HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Update 1109211
AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
November 9, 2021
5:00 PM,
I.INFORMATION UPDATE
I.A.WELS Update
I.B.2021 Snowmaking for Snow Polo
I.C.Lift One Corridor Status Update
I.D.Electric Vehicles for the Police Department
I.E.Safety and Mobility in the Downtown Core Project
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INFORMATION ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:Rob Gregor, Utilities Management Analyst
Rick Magill, WELS Plans Review Technician
THROUGH:Lee Ledesma, Utilities Finance Manager
Tyler Christoff, Utilities Director
MEMO DATE:October 29, 2021
MEETING DATE:November 09, 2021
RE:Water Efficient Landscape Standards – Program update & 2022
Enhancements
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:No request for approval or specific direction. Staff is providing
this memo to the Mayor and City Council so that they may be informed of the status of
the Water Efficient Landscape Standards and on-going administrative updates.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: Conservation and efficiency are key components of
Aspen’s Integrated Water Supply System, and conservation and efficiency practices
enable the City to manage water supplies more effectively. As such, the Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance and associated Standards remain the top action item in both the
Aspen Municipal Water Efficiency Plan and in the Roaring Fork Watershed Regional
Efficiency Plan.
After several years of successfully implementing the Water Efficient Landscape
Standards (WELS) and collecting data, Utilities staff has identified additional
enhancements to improve the efficacy of the Standards. Enhancements for 2022 include:
requiring WaterSense-approved “smart irrigation controllers” on residential properties,
requiring a minimum deposit value for projects that cannot be completed/inspected until
the next irrigation season, and requiring professional preparation of as-built planting and
irrigation plans. See Exhibit A.
To date, there have been 106 building permits (85 within the city and 21 within the county)
that have triggered compliance with theWELS. These projects involved a total of 972,092
irrigated square feet (up from 762,764 irrigated sq. ft last year). The average water budget
from the 106 submittals since 2018 is down to 6.0 gallons/sq.ft./irrigation season (down
from 6.4 gallons/sq.ft./irrigation season last year), and now exceeds the desired reduction
of gallons per square foot per season envisioned in the Standards by nearly 20 percent.
These projects equate to an estimated annual savings of more than 8,750,000 gallons of
water. Additionally, there are currently 20 WELS submittals under review and
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approximately 15 applications in preapproval status. Additional data on WELS
submissions can be found in Exhibit B.
DISCUSSION: After an 18-month pilot program that ended in December 2018, all building
permit applications that trigger WELS compliance review now demonstrate alignment with
the maximum annual irrigation water budget of 7.5 gallons/sq.ft./irrigation season. In
addition to providing a landscape and irrigation plan that demonstrates alignment with this
maximum irrigation water budget at the permit review stage, applicants are also required
to obtain a 3
rd party audit from a certified landscape irrigation auditor once the landscaping
and irrigation systems are installed. This audit ensures that the landscape and irrigation
installations comply with the WELS as approved during plans review.
In May 2020, City Council approved several minor enhancements to the WELS, which
included adding two new exemptions to WELS review, a variance to the WELS for
projects with outdoor pools/spas and a relatively small, irrigated area, and updated permit
language for triggering WELS compliance review.
2022 ENHANCEMENTS: Building off the enhancements made in 2021, a list of
enhancements to the WELS that will become effective January 1, 2022, is provided
below. A full draft of the amended Standards can be found in Exhibit A.
WELS Section 5.1.5 is amended to require “smart irrigation controllers” for both
residential and commercial projects. Smart irrigation controllers were previously only
required for commercial projects. Smart controllers are an irrigation industry standard
and uniformity between customer classes ensures fairness and equity with the
application of these requirements.
References to routing WELS plans and documentation to the Parks Department are
deleted (e.g. WELS Section 5.7.2 relating to irrigation Audits and WELS Section 6
relating to Landscape and Irrigation Inspections). All WELS roles, duties, and
responsibilities are now solely under the purview of the Utilities Department.
WELS Section 5.8.3 and Municipal Code Title 25.30 are amended to require a
minimum deposit value of $5,000 and a requirement for the applicant to list itemized
costs for landscape/irrigation project completion to calculate WELS deposit
requirements for applicants seeking a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) in
lieu of a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) when WELS inspections are not possible until
a later date. Previous versions of the WELS did not specify a minimum deposit
requirement or provide adequate direction for estimating future costs of project
completion. A minimum deposit value is recommended to ensure completion of WELS
final inspection on smaller projects, and the deposit calculation assists applicants’
construction and financial planning activities.
Landscape and Irrigation Inspection Requirements (WELS Sections 6.1 and 6.2,
respectively) are updated to require “professionally prepared” Landscape and
Irrigation as-built plans. Professional standardization of this documentation is needed
as many as-built and/or installation documents have been insufficient when attempting
to show deviation from professionally prepared and approved plans.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF THE WELS: The City of Aspen's Landscaping
Standards are an excellent example of how local efforts tie into larger statewide efforts to
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reduce outdoor water use in Colorado and tie directly to both the municipal and regional
water efficiency plans to which Aspen is party. Comprehensive landscape codes are key
to reducing outdoor demand and 'building it smart from the start," and the WELS promote
the values and benefits of healthy landscapes while recognizing the need to invest in
efficiency.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A – Enhanced Sections of Water Efficient Landscaping Standards for 2022
Exhibit B – WELS Overview Graphs 2017-2021
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Exhibit A – Enhanced Sections of Water Efficient Landscaping Standards (2022)
SECTION 5: IRRIGATION SYSTEM CRITERIA
5.1: Irrigation System Requirements
5.1.5: Smart irrigation controllers labeled by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
WaterSense Program or with published reports posted on the Smart Water Application
Technologies website are recommended required for residential projects and required
for all non-residential projects. Flow sensors integrated with the automatic irrigation
controller are required on all projects to control irrigation if flows are abnormal.
5.7: Irrigation Audit
5.7.2: Prior to the audit, applicant shall inform the Parks Department Permit Coordinator and
City of Aspen Landscape Plan Reviewer that the site is ready for irrigation inspection.
5.8: Irrigation Approval Letter
5.8.3.c: If a permanent Certificate of Occupancy cannot be issued during the winter months
because landscaping and irrigation systems cannot be inspected for compliance, as
required by the Water Efficient Landscaping Standards, and a property owner or their
representative requests a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, the property owner will
submit an estimate to complete the remaining irrigation and landscaping work and pay
a deposit to the City of Aspen Utilities department as set out below, prior to issuance of
a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. For County parcel on City water, if the County
issues a Certificate of Occupancy without an approved and inspected irrigation and
landscape installation that includes a third-party audit, City of Aspen Utilities will collect
a deposit based on schedule below using owner’s estimated total for remaining
irrigation and landscaping work on subject parcel.
Deposit Schedule for Landscaping and Irrigation:
Project cost estimate Deposit
$0-50,000 50%
$50,000-100,000 25%
Over $100,000 15%
The Water Efficient Landscaping Standards Sections 5.7 and 5.8 require the Irrigation
Approval Letter and Irrigation Audit before final approval by the City. As such, if a
property owner, or their representative, requests a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
for City parcel on City Water or a Certificate of Occupancy for a County parcel on City
Water prior to the complete installation of the landscape and irrigation and/or before a
third-party audit and final City of Aspen Approval Letter can be provided, the property
owner will submit an estimate to complete the remaining irrigation and landscaping
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work and pay a deposit as set out below prior to issuance of the (Temporary) Certificate
of Occupancy.
For project cost estimates, applicant is required to submit remaining project cost details
including: plant costs, labor costs, and irrigation system costs.
Deposit Schedule for Landscaping and Irrigation
Project cost estimate Deposit
$0—50,000 50% --Minimum $5,000.00
$50,000—100,000 25%
Over $100,000 15%
Once compliance with all the requirements of the Water Efficient Landscaping
Standards have been confirmed by the City, the deposit will be returned in full.
SECTION 6: INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS
The City of Aspen reserves the rightto conduct inspections as deemed necessary, separate from the
third- party irrigation audit that is described in Section 0 above. All projects must meet the requirements
and criteria explained in this document and as approved for building permit, regardless of whether the
City conducts an inspection. The following information (6.1 & 6.2) is required to be provided in packet
form to the City of Aspen Landscape Plan Reviewer to the City prior to requesting a final inspection. by
the City of Aspen Parks Department.
6.1: Landscape Inspection
6.1.1 Professionally prepared plant list and drawings reflecting the landscape design and
installed landscaping.
6.2: Irrigation Inspection
6.2.1 Professionally prepared drawings reflecting the as-built irrigation system.
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EXHIBIT B – WELS OVERVIEW GRAPHS
GRAPH #1 – PROJECTS REQUIRING WELS COMPLIANCE BY ZONE DISTRICT
GRAPH #2 – WATER REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING RIGHT-OF-WAY IRRIGATION
-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R-30 R-MF A H PUB MU R-6 R-15, R-15A
& R-15B
County CC
Average Irrigation Water Needs By Zone District
2017-Present
(Gallons/Square Foot/Irrigation Season)
Projected Irrigation Water Needs Water Needs W/out ROW
R-30, 6
R-MF, 7
A H, 2
PUB, 3
MU, 9
R-6, 24 R-15, R-15A & R-15B, 32
County, 21
CC, 2
TOTAL NUMBER OF WELS PROJECTS BY ZONE DISTRICT
2017-PRESENT (N = 106)
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GRAPH #3 – TYPICAL PARCEL MAKEUP
Irrigated Area
within Property
34%
Protected Native
Area
14%
Hardscape Area
23%
Structure Area
(Footprint)
29%
AVERAGE LANDSCAPE DISTRIBUTION -ALL ZONE DISTRICTS
2017-PRESENT
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MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION
TO:Sara Ott, City Manager
FROM:Nancy Lesley,Director of Special Events
Tyler Christoff,Director of Utilities
Steve Barr,Parks,Operations Manager
THROUGH:Austin Weiss, Director of Parks and Recreation
RE:2021 World Snow Polo Championships Snowmaking
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:Staff is notifying the City Manager regarding the possibility
of making snow this December if all conditions allow, for the Snow Polo special event
on Rio Grande Park December 18 & 19, 2021.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:City staff ispresently reviewing the permit
application for Snow Polo to be heldonSaturday and Sunday, December 18th and
19th in Rio Grande Park. The Aspen Valley Polo Club signs a Park Lease with the
Parks Department that requires a certain amount of snow must cover the parkto
protect the grass during the event. In order to meet the terms of the lease, the Club
has requested the option to make snow,if necessary, for the event.
Forthe past eight years, Mother Nature hasn't provided sufficient natural snow to
meet the Parks Department’s lease requirements. Inthose cases, the Club
contracted with the Aspen Skiing Company and made snow specifically for the
event.
In 2018 when the City was under Stage II water restrictions, Council at that time
voted to move forward and approve the snowmaking if all conditions (same as
outlined below) were met.
DISCUSSION: On July 14, 2020, a Stage I Water Shortage was declared by City
Council. As water conditions worsened during the summer, Council enacted a Stage
II Water Shortage on August 25, 2020. The focus of the adopted water reduction
measures is on outdoor irrigation which isthe primary water use inthe summer and
early fall. The specifics of the Stage IIrestrictions as described in Ordinance 10 series of
2020, are attached as Exhibit A.
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Since City water customers are under Stage IIwater restrictions, staff has been
discussing the implications of the restrictions as it may pertain to making snow for this
event. If the following conditions are met,then staff believes that snowmaking can
comply with the current water restrictions.
Conditions for use of Aspen's water supply for snowmaking at this event
include:
•Sufficient water must be available in the system at the time of snowmaking.
Water Department staff will evaluate the following criteria to
make this determination immediately prior to the event:
o Ability to meet Aspen's existing domestic use
o Ability to meet existing in-stream flow requirements for Maroon
Creek and Castle Creek.
o Ability to meet all existing water contracts.
•Cost of the water and associated staff labor will be covered by the event.
•Water Department staff will manage the water system connection and
work with the Parks Department and Aspen Skiing Company to ensure
safe and effective operations.
•Snowmaking operations will use water efficiently and not allow water to
puddle or runoff the Rio Grande Park into the streets
•Water use will have a backflow prevention device and be metered to
allow an accurate accounting of water used.
·
This year the ideal time to make snow has been determined as December 3 – 11. The
snowmaking team will make snow as often and for as long as the terms of the agreement
will allow 7pm to 8am daily. Due to the location of the water source, during the
snowmaking operations, Rio Grande Street will be closed (again, during snowmaking,
which occurs overnight, only) from Mill Street to the Parking Garage entrance. The
parking garage will be open and accessible from Spring Street.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS: The cost of the Water Department staff time and metered
water will be billed to the event.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: The process of snowmaking involves electricity and
treated water.Snowmaking can also create noise issues when done in close
proximity to residential or commercial operations. The use of the quieter types of
snowmaking equipment for this event in recent years has been successful in
mitigating this impact.
ATTACHMENTS:Exhibit A-August 25,2020,Ordinance 10,series 2020 Stage
Two Water Shortage
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13
14
15
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INFORMATION ONLY
MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor Torre and City Council
FROM:Jen Phelan, Development Manageri
THROUGH:Scott Miller, Public Works Director
MEMO DATE:November 5,2021
PUBLISH DATE:November 9,2021
RE:Status update of Lift One Corridor project (6)
This memo is providing City Council with a current progress update of the Lift 1 Corridor project. As
mentioned in the initial memo in 2020, voter approval of the multi-stakeholder project1 was granted in
March 2019. The project stretches from Dean Street to the southerly termination of S. Aspen Street.
Five stakeholders are involved in the project: Lift One Lodge (LOL), Gorsuch Haus (GH), the Aspen
Historical Society (AHS), Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), and the City of Aspen. Besides a land interest in the
corridor project, the city also has a financial interest.2
All stakeholders are continuing to work towards perfecting their land use entitlements. Both of the final
land use applications for Gorsuch Haus and Lift One Lodge were conditionally approved by the Historic
Preservation Commission and/or the Planning Commission in December, with reviews that primarily
focused on building materials and landscaping.
With final land use approvals granted,Development Orders have been issued which create a vested
property right and starts the vesting period for the project. The Development Orders were published in
the local newspaper on December 24, 2020 and a five year vesting period, granted in the ordinances that
were referred to the electorate,has begun. To perfect their entitlements, both applicants are required to
1 The project includes two hotels (Lift One Lodge and Gorsuch Haus), installation of a new telemix lift that loads
closer to Dean Street and skier return, relocation of the historically designated Lift 1 bullwheel and associated
towers, development of a ski museum and ticketing/skier services, as well as the redevelopment of city parks,
Dean Street, and the termination (a new cul-de-sac) of S. Aspen Street.
2 The city has allocated $4.36 million dollars within an escrow account to help fund certain “public facing” elements
of the project such as improvements to Dean Street and relocation of the Skiers Chalet Lodge (home of a future ski
museum and ASC services) that will benefit the public. These funds are to be released to Lift One Lodge when overall
improvements are constructed and “once the new ski lift is in a working condition.”
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submit final plats, development agreements, easement agreements, maintenance agreements, etc. for
recordation.
Gorsuch Haus submitted these draft plats and agreements at the end of February for administrative
review and approval. The documents were recorded in July 2021. Lift One Lodge has also submitted their
draft documents to the Community Development Department within the required submission timeline
and the application was deemed complete on July 14th.
As the LOL approvals include development by other parties on city land as well as development on the
LOL owned lots, the city and other stakeholders are involved in the review of draft plats and agreements.
As a multistakeholder development in this part of the corridor, additional agreements and easement are
necessary compared to the Gorsuch Haus lots.
Review between the stakeholders is ongoing. Due to the complexity of the documents, the stakeholders
are targeting a first quarterrecordation date. In the meantime, representatives of the stakeholder group
continue to meet as a whole and individually to discuss issues associated with the Corridor Project.
On the development front, the Parks department anticipates removal of structures on the Dolinsek
property by the end of the year and park improvements to begin in 2022 on areas outside of the skiway.
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i As the owner representative for the project, the Development Manager position is expected to oversee successful
execution of all phases in the development project: from initial concepts through final construction. This entails both
leading and supporting the stakeholder group (both externally and internally) as well as monitoring coordination of
the group to ensure that all technical studies, design, and entitlement requirements are met in a timely fashion to
successfully move the project to completion. I’m happy to answer any additional questions Council may have with
regard to this project. Feel free to contact me at jennifer.phelan@cityofaspen.com or 319-9949.
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INFORMATIONAL ONLY MEMORANDUM
TO: Aspen City Council
FROM: Linda Consuegra – Assistant Chief of Police,
Tessa Schreiner – Climate and Sustainability ProgramsAdministrator
Willy McFarlin – Assistant Streets Superintendent
THROUGH: Richard Pryor – Chief of Police
Sara Ott – City Manager
MEMO DATE: November 1st, 2021
RE: Electric Vehicles for the Police Department
____________________________________________________________________
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:
This memo is informational only. No Council action requested.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
History of Aspen Police Cars
Back in the 1970s, the Aspen Police Department ditched its rear-wheel-drive American sedan
police cars in favor of a quirky, virtually unknown little Swedish brand and began to drive Saab
vehicles. The automaker provided a steep discount to increase awareness of the fledgling
brand in the US. The Saabs were a hit, and the Aspen Police Department eventually worked
out a lease program that saw new Saabs shipped to Colorado every three years. Saabs were
driven by the Police Department for decades, until the vehicles were discontinued. In those
three decades where Aspen Police drove Saabs, it made Aspen stand out having the Police
Department drive unconventional police vehicles, just like staff still wear jeans as uniforms
today. As a Police Department, staff takes pride in being different, prog ressive and being a
nontraditional Police Department.
In 2004, when it became apparent that Saab would not continue its relationship with the City of
Aspen, the Police Department had been investigating the possibility of hybrid vehicles. At that
time, staff could not determine that any police agency in the U.S., was using a fully equipped
hybrid SUV for police patrol. The idea of introducing hybrid vehicles to the Police Department
fleet was presented to council, but ultimately the bidding process was deemed unsuitable by
council and staff was directed to look at other options, which spawned the department to
contract with Volvo vehicles. The Volvo contract called for Volvo to buy back the fleet of police
vehicles at the end of 2008.
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In 2007, with the knowledge of the Volvo contract coming to an end, the Police Department
began moving to align its vehicle choices with Council and community goals of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. The Police Department switched to hybrid vehicles in 2008, which
were used for marked and unmarked patrol vehicles. Unfortunately, the hybrid vehicles were
not able to sustain the needs to run the marked vehicle police package, which caused a
connector to continually burnout from the high electrical demands to run all the police
equipment. In 2015 Aspen Police moved to purchase the Ford Interceptors, to replace the
hybrid marked patrol vehicles, which are the vehicles that are still in our fleet at this time.
The Police Department kept five of the hybrid vehicles, which are still used by administration
and are not equipped with the same heavy electrical demand as the patrol vehicles. This also
meant they did not experience the same problems as our marked cars. The Police Department
is currently in the process of replacing these five unmarked admin vehicles. These were
originally scheduled for replacement seven years ago, but this was deferred in an effort to help
the city budget. Those hybrid admin vehicles are still in active service today and are nearing 12
years old. By pushing the replacement as far as possible, the department now has the
opportunity to incorporate plug-in electric vehicles into our police fleet. For the last five years,
the Climate and Sustainability Office has approached the Police Department to consider
incorporating electric vehicles into the Police fleet.
The Police Department and the Climate Office see this current recommendation as an
opportunity to partner and run a pilot program. Other city departments could use this model as
an example on how to transition their fleet vehicles to electric vehicles and/or more fuel-
efficient vehicles in the future. The procurement of electric vehicles for the City of Aspen fleet
is an important action item in various planning documents such as the Aspen Area Community
Plan, the Climate Action Plan, the Aspen Community Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan, and the
Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure Masterplan. Furthermore, the electrification of
the City’s fleet helps support City Council’s Climate and Waste goal adopted in August 2021.
For police purposes, it is critical that any technological advancements be appropriately and
fully vetted, so the emergency response vehicles of the police department are proven to be up
to the 24-7 mission of the police officers, as well as meeting the environmental goals of the
city.
DISCUSSION:
In the past, the Police Department has hesitated in purchasing electric vehicles due to
challenges in the following areas:
• Reliability
• Range in milage
• Cost
• Support for police equipment (lights, radar, computers, sirens, etc.)
However, in the past few years, electric vehicles have made significant advancements and
have improved in each of the areas above. EVs are more reliable, their mileage rate has
increased, their cost has decreased, and more government organizations are inco rporating
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them into their fleet. Three basics of electric vehicles are undisputed: they save money and
time in maintenance as well as reduce exhaust, air pollution and GHG emissions.
Staff is proposing a pilot program to purchase new electric vehicles for the police fleet. This
pilot program will allow staff to conduct appropriate research and vet the electric vehicles to
make sure the vehicles can sustain the demands of the police package/equipment for the best
possible fleet performance. The Department’s goal is to follow a detailed acquisition plan,
which will yield a long-term value for the fleet, as well as to create and adopt an environmental
sustainability plan with the fleet program.
The Climate Office provided the Police Department with a se ries of electric vehicle options,
and the following criteria were used in determining the best vehicle to meet the Department's
needs:
• Reliability
• Range milage
• Already being used in their fleets in other police departments and can
sustain the needs of a police package/equipment.
• Available upfitters that can set up a center console for equipment (i.e.
radio, light switches, mikes, etc.)
• Cost (upfront and lifetime maintenance)
• Performance and safety
• Equipped with built-in camera technology
• Vehicle warranty
• Substantial reduction to our GHG emissions
With these criteria in mind, staff is recommending the purchase of five Tesla Model Y vehicles
for the replacement of the current police administration vehicles. Purchasing and using all five
electric vehicles would determine if switching to electric vehicles is the best options for ongoing
fleet replacements that strive to meet the goals stated above.
With regard to meeting the electric vehicle criteria above, Teslas meet or exceed the Police
Department’s needs. Teslas are reliable, have sufficient range, are able to be outfitted for
Police equipment, have a lower cost per mile compared to a gas-powered vehicle, and have
been leading the market for the last 10 years. Teslas have zero tailpipe emissions and will help
significantly reduce the Police Fleet’s GHG emissions. For each of the five vehicles being
replaced with Teslas, the City will reduce tailpipe emissions by an estimated 3,000 lbs., which
is the equivalent of what 60 mature trees could absorb in CO2 in a year. Lastly and
importantly, multiple other local governments are procuring Teslas for their law enforcement
fleets and have demonstrated success with these vehicles.
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Several examples of police departments who have incorporated Tesla vehicles into their police
fleet to lower their overall vehicle costs and reduce the carbon footprint of their vehicle fleet
include:
• Westport, CT
• Los Angeles (currently testing a fully outfitted Tesla patrol car with potential to
transition all police fleet to EVs)
• Bargersville, IN
• Freemont, CA (Pilot Program)
• Broken Arrow, OK
• Seaside, CA
• Beverly Hills, CA
• Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
• Denver (Community Outreach vehicle), CO
• Nitro, WV
• Boulder County, CO
The following table provides more detail on a relevant local example. The Boulder County
Sheriff’s Office is currently testing and conducting a case study for their 2021 Tesla Model Y
Long Range AWD that they purchased this year. In an initial comparison of operating costs
between the Tesla and the Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid (SUV), they have determined that
the operating costs for the Tesla Model Y are lower than the Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid.
Table 1, sourced from the Boulder County website, breaks down the compared operating costs
of both vehicles.
Table 1: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office – Vehicle Operating Cost Comparison
Operating Costs
Tesla Model Y Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid
• Efficiency
• 350 Wh/mi (worst case)
• Electricity cost at HQ: $0.45/kWh
• "Fuel" cost of 21,000 miles driven
annually (2017 OPS average): $330
• (0.350kWh/mi x 21,000mi x $0.045)
• Maintenance
• $500 multi-point 2yr service
• Cost per mile driven: $0.029
• Fuel economy
• 20mpg (does not account for idle
time)
• Gasoline cost: $2.33/gal (10yr avg.)
• Fuel cost of 21,000 miles driven
annually (2017 OPS avg.): $2,447
• Maintenance
• Brakes: $160 once per year
• Oil changes/PM (5/yr @ $75/ea): $375
• Cost per mile driven: $0.146
Source: https://www.bouldercounty.org/safety/sheriff/tesla/
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Overall, Boulder County estimates that the Ford Police Interceptor costs them approximately
$2,652 more per year to operate than the Tesla, and they expect the initial cost difference
between the Tesla and the Interceptor to be made up within 6 -18 months due to the
significantly lower operating and ownership costs of the Tesla.
One aspect about the Tesla that Boulder County specifically addresses in their
communications is the perception that Tesla vehicles are “luxury vehicles” and that the public
may believe the purchase is not the best financial choice for a local government. Upfront and
transparent communication with the public about the actual costs of the
purchased Teslas and environmental benefits can help demonstrate the fiscal and
environmental responsibility of the purchases, and staff will work with the communications
team on this messaging.
For the City of Aspen’s Police fleet, staff estimates that the cost per mile driven of the Tesla
Model Y would be half of the current administrative vehicles (Toyota Highlanders). Similar to
the test case that Boulder County is conducting, the Police Department and t he Climate Office
will track various metrics on the new Teslas to verify actual cost per mile and performance.
The transition of the Police Department’s fleet to electric also provides community benefits.
First, electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions and therefore help improve air quality.
Second, this pilot program of fleet electrification for an emergency services department can
help inform and provide helpful information to other local and regional agencies that are also
looking to transition their fleets to electric. Finally, fleet electrification can help the City of
Aspen do its part in reducing organizational greenhouse gas emissions, thereby also helping
the community reduce its emissions.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Funding exists in the Asset Management Plan Fund for the purchase of the five Teslas. The
total amount to replace the five vehicles is $262,200 and the total cost to equip the vehicles is
$48,870, bringing the total cost of procurement to $311,070. The allocated budget to replace
and equip fleet replacement for these five vehicles is $294,250, which brings the department
over budget by $16,820. However, costs can be covered by existing funds from the Police
Fleet and Police General Administrative Operation Supplies line. See table 2.
Table 2: Budget Summary of Electric Vehicle Procurement for the Police Fleet
Vehicle / Equipment Budget
Fund
Existing
Funds or
New
Request
Cost per
Unit Total
Tesla Model Y (5) Police Fleet Existing $52,440 $262,200
Tesla Equipment and
Installation Police Fleet Existing $9,774 $48,870
Total:
$311,070
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Tesla vehicles are equipped with camera systems, which would provide a cost savings by not
installing body worn cameras in cars, currently the annual cost to have body worn cameras in
patrol cars is $10,836.
The Police Department was able to extend the replacement period with the current
administration vehicles from 5 to 12 years, when the replacement vehicle was
every 5 years or up to 60,000 miles. The current replacement schedule is 7 years and
80,000 miles. The Department will recommend that surface life for the Tesla vehicles be
extended from 7 years to, at a minimum, every 8 years, but more than likely this could
be extended to 10 years. Tesla provides government entities a vehicle warranty of 8 years or
up to 120,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Currently, the Police Department has four Level 2 chargers in the fleet parking garage. The
chargers are located where the patrol vehicles park, so would need to either be relocated to
where the administrative vehicles park, or new chargers would need to be procured and
installed. Funding exists in the APD budget to install new chargers if needed, and staff will
work with the Climate team and Asset to determine the best option for installation.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:
Choosing electric vehicles represents numerous environmental benefits. Most notably, these
benefits occur while the vehicles are operating in the community. During this time, they
produce zero tailpipe emissions. By contrast fossil fuel powered vehicles emit many types of
pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon
monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulates, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and lead. Since
EV’s have zero emissions, their use in our community will:
• Improve air quality, which in turn improves quality of life and health outcomes for
our residents, workforce, and visitors.
• Reduce our organization and community’s emissions of climate-warming GHGs,
which is critical to protecting all aspects of our environment.
EV’s also provide environmental benefits in terms of the energy that is being used to power
them. Because of Aspen’s 100% renewable electricity supply, using this electricity instead of
imported fossil fuels represents a substantial environmental benefit. Not only does this change
in fuel source dramatically reduce GHG emissions, it also contributes to taking fuel trucks off
local roads, which further reduces GHG emissions and tailpipe pollution.
Additionally, EVs require much less maintenance than conventional vehicles. The fact that EVs
do not require oil changes creates significant environmental benefits because oil does no t
need to be extracted, transported, refined, transported again, and then disposed of regularly,
to maintain smooth vehicle operations.
Finally, it is important to note that EVs are environmentally beneficial even when considering
the full ‘life cycle’ of vehicle manufacturing and usage. The US Department of
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Energy confirms that as the electricity supply powering EV’s is relatively clean, the life cycle
environmental impacts of EV’s is significantly lower than that of fossil fuel vehicles.
NEXT STEPS:
The next steps for the Police Department are to:
• Purchase agreement will be presented to City Council on December 7th, 2021.
• Sign and process a purchase order and plan for a delivery date for the purchase
of the five Tesla vehicles
• Ensure adequate charging infrastructure is in place in the Police Department fleet
parking garage
• Continue to work with the Streets Department to train staff on the maintenance
process for the new Tesla vehicles
• Continue to work with the Climate Office to assess the pilot program
and ensure the electric vehicles can sustain the demands of the police
package/equipment for the best possible fleet performance
• Create and follow a detailed acquisition plan which will yield a long-term value for
the fleet, and create and adopt an environmental sustainability plan within the fleet
program to be used for all city departments
The Police Department has always embraced its uniqueness and through efforts such as
electric vehicle procurement will continue to pursue being innovative and environmentally
responsible.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
The Council can anticipate larger strategy discussions about electrifying the city’s vehicle fleet
as part of the Council’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. The first work session is on Nov 15
and the work will continue through 2022. - SGO
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INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
TO: City of Aspen Mayor and Council
FROM: PJ Murray, EIT – Project Manager
Pete Rice, PE – Division Manager
Trish Aragon, PE – City Engineer
Lynn Rumbaugh – Transportation Manager
John Krueger – Director of Transportation
MEMO DATE: November 8, 2021
RE: Information Only: Safety and Mobility in the Downtown Core
Background: The “Safety and Mobility in the Core” project is a vision for a safe, connected, and
vibrant downtown core. The project is in a conceptual phase and is based largely in the
understanding that the City of Aspen right-of-way, which contains streets, sidewalks, utility
corridors, and more, is a public space with potential to serve the work force, tourists, and the
community more fully.
During the February 1, 2021 work session, Council directed staff to prepare concepts for the
Hopkins, Galena and Hyman/Mill corridors that would holistically increase safety and improve
mobility for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. To achieve the goal of safe corridors, the space
in the right-of-way (ROW) cross section would need to be reallocated from vehicular areas
(currently 70% of the existing ROW), dedicated to the movement and parking of vehicles, to
pedestrian and bicycle areas (currently 30%), increased walkway width, dedicated bike lanes,
activation areas, etc. Staff utilized the Pedestrian and Bicycle Masterplan and the Downtown
Enhancement Pedestrian Project (DEPP) to develop the concepts presented to Council in the
June 21, 2021 work session. The Safety and Mobility in the Core project is an opportunity to
implement many projects identified by both the Pedestrian and Bicycle Masterplan and the DEPP.
The high-level concepts that staff presented on June 21, 2021, showed what Aspen’s downtown
core could look like. Each concept showcased a variety of safety improvement strategies which
can be treated like a menu and were shown in three downtown corridors (Hopkins Ave, Galena
Ave, and Hyman/Mill Ave corridors). These strategies are listed below:
Conversion of parking from head-in to parallel to reallocate space for other uses
o Counter-flow protected bikeways on one-way streets
o Activation areas
o Increased pedestrian corridors
Curb extensions to improve sightlines for all users and decrease the width of the crosswalk
Transitioning to vehicle-free corridors for 100% priority on pedestrians and bicycles.
Council requested staff to develop a safety pilot program or living lab that would incrementally
implement improvements listed above in a holistic manner. This living lab was presented during
the August 23rd Council Work Session.
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Summary: The first incremental step included review of areas best situated for corridor
modifications in safety. Staff recommended introducing the incremental safety improvement
strategies to the Galena corridor first, which includes Galena St from Hopkins to Cooper as well
as Cooper Ave from Galena to Hunter. The living lab within this corridor will allow the community,
staff, and Council the opportunity to observe the modifications prior to implementing permanent
features. The approach will focus on measures that can be implemented in 2022 that minimize
permanent infrastructure modifications needed within the initial steps.
Figure 1. City of Aspen Downtown Core
The staff recommended plan for Spring 2022 implementation was presented to Council on August
23rd and included the following improvements to the Galena Corridor (shown below as Concept
3):
Modification of the corridor cross-section to convert all head-in parking to parallel parking
on both sides of the street which improves sight lines and reduces conflicts between users.
Widened pedestrian areas.
A shared bike lane with vehicle traffic and/or a dedicated bike lane traveling the direction
of vehicular flow in a similar fashion to the bikeways outside the core.
A protected counter-flow bike lane for cyclists traveling against the flow of vehicular traffic.
Turning motion modifications at the intersection of Galena and Hyman (adjacent to the Elks
Building) to eliminate the left turn from Galena to Hyman. This simplifies the intersection
and reduces the potential for conflict. Hyman would become a one-way street from Hunter
to Galena with vehicular traffic traveling from east to west.
Intersection improvements with curb extensions at the following intersections:
o Galena & Hopkins – City Hall
o Galena & Hyman – Elks Building
o Galena & Cooper – Paradise Bakery
o Cooper & Hunter – Old Boogies Space
As a conclusion to the August 23rd work session, Council requested further analysis to be provided
on staff’s recommended pilot project compared to different parking configurations that could be
utilized within the corridor.
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Staff prepared this informational memo in response to Council’s request. This informational memo
outlines the schematic designs staff explored prior to recommending the preferred plan (Concept
3) to Council during the August work session. Impacts to parking and transportation of each
schematic design are also outlined below.
Discussion: Below are the three schematic designs Staff explored as the first step to
implementing a safety pilot program in the Galena corridor. All three concepts presented in the
memo modify the parking configuration to reallocate space for safety measures for pedestrians
and cyclists which better balances the roadway space allocation and priority of each user. There
are numerous iterations of how the street cross section can be divided to balance the space
allocated to each user group however the three concepts presented below minimize impacts to
parking and existing infrastructure (curb and gutter) for a temporary pilot condition while
implementing the safety measures that offer the greatest improvement. The following paragraphs
discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each concept as well as the rational to choosing the
preferred/recommended option (Concept 3). Intersection improvements such as curb extensions
and shortened crosswalks will be installed with each of the concepts as well as relocating and
accommodating emergency vehicle parking, loading/unloading zones, and ADA parking spaces.
The turning motion modifications at Galena and Hyman can also be implemented with all three
concepts, this improvement will simplify the interactions at this intersection and improve the safety
for all users.
Implementing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists will not only improve the safety and
mobility aspects of the core for all users, but it is anticipated that a more balanced approach to
corridors will reduce the carbon footprint of the City as biking and walking within the core become
more safe, convenient, and equitable. Everyone who lives, visits, works, or enjoys Aspen is a
pedestrian at one point in their time here, not everyone is a vehicle driver or a cycler. Improving
the experience and safety of our most vulnerable user should be a top priority.
Concept 1: Dedicated bi-directional bikeway
Figure 2. Galena Corridor Concept 1
Benefits:
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Minimal impacts to parking space striping on the west (right) side of the street.
Reduces conflict interactions between angle head-in parking and cyclists while maintaining
head-in parking on the west (right) side of the street.
Drawbacks:
Does not offer safety improvements for pedestrians in the corridor – pedestrian space
allocation percent (30%) does not increase in the temporary condition or have the potential
to increase if the improvements are made permanent. Road width does not allow for
widened pedestrian areas; curb line cannot shift.
Interactions between users at the intersections become complicated to keep cyclists in the
protected bi-directional bikeway. Where the one-way ends and a two-way road begins will
require unsafe movements by cyclists. A unique solution for the intersections will need to
be developed for this concept, it will not be replicable in other corridors in town.
Adding a bike sharrow lane for bikers in this configuration does not improve the safety for
bicyclists as vehicles have limited vision towards oncoming bicyclists.
Concept 1 impacts 44 parking spaces of the 86 parking spaces in the corridor.
Concept 2:
Figure 3. Galena Corridor Concept 2
Benefits:
Maximizes space allocated to pedestrians (existing = 30%, proposed = 40%) in both the
temporary test condition and permanent condition to be used as activation area, widened
pedestrian walkways, etc.
Maximum safety for cyclists – dedicated bike lanes both directions with simplified
intersection interactions between users compared to Concept 1 and no conflict interactions
between cyclists and angle head-in vehicles parking. Parallel parked cars have improved
sight lines for parking maneuvers.
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Drawbacks:
Maximum impact to parking with parallel parking on the east (left) side of the street only.
Space allocated to vehicles decreases as a result (existing 50%, proposed 40%).
Concept 2 impacts 68 parking spaces of the 86 total spaces in the corridor.
Concept 3: Preferred Option
Figure 4. Galena Corridor Concept 3
Benefits:
Increases bicycles safety - provides dedicated bicycle infrastructure for cyclists traveling
the opposite direction of vehicular traffic. Increased dedicated space allocation for cyclists
(existing = 0%, proposed = 10%)
Visual identification between vehicles and bicyclists is improved.
Allows for increased pedestrian areas not provided in Concept 1 in the temporary test
condition or permanent installation as activation areas, widened pedestrian areas, etc.
Increases number of parking spaces in the corridor compared to Concept 2 with parallel
parking on both sides of the street. The redistributed space provides room for safety
measures for pedestrians and cyclists and balanced space allocation in the ROW.
Drawbacks:
Does not provide dedicated bike lanes for both directions of cycling travel.
Concept 3 impacts 44 parking spaces of the 86 total parking spaces in the corridor.
Preferred Option: Staff presented Concept 3 to Council during the August 2021 work session as
staff’s preferred concept to implement and test during the 2022 spring/summer season for the
following reasons:
1. Concept 3 provides safety benefits to all users whereas Concept 1 and Concept 2 slightly
prioritize bicycle safety improvements. The goal of this project is to provide safe, dedicated
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space for all users to balance the priority. Staff believes Concept 3 achieves this goal
without requiring complex intersections or slightly prioritizing bicycles over vehicles.
2. Staff met with a few ACRA members in August. During this meeting the ACRA members
provided the feedback that there is support for ROW modifications for increased safety of
the traveling public in the core. The business community feels strongly that the ROW work
should strive to also prioritize a vibrant commercial core. Staff used this feedback to rank
the concepts from the business community’s need for parking spaces in the core with each
concepts ability to improve safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. Concept 1 and
Concept 3 impact the same number of parking spaces (44 spaces) however Concept 3
offers greater improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. Concept 2 impacts more parking
spaces (68 spaces) and was considered less ideal even though the pedestrian and bicycle
safety experience is maximized, it was too impactful on vehicles for a first incremental step.
Staff recommends Council approve Concept 3 for the temporary testing condition for
Spring/Summer 2022.
Mitigation Techniques: Staff will submit an informational memo or present at a future work session
regarding the Parking Space Availability Programming Plan in partnership with the Parking
Department. This will address Council’s questions from the August 23rd work session, such as:
1. Impacts of reclassifying existing residential and carpool parking spaces as core parking
spaces.
2. Explore an equitable valet program.
3. Construction vehicle parking options.
Next Steps: Council supported staff continuing with the following components outlined as part of
the Galena corridor safety pilot program:
Education outreach for biking community.
Enhanced Downtowner and Galena St Shuttle service for Spring/Summer 2022. To secure
service for the spring/summer 2022 seasons, staff will need to proceed soon.
Conduct public outreach regarding the use of ROW space in the downtown core corridors
in partnership with the City’s Communications Department. Include targeted outreach for
downtown core business groups.
Develop final concept designs for the Galena corridor living lab using Concept 3, above.
The final temporary aesthetics will be vetted through staff, Council, and the community.
Implementation of the living lab will be installed Spring 2022 and will include the
intersection and traffic flow modifications at Galena and Hyman Ave.
Staff will prepare a parking availability program that will maintain available spaces
throughout the commercial core. This program will include things such as: target percent
of available space, construction vehicle parking limitations, variable time limitations based
on demand/location in the core, and modifications to maximum parking time.
Prepare an incremental safety program that outlines improvements in a step-by-step
manner beyond the Galena corridor to identify next steps.
Staff will continue implementing intersection improvement projects in the Core as outlined
in the Capital Improvement Plan. These improvement projects will be consistent and
replicable throughout the core.
Permanentize the improvements installed for the construction of the Crystal Palace on Mill
St and Hyman Ave adjacent to the Wheeler Opera House. This includes one-way traffic
pattern, counter flow bike lane, and parallel parking.
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