HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-25-2024 - City Council Meeting AgendaAGENDA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO November 25, 2024
6:30 pm
This meeting will be conducted as a virtual meeting, and in person, at
7500 West 29th Avenue, Municipal Building City Council members and City staff members will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Attend the meeting in person at City Hall. Use the appropriate roster to sign up to speak upon arrival. 2. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on
November 25, 2024) 3. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone:
• Click here to pre-register and provide public comment by Zoom (You must
preregister before 6:00 p.m. on November 25, 2024)
4. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view
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.
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
City Council Meeting Minutes, October 28, 2024
Special Study Session Notes, October 28, 2024
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIES
Proclamation – Small Business Saturday
PUBLICS’ RIGHT TO SPEAK
a. Public may speak on any matter not on the agenda for a maximum of 3 minutes under Publics’ Right to Speak. Please speak up to be heard when directed by
the Mayor.
b. Members of the Public who wish to speak on a Public Hearing item or Decision, Resolution, or Motion may speak when directed by the Mayor at the conclusion of the staff report for that specific agenda item. c. Members of the Public may comment on any agenda item in writing by noon on the day of the meeting at www.WheatRidgeSpeaks.org. Comments made on
Wheat Ridge Speaks are considered part of the public record.
CONSENT AGENDA
NONE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING
1. Resolution No. 48-2024 – a resolution adopting the City budget and appropriating sums of money to the various funds and spending agencies for the City of Wheat Ridge,
Colorado for the 2025 budget year, establishing the 2J Next Chapter Bond fund in 2024 and other budget amendments ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING
2. Council Bill No. 23-2024 – an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Wheat Ridge
Code of Laws concerning work in the public right-of-way and licensing of municipal contractors
3. Council Bill No. 24-2024 – an ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning the registration and licensing of building contractors
4. Council Bill No. 25-2024 – an ordinance approving the sale of city-owned real property
at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Johnson Street and, in connection therewith, authorizing execution of a Purchase and Sale Agreement
DECISIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MOTIONS
5. Resolution No. 49-2024 – a resolution levying general property taxes for the year 2024, to help defray the costs of government for the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado for the 2025 budget year
6. Resolution No. 50-2024 – a resolution amending the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master
Plan
7. Motion to approve the contract with OpenGov for the financial system in the amount of $424,070
CITY MANAGER’S MATTERS
CITY ATTORNEY’S MATTERS
ELECTED OFFICIALS’ MATTERS
City Council Meeting Minutes
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 WEST 29TH AVENUE, MUNICIPAL BUILDING OCTOBER 28, 2024
Note: 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. Before calling the meeting to order, Mayor Starker stated the rules and procedures necessitated by this meeting format. 1. Call to Order Mayor Starker called the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Those present stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
3. Roll Call Council Members present: Jenny Snell, Scott Ohm, Rachel Hultin (via zoom), Amanda Weaver, Korey Stites and Dan Larson (arrived at 6:41 pm via zoom).
Absent: Janeece Hoppe and Leah Dozeman A quorum was established. Also present: City Manager Patrick Goff; Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck; City
Attorney Gerald Dahl, Police Chief Chris Murtha, Director of Public Works Maria D’Andrea; and other staff, guests and interested members of the public. 4. Approval of Minutes Study Session Notes, October 7, 2024
City Council Meeting Minutes, October 14, 2024 Special Study Session Notes, October 14, 2024 Study Session Notes, October 21, 2024 Without objection or correction, the minutes were approved as presented. 5. Approval of Agenda Without objection or correction, the agenda stood as announced. PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIES 6. National Native American Heritage Month
Mayor Starker read a Proclamation recognizing November 2024 as National Native
American Heritage Month and presented the Proclamation to Ms. Navarro who spoke
about the strife of the Native American people and thanked the City of Wheat Ridge for
their continued support.
7. National Veterans and Military Families Month
Mayor Starker read a Proclamation proclaiming November 2024 as National Veterans
and Military Families’ Month and presented the Proclamation to Commander Weimer of
the Wheat Ridge Police Department. Commander Weimer thanked the Mayor and
Council and stated it was an honor to serve in the armed forces and the Wheat Ridge
Police Department.
8. Public’s Right to Speak
Wheat Ridge Speaks
Kelly Blynn - 4175 Brentwood Street Wheat Ridge, 80033
Comment: I support this effort -- automated traffic enforcement has been found to
reduce speeds, crashes, and other unsafe driving behaviors, in a way that dramatically
reduces racial bias in traffic stops. These code changes can help the city improve traffic
safety, reduce speeding, and ultimately reduce injuries and fatalities.
In Person – Brett Paglieri, candidate for RTD Board of Directors, District M, introduced
himself.
Via Zoom – None.
9. CONSENT AGENDA
Council Member Weaver read all items in the Consent Agenda into the Record.
a. Motion to award the Youngfield bridge scour repair project to West Fork Construction, LLC of Colorado Springs, Colorado and approve subsequent payments in the amount of $149,725 with a contingency amount of $14,975 for a total not to exceed the amount of $164,700
Issue The base of the piers for the Youngfield bridge over Clear Creek have been exposed due to erosion from high water flows. This project will remove some material and then add large boulders to protect the area around the base of the piers from future erosion.
Five bids were received and opened on September 25, 2024. Staff recommends the lowest responsive bidder, West Fork Construction, LLC of Colorado Springs, Colorado be awarded the contract in the amount of $149,725, plus a contingency of $14,975, for a total project cost of $164,700.
b. Motion to approve a contract amendment with A-1 Chipseal Company for the 2024 asphalt crack seal project in the amount of $87,242 with a contingency amount of $6,725 for a total not to exceed the amount of $93,967. Issue
The City periodically performs asphalt crack sealing as part of the annual preventive
maintenance program to help maintain pavement condition and prevent more costly
pavement repairs. Zone 1 of the city’s six maintenance zones was inspected by city staff. Various street segments with significant cracking were identified for inclusion in the proposed contract to receive a crack sealing treatment. The 2022 contract with A-1
Chipseal Company is being amended per the terms of the contract for the 2024 crack
sealing project. The contract amendment also includes work to be performed in the City of Edgewater. Wheat Ridge will be reimbursed for all work performed within Edgewater.
c. Motion to approve a contract with and subsequent payments to Sunland Asphalt & Construction Inc., for construction of the Hayward Park walking trail project in the amount of $238,259 with a contingency of $16,678 for a total not to exceed amount of $254,937
Issue The Hayward Park walking trail has deteriorated over time, creating an uneven surface with large cracks, resulting in safety concerns for trail users. The City received grant funding from the Jefferson County Open Space Trails Partnership Program to fund a portion of this trail replacement project. Approval of this contract will allow the City to
complete this important work. Council Member Snell made a motion to adopt the Consent Agenda as read into the Record. It was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Stites.
Vote: All Ayes. No Nays. The motion carried. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING 10. Council Bill No. 21-2024 - an ordinance amending relevant sections of the Wheat
Ridge Code of Laws concerning the City’s general business license requirements Mayor Pro Tem Stites read the Bill and Issue Statement into the Record. Issue
This ordinance makes several amendments to the City’s Business Licensing Code. These changes are designed to ensure compliance with state legislation, transition to bi-annual business license renewals, introduce an inspection fee, and consolidate certain special licenses with regular business licenses.
Cole Haselip, Management Analyst, explained the proposed amendments, the proposed amended fee schedule, and compliance. He explained the cost to the City if license renewal time periods were different for different licensees. Council Comments
Council Member Weaver received clarification on renewal dates from Haselip.
Mayor Pro Tem Stites made a motion to approve Council Bill No. 21-2024, an ordinance amending relevant sections of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning the City’s general business license requirements, on second reading, order it published, and that
it takes effect fifteen (15) days after final publications as provided by Section 5.11 of the
Charter. It was seconded by Council Member Ohm. Vote: All Ayes. No Nays. The motion carried.
11. Council Bill No. 22-2024 - an ordinance adopting a new Article VI in Chapter 13 of
the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning Automated Vehicle Identification Systems City Manager Patrick Goff introduced the topic and stated that the presentation would cover both the ordinance and the contract, which was also on the Agenda.
Issue Traffic issues, primarily excessive speeds and red-light violations are a continual complaint from the public. Residents contact various departments, primarily the police department, to request speed and other traffic enforcement on their streets to address
the increased hazards these violations tend to create. Wheat Ridge is a smaller community impacted by major roadways and highways often used by community members and non-community members alike. This volume of traffic makes it difficult for an agency, sized to serve the community of residents and businesses, to adequately meet the demands of traffic control and safety. The use of technology in law
enforcement continues to be one of the more impactful changes to modern day policing. One of those innovative technologies that is expanding nationwide is the use of Automated Vehicle Identification Systems (AVIS). Staff is requesting City Council to adopt a new Article VI in Chapter 13 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws to allow for the use of AVIS in Wheat Ridge to address these traffic concerns.
Chief Christopher Murtha spoke briefly on the subject and turned the presentation over to Division Chief Eric Kellogg, who gave a PowerPoint presentation which included explaining the research completed by the Police Department, the contract provisions, the assistance with traffic enforcement, the use of police discretion, the equipment itself,
and speed limits wherein ticketing is done. Council Comments Councill Member Weaver – asked about how tickets would be written into the courts if
the speed is above the 25 mph over the limit. Division Chief Kellogg explained that
upon review, the officers may issue a ticket for careless or potentially reckless driving, depending upon the infraction. Weaver then asked about payment for tickets. Kellogg explained that tickets can be paid for by credit card or check and only the service fee of $12 would be charged for credit card use, not a percentage of the fee.
Council Member Larson – asked if someone pays a ticket, if they automatically have points taken off their license. Kellogg stated that does not happen. Larson then asked
about distance requirements for the equipment surrounding intersections. Kellogg stated there are specific distance requirements which will need to be followed.
Council Member Snell – asked if the equipment would remain stationary or moved from
one place to another. Kellogg explained that there will be one that will be semi-permanent; trailers which can be easily moved; and a hand-held unit. The contractor would be moving the equipment as requested by the Department.
Council Member Hultin – asked about the system to follow up on people going 25 mph
over the speed limit. She asked about the warning ticket vs. a violation. Kellogg explained that there is discretion built-in with the Department to write a ticket for aggressive speeding, as every ticket is reviewed by staff. Hultin expressed concern about not ticketing someone until they had gone over the speed limit by at least 10 mph.
She asked to strike paragraph A2 in Section 13-92 to delete the language for less than
ten mph. Council Member Ohm – spoke to the 10 mph over the limit issue stating that it could prove to be very dangerous in a 25-mph zone. Kellogg explained that the officers will
retain their discretion regarding whether the driver will receive more than a warning. In
answer to another question, Kellogg stated that the system will not ticket left turn violators on 38th/Kipling and Director of Public Works Maria D’Andrea stated that they work closely with the Police Department regarding the signals at those intersections.
Mayor Starker – asked if the system would help with stolen vehicles. Kellogg stated that if they are seeing stolen vehicles pass through, the officers will address the issue and have the skills to hopefully find those vehicles. Council Member Snell made a motion to adopt a new Article VI Chapter 13 of the Wheat
Ridge Code of Laws concerning Automated Vehicle Identification Systems, second reading, order it published, and that it takes effect fifteen (15) days after final publication, as provided by Section 5.11 of the Charter. It was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Stites.
Council Member Hultin – stated that while she is concerned about the 10 mph over the speed limit being an issue; after hearing the presentation, she withdrew her question regarding amending the ordinance. Council Member Snell – stated that since has been on Council, speeding is the number
one complaint she receives from her constituents. She thanked the Police Department for the presentation and their work on making the community safer and better. Vote: All Ayes. No Nays. The motion carried.
ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING None
DECISIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MOTIONS 12. Motion to approve a Service Agreement between the City of Wheat Ridge and Altumint Incorporated, to provide automated vehicle identification services
Issue The use of technology in law enforcement continues to be one of the more impactful changes to modern day policing. One of those innovative technologies that is expanding nationwide is the use of automation within traffic enforcement. Wheat Ridge is a smaller community impacted by major roadways and highways often used to transit the city of
Wheat Ridge by community members and non-community members alike. This volume of traffic makes it difficult for an agency, sized to serve the community of residents and businesses, to adequately meet the demands of traffic control and safety. The use of Automated Vehicle Identification Systems (AVIS) to promote traffic safety, greater accountability, and more responsiveness to community concerns would fill a necessary
void. To leverage the current AVIS technology the Wheat Ridge Police Department researched the use and implementation of AVIS technology. During the research the Wheat Ridge Police Department met with Altumint, Incorporated, a leader in the provision of AVIS technology since 2005 with a proven track record. We believe Altumint best serves the needs of the Wheat Ridge Police Department.
Council Member Ohm made a motion to approve the Service Agreement between the City of Wheat Ridge and Altumint Incorporated, to provide automated vehicle identification services. It was seconded by Council Member Weaver.
Council Comments
Council Member Ohm and Mayor Pro Tem Stites thanked Division Chief Kellogg for his research into the subject, stating it was phenomenal. Vote: All Ayes. No Nays. The motion carried.
13. City Manager’s Matters City Manager Patrick Goff summarized the bond closing; $34.845 million which netted $33.345 in project funds. The net effective rate of 3.96% interest.
14. City Attorney’s Matters
City Attorney Jerry Dahl summarized the closing on The Green and spoke about the negotiations with Open Space.
15. Elected Officials’ Matters Mayor and Council reported on open houses, award ceremonies, shared parking at businesses, and events they participated in the last week.
16. Adjournment There being no further business to come before City Council, Mayor Starker adjourned the meeting at 8:20 pm and stated a Study Session would follow.
_________________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
_________________________________
Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem
SPECIAL STUDY SESSION NOTES CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO (Hybrid - Virtual Meeting)
OCTOBER 28, 2024
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 of
Council were present in Council Chambers for this session.
The Mayor explained the virtual/hybrid meeting format, how citizens will have the opportunity to be heard, and the procedures and policies to be followed.
1. Call to Order
Mayor Starker called the Special Study Session to order at 8:28 p.m.
2. Attendance
Council Members present: Jenny Snell, Rachel Hultin (via Zoom), Amanda Weaver,
Korey Stites, Dan Larson (via Zoom), and Scott Ohm.
Absent: Leah Dozeman and Janeece Hoppe.
Also present: City Manager Patrick Goff, Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck, Police
Chief Chris Murtha, Director of Public Works Maria D’Andrea, Public Works Operations
Supervisor Mike Ivancich, and Senior Deputy City Clerk Margy Greer.
3. Public’s Right to Speak
Wheat Ridge Speaks
Kelly Blynn - 4175 Brentwood Street Wheat Ridge, 80033
Comment: Thank you for taking up this issue. The ATATs have been focused on
improving snow removal on sidewalks and in bike lanes for the past several years, and
it's disappointing to not see a more proactive approach outlined to ensuring clear
sidewalks at least on our major corridors and at transit stops. We thought there was a
study session last winter in which it sounded like there would be a more proactive
approach where the city would clear certain stretches of commercial corridors, as well
as do more code enforcement -- we really hope Council will direct staff to focus on this.
In the past few winters, there have been times where sidewalks on our major corridors
like 44th, 38th, etc. have been impassable for days and even weeks, making it
impossible to access RTD bus stops and other key destinations. We have seen people
operating motorized wheelchairs in the streets and otherwise resorting to very
dangerous options as a last resort. We really hope the city will see this as a very basic
equity and safety issue and prioritize ensuring snow and ice is cleared (whether the city
does it or enforces the code) on our major arterials and especially to access bus stops
and other key destinations. We understand the city does have at least one ATV with a
snowplow that can clear sidewalks and hope this can be used more extensively. Thank
you for your consideration.
4. City Snow and Ice Control Program Overview
City Manager Patrick Goff introduced this item and turned it over to Public Works
Director Maria D’Andrea for the presentation.
Issue
This is an overview of the city’s response to snow events including priorities, storm classifications, public communication, and the city’s available resources for addressing this critical function.
Public Works Director Maria D’Andrea and Public Works Operation Supervisor Mike Ivancich jointly gave a PowerPoint presentation showing the snowplow route maps, priority street designations, and storm classifications. They spoke to the personnel, equipment and materials used. They spoke about the plowing agreement with
neighboring jurisdictions, the public communication and education regarding sidewalk clearing and coordination with the Police Department’s Community Services Division. Council Comments
Council Member Hultin – stated that Wheat Ridge does an exceptional job of clearing the streets. She asked about trail clearing. D’Andrea stated that the Parks Department is responsible for snow removal on the trails. Council Member Larson – recognize Public Works for their performance over the last
four years. He asked about a certain road that gets plowed in sections because it runs through Arvada. Ivancich explained that the City of Wheat Ridge will be plowing the Arvada portion this winter, as needed. Council Member Ohm – thanked staff and asked about the sidewalk plowing on 38th
which is problematic. D’Andrea stated that they do try to stay away from the curb and use a little of the street lanes; however, when it’s wet, even moving slowly, there is splashing. She stated that they work hard, but sometimes there is no place for the snow to go.
5. Wadsworth Improvement Project Construction Update City Manager Patrick Goff introduced the item and turned it over to Public Works Director Maria D’Andrea for a presentation.
Issue The Wadsworth Improvement Project remains on schedule, with completion expected by spring of 2026 and active construction finishing by late 2025. Additional work was added, such as permanent improvements at the 38th Avenue intersection and
extending the work to the original southern limits at 35th Avenue. This was announced in the fall of 2023 and will ensure long-term cost savings and benefits. Today, over 75% of the project is complete, including all northbound traffic lanes on concrete pavement.
Completion of the concrete paving for the southbound lanes, may finish ahead of
schedule. In addition, the following items are or are nearly complete: Underground private utilities (Xcel, Century Link, etc.) relocated All wet utilities (storm water, water, and sanitary sewer) • Eastbound and westbound dual turn lanes at 44th Avenue • Sidewalk (west side of street) and bike/ped trail (east side) The purpose of this item is to
provide the City Council with a brief update on project status and remaining steps to
reach completion. No action is requested. Maria D’Andrea, Public Works Director, gave a PowerPoint presentation and an update on the project. She stated the project is 75% complete. She spoke to the addition of
Phase II which included lanes to 35th Avenue. She reported that all concrete pavement is generally complete; final completion is still Spring of 2026. She stated the majority of the pavement is done and there are only a few remnants left to be paved. In the Spring, artwork will be on top of the wall, medians will be completed, installation of permanent traffic signals will take place, irrigation and landscaping, and the municipal intersections
will be complete. D’Andrea gave an update on the concrete contract and moving funds from one year to another to allow for paving.and completing construction. Council Comments
Council Member Ohm asked if park staff would eventually take care of the plantings in
the median. D’Andrea said yes. He also asked about the ability to have another crosswalk north of 44th Avenue. D’Andrea stated it was something she would talk to CDOT about, as it would be their responsibility.
Council Member Ohm and Larson asked when the batch plant would be removed. D’Andrea stated it would be after the first of the year. However, the area may still be used to store a few materials until all the work is complete. Council Member Larson asked about any possible historical findings. D’Andrea stated
that there was an old building that looked like it was imploded at some point, but there was nothing of historical value. She stated that they did have to bring out a geologist to review the old building to ensure there was nothing of historical value. She stated that did have to mitigate some asbestos found on the site. There were also old pipes and debris under Wadsworth which had to be mitigated. She spoke specifically to obtaining
reimbursement from the Wheat Ridge Water and Sanitation District regarding some upgrades to their underground facilities. Council Member Hultin – asked about the sequencing of adding another pedestrian crossing regarding CDOT, as she stated people will try to cross at that location and it is
very dangerous. D’Andrea stated there is an issue with space on the median and how to handle that issue. She stated once data is collected regarding pedestrian traffic, staff will take it to CDOT for their consideration.
Council Member Hultin – recommended moving forward with requesting a Region One Traffic Engineer study the access and move forward with an evaluation for a crosswalk
north of 44th Avenue. 6. Staff Report(s)
None.
7. Elected Officials’ Report(s)
None.
8. Adjournment
With no further business to come before Council, Mayor Starker adjourned the Study
Session at 9:20 p.m.
_________________________________
Margy Greer, Senior Deputy City Clerk
_________________________________
Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem
PROCLAMATION SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2024
WHEREAS, Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country. Founded and backed by American Express, this day is celebrated each year on the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday; and WHEREAS, according to the United States Small Business Administration, there are
34.7 million small businesses in the United States, small businesses represent 99.7% of firms with paid employees, small businesses are responsible for 61.1% of the net new jobs created since 1995, and small businesses employ 45.9% of the employees in the private sector in the
United States; and WHEREAS, 59% of U.S. consumers aware of Small Business Saturday shopped or ate
at a small, independently owned retailer or restaurant on Small Business Saturday 2023; and WHEREAS, $0.68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community and every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional $0.48 in local business activity because of employees and local businesses purchasing local goods and
services; and WHEREAS, advocacy groups, as well as public and private organizations, across the country have endorsed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday; and WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado supports our local small businesses that
create jobs, boost our local economy, and preserve our communities. NOW THEREFORE, I, Bud Starker, Mayor of the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado do
hereby proclaim, November 30, 2024, as: SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY Encouraging residents of our community, and communities across the country, to support small businesses and merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. IN WITNESS THEREOF on this 25th day of November 2024.
__________________________ Bud Starker, Mayor
________________________ Steve Kirkpatrick, City Clerk
ITEM NO: 1
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: RESOLUTION NO. 48-2024 - A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING SUMS OF MONEY TO THE VARIOUS FUNDS AND SPENDING AGENCIES FOR THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE,
COLORADO FOR THE 2025 BUDGET YEAR,
ESTABLISHING THE 2J NEXT CHAPTER BOND FUND IN
2024 AND OTHER BUDGET AMENDMENTS PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING RESOLUTIONS QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO
___________________________________ ______________________________ Deputy City Manager City Manager ISSUE: Sections 10.7 and 10.9 of the Wheat Ridge City Charter require that a public hearing on the
proposed budget be conducted before its final adoption and that the budget be adopted by resolution on or before the final day (December 15, 2024) established by state statute for the certification of the next year’s tax levy to the county. The proposed 2025 budget includes the following:
• A General Fund budget in the amount of $48,765,853
• An unrestricted fund balance of $8,312,000 or 17% of expenditures plus 3% emergency reserves ($1,462,976)
• Proposed CIP Fund in the amount of $12,443,000
• Proposed Renewal Wheat Ridge Bonds Project Fund in the amount of $13,560,000
• Proposed 2J Fund in the total amount of $12,829,361
• Special Revenue Funds in the amount of $8,027,596
• Proposed budget (all funds) in the amount of $95,625,810
Council Action Form – Adopting the 2025 City Budget November 25, 2024
Page 2
Additionally, this resolution establishes the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund and authorizes spending in 2024; authorizes the General Fund portion of short-term rental lodgers’ tax to remain in the
General Fund to be used for general operating expenditures in 2024 and 2025; and reduces the
Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Fund 2024 budget so that the budgeted ending fund balance is $0.00. PRIOR ACTION:
• July 1, 2024 – the 2025 City Budget Process page launched on WhatsUpWheatRidge.com.
• July 15, 2024 – the Community Partners Grant Program Committee, Carnation Festival, Wheat Ridge Business District and Localworks presented their 2025 budget requests and recommendations to Council for consideration
• October 11, 2024 – the 2025 Proposed Budget was posted online at ci.wheatridge.co.us and
WhatsUpWheatridge.com for the public’s review, and the budget was distributed to City
Council. One copy is available in the City Clerk’s Office for public review
• October 21, 2024 – the Proposed 2025 budget was presented to City Council FINANCIAL IMPACT:
A total budget of $95,625,810 (all funds) is proposed. BACKGROUND: At the October 21, 2024, Study Session, City Council provided staff with consensus to bring the proposed budget forward to public hearing and adoption with no changes.
The 2025 proposed budget message, found on page 11-21 of the budget book, is included below: The past five years have been a time of transformation for the City of Wheat Ridge. City Council has been a catalyst for several large and significant initiatives, demonstrated support for regional
activities and supported staff on many key recommendations to strengthen the community and
improve the quality of life of those who live, work and play in Wheat Ridge. Some of the key initiatives advanced in the last five years include: Let’s Talk, homelessness response, environmental sustainability, improved service delivery, specialty licensing programs, community engagement, affordable housing, long-term planning efforts, internal systems transformation, public safety, cyber
security and competitive employee wages and benefits.
Implementing these new programs and initiatives has required substantial increases in capacity to
provide the necessary staffing and other resources to be successful. We have been putting
resources to work for the community, and we should be proud of these accomplishments.
However, this has also resulted in increased General Fund expenditures which have depleted
reserves closer to Council’s 17% minimum fund balance. The 2025 Proposed Budget reflects a
conservative optimism for the future and will continue to provide a base level of programs and
services while focusing on rebuilding reserves.
Council Action Form – Adopting the 2025 City Budget November 25, 2024
Page 3
In this next chapter the City will continue to invest in equitable infrastructure and community
amenity improvements across the City using funding from the 2E, 2J and Urban Renewal
Authority Bond Funds. Over $38 million will be invested in streets, sidewalks, drainage and
park projects. Completion of the Clear Creek Crossing Development, the Green at 38th and
initiation of the Lutheran Legacy Campus development will also be primary focus areas for the
City in 2025.
The City will continue to focus on engaging with residents in 2025 to ensure that our local
government is responsive to current needs and forward thinking in planning for future priorities.
The various planning efforts of the Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge program will wrap up in 2025 which
will shape the future of Wheat Ridge for decades to come and will inform budget decisions in
2026 and beyond.
WHEAT RIDGE 2035 VISION TOPICS The Mayor, City Council, and staff work together periodically to develop and update a strategic plan that includes a vision, goals, and priorities. Staff used the vision topics and strategic priorities to guide the development of and prioritize projects for the 2025 Budget. Vision Topics: 1. Wheat Ridge is an attractive and inviting City 2. Wheat Ridge is a community for families 3. Wheat Ridge has great neighborhoods 4. Wheat Ridge has a choice of economically viable commercial areas
5. Wheat Ridge has diverse transportation 6. Wheat Ridge is committed to environmental stewardship 7. Wheat Ridge residents enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle 8. Wheat Ridge residents are proud of their hometown OVERALL SUMMARY The total 2025 Proposed Budget, including the General Fund, two capital funds, seven special revenue funds, and the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund, is $95,625,810. The Budget is based on projected revenues of $79,939,938. The beginning fund balance for 2025 is projected at $59,084,518 which brings the total available funds to $139,024,456. This will provide for a
projected ending fund balance of $43,398,646.
General Fund $48,765,853
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Fund $12,443,000
RWR Bond Projects Fund $13,560,000
2J Next Chapter Bond Fund $12,829,361
Special Revenue Funds $8,027,596
Total $95,625,810
Council Action Form – Adopting the 2025 City Budget November 25, 2024
Page 4
General Fund General Fund revenue is projected at $47,147,240, which is a 2.9% increase compared to 2024
year-end estimated revenues and almost flat ($8,700 less) compared to the 2024 budgeted
revenues. 2024 revenues are less than the original projections primarily due to the delay of some building development projects that were originally included in projections. The slight increase in 2025 projected revenue is from sales and use taxes. In addition, the beginning fund balance for 2025 is projected at $13,194,325, which brings the total available funds for the General Fund to
$60,341,565.
General Fund expenditures total $48,765,853. General Fund expenditures represent a 5% decrease compared to the adjusted 2024 Budget. The ending fund balance for the General Fund is projected at $11,575,712, of which, $8,312,000 (17% of operating expenditures) is considered
unrestricted. The City's financial policies require that the City maintain a minimum unrestricted
fund balance of at least two months or approximately 17% of its General Fund operating expenditures, as recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association. In addition, TABOR requires that the City maintain a 3% emergency reserve which brings the total projected City reserves in 2025 to 20% of operating expenditures.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Fund CIP Fund revenue is projected at $7,297,500 which is a 67% decrease compared to 2024 estimated revenue. This significant decrease is due to the timing of when grant revenue is received for the Improve Wadsworth project, and large transfers from both the General Fund and
the 2E Bond Fund to the CIP Fund in 2024. In addition, the beginning fund balance for 2025 is
projected at $7,062,776, which brings the total available funds for the CIP Fund to $14,360,276. CIP expenditures total $12,443,000, which is a 49% decrease compared to the adjusted 2024 Budget. The large decrease is primarily due to the timing of the Improve Wadsworth project, a reduction of other CIP projects in 2025 in order to fully fund the Improve Wadsworth project,
and the transfer of numerous CIP projects to the 2J Bond Fund. This will provide for a projected
ending fund balance of $1,917,276. The 2025 Proposed CIP Budget includes the following projects: • $10.7 million for the Improve Wadsworth project • $1.528 million for design of a shared use path on the west side of Wadsworth from 32nd to 35th
• $150,000 for the City's Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP)
Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Projects Fund Renewal Wheat Ridge (RWR) issued bonds in November 2021 in the net amount of $37.5 million for public improvements within the I-70/Kipling Corridors Urban Renewal Plan Area. This Budget includes a fund for the City's project expenditures associated with the bonds. Funds
will be transferred into the Fund from RWR as contracts are awarded. Please see the Renewal
Wheat Ridge Bonds Project section of the Budget for detailed information.
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The 2025 Proposed Budget includes $12,275,374 in revenues from the bonds and $13,560,000 in expenditures for the following projects:
• $12.325 million for Ward TOD pedestrian bridge and trail
• $685,000 for various Recreation Center improvements
• $525,000 for construction of a RTD bus terminal at Clear Creek Crossing
Work already funded will also continue on the Youngfield Streetscape project, including public art, and the I-70/32nd Avenue bike lanes. The future RWR Bond Projects Fund includes environmental and design for Tabor Street multimodal improvements and Ward TOD pedestrian bridge and trail improvements.
Special Revenue Fund – Open Space Open Space revenue is projected at $5,217,434, which is a 56% increase compared to the 2024 estimated revenue. The large increase is due to the award of several grants which will be received in 2025. The beginning fund balance for 2025 is projected at $1,640,551, which brings
the total available funds for the Open Space Fund to $6,821,985. Open Space projects for 2025 include:
• The Green at 38th project
• Randall Park garden project
• Clear Creek Trail improvements
• Miscellaneous open space, forestry, and park improvements
Funding is also appropriated for six parks maintenance and three forestry employees. Open Space expenditures total $5,348,750, which is a 43% decrease compared to the adjusted 2024 Budget. This will provide a projected ending fund balance of $1,473,235. The future five-year Open Space Budget proposes the continuation of miscellaneous open space,
park and Clear Creek trail improvements, and funding for Parks employees. Special Revenue Fund – Conservation Trust Conservation Trust revenue is projected at $450,187, which is a slight decrease compared to the 2024 estimated revenue. In addition, the beginning fund balance for 2025 is projected at
$213,018, which brings the total available funds for the Conservation Trust Fund to $663,205. Conservation Trust projects for 2025 include:
• Recreation facilities maintenance projects
• Resurface of tennis and basketball courts
• Miscellaneous park maintenance projects
Conservation Trust expenditures total $500,530, which is a slight decrease compared to the
adjusted 2024 Budget. This will provide for a projected ending fund balance of $162,675.
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The future five-year Conservation Trust Budget proposes to provide funds for recreation facilities maintenance needs, parks maintenance projects, resurfacing of tennis/basketball courts,
and playground replacements at Hayward, Louise Turner and Prospect Parks.
Special Revenue Fund – Wheat Ridge Housing Fund City Council created the Wheat Ridge Housing Fund on June 12, 2023, authorizing the transfer of 50% of lodgers’ taxes generated by short-term rentals which amounts to approximately
$450,000 per year. Unfortunately, with the reduction in General Fund revenues over the last two
years, including the reduction in lodger’s taxes from traditional hotel properties due to the City’s licensing regulations, the City is unable to transfer the short-term rental lodgers’ taxes to the Wheat Ridge Housing Fund in 2024 and 2025. The fund has sufficient revenues to support the budgeted staff member, $2 million in HUD funds to spend on naturally occurring affordable
housing programs and other potential revenue sources in the pipeline to ensure the
implementation of the Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan continues. Special Revenue Funds – Other Several other Special Revenue Funds are also included in this Budget to track revenues and
expenditures that are designated by law to be used for specific purposes or are used to simplify
the budgeting process. Those funds include Public Art, Municipal Court, Equipment Replacement, and Crime Prevention/Code Enforcement. Detailed revenue and expenditure information for these funds can be found in the Special Revenue Funds, and the Line-Item Accounts sections of the Budget.
2E Investing 4 the Future Fund The 2E Investing 4 the Future Fund was created in 2017 as a special fund to account for the 2E bond and debt activity. With the passage of 2J in November 2023, revenues from the temporary 0.5% sales and use tax are now deposited in the new fund, 2J Next Chapter Fund, as of
November 2024.
2024 revenues from the temporary 0.5% sales and use tax and interest are estimated at $4,099,403. In addition, the beginning fund balance for 2024 is $8,734,100 which brings the total available funds for the 2E Fund to $12,833,503.
2E Fund expenditures total $7,584,900, all of which was paid toward debt service on the 2E bonds. In addition, an estimated $5,248,103 will be transferred to the CIP Budget for the Improve Wadsworth project. This will close out the 2E Fund with an ending fund balance of $0.
The remaining debt of $4,845,000 on the 2E Bonds will be refunded with the issuance of the 2J
Bonds on October 23, 2024. 2J Next Chapter Fund The 2J Next Chapter Fund will be established in the fourth quarter of 2024 to account for the
0.5% temporary sales and use tax that was originally authorized by voters in 2016 (2E) and
extended in 2023 (2J) for another $75 million in infrastructure improvement projects. The 2025
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budget includes the newly created 2J budget with 2024 estimated revenues and expenses included as the bond issuance is due to close by the end of October 2024.
2024 revenues from the debt issuance are estimated at $33,596,855. Revenues from the temporary 0.5% sales and use tax and interest for the remainder of 2024 are estimated at $1,595,000 for a total 2024 revenue amount of $33,596,855. 2024 expenses are estimated at $1,448,828 inclusive of the repayment to the Capital Improvement Program fund of $1 million
for emergency stormwater infrastructure repair, staffing and costs of debt issuance.
2025 2J Next Chapter Fund revenue is projected at $6,340,400. In addition, the beginning fund balance for 2025 is projected at $33,743,027, which brings the total available funds for the 2J Next Chapter Fund to $40,083,427.
2J Next Chapter Fund projects for 2025 include:
• Traffic analysis and design for the 38th Avenue refresh project
• Traffic studies on 44th Avenue at Eldridge and Tabor
• Construction of a roundabout at 26th and Harlan
• Repaving projects
• Emergency storm sewer repairs
• Sidewalk gap and ADA ramp construction in various locations
2J Next Chapter Fund expenditures total $12,829,361 inclusive of two staff positions, projects, and debt service costs. This will provide for a projected ending fund balance of $27,254,066. The future ten-year 2J Next Chapter Fund Budget proposes to provide funds for several projects addressing pressing drainage needs, corridor improvements and pedestrian/bicycle facility
enhancements and includes projections for a second bond issuance in 2027. SHORT-TERM FISCAL CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES Sales Tax and General Fund Revenue
Sales tax underperformed significantly in 2023, coming in approximately $1.1 million lower than
budgeted and slightly less than actual 2022 revenue. Fortunately, sales tax revenue is rebounding with a 4% projected increase in 2024 and a conservative 2.4% increase in 2025. The increased investment in retail development in Wheat Ridge is the primary reason for this increase. Overall, total General Fund revenue for 2024 is projected to decrease by approximately 1.8%
compared to 2023 year-end revenue. When compared to the 2024 Adopted Budget, total General Fund revenue is projected to come in at about 2.9% less than expected. These decreases are primarily due to a shortfall in building use tax and building permit revenue as several development projects that appeared to be moving forward in 2024 have been delayed.
Wheat Ridge is fortunate to still have significant commercial and retail development in the pipeline which in anticipated to open in late 2024 and throughout 2025. The Gold’s Marketplace
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at 26th and Kipling is nearly fully built out with exciting tenants with one space under construction that will bring “Bikes, Beers, Burgers and Bowling” to the Marketplace in late
2024. The Clear Creek Crossing development is focusing on the Lookout portion of the
development which will include several new restaurants. In addition, one hotel will open in 2025 and a second is currently in predevelopment stages. The Ridge at 38 is continuing its resurgence as the City’s main street with the anticipated completion of the Green at 38th in 2025 and new investments in some of the communities’ favorite eateries along 38th Avenue. A very
conservative growth in sales tax revenues from these new retail establishments has been included
in the 2025 Proposed Budget. American Rescue Plan Act President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on March 11, 2021.
ARPA provides $1.9 trillion in additional relief to respond to the impacts of COVID-19. The
City of Wheat Ridge received a total of $7,985,412, half of which was received in 2021, and the other half was received in 2022. All funds must be encumbered by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026. The United States Department of Treasury determined eligible uses of the ARPA funding, which include the following broad categories:
• Support public health expenditures
• Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency
• Replace lost public sector revenue
• Provide premium pay for essential workers
• Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure The Treasury Department issued its final rule on ARPA in January 2022, offering a standard
allowance of $10 million towards the most flexible use of the funds through “lost revenue” with
streamlined reporting requirements. For ease of reporting, and in consultation with the City’s auditors, the City reported payroll as full usage of the funds in 2021 and 2022, therefore federal obligations of the funding have been fully met. On April 4, 2022, City Council provided direction regarding the City’s programmatic use of the revenues from ARPA. By the end of
2024, the City will have spent approximately $6.3 million on the following categories in the
table below and the 2025 Proposed Budget includes $1.1 million in ARPA spending requests.
ARPA Category Description Original
Council
Allocation
2021-2024 2025
COVID Mitigation
and Prevention
Testing, vaccine program,
sanitation, technology, etc.
$613,480 $501,217 $0
Assistance to
Households
Homelessness and housing
initiatives
$2,444,408 $1,138,317 $233,119
Food Insecurity &
Assistance to
Low-Income
Populations
Through Community Table,
impacts to low-income
households disproportionately
affected by the pandemic
$146,000 $73,000 $36,500
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Behavioral
Healthcare
Clinician in Wheat Ridge High
School and Community
Prevention and Engagement
Program
$481,000 $227,000 $127,000
Preventing and
Responding
to Violence
Telephone Reporting Unit
staffing and victims’ services
$753,872 $389,094 $162,917
Parks Projects Parks and Recreation unfunded
capital projects
$1,696,652 $1,680,523 $0
Water
Infrastructure
Stormwater repair and
maintenance
$1,850,000 $1,050,250 $0
Revenue Loss General Fund operating expenses
$0 $1,250,000 $566,145
Total
$7,985,412 $6,309,401 $1,125,681
In order to maintain the required 17% minimum General Fund reserve in 2024 and 2025, staff is proposing to allocate approximately $1.8 million from ARPA designated funding to the General Fund for operating expenses. This $1.8 million was originally reserved for a Jefferson County regional navigation center program. However, that program has been delayed and this funding is
currently required to balance the General Fund budget. Projected ARPA spending for 2026 is
$550,330 for homeless navigation, Community Table food bank, Jefferson Center mental health services, Wheat Ridge High School mental health clinician and the police department telephone reporting unit. The City’s total allocation of ARPA funding will be fully expended in 2026.
Community Partners Grant Program In 2016, City Council created a resident review committee to make recommendations for grant contributions to community partners. In 2024, the City funded 26 community organizations, totaling $200,000. For the 2025 funding round, the committee reviewed applications and
presentations from 43 community organizations with a total funding request of $524,146. Staff
originally gave the committee the same $200,000 budget as 2024 to work with. However, through the finalization of the budget process, it became evident that further reductions were necessary across the City in order to balance to Council’s minimum 17% unrestricted fund balance, so the decision was made to cut 10% from each recommended award. Additionally,
with the dissolution of the Severe Weather Shelter Network, the recommended award to that
organization in 2025 has been removed. The breakdown of recommended and budgeted awards is as follows:
Community Partner Original
Recommendation Budgeted
A Little Help $1,750 $1,575
Active Transportation Advisory Team $3,660 $3,294
CASA of Jefferson & Gilpin Counties $8,000 $7,200
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Colorado Youth for a Change $8,000 $7,200
Community Table $7,500 $6,750
DeAngelis Center Foundation $5,000 $4,500
Denver Urban Gardens $1,000 $900
Denver Young Artists Orchestra Association $1,000 $900
Family Tree $9,000 $8,100
Farmers 5000 $5,000 $4,500
Foothills Regional Housing $6,250 $5,625
Friends of Paha $5,670 $5,103
Hope Connection and Community $4,750 $4,275
Intermountain Health-Lutheran Medical Center Foundation $1,000 $900
Jefferson Center for Mental Health $12,800 $11,520
Jefferson County Library Foundation $1,400 $1,260
Jefferson County Prosperity Partners $4,500 $4,050
Jefferson County Schools Foundation $5,000 $4,500
Jewish Family Services $5,000 $4,500
Mile High Farmers $1,500 $1,350
Outdoor Lab Foundation $12,500 $11,250
Regional Air Quality Council $2,000 $1,800
Seniors' Resource Center $10,000 $9,000
Severe Weather Shelter Network $2,500 $0
STRIDE Community Health Center $4,000 $3,600
Sunshine Home Share $3,000 $2,700
The Action Center $7,250 $6,525
The Rising/Mission Arvada $8,500 $7,650
Tin Shed Food Pantry $3,000 $2,700
Wheat Ridge Center for Music and Arts $4,970 $4,473
Wheat Ridge Community Foundation $5,000 $4,500
Wheat Ridge Football Fighting 43s $5,000 $4,500
Wheat Ridge Friends of Stevens $7,500 $6,750
Wheat Ridge High School Instrumental Band Boosters $4,000 $3,600
Wheat Ridge High School PTSA $2,000 $1,800
Wheat Ridge High School STEM program $12,500 $11,250
Wheat Ridge Kiwanis $3,000 $2,700
Wheat Ridge Optimist Club $1,500 $1,350
Wheat Ridge Theatre Company $4,000 $3,600
Total $200,000 $177,750
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Page 11
Similarly, Council provided consensus to allocate funding to three additional partners in 2025. In order to balance the 2025 budget to Council’s minimum fund balance, reductions are included as
follows:
Partner Original Allocation per Council Budgeted
Carnation Festival $135,000 $100,000
Wheat Ridge Business District $90,000 $45,000
Localworks $329,700 $326,200
LONG-TERM DEBT At the regular general election held on November 8, 2016, the electorate of the City approved ballot question 2E, which temporarily increased the sales and use tax levied by the City by one-
half of one percent (3% to 3.5%) for up to 12 years or when $38.5 million is raised, whichever
occurs first. It also authorized the issuance of debt to finance City investment in public infrastructure to facilitate economic development opportunities. At the election held on November 7, 2023, the electorate of the City approved an extension of the one-half cent sales tax and debt issuance to raise an additional $75 million for infrastructure projects to improve
drainage, corridors and pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
The 2024 series of bonds will close in late October 2024 with an estimated par amount of $34,845,000, $4,845,000 of which will be used to refund the 2017 series debt. Maximum annual debt service is $5,041,500 inclusive of the refunding amount, principal, and interest with average
annual debt service of $2,755,201. The City may issue the remaining debt authorized by the
voters up to $75,000,000 once the initial slate of projects is complete. OTHER COMMITMENTS Community Solar Garden
On March 23, 2015, the City entered into an agreement to purchase electric generating capacity in a solar garden. The agreement was funded on April 13, 2015, with a lease agreement for $800,000. Annual payments of $80,167, including principal and interest accruing at 5.75%, are due through May 1, 2030. For its participation in the community solar garden, the City is estimated to receive $478,646 in energy credits from Xcel through 2024 which were used to offset lease payments and
against energy consumption at various City facilities. Energy credits decreased substantially in both 2022 and 2023 due to solar garden maintenance issues but are beginning to rebound back to normal levels in 2024. A remaining balance of $306,369 will remain on the lease at the end of Fiscal Year 2025. LOANS RECEIVABLE Fruitdale School Lofts In 2016, the City Council approved a loan in the amount of $2.585 million from General Fund reserves to the Fruitdale School Partners. The loan was for the redevelopment of the Fruitdale
School property into a mix of 16 market-rate and income-restricted rental housing units. Fruitdale
School Partners repaid $1.5 million of the loan in 2018. The remaining $1,085,000 will be paid over a 40-year period and, until that time, will remain as a restricted balance in the General Fund
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Page 12
reserves. Repayment terms are dependent upon certain financing and equity contributions of the developer. Because certain equity thresholds were not achieved, the City did not receive principal
payments for this loan in 2024.
COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND STAFFING Compensation Personnel-related expenses account for the largest portion of the City's Budget. Attracting and
retaining the best talent for the City is a high priority. In 2013, the City launched a pay-for-
performance compensation model that ties compensation to performance through demonstrated alignment with values (ACTION – Accountability – Change – Teamwork – Integrity – Opportunity – Now!), technical performance and exceptional customer service. The City continues to implement this pay-for-performance model.
The market-based compensation plan, typically updated biennially, consists of three sub-plans 1) a pay-for-performance open range plan, which includes civilian and police sergeants and higher ranks; 2) a sworn seven-step plan, which includes police officer positions; and 3) a part-time employee plan which includes variable non-benefited positions such as lifeguards and seasonal
parks workers. The City completed a compensation analysis in 2024 to determine the 2025 pay
plans, which resulted in wage increases for most grades and the movement of some positions to other grades. The consultant-led review of the pay plan involved comparing positions against job matches in the Denver/Boulder metro area and aligning compensation appropriately. In the course of the market analysis, it was determined that the City is paying competitive wages for the
majority of positions. Those that were determined to be below market have been adjusted in the
2025 pay plans. Employees will be eligible for a performance increase on January 1, 2025, based on how well they meet the core values and competencies of the performance management program. The 2025
Proposed Budget includes approximately $950,000 in pay for performance, annual police
department step increases and market increases. This represents a decrease of approximately 3% over 2024 total pay increases. Benefits
In 2023, the City began providing a more robust and flexible package to employees by joining
the Colorado Employer Benefit Trust (CEBT). CEBT is a multiple employer trust for public institutions comprised of over 400 employers with approximately 33,000 employees. CEBT is administered by broker Willis Towers Watson. As a mid-sized employer, the City was limited to one medical insurer for several years but by joining CEBT, the City now offers medical plans
with both United Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente along with dental, vision, life and disability
benefits. City employees have the option to choose from four different medical plans; Kaiser’s DHMO and High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), and United Healthcare’s PPO4 and HDHP2. Both
HDHP options are paired with a Health Savings Account (HSA) seeded with funds from the City
to help employees save for their health needs. Employees continue to enjoy dental coverage with
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Page 13
Delta Dental and VSP for vision coverage. Additionally, life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage is provided by The Standard. Medical plan premiums will increase
8.5% for both the City and employees in 2025. This percentage growth is based on the City’s
loss ratio which is determined by employee usage of the medical plans. The City currently contributes to a 401(a)-retirement plan for nonsworn employees. Employees contribute 4% to the Plan, and the City matches 6% (7% for Department Directors). For sworn
employees, the City contributes 11.5%, and employees contribute 10% to the Plan (sworn
employees do not contribute to Social Security). Employees also have the option to contribute to a deferred compensation 457 account. Staffing
The 2025 Proposed Budget includes an increase of 2.0 FTE, specifically to implement the 2J
Next Chapter Bond projects. Both will be paid for out of bond proceeds as authorized by the City’s bond counsel. These additional positions will increase total staffing to 275.25 FTEs across all funds. The City has typically operated with a very lean staff; however, as community expectations change, we must ensure the City has adequate staffing to meet those demands.
1.0 FTE Infrastructure Project Manager – Public Works Department This position will provide design and construction oversight to planned projects in the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund. To meet community expectations and deliver projects on time and on budget, this additional position is necessary to complement the existing 2.0 FTE in the work
group who are focusing on the Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Projects and other projects in the
CIP fund. 1.0 FTE Project Technician – Public Works Department This position will assist with contracts, payments, purchase orders and reimbursements for
projects in the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund. The administrative workload associated with these
large capital projects is burdensome and it is not feasible for existing FTE to assume additional tasks while ensuring compliance with audit requirements. The City’s leadership team has implemented a process to evaluate all vacancies as they arise to
ensure that resources are being put to the best and highest use and Council and community
expectations are met while practicing sound financial management strategies. CONCLUSIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The City of Wheat Ridge is in a strong financial position, remains resilient and has many opportunities in this next chapter. Thank you to the Mayor and City Council for your unwavering
support, dedication to the community and leadership in building a stronger community.
In addition to appropriating the 2025 budget, this resolution also includes the following:
• Establishes the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund in 2024: The 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund is contained within the 2025 budget, but the fund must be established and appropriated in
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Page 14
2024 so that issuance and other expenditures and the reimbursement of $1 million to the Capital Improvement Projects Fund, for emergency stormwater repairs approved by
Council on April 22, 2024 (Resolution 21-2024), can be implemented.
• Authorizes the General Fund portion of short-term rental lodgers’ tax to remain in the General Fund in 2024 and 2025. On June 12, 2023, Council created the Wheat Ridge Housing Fund, authorizing the transfer of 50% of lodgers’ taxes generated by short-term
rentals which amounts to approximately $450,000 per year. Unfortunately, with the
reduction in General Fund revenues over the last two years, including the reduction in lodger’s taxes from traditional hotel properties due to the City’s licensing regulations, the City is unable to transfer the short-term rental lodgers’ taxes to the Wheat Ridge Housing Fund in 2024 and 2025. The fund has sufficient revenues to support the budgeted staff
member and will receive $2 million in HUD funds to spend on naturally occurring
affordable housing programs and potential fees in lieu of affordable housing development to ensure the implementation of the Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan continues. The budget team will endeavor to budget the transfer of these funds to the Wheat Ridge Housing Fund in 2026.
• Reduces the Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Projects Fund (Fund 40) in 2024. Fund 40 exists to receive funding from the Renewal Wheat Ridge bond Fund for approved capital projects in the I-70/Kipling URA Plan Area. Each year, this fund is budgeted with a zero-ending fund balance. Due to carryovers of projects from 2023 to 2024, the budget has a negative ending fund balance which must be corrected before the 2024 financials are
closed. This resolution adjusts the Fund 40 budget by a reduction of $386,956 to provide for an ending fund balance of $0.00.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Adopt the 2025 Budget as proposed with other amendments as stated in the Resolution.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
“I move to approve Resolution No. 48-2024, a resolution adopting the City Budget and appropriating sums of money to the various funds and spending agencies for the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado for the 2025 Budget Year, establishing the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund in 2024 and other budget amendments.”
Or, “I move to postpone indefinitely Resolution No. 48-2024, a resolution adopting the City Budget and appropriating sums of money to the various funds and spending agencies for the City of
Wheat Ridge, Colorado for the 2025 Budget Year for the following reason(s) ______________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY: Allison Scheck, Deputy City Manager Patrick Goff, City Manager
Council Action Form – Adopting the 2025 City Budget November 25, 2024
Page 15
ATTACHMENT: 1. Resolution No. 48-2024
2. Budget Summary, Revenues, Expenditures
ATTACHMENT 1
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO RESOLUTION NO. 48 Series of 2024 TITLE: A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY BUDGET AND
APPROPRIATING SUMS OF MONEY TO THE VARIOUS FUNDS AND SPENDING AGENCIES FOR THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO FOR THE 2025 BUDGET YEAR, ESTABLISHING THE 2J NEXT CHAPTER BOND FUND IN 2024 AND OTHER BUDGET AMENDMENTS
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge annual budget for the fiscal year 2025 has been established and public hearings and meetings have been held after duly published public notices; and
WHEREAS, the budget provides for the combination of revenues and excess fund
balance reserves equal to or greater than the total proposed expenditures as set forth in said budget in the total amount of $95,625,810 which includes the following funds:
1. Fund 01 - General Fund $48,765,853
2. Fund 12 - Public Art Fund $222,742
3. Fund 30 - Capital Improvement Fund $12,443,000
4. Fund 32 - Open Space Fund $5,348,750
5. Fund 33 - Municipal Court Fund $16,550
6. Fund 40 – RWR Bond Projects Fund $13,560,000
7. Fund 45 – Wheat Ridge Housing Fund $178,163
8. Fund 54 - Conservation Trust Fund $500,530
9. Fund 57 - Equipment Replacement Fund $908,813
10. Fund 63 - Crime Prevention Fund $852,048
11. Fund 66 – 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund $12,829,361
Total Expenditures: $95,625,810 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, as follows:
Section 1. The City of Wheat Ridge total budget as stated in the Resolution be
hereby approved, adopted, and appropriated for the entire fiscal period beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025. Section 2. The 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund (Fund 66) is hereby established in 2024
with a total budget of $1,448,828.
Section 3. The General Fund portion of short-term rental lodgers’ tax revenue shall remain in the General Fund in 2024 and 2025 to be used for operating expenditures.
ATTACHMENT 1
Section 4. The Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Projects Fund (Fund 40) is reduced in 2024 by $386,956 to provide for an ending fund balance of $0.00
DONE AND RESOLVED this 25th day of November 2024. ________________________________ Bud Starker, Mayor
ATTEST: ____________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
Beginning
Balance
(1/1/25)
+Revenues = Funds Available - Expenses =
Fund Balance
(12/31/25)
Operating Funds
General $13,194,325 +$47,147,240 = $60,341,565 - $48,765,853 = $11,575,712
Total Operating Funds $13,194,325 +$47,147,240 = $60,341,565 - $48,765,853 = $11,575,712
Unrestricted Fund Balance $8,312,000
17.0%
Special Revenue Funds
Public Art Fund $381,399 +$258,342 =$639,741 - $222,742 = $416,999
Open Space $1,604,551 +$5,217,434 = $6,821,985 - $5,348,750 = $1,473,235
Municipal Court $59,366 +$9,800 =$69,166 - $16,550 = $52,616
Conservation Trust $213,018 +$450,187 =$663,205 - $500,530 = $162,675
Wheat Ridge Housing Fund $285,987 +$200 =$286,187 - $178,163 = $108,024
Equipment Replacement $667,028 +$333,961 = $1,000,989 - $908,813 = $92,176
Crime Prevention/Code
Enforcement Fund $588,415 +$609,500 = $1,197,915 - $852,048 = $345,867
Total Special Revenue Funds $3,799,764 +$6,879,424 = $10,679,188 - $8,027,596 = $2,651,592
Capital Funds
Capital Improvement Program $7,062,776 +$7,297,500 = $14,360,276 - $12,443,000 = $1,917,276
RWR Bond Projects Fund $1,284,626 +$12,275,374 = $13,560,000 - $13,560,000 =$0
Total Capital Funds $8,347,402 +$19,572,874 = $27,920,276 - $26,003,000 = $1,917,276
2J Next Chapter Bond Fund
2J Next Chapter Bond Fund $33,743,027 +$6,340,400 = $40,083,427 - $7,786,836
2J Next Chapter Debt Service $0 +$0 =$0 - $5,042,525
Total 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund $33,743,027 +$6,340,400 = $40,083,427 - $12,829,361 = $27,254,066
Total Operating Funds $13,194,325 +$47,147,240 = $60,341,565 - $48,765,853 = $11,575,712
Total Special Revenue Funds $3,799,764 +$6,879,424 = $10,679,188 - $8,027,596 = $2,651,592
Total Capital Funds $8,347,402 +$19,572,874 = $27,920,276 - $26,003,000 = $1,917,276
Total 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund $33,743,027 +$6,340,400 = $40,083,427 - $12,829,361 = $27,254,066
(Less Transfers)+$0 =$0 -$0 =
GRAND TOTAL ALL FUNDS $59,084,518 +$79,939,938 = $139,024,456 - $95,625,810 = $43,398,646
GRAND TOTAL LESS BOND
AND DEBT $25,341,491 +$73,599,538 = $98,941,029 - $82,796,449 = $16,144,580
Budget Summary by Fund
ATTACHMENT 2
2023 2024 2024 2025
Actual Adjusted Estimated Proposed
SALES TAXES
Sales Tax $24,181,547 $25,234,907 $25,665,031 $26,279,982
Sales Tax Audit Revenue $128,919 $200,000 $250,000 $148,750
ESTIP Applejack $0 $0 $0 $0
ESTIP Grammy's Goodies $3,435 $2,000 $3,435 $3,435
TIF - Kipling Ridge $496,368 $0 $0 $0
TIF - WR Corners $111,487 $120,000 $115,078 $125,000
TIF - Swiss Flowers $28,994 $40,000 $27,834 $25,000
TIF - WestEnd 38 $0 $15,000 $12,000 $12,000
TIF - Hacienda $43,595 $50,000 $43,000 $43,000
TIF - Applewood North Stores $291,827 $350,000 $379,000 $380,000
TOTAL SALES TAXES $25,286,172 $26,011,907 $26,495,378 $27,017,167
OTHER TAXES
Real Property Tax $1,248,008 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000
Liquor Occupational Tax $61,199 $60,000 $64,000 $65,000
Auto Ownership Tax $95,672 $93,000 $99,000 $99,000
Xcel Franchise Tax $1,671,320 $1,900,000 $1,600,000 $1,600,000
Telephone Occupation Tax $758,962 $850,000 $600,000 $705,000
Lodgers Tax $667,369 $600,000 $1,100,000 $1,150,000
Admissions Amusement Tax $83,074 $80,000 $82,000 $85,000
TOTAL OTHER TAXES $4,585,604 $5,083,000 $5,045,000 $5,204,000
USE TAXES
Use Tax - Retail/Professional $929,040 $1,000,000 $950,000 $950,000
Use Tax - Building $1,653,376 $2,505,000 $1,200,000 $2,300,000
Use Tax - Auto $2,376,577 $2,300,000 $2,200,000 $2,200,000
TOTAL USE TAXES $4,958,993 $5,805,000 $4,350,000 $5,450,000
LICENSE
Amusement Machine License $3,600 $3,500 $3,200 $3,200
Arborist License $670 $600 $625 $625
Contractors License $138,775 $120,000 $125,000 $125,000
Liquor License Fee $20,884 $25,000 $18,000 $18,000
Short-Term Rental License Fees $44,600 $40,000 $50,000 $50,000
Building Permits $1,041,031 $1,500,000 $600,000 $670,000
Street Cut Permits $398,136 $485,000 $400,000 $475,000
Cable TV Permits $332,433 $350,000 $320,000 $310,000
Business License Fees $73,079 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000
Tobacco and Vaping License Fees $12,370 $15,000 $12,800 $12,500
Pawn Shop License Fees $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000
TOTAL LICENSE $2,075,578 $2,624,100 $1,599,625 $1,734,325
General Fund Revenues
2023 2024 2024 2025
Actual Adjusted Estimated Proposed
General Fund Revenues
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
Cigarette Tax $80,255 $60,000 $78,000 $75,000
County Road and Bridge $384,479 $390,000 $450,000 $450,000
Arvada Ridge Redevelopment $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $0
Highway Users Tax $998,243 $975,000 $950,000 $950,000
Motor Vehicle Registration $104,323 $110,000 $108,000 $108,000
Police - CATPA Auto Theft Grant $109,802 $88,000 $88,000 $65,000
Police - HIDTA Drug Overtime Grant $37,764 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000
Police - JAG/Byrne Grant $0 $14,177 $14,177 $0
Police - Ballistic Vest Grant $7,714 $7,700 $7,700 $7,700
Police - HVIDE $6,697 $12,000 $3,800 $9,000
Police - POST Grant $5,766 $5,765 $5,765 $5,765
Police - Pedestrian Safety Grant $23,204 $27,694 $20,281 $60,190
Police - Fatality Reduction Grant $9,620 $21,636 $4,952 $19,128
Police - DOJ Fentanyl Grant $45,467 $34,215 $84,382 $0
Police - FARO Grant $0 $41,000 $41,000 $0
Court - Defense Council Grant $4,639 $10,000 $9,000 $10,000
Homeless Navigator IGA $29,838 $30,000 $55,000 $45,000
Sustainability Program Grants $0 $26,000 $26,900 $11,500
Parks and Recreation Misc. Grants $113,218 $75,000 $23,046 $7,000
Opioid Settlement $15,934 $13,204 $50,442 $50,442
Congressionally Directed Spending $0 $0 $200,000 $0
TOTAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL $2,076,963 $2,061,391 $2,340,445 $1,893,725
SERVICES
Zoning Applications $48,867 $40,000 $35,000 $35,000
Planning Reimbursement Fees $3,025 $1,500 $3,500 $1,500
Engineering Fees $42,881 $40,000 $25,000 $30,000
Misc. Zoning Fees $1,882 $1,500 $2,000 $15,000
Plan Review Fees $506,487 $630,000 $400,000 $450,000
Liquor Hearing Fees $98 $0 $0 $0
Pavilion/Park Rental Revenue $45,535 $40,000 $45,000 $48,500
Athletics Revenue $159,113 $158,400 $152,000 $155,510
Active Adult Center Revenue $231,911 $207,461 $240,000 $225,000
Parks Historic Facilities $15,736 $30,125 $25,000 $25,000
Gen. Prog. Revenue $220,368 $226,066 $240,000 $309,825
Anderson Building Revenue $22,194 $17,000 $20,000 $23,000
Outdoor Swimming Fees $162,466 $171,200 $200,000 $189,000
Recreation Center Fees $1,660,718 $1,660,350 $1,729,950 $1,904,770
Aquatics $95,828 $80,600 $115,000 $111,750
Fitness $192,178 $199,600 $207,350 $210,900
Retail Marijuana Fees $275,859 $300,000 $265,000 $250,000
Police Report Fees $22,434 $25,150 $20,000 $20,000
Pawn Shop Ticket Fees $8,920 $12,200 $11,000 $11,000
Sex Offender Registration $4,124 $4,000 $4,200 $4,200
Police Drug Destruction Fees $50 $0 $50 $20
Police Fees $90 $100 $0 $0
Police Duty Reimbursement $102,790 $98,500 $78,500 $78,500
TOTAL SERVICES $3,823,554 $3,943,752 $3,818,550 $4,098,475
2023 2024 2024 2025
Actual Adjusted Estimated Proposed
General Fund Revenues
FINES & FORFEITURES
Municipal Court Fines $34,206 $30,000 $20,000 $20,000
Nuisance Violations Fees $16,465 $20,000 $25,000 $20,000
Traffic $101,950 $125,000 $160,000 $210,000
General $6,760 $9,000 $10,000 $10,000
Other $4,010 $7,500 $5,000 $5,000
Parking $580 $1,000 $500 $600
No Proof of Insurance $7,985 $10,000 $11,000 $12,000
TOTAL FINE & FORFEITURES $171,956 $202,500 $231,500 $277,600
INTEREST
Interest Earnings $1,418,843 $900,817 $1,300,000 $850,000
TOTAL INTEREST $1,418,843 $900,817 $1,300,000 $850,000
OTHER
Cable Peg Fees $25,173 27000 $22,448 $22,448
Xcel Solar Garden Credits $348 $500 $40,000 $40,000
Miscellaneous Income $2,191,794 $485,980 $550,000 $550,000
City Tree Sale Proceeds $4,625 $6,500 $8,220 $8,000
Sustainability Program $3,430 $3,500 $1,000 $1,500
TOTAL OTHER $2,225,370 $523,480 $621,668 $621,948
.
Total General Fund $46,623,033 $47,155,947 $45,802,166 $47,147,240
Transfers In $0 $0 $0 $0
Fund Balance Carryover $25,100,725 $18,304,374 $21,211,515 $13,194,325
Total Funds Available $71,723,758 $65,460,321 $67,013,681 $60,341,565
2023
Actual
2024
Adjusted
2024
Estimated
2025
Proposed
Legislative
Legislative Services $504,070 $738,828 $737,328 $680,789
Total $504,070 $738,828 $737,328 $680,789
City Manager's Office
City Manager $848,787 $696,932 $891,641 $664,890
Economic Development $1,455,282 $1,701,036 $1,665,460 $1,190,902
Homelessness $221,559 $370,279 $322,018 $270,855
Sustainability $183,196 $255,349 $249,597 $149,601
Total $2,708,824 $3,023,596 $3,128,716 $2,276,248
City Attorney
City Attorney $309,301 $410,000 $357,000 $383,000
Total $309,301 $410,000 $357,000 $383,000
City Clerk's Office
City Clerk $187,962 $317,499 $304,334 $310,145
Total $187,962 $317,499 $304,334 $310,145
City Treasurer
City Treasurer $33,482 $33,689 $33,024 $33,459
Total $33,482 $33,689 $33,024 $33,459
Central Charges
Central Charges $5,488,224 $6,074,044 $5,981,001 $6,206,019
Total $5,488,224 $6,074,044 $5,981,001 $6,206,019
Municipal Court
Municipal Court $1,105,978 $1,185,174 $1,142,446 $1,263,325
Total $1,105,978 $1,185,174 $1,142,446 $1,263,325
Administrative Services
Administration $515,038 $556,742 $512,718 $516,569
Communications and Engagement $326,885 $427,507 $415,780 $318,283
Finance $945,347 $1,078,744 $1,073,586 $1,096,833
Human Resources $739,209 $736,539 $690,848 $720,155
Procurement $198,995 $211,759 $210,630 $213,682
Information Technology $2,433,290 $2,781,711 $2,700,402 $2,726,852
Total $5,158,764 $5,793,002 $5,603,964 $5,592,374
Community Development
Administration $316,781 $280,254 $279,537 $291,394
Planning $886,555 $1,332,252 $1,318,298 $842,300
Building $1,259,079 $1,443,571 $652,000 $952,950
Engineering $945,970 $760,241 $751,913 $775,486
Total $3,408,385 $3,816,318 $3,001,748 $2,862,130
Police
Administration $2,139,893 $2,320,470 $2,253,722 $2,420,212
Grants $232,486 $271,852 $271,662 $264,798
Community Services Team $381,043 $348,905 $310,105 $372,643
Crime Prevention Team $244,532 $280,031 $235,546 $248,778
Records Team $425,631 $496,912 $492,912 $527,331
Training and Accreditation $456,560 $488,043 $479,878 $478,237
Patrol $6,984,690 $7,470,954 $7,470,554 $6,850,351
Investigations Bureau $2,978,891 $3,008,966 $2,989,497 $3,618,586
Crime & Traffic Team $376,962 $460,828 $439,938 $670,599
Total $14,220,688 $15,146,961 $14,943,814 $15,451,535
General Fund Expenditures
2023
Actual
2024
Adjusted
2024
Estimated
2025
Proposed
General Fund Expenditures
Public Works
Operations $3,639,529 $6,224,246 $5,982,281 $4,802,611
Facilities Maintenance $1,380,636 $1,321,812 $1,267,547 $1,329,774
Total $5,020,165 $7,546,058 $7,249,828 $6,132,385
Parks and Recreation
Administration $450,392 $470,301 $453,114 $488,245
Recreation $484,612 $516,366 $487,778 $510,934
Parks Maintenance $1,602,884 $1,863,973 $1,729,082 $1,814,899
Forestry $482,262 $654,191 $559,412 $673,956
Natural Resources $121,403 $122,055 $104,262 $124,260
Anderson Building $94,024 $103,286 $93,230 $104,028
Athletics $258,055 $249,717 $226,495 $259,850
General Programs $395,048 $485,476 $482,472 $551,541
Outdoor Pool $284,359 $304,367 $303,777 $309,598
Active Adult Center $512,042 $537,033 $490,754 $541,248
Historic Buildings $26,601 $81,209 $58,870 $50,650
Rec Center Facility Operations $706,703 $650,753 $627,670 $631,072
Aquatics $887,937 $1,100,771 $1,081,203 $1,156,294
Fitness $313,097 $347,809 $345,780 $357,869
Total $6,619,419 $7,487,307 $7,043,899 $7,574,444
Total General Fund $44,765,262 $51,572,476 $49,527,102 $48,765,853
Transfers $6,119,231 $3,925,000 $3,925,000 $0
Total With Transfers $50,884,493 $55,497,476 $53,452,102 $48,765,853
ITEM NO: 2
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: COUNCIL BILL NO. 23-2024 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING
CHAPTER 21 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS CONCERNING WORK IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY AND LICENSING OF MUNICIPAL CONTRACTORS PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING (11/25/24) BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING (12/09/24) RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO _____________________________
Director of Public Works City Manager ISSUE: Chapter 21 of the city’s municipal code provides for construction and other work activities within or upon the public right-of-way while protecting the integrity of the roadway network and city-
owned infrastructure. This ordinance adds or modifies language to the municipal code to address various construction-related provisions and streamlines the licensing provisions. PRIOR ACTION: The City Council discussed this topic on October 7, 2024. Revised license fees were presented in
the proposed 2025 budget.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Municipal contractor license fees were last changed in 2006. This ordinance recommends removing fees from the municipal code and retaining them in the fee schedule, so that they are
subject to annual review by the City Council. Proposed fees were included in the 2025 budget. Fee
amounts are proposed to increase from $200 to $300 for licenses involving excavations in the right-of-way and from $50 to $100 for occupancy of the right-of-way. The proposed license fees will only take effect if this ordinance is approved.
Council Action Form – Work in the Public Right-of-Way November 25, 2024
Page 2
BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of the public right-of-way is for the passage of pedestrian and vehicular
traffic. Public rights-of-way are also utilized for facilities which provide public services such as
utilities. The city is tasked with managing its rights-of-way to ensure that all public and private infrastructure and properties are protected, competing uses reconciled, and public safety preserved. Chapter 21 of the city’s municipal code provides for 1) the placement of facilities, construction,
excavation, encroachments and work activities within or upon any public right-of-way and 2)
protection of the integrity of the roadway network and city-owned infrastructure. To achieve these purposes, it is necessary to require licensure and permits from users of the public rights-of-way. Contractors working in the city’s rights-of-way are specifically licensed to complete such work.
This license holds contractors accountable to city standards for repair and restoration and has the
additional requirement of a performance bond to ensure work is completed satisfactorily and no damage is caused to the City’s infrastructure. Until 2006, the regulation of municipal contractors was combined with building contractors and embedded in Chapter 5 (Buildings and Building Regulations). Ordinance 1361, approved in 2006, moved the three municipal contractor licenses
to Chapter 21 (Streets and Sidewalks).
PROPOSED ORDINANCE: Staff conducted a thorough review of Chapter 21 in relation to current construction practices. The current code language was also compared with several other municipalities’ language to ensure all
pertinent areas were adequately addressed. Modifications have been made to the current language
to update construction-related provisions as well as clarify and streamline the licensing and permitting processes. Specific changes include:
• Modifying the definition of the specifications to be used for construction, restoration and excavations.
• Clarifying developer responsibilities related to public infrastructure.
• Adding language related to public and worker safety.
• Removing the specific penalty amount for work without a valid permit from the code and,
instead, putting the amount in the fee schedule, to be amended periodically by the City Council.
• Reducing the number of licenses to two – one for work involving excavations in the public
right-of-way and one for when an entity is occupying the public right-of-way and removing
the specific license amounts from the code and, instead, putting the amounts in the fee schedule, to be amended periodically by the City Council.
• Modifying the language related to permit suspensions or revocation.
• Clarifying the correct code section related to utility company proof of insurance and bond
provisions.
• Adding language regarding warranty inspections.
• Modifying language related to traffic control at work sites.
• Clarifying the requirements related to excavations, backfilling and compacting.
Council Action Form – Work in the Public Right-of-Way November 25, 2024
Page 3
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the ordinance.
RECOMMENDED MOTION: “I move to approve Council Bill No. 23-2024, an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning work in the public right-of-way and the registration and licensing of building contractors, on first reading, order it published, public hearing set for Monday,
December 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. as a virtual meeting and in City Council Chambers, and that it
takes effect on January 1, 2025.”
Or,
“I move to postpone indefinitely Council Bill No. 23-2024, an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of
the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning work in the public right-of-way and the registration
and licensing of building contractors for the following reason(s): ________________________________________________________________________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY:
Maria D’Andrea, Director of Public Works
Patrick Goff, City Manager ATTACHMENT: 1. Council Bill No. 23-2024
1
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ___________ COUNCIL BILL NO. 23
ORDINANCE NO. 1809 Series 2024 TITLE: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS CONCERNING WORK IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF WAY AND
LICENSING OF MUNICIPAL CONTRACTORS
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality having all powers conferred by Article XX of the Colorado Constitution; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule authority and C.R.S. § 31-23-101, the City, acting through its City Council (the “Council”), is authorized to adopt ordinances for the
protection of the public health, safety or welfare; and
WHEREAS, in the exercise of this authority the Council has previously adopted regulations and fees for the licensing and registration of contractors within Chapter 21, Article I and Article II, Work in Public Ways within the Municipal Code (“Code”); and
WHEREAS, several provisions within this Chapter contain outdated and
incongruous language to standard construction practices; and
WHEREAS, the Council wishes to update and simplify the licensing and permitting framework in the Code.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO: Section 1. The definition of “specifications” contained in Section 21-1 of the Code
is amended as follows:
Specifications means the current edition of the CITY’S DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS "standard specifications for road and bridge construction" and the CURRENT EDITION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS
AND M & S m and s standards of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Division of
Highways, as may be amended by the City of Wheat Ridge. Section 2. Section 21-11 of the Code is amended as follows to add a subsection clarifying developer responsibilities related to public infrastructure:
Sec. 21-11. Permit required. (a)…
(f) DEVELOPER OWNERSHIP OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE. THE PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN NEW
2
DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE CITY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPER OF THE LAND. OWNERSHIP OF SUCH INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINS WITH THE DEVELOPER UNTIL ACCEPTANCE BY THE CITY.
WORK UNDERTAKEN ON INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN A PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY SHALL REQUIRE A PERMIT. THE CITY WILL NOT ACCEPT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WHERE WORK PERFORMED IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE CITY STANDARDS AND SPECIFICAITONS AND APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER. Section 3. Section 21-15 of the Code, formerly reserved, is adopted as follows
to add a section addressing public and worker safety:
Sec. 21-15. PUBLIC AND WORKER SAFETY. (a) EACH PERMITTEE SHALL CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE ITS
FACILITIES IN A MANNER THAT PROVIDES PROTECTION AGAINST INJURY OR DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY. (b) PERMITTEES SHALL MAINTAIN A SAFE WORK AREA. FREE OF SAFETY
HAZARDS. THE CITY MAY MAKE ANY REPAIR NECESSARY TO ELIMINATE ANY SAFETY HAZARDS NOT ADAQUATLEY ADDRESSED BY THE PERMITTEE AS DIRECTED. ANY SUCH WORK PERFORMED BY THE CITY SHALL BE COMPLETED AND BILLED TO THE PERMITTEE. THE PERMITTEE SHALL PAY ALL SUCH CHARGES WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS OF THE INVOICE DATE. IF THE PERMITTEE
FAILS TO PAY SUCH CHARGES WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME PERIOD, THE CITY MAY, SEEK REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH THE WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE POSTED AS A PART OF THE PROJECT, OR THROUGH THE PROCEDURE CONTAINED IN CODE SECTION 2-6 AND ADDITIONALLY MAY BAR THE PERMITTEE FROM PERFORMING ANY ADDITIONAL WORK IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-
OF-WAY. Secs. 21-16 21-15—21-19. - Reserved Section 4. Section 21-20 (c) of the Code is amended as follows to refine the
penalty for work without a valid permit:
Sec. 21-20. Fees generally; bonds, etc.; other provisions relative to permits. (a)…
(c) Violation; penalty; replacement at permittee's cost. Unless otherwise provided for in this article, work in the public way without a valid permit when the applicant is operating without such permit is a violation of the code of laws. The violator shall be required to obtain the required permit for the work. Unless otherwise limited
by law, the minimum administrative penalty assessed shall be IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY’S FEE SCHEDULE, AS ADOPTED AND AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME BY CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION either two hundred twenty-
3
five dollars ($225.00) or triple the permit and inspection fees, whichever is greater, plus any additional costs incurred for special testing of the completed work. If, in the opinion of the director, the completed work cannot be adequately
tested or was placed not in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, it shall be removed and replaced at the permittee's sole cost. Section 5. Section 21-21 of the Code, regarding licenses and fees, is amended as follows:
Sec. 21-21. Licenses and fees. (a) The department of public works shall determine license qualifications for class A AND CLASS B through class C licenses. (b) The TWO various classes of licenses issued under this article and the work
authorized to be performed by the holder of the license are as follows: (1) EXCAVATION Municipal contractor-Class A. A license to do EXCAVATION work as a municipal contractor, class A, shall be required for STREET, ALLEY, AND OTHER ROADWAY-RELATED CONSTRUCTION IN THE PUBLIC WAY,
INCLUSIVE OF the installation of the following in the public way:
a. EXCAVATION, GRADING, LEVELING OF SUBGRADE. b. COMPACTION, ROLLING, GRAVELING, ASPHALTING, PAVING, CURBING, DRAINING, POTHOLING, BORING, TRENCHING, BACKFILLING, AND DRILLING.
c. INSTALLATION OF WATER MAINS, SANITARY SEWER MAINS, STORM WATER MAINS, WATER AND SANITARY SEWER SERVICE LINES, STORM DRAINS, AND ALL RELATED STRUCTURES. d. CONSTRUCTION OF CURB, GUTTER, CURB & GUTTER, SIDEWALKS, MEDIANS, STREETS, ALLEYWAYS, OR ANY OTHER
INFRASTRUCTURE. e. INSTALLATION OF FIBER OPTIC, CABLING, CONDUIT, ELECTRICAL, NATURAL GAS, OR ANY OTHER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE. a. Water mains.
b. Sewer mains. c. Water and sewer service lines. d. Storm drains. e. Related structures.
(2) Same—Class B. A license to do work as a municipal contractor, class B, shall be required for street, alley, and other roadway-related construction in the public way, inclusive of: a. Excavation, grading, leveling of sub-grade. b. Compaction, rolling, graveling, asphalting, paving, curbing, draining,
potholing and drilling.
c. Construction of curb, gutter, sidewalks, medians and other concrete structures or installations.
4
d. Construction of traffic signal installations. (3) Same—Class C. A license to do work as a municipal contractor, class C, shall
be issued for, and limited to, the installation of water and sewer service lines including excavation, pipe placement, backfilling and other operations as necessary in the public way. (42) RIGHT-OF-WAY OCCUPATION Traffic control and streetlights only-Class B D.
A license to OCCUPY THE PUBLIC WAY, class D, shall be required for ANY WORK OCCURRING non-roadway-related construction in the public way, inclusive of: a. Traffic control. b. Installation of street and/or pedestrian lights. A separate electrical permit
shall be required from the building division.
c. Tree trimming and/or cutting on private or public property. d. Staging OR STORAGE of materials, EQUIPMENT, STORAGE CONTAINERS, and/or trash receptacles, except for private household use. e. INSTALLATION OF ANY PERMANENT PUBLIC OR PRIVATELY-
OWNED INFRASTRUCTURE.
(53) Same—License limitations. The director of public works shall review applications for CLASS A and CLASS B municipal contractors' licenses and shall indicate those contractors, which the applicant has shown he THEY is
ARE qualified to perform. Upon completion of review, the director of public
works shall then cause to be issued a license limited as indicated. (c) Holders of certain of the licenses may perform as if licensed for certain of the other functions in accordance with the following schedule:
Class A Class C
(cd) The annual license fees for contractor’s license under the provisions of this article shall be paid in accordance with the CITY’S FEE SCHEDULE AS ADOPTED AND AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME BY CITY COUNCIL. following table: (1) Municipal contractor, class A $200.00 (2) Municipal contractor, class B $150.00 (3) Municipal contractor, class C $125.00
(4) Municipal contractor, class D $50.00 License fees are due with the license application and are nonrefundable. Non-issuance of licenses shall not entitle applicant to a refund of fees paid.
(de) Insurance and indemnification. Unless otherwise specified in a franchise agreement between the permittee and the city, prior to the granting of any permit, the permittee
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shall file with the city an insurance policy or certificate in a form satisfactory to the city/town/county with coverage as follows:
(1) The permittee shall carry and maintain in full effect at all times a commercial general liability policy, including broad form property damage, completed operations contractual liability, explosion hazard, collapse hazard, underground property damage hazard, commonly known as XCU, for limits, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR, FOR not less than two million dollars
($2,000,000.00) each occurrence for damages of bodily injury or death to one (1) or more persons; and one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) each occurrence for damage to or destruction of property. (2) THE PERMITTEE SHALL CARRY AND MAINTAIN IN FULL EFFECT AT ALL TIMES A POLICY OF COMPREHENSIVE AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY
INSURANCE INSURING AGAINST ANY LIABILITY FOR PERSONAL INJURY, BODILY INJURY, OR DEATH ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND COVERING OPERATIONS ON OR OFF THE SITE OF ALL MOTOR VEHICLES CONTROLLED BY THE PERMITTEE USED IN CONNECTION WITH PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK, WHETHER THE
MOTOR VEHICLES ARE OWNED, NON-OWNED, OR HIRED, WITH A COMBINED SINGLE LIMIT OF AT LEAST ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00). (32) Workers compensation insurance as required by state law. (43) City departments shall be relieved of the obligation of submitting a certificate of
insurance.
(54) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the director may waive any insurance requirement or other requirements addressing financial security for (i) a governmental entity, or (ii) other entity if such other entity is deemed to provide sufficient coverage through self-insurance, in his or her sole reasonable
discretion.
(ef) License and permit bond. A cash bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) shall be deposited with the city prior to issuance of any class A, B or C municipal contractor licenses. THE BOND AMOUNT SHALL BE SET
ANNUALLY BY THE DIRECTOR. The bond shall be held by the city to insure completion of any work permitted to the municipal contractor and to warrant any work performed under a license for a period of two (2) years. An insurance company performance and warranty bond acceptable to the director of public works may be substituted for the required cash bond.
Section 6. Section 21-22 (a) and (b) of the Code, regarding permit suspensions or revocation is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 21-22. Authority; procedure; emergency suspension.
(a) Authority. The director of public works may suspend or revoke class A AND CLASS B through C licenses. License suspension or revocation may occur when the licensee commits one (1) or more of the following acts or omissions:
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(1) Failing to comply with any of the licensee responsibilities as outlined in this chapter. (2) Knowingly combining or conspiring with a person by permitting one's license to
be used by such person, firm or corporation.
(3) Acting as agent, partner, associate or in any other capacity with persons, firms or corporations to evade the provisions of this chapter. (4) Committing any act of negligence, incompetence, or misconduct in the performance of the contractor's specific trade which results in a substantial
threat to public health and safety.
(5) Performing under his/her license in an unworkmanlike, careless, or reckless manner. (b) Procedure. When any of the acts or commissions as herein enumerated are
committed by a license holder and the director of public works deems that such
license shall be suspended or revoked, the procedure shall be as follows: (1) The licensee shall be notified, in writing, by CERTIFIED MAIL or by personal service, at least seven (7) days prior to suspension or revocation. (2) Appeals of a license suspension or termination shall be made to the director of
public works. Appeals must be made in writing within seven (7) working days of
receipt of notice. (3) The hearing date shall be set within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the protest and the licensee shall be notified of the same. (4) When a hearing is conducted, the licensee and other interested parties may be
in attendance. Upon completion of the hearing, the director of public works shall
take all evidence admitted under advisement and shall notify the licensee of their findings and rulings either during the meeting or in writing by certified mail. (5) Hearings shall be administrative and informal. Although an interested party may be represented by an attorney, no formal rules of evidence shall be observed.
No cross-examination of witnesses will be permitted. Evidence and witnesses
will be received; however, the hearing officer has the right to exclude evidence which is repetitive and/or irrelevant. The hearing officer may permit concluding and/or rebuttal statements. The decision of the hearing officer shall be the final action of the city for purposes of any appeal.
Section 7. Section 21-51 of the Code, regarding utility company proof of insurance and bond is amended to read as follows: Sec. 21-51. Liability for injuries, damage.
To the extent authorized and permitted by law, the utility district or company shall be responsible for liability for injury to persons or damage to property resulting from installation of its underground structures or from the repair or failure to repair street surfaces as herein provided. If the utility company or district is conducting the work with
their own forces, they shall submit proof of insurance and bond as required in section 21-21 5-125 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws.
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Section 8. Section 21-53 of the Code, regarding inspections is amended to add a new subsection (d) as follows:
(a)…
(d) WARRANTY INSPECTION. APPROXIMATELY THIRTY (30) DAYS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE TWO-YEAR WARRANTY, THE CITY SHALL CONDUCT A FINAL INSPECTION OF THE COMPLETED WORK. IF THE WORK
IS SATISFACTORY, THE BOND OR LETTER OF CREDIT SHALL BE RETURNED OR ALLOWED TO EXPIRE, LESS ANY AMOUNTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE WORK NOT COMPLETED BY THE PERMITTEE, AND THE CITY SHALL PROVIDE TO THE PERMITTEE A LETTER OF FINAL ACCEPTANCE. FOR WORK NOT INVOLVING MATERIAL DISTURBANCE IN THE RIGHTS-OF-WAY,
THE DIRECTOR MAY WAIVE THE FINAL INSPECTION AND THE PERFORMANCE BOND/LETTER OF CREDIT. Section 9. Section 21-60 (1), (6), (7), (10), (11), (12), and (13) of the Code, regarding traffic control requirements is amended as follows:
Sec. 21-60. Traffic control and access. To avoid interference with traffic, the following conditions must be observed in working in the public way:
(1) All work in the public ways must have a traffic control plan, WHICH shall be submitted to the city prior to starting construction. No permit will be issued until the plan is approved by the director. The traffic control plan must BE IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF THE MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES (MUTCD) AS AMENDED BY THE
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. provide safe methods
for movement of pedestrians and motorists through the work zone and a safe area for workers engaged in the construction activity. The traffic control plan shall be site specific unless otherwise allowed by the director. The traffic control plan shall include the name and emergency phone numbers of the permittee
and the permittee's designated traffic control supervisor. … (6) As a guide for all maintenance and traffic signing, Part VI of the "manual on
uniform traffic control devices" and the CDOT standards shall be used. The permittee shall illustrate on the permit the warning and traffic control devices proposed for use during construction. At the discretion of the director, such warning and control devices may be increased, decreased or modified before and after issuance of the permit.
(7) APPROPRIATE DEVICES Type I, II and III barricades must be used whenever
it is necessary to close a travel lane, or sidewalk, OR BIKE LANE. DEVICES Barricades are to be supplied by the permittee. THE PERMITTEE SHALL
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MAINTAIN ALL DEVICES AT ALL TIMES. All work shall be barricaded at all times and between the hours of sunset and sunrise and shall be properly lighted and delineated so as to warn all persons. Maintenance and construction signing.
The permittee shall be responsible for maintaining all work area signing and barricading during construction operations as well as any signs and barricades that are needed to protect roadway users and pedestrians during nonwork hours. During nonwork hours, all construction work area signs that are not appropriate shall be removed, covered or turned around so that they do not face
traffic. … (10) No permittee shall interrupt access to and from private property, block
emergency vehicles, block access to fire hydrants, fire stations, fire escapes,
water valves, underground vaults, valve housing structures, or any other vital equipment unless the permittee provides the city with written verification of written notice delivered to the owner or occupant of the facility, equipment or property at least 48 hours in advance. If a street closing is desired, the applicant
will request the assistance and obtain the approval of the director AT LEAST 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE REQUESTED CLOSURE. It shall be the responsibility of the permittee to notify and coordinate all work in the public way with police, fire, ambulance, other government entities, and transit organizations.
(11) When necessary for public safety, the permittee shall employ flag persons
whose duties shall be to control traffic around or through the construction site. The use of flag persons may be required by the director. (12) Traffic control devices, as defined in part vi of the manual on uniform traffic control devices, must be used whenever it is necessary to close a traffic lane or
sidewalk. Traffic control devices are to be supplied by the permittee. If used at
night, they must be reflectorized and must be illuminated or have barricade warning lights. (1113) Nighttime work area flood lighting shall not be allowed to spill out of the construction area in such a way as to disturb, annoy, or endanger the comfort,
health or peace of others.
Section 10. Section 21-60.1 of the Code, regarding excavations, backfilling, and compacting is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 21-60.1. Excavations, backfilling and compacting. The director has the authority to promulgate all necessary rules and regulations governing or otherwise related to the materials AND PLACEMENT, INSTALLATION, AND
TESTING METHODS, to be used in excavation, backfilling, compacting and any other reclamation projects in the public rights-of-way, to protect the health, safety and welfare of the city inhabitants. All work performed under this chapter shall conform with any such rules and regulations.
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(a) PERMITTEE RESPONSIBILITY. THE PERMITTEE SHALL BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST AND ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF ALL WORK IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. THE PERMITTEE SHALL DO ALL
WORK IN CONFORMANCE WITH ALL ENGINEERING REGULATIONS, CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS, AND DESIGN STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT. THESE STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL WORK IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED IN THE PERMIT.
(b) RESTORATION. ALL RESTORATION SHALL RESULT IN A WORK SITE CONDITION EQUAL TO OR BETTEER THAN THAT WHICH EXISTED PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION TO THE REGULATIONS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND STANDARDS, REFERRED TO IN SUBSECTION (a) OF THIS SECTION 21-60.1, THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS SHALL APPLY TO WORK IN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY. (1) PAVEMENT CUTS SHALL BE FILLED WITH COMPACTED, SELECT MATERIAL. SELECT MATERIAL SHALL INCLUDE SELECT FILL, CONTROLLED DENSITY {“FLOWABLE”) FILL, OR EXISTING MATERIAL, AS APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR. (2) SELECT FILL SHALL BE PLACED IN AN EXCAVATION TO THE DENSITY REQUIRED BY CITY SPECIFICATIONS. (3) FLOWABLE FILL BACKFILL MATERIAL, SATISFYING CITY SPECIFICATIONS, MAY BE USED TO RESTORE EXCAVATIONS IN THE PAVED PORTION OF ANY PUBLIC STREET OR ALLEYWAY. STEEL PLATES SHALL BE PLACED TO COVER THE EXCAVATION FOR THE TIME REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE MATERIAL TO SET. (4) FOR EXCAVATIONS IN EXCESS OF FIVE (5) FEET IN DEPTH, THE
PERMITTEE MAY USE GRANULAR BACKFILL MATERIAL IN LIEU OF FLOWABLE FILL BACKFILL MATERIAL, PROVIDED THAT IT MEETS CITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR MATERIAL TYPE, GRADATION, PLACEMENT, COMPACTION, AND TESTING. (5) ONCE THE COMPACTED BACKFILL HAS BEEN PLACED, AS ASPHALT CUTBACK SHALL BE MADE. THE CUTBACK SHALL EXTEND A MINIMUM OF SIX (6) INCHES ON EACH SIDE OF THE EXCAVATION ANS SHALL BE OVER UNDISTURBED PAVEMENT MATERIAL. ALL EDGES OF THE CUTBACK SHALL BE NEATLY CUT WITH AN ASPAHLT SAW AT NINETY (90) DEGREES TO TRAFFIC AND UNIFORMLY TACKED PRIOR TO NEW ASPHALT PLACEMENT. (6) THE NEW ASPHALT PLACEMENT SHALL BE PLACED AS DETAILED IN THE CITY SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGN STANDARDS. (7) EXCAVATIONS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENT SHALL MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS IN THE CITY SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS. IN NO CASE SHALL ASPAHLT BE USED TO REPAIR EXCAVATIONS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENT.
Section 11. Severability, Conflicting Ordinances Repealed. If any section, subsection or clause of this Ordinance shall be deemed to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections and clauses shall not be affected thereby. All other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section 12. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect on January 1, 2025.
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INTRODUCED, READ, AND ADOPTED on first reading by a vote of ___ to ___ on this 25th day of November 2024, ordered published by title and in full on the City’s website as provided by the Home Rule Charter, Public Hearing and consideration on final
passage set for December 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., as a virtual meeting and in the Council
Chambers, 7500 West 29th Avenue.
READ, ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED on second and final reading by a vote of ___ to ___, this 9th day of December 2024.
SIGNED by the Mayor on this _____ day of ____________, 2024.
_______________________________ Bud Starker, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________
Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to Form
_________________________ Gerald E. Dahl, City Attorney First Publication: November 26, 2024
Second Publication: December 10, 2024
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 Published: Jeffco Transcript and www.ci.wheatridge.co.us
ITEM NO: 3
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: COUNCIL BILL NO. 24-2024 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING
CHAPTER 5 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF BUILDING CONTRACTORS PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING (11/25/24) BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING (12/09/24) RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO _____________________________
Community Development Director City Manager ISSUE: The City’s Community Development Department manages the licensing of building contractors. Currently there are 14 license categories and over 3400 active licenses. This ordinance simplifies
the licensing framework. PRIOR ACTION: City Council discussed this topic on October 7, 2024. Revised contractor licensing fees were presented in the proposed 2025 budget.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Building contractor license fees have not been changed since 2003. This ordinance recommends removing fees from the municipal code and retaining them in the fee schedule, so they are subject to annual review by City Council. Proposed fees were included in the 2025 budget which
increases fee amounts by $25 to $50 depending on the license type. The 2025 building contractor license fees will take effect only if this ordinance is approved.
Council Action Form – Building Contractor Licensing November 25, 2024
Page 2
BACKGROUND: Current Code
In the municipal code, Chapter 5 establishes building code regulations and Article IV regulates
the licensing of building contractors. A contractor is defined as anyone being paid for and completing construction work which is regulated by the City’s adopted building codes. Contractors are required to be licensed by the City; the only exception is for electricians who are licensed through the state and simply register with the City.
Since at least 1996, the City’s approach to licensing has remained generally the same with over a dozen different contractor classifications. Section 5-117 of the Municipal Code defines each class and Section 5-121 establishes the annual license fee amount. These are summarized in the table below.
Summary of Current Building Contractor Licenses
Class Name Description Annual
Fee
Testing
Available
Active
Licenses as
of 9/23/24
1 Building contractor
Most broad general contractor license;
authorized to perform all types of construction
for all types of buildings
$150 Yes, ICC 285
2 Building
contractor
Limited general contractor; limited to Type 3,
4, and 5 buildings; limited to 3 stories in
height; does not include educational,
institutional, and hazardous occupancies
$125 Yes, ICC 292
3
Residential
building
contractor
Limited to single-unit, duplex and townhome
construction and accessory structures; limited
to 3 stories in height
$100 Yes, ICC 402
4 Building
contractor
For any type of work not covered by the City’s
other license types (1-3 and 5-15) $75 No 299
5
Homeowner
building
contractor
For any work on a single-unit home completed
by the individual who owns the unit and
resides in the unit for a period of 1 year after
final inspection
No fee No 2
6
Structure
moving
contractor
For moving any type of structure
$75 No 1
7 Demolition
contractor
For demolition of any structure $75 No 15
8 Plumbing
contractor
For any work related to sanitary sewer,
potable water, gas piping, and appliances
connected to such systems
$100 Yes, State 455
9 Mechanical contractor
For any work related to warm air heating,
ductwork, ventilation, air conditioning and
evaporative cooling
$100 Yes, ICC 482
10 Electrical
contractor
For any work related to electrical systems (per
state law, this is a City registration, not license) No fee Yes, State 769
Council Action Form – Building Contractor Licensing November 25, 2024
Page 3
11 Sign
contractor
For any work related to fabricating, installing,
or maintaining any sign type $75 No 70
12 Fire
protection
For any work related to automatic fire
sprinkler systems and carbon dioxide systems $75 Yes, ICC 29
13 Lawn
sprinkler
This was removed from the municipal code in
2020 based on changes in state law. - - -
14 Roofing
contractor
For any work related to roofing including new
roofs and reroofs $75 Yes, ICC 351
15 Electrical
signal
For any work related to fire detection, fire
alarm, burglar alarm, pneumatic control and
all signaling or control systems where the
electrical voltage does not exceed fifty (50)
volts
$75 Yes, ICC 34
Total 3,487 While the IBC establishes standards for building codes, it does not establish a standardized
licensing framework, therefore contractor licensing requirements vary among peer cities. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Code establishes that the Building Division shall determine what qualifications are required for each license type and authorizes the Chief Building Official (CBO) to establish reasonable examination procedures.
The International Code Council (ICC) has a Contractor/Trades Examination Program, but it does not apply to all trades and license types. The ICC testing program is designed to provide licensing agencies (i.e. a city) with information regarding qualified contractors and trade professionals. ICC tests are available for general contractor licenses and for some specialty trades (as noted in the table above). Historically, in Wheat Ridge, contractors are required to
submit insurance, payment, and proof of a passing score if an ICC test is available for their license type. Building Division staff track which peer communities also require testing, so reciprocity is available if a contractor has already obtained a license in certain peer communities. Most peer communities have significantly fewer license types than Wheat Ridge. Lakewood has
only five (5) types, Arvada has eleven (11), and most other communities fall somewhere in between, including Brighton, Denver, Englewood, Erie, Lafayette, Littleton, Louisville, and Northglenn. The median is nine (9) license types. PROPOSED ORDINANCE:
The attached ordinance accomplishes three key objectives:
• Reduces the number of license classifications,
• Simplifies the licensing framework, and
• Removes fees from the municipal code. This simplified approach uses umbrella categories—general and specialty, tested and untested—to organize license types into eight (8) categories. The first six (6) license types comprise over
75% of active licenses, and they are unchanged in their description and testing approach.
Council Action Form – Building Contractor Licensing November 25, 2024
Page 4
Instead of numerous license types for other specialty trades, the proposed ordinance classifies specialty trade licenses into two categories: those which have state or ICC testing available and
those which do not. For the latter, the code authorizes the Chief Building Official to request other
evidence of skill and experience such as through notarized letters. This is common practice in peer communities. Summary of Proposed Building Contractor Licenses
Type Class Name Description Annual Fee Testing
Tested - General 1 Unlimited
General
Most broad general contractor license;
authorized to perform all types of
construction for all types of buildings
$170 Yes, ICC
2 Limited
General
Limited general contractor; limited to Type
3, 4, and 5 buildings; limited to 3 stories in
height; does not include educational,
institutional, and hazardous occupancies
$150 Yes, ICC
3 Residential
General
Limited to single-unit, duplex and
townhome construction and accessory
structures; limited to 3 stories in height
$125 Yes, ICC
Tested -
Specialty
Trade
4 Plumbing
contractor
For any work related to sanitary sewer,
potable water, gas piping, and appliances
connected to such systems
$100 Yes, State
5 Mechanical
contractor
For any work related to warm air heating,
ductwork, ventilation, air conditioning and
evaporative cooling
$100 Yes, ICC
6 Electrical contractor
For any work related to electrical systems
(per state law, this is a City registration not
a license)
No fee Yes, State
7 Tested
Trade
For any specialty trade regulated by the
City’s adopted building codes and for which
an ICC or state test is available as
determined by the Chief Building Official,
such as roofing, gas piping, fire
suppression, low voltage electrical
$100 Yes, ICC or
State
Untested -
Specialty
Trade
8 Untested
Trade
For all work which requires a permit but is
not otherwise authorized under the other
license types, 1-7
$100 No, letter proof
of experience
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the ordinance. RECOMMENDED MOTION: “I move to approve Council Bill No. 24-2024, an ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning the registration and licensing of building contractors, on first reading, order it published, public hearing set for Monday, December 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. as a
virtual meeting and in City Council Chambers, and that it takes effect on January 1, 2025.”
Council Action Form – Building Contractor Licensing November 25, 2024
Page 5
Or,
“I move to postpone indefinitely Council Bill No. 24-2024, an ordinance amending Chapter 5 of
the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning the registration and licensing of building contractors, for the following reason(s): _______________________________________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY:
Lauren Mikulak, Community Development Director
Patrick Goff, City Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Council Bill No. 24-2024
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CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ___________ COUNCIL BILL NO. 24
ORDINANCE NO. 1809 Series 2024 TITLE: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF
BUILDING CONTRACTORS
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality having all powers conferred by Article XX of the Colorado Constitution; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule authority and C.R.S. § 31-23-101, the City, acting through its City Council (the “Council”), is authorized to adopt ordinances for the
protection of the public health, safety or welfare; and
WHEREAS, in the exercise of this authority the Council has previously adopted regulations and fees for the licensing and registration of contractors within Chapter 5 (Buildings and Building Regulations) within the Municipal Code (“Code”); and
WHEREAS, the Council wishes to update and simplify the licensing framework in
the Code.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO:
Section 1. Section 5-101(c) of the Code is amended as follows to refine the definition of homeowner contractors:
Sec. 5-101. Definition.
(a) Contractor, generally. In this article "contractor" shall mean any person who undertakes to perform any of the operations controlled by this article for any compensation whatsoever, excepting that a person performing for wages under and for another person appropriately licensed shall not be considered as a
contractor.
(b) Classification of contractors. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, any person performing work classified in section 5-117(a) shall be appropriately licensed as a contractor pursuant to this article; provided, however, any person operating as an electrical contractor shall not be required to be licensed but shall be
required to be registered pursuant to section 5-116(b).
(c) Property owners HOMEOWNER CONTRACTOR. An owner performing work on his THEIR own property, IN WHICH THEY RESIDE AND WILL RESIDE FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR AFTER PROJECT COMPLETION, shall be
ATTACHMENT 1
2
considered a HOMEOWNER contractor if the work affects the structural sufficiency of a habitable structure, and to that extent, such owner must be licensed as a contractor unless he is working under and for another person
appropriately licensed. THE HOMEOWNER CONTRACTOR SHALL ATTEST TO THEIR RESIDENCY TO OBTAIN A PERMIT BUT SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A CONTRACTOR LICENSE.
Section 2. Section 5-117 of the Code, regarding building contractor
classifications, is amended as follows:
Sec. 5-117. Classification.
(a) The various classes of licenses issued under this article and the work authorized to be performed by the holder of the license are as follows:
(1) UNLIMITED GENERAL CONTRACTOR, CLASS 1 — Building
contractor—Class 1. A building contractor, class 1, sShall be authorized to
perform the following: unlimited building, altering, adding to the structural portions of any building, structure or portion thereof of any type, including all concrete, structural steel and iron, and the demolition of all or any part of a building or structure on a site on which new construction, remodel,
alter or repair of an existing building or structure is proposed.
(2) LIMITED GENERAL CONTRACTOR, CLASS 2 — Same—Class 2. A building contractor, class 2, sShall be limited to type 3, 4 or 5 buildings not exceeding three (3) stories and not used for educational, institutional or hazardous occupancies as defined by the building code.
(3) Residential building contractor, CLASS 3 — Class 3. A residential building
contractor, class III, sShall be limited to one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family (townhouse) residential structures not exceeding three (3) stories, and their accessory structures.
(4) Building contractor—Class 4. A class 4 contractor license shall be required
for all work not otherwise authorized under subsections (1) through (3) and (5) through (15) of this subsection (a).
(5) Homeowner building contractor—Class 5. A homeowner building contractor, class 5, shall be authorized to do the following: Construction, alterations or additions including plumbing, electrical and mechanical
alterations of a single-family dwelling owned and resided in by that individual for a period of one (1) year after approved final inspection of the work. A city contractor license shall not be required; however, a homeowner building contractor, class 5, shall be required to be registered in the city.
(6) Structure moving contractor—Class 6. A structure moving contractor, class
6, shall authorize moving of any and all types of buildings or structures.
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The requirement for license applies to any person so performing in the city on public rights-of-way regardless of points of beginning and destination of the performance. (See section 5-125 for insurance and bond
requirements.)
(7) Demolition contractor—Class 7. A demolition contractor, class 7, shall be authorized to perform demolition or wrecking of any building or structure or portion thereof.
(84) Plumbing contractor, CLASS 4 — Class 8. A plumbing contractor, class 8,
sShall be authorized to do the following: Installation of all sanitary plumbing and potable water supply piping and appliances connected thereto, and including gas piping and the complete installation of water heaters, the installation of piping for transmission of chemicals and gases; the installation and removal of backflow prevention devices; the installation
of gas ranges, gas dryers and gas refrigerators, steam and hot water
heating system, process and industrial piping and related appurtenances which shall include the piping used for the transmission of chemicals and gases, the installation of burners, piping and controls utilizing gas, pipe insulation and low voltage wiring which does not exceed forty-eight (48)
volts and when such wiring is not enclosed in a conduit or raceway.
(95) Mechanical contractor, CLASS 5 — Class 9. A mechanical contractor, class 9, sShall be authorized to do the following: Installation of warm air heating, all ductwork, ventilation and evaporative cooling; the installation of gas piping, burners, venting and controls; and exterior sheet metal; duct
isolation; installation of refrigeration systems and appurtenant cooling
towers; pipe installation; and low voltage wiring which does not exceed forty-eight (48) volts and when such wiring is not enclosed in a conduit or raceway.
(106) Electrical contractor, CLASS 6 — Class 10. An electrical contractor, class
10, sShall be authorized to do the following: Installation of electrical
systems on residential and commercial properties. Pursuant to section 5-116(b) above, an electrical contractor, class 10 shall not be required to be licensed in the city; however, an electrical contractor, class 10 shall be required to be registered in the city and provide proof of a valid, current
State of Colorado master electrician's license pursuant to Article 23, Title 12, C.R.S. upon registration. Exception: Authorized and franchised public utility companies.
(7) TESTED SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR, CLASS 7 — SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO COMPLETE ANY SPECIALTY TRADE NOT LISTED
IN THE LICENSE CATEGORIES ABOVE WHICH IS REGULATED BY
THE CITY’S ADOPTED BUILDING CODES AND FOR WHICH
EXAMINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE AND REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND CAPABILITY AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 5-120. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO,
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SPECIALTY TRADES SUCH AS ROOFING, GAS PIPING, FIRE SUPPRESSION, AND LOW VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL.
(8) UNTESTED SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR, CLASS 8 — SHALL BE
AUTHORIZED TO COMPLETE ANY SPECIALTY TRADE NOT LISTED
IN THE LICENSE CATEGORIES ABOVE WHICH IS REGULATED BY
THE CITY’S ADOPTED BUILDING CODES AND FOR WHICH EXAMINATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND CAPABILITY AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 5-120.
(11) Sign contractor—Class 11. A sign contractor, class 11, shall be authorized to do the following: Installation, replacement or maintenance of all types of signs.
(12) Fire protection contractor—Class 12. A fire protection contractor, class 12, shall be authorized to do the following:
a. Automatic fire suppression systems of all types.
b. Carbon dioxide systems.
c. Standpipe systems and appurtenances.
(13) Reserved.
(14) Roofing contractor—Class 14. A roofing contractor, class 14, shall be
authorized to apply roof covering material to all structures.
(15) Electrical signal contractor—Class 15. An electrical signal contractor, class 15, shall be authorized to do the following: Installation of fire detection, fire alarm, burglar alarm, pneumatic control and all signaling or control systems where the electrical voltage does not exceed fifty (50) volts.
Exception: Authorized and franchised public utility companies.
(b) Holders of certain of the licenses set forth in subsection (a) above, may perform as if licensed for certain of the other functions in accordance with the following schedule:
Licensed as May perform as
Class 1 Class 2, 3, 4 2 OR 3
Class 2 Class 3, 4 .
Class 3 . Class 4 .
Section 3. Section 5-119 of the Code, regarding qualification, is amended to remove class numbers from the section title, to read as follows:
Sec. 5-119. - Building OFFICIAL inspection division to determine qualifications
of applicants for class I through class XIV CONTRACTOR licenses.
5
There is hereby vested in the CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL building inspection division pursuant to law, the duty of determining the qualifications of applicants for the certain licenses established by this
chapter.
Section 4. Section 5-120 of the Code, regarding examination procedures, is amended as follows:
Sec. 5-120. - Examining procedures for issuance.
The chief building official shall establish such reasonable examining procedures
for issuance of class I through class XIV CONTRACTOR licenses as shall, from time to time, become necessary. These examining procedures, if used, shall be implemented so as to assure the city that the applicant does indeed have the knowledge and capability to perform work in accordance with the provisions of this Code and shall not deny a license to any person capable and willing to perform in
such fashion.
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS SHALL INCLUDE A CERTIFICATION EXAM RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC LICENSE CLASS AS PUBLISHED BY THE ICC OR STATE OF COLORADO. IF AN EQUIVALENT EXAMINATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, AS IS THE CASE FOR CLASS 8 UNTESTED SPECIALTY
CONTRACTORS, THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL MAY REQUIRE REASONABLE ALTERNATE EVIDENCE OF CAPABILITY SUCH AS NOTARIZED LETTERS FROM PRIOR PROJECT SUPERVISORS DEMONSTRATING EXPERIENCE.
Section 5. Section 5-121 of the Code, regarding contractor license fees, is
amended as follows:
Sec. 5-121. - Fees.
The annual license fees for contractors’ licenseS under the provisions of this article shall be paid in accordance with THE CITY'S FEE SCHEDULE, AS ADOPTED AND AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME BY CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION. the following table:
(1) Building contractor, Class 1—$150.00
(2) Building contractor, Class 2—$125.00
(3) Residential building contractor, Class 3—$100.00
(4) Building contractor, Class 4—$75.00
(5) Homeowner building contractor, Class 5—No fee
6
(6) Structure moving contractor, Class 6—$75.00
(7) Demolition contractor, Class 7—$75.00
(8) Plumbing contractor, Class 8—$100.00
(9) Mechanical contractor, Class 9—$100.00
(10) Electrical contractor, Class 10—No fee
(11) Sign contractor, Class 11—$75.00
(12) Fire protection contractor, Class 12—$75.00
(13) Reserved.
(14) Roofing contractor, Class 14—$75.00
(15) Electrical signal contractor, Class 15—$75.00
License fees are due with the license application and are nonrefundable. Non issuance of licenses shall not entitle applicant to a refund of fees paid.
Section 6. Section 5-124(a) of the Code, regarding the suspension or
revocation of a contractor license, is amended as follows:
Sec. 5-124. – Suspension or revocation.
(a) Authority. The director of community development may suspend or revoke class I through class XIIV CONTRACTOR licenses. License suspension or revocation may occur when the licensee commits one (1) or more of the following acts or
omissions:
Section 7. Section 5-125 of the Code, regarding the insurance for a licensed contractor, is renamed, amended, and renumbered as follows:
Sec. 5-125. – Bond and iInsurance required.
(a) Reserved.
(ba) Insurance. A certificate liability of insurance from an insurance company licensed to do business in the state shall be filed with the city prior to issuance of any class 1 through 12 CONTRACTOR license. The limits of such coverage shall include workers compensation and employer's liability in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) and general liability in
7
the amount of six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000.00) general aggregate and three hundred thousand ($300,000.00) for each occurrence.
Section 8. Severability, Conflicting Ordinances Repealed. If any section,
subsection or clause of this Ordinance shall be deemed to be unconstitutional or
otherwise invalid, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections and clauses shall not be affected thereby. All other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section 9. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect on January 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED, READ, AND ADOPTED on first reading by a vote of ___ to ___
on this 25th day of November 2024, ordered published by title and in full on the City’s website as provided by the Home Rule Charter, Public Hearing and consideration on final passage set for December 9, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., as a virtual meeting and in the Council Chambers, 7500 West 29th Avenue.
READ, ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED on second and final reading by
a vote of ___ to ___, this 9th day of December 2024.
SIGNED by the Mayor on this _____ day of ____________, 2024.
_______________________________
Bud Starker, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
Approved as to Form
_________________________
Gerald E. Dahl, City Attorney First Publication: November 26, 2024 Second Publication: December 10, 2024
Effective Date: January 1, 2025
Published: Jeffco Transcript and www.ci.wheatridge.co.us
ITEM NO: 4
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: COUNCIL BILL NO. 25-2024 – AN ORDINANCE
APPROVING THE SALE OF CITY-OWNED REAL PROPERTY AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST 38TH AVENUE AND JOHNSON STREET AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING (11/25/2024) BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING (12/09/2024) RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO
_____________________________
Parks and Recreation Director City Manager ISSUE: The City was approached by Kyle and Erin Ballew for a proposed retail development, DOP’s Sweet Spot, at the southwest corner of 38th Avenue and Johnson Street. The 29,810 square foot
parcel is owned by the City of Wheat Ridge and was rezoned to Planned Commercial
Development in 2008. Permitted uses on the subject property include any land use allowed in the City’s Restricted Commercial zone district. This proposed retail use would be a permitted use. Only 25,378 square feet of the parcel would be sold and the remaining 4,432 would be retained by the City for regional drainage.
Section 16.5 of the City Charter states that “The City shall not sell or dispose of municipally owned buildings or real property for a public purpose, without first obtaining the approval, by ordinance, of three-fourths of the entire council.”
PRIOR ACTION:
City Council reached consensus at the October 14, 2024, study session to bring forward an ordinance approving the sale of this city-owned property to Kyle and Erin Ballew.
Council Action Form – Sale of 38th and Johnson Property November 25, 2024
Page 2
FINANCIAL IMPACT: An appraisal for the 25,378 square foot parcel was completed in November 2024. The parcel has
a value of $425,000.
The land that is now Discovery Park, including this parcel in question, was purchased with the City’s attributable share of Open Space Funds and Jefferson County Bond Funds. Jefferson County Open Space does not have a financial interest in the property due to the removal of the
open space reverter on this portion of the park property. The original purchase price for the entire
8-acre site that is now Discovery Park, including the undeveloped area under discussion for sale, was $1,245,500. The Parks Division has identified this parcel as a remnant piece of land with no desire to develop
at any time. All proceeds from the sale of the property are required to be placed in the Open
Space Fund 32 for park and recreation purposes due to the fact that open space funds were used to originally purchase the property. BACKGROUND:
Kyle and Erin Ballew, Wheat Ridge residents, have approached the City with a retail
development proposal for the City owned property at the southwest corner of 38th Avenue and Johnson Street. DOP’s Sweet Spot would serve sno-balls along with other treats such as ice cream and donuts. The building would have several service windows and a bathroom for patrons but no indoor seating. Covered outdoor seating as well as games for all ages (i.e. giant Jenga,
jumbo Lego blocks, cornhole, connect four, etc.) green space, bike racks and bistro lights, to
provide ambiance, would all be provided. The subject property is zoned Planned Commercial Development (PCD) and more specifically is part of the 38th and Kipling PCD. This zoning was approved by City Council in 2008 for the
City-owned land including Discovery Park and the subject parcel. The zoning establishes one set
of standards for the park and a different set of standards for the subject parcel. The 2008 case file indicates that the future use of the subject parcel was unknown, so the zoning was written to provide flexibility allowing overflow parking (for the park or for the adjacent Applewood Café) or a fully independently development site. While the ODP allows only park uses in Discovery
Park, the ODP expanded permitted uses for the subject parcel to include any land use allowed in
City’s Restricted Commercial (RC) zone district. Based on the ODP and the RC zone district, permitted uses on the subject property include a limited range of neighborhood-oriented businesses, including office, personal services, eating
establishments, and retail limited to 5,000 square feet in size. The proposed DOP’s Sweet Spot
business would be a permitted use. Because of the PCD zoning, any development on the subject parcel requires the submittal and review of a Specific Development Plan and a single public hearing before the Planning Commission.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends approving Council Bill No 25-2024.
Council Action Form – Sale of 38th and Johnson Property November 25, 2024
Page 3
RECOMMENDED MOTION: “I move to approve Council Bill No. 25-2024, an ordinance approving the sale of city-owned
real property at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Johnson Street and, in connection
therewith, authorizing execution of a Purchase and Sale Agreement, on first reading, order it published, public hearing set for Monday, December 9, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. as a virtual meeting and in City Council Chambers, and that it takes effect fifteen (15) days after final publication as provided by Section 5.11 of the Charter.”
Or, “I move to postpone indefinitely Council Bill No. 25-2024, an ordinance approving the sale of city-owned real property at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Johnson for the following
reason(s) ______________________________________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY: Karen O’Donnell, Parks and Recreation Director Patrick Goff, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Council Bill No. 25-2024 2. Purchase and Sale Agreement
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER __________ Council Bill No. 25
Ordinance No. 1810 Series 2024
TITLE: AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE SALE OF CITY-OWNED REAL PROPERTY AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST 38TH AVENUE AND JOHNSON STREET AND, IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado (“City”) owns certain real property within the City at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Johnson Street (the “Johnson Property”); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Wheat Ridge City Charter Section 16.5, the approval by
three-quarters of the entire City Council, by ordinance, is necessary to sell or dispose of real property not designated as park land; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has previously adopted an amendment to the City’s Parks Master Plan confirming that the Johnson Property is not designated park property;
and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds and determines that the sale of the Johnson Property does not impact the use or needs of the adjacent park; and
WHEREAS, the City Council therefore desires to approve the sale of the Johnson Property to Dops Sweet Spot LLC and to approve the execution of a Purchase and Sale
Agreement in connection therewith.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO:
Section 1. Sale of Property approved. Pursuant to Charter Section 16.5, the City Council hereby approves the sale to Dops Sweet Spot LLC for a purchase price of
$425,000, and which property is more particularly described on Exhibit 1, attached hereto
and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 2. Agreement approved. In connection with the sale of real property approved by Section 1 above, the City Council hereby authorizes and directs the Mayor, City Clerk and City Manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement and associated
documents, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
Section 3. Severability, Conflicting ordinances repealed. If any section, subsection or clause of this Ordinance shall be deemed to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections and clauses shall not
ATTACHMENT 1
be affected thereby. All other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section 4. Effective date. This Ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
final publication, as provided by Section 5.11 of the Charter.
INTRODUCED, READ, AND ADOPTED on first reading by a vote of ___ to __ on this 25th day of November 2024, ordered published by title and in full on the City’s website as provided by the Home Rule Charter, and Public Hearing and consideration on final passage set for December 9, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 7500 West
29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
READ, ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED on second and final reading by a vote of ___ to ____this _____ day of ______________, 2024.
SIGNED by the Mayor on this _____ day of ____________, 2024.
__________________________
Bud Starker, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________ Margy Greer, Senior Deputy, City Clerk
Approved as to Form
_________________________ Gerald E. Dahl, City Attorney
First Publication: November 26, 2024 Second Publication: December 10, 2024 Jeffco Transcript and www.ci.wheatridge.co.us
Effective Date: December 24, 2024
EXHIBIT 1
Park Property
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
A parcel of land in the NW ¼ of Section 27, T3S, R69W of the 6th PM, described as: Lot 3, 38th & Kipling Subdivision, City of Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado, excluding therefrom right of way parcels of 15.25 and 19.5 feet in width along the northern boundary thereof, and a right of way parcel of 1.5 feet in width along the eastern boundary thereof.
ITEM NO: 5
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: RESOLUTION NO. 49-2024 – A RESOLUTION LEVYING GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2024, TO HELP DEFRAY THE COSTS OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO FOR THE 2025
BUDGET YEAR
PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING
BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING RESOLUTIONS QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO
___________________________________ ______________________________ Deputy City Manager City Manager
ISSUE:
This resolution authorizes the levying of property taxes for the 2024 fiscal year to help defray the cost of government in 2025. PRIOR ACTION:
None FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City’s mill levy will be set at 1.830, raising approximately $1,461,975 in property tax revenue.
BACKGROUND: Section 39-5-128 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) requires the Jefferson County Assessor to certify to the City the total valuation for assessment of all taxable property located within the territorial limits of the City of Wheat Ridge. The estimated total net assessed valuation
for the City for the year of 2024 is $798,893,475 which is a decrease of $6,390,468 (-1%) compared to the final valuation in 2023.
Council Action Form – Certification of Mill Levy November 25, 2024
Page 2
The City’s property tax mill levy will remain at 1.830 mills for the 2025 budget, generating approximately $1,461,975 in property tax revenue, a decrease of $38,025 (-2.5%) compared to
the 2024 estimate.
Section 20 of Article X of the Constitution of Colorado, the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), restricts increases in property tax revenue to inflation plus local growth (defined as the percentage change in actual value of real property from construction of taxable real property
improvements). Wheat Ridge voters exempted the City from this TABOR revenue limitation at
the November 2006 election. However, TABOR still restricts the City from raising the property tax mill levy without voter approval unless the mill levy was temporarily reduced in a previous year.
Legislative Changes
Since the pandemic, housing values have surged, leading to higher assessed values and increased property tax bills—even without a rise in tax rates. Concerned by higher property tax bills, advocates for property tax reduction placed Initiatives 50 and 108 on the 2024 ballot. These measures aimed to cap statewide property tax revenue growth at 4%, reduce assessment rates,
and require the state to offset lost revenue for school districts. Alarmed by the potential impact of
these initiatives, Colorado’s governor and legislative leaders negotiated with proponents to withdraw the measures from the ballot in exchange for a statewide property tax reduction and long-term growth limits.
These negotiations resulted in the passage of HB1001 during a special session in August 2024.
The legislation lowers property assessment rates starting in the 2025 tax year, with gradual reductions through 2027. However, the overall decreases are less significant than those proposed under the initiatives. While the bill includes provisions for backfilling lost revenue, the City is unlikely to receive any backfilled revenue in future years
RECOMMENDATIONS: Set the mill levy at 1.830. RECOMMENDED MOTION:
“I move to approve Resolution No. 49-2024, a resolution levying general property taxes for the
year 2024, to help defray the costs of government for the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado for the 2025 budget year.” Or,
“I move to postpone indefinitely Resolution No. 49-2024, a resolution levying general property taxes for the year 2024, to help defray the costs of government for the City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado for the 2025 budget year for the following reason(s)___________________________.”
REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY:
Cole Haselip, Management Analyst
Council Action Form – Certification of Mill Levy November 25, 2024
Page 3
Allison Scheck, Deputy City Manager Patrick Goff, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution No. 49-2024 2. 2024 Certification of Tax Levy
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
RESOLUTION NO. 49 Series of 2024 TITLE: A RESOLUTION LEVYING GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE YEAR 2024, TO HELP DEFRAY THE COSTS OF
GOVERNMENT FOR THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO FOR THE 2025 BUDGET YEAR WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Wheat Ridge adopted the 2025 annual budget on November 25, 2024 in accordance with the Local Government Budget Law,
and; WHEREAS, the amount of money necessary to balance the budget for general operating purposes from real property tax revenue is $1,461,975, and;
WHEREAS, the Local Government Budget Law requires certification of the annual property tax mill levy by December 15, 2024, and; WHEREAS, the total net assessed valuation of all taxable property subject to taxation for the year 2024 is $798,893,475 and;
WHEREAS, the City for the fiscal year 2024 has determined to levy 1.830 mills on all taxable property within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE: A. That for the purpose of meeting all general operating expenses of the City of Wheat Ridge during the 2025 budget year, there is hereby levied a tax
of 1.830 mills placed upon each dollar of the total valuation of all taxable property within the City of Wheat Ridge for the year 2024. B. That the Mayor of the City of Wheat Ridge is hereby authorized and directed to immediately certify to the County Commissioners of Jefferson
County, Colorado the mill levy for the City of Wheat Ridge as herein above determined and set.
DONE AND RESOLVED this 25th day of November 2024.
_________________________ Bud Starker, Mayor ATTEST:
_________________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
ATTACHMENT 1
Form DLG 70 (rev 7/08) ATTACHMENT 2
Page 1 of 2
110 County Tax Entity Code DOLA LGID/SID 30093 / CERTIFICATION OF TAX LEVIES for NON-SCHOOL Governments
TO: County Commissioners1 of Jefferson County , Colorado.
On behalf of the City of Wheat Ridge ,
(taxing entity)A
the City Council
(governing body)B of the City of Wheat Ridge
(local government)C
Hereby officially certifies the following mills to be levied against the taxing entity’s GROSS assessed valuation of:
$ 860,125,954
(GROSSD assessed valuation, Line 2 of the Certification of Valuation For-m DLG 57E)
Note: If the assessor certified a NET assessed valuation (AV) different than the GROSS AV due to a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) AreaF the tax levies must be calculated using the NET AV. The taxing entity’s total property tax revenue will be derived from the mill levy multiplied against the NET assessed valuation of:
$ 798,893,475
(NETG assessed valuation, Line 4 of the Certification of Valuation Form DLG 57)
Submitted: 12-6-2024 for budget/fiscal year 2025 .
(not later than Dec. 15) (mm/dd/yyyy) (yyyy)
PURPOSE (see end notes for definitions and examples) LEVY2 REVENUE2
1. General Operating ExpensesH 1.830 mills $ 1,461,975
2. <Minus> Temporary General Property Tax Credit/ Temporary Mill Levy Rate ReductionI < > mills $ < >
SUBTOTAL FOR GENERAL OPERATING: 1.830 mills $ 1,461,975
3. General Obligation Bonds and InterestJ mills $
4. Contractual ObligationsK mills $
5. Capital ExpendituresL mills $
6. Refunds/AbatementsM mills $
7. OtherN (specify): mills $
mills $
TOTAL: [ Sum of General Operating Subtotal and Lines 3 to 7 ] 1.830 mills $1,461,975
Contact person: (print) Patrick Goff Daytime phone: (303) 235-2805
Signed: Title: City Manager
1 If the taxing entity’s boundaries include more than one county, you must certify the levies to each county. Use a separate form for each county and certify the same levies uniformly to each county per Article X, Section 3 of the Colorado Constitution.
2 Levies must be rounded to three decimal places and revenue must be calculated from the total NET assessed valuation (Line 4 of Form DLG57 on the County Assessor’s final certification of valuation).
ITEM NO: 6 DATE: November 25, 2024
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: RESOLUTION NO. 50-2024 – A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE 2015 PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO ______________ _______________________ Parks and Recreation Director City Manager ISSUE: The 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan was adopted by City Council on April 27, 2015. The Plan designates certain parcels in the City as park land. In 2008, City Council approved an
ordinance rezoning the property which is now Discovery Park. The Outline Development Plan included a condition that up to 36,000 square feet of the northern portion of the site may be used for commercial uses. However, the park land designation on this portion of the site was not removed. This resolution will amend the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan to remove the park land designation from this remanent parcel.
PRIOR ACTION:
• On August 25, 2008, City Council approved Ordinance No. 1417 rezoning what is now Discovery Park (including a remanent parcel) to Planned Commercial Development. The
Outline Development Plan included a condition that up to 36,000 sq. ft. of the northern portion
of the site may be used for commercial uses as allowed in the RC zone district.
• On August 25, 2008, City Council approved Resolution No. 47 supporting the disposal of this remanent parcel for future commercial use.
• The Discovery Park Master Plan, approved in 2008, illustrates this remanent parcel of park property is reserved for future commercial development.
• On September 28, 2009, City Council approved Resolution No. 48 supporting Jefferson County Open Space to proceed with the relocation of the open space reverter on this parcel to the Baugh
House property.
• City Council adopted the Parks and Recreation Master Plan on April 27, 2015.
Council Action Form – Parks and Recreation Plan Amendment November 25, 2024
Page 2
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact in approving this amendment. However, if approved, this parcel
can be sold by the approval of three-fourths of the entire city council. All proceeds from the sale of
the property are required to be placed in the Open Space Fund 32 for park and recreation purposes due to the fact that open space funds were used to originally purchase the property. The Parks Division has identified this parcel as a remnant piece of land with no desire to develop at
any time. All proceeds from the sale of the property are required to be placed in the Open Space
Fund 32 for park and recreation purposes due to the fact that open space funds were used to originally purchase the property. BACKGROUND:
The subject property is zoned Planned Commercial Development (PCD) and more specifically is
part of the 38th and Kipling PCD. This zoning was approved by City Council in 2008 for the City-owned land including Discovery Park and the subject parcel. The zoning establishes one set of standards for the park and a different set of standards for the subject parcel. The 2008 case file indicates that the future use of the subject parcel was unknown, so the zoning was written to provide
flexibility allowing overflow parking (for the park or for the adjacent Applewood Café) or a fully
independently development site. While the ODP allows only park uses in Discovery Park, the ODP expanded permitted uses for the subject parcel to include any land use allowed in City’s Restricted Commercial (RC) zone district.
Based on the ODP and the RC zone district, permitted uses on the subject property include a limited
range of neighborhood-oriented businesses, including office, personal services, eating establishments, and retail limited to 5,000 square feet in size. Because of the PCD zoning, any development on the subject parcel requires the submittal and review of a Specific Development Plan and a single public hearing before the Planning Commission.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the resolution. RECOMMENDED MOTION:
“I move to approve Resolution No. 50-2024, a resolution amending the 2015 Parks and
Recreation Master Plan.” Or,
“I move to table indefinitely Resolution No. 50-2024, a resolution amending the 2015 Parks
and Recreation Master Plan for the following reason(s) _____________________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY: Karen O’Donnell, Parks and Recreation Director
Patrick Goff, City Manager
Jerry Dahl, City Attorney ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution No. 50-2024
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO RESOLUTION NO. 50 Series of 2024
TITLE: A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE 2015 PARKS AND
RECREATION MASTER PLAN
WHEREAS, City Council adopted the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan on April 27, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the Plan designates certain parcels in the City as park land; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, City Council approved an ordinance rezoning the property which is now Discovery Park to Planned Commercial Development; and WHEREAS, the Outline Development Plan for Discovery Park included a condition
that up to 36,000 square feet of the northern portion of the site may be used for
commercial uses; and WHEREAS, City Council wishes to remove the park land designation from the northern portion of the site.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Wheat Ridge City Council, that: Section 1. The park land designation is removed from the northern portion of the Discovery Park site as outlined in red in the attached Exhibit A.
Section 2. This Resolution shall be effective upon adoption. DONE AND RESOLVED this 25th day of November 2024.
Bud Starker, Mayor ATTEST:
______ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
ATTACHMENT 1
Wheat Ridge: System Map from the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
EXHIBIT A
ITEM NO: 7
DATE: November 25, 2024 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH OPENGOV
FOR THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $424,070 PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING
RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO
_______________________________ ______________________________ Deputy City Manager City Manager ISSUE: Over the course of the last three years, the City has evaluated its systems and business processes
in order to streamline and modernize essential organizational functions. The City has selected
five systems to drive efficiency and modernize business practices across the enterprise. The third system to be purchased and implemented is OpenGov Financials which will modernize financial practices and improve budgeting and procurement processes.
PRIOR ACTION:
Regular updates have been provided to Council over the course of the last two years during study sessions, budget presentations and the City Manager’s quarterly update. Earlier this year, Council approved contracts with GovOS for tax and business licensing, and OpenGov for building permits and contractor licensing.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Over the course of the last three budgets, the City has saved $844,000 in the Equipment Replacement Fund to fund the implementation and initial subscription fees to replace the existing legacy Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP). The implementation and first year’s “software
as a subscription (SaaS)” fee for each system will be paid from the Equipment Replacement Fund.
Therefore, there is no impact to the General Fund reserves in 2024 or 2025 from the purchase of this system. This expense is budgeted in the 2025 budget.
Council Action Form – OpenGov Contract November 25, 2024
Page 2
The OpenGov Financials system costs $121,454 in 2025 for the software subscription, plus $302,616 for the full suite implementation which is based on OpenGov completing 80% of the work and City staff completing 20% of the work, and travel reimbursements not to exceed $14,400, as needed. In
future years, the City will be responsible for the software subscription at $128,022.27 in 2026 and
$133,381.73 in 2027 for a grand total of $699,874 over three years. BACKGROUND: In February 2021, Council determined that streamlining the permitting and licensing programs to
be a priority workplan item for staff. In addition to permitting and licensing, City leadership has
been concerned about the legacy systems that power all functions in the City; even those “behind the scenes” such as personnel management, payroll, court management and financials. Due to these legacy systems, staff is having to use manual processes, input data in numerous areas and track several business processes on spreadsheets, resulting in wasted time and the potential for
errors.
In 2022, the City retained the consultancy firm BerryDunn to conduct a full and sweeping analysis of the City’s current systems and business processes. This included finance, revenue, building permitting, human resources information systems (HRIS) and courts. With BerryDunn,
the City conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to determine the best system or
package of systems to best serve the City’s needs. Staff learned through this process that no single system exists to serve the City’s needs and that instead, systems tailored to specific needs will best serve the needs of business owners, residents, staff and other stakeholders. Ideal systems have been selected for each area mentioned above and an implementation schedule has
been determined as follows:
Area System Implementation Timing
Revenue – tax and licensing GovOS April – December 2024
Permitting – building, right-of-way and code enforcement OpenGov (grant funding
secured)
April 2024 – January 2025
Finance – accounting, general ledger, cashiering,
budgeting, procurement, contract management
OpenGov January 2025-March 2026
HRIS – payroll, personnel,
applicant tracking, time keeping, performance
Paycom –
(grant funding secured)
February – May 2025
Courts – judicial
management
*TBD –
(grant funding secured)
June 2025 – May 2026
*Preferred systems have been identified, but negotiations are ongoing. Other systems are feasible should terms not prove favorable to the City.
Council Action Form – OpenGov Contract November 25, 2024
Page 3
Given Council’s focus on streamlining the City’s permitting and licensing programs, staff prioritized revenue and permitting systems for implementation in 2024 and we are close to releasing these new systems to the public.
Staff analyzed several potential finance systems, and the preferred system is OpenGov; the same software company as selected for building and right-of-way permitting and contractor licensing. The OpenGov Financials module includes all the core elements one would expect of a modern financial solution such as general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cashiering, bank
reconciliation, fixed assets and financial reporting. Additionally, the OpenGov solution includes
a budgeting and planning module, which will ultimately replace our existing budget book with an ADA compliant and interactive web version and a full procurement suite including contract management all included in the base price of the software. This level of integration will drive efficiency and accuracy. OpenGov provides the best features for the cost with acceptable system
security compared to all the systems that staff evaluated.
When staff determined the overall RFP process did not meet the need for a new financial system,
staff began researching various cooperative agreements to learn what options are available via
piggy-backable agreements. OpenGov’s cooperative option is available through our Value-
Added Reseller (VAR) Carahsoft which holds a State of Utah agreement; the State of Colorado
has agreed to participate allowing the City to utilize those agreements. OpenGov performed
multiple, tailored demonstrations related to the core financial solution, the budget solution and
the procurement and contracts solution. OpenGov was ultimately chosen as the preferred
solution due to the software functionality and negotiated costs.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the OpenGov contract.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
“I move to approve the contract with OpenGov for the financial system in the amount of $424,070,”
Or,
“I move to deny the contract with OpenGov for the following reason(s) __________.” REPORT PREPARED/REVIEWED BY:
Whitney Mugford-Smith, Procurement Manager
Allison Scheck, Deputy City Manager Patrick Goff, City Manager ATTACHMENTS:
1. Carahsoft Price Quotation
2. OpenGov Project Plan Letter and Partnership
G)OPENGOV
OpenGov and Wheat Ridge, CO
Proje,ct Plan L 1etter an.d Partnership
lnvestment Summary
James Jaggers
Account Executive
916-223-9146
jjaggie rs@opengov.co m
ATTACHMENT 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
OpenGov Financials 6
Core Financials 9
Utility Billing 14
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning 16
Reporting &Transparency 27
OpenGov Procurement 31
Security &Reliability 47
Qualifications &Experience 49
Awards &Credentials 49
Company History 50
Professional Services Overview 53
OpenGov Support Overview 57
OpenGov University &Training 60
1
Patrick Goff
City Manager
Wheat Ridge,CO
7500 W 29th Ave
Wheat Ridge,Colorado 80033
United States
Dear Patrick and Evaluation Committee,
We know you have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a new ERP system for the City of
Wheat Ridge.Furthermore,you may only implement something of this size and nature once in your
career.OpenGov is excited to present our proposal for the implementation of OpenGov's Cloud ERP,
tailored to meet the unique needs of the City of Wheat Ridge and drive transformative outcomes.
With over 500 years of combined government experience,OpenGov brings invaluable expertise in
organizational change management and operational redesign to support the City of Wheat Ridge 's
goals.Our commitment goes beyond offering a robust ERP system;we eliminate the concerns of
system maintenance,ensuring a seamless experience for the City of Wheat Ridge with an in-house
Support Team will team providing best-in-class support has earned multiple Stevie Awards for
Customer Service.
Addressing the City of Wheat Ridge's highlighted pain points,OpenGov's Cloud ERP is the solution
to outdated technology,lack of integration,manual processes,interface challenges,and the
preference for a cloud-based system.Our cloud-based approach not only ensures enhanced
operational e ciency but also delivers a smoother employee experience,improved institutional
knowledge,and increased transparency both internally and externally.
OpenGov's mission is to power more effective and accountable government.We aim to foster a
lasting partnership with the City of Wheat Ridge,creating raving fans within the community.We
are excited to dedicate our entire organization to ensure this engagement exceeds expectations.I
look forward to meeting with you and your team soon.
Thank you for considering OpenGov as your partner in advancing the City of Wheat Ridge
operations.
Sincerely,
James Jaggers
Account Executive
916-223-9146
jjaggers@opengov.com
2
Executive Summary
OpenGov is proposing OpenGov Financials,Budgeting &Planning,and Procurement for
consideration.We look forward to demonstrating how these solutions will enable you to operate
e ciently,adapt to change,and strengthen public trust.
Most software providers offer either a generic ERP system that goes an “inch deep and mile wide”
or specializes in one area but can’t serve your agency across multiple departments.With OpenGov
–each of your Finance functions can benefit from software that was designed for their specific
departmental workflows —while working with a strategic partner that can grow with you.
The OpenGov ERP Cloud is the only modern cloud ERP designed to unify and automate the
mission-critical processes of local government,future-proofing your most important software
investment.The OpenGov ERP Cloud is transforming public administration through robust
financial management,automated procurement,industry-leading reporting and transparency,
flexible workflow management,and collaborative budgeting.With this investment,OpenGov ERP
Cloud customers operate more e ciently to unlock and save hundreds of hours,nimbly adapt to
the changing needs of their governments,and strengthen public trust and services.
The OpenGov ERP Cloud is the only ERP that provides:
●Industry-leading budgeting,reporting,and transparency capabilities
●Trusted and secure technology to protect your data,operations,and reputation
●Subject matter experts who share your passion
3
OpenGov is a customer-driven software company backed by over 500 years of employee
experience in the public sector.With OpenGov,your investment in better decision-making,
e cient operations,and a more engaged community will sustain for the long haul.Below,we detail
the software suites that unify to create your OpenGov ERP Cloud.
OpenGov Financials is a comprehensive,cloud Financial Management Suite designed for local
government.OpenGov Financials unifies and automates the many mission-critical financial
processes of public administration,now and for the future.The heart of OpenGov Financials is a
robust general ledger system designed from the start for GAAP multi-fund accounting and the
special needs of governmental reporting under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
Flexible chart of accounts structure and sophisticated reporting closely support the need to have
easily auditable records,comply with complex State regulations,and meet the specific
management needs of transit agencies.
Core subsystems bundled with the general ledger provide fully integrated accounts payables,
accounts receivables,cash receipting (including citation payments),fixed assets,purchasing,and
purchasing card management.
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is the only modern,year-round collaborative budgeting software
designed to meet the unique needs of data-driven public sector planning and analysis.Trusted by
hundreds of forward-thinking governments,OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is the industry’s most
collaborative solution for budget process automation,personnel cost forecasting,performance
reporting,strategic planning,and community engagement.OpenGov Budgeting &Planning
empowers governments to bring modern e ciencies to their complex planning process and drive
community outcomes.
Reporting &Transparency powers the OpenGov Cloud with unparalleled reporting and
transparency capabilities to drive faster,more effective decisions,and understand the public
response.OpenGov was founded on the principle that better transparency and civic service are
paramount to the future of state and local government.Reporting &Transparency provides a
seamless connection between back-o ce capabilities and industry-leading communication tools;
transforming civic engagement and empowering data-based decision-making.
4
OpenGov Procurement is the collaborative public procurement suite built for modern government.
Providing end-to-end automation across solicitation development,proposal evaluations,and
supplier interactions,OpenGov makes procurement more enjoyable and transparent for everyone
involved.With it,procurement teams have the intuitive cloud software and world-class support
needed to achieve strategic procurement.
Procurement teams using OpenGov have cut the time required to write and release RFPs by 75%,
increased supplier responses to solicitations by 3-4x,and moved to 100%paperless procurement –
all while transforming relationships within their government by simplifying how internal
stakeholders engage with their function.As part of the OpenGov Cloud,OpenGov Procurement
helps governments connect end-to-end processes across budgeting,procurement,accounting,
and reporting -driving improved strategic outcomes enterprise-wide.
5
OpenGov Financials
The Only Modern Cloud Financial Suite Designed Exclusively For
Government
The OpenGov Financials Suite is an end-to-end financial management solution that works
seamlessly on the OpenGov platform with our Budgeting &Planning Suite and Reporting &
Transparency capabilities.We are the only fully cloud-based management solution designed
exclusively for the public sector.
With OpenGov Financials,a government can go from source business documents (timecards,
invoices,cash receipts,etc.)to reporting,forecasting,and budgeting with the OpenGov Budgeting
&Planning Suite,without duplicating work,data translation,or other barriers to slow your
progress.
Part of the Only Modern Cloud ERP for Local Government
Manage all your core financial processes with a comprehensive suite —including Fund-Accounting,
General Ledger,A/P,A/R,financial close,bank reconciliation,Purchasing,Fixed Assets,and Utility
Billing—all designed exclusively to meet the needs of local government and integrated with
OpenGov’s other leading Suites.
●Native Multi-Fund Accounting:Manage critical processes including automated inter-fund
transfers,encumbrances,audit preparation,and deep user-security controls
●Purchasing:Simplify vendor and contract management,approval processes,and
document storage with online requisitions and automated monitoring tools
●Utility Billing:Manage metered or unmetered services for your municipality or independent
utility with simplified billing,flexible payment options,3rd party meter integrations,and
field service requests.
6
Sign-in Anywhere
Accounting in the cloud
means having data and
tools when and where
you need them.
Work E ciently
Fully integrated general
ledger and subsidiary
ledgers reduce manual
work and ease analysis
Minimize Paperwork
Digitize document
management with
scanning,uploading,
and archiving facilities.
Improve Safety
Store critical data and
systems in the AWS
Cloud,robust user
security and full backup.
Centralize Data
Enter data once –use
it across the system.
Attract the Next
Generation of Talent
Compete for and empower
top talent with fresh
user-friendly software.
Industry-Leading Reporting and Analysis
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is built with a data-first foundation that provides out-of-the-box
reporting &analysis capabilities for dashboards,managerial reporting,KPI tracking,and data
consolidation and sharing.
●Present complex information that the public,elected o cials,departments,and
administration can understand with at-a-glance insights and interactive dashboards
●Reduce reporting bottlenecks by freeing up your IT,finance,and other staff with
centralized,self-serve reporting
●Sharpen your focus on outcomes by establishing and tracking relevant KPIs to keep
stakeholders updated on spending,initiatives,and operations
Strengthen Public Trust
Build trust in your community by communicating initiatives and progress clearly while fostering
better engagement through integrated tools to collect feedback and sentiment.
●Communicate initiatives effortlessly with a simple drag-and-drop web page builder and
customizable themes that make it easy for citizens to digest key narratives
7
●Run public meetings,virtual councils,and budget simulations with our Virtual Town Hall
complete with robust forms,surveys,and other tools for a compliant feedback process.
●Deliver up-to-date financial and operational data with context to keep the public informed
of progress and fiscal health
Trusted and Secure Technology
Choose our modern cloud technology to improve security,continuity,and financial controls
through leading platform infrastructure architectural best practices.
●Fortify the security of your critical financial data by moving to the highest protection
standards for security across physical,network,application,and AES-256 data encryption
at rest and in-transit
●Unlike traditional hosted software,have your software scale immediately in response to
variable workloads through automated provisioning of additional compute and storage to
your requirements
●Bolster continuity with regular hassle-free updates,multi-site backups,and robust
disaster recovery plans
Core Financials and General Ledger
The heart of OpenGov Financials is a robust general ledger system designed from the start for
GAAP multi-fund accounting and the special needs of governmental reporting under the
Governmental Accounting Standards Board.Flexible chart of accounts structure and sophisticated
reporting closely support the need to have easily auditable records,comply with complex State
regulations,and meet the specific management needs of transit agencies.
Core subsystems bundled with the general ledger provide fully integrated accounts payables,
accounts receivables,cash receipting (including citation payments),fixed assets,purchasing,and
purchasing card management.Advanced features include account-level authorization,data
masking,journal import,and purchasing workflow.Document management power includes
scanning,uploading,and archiving in all modules.
Highly Secure Environment for Users and Data
OpenGov Financials manages user access down to the screen level in each application.With the
creation of security groups,the administrator can assign multiple people similar access through a
simple process.Users can also be assigned to multiple groups to allow for cross-support between
departments,giving the administrator an unlimited number of security scenarios.
8
Pre-built,default security groups,simple "inquiry"access setup,and integrated general ledger
(account)security simplify management.The ability to custom tailor group access,integration with
all aspects of OpenGov Financials,and encrypted login information provides complete control.
Core Financials
End-to-end accounting software for local government
Financial Management and General Ledger
With the complete integration of all OpenGov Financials modules into the General Ledger,all your
financial data is accurately and e ciently captured from the source without further manual entry.
Interfaces are available to import journal entry data from many non-OpenGov Financials
applications,further reducing manual data entry.
Flexible Inquiries -Easy and quick reporting
Additional Features
●Document scanning,uploading,and archiving
●Unlimited history is available online
●Ability to perform additional period processing
●Flexible fiscal year processing.
●Ability to implement Pooled (consolidated)cash or Due to/Due from accounting
●Cash Management
9
Accounts Payable &Encumbrance Accounting
Accounts Payable package provides payment functions for all invoices.Full integration with the
other OpenGov solutions allows for payments of such things as deposit refunds in Utility Billing.
Budgets are checked in "real-time"as invoices are entered.Encumbrance accounting is supported
in accounts payable.
●Document scanning,uploading,and archiving
●Vendor payment through ACH,electronic transfer,checks,and bank-specific methods
●Purchase Order Processing
●Integration into Purchase Orders,Requisitions,Utility Billing,and Fixed Assets
●Generation of IRS 1099's with all form types
●Positive Pay
●Quick Checks -single check generation
●Checks print on blank check stock,eliminating the need for costly pre-printed checks
●Invoice Approvals with Custom Workflows
View andeasily enter all Accounts Payable invoices
10
Master Vendor List allows for transparency into the Vendor history
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Receivables allow your entity to bill for all services (other than utility billing).With
integration into the General Ledger,payments are easily accounted for.
●Email Billing
●Online Payment System
●Late Notices Through Mail or Email
●Document Scanning,Uploading,or Archiving
Easily access all Customers and their historical data from the Master Customer List
11
Customer record includes transparency into the customer billingand payment history
Fixed Assets
Fixed Assets provide for the physical and financial tracking of all physical assets.Assets can be
automatically placed into the records immediately after purchase through direct integration with
Accounts Payable.These assets can be depreciated with standard methods including "straight line"
and "sum of the year's digit."Both capitalized and non-capitalized physical assets can be
inventoried with Fixed Assets.
●Calculate depreciation based on built-in IRS formulas and tables to meet GASB34
requirements
●Printing scan-able barcode labels to expedite asset inventory
●Execute transfers and disposals,produce gain/loss,and track transfer activity for the life of
the asset
●Document scanning,uploading,and archiving
●Interface with handheld asset inventory devices
12
Fixed Assets will manage both Capital and Non-Capital Assets
Purchase Cards
Purchase Cards can interface with all major credit card companies and any bank,allowing a full
range of paperless purchasing,purchase card transactions,and purchasing management.Fully
integrated with fixed assets,accounts payable,and purchase orders.
●Make purchases without the need to handle
individual invoices
●Using the transaction data from the financial
institution,each credit card transaction is
directly imported
●Expenses are updated in Accounts Payable
without the need to re-enter each invoice
●Flexible approval process
●Document scanning or uploading receipts
allows you to process each transaction
paperlessly
Bank Reconciliation
Solution designed to handle a
broad set of use cases,
including manual and
automatic transaction
matching and batch splitting
for larger transaction sets.
Step-by-step workflows
allow for a more easy and
seamless process.
Requisitions
Requisitions allow the user to request the purchase of an item or service.With integration to
Accounts Payable and a sophisticated approval process,the approved requisition seamlessly
13
becomes a purchase order to be processed along with an invoice.No manual data entry is required
to transform the requisition into a purchase order.
●Automatic email status notifications
●Multi-level approval process
●Customizable approval amounts
User Security
Giving users access to the features they need while controlling which modules they can access is
an important part of any enterprise software solution.With OpenGov Financials you can control
user access down to the screen level of each application.With the creation of security groups,the
software administrator can assign multiple people similar access through a simple process.Users
can also be assigned to multiple groups to allow for cross-support between departments,giving
the administrator an unlimited number of security scenarios.
●Pre-built,default security groups
●Simple "inquiry"access setup
●Integrated General Ledger (account)security
●Ability to custom tailor group access
●Integrated with all aspects of OpenGov Financials
●Encrypted login information
Utility Billing
Enable billing for any utility,fully customizable to your billing needs.
Combining simplicity and flexibility,Utility Billing provides the ability to bill any type of metered or
unmetered service.
●Text notifications to show billing amounts,online payment site links,cutoff,and general
notices
●Work orders can be produced and sent over email or printed
●Full Cash Receipts integration,allowing for payments to be instantly applied to customer
accounts
●Email or print bills,late notices,and cutoff notices
●Billing export for major bill printing companies
●Online payment integration
●Interfaces with many of the popular meter companies to allow the import of meter reads
●Document scanning,uploading,and archiving
14
●With our respected partners,you can set either IVR or Kiosk to receive payments that are
instantly applied to a customer's account
Utility Billing allows transparency intothe customer,the address andthe meteractivity
Online Bill Payment
Online Bill Payment allows utility users to make payments in a fully PCI-compliant manner.
Payments are immediately applied to the customer account and can be viewed by the customers
and utility billing employees.Customers are also able to view their bill,make changes to their
contact information,and look at their water trends.
Additional Features:
●Direct integration to Utility Billing
●Online ACH signup
●Online Credit Card auto-draft signup
●2-year graphical usage history
●View bills in PDF format
●Sign up for e-bills instead of paper bills
15
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning
Modernize your budget and align spending to strategic outcomes.
Manage an Accurate,Outcome-Focused Budget Process
Streamline and unify your end-to-end budgeting process,seamlessly tie budget dollars to key
organizational initiatives,and draw actionable insights that maximize performance outcomes.
Then,through Reporting &Transparency,add a narrative to your results and share them internally
and externally for better collaboration.
“OpenGov helps us bring it all together,it enables us to both:1)create a
better,more collaborative budget,one that deploys resources more
e ciently across departments;and 2)demonstrate to the public,
Council,and our bond ratings agency the impact of savings and
investments for our city.”
Bob DaSilva
Mayor |City of East Providence,RI
16
Collaborate More Effectively.Collaborate across departments by
sending and receiving budget proposals,tracking performance on
strategic objectives,commenting on key reports,and tying strategic
priorities to outcomes.
Build an Award-Winning Budget Book.Take your budget book
online to transparently share with local residents and internal
departments,all within a GFOA-award-winning template to create an
award-winning budget document.
Organize your Capital Planning.Streamline project submission,
effectively align your capital planning to strategic priorities,forecast
the full cost of long-term capital expenditures,track performance,
and keep the public informed along the way.
Automate Workforce Planning and Forecasting.Model and
forecast the full burdened cost of your workforce plan with the
industry's most comprehensive workforce planning solution.Treat
your largest cost driver with the modern technology it deserves.
Build Trust Through Transparency.Build trust with constituents
by communicating initiatives and progress clearly while fostering
better engagement with best-in-class transparency solutions.From
budget simulations and virtual council meetings to internal
dashboards and public-facing web pages,when it comes to engaging
with the public we've got you covered.It's how we got our name,and
nobody does it better.
Manage your Processes and Achieve your Strategic Plan.Save
time,drive alignment,and manage your most impactful internal
processes.From submitting proposals to evaluating performance
data,automate your unique processes so all your steps are
centralized,documented,and nothing falls through the gaps in your
budget,finance,and operating workflows.
Budgeting &Planning Use Cases
●Collaborative Operating,Capital,
and Personnel Budgeting
●Multi-year Capital projections
●Online Budget Book Publication
●Budgetary vs Actuals Reporting
●Performance Management
●Financial Projections
●Program-based budgeting
●Scenario Analysis
●Strategic Initiative Budgeting and
Reporting
17
●Workforce Calculations and
Forecasts
Year-round,Full-Featured Public Sector Budgeting
Maximize end-to-end effectiveness for your entire year-round budget and planning cycle,from
near-term forecast adjustments to long-range capital initiatives to continuous budget
management and strategic initiative engagement.
The standard solutions in your Budgeting &Planning software suite include:
Operating Budget:
Liberate your budgeting from disparate spreadsheets with a unified process that seamlessly ties
spending to desired outcomes
Workforce Planning:
Simplify planning for your most complex and important asset —your people –with scenario
analysis,advanced calculations,and integrated budget requests
Capital Planning:
Forecast long-term capital expenditures,manage proposals and evaluations,track performance,
and easily keep stakeholders from various audiences informed of progress
Online Budget Book and Publications:
Publish a fully interactive,GFOA award-winning online budget book and a flexible online publisher
makes creating and distributing any kind of financial,operational,or project information easy and
accessible.
Performance Reporting:
Monitor your budget vs actuals and non-financial performance data with dashboards and reports
that anyone from electeds,to executives,to the public can use to monitor progress against
strategic goals and stay on budget.
18
User Home Screen includes At-a-Glance Budget Overview and Tasks
Government’s Most Collaborative Budgeting &Planning Solution
OpenGov drives e ciency through heightened collaboration by centralizing your planning in an
intuitive online solution,delivering breakthrough communication between o ces and
departments.
●Achieve unprecedented alignment around strategic priorities that come from a real-time,
singular source of truth
●Give your budget collaborators an easy-to-use system that reduces the back-and-forth of
traditional processes
●Controlled collaboration is made simple through configurable administrative settings for
user access and editing ability
Industry-leading Reporting and Analysis to Operate E ciently
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is built with a data-first foundation that provides out-of-the-box
reporting &analysis capabilities for dashboards,managerial reporting,KPI tracking,scenario
modeling,and data consolidation and sharing.
19
●Share complex information that the public,elected o cials,departments,and
administration can understand with customizable at-a-glance insights and interactive
dashboards
●Reduce reporting bottlenecks by freeing up your IT,finance,and other staff with
centralized,self-serve reporting
●Sharpen your focus on outcomes by establishing and tracking relevant KPIs to keep
stakeholders updated on spending,initiatives,and operations
Seamless Transparency and Engagement to Strengthen Public Trust
Build trust in your community by sharing initiatives and progress clearly while fostering better
engagement through integrated tools to collect feedback and sentiment.
●Publish award-winning budget books online to provide residents with a better
understanding of how tax dollars are impacting the community.
●Communicate initiatives effortlessly with a simple drag-and-drop web page builder and
customizable themes that make it easy for residents to digest key narratives.
●Run public meetings and budget simulations with our Community Feedback complete
with forms,surveys,and other tools for robust public engagement.
●Deliver up-to-date financial and operational data with context to keep the public informed
of progress and fiscal health.
Modern Cloud Technology to Enable Distributed Planning and Adapt
to Change
Look to the modern cloud technology trusted by thousands of governments like yours to connect
your o ces and departments from anywhere,on any device.
●Finalizing your budget in the most extreme climates with device-agnostic software that
frees your staff to collaborate virtually in a remote work environment
●Be prepared for the unexpected with online reporting,analysis,and scenario planning
tools that promote rapid response to unbudgeted external risks
●Attract new generations of talent to replenish a retiring workforce by providing the
modern cloud tools they expect
●Backstop risks to your institutional knowledge through enhanced continuity from
hassle-free updates,multi-site backups,and robust disaster recovery plans
20
Integrated Strategic Planning and Performance Management
Drive community outcomes with comprehensive tools to invest in your strategic plan and track
performance and progress throughout the year.
●Build your strategic plan and your government’s priorities directly into your planning
system
●Tie budget worksheets directly to strategic initiatives and automatically report on the
level of funding each initiative gets throughout the budgeting process
●Monitor budget-to-actuals for strategic initiatives throughout the year to understand
where to correct your actions to achieve your strategic plan
●Track and evaluate non-financial performance data to understand,invest,or
course-correct on the outcomes of your strategic initiatives
●Communicate easily with the public using automatically updating embed charts and
graphs in OpenGov’s publishing tools
Collaborative Multi-Year Workforce Planning
Empower your departments to contribute and collaborate on each year’s workforce plan with the
tools to create a structured and protected personnel budgeting process.
●Plan for the right jobs at the right budget
●Allow departments to seamlessly lookup current personnel budget levels and request new
positions that all follow your current calculations of the full-burdened cost of each
employee
●Run summary reports that update automatically with changes in the personnel budget
Key Features
Precisely calculate fully-burdened personnel costs through workforce planning.
Drive better salary projections,increase visibility into cost drivers,and reduce generic
assumptions.You can calculate the fully burdened labor costs of an individual or overall workforce,
perform scenario analysis to inform negotiations and budget decisions,run vacancy reporting,
compare actual positions to budgeted positions,and request new positions using accurate,
updated costs.Whereas other solutions on the market may overburden you with complicated
formula coding or require extreme manual manipulation to align your true costs,OpenGov handles
the complicated calculations for you.You instead have time to focus on the impact of future costs.
21
Get at-a-glance insights on allocations and the fully-burdened costs of any active or vacant position
Forecast long-term expenditures for capital planning initiatives.
Seamlessly harness the information your team needs to make educated decisions while providing a
working blueprint for sustaining and improving your community’s infrastructures.You can send and
receive capital planning proposals,adjust proposal line items,track performance on projects,and
comment on key reports.Then,easily create printable dashboards to streamline capital meetings.
Easy-to-navigate and easy-to-create reports give you insights and drill-downs on your long-term plans
22
Simplify online budget publications.
Establish a framework for building any of your budget publications,like your online budget book,
faster and more accurately,making the process repeatable and scalable for future years.You can
clearly communicate your agency’s priorities all while leveraging templates designed with GFOA
best practices in mind.
Interactive,Easily-Digestible Data Tell the Story of Your Strategic Plan
23
Make better decisions with centralized dashboards for everyone.
Powering OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is OpenGov Reporting &Transparency.Integrate and
synchronize your financial and non-financial data with other data sources including your ERP.When
any data point changes,all reports automatically update.You can go beyond seeing your outcomes
and truly understand the reasoning behind performance with OpenGov’s reporting feature.
User Home Screen Includes At-a-Glance Budget Overview and Tasks
Additional Screenshots of OpenGov Budgeting &Planning
Integrated and Easily Configurable Reporting with Up-to-Date Financial Data
24
Operating Budget Proposal Summary Table
Multi-Year Workforce Planning Cost Element Creator
25
Full Feature Capital Planning:
Reporting,Project Communication,and
Proposal Creation
Executive Dashboards with drill-down capabilities
26
Reporting &Transparency
Centralize reporting and align data with context for internal and
external stakeholders
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning is powered by our robust Reporting &Transparency capabilities.
Built with a data-first mindset,OpenGov Budgeting &Planning includes unparalleled reporting and
transparency capabilities to drive faster,more effective decisions,and understand the public
response.OpenGov was founded on the principle that better transparency and civic service are
paramount to the future of state and local government.Trusted by hundreds of forward-thinking
customers,OpenGov Reporting &Transparency provides a seamless connection between back-o ce
capabilities and industry-leading communication tools –transforming better civic engagement from
aspiration to reality.
Reporting &Transparency Use Cases
●Interactive budget summary
●Community surveys
●Participatory budgeting
●Performance reporting
●Stakeholder engagement
●Citizen ideas/feedback portal
●Internal project coordination
●Emergency communication
●Strategic planning
27
Present complex information that all parties can understand.
Keep internal and external stakeholders updated on performance and aligned
around high-level strategic goals.Gain at-a-glance insights with interactive
dashboards,take action with customized alerts,or dive into the granular
details for deeper analysis.
Increase trust with broad community engagement.
Supplement public hearings with virtual town halls,capital project
annotations,budget simulations,and online surveys that are easy and
convenient.You can gather broader feedback from residents by reducing the
barriers of involvement.
Reduce reporting bottlenecks across your organization.
Free up your IT and Business Intelligence professionals with centralized
reporting and immediate access to necessary day-to-day data for every
department.
Achieve your communications objectives.
Put your operating and strategic plans online in a way that your constituents
can easily understand and even interact with.Tell the stories behind your data
by quickly creating,editing,and publishing content in real-time,while easily
incorporating feedback.Then,identify and analyze engagement by seeing the
number of views,unique visitors,and social sharing metrics.
Focus on performance to drive community outcomes..
Establish goals for departments,programs,or initiatives,then track relevant KPIs to keep external
stakeholders updated on spending,performance,and progress.
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Communicate clearly and increase
transparency with stakeholders.
Create and share content easily and quickly.
Use a simple,drag-and-drop page builder
to combine your data with images,
dashboards,maps,and narrative context.
Present complex information in a way that’s
easy for anyone to understand.Share via
email,social media,or through your
agency’s website.
Capture feedback online,at meetings,
or on the go.
Record feedback from residents,
colleagues,and other stakeholders at any
moment through online surveys,virtual
town halls,mobile forms,or budget
simulations.
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Additional Features
●Share the data behind the news.Visually dynamic tiles reveal the yearly,monthly
or weekly breakdowns of your underlying report through pie charts,stacked bars,
and summary tables.
●Better project planning.Fulfill public input requirements for grant applications
and collect the public response you need to for planning large-scale projects.
●Social media impact.Share your published pages on Facebook,Twitter,Nextdoor,
or LinkedIn and track your story's analytics in OpenGov.
"We're an open book when it comes to city finances.You want to see the
last 10 years of expenditures?It's on our OpenGov portal."
Kristina Alfaro
Director of Administrative Services |City of Cupertino,CA
“We saved 100 hours in annual budget work by transitioning to
OpenGov Budgeting &Planning,including the publication of the
budget document.”
Walter Rossman
Deputy City Manager |City of Milpitas,CA
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OpenGov Procurement
Collaborative Procurement Automation for the Modern Government
As part of the OpenGov Cloud,OpenGov Procurement helps modern governments connect end-to-end
processes From solicitation development,supplier engagement,evaluations,and contract
management.With OpenGov Procurement,customers access:
●The industry’s most automated and intuitive Solicitation Development solution
●Modern Supplier Engagement that increases bid responses and equitable selection
●User-friendly design that guides users with in-context training and live support
●Transparent procurement and supplier relationships thanks to OpenGov’s legacy of driving
transparent operations
Satisfy Suppliers
Expand your supplier network and improve your
partner experience with the industry’s most
intuitive bid portal and multiple workflows
100%Paperless Procurement
Digitize document management with scanning,
uploading,and archiving facilities.
Increase Accountability
Establish a simplified view of contract and
vendor spending via a single source of truth.
More Strategic Impact
Less clerical work and more strategic time
thanks to intuitive guided workflows and
integrated training for collaborators
Centralize Data
Enter data once and make it accessible to
stakeholders across the entire system.
75%
of customers cut
time spent writing
&releasing RFPs
...
Increased supplier
responses by
3-4x
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Turbocharge your Solicitation Development with Modern Automation
Exit the world of excessive uploading and downloading of PDFs,spending hours on scope research,
word processors and formatting and version control challenges.Instead,turn your solicitation
templates into intuitive,guided online workflows so project managers,reviewers,and buyers can
easily collaborate on key documents.Dynamically track project status throughout reviews and get
insight into timelines,stakeholders,and project pipelines.These “unique to OpenGov Procurement”
capabilities turbocharge your entire workflow,with audit trail and compliance built in.This solution is
so intuitive,that many agencies have had first-time users build bids with no training.
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Engage Vendors in a Modern,Transparent,and Equitable Medium
From sharable public project links,vendor analytics,and funnel tracking to a simple,one-click vendor
submission process,OpenGov Procurement does it all.Delight suppliers with guided online proposal
submissions with a one-click submission,and live chat support
Say Goodbye to Excel Scorecards
No more Excel and paper scorecards,OpenGov Procurement can help you manage it all online.
Whether you evaluate vendor proposals as Best Value using a scoring committee,Lowest Cost
through bid tabulation,or anywhere in between,we can support your process.
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Automate Contract Management
Never miss an upcoming expiration deadline again.Stay proactive—OpenGov Procurement automates
reminders and notifications to stakeholders and gives you a birds-eye view of all your active and
historical contracts across the organization.
OpenGov Procurement Use Cases
●Achieve End-to-End Strategic
Procurement
●Modernize Solicitation Development
●“Wow”Your Supplier Community
●Streamline Project Intake
●Drive Collaborative Evaluations
●Automate Contract Management
●Build Public Trust
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Key Differentiators of OpenGov Procurement
Intelligent Boilerplate Automation entrenches agency-specific policies and procedures
into the software,allowing users to build solicitations more like TurboTax vs.being stuck
in the world of Microsoft Word.Users enjoy a significant reduction in the
uploading/downloading of large documents and reduced formatting and version control
challenges.OpenGov is currently the only provider offering this level of automation.
Template Change Broadcasting allows agencies to make a change to boilerplate
language and have that change broadcasted to ALL templates with the associated
language,saving stakeholders from excessive,mundane work while enforcing
compliance.
AI Scope Assistant leverages ChatGPT to build scopes of work within seconds of
providing a brief description of the desired good or service.This feature is unique to
OpenGov.
OpenGov’s Government Networked Scope Library allows users to easily search and find
existing public sector scopes/solicitations without having to upload/download
documents or copy and paste.
Live Chat Support:OpenGov is the only public procurement solution to offer live chat
support to both vendors and agency stakeholders.
Vendor accessibility is a core pillar of OpenGov.Vendors are never charged for premium
alerts,experience a fully guided bid-response experience,and have public access to
solicitation and contract documents.Most alternative solutions charge vendors for
“premium alerts,”if they want access to working with more than a single government.
Procurated Integration offers a network of Yelp-like vendor reviews from agencies across
the country.
Integrated Electronic Bid Bond Integration provides agencies with assurance that their
projects are protected through notarization,without needing a “wet signature.”
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Onboarding Checklists offer a guided workflow between agencies and vendors so all
stakeholders have transparent visibility into who owes what and when (e.g.documents
uploaded,approvals,etc.)
Records Retention Automation allows agencies to schedule the deletion of old
documents,keeping their procurement portal clean and removing the risk of maintaining
old documents.
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Solicitation Development Automation
Faster,Easier,and Compliant Solicitations
OpenGov Procurement offers the industry’s only automated and guided RFx/Bid assembly solution
that leverages intelligent boilerplates,which are custom-built with agency-specific policies and
procedures.It has revolutionized RFx assembly,whether starting from scratch,piggybacking off
templates from our publicly shared solicitation library,or leveraging our built-in national cooperative
search feature.Drastically reduce the onboarding of new departmental buyers;it’s so guided and easy
to use that first-time users can build solicitations on their own,even using their mobile devices.
Step 1:Centralize Compliance and Control,Decentralize the Work
No more copying/pasting using word processors,or having to track down Scope terms.Empower
internal customers and improve workflow with a fully guided intake module reinforced with automatic
error checking.Now your SMEs can either start from scratch using intelligent boilerplate automation
to draft their scope of work or leverage our Solicitation Library which is shared with agencies across
the country,so users don’t have to reinvent the wheel trying to find necessary specifications.
Step 2:Click-to-Creation Automation
OpenGov Procurement allows users to stay in the software during the entire solicitation development
process.Its proprietary automation allows users to build solicitations by simply answering the guided
step-by-step project-specific questions from templates your team has built.The selections
determine the necessary forms,bid instructions,insurance requirements,pricing sheets,etc.Once
the user has selected their answer,your RFx/bid documents will automatically be written for you with
the appropriate instructions —its ease of use simply has no peers.
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Step 3:Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
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Collaborate in real-time.Guided workflows and content suggestions (defined by your agency)improve
transparency and accountability,accelerating departments’productivity,while employing best
practices.Enjoy reduced internal finger-pointing by staying aligned using clause-level security and
audit trail features,simultaneous cooperative workflows,and live Q&A with colleagues —all without
ever leaving the platform.
“A new hire did an entire solicitation on her first try;the software allows us to do
this,you don’t need to be tech-savvy.”
Melanie McDonough
Chief Innovation O cer |City of Lebanon,NH
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Supplier Engagement
Game-Changing Automation,Transparency,and Teamwork
OpenGov Procurement is designed specifically to empower public procurement teams,like yours.
Collaborative workflows set vendors and internal teams up for success,supported by automation
features that improve transparency and communication,while reducing finger-pointing and clerical
work.Start leveraging paperless,intuitive e-bidding and scoring automation for a more reliable,
strategic,and enjoyable process.
Engage Suppliers
Easy Access,Bi-lateral Workflows and Automation =Equity,Results,and Happiness
Collaborative Transparent Easy to Use
★Encourage supplier diversity
with free self-service vendor
portal
★Stay compliant with sealed
bids,with multi-phase bid
opening support
★Integrate with digital
signatures,online forms,
electronic notary and bid
bonds
★Receive support with
real-time chat
★Review workflow reporting ★Provide vendors with an
accessible self-service
vendor database
★Stay aligned with in-suite Q&A
management
★Track vendor activity in
real-time
★Wow vendors with guided
step-by-step
questionnaire-like proposal
submissions
Vendor Portal
Free Access to 1000s of Government Bids
With OpenGov Procurement,suppliers of all types,sizes,and locations have equal access to 1000s of
government bids free of charge (yes,even for premium alerts)and bids can be viewed without vendors
having to log in.
Avoid paper-heavy,disjointed bid response headaches.Our vendor questionnaire provides
step-by-step guidance,designed for suppliers with no experience selling to governments.Intuitive
workflows ensure no training is required,plus suppliers are never charged for portal access or
premium bid alerts.
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Accessible and Easy to Use:
●Experience mobile compatibility so you can work from anywhere
●Use one login to access unlimited governments
●Easily upload thanks to intuitive drag-and-drop features
Automated and Integrated:
●Hit every deadline with helpful automated alerts
●Calendar deadline syncs and auto addenda notices keep you on task
●Error-free responses thanks to automatic price tabulation and reviews
●Fully integrated electronic signatures and online forms
●Online notary and electronic bid bond integration
●RSVP to pre-bid meetings
World-class Support:
●In-platform Q&A to get the answers you need without leaving
●Live-chat support without having to contact the agency
“I will never go to another system again.This platform is so intuitive;it doesn’t
need any training.I’ve heard this from my end users and my suppliers.”
Chris Coghill
Procurement Director |City of Groveland,FL
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Evaluate &Award
Align SMEs and Procurement;Maximize Strategic Purchasing.Internal teams and stakeholders work
at a single,transparent source during group evaluations and can leverage best-value or lowest-cost
scoring management and automatic tabulations,supported by sealed-bid openings that help agencies
stay compliant and equitable.
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Easy to Use Collaborative Transparent
★Centralize evaluation
committee management -can
include external evaluators,
with unlimited users
★Send solicitation results with
one-click supplier awarding
and audited email
notifications
★Get insight and report on
individual and cumulative
score sheets,plus award
summaries
★Support both lump-sum and
line-item awarding
★Automated reminders and
alerts keep teams on track
★Communicate in real-time
with in-platform Q&A
★Leverage bid tabulations and
side-by-side scoring
management (best value or
lowest cost)
★Inform with intent-to-award
notifications
★Stay on-task with
integrated calendar
updates and alerts
“We have all of the evaluation team working in the same digitized doc,which is so
much easier to provide to the board when we send it for the recommendation.I
have all the information at my fingertips and in one area.”
Bill Meekins
Purchasing Manager |Frederick County Public Schools
Contract Management
Drop the Clerical Work
Clear your desk by ditching file folders and stacks of binders for paperless electronic contract
management.OpenGov Procurement’s Contract Management solution allows agencies to have all
contract documents and data in the cloud,protected by SOC2 compliance security standards.Enjoy
bi-lateral workflows for contract onboarding,renewals and closeouts,COI expiration management,
and built-in transparency,accessibility,and collaboration —establishing a single,centralized source
of truth for your entire agency.
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Stay compliant with intuitive records retention capabilities
Instantly find information at the line item level
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View contract details,insurance information,and more
Safely house all contracts in a single source of truth
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Control Collaborate Easy to Use
★Author,review,and approve
accurate and compliant
contracts
★Invite team members to assist
and collaborate on contract
drafting and reviews
★Easily track COI expiration
dates with real-time alerts
and supplier notifications
★Rate and document vendor
performance,fire complaints
when necessary
★Reduce public records
requests with self-service
public portal
★Search by product
description to locate
associated contracts
★Automate compliance with
records retention policies
★Stay aligned with
stakeholders using live chat
and clause-level task
assignment
★Keep projects fully in-line
with stakeholders using
eProcurement automation
integration
★Set appropriate transparency
access parameters for both
internal stakeholders and the
public
★Manage terms and renewals
with electronic bi-lateral
workflows
★Generate intuitive reports
on contract spend and
not-to-exceed amounts
“OpenGov Procurement has helped streamline our projects through RFP
solicitation,construction bidding and contract agreements.The time saved and
e ciency of the program are a priceless addition to our procurement resources.”
Andrea Ketzel,RLA
City of Pittsburgh,PA
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Security &Reliability
Organizational
OpenGov's security strategy is based on the NIST CyberSecurity Framework.Our
policies and procedures align with the NIST 800-53 recommended controls and are
audited annually for SOC2 compliance.Our dedicated Global Security Team oversees
administrative and operational security services for the company,while annual security
training and phishing assessment programs support the company-wide focus on
keeping ourselves,our customers and our community members secure.
Physical and Environmental
The OpenGov Cloud platform is currently provisioned in the US East (Northern Virginia)
Region of AWS.OpenGov has purposefully built geo-isolation between its production
and pre-production (e.g.dev/test)environments.Our pre-production environments are
provisioned in the US West (Oregon)Region of AWS.
Scale
OpenGov’s applications and infrastructure are designed to scale quickly and
automatically in response to workloads,allowing us to provide a steady and predictable
performance to our customers.OpenGov can simply provision additional computing and
storage based on the requirements of our customers.
Monitoring and Alerting
OpenGov assures the reliable operation of its platform and applications using a tightly
integrated suite of industry-standard monitoring and alerting services (e.g.for
availability,performance,security,logging,and metrics).These services are supported
by optimized processes and expert operational teams that are available 24x7.
Data Protection
OpenGov supports HTTPS using Transport Layer Security (TLS),an IETF standard
cryptographic protocol,to provide end-to-end communications security for data that is
fed to our platform.TLS is widely used for “encryption-in-transit”scenarios in Internet
communications and online transactions (e.g.by financial institutions).
Data stored in the OpenGov platform is encrypted “at rest”using AES-256 (Advanced Encryption
Standard with 256-bit keys).The use of AES is approved by NIST in its FIPS 197 publication.OpenGov
Budgeting &Planning’s databases are customer-specific,allowing for complete isolation and
protection of data between clients.
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Application Protection
Application services and databases are configured to run in elastic containers with
strict resource limits that prevent an unexpected or malicious activity in one service
from affecting others.A minimum number of replicas of each service is deployed for
high availability,and service replicas will automatically increase with high tra c to
maintain fast performance.
OpenGov uses Continuous Integration (CI)and an industry-leading vulnerability analysis service to
continuously and automatically scan its applications for vulnerabilities at every stage of their lifecycle.
All code repositories are continuously scanned for known defects and vulnerabilities,and a third-party
penetration test is conducted annually to test our application security.
Host Protection
Remote access to OpenGov’s production cluster is strictly limited to OpenGov’s
Engineering personnel.OpenGov Budgeting &Planning and Procurement uses
Cloudflare,an industry-leading web application firewall,to actively defend our
applications against malicious tra c.Additionally,we partner with a managed security
service provider for 24/7 intrusion detection,monitoring,and alerting.We continuously
scan our environment for vulnerabilities and use cutting-edge security tools aligned with regulatory,
compliance,and industry best practice models to alert us to any anomalous activity.
Authentication and Authorization
OpenGov offers Single Sign-On (SSO)and platform-local authentication mechanisms to
its customers.In the latter scenario,OpenGov leverages an industry-leading security
platform for authentication.The Budgeting &Planning and Procurement suites use
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)to authorize authenticated users to access and
manipulate subsets of application data.
Service Maintenance and Upgrade
OpenGov’s multi-tenant SaaS cloud environment means that customers get software
releases and updates at the same time with their community-specific configurations
protected.Micro-releases are done regularly and major new features are rolled out
quarterly,providing advance notice and enablement for our communities to maximize
the value they drive from new enhancements.OpenGov platform updates are
hassle-free and transparent to our customers.
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Qualifications &Experience
We take pride in our customer focus and realize that governing is one of the most challenging careers
possible that’s why we retain a passionate team that’s walked in your shoes with backgrounds in
public-sector finance,budgeting,procurement,and administration because it’s critical to our ability
to solve real problems,both in terms of our software development and customer service we deliver.
The OpenGov Team has over 500 years of combined public sector experience.From evaluating to
implementing and supporting,we have government expertise at every step of the way.
Awards &Credentials
OpenGov employees have over 500 years of collective government employment experience and many
of our key personnel are members of government-focused organizations like GFOA and ICMA.OpenGov
has consistently appeared on the GovTech 100 list for eight consecutive years and was recently
awarded the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP)by the National Procurement Institute
(NPI).OpenGov was also named as a 2023 Top Workplaces USA.We focus our hiring on top-tier talent
pools for individuals with proven track records in government and/or the government technology
industry.Additionally,OpenGov’s Customer Support Team has won several awards for excellent
customer support,including six Stevie®Awards for Sales &Customer Service for its world-class
customer service organization.One of the awards is the People’s Choice award,based on customer
votes.
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Company History
After witnessing the City of Palo Alto spend over $10 million on an ERP system delivered on 20 discs
and with green screens,OpenGov’s founders learned that governments across the country were
similarly hamstrung by outdated technology.The public sector has been underserved by its vendors
for decades,while the digital era has transformed consumer experiences and private sector
organizations.
State and local governments deserve access to modern cloud software suited to their increasingly
complex needs.Citizens deserve to know that their tax dollars are being spent by effective and
accountable organizations.Our public sector leaders deserve to be supported by companies who act
as true partners.To address these needs,OpenGov was born in 2012.
Today we have over 1,900 government customers using our cloud-based suites.Below are the stories
of just a few of our customers who have adopted OpenGov Budgeting &Planning to transform their
communities.
50
How the City of Alameda,CA Rewired the Budget Process to Reduce Manual Work,Improve
Engagement,and Earn Distinction
Before OpenGov,Budget Manager Jennifer Tell described the City’s budgeting process as “extremely
rushed”while being “impossible”to find the details she needed to understand the budget as a big
picture.As a team of one,Tell spent hours alone “hobbling along,”as she described it,with an Excel
workbook,attempting to derive meaning from hundreds of funds.Meanwhile,frustrated departments
bombarded Tell with questions about why certain elements were so expensive.But without salary and
fixed cost information for departments readily available,Tell lacked the supporting documentation
necessary to justify costs.
Transitioning to a collaborative budgeting process has changed all that.Today,the budget is built
entirely in a digital chart of accounts,where the Finance team showed how OpenGov Budgeting &
Planning would result in labor savings,even when factoring in learning a new system.Plus,every piece
of the budget,including documentation and reporting,is in one place for all to see.Data automatically
refreshes every day so teams across departments can track their progress.This more streamlined
budgeting process strengthened the Finance department’s relationship with other departments
across the City
Tell has noticed increased engagement with Council members during and outside meetings.With
everything at her fingertips,she can tackle questions e ciently,even during the Council’s virtual
meetings.The same is true for community members and groups especially interested in the budget.
Tell has met with community members to show them how to drill into financial information on their
own when they have questions.As the City enters the next biennial budget cycle,Tell is delighted to
know OpenGov’s solution will help departments build a better budget.
Customer Results
✔Time Savings
✔Trust Across Departments
✔Data Accuracy
✔Award-Winning Budget Book
“Departments are now proactively reaching out.They see [the Finance
Department]as a source of consulting.”
Jennifer Tell
Database Technician |City of Alameda,CA
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Transforming Purchasing in Milpitas,CA:From Paper-Pushing to Driving Innovation
In 2014,the City of Milpitas,CA,stopped receiving paper bids from suppliers by implementing
electronic bidding,but that still didn’t solve many of the challenges that plagued purchasing.At the
time,the Milpitas purchasing team managed around 40 solicitations a year with some departments
like IT and public works opting to manage their processes separately.Lack of consistency created
compliance issues and left out key stakeholders.
To resolve this issue,the Milpitas team decided to focus on contract management to drive more
value for the City and ensure that funds are being spent strategically and vendor relationships are
managed effectively.While the Milpitas team knew several systems existed that could help them
overcome their challenges,it was only through OpenGov Procurement that they saw an opportunity
to streamline the entire sourcing process,from idea and solicitation development to evaluation,
award,and contract management.
With OpenGov Procurement in place,Purchasing has the proper platform to prevent bottlenecks
and set better expectations for the City of Milpitas.They have standardized their process across all
departments and promoted more meaningful collaboration with their internal customers,realizing
a minimum of 95%increase in productivity.Today,they are no longer seen as the adversary to
expediency,but rather a partner in innovation.
Customer Results
●3x increase in Completed Procurements
●90%average time savings per
solicitation
●100%Department Adoption
●95%overall productivity gain for
Procurement
For the full story,click here to read about how Milpitas,CA transformed purchasing with OpenGov.
“We jumped from a word processing operation to a collaborative tool…it really
moved us forward.”
Walter Rossmann
Assistant City Manager |City of Milpitas,CA
For more customer stories on how OpenGov’s solutions are driving success in communities around
the country,please visit:https://opengov.com/customers/
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Professional Services Overview
We Are Here to Support You
Your success as a customer is OpenGov’s top priority.We recognize the challenge of adding a new
software implementation project to your already full-to-the-brim schedule.We’ve invested heavily
in the key drivers of your agency’s success so you can maximize the impact of your OpenGov
software and arm you with insight,expertise,and industry-leading best practices.
Experience
Our team of over 150 Professional Services experts has implemented over 1,900
customers -we have the experience to make your implementation a success.
Expertise
OpenGov shares your mission of effective government –and deploys over 500+years of
previous public sector experience for your success.
Fully Supported
No matter the expertise your project needs,our team of professionals is here to partner
with you on even the most complex projects.
OpenGov Deployment Methodology
Our data-first deployment methodology is based on strategies that reduce your time to value,keep
the project in motion and promote the leadership of you and your teams.To effectively deploy
these strategies and keep the focus on outcomes,project progression,and your enablement,our
methodology follows five key focus areas that deliver real value with impact for our customers with
a balanced approach of speed,quality,and reduced risk.
When you get OpenGov Professional Services,you get confidence in every step of your project.Our
team’s best practices ensure alignment,support,and documentation to build the foundation of a
successful implementation and software used in years to come.The OpenGov Deployment
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methodology prepares and enables your team for continued ownership of your OpenGov solution,
made possible without dependency on IT or coding knowledge and with continued award-winning
OpenGov Support.
Delivering Success During and After the Project
We recognize the challenge of adding a new software implementation project to your already full
schedule.To ensure you derive the full value from OpenGov,we’ve researched and invested heavily
in the key drivers of our projects’success.For each of those key drivers,from project management
to technical problem solving to change management,we have team members with the
corresponding expertise at the ready to support.
Depending on your project’s needs,you will have complete coverage and support to make the most
from your OpenGov software during your implementation and beyond.
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OpenGov Deployment Principles
Every implementation is based on our core principles and philosophy.OpenGov deploys all suites
and solutions in alignment with these principles.
Milestones of a Budget Implementation Project
We believe your implementation is the foundation for success with OpenGov.The OpenGov team
will work with your municipality to understand your processes and requirements before you sign
the dotted line while providing data validation checkpoints throughout the entire process.
On the following page,we have provided a visual representation of the key components of a
Budgeting &Planning implementation project.
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Chart of Accounts Configuration
The OpenGov Chart of Accounts is the
underlying foundation of everything
financial done in OpenGov.OpenGov will
provide a functional build of the Chart of
Accounts based on your General Ledger
Chart of Accounts,any project codes used
for project budgeting or reporting,and any
summary levels (such as fund type,
function,object type,etc.).Your Chart of
Accounts will be specific to your agency,
not generic.
Budget Configuration
During your operating budget engagement,
the OpenGov deployment team will
configure a budget instance to meet your
requirements,configure reports to drive
decision-making,conduct user
acceptance testing to validate the
configuration,and train administrators and
users on the specifics they need to be
successful.Financial Integrations
OpenGov’s Budgeting &Planning solution
will include a financial integration from
your financial system to OpenGov.As part
of the integration,OpenGov will bring over
up to 10 years of historical data.The
integration will also be set up to bring in
current-year information automatically at
an agreed-upon cadence.We recommend
you refresh your data nightly,however,
OpenGov can set up a weekly or monthly
cadence at your request.Our dedicated
integrations team has years of experience
integrating with financial systems.
Capital Project Budget
As a part of the capital budget
implementation,the OpenGov deployment
team will configure a budget instance to
meet your agency’s requirements,
configure reports to drive
decision-making,validate the
configuration,and train administrators and
users on the specifics they need to be
successful.
Online Budget Book
During the Online Budget Book phase of
your deployment,OpenGov will work with
you to configure our standard templates to
meet your agency's branding requirements
and train you on how to build and publish
your book online each year.
In a typical deployment,OpenGov will
configure the repeatable templates that
require OpenGov reports,such as the
department and fund pages.This portion
of the implementation can be tailored to
your level of comfort:we can enable your
team to create the remainder of your
templates or contract the OpenGov team
to create your entire Budget Book end to
end,freeing up your time.
Workforce Budget
During a workforce planning engagement,
the deployment team will review your cost
elements,which are all the factors that
drive the personnel budget such as salary,
FICA,retirement plans,benefits,etc,and
work with you to configure each cost
element in the tool.Once the cost
elements are configured,you will be able
to generate a template to complete with
their approved positions and position data.
Once the template is complete,it will be
uploaded into the system and then you will
be able to validate that the amounts are
calculated correctly.Once the Workforce
Plan is validated,it can be linked directly to
a budget,and any time you need to make a
change to your Workforce Plan,your
budget will be automatically updated as
well.A linked Workforce Plan also powers
any position requests to give departments
a more accurate view of additional position
costs.
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OpenGov Support Overview
Every OpenGov customer has the benefit of OpenGov Standard Support.Standard Support provides
a host of options,from a 24/7 Help Center with documentation and case access to live
business-day phone support.Our processes are designed to support you at every step of your
journey toward a more effective and accountable government.
Customers can upgrade to OpenGov Premium Support to receive a level of support above and
beyond our Standard Support.Premium Support is intended for customers who view their OpenGov
solution as mission-critical and therefore require expedited response times and a designated
OpenGov contact.
Offering Standard Premium
Unlimited Number of Support Cases per Year*✓✓
Unlimited Access to the OpenGov Help Center ✓✓
Unlimited Online access to the Support Request Portal ✓✓
Unlimited access to OpenGov University ✓✓
Access to Phone/Chat Support from 4:00 AM PT to 7:00
PM PT Monday through Friday,excluding OpenGov holidays ✓✓
Designated OpenGov Contact -✓
Increased Response Times -✓
*Support Cases are definedas issues related tothe OpenGov Software Services.
We have three main components to our philosophy for ensuring every customer is successful and
happy:
Access to our team of Government Solution Experts:This team,comprised of
former government finance directors,chief information o cers,procurement
directors,budget and performance analysts,and others,provides insight and
expertise,best practices,and context to the people who use OpenGov’s suites
driving e ciency and outcomes for your agency.
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Customer Success:Our Customer Success team supports you from
deployment through adoption and beyond.You will get up and running quickly
and receive the training and support that you need to maximize the value of your
investment in OpenGov.Your Customer Success Manager will be a single point
of contact and conduct Quarterly Business Reviews on new product updates,
upcoming webinars,user groups,and conference events.
Customer Support:OpenGov’s Customer Support Team has won several awards
for excellent customer support,including six Stevie®Awards for Sales &
Customer Service for its world-class customer service organization.for its
world-class customer service organization.OpenGov Support is staffed by a
veteran team with over 200 years of combined government experience.Our
highly trained support analysts are available to solve any issues that you
encounter within OpenGov’s suites.Our goal is to ensure our customers have an
effortless experience with every interaction and that we are an aligned partner committed to
successful business outcomes.
Resources and Support
As an OpenGov customer,you are supported by our Customer Success team from deployment
through adoption and beyond.When you contact OpenGov,your first point of contact will be a real,
live person.OpenGov provides best-in-class standard support resources such as telephone,email,
chat,and an online portal as well as additional engagement channels like webinars,user groups,
and a help center.
●User Groups:Our subject matter experts host regular user groups online and in person.
Additionally,OpenHov hosts its annual Transform conference to gather customers from
across the nation for training,enablement,and networking.Learn from the pros and your
peers!
●Help Center:We provide you with articles and videos to enhance your learning and
education of OpenGov.
●Free Webinars:As a customer,you can look forward to engaging and informative webinars.
Get a crash course in performance management or learn about the latest features of your
OpenGov software.
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Premium Support
Furthermore,OpenGov offers Premium Support to help organizations on their journey to
successfully adopt OpenGov’s solution suites.With Premium Support,increased Service Level
Agreements (SLAs)mean that we start working on urgent requests even on weekends.In the spirit
of addressing problems quickly,Premium Support’s designated OpenGov contact builds a
relationship with you and understands your organization and the nuances of your OpenGov
application setup.
OpenGov’s Support Philosophy is simple:You invest in us.We invest in you.We are driven by
customer success.If you ever need help or have questions about your system,we want to make
sure you get well-informed,proactive support from the OpenGov team.Our goal is 100%
satisfaction.
“All of the staff at OpenGov are helpful and pleasant to deal with.I throw
a lot of questions out there and every staff member is willing to help me
work through every issue no matter how big or small.“
City of Desert Hot Springs,CA
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OpenGov University &Training
With our experience working with over 1,900 agencies across the U.S.,OpenGov understands that
our customers’success relies on more than just technology itself.That’s why we include
comprehensive self-guided training with our software subscriptions -ensuring your teams can
take full advantage of our capabilities as they grow.
OpenGov University helps your government staff become power users of our software.With
unlimited access to the tools below,your staff can easily adopt new features and ensure that best
practices are followed when business processes are enhanced with our technology solutions.
Access to OpenGov University includes:
Training from OpenGov Experts
Walk through core functionality with your
OpenGov deployment team as defined in
the Statement of Work.
Self-paced learning modules
Learn OpenGov product suites with
on-demand training in our learning
management system.
In-app guidance
Master your software with instructions
and helpful hints offered while using the
software.
Training Workshops
Access our recurring,virtual training series on product best practices.
Live Training Events
Join OpenGov’s hybrid or live trainings around the country.
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Benefits of OpenGov University
Maximize your investment
Save time by accelerating your team’s
knowledge and confidence to apply the
software and best practices to your
government.
Successful Change Management
Shorten the time for a new team member to
provide value to your department.
Empower your teams
Develop confidence in working with OpenGov
by understanding how to use our tools to best
improve your team’s effectiveness.
Training that grows with you
Ensure that new employees have easily
accessible training as both your team grows
and as your future-proof technology
investment evolves.
Learn at your own pace
On-demand training when you need it,
self-paced courses,videos,and live training,
to help get the entire team on the same page.
Deliver modern software to your
government
Leading governments are deploying modern
software to improve their process,reduce
their costs,and deliver more to their
communities.
“I understand so much more about what we can do with the
system after completing the OpenGov University classes,I am
just so excited about the ways we are using all the features this
year.”
City of Minneapolis,MN
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