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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-24-25 City Council Meeting MinutesCity Council Meeting Minutes CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 WEST 29TH AVENUE, MUNICIPAL BUILDING  FEBRUARY 24, 2025  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. Eight members of Council were present in Council Chambers for this session.  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. Mayor Starker recognized the passing of Wheat Ridge’s City Clerk Steve Kirkpatrick. He spoke to the professionalism of Dr. Kirkpatrick and the impact he had on the staff and his colleagues. He held a moment of silence in honor of Dr. Steve Kirkpatrick. 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, Janeece Hoppe, Dan Larson (via Zoom), and Leah Dozeman Absent: None. A quorum was established. Also present: City Manager Patrick Goff; Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck; City Attorney Gerald Dahl, Director of Public Works Maria D’Andrea; Parks and Recreation Director Karen O’Donnell, City Clerk Margy Greer, and other staff, guests and interested members of the public. 5. Approval of Minutes Study Session Notes – February 3, 2025 Without objection or correction, the Minutes were approved. 6. Approval of Agenda Without objection or correction, the agenda stood as announced. PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIES 7. Proclamation – Women’s History Day and International Women’s Day Mayor Starker proclaimed Women’s History Day, March 25, 2025, and International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025, in the City of Wheat Ridge. Paige Piper – Executive Director of LocalWorks – stating that March 8th is the date of LocalWorks’ 20-year anniversary. She invited City Council to help celebrate the anniversary on March 31st at 5:30 p.m. Lisa Wilson – resident of Wheat Ridge – thanked the street staff for plowing the bike path from Wadsworth to the park. She stated there is a section along 32nd from Cody to Dudley that has drainage issue and causes ice build-up. She asked staff to pay special attention to the recurring hazard. 7. Consent Agenda Council Member Ohm read the Consent Agenda and Issue Statements into the Record. a. Resolution No. 12-2025 – a resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget to reflect the approval of a supplemental budget appropriation for the reappropriation and re-encumbrance of 2024 Fiscal Year encumbered funds in the amount of $5,164,449 Issue: There are 67 open purchase orders from the 2024 budget that will be carried over to the 2025 budget. Each purchase order is associated with a specific project that was not fully completed in the 2024 fiscal year. The funds which were encumbered for these purchase orders were transferred to the unreserved fund balance of the relevant fund when the purchase orders were closed. To continue or close out these projects in 2025, a supplemental budget appropriation in the amount of $5,164,449 is necessary to allow transfer of these funds into specific budget line items in the 2025 Budget. b. Resolution No.13-2025 – a resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2024 2J and 2E Budgets in the amount of $5,012,967 and approving the transfer of funds from the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund to the 2E Investing 4 the Future Bond Fund to complete the defeasance of the 2017 bonds. Issue: In discussions with Council prior to the 2J bond issuance, it was agreed that $7.4 million of the $12.6 million 2E Fund balance would be used to pay down the 2017 bonds. At that time, the remaining debit service on the 2017 bonds was approximately $12.4 million. The additional $5.0 million needed to completely pay off the 2017 bonds was included in the $38.7 million 2J bond issuance proceeds. City Staff believed the $5.0 million payoff would be made through escrow, rather than an expense to the City. Rather, the $5.0 million was included in the total amount of 2J bond issuance proceeds that the City received, and the payoff is considered a 2E expense. Therefore, in order to be fully transparent with the community and to comply with the City’s budgetary procedures, a supplemental appropriation and transfer of funds is necessary. Council Member Ohm made a motion to adopt the Consent Agenda. It was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Stites. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING 8. Resolution No. 14-2025 a resolution approving a Service Plan and Intergovernmental Agreement for the Legacy Metropolitan District Nos. 1-12 Mayor Pro Tem Stites read the Title of the Resolution and the Issue Statement into the Record. Issue: City Council is asked to approve the Service Plan and Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the Legacy Metropolitan District Nos. 1-12, a taxing district to be used to finance certain improvements for the Lutheran Legacy Campus redevelopment. Service Plan approval is the means by which the City oversees the creation of such districts, which are ultimately approved for formation by the district court. City Manager Patrick Goff stated that at the February 10th special study session, Intermountain Health had submitted a Service Plan to the City for the formation of a Metropolitan District for the Lutheran Legacy Campus. Metropolitan Districts in Colorado are a common tool for financing the public infrastructure portion of development projects. He said close to $100 million in public improvements have been identified for the redevelopment of the Lutheran Legacy Campus. The boundaries of the proposed District include only those properties within the 100-acre Lutheran Legacy campus. No properties outside those boundaries would be included in the District or taxed by the District per state statute. Goff stated that Service Plans for the formation of a Metropolitan District must be approved by city council. Patrick Goff introduced Megan Murphy with the law firm representing Intermountain Health to present the Service Plan to City Council Megan Murphy gave a brief PowerPoint presentation which included what was presented at the city council’s February 3, 2025, study session, with the inclusion of additional disclosures as requested by council. She reviewed the boundary map, the proposed districts, the financial terms of the service plan, the service plan being a financial tool for development, and the additional disclosure for future purchasers. Murphy discussed the city council Findings regarding the service plan per CRS 32-1-203. Public Comment Elise Brougham – requested Council vote against the Resolution. Council Comment Mayir Pro Tem Stites asked Mr. Goff to explain why approval of a metro district would benefit the city. Goff stated that it is a financing tool that will allow the developer to pay for over $100 million of public improvements. Council Member Hoppe was appreciative for the extra disclosure language and asked if it could also be linked to the city website. Murphy explained that by law the metro district must have their own website linked to the Division of Local Government’s website and the city could link to that as well. Council Member Hultin asked since the roads and sidewalks are private property, would they still be maintained by the city standards. Murphy stated that the District would require, at a minimum, they be kept to city standards and laws. Mayor Pro Tem Stites made a motion to approve Resolution 14—2025, a resolution approving a Service Plan and Intergovernmental Agreement for the Legacy Metropolitan District Nos. 1-12. It was seconded by Council Member Ohm. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. 9. Council Bill No. 05-2025 – an ordinance amending the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning disposition of lost, abandoned, and unclaimed property Council Member Snell read the Title of the Bill and Issue Statement into the Record. Issue: The Colorado state treasurer's office has advised the City of a state statute governing unclaimed property. The statute referenced is the Colorado Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, CRS 38-13-101 et seq. (the “Act’). The Act generally requires holders of unclaimed property, such as the City, to disburse unclaimed cash and cash instruments to the state treasurer. The City may exempt itself from the Act, but only if it has adopted a local ordinance concerning unclaimed property which conflicts with the Act. This ordinance revises Code sections to comply with the Act while preserving the City’s authority to dispose of unclaimed property. The ordinance simplifies the Code sections on disposition of unclaimed property generally and property held by the police department. City Attorney Dahl sated that the State Treasurer takes all cash funds that are unclaimed unless the city has an ordinance in place which preempts the state, allowing the City to hold unclaimed cash for five years and after five years, allowing the city to retain the funds. In addition, clean-up was done on the ordinance regarding all other personal property rather than cash, reducing the hold time. This streamlines the disposition of unclaimed property for the Police Department. Public Comment None Council Member Snell made a motion to approve Council Bill 05-2025 an ordinance amending the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws concerning disposition of lost, abandoned, and unclaimed property. It was seconded by Council Member Hoppe. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING None DECISIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MOTIONS 10. Motion to approve appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees Mayor Starker read the motion and Issue Statement into the Record. Issue: As of March 2, 2025, the terms of twenty-one Board, Commission, and Committee members of the City of Wheat Ridge will expire. Additionally, there are six existing vacancies to fill which include seats on the Board of Adjustment, Parks and Recreation Commission, Community Partners Grant Program, and the IDEA Committee. These twenty-seven positions in total are to be filled or reappointed. Mayor Starker asked for Council to approve his appointments of the following: John Troisi – Alternate – Board of Adjustment – Term March 2, 2028 Betty Jo Page – Alternate – Board of Adjustment – Term March 2, 2027 Amanda Burch – At Large – Sustainable Wheat Ridge – Term March 2, 2028 Lynn Carter – At Large – IDEA Committee – Term March 2, 2028 Joseph Chisholm – At Large- IDEA Committee – Term March 2, 2028 Edward Nepomuceno – IDEA Committee – Term March 2, 2027 Terra Greer – At Large – IDEA Committee – Term March 2, 2026 Council Member Hoppe made a motion to approve the Mayor’s appointments. It was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Stites. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nayes. The motion carried. Council Member Hoppe made a motion to make the following District I appointments: Tom Zelenko – Board of Adjustment – Term March 2, 2028 Ryan Hester – Parks & Recreation Commission – Term March 2, 2028 Ralph Haben – Park and Recreation Commission – Term March 2, 2027 Cody Hedges – Planning Commission – Term March 2, 2028 Corinne Anderson – Sustainable Wheat Ridge – Term March 2, 2028 Kelly Trace – Community Partners Grant program – Term March 2, 2028 It was seconded by Council Member Snell. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nayes. The motion carried. Council Member Ohm made a motion to make the following District II appointments: Alastair Huber – Board of Adjustment – Term March 2, 2028 Jason McCullough – Building Code Advisory Board – Term March 2, 2028 Daniel Graeve – Planning Commission – Term March 2, 2028 Julianne Stern – Renewal Wheat Ridge – Term March 2, 2030 Alix Finnegan – Sustainable Wheat Ridge – Tern March 2, 2028 Alex Gouldsmith – Community Partners Grant Program – Term March 2, 2028 It was seconded by Council Member Hultin. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays The motion carried. Council Member Weaver made a motion to make the following District III appointments: Susan Wood – Planning Commission – Term March 2, 2028 Alllison Vitello – Community Partners Grant Program – Term March 2, 2027 Amanda Fixsen – Community Partners Grant Program – Term March 2, 2028 Cindy Chang – IDEA Committee – Term March 2, 2027 It was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Stites. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. Council Member Dozeman made a motion to make the following District IV appointments: John Derosier – Sustainable Wheat Ridge – Term March 2, 2028 Charles Hood – Community Partners Grant Program – Term March 2, 2028 Raven Newberry – Community Partners Grant Program – Term March 2, 2027 It was seconded by Council Member Larson. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. 11. Motion approving a contract with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc., for building division services and authorizing subsequent payments Council Member Dozeman read the Motion and Issue Statement into the Record. Issue: Charles Abbott Associates, Inc. has provided Building Division services for the City of Wheat Ridge since 2018 under a contract that ends in March 2025. A competitive procurement process for Building Division services occurred in late 2024 resulting in this award. Community Development Director Lauren Mikulak spoke in favor of contracting with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc., stating they have been a very successful relationship with the City. She stated having a contractor imbedded in City Hall is most helpful to the City’s clients. Council Member Dozeman made a motion to approve a contract with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc., for building division services and authorizing subsequent payments. It was seconded by Council Member Larson. Vote: 8 Ayes. 0 Nays. The motion carried. 12. City Manager’s Matters City Manager Patrick Goff stated that the City’s Teen Night program has been cancelled due to the lack of grant funding from the federal government. Staff is working toward finding an alternative solution to keep the program going including potential partnering with APEX. He also stated that that Phase I of the STACK apartments is breaking ground. The entire complex will be built on Kipling from 44th on the east side to almost I-70. 13. City Attorney’s Matters None. 14. Elected Official’s Matters Mayor and City Council Members stated their pride in the City, thanked staff for their hard work, and reported on events and activities they attended over the past weeks. 15. Adjournment There being no further business to come before City Council, Mayor Starker adjourned the meeting at 7:38 pm. _________________________________ Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk _________________________________ Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem