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Dear friends, neighbors and colleagues - 

Last night, the Mayor and I, along with the Larimer County Public Health Director, hosted a Telephone Town Hall with more than 6,300 live participants. It was an opportunity to share more about the City’s response to COVID-19 in Fort Collins and Larimer County, as well as to answer questions. I was humbled and inspired by the dialogue – it’s clear our community has real concerns about the challenges we are facing, and it is also clear that you all are compassionate and caring. If you were unable to join live, I hope you’ll take time to listen – a link to the audio recording is below.

With gratitude,

Darin Atteberry, City Manager

City of Fort Collins Updates

Telephone Town Hall
Mayor Wade Troxell, City Manager Darin Atteberry, and Larimer County Public Health Director Tom Gonzales hosted a telephone town hall meeting last night to share updates about the City’s response to COVID-19, as well as to respond to questions from community members. If you missed it live, the audio recording is available on the City’s YouTube channel.

Facility Closures
All City facilities are closed to the public at this time. If you need to conduct business with the City, please visit fcgov.com/cityservices to find specific department web pages and contact information. If you cannot find the contact information you need, please call 970-221-6500 and someone will direct your call. Please Note: This number should be used for City business. Any questions about COVID-19, including health information and the latest recommendations from the County and State, should be directed to the Larimer County Department of Health & Environment.
View Latest Updates

Regulatory Changes

Denver & Boulder Stay-at-Home Orders
On Monday, March 23, Denver’s Mayor Hancock issued a Public Health Order with an explicit stay-at-home directive for the City and County of Denver, which goes into effect at 5 p.m. today (March 24) and will continue through at least April 10. The City of Boulder issued a similar order, which will also go into effect at 5 p.m. today.

At this time, neither the City of Fort Collins nor Larimer County have elected to issue similar orders, though the Larimer County Department of Health & Environment does have the authority to issue them for our area. The City of Fort Collins will continue to follow the recommendations of the state and county on this issue.

State Order
On Sunday, March 22, Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order requiring all non-critical workplaces in Colorado to reduce their in-person workforce by 50% by today (March 24). This means employees at non-critical workplaces should work remotely wherever possible, and stagger work schedules when remote work is not possible, unless the employer can certify that employees are no closer than 6 feet from one another during any part of their workday. Additional details, including a list of critical workplaces exempt from this order, are available on the State of Colorado’s website.

Business, Nonprofit & Employee Resources
City Sales and Use Tax
If a Fort Collins business is experiencing a hardship that impacts its ability to meet City sales and use tax remittance obligations, the owner should still plan to file their monthly return forms but may contact the City Revenue Department to request consideration of a temporary waiver of fees and interest and/or a payment plan. Representatives of the Revenue Department can be reached at salestax@fcgov.com or by phone at (970) 221-6780 during normal business hours.

Paid Sick Leave
Service industry employers/businesses are required to provide four days hourly paid sick leave by the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment:
  • Provide four days of paid sick leave for those with flu-like symptoms who are being tested for Coronavirus
  • Apply only to workers in the service industries, including: leisure & hospitality, food services, childcare, education (including transportation, food service, and related work at educational establishments), home health (if working with elderly, disabled, ill or otherwise high-risk individuals), nursing homes and community living facilities. 
  • Watch a free Webinar: COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Requirements
Additional Resources

Community Support

Utilities Payment Assistance
Until further notice, Fort Collins Utilities will not disconnect service due to nonpayment. If customers have difficulty paying their bill, payment plans can be arranged. Utilities also has a Payment Assistance Fund administered by several local nonprofits and offers discounted rates (the Medical Assistance Program and the Income-Qualified Assistance Program or IQAP) to qualifying residential customers. IQAP is available to customers who receive heat help from LEAP (LEAP applications are accepted through April 30). Learn more about these programs at fcgov.com/utilities-affordability.

Time of Day Utility Pricing
Fort Collins Utilities’ Time-of-Day (TOD) pricing provides an opportunity for customers to control their electric bill more than the rate structure in place before Oct. 2018. During the coming weeks, where families are asked to stay home, customers can save money by shifting electric use to the lower-priced, off-peak hours or by reducing overall use. We encourage households to shift tasks that might normally fall within the on-peak hours of 5-9 p.m. (weekdays only) to off-peak hours, when costs are approximately 70% lower. Since the implementation of TOD, results show the majority of customers save money on their monthly bill. The switch to TOD pricing was not a rate increase, rather it was designed to generate the same amount of revenue on an annual basis as the previous rate structure. For tips on how to shift or reduce your use, visit fcgov.com/TOD-Tips. To learn about the average costs of operating basic household appliances and electronics, visit fcgov.com/control-your-bill.

County Text Alerts
Larimer County has created a COVID-19 text alert to share current updates by zip code. Simply text the word “COVID19LC” to 888777 to sign up. 

Community Resources
A list of COVID-19 resources is now available on United Way Larimer County's website and is being updated frequently as partners receive more information.

Social Distancing and More
While we do not have an official Stay-at-Home order at this time, there are numerous measures put in place by our public health officials to increase safety and limit the spread of COVID-19:
  • Required a variety of businesses (theaters, gyms, tattoo shops, bars and others) to close to the public
  • Required restaurants staying open to transition to pick up or delivery only
  • Prohibited mass gatherings of more than 10 people
  • Suspended in-person learning at all schools through April 17
  • Instructed nonessential workplaces to reduce in-person staff by 50% with physical distancing required for employees reporting onsite
  • Recommended all Colorado community members observe social distancing, stay at home as much as possible when not making necessary trips, and limit the times we leave our homes even for essential travel

We encourage everyone in our community to take each restriction and each recommendation seriously so that we can each do our part to keep our community safe and healthy. We will continue to share updates as they relate to City services and our Fort Collins community at fcgov.com/coronavirus. Stay safe and keep taking care of each other, Fort Collins!

Emergency Preparedness & Security
City Hall West, 300 Laporte Ave
Fort Collins, CO 80521