HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-05-23 - Study Session NotesSTUDY SESSION NOTES
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
Hybrid - Virtual Meeting
June 5, 2023
Mayor Starker called the Study Session to order at 6:31 p.m.
This meeting was conducted both as a virtual meeting and hybrid, where some
members of the Council or City staff were physically present at the Municipal building,
and some members of the public attended in person as well. A quorum of members
(eight) of Council were present in Council Chambers for this session.
Mayor Starker welcomed the Council, other elected officials, staff, guests and interested
citizens.
The Mayor also explained the virtual/hybrid meeting format, how citizens will have the
opportunity to be heard, and the procedures and policies to be followed.
Council members present Scott Ohm, Judy Hutchinson, Korey Stites, and Rachel Hultin.
Councilmembers Janeece Hoppe, Amanda Weaver, Valerie Nosler Beck, and Leah
Dozeman excused themselves due to illness, family obligations or both.
Also present: City Clerk, Steve Kirkpatrick, City Manager Patrick Goff; Deputy City
Manager Allison Scheck; Director of Community Development, Lauran Mikulak; Parks
and Recreation Director, Karen A. O’Donnell; Recreation Manager Susan Anderson;
Senior Planner, Stephanie Stevens; Sustainability Coordinator, Mary Hester; Joy Op,
Sustainable Wheat Ridge Committee, and one interested resident.
Public’s Right to Speak
None tonight.
Note about Wheat Ridge Speaks:
Members of the public may visit the Wheat Ridge Speaks website and enter written
comments of up to 1,000 words on any Council agenda item. The deadline for the
public to submit comments is 12:00 Noon Mountain Time on the day of a Council
session so that Council members, other elected officials and City Staff have time to
review the comments before the meeting on Monday evening.
The City Clerk’s Office transcribes those Wheat Ridge Speaks comments into these
minutes, placing each comment along with the record for that agenda item.
No comments appeared in Wheat Ridge Speaks for this session of Council.
1. Sustainable Wheat Ridge Update
Issue
The Sustainable Wheat Ridge (SWR) committee and staff requested to present an
update to Council on current projects, progress made towards the Sustainability Action
Plan, and other sustainability updates in the City. Staff and SWR members will provide
an update to City Council regarding SWR’s recent accomplishments and anticipated
areas of focus throughout 2023.
Staff Reports
Assistant City Manager, Marianne Schilling presented the background on the issue
where since the inception in 2017 by Mayor Joyce Jay and Council the SWR has been
working to implement the Action Plan, educate the public and promote sustainability
opportunities within the community, and continues to advise the City on best practices
and opportunities.
She introduced Sustainability Coordinator, Mary Hester who spoke on items that
included the accomplishments over the past two years:
• Hosting several community events
• Publishing the City’s first Sustainability Newsletter
• Initiated the annual Green Business Award
• Passing of an ordinance to explicitly allow residential composting
• Created an EV charging location strategy
Other Highlights included:
• Garden in A Box - offered through Resource Central
• Sustainable Neighborhoods - Applewood Villages, Fruitdale, Panorama Park,
and Paramount Heights
• Mayor’s Monarch Pledge - offered through the National Wildlife Federation
• Community Events - Fall Yard Waste, Paint Recycling, Electronic Waste
Recycling Events
Ms. Hester also relayed that the Sustainable Wheat Ridge and staff recognize that there
has been substantial progress made on the Action Plan since implementation began in
2018. As of the February 2021 update to Council, 51% of the plan was in progress or
completed, and currently 64% of the plan is now in-motion or already completed, with
32% of the identified goals being fully completed.
The Sustainable Wheat Ridge Committee has identified six focus areas for 2023:
1. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
2. Solar
3. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction.
4. Sustainability Action Plan Update
5. Green Business.
6. Responsible Waste Management.
Councilmembers had questions and comments:
• Several CM and Mayor Starker thanked Staff for their hard work that yielded the
report we heard tonight. The report was well formatted and easy to read yet full
of essential ideas and recommendations.
• CM Hultin, who attends meetings and events sponsored by the program, opined
that it is impossible to overestimate the enthusiasm and commitment to
sustainability among those staff and volunteers working so hard. She also noted
that many, many residents, including relatively new arrivals, have gotten directly
involved as volunteers.
• MPT Stites echoed others’ laudatory comments and expressed his amazement
and high level of satisfaction with progress in sustainability through their efforts.
• CM asked detailed questions about technicalities and how to achieve the City’s
objectives. A lengthy discussion among staff and CM addressed several of these
questions.
• Several questions concerned how to implement specific recommendations,
2. Waterwise landscaping regulations and programs
Issue
The purpose of this study session is to confirm policy direction and gauge Council’s
level of interest related to waterwise landscaping regulations and programs for privately
owned properties. This issue will also discuss the City’s role in supporting and modeling
waterwise practices and the topics are organized into five sections:
1. Background on the City’s water source and waterwise principles
2. A summary of peer community approaches
3. A discussion and policy questions related to waterwise regulations
4. A summary and discussion related to waterwise programs
5. A summary of the current state of Wheat Ridge waterwise modeling
Staff Reports
Senior Planner Stephanie Stevens, Sustainability Coordinator Mary Hester, along with
Landscape Planner Janet Gassman presented on the issue and summarized the water
background where historically, it has been a state-level responsibility to figure out how
to share Colorado River water, but the failure of seven states (Arizona, California,
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) to reach an agreement on water
reductions could place the responsibility on the federal government.
Years of continuous drought coupled with local area growth and development have
raised awareness and concerns about the availability and use of water in Colorado and
particularly the Front Range. Water levels of the Colorado River and its two reservoirs,
Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have reached record lows in recent years, triggering a
series of water shortage declarations by the Department of Interior.
The following topics were also touched on in an overview:
• Water Source & Cycle
• Waterwise Landscaping and Xeriscaping
• Peer Communities Overview
• Regulatory Strategies
• Code Analysis
• Irrigation – Turf, Artificial Turf, Irrigated and non-functional turf, Landscape
specifications, Low-density residential requirements, etc.
• Programmatic Strategies
• Modeling Strategies
Finalizing in the next steps, staff is seeking to understand Council’s level of interest
related to waterwise landscaping and to confirm whether Council agrees with staff’s
regulatory, programmatic and modeling approaches.
Councilmembers asked detailed questions about several topics, engaging in discussion
among themselves and with staff including:
• Several CM expressed their support for the staff recommendations.
• CM Ohm opined on several issues related to water conservation and the staff’s
recommendation. He expressed concerns about installing too many artificial turf
areas because they impact the entire landscaping plan.
• CM also discussed existing irrigation requirements, nearby municipalities
policies, and regulations related to using well water for watering landscaping.
The Mayor proposed a consensus to direct staff to bring to Council draft code
changes and regulations aligned with staff’s recommendations and consistent with CM
comments and feedback on those recommendations.
Consensus attained.
3. Metropolitan Football Stadium District funding for youth activity programs
Issue
The City of Wheat Ridge received $523,551 from the sale of the Denver Broncos
Football Club. The funds must be used for “youth activity programs” within the Wheat
Ridge community. Staff presented a variety of options to youth community members
and requested feedback regarding their preferences. Based on youth feedback, staff will
present recommendations for use of these funds.
Staff Reports
Parks and Recreation Director, Karen A. O’Donnell reported on the item where the City
received notice from the Metropolitan Football Stadium District (MFSD), stating that the
sale of the Denver Broncos Football Club triggered components of both the original
legislation which created the MFSD and the lease and management agreement which
ties the franchise to the taxpayer owned facility, Empower Field at Mile High, and
subsequently to the counties, cities, and towns within a 7-county metro Denver
boundary.
The $4.65 billion sale of the Broncos franchise resulted in a “sharing amount” of just
over $41 million. The MFSD Board elected to distribute these funds proportionately to
the counties, cities, and towns in which the stadium tax was collected. The City of
Wheat Ridge’s proportionate percentage of tax revenue was 1.275774% or $523,551.
Recreation Manager Susan Anderson described the first option as a large, nature-
themed playground designed by GameTime. If selected, this piece totaling $384,663,
will be installed at Anderson Park next to the nature play area.
Ms. Anderson then described other options to replace the existing aging playground at
Anderson Park, along with proposed items for the Green on 38th, the Recreation center
and also one for Anderson park. These projects range from $110,000 to $120,000.
Councilmembers had questions and comments:
• CM asked detailed questions about several topics, engaging in discussion
among themselves and with staff, who answered their questions in detail.
• CM thanked staff for their hard work on this issue, and strongly supported
involving Wheat Ridge children in the process of planning how to spend these
funds.
• CM asked several questions about the process for receiving, allocating and
spending the windfall from the sale of the Broncos. Another question focused on
the timeline for beginning to install and then use these new play areas.
Mayor Starker asked for a consensus to move forward.
Consensus attained.
4. Staff Report(s)
Mr. Goff announced
Elected Officials’ Report(s)
City Clerk Kirkpatrick reported on the latest developments regarding the protestors’
appeal of Judge Basso’s order supporting the Clerk’s Office determination that the
petition submitted to refer Ord 1744 regarding ADU in Wheat Ridge. He also revealed
plans to make for more complete presentation to Council at an upcoming meeting.
CM Hutchinson noted a report in the Denver Post that a sports activity business
focusing on pickleball courts and other indoor sports, with food, drinks and seating
areas.
CM Hultin and CM Ohm held a District II meeting in the cold rain last Saturday. She
also visited the Happiness Gardens and was delighted to see all of the activities and
new plantings. She urged people who have not recently visited the Gardens to visit it
soon. Gov. Polis signed a new law allowing more aggressive enforcement of speeding
on our roadways.
MPT Stites attended the Golds Marketplace event last Saturday and it was a great
success.
CM Ohm asked about planned openings of new businesses at Golds Marketplace. Mr.
Goff gave a detailed answer. He also reported on several instances when other drivers
passed him clearly exceeding the posted speed limit. He asked whether the mobile
speed limit signs record data on the speed of passing vehicles so we could analyze the
information. Mr. Goff replied to the questions and reported on new devices WR PD is
using in high-traffic areas where there are also high complaint rates about speeding
cars.
Mayor Starker thanked the staff and volunteers who came this evening to discuss three
different matters. Coffee with the Mayor at Vignola’s this Saturday at 9 am.
ADJOURNMENT
The Study Session adjourned at 8:56 pm.
APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON July 24, 2023.
_________________________________
Steve Kirkpatrick, City Clerk
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Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem