Video Description:
Longmont City Council – Regular Session – April 26, 2022
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 0:10
And I will say that again so you can hear me. Welcome. I’d like to call the April 26 2022. City council meeting to order. May we have the roll call, please.
Unknown Speaker 0:21
Yes. Mayor Peck. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez, Councilmember Hidalgo appearing. Councilmember Martin. Here. Councilmember waters, Councilmember Yarborough? Mary, you have a quorum.
Unknown Speaker 0:36
Thank you. Councilwoman Hidalgo. Ferring. is not with us tonight. She’s she’s out. So I have a reminder for the public that we are not able to livestream this meeting, but you can watch it at Longmont public media.org. Anyone wishing to speak at first call public invited to be heard will need to add his or her name to the list outside the council chambers. And only those on the list will be invited to speak at the first public invited to be heard. Let’s all stand for the pledge.
Unknown Speaker 1:15
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Unknown Speaker 1:35
Can I have a motion to approve the minutes of April 12 2022. So moved. Thank you that’s been moved by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez seconded by Councillor Yarborough. Let’s vote.
Unknown Speaker 1:49
We need to take a handout because this
Unknown Speaker 1:51
Oh, that’s right. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. We’re going to vote tonight by hand rather than by by this system. There are a lot of things that are going to be a little different tonight. So bear with us. All those in favor of passing the minutes raise your hand. All those opposed? That passes unanimously. Are there any agenda revisions or submissions of documents tonight?
Unknown Speaker 2:19
Mayor The only thing that we had was the general business item 12 be the 2020 legislative bill recommended for a council position that was added at a later date.
Unknown Speaker 2:28
Thank you. Do any of the councillors have motions to direct the city manager to add items agenda items to future agendas? Seeing none, we will go on to the city manager’s report.
Unknown Speaker 2:44
No report. Mayor Council.
Unknown Speaker 2:46
Okay, thank you. We do have a special report tonight a proclamation designating the week of May 15. To the 21st 2220 22 as National Police Week, and further designating may 15 2022 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in Longmont, Colorado. So I’ll read the proclamation and then if whoever is accepting this plaque proclamation will step forward. A proclamation designating the week of May 15 20. I’m sorry, May 15. Through the 21st 2022 is National Police Week, and further designating may 15 2022 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in Longmont, Colorado, whereas the Congress and President of the United States have designated may 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as National Police Week. And whereas the members of the Longmont Police Department play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the residents of Longmont, Colorado. And whereas it is essential that all citizens know and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards and sacrifices sacrifices of their law enforcement agency and that members of our large law enforcement agency recognize their duty to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, protecting against violence disorder, deception and oppression. And whereas the Boulder County regional peace officer memorial service will be held at 4:30pm on May 12 2022, at the Longmont Civic Center. Now therefore, I Mayor Joan Peck and the City Council of the City of Longmont call upon all citizens of Longmont and all patriotic, civic and educational organizations to observe the week of May 15 through the 21st 2022 as Police Week with appropriate ceremonies and observances in which all of our people may join in in commemorating law enforcement officers past and present who by their faithful and loyal devotion to their response abilities have rendered a dedicated service to their communities, and in so doing have established for themselves an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens. I further call upon all citizens of Longmont to observe Sunday Miff may 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, in honor of those law enforcement officers who through their courageous deeds have made the ultimate sacrifice and service to their community, or have become disabled in the performance of duty. And let us recognize and pay respect to the survivors of our fallen heroes. Would you care to say anything officers?
Unknown Speaker 5:48
Bert, morning, Mayor or evening mayor and council I just want to say I’m been honored to work for this city for over 33 years and we have received great support in this community. And that’s it. We really are honored to just work with all the people of this community every day and and I know many of our officers are very appreciative of the support from the city and the city council.
Unknown Speaker 6:16
And you are detective Jeff Sater. Deputy Chief Deputy Chief
Unknown Speaker 6:21
Jeff Sater, sorry about that.
Unknown Speaker 6:24
And we are very fortunate to have you in our city as our Deputy Chief
Unknown Speaker 6:32
Master police officer Ryan Douglas, I want to just echo what Chief Sater said that I appreciate one as an individual to as an employee, and three as a police officer, your support and the city support it’s always been great. I get far more compliments and words of appreciation than the other side of that coin as I am in the community, and I just appreciate working here.
Unknown Speaker 7:00
Would you take a picture with us as you accept this proclamation?
Tim Waters 7:23
Is that going to be the service no know that services on Thursday night are competing with a friend of mine yeah, it was in there. Oh, is it in the profit?
Unknown Speaker 8:03
Right. Mayor, I also heard overheard, as he wanted to reiterate, it’s at 4:30pm on May 12, go on March 7, etc.
Unknown Speaker 8:21
Yes, it is. Thank you for some reason I said May 15. But that was incorrect.
Unknown Speaker 8:26
No, I think you got it. I just wanted to reiterate may 5, Sunday, May 15 is the actual day
Unknown Speaker 8:31
Exactly. So may 12. Thank you. So anybody who wants to attend that? Again, it’s May 12. At the civic center 4:30pm. Let’s go on to our next presentation, which is the LA DEP quarterly first quarter of 2022 presentation
Unknown Speaker 10:41
Okay, there we go. Good evening, Mayor Peck and council members, thank you for your patience. I’m JESSICA ERICKSON president and CEO of Longmont economic development partnership here to give our first quarter 2022 Impact Report. So I’ll start by reminding you that the objectives in our economic development contract with the city of Longmont include strengthening long months competitive position, marketing long work nationally and globally supporting the creation and retention of quality jobs, advancing opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation and advocating on behalf of all Longmont businesses, or city wide economic development strategy advanced long want to establish his goals, objectives and priorities in the focus areas of talent industry place, which is placemaking transportation connectivity and impact. The focus areas that long run EDP objectives within the contract with the city are in include talent, industry and impact. So my report this evening will reflect our work towards those objectives related to the talent industry and impact focus areas, starting with talent. Our first talent objective within the city contract is marketing and recruiting, executing a focused marketing and recruiting recruitment campaigns directed at attracting new talent to our community. Our first quarter progress we base we measure our success and our progress based on standard marketing KPIs, which include impressions, click throughs, and website visits. So we had just over half a million ad campaign impressions in the first quarter of 2022. With over 1800 clicks through our ad campaign. The top five user locations for our marketing campaign are the top five places where people were engaging from Colorado, Kansas, California, Maryland and Virginia. We had over 6500 unique users to our website, in the first quarter with the top three ad groups based on clicks through mean our general talent, attraction, ads or Business Catalyst talent attraction, ads, and our knowledge creation talent attraction ads. Nationally, Phoenix is pulling better than all other markets on our LinkedIn ad campaigns. And Los Angeles has the highest level of overall engagement on our Facebook ad campaigns. Denver, LA and Orange County have the highest overall engagement across all our display advertising campaigns. Our second talent objective is our annual workforce perception study. No progress really to report here. That study will be conducted in 2022. With the results reported and published in I’m sorry, in July 2022, with the results reported and published likely in August of 2022. Objective 2.1 in our contract is talent intelligence data. So that’s gathering aggregating and reporting out industry demands and needs for talent and where we sit as a community relative to those needs for talent. So in order to aggregate that data as primary data, we have this year included 27 different talent needs assessment questions on our annual elevate primary primary industry retention survey. This survey doesn’t close until April 30 of this year. And so the survey analysis and reporting will come after that and we’ll have some target industry specific insights that we’ll be able to share with you as part of our q2 2022 report. Then our final talent objective is supporting talent systems. So that’s supporting our existent existing talent systems including workforce development, Front Range Community College and St. Vrain Valley School District and we do this through ongoing direct referrals as well as inclusion of their information in any prospect responses or RFP responses for industry prospects that we share. So I look at a snapshot of all of our talent objectives within the city contract marketing and recruitment, workforce perceptions, talent, intelligence, data and supporting talent systems. We are on target to meet and achieve all of the objectives and goals set out within the contract. The Industry Focus Area our first objective is primary industry growth. So we are one of the metrics that we haven’t there is completion of the update of the city’s primary industry incentive policy. We have met with the city manager’s office staff to continue the work on that that was started in 2020. So we fully expect that that will come forward. And you will see those recommendations in 2022, likely in the second quarter of 2022.
Unknown Speaker 15:21
The second objective is lead generation. So that’s our ability to create interest among primary industry prospects nationally, regionally and locally, to consider Long Island as a place to relocate and expand. So we currently are in q1 of 2022, we did generate eight new primary industry prospect leads, three of those were formal RFP responses that we participated in, in partnership with Metro number Economic Development Corporation and the State Office of Economic Development. So with those eight new prospects, we have 13 Total carrying over several from 2021 of all of those 13 product prospects 2400 potential net new jobs could be created if we were fortunate enough to win them all $200 million in potential capital investment, a third of our active prospects are in our smart manufacturing industry cluster. And 90% of our prospects are in one of our four targeted industry clusters. So only 10% are in another industry cluster. That’s not part of our targeting strategy. Our next industry objective is business retention. So the retention success and growth of our existing Primary Industry employers, our 2020 to elevate Longmont survey, which I mentioned earlier, our primary industry retention survey closes on the 30th of this month, it was sent to 217 Primary Industry employers, you can see the follow up and work that we’ve done to achieve what we believe we’ll be able to achieve which is that 25% response rate that’s within our contract. Our next industry objective is the administration of the grant funds from the city of Longmont. We had been for the last two years using them to grant funds to early stage companies that were going through the Innovate Longmont accelerator program, as we are pivoting innovate Longmont to be the umbrella organization for the ramp facility, which is, as I mentioned before the manufacturing accelerator facility that we’re working on. Once we get that up and running, which we’ve secured the space for at this point in time, we’ll transition those grants to be early stage startup grants for companies going through the ramp accelerator as opposed to the Innovate accelerator. So why don’t we look at a snapshot on the Primary Industry Growth objective of updating the city incentive policy, we put a maybe we’re very confident that that will happen. But because the work has not been done yet, we don’t want to count our eggs before they hatch. So that’s still in the maybe category. And then similarly with our lead generation objective. I’m confident based on the activity that we’ve had now coming into the second quarter that will achieve the objective of 50 primary industry prospect leads. But basic math tells you that with eight leads and in the first quarter, if we stay on that same path, that we’re not meeting that objective at this point in time that we’re fully confident that we will as we progress throughout the year. And then our elevate survey objective we are meeting and exceeding and then grant dollars again, because we are not yet deploying those grant dollars, we’re still in that maybe category in terms of whether or not we’re meeting that objective, again, not counting our eggs before they hatch. And then our final focus area of impact. The first is advanced on what 2.0 Collective Impact backbone support so serving as that backbone organization to the advanced long web 2.0 strategic initiative working group work. We held a strategy alignment retreat and have held 33 initiative support meetings with 11 Future initiative structure building meetings scheduled are developed. Or we’re working on development of a new initiative proposal portal with community readiness guide expected to launch later in this quarter of 2022. And we’ve added four new advanced on what 2.0 Steering Committee partners in that are joining in q2 of 2022. Current advance on web 2.0 collective impact initiatives are accessible and affordable childcare prosper Longmont was which is the attainable housing initiative, the River District and then No Wrong Door ecosystem for entrepreneurs, pipeline initiatives that are being worked on for potential future advanced on what 2.0 collective impact initiatives are the interest city shuttle system, and again the ramp industry accelerator or manufacturing industry accelerator facility. Our second impact objective is the collective data dashboard, which has launched and is available on the advanced on what website. So if you go to advanced.longmont.org, we now have a real time data dashboard that’s tracking the data that was included in the original market assessment that was is what contributed to the advanced development of the advanced home web 2.0 strategy.
Unknown Speaker 20:23
And then finally, our Aspire Leadership Council. Our goal is to grow that to 40. Members, we have 30 members as of March 31. So as of the end of the second quarter, new members include red wire, aerospace and bond commercial properties. The Aspire Leadership Council, as I mentioned before, does have their own pool of funding that they use to fund special projects and strategic initiatives. We have had no new projects funded in the first quarter of this year, that we have a couple pending for the second quarter of this year, both related to advance on what 2.0 Right so our impact snapshot, alle 2.0 backbone supporter advanced on what 2.0 That bone support, we believe that we’re on track to meet the objectives there. The collective data dashboard, as I mentioned, is done. It’s up and running. And then our Aspire Leadership Council again, we put in that maybe category we want to get to 40 We’re at 30 Not counting our eggs. But we are confident that we’ll get to 40 members of our Aspire Leadership Council and the funding that is associated with that. Alright, so overall economic indicators, the city of Longmont or the Longmont area has about a $6.7 billion economy. In 2021. We started the year with just over 55,000 jobs. And having seen 2.5% employment growth over the previous five years. That counts the dip the loss in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. When we look forward to January 2022. So to this year, from 2021, we’re net we were at just over 56,000 jobs, so 3.5% year over year increase in jobs. And as of the end of the first quarter of 2022 are at about a 3.8% unemployment rate. We look at a couple of other economic indicators, including residential real estate, median home sale prices in March of 2022, in the city of Longmont worth $675,000. And as you can see from the comparative cities that we are still shockingly, the affordable Boulder County from a home sale price perspective. 105 homes sold with 108 on the market are listed in March of 2022, which is significantly lower than historical. But as you can see, still better than some of our neighboring communities. Then we look at commercial real estate. So and this is q4 2021 data. It’s the most current data that’s available through our data source catalyst. But in q4 2021, we had just over 9000 square feet of absorption of office space with a 10.5% vacancy rate and 100 about 135,000 square feet of office space vacant, with average asking rental rates of just over $16 per square foot and that’s on a triple net basis. Industrial real estate saw absorption of over 136,000 square feet with 538,000 Almost 539,000 still vacant but a vacancy rate of 7.23% it would come as no surprise that we have a much more significant industrial real estate market here in Longmont than we do an office real estate market in Longmont. And that I believe is the end of my presentation and I will happily take your questions.
Unknown Speaker 23:52
Great. That was great. Thank you for that presentation. It looks like Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez is
Unknown Speaker 24:05
thank you Mara back in and thank you, Jessica for the presentation. So first thing, just a couple of clarifications. The median family income cited is for a two income household.
Unknown Speaker 24:19
That is yes, that’s a median household 116. So yes, yes. So generally speaking would be a two income household. There are very few single income households. Okay. In that range.
Unknown Speaker 24:32
Yeah, I figured as much so I just wanted to make sure that was clear. And then so when we’re talking about bringing in jobs be primary employers or secondary. would these be jobs actually created or maybe jobs taken from other municipalities be it out of state even would these be jobs poached if you will?
Unknown Speaker 25:00
councilmember Rodriguez, Mayor Peck, thank you for the question. I won’t say that jobs are never poached, I will tell you that from a Metro Denver region perspective, we very proactively do not poach jobs from other communities, we can’t tell a company that if they find it preferable to move from one side of the county line to the other, in either direction, we can’t tell them not to. But we don’t incentivize that. And then from a national perspective, most of the projects that we’re working on are expansion projects, so expansions of companies. So the creation of jobs that do not exist anywhere. So a good example of that would be Smuckers, AGC, light, DEC, those are all net new jobs, not just to Colorado, but to the planet, because their jobs that don’t currently exist anywhere else, because they’re resulting from expansion of a company, or establishment of a new company.
Unknown Speaker 25:56
Thank you, because that’s actually a very good point in the sense that I want to explain to our constituents sometimes that it’s not just that we’re taking companies from other places, we’re, you know, we’re hosting the expansion of those companies, as you just said, so that’s great. And then my last question is, when it comes to your recruiting, marketing, is there a balance between the talent that we need, and then how you’re recruiting them in your marketing materials? And so are you continually trying to keep that balance? You know, knowing what jobs are needed here based on our employers versus necessarily say? There’s always a push and pull between, you know, folks leaving the industry and coming into the industry.
Unknown Speaker 26:52
Thank you for that question. Councilmember Rodriguez, I’m excited to answer that question. We take a very data oriented approach to our marketing in particular to our marketing for talent from across the country. So what we do as part of our elevate Longmont survey, as well, as part of a significant investment we make in labor market and talent data on an annual basis is we really get an assessment of down to the occupation codes, what are the what is the talent that is needed by the industry that exists here today. And then we look at the rest of the country, and we identify markets in the rest of the country that have what we call an oversupply of that talent. So graduating more people or have already in the market, more people have that within that occupation than what their industry demands. And then we assess whether or not we consider ourselves as having a competitive advantage, whether that be a cost of living or quality of life or industry cluster advantage over those locations. And so we’ve narrowed it down to about a half a dozen markets across the country where all of those things are true. And we are targeting that talent that is an oversupply within that geography to address the needs of the under supply that we have here within our geography.
Unknown Speaker 28:10
Councillor waters?
Tim Waters 28:12
Thanks for your pack. Two questions. Jessica. The first, as we find her kind of, I hope we’re finding our way out of the pandemic era into the post pandemic future biggest challenges that we ought to be aware of that you’re facing or that you’re going to have to overcome to achieve your those objectives to have a kind of a killer year.
Unknown Speaker 28:34
Yes, thank you, Councilman waters. marpac. I think it comes as no surprise that the answer that question is the cost of housing. In this market in particular, we are I think, at last I heard the fifth most expensive market in the country for housing. And so every single employer that we talked to whether they be already here, or considering locating here has expressed concern over that and the need to address that challenge. As I mentioned, when we look at markets, that we’re targeting our market to for talent, we’re looking for a competitive advantage, which in most cases would be cost of living quality of life type competitive advantage. And there are fewer and fewer markets for now, in fact that we have that cost of living competitive advantage over as a region.
Tim Waters 29:16
How much of an issue I know, commercial space has also office space of all types. So warehouse manufacturing space has been an issue does that remain? One of the challenges, it does
Unknown Speaker 29:27
remain one of the challenges however, that is being addressed, there’s a significant number of square footage of new industrial development that will be coming out of the is coming out of the ground currently, or will be coming out of the ground in the coming months and next couple of years. That will address that challenge for the for the long term. So we have places for our companies to grow into.
Tim Waters 29:49
So the second question really mapping one of the first is if just fill in the blank. If we could just do x, it would substantially increase our opportunity to do Okay, raise all the boats that we’d like to raise with our economic development efforts.
Unknown Speaker 30:04
Thank you, Councilman waters. I mean, I’ve set it up. It’s the attainable housing, the workforce price housing issue, and in particular, and specifically, housing that provides an opportunity to get into homeownership and create wealth for one’s family and generational wealth transfer over time. And I will say nobody has solved that. Right. So we’re not alone. But if we could figure that out, we would be ahead of the rest for sure.
Unknown Speaker 30:37
Councillor Britain?
Unknown Speaker 30:39
Thank you, Mayor pack. I just want to clarify, we are the fifth most expensive market. And you didn’t really define what the region is. Could you explain that of so that we all know what the playing field is?
Unknown Speaker 30:58
The Boulder County MSA. So the boulder MSA metropolitan statistical area, which is really Boulder County is the fifth most expensive housing market in the country.
Unknown Speaker 31:07
Okay. And so while we are in the fifth most expensive market, we are the most affordable version of that municipality. Yes. But that’s not very affordable.
Unknown Speaker 31:18
Yes, exactly. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. But I do also have a question for you as housing in all of your report seems to be the number one barrier to getting employers here. Have you when you approach businesses or they approach, Longmont, you in particular, to relocate here? Or to start here? Do you? Do you ask them to help us with housing, for example, Costco has been great in being able to get that nine acres. For example, maybe partnering with a developer who is going to build to invest in that development for some of their employees, not all of them, not the whole development, but a portion of that to to help us get the housing that we need for them. So
Unknown Speaker 32:15
thank you, Mayor Peck for that question. So that has, has some different answers. So yes, we have several of our larger employers in the city that are part of the conversation about how they can contribute to solving the challenge of workforce attainable housing, for their ability to continue to attract and retain talent here. However, when we’re talking to companies that are considering expanding into this market that don’t already exist here, they have lots of places that they can go. So they don’t need to invest in building housing here, when they can go to the middle of the country, and be in an environment where housing is affordable to their employees. So it’s not necessarily a conversation that we’re having on the front end when we’re trying to recruit a company here, because that’s a disadvantage for us in terms of attracting and recruiting new companies to our community. But absolutely companies like you see Eric Wallace here, left hand Brewing Company. You see how health, Seagate and several others are all part of the conversation about addressing the challenge of workforce housing, and what they can contribute to that.
Unknown Speaker 33:30
Great, thank you for that because it does have to be a full community effort. It can’t just be the City Council trying to build. But the other thing about the affordability of this region is that we’re pretty cool people want to live here and that also drives the market up. So it is a challenge and I’m unhappy that you are looking at that. Thank you. So we are now on to public invited to be heard. Do we have a list? Oh thank you Michelle. So speakers who have not placed their name on this list outside of the council chambers will will not be called upon but you’ll have the opportunity to talk or to speak during public hearing items this evening. Or at the final public. The call for the public invited to be heard. So we will start tonight with an I apologize if I mess up your name apologize in advance. Kathleen cada noche.
Unknown Speaker 34:43
Laser than it looks. Good evening, Mayor pack and city council members. My name is Kathleen Cattanach. I’m a member of pops, protect our people and property. I’m here tonight to thank you for your attention to and cooperation with our committee as we attempt to make Longmont a safer community. As you know, this month is the driest April on record since the 1880s. We are in a serious drought and it doesn’t look like the situation is going to improve anytime soon. Boulder County has implemented level one fire restrictions, which among other things, bans the use of all personal fireworks. The county wide ban is for the unincorporated areas of Boulder County. This is confusing because we’re in the city’s jurisdiction. Not the county’s public education is needed to explain the difference in consistency and the regulations would help. In light of our extreme fire danger. I’m asking that you follow boulder County’s level one fire ban, which includes completely banning the use of all personal fireworks. Please join with the numerous other cities who have also banned fireworks during this time. I also asked for new fireworks or events that will be easier to enforce, including not requiring residents to testify in court against their neighbors. And that will also increase the fines and permit the confiscation of illegal fireworks. Thank you again so much for all your attention to this matter.
Unknown Speaker 36:17
Thank you Kathleen. Ramona is the next one. Hello,
Unknown Speaker 36:31
I’m Ramona drew a member of a group called Pop law.
Unknown Speaker 36:34
Ramona, excuse me, would you mind giving us your address to please,
Unknown Speaker 36:38
I don’t want anyone to find me but I will 1803 18th Avenue. We’re concerned about our very dry climate trends and want to protect long run citizens and their property from fire. Here’s a quote from Jennifer Baltz, a fire scientist and director of the earth lab at CU if you don’t want to burn down your neighbor’s home or start a wildfire that threatens entire towns than just avoid fireworks. This quote is from a public warning signed by 100 Fire scientists. Philip AERA, a professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana, who helped author the warning said most wildfires unsurprisingly occur close to homes. Fireworks tend to cause the most dangerous places. We have a law that is in place to protect the public from illegal fireworks for a reason. They belong in trained, licensed and professional hands, not in the middle of our neighborhoods. We are asking the city to ensure our safety by creating an ordinance that can be easily enforced. We know that it is difficult when people call you and are unpleasant. Remember that these individuals believe that they are above the law. They are asking you to endorse them breaking our law and therefore put our town at risk of fire and health issues. I canvass my neighborhood and learned that last year along with illegal fireworks, a cannon when beat was being shot off in our neighborhood. There are children living close by and their parents do not want this. Per the CDC loud noise that a close range can permanently damage the hearing of children and adults. The smoke that is produced makes it difficult for those with asthma to breathe. Another neighbor mentioned the grasslands directly pine behind his house as a potential source of fire. It used to be an organic farm, but it’s no longer being worked and often the grass is very high. While most of the citizens of Longmont observe the law, a minority of the population is not doing so. And that is unfair to the rest of us. The current population of Longmont is estimated at 99,436 If there are 50, unlicensed fireworks displays that might have five participants each, that is 250 people if there are 100 than that is 500 people and so on. This small percentage of our population must not be allowed to put our lives our property, our children and our health in danger. In closing, I will say that I’m proud of living in Longmont and proud of the many good things the City Council and the city employees have achieved. Our group wants to be a part of the solution and we are willing to volunteer as efforts are made to educate the community and resolve these issues. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Unknown Speaker 39:30
Thanks Ramona. Next person is Brian Johnston. Fire
Unknown Speaker 40:05
Thank you, you bet. Thinking I am Brian Johnson a nine to six Kaufman and before I speak about 12 A fire works band I will let you know that I had a reporter so let me present last week in regards to the car stereo noise ordinance reach out that article today it was in the Longmont leaders so please check it out. I want to thank councilmember Martin for her here her input on the article. And just want to say that I’m just trying to get the extreme violators addressed. That’s it. I think just some signage underneath the existing no cruising signs that read car stereo ordinance strongly enforced might be sufficient enough to get it to reasonable levels. I also wanted to offer that any of you think it’s not that big a deal. I want to offer to help you with your research. You like 90s gangsta rap Dr. Waters now? I do I can come by after the meeting set your house set outside your house for a couple hours and wrap the windows and let you experience what some of us here 16 hours a day at certain times. So if you need me to bring come by with some Biggie Smalls or Wu Tang and bump your windows I can do I’m just kidding. I would never do that to you doctor. In regards to 12 A I thought when I saw this was coming up I pulled up this the current drought map most recently posted nowhere in the states in white everywhere has a drought at some level it’s extreme in Southwest and 30 day projection shows that extremity moving northwards This is something I’ve been tracking over the past couple years that I kind of did on my own and Google Maps did it this is what’s burned it just past couple years around here between cow wood a couple of other big ones this this excludes a table Mesa fire from like a month ago the fired North Alliance just a couple of weeks ago and one we just had off North 75th What last week week before as a lot of Man has been burned in the past in recent times. And then lastly she already she beat me on this but this was the this is the current Boulder County fire restrictions if you look at the very bottom were highlighted in red say I’ll use possession fireworks is impermissible so I just wanted to add that based on the current and projected risk of fire that is a no brainer that you banned fireworks and should things change prior to the fourth maybe you could lift it if we get rained the week before you could consider lifting it but the way things stand now it’s dangerous it’s it’s it’s it’s a risk and and I think it’s a no brainer that that you banned them. So thanks for your time and I appreciate your public service as always
Unknown Speaker 42:51
thank you Brian Britton Cottrell.
Unknown Speaker 43:05
Thank you Mayor city council members my name is Britton Cottrell, I live at 4327 West 31st Street. I’m in Greeley, Colorado. And I’m here tonight just to let you know I do work for the firework industry, I work for TNT fireworks. We do work with local nonprofits here in Longmont and we sell state authorized neighborhood friendly fireworks, I know, there’s a significant realization that we’re in a dry period right now. And we don’t know what that’s going to do. It may trend dry. But I want to just let you know that not only in partnership with our nonprofit groups that work diligently selling fireworks, they understand the risks. And we all care about our state. I want you to know that coming from the industry, we have been working as an industry with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to address these issues. This year. We actually started last year working closely with the governor’s office as well. And let me just make a statement that, although we think that it’s easy to make an enforcement of banning all fireworks, we know that that is almost impossible to do. And data shows that when you ban fireworks and you prohibit even the safe and sane, local fireworks that are designed to, you know, be lit in your driveway or in your street, that’s what state approved Colorado fireworks do. People will go out and find their fireworks somewhere else. And those are not state approved. They’re brought in from somewhere else. Oftentimes, when they’re afraid of getting caught, they will now light those fireworks in places that are even more unsafe rather than lighting them in their driveway in a controlled area. They’re now lighting them off their back porch or they’re in their backyard or they’re going out of the city limits. I’ve talked with numerous sheriffs, several elected officials, state and local officials all over the state who agree that the problem is not light Hang a sparkler in your driveway. The issue is illegal fireworks is the things that leave the ground and explode. And I just want to bring attention to the idea that an all out ban of all fireworks is not necessarily the proper solution. Think about the things that have been prohibited in years past. Take substances that you tell somebody, you cannot do this and what do they do, they immediately respond. And granted it may be a small number of people, but those people often cause the problems. And so what we would like to do as an industry is the same thing that we have been doing with the state of Colorado and other local municipalities. to partner with you on a robust safety and education campaign. We can’t have anybody misusing any type of firework legal or illegal in our state right now, the best thing that we can do is unite as an industry and with safety professionals, to educate people in the proper way. Perhaps finding places that we encourage people to light that are safe, perhaps telling them of how to dispose of fireworks correctly, how and where to purchase, say fireworks that have been designed to use in dry climates and in in tight spaces in your neighborhood. So we just want to let you know as an industry that we’re here to make ourselves available as a resource for your community and for our state as a whole. Thank you for your time.
Unknown Speaker 46:21
Thank you Britton. Aaron Calvin’s Collins I’ll pick out that right. Vulcans Caulkins. Okay, thank you.
Unknown Speaker 46:36
Hello, I’m Erin Caulkins. 1321 East 140/4 Avenue. I also in the fireworks industry, I’m with freedom Inka Old Glory fireworks have a location or two here in the Longmont area as well. Of course, I work with Britain, in conjunction with the state on this, this mutual education campaign that we started last year, brought on by the state actually. And divisional fire has agreed to at least repeat and and probably go further with the campaign this year than what was done last year, including education to not only the public, but to people such as yourselves. We’ve realized here in the last few years that a lot of times we’re speaking at something like this. And as much as we try to show you what we sell as Colorado illegal fireworks, that there’s some misconception that the fireworks that are being complained about are what we’re selling in, in this in this jurisdiction. So so he’s already explained in a little bit of detail, but But what we’re selling is novelty items, fountains low to the ground, nothing is going to leave the ground and go up in the air, smoke items sparklers things such as that. So what we’re trying to say is and that’s what he hit on is you are going to be told that you’re banned from buying those Colorado legal items. Especially in these last few years, people have proven that they want fireworks and they’re going to celebrate in some way with fireworks. If they are to leave and go buy them elsewhere. It’s especially up north here, it’s probably going to be Wyoming. We just want you to know that when you’re in Wyoming and you’re buying from one of those locations. It’s not the products that we’re selling here. It’s not the load of the ground, fountains or smoke. That’s the aerials. So probably here I’ve read where there was quite a few calls last year in complaints. A lot of people use fireworks last year. Probably the way to word it is if you’ve seen a firework that you want to complain about. It’s probably in the illegal firework, you wouldn’t even see the fireworks that we’re selling, because they are not exceeding that high on the air. So once again, we’re here. We haven’t even heard your opinion on this or what what you’re thinking on this, we just wanted to make sure you know, we’re here and want to be a part of it. We’d love to help educate the public with our locations and our arcs, customers and just know that we’re here. Thank you. Thank you,
Unknown Speaker 49:00
Susan darling.
Unknown Speaker 49:11
Susan alink 640 gooseberry drive. I am president of the senior advisory board. I’ve started as an alternate there. And the advisory board is unanimous in supporting the amendment to change the makeup of the board to nine full time board members. It would get a few more people involved and make for an easy majority. And we’re also on board with doing interviews as suggested by the city council where probably two of us would be a part of the interview process.
Unknown Speaker 49:52
Thank you. That’s good to know. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And Bruce Holic
Unknown Speaker 50:10
Good evening, Mayor Peck City Council congressman or Councilman waters. My name is Bruce Halleck. I live at 2426 Santa Fe drive in Longmont and I’m a member of the Board of Directors for the Villas at Pleasant Valley. I spoke with you last on the 29th of March about the health hazards of spring Gulch two, which is part of city property, which drains out lot A which is a piece of property which the villas owns, however, is also a surcharge area from the city for your 100 year floodplain. At that time, I suggested that we needed to proceed with the engineering to be able to correct the problem with drainage. Talked about the last time the money that was being provided to various states for pandemic aid. But two weeks later, if you remember the Denver Post had an interesting article that the state had received $66 billion, about 11,300 per resident. I’d heard hundreds you then I containers you now go to the state go to the federal government let’s work together to get some grant funds to get this work done. This is a serious health hazard. We’ve already heard tonight about the serious drought we have we all know about it. If you remember the Kaiser Permanente article last time, talked about drought causes a congestion of bird. In smaller areas, birds transmit these viruses and West Nile virus, then the mosquitoes contact from the birds. And we get it to humans. As I reminded you, I survived the attack that I had last August. Okay, I spent a month in the hospital two months in rehabilitation. Thank goodness, my good health had rested, I survived. The other gentleman who I cited in that article did not make it he died in November last year. So these are health hazards are serious. And they’re going to grow. And this is a drought causes a number of problems, fire causes health. And we need to sort of I understand you got a lot of things to deal with. But we need to focus much as we can, on trying to improve the drainage out of that lot. A will work with you the villas we’re prepared to assist, do whatever we can. Well, we certainly can’t, you know, without your input your design is you’ve it’s your drainage area. Without that design information, and we’re flying for permits for the Corps of Engineers, because they call it a wetland, we can get their permit approval on the basis of the health hazard imposed. So I’m not restricted by you know, not concerned that the Corps of Engineers is going to deny it by need your help. Mayor, I need you to work with Councilman I know that Councilman waters is already working on this issue to try to get and we’ll we’ll bring more people in. I’ll bring more help and we’ll need it to get this done.
Unknown Speaker 52:53
Thank you, Chris. That is it for public invited to be heard. Do we need to break a bio break anyone up here? Okay, we’ll continue. Looks like we’re good to go.
Unknown Speaker 53:11
Where are we on this?
Unknown Speaker 53:14
We are now going to have the consent agenda. Michelle, would you mind reading the items in the consent agenda?
Unknown Speaker 53:22
No problem. So the Consent Agenda ordinances on the agenda will be set for second reading and public hearing on May 10. Unless otherwise noted following the item title. Item nine A Oh 2022 Dash 16 a bill for an ordinance amending chapter 2.8 4.020 of the Longmont municipal code on the Senior Citizens Advisory Board. Item nine b o 2022. Def 17. A bill for an ordinance amending chapter 11.0 for Section 11.0 4.140 of lung municipal code on the extension of the traffic safety surcharge. Item nine c resolution to 2022 Dash 63 A resolution and along with City Council approving the intergovernmental agreement between the city of and Boulder County Public Health for the Genesis project teen parenting services. Item nine D resolution 2022. Step 64. A resolution of the Longmont City Council approving the amended and restated Special Counsel contract between the city and Kissinger and Feldman. PC for telecommunications, railroad and transportation Special Counsel services. Nine e r dash 22 Def 65 a resolution to the Longmont City Council approving the union reservoir recreational lease between the city of Longmont and the union reservoir company. Nine F R 22 Dash 66 a resolution of Lenoir City Council approving an intergovernmental agreement between the city and Boulder County for a Voter Service and Polling Center. Use Agreement for the 2018 Jan 2022 election section Sorry 2022 election. Nine G. R 2022 Dash 67 a resolution of the Long Island City Council approving the internet intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Longmont housing authority to provide community development block grant funding for the Christmann two apartments project. Nine h r dash 2022 68 A resolution along with City Council approving the inner development rental agreement between the city and the Longmont housing authority to provide American Recovery Act funding for the Chrisman two apartments project. Nine I ard 2022 69 a resolution of the llama City Council approving the intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Longmont housing authority to provide American Recovery Act funding in the form of a loan for the Chrisman two apartments project public improvement financial securities.
Unknown Speaker 55:56
Thank you, Michelle. And I see that staff would like to pull nine G nine H and nine I do Are there any other councillors that want to pull any other items? Okay, then can I have a motion to pass the consent agenda? Minus g h and I thank you second. That has been Moved by Councillor Martin and seconded by Councillor Yarbro. All those in favor? Why should you do? It doesn’t matter. Print is all those in favor, please raise your hand. All those opposed. So that passes unanimously with Councillor Hidalgo fairing absent. So we will move now to items on the second ordinances on second reading and public hearing on any matter if anybody in the public would will like to speak on this item. We will call on you. As soon as I read it. It is ordinance 2022 Dash 15 a bill for an ordinance making additional appropriations for expenses and liabilities of the city of Longmont for the fiscal year beginning January 1 2022. Do we have a staff report on this ordinance? No. So do we have anybody from the public I would open the public hearing on this ordinance 20 2215. Seeing none, I will open it up for questions from Council. Seeing none can I have a motion to pass 2022 desk 50 So moved. So that has been moved by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez seconded by Councillor waters. All those in favor, please raise your hand. All those opposed that passes with Councillor Hidalgo Ferring absent. So we are now going to have a public hearing to consider action on amendment number 2101 to the 2021 CDBG action plan. Do we have a staff report on this? Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 58:18
Mayor pack members of council thank you for having us tonight. This I’m Molly O’Donnell, Housing and Community Investment division director for the city. I’m here tonight to just briefly describe this CDBG funding Action Plan Amendment. A total of $60,471.97 is being repurposed in this amendment from 2021 funding that was originally intended towards providing security and utility deposits for the housing solutions of Boulder County Coordinated Entry participants to provide security, the security and utility deposit program. That program ended up getting funded by the locally funded voucher program. And therefore the CDBG funding is no longer needed. And therefore we are going to propose to move that funding over the Chrisman to apartments acquisition project, which we’ll be hearing more about tonight. And that’s an addition to their addition, their original CDBG allocation. So we’re required to bring this forward for public hearing, if we have a change in eligible activities or the number of beneficiaries to be served, which this does in both ways.
Unknown Speaker 59:29
Are there any questions from Council on this ordinance? Seeing none, I would open it up for the public hearing. If you have any questions or comments on this ordinance. Seeing none all those in favor of passing the ordinance to consider action on amendment 2101 to the 2021 CDBG Action Plan please raise your
Unknown Speaker 59:55
hand Second the motion
Unknown Speaker 1:00:00
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. So that motion was made by me Mayor Pac and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez. All those in favor raise your hand. All those opposed? That passes with Councillor Suzy Hidalgo, faring being absent. So now we’d move to the items removed from the consent agenda by staff. Nine G, which is the resolution of the long run city council approving the intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Longmont housing authority to provide community development block grant funding. That was what you just did. So what we just passed was resolution 2022 67,
Unknown Speaker 1:00:45
no merit. This is a separate action item that was the hearing that we were required to have. And if we could, we would like to take G H and I together.
Unknown Speaker 1:00:56
Let me do that. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:00:59
If you want I can go ahead and talk for why staff had to pull these items.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:04
But yes, please.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:07
So item G was the resolution 2020 to 67. For the CDBG funding for Christmas, two apartments project 2022 68 was the American Recovery Act funding for the Chrisman two project in 2022 69. Is the intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Longmont housing authority to provide ARPA American Recovery Act funding in the form of a loan for the Chrisman two apartments project public improvement financial securities. That’s actually the reason we wanted to pull these three is to really go over that because that is something that we haven’t talked to council about. But we wanted to grab all three of these items so that Molly could talk through it and then I’ll be jumping in as well into this conversation if needed. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:58
Mayor pack members of council Molly O’Donnell once again. So the Christmann one apartments were in completed in 2018 by mgL developers, and those provided 114 new affordable apartment homes in Longmont. mgL and the Longmont Housing Authority have teamed up as CO developers for the second phase of development. Chrisman to will construct 83 new apartment homes affordable apartment homes available for households with incomes between 30 and 60% of the area median income, with the unit serving an average AMI of 50.48% which is was quite good for a project of this type. Chrisman two will be located just north of the Christmas one near the intersection with state highway 66 and Main. The two developments will be connected with common amenities and common design and aesthetics. Chrisman to was awarded 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits in 2021. The closing on the land acquisition and the financing package is targeted to complete by mid June 2022. With construction starting immediately after buy 2028 lH a will assume ownership of all 197 units. The total project costs for Christmann to is about $27 million. For every dollar of city funds put into that project $19 is invested in long months affordable housing stock. The total city funding into the project considering the resolutions up for consideration tonight is just over 2 million at about $2,052,000 and change that consists of an affordable housing fund loan of 600,000 to pay for pre development costs. And that goes That’s struck this direct to MTO. Then tonight’s One of tonight’s considerations, the CDBG grant of 402,950 97 to fund the acquisition of the land, including the amendment to the CDBG action plan, you just approved the ARPA grant of $875,000 towards acquisition. So 800,000 was originally approved by council in January out of the ARPA allocation, but due to construction, cost escalation and additional $75,000 was needed to fill the gap to get to closing. And additionally, this ARPA loan of 100, up to 175,000 to pay for financial securities for public improvements on behalf of the development partnership, and I’m gonna circle back that back to that in just a moment. Additionally, the city will provide fee waivers and offsets to the project and LH A is slated to extend its property tax exemption, resulting in an estimated $543,000 in additional value. So the loan for the financial security financial securities for the public improvements is unique. So the current estimation for the public securities is at a cost of $104,943, which is a cost that it’s included in the financing deal, so we need it incorporated in the budget at closing. Typically, this is necessary to ensure that if the project fails to complete the public improvements the city has a funding source to complete Make the work. But low income housing tax credits or light tech projects have deep capital funding stacks. Once a project closes on that financing, the chances of the project failing to complete construction are extraordinarily low. If the city loans LHC the funding for the securities, it would help close the gap created by construction cost escalation, and help reduce the amount of cash needed to close. Once the public improvements are completed to the satisfaction of the city lhsaa would pay back the loan to funds and they could be reallocated to the next ARPA project on the city’s list before that obligation deadline at the end of 2024. If the securities in the in the unlikely event that the securities are drawn upon ARPA funds would not be repaid to the city, but would benefit the project still, and would still be put towards an eligible use under ARPA, or the lhsaa Board of Commissioners could come may may choose to enter into a repayment agreement with mgL to safeguard the funds. And that board can consider that at a future time.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:07
So a couple of items to kind of distill this down. So do you need to have a seat? Okay. So when we were looking at this, and they were building the capital stack, the security showed themselves at the end of the project. And I think part of that was because not sure exactly, but I think the development partner was used to not pay insecurities on affordable housing and other communities. So I don’t think they just wasn’t included when it came in. If you remember, when we got the additional million dollars from the Department of Housing, we still said there was another $375,000 gap. And so what we got concerned with and this is when you added the 100,000 into it, it started creating issues with the loan document. I think more importantly, Molly, correct me if I’m wrong, when you look at it, and you were to include the $100,000 into the loan, it gets caught up in the waterfall in terms of how people get paid back. And so what that means is that we’re it would be what fourth or fifth MOLLE.
Unknown Speaker 1:07:16
So if we loaned it into the partnership, it would be fifth on the waterfall, so last to be paid back. So
Unknown Speaker 1:07:23
it’d be the last to be paid back. So that would mean that you probably wouldn’t get the money back until you re syndicate it in 20 to 25 years. We didn’t want to get that money trapped in the waterfall provision in terms of the affordable housing loan. So we looked at this process, which is essentially ARPA loaning the securities. And we did go beyond the initial estimates, because if we need to pull early building permits, then you have to actually provide securities at 150% versus the 100%. Security. So that would go up estimated 30, or $40,000, we pushed it to 175. In case there was something there. So what would happen is we would the city via the ARPA funds would loan the money to the housing authority, the housing authority would pay the securities. Once they finish and they get construction acceptance, the city would then pay the Housing Authority back the money that we put in securities, the housing authority would then pay the city back to the ARPA fund the Securities and it keeps it out of that waterfall so you can turn that money faster into another project versus getting caught up in the repayment process. And based on where we were today with this project that was the most expedited way that we can deal with the financial shortfall that this accounted for and not get it caught up in the overall loan document for Chrisman to. That’s what we wanted to talk to you all today about and why we wanted to bring it out because it is a bit different. But when we were working on this and placed it on the agenda item we were shooting for closing next week, or the end of this week, next week. There were some other things that came up which pushed it back, but we still need that ready so we can actually go to closing. I’d be happy we’d be happy to answer any questions.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:26
Your pro team Rodriguez.
Unknown Speaker 1:09:28
Thank you very pic. So to me that sounds like most of the presentation is based more on a resolution 2020 to 69 versus 68. As far as the ARPA fund allocation is concerned, correct, correct. Okay, good. So my question then is for at least 68. We’ll talk about that first because 69 Seems like there’s some repayment mechanisms which are, you know, very pleasant to talk about in this in this conversation, but for 468 aid. That’s straight up us, I believe $75,000. Right. 870 875. So that will affect the other projects that were on that list that we talked about
Unknown Speaker 1:10:12
the 800,000 was on the list for Chris. Right. But
Unknown Speaker 1:10:16
the additional 75,000? That’s why I said 75?
Unknown Speaker 1:10:20
Yes, it is, we are seeing some cost savings and some other line items where we can balance that out.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:28
Okay. And so part of the impetus of this is that Christmas is the closest to feasibility, right? versus the other items that were on that list, right? So my worry is that, where we take that 75,000 From in reallocating the priority list, if you will, in the sense that we are seeing an immediate need to continue to address the unhoused population and the homeless population. So in that concept, I would very much advocate for the fact or advocate that we do not reallocate any money from that particular tranche, if you will, a funding and that maybe we take from some some projects that are further down the line, that we might be able to, you know, come back and, and find some different ways to make that whole and make make that work for us all. And so because we also know that regardless of how the funding works, transitional housing is really specifically what we need. And it’s not so much just funding the construction of that housing, but also the operation and maintenance is an extremely important part of how we talked about the the transitional housing or the you know, on housing homeless population. As far as resolution 2022 69, I think you’ve explained it very clearly. I agree with that, you know, strategy, if you will. And I’m very much in support of making Chrisman go forward as as fast as possible, because affordable housing is ultimately also a key part of the strategy to the unhoused and homeless population as well. So I just was trying to, like I said, make it clear that I would prefer not to have anything taken out of the tranche that we’ve allocated in our previous conversations for homelessness and unhoused. At as such, I, I don’t know if we need to move them one at a time. I think we do, actually. But
Unknown Speaker 1:12:34
if I can answer your question, I’m also not looking at taking anything out of that housing bucket, because we’ve obviously seen what the markets doing to us. Is it working? Yeah, we’re obviously not looking at taking anything out of that unhoused or the housing bucket. We’re looking at those other categories in terms of where some of the cost savings will show itself because exactly what you just said. Okay, thank you.
Unknown Speaker 1:13:02
So let’s ask the city attorney. Do you want to clarify whether we can move these as one item? Or do we need to do three different motions?
Unknown Speaker 1:13:12
Mayor and council either way, if it was on the Consent Agenda, you could have done them all at once. So if you wanted to do them all at once, that would be fine. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 1:13:19
okay. Well, then I would move items, nine G H, and I resolutions 2022 6768 and 69.
Unknown Speaker 1:13:29
Thank you that’s been moved by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez seconded by Councillor Martin. Let’s vote please. All those in favor, raise your hand. All those opposed. That passed unanimously with Councillor Hidalgo. faring absent. Thank you, Harold. Thank you for that creative financing. I’ve never I’ve never heard anything quite like that. You did. Good job. Molly, and Eugene. Thank you. So we are now we are now at the end of our meeting. We have general business with our fireworks discussion, which I can see some ladies very happy about. Who is going to lead this would you
Unknown Speaker 1:14:14
tonight? Can we get a phone? I need a five minute break. Oh, absolutely.
Unknown Speaker 1:14:17
Thank you. Five minute break a conversation. That’s right. You’re great.
Unknown Speaker 1:14:47
Because I made a mistake.
Unknown Speaker 1:14:51
Which one did you I think you’ve done fine. Well, I totally understand flooding. Give up so don’t worry about it if you choose
Unknown Speaker 1:15:06
to counselor communication and we received 3000 calls because 100 of them are firework related not the other way around
Unknown Speaker 1:15:12
so oh that makes a huge difference yes
Unknown Speaker 1:15:16
and wrong ways that didn’t ask anybody as far recording the right way but nonetheless I transpose
Unknown Speaker 1:15:25
well, you’re allowed a mistake but it’s true that when the same Oh well then you’re out two years zero because I forgot to flip the numbers I love that phrase yes all right voice stuttering now so I don’t know I checked it right now it’s having a problem Super Glue lots of things I didn’t know there were several theories on everything and and until she wants a won’t be working malaria he says I asked him in the past about and space is a big mess
Unknown Speaker 1:18:22
and I said welcome to that’s why we want
Unknown Speaker 1:18:25
you to go see the world World guys I agree with you right All right he was
Unknown Speaker 1:20:28
oh, did it go off? Yeah. Sorry. Two minutes.
Unknown Speaker 1:20:35
Maybe 2530 seconds. Oh, okay, we’re
Unknown Speaker 1:20:38
good. There you are. So, Bruce HELOC at the bottom. Yeah, he is very concerned and he has some legitimate questions and concerns about Yes. Oh, yes. Okay. If you wouldn’t mind giving him a call, I don’t know.
Unknown Speaker 1:21:06
For us right now it’s treating me the larvicide. Engineering. prescribers are the vegetation to keep the water flowing and treat it to try to keep the larvae alongside so
Unknown Speaker 1:21:23
he said though, and this was interesting because he didn’t mention the first time he talked to us about money being a federal money coming down. So he’s worth talking to and I just don’t want to let it go somebody Jim and Steve
Unknown Speaker 1:21:39
are your guys are great? Going on I’m glad you mentioned that but what really caught my attention was when?
Unknown Speaker 1:22:41
minutes are up. Thank you. I think city manager is assistant city manager Sandy cedar is going to kick off this fireworks discussion.
Unknown Speaker 1:22:57
Yes, thank you, Mayor pack members of council Sandy cedar assistant city manager. And I’m kicking it off because I made a transposition error in New York Council communication. So before we got kicked off on this presentation, I just wanted to point out that when you take a look at the council communication, we are sharing with you the number of fireworks calls for service within this period of time, June 27, through July 11th. And I accidentally transposed these numbers. So in 2020, that fireworks calls for service were 810. And the other calls for service were 3869. And the same thing with 2021. So in 2021, there were 470 Fireworks calls for service and 4041. Other calls for services. The tickets issued column is correct. I just wanted to correct that before we jump into the full presentation because I know there’s been some errors in reporting because of because of my error. So my apologies. Okay, so with that, I’ll turn it over to Harold so he can kind of lay out what’s happening and what we’re proposing
Unknown Speaker 1:23:55
Americans council. So obviously fireworks has been something that we’ve been talking about for a while in the issues associated with it. And if you as we go back to the council con really want to focus a little bit on on the numbers. And so when you look that we had 800 calls for service on fireworks, and 470 calls for service on fireworks in the respective years, but then you look at the 3869 calls, and the 4041. I really want to talk about that a little bit. One of the challenges that we get into and we have public safety chief artists, Deputy Chief Sater and Deputy Chief Higgins here to talk through to help with some of these issues if he has specific questions. But when you look at the call volume is 3869 in in 4041 One of the things that I think we need to bring out in this conversation is that of those calls that are of level one priority. What that means is that we have to assign two officers to those calls. So crashes with at least two officers, if not more. So domestic violence calls, assault calls, correct. So significant motor vehicle crashes, we have a list of level one. And so when we have officers on the street, and we get those priority calls, we’re real time shifting response, to make sure that we can cover those priority calls. So it doesn’t mean, if we have let’s because we bring on extra folks at times during this. So let’s assume we had 20 people on if we had five Level One calls, we reduce what’s out in the streets at that point in time in half. And so I think that’s part of that’s what I really wanted to start off with, because we have to understand that not every call is a one officer call response. And in the severity of calls is always changing as we’re responding. When we look at what was the problem we were talking about, the problem that we were talking about was illegal fireworks. And I think that’s what generated most of the issues is just the amount of fireworks that we were seeing that are already illegal in the state of Colorado. I would say in talking to my counterparts in various cities, this is not unique to Longmont. This is something that almost every city has been going through. And I’ll talk a little bit about Fort Collins later. There were some things brought up regarding the fire damage or the fire threat. And what we were seeing. One of the things that I wanted to point out is I do have the ability based on the environmental conditions to ban all fireworks, or to ban illegal fireworks based on the conditions. I actually have done that once in my tenure here. It was in 2012 I think I had been in Longmont two months. And if you remember the, the, how dry we were, I made a lot of people happy in 2012. Because I did based on the advice of the fire marshal. And then then would have been deputy chief and Landingham that based on the conditions, I needed to ban it and I did it that was including the professional fireworks display. When we look at the numbers for 2021. And I’m gonna go over a heat map a little bit later, when we talk about what Fort Collins was doing. I think really what we saw was an escalation in the number of illegal fireworks in our community. I think 2021 was really something that we saw that was associated with COVID. And I remember getting literally getting on my roof, to try to see what was happening around the community. And I had my kids with me, and we couldn’t keep count of the different areas where people were lighting, illegal fireworks. And so obviously, you saw that the number was much higher and 2020. It did reduce and 2021. And so one of the things that were challenged with and dealing with with illegal fireworks. And I think this is an important piece to start off with is that when when you do something and you you file it, you have to have probable cause. And from probable cause you have to have somebody when you do go to court and deal with these issues that can testify that they’ve seen the individual setting off the illegal fireworks. And so no matter what ordinance we have, at the end of the day, somebody has to say that they saw the individual that was ticketed
Unknown Speaker 1:28:57
like the illegal firework. And so as we look at that issue, that’s a couple of things. Either the law enforcement officer is a witness to the individual, or to what individual what has been brought up about not having neighbors testify on this, in order to have that specific identification. It’s either the law enforcement officer that sees it or it’s an it’s an independent witness willing to sign the summons and testify and go to court. That’s just what has to happen once it reaches that point based on the conversations that we’ve had with the city attorney.
Unknown Speaker 1:29:39
Today, we’ve had some strategies, obviously not have been really successful strategies based on the number of folks that we’re continuing to see. Light illegal fireworks, we’ve put display in digital ads. We’ve had some targeted marketing we’ve we’ve had social media campaigns, as we said in The Council calm. It really is something that the inability to provide punitive enforcement really has has hampered this. The the continuing concerns that we’ve had from residents, and expressed by residents include fireworks before the Fourth of July, I will tell you that in the neighborhood I live in, we see it. I’ve been snowing to jump on my bike to try to figure out where it’s happening and make calls. But even by the time I get there, you can’t see it. We definitely know that there’s frustration with various residents from the standpoint of those individuals who have post traumatic stress stress syndrome. Veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome pets, our older adult population, and then those that have to work get off hours. And that have to, you know, that have to get up early. We have met with protecting our people in property, the pot group, and they had some really good suggestions and suggestions that for the most part we agree with, you know, they’ve thrown out ideas, including an ordinance that bans all fireworks similar to that of Fort Collins, additional promotion and community firework show, promoting that community firework show and we’ll talk through that a little bit, open up a secondary call center to assist with the volume of calls and bringing in volunteers to assist with that, creating an Intermat interactive map where people can report that proactively. And then, you know, the last one is lobbying the state legislators to change the fireworks laws in Colorado. You know, I’m going to hit that last bullet point first. What’s really interesting in this is that the primary problem that we have is with illegal fireworks. And you know, we’ve all talked about this. And we’ve said probably the best way to deal with this is if you can designate an area where people could go and light these fireworks that didn’t impact individuals didn’t impact neighborhoods. Unfortunately, because of the state law that bans those fireworks, we’re not able to do that, because then we would be condoning violation of the state law. But almost everyone that we talked to, we think that’s probably the most realistic option to make a change. It’s really not available to us because we’d be violating state law. For colleges, Fort Collins has been mentioned a lot. And let me
Unknown Speaker 1:32:49
Sorry, I’m trying to do this left handed. I haven’t used my left hand in a while. So I want to kind of talk about what we were seeing in 2020, in terms of calls for service. So when you see the 800 call, roughly 800 calls, this is kind of what it looked like in our community, and 2020. When you look at 2021 calls for service, this is what it looked like. And then when you look at Fort Collins, this is actually what it looked like for them in terms of the heat map where fireworks were going off in their community. One of the reasons that we really reached out and spend some time talking to Fort Collins was because we had heard that they were example, I had heard from other council members who had colleagues and connections into Fort Collins where basically they were saying that it was really bad, it’s been really bad as well. And in their community, if you had it, if we had our heat map up where we created, they look fairly similar in that there’s really high pockets of where they’re going off. We did ask them for the other maps. We had Robin Erickson really constantly on that so we could get it. This is what we were able to get in terms of presenting to you all in Fort Collins. When you look at Fort Collins, there were some interesting pieces that came out of that. So they had about in 200 entries into their online system. That number was down from 500 calls the previous year. Previous to 2016. Here’s the interesting part. If you look at what we did, we issued three citations and two citations. Fort Collins and 2021 issued five warnings and no tickets. Part of what we were seeing is that Fort Collins is really taking the educational approach when when they’re dealing with these issues. And and so when we looked at all of the Is components in terms of and this is staffs perspective, if we issued if we created an ordinance banning all fireworks in terms of shifting the dynamic, we’re not sure that that’s any more enforceable than the current law that we have in place just because of the volume of calls that we’re going to have. And you still have the same thresholds in dealing with that situation. Obviously, our public safety staff will be happy to answer specific questions. What we did really like about the Fort Collins component is is is really their targeted approach in their educational campaign. And so when we looked at the ideas that was that were presented by the pop group, additional promotion of the community firework show hosted by the skyline, Kiwanis one of the things that that we know we need to do, and we think we realized there were some confusion on that last year, because we talked about it in terms that it was a private event, meaning the city wasn’t sponsoring it. That’s true. But it wasn’t a public event open to everyone in the community. And so we know that we have to really clarify our promotion of of that event. What we also have learned in the last week or two, two weeks, Sandy, in the last couple of weeks, is that based on where they’re having the community firework show, it actually is open to see for residents to see for more areas of the community. So what we’re thinking about talking, what we’re going to do this year as identify those areas, and those parks, where there’s really good vantage points for people to see the Kiwanis firework show, and really market that so that we can get individuals going to those locations.
Unknown Speaker 1:37:03
In terms of we are ready to open up a secondary call center with volunteers. We didn’t want to pull the trigger on that until we heard from counsel, we’re also ready and have tested an online reporting system similar to Fort Collins that we can utilize in this process. And so based on the conversation tonight, we will be ready to go on those. This fourth of July, we will be looking for volunteers in the call center. Because we’re going to need volunteers to help us do this during that timeframe. The other thing that we have talked about is really working the public relations component to this. And what we what we mean by that is utilizing street signs, the electric street signs, if we can get them, letting people know about fireworks, and what’s allowed and what’s not allowed, depending on the environmental conditions, it could be nothing’s allowed, based on what I’m being advised. We also want to take a very targeted approach in terms of how we’re communicating the impact of the illegal fireworks to people within our community. So we obviously know that post traumatic stress syndrome is a significant issue with fireworks. We want to partner with veteran groups within our community, whether it’s the VFW, the veterans community project, to really have them be a partner with us in creating a very direct and targeted communication strategy regarding the impact of fireworks to veterans that have served our country and and what that does to those individuals. And if you really sit down and talk to him about the impact, it’s significant based on what they’re dealing with. So really partnering with agencies and having the veterans groups there with a saying, you know, this is an impact of people who served our country and if we’re celebrating our independence, that is a significant component to this. We also want to part with the partner with animal service organizations to to communicate the impact to our animals. And part of the methodology behind this is really, we all as individuals have certain things that grab our interest. And we know that people are really involved in veterans project so we’re hoping that grabs a group of people there. A lot of us have pets and we deal with it. So if you have a pet, you know how do we target that market. We also know that the fire danger is incredibly important to talk about right now and really communicating around that that piece and what the impacts are to it and and what that means to you and talking to Chief Higgins when we look at the fire threat The Fire threats really what the aerial fireworks. And you know, what people don’t realize is that if there’s an aerial firework that creates it, I’ve seen these investigations. And what happens once if they create a bigger issue and what you can do, in terms of the criminal aspects of this, it’s significant. And so we need to figure out how, how we can talk about those issues. At the same time being very sensitive to our neighbor, south of us that have recently gone through the tragedy of the Marshall fire, we know that can happen, especially if there’s high winds, we know we need to communicate this. So really, it’s a multi prong strategy. We also have some signs that we had available for folks to pick up. We didn’t have a lot of folks pick them up last year that we really want to work with in GLA, other groups within the community. So we can get those signs out in our neighborhoods. So it’s front and center in terms of what everyone’s seeing. So really, all of the recommendations that pop presented, we do agree with and we think we need to move on some of these things, with the exception in the ordinance, just because our opinion is based on call volumes based on conversations that we’ve had with the city of Fort Collins is that we still have an unenforceable ordinance. And I think that just continues to increase the challenge. Again, that’s staffs recommendation. But at this point, I’m really want to open it up for you all, if you have any questions.
Unknown Speaker 1:41:44
Councillor Martin?
Unknown Speaker 1:41:48
Thank you, Mr. Peck. I’m not sure which way I want to go with this. I took it upon myself to invite the veterans community project to come here tonight. But I was late. And they were unable to arrange to have anybody come to public invited to be heard. They did, however, write a very nice and clear statement. So if it’s all right, I would like to read that statement because I think it explains to the public, who we should care about, and this community has showed in the past that we care about these groups very much. So let’s hear what they say. This was written by Alice Alice Ashley Wallace of the veterans community project. Concerning the use of fireworks, it should be considered how many members of your community may be negatively affected. You may say it’s only one night, but it’s not. People set fireworks off all summer. three segments of the population are particularly affected by the loud sudden noise. Veterans with PTSD, the unhoused and pet owners, more pets go missing on the fourth and fifth of July than at any other time throughout the year. The pups can go on for hours even past midnight causing pets to panic, and for some become inconsolable. Making an evening of celebration for a family interrupted by trying to manage a pets anxiety. While a mere annoyance for some the hours of random fireworks going off throughout the summer can make a veteran with PTSD go into fight or flight mode cause traumatic flashbacks or if they have a pet themselves spend their Fourth of July evening jumping at every noise, unsure of where the next pop or mortar will come from. while also trying to sue the pet. It can make the night one filled with anxiety and frustration while your neighbors are celebrating. For our unhoused It’s hard enough to sleep on the street or in a vehicle without fireworks going off at random intervals. those experiencing homelessness in Longmont who also have pets are unable to utilize shelters and therefore have no place to take their pet to avoid the noise. Longmont has a substantial population of street homeless and individuals living in their cars. We have a large veteran population, many of whom have PTSD. We also love our pets. As such, we have unhoused veterans in Longmont with pets whose lives are made that much more difficult by excessive fireworks use in the summer. Taking these members of our community into consideration is the least we can do set hours of plan firework displays posted publicly to give our neighborhoods a heads up is a good start. But setting quiet hours and enforcing these standards in the community after celebrations is important. It shows we care about those around us who find fireworks psychologically damaging, please consider your neighbors. And I thought that was a pretty good statement of what a very large section of our how a very large section of our community experiences this celebration. And the fact that we have fire danger on top of everything else is just one more thing to be anxious about. And I hear from people every day, who are anxious about the fire danger, and don’t understand why we aren’t doing that more about that either. So I just whatever we decide tonight, I hope that we will care about our neighbors. That’s all.
Unknown Speaker 1:46:05
Thank you, Councillor waters, that was a emotional, indepth letter. Eyes. Okay. I see. Counsel, I was gonna say something but counselor waters Go ahead. Oh, thank you. To the point of education, I think that’s an absolutely perfect route to go. The one thing I do know from just having kids and being a sibling, is that if children are told something is wrong, or illegal, they and their parents do it. They tell their parents, that’s illegal, or that’s not. So I think we should start education, we have a very little time, two months in our schools, and let them know that it’s illegal. They all all those kids have pets, let them know what it happens to the pets, because they can be our outreach to their parents very easily. And as far as those signs go, perhaps we should offer them to school kids to put in their yards instead of well, instead of the parents who may not put them in their yards. The other thing that has been suggested are laser shows versus have versus fireworks. That that’s been pretty popular and has worked in other areas. I don’t know if we can do that. Or should we since the Kiwanis has already paid and got their event underway. So that’s just my comments.
Tim Waters 1:47:42
There’s just a few questions and then a reflection. It’s interesting to see the data from 2020 and 2021. To have data from 2019. I know you don’t have it now. But it would be interesting to see. We would be seeing to some degree the effects of the pandemic. Right, right. In, in particular in 2020, a year in which we canceled our own community display of fireworks. So both the effects of the pandemic and then the year in which we did nothing. And then obviously last year, there was something but that would be just helpful to see that contrast. So yes.
Unknown Speaker 1:48:30
Your number right now. So in 2018, we had 286 calls 2019. We have 292 calls. 2020. We had 530.
Tim Waters 1:48:43
Yeah, so that’s pretty useful, right to understand. The pandemic had a big effect. There are other variables here, drought and all the other things we’re talking about, but that was I don’t know, hopefully, that doesn’t set a new pattern of behavior, because we’ve started again in 2021. So in 2019, we did nothing last year, we you know, we saw what happened in terms of this is not the city’s deal. Right. But part of that started because the the county Boulder County would issue a permit, as I recall, that would you know, that the McManus make application in Boulder County? And was there a decision made by Boulder County to issue or not to issue a permit
Unknown Speaker 1:49:19
for this year for last year for this year? No, I think they just proceeded on the current location based on my conversations based on the event last year, the viewing area and their their plans that they’d had to date at this point we meet with them about some other options.
Tim Waters 1:49:43
I know there’s discussion about things places, feasible, but there was no application for a permit this year that you’re aware
Unknown Speaker 1:49:52
of for Boulder County. Well, let me back up, not for the fairgrounds. So the application Boulder County historically has been for the fairgrounds. Have they submitted the application for the other site? Yes. Okay. So there is an application for the
Tim Waters 1:50:09
fox. So Boulder County, you should did the mountain to mountain view is at Mountain View Mountain View. Our district also give that permit. So that’s all done.
Unknown Speaker 1:50:17
They haven’t given the permits. They’ve made their applications where they were making them last week
Tim Waters 1:50:21
as Boulder County permitted the fireworks. So applications for both no decision yet. So that’s still up in the air in terms of Did you hear it? Did you get any feedback? Any? Any, any or any of us? Just general feedback? I don’t know if there was an evaluation of any formal evaluation of the community’s reaction to moving it to Fox Hill. Did you? Because we read we read some of the paper, heard some comments. I’m just curious. What did you hear
Unknown Speaker 1:50:52
that Mayor Peck and members of counsel, I think we had a couple of folks that wrote into city staff saying, hey, this, you know what happened. This used to be a public event. And now it’s a private event. And that is the way that we laid it out. Of course, we would look at it differently this year. But for the most part, most of our complaints were about illegal private fireworks. The Kiwanis felt that they had great support from the community on the show, and realize that they could make it a much more public event than it had been. And they realized that it didn’t, it didn’t feel like a public event at the fox Hill Country Club is what they realized. And so they wanted to do a lot more marketing this year to really invite the public, they realized that they could have a whole lot more people in person on the golf, not on the golf course. But on the on the other side of the property. on the driving range. Yeah, the driving racing specifically. So
Tim Waters 1:51:39
they were seated on the driving range to be sitting. So there’s a whole bunch of felt like going on, on the other side of the tracking range
Unknown Speaker 1:51:45
right now. So they felt they got very, you know, very positive feedback, I would say we got a little bit of negative feedback, but much more negative feedback about general illegal fireworks.
Tim Waters 1:51:54
Well, what as as a council member, I certainly got my share received in my survey and put on illegal fireworks. I also as a resident, go ahead, a fair enough fair number of conversations with neighbors about what was going on and from others. And there was I do think that in effect last year, not unlike not doing something yet the year before moving it to Fox Hill felt to some like a pretty elitist decision. And there was a reaction to it. I think. And I hope that doesn’t I hope it’s not the same reaction this year. If assuming that that project gets permitted, are there are there examples of enforcement? If so, how enforceable from our our first responders Public Safety Fire? How enforceable is the ordinance we have right now we’ve seen two and three tickets issued that either suggests it’s not enforceable or we’re not enforcing it. So and I understand Harold at what you said about the you know, the the call on our staff and numbers of calls and how people get to play to dis deployed, and you only have so many people to go around. But it would be it as we consider these options, it’d be really useful to know if there’s something from from the perspective of police or fire that we that we actually need to dial into or, you know, amend in our ordinance to make it more enforceable when we need to enforce.
Unknown Speaker 1:53:21
Mayor Council, I do want to stress on the numbers that we just gave you. That was from July 1 to July 6, that the numbers in the council presentation was for two weeks. Is that timeframe? Yeah, so the number that city manager Dominguez just read, we’re for six days from the first six. So that’s why the discrepancy in the two numbers. As far as enforcement, people don’t shoot fireworks in front of us. So people don’t stay in their smart residence. Yeah, I worked firework show last year. And as I would pull on a street, the street would go quiet. And as I would drive around to another street, the street would light up behind me. And so people, they’re aware, they don’t flaunt the fireworks rules. They go into their homes when they see the cops on the street. And so that’s one issue. So we have to observe it, in order to be able to write a ticket or a witness has to say that person, my neighbor, John Smith, who lives at this house with shooting fireworks, and I’m willing to testify, then we have to balance that with all the other calls for service that we may not be able to get to that night and then do we come back days later and issue a ticket? Do they answer their I mean, it’s it’s a difficult Yeah. It’s not as simple as just driving to the house and writing a ticket
Tim Waters 1:54:52
because So Jeff, what I’m hearing you’re saying that there’s nothing specific in the ordinance that you would say, do these two things. Do this one thing, right? It would make it more
Unknown Speaker 1:55:00
force one ordinance change I’ve heard that Fort Collins is exploring is tying the violation to the property owner, which is different for your house. Yeah, yeah. And that it’s a civil infraction to the homeowner, you still kind of that would make it a little easier. We can mail the tickets and things like that. But
Tim Waters 1:55:22
can we do that legally?
Unknown Speaker 1:55:25
You’d use FARC. We’d have to change some ordinates. Well, I
Tim Waters 1:55:28
understand. But if that was an oil change in the ordinance, I think is that would that would be a deterrent? I would think.
Unknown Speaker 1:55:34
I think that’s what we need to work with Fort Collins on because I think to the point of is their ordinance working? That’s why they’re looking at this other ordinance because their ordinance isn’t working. And I think we just all need to be in communication. I think it’s too early to say whether or not we can or we can’t but Eugene would have
Tim Waters 1:55:54
to. So that’s a it’s an unknown at this moment. Or it’s an undetermined if there’s something specific, we should do in the Word.
Unknown Speaker 1:56:01
Councilmember waters, Eugene, may city attorney. So in the information provided by Tn T, they did have some social host ordinances, I think primarily out of California. We have not looked specifically at implementing one of those here, sort of waiting for the council discussion. And if we get direction, take a look at it. We’ll
Tim Waters 1:56:23
take a look at it. Well, I’d be interested to see what the I don’t know what other council members feel like. But if that’s an example of being able to cite property owner as opposed to perpetrator, and that has a deterrent effect. I’d like to see that language, frankly. What would you expect Jeff, from as our deputy chief of public safety, or maybe Danner or or others in terms of the Boulder County enforcement of their prohibition? Is that is that just show or do you expect people to, to see some kind of enforcement sheriff’s actively out there citing people on and around the fourth?
Unknown Speaker 1:57:00
For my experience in 2012? That seems like that was the only year we were successful in having our fireworks tamped down, people understood the risk, understood the dangers, and then it you know, this year has been compounded by all the fires around us. Yeah, I’ve never been to so many fires.
Tim Waters 1:57:19
What seemed to me that well, first of all, I’d be useful to know. I mean, we’ve had we’ve had conversations about how enforceable our ordinances are how enforceable somebody else’s ordinance are around all kinds of issues, but firearms and fireworks would be two good examples of you can pass a lot of laws, but they can’t enforce them, you know, what’s the point? So it’d be that would be useful to know what you we might expect to see from Boulder County, not about enforcement, but about education. I wonder what the thoughts are about best and highest use of of every resource. We have available from Longmont public media, to the Longmont leader to the times call to the museum, to the senior center to service clubs, two interest groups, and putting on putting together a speaker’s bureau if you will, or human resources and taking advantage and deploying people getting them on agendas take follow up. I wish we’d had this conversation last Thursday night with the school board to say, you know, how can you help? I think the idea of getting word out to kids is a good idea. For the very reasons that the mayor suggested, but we didn’t talk about it last Thursday night, it just feels to me like if we’re going to do it, we got to be really clear. How do we take full advantage of every resource that we control or that work with us? Right to educate the public? And one of the most persuasive messages, especially if the if part of that’s an appeal for veterans and others with PTSD or the other issues? Or you know, or animals? What’s the messaging that’s going to matter who delivers it? And what are the places we can deliver it enough times that we might make a difference in GLA HOAs? neighborhood groups? I mean, on and on. I know our police department does a lot of that work with neighborhood groups now on a host of issues. But it’d be a full court press it seems on on this one.
Unknown Speaker 1:59:16
I think that’s what we’re saying with that’s what we’re also saying with the with the PR strategy and the full. It really is everything there and this rises to the top of our list as we’re heading into the time when this becomes an issue for us. Because it’s it’s not something that we can do alone. You all often hear me say we can’t do everything. This is something that’s going to take the entire community to come together because we you know, I’ve said this in meetings, this is about consideration. This is about consideration of your neighbors, your you know, other individuals and it’s going to take all of us to be be part of this solution.
Unknown Speaker 2:00:06
See who’s next year?
Unknown Speaker 2:00:19
All right, thank you very back. So first of all, I would just like to quickly ask, I know that the institutional knowledge primarily probably lies with our two deputy chiefs, their Deputy Chief Higgins and Saturday in your time, in active duty, how many active fires Do you remember being caused by fireworks?
Unknown Speaker 2:00:55
Mayor Peck, Councilman, Mayor Pro Tem. I don’t have exact numbers over all the years. But actually, last year, we did not have any 2020 We had four. That was one came in as a structure fire was a smaller fire out of residents. And then three grass fires. We did have a year. And so I’m just going off on memory on this one. So forgive me if I’m a little off, but it was 2018 or 19. We also had an arsonist in the area. So on Fourth of July, somebody was going up and down the main street corridor, lighting dumpsters on fire as well. So, so one of those years, we had a number of more. So I would say we’ve been lucky overall, we do get some smaller grass fires from, I guess, in the idea of where people are lighting off the illegal fireworks there, they tend to be in the neighborhoods. So they’re not hitting some of the open spaces were the heavier growth and things like that. So some and some of those ways, we’re fortunate. And I do want to concur with Deputy Chief SATA about 2012. Because I was working the street back then. And people really took it to heart when we got the word out how dangerous it was to do anything, as far as ignitions anywhere in the county, and in that year was dramatically lower for calls all around and definitely the illegal fireworks. So.
Unknown Speaker 2:02:33
So the key word I keep hearing is that in general, these these fires that did occur over the last number of years have been set by illegal fireworks. The ones that leave the ground, not so much. You know, ones that are currently legal in the state of Colorado
Unknown Speaker 2:02:50
based on memory. I can’t remember a fire return from legal fireworks.
Unknown Speaker 2:02:54
Okay. Very good. Well, thank you. That’s very helpful. And I will say that I think it’s fairly common knowledge that my father is a retired firefighter. And our family is not innocent of illegal fireworks. So just to say that, you know,
Unknown Speaker 2:03:15
I’m not trying to be, you know, sitting up here as some teetotaller as far as that’s concerned.
Unknown Speaker 2:03:24
As far as some anecdotal comments that Councilmember Waters was alluding to, the only folks that I’ve heard really complaining about the location of a community firework show are folks that probably seem to live on the west side and south side of Longmont further away from the newer location being more on the east side of Longmont. Outside of that I have not heard too many complaints about the actual location of the fireworks, just that they want a community firework show, and that’s just anecdotally what I’ve been hearing. I think as as we’ve stated, in the state of Colorado, fireworks that leave the ground are already illegal. So it really becomes when we talk about a fireworks ban to me personal fireworks versus the community firework show. I think that the community firework show is done safely. At least from my recollection. Prior to the pandemic, when my father was also working as a firefighter and he was on duty. On the fourth of July, the fire department was very aware as well as on the scene in case anything seemed to go wrong and I grew up in LA I was born and raised in Longmont. I remember when I could actually be at the county fairgrounds and laying on the ground and ash would be coming down on to me they change that eventually that’s probably not a safe thing to happen. But I remember that as a child growing up in Longmont. So I just want to say that obviously we continue to trying to make everything safer and much more friendly for the community. And so I want to also say that I think that as we were being consistent in the pandemic, as maybe we’re not at the pandemic yet, but we’re we’re being consistent with our authorities at the county level on the state level, I think we should as the city of Longmont continue to be consistent with our county partners in our state partners. And so if our county sheriff currently Joe Pelley decides that we need to have this kind of ban, I would support that as a council member to be consistent with the county. And on top of that, I think before we go further with a similar ban, that does not seem to be very effective, that the city of Fort Collins has put that has enacted, I don’t think that our ban on smoking on Main Street is very effective. I don’t think our ban of folks riding bicycles and wheeled things downtown is very effective. And so I don’t think that putting an all out ban on personal fireworks would be effective. I do understand if we did put the ban on the community firework show because we do have some control over that, if you will. What I would like to see is maybe as far as enforcement is concerned that when we have the opportunity in public safety, that we are not giving out warnings for firework infringement problems, we are moving straight to the citation. And so I think that would be an increased level of enforcement. Before we go to an all out ban, like I said, that has questions about efficacy. And so those are my thoughts. And and thank you for your answers to my questions. And so looking forward to other comments.
Unknown Speaker 2:07:08
Counselor Yarbro.
Unknown Speaker 2:07:11
Thank you, me. Okay. Thank you all for the research that you’ve done with Fort Collins in the information you provided us. Um, I guess one of the questions that I had is, if and I’m not trying, I’m not saying I see this happening or anything but if there was a fire because I was going to ask the same thing. How many fires have we had due to the fireworks but if there is a fire, what is the protocol moving forward? If there is a fire due to fireworks? And it caused a neighborhood fire? What will be the protocol after that dealing with fireworks? I mean, have we all have we thought about that?
Unknown Speaker 2:08:10
Are you talking illegal fireworks are illegal fireworks.
Unknown Speaker 2:08:14
illegal fireworks.
Unknown Speaker 2:08:20
Mayor pack councilmember councilmember Yarborough, we have had a discussion about that there is a protocol in place. If there’s a fire that is generated from fireworks. There’s an investigation that is done. We have arson investigators that work for the Department of Public Safety. They will investigate that if we can determine that the fire is caused by fireworks or the igloo legal use of fireworks, then there could potentially be criminal and also civil penalties for those fires.
Unknown Speaker 2:08:50
So moving for after that, will we put anything in place? You know what I’m saying? I guess what I’m trying to figure out because I heard this last summer when I was visiting coming in here and listening to our constituents and their concerns about the fireworks. So of course, if we can prevent it. That’s number one. Right. So I guess I know that we don’t have control over what other people do. We can put ordinances in place in. Obviously, we’re having a hard time really enforcing a lot of it. But I guess my concern is and maybe not even a concern. I just have a question. I really want to know what will be the protocol if something like that happened afterwards. So you put them in jail? What would be the city’s protocol to prevent that moving forward, if that will happen? And how can we what measures will we take for for the community after that?
Unknown Speaker 2:09:54
I think I understand what you’re asking Councilman Yarborough. I think the problem in lies is that we can’t control people’s Free Will So folks make a decision every single day most of us do if we drive on the highway we we exceed this the city speed limit that’s assigned. And so if you’re caught by an officer, you’re cited for that. If you’re not, then you happen to get away with it that day. In the cases that you’re talking about is when we have a situation to where a firework was to cause property damage or significant damages to something the state of Colorado already has a host of things that deal with our students are types of fires. And so there is such things as reckless conduct there, there are things that individuals can be charged with. Now, a lot of those times is of course, they have judicial process. They go through courts, they have to be found guilty. And then again, it courts and probation can do different a variety of things for them, if they want to. The courts want to decide that you can’t have fireworks while you’re on probation, then that’s something that judge because Institute, I don’t know that there’s anything from a city standpoint that this Council could do to enact what someone was convicted of a crime to add on additional penalties for that, what you do have in places you do have an ordinance that exists that we are able to enforce when we’re able to meet the certain elements and requirements. In order to present that in front of a judge to get a conviction or present enough evidence. let the judge decide that if someone wants to be reckless in their conduct in usage of fireworks even illegal or illegal, there is still a criminal repercussion, potential criminal repercussion. But again, there’s also a civil penalty that would be handled by the property owner who was victimized. So again, to answer your question, I don’t know that there is anything that the city could do to hold an individual accountable. That is really what the judicial system is for. And that’s the place of the judges and juries to decide whether an individual is guilty of whatever that crime is. But there are protocols in place within public safety, both where police and fire work together to investigate fires, I get a report on a monthly basis on all the fires that we have within Longmont, then what the investigators found in their investigation into those fires, some of those are just simply unknown, because the dumpster was set on fire some of those, hey, it’s because there was a mechanical failure with a car wide individuals working on that. And then some of those may very well have to do with Well, we have a potential issue where an individual wanted to file an insurance claim. And so they set a piece of property on fire. And so we do prosecute those and follow up with those both on is a combination of both police and fire. And I
Unknown Speaker 2:12:17
think if I can jump in if you’re saying I mean, I think part of the challenge with this is, and I’m going to key off of what DEPUTY CHIEF HAGEN said, when we’ve had fire related to fireworks, it’s typically been illegal fireworks. He couldn’t think of one where it was legal fireworks. Part of the challenge is they’re already illegal. And and I think that’s the challenge in this is they’re not supposed to have any way. And they’re still setting those fireworks off. And, and so I’m not sure, honestly what you could do, because they’re already participating in that behavior anyway. And that’s why I said there’s a point of this where it’s, it’s really consideration, and it’s understanding it, you know, absent catching him when they’re coming in from Wyoming or some of the other states, I think that’s really the crux of the issue, they’re already participating in an illegal behavior. It’s just that the volume is so high that it’s tough on the enforcement side, so I don’t know what necessarily would change other than if we see that, for some reason, there’s a rash of legal fireworks that are doing something but to date, we haven’t haven’t really had that evidence.
Unknown Speaker 2:13:41
Thank you, I just think it’s really tough in and I understand you all can only do what you can do and what you can see. And I also understand that neighbors who don’t want to turn your neighbors in because they have to live next to them. And I get that as well. At the same time. That consideration is highly important for our community, and it’s a matter of can be a matter of life and death as well. So, you know, I think it’s important for us as counsel to to to look at, I know that we can’t enforce everything and it’s hard. But how we can have some preventatives, as well as and I think the education piece is highly important. Educating our community in as many topics as educating kids in the schools in is very important. But when we’re talking about where we are with the county and the fire risk, we really, really need to look at that much more closely. Because that’s that is a matter of life and death. So we can’t all we can’t determine If somebody’s gonna consider their neighbors or not, you know. And then not only that, putting our officers out there and taking them away from real dangerous calls, that could be a matter of life and death as well. So I just, you know, I was just listening to every one and I’m thinking, what can we do to prevent? What measures can we take to prevent those illegal? And I know they’re gonna do it anyway. But educational courses important? And what else can we do? Because we don’t want that to be tomorrow’s news that a neighborhood or July to fifth news that our neighborhood was burned down because of illegal fireworks. So I just want to make sure we do what we can and put our brains together as to how we can prevent it. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:15:51
Yes. Just a quick second, I just want to comment, California, I understand where you’re coming from. And one of the things that we have not done in the past. And something we were talking about doing is, once the Fourth of July is over with, we average about 300 calls, if you look over a period of about four or five years other than 2020. For some reason, it was a ridiculous number. One of the things we don’t do a very good job of following up after that, we receive a lot of information. And so we’re hoping that with counsels recommendation for us to continue to move forward with the heat map will actually receive addresses. And so we’re looking at what can we do after July 4, to follow up with those homeowners just to give them an idea to let them know, Hey, listen, we just want you to be consciously aware that, you know, we’ve received some information, there’s fireworks, there’s issues within your community, there’s concerns whether it is with with the veterans, whether it’s animals, or whether it is just the weather, the overall conditions of the weather, the property, the dryness, and so we’re looking at what can we do to educate folks after the fourth, to follow up with those residents and then information that we get during July 4, because, again, if you get 90 calls in an hour, it’s hard to get to all 90 calls. So we have time after that to get back with those residences that we can identify and educate them, specifically educate them and then document that we did have an opportunity to, to either meet or to, to engage them in some way, whether it’s a letter or or what it is. So we are looking at those things. So beyond the fact, to your point, we are looking at what can we do after July 4 to also address that.
Unknown Speaker 2:17:20
Thank you. And I also think that once we have that information, maybe we can have the NGF in GL come around, maybe for the fourth and have block parties on the Fourth of July, and have food and music and things like that to prevent that if we can maybe in those areas that are concentrated with it with that activity. So that could be something so yeah, that’s great. Thank you. Yes, ma’am. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:17:44
I think that’s also a good point. One of the things that we’re seeing too, is where it’s concentrated, we’re not necessarily seeing where we have registered neighborhood associations. And so that’s kind of what we were seeing from the map. So if you kind of tie it with what we want to do, and really engaged in that more, but that’s another connection that we’re seeing. But we agree and we’ve talked about that with Wayne and Carmen.
Unknown Speaker 2:18:10
Councillor Martin.
Unknown Speaker 2:18:12
Thank you, Mayor Peck, Mr. Dominguez in 2012. You made the decision to shut down fireworks because of conditions on the ground. What decision making process will you use this year? Well, what I mean in detail weather conditions, what Boulder County does all of it,
Unknown Speaker 2:18:37
whether conditions conditions, specifically with inside our corporate jurisdiction, because so one of the challenges in this that’s a little bit different is that and I kind of want to get into the Boulder County fire restrictions too. So when you look at the restrictions that they put in place for the most part, and we’ve talked last week, Captain Goldman and Deputy Chief Higgins and I had this conversation. Most of the things in the county’s fire restrictions are already prohibited within the city. The fireworks piece was the only one that really wasn’t in So the example is at a park you can’t put if you can’t have a fire on the ground. You can put it in the barbecue pit which actually when you look at Boulder County’s restrictions, you can build maintain a tent or using a fire in a constructed permanent fire pit or fire grades within developed recreation sites. They had a map and on private lands. That’s what it is for us all the time. Use of portable stoves lanterns, using gas jelly petroleum pressurized liquid fuel or feeling close sheepherder Steve’s type stove and so the only frankly difference that we saw on Danny and correct me if I’m wrong between what are in our ordinances and in In the counties ordinance is and I just want to touch on this to kind of perspective is really the fireworks piece. So what we’re going to be looking at, and Dan and Dan can answer this question too. One of the things that we’re also concerned with, is that, right now, if you use utilize legal fireworks, you’re tend to go in to use that in your driveway, in areas that aren’t necessarily associated with combustible materials. You know, similar to illegal fireworks, if people want to do it, and they start moving into different areas, then that’s where it becomes an issue because it really is kind of in those open space areas, or certain neighborhoods have, my neighborhood has high grass behind it. That’s what we’re going to be looking at, and ultimately, the fire danger based on the conditions that we’re seeing at this time. And it’s something that we’re going to be talking about on a regular basis to really go where are we? What is it? What are we going to look at? I think when I made the decision in 2012, it was middle of June, middle of the first part of June when we were starting to see it and that was occurring. But yeah, we’re just going to look at all the environmental factors, the risk factors. And really, it’s going to be a pretty pragmatic decision based on what we’re seeing on the ground at that time.
Unknown Speaker 2:21:24
And, frankly,
Unknown Speaker 2:21:25
what rain we if we have rain between now and then and what that’s going to look like to be earlier this year, if we don’t have any rain,
Unknown Speaker 2:21:33
yeah, if we haven’t had any rain, say by the first July, do you think there’d be a ban, then?
Unknown Speaker 2:21:39
I think if we haven’t had any rain, and we’re as dry as we are now if the first part of June, that’s gonna be the decision making timeline, not the first of July. So very early. Yeah. I mean, we’re gonna that’s why I say we’re gonna be looking at those environmental conditions.
Unknown Speaker 2:21:54
Yeah. So my, my tulips opened to this weekend, and I hadn’t watered them, and they died and withered the same day that they opened. I should have watered, but it’s really dry. Whose recommendations will you be taking? And you know, this is this is for anybody. But you know, is it? Is it a clear cut decision? Or is it going to be a hard, agonizing decision?
Unknown Speaker 2:22:28
No, I think typically, when you get to those points, it’s pretty clear cut. Okay, you know, I think last time when I had to do it in 2012, it’s, here’s the conditions, here’s what we’re having. And it’s like, Alright, let’s do it. Because the conditions are warranting it. It’s not something for me that, you know, what if this or what if that it’s here’s what the conditions are, here’s what we’re going to do. Not unlike when we have any natural disaster, and you have to make decisions very quickly.
Unknown Speaker 2:22:59
So this question is probably for Chief artists, or perhaps the city attorney. I have had a lot of people write to me with suggestions or message me on social media, with suggestions that involve Why don’t the police just something and something without a numerating them typically involves a violation of their neighbor’s constitutional rights? Can somebody give me a, a five minute explanation or a two minute explanation or whatever it takes? About why we can’t just go point to their fireworks and say, look here, you know, to let, can you talk a little bit about an illegal search and, and what it would take for, you know, if I said, Well, you know, my neighbors across the street move all the time. So I don’t know their names. And I’m not sure which unit they live in. But I saw a match in that nice hand. You know, I’m not going to be able to go to court and swear, because I don’t know those people. But what’s the what’s the barrier to me enlisting the police or or the fire department in in nailing those people down?
Unknown Speaker 2:24:25
Marin Council Eugene may again, I think you’re asking about the Fourth Amendment search and seizure protection. Probably I am and basically your house is your castle. And the police in limited circumstances can go in and there is an exhaustive case law on all sorts of different fact patterns, but basically, police can’t go in without a warrant or a warrantless search and a warrantless search, you know, maybe the most common would be exigent circumstances. If they’re going to be destroying evidence or there’s a high likelihood of further injury or damage, police can go in in those circumstances. But it’s a dicey area of law. And, you know, I think the first under lying principle is belief can’t go in unless they have a real good reason. And those real good reasons are your warrants or your exigent circumstances.
Unknown Speaker 2:25:37
exigency. Circumstances is a word that’s not going to mean very much to a lot of people listening. So Can Can you clarify that a little bit? And what would you have to do? What would you do if you had to write an ordinance that would establish probable cause? Councillor Mon? I know. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 2:26:03
Mayor, pack. Council members is that card is public safety chief. Councillor Martin, I don’t extreme circumstances just simply means in layman’s terms, is there’s typically what it’s used for is there’s evidence of a crime that can be disposed of very quickly by the individual. And so there are certain things there’s warrant exercise pertains a certain fee, motor vehicles, plain view doctrine, certain things that that we can do this does not pertain to fireworks. Really, what I think what, what would answer your question, and really those folks that are going to ask kind of constitutionally, why we can’t do something, you really want it for focusing on the Fifth Amendment, which is due process. It is the process of where you have a right to have your case heard. It’s where you have a right to present evidence. It’s where you have a right to defend yourself. And it’s where you have a right to basically confront your accusers. And so when you talk about why can’t the police just do this, is because we have to establish probable cause, and then either issue a summons or make the arrest for whatever the crime is, but then that individual has due process that then protects them from incriminating themselves. So I think a lot of that it’s a very complex subject. And it can’t simply be answered in this situation, this situation, this situation, every situation is different. And the courts look at situations different whether it’s your home, whether it’s a vehicle, whether it’s open space, whether it’s private or public property, the courts apply different standards to those as far as search and seizure, what we can do as far as extreme circumstances and those types of things.
Unknown Speaker 2:27:44
And I think the other answer that question is probable cause is fact specific. So you can’t proactively create probable cause. Because it’s depending on the facts of the situation. That’s the other piece of it.
Unknown Speaker 2:28:02
So we do have what’s called our articulable suspicion, which means let’s say someone it’s at night, they’re walking through, it’s midnight and they’re walking through a dealership. articulable suspicion is we have a belief that an individual is, is either involved, was involved or is about to commit a crime, that gives us the legal authority to have contact that individual and find out hey, why are you here after midnight in a car lot, you know, we’ve had break ins in the past what’s going on. But in order to actually to arrest and seize that individual, we have to have what’s called probable cause. So while we may have articulable suspicion that someone is shooting fireworks off at their house, in order to actually issue that citation, we have to be able to see that action. So while we may have articles suspicion that that I’ll give you that Jeff’s sped here tonight in his car, because he was running late, unless I observed that or someone else observed that and said, Hey, I’m willing to come and testify a court that Jeff was speeding, we can issue that citation for probable cause. And so that’s where we’re having that difficulty with the fireworks because while we can see the firework go off in the general area, by the time that we get there, as Deputy Chief Sater had mentioned, they’re already gone. Are the fireworks already disposed of? And so it’s not prosecutable is do the reasonableness to believe that they shot their fireworks? Absolutely. But is there probable cause in order to be able to issue the citation to the standard that the courts require us to do? The answer’s no.
Unknown Speaker 2:29:41
Mayor doesn’t want me to ask my follow up question.
Unknown Speaker 2:29:44
And Councilman Ward, I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation with you after council to address whatever concerns or questions that you may have.
Unknown Speaker 2:29:53
Counselor Excuse me. Yep. Counselor, one
Tim Waters 2:30:00
First, you know, this is this is not about fireworks. This is about your interpretation of the rules. I understand when we have an issue and we’re in first reading the what you want to do to limit discussion to five and three, I get that in two rounds. But when we are this is a general discussion, we’re trying to learn something, learn our way forward on something we don’t have clear answers to arbitrarily. And you’ve done it capriciously to impose arbitrarily. I don’t know if you’re keeping track or not a five minute restriction seems unreasonable. And and supports make us making decisions or promotes us making decisions based on ignorance, rather than information. So I object to that I object to the ruling of the chair. And I don’t need a second motion to get a to get an action on my objection.
Unknown Speaker 2:30:55
Thank you. Is there any action on this objection? I am going to stick to to the protocols that we have I don’t know
Tim Waters 2:31:10
why I’m an elected official. This is a public meeting, and I will not be muzzled. And I don’t think you have the authority to muzzle any elected official when we’re in an elected public meeting in this kind of discussion. And so just let it be known. I’m not going to I’m not going to just be quiet when you impose I think, a rule unreasonably.
Unknown Speaker 2:31:30
Thank you. So this has been a robust discussion, and I look forward to what you come back with in June, what what the county does what what we decide to do? I think that if you, if we have a ban based upon fire, that’s probably a different education piece. What I am concerned about a full out ban is that we are in a different political climate than we were in 2012. And I don’t want it to look like a ban as a disciplinary action, rather than a safety action. So those are just my thoughts.
Unknown Speaker 2:32:13
I assume on the other items, in terms of the educational campaign and everything are outlined, is that something that council wants us to proceed with? In the mapping and those issues? The only question is, in this is going to take some research is this. What do you call it, Eugene? The social hosts? Do you all want us to look at that? We’re not sure we can do it or not?
Unknown Speaker 2:32:40
Any comments on that? Looking at the social host? I’d like to see. Okay, can you bring out the language of that social host?
Unknown Speaker 2:32:55
We’ll look at whether we can do it. I don’t know that we can do it. I just know that Fort Collins is looking at it and we can reach out to them, see what they’re doing. And then
Unknown Speaker 2:33:03
after you find out what that is, you can bring it back to us and go okay, that would be great. Any other fireworks?
Unknown Speaker 2:33:14
So what’s what’s that question, Sandy?
Unknown Speaker 2:33:20
Mayor Peck members of council. We were just wondering about fireworks stands. Because if we’re waiting to determine a ban until we get closer to that we’re holding permits, because we wanted to make sure you had this conversation first. Are you comfortable with us moving forward with permits on those legal fireworks sales? And then of course, if we get to a point in June where it’s banned, it’s no different than 2012?
Unknown Speaker 2:33:44
i Yes. And I do think that we need to hold a vote on that because it’s a state. It’s a state law, but we can have legal fireworks. So we don’t really want to go. Ooh, can we have a motion? Councillor Martin?
Unknown Speaker 2:34:00
I have a question. I would like to ask whether the city would consider a buyback program. If we permit early and then people have bought things and they can’t use them. And if so, how would that be funded? Because that would affect my vote. Think we did that? 2012?
Unknown Speaker 2:34:26
No, I thought
Unknown Speaker 2:34:28
I think if Council is not interested in a ban on illegal fireworks, then I think that goes directly to then we can allow fireworks stands but in 2012 when we banned it, I don’t think we did a buyback. And I think what we just need to be overdone is saying there’s no guarantees right now that you can even fire illegal fireworks based on the environmental conditions. But I think absent a ban on legal fire works. I mean, I don’t know why we wouldn’t continue with what we’ve normally done. I think that’s the connection, Sandy. And I didn’t hear counsel say you wanted to ban illegal fireworks. So I think that answered that question.
Unknown Speaker 2:35:17
Any comments on that? A comment that Councillor Martin. Councillor waters?
Tim Waters 2:35:26
Thanks for your Peck. I think this is like a lot of things. I think you make that purchase at your own risk. And I think people ought to know what if you know if I buy him, I can’t use them. It’s like a lot of things that I use.
Unknown Speaker 2:35:39
In to answer that question. Deputy Chief Higgins just said they don’t go back in the year. So if we did it, they could use them the following year as well.
Unknown Speaker 2:35:52
So do we have a motion then? On?
Unknown Speaker 2:35:58
A motion, necessarily. Nothing.
Unknown Speaker 2:36:04
I don’t think we need when it’s since you didn’t act on the banning of legal fireworks, then
Unknown Speaker 2:36:09
there’s no need for the motion. Okay. And I do would like to address the buyback? I wasn’t sure if you meant by backup legal or the illegal fireworks? Or all of them? Oh, that’s what I thought. Okay. Do you need anything else premise on it? And good, thank
Unknown Speaker 2:36:29
you. Okay, thank
Unknown Speaker 2:36:30
you very much for this, and all the work that you’re doing on it. Now we have assistant manager Sandy cedar on our 2022 legislative bills that she the city recommends.
Unknown Speaker 2:36:47
Thank you, Mayor Peck, members of council Sandy cedar assistant city manager and this is the last legislative update for the session. Your next meeting will be May 10. And they are planned to adjourn Cindi die may 11. So but there’s some really good bills on this one. So let me just go ahead and go through them. So the first one is House Bill 22 1306, concerning broadband deployment grant processes implemented by the broadband development board. So there was significant ARPA funds that were placed in the hands of the state for all kinds of things, including broadband deployment, this would actually make some changes to the current broadband broadband deployment bill that would allow a little longer timeframe for projects and give some more flexibility. So because of that, and because we have had some of these grants and been able to do some of these projects, staff supports House Bill 22 1306.
Unknown Speaker 2:37:40
Any discussion on this bill? Somebody want to make a motion to support it. So moved. Second. All those in favor of supporting this bill, please raise your hand. All those opposed. So that bill passes, unanimously, unanimously, with Councillor Hidalgo fearing absent.
Unknown Speaker 2:38:02
Thank you very much. Next bills House Bill 2213 55. And this is the creation of the producer responsibility program for statewide recycling. What this would do is it would give some incentives to those who are producing plastics and things that can be recycled, but sometimes aren’t recycled. And it will also charge not a tax but a fee to all of those producers to be able to create more markets when it comes to recyclable material. The hope is that by giving incentives to produce more green products, and then also a fee to help fund the recycling across the state, currently, the city does have recycling but not everyone state does this would require that, that this is a funding source that then would create more recycling within the state of Colorado. So because this is part of our sustainability goals, the staff recommends the City Council support House Bill 2213 55.
Unknown Speaker 2:38:58
seconds to ask questions. Thank you, Mr. Peck. My understanding when I read the legislation on the report is that for municipalities, like Longmont, who does have recycling, that actually be an influx of some funding for us to expand our program. Is that accurate?
Unknown Speaker 2:39:17
Yes. That’s that’s the that is what it looks like right now. It’s not all the way through the process, but if it passes as it sits today, that’s
Unknown Speaker 2:39:23
true. Okay. Well, I mean, obviously, that would be a net gain for Longmont in as we’re looking at a universal recycling ordinance coming up here in the next year, at least, I assume. Because we’ve been talking about it and recently, so yeah. Second, I just wanted to clarify that for a city like Longmont that there’s positive ramifications as well, not just for those communities that don’t currently have recycling programs
Unknown Speaker 2:39:51
to good point. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:39:52
Okay, so that motion has been made by Councillor Martin seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez. All those in favor of passing 1355 I are supporting it. Raise your hand All those opposed. So that passes unanimously with Councillor Hidalgo. faring absent.
Unknown Speaker 2:40:07
Thank you. The next bill is House Bill 2213 77 Concerning the creation of the connecting Colorado experiencing homelessness with services treatment and housing programs support grant program. Again, this is another grant program that the state is proposing that would really help to connect homeless people experiencing homelessness with services and so we can take all the help we can get. This is obviously a priority of the city council and so staff recommends that the city council support this bill House Bill 2213 77.
Unknown Speaker 2:40:35
So I moved that we support House Bill 1377. That’s been moved by me seconded by Councillor Yarborough. All those in favor? Raise your hand. All those opposed? So that passes unanimously that Councillor Hidalgo, faring absent?
Unknown Speaker 2:40:51
Thank you, Mayor. The next one is House Bill 2213 78. Considering the Denver metropolitan regional navigation campus to grant to address homelessness. This is a bill that would create a campus in Denver that would help to, you know, basically help people who are experiencing homelessness, while this wouldn’t necessarily affect linemen directly. In fact, we’re kind of unclear how it would affect long months since homelessness is a regional issue. And this may be something that we want to pilot in Boulder County. staff suggests that city council support this bill. House Bill 2213 78.
Unknown Speaker 2:41:24
I moved 1378 House Bill 1378. So that’s been moved by me seconded by Mayor Pro Tem all those in favor. All those opposed? That passes unanimously with Councillor Hidalgo, faring absent.
Unknown Speaker 2:41:37
Thank you one more. We’ve got kind of a gamut of different topics today, Senate Bill 22, one Ida concerning measures to address orphaned wells in Colorado, and in connection with creating orphan wells mitigation enterprise. So what this would do is this would create an enterprise fund at the state that would really try to figure out what’s happening with orphan wells, and either get them closed or get them monitored, or whatever that looks like. Now in the city in the city of Longmont. We don’t have technically any orphan wells because they have to have been abandoned by their company. But if we do in the future, this kind of funding would help to make sure that those are safe. So because of that, and oil and gas safety as a priority to the City Council staff recommends that they that you support Senate Bill 22 198.
Unknown Speaker 2:42:20
So I’ll move that one to support 22 Win 98. All those in favor. Do I have a second? Thank you. I moved. House Bill 22 198 seconded by Councillor Yarborough. All those in favor? Raise your hand. All those opposed? So that passes unanimously with counselor Hidalgo faring absent? I have a question about that. Not a question and statement though. I support that because even though we don’t have any wells in Longmont to close, we have fracking lines. And if those wells are not closed properly, then those lines could be trouble. So thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:43:04
Thank you for your support this legislative season. If you have any questions as things wrap up, please let me know.
Unknown Speaker 2:43:12
So we are at the end. We are final call public invited to be heard. Is there anybody in the public that would like to make comments at this time? on any subject? Okay. Brian Johnston
Unknown Speaker 2:43:27
just wanted to throw out that in terms of ways to address Fifth Amendment due process. There’s ways other than having the person with the witness come to court. Probably the best evidence. People want to call in and say, hey, my neighbors are setting things off. video evidence is pretty sure I would think would be substantial enough evidence to at least allow for taking and probably stand up in court. I’ve had a similar situation happened I one time, caught a guy crack a hit crack a guy over the head with a beer bottle on video. And when the police showed up, I showed him that video and they arrested the guy. So if you want a way to provide evidence without perhaps having to force people to be dragged into court to to testify against their neighbor, suggest, you know perhaps the volunteer group, they were talking about setting up the volunteer calling line or half the people on police line, say get us video evidence that should be substantial enough to at least ticket them. But I’ll let Eugene give the file on that. But it’s just an idea. I thought that that might be something that might might help get the issue addressed. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 2:44:44
Good suggestion. Thank you. Britain, I think has a comment.
Unknown Speaker 2:44:53
Thank you, Mayor, council members just maybe to save everybody a little bit of time I wanted to throw out a resource, the American power tech Neck safety. And Education Foundation does have an education program that is designed the curriculum is already done for grade school all the way through 12th grade. And that curriculum is free. It’s available online. It’s very robust. And it might interest you in the school since that was mentioned tonight.
Unknown Speaker 2:45:18
Thank you. Is there anybody else that wants to make a comment? It looks like now’s not so. Do we have any Marin Council comments? Councillor Yarborough?
Unknown Speaker 2:45:36
Yes. I just want to say thank you, Mayor, I just want to say that the last few few days ago, I am a liaison for the housing and human advisory board and one of our members, Karen Phillips passed away. And I just want to bring that, you know, just bring that to our attention because she has served a lot in this city. And to as much as we have problems, you know, some challenges of people getting on good people to get on these boards. I just wanted to bring that up to you know, you know, send good thoughts to her family and her son. And you know, I think our community for those of you who are on boards, and you make a difference. So I just wanted to acknowledge that. Thank you, Mayor.
Unknown Speaker 2:46:29
Thank you. Any other comments? No city manager comments.
Unknown Speaker 2:46:38
Mayor Council, I did want to provide you all with an update. I know you all have had a lot of calls about loud cars, whether it’s mufflers, radios and things like that. I know. Mr. Johnson has been here. But we’ve also had it from neighborhoods. Public Safety chief artists and Deputy Chief Sattar had been working with Elizabeth Lorena Mills on an ordinance that will, as we’re talking about how we can enforce that will make it easier for officers to enforce and they’re going to be bringing that to you all in the near future. But I just know you all been receiving a lot of emails and I wanted to give you an update that they’re they’re bringing something forward that we think we can operationalize.
Unknown Speaker 2:47:23
That’s good news. Thank you. City Attorney Eugene. No comments, Mayor. Thank you. So seeing all of our comments are done. Can I have a motion to adjourn? Thank you. So that’s been moved by Mayor Pro Tem seconded by Councillor Yarborough. All those in favor? Raise your hand. We are adjourned. Thank you, everybody.