Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Agenda Packet 05-20-19 STUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge CO May 20, 2019 6:30 p.m. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. Call Sara Spaulding, Public Information Officer 303-235-2877 at least one week in advance of a meeting if you are interested in participating and need inclusion assistance. Citizen Comment on Agenda Items 1. Jefferson County Financial Update – County Treasurer DiTullio 2. Ridgetop Village Metropolitan District Service Plan 3. Update on Artspace Proposal 4. City Facility Rental Fee for Nonprofits 5. Staff Report(s) 6. Elected Officials’ Report(s) ADJOURNMENT Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick Goff, City Manager DATE: May 15, 2019 SUBJECT: Update from Jefferson County Treasurer Jerry DiTullio ISSUE: Jefferson County is working to trim its budget by $16.1 million in the next year to balance the budget and maintain an appropriate reserve fund. To achieve this, the County is starting by requiring seven percent budget reductions for 2020 for all offices, departments and divisions whose budget is impacted by the General Fund. County Treasurer Jerry DiTullio has requested time on City Council’s agenda to provide an update on this budget shortfall and other issues pertaining to his new role at the County. Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick Goff, City Manager DATE: May 15, 2019 (for May 20, 2019 Study Session) SUBJECT: Ridgetop Village Metropolitan District Service Plan ISSUE: On May 13, 2019, City Council approved a rezoning, an outline development plan, a specific development plan, and a subdivision plat for the 38-unit Ridgetop Village townhome project. The City received a draft Service Plan for the Ridgetop Village Metropolitan District on March 25, 2019 for approximately 1.9 acres of property located at 4000 to 4066 Upham Street. The purpose of the Metropolitan District will be to provide all or a portion of public improvements for the benefit of the residents and taxpayers located within the boundaries of the District. The proposed Service Plan describes and sets forth those powers and authorities the District shall have as allowed by Colorado law. The exercise of such powers, however, will at all times be governed by and subject to the terms of a City IGA. State law allows local governments to exert significant control over the organization and operation of special districts. The service plan approval process is the key to exercising that control. BACKGROUND: Metropolitan districts in Colorado are a common tool for financing the public infrastructure portion of development projects. All special districts in Colorado organized under Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) are required to file a service plan with the city council of the municipality in which the district is proposed. White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron, P.C., representing the owners of this property, filed the Yarrow Gardens Metropolitan District Service Plan with the City on June 22, 2018. The purpose of the District is to provide public infrastructure improvements within and without the Property. The District will acquire and/or design, finance, construct and install public improvements for the use and benefit of the residents and taxpayers located with the boundaries of the District. There are minimum requirements for the types of information that a service plan must contain as detailed in Section 32-1-202(2) of the C.R.S. These are: 1. A description of the proposed services; 2. A financial plan showing how the proposed services are to be financed; 3. A preliminary engineering or architectural survey showing how the proposed services are to be provided; 4. A map of the proposed special district boundaries and an estimate of the population and valuation for assessment of the proposed special district; 5. A general description of the facilities to be constructed and the standards of such construction; 6. A general description of the estimated cost of acquiring land, engineering services, legal services, administrative service, initial proposed indebtedness and estimated proposed maximum interest rates and discounts, and other major expenses related to the organization and initial operation of the district; and 7. A description of any arrangement or proposed agreement with any political subdivision for the performance of any services between the proposed special district and such other political subdivision. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City did not require a submittal fee for this service plan. Costs associated with this service plan include staff and attorney time to review the submitted documents. ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Ridgetop Village Metropolitan District Submittal Letter and Service Plan A T T A C H M E N T 1 Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick Goff, City Manager DATE: May 15, 2019 SUBJECT: Artspace Feasibility Study ISSUE: At the February 4, 2019 study session, Artspace Consulting and members of the Cultural Commission requested that City Council consider a Preliminary Feasibility Study to provide preliminary feedback about the feasibility of creating live/work, multi-use, or other arts facility development in the City of Wheat Ridge. Consensus was reached that evening by City Council to ask the Cultural Commission to investigate this proposal further with the community to gain additional moral and financial support for the project and to report back to City Council at a future meeting. Attached is a letter from Cultural Commission Chair Diane Robb summarizing the Commissions outreach to the community on this project and a request for $12,500 from the City to assist in funding the feasibility study. BACKGROUND: Artspace’s mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Artspace Consulting helps communities identify effective, affordable ways to incorporate the arts into their civic agendas. They help communities revitalize downtown areas and inner city neighborhoods, reanimate historic properties, develop arts districts, and create and preserve affordable spaces for artists. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Letter from Cultural Commission Chair Diane Robb, dated May 20, 2019 2. Artspace Consulting Brochure 3. Artspace Consulting – Introduction to Preliminary Feasibility Study May 20, 2019 To: Wheat Ridge City Council From: Diane Robb, Chair Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission Re: Artspace It is my pleasure this evening to continue our conversation regarding the possibility of bringing Artspace into our beautiful city. On February 4th of this year I introduced Ms. Shannon Joern of ArtSpace to the Council to introduce the concept of Artspace. Artspace helps communities identify effective, affordable ways to incorporate the arts into their civic agendas. Their mission is to “create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations.” After much discussion that evening there was consensus amongst the Council that the Cultural Commission should further pursue this idea – which we did. We spoke to a number of individuals including creatives, realtors, affordable housing experts, developers, business owners, property owners, people that have had direct involvement with Artspace, and basically anyone that would listen to us. We have secured a partnership with LocalWorks and formed a core committee of individuals that believe in the Artspace concept for Wheat Ridge. The first step is to hire Artspace to perform a Preliminary Feasibility Study which provides preliminary feedback about the feasibility of creating a live/work, multi-use, or other arts facility development. This Study costs $25,000.00. LocalWorks, believing in the ArtSpace concept, as well as believing that this is in alignment with their mission of advancing Wheat Ridge as a vibrant and sustainable community, has offered matching funds for this Study in the amount of $12,500.00. With the Feasibility Study in hand, we will then know the next steps that need to be taken. Artspace brings over 30 years’ experience in developing, owning, and operating arts facilities with groups around the world. This evening we are asking the Council to approve$12,500.00 for the second half for the Preliminary Feasibility Study. Thanks! Diane Robb, Chair ATTACHMENT 1 ARTSPACE CONSULTING ATTACHMENT 2 ARTSPACE CONSULTING Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art & Artspace HQ, Minneapolis, MN Photo by Steve Ozone WHO WE ARE Artspace Consulting is a division of Artspace that helps communities identify effective, affordable ways to incorporate the arts into their civic agendas. Our practice builds on Artspace’s expertise as America’s leading real estate developer for the arts and operator of more than 30 successful arts facilities around the country. Our community-based approach bridges the traditional gap between the arts and the civic arena. Our clients benefit from direct access to our three decades of experience as a developer of arts facilities that deliver sustainable, affordable space for artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses. We help communities revitalize downtown areas and inner city neighborhoods, reanimate historic properties, develop arts districts, and create and preserve affordable space for artists. We help arts organizations evaluate their existing facilities, identify new ones, and determine how their spaces can best serve their needs. Artspace Consulting works with you to determine the next steps toward making your community the best it can be. Artspace’s mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations. …creating a facility to provide affordable live/work or studio space for artists, homes for arts organizations, or space for other creative activities. We identify the most suitable buildings and sites, develop realistic capital and operating budgets with an eye to long-term sustainability, and offer practical advice about how to move a project forward. …imagining a place, such as an arts or cultural district, neighborhood, campus, or other cluster of people, buildings, and uses. We guide our clients through the process of refining their vision and review plans for arts districts, campuses, and centers. …improving what exists, whether it’s a single facility, a campus, or an entire arts district. Our clients include arts organizations that are thinking about expansion, groups that wish to operate a shared facility more efficiently, and other entities that want to make their facilities better. ...sharing what we know through articles, speaking engagements, presentations at conferences, and other gatherings attended by national policy-makers, urban planners, and community leaders of all kinds. WHAT WE DO Artspace Consulting helps communities by… OUR SERVICES Preliminary Feasibility Visit An intensive two-day fact-finding mission to assess the potential for an Artspace live/work or mixed-use project in a community. An Artspace team tours buildings and sites; meets with artists, city officials, and other stakeholders; and conducts a public meeting to welcome community participation and generate a buzz. We recommend the Preliminary Feasibility Visit for communities with populations of more than 50,000 and an established base of local support. Creative Spaces Consulting Visit A two-day visit, similar to a Preliminary Feasibility Visit, that focuses on a community’s vision for creating an arts facility or district that is not likely to result in an Artspace-developed project. This visit helps communities address civic challenges such as finding a creative use for a city-owned property, evaluating the artist component of a project led by a for-profit developer, or assessing an arts district. Deliverables for both the Preliminary Feasibility Visit and the Creative Spaces Consulting Visit include a written report that documents our findings and recommendations for next steps. Washington Studios in Duluth, MN Photo by Sequest Photography CREATING A FACILITY CASE STUDY Loveland, Colorado THE CHALLENGE Help the City of Loveland preserve its historic Feed & Grain Building and generate economic development in its downtown GOALS > Identify a viable and sustainable concept for adaptive reuse of the Feed & Grain Building > Incorporate affordable housing for artists into the project vision SCOPE OF WORK > Preliminary Feasibility Visit > Arts Market Survey DELIVERABLES > Feasibility Report that discusses potential for arts facility in Loveland and identifies next steps for moving the community’s vision forward > Survey Report identifying strong need for artist live, work, and exhibition space UPDATE > Two-phase project that includes an art center in the Feed & Grain Building, 30 units of artist live/work housing, and a public plaza Artspace Loveland, Loveland, CO, Love and Light Exhibition, 2012 Photo by Alanna Brake, www.luckybrakelimited.com OUR SERVICES Arts Market Survey An online survey to determine the size and nature of the market for affordable artist live/work, studio, or other creative space in a community. Artists, creative workers and businesses, as well as arts and cultural organizations of all disciplines are invited to share their needs and preferences for affordable space. This information helps the project team select a site, attract funders, and design a facility that effectively addresses the needs of the local creative community. Each survey is customized to reflect the unique characteristics of the local community and arts scene. Over the last 20 years, we have conducted approximately 40 Arts Market Surveys that have reached more than 25,000 creative individuals. Artspace Tannery Lofts Resident, Santa Cruz, CA Photo by Charles Mixon IMAGINING A PLACE CASE STUDY Wichita, Kansas THE CHALLENGE Help the City of Wichita strengthen the Commerce Street Arts District GOALS > Determine whether Commerce Street is a viable arts district > Identify action steps to help it grow SCOPE OF WORK > Creative Spaces Consulting Visit DELIVERABLE > Report that recommends a range of actions the City can take to help the arts district and provides additional guidance about another emerging arts area, the Douglas Design District The Commerce Street arts district in downtown Wichita, KS Photo by Spacefem / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 OUR SERVICES Capital Needs Assessment A program that provides nonprofit clients access to the underwriting capabilities of our real estate practitioners. For organizations considering purchasing, leasing, or co-locating, we help quantify critical-path questions and assist in decision-making. Sustainable Operations Analysis A process designed to clarify funding goals, establish recommended steps for raising the necessary funds, and provide a better understanding of current and future operating expenses. We analyze existing annual financial reports and current space usage to establish a base operational profile, evaluate a range of scenarios and build a 15-year forecast to help the organization plan for the long-term sustainability of its facility. IMPROVING WHAT EXISTS CASE STUDY Open Book Minneapolis, Minnesota Open Book is a multi-tenant nonprofit building that serves as a home for literary and book arts THE CHALLENGE Help the Open Book and its three anchor tenants analyze their current space usage and financial status and create a vision that defines their “story” moving forward GOALS > Define the challenges and opportunities available to the building and its anchor tenants > Frame the project in ways that make it most relevant to prospective funders SCOPE OF WORK > Capital Needs Assessment > Sustainable Operations Analysis DELIVERABLES > Capital and operating budgets, including a 15-year forecast > Presentation of findings to the Open Book Board of Directors Open Book, Minneapolis, MN Photo by Emily Taylor SHARING WHAT WE KNOW Speaking, facilitating, and convening Artspace Consulting shares its experience developing, owning, and operating arts facilities with groups around the world. We participate in conferences, workshops, and webinars, offering our unique, community- and arts-driven approach to real estate development. We take a multi-disciplinary approach influenced by our personal commitment as artists and our firsthand experience as developers. Our Clients Artspace Consulting’s recent clients include: > Albany Housing Authority / Albany, NY > Bemidji Community Arts Center / Bemidji, MN > Boston Center for the Arts / Boston, MA > Buchanan Center for the Arts / Monmouth, IL > City of Long Beach / Long Beach, CA > Community and Economic Development Office / Burlington, VT > Creative Portland Corporation / Portland, ME > Dance/USA / Philadelphia, PA > Dubuque Main Street / Dubuque, IA > Fleisher Art Memorial / Philadelphia, PA > Intermedia Arts / Minneapolis, MN > Pregones Theater / New York, NY > Wilshire Boulevard Temple / Los Angeles, CA Wendy Holmes of Artspace Consulting touring potential properties in Dubuque, IA Photo by Roy Close 250 Third Avenue North | Minneapolis, MN 55401 | 612.333.9012 www.artspace.org/artspace-consulting | @artspaceconsult | consulting@artspace.org Artspace is a national nonprofit that serves both artists and communities. We help artists by developing projects that serve their needs. We help communities leverage the power of the arts to become stronger, livelier, and safer. Since 1979, Artspace has brought its hard- earned expertise to more than 300 cultural facility planning efforts from coast to coast. With headquarters in Minneapolis and offices in Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C., our services include consulting, property development and asset management. Working at the intersection of urban planning, real estate, and the arts, Artspace is the national leader in artist-led community transformation. Northern Warehouse Artists’ Cooperative, St. Paul, MN Photo by Marc Nordberg Introduction to Preliminary Feasibility Study The Preliminary Feasibility Study provides preliminary feedback about the feasibility of creating a live/work, multi-use, or other arts facility development. There are six areas of consideration: 1.Project Concept 2. Arts Market 3. Local Leadership 4. Funding and Finance 5. Potential Sites 6. Alignment with Community Goals The study kick-starts the process of creating affordable space for artists. It is the first step Artspace takes on its own development projects. As part of this fact-finding process, the Artspace team meets with artists, city officials, funders, and other stakeholders. They look at potential properties and hold a public meeting to welcome community participation, answer questions, and generate buzz. Who Might Benefit: •City Governments/Civic Organizations •Arts and Cultural Organizations •Downtown Organizations What is Included: •Consulting phone/email time in preparation for the visit, including review of invitation lists, agenda, and potential building/sites, and past studies •Original Artspace materials to assist in preparing and sharing information regarding the visit •Two-day visit to facilitate focus groups, tour potential sites, hear from the local community, and present at a public meeting •Written report summarizing Artspace’s findings and recommended next steps ATTACHMENT 3 What to Expect from a Typical Preliminary Feasibility Visit: Each visit is customized to meet the needs of the community and project. Unique meetings/events suitable to the community’s needs may be substituted. Day 1 •Site Tour o Tour potential sites/buildings o Visit existing creative spaces and arts communities (e.g. studios, creative businesses, and key arts organizations) •Dinner with Core Group Day 2 •Continuation of Site Tour o Explore additional potential sites and creative spaces •Working Lunch: Overview of study with Core Group o Discuss site tour impressions and the six areas of consideration •Artists, Creatives, and Arts Organizations Focus Group o Learn about the creative community’s space needs, market for renting creative space, and economic considerations •Funding and Financing Leadership Focus Group o Learn more about potential funding sources for a project; gauge the interest of local finance and business leaders •Public Meeting o Present to the community about Artspace and the economic and community impact of the arts; build support, and facilitate Q&A Day 3 •Civic Leadership Focus Group o Learn more about broader community goals, current initiatives and local priorities •Working Lunch: Debrief with Core Group Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager FROM: Joyce Manwaring, Parks and Recreation Director DATE: May 20, 2019 SUBJECT: Rental Rates for Non Profit Groups ISSUE: City Council received input during public comment at a previous regular business meeting to consider a nonprofit rental rate for use of the Richards Hart Estate (RHE). The current City rate schedule does not include different rates for private groups versus nonprofit groups or other specific community groups. PRIOR ACTION: The fees for rental rates are recommended annually and adopted as part of the budget approval. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Richards Hart Estate rentals in 2018 - 21 rentals (0 rentals by nonprofit agencies) 2018 RHE Revenue - $22,678 Current Rental Rates: Although there were no identified nonprofits renting the RHE is 2018, that is not always the case. However, as an example, the following financial impacts for discounted rental rates at the Richards Hart Estate would be: Rental Rates for Non Profit Groups May 20, 2019 Page 2 • 25% discount – approximately $270/rental • 50% discount – approximately $540/rental If a lower fee was implemented and the number of overall rentals increased due to the lower fee, the frequency of rentals would potentially balance out any revenue loss. The cost to the City to provide the Richards Hart Estate rental is approximately $50 per hour plus a cleaning fee of $35.00 per event. BACKGROUND: The Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety of rental spaces which include facilities, park shelters and sports fields. Rates for the use of these facilities are based on 1) a market analysis of the rates charged by other agencies, 2) the costs to provide the facility and 3) revenue goals. Costs of providing facilities include items such as utilities, staff building supervision and cleaning costs. Due to the number of groups, frequency of rentals annually and the number of requests received to discount or waive fees; the current policy is that all groups regardless of profit status (for example a club, government agency and/or community organization) are charged the same fees to rent a facility. This policy is in place due to the number of agencies that identify themselves as nonprofit. Fees/rents are charged to user groups because the group is receiving the sole use of a specific area by reservation, therefore excluding public access during that time. RECOMMENDATION: 1) Continue to implement best management practices and maintain the ability to rent and implement fee policy consistently to all groups. 2) Create a rental fee for the Richards Hart Estate to accommodate nonprofit groups. 3) Implement a percentage discount for eligible nonprofit agencies a. 25% discount b. 50% discount 4) Define nonprofit agencies • 501C3 status only, will exclude the majority of groups that claim nonprofit status • Other criteria o Clubs, community organizations, government agencies Rental Rates for Non Profit Groups May 20, 2019 Page 3 ATTACHMENT: 1. Rental brochure with rates 2. List of nonprofit groups renting facilities ATTACHMENT 1 Facility Rentals 2018 – Non-Profit Groups • Avalanche Soccer Club • Jefferson County School District • Wheat Ridge Optimist Club • Wheat Ridge Business Association • Mothers Against Drunk Driving • Jefferson Center for Mental Health • State Department of Education • Colorado PERA • Colorado Division of Criminal Justice • Wheat Ridge Rotary • Trailblazers Lodge 41 • Wheat Ridge Girls Softball • Wheat Ridge High School Swim Team • Senior Men’s Baseball League ATTACHMENT 2