A consultant team has been selected for a grant funded local planning capacity "fast track processing" project. The project kicked off in November and initial work will include conducting a process mapping exercise to find efficiencies.

Larimer County’s Landlord engagement program is underway, and the County will pay a portion of the City rental registration fees for participating Landlords. 

$400,000 in Utility Fee Offset grants were awarded to 3 sustainable Affordable Housing Projects with 2050 Tax funding. Staff is exploring ways to support ongoing Utility fee relief and an affordable housing impact fee. 

Land Bank Program

• Currently considering if a redeploy of ARPA dollars could allow the Land Bank Program to exercise an option to purchase 2-acres at 1900 Laporte from the Natural Areas Department. Any action would ensure Natural Areas remains whole.
• The ARPA funding spend deadline has been extended for the Montava Land Bank 5-acre purchase via a Memorandum of Understanding between the City Manager's Office and the Social Sustainability Department.
• Tilden Land Bank analysis underway to determine whether it is ready to develop.

• February 2025 Council Finance meeting will discuss community capital package and potential of a revolving loan fund for housing.

• March 2025 work session focused on Priority 1.

Staff has completed drafting and seeking public review on the Human Services & Homelessness Priority Platforms and anticipates finalizing the documents in December. These new guiding documents will influence Social Sustainability Department (SSD) staff work plans and FY25 competitive grant funding.

The Equity Office continues work with City departments and external partners both in the Equity Readiness space through assessments and through the maturing of the Equity Indicator work. This is ongoing work and will continue well into the new year. 

Staff is engaging underserved communities through events and relationship building. The Community Connectors Spanish Language Group meets monthly and has been focused on Strategic Outcome Areas and Council Priorities. In October, the Gardens hosted a community celebration of Latiné & Hispanic Heritage Month with a day full of free events highlighting this culture that enriches our community. The installation of the rainbow Crosswalk was unveiled on October 11 to celebrate National Coming Out Day.

Year 1, of 3, monitoring of air toxics through EPA grant is complete. Sites have been prioritized based on community interest, such as oil and gas operations and sites with odor complaints. 

Prospect Energy wells are shut-in and awaiting permanent plugging and reclamation. The City is working towards a purchase agreement for contaminated property and working with the Energy & Carbon Management Commission orphan well program on appropriate winterization for well sites and subsequent prioritization for reclamation.

The Mobile Home Park Program continues to be impactful through both physical home improvements and educational workshops and mini-grant offerings. These programs touch seniors, Spanish speakers, and low-income populations. Home repairs and funding are allocated based on the life/health/safety risk of repairs needed and the eligibility requirements of each funding source. Projects were completed in 4 mobile home parks. 

Buy the numbers:

• 2,364 Grocery Tax Rebate applications processed in Q1+Q2 +Q3 with $445k in rebates provided YTD. 
• Healthy Homes: Recruited and trained 5 new Healthy Homes Educators, conducted 27 in-home assessments (11 in Spanish, 16 in English), with 14 HVAC inspections and 20 weatherization projects, repaired and/or replaced multiple furnaces in homes where there were safety and health risks. 
• Get FoCo: 947 FC households currently receiving discounted Connexion Internet services. 2,981 FC households enrolled in one or more Get FoCo programs in 2024. Gardens on Spring Creek income-qualified program added to Get FoCo bring total to 5 programs available.
• Immigration Legal Fund: 8 new work authorizations, 50 people reached through educational/self-advocacy sessions, supported 4 asylum cases, 8 Temporary Protected Status applications, and 4 Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases. In Q3, two removal proceedings were dismissed for clients arriving as unaccompanied minors. ILF is actively managing 35 cases.
• Eviction Legal Fund: Attorneys represented 42 clients in non-court appearances, reached 171 renters through Know Your Rights trainings, distributed educational materials to 193 people, trained 14 eviction mediation and housing hotline volunteers, and served 190 renters and 16 landlords.

• Council work session focuses on Priority 2 February 11, 2025.  Work session will include mobile home park local and state enforcement discussion.
• Council will receive a memo in Q1 2025 when the Priority Platforms are complete. 
• Council will be updated when a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the former oil & gas operator is available for consideration. 

The Economic Health Office (EHO) is working in multiple areas to ensure effective programing and to bolster the success of local business.

Some current efforts include working to stand-up the Barriers to Business study which will help EHO better understand and address business challenges in the community. Similarly, Economic Impact Studies are being developed to understand the economic impact of Housing Catalyst and the sports economy locally.  This data will help prioritize future funding and strategic investments to ensure that resources are being devoted where they are needed the most, as well as where the return on investment yields higher results.

The Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) recently received the gold award from the International Economic Development Council for Entrepreneurship Programs and following the 2025-26 budget adoption future planning and strategy development is underway to continue the good work. 

EHO is collaborating with the Land Use Code team to engage the business community in the discussions and working to better understand our community’s usage of neighborhood centers.

Of note, the Larimer County labor force study conducted by TIP Strategies is in discussion for being updated to see the changes in today’s workforce and trends moving forward.

• No items currently scheduled

Assessing Commercial Corridors and Centers

Land Use Code (LUC) and Place Based Assessment: 

• City selected a vendor to integrate a diagnostic of the LUC and the more general needs and opportunities for our centers and corridors.  This will yield a Place Based Assessment by Q1 2025 and inform the LUC updates to be finalized in Q4 of 2025. The Economic Health Office (EHO) has been comparing Permitted Uses in the LUC against the retail landscape of Fort Collins to better understand how our community utilizes our neighborhood centers and what gaps need filling to better support our 15-Minute City goals.  EHO has been looking at data for visitation to Neighborhood Centers overlaid with traffic patterns to see which Neighborhood Centers are currently being utilized at a higher rate by multi-modal transportation. This can help us understand if specific Commercial Uses drive higher visitation by alternative modes. This effort also promotes opportunities to collaborate with Planning, Development, and Transportation (PDT) to better understand how small changes in permitted uses, access, and Right of Way infrastructure could increase alternative modes visitation.

Simplifying the Permitting Experience: 

• A vendor has been selected for enterprise software implementation and change management. Process improvement workshops across the different business units, focused on simplifying process, are the next step.

Budget Note:  The liaison for businesses navigating the permitting process was not funded in the 25/26 budget, however PDT and EHO are collaborating on potential solutions.

• November 19 regular meeting, 1st Reading consideration of software appropriation 

• Q1 2025: Provide Council Place Based Assessment Report 

Staff continues to work on the following elements to accelerate zero waste infrastructure and policies:

Increasing yard trimmings collection is a major component of City zero waste goals.  The launch of the residential hauling contract with Republic, which includes weekly seasonal yard trimmings collection, is a major part of this effort. Staff will continue to collaborate with Republic, as well as supporting community education and customer support.

The identification of pathways for food scraps and construction & demolition (C&D) materials infrastructure is continuing through conversations with Larimer County to determine partnership opportunities and the potential for recycling or composting infrastructure. Grant-funded consultants are also engaged to take a fresh look at potential pathways to infrastructure for these materials. Consultants will provide a high-level comparative analysis of potential paths for at the end of January. The City will then select one path for a deeper dive into costs and implementation needs. That work is anticipated to be completed in June. Staff will discuss these elements with City Council during a work session in April 2025.

• Work session April 8, 2025

Buildings:

• Staff continues to develop a local Building Performance Standards (BPS) Policy framework and will be at a Council work session in January. Recent focus has been on community facing resources to help with awareness and understanding of the policy framework and what it will mean when implemented.
• The Zero Carbon New Construction Code project team is on track with the development and planned adoption of the building energy code. Staff have finalized two of the three sub-recipient agreements, are nearing completion of baseline building performance analysis, and are starting work on development of building energy use and emissions reduction code targets. In addition, the project team is formalizing the establishment of the stakeholder/community advisory group, planning a kick-off meeting first quarter of 2025, and has bolstered building efficiency and zero energy industry workforce training through industry scholarships and partnerships with Front Range Community College and Northern Colorado Construction Sector Partnership.
• Incentive programs continue to have success, although at a declining rate due to decreased "low hanging fruit" options left for buildings. Incentives for natural gas appliances and other equipment have been phased out. Staff continue to evaluate infrastructure (distribution grid and operational technology) necessary to support energy transition and grid of the future. 

Transportation/Fleet Vehicles:

• Updating the previous Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap (EVRR) is on track to deliver a final report with recommendations by end of year. Staff will begin moving into implementation of the EVRR recommendations/strategies in Q1 of 2025.
• Phase 1 of Panasonic SMART grant pilot project is underway and continues until March 2025. Operation Services, Utilities and Finance departments are awaiting notification of an $11M award for Phase 2 fleet vehicle and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. 

Small Engine Equipment:

• Environmental Regulatory Affairs (ERA) and Environmental Services staff are leading efforts for compliance with CDPHE Air Pollution and Control Division (APCD) Regulation 29 (restricting City and City contractor use of specified gas-powered landscaping equipment under 10 horsepower from June 1 through August 31 annually, beginning 2025).
• Parks Staff received 7 electric utility carts replacing 7 gas-powered carts utilizing $200K awarded from the 2050 tax. The gas-powered carts are being removed from service.
• Parks and Natural Areas landscaping equipment fleets are approximately 85% and 80% electric, respectively.

• Council work session on Building Performance Standards January 14, 2025

• Council work session on this Priority scheduled for April 8, 2025

Halligan Water Supply Project

• Funding Strategy: An updated budget model has been completed and presented to the City Finance team. Currently, the master schedule is being updated along with needed cash flow projections.  Two State-administered programs have been identified as potential primary funding sources (Water Project Loan Program and Water Revenue Bond Program), in addition to the issuance of municipal bonds.  Federal grant opportunities continue to be investigated but are expected to be limited in scope and opportunity.
• Permitting: Larimer County 1041 Permit application has been submitted, approval hearings with County Planning Commission and the County Commissioners scheduled for Spring of 2025.  401 Water Quality Certification Application to the State expected in early 2025.

Water Supply Requirements (WSR) & Non-Residential Water Allotments

• WSR – In November, Council adopted an updated Water Supply Requirement Fee and Excess Water Use Surcharge which will change the Water Supply Requirement fee to $63,800 per acre-foot and the excess water use surcharge to $15.59 per 1,000 gallons for 2025
• Allotments: Council also approved Annual Water Allotments for Nonresidential Water Services which will assign water allotments to nonresidential customers that do not have one.

These ordinances will go into effect January 1, 2025.

Water Efficiency Plan Update 

• Engagement is 90% complete. Municipal and service-area wide goals and strategies are being developed with input from engagement and with support from City Staff.  The water demand model is 75% complete.

One Water Strategic Plan Development, Phase I

• Information gathering has occurred through plan review, staff interviews, focus groups and workshops. Work on Phase I is 75% complete, with the development of summary status report (final deliverable) to be completed by January 31, 2025. Phase 2 planning will commence February 2025.

• Council work session for water Efficiency Plan February 25, 2025 

Fun/Engaging Methods for Neighborhood Safety:

• The asphalt art project at Canyon, Sherwood, and Magnolia accomplished the narrowing of vehicular travel lanes, shortened pedestrian crossing distances and improved sightlines. 16,000 square feet in curb-extensions were defined by traffic striping, plastic delineator posts, asphalt art and ADA compliant infrastructure. Using these applications together created a large expanse of asphalt for pedestrian refuge and encourages reduced traffic speeds. Converting this five-point intersection into a four-way intersection and a separate T intersection improved sightlines for road users and addressed long-standing concerns of right-of-way confusion.
• The City hosted one of the biggest Open Streets events to date on Sept. 15 along Shields street. This was the first event hosted on an arterial roadway since 2015, and an estimated 14,000 participants attended nearly doubling previous attendance records.
• Fort Collins hosted the National Safe Routes to School Conference in October. The event brought professionals from around the country to share best practices in the world of safe routes to school, and to see first-hand the amazing work being done here in Fort Collins. This included numerous mobile workshops around Fort Collins and at CSU.

Funding Obtained: 

• Fort Collins was awarded approximately $1.7 million in funding from the Federal Safe Streets for All program this past September. This funding includes a Codes and Standards Audit focused on Active Modes, a Harmony Road Study to design active modes facilities for Harmony, and the Lake Street Demonstration Project to enhance active modes through CSU.

Budget Note:  Active modes were well resourced in the 2025/2026 Budget.  In the next two years we will advance significant improvements such as increasing maintenance of our active mode infrastructure, implementing quick build solutions for neighborhood and school safety, continuing the asphalt art program, and advancing larger scale safety improvements of our high injury network such as Prospect and Shields.

• Council work session January 14, 2025 to discuss 10-year Transportation Capital Improvement Plan framework and evaluation.

• Council work session January 14, 2025 to discuss Strategic Trails Plan community feedback and initial draft of goals and strategies for feedback.

Staff is working in concert with Healthy Democracies, American Public Trust, and the Center for Public Deliberation to plan and execute a Civic Assembly to develop a use plan for the Hughes property. Current focus is on developing a communications plan, creation of an informational packet to be used for discussion guides, and development of representative lottery process. Assembly is anticipated to occur in May 2025.

A related effort is also underway to determine bile park feasibility across the community. This study will evaluate potential bike park locations (including Hughes), associated capital and on-going costs, identification of park amenities and features, and a community engagement process. 

The goal is to complete the bike park feasibility study and have it available for the Civic Assembly.

• Council work session January 28, 2025 to provide an update on Civic Assembly.

• Council work session March/April 2025 timeframe for feasibility update.

The City's Digital Accessibility Team and partner Nelnet helped each department prioritize their top digital communications platforms/tools to assist with an audit plan to assess accessibility concerns or gaps. The team is finalizing specific guidance for PDFs to ensure accessibility across City documents. Nelnet is also building a training plan for City staff to ensure everyone understands the digital accessibility requirements and how they can ensure compliance.

Digital Experience Platform (DXP) implementation continued with website navigation testing to inform the final navigation structure, sitemap and design. Additional DXP modules have also kicked off design/development, including legislative management, 311 services and eNewsletters.

The City Manager's Quarterly report was revamped in 2024 and continues to be optimized for easy storytelling on City achievements and cross-promotion in other City channels. Beginning with the Q2 report, a link to Council Priority updates was added to the report.

The BlastX team worked with the City to create a Customer Journey Mapping playbook to be used as a guide for the City to create and maintain customer journey maps and are working to gather current data sourcing information from each City department. Several City staff from each department participated in the journey mapping training.

Late summer and early fall brought another round of FUN opportunities for the community to connect with the City and each other, including the Poudre River Fest, Neighborhood Night Out, the Volunteer Engagement Summit, Open Streets and many more. 

• Council listening sessions at various community events
• Council feedback on website navigation 

Staff from the City Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s Office and City Manager’s Office have been working with special legal counsel retained for this project, Geoff Wilson of the law firm Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman LLP, to identify aspects of the City Charter to be modernized, reconciled with statutory and other legal changes, simplified and revised for readability.

One or more corrections to the election-related articles of the Charter will also be part of this discussion. In particular there is a correction needed to the increase the total number of days allowed for circulation of initiative petitions to match the 77 days intended by Council in its Charter work last summer. 

Preparations for the Dec. 10 work session are underway.

• Dec. 10 Council Work Session