HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Update.201909231
AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
September 23, 2019
4:00 PM,
I.INFORMATION UPDATE
I.A.Additional Early Childhood Teacher to Support Childcare Workforce
I.B.Downtowner Vehicle Update
I.C.Castle Creek Bridge Improvements Project Update
I.D.Council Update: Galena Plaza Design Process
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MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Shirley Ritter, Director Kids First
THROUGH:Sara Ott, City Manager
MEMO DATE:September 16, 2019
RE: Information Only: Additional Early Childhood Teacher to Support Childcare
Workforce
Based upon City Council’s discussion at the August 20, 2019 City Council work session,
staff is advancing the recruitment of a second early childhood education teacher as part
of the Kids First staff. The early childhood education teacher positions are used as a
workforce development opportunity to create highly trained staff and to assist early
childhood care centers by providing a substitute teacher at a reduced cost during times
of vacancy or absences of regular staff. Ultimately the staff in the Kids First teacher
positions are successful applicants for senior roles in child care centers throughout the
Roaring Fork Valley.
During the 2020 operating budget process, Kids First staff will present the option to fund
a second full time position as part of base services. Right now, timing is of concern, and
therefore staff plan to begin recruiting for the position immediately. In the event that the
City Council does not authorize the position, the recruitment will be cancelled. In the
event City Council expresses support for the position during the budget process, Kids
First is prepared to initially pay any 2019 salary and training costs from departmental
savings.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: Childcare capacity to meet the need in Aspen faces
two significant barriers: physical space that meets regulations and high-quality standards
for young children, and qualified workforce to care for and teach this critical population.
While the community works toward a solution for the physical space, staff heard Council
direction at the August 20, 2019 work-session to develop a plan that addresses the
workforce need for increased capacity.
DISCUSSION: As part of a plan to address this need, Kids First staff wishes to use our
resources and expertise to hire, train and coach a person for a one-year period. This
person would then meet licensing qualifications and be motivated to assume a lead
teacher position in a local childcare program. During this tight hiring market, we have seen
the childcare programs (and other businesses) have more difficulty recruiting and
retaining qualified staff. As we began to think about ways to grow the early childhood
workforce to meet the need for childcare capacity, the idea of an early childhood teacher
who could gain experience by acting as a substitute in the programs and getting classes,
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training, and coaching at the same time seems a good fit. Kids First staff has varied and
deep experience and credentials to provide the training and coaching. This would also
provide a high-quality foundational experience for a person who is motivated to remain
and advance in the early childhood profession. Attachment A provides more information
about qualification requirements for early childhood teachers. Kids First will work closely
with the licensing specialist to insure a productive work plan.
The work needed is 1) a good match with the skill set of Kids First staff, 2) a good
investment both as a substitute and in the long term employment for this person, 3) a
great way for a person who would like to work in early childhood, but needs support for
starting that career path, and 4) begins to address the work force needs and could be
extended to others already in a program, but who seek a higher level of education.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
In 2019 Kids First will use carry-forward savings, a supplemental budget request
is included in the 2020 budget for this position.
Funding for this position is from the Kids First fund – 152. The total cost is $77,090
in 2020. The cost for 2019 is estimated to be $19,272.
The estimated revenue to be paid for the substitute (by the childcare programs) in
2020 is $16,000. (This is a service we offer at a subsidized rate to encourage the
use of a qualified substitute.)
RECOMMENDATION: Information only. Additional information and a time for discussion
is scheduled for during the 2020 budget work sessions. Please feel free to contact Sara
Ott or Shirley Ritter with any questions or comments.
Attachment A – Childcare licensing rules regarding early childhood teacher qualifications.
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Colorado Licensing Rules and Regulations
7.702.41 General Requirements for All Personnel
A. All personnel at the center must demonstrate knowledgeable decision-making, judgment,
and concern for the proper care and well-being of children.
B. Staff, substitutes, or volunteers must not consume or be under the influence of any
substance that impairs their ability to care for children.
C. Illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, marijuana and marijuana infused products, and alcohol
must never be present on the premises of the center during operating hours.
D. When caring for children, staff must refrain from personal use of electronics including, but
not limited to, cell phones and portable electronic devices.
E. The center must determine if any staff person who works at the center has ever been
convicted of a crime as found at Section 7.701, D, 5 or 6, of the General Rules for Child Care
Facilities.
F. The personnel file of each staff member of the center must contain clearance or arrest
report from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation resulting from the staff member's criminal
record check. The requirement for a criminal record check is found in Section 7.701.33 of
the General Rules for Child Care Facilities.
G. The personnel file of each staff member must contain the results of the state department’s
automated system. The method for making the request is found in Section 7.701.32 of the
General Rules for Child Care Facilities.
H. Staff members must be current for all immunizations routinely recommended for adults by
their health care provider.
I.All staff members must submit to the center a medical statement, signed and dated by a
licensed physician or other health care professional, verifying that they are in good mental,
physical, and emotional health appropriate for the position for which they have been hired.
This statement must be dated no more than 6 months prior to employment or within thirty
(30) calendar days after the date of employment. This statement must indicate when
subsequent medical statements are required. Subsequent medical statements must be
submitted as required in writing by a physician or other health care professional.
J.If, in the opinion of a physician or mental health practitioner, an employee's examination or
test results indicate a physical, emotional, or mental condition that could be hazardous to a
child, other staff, or self, or that would prevent satisfactory performance of duties must not
be assigned or returned to a position until the condition is cleared to the satisfaction of the
examining physician.
A. Early Childhood Teacher
1. An early childhood teacher, assigned responsibility for a single group of children and working
under the supervision of a director, must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and must meet
at least one of the following qualifications:
a. A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major area
of study in one of the following areas:
1)Early childhood education;
2)Elementary education;
3)Special education;
4)Family and child development; or,
5)Child psychology.
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b. A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major area
of study in any area other than those listed at Section 7.702.54, A, 1, A and additional
two (2) three-semester hour early childhood education college courses with one course
being either introduction to early childhood education or guidance strategies;
c. Current early childhood professional Credential Level III Version 2.0 as determined by
the Colorado Department of Education;
d. A 2-year college degree, sixty (60) semester hours, in early childhood education from a
regionally accredited college or university, which must include at least two (2) three-
semester hour courses, one of which must be either introduction to early childhood
education or guidance strategies; and at least six (6) months (910 hours) of satisfactory
experience;
e. Completion of twelve (12) semester hours from a regionally accredited college or
university, at either a two year, four year or graduate level, in each of the following
subject or content areas in early childhood education and one of the three (3) semester
hour courses must be either introduction to early childhood education or guidance
strategies, plus nine (9) months (1,395 hours) of verified experience in the care and
supervision of four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age who are not related
to the individual;
f.Completion of a vocational or occupational education sequence in child growth and
development plus twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience in the care
and supervision of four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age who are not
related to the individual;
g.Current certification as a Child Development Associate (CDA) or other Department-
approved credential;
h. Completion of a course of training approved by the Department that includes training
and work experience with children in a child growth and development program plus
twelve (12) months (1,820 hours) of verified experience in the care and supervision of
four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age who are not related to the
individual; or,
i.Twenty-four (24) months (3,640 hours) of verified experience in the care and
supervision of four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age who are not related
to the individual. Satisfactory experience includes being a licensee of a Colorado family
child care home; a teacher’s aide or teacher in a child care center, preschool, or
elementary school, plus either:
1)A current Colorado Level I credential; or,
2)Two (2) three-semester hour early childhood education college courses from a
regionally accredited college or university, at either a two year, four year or
graduate level, in each of the following subject or content areas with one course
being either introduction to early childhood education or guidance strategies.
2. All college course grades toward early childhood teacher qualifications must be “C” or better.
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INFORMATION ONLY-MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:John Krueger, Director of Transportation
THROUGH:Scott Miller, Director Public Works
Trish Aragon, PE, City Engineer
MEETING DATE:September 23, 2019
RE:Information Only: Downtowner Vehicle Update
SUMMARY:
In April 2019, Transportation staff advised Council via an Information Only Memorandum of the
replacement of two out of service electric GEM cars in the Downtowner program with an electric
Chevy Bolt. Since that information memo in April two more GEM cars have become inoperable
due to electrical and battery problems. Transportation staff is informing Council that the
inoperable GEM cars will be replaced with two more electric Chevy Bolts. This will result in an
all-electric mixed fleet of two GEM cars and three Chevy Bolts beginning this winter. The Chevy
Bolts will be leased by the Downtowner at no additional cost to the City.
BACKGROUND
Downtowner microtransit service began as a pilot in the summer of 2016. Service was considered
successful and the vendor, The Downtowner, is currently operating under an annually-renewable
five-year contract that expires in 2022.
Theoriginal intent of the Downtowner service was to provide short-distance on-demand
transportation within or near the downtown core to reduce parking and traffic congestion.
Previous Councils desired that the service be operated by electric and/or golf-cart type vehicles.
This summer Downtowner was operating an all-electric mixed fleet of four GEM cars and one
Chevy Bolt. Two of the older GEM cars are no longer running leaving a fleet of two GEM cars
and one Chevy Bolt. Please see attachment A for fleet photos.
Since its inception, the Downtowner program has grown in terms of ridership, service hours and
boundaries. Current hours of service are 8:00am-11:00pm in the winter and 11:00am-11:00pm
for the rest of the year. Requests for expansions to both boundaries and hours of operation are
received frequently. Ridership has increased from over 22,000 in 2016 to over 70,000 in 2018.
Ridership for 2019 is up 24% over 2018 year to date. Please see Attachment B for ridership and
other statistics.
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Until recently, the Downtowner service was exclusively operated using electric Polaris GEM
cars. However, since winter 2018, the GEMs have been plagued with electrical problems that
require lengthy diagnoses and repair timeframes. This spring a Chevy Bolt was introduced into
the program to replace a couple of the problematic GEM cars. The Chevy Bolt performed
successfully and was well received by the riders. Recently more of the GEM cars have become
inoperable and won’t be available for use this winter. The Downtowner will be adding two more
Chevy Bolts to the fleet to meet the increased demand this winter.
DISCUSSION:
After over three years of operation, staff and The Downtowner have learned that the GEM
vehicles are difficult to operate in a transit capacity. This is due to the frequent
mechanical/electrical issues, logistics and lead times related to repairs and frequent charging
needs. With several of the GEM vehicles out of service for the winter season, staff recommends
that the updated fleet be made up of a mix of two GEMs and three Chevy Bolts. The
Chevy Bolt vehicles present the following advantages when compared to the GEMs:
Due to battery life, one Bolt can essentially replace two GEMS, reducing capital costs.
The Downtowner can allocate these saving to operations, allowing for approximately a
20% service increase on the road.
Because the Bolt can travel longer between charges, fewer vehicle switch outs must
occur, increasing operational efficiency.
Because of the many advantages that the Chevy Bolts represent, The Downtowner will be
replacing two of the inoperable Gem cars with Chevy Bolts this winter.
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ATTACHMENT A
DOWNTOWNER FLEET
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ATTACHMENT B
DOWNTOWNER DATA
Year-to-Date Stats
Date Range
1/1/19 -9/10/19
Ridership
57,780 +24% over 2018
Average Wait Time
9:05 minutes
Average Rider Experience Rating
4.93 out of 5
CO2 Emissions Avoided
Up to 14 tons
Personal Car Trips Replaced
12,251
Average Trip Distance
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INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Peter Rice, PE, Senior Project Manager, Engineering Dept
THRU:Trish Aragon P.E., City Engineer
Austin Weiss, Director, Parks & Open Space Department
Hailey Guglielmo, P.E., Development Engineer, Engineering Dept
DATE OF MEMO:September 17, 2019
MEETING DATE:September 30, 2019
RE:Castle Creek Bridge Improvements Project Update
SUMMARY:
City staff seeks to provide an update to Council regarding the completion of the punchlist items
pedestrian and bicycle improvements for the Castle Creek/Hallam Street Connectivity project.
The goals for the memo are to update Council on the construction on Castle Creek Bridge
beginning on October 7th and working through October 11th.
BACKGROUND HISTORY:
As early as 2013, The City of Aspen Open Space and Trails Board along with Engineering, Parks,
and Transportation staff identified the Castle Creek Bridge and Hallam Street corridor as a
deficient link in Aspen’s bicycle and pedestrian network. Due to topographic, property, and
geometric constraints safe and efficient travel options for cyclists and pedestrians are limited
through this area. The project design has been a collaboration with many stakeholders
including the departments in the City of Aspen including Transportation, Streets, Engineering,
Parks and Utilities. Colorado Department of Transportation and the Roaring Fork Transportation
Authority have been critical stakeholders through the design of this project.
In the spring of 2014, the City contracted with Loris & Associates to develop a conceptual plan
that would improve the corridors overall function and safety. The conceptual planning process
included multiple public meetings to solicit input on alternative designs for the project. Staff
directed Loris & Associates to proceed with construction drawings following the January 22nd,
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2016 council meeting. The projects key components included an eight-foot concrete trail from
Bugsy Barnard Park across the north side of Castle Creek bridge to 7th street and Hallam, new
BRT bus shelters both in and outbound, guard rail between vehicles and pedestrians on the
bridge, new intersection design and crosswalk locations to improve pedestrian safety, new
landscaping bike parking and paint for the bridge.
In the October 27th, 2015 work session, Council directed staff to continue planning for
the Living Lab Experiment due to public and stakeholder concerns that narrowing the
roadway lanes on the bridge would have a negative impact on traffic and congestion.
During the summer of 2016, staff implemented the experiment which did mimic the
proposed design to assess real conditions. The experiment determined that there are no
substantial impacts to traffic flow and traffic patterns created by the proposed design.
January 22, 2018, Resolution #2, Series of 2018, consent for the construction of the
project was awarded. Construction started on April 1st, 2018 by Gould Construction. On
June 12th, the project began the period of construction that could not impact the flow of
vehicular traffic on Hallam Street and Castle Creek Bridge based on feedback from the
community. The project started up again on September 5th, 2018 and finished a few
weeks into November.
Staff presented a Council update to the project on March 18th, 2019. The information
discussed during this Council meeting discussed paving on Castle Creek Bridge that will
be happening this fall.
DISCUSSION:
The project is substantially complete. The scope of the project included storm system
replacement along the corridor, ditch pipe replacement at 8th Street, electrical conduit
upgrades with new connections and rack, concrete roadway placement at the corners for the
“s” curve, the upgraded bus shelters are constructed, the crosswalk has been relocated and
new asphalt pavement is placed on Hallam Street. The bus shelters and snow melt on the plaza
have provided a substantial improvement for bus users during this heavier winter period.
The most exciting component completed is the new trail that extends from the west side of
Castle Creek Bridge to 7th Street along Hallam Street. People can safely cross Castle Creek
Bridge and continue along a wider trail. This trail adds safety in crossing 7th and 8th Streets with
improved interactions between users at the bus shelter after relocating the trail behind the bus
structure.
The final piece to the project is an additional second layer of asphalt to be placed over the
bridge to improve the strength of the asphalt and repair the peeling that has occurred in
several locations. The construction will start on the bridge on October 7th and will be completed
by October 11
th.
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During this week, the full detour utilizing the Power Plant Road for outbound traffic will be
utilized. This will mimic the same detour that was in place for the project the previous year.
Inbound traffic will travel across the bridge and continue through the “S curves” while the
outbound traffic will be detoured down 6th Street and around to Power Plant Road. Please see
Appendix A for a map of the detour with details. The bus stops on 8th Street will be open during
this period with fully operational crosswalks. The outbound buses will be staged on 7th Street
along with other heavy moving trucks until traffic control guides them across the bridge.
The late start for construction in October is set to minimize the impact on the business
community during a lower period of traffic movements. The work will begin at 9:00 am to
minimize the impact to peak morning traffic and school movements, but delays are anticipated
throughout the day. It’s anticipated the detour will be removed at the end of each work day.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The work done will utilize existing budgets and will not require additional funding request.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
Appendix A : Map of Castle Creek Bridge Detour
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Inbound Traffic & Buses
Outbound Traffic
Outbound Buses
RFTA Bus Stop
Rapid Flashing Beacon
Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic
DETOUR MAP October 7-11
NOTES: Motorists in the West End are advised to use
Main Street to access the detour out of town.
Parking is not permitted along detour routes.
Please follow flagger instructions and signage.
B
B
B 13
MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Michael Tunte, Landscape Architect and Construction Manager, Robert
Schober, Project Manager;
THROUGH:Scott Miller, Public Words Director/Interim Assistant City Manager, Jeff
Woods, Manager Parks and Recreation
MEETING DATE:Information Only
MEMO DATE: September 19, 2019
RE:Council Update: Galena Plaza Design Process
REQUEST OF COUNCIL: This memo is for information purposes only to update Council on the
status of the Galena Plaza design process which will shortly be underway.
BACKGROUND: Staff received City Council direction on September 9, to proceed with
stakeholder engagement, public outreach and the development of three additional design
alternatives for Galena Plaza. Contracts with the consultants have been signed with a team that
includes Charles Cunniffe Architects, Design Workshop, PR Studio and Concept One Group.
We are excited about the team we have in place and moving forward the process will be led by
the Parks and Open Space staff in collaboration with City of Aspen Engineering, Asset and
Transportation staff.
SUMMARY: A project kickoff meeting is scheduled for later this week to review project
deliverables and establish expectations moving forward. The process will take several months to
complete the following phases outlined below.
Phase I - Development of conceptual design alternatives (4-6 Weeks)
1. Stakeholder meetings
2. Development of 3 additional alternatives with probable costs for each
3. Public Open House
4. Presentation to Council for input and recommendations
Phase 2 - Refinement and development of the preferred alternative (4-6 Weeks)
1. Development of the preferred alternative and probable cost
2. Public Open House 2
3. Presentation to Council for input and recommendations
Phase 3 - Development of Schematic Design (8-10 Weeks)
1. Overall site plan
2. Stakeholder meeting
3. Public Open House 3
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4. Presentation to Council with key conclusions and a summary of recommended next steps.
After the completion of each phase staff will come before Council with a presentation to discuss
the design alternatives, key conclusions from stakeholder meeting’s and a summary of
recommended next steps.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Information only. For any questions on Galena Plaza Project,
please contact Michael Tunte, Landscape Architect and Construction Manager.
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