Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for a work session Monday morning, August 17, to discuss a number of city projects, contract awards, and a new program designed to improve downtown. Councilors and staff met in Council Chambers at 107 South Cascade while maintaining COVID-19 social distancing protocols. The public was invited to attend via the Zoom platform.
Councilors Dave Bowman, Dave Frank, and Doug Glaspell met in chambers with councilor Roy Anderson attending via Zoom. Mayor Barbara Bynum was not present while on vacation. The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW CITY EMPLOYEES
A handful of new employees were introduced to the City Council, most of whom were hired to backfill recent departures. The new employees introduced were:
Kate Adams: Guest Services and DART Coordinator
Kennah Baecker: Customer Service Representative
Walter Felton: Assistant to Golf Course Superintendent
Nikolas Pridy: Street Division Worker
James Hendricks: Parks and Special Project Division Worker
SINNER SUBDIVISION FINAL PLAT
Senior City Planner Amy Sharp presented the final plat of the Sinner Subdivision located east of the city at the intersection of Oak Grove Road and 6800 Road. Sharp said the city expects all requirements for the final plat of this subdivision to be met before City Councilors consider the plat at the September 1 regular City Council meeting.
UNREIN ADDITION II ANNEXATION
Senior City Planner Amy Sharp presented the council with a proposal to annex a small strip of land, less than an acre in size, to be included in the existing Unrein Addition. According to Sharp, the .87-acre orphaned strip of land was not annexed into the city when the main portion of the Unrein property was annexed in the early 2000s. The property is still identified as being located in Montrose County, yet the entire property is surrounded by annexed property. The .87-acre annexation is a formal cleanup of city maps and will simply be added to the large Unrein property.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION
Councilors were updated regarding an Intergovernmental Agreement, or IGA, between the city and Montrose County concerning the November election and a municipal question that will appear on the ballot. Last month the council approved language for the November 3 election regarding a new franchise agreement with the Delta-Montrose Electric Association, DMEA, to continue providing electrical service to the community.
SANITARY SEWER CURED-IN-PLACE PIPE CONTRACT EXTENSION
Utilities Manager David Bries brought for the council’s consideration a proposed contract extension with Granite Inliner (formally Layne Inliner, LLC), of Kiowa Colorado, in an amount not to exceed $200,000, for cured-in-place lining of sanitary sewers.
Bries explained that, as a part of the city’s routine maintenance, the city’s utility crews identified critical sewers as candidates for a Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) project to restore their structural integrity. The lines for this year’s project are mostly concrete and Vitrified Clay Pipes (VCP) that have higher maintenance costs due to the condition of the line segments. While the cost of maintenance on the majority of the system averages $1.30 per foot, maintenance on these lines averages $3.34 per foot. CIPP is a process of installing a new pipe within a pipe using the existing pipe as the form.
During construction, there will be minor traffic re-routing at lining project locations for short periods of time (less than a day). Customers will be notified in advance of the project and again prior to the actual lining of the sewer main serving their property. Customers are asked to minimize the usage of water during the installation and curing process until the services are re-opened, typically between two to four hours.
SUNSET MESA TANK AND BOOSTER PUMP STATION CONTRACT AWARD
City Engineer Scott Murphy presented a contract award proposal for the new Sunset Mesa Water Tank and Pump Station slated for construction later this fall.
Murphy told the council the project would cost approximately $4,746,166 for both the tank and pump house. He added the project would take a year to complete and funds for the project would be split between the 2020 and 2021 budgets.
The city currently owns a three million gallon below-grade storage tank situated on Sunset Mesa, approximately 500 feet east of the baseball field complex. This tank was originally built around 1960. A formal condition assessment performed for the tank in 2014 determined that portions of the tank are structurally compromised and in need of $1 to $2 million in repairs. The tank has also experienced pressure and operational issues due to its relatively low elevation and increased water demands over the years. As a result of the existing tank’s condition, it is currently isolated from the city’s water distribution system and is only being used to store water for irrigating the Sunset Mesa sports fields.
In September of 2018, the city hired Farnsworth Group to perform a detailed evaluation of tank alternatives and prepare construction plans for the replacement of this aging tank. Through this process, the city selected the preferred tank alternative as twin 1.5 million gallon standpipe tanks, approximately 130 feet tall. This project will construct the first of these two tanks with its associated piping and booster pump station. The tank will be situated immediately north of the existing tank, which will remain in service until the new tank is completed.
The project was put out to bid earlier this summer with four Colorado companies and one Kansas-based company responding. After careful evaluation, Murphy said Ridgway Valley Enterprises of Montrose was qualified to complete the job at a cost of $4,336,876. In addition to recommending that the council consider approving construction contracts, staff also recommended hiring the Farnsworth Group to provide engineering support in the amount of $409,290.
Construction for the project is scheduled to begin in early September 2020 and extend through November 2021.
Councilors will formally vote on the proposed contract at the September 1 regular meeting.
CONTRACT AWARD RECOMMENDATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
A contract award proposal for design and engineering services for the new Public Safety Complex, PSC, housing the new offices of the Montrose Police Department, was presented for consideration by the City Council.
The contract with Blythe Group and Co (BG&Co) would include all phases of the new Public Safety Complex (PSC) Construction Project and would make the company the architect of record. BG&Co would begin working with the Owner’s Team as soon as this contract is awarded.
The proposed lump sum contract amount is $764,198, plus reimbursable expenses not-to-exceed $19,870. This amount would be paid through the Public Safety Fund and tracked along with all expenses related to the Public Safety Complex Construction Project.
BUSINESS INCENTIVES PACKAGE FOR CHOW DOWN PET SUPPLIES
City Councilors will consider an incentive package to assist Chow Down Pet Supplies with a business expansion downtown.
Chow Down has the former Daily Press building at 535 South First under contract. The building is substantially larger than its current space on East Main Street.
The Daily Press building still has a large ink tank and sizable amounts of asbestos that require abatement before Chow Down can safely operate inside the building. The total amount of the building purchase, renovations, and upgrades is estimated at over $1 million. The incentives package before the council is for $100,000 to help in those efforts.
The cost to remove the ink tank is estimated at $14,000 while removing the asbestos was calculated at $100K+. The total cost of the incentive package before the council is $100,000 or less than 10 percent of the project cost, according to Business Innovation Director Chelsea Rosty.
Rosty said Chow Down is creating new pet daycare services, larger infrastructure for pet grooming services, and bigger retail space that will create up to nine new jobs over the next few years. The company employs a staff of 12 currently.
The council will decide on the incentives package at the September 1 regular meeting.
DART FACADE GRANT PROGRAM
City Council will consider a plan to create a new program to help local businesses and property owners improve the look of their buildings through a new facade grant program.
Chelsea Rosty told the council the city’s DART (Development and Revitalization Team) recognizes that the condition of the buildings in Montrose forms the basis of the public’s overall impression of the community and reflects the vibrancy and historical value of the area. The Façade Improvement Matching Grant Program (“Façade Improvement Grant”) has been designed to award DART funds as an incentive program for ongoing revitalization. Improvements to the exterior façades (front, back, or side) will support DART’s work to promote developing Montrose as an attractive, vibrant place where people converge, businesses thrive, and values rise.
This matching grant program will provide leverage to property owners for projects and enhance the functionality of properties. It is also intended to encourage compatibility between structures that have been renovated and those that have not to increase the overall aesthetic experience of Montrose.
The following questions and conditions were created to help potential applicants traverse the grant program.
WHAT CONDITIONS APPLY?
• All nongovernmental commercial property owners are eligible.
• Priority will be given to improvements that eliminate blight and make the greatest visual impact on the surrounding environment, particularly those that have a prime location, historical or community/social value, as determined by DART.
• The application must be made by the property owner unless permission is granted, in writing, to the tenant by the owner. Grant-funded improvements are meant to be permanent and lasting in nature.
• The minimum award is $2,000 and the maximum award is $12,500 per parcel or $25,000 per project where the property comprises more than one parcel. The grant requires a $1:$1 match by the applicant. Grants will be limited to a total of $25,000 per project ($12,500 per parcel) per five-year cycle.
• Work must be started within three months of the date of approval and must be completed within twelve months of approval. Extensions may be granted at the discretion of the DART Design Committee.
• All work must be completed prior to requesting reimbursement. Grant payments will be made directly to the contractor performing the work. This program is designed for buildings that are already constructed and will not apply to a new build.
WHAT IF MY PROPERTY IS HISTORIC?
• Historic properties are eligible for a $0.25:$1 match if a property is at least fifty years old and the owner applies for the property to be designated on the City of Montrose Historic Register. This additional incentive will also require that the Historic Preservation Commission review of the application before being eligible for Façade Improvement Grant incentives.
• Any property previously designated on the City of Montrose Historic Register is also eligible for a $0.25:$1 match, however, the application must be reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission for all proposed exterior alterations before any alterations commence.
• Applications for the Façade Improvement Grant will be reviewed by the Design
Committee of DART and must be approved by the DART Board before any improvements are done. The DART Board has discretion in determining if funds will be awarded final approval with the City Manager or his designee granting final approval.
WHAT IF MY PROPERTY ISN’T HISTORIC?
• Even if your property is not considered historic, the Façade Improvement Grant can still work for you!
• The City of Montrose Comprehensive Plan strongly emphasizes the unique and historic nature of many parts of the community. Therefore, any renovation of a non-historic building should attempt to complement that theme.
• Existing building features of non-historic properties should be retained and/or enhanced to be compatible with and complementary to historic structures nearby.
• The use of high-quality, durable materials is encouraged. Long blank walls that lack visual interest should be avoided. The enhancement of outdoor spaces and improvements that add visual interest are encouraged.
• As with all projects, the improvements must conform to the City of Montrose Municipal Code requirements.
WHAT IS GRANT-ELIGIBLE?
✔ Add new awnings, lights, non-commercial murals, or other exterior amenities.
✔ Uncover or rehabilitate the historic exterior of an existing building.
✔ Eliminate blighted conditions like dark alleys, broken fixtures or inaccessible entryways.
✔ Remove non-historic features.
✔ Add window/display areas.
✔ Restore brickwork, wood, masonry, stucco, or siding.
✔ Replace, repair, or add architectural details like cornices or transoms.
✔ Repair or replace windows and doors.
✔ Pointing of brick and mortar joint repair.
✔ Entryway renovation.
WHAT IS NOT GRANT-ELIGIBLE?
⌧ Non-permanent fixtures (tables, flower planters, etc.).
⌧ Anything not seen from the public right of way unless it is a structural element necessary for façade improvement.
⌧ Any element of the proposal deemed to be inconsistent with city codes and/or zoning.
⌧ Commercial signs
HOW DO I APPLY?
✔ Meet with DART Staff to review the conceptual design and to establish eligibility.
✔ Finalize the façade improvement plans by working with architects, engineers, and
builders. Attempted proof of at least two cost estimates is required for the application.
✔ Submit the application, which will be reviewed by the DART Design Committee.
✔ If approved, begin work on the project within three months. Keep a detailed and
accurate accounting of actual costs.
✔ Within 12 months of approval, complete the project and submit a final report with
photos, invoices, and receipts.
✔ If all requirements of the grant have been met, contractors will be paid.
If approved by the council at the September 1 regular meeting, the city would then create an online application for those interested in applying for this grant program.
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