Johnstown Town Council 2/5/24
by Nanci Wendland
For more information (including members in attendance) see the full notes document here.*
View the meeting agenda and packet.
Key Points
Johnstown has been actively seeking a qualified firm to facilitate the planning process in development of a master plan for downtown Johnstown. The request for proposals opened Dec. 14, 2023, and closed Jan. 18, 2024, with 8 bid submissions. The town budgeted $100,000 for this phase of the project.
The council unanimously approved and awarded a North Carolina contractor, Kimley Horn, phase 2 of the Johnstown Master Plan project (pgs. 113-237 in the packet). The town wants the contractor to address the following issues:
A unified vision for downtown that incorporates the newly adopted downtown brand and wayfinding signage.
Physical expansion of downtown, including incremental redevelopment of the industrial park and development of newly annexed parcels
Parking system management:
Identification of short, medium, long-term parking
Current and future parking supply/inventory
Aging streetscape / streetscapes not conducive to downtown expansion
Lack of public spaces downtown
Lack of outdoor dining
Lack of pedestrian safety and connectivity
Event management
Attraction of retail and entertainment-based businesses that activate the corridor for daytime and nighttime use.
Improvements to East Parish Avenue alleyway
Creating a traffic detour to minimize heavy vehicle traffic on Parish Avenue
The contract states that a final draft of the plan must be completed and adopted by the Council no later than July 31, 2024.
The council discussed a residential property tax rebate program paid to homeowners twice/year (pgs. 238-246 of packet). Deputy Town Manager McCoy explained how the new state house bill 23B-1 would affect the town’s revenue and homeowners mill rate and multipliers. The bill takes a current assessment rate of 6.765% minus a valuation reduction of $15,000 to a revised rate of 6.7% minus a valuation reduction of $55,000. This would be an overall annual revenue reduction of $376,948 to Johnstown from 2023 property taxes payable in 2024. The town budgeted for a $1M decrease in property tax revenue. Any amounts over the approximate $377,000 reduction could be applied to administrative costs.
Mayor Mellon said giving rebates back to homeowners would be an administrative burden to the finance department. They would have to work with Larimer County to make sure all records were accurate, and no homeowners should receive a rebate until after they have paid their tax bill. Tax bills are paid twice a year, so any rebates would be paid out twice a year as well.
No decisions were made, and no vote was taken. The council agreed to further discuss this matter during upcoming work sessions before taking a final vote on a Rebate Program.
The council reviewed and voted on 3 ordinances, with the last ordinance postponed until the next meeting Feb. 21.
- Ordinance 2024-239: Amending Article IV of Chapter 8 of the Municipal Code concerning abandoned and junked vehicles. Unanimously approved.
- Ordinance 2024-240: Amending Impact Fees imposed on behalf of the Front Range Fire Rescue Fire Protection District. Unanimously approved.
- Ordinance 2024-241: Annexing approximately 96 acres known as the Larson Annexation. The developer hasn’t submitted all the proper documentation. Postponed.
Mayor Mellon asked that residents report street light outages to Xcel Power Co. He said the town pays for those lights and they need to work. Many residents have complained about streetlights not working to the council.
The meeting adjourned for executive session.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
“18. An executive session to discuss the purchase of real property pursuant to C.R.S. Section 24-6- 402(4)(a).”
“19. An executive session to obtain legal advice pursuant to C.R.S. Section 24-6-402(4)(b) concerning potential negotiations with the Great Western Railway of Colorado, LLC.”
Next Meeting –
Feb. 19, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m. 450 S. Parish Ave., Johnstown, CO 80534
Questions:
- What do citizens think of Phase 2 of the Master Plan that’s beginning to take shape?
- How will Johnstown manage the semi-annual property tax rebates?
*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.