City Council Meeting Recap

November 17, 2020

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New staff introduction
Jeff Brasel: Planning and Building Director
Danielle Trujillo: Court Administrator
 
Boulder County Human and Mental Health Services Discussion
As part of an ongoing conversation based on City Council’s interest to prioritize support for human and mental health services, Boulder County representatives provided a high level presentation on the current services system in Boulder County, with specific information on emerging topics such as cultural brokers, the co-responder model, targeted prevention and intervention services, affordable housing, Head Start, and the new county service center on Public Road.  
 
COVID-19 update
Boulder County will move to "Level Red - Severe Risk" on Nov. 20. This shift will see indoor dining closed (except for outdoor and takeout), gyms at 10% capacity, and indoor events closed. Also, personal gatherings are not recommended. View the updated chart of capacities from the State. 
 
The City’s CARES Act reimbursement is currently totaling just under $1.3 million; $898,000 has been granted to Lafayette small businesses; $125,000 to non-profit support agencies, $147,000 for personal protective gear, and$123,000 for emergency response by City staff.
Concern was raised regarding complaints against restaurants not following COVID regulations. Officers will be monitoring and contacting violators in an effort to keep the community safe.
 
Ordinance approved 7-0: Amending the 2020 Budget
During a fiscal year, municipalities are often faced with challenges and/or opportunities that require an appropriation to various funds within the current year's budget. State budget law prohibits a municipality from exceeding appropriated expenditures, even if a new revenue source is identified. Thus, most municipalities amend a budget at least twice during a year: once in the beginning of the year with carryforwards from the prior year, and once towards the end of the year when most of the year's activities have materialized. The major adjustment in this ordinance is recognizing the revenues and expenditures related to the CARES Act.
 
Ordinance tabled 7-0: Second reading of the impact-resistant asphalt roof shingles building code update
Staff addressed a number of questions from Council that were raised during first reading, including the desire to exempt repairs from the 2019 hail storm and the concern for homeowners who may not be covered by their insurance for Class 4 shingles. The ordinance was tabled to Dec. 1 in order for staff to provide options for exemption language to be included in the ordinance.
 
Frequent hailstorms on the Front Range cause extensive damage to the roofs of homes and businesses. These storms result in expensive roof replacements and large amounts of waste from damaged asphalt shingles. Between 2018 and 2019 over 5,000 roofs were replaced resulting in 13,000 to 21,000 tons of waste. This ordinance requires Class 4, impact-resistant shingles, to be used on new and repaired roofs, resulting in fewer damaged shingle replacements, and subsequently reducing waste being placed in landfills. If approved, the effective date of this ordinance will be March 15.
 
Ordinance approved on consent 7-0: Second reading to extend the existing moratorium on land use applications for oil and gas operations through May 31, 2021
Lafayette’s special counsel for Oil and Gas presented an update on Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s (COGCC) rulemaking proceedings taking place in response to Senate Bill 181. The proceedings were delayed due to COVID-19 and are anticipated to wrap up in November and January. Because the City is collaborating with Boulder County to draft consistent regulations, and this work is dependent on the COGCC outcomes, it is recommended to extend Lafayette’s current moratorium by six months to May 31, 2020. This will allow continued work on the regulations and time to perform public engagement and collect input. Ten public comments were provided on this topic.
 
City Administrator’s report
City Council unanimously approved a motion to call a special meeting at 5:30pm on Dec. 1 to perform final interviews for the open municipal judge position.

Council reports
Mangat: Interested in allowing the Lafayette Youth Advisory Commission to draft a resolution stating opposition to cannibis cafes.
Briggs: Brought up a discussion to consider capping/reimbursing fees for third party restaurant delivery services (DoorDash, UberEats, etc.). Staff will perform research and provide information at a future meeting.