 32:36
So then, just to let you know, we also advertised a second public hearing, and we do recommend that you hold that public hearing before you give us your final direction for this evening. In case there is a member of the audience who wishes to speak to you. All right, let’s go ahead. That’s the same information you saw last week. All right,
Unknown Speaker 32:56
great. I’m not going to read the slide. Everyone can read it. We’re going to go ahead and open the public hearing at this time. Is there anyone who would like to come down and address City Council on the second public hearing as far as the budget is concerned for next year? Alright, see, no one’s Go ahead. I’m sorry. Yeah, come on up. Thank you. I didn’t see out of the peripheral my eye. You got three minutes and share what you’d like.
Unknown Speaker 33:22
Alright. I am Naomi Curlin. 2073 Goldfinch court, I serve on the Board of sustainable resilient Longmont and I am the Chair of their Zero Waste committee, and I’m also the executive director of Longmont Food Rescue. I am commenting tonight specifically on sustainability issues related to zero waste goals in the proposed budget, to the best of my understanding from what I could read in the budget. Many of our city’s goals being put forth in our Zero Waste resolution, which is currently in the process of being updated are limited in terms of timeline and scope by limited staff time, particularly within the waste management department. If current staff is already stretched thin with the day to day management of our service programs, then we need dedicated staff to reach our Zero Waste goals in a timeframe appropriate to our current climate crisis. tasks such as researching and drafting a universal recycling ordinance and creating an implementing educational and outreach programs to increase our composting and waste diversion are crucial to reaching our city’s sustainability goals. But they are also time consuming and need prioritized action, which is a challenge when it doesn’t seem to immediately impact the department’s day to day functioning. The 2021 budgeted sustainability positions don’t currently include a waste management specific position, even though it’s a vital part of our sustainability plan. Another budget item that would be beneficial to our community is funds to assist community organizations to help make community events zero waste to help provide compostable and recyclable materials and services. Additionally, the Sustainable Business program could provide financial support in the form of grants or assisted discounts for newer businesses who are trying to make the transition to sustainable packaging. For new businesses, the cost of moving to sustainable options can be a major hindrance, even though they want to do what’s right for the planet, it may not be financially feasible, funding for the Sustainable Business program to assist in this transition would make a real difference. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 35:20
Thank you. Anyone else? Alright, see no one, we’re gonna go ahead and close the second public hearing on the budget. So thank you very much. Do we have a motion for direction to staff regarding the 220 22? budget? We, you’re more Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 35:45
So what we are going to need from you this evening, is your direction on what to do with the second half of the marijuana tax. So the first half does go to affordable housing. So that’s $300,000. That has been included in the proposed budget that we did give to you. What is not included in the budget, though, is the second half. Because that is pending decisions from from you all direction from you all and then we will include it in the ordinances that we’ll bring back next week. So another 300,000 Plus there is 150,000 in fund balance that was from that second half from 2020 operations. So you have a total of $450,000 that we will need direction on you are from you tonight. These are the options that we have heard previously. So there was some direction provided that the remaining 50% needed to go to mental health and addiction. But we are not clear on whether or not that is just a one year thing. If it is more than one year. So
Unknown Speaker 37:10
can I just I thought so how did this get on the agenda? So first of all, I thought we already determined the 529 jump program. Did we not vote on that and give direction?
Unknown Speaker 37:20
Not for this year. Mayor?
Unknown Speaker 37:22
The one time one Monday,
Unknown Speaker 37:25
we did provide some information to you in last week’s council communication.
Unknown Speaker 37:31
Right. Right. How much previously so that again,
Unknown Speaker 37:35
on how much we had funded previously, it was a one time thing that we voted on there is ongoing and one time so there’s $25,000 in the ongoing budget and 22. And that is ongoing that was added in 2020. So there was 2020, ongoing, of 25,020 21, ongoing of 25,000. And then 70,001 time in 2021.
Unknown Speaker 38:05
Mayor Bagley if I could just also add that the council did tell us that they wanted to fund the jump program, we said we were going to bring him back the marijuana tax, which would be an opportunity but that you all had to give us still some direction on at least 50% of that tax. I guess I’m just wondering, are these the only two options and how did they get on here?
Unknown Speaker 38:27
So the first one on the mental health piece was emotion that council made and voted on, bring that on? And then the second one was based on how the 529 I think that was potentially
Unknown Speaker 38:42
that’s fine. I just curious. I’m not I’m not? I’m not? I’m not tantruming? I’m just I’m just curious how it got on here. Because there’s other issues. I assume there’s a third option, which is other. Right, okay. I mean, not that I have any ideas, but just to be clear. All right. We’ve got some people in the queue. Do you want us to discuss this now? I presume? All right. Council Member we got a bunch of people. Let’s go ahead. We have not heard from council members of a fairing tonight. So let’s go ahead and hear from her.
Unknown Speaker 39:10
Okay, thank you. You know, I actually have some questions. I was not on council when the 529 jump passed, but I was you know, I’m wondering what is the data showing that the, the efficiency or the efficacy of this, of this program. The other thing I’d like to know and I was kind of asking around and I couldn’t get some answers from kind of folks who are who are in the weeds with the cultural brokers work and you know, how is it your where’s the data that supports that it’s helping, you know, our children in poverty, our bipoc community, helping students with disabilities to actually have a pathway toward higher ed or any Kind of vocational or training school if that is an option, and if they’re able to maintain those accounts. So I guess I would go to Karen.
Unknown Speaker 40:12
Good evening, Mayor and members of city council, Karen, Ronnie with community services. And so to answer your question, I don’t have an answer. So, and I would say it it, because we really are just kids just really ramping up this fy 29 jump program. So. So we did have funding first in 2020, for this, and it did take us a while to negotiate a contract with the st. Brain Education Foundation. So we didn’t sign that contract with the st. Brain Education Foundation until April of 2021. So so you know, so again, we are just really now ramping that up with marketing. And, you know, with the additional $70,000, that council allocated in 2021, that does provide that opportunity for all Spring Valley kindergarteners to, you know, to get that to get that boost to get that jump. So, so I don’t have I, you know, Councilmember waters sits on that committee for the, for the Education Foundation. And he might have additional thoughts about that. But we do have metrics, we do have a marketing plan. And Christina and Pacheco and her staff are, are making sure that we are able to connect with all you know, families in the st. Green Valley School District it to make sure there’s equitable access for these for these funds and make sure everyone knows it’s available. So that is our plan. And I do not have data to share with you about how effective it is, because we are really just getting started. But we will be coming back with air there is a urine report that we are to be providing with, you know, with with that information.
Unknown Speaker 42:09
Okay, so I wish I could give you more. So that’s all right, this this that’s what this one question about the data actually came to me later. And I was like, Oh, we should have prepared you ahead of time. So you know, that’s, that’s my bad. You know, the other thing, you know, are there other communities or other cities that are doing this type of program that jumped by 29. And so
Unknown Speaker 42:33
I’ll jump into this. And yeah, this is a classic, he got caught up in COVID kind of equation on all of this. And so I think when we are moving forward, and in order to get the school district, they wanted everyone in the same brain Valley to participate in this. And so the direction from council at that point was to provide the additional funding so that’s where the 70,000 I think came from in order to bridge that gap. We were going to then go work with the other communities to get them to participate in this and and then shortly thereafter is when when the world and so for part of the conversation then becomes now as everything’s coming back is really to engage those other communities to participate in this and be part of it in a similar fashion that that long line is but that’s really where we are today. And I think it’s also I know just before I’m going back in time a little bit but just before COVID hit I know we had staff members I know Carmen and others were involved in one of the original signup periods I think it was at Timberline Timberline are because we need to buy link we needed bilingual staff there was a need for bilingual staff to come in and try to help with the signups and so I know we were sending different staff to participate in it. And then the world changed I think where we
Unknown Speaker 43:51
were and you know and I guess I was just wondering if there are other communities in the United States who who have these types of programs and long term wise is this you know, and the reason why I’m kind of piecing this apart is because I you know, in my own experience in working with families, you know, they get the kid into the college that first year and they have all this assistance have all the support and then you know and I’ve had several families who’ve come back to me and it was like oh yeah, I said you know, I had to pull my kid out and you know, they had to drop out of school after a year because those those can sports did not continue. So you know, it’s great to have this initial but having that long term to have them retain and stay and Add to add to the to their own investment as well. So that you know that was one of the things I kind of wanted to look at and know if there’s you know any kind of number or data that kind of backs. Whether or not the families are so there is I see. So I will remember why
Unknown Speaker 44:59
but I saw there is So, and I think what I’ve answered and then and then. And so I think that, you know, certainly what this city council, this has been part of this city council’s work plan and vision for, since 2018, I think, to really focus on multiple investments and strategies to make sure that our youngest residents birth through five, have the best chance possible for a healthy start in life, and to be on a trajectory for, for success into as they were moving to adulthood. So this is one of several strategies that council really has, you know, has embraced there is there is data, as you know, in terms of the what the return on investment, so if we really help all of our young people, all of our children to the have, what they need in terms of health, and, you know, and early education and a good healthy emotional environment that that just really helps to set the stage for success in the future. So I’m sure it counts my water sciences turn. Well, yeah, to talk more about that.
Unknown Speaker 46:13
No, I’d appreciate that. So I and I just I just want to clarify, I’m not looking to disband this. I mean, this is something that’s been in process. So you know, I mean, the most destructive thing we can do on Council is look at what these back plans are, and then come in and just dismantle, I mean, we have to really scrutinize and what can we do to strengthen the program. So if there are things that are missing, that we we make sure that the money is being allocated for additional cultural brokers rather than you know, instead of just putting it on the plate of a few to make those that outreach, that we are really putting money towards filling in those gaps. And, you know, just kind of wanted to make sure that the right kind of questions are being asked and, and filling in any holes. So then, so truly everyone can benefit from from this kind of program regardless of race and, and socio economic status. So thank you.
Unknown Speaker 47:12
Dr. Waters, I’m going to call on you just because you might have some information that’s pertinent to council member Douglas bearings, questions.
Tim Waters 47:20
Thank you, Mr. Bagley. Good questions. And I think they’re the kind of questions we need to keep asking. So just a bit of additional history on this for the context. Karen was absolutely right. This came out of our retreat on May 20 2018. We adopted the goal of for our Early Childhood Initiative in September of that year. And in that discussion, wondering what could a city council do to somehow strengthen early childhood initiatives in this community, one of the conclusions was at the very least we could do this, we could make an investment in them as kindergarteners, part of the reason is that places like states like Indiana, the entire state of Indiana makes that investment a year ago in the governor’s initiative, going into 2021. Where I can’t remember the bill title but but the conclusion was that every kindergarten or every five year old, born after January 1 2021, will have a $100 contribution to a 529 savings account starting when they arrive in kindergarten for kids born that year. And the reason is based on what Indiana has experienced and the data that the college invest program has collected. This is probably the strongest data point is that kids with regardless of the amount kids at that point of transition from elementary to middle school, that’s when they’re asked with a 529 account. What are your plans after high school? Kids with an account are seven times more likely to identify them self identify as high school graduates and is continuing their education in some way. The only difference right? The only variable in those who do and those who don’t work was the 529 account. And when you look at the life outcomes of kids of high school graduates, I don’t care whether you’ve finished continuing education or not. In terms of lifespan, all of the associated costs for health care, mental health, employment carcer ration across the board. That’s why we know that the investment in education is the best society can make in terms of returns. This particular one for $50. For $50, that turns into whatever. Jim, you could probably do the compound interest in your head over 12 years $50 or whatever the average market return is something between 100 and 150, probably 12 years later, I don’t know something like that if they never put another dollar in, so that money can be used for anything. That’s education related if they wanted to go be a ski patrol officer if they wanted to. One of my granddaughter’s when she went to kindergarten, and she was asked, What does she want to do for a living, she said, I want to be a tire changer. We don’t know where that came from. But if they wanted, she wanted to get trained as a tire changer, she could use that money to get trained as a tire changer. So there’s the group that’s worked on this. reflux, the school district personnel that the Education Foundation personnel, I’ve stayed involved with it. We have city staff that’s been involved with it. Bonnie Finley, who championed this, when she was on the county council has stayed stayed involved within the ones that have made, I don’t think it’s revisionist history. This additional added to the history is that in our retreat in February 2020, we had been back and forth in conversations with the foundation on where the school district stood with respect to their enthusiasm for this. And understandably, the school district felt kind of caught with us suggesting a program that only some kids would benefit from right kids who live within the the city limits of long run in the same vein, Valley School District serves, obviously, more communities. So what I saw this school district said at the time, you have all the kids could be involved. We get way, we’d be way more enthusiastic about getting behind it. So I came to the council in February of 2020. In and I carried Honestly, I carried the minutes of that meeting around with me for months and months anticipating this question coming up, then we got to this point of the budget hadn’t come up. So I didn’t bring it tonight, or I would read it to you. I came to the Council on that day, and shared what we had learned from the school district and asked if the council would authorize expanding or growing the $25,000 to 70,000. Because that was the estimate of what it would be required. Right. That was in 2020. And the notes to go back and read the minutes of the meeting. The council said unanimously, yes.
So 2020, in addition to the money that Karen mentioned, we we authorized that increasing that to 70,000 A month later. And I and I committed at the time and I’d spoken with the mayor about this, that I’d write the letters, I would do whatever it needed to do to get to reach out to other municipalities to invite them to to to cover the cost of their children. Right. Surely those municipalities would want to make a similar investment. Our thought was, and I still believe that will be the case. But it was a little difficult to do the outreach once everything shut down. So thanks, we’re not quite returned to whatever the new normal is going to be. So that outreach hasn’t really occurred. What I’ve said, again, in this process, is that, you know, we get end we get beyond this cycle, and I’ll do whatever I need to do that outreach, so that other municipalities would have the, the enjoy the opportunity to support their kindergarteners just like we do. If you take that the 529, this would be my last kind of advocacy on this. Well, maybe not the last, just for this moment. If you take the 529 is kind of the capstone of what we do with our Early Childhood Initiative. In that moment, we didn’t have the kind of action plan that has been created through our community coalition that addresses a host of needs to increase capacity. That increases the likelihood that those 550 kids who we couldn’t account for during the mayor summit in the spring of 2019. That we still can’t account for and the effects of the pandemic have been brutal on on the whole childcare industry. And good on this city. Good on Harold, and Karen, in Christina, listening well to the coalition and other providers around the county who were describing what was happening to them in in this city opened up its warehouse and the access to pee pee and cleaning supplies to keep providers in the game who otherwise would have simply shut down. That didn’t happen in other municipalities. It what didn’t happen there is they didn’t have access, they did shut down. We salvage the good part of our industry here that would have I think collapsed without that kind of support. So we have a plan. Now, it’s going to require a lot more work. And it’s going to require a different kinds of funding. But it but but we’ve invited the coalition and the community to reimagine What does childcare and early learning look like, right? In the post pandemic era, it can’t be just a version of what we had before. It is simply inadequate to the needs of not just families, but of the of the workforce. So if you take the end game there, and this is a capstone, the prospect that we send kids to school, as five year old school ready. And we have kid ready schools. And you know how many of those gaps that existed day one have melted by them because of the good work we’ve done. And then to make a statement to five year olds, the we have confidence in you, really, that you’re going to finish your education after the start, we’ve helped get you off to the prospects for kids in this in this community and in the school district, are greatly enhanced. And it’s it’s the evidence is true in the places that I’ve taken this approach. And I’ll get off the soapbox just with, I guess one more comment that we talked about homelessness, economic development, unemployment, mental health, all of the all of the social consequences of a social safety net, or the in sufficiency or inadequacies of our systems to get people prepared to live productive lives. The investment we make that has the greatest potential on reducing reducing homelessness, reducing mental health issues, reducing physical health issues, is to get it right for our kids zero to five. This is our best chance I we’re on the path to do that. And I think it’s the best investment we can make. So at some point in time, I’m going to be happy to make a motion to spend $70,000 on the jump and the $380,000 is what it’s going to be no. Yeah, 380,000 I think, right now the 450. Yeah, 380, along with 70 gives us gives us the 450. So mayor, beggar when you’re ready for that motion, I’m happy to make it.
Unknown Speaker 57:05
Alright. Counselor pack.
Unknown Speaker 57:13
Thank you very badly. So coming back to the original question about 529 jump or mental health. I’m the one who actually made the motion that we have this discussion. I talked to john Josh Atherton today, because I was very concerned that when we make a statement that all children then our programs, when we start them should include all children. And this one doesn’t. I asked Josh if there was equity in this and he said no, there was not, there is no way to tell who actually signs up for this, what their ethnic background is. And that did bother him as well. He said he’s been he has been concerned about that. So the first initial monies that we put in was 70,000, as we’ve said, and 25,000 of that has been drawn down. But out of that 25,000 only $3,391. And some change has actually been used for new accounts into 529 jump that leaves $45,000 left out of that initial 70. So if we and the reason I think this is important is I think this is an incredible program and that we need to figure out how it’s going to be equitable. I like the idea of funding starting a fund for everybody born that year that definitely in Longmont would cover every child. So of every nationality of all diverse lifestyles, because they still have $29,609 left in that account. Because in 2019, they only spent 3300 of it. I am going to say even if they doubled up this year, in a time when it’s really hard to get people who’ve gone through the pandemic to say they can put dollars into something that when they’re thinking about where am I going to live? Can I pay the rent? Do I have enough food? Can I pay child care because we don’t have those programs set up yet. I am saying I am going to make a motion that we even if they they will still have $15,000 left if they use $10,000 of that this year. And I’m assuming that they won’t if we gave them another 70,000 with a 45,000 that is still available to them. I’m not sure they would use all that money this year. So it isn’t that I want the program to go away. It’s just that in this time slot? Do they really? Will we really use that much money? Can we use it in a better way. And then as we, as we move forward, find out if this is working, and Josh said that he would be glad to come and give a report to council because we don’t really know what’s going on in that account. Unless the person who is administering it would come up and give us a report. So what I am saying the reason that I want to put some of it into mental health is because if you have been paying attention too long, my you will see that the homelessness program has escalated. We see people with shopping carts every day, full of stuff, we have a couple of parks that have become somewhat aggressive with transient. And I think that we need to address that issue immediately before it comes bigger than the police can handle. So I am just going to say that we not moved to not fun 529 jump this year, knowing that they’ve already got $45,000 in their account, and that we put the 70,000 this year toward mental health. Maybe it could be used at the suites to work with mental health partners better, whatever the organizations that need help with homelessness or anybody who were on the verge or falling through the cracks. So that is my motion.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:44
Counselor Christiansen.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:47
Thank you. Oh, what? Do I have a second? Oh, yes. But I want to talk about it.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:02
Alright, there’s a motion on the floor that so your motion, okay, to get this clear. There’s $450,000 available. There’s a slide up that says 300,000 for mental health, and 150,000 for 529. But that’s not the motion, the motion is to take away $70,000 or the $70,000 and not give it to the program this year. I’m just making that the motion. Yes, you’re going to I just want to be I think your ups. He might Councilmember Christian said if I get the floor back to Councilmember pack or
Unknown Speaker 1:02:36
Sure. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:40
Oops, go ahead. I just cleared everybody. I’m sorry, I was a mistake. Thank you. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:47
Okay, that’s perfect. So Jim, are you saying that we have $300,000 that we can allocate to mental health and addiction. That’s not the way I read it or heard it.
Unknown Speaker 1:03:00
I may Bagley members of council so you have $450,000 to allocate from the marijuana tax fund 300 of his ongoing 150 is fund balance. So, I mean, you could do that as you wish. But there’s 450 available. And so one of the things that were mentioned previously this year, was putting in some of it towards mental health and addiction. And we interpreted that to be the other 50%. But I don’t think we have clarity on that. So if
Unknown Speaker 1:03:30
it was the other my emotion earlier was the other 50% of the mental health. That would
Unknown Speaker 1:03:37
be $300,000. That is the ongoing portion. So you can retract your motion, but the motion was to not fund
Unknown Speaker 1:03:44
I retract the motion because it according I’m sorry, I misunderstood. I misunderstood it. So I do retract that motion. I do not want to underfund jump, but I do want to fund mental health.
Unknown Speaker 1:04:00
I’m just gonna I’m just gonna jump I’m just gonna jump in because we can be I mean, I I what I’m hearing is a lot of it. I just know this council. And this council has passion for I mean, we were all behind the it’s not we call it the mayor’s early childhood education initiative, but it’s not my initiative. It’s just named the title of the mayor. The we we all have passion for that this 529 jump goes into that we all recognize. I mean, we really started I remember back when we have those awful instances where I mean, we began talking about mental health as a result of Mount mental health impacting, you know, crimes of violence in our community. I mean, we’re These are two issues we’re passionate about. I’m actually going to, so I guess I wouldn’t I’m not going to make a motion but it’s very easy, given away $150,000 to to do both, you know fund fund, continue funding and increase the funding for job as well as increase the funding for mental health. We We don’t we’re fortunate to have $4,000 that we can, we can use on whatever, but But anyway, just my thoughts so Kazmir Christiansen Well, can
Unknown Speaker 1:05:09
I don’t say Go ahead. Sorry. I still need to understand this. So we have $150,000 left. Is that correct? Am I reading this correct? $150,000 fund balance.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:23
May barely members of council, you have $150,000 fund balance after allocating $300,000 for mental health and addiction. So yes, 150 leftover after you’ve done a 300
Unknown Speaker 1:05:39
sell 529 jumped doesn’t even come into this motion. Because it’s, it’s okay. I understand it now. But I’m sorry, I did not understand what you were talking about. So I take my emotion back.
Unknown Speaker 1:05:58
Okay, can I ask a clarifying question? Yes. So So Jim, there’s 50% that goes to the mental health. I’m sorry, 50% of that goes to affordable housing. Yes. And then, and then there’s, then there’s 300,000 left? Plus 150,000. That’s leftover from previous right. That’s correct. So tonight, you’re asking us to one time or whatever, but but we’ve got $450,000 of one time funds that we can divvy up? That’s correct. Okay. You still have the four accounts. Perfect. Okay. All right. You’re done. Okay. Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 1:06:37
Thank you. I’ve been waiting for quite some time. I, I would like to take us back to the distant days, when I brought forth legalizing marijuana and was relentlessly attacked by all kinds of people saying it would be the end of us, you know, because they didn’t apparently remember when the same thing was said about the anti liquor people and they fought at the north end of Main Street for decades. Anyway. So now we have a new revenue stream of about 650,000. When I brought this forth, it was because I heard about Aurora, having legalizing marijuana and using the entire amount for affordable housing. And that’s what I had in mind. And as, as a compromise, I was willing to agree to 50% of it going to affordable housing. Now what is happening is sort of mission creep, where 50% of it is going to whatever, but we had 100, we had 200. Now we had 150,000 extra leftover. So that’s where this 150 fund balance comes to me that should be split equally between affordable housing and something else. But I certainly have no objection to 529 jump, but I want to talk about that for a minute. Because I do I did do a lot of research when we were talking about this several years ago. The so I would prefer to take that money out of the contingency fund which has plenty of money and rather than set a precedent of using whatever balance may be left over from the other thing and I would rather go back to splitting up between 50% of it going to affordable housing which would mean 375,000 and then 375,000 for say mental health or we could split that in several ways we could give some to junk we could give some to mental health. But to me it’s not really fair when we have the extra money left over from the balance the balance last year of $150,000 now that’s all going to go to the remaining 50% so I I’m hoping people will follow that. We had we were getting $600,000 but we also had a leftover amount of $150,000 so the actual amount that we could be splitting up here is six as 750,000 correct.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:34
gems you want to say some Yes. hammerberg remembers the council’s so when this was tax put in place 50% of every every marijuana tax dollar right generated by this goes to affordable housing. It’s already gone there. Yeah, this is this a fun, fun balance is only the other 50% fordable housing has gotten there. 50% Share. So this is leftover because you know, we’ve been projecting low the last few years. Yeah, you won’t have much of unbalance in future years because we are now going to be budgeting at 600,000. Which I don’t think we’re gonna see this grow much more. Yeah, we didn’t have a good handle on it a year ago, we didn’t even have mall open when we made that projection. Right. So you’ve already done the 50%. Okay, for affordable housing. This is what do you want to do with the other 50%? That is not earmarked by the vote?
Unknown Speaker 1:10:34
Okay, well, Alright, let me speak to I still think more should go to affordable housing. But anyway.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:44
Okay. All right. When we were talking about 529 jump. I did a lot of research because my son, Michael parents, and I saved for my son to go to college. And I did a lot of research on how much people need to save to be able to afford to send their kid to college. And how 529 jump affects that. Because we had some savings, my son was not eligible for FAFSA, which would have paid for his college. So as with the experiences Susie, this only paid for this. You know, it isn’t enough. This is a very good program for middle class people. And as Councilman waters said, it really changes a child’s aspirations and his faith in himself. If you go back and look at what Thomas Paine wrote, Thomas Paine wanted to give every kid turning 21, or every person turning 21, a set payment that would buy them a house and give them a stake in life. And that’s one thing that encouraged people to go for the American Revolution was Thomas Paine, who actually understood what people wanted, and was actually the one who was the great, greatest promoter of the American Revolution. I still think that’s a very good idea. weld county has a program where they, they guarantee, and I don’t really I don’t know as much about weld county as I should, but I have been to meetings with them. I’ve talked to them about this, I’ve been to dinners with them. And they they fund out of their county funds. Any kid who gets a B plus average, gets help going to college. That’s funded by them alone. College invest is a private institution. And so I My problem with this is that it’s going into 520 into this into college invest who administers this, I don’t know what the administration fee is, but we could do this ourselves, just like well does without involving another entity that’s going to take a cut in in the savings. But my problem with this is it is very good for the middle class. It is financed through tax refunds. But for the lower middle class and the poor, they don’t, they don’t have tax refunds. So it doesn’t really work for them. And it doesn’t work for them because they would need to be sending spending, saving, and amounts far greater than they can to make this work for them. And so this on the face of it just does not really benefit people who were lower middle class or poor doesn’t benefit their children. And then they wind up even more discouraged as Suzy said, because they can only go to college for a year. And then they have to drop out. And it makes them ineligible for other funding like FAFSA and other grants that they could get if they were not funded by that. That was the result of my research. I looked at all kinds of sources everywhere. But as I said, this is it depends on someone’s circumstance This is can be a very good fun, a very good help to a lot of kids. And it does give them faith in their future and aspirations for their future. And that’s always a good thing. But every parent should make those aspirations and think and hope clear to their children when they are little that you’re going to go to college. And I expect great things from you. But there are many different ways to finance that. I’m in favor of us funding 529 Trump because we started it. I don’t want to let down the people that have already started it. And I do think it’s very beneficial for some people. But I don’t think it is the end all and be all and actually, it misleads a lot of people, I think at the low end of the economy. So I would suggest that we funded, maybe not 150,000 but you know, some reasonable amount.
Unknown Speaker 1:15:34
Counselor waters. All right, Councilmember waters. Thanks. copes. All right. Councilmember waters,
Tim Waters 1:15:44
yeah, they’re just some pretty sweeping statements. Councilmember Christiansen that you’ve made. But if we fact check, the fact that these there are no fees assessed to anybody to open an account, no cost open an account. There’s a means tested matching grant program. For folks in the lower income strata. If they hit certain benchmarks like $500, they can apply for matching grants to accelerate the rate of savings. So there are some other just factual information that we have verified that the students with their own family accounts. Those accounts do not count against if they have grandparents hold to have an account. That’s counted against their qualifying for financial aids, but not with they have their own account. I guess the last thing is the college invest is, in contrast to what’s been said is a subsidiary of the Colorado Department of Education. That’s their status. I have to just add one more piece to this.
There’s been if I think about process, and there’s been plenty of opportunities, we were asked in May to submit our ideas for budgets. I don’t know how many of the time things we’re talking about now were submitted to Jim, I’m not going to put you guys on the spot. But I’m guessing none. I did submit a list of priorities. I’d be curious to know if other council members did identity year ago, when we were when we had an opportunity. We’ve gone through multiple hearings to get to tonight to have this conversation is pretty interesting, since we’ve had so many opportunities. And it can’t be that this just occurred to people today. But I I don’t know. But but most concerning to me is the two comments I’ve heard tonight, using the word equity. To suggest that every child is eligible to participate there is there is serious outreach to every family, in every neighborhood in every school, elementary school in the Spring Valley School District. We do have cultural brokers in our own staff who are working to translate into Spanish, or to any other language for families first languages to help with with the registration process. But I think what I’ve heard tonight is that in the in the name of equity, there’s an interest in in denying access to the children who would benefit most. There are kids in this community whose families, the $50 donation won’t matter. They’ll open their accounts, they’ll make whatever donations they need, and the kids will be fine. But there’s a bunch of kids in this in this town for whom the $50 would make a huge difference to get it started. In the end to say that we would want to potentially even think about ending the program because there’s not enough of our lower income families participating to deny them the even opportunity would be the antithesis of an equitable approach I would think you’re not going to means test a $50 donation that’s just not economically feasible. But to say we won’t do this because some kids are going to benefit when the kids who need it most are denied the opportunity is absolutely takes the idea of equity in my mind and turns it on its head so I hope we hope that’s not what we mean when we talk about equity. That we take away opportunities that kids who need it most because we’re not seeing the level but to have a participation which is largely on us. Not on them.
Unknown Speaker 1:19:29
Right Councillor Christiansen? And then I’m gonna I’m gonna make a comment again. We all counselor christison think counselor pack and then we’re going to I’m going to make a comment unless something happens that I’m hoping happens. Go ahead.
Unknown Speaker 1:19:44
Councilman waters you certainly know that no one here is suggesting we eliminate this program and you certainly know that. I am on the low end of that I would never suggest that people be means tested out. Or that they not get any available opportunity I’m everyone is indeed eligible, but we have to actually do the research on whether this is actually helping them or whether it is actually going to serve no purpose for them or little purpose or indeed harm them. And I have read numerous things from numerous sources that question how much use it is for people at the low end of the scale. But still, as I said, I would never want to eliminate this, we’ve already made a commitment, and we’re going to keep our commitment to the people who are in that program, and hopefully make it a better program. There are a lot of people on this list of people who are in this, you know, and they’re, they’re all good people. And so I am not suggesting there’s anything shady going on, I’m just suggesting that sometimes what looks like a good program for some people isn’t is not always such a wonderful idea for others, but everybody is eligible already. We would never take that away. And to suggest otherwise is really insulting.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:15
I’m just curious, do you have any citations? Any references? You said research? I’m curious. You said you’ve written guide you have any citations whatsoever? Okay, I’m just curious. I’m just curious. Alright. Counselor, Counselor pack.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:30
I’m moving that way for fun. 529 jumped to the 70,000 for another year.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:36
That’s been moved and seconded that we fund the 529 jump in the amount of 70,000 for another year. Councilmember pack you stole the floor?
Unknown Speaker 1:21:47
I’m gonna make another motion when we’re done with this. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 1:21:49
that’s fine. They’ll call calling you next. And then does any there’s nobody in the queue? Is there any dialogue or debate?
Unknown Speaker 1:21:56
Um, I’m gonna actually I mean, I look at I mean, so what I’m hearing is
Unknown Speaker 1:22:03
a couple of things, you know, it’s uh, I know that I mean, the whole point of this is to make sure that every child and they don’t want to go back and denigrate certain council members who have said things and contrary to the early childhood education amendment, I do not want her to the early childhood education push or initiative. I don’t want to start accusing or, or it. What I do want to say is the one thing and this is all thanks to Councilmember Levison. I sat next to Councilmember Levison and, and we had a mayoral contest. But But at the end of the day, she was a champion, and got me convinced that the biggest impact you can have on our communities, is making sure that all children receive a high quality preschool education. And so early childhood education, I’ve heard terms, I mean, I understand that, in general, your odds of socio economic disadvantage increases if you’re a member of the bipoc community. But my ex wife and my children are bipoc they don’t need help. I also know that there are a lot of fluent people that don’t think about these things. I have a child that I’m wondering, I’m hoping he goes to college and graduates, you know, 529, and money isn’t the issue. The we also don’t know we’re gonna talk about mental health next, do we have the data? And has the research been done to show that our programs have resulted in change that’s particularly impact equity in the bipoc community. The other thing is that I mean, really what it comes down to is I don’t care if the kid is white, black, Asian, indigenous Latino, every child in our community needs a high quality, early childhood education period, full stop, the data shows that 520 nines if a child understands they have one set up, regardless of the amount is more likely to go to college, therefore graduate high school, your chance to succeed in life, meaning it’s all based on did you graduate from college? remarried, when you had your first child? And I don’t remember the last one was, but I mean, it’s simple. So I don’t I don’t have I don’t understand why we’re funding it at 70,000 I think we should just put 150 put the rest into mental health addiction 50% and affordable housing. I don’t understand we haven’t why we didn’t debate this earlier, which I’m not going to start the question of where did this come from? my frustration has been that members of our community, you know, tend to have our ear. It’s right here staff recommended I think we should do this. So I’m gonna vote against the 70,000 but just because Cuz I think we should do 300,000 for mental health and 150,000 for 529 and go forward. You would amend it all right Council, Councilmember Peck would amend it, or accept an amendment that we actually amend it 250,000 for the 529 jump program and the remaining 300,000 for mental health and addiction. Would your second ad that? Is there any other thoughts or comments? All right. So the no further debate, the motion is we’re going to direct staff to fund mental health and addiction for 300,005.9. Jump for 150,001 time funding in Council next year can take this up again. Can’t wait. A watch. All right. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. All right, motion carries. Congratulations to all the children who will get 529 and all those who are suffering mental health and addiction, who will be be helped by this 300,000 as well as those members of our community who require affordable housing assistance, big win for everybody. So Alright, let’s go on. I want to thank Mr. Peck for just making a motion.
Tim Waters 1:26:16
emotion of them to prepare the ordinances?
Unknown Speaker 1:26:18
Actually, we gave him direction. Oh, Jim, there anything else? But nothing. So we need to go back to the slides. Don’t be making us happy by showing us you only have six slides. You guys don’t Okay. Do we need a five minute break? Dude, all right. Okay, okay. At 830 I’m gonna take a break. I guess. Tracy?
Unknown Speaker 1:27:05
Do we I was just gonna say, Mayor, if we could get direction from you all to include that motion that you just made. And then all any other or I guess direction to bring back the proposed budget as we presented it to you.
Unknown Speaker 1:27:26
I’m gonna move that we brought we direct staff to bring back the proposed budget. Jeff was oversaw before I make this motion. Is there anything else regarding the capital improvement plan, the pay plan and the financial policies tonight? No, this is it. Right? We have I’m gonna move that we direct staff to bring back the 22,022 budget, the 2022 to 2026 Capital Improvement Plan, the 2022 pay plan and the 2022 financial policies as it’s been presented this council with the amendment with the amendment that we just discussed, pertaining to the 300,000 for mental health and addiction services, and 150,000 into our 529 seconds. All right, it’s been moved by myself seconded by Dr. Waters. And the other debate. All right, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Awesome. We’re going to be able to fund our city the next year. We are way better than the Federals You sure can. Councilmember Peck
Unknown Speaker 1:28:19
pack I know this is out of order but I would like to direct staff to at the end of this year. No, I’m sorry at the end of 2022 to find out how many children were born in Longmont and how much that would cost to fund them to open account of $50 each. Just for the data
Unknown Speaker 1:28:45
do we do we know how many kids are born in Longmont this year?
Unknown Speaker 1:28:50
yeah not off the top no
Unknown Speaker 1:28:52
no I’m sure times column could probably track the health department
Unknown Speaker 1:28:54
and
Unknown Speaker 1:28:55
can you just get us Can you get us so I didn’t hear a second but can you can somebody look up that data and just tell us next week how many kids were born in 20? Yep, got the doctor Dr. Waters okay. I’m sorry.
Tim Waters 1:29:08
Man, I got I don’t have the folder in front of me. But we’ve gone through that I will get the information with the school district I can tell you how many kids were born year after year after year in hospitals in Longmont, could you there’s no I said they’re there their residents but with the their birth? Could you could you get us that data
Unknown Speaker 1:29:24
I own send us an email.
Tim Waters 1:29:25
No, absolutely. Just Just I’d like to see the trajectory for like the last three to five years working with those data on this. This project and other aspects of the Early Childhood Initiative can let’s
Unknown Speaker 1:29:35
get that going council repec.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:40
So I personally don’t think that we need the data for the last three or five years. I mean, if we’re going to discuss funding every child that is a resident of Longmont we only need last year because
Unknown Speaker 1:29:52
I just want to see the trajectory. So determine next year what it might be. So I want to just look at the graph.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:57
Okay, thanks.
Unknown Speaker 1:30:00
Perfect, perfect and then if he doesn’t do it make that motion again and let’s get staff to do it but I imagine he’ll get it. All right, we see anything else. All right by the way that would make if it’s just Jim and you you are officially the Justice League and or the Legion of doom. So thank you, Teresa. Alright, let’s go on to we will end the review of potential amendments, the land development code.
Unknown Speaker 1:30:20
Did you want your break now I
Unknown Speaker 1:30:21
do want my break now. Let’s do let’s take five minutes Let’s start finding our seats again. All right, I just want to point out as we go on that these slides are 10 Jim golden had six. So if we were going to grade here based on length of presentation but you could you could blow me away. I don’t know I just have to see pressures on let’s see talk fast. All right let’s go ahead on the review the potential amendments the land development code.
Unknown Speaker 1:42:14
Thank you Marion council thanks for this opportunity to show you what’s on our plate as far as amendments to land development code. And they ended up there from a lot of different sources. One being the city council’s so you’re at the top of the list. And then we also have recommendations from some of our boards and commissions. We know we have a neighborhood association that’s very interested in historic preservation. So I’ll talk a little bit about compatibility guidelines. And we have some of our policy documents that recommend changes to the land development code. We’ve got some input from some development community that is interested in some changes. And also staff would also like to make some changes that I think will make life much better and make our job a little bit easier. So with that, I’ll kick it right off. Oh, I do want to introduce we do have Don burchette, our planning manager and Aaron fosdick, our principal planner here to back me up when you ask me tough questions. So
Unknown Speaker 1:43:19
Mr. bichette, how long has it been since you’ve appeared before this council? almost two years. So can we go back and review FTS? Do we do we do we really need them all of them? Just kidding. I’d love to have you back.
Unknown Speaker 1:43:37
Okay, this the list will be put in your staff report. And I think I put as a, I didn’t call these priorities because they’re all important, but they do follow kind of a logical list. So a was based on our discussion back at the end of August, August 31. And a presentation that Kathy fetlar and Heidi Peterson presented, and we’re going to dive in a little bit deeper. We do have some ideas to show you tonight. b u is our rental housing program and council did explain to staff you’d like to push that out. So I have no intention of going into any detail on that. amendments, that Historic Preservation code, of course, HPC, and staff have been working on this for some time. And then the compatibility guidelines for our east and west historic neighborhoods. I’ll talk about that a little bit. We do have recommendations out of our Main Street corridor plan, and we’ve had an opportunity to touch base with council a couple of times about that. But we want to move that up on the priorities. And then we’re going to talk a little bit about industrial buildings and our design guidelines or lack thereof that we have in our code. Some more opportunities for industrial type uses to maybe move into our mixed use districts. And then we have an other category, which is we have a bunch of projects that are moving through the system. And invariably, we will end up with additional recommendations to amend the code. So our first was, and I’ve kind of paraphrased, but we got direction from city council to create a suite of incentives for affordable and middle tier housing. And
Unknown Speaker 1:45:34
so I’ll jump in. So if counsel will remember. And we had this conversation, and it was really about a situation where somebody goes in and has more affordable housing and they’re required, and counsel at the end of the day, and you can go ahead and go to this next slide, and then I’ll let you. And so what counsel said, as part of the direction, we gave Council, a number of options. And you said, what you wanted to see is some type of matrix where there was administrative approval component associated with it. And so that’s what we put together here. Now, obviously, the timing on this, if we can get direction from Council, I’m going to want to do this pretty fast, simply because a new council is going to be coming in. And it’s better to keep this direction with this council. And so this is a look at an administrative approval process. In talking about this, and once going goes over specifics, there was a certain point where I just didn’t feel comfortable with staff making that decision from an administrative perspective. And so that would go to counsel at the higher end of that threshold. So Glenn, do you want to go over that?
Unknown Speaker 1:46:42
Yeah, so what we have here is, of course, and Harold talked about where that line is between administrative approval and council approval, blue versus green. But then in the rows, starting from the top, we’ve created this number that we’re calling adjusted affordable housing percentage. So that not only includes what we define as affordable housing. So that’s anything that costs a resident who is making 80% or less of the area median income, what we’ve done is use the numbers from the inclusionary housing section that gives a little bit of credit for middle tier housing to come up with these adjusted percentages. So you can see 12 is kind of a minimum, you have to do 12%, affordable housing, I would say it’d probably be my recommendation, we keep that as a middle, but then we add on to it. So you could go up to from administrative approval, where you’re providing 30 to 35%, of adjusted affordable housing, and then that would buy us some additional incentives. The other thing that we added in here is additional considerations. So that would be anything that reduces the use of a car, maybe puts forth some of our sustainability goals, maybe makes the unit a little bit more affordable, because we’re bringing down utility costs. And we just have a real quick list here. And this is really our first blush. So if there’s additions that should be added, let us know. But transit passes or a car share program at the project, or a deed restriction on cars. And we’ve actually heard this recently that you could actually deed restrict one car per unit. That would be a private deed restriction that would be enforced by whoever the association is. Access to transit. I think a typical measure is like 10 minute walk to transit line. If you do better in the very low income, which I think we define is 60%, ami ami or less, there’s definitely additional incentives to the city. for that. Harold, you might have mentioned what distributed energy is.
Unknown Speaker 1:49:11
So I think part of what councils also and this is sort of this is what what we did when I when we talked about this was really looking at the broader council goals when you talk about sustainability and other components and say so distributed energy is really working and saying if they wanted to put solar panels on the top of the facility to to impact sustainability and reduce electricity, but then work with us in terms of the broader distributed energy and how that goes into our portfolio. That would be something that you know, would have additional weight to it because that is in the line alignment with Council’s goals. And kind of some clarification on this. And so when, when we say percentage of affordable housing, it’s not just an adjusted because what we’ve learned Developing on a development project for the Housing Authority. There’s a project that I think is close to 50%, and what we’re doing, but there’s issues that we may need to clarify. And so gives us the ability to tap into this in things, what am we talking about with parking, and other issues where we’ve had to deal with that. But what we also realized is, you have to have these other components. Because if you just come in with a number, and let’s say I wanted to come in and in on a housing project for the Housing Authority, and I wanted a 50% reduction in parking, well, I need to make sure that I’m not going to be having cars all over the place. And so that ties into the deed restrictions and the transit passes, and an E bike share program, and all of those things that really fits into this, that it was hard to measure, which is why you see that second column that that Glenn put in to try to say you need other things coming to bear to get this.
Unknown Speaker 1:51:04
So I guess I guess I’m going to jump, jump, jump a little bit. And so again, I respect all the opinion of counsel, but we’re not experts. Right? And I am, I am I am. I don’t want to spend another four hours tonight, just randomly discussing these possible additional considerations. I’m going to move to the experts on staff present and prepare on some future occasion your recommendations that we will receive and either approve or disapprove. Because I don’t, I mean, these are all in theory, good ideas. We’re not experts. We don’t know how it fits. And you’re just asking for trouble. Just let me know.
Unknown Speaker 1:51:51
So what is the motion?
Unknown Speaker 1:51:53
The motion is that we direct staff to go through these additional considerations as far as the suite of incentives for affordable and middle tier housing, and bring them back for council approval based on their expertise. Okay, it’s been moved and seconded. Would anyone like to discuss, okay, Councillor Christiansen?
Unknown Speaker 1:52:12
I just have two additional suggestions. If it is a geothermal development, which is pretty difficult to build, but if there’s a large development, and it’s geothermal, that would be a good suggestion. And also, if people like the harmony development up in Fort Collins, if they install flash water heaters or mini splits, that those would also be in in fitting within with our can cancer conservation plans. And I think those would be good additions to not they’re not distributed energy. But they do help save on the utility bills, and further our zero waste, or zero energy
Unknown Speaker 1:53:05
gossamer pack.
Unknown Speaker 1:53:06
So thank you very badly, as we are working to electrify our city. I would also like a consideration to be if the development be all electricity, all electrical appliances, etc. No gas.
Unknown Speaker 1:53:24
And what we can do, we’re here I’m hearing the sustainability theme. We’ll just pull those out of the sustainability plan and add those on it.
Unknown Speaker 1:53:31
Okay, there’s, there’s a motion on the floor. Nobody else is in the queue. And the motion is to direct staff to review the additional considerations along with the suite of incentives for portable and middle tier housing, and bring back the recommendation for council approval. Yep, go ahead. Counselor effect. Sorry.
Unknown Speaker 1:53:50
So Harold, you had mentioned at the beginning that you want to do this with this council. So when we say bring it back, it has to be
Unknown Speaker 1:53:57
we’re gonna have to move very fast to move fast. Okay, the concept I’m hearing counsel, so yes, this is what you said.
Unknown Speaker 1:54:05
You just just Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So as soon as you’re ready, if you want to do it. Yep. Yep. So All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. You don’t know it, but I just save you so much time.
Unknown Speaker 1:54:18
Thank you. All right. All right. Historic Preservation code, the HPC has been working since I think march on amending the code. Our last rewrite of it, as far as I can tell is 1993. So it, it certainly deserves it. Basically, what they’re doing is taking a good portion of the action items, how you set up a district, how you designate a landmark, that sort of thing and moving it into the land development code, and keeping the purpose and the duties of the Historic Preservation Commission in chapter two. There are some changes to the powers and duties Historic Preservation Commission, we are going to further discuss that with the HPC. But we do want to come back to Council and get your blessing on that before we move forward. So that’s basically what this is about. And then we do have in the budget, additional money to put together compatibility design guidelines for both of our residential historic districts. This is actually something that the folks from Hannah dropped off, I think when we had our public forum, actually some good thoughts there. So and it’s only two pages. I really appreciate that. So we are already have a good start on this project.
Unknown Speaker 1:55:43
So can I see your question? So on that? I’m sorry. I don’t want to cut you off. Jim. Question. for him. Councilmember. I’m sorry. Councilmember Christiansen?
Unknown Speaker 1:55:54
Yeah. I’m wondering if Oh, actually, okay. This is sort of a point of order. You skipped from point A with inclusionary. Housing to point C amendments to historic preservation and left out the rental licensing. Are we going to go back to that?
Unknown Speaker 1:56:13
We talked about it, we’d made the motion to put it off till the first quarter of next year. You guys made that motion? And,
Unknown Speaker 1:56:21
yes, that. Okay. Okay, but we it says here until the latter part of the first quarter, and I thought we agreed to have it be the first part of the first quarter. No, no. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:56:36
Alright, so let’s go. So I guess, Mike. So my question is, as far as Historic Preservation code goes, you’re just needing a motion? It sounds like in direction to bring back design guide design, design guides, standards? Is that the words you used? We’re gonna bring them together. So do you need a motion for that? Are you asking,
Unknown Speaker 1:56:56
why are you just telling us, I’m just telling you, and if you say stop doing it, then we’ll stop telling
Unknown Speaker 1:57:01
anybody want to stop doing it? answer’s no, right? Okay, no, no one wants to stop doing it. Excellent. Care. Let’s go with other people in the queue. Let’s go with counsel. Dr. Waters, then counselor Christiansen again.
Tim Waters 1:57:15
So I have no objections to what you’re just that exchange has just occurred. Here’s my here’s my concern, you know, you know, better than anybody up here, what’s the sequence of these land code or standards changing and standards, that will, will accelerate or expedite the kind of resolution or clarifying to the GRI to the degree that there is confusion in conflicts between between codes, or between standards and code, or the ordinance and code or standards, all of the and all the above? So I’ve seen I you know, everybody’s seen the timeframes here. We just had the comment about skipping past, for tonight’s discussion, for my money. What I’d like to see this group bring back is for them to decide what’s the sequence of code changes, Mayor Bagley that needs to occur, to resolve what we know to be the most highest priority, most urgent issues in planning. And then in the in the review cycle, and you know, where things get hung up, whatever that sequence is. And I’m guessing that rental licensing is nowhere in that sequence. So from my perspective, it ought to fall appropriately to the bottom of this list until we get the rest of it cleared out how it becomes a priority over these other things is a mystery to me. But it seems to me that what we ought to give clear direction to the staff is bringing us those things are most critical for moving the projects through the process that need to move to be compatible with the codes. And then if we’re going to deal with the licensing, let’s deal with that at the appropriate time. Because I don’t know how it rates is a priority against the rest of these because all of these are priorities.
Unknown Speaker 1:59:01
So Mike, Mike, so before we get into it, trying just to you know, I know, the council will have to know what they want to say and do. My question is, will all this be done by the end of the first quarter prior to that rental licensing? discussion? No. Okay. Then, then. Okay, then we’ll we’ll just have to see what happens. Right? I, Councilmember Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 1:59:27
okay. I’d like to return to what we’re, we were talking about, which is historical preservation code and compatibility guidelines. I would just like, I thought that Miss O’Leary from the east side gave a very good request, which is to put a moratorium on more building and things for more building and renovations and stuff, because what’s happening both on the west side and the A side is all kinds of things are going on, they’re all administratively approved. There’s no notice and things are being taken down to the studs. And yeah, so we need to have a moratorium on stuff until the historic preservation code and the compatibility guidelines are codified, so that this council can vote on it. And then we can resume work on the east side and west side where it’s appropriate. I would move that we have a moratorium on issuing permits for renovation and expansion of buildings in the historic east side in the historic west side until such time as the historic preservation code and the compatibility guidelines are codified. And that shouldn’t be very long. Allegedly, right. So Do I have a second?
Unknown Speaker 2:01:01
Okay, the motion fails for lack of a second. I know you’re going with that. But I hope that I hope we just hurry. Because I kind of predicted that that would include the ad unit had that passed, correct. The ad use and whatnot.
Unknown Speaker 2:01:14
Yeah, probably because what they’re doing is building enormous,
Unknown Speaker 2:01:18
right. So So I mean, and so yeah, let’s
Unknown Speaker 2:01:20
don’t want to really slow them down. We just want them to be done. Right.
Unknown Speaker 2:01:24
Right. So So my question is, what do you need on the historic preservation code? You’re just informing us, you don’t need to, you don’t need to nauseous
Unknown Speaker 2:01:33
continue along this path and compatibility guidelines.
Unknown Speaker 2:01:35
Anything else on that just continued along this path? All right. No, no one rejected do it. Nobody had Jeff objected when I asked, so keep going.
Unknown Speaker 2:01:46
Okay, again, this is something we’ve presented to you before, it’s the recommendations out of the Main Street corridor plan with the idea of in intensifying development around some transit hub hubs and catalyst sites. And there’s a depiction of it here. But basically, it’d be amending the code to restrict some auto oriented uses, increase heights, reduce setbacks to the street. f AR is floor area ratio, it’s another way of measuring intensity of development, incorporate some low impact development guy guidelines, and also define what the appropriate landscaping is. I think the idea is to move North Main Street into more of an urban corridor where you may have trees and tree gate Great. Great, versus a tree lawn with a tree in there. So that’s what that is. Parking was also a part of that. And I just want to give a shout out to our transportation group, Phil and Ben Ortiz are working on the parking for the corridors, areas that are served by transit. But that could increase so that’s what this is. We expect some work has been done. So we expect to have something before you first second quarter of next year. That is quick enough that I’m ready to move on.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:19
Don’t nobody likes to show off. Nobody likes to show off. Okay, what else do you need?
Unknown Speaker 2:03:24
that’s in there. All right, great.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:25
We have a few questions or comments. We’re gonna have a guest speaker here. Councilmember Iago fairing. Welcome to the Welcome to the Dyess again tonight.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:35
I am paying attention. No, no, no, that’s not me. I’m just saying.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:38
Everybody’s talking about you guys. Only the only probably still waiting for Mayor Pro Tem to come in with I’m just absorbing an array of knowledge.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:45
Just taking it all in. So you know, I do want to comment, because I’ve had conversations with you about northern North Maine and just kind of throwing a little love it there and, and adding a sense of urgency and getting work done. So I’m really excited to you know, I live North mile northwest side of Main Street. And I’m really excited to see, you know, the plants, you know, coming to fruition and and, you know, seeing that you’re you’re pushing this along, so I greatly appreciate the efforts and work that’s been done. And yeah, definitely a shout out to Phil, because he’s, you know, I’ve talked to him as well about work that they’ve done. So. Thank you. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 2:04:30
Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:04:31
So I’m sure the residents in the area will be will be happy as well. So it’s long overdue. Thanks.
Unknown Speaker 2:04:38
Moving on, moving on. One of the inputs we’ve got I quoted some numbers out of the market study that was done recently for lldp. And I think the downtown authority as well, but we’re seeing a lot of these multi tenant industrial buildings. And it is one of our more active segments of our development world. So we are often faced with how do you review the architecture of an industrial type warehouse building. According to we only have two standards, we have a residential standard to measure it against, or a non residential, commercial or mixed use standard. And as you can see those I put a graphic here on the left of we’re trying to apply those standards to industrial buildings, we think we have a good idea of either creating separate design standards that are appropriate for industrial building based on where they are, if they’re adjacent to a active commercial district, maybe those standards are a little bit higher. If they’re out on an arterial Street, maybe those standards architecturally are a little higher. But for the most part, these are buried in industrial park. And they’re they’re really the form pose the function, their distribution or industrial building. And they should look like that and they should act like that. So that’s something that staffs bringing forward. We think it’s a fairly easy fix, we’d like to you know, jump on that and in the second quarter of 2022 of next year. Do you have any questions about what that entails?
Unknown Speaker 2:06:26
Oh, Johnson Mr. Christiansen
Unknown Speaker 2:06:30
I think that’s just well I really do and i think it’s it’s a good plan they don’t need to be as restrictive as they are sometimes because if they’re in the middle of an industrial area However, what I wanted to do was comment on E which is development standards and I just want to comment on the picture that you showed I love that picture it’s got all kinds of trees
Unknown Speaker 2:06:55
yeah
Unknown Speaker 2:06:55
looks very jolly looks like the love continues all the way up and down Main Street that’s what we want. The one thing I would change is the second bullet which says reduce reduce front yards I think you mean setback right? There I don’t think there are any main any front yards on Main Street, correct?
Unknown Speaker 2:07:15
Well, I guess we would say front yard would be what fronts Main Street? What What, what what’s actually adjacent to Main Street? Okay, the front yard. Most
Unknown Speaker 2:07:24
of us when we say front yard mean an actual grass? I would just call that setback. Okay. You’re right from the building to the street.
Unknown Speaker 2:07:33
Let’s call it the grassy knoll. grassy knoll.
Unknown Speaker 2:07:35
Yeah. Because the grass. So yeah, that’s a good idea. Because it doesn’t need to be nearly as much as it is in many cases. And yeah, and that gives the business more room to expand. Right? Thank you for this.
Unknown Speaker 2:07:50
Yeah, I love this picture because it reminds me of Abbey Road. 50 years old. Okay, along the same lines, we’ve also been approached with a perhaps an opportunity to put a small, light industrial multi tenant type of building within a mixed use district. At first we thought well, I mean, that’s our revenue generators. But we do have plenty of areas in Longmont where there are not so great retail sites that are off the main arterials and pretty invisible, where there might be an opportunity to build a structure that looks very much like a retail structure, but perhaps has some lighter industrial uses in it. As you can see, I mean, on the top picture on the right is a typical retail center. And on the bottom would be more of a again, a small multi tenant flex space. We also think there be opportunities to maybe reinvigorate some shopping centers that are running on tough times right now and maybe have a higher percentage of vacancy to it might be an opportunity to get new uses in there. And then we also have kicked off the steam Sugar Mill area. And you may remember that the tap report talked about the potential for an agro hub in the sugar mill area. So this would be use that I think would fit within that mixed use industrial residential, commercial kind of areas. So it was brought up by a developer but I think staff sees that this perhaps would have some benefits.
Unknown Speaker 2:09:43
Consumer pack
Unknown Speaker 2:09:44
Thank you, Glen and the design standards and this is just my opinion, when we’re talking about both ends of 287 Main Street when you’re doing this light industrial Is there any way in the design standards not to have all the parking and asphalt in the front of this building, to have more of a presence to have the building closer to the street rather than all the parking and maybe in the back with, we incentivize that in some way.
Unknown Speaker 2:10:15
That’s really a key design element, because you want to move those buildings up close to the street and also slows traffic. So that’s a benefit as well. But it gets a lot of visibility to buildings as well. So yeah, we have large expanses of unused parking lots, yes, at least in the north part that could be much better utilized. Okay, thank
Unknown Speaker 2:10:36
you. You bet.
Unknown Speaker 2:10:38
Johnson member, Christiansen.
Unknown Speaker 2:10:42
Glen, piggybacking on that parking, you know, a lot of what makes the difference between the way North and South Main Street versus downtown, is used is that parking, that is, you know, huge amount of parking. And the other problem is people are kind of going in and out and in and out in there. If it creates problems with traffic and accidents and things and so yeah, I applaud that. And I also think this is a terrific idea. Because, as it says, In here, a lot of a lot of small businesses just need a small thing they need, what they need is something they can afford. And it doesn’t it it can be very basic, you know, and I there’s a good example of this is a place just north of where the pantry used to be in that shopping center on Francis, where the pub is the where, well, the Francis street shopping center that’s just north of the high school. There’s a tiny little grocery store there, I can’t believe he’s still there, but he’s still there. And it serves a purpose. And it’s he, God loves them. He’s making a living there. And so that’s what he can afford right now. And he’s doing okay, and he’s serving a huge purpose in that neighborhood. For people who can’t, who don’t have cars or couldn’t get any, you know, they just want something quick. And so this, this is really exactly what they say places where people entrepreneurs, can get a start that’s affordable, and adds a lot of economic diversity and diverse businesses to our community of all kinds of things that we never would have thought of otherwise. So I really think this is a terrific plan. Thank you. I do, however, think that most of this community has no idea what steam what’s going on with steam and sugar mill. Okay. I think we need to have some public forums on that. So they do know, so they don’t get outrage.
Unknown Speaker 2:12:54
Right? Yeah. And where we are to give you a little bit of background is the consultant is going to come to us with public participation plan. And if you remember, when we first present, I think Tony and I presented some of the ideas back last spring, it would be great to get some county council participation in the process. So our intent is to come back to Council, show you what the plan is, and hopefully get some, some volunteers from his group.
Unknown Speaker 2:13:26
Well, but also to actually have public forums where people can talk where they can have these things presented to them. And they can ask questions and get answers because right now, things get presented to them. And they never get to say an ad or they get three minutes. And I think it’s it is going to change this community to a great degree, and people need to know about it, and maybe even vote on it, whether they really want to do this. So
Unknown Speaker 2:13:56
I just want to say I think it’s inappropriate, you need to redo that. I don’t think all stories should have the word signage on it. I’m kidding, that was sarcasm kinda mass. There’s a high demand for saying, you know, because I think that is cool as it looks, I just think people will get confused.
Unknown Speaker 2:14:12
Alright, got it, Mayor. Thank you. No problem. Thank
Unknown Speaker 2:14:14
you. Let’s go on to slide nine.
Unknown Speaker 2:14:17
Again, this is kind of our catch all group. As I mentioned, steam sugarmill. We’re gonna move through that plan. And it seems to be the process that our code isn’t exactly right for the kind of development in the vision for that area. So I would suspect we’d probably see some other amendments come through. staff has been utilizing the habitat and species protection plan. We think that we can clarify some things in there in the area of defining where a riparian area is defining the trees that are worth preservation, preserving. And then also, there are some changes. We’d like to To the prairie dog process as well, to make it a little bit more efficient and good for everyone involved. And then one thing I failed to mention is also on our to do list is revising envision log mine and incorporating your sustainability goals into the plan. Again, there could be some code changes that come out of that. But with that, Mayor, he I was just going to finalize with the list. Do you want to move anything up or down or I think we’ve pretty much covered everything.
Unknown Speaker 2:15:33
I move that we accept the presentation as is. Alright, it’s been moved and seconded. Seeing nobody else in the queue. The motion is to accept the the presentation as is all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Thank you for your work. Great. Thank
Unknown Speaker 2:15:48
you.
Unknown Speaker 2:15:50
All right. Let’s move on to Marin kelts. comments.
Unknown Speaker 2:15:54
Anybody? All right, great. Every
Unknown Speaker 2:15:57
once in a while. Mayor Pro Tem. Would you like to say say anything to finish this off tonight? No. All right. You can sing us a song. Yeah, there you go. This is the end. Yeah, yes. All right. I’m gonna go ahead then and go on to city manager remarks. Nothing. All right. And then Councilmember Eugene, anything? No comments, Mayor other than were during executive session after this. All right. I will not be able to attend. But I’ve already. We don’t we can’t vote in there any way we just kind of talk and I’ve made my opinions and thoughts known to to the city manager. And I’ve asked the mayor Pro Tem Rob Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, who was very adapted, running meetings and and doing his job to do that for me this evening. So thank you. So can I have a motion to adjourn? I will second. There’s a motion to adjourn on table on favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay? passes unanimously. We’re adjourned.
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