Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for their regular meeting Tuesday evening, August 3, to consider an effort to help rebuild three aging mobile home parks in the city, increase funding to build the new Public Safety Complex, and a number of new annexations into the city.
Councilors Barbara Bynum, Dave Frank, Doug Glaspell, and Anthony Russo met in City Council Chambers along with city staff. David Reed attended online. Due to changing COVID-19 protocols, members of the public were allowed to attend in City Council Chambers, or online via the Zoom platform.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no members of the audience offering public comment.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Councilors voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the July 19, 2021, special meeting and the July 20 regular City Council meeting. Doug Glaspell was absent from the July 20 meeting.
The city’s archive of past meeting minutes can be found at CityofMontrose.org/ArchiveCenter.
MOBILE HOME PARK PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND PROPOSED CITY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Councilors voted unanimously to approve three mobile home park permits along with financial contributions from the city to rehabilitate the parks and improve the quantity of life for park residents.
Councilors approved permits for each of the following parks: Cottonwood Mobile Home Park, San Juan Mobile Home Park, and Green Acres Mobile Home Park.
Councilors also approved a contribution of $500,000 to help rebuild, repair, replace, and reconfigure areas within the parks to create room for additional units and to improve health and safety conditions in the parks.
The owner of the parks is proposing improvements totaling $4,492,592 for everything from asbestos abatement to new street lighting. Upgrades to water and sewer systems are also part of the proposed improvements.
Assistant City Manager Ann Morgenthaler said other changes include upgrading the streets to accommodate emergency vehicles and removing dozens of uninhabitable units.
The city’s $500,000 contribution will consist of $300,000 in funds from the city's federal American Rescue Plan funding and $200,000 from undesignated General Fund reserves. The investment represents 12 percent of the overall project cost, according to Morgenthaler.
Morgenthaler said the city would pay contractors hired by the owner, adding that the city would create formal agreements with the owner to ensure that all the improvements are completed.
MONTROSE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AMENDMENT
Councilors voted unanimously to approve a $1,830,805 contract amendment for the construction of the Montrose Public Safety Complex (MPSC).
In February of this year, City Council authorized $16,212,884 to be used toward the construction of the MPSC. $15,274,434 of the total was for SHAW’s contract, based on cost calculations from development design documents in December 2020. Since that time there have been unprecedented increases in all construction material markets. Although there was a contingency included specifically for cost escalation, the amount of increase over the last seven months has exceeded the contingency that was included at that time.
Ty Withee of Shaw Construction said there are challenges in material and contractor availability as well that have complicated the construction and engineering process.
Work on the construction project began in March 2021 and most of the work on deep foundations and utilities is complete.
Peter Icenogle of the Blythe Group said a substantial amount of unsuitable soils was encountered during the underground work. This unforeseen condition consumed a significant amount of the contingency allocated in the initial cost authorization.
The additions that are being proposed at this time, and to be included in the SHAW contract amount, are for the planter seat walls around the front of the new building that resemble the planter seat walls that are around the front of City Hall. These also contribute to the security of the building and tie into the existing historic civic campus. Adding the planter seat walls at a later date would be cost-prohibitive and disruptive to operations and public access.
Contract Administration and Project Financials
This amendment would increase the SHAW contract amount to $16,595,215 and the owner’s contingency to $1,161,665. This project is funded by the Public Safety Fund, which consists of funding from certificates of participation that were issued, City of Montrose Public Safety Sales Tax, and General Fund contributions.
RESOLUTION 2021-12
Councilors voted unanimously to authorize the Montrose Police Department to file a Victim Assistance Law Enforcement (VALE) grant through the 7th Judicial District Victims Assistance Board totaling $28,000.
Each year the department files for the grant to fund one-half of the salary of the department's victim advocate.
Montrose Police Chief Blaine Hall said victim advocates are professionals trained to support victims of crime. Advocates offer victims information, emotional support, help in finding resources and filling out paperwork, and sometimes accompany them in court.
Chief Hall said the department's advocate, Chantelle Bainbridge, is an invaluable resource for the community, and this grant is a routine funding resource to help pay for her services.
ORDINANCE 2548 - SECOND READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2547 on second reading to vacate a portion of Orchard Road.
According to Senior Planner Amy Sharp, the proposed vacation is located along Orchard Road in Waterfall Canyon Subdivision. It includes approximately 1.7 acres.
In 1891 a 30-foot-wide Orchard Road right-of-way between Sunset Mesa and Happy Canyon Creek was dedicated as part of the Orchard Plat. The extreme western portion of that dedication continued to be farmed until the Waterfall Canyon Subdivision was approved for construction in 2006.
The approved subdivision of the Waterfall Canyon project proposed that this old Orchard Road ROW would be modified as follows:
• The extreme western portion would be included in a new Orchard Drive (widened to a 50' ROW) and an open-space tract centered on Happy Canyon Creek.
• The center portion would be included in a new 5.16-acre city park (Tract N).
• The eastern portion would be included in two small, HOA-managed open-space tracts totaling 0.22 acres.
The original Waterfall Canyon Preliminary Plat was renewed in 2012 and again in 2017, with another planned renewal later this year. This Orchard Road ROW vacation is necessary to allow final platting (creation of new residential lots, dedication of new city streets and parks, and creation of HOA tracts) for the final plat for Waterfall Canyon Filing #5.
WATERFALL CANYON SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 5 FINAL PLAT
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the final plat to the Waterfall Canyon Subdivision.
The Waterfall Canyon Subdivision Filing No. 5 proposes to create 35 new residential lots with a zoning of "R-3" Medium Density District and "R-3A" Medium High-Density District.
RESOLUTION 2021-13
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2021-13 setting September 7, 2021, as the hearing date for the annexation of the Riverbend RV Park Addition II.
RESOLUTION 2021-14
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2021-14, authorizing assignment of the city’s private activity bond allocation to the Colorado Housing Finance Authority pursuant to the Colorado Private Activity Bond Ceiling Allocation.
According to Community Engagement Specialist Ross Valdez, on May 18, 2021, Shannon Friel from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) requested that the City of Montrose assign its 2021 private activity bond volume cap to CHFA.
The IRS allocates an annual per-capita bonding authority for housing to each state, also known as PAB Volume Capacity, or “Cap”. Colorado then allocates this authority to statewide authorities and local governments. In 2020 the allocation for the City of Montrose was $1,030,342 and $1,091,612 in 2021.
For the past three years, the City of Montrose has assigned its allocation of PAB to CHFA, which puts the PAB to use in Montrose. The City of Montrose has not desired to issue bonds directly as there is risk and administrative burden in doing so. Allocating the PAB directly to CHFA allows the city to benefit from the PAB allocation without directly issuing bonds. In 2020, CHFA worked with the City of Montrose to use the PAB allocation to support Steele Properties, LLC’s rehabilitation of San Juan Apartments, which serves seniors (62+ years old), Section 8, and residents with disabilities.
City staff recommended that City Council consider assigning the PAB allocation to CHFA again this year, and request that CHFA use the PAB to support first-time homeownership investment, a multifamily affordable housing project, and/or CHFA’s homeownership program known as FirstStep. CHFA will ensure that the allocation is used within the City of Montrose.
BROWN CENTER BUILDING LEASE AND SUBLEASE AGREEMENTS
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve a new lease of the Brown Center.
Community Engagement Specialist Ross Valdez said the current, three-year lease expires this fall and that there are minor changes to the proposed lease language.
In 2018 City Councilors voted unanimously to lease the Brown Center facility to house farmworkers during the agricultural season and provide emergency shelter to homeless people during the winter months.
The three-year lease between the city and Tuxedo Corn Company LLC, and a sublease agreement between Tuxedo and Montrose Lighthouse Inc., went into effect in September 2018. The lease is set to expire September 15, 2021.
From roughly spring through fall, the facility will house migrant farmworkers who are critical to the operations of the Tuxedo Corn Company. The company is part of a local collaborative of about 19 growers that are constantly looking for ways to hire and house migrant workers, according to Olathe farmer John Harold of the Tuxedo Corn Company.
During the winter months, the center's 24 beds would be used to house both men and women who have no other place to stay. The facility sits in between the city's wastewater treatment facility and the Montrose Animal Shelter on the city's north side.
RIVERSIDE PARK ADDITION II ANNEXATION
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the annexation of the Riverside Park Addition II.
According to City Planner William Reis, the 2.09-acre parcel is located west of the parking lot within Cerise Park. Reis said the parcel has several different uses attached to it, including possible housing. Reis said there are no current plans in place to use the parcel.
Councilors voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2021-15, Findings of Fact for the addition, and Ordinance 2549 on first reading to officially annex the addition into the city.
Councilors will vote on a second reading on the ordinance at the August 17 regular meeting.
ORDINANCE 2550 - FIRST READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2550 on first reading to zone the Riverside Park Addition II as a "P" Public District.
Councilors will vote on a second reading on the ordinance at the August 17 regular meeting.
RIVERSIDE PARK ADDITION III ANNEXATION
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the annexation of the Riverside Park Addition III.
According to City Planner William Reis, the 0.03-acre parcel is located west of the parking lot within Cerise Park. Reis said this annexation cleans up an orphaned parcel of land and brings the property into the city. Reis said the parcel has several different uses attached to it, including possible housing. Reis said there are no current plans in place to use the parcel.
Councilors voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2021-16, Findings of Fact for the addition, and Ordinance 2551 on first reading to officially annex the addition into the city.
Councilors will vote on a second reading on the ordinance at the August 17 regular meeting.
ORDINANCE 2552 - FIRST READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2550 on first reading to zone the Riverside Park Addition III as a "P" Public District.
Councilors will vote on a second reading on the ordinance at the August 17 regular meeting.
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