City Council members may participate in this meeting via electronic means pursuant to their adopted policies and protocol:
Rules of Procedure
Full instructions for online participation are available at fortcollins.gov/Government/City-Council/Council-Meetings .
Call in number: 720 928 9299
Meeting ID: 982 4141 6497
During public participation opportunities in the meeting, press *9 to indicate a desire to speak.
PROCLAMATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
5:00 PM
REGULAR MEETING
6:00 PM
• City Manager Review of Agenda
• Consent Calendar Review, including removal of items from Consent Calendar for individual discussion.
Individuals may comment regarding any topics of concern, whether or not included on this agenda. Comments regarding land use projects for which a development application has been filed should be submitted in the development review process** and not to Council.
• Those who wish to speak are required to sign up using the online sign-up system available at:
https://www.fortcollins.gov/Government/City-Council/Council-Meetings
• Each speaker will be allowed to speak one time during public comment. If a speaker comments on a particular agenda item during general public comment, that speaker will not also be entitled to speak during discussion on the same agenda item.
• All speakers will be called to speak by the presiding officer from the list of those signed up. After everyone signed up is called on, the presiding officer may ask others wishing to speak to identify themselves by raising their hand (in person or using the Raise Hand option on Zoom), and if in person then will be asked to move to one of the two lines of speakers (or to a seat nearby, for those who are not able to stand while waiting).
• The presiding officer will determine and announce the length of time allowed for each speaker.
• Each speaker will be asked to state their name and general address for the record, and, if their comments relate to a particular agenda item, to identify the agenda item number. Any written comments or materials intended for the Council should be provided to the City Clerk.
• A timer will beep one time and turn yellow to indicate that 30 seconds of speaking time remain and will beep again and turn red when a speaker’s time has ended.
[**For questions about the development review process or the status of any particular development, consult the City's Development Review Center page at https://www.fortcollins.gov/Business/Building-and-Development/Development-Review, or contact the Development Review Center at 970.221.6760.]
CONSENT CALENDAR
The Consent Calendar is intended to allow Council to spend its time and energy on the important items on a lengthy agenda. Staff recommends approval of the Consent Calendar. Agenda items pulled from the Consent Calendar by either Council or the City Manager will be considered separately under their own Section, titled “Consideration of Items Removed from Consent Calendar for Individual Discussion.” Items remaining on the Consent Calendar will be approved by Council with one vote. The Consent Calendar consists of:
• Ordinances on First Reading that are routine;
• Ordinances on Second Reading that are routine;
• Those of no perceived controversy;
• Routine administrative actions.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, reappropriates monies in 2026 that were previously authorized by Council for expenditures in 2025 for various purposes. The authorized expenditures were not spent or could not be encumbered in 2025 because:
• There was not sufficient time to complete bidding in 2025; therefore, there was no known vendor or binding contract as required to expend or encumber the monies; or
• The project for which the dollars were originally appropriated by Council could not be completed during 2025 and reappropriation of those dollars is necessary for completion of the project in 2026.
Additionally, there may have been sufficient unspent dollars previously appropriated in 2025 to carry on programs, services, and facility improvements in 2026 for those specific purposes.
In the above circumstances, the unexpended and/or unencumbered monies lapsed into individual fund balances at the end of 2025 and reflect no change in Council policies.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, requests an appropriation of $116,399.98 in philanthropic revenue received through City Give. These miscellaneous gifts to various City departments support a variety of programs and services and are aligned with both the City’s strategic priorities and the respective donors’ designation.
In 2019, City Give, a formalized enterprise-wide initiative was launched to create a transparent, non-partisan governance structure for the acceptance and appropriations of charitable gifts.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, authorizes a supplemental budget appropriation of $1,690,867.84 to complete funding for the Runway 15-33 Widening Project at Northern Colorado Regional Airport. The Project has already been approved by both Cities, and the majority of the $19,761,259.45 total cost has been secured and appropriated. This final appropriation, supported by a recently awarded $1,678,254 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant and $12,613.84 in Airport reserve funds, will allow construction to begin in June 2026.
Widening Runway 15-33 from 100 feet to 150 feet is a critical infrastructure improvement identified in the Airport’s 2020 Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The project is necessary to improve safety and bring the runway into compliance with FAA design standards for the Airport’s current and forecasted fleet mix, including aircraft such as the Airbus A319/A320 and Boeing 737, which are commonly used in commercial airline service.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, supports Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities) in protecting the City’s Michigan Ditch – a trans-basin diversion located primarily within the Colorado State Forest State (CSFS) Park near Cameron Pass that is deemed a critical water supply infrastructure. The Michigan Ditch Forest Health and Pre-Fire Mitigation Project serves to implement identified forest fuels treatment on CSFS land to protect Michigan Ditch. Based on the large number of acres to be treated and the costly treatment measures, work is being completed in phases. Phase 1 work commenced in summer 2025, with Utilities and CSFS collectively funding Phase 1 costs. Phase 2 work is proposed to commence in late spring/early summer of 2026, with a cost estimated at $1,316,682.
Pursuant to Resolution 2025-053, the City Manager accepted $1,000,000 in grant funds through the Colorado Department of Natural Resources’ Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) for Phase 2 of the Michigan Ditch Forest Health and Pre-Fire Mitigation Project. Utilities has a $316,682 match obligation under the COSWAP grant. Based on timing of Phase 2 to commence late spring/early summer of 2026, and Utilities’ obligation to all terms and conditions of the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) among City and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources provided in the Resolution to commence when Utilities submits the first request for reimbursement, Utilities requests Council:
• Appropriate the $1,000,000 in revenue from the COSWAP grant; and
• Appropriate $116,682 from the Water Fund reserves for Phase 2 of the Michigan Ditch Forest Health and Pre-Fire Mitigation Project.
The $200,000 needed to fulfill Utilities match obligation under the COSWAP grant for Phase 2 work has already been appropriated in the Water Fund in the budget for the Michigan Ditch Forest Health and Pre-Fire Mitigation Project.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates funds received in 2025 as unanticipated revenue to non-lapsing Broadband capital projects.
In August 2025, Connexion received $2,917,016 in proceeds related to the Open International utility billing software judgment which were assigned as revenue in the Other Non-Operating account. When netted with the balance of Connexion’s revenue, Connexion revenue exceeded budgeted revenue by $2,216,181.
Therefore, this appropriation is for the total excess fund revenue budget of $2,216,181 to Broadband capital projects to support anticipated growth in 2026 and beyond.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates $125,000 of unanticipated grant revenue from the Colorado Energy Office, utilizing matching funds in the amount of $25,000 from existing 2026 appropriations into this new grant project for the Energy Code Adoption and Enforcement Grant. The cost share of $25,000 will be from the Energy Services budget in the Light and Power Fund as cash and in-kind staff time.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates $5,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, passed through the Colorado Department of Agriculture Agricultural Workforce Development Program, to the Gardens on Spring Creek to fund a 2026 Horticulture Internship; and authorizes the transfer of $4,545 in matching funds from existing appropriations.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates $22,000 from the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Highway Safety Office (HSO) for the Click It or Ticket traffic safety program for Police Services. This federal award is passed through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to CDOT.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates $6,224,294 in prior year reserves in the Natural Areas Fund. These appropriations are for land conservation, visitor amenities and restoration of wildlife habitat, as well as other Natural Areas Department stewardship activities to benefit the residents of Fort Collins.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates $28,502, of which $19,952 is proposed for Convention and Visitors Bureau, $7,125 is proposed for Cultural Development and Programming Activities (Fort Fund), and $1,425 is proposed for Tourism Programming (Fort Fund) all from unanticipated 2025 Lodging Tax revenue collections.
Lodging taxes are annually collected by the City of Fort Collins for Cultural Development and Tourism programming activities. Anticipated revenue is projected through each Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) cycle and then adjusted annually as needed based on final actual collections. For 2025, total Lodging tax revenues collected came in $28,502 above projected collections.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, appropriates funds from the General Fund and the Utilities Stormwater Fund to be used for staff time as the City’s 2026 required cost share for the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Plan and Stormwater Park Concept Plan Project (the Project). The Project is funded by the FEMA BRIC grant awarded to Fort Collins in 2024.
A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 036, 2026, Amending Chapter 2, Article V, Division 2, Section 2-493 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins to Reorganize the Administration of the Municipal Court.
B. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 037, 2026, Amending Section 1702 of the Traffic Code of the City of Fort Collins to Reorganize the Administration of the Municipal Court.
These Ordinances, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, amend sections of the Municipal City and Traffic Codes to move business operations of the Municipal Court under the City Manager’s Office while preserving the independence of the Municipal Court Judge to include exclusive authority over legal rulings, sentencing decisions, and courtroom procedures.
A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 038, 2026, Amending Section 26-94 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins Regarding Water Service Lines.
B. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 039, 2026, Amending Section 26-256 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins Regarding Wastewater Service Lines.
These Ordinances, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, update City Code to provide additional flexibility for shared water and wastewater services. These changes support development and housing affordability by reducing construction costs and aligning Utilities requirements with current Land Use Code standards, while maintaining reliable water and wastewater service and protecting existing infrastructure.
A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 040, 2026, Amending Sections 26-206, 26-260, and 26-287 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins Regarding Wastewater Lift Stations.
B. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 041, 2026, Adopting the Fort Collins Utilities Water and Wastewater Design Criteria Manual.
These Ordinances, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, adopt wastewater lift station requirements into City Code and readopt the Fort Collins Utilities Water and Wastewater Design Criteria Manual, including new wastewater lift station design criteria. The proposed updates establish design standards for developer-constructed wastewater lift stations that will be transferred to City ownership and maintenance, ensuring facilities accepted by the City are high quality, efficient, and maintainable. This will enable development in areas currently limited to septic systems and expand the number of customers served by the municipal system. The updated Design Criteria Manual also includes minor revisions and clarifications to existing standards to align with current City codes, industry terminology, and good engineering practices.
This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on April 7, 2026, seeks Council approval of proposed Land Use Code changes supporting the City’s compliance efforts with State House Bill 24-1313, Housing in Transit Oriented Communities. The proposed Code changes are intended to:
Define and designate specific geographic areas of the community as ‘Transit Centers.’ Transit Centers are principally commercial and higher density residential zone districts located along existing or planned high-frequency transit.
Change the review and appeal process for multi-unit dwelling developments five acres in size or less located in Transit Centers to basic development review (staff-level review without a public hearing) to align with State legislative requirements.
Make minor consistency edits in sections of the Land Use Code being updated as part of Transit Center designations.
Staff held a January 27, 2026, work session with Council and is implementing direction received to implement a phased approach to Transit Center designations. The proposed Code changes support the first phase of Transit Center designations within the Transit Oriented Development Overlay Zone, and staff anticipate bringing forward additional Transit Center designations in other commercial corridors later in 2026 following additional engagement.
The purpose of this item is to appropriate discretionary grant revenue that Transfort has been awarded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Transfort applied for and was awarded $4,838,610 by FTA, and $882,945 by CDOT in competitive grant funding to complete the purchase of six (6) compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to replace vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. This appropriation is contingent upon execution of the associated grant agreements and includes a sunset date of December 31, 2026, if such agreements are not finalized.
The purpose of this item is to increase septage receiving fees to fund operations and the construction of a new septage receiving station at the Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF). The existing station requires upgrades to ensure permit compliance, resolve safety challenges, and manage significantly increased usage. The increase would be a phased-in approach for fee increases to full cost recovery, beginning with an increase in July 2026, with subsequent increases January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028.
The purpose of this item is to approve FoCo Creates (previously Fort Fund) grants from the Cultural Development and Programming Account and the Tourism Programming Account for the selected community events in the Program Support Grant – March Deadline category, based upon the recommendations of the FoCo Creates Community Grant Panel and staff.
The purpose of this item is to fill existing vacancies on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The initial proposed appointment of Julie Stackhouse and Trevor Sheeley to the Planning and Zoning Commission for terms beginning on April 7, 2026, and ending on March 31, 2030 was scheduled for the April 7, 2026 Council Meeting. The resolution to make these appointments was inadvertently omitted from the published agenda. This item will ratify the appointment of the two individuals to the Commission.
Pursuant to Council policy, the recommended appointees have completed or will complete the required acknowledgement and acceptance of the Code of Conduct and the applicable laws and policies that govern service on City of Fort Collins boards and commissions.
The purpose of this item is to authorize an Option Agreement granting Housing Catalyst the right to purchase City-owned real property. On October 21, 2025, Councilmembers held an executive session to discuss City owned real estate assets. Following that discussion, staff identified a site for potential partnership with Housing Catalyst to produce a plan for redevelopment of 314 North Howes Street (the “Property’), focusing on affordable housing. The Property is currently owned by the City and supports EcoThrift, which is a private tenant, and has been evaluated for possible disposition to Housing Catalyst. The current tenant’s lease expires on September 30, 2026. City staff has negotiated an Option Agreement with the intention to convey 314 North Howes to Housing Catalyst at nominal consideration in support of affordable housing. The proposed resolution would approve an Option Agreement to allow staff to continue negotiations toward a final Purchase and Sale Agreement. The rationale for this proposal is outlined below. The original Resolution is also attached to this AIS.
The purpose of this item is to consider the appointment of Rick Berendsen and Miguel Jimenez to the Fort Collins Tourism Improvement District (District) Board of Directors. Rick Berendsen will serve a three-year term to fill a vacancy created by the expiration of another member’s term. Miguel Jimenez will serve the remainder of a three-year term ending on April 2, 2027, due to early resignation.
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR
The method of debate for discussion items is as follows:
• Mayor introduced the item number and subject; asks if formal presentation will be made by staff
• Staff presentation (optional)
• Mayor requests public comment on the item (three minute limit for each person)
• Council questions of staff on the item
• Council motion on the item
• Council discussion
• Final Council comments
• Council vote on the item
Note: Time limits for individual agenda items may be revised, at the discretion of the Mayor, to ensure all have an opportunity to speak. The timer will buzz when there are 30 seconds left and the light will turn yellow. It will buzz again at the end of the speaker’s time.
The purpose of this item is to authorize staff to submit a grant proposal for the Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant (ADUG) program offered by the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). Staff seeks grant support from DOLA to support the creation of a pre-approved ADU design program and fee waiver support to incentivize the construction of these pre-approved ADU designs.
A. First Reading of Ordinance No. 047, 2026, Approving a Lease Agreement with the Poudre River Public Library District for use of a Portion of the Southeast Community Center.
B. Resolution 2026-063 Authorizing the City Manager to Sign an Intergovernmental Agreement with Poudre River Public Library District for the Design and Construction of the Southeast Community Center.
C. Resolution 2026-064 Authorizing the City Manager to Sign a Joint Use Agreement with Poudre River Public Library District Regarding the Southeast Community Center Common Amenities.
D. Resolution 2026-065 Authorizing the City Manager to Sign a Facility Use Agreement with Poudre School District R-1 Regarding Use of City Pool Facilities.
E. Resolution 2026-066 Authorizing the City Manager to Sign an Intergovernmental Agreement with Poudre School District R-1 Regarding the Southeast Community Center and School District Property.
The purpose of this item is to obtain Council approval of multiple agreements associated with the Southeast Community Center project with both Poudre River Public Library District and Poudre School District.
(Three or more individual Councilmembers may direct the City Manager and City Attorney to initiate and move forward with development and preparation of resolutions and ordinances not originating from the Council's Policy Agenda or initiated by staff.)
"I move that City Council go into executive session to consider matters pertaining to issues of competition in providing telecommunication facilities and services including matters subject to negotiation , strategic plan, price, sales and marketing, development phasing and related matters, as permitted under Article Twelve, Section 7(d) of the City Charter and Section 2-31(a)(5) of the City Code."
Every regular Council meeting will end no later than midnight, except that: (1) any item of business commenced before midnight may be concluded before the meeting is adjourned and (2) the Council may, at any time prior to adjournment, by majority vote, extend a meeting beyond midnight for the purpose of considering additional items of business. Any matter that has been commenced and is still pending at the conclusion of the Council meeting, and all matters for consideration at the meeting that have not yet been considered by the Council, will be deemed continued to the next regular Council meeting, unless Council determines otherwise.
Upon request, the City of Fort Collins will provide language access services for individuals who have limited English proficiency, or auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities, to access City services, programs and activities. Contact 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Dial 711 for Relay Colorado) for assistance. Please provide advance notice. Requests for interpretation at a meeting should be made by noon the day before.
A solicitud, la Ciudad de Fort Collins proporcionará servicios de acceso a idiomas para personas que no dominan el idioma inglés, o ayudas y servicios auxiliares para personas con discapacidad, para que puedan acceder a los servicios, programas y actividades de la Ciudad. Para asistencia, llame al 970.221.6515 (V/TDD: Marque 711 para Relay Colorado). Por favor proporcione aviso previo cuando sea posible. Las solicitudes de interpretación en una reunión deben realizarse antes del mediodía del día anterior.