Note: October - 2015 Edition: Some information may be out of date.
Council to Consider Affordable Housing October 6
Fort Collins planners have proposed a series of tools that would increase affordable housing by about 5,000 units – a 10 percent increase - over the next 25 years.
City Council is scheduled to consider a resolution adopting the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan on October 6. The five-year plan would set overarching goals and propose concrete steps such as preserving low-income affordable housing units, increasing affordable rental units and developing a strategy for using City Land Bank properties.
Currently, 3,075 of 61,294 housing units in the community are affordable units built utilizing affordable housing programs. The plan proposes to increase that to 6 percent by 2020 (4,105 units total) and 10 percent by 2040 (8,781 units total). The City defines affordable housing in the strategic plan as housing based on income as determined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City’s plan specifically addresses housing for a household earning 80 percent or less of the Area Median Income or about $62,250 a year for a family of four.
City staff spent the past year gathering feedback on the plan through public open houses and online surveys. Needs identified in the plan will drive City funding and housing-related policy decisions for the next five years.
“We hope this plan is flexible enough to be responsive to housing market conditions and concrete enough to get us to our goal of providing additional affordable housing for the many people in our community who need it,” said Social Sustainability Specialist Sue Beck-Ferkiss, co-project manager with Clay Frickey, City associate planner.
City Council will also work with staff this fall to determine policies regarding Land Bank properties, which are parcels owned by the City and planned for affordable housing developments. Read the draft Affordable Housing Strategic Plan.
Council Work Session on Recycling October 13
Fort Collins planners have proposed a series of tools that would increase affordable housing by about 5,000 units – a 10 percent increase - over the next 25 years.
City Council is scheduled to consider a resolution adopting the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan on October 6. The five-year plan would set overarching goals and propose concrete steps such as preserving low-income affordable housing units, increasing affordable rental units and developing a strategy for using City Land Bank properties.
Currently, 3,075 of 61,294 housing units in the community are affordable units built utilizing affordable housing programs. The plan proposes to increase that to 6 percent by 2020 (4,105 units total) and 10 percent by 2040 (8,781 units total). The City defines affordable housing in the strategic plan as housing based on income as determined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City’s plan specifically addresses housing for a household earning 80 percent or less of the Area Median Income or about $62,250 a year for a family of four.
City staff spent the past year gathering feedback on the plan through public open houses and online surveys. Needs identified in the plan will drive City funding and housing-related policy decisions for the next five years.
“We hope this plan is flexible enough to be responsive to housing market conditions and concrete enough to get us to our goal of providing additional affordable housing for the many people in our community who need it,” said Social Sustainability Specialist Sue Beck-Ferkiss, co-project manager with Clay Frickey, City associate planner.
City planners are seeking feedback on a series of proposed options for an updated Community Recycling Ordinance, which City Council will discuss at a work session on October 13.
Residents participated in four public meetings over the summer to discuss improvements to the program. That feedback has been combined with a consultant’s study to narrow the list of proposed options for the short-, medium- and long-term.
Short-term options for single-family homes, for example, could include adding a base fee and encouraging haulers to offer the option of weekly yard trimmings for a separate charge. Also being discussed is including recycling services with trash services for all multi-family complexes and businesses.
Longer term options could include collecting a broader range of organics to be composted in addition to yard trimmings, such as food scraps and food-soiled paper, and banning recyclable materials from landfill disposal.
Community members can complete a questionnaire on the proposed options. Feedback from this questionnaire will be shared with City Council. A brief video on the City’s YouTube channel also explains background on the City’s recycling ordinance and the options under discussion.
Council will also discuss the Community Recycling Center at the October 13 work session.
City Council will also work with staff this fall to determine policies regarding Land Bank properties, which are parcels owned by the City and planned for affordable housing developments. Read the draft Affordable Housing Strategic Plan.
Seeking Human Rights Nominees by October 19
The October 19 deadline is quickly approaching to submit nominations for the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Award. The Human Relations Award recognizes individuals who promote diversity and acceptance in Fort Collins. Previous winners have included Poudre High School Student Council, Martin Carcasson, director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, and State Sen. John Kefalas.
An application, list of previous recipients and additional information about eligibility criteria may be found on the website.
Radon Awareness Week Begins October 19, Zero-Interest Loans Available
The City of Fort Collins encourages residents to test the radon levels in their homes as Radon Awareness Week approaches starting October 19. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally-occurring gas associated with serious health concerns such as cancer.
The City offers zero-interest loans to assist with mitigation costs when radon is present. The loans range from $1,000 - $3,000 and can assist with up to 90 percent of the costs associated with radon mitigation. Radon tests must be completed prior to applying for these loans. More information about air quality loans may be found at https://www.fcgov.com/airquality/loan.php.
The City’s Healthy Homes program offers free in-home air quality assessments. These assessments include a radon test kit. More information on the Healthy Homes program and how to schedule an air quality assessment may be found at www.fcgov.com/healthyhomes.
Alternatively, residents may self-test their homes using low-cost kits available for purchase at:
- Fort Collins Senior Center- 1200 Raintree Drive
- Fort Collins Development Review Center- 281 North College Avenue
Short-term kits are $5.00 and long-term kits are $18.00. Residents may also hire professional radon testers to perform radon tests.
An estimated 70 percent of homes in Fort Collins have unsafe radon levels. However, unsafe radon levels can be fixed. More information about radon, its health impacts, radon testing and radon mitigation may be found at www.fcgov.com/radon.
Foothills Mall Holiday Celebration November 13
The Foothills Mall, which is under construction and includes public funding for a recreation center and improved infrastructure, will host a November 13 holiday celebration and tree lighting ceremony involving Mayor Wade Troxell. The celebration will take place in the newly remodeled center court, mall officials have announced. The finished mall will include a new public recreation center, called the Foothills Activity Center, and improved sidewalks and bicycle access.
The City’s Urban Renewal Authority, part of the Economic Health Office, assisted with a $53 million public assistance package to update the dilapidated mall.
Multicultural Community Retreat
Working with Front Range Community College, Colorado State University, Fort Collins Community Action Network and community partners, the City co-hosted a Multicultural Community Retreat at the Colorado Mountain State Campus September 18 and 19. About 50 citizens, including City staff, attended the two-day retreat, where diversity issues were explored in a safe, inclusive environment. Along with facilitated discussions and group exercises, keynote speakers DeEtta Jones and Mark Benn encouraged participants to reflect on social justice issues and, through the practice of mindfulness, become better attuned to issues of intercultural dynamics.
With momentum gained from the retreat, City staff will be helping form a community roundtable on diversity issues so these important conversations can continue. Interested in joining? Contact Janet Freeman at jfreeman@fcgov.com or 970-221-6758.
Overflow Shelter Update
City Council in September adopted a land use code change that permits seasonal overflow shelters in specific zones citywide. The change would allow this use in existing buildings to provide people a safe place to sleep during the cold weather months. In the past, the City has used ordinances to provide temporary zoning exemptions. The changes to the land use code:
- Created a new use – “Seasonal Overflow Shelter;”
- Created supplemental regulations to ensure their operations are compatible with surrounding uses; and
- Added this use to some zone districts
For more information, contact Sue Beck-Ferkiss in the Social Sustainability Department or Ted Shepard in the Planning Department.
Dust Mitigation Ordinance
Environmental Services staff is finalizing a project that addresses gaps in the prevention and control of fugitive dust.
Fugitive dust consists primarily of soil particles in the air caused by wind and human activities such as excavating, demolition, abrasive blasting, and other activities. Dust causes health problems; safety, visibility, and aesthetic issues; and is a nuisance causing expensive damage to property and machinery. Staff has conducted extensive public outreach on this issue and is working to ensure that these gaps are being addressed via both regulations as well as through training, outreach and education.
The project, and the accompanying regulations, will be considered for adoption by Council during the December 1, 2015, regular meeting. Learn more about this project.
City of Fort Collins Faces
Curious about the day-to-day jobs of City employees? Read a short story about Beth Rosen in the Department of Social Sustainability and how she’s making a difference in the lives of first-time, low-income homeowners.