| Public Comment The Loveland City Council was publicly scolded by two Loveland residents Tuesday night (April 3, 2007) on two separate issues. Tim Veldhuizen, a downtown business owner and Loveland resident, asked the Council for more support of the old downtown area. He stated that December was a disaster for downtown businesses see video clip of his comments and commented on the declining level of services for downtown. He requested the Council partner with business in downtown to assist in the ongoing revitalization and growth on the downtown area. John Rust also advised the Council that Lake Loveland’s largest adjacent property owner is the City itself. He reminded the Council that the Recreation Association that now controls surface water rights for lake Loveland does so as part of a larger agreement with the ditch company that included the city allowing the use of city property for their loading dock and other concessions. Councilman Klassen was the only elected official to follow-up on these complaints during the meeting and requested staff provide information to the Council about leverage the city may enjoy through older agreements before agreeing to pay the 300% increase in the swim beach lease agreement with the Loveland Recreational Association. Swim Beach The City Manager, Don Williams, announced the recommendation to close the swim beach on Lake Loveland by the staff has been withdrawn and will not come before Council again. New Evening Downtown Parking Soon To Be made Available Williams also announced that new parking will be available downtown in a Larimer County controlled parking lot as the result of recent negotiations with the County. He stated the County initially misunderstood the request but later agreed when it was explained that the parking would only be open during non-business hours in the evenings. The parking lot is located next to Railroad Ave. downtown. Encroachment on Public Rights of Way Revisited Due to a clerical error in not posting the item after first reading, the resolution allowing a private developer to close-off public streets for the exclusive use of homebuyers was re-approved by Council in a 6-3 vote. The Mayor, Larry Walsh, and Councilmembers Skowron and Dozier voted no while the rest of the Council voted yes. What makes this unusual is the fact Dave Clark recuesed himself from the vote last March by stating he had a conflict of interest. At the April 3, 2007 meeting Clark freely voted on the item only two weeks later as if a conflict never existed. In addition, Councilman Steve Dozier, who quickly moved approval without offering any discussion, voted against the measure. Parliamentary Procedure does allow the maker of a motion to vote against it provided no negative comments are made when the motion is on the floor for consideration. New Appropriations and Re-Appropriations Approved The City Council unanimously approved the proposed new spending by city staff for 2007 while also re-authorizing funds for projects started in 2006 but still not finished in 2007. The Council followed the staff recommendation that $500,000 of City Council Reserves be tapped to make- up the cost overruns at the old Larimer County Fairgrounds conversion to a public park. According to city budget officer, John Hartman, current projections for the City Council reserve for end of 2007 should be approximately $6.7 million. The proposed new spending and re-appropriation resolution only received questions from Council on issues raised by the Loveland Reporter-Herald regarding the $1 million cost overrun for building Fairgrounds Park. CEF (Capital Expansion Fees) Changes Approved by City Council Council unanimously supported a staff request to significantly increase the CEF’s on new homes to be built in the community. The same measure proposes reducing the fees on both commercial and industrial new developments. CEF is the term used by the city in describing the fees collected from developers to acquire the capital required to provide city services to a growing population. The specific methodology for arriving at the fee schedule was not shared with the public or Council but it was shown next to amounts for the same fees in neighboring communities. Several Council members questioned the rising number of “roof-tops� in the community and the fact they actually cost the city more versus bringing-in any positive. Staff explained that capital expansion fees pays for buildings, land and other capital expenses required to operate city services. The “roof-top� costs, staff explained, refers to “operating costs⠀� studied by the residential use impact study presented to Council. City Manager Don Williams asserted that one needs to consider the residents do create a positive to the operating costs since one needs to consider, “houses will always cost more to serve� but part of the problem is the model he pointed out saying, “since it attributes income to the commercial business location instead of the household where that money is actually coming from.� Regional studies of commuters in Northern Colorado don’t support the City Manager’s logic. Houses in Greeley and Johnstown that create more operating expenses than they pay are a drag on those communities if the residents are shopping in Loveland instead of their own community. Similarly, Loveland has become a “bedroom community� since approximately 45% of residents work outside Loveland and presumably also shop (at least in part) in the cities where they work. 2030 Transportation Plan The 2030 Transportation Plan was unanimously approved by the City Council. Gene Pielin questioned the wisdom of using the cheaper chip-seal process to repave streets in town. Staff commented that “recycling� in-place saves millions of dollars. Pielin asked staff to “toot your horn a little more’ so citizens are aware of what is being done to improve transportation into the future for Loveland.� |
LovelandPolitics.com
| Loveland City Council Speeds Through Packed Agenda - Public Comments Mostly Ignored April 3, 2007 Meeting |
| Longtime Loveland resident, John Rust, educates the City Council about previous agreements regarding Lake Loveland suggesting the boat ramp on city property was provided in exchange for the swim beach. Later, Rust questions more money going to Fairground Park when previous projects were never finished, ie. bike trail loop and fishing pier extending over south Lake Loveland. |
| City Budget manager, John Hartman, explains to Councilman Walt Skowron that the proposal before him includes new appropriations not just money already budgeted for in the past. |
| City Manager, Don Williams, announces good news for sharing a county parking lot and informs Council the proposal to close the swim beach at Lake Loveland will not be brought back for consideration |
| Councilman Gene Pielin, in a likely reference to LovelandPolitics.com, joked that people also say he sleeps too much at Council meetings. Well Gene, here you go - four sleepy images from the April 3, 2007 meeting. |
| While we have poked fun at Councilor Pielin for sleeping during meetings, here our photographer caught Steve Dozier appearing to doze - head in hand. He said absolutely nothing during the entire April 3, meeting except to introduce motions. On the gated community, Dozier moved to pass the item and than voted no. A number of emails to this site question if he attended certain meetings - the answer is yes - only he may have looked just like this for most of the meeting - that is why he wasn't seen. |
| Councilman Heckel (left) and City Manager Williams, Councilwoman Brown and Councilman Klassen (from left to right on right) |