HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20230612AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
June 12, 2023
4:00 PM, City Council Chambers
427 Rio Grande Place, Aspen
I.Work Session
I.A Demolition Allotment Application Process Discussion
I.B APCHA Essential Home Repair Pilot Grant Program
I.C Discussion of Draft Council Goals Resolution
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6.12.23 Worksession Memo_Demo allotment process.pdf
Exhibit A_Demo Allotment_PreApp.pdf
EssentialHomeRepairGrantPilot_Council_2023June12.docx
Goals Update_60523.docx
Resolution 90 (2023).doc
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Torre and Aspen City Council
FROM: Ben Anderson, Deputy Director, Community Development
THROUGH: Phillip Supino, Community Development Director MEMO DATE: June 7, 2023
MEETING DATE: June 12, 2023
RE: Work Session Discussion:
Demolition Allotment Application Process
REQUEST OF COUNCIL: This work session’s purpose is to follow-up on the previous
Council’s interest to hold further conversation on the application process for the GMQS
Demolition Allotments. As part of this work session discussion, Council is asked to
provide direction on any changes they desire related to the application process. With this
direction, staff would return later in Q3 of 2023 with potential Land Use Code changes to
implement any desired changes to the application process.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
As one of the outcomes of Ordinance #13, Series of 2022 (Moratorium response), Council
implemented a package of new code language and regulations related to single-family
and duplex demolition. Central to these changes was the use of the GMQS Allotment
system to limit single-family and duplex demolition to six per year.
The rationale for the demolition-related code changes emanated from comments from
Council and the community related to the felt and observed impacts of development –
particularly in single-family and duplex redevelopment scenarios that involved demolition.
The following impacts of this type of development were identified:
• More modestly sized and constructed, older homes being replaced with much
larger and more complex new homes.
• Demolition and construction waste impacts at the landfill.
• Neighbor noise and other impacts from intense residential construction activity.
• Significant employee generation impacts from initial construction and long-term
maintenance and operations.
• The carbon impacts related to demolition, construction and long-term operations
and maintenance of redeveloped single-family and duplex homes.
In response to these identified impacts, staff and the consultant teams analyzed these
comments against the reality of development context and potential regulatory responses
within the Land Use Code. Recommendations were made for potential amendments.
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Development Allotment Application Process
While certainly a topic that was debated during the adoption of Ordinance #13, it seemed
clear the outcomes generated by this type of development were consistent with the
purpose and origins of the GMQS allotment system. Council agreed to the policy and
regulatory direction feeling that it was aligned with community expectations and the Aspen
Area Community Plan (AACP) in responding to and mitigating the impacts of growth and
development.
During the discussion on Ordinance 13 prior to its passage, discussions were held with
Council regarding the process these allotments would be issued. There were suggestions
that it should be a lottery-based process. Other ideas discussed included a competition
system between applications. Following this discussion, for the purposes of
administrative simplicity and clarity, staff recommended and Council agreed that the
application process should be based on a “first come, first serve” basis.
On August 8th of 2022, staff, per Council direction made the six, 2022 allotments available.
Per the process established by Ordinance 13 and then described in a PreApplication
summary, staff anticipated receiving applications starting at the specified time on August
8th. Staff received applications from 13 properties, a number that was within the range of
staff expectations. However, what was not anticipated was the tactic utilized by a
representative of seven of the properties to submit multiple applications per property in
the days and hours leading up to the opening of the application window. In total more
than 400 separate applications were submitted for these seven properties.
This situation obviously caused uncertainty for staff in how to fairly order the applications
received for each the 13 properties. Staff determined all of the applications complete, but
then took on the difficult task of evaluating data from the City of Aspen’s e-mail servers
to evaluate each of the more than 400 applications received – through the lens of the
requirements described in the PreApplication summary and Chapter 26.304 of the LUC,
Common Development Procedures.
Ultimately based on this detailed evaluation, staff determined the six properties that would
receive development allotments based on the ordering of the applications – and also the
six properties that would be denied (one property was pulled from the evaluated
applications for other reasons). The six properties that were denied allotments appealed
this decision. As part of the appeal process, Council made a decision to settle the appeal
by awarding the denied properties six, multi-year allotments from the 2023 demolition
allotments.
As the 2023 Allotments were awarded as part of the settlement, this situation was not
repeated in 2023. Staff has received five applications to date in 2023. Those applications
were denied due to the unavailability of allotments. Four of those applications have
appealed and the appeal will be heard at the June 20th City Council Regular Meeting.
STAFF DISCUSSION:
The purpose of this work session is to discussion ideas for better optimizing the demolition
allotment application process implemented by Ordinance #13. It is clear to staff that steps
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Development Allotment Application Process
need to be taken to ensure that the situation that occurred with the 2022 Allotment
applications is not repeated. However, had the tactic to submit multiple applications per
property not been employed, staff believes that the 2022 process would have been much
more straightforward and aligned with the outcomes imagined in the “first come, first
served” application method. In considering a necessary response to this situation, in
staff’s view, Council has a few alternatives available:
1) Take no action in changing the Land Use Code. This would have the effect
of maintaining the method of “first come, first served” as the mechanism to
accept applications for demolition allotments. This could be combined with
direction to provide additional direction, rules, or requirements within the
Pre Application Summary given to applicants – that would further define the
parameters of the process and bring additional certainty and clarity.
2) Create a lottery system for received applications. This would require a land
use code change but would likely be relatively simple to achieve. The idea
would be to create a reasonable application period (example: one month).
All complete applications received in this window would then be eligible
within a lottery system. The lottery results would assign the awarding of the
available allotments. This would require some analysis as to how to best
structure a lottery process, but again would likely be a relatively
straightforward and simple code amendment. Staff sees advantages to
implementing a system of this type:
• Taking the time pressure off the application submission process.
• Creating pure chance as the arbiter of the properties that receive an
allotment – when more than six applications are received.
In staff’s view, a lottery-type response could be reasonably implemented
within the LUC prior to Pre Applications going out for 2024 allotments.
3) During the Ordinance 13 discussion and the appeal process for the 2022
demolition allotments, comments were made by Council members raising
ideas about a competitive system that would award allotments based on a
subjective and competitive evaluation of specific review criteria and in
relation to other applications received.
In the history of GMQS allotments, competitive awarding used to be the
norm. This system was removed more than a decade ago for several
reasons. While staff could support working with Council to design a
competitive program with the intent of creating competition and enhanced
community outcomes, it is staff’s perspective that this would likely be a
complex response that would require significant time and analysis. Crafting
a fair and successful response would be a process that could possibly
continue into 2024.
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Development Allotment Application Process
In the implementation of any of these alternatives, any response would be prepared by
staff and as necessary, brought forward in the typical LUC Amendment process as
defined by 26.310, Amendments to the Land Use Code and Official Zone District Map.
In addition to these suggestions or alternatives, staff will be prepared to discuss any other
ideas that Council may have for how to best improve the application process.
QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL:
1) Is there a majority of Council members that supports one of the provided
alternatives?
2) Are there other ideas, either large or small, that respond to previous Council’s
desire to change the system away from “first come, first served”?
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
EXHIBITS:
A. Pre-Application Summary provided for the 2022 Allotment Applications
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2022 SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX DEMOLITION AND REDEVELOPMENT ALLOTMENT
PRE-APPLICATION CONFERENCE SUMMARY
REQUEST: Growth Management – Single Family and Duplex Demolition and
Redevelopment Allotment
DESCRIPTION: The Demolition of a free-market single family or duplex residential structure requires
a Growth Management Quota System Allotment pursuant to Chapter 26.580 and Section
26.470.090.C. To qualify for an allotment, the project must demonstrate compliance with the
applicable review criteria listed below. Review for compliance will be done administratively by the
Community Development staff, and no referrals are required.
An application for a Demolition allotment may be combined with other relevant or required land use
reviews, or pursued separately, at the applicant’s discretion. If combined reviews are requested, the
applicant must contact the Community Development Department to have a project specific Pre-
Application Summary provided for a combined review.
The land use review for an allotment is limited in scope to the review criteria contained in Section
26.470.090.C.2:
a. Adequate growth management allotments are available for the project and the project meets any
applicable review criteria in Chapter 26.470 – Growth Management Quota System.
b. The project shall meet the requirements of the Residential Demolition and Redevelopment
Standards prior to building permit issuance. The project shall be subject to the Residential
Demolition and Redevelopment Standards in effect at the time the building permit submission is
deemed complete.
All standards applicable to the demolition and redevelopment must be met prior to building permit
issuance or issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Applicable requirements for the project, and
timing that compliance will be confirmed, will be identified and clarified as conditions of approval.
Approval will be in the form of a recorded Notice of Approval.
All applications should be emailed to Garrett Larimer (garrett.larimer@aspen.gov). Applications will
be accepted starting at 8:30 AM on August 8th, 2022. Any applications submitted prior to 8:30 AM
will not be reviewed for completeness. An updated pre-app will be required for any 2023 applications.
Applications for Demolition Allotments will be reviewed for completeness based on the email
received timestamp from Outlook. If additional items are needed for the application to be deemed
complete, the timestamp of the email containing resubmitted and/or additional materials will be the
effective submission timestamp for completeness review.
Once six applications are deemed complete, additional applications will not be accepted as complete
and entered for review. If more than six applications are submitted, two additional complete
applications will be held by staff, but not entered for review. If any of the first six applications accepted
are withdrawn by the applicant, the applications being held by staff will be eligible for receiving an
allotment.
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Below are links to the Land Use Application form and Land Use Code for your convenience:
Land Use Application Land Use Code
Land Use Code Section(s)
26.304 Common Development Review Procedures
26.470.040 Allotment Procedures
26.470.090.C Single Family & Duplex Demolition and Redevelopment
26.580 Demolition
Review by: Staff for completeness and decision
Public Hearing: No
Planning Fees: $1,300 deposit (for 4 hours of staff work). Additional/ lesser hours will be
billed/ refunded at a rate of $325 per hour.
TOTAL: $1,300
To apply, email the following information in a single pdf to Garrett Larimer,
garrett.larimer@aspen.gov:
Completed Land Use Application.
An 8 1/2” x 11” vicinity map locating the subject parcel within the City of Aspen.
Pre-application Conference Summary (this document).
Street address and legal description of the parcel on which development is proposed to
occur, consisting of a current (no older than 6 months) certificate from a title insurance
company, an ownership and encumbrance report, or attorney licensed to practice in the
State of Colorado, listing the names of all owners of the property, and all mortgages,
judgments, liens, easements, contracts and agreements affecting the parcel, and
demonstrating the owner’s right to apply for the Development Application.
Applicant’s name, address and telephone number in a letter signed by the applicant that
states the name, address and telephone number of the representative authorized to act on
behalf of the applicant.
A site improvement survey (no older than a year from submittal) including topography and
vegetation showing the current status of the parcel certified by a regis tered land surveyor
by licensed in the State of Colorado.
HOA Compliance form.
Written Project Summary.
Complete responses to all Review Criteria sufficient to analyze and determine that review
criteria are met.
Conceptual site plan.
Disclaimer: The foregoing summary is advisory in nature only and is not binding on the City. The
summary is based on current zoning, which is subject to change in the future, and upon factual
representations that may or may not be accurate. The summary d oes not create a legal or vested
right.
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MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Liz Axberg, Housing Policy Analyst
Matthew Gillen, APCHA Executive Director
THROUGH:Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager
MEMO DATE:June 6th, 2023
MEETING DATE:June 12
th, 2023
RE:APCHA Essential Home Repair Pilot Grant Program
REQUEST OF BOARD:
Staff are open to feedback, questions, and suggestions from Aspen City Council on
APCHA piloting the Essential Home Repairs Grant program. To fund the program,
APCHA staff seek joint funding from both the Pitkin County BOCC and Aspen City
Council.
BACKGROUND:
On December 14th, 2022, staff first presented an outline for a pilot grant program that
would assist APCHA homeowners in making essential repairs to their home. After several
rounds of Board feedback, adjustments, and fine tuning, at the April 19th Board meeting,
the APCHA board decided the program was ready to move to the next stage and go to
the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners and Aspen City Council.
The original funding request for the program was $100,000 from each the BOCC and CoA
to provide $200,000 in repair grants (~40 households with $5,000 grants). On May 23
rd,
staff presented the pilot grant program to the Pitkin County Board of County
Commissioners. The BOCC approved the program and requested to increase their
funding contribution to $200,000 to provide more support to owners making larger, more
costly repairs.
With this alteration to the program, staff are now requesting $200,000 from each entity to
provide $400,000 in grants in total. With this increase in funding, the maximum grant
amount per household would increase from $5,000 per household to $10,000 per
household. Staff updated the memo and program outline to reflect $400,000 of available
grant funding.
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DISCUSSION:
APCHA Pilot Home Repairs Grant Program Overview
Program Goals:
1. Test Internal Processes of a Home Improvement Program
a. Pilot a program to test how an internal APCHA capital improvement
program would internally function. In later phases, APCHA could
potentially expand the program to offer larger assistance options (I.e.,
loan programs). By piloting a smaller grant program now, APCHA staff
can collect data and improve internal processes to allow potential to
build out a well-informed capital improvement program in the future.
2.Measure the Need
a. A pilot program would allow APCHA to collect data on which properties
need more support and the types of repairs most needed. This
information provides insight into the needs of APCHA owners and
current unit conditions.
b. The pilot program would also allow APCHA staff to track the cost of
common repairs. This will provide a clear benchmark of the average
cost of repairs and understand repair costs in the valley.
3.Support Aging Properties in the APCHA Inventory
a. This program will support APCHA owners in making needed, essential
repairs to their home while alleviating some of the cost-burden
associated with repairs in this valley. Homes in the APCHA inventory
are aging and APCHA needs to start testing programs that support the
longevity and sustainability of affordable housing.
b. With financial aid, owners may have the means to undertake more
expensive, but more environmentally sustainable repair options.
Program Description:
This Home Repairs Pilot Grant Program is designed to assist qualified APCHA
homeowners with housing issues and repairs that pose a threat to the household's
health and safety. A maximum of $10,000 may be granted to assist in correcting
conditions. The grant serves as assistance and a starting point for the pilot. Assistance
amount offered and match required is determined by the re-qualification category at the
time of application. Assistance is in the form of a grant (not required to be repaid). If
more applications are received than available funding, APCHA staff will implement a
prioritization process based on the most critically needed repairs.
Minimum qualifications for the Housing Repairs Grant Program include:
Applicants must be an APCHA deed-restricted Category 1-3 (category based on
income requalification) homeowner.
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Homeowner must be current on their HOA dues, taxes, and in good standing with
APCHA (no outstanding Notice of Violations, bi-annual affidavit must be
completed).
Each qualified owner is only eligible for $10,000 of assistance during the pilot
run.
If the Owner property’s Deed Restriction is not the current APCHA deed
restriction, the owner must sign a new deed restriction.
Assistance Eligibility:
When owners apply for a home repair grant, they will be required to complete a partial
requalification through HomeTrek. This will include submitting a W-2 or 1099 and their
most recent pay stub. Match level will be determined based on the category of
requalification. The percentage indicated is the percentage of the total repair cost the
applicant is required to pay. Requalifying solely based on income does not consider
assets but will expedite the process for applicants and reduce time barriers.
Listed are the category and subsequent assistance levels:
Category 1 10%
Category 2 20%
Category 3 30%
Examples:
1. The owner requalifies at Category 1: The total repair cost is $15,000. The owner
must pay for at least 10% of the final repair cost ($1,500) but would be eligible for
the full $5,000 of grant assistance.
2. The owner requalifies at Category 2: The total repair cost is $4,000. The owner
must pay at least 20% of the final repair cost ($800) but would be eligible for
$3,200 of grant assistance.
19% (or 486 properties) are Category 1-3 ownership units. This provides an idea of the
number of properties that are potentially eligible. Refer to the APCHA Housing and
Inventory Totals for more information.
Eligible Repairs:
Essential Repairs are defined as repairs that are necessary to improve the health and
safety of living conditions for residents. Repairs are accepted based on this definition.
Depending on the amount of grant applications APCHA receives, a prioritization
process may be necessary to allocate funding and select grantees. Repairs must occur
after the time of application submission. Retroactive funding is not available.
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Essential Repairs Categories:
o Inoperable Furnace or Water Heaters
o Hazardous Plumbing or Electrical Conditions
o Roof Hazards
o Heating Issues
o Flooring Hazards
o Accessibility modifications (ramps, grab bars, or shower replacements)
o Septic System Issues
o Window Repairs
o Ceiling Repairs
Repairs not included in these categories will be accepted on a case-by-case basis,
determined by APCHA staff and the outlined definition of an essential repair. After this
pilot run, staff will have a better idea of the most common repairs APCHA owners and
the affordability of these repairs.
Sustainability and climate action are top priorities for both the County and City. In this
pilot program, APCHA will encourage and support owners in making the most
environmentally conscious and sustainable repairs. This will be achieved through
working with the CoA Environmental Health & Sustainability Office and CORE during
the application review process. This component of the program will be finalized after
approval.
Application Prioritization:
If APCHA receives more eligible grant applications than available funding, staff will
implement a pre-determined prioritization process to select grantees. This process
prioritizes repairs most critical in improving the health and safety of the property.
Applications will be categorized into different repair priority levels.
Priority Level Description
1
The item in need of repair is immediately needed for the
health and safety of the household and is further damaging
the property right now. The repair is an emergency.
2
The item in need of repair is needed for the health and
safety of the household but is not an emergency. If the
issue is not repaired soon, the house will become unsafe to
live in and/or cause further property damage. The repair
needs to be completed as soon as possible.
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3
The item needing repair is not immediately needed for the
household's health and safety of the household. The issue
is stagnant, and it will not worsen anytime soon, but it is still
an essential repair. The repair needs to be completed as
soon as practical.
The most critical repairs (Level 1) will be prioritized first. If further prioritization is
necessary, lower category individuals will be selected. If funds are not fully utilized in
the first application window, the application window will re-open.
Grant Application Process:
1. APCHA opens a 2-week time window for owners to submit a grant application.
2. APCHA staff review the applications.
a. Depending on the number of applications received, APCHA will implement
the outlined prioritization process. If not all the available funding is used,
the application window will re-open.
3. If eligible and selected, APCHA accepts the application. Staff will notify owners
whether their application was accepted or denied.
4. Grantees will notify APCHA of the date their repair is scheduled, the repair quote,
and who is completing the repair.
5. Upon completion of the repair, the owner has 30 days to upload paid invoices
and complete the post-repair evaluation.
a. Once paid invoices are received, APCHA will send the funding directly to
the owner.
The pilot program will until funding runs out and all repairs are completed. Upon
completion of the program, the APCHA board will receive a final report and evaluation
of the pilot program.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
Financial need to fund the pilot program is $400,000 combined from both Pitkin County
and the City of Aspen:$200,000 from each entity.
If the program receives funding from both entities, the program will serve all ownership
units in the county. $400,000 provides 40 homes with $10,000 grants to make
necessary home repairs.
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MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Sara Ott, City Manager
Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager
Jenn Ooton, Senior Project Manager
Pete Strecker, Finance Director
Phillip Supino, Director of Community Development
THROUGH:Sara Ott, City Manager
MEMO DATE:May 31, 2023
MEETING DATE:June 12, 2023
RE:City Council Goals Draft
_____________________________________________________________________
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:
Council review and discussion of the attached Resolution #90, Series 2023, which includes goals
developed by City Council during a goal setting session on May 22, 2023.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
On May 22, 2023, the Aspen City Council met and participated in a goal setting session. At that
retreat Council developed draft areas of focus for the 2023-2025 Council goals, which staff has
incorporated into the resolution.
Based on the discussion during the June 10, 2023, work session, staff will make revisions to the
resolution and bring it forward for Council consideration at the June 20, 2023, Council meeting.
DISCUSSION:
Department Directors will prepare work plans for the individual Council goals and present them
at a work session later this summer, following the adoption of the resolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:Protection of the environment is a lens to evaluate all of the
proposed work, and climate policy and action work is embedded explicitly in several of the goals.
For example, exploration of transit fleet electrification is included within the mobility goal
framework and aligns with the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In other goals, the
impact is more implicit. Increasing access to and creating additional affordable housing units has
an environmental impact, as people living closer to their jobs do not have to travel long distances
and makes choosing other modes of travel such as walking or biking easier.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
ATTACHMENTS:(Draft) Resolution #90, Series 2023
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RESOLUTION #90
(Series of 2023)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN,
COLORADO, ADOPTING THE 2023-2025 CITY COUNCIL GOALS.
WHEREAS, the City Council has a long history of establishing goals to
direct priorities of the city; and,
WHEREAS, the goals of City Council guide the actions of City Council and
the City Administration in budgeting and programming initiatives; and
WHEREAS, City Council desires to formally adopt goals for the period
from 2023-2025 to guide the city in shaping its future; and
WHEREAS, many of the priorities identified by Council during the goal
setting session held on May 22, 2023, are long-term projects which may take
decades of meaningful work to effect change; and
WHEREAS, the Aspen City Council desires to initiate these long-term
efforts during the 2023-2025 timeframe; and
WHEREAS, Aspen City Council values the importance of a safe, reliable,
multi-modal and integrated transportation system for the stability and economy of
the community; and
WHEREAS, Aspen commits to continuing leadership in the deployment of
transportation demand management strategies; and
WHEREAS, Aspen has been a leader for decades in acknowledging the
need for affordable housing to maintain the community’s sustainability; and
WHEREAS, the importance of the affordable housing issue demands
meaningful actions that best leverage the resources of the city of Aspen in meeting
this critical community need; and
WHEREAS, community connections are a fundamental component of a
healthy and vibrant city; and
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WHEREAS, governmental and community services can be improved
through additional focus on community needs, customers, and effective,
responsive delivery of services; and
WHEREAS, the global climate crisis has direct impacts to regional ecology,
economics, communities, and the resiliency of essential systems, services and
infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, human activities are causing unprecedented global warming
and in order to avoid the worst climate impacts, global temperature should be kept
under 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels; and
WHEREAS, Aspen is facing an existential threat from climate change, with
higher temperatures being recorded across all seasons, more precipitation arriving
as rain rather than snow, and the annual frost-free period extending by over one
month since 1980; and
WHEREAS, more frequent wildfire events both locally and nationally
threaten the wilderness, private and public property, community health and safety,
including the risk of landslides and increased days of impaired air quality; and
WHEREAS, in 2022, City Council adopted science-based greenhouse gas
targets, which require meaningful action to achieve and mitigate the worst effects
of climate change; and
WHEREAS, evaluating financial resources and debt service needs for
infrastructure projects allows the city to plan for the future and provide vital
services to the community, and
WHEREAS, the City Council has identified these areas of critical
importance to the continued success of the city of Aspen.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO,
Section 1. That the City Council of the City of Aspen hereby adopts the
following City of Aspen 2023-2025 Council Goals, and does hereby authorize the
City Manager to pursue said goals.
2023-2025 Council Goals
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1.Mobility: Improve and expand our efficient, multi-modal and integrated
transportation system to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and air
pollution. This will be accomplished through:
a. Exploring potential traffic congestion improvements from Brush Creek
to Aspen with the Elected Officials Transportation Committee and the
Colorado Department of Transportation including,
o Completing a comprehensive traffic study;
b. Exploring regional zero fare for bus trips that originate or end in Aspen;
c. Developing community consensus for critical infrastructure
improvements for entering and exiting the city including physical
modifications;
d. Increasing electrification of city and regional transit fleet;
e. Researching funding options for affordable housing to support transit
expansion and sustainable service delivery; and
f. Completing the Short-Range Transportation Plan, including
o Reviewing the Integrated Mobility System in collaboration
with the Aspen Institute which could include ride sharing and
congestion toll implementation
o Exploring expansion of Aspen city bus routes, and
o Researching possible first and last mile improvements.
2.Affordable Housing: In order to deliver an affordable housing system that
is high quality, sustainable, and results in a lived-in community, Council
will continue to evaluate, identify opportunities, plan, partner, facilitate, and
leverage existing and new resources to invest in the development and
maintenance of affordable housing.
This will be accomplished through:
a. Implementing the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan;
b. Completing Council-directed affordable housing development projects;
c. Continuing to seek additional affordable housing, development-neutral
opportunities, including optimizing existing housing stock;
d. Prioritizing and financing continued development and maintenance of
affordable housing;
e. Supporting continuous improvement with the APCHA program,
including ensuring adequate resources; and
f. Assisting homeowners’ associations evaluation of their capital
maintenance planning and capital reserves.
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3.Community Building and Health: Strengthen the quality of life and well-
being of residents, and promote commercial vitality of locally focused
businesses.
This will be accomplished through:
a. Exploring public-private and non-profit approaches to promote economic
vitality;
b. Developing policies and regulations to ensure the timely completion of
development projects and limit the impact of commercial vacancies on
vitality, character, and revenue;
c. Designing and promoting opportunities for creating human connections
among locals including the Armory renovation;
d. Partnering with local health and human service nonprofit organizations
through the city grants program; and
e. Adding physical capacity to increase available childcare spaces through
projects such as the Burlingame Child Center.
4.Customer-focused Government: Maintaining and enhancing relationships
with residents, businesses and visitors is critical to provide services
essential to our community. The city of Aspen will continuously improve
services and process with our customers in mind. This will be accomplished
through:
a. Assessing customer service standards for the organization;
b. Continuing to optimize development review processes;
c. Amending the Land Use Code to simplify processes and improve
coordination between agencies; and
d. Ensuring meaningful access to services and information for all members
of the community through a focus on accessible and multi-lingual
communications.
5.Protect our Environment: Take meaningful action and provide leadership
in protecting the natural environment, reducing Aspen’s greenhouse gas
emissions by the amount that is scientifically proven to limit global
temperature change, and supporting community resilience to climate change
and natural disasters. This is accomplished through:
a. Maximizing efficiency and minimizing carbon emissions in all of
Aspen’s emissions inventory sectors: Energy Supply, Buildings,
Vehicles and Transportation, and Waste;
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b. Finalizing Building Performance Standards and adopting a funding plan
to support continued implementation of the Building IQ program;
c. Developing a financial plan to quantify and anticipate future costs of
adopted climate action policies;
d. Investing in redundancy and climate change resilience for utility systems
to ensure dependable and reliable service delivery; and
e. Expanding our commitment to wildlife conservation, wildfire mitigation,
open space stewardship, river health, and preservation of the urban
forest.
6.Prioritize infrastructure and maintenance for aging facilities: To
continue to provide efficient and reliable water, stormwater and electrical
services; safe roads and bridges; and ADA accessible pedestrian
improvements for the community, the city commits to prioritizing and
advancing infrastructure projects. This will be accomplished by:
a. Prioritizing funding for projects in the 5-year capital improvement plan;
b. Exploring any necessary debt issuance for goal completion;
c. Implementing recommendations from rate studies; and
d. Establishing the allocation for the short-term rental tax revenues.
INTRODUCED, READ AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of
Aspen on the 20th day of June 2023.
Torre, Mayor
I, Nicole Henning, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the
foregoing is a true and accurate copy of that resolution adopted by the City
Council of the City of Aspen, Colorado, at a meeting held, ___________2023.
Nicole Henning, City Clerk
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