HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Only 051424AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
May 14, 2024
5:00 PM,
I.Information Update
I.A Aspen 360° (Formerly Citizen’s Academy)
I.B Compliance with House Bill 23-1039 Electric Resource Adequacy
I.C
Continued Stage One Water Shortage Declaration
I.D Castle Creek Creek Bridge Feasibility Follow Up
Aspen 360 Info-Only Memo.pdf
Info Memo - House Bill 23-1039 Compliance.docx
Stage 1 Information Only Memo May 14 Council Meeting FINAL.docx
2024 4-29_Follow-Up Memo Castle Creek Bridge.docx
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INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO: Aspen City Council
FROM: Emily Ford, Communications Specialist
THROUGH: Jenna Ioffredo, Communications Co-Manager
Alissa Farrell, Administrative Services Director
MEMO DATE: May 14, 2024
RE: Aspen 360° (Formerly Citizen’s Academy)
PURPOSE: This Information-Only memo updates the Council on the relaunch of Aspen
360° (formerly Citizen’s Academy), designed to engage the community by providing an
understanding of the city’s operations and services. This memorandum serves to
provide information only; no action is requested of Council.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: Aspen 360° is designed to provide participants with
insight into the roles, responsibilities, limits, and services offered by our local
government. These sessions consist of a series of informative meetings and field trips.
By engaging in this program, residents can become more informed and engaged,
equipped to contribute positively to our community. After a break since 2022, and a
refinement of the program, staff is pleased to announce the return of Aspen 360° for
2024.
DETAILS:
The Aspen 360° class will meet for a total of seven sessions over three months. Class
topics will include a city overview, city services, the environment, the built environment
and infrastructure, tax dollar funds and special services, parks and open spaces, and
community involvement. The below schedule will be followed for the program, with a
graduation ceremony for the last session:
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Applications Open: June 1, 2024
Applications Close: July 1, 2024
Classes Begin: August 22, 2024
Duration: 3 months
Classes End: October 3, 2024
Number of Sessions: 7
Session Times: Class sessions will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with
field trips scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Applications will be available on the city’s website during the application period.
CITY MANAGER NOTES:
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INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Justin Forman, Director of Utilities
THROUGH:Tyler Christoff, Deputy Director of Public Works
MEMO DATE:May 6th, 2024
RE:Compliance with House Bill 23-1039 Electric Resource Adequacy
PURPOSE:
This memorandum is for informational purposes only. No action is requested of Council. This
memo is to inform Council of the City of Aspen Electric Utility compliance with House Bill
2023-1039 regarding electric resource adequacy.
SUMMARY:
In 2023, Colorado House Bill 23-1039 was passed that requires electric load-serving
providers to submit a resource adequacy report to the Colorado Energy Office (CEO)
beginning in April 2024. The CEO will later publish a statewide resource adequacy report
annually. As part of this process, an electric load-serving provider must also notify its
regulatory oversight entity of this report, which is the City Council for Aspen Electric Utility.
Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), the City’s wholesale power provider,
provided all applicable information for Aspen to the CEO. The report MEAN provided for its
Colorado members is available on their website under the reports section (Power Supply
Resources | MEAN - Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (nmppenergy.org)). As the state
of Colorado and the country increase loads through electrification and as carbon-based
generation sources are retired, understanding load and resource adequacy on the electric
grid its paramount.
NEXT STEPS:
No action from Council is required. This house bill does not change Aspen Electric Utility’s
commitment to utilizing 100% renewable energy since 2015. Aspen’s current portfolio is a
mix of local hydroelectric facilities at Ruedi and Maroon Creek, regional hydroelectric
facilities at Ridgway and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), and participation in
MEAN’s Green Energy program (wind, solar, hydroelectric, and landfill gas). MEAN also
ensures Aspen is meeting its real-time load requirements.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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CITY MANAGER NOTES:
None
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INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM: Steve Hunter, Utility Resource Manager
THROUGH:Justin Forman, Utilities Director
Tyler Christoff, Public Works Director
MEMO DATE:05/3/2024
RE:Continued Stage One Water Shortage Declaration
PURPOSE:
This memorandum is for informational purposes only. No action is requested of Council. This
memo is to inform Council of the City of Aspen Drought Response Committees
recommendation to continue the current Stage One Water Shortage Declaration.
SUMMARY:
Aspen’s municipal water supply comes from Castle and Maroon Creeks. Unlike many
community supplies, the Aspen water system has very little water storage, relying primarily on
direct streamflow. This system does not allow the controlled release of water to match water
demand. Instead, it depends on the consistent release of water from snowmelt. During drier
than normal years, runoff conditions may not match the timing of the City’s typical demands
and reductions in typical water usage may be necessary. During these conditions, the City’s
water policy enables Council to enact its Water Shortage Ordinance by selecting an appropriate
water shortage stage. The City adopted its water shortage policy through an Ordinance of the
Municipal Code. On July 14, 2020, via resolution #061. Council moved from Stage Two to Stage
One water shortage via resolution #085 (series of 2023) on June 6, 2023. The City has remained
under Stage One water shortage as imposed by the City Manager through an Administrative
Order.
The City’s Drought Response Committee made up of members from Parks, Utilities,
Environmental Health, Communications, and City Manager’s office met on April 26 to review
the spring/early summer 2024 snowpack/runoff/drought data and unanimously agreed on
recommending remaining in a Stage One water shortage. In following with the City’s recently
adopted Drought Mitigation and Response Plan we are matching our water restrictions with
current drought conditions. Weather, climate, and snowpack are highly variable and may
change in a relatively short period of time.
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Current Drought Conditions & Snowpack Conditions
As of April 30, 2024, the US Drought Monitor (Figure 1) Aspen and Pitkin County are in a no
drought category. The drought monitor is one of multiple drought indicators the city uses to
determine local drought conditions. Southwest
Colorado continues to increase in drought status in
both abnormally dry (D0)and (D1)moderate drought.
NOAAs Climate Prediction Center forecast drought
development likely in all of Western Colorado with 30
to 60 % probability of higher than normal
temperatures and below average precipitation from
May through August (Figure 3). This combined with an
average snowpack with several dust layers
accelerating snowmelt has a likelihood of drought
conditions occurring in Aspen and the Roaring Fork
this summer pending weather over the next month.
Figure 1.US Drought Monitor: Colorado 04-30-2024
Figure 2. Snow Water Equivalent in the Roaring Fork, May 2, 2024
2023
2024
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Figure3. Precipitation & Temperature Forecast, June-August 2024
The City is participating in the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) program
https://www.airbornesnowobservatories.com/. This program will help us better quantify our
local snowpack, snow water equivalent (SWE), and runoff volumes specifically in the Castle
and Maroon Creek watersheds where Aspen’s water comes from. The first flight of 2024
occurred on April 9, 2024, with second flight occurring in early to mid-May. The first flight
data depicts a ~13% less amount of available SWE as compared to similar timeframe last year.
Snowpack conditions in both the Upper Roaring Fork and Upper Frying Pan River basins are
exhibiting signs of initial seasonal decline from peak seasonal values. While recent weather
has forestalled the decline, projections indicate continued snowpack ablation. Snowmelt
fluxes have correspondingly begun to accelerate in both basins.
The Water Shortage Ordinance provides for escalating restrictions based on the Stage of
drought observed. A Stage One Water Shortage is designed to encourage a 10% reduction in
water use. Restrictions are voluntary for customers. Public facilities are directed to implement
water use restrictions for public parks, golf courses and other public uses, such as street
washing. Additionally, the City participates in a regional baseline watering standards effort to
establish consistent drought and water conservation messaging. This messaging is similar to
the City’s Stage One language. Although the City aligns with this regional program, allowances
for stricter water conservation measures are allowed based on local conditions.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Stage One water shortage maintains a potable water rate surcharge of 25% in Billing Tier 3 and
50% in Billing Tier 4. This is shown in Table 1 below. The Buttermilk Metro District, which has a
two-tier billing rate structure, has a surcharge of 37.5% applied to its Tier 2 rates. These rate
surcharges are intended to disincentivize extraordinary water usage during the declaration.
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Table 1: Proposed Stage One Water Shortage Surcharges
Billing Tier Proposed Stage One Water Shortage % Surcharge
Tier 1 0%
Tier 2 0%
Tier 3 25%
Tier 4 50%
Billing Tier
Buttermilk Metro
District Proposed Stage One Water Shortage % Surcharge
Tier 1 0%
Tier 2 37.5%
NEXT STEPS:
The City’s Drought Response Committee will continue to monitor and evaluate the 2024
snowpack/SWE/snowmelt, runoff, weather, and drought conditions as we progress through
the remainder of the 2024 water year. The Committee will meet again in June and throughout
the summer to reevaluate conditions and update council on recommendations for water
shortage changes as needed.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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FOLLOW-UP MEMORANDUM
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
WORK SESSION MEETING DATE:April 15, 2024
FOLLOW-UP MEMO DATE:May 14, 2024
AGENDA TOPIC:Castle Creek Bridge Feasibility Study
PRESENTED BY:Pete Rice, P.E., Director of Transportation and
Parking
Jenn Ooton, Senior Project Manager
Lynn Rumbaugh, TDM-cp, Mobility Manager
Carly McGowan, P.E., Senior Project Manager
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:Mayor Torre, John Doyle, Ward Hauenstein,
Sam Rose, Bill Guth
_____________________________________________________________________
WORK SESSION DISCUSSION SUMMARY:
Staff and the consultant team – Jim Clarke, Doug Stremel, and Beth Tosti from Jacobs
Engineering – presented Council with the findings of a Castle Creek Bridge Feasibility
Study by Jacobs Engineering that has been underway for the past six months. Per
Council direction in 2023, the feasibility study and the work session presentation
focused on three main areas of depth, which are detailed bellow:
1.Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Feasibility Report:The consultant
presented options, implications, and advantages of various alternatives for
replacing or repairing the Castle Creek Bridge in its existing location. One option
reviewed rehabilitation of the existing bridge and three others reviewed the
feasibility of building a new bridge in situ.
The consultant discussed the impacts to the community and travelling public under
these scenarios. One option maintains two lanes of traffic on the bridge for the
duration of construction. The other options would rely on detours to accommodate
one direction of traffic while the existing bridge would carry the other direction of
traffic. Upon studying potential detour routes, the consultant presented that the
only feasible detour that would maintain realistic travel times is a temporary bridge
in the alignment of the right-of-way through Marolt Open Space.
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Each option for rehabilitation or rebuilding the bridge would require the purchase
of a combination of additional right-of-way or temporary construction easements
to be purchased from private properties adjacent to the roadway.
The consultant presented the concept of Accelerated Bridge Construction and provided
reasoning for why it is not a feasible option in this location and instance due to site
constraints and the need to keep the bridge operable during construction.
2. Softening of the S Curves:
The consultant presented two options that could be implemented to soften the S
curves and improve traffic flow through the exit of Aspen. One of the options is
compatible with a three-lane bridge, while the other is compatible with the existing
alignment of the two-lane bridge. In both options, there are features that can be
utilized in an a-la-carte fashion including the following:
Changing the geometry of the roadway lane merge on Highway 82 near 6
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Street to match a more predictable pattern,
Blocking access of S 7th Street and W Main St to and from Highway 82,
Blocking one or both directions of travel between N 7th St and Highway 82,
Blocking access between N 8th St and Highway 82,
Adding an additional lane to the outbound direction of travel to improve transit
travel times.
Each option for softening the S Curve implication would require additional right-of-
way to be purchased from private properties adjacent to the roadway.
3.National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implications: The final component
of the presentation was focused on the NEPA process. The consultant presented
the necessity of the NEPA process, which is two-part:
NEPA is required for all projects that utilize federal funding, which is
anticipated for this project.
The NEPA process was undertaken in the 1990’s for the Entrance to Aspen.
The Record of Decision, which is the result of NEPA, is a legally binding
document. Therefore, the city must follow NEPA guidelines.
City Council did not come to consensus on direction for next steps for any of the three
discussion areas. Council requested that staff return to a future work session with more
information on the below questions/concepts:
1. Provide traffic modeling and cost estimates of the S-curves softening
modifications, including looking at maintaining right turn from 8th Street onto
Highway 82. The modeling is to be viewed as holistic through the corridor to
improve vehicle flow.
2. Investigate opportunities to reduce the width of the bridge based on 3 lane width.
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3. Review the feasibility of the city removing the pedestrian route on the bridge to
provide a faster timeline for replacement.
4. Provide additional information about the width of the Preferred Alternative as it is
currently proposed, and whether a narrower right-of-way and bridge could lessen
impacts through the Marolt Open Space and to private property.
5. Answer the question whether a community referendum is needed to move forward
with the Preferred Alternative with the use of temporary transit lanes dedicated for
bus use.
6. Investigate alternative options for bridge construction that do not require federal
funding.
a. Understand the ways to gain state support or funding for alternatives
outside of the Preferred Alternative.
b. Investigate state bridge projects that include state of Colorado dollars but
not federal transportation dollars, that allow a jurisdiction to pursue a bridge
strategy that does not include a NEPA process.
c. Provide information on the possible alternatives for the city work through a
process of amending the ROD while still maintaining access to State/Fed
dollars.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will return to Council for a work session August 5th with additional information
requested by Council. Staff will work with the Colorado Department of Transportation and
the Federal Highway Administration to answer some of the questions presented.
Staff anticipate the need for a contract change order for the consultants to address
questions posed by Council. Secondly, staff will prepare a consent memo that will sole
source Jacobs Engineering to pursue a holistic model approach that assesses the
Highway 82 corridor from Brush Creek through the S-Curves. Models will assess
improvements to the S-curve alternatives, evaluate existing conditions creating vehicle
congestion and assess conceptual alternatives.
Additionally, the City Attorney will take the lead on next steps related to the question of a
vote with the state and federal groups.
CITY MANAGER NOTES:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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