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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2 Bi-Weekly Update 1 December 2017 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e D e c 1 , 2 0 1 7 Highlights • Town Holiday Hours • 2018 Town Budget • Public Works • Planning • 2017 Fraser Sustainability • New Pilates Studio • Short Term Rental Program • Snow Plow Murals By Fraser Elemen- tary Upcoming Events Dec 1 Festival of Trees at Fraser Valley Rec Dec 16-21 Freestyle Mogul Selections Dec 23 Wish Lantern Festival Dec 29 Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade Dec 30 Winter Adventure Festival Town Holiday Hours Happy holidays everyone! Fraser Town Hall will be closed for business on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Following the Town Board Meeting on Dec. 6th, there will not be another Town Board Meeting until Jan. 3rd with the next Bi-Weekly Update available Dec. 27th. Enjoy the holiday season and be safe! 2018 Town Budget The budget identifies the Town Board’s vision and hopes for the community via proposed expenditures. Over the course of the year, the Budget provides the framework for the annual work plan, all programs, projects, and services (and levels of service) to be provided to the community. In addition to the basic services, the Town Board included the following in the 2018 Budget: • The 2018 Budget includes establishment of a new account, Community Housing. This account is pro- vided for affordable housing projects and programs. The Town Board is appropriating funds in the interest of fostering a new housing development. $365,000 of fund balance is appropriated into this account. This combined with the affordable housing restricted re- serve would provide for $500,000 toward a housing project. • Additionally, funds are appropriated for the development of the Town owned property adjacent to the Fraser Still commonly referred to as the FroDo property. • The US40 Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project, funded via two grants from the Colorado De- partment of Transportation along with a local match of $775,000. This project will provide a series of traffic calming medians and crosswalk improvements between CR8 and Old Victory Road, along with additional pedestrian trail improvements. This project is funded in the Capital Asset Fund. Given the additional landscaping opportunities related to these medians, provisions have been included for additional garden staff and planting supplies. • In late 2017, a new nightly rental registration program was established. Accordingly, the Budget includes a $20,000 expenditure for software support and revenues associated with the registration fees and sales taxes in a new account for community housing expenditures. • Two projects initiated in 2017 will wrap up in 2018, the Development Code Update and Fraser Riv- er Corridor Master Plan. • In anticipation of capital projects as may be recommended by the Fraser River Corridor Master Plan, $100,000 is appropriated in the Restricted Revenue Fund for implementation of an open space capital project. (This may need to be funded by GF) • A $25,000 contribution from the Conservation Trust Fund to the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recrea- tion District initiative to install a refrigeration system at the Icebox ice rink. • Increased funding for the Business Enhancement Grant program from $25,000 to $50,000. • A $5,000 contribution to the Grand Enterprise Initiative. This is a countywide initiative designed to provide free confidential business support and assistance, with the goal of growing local businesses. (They’ve requested an increase to $7,500) • Continued support for Headwater Trails Alliance ($10,500 for operations, $6,000 for winter trail grooming, and $30,000 for capital projects relating to the Trail Smart Sizing Project). While it re- mains our goal to fund trails expenditures in the Restricted Revenue Fund, in 2018 the General Fund will support these expenditures as transit start-up costs along with uncertain revenue impacts due to the Winter Park grocery store continue to limit opportunities to utilize the Restricted Revenue Fund. P a g e 2 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e P a g e 3 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e Public Works December Update • Staff performed traffic speed and vehicular counts on a portion of Rendezvous road following speed complaints. Processing of data is underway. • We hired one new equipment operator this month, Bradford Rome, who brings with him heavy equipment and snow management experience. • A Mobile Message Board has been staged in advance of the Christmas tree cutting season on U.S. Forest Service land in the Elk Creek drainage area which will begin on Friday, Dec 1st. • Public Work’s new CAT wheel loader is being prepped for delivery sometime this December. • Our snow management operations plan and maps are being updated to provide better service. • Staff performed maintenance on one of our North system production wells that developed some issues that required it to be taken out of service until the work is completed later this month. • We are making changes to striping at the US40 and CR8 intersection for channelization to allow for a left turn acceleration lane onto US40 from CR8. 2017 Accomplishments • Mary’s Pond survey and improvements grant project. • We submitted a grant application for the CR8 Bridge replacement project. • US40 Highway Safety Improvements Project: 2 grants awarded to Fraser for a combined project totaling nearly $1.1 million in funding. • Mountain Parks Electric completed LED security street light fixture upgrades throughout town lim- its. These are the fixtures at intersections on town roads and US40. • Speed radar signs for the school zone along US40 in the downtown area have been installed. • Eisenhower at Union Pacific Waterline Project Completed. • LED lighting upgrades completed at Town Hall, the maintenance shop and all new fixtures on the Amtrak platform including an upgraded electrical panel. • US40 LED upgrades will be completed by the end of the year. • Installation of 2 additional trail kiosks. • CityWorks, our new asset management software, is up and running ‘LIVE’ which provides better management of our Public Works staff and resources to accomplish more in less time. • Planning Area 28, affectionately known as the ‘Snow Pit’ (across from the Historic Tubing Hill), was rehabilitated this year to provide for increased snow storage space as we continue to lose storage throughout the Town. This has been a long overdue task that is now complete. • The ‘Fraser River Source Water Protection Plan’ document was completed this summer in collab- oration with seven other Grand County water and sanitation districts and Denver Water as part of a grant we received in 2015 from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. P a g e 4 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e Planning Fraser Downtown, Affordable Housing, and US40 Improvements We are moving forward with implementing some of the goals in the 2017 Downtown Fraser Strategic Plan: create a “walkable” downtown core, expand economic opportunity, create safe multimodal connections, increase housing choices and show- case the Fraser River. We have received grant funding from Colorado Department of Transportation to implement some of recommendations that were a result of our Downtown planning initiative. The project is part of a community vision to calm traffic speeds along US40 and enhance safety for people walking and bicycling. Included are two enhanced crosswalks that will add pedestrian medi- an refuge islands and curb extensions for the safety of school children needing to cross US40 to get to our local elementary school and access district-wide busing. Also included are two segments of new concrete walkway to provide year-round use, accommodate ADA access, improve safety and eliminate the need to walk on the roadway. Resiliency The Town of Fraser received design resiliency technical assistance (DART). The assistance is pro- vided by the American Institute of Architects and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. On September 11-13th, 2017, we welcomed this all volunteer consulting group from across the coun- try with expertise in the following fields: Political structure, land use, envisioning downtown and mixed-use housing, planning and sustainability, economic and market analysis, affordable and work- force housing, climate adaptation and hazard mitigation. Thank you to all who participated in the community involvement. The community spoke and said we want small town life, community, authenticity. “Cookie cutter isn’t cool, not for Fraser.” The goal is to help Fraser develop a strategic vision and promote community resiliency. The Colorado Resiliency Framework defines resili- ency as the following: The ability of communities to rebound, positively adapt to, or thrive amidst changing conditions or challenges – including disasters and climate change – and maintain quali- ty of life, healthy growth, durable systems, and conservation of resources for present and future generations. The consulting team analyzed what is preventing Fraser from being resilient. The following challeng- es were identified: Lack of diverse, year-round economy; Lack of affordable and attainable housing; Challenge of US40 bisecting the town; Lack of mixed use development; and Floodplain and water supply. The team has recently provided the Town of Fraser with a final report and recommended next steps to promote community resiliency to help Fraser act, adapt and thrive! P a g e 5 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e Planning Fraser River Corridor Master Plan The Town of Fraser has begun the process of developing a Master Plan for 120-acres of the Fraser River Corridor through Cozens Ranch Open Space (project area – Rendezvous Road to CR 804). The outcome of the project is to protect, connect and in- spire! Our desired outcome is to showcase Cozens Ranch Open Space to one and all and allow the natural beauty of the river corridor to positively impact people of all ages without hav- ing a negative impact on the wildlife population. The next Fraser River Corridor Master Plan Public Work- shop is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12th from 5:00- 7:00 PM at the Fraser Historic Church. Development Code Update Fraser received a Colorado Department of Local Affairs administrative grant in the amount of $25,000 to assist the Town with a comprehensive overhaul of the zoning and subdivision develop- ment codes. We are in the middle of this project now. The objective is to create a unified develop- ment code that is user-friendly and reduces some of the regulatory barriers to development. More public engagement meetings will be scheduled for early 2018. 2017 Fraser Sustainability We are proud to look back on 2017 with several sustainability accomplishments. The Fraser Town Board approved the Town of Fraser Sustainability Plan in late 2016 and joined the Compact of Colo- rado Communities this year in a commitment to reduce our greenhouse gases emissions by 20% from 2014 levels by 2025 and has laid out initial strategies to help achieve this goal. Three major projects have stemmed from this commitment and have begun in 2017. High Efficiency LEDs As of March of this year, our Public Works department started the process of replacing all of our street lamps and public lighting with high efficiency LED bulbs which has resulted in less electricity utilized for Town lighting. This has been a great project for our Public Works and are nearing com- pletion of every public light being energy efficient! Recycling and Pay-As-You-Throw Facility Since this Spring, our staff has been working diligently on finding a location and acquiring funding for this facility. Following a Waste Diversion Study in 2016, a need for free recycling and other trash dis- posal options were identified due to a large population of Fraser Valley residents that don’t recycling and pay too much for trash service. We are hoping to have this facility up and running by Summer ‘18! High Efficiency Blowers at our Wastewater Treatment Plant Our Wastewater Treatment Plant is getting new blowers that are 30% more energy efficient which will save thousands on the Town’s electricity bill and result in a lot less greenhouse gas emissions! P a g e 6 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e New Pilates Studio We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Polestar Pilates Studio to Murdoch’s Shopping Center in Fraser! Polestar Pilates Studio offers group classes in reformer, as well as private and semi -private sessions. Sarka Ruzickova, Pilates instructor and owner of the studio, is planning on an early De- cember grand opening. Sarka is well known around the Fraser Valley. In addition to being a Pilates instructor, she has been a professional skier and mountain bike racer and continues to coach athletes and inspire women to be active. After Pilates helped her recover from previous injuries, Sarka was inspired to learn how to assist other high-level athletes and the general public to teach them the healthy movement patterns that helped her heal. This passion for movement and to help others led her to the Polestar Pilates curriculum, and she graduated as a Studio practitioner in April 2017. In addition to being a Polestar graduate, Sarka has a Master’s degree in Chemistry and Physical Education from TU Liberec, Czech Republic. She has also trained with the Oov and is Level 1 Terramethod Cycling trained. As she already works with many women, Sarka is actively trying to motivate more men to do Pilates to enhance their body awareness and prevent injuries. Sarka wants to help everyone achieve their goals and inspire them to take better care of their bodies and souls. Pilates works. Period. If you are looking for a refreshing mind-body workout with an emphasis on mindful movement, check out Polestar Pilates Studio for their introductory offer or class packages. If you are a competitive athlete looking to increase flexibility, athletic performance and pre- vent injuries, give Polestar Pi- lates Studio a call to see why so many professional athletes have already incorporated Pi- lates into their training regi- ment. P a g e 7 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e Short Term Rental Program The Board of Trustees has determined that it is in the public’s interest to establish a registration program for short term rentals (STR) in the Town of Fraser. STRs are considered rentals of less than thirty days. The registra- tion will be available starting in January 2018 with an annual fee of $150. More information to follow in January. Snow Plow Murals By Fraser Elementary Fraser Valley Elementary School students are working hard on their annual snow plow blades pro- ject. Coordinated by Fraser Valley Elementary School Art Teacher Shelley Madsen, the smaller of the two plow blades features a rainbow pattern made from students’ handprints with the message “smile” in the center, while the larger plow blade features a beach and underwater theme. The plow blades are nearing completion and you will be able to spot them plowing Fraser roads in the near future! Thanks for Creating a Successful Mural Program! Speaking of murals, we’d like to give a huge, end of the year thank you to the Public Arts Committee for all of their hard work in establishing the Fraser Mural Program! They have made tremendous progress in incorporating public art all around Fraser. Stay tuned for the 2018 iteration of the Fraser Mural Program, as we will be soliciting applications in the spring! Details to follow. P a g e 8 Bi-W e e k l y U p d a t e Please feel free to contact us with any questions Town Hall 970-726-5491 A full list of contacts can be found at: www.frasercolorado.com People come from far and near to see the epic Torchlight Parade in Winter Park! Town of Fraser PO Box 370, Fraser, CO 80442 Did You Know… We now have a new transit map for the upcoming winter season! Check out the new transit map at nearly any business in Fraser or Winter Park. One of the new additions to this season’s transit are four new bus stops in Rendezvous along with a few others. ADA Paratransit service is available to eligible riders who are unable to reach their nearest designated signed stop by calling (970) 726-4163. We are proud to offer free transit to Fraser Valley residents and continue to work to make it better. Also, download the RideHop App for free to see your bus in real time.