Berthoud Town Board 4/23/24
By Nanci Wendland
For more information (including members in attendance) see the full notes document here.*
View the meeting agenda and packet.
A video recording of the meeting is available here.
From the Town website – “The Town of Berthoud is governed by a seven-member Board. The Mayor and Trustees are the policy makers elected to represent the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to the needs and wishes of the community. The Town of Berthoud is committed to transparent, collegial, ethical local government, and has adopted the "Town of Berthoud Code of Conduct for Elected Officials, Boards and Commissions" to provide guidance assisting Public Servants in the performance of their duties in a manner which serves the public interest and honors public trust.”
A new board started in April with 3 re-elected members and 1 newly elected official.
Re-elected Mayor Karspeck and Trustees Albrecht and Kurtz were sworn into office to serve another 4-year term. Newly elected Trustee Brett Wing was sworn in to replace Mike Grace. Mike Grace also served as the Mayor Pro Tem, so the new board nominated and voted to elect Trustee Murphy as the new Mayor Pro Tem.
Public Comments
Several residents spoke about the city’s bike trails not being completed. One resident proposed the city mark and paint bike lanes throughout the city, making it safer for children and families to ride their bikes around town.
Another resident talked about the revised oil and gas regulations initiated by Mayor Karspeck. She said, “I don’t think the residents knew about any of the meetings on the proposed revisions”. Mayor Karspeck responded that there have been quite a few meetings on oil and gas and that the meeting room was not empty at those times, so residents were aware of their discussions. However, the mayor agreed to have one more meeting in May to inform and educate the public.
One resident pointed out a recent fatality at the intersection of Hwy 287 and Berthoud Parkway. He said how dangerous this intersection is for children on their bikes and asked the board to put pressure on the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to modify directional signals at this intersection. The Berthoud Police are investigating the incident and the board agreed to send a letter to CDOT asking for urgency.
District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin gave an annual update on public safety measures in the county. McLaughlin said these annual updates are to provide transparency and accountability. He said he will be visiting and presenting to multiple city boards on projects currently in progress and Larimer County government’s suggested solutions. Some of the solutions are currently in use.
- Current projects within the county:
- Fentanyl use and distribution.
- Creating diversion through county programs
- Encouraging community engagement
- More problem-solving in court.
- Using collaborative task forces such as domestic violence teams
Case Roadmap – from a summons through final hearing review:
Director of Community Development Anne Johnson introduced Ordinance No. 1336 – the Adoption of the National Electric Code. The board voted unanimously to include a public hearing at the May 14 board meeting to get residents’ feedback. At the May 14 meeting, Johnson will present cost differences and potential effects on the businesses and area residents. The National Electric Code was adopted by the State of Colorado on Aug. 1, 2023. Johnson said the new code will affect new building permits as of July 1, 2024, in Berthoud. Some of the changes are below:
- Adding residential EV charging
- Revising garage circuits and outdoor outlets
- Updated receptacles on kitchen islands and peninsulas
Johnson said this will only affect permitting projects. If a resident is replacing an outlet in their home, they will not be affected by this. However, if that same homeowner wants to refinish their basement and add new electrical, then they will have to follow the new code guidelines.
The Huron Lakes project filed a zoning change for 2 small parcels.
- Area 1 is 0.658 acres and is zoned R1 (single family residential).
- Area 2 is 0.659 acres, zoned AG (agriculture).
Jim Birdsall of Huron Lakes Investment LLC wants to rezone both parcels to R2 (limited multi-family) to allow for higher density development. The Huron Lakes project has already completed most of its residential building. Public comments were negative to his request unless he finishes the parks, lakes, and trails in this community that he previously agreed to. Birdsall explained the trails and community services will be finished in phases after final completion of residences.
The board voted in favor of rezoning 6-1 (Trustee Kurtz voted no).
Hilltop Broadband wants to bring their services to all of Berthoud and requested a public right-of-way use agreement with the town of Berthoud. Hilltop Broadband will use public right-of-way easements to bring fiber broadband throughout the town of Berthoud. The full agreement is included in the meeting packet.
The board voted 6-1 in favor of the agreement (Trustee Kurtz voted no).
The Director of Economic Development Walt Elish updated the board on creating a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) for Berthoud. Several businesses in Berthoud started a group with an interest in moving forward on forming a DDA. Whitney from City Star Brewery and Steve Byers, an interested business owner, said there are approximately 200 properties and 90 businesses that would be included in the DDA District. Their goal is to have a plan available to include on the November ballot for community vote. The plan would outline their goals and include action items such as:
- Creating a list of projects that the town wants done.
- Establish financing and investments.
- Determine if a mill levy should be used that would only affect the DDA District property owners, not the whole town.
- The DDA would be responsible for discovering and understanding how this DDA District would impact other special districts such as fire and library.
- The DDA would help with infrastructure and new development designs to meet and fit in with current structures and designs.
- The current focus would be the Historic Downtown area including the Mountain Avenue corridor, but eventually they could annex other areas into the DDA.
Walt, Whitney, and Steve said the DDA could partner with the board by taking some of the town projects off their plate. They said they would not be working against the wishes of the Board or residents. The DDA could be the main contact for the community bringing residents ideas before the board for quicker action and/or resolve. They said other cities in Colorado are using DDA’s successfully and this group believes they could learn from them. No vote was needed at this time. The board will review a plan draft included in the meeting packet.
The Board went into Executive Session for approximately 44 minutes.
Executive Session Pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(e)(I) to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing a strategy for negotiations, and instructing negotiators. The following details are provided: Potential Property Acquisition
After the Executive Session the board resumed the regular meeting and voted on the purchase of County Road 15 Property for an estimated $5,715,000. The board voted in favor 6-1. Trustee Kurtz voted no.
The meeting was adjourned at 11 p.m.
Next meeting is May 14, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom, or in-person at 807 Mountain Ave., Town Board Room, Berthoud, CO
Questions
Which May meeting will include the Oil & Gas revisions? How will residents be notified?
When will a decision be made on creating a Downtown Development Authority?
*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.