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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Agenda Packet 06-15-20STUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO June 15, 2020 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be conducted as a VIRTUAL MEETING. No members of the Council or City staff will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting; the public may not attend in person. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on June 15, 2020) 2. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone: • Click here to join and provide public comment • Or call +1-669-900-6833 with Access Code 989 9486 1992 3. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view 4. Individuals who, due to technology limitations, are unable to participate in the meeting virtually (via the Zoom platform) or by calling in on the telephone may contact Danitza Sosa, Assistant to the Mayor and City Council, at 303-235-2977 by noon on the day of the meeting. Arrangements will be made for those individuals to access City Hall during the meeting to view the meeting and provide public comment if desired. These comments will be heard and seen in real time by members of Council and City staff. Individuals accessing City Hall must practice social distancing, wear a mask or other facial covering and be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. Contact the Public Information Officer at 303-235-2877 or wrpio@ci.wheatridge.co.us with as much notice as possible if you are interested in participating in a meeting and need inclusion assistance. Citizen Comment on Agenda Items 1. Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Engagement Implementation 2. Staff Report(s) 3. Elected Officials’ Report(s) ADJOURNMENT 1 Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager Kenneth Johnstone, Community Development Director FROM: Jeff Hirt, Senior Neighborhood Planner DATE: June 5, 2020 (for June 15 study session) SUBJECT: Neighborhood Engagement Program Introduction PURPOSE The purpose of this study session agenda item is to: •Provide an update on the council-adopted 2019 Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy(NRS) priority recommendation for focused neighborhood engagement; •Introduce new Community Development Department staff hired to implement theengagement program and provide an update on other NRS hiring recommendations; •Share a proposed framework for the Neighborhood Engagement Program; and •Seek council input on a few key questions under “Council Feedback Requested” below. BACKGROUND In July 2019, City Council adopted an update to the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy. The original 2005 NRS set forth a work plan for the subsequent 10+ years that the city has followed extensively, with examples noted in the 2019 NRS Update. Similarly, the 2019 NRS Update sets forth a work plan for the next 10+ years with two priority recommendations. The first priority recommendation is to spend 1-2 years better understanding what issues and opportunities are most important to residents at the neighborhood level through focused listening and engagement. The second priority recommendation is completion of existing projects and fresh planning efforts on the City’s primary corridors such as Wadsworth Boulevard, 38th Avenue, and 44th Avenue. Attachment 1 provides the framework for implementing a new Neighborhood Engagement Program called Let’s Talk. COUNCIL FEEDBACK REQUESTED City staff is requesting feedback on the proposed Neighborhood Engagement Program framework, and specifically on the following question: 1.The framework identifies criteria that staff will use to determine sequencing ofneighborhoods. Do Councilmembers have any additional thoughts or considerations on how the city sequences neighborhoods for focused listening and engagement? (See the Neighborhoods and Sequence of Engagement section in Attachment 1). Item No. 1 Next Steps City staff will develop an engagement strategy and materials followed by a program launch for the first round of neighborhoods in late summer 2020. City staff will also check in with City Council on this topic periodically and after the first year of the program by which time we are expecting to cover roughly half of the city with focused engagement. See the Schedule section of Attachment 1. ATTACHMENTS 1. Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 2. Community Involvement Strategy ATTACHMENT 1 Program Framework June 2020 In July 2019, City Council adopted an update to the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS). The original 2005 NRS set forth a work plan for the subsequent 10+ years that the city has followed extensively, with examples noted in the 2019 NRS Update. Similarly, the 2019 NRS Update sets forth a work plan for the next 10+ years with two priority recommendations. The first priority recommendation is to spend 1-2 years better understanding what issues and opportunities are most important to residents at the neighborhood level through focused listening and engagement. The second priority recommendation is completion of existing projects and fresh planning efforts on the city’s primary corridors such as Wadsworth Boulevard, 38th Avenue, and 44th Avenue. This document provides the framework for addressing the first priority recommendation through a new Neighborhood Engagement Program. This is a living document that will be updated as the program evolves through the design and implementation phases. Neighborhood Engagement Program Purpose and Guiding Principles The purpose of the Neighborhood Engagement Program is to develop and implement systems by which the city can better identify and respond to neighborhood issues and opportunities on an ongoing basis. The guiding principles below represent the commitments of the program and staff. They reflect the overarching desire to build trust between the city and community members through open, transparent dialogue that remains flexible and adaptable with a focus on listening while demonstrating responsive actions. Guiding Principles 1. Keep an Open Mind 2. Be Flexible and Adaptable 3. Be Action Oriented 4. Communicate Realistic and Clear Options 5. Standardize a Citywide Structure But Customize Engagement by Neighborhood Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 2 of 9 1. Keep an Open Mind The program will provide structure for community conversations that encourages stakeholders to get engaged. Staff will design and facilitate the program with an open mind and will not arrive with preconceived notions of each neighborhood’s issues and opportunities. Example: For the first neighborhood engagement event, draft an initial list of potential neighborhood-specific action items if they are needed as a starting point for community conversations, but allow space with open ended questions for other topics to emerge. 2. Be Flexible and Adaptable The program approach and strategies will stay open and flexible to adhere to the core purpose of maximizing responsiveness to neighborhood issues and opportunities. Example: After one year of neighborhood engagement that covers a significant portion of the city, assess what is working and not working to address the program’s purpose and make adjustments. This could even include changing the sequence of neighborhoods to respond to hot button issues or current events. 3. Be Action Oriented City staff will guide community conversations towards actionable items that the city has the authority to address and implement those priority items that can be advanced concurrently with ongoing program engagement when possible. Examples:  If a common theme is that new development is out of character with the neighborhood, ask questions to hone in on the root of the issue (e.g., height, design, or something else) and to identify if the issue is something that the city has authority to address.  The first neighborhood in the engagement cycle may prioritize an issue that can be addressed through a targeted Zoning Code amendment. As resources allow, implement these kinds of early action items while engagement is occurring in a subsequent neighborhood. 4. Communicate Realistic and Clear Options When framing options with the community, discussion will include the costs, benefits, tradeoffs, and potential unintended consequences to provide a holistic view of the issues for stakeholders. Staff will manage expectations for what is realistic within the city’s resources. Presenting voluminous materials in bureaucratic jargon is ineffective for meaningful engagement, so staff will translate jargon into laypersons terms and translate long wish lists into concise options. Examples: • If a common theme is incompatible massing and scale of multifamily housing in a neighborhood, frame a question more simply by asking “how should the homes in your community look and feel?” Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 3 of 9 • If a common theme is that the neighborhood wants more restaurants and retail, communicate the tradeoff that this likely means the neighborhood needs more households to provide the demand. 5. Standardize a Citywide Engagement Structure But Customize by Neighborhood The program design will create efficiencies through a consistent structure and format for engagement across neighborhoods, and staff will also develop questions and activities unique to each geographic area. Engagement strategies will be matched to the neighborhood’s population to ensure that the process is inclusive, particularly for historically hard-to-engage populations. Engagement strategies will also be calibrated through the lens of the citywide Community Involvement Strategy (see Attachment 2). This document addresses the overarching approach for community engagement across city departments working on various programs and projects. Examples: • Create a neighborhood profile template for display boards at engagement events across neighborhoods and swap out the data, but develop neighborhood- specific questions and potential action item lists. • One neighborhood may have a particularly active Nextdoor page to utilize to get the word out and pose questions on key issues; one neighborhood may be more focused on word of mouth and therefore a targeted strategy to identify neighborhood “champions” is more effective to spread the word. Definitions of Success A successful engagement effort will look different in each neighborhood. In general, the Neighborhood Engagement Program will be successful if: • The city develops a thorough, well documented understanding of the issues and opportunities at the neighborhood level; • Trust is built between city staff and neighborhood stakeholders through demonstration that the city is listening and being responsive; • Neighborhood stakeholders become more empowered to take initiative and work effectively with the city for positive outcomes that respond to neighborhood changes; • All neighborhoods in the city have an opportunity for focused listening and responsive actions from the city within approximately two year cycles; and • The feedback received during neighborhood listening is robust and represents a diversity of opinions in each neighborhood. Schedule This schedule is based on alternating periods of preparation (“Ramp Up”) and active engagement (“Blitz”) over the course of two years. It includes a two-month break after year 1 to allow for a short period of evaluation and potential adjustments before covering the rest of the city in the subsequent year. This is consistent with the 2019 NRS Update recommendation to embark on neighborhood focused listening and engagement for a period of 1-2 years1. It also provides the mechanism to ensure 1 See page 61 of the 2019 NRS Update. Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 4 of 9 the city is evolving the program to best address the core purpose of developing and implementing systems to identify and be responsive to neighborhood issues and opportunities on an ongoing basis. Note that this schedule was established based on the assumption that two full time staff would support the program: a Senior Neighborhood Planner and Engagement Specialist. Both positions were approved in the 2020 budget. The Engagement Specialist has not yet been hired. A top candidate was identified through a recruitment process in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a hiring freeze and the position has not been filled. This schedule may be modified based on staff resources. Neighborhood Engagement Program Year 1 Neighborhoods 1-2 Neighborhoods 3-4 Stop and Assess 2020 2021 Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Ramp Up Engagement Blitz Neighborhoods 1-2 Ramp Up Engagement Blitz Neighborhoods 3-4 Adjustments as needed Neighborhoods and Sequence of Engagement The city does not have registered or formalized neighborhood boundaries, but dividing the city into smaller levels of geography is critical to conducting more focused engagement. The 2019 NRS Update included proposed boundaries for neighborhood-level geographies and used them for extensive data analysis. The boundaries were informed by a mapping exercise that took place at the December 2018 NRS open house. Attendees were asked to “draw the area that best defines your neighborhood” and asked to share the neighborhood’s name; 85 responses were used to create the boundaries and names shown in the map below.2 As acknowledged in the 2019 NRS Update, these boundaries are not intended to be official neighborhood boundaries and will likely be adjusted as the program evolves. The series of maps below show the neighborhood boundaries used in the 2019 NRS Update, the proposed modified approach for the Neighborhood Engagement Program to define these boundaries, and how City Council districts align with these boundaries. (Note that Council Districts may be subject to modifications after 2020 Census results are returned depending on shifts in population.) 2 See page 22 of the 2019 NRS Update. Year 2 Neighborhoods 5-10 Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 5 of 9 2019 NRS Neighborhoods Map 2019 NRS Neighborhoods and City Council Districts Map Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 6 of 9 Modified 2019 NRS Neighborhoods Map The map below is the proposed modified approach for defining smaller geographies for the Neighborhood Engagement Program. The modified approach is based on population and land area distribution, neighborhood boundaries defined on Nextdoor (the city’s most active neighborhood- specific social media platform) and other factors. The changes from the 2019 NRS Neighborhoods Map are highlighted with the darker blue outlines and include the following: 1. Expansion of the Applewood boundary to include Clear Creek Crossing; 2. Expansion of the Bel Aire boundary to include all areas south of Clear Creek; and 3. Breaking East Wheat Ridge into two smaller geographies. Change #1: Extend Applewood to include Clear Creek Crossing Change #2: Extend Bel Aire to include areas south of Clear Creek Change #3: Break East Wheat Ridge into two smaller geographies (a new Southeast Wheat Ridge) Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 7 of 9 Modified 2019 NRS Neighborhoods Map and Council Districts Map Sequence of Neighborhood Engagement The sequencing of neighborhoods for the ramp up and blitz cycles described in the Schedule Section above will be based on several factors, including but not limited to: • The levels of recent or anticipated physical changes in the neighborhood; • The extent of recent or planned city policy or regulatory efforts to address neighborhood issues and/or opportunities; • Stakeholder comments indicating a particular desire or need for engagement sooner than later; and • Equitable distribution of neighborhood engagement across the city and Council Districts. The table below provides neighborhood population estimates and examples of how some of these factors apply to the modified 2019 NRS-identified neighborhoods: NRS 2019 Update Modified Neighborhoods and Sequencing Factors NRS 2019 Modified Neighborhoods Council District 2018 Estimated Population/% of City* Example Sequencing Factors Anderson Park IV 2,555 8% • 44th Avenue Subarea Plan programmed, but delayed • Planned neighborhood engagement around floodplain issues in short term Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 8 of 9 NRS 2019 Modified Neighborhoods Council District 2018 Estimated Population/% of City* Example Sequencing Factors Applewood III 4,495 13% • If engagement boundary extended west to include Clear Creek Crossing, that area is undergoing substantial change • Increasing amount of residential infill • Less focused recent city neighborhood engagement than others Bel Aire II/IV 2,982 9% • Recent stakeholder concerns about incompatible development East Wheat Ridge I/II 6,833 20% • 2019 NRS recommends this area for early engagement with significant physical change occurring • More focused recent city neighborhood engagement than others related to corridors and regulatory changes addressing neighborhood issues Fruitdale IV 2,833 8% • Increasing amount of residential infill • 44th Avenue Subarea Plan programmed, but delayed Leppla Manor/ Hopper Hollow II 2,506 8% • 2019 NRS recommends this area for early engagement with significant physical change occurring Lutheran/Crown Hill III 2,115 6% • Lutheran campus and likely master planning effort, but not for 1+ years North of I-70 IV 1,599 5% • More commercial and industrial areas than residential • Ward Road Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area has seen significant planning and investment • Other development slated for area includes Ward Road ponds, other large undeveloped areas abutting I-70 Rolling Hills/ Paramount Park III 1,587 5% • Increasing amount of residential infill • Less focused recent city neighborhood engagement than others Southeast Wheat Ridge** I 5,884 18% • 2019 NRS recommends this area for early engagement with significant physical change occurring • More focused recent city neighborhood engagement than others related to regulatory changes addressing neighborhood issues *Population data is taken from the 2018 American Community Survey from the Census Bureau. The data is taken from census tracts and block groups that in some cases do not align with the NRS 2019 modified neighborhood boundaries. Adjustments were made to address these inconsistencies but the data is still approximate. ** New neighborhood boundary to break East Wheat Ridge into two smaller geographies from the 2019 NRS Update Attachment 1: Neighborhood Engagement Program Framework 6/15/20 Page 9 of 9 Engagement Strategies and Outcomes from Neighborhood Blitzes Before each Neighborhood Blitz begins, outreach will include a pre-blitz survey to “prime the pump” on engagement, to start identifying discussion topics, and to kick off the marketing and outreach campaign. Each neighborhood will have a unique set of topics and stakeholders. In response to this, each neighborhood will have a specific engagement plan that will include the following types of strategies: • Online engagement activities using the What’s Up Wheat Ridge platform (polls, surveys, open ended questions, etc.); • Informal small group conversations; • Intercept events (program presence for groups that are already meeting, at neighborhood gathering places, at other city events, etc.); • Open houses and town hall style meetings for larger groups; • Strategies for reaching the hard to reach (e.g., Spanish first households, hard of hearing or seeing, renters, seniors, youth, etc.); and • Other engagement opportunities. Following each neighborhood engagement blitz cycle, staff will prepare an action plan or next steps report specific to the applicable neighborhood. Such a report may include a concise list of potential actions the city could take to respond to common themes heard during neighborhood listening. These action plans or reports will be part of staff’s periodic program updates to City Council. COVID-19 Adaptations The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates adaptations to the approach and methods for neighborhood engagement. As policies and regulations for topics like social distancing evolve, the engagement strategies will need to evolve creatively with them. Online engagement through polls, surveys, and open questions will continue to be an important tool for community feedback. Historically, online engagement has been used to supplement in-person experiences, but this may be reversed for a period of time. The pandemic will have the greatest impact on the program’s ability to utilize in person engagement. The space for nuanced conversations will likely be through a combination of virtual meetings, small group in person conversations with proper social distancing, and individual and small group phone conversations. ATTACHMENT 2 City of Wheat Ridge Community Involvement Strategy June 2020 City of Wheat Ridge staff are committed to a culture of meaningful public participation and community involvement. Effective public participation provides decision makers with perspectives and opinions shared by the community and seeks to ensure all voices are heard. The purpose of this Community Involvement Strategy is to provide a framework for city staff across all departments conducting community engagement to ensure active, consistent and balanced public participation in decision making processes. Guiding Principles • Stakeholders affected by an issue or initiative will have the opportunity to participate and have their say. • Stakeholders can have their say in a manner that is convenient for them. This means barriers to participation should be removed to the greatest degree possible by meeting residents where they are; online, at existing gatherings and in places where they move as part of their daily lives, in addition to designated public forums. • Stakeholders have various needs in order to be able to have their say. This means needs such as childcare, interpretation, nontraditional schedules and cultural norms must be considered as factors in the community involvement process. • Stakeholders want to have their say in various ways. Not all residents are comfortable speaking in front of an audience and their opinions and perspectives are valid regardless of how they speak up. Levels of Community Involvement This Community Involvement Strategy acknowledges three levels of participation: 1. Inform/Educate/Celebrate Promise: We will provide the community with balanced, accurate and objective information. We will answer questions and keep the community informed. Inform/Educate when: Contemplating temporary changes in service or facilities, or when the change is unlikely to affect the quality of life of Wheat Ridge stakeholders, when change is occurring as a result of a plan or strategy that has been adopted, to correct misperceptions, or in the case of normal day-to-day business assigned to staff. Tools & Tactics: Communication tools including City’s website, social media, public notices, posters, press releases, announcements, e-newsletters, signage, videos and white papers. Can also include information tables, presentations to groups, engagement webpage for easy sharing of information and public open houses. Example A: The 2020 Census is ongoing and Wheat Ridge is committed to educating and informing residents about the safety of taking the census, the significance of the census and the importance of being counted. The City’s engagement practice could involve presentations in the City of Wheat Ridge Staff Community Involvement Strategy 2 June 2020 community, signage, the dissemination of promotional material, promotion on social media and a page on the engagement site where residents can post questions and receive answers about the census. Example B: Wadsworth is being widened. Wheat Ridge is committed to educating and informing residents about the lane shifts that will be in place, that businesses will be open and how to use the new Continuous Flow Intersections. In addition to the tactics listed above, the City’s engagement practice could involve a question and answer forum on the online engagement site. 2. Consult Promise: The community’s comments and feedback will be considered in the decision making process. Consult when: Input or feedback from the community would be helpful in determining alternatives, when the organization is considering a change in services or there is a need to understand community desires. Tools and Tactics: Online engagement activities including surveys, polls and virtual public hearings, public meetings and open houses, interactive activities where the public can show a preference (i.e. Chips in a bucket, sticker dots on a picture) Example: The City is designing a streetscape and will consult the public on their visual preferences. The City could conduct an open house and host similar activities online to gather feedback on a variety of design options. 3. Involve Promise: To work directly with the community throughout a process to ensure that the public’s concerns, aspirations and desires are understood and considered. Feedback contributes to the outcome. Involve when: The issue affects or has the potential to affect a significant number of residents, has a lasting impact on property, community ownership is necessary, during the development of strategic or comprehensive plans, the initiative creates or significantly changes public amenities, the issue has the potential to significantly alter service levels. Tools and Tactics: Convene a steering committee or task force that includes residents and community members, design charrettes, online engagement activities including forums, Q&A, storytelling. Example: The City is anticipating an update to the 44th Avenue subarea plan in the short term as resources allow. Residents and other stakeholders will be invited to participate in a year long process involving multiple stages and milestones. The public will be invited to participate in a wide range of on-going activities, including small group meetings, open houses, surveys, and scenario planning. In-person meetings will be complimented with online activities for those that choose to participate virtually. City of Wheat Ridge Staff Community Involvement Strategy 3 June 2020 Polices and Guidelines for Notification Currently, the Wheat Ridge Charter and/or Code of Laws specifies public notification and engagement in specific circumstances and within a certain proximity of the location at issue. By way of example, a neighborhood meeting is required prior to 1) a zone change, 2) a special use permit or 3) a concept plan for land over 10 acres in size, the notification of which is mailed to land owners and tenants within 600 feet (Chapter 26). There are several other examples of specific cases in which notice is required to land owners and/or tenants, such as related to public hearings or street width designation. Important to the Community Involvement Strategy is the acknowledgement that engagement efforts will always satisfy those required by the Charter and Code. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) As referenced in the Guiding Principles, providing equitable access for residents to have their say is important. Guidelines must be developed and tailored for projects with significant community involvement based on the affected area’s characteristics and attributes so that decisions around translation, interpretation, facilitation techniques, meeting locations, child care offerings, catering options etc. can be carefully considered. This will involve a deep dive into Wheat Ridge’s demographics and training to understand typical behaviors, cultural norms and barriers. Staffing Structure and Community Involvement Task Force The 2019 Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Update recommends two new positions to conduct focused neighborhood engagement. As community involvement transcends traditional departments and work groups, it is important that staff tasked with engaging on the neighborhood level understand the totality of the issues and initiatives that interest the community. Therefore, the neighborhood planning and engagement staff should lead a city-wide task force that includes members of each department along with the city’s communications staff (the Community Involvement Task Force). Members of the task force will act as liaisons to each department and workgroup. They will bring issues affecting the public to the task force for consideration of a public process. Each public process will be vetted by the task force, and an engagement plan will be developed to be led either by the neighborhood engagement staff or department representative. Communications staff will assist with the development and implementation of a communications strategy. Depending on the issue or initiative needing community involvement, the Community Involvement Task Force will inform the process to: • Define the issue/problem/initiative; • Define the stakeholders; • Define the decision makers; • Determine the appropriate level of community involvement based on the Level of Community Involvement (Inform/Educate, Consult, Involve) and how the involvement will affect the outcome; • Determine the engagement plan, assigning roles and responsibilities to members of the task force; and • Launch the plan. City of Wheat Ridge Staff Community Involvement Strategy 4 June 2020 Training and Educational Resources The International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) is a worldwide resource for training and development in the public engagement space. The three levels of engagement for Wheat Ridge are based on IAP2’s spectrum of public participation as is the online engagement tool, Engagement HQ (i.e., What’s Up Wheat Ridge). As resources allow, the Community Involvement Task Force and others in the organization will benefit from IAP2’s Foundations in Public Participation training where tools, techniques and strategies for engagement are covered in depth. The city is a member of the IAP2 organization which provides access to online resources, webinars and local events. Online Community Engagement The City has selected two online tools for community engagement. Wheat Ridge Speaks is for public hearings. It provides residents the opportunity to review presentations and provide virtual comments on land use cases as if they were in attendance at a Planning Commission or City Council public hearing. Comments are entered into the public hearing record and elected officials must review all comments prior to voting on a land use case. Wheat Ridge Speaks is managed by Community Development staff. It would be possible, at Council’s direction, to expand the use of Wheat Ridge Speaks in the future to allow public comment on all public hearing agenda items. What’s Up? Wheat Ridge is an online community engagement space owned by Bang the Table using the Engagement HQ platform. On this site, residents can contribute to a public process, much as if they were in attendance at a public meeting. Tools include the ability to ask and answer questions, provide input in narrative form, complete a survey, take a poll, drop pins on maps, upload videos and photographs and more. This platform can be utilized for a variety of planning efforts and special projects.