City Council Meeting Recap

July 6, 2021

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City Council has resumed in-person meetings. View ways to participate remotely and in person at lafayetteco.gov/CityCouncil  

PRESENTATIONS
Discussion of 2021 Ballot Polling Results
In February, City Council indicated interest to potentially place two ballot measures on the November ballot; one for public safety and one for mental health and human services. Magellan Strategies, a public opinion research firm specializing in quantifying, measuring, and understanding resident and voter opinion for governments, special districts, and public policy organizations, was contracted by staff to conduct a voter poll June 22-29 on the support level of these two potential measures and provide analysis. 
 
Magellan Strategies concluded that the 861 voters responding to the survey indicated support for a sales tax increase for both measures. Magellan's analysis indicated that property tax increases would have a lower, riskier level of support from voters. 
 
The Public Safety measure expenditure items include: 1) hiring mental health co-responder clinicians to accompany police response teams; 2) the replacement of aging and outdated fire ladder trucks fire engines, and ambulances; 3) the hiring of three firefighter/medics to bring Fire Station #2 located by Good Samaritan Medical Center up to full staffing levels; 4) replacement of aging, critical firefighter breathing equipment; 5) the hiring of four police officers to allow a minimum of three officers on duty at all times rather than two; and 6) the maintenance of police body-worn cameras and costs associated with video maintenance and file storage.
 
The Mental Health and Human Services measure expenditure items include funding community non-profits that: 1) provide critical safety net services for Lafayette residents who are the most in need of assistance with food, rent, utilities, childcare, and medication assistance; 2) community non-profits that handle the individual needs of underserved Lafayette residents and help ensure medical care, family and legal advocacy, and personal referral assistance when necessary, and 3) community non-profits that help those Lafayette residents who need mental health services and assist and support victims of domestic violence.
 
City Council passed a motion to direct staff to bring forward language for the two ballot measures for review at the July 20 meeting.
 
COVID-19 Recovery and Sustainment Update
We are currently experiencing declining seven-day positivity rates of 2.6% in the State and 1.1% in Boulder County. A total of 224,000 Boulder County residents have received at least 1 vaccination dose which is 77% of eligible residents. Underserved populations are making gains on vaccination rates. Community clinics are being held to help address and provide easy access. Details can be found at www.bouldercounty.org/families/disease/covid-19/vaccines/
 
LIQUOR LICENSING AUTHORITY HEARING
Motion approved 5-0 Resolution No. 2021-48 / Granting a Transfer of a Retail Liquor License from LH Investment, Inc. d/b/a T3 Gas & Liquors to T3 Liquor Corp d/b/a T3 Liquors / 508 W. Baseline Rd.
 
CONSENT AGENDA
Approved the balance of the consent agenda 5-0; Item F, K pulled from the consent agenda:
 
Approved 5-0: Item K: Contract Change Order No. 6 / Sundar City Provided Public Improvements Project / Premier Earthworks & Infrastructure (PEI) Council inquired as to the nature of the overage. The developer will ultimately be responsible for all infrastructure costs including this overage.
 
Approved 5-0: Item F: Resolution No. 2021-49 / A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Lafayette, Colorado, Approving a Wireless Communications Facilities Master License Agreement Between the City of Lafayette and SQF, LLC. Clarification was provided; no specific sites are under review, only the license agreement. State law establishes that wireless providers have the legal right to locate small cell WCFs in the public rights-of-way of Colorado. Under State law, municipalities may not entirely deny or discriminate against small cell infrastructure, treating the equipment in the same way as other permitted users of the right of way.
 
CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORTS
On July 14, the So You Want to be a City Councilor Workshop will be held to help educate potential candidates on details necessary to navigate a successful run for City Council. On July 20, there will be a mid-year supplemental appropriation presented to Council. On July 26, the water cash-in-lieu discussion will be advanced to Council for direction.
 
COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

• Approved 4-1 Planning Commission Appointments of Nicole Samson and Bill Watson
• Approved 5-0 Human Rights Commission Appointments of Chelsea Jackson and Marion Husler
  
  

• Will update Council on a stimulus funding meeting she attended with County Commissioners. There is a potential for the County to create programs that we can support. 

• Shout out to Jessica Manzanares for her mural featuring Lafayette Hispanic residents and families on Public Road and Geneseo.
• Councilor Mangat will resume in-person meetings with the public on July 11 at 11:00 at Otis Coffee to talk about issues.

• Thank you to staff for making the move to the hybrid in-person meetings possible.
• Mayor Pro Tem Walton will bring additional information regarding the Thorne Nature project to the next meeting.

• Excited to be back in person. Tomorrow is a Boulder Consortium of Cities regarding SB 21-256 regulation of firearms.
• The Human Rights Commission will bring forward their naming recommendation to Council at the July 26 workshop.