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HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.011-00 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO SUPPORTING AMENDMENTS TO THE RURAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY LAW Resolution No. Il Series of 2000 WHEREAS. the Rural Transportation Authority Law enables counties and mumclpalities to create, through public vote, rural transportation authorities and to provide for the joint exercise of transportation systems and facilities: and WHEREAS. cities, towns and counties in the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers Valleys (Highway 82 and 1-70 corridors) of western Colorado are currently discussing the intergovernmental agreement necessary to put the creation of a Rural Transportation Authority (hereinafter "RTA") to a vote of the people in the year 2000 for the purpose of financing, constructing, operating and maintaining rural transit systems within the region; and WHEREAS. several amendments to the existing Rural Transportation Authority Law would provide more clarity and flexibility to local governments as they work toward the creation of a RTA; NOW. THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aspen. Colorado supports the following amendments to the Rural Transportation Authority Law. Amendment #I - Include in the revenue raising powers of a rural transportation authority the ability to implement the following: Visitor benefit fee (an assessment on overnight visitors to help mitigate the impacts of tourist recreation on traffic patterns. employment, and transit. The fee will support transit service and provide incentives to visitors to use transit more often - e.g., free transit passes, discounts to local amenities.) * Development impact fee (an assessment on property owners to help mitigate the impacts of new development on transit, or traffic patterns. Fees must correlate to the incremental cost of specific improvements required to support the development.) * Sales and/or use tax (an ability to increase the currently allowed 4/10 of ! % sales and/or use tax to 3/4 of 1% .) Amendment #2 - Revise requirement that communities interested in joining the RTA after it is formed be contiguous to the RTA boundaries. Communities in the mountains are generally not contiguous, which makes it difficult for neighboring communities to join an established RTA unless their county has also joined. Amendment #3 - Add language specifically permitting differential sales tax rates in different areas that can be approved in a single ballot issue. Currently, it is unclear whether local governments can ask citizens a differential sales 'tax ques.tion in one ballot issue or such a question would have to be asked through separate ballot issues voted on in each sub-area that has a separate rate. Amendment #4 - State that the TABOR spending base for a newly created authority is spending during the first full fiscal year. For example, if a region forms a RTA during a mid-year election, spending will be much less during the first partial year than during the following full year. These circumstances will cause the first full year spending to grow too fast compared to the previous partial year and require a rebate or a revenue retention vote. Amendment #5 - Add language making it clear that the intergovernmental agreement can be amended after the formation election so long as the amendment provisions in the agreement are followed. Dated: ~L~ ~Rach~~/~ ~' , 2000. R~chards I. Kathryn Koch. duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of that resolut~o~n adopted by the ~City Council of the City of Aspen, Colorado, at a meeting held ~ ~p .2000.