Larimer County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) 2/27/24
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 Board of Commissioners website:
“Larimer's three-member Board of County Commissioners is the main policy-making body in the County and works to represent the interest of the citizens of Larimer County at local, state, and national levels. Commissioners are elected at large from one of three geographic districts for four-year staggered terms. In Larimer County, Commissioners are limited to serving three four-year terms.”
Mission
Larimer County government upholds and advances the community’s health, safety, well-being, and quality of life.
Key Points
Commissioner Chair Kefalas referenced two items from the Consent Agenda. The commissioners voted and approved all items.
Agreements:
2024 Municipal Law Enforcement Agreement by and between Larimer, County, Colorado, and the Town of Timnath, Colorado. Submitted By: Christine Harpel, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. DESCRIPTION: Request approval of the Municipal Law Enforcement Services Agreement in the Town of Timnath, Colorado by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. TERM: January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT: $241,378
License for Marina Operations Carter Lake Reservoir. DESCRIPTION: Approval of a ten-year license to operate a Marina at Carter Lake with two additional five-year renewal options. Public outreach and feedback for what was desired at the marina location was conducted prior to issuing a County Request for Proposal purchasing process. An award was issued to Carter Lake Marina Inc. and contract negotiations have been underway since that time. The proposed agreement includes more operational transparency and accessibility for county staff and the public. It also includes opportunities for short term boat rentals, a Larimer County run lottery on open boat slips and higher percentage of gross revenue for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
TERM: January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2033
Larimer County’s first electric vehicle purchase. Heidi Vilhauer, Fleet Services, described the county’s first electric vehicle and how excited they are to finally have a Ford F150 electric truck. This has been a 2-year process for the county to get all the necessary approvals. The county will receive a $7500 rebate from the state. The electric truck is dedicated to the facilities team for use around town. The truck has a 220-mile charge range with a “frunk” (front trunk). Heidi said rotating tires and changing air filters should be the only required maintenance, as opposed to the county’s gas-powered vehicles, which require oil changes, and tune-ups. Charging centers were added to the county maintenance shop in Loveland, the Carter Lake Visitor Center, and the Civic Center parking garage on West Oak St. in Fort Collins.
Facilities Director Townsend said the City of Fort Collins has agreed to only $25 per month for the county to use the charging station located in the Civic Center parking garage. Townsend also said while test driving the new electric truck, the truck lost charge going up the mountain passes, but regained some charge on the downhill trip.
The Commissioners are excited to have the first electric vehicle in use and hope the county will look for other electric fleet vehicles for staff to use back and forth to Denver and surrounding communities.
The 2024-2028 Larimer County Strategic Plan was approved. Josh Fudge, Director of the Larimer County Performance, Budget, and Strategy department finished a one-year project creating goals and objectives for Larimer County teams and staff throughout 2024-2028. Issues were identified by community leaders, Larimer County department leaders, and public outreach. The plan has 4 goals and objectives, and each goal has an assigned team leader who is responsible for tackling the issues assigned and producing results.
- Goal 1 – Resilient, equitable, and engaged community. This goal requires better communication and accessibility to county leaders and resources to maximize partner relationships.
- Goal 2 – Quality of Life. This team is responsible for encouraging a vibrant community by promoting health and wellbeing, improving housing stability, and supporting an equitable economy. Commissioner Stephens added that she wants to see plans that will empower the community and residents to build their own wealth.
- Goal 3 – Natural and Built environments. A sustainable built environment includes air quality, water, wastewater, and electricity to support future growth. Larimer County needs to be climate smart and ready for future water conservation. A sustainable natural environment includes parks, open spaces, and best-practices for wildfire mitigation. The community must be educated on the importance of, and how to maintain, the natural environment.
- Goal 4 – Develop Future Leaders. This team will develop ways to optimize processes and systems within the county. New technology such as AI will need to be optimized and incorporated throughout the county. This team will analyze all available resources for support services throughout the county. This includes coordinating with local partners and stakeholders, looking for additional revenue and grants for projects, and providing county wide support to develop future leadership.
Commissioner Chair Kefalas asked Josh to explain the next steps to implement this plan. Kefalas asked, “What action will take place?” Josh said each team will have quarterly work sessions. His department is implementing an online project system so that teams can stay on track with their goals and view each team’s progress, so there isn’t overlap.
County Manager Volker said the county is getting better at thinking strategically and this plan pulls everything together. The basic categories are set, while the objectives of each may change and grow over time. The City of Fort Collins is also working on a plan. Josh has reached out to the team leads for the city to combine ideas and plans, and not duplicate efforts.
The commissioners reported on their activities of the past week.
At 10:30 a.m. the meeting was adjourned.
Next Meeting: Mar. 5, 2024 @ 9 a.m. by video or in-person at 200 W. Oak St., 220 Hearing Room, First Floor, Fort Collins.
Questions
Will the public have access to the team leaders for the four goals of the county’s recently approved Strategic Plan? How is the budget allocated between the goals?
Will short-term boat rentals and a lottery for open slips be available this summer?
*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.