Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for a work session Monday morning, August 1, to hear a proposal about a housing needs assessment, a review of a number of upcoming events that need alcohol permits, and an update about the Public Safety Complex.
Councilors Barbara Bynum, Dave Frank, Doug Glaspell, and Ed Ulibarri met in City Council Chambers along with city staff. Councilor David Reed joined via the Zoom platform.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here.
CITY OF MONTROSE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT CONTRACT AWARD RECOMMENDATION
City Councilors were presented with a proposed professional services agreement with Points Consulting in the amount of $48,890 for the completion of a City of Montrose Housing Needs Assessment.
Community Engagement Specialist Ross Valdez said the City of Montrose applied for the DOLA Innovative Housing Strategies Planning Grant in December 2021 after receiving authorization from City Council via approval of Resolution 2021-25. The planning grant program provides grants to local governments to help them better understand their housing needs and adopt policy and regulatory strategies in order to promote the development of affordable housing.
On January 27, the city was awarded $114,000 from DOLA’s Planning Grant Program with the understanding that the city would provide a matching contribution of up to $76,000. Through this grant, the city will conduct a housing needs assessment and will pursue the adoption and refinement of affordable housing policy and regulatory strategies supported by the city’s Envision 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Request for Proposals and Design Team Recommendation
On June 17, 2022, the city issued a request for proposal to procure a consultant to assess current housing conditions and needs, make projections/predictions of future housing conditions and needs, and provide recommendations for policies, practices, and regulatory changes that can be implemented to address gaps between housing needs and supply.
Based on the vendor evaluation criteria and ratings, city staff recommended a contract award to Points Consulting, which had the most cost-effective bid.
Project Schedule
The Housing Needs Assessment is proposed to be completed by March 2023 with work commencing as early as August 2022.
Project Financials
Through the adoption of Resolution 2021-25, the city committed to a matching contribution of up to $76,000 or 40% of the grant award. Funds spent in 2022 will be included in the same year’s supplemental budget and project costs in 2023 will be included in the Planning services budget.
SPECIAL EVENTS ALCOHOL PERMITS FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
City Councilors were presented with three applications for Special Events Permits to sell and serve alcohol in conjunction with street closures:
FUNC Fest
The annual FUNC Fest event, hosted by the City of Montrose, will be held on Saturday, August 13, at the Montrose Water Sports Park and in Riverbottom Park. As in previous years, Apollo Road will be closed during the event. Montrose Black Canyon Rotary Club is the applicant for the alcohol permit for this event.
MADA 50th Anniversary Fiesta
MADA is celebrating 50 years with a fiesta at LaRaza Park and the MADA facility on Saturday, August 20. N. Sixth Street will be closed as part of this event. MADA is the applicant for the alcohol permit.
Business After Hours – Block 93
Shelter Insurance is hosting a Business After Hours event on Thursday, August 25, on Cascade Avenue between Main Street and N. First Street. The Greater Montrose Chamber of Commerce is the applicant for the alcohol permit. The city’s Municipal Code and Regulations Manual requires City Council approval for Special Events Permits issued in conjunction with a street closure.
STAFF COMMENTS
Montrose Police Chief Blaine Hall delivered a crime and statistics report for the first half of 2022. Hall said felony and misdemeanor crimes are down this year as compared to 2021.
Chief Hall said some types of crime, including theft, are down compared to 2021 numbers. However, some stats, such as the number of calls involving disorderly conduct, have increased.
Hall said the most concerning stat to him was the number of drug arrests, which are up about 30% over 2021. These arrests are a result of fentanyl and its proliferation in the community. Hall said the local Drug Task Force has been working hard to combat this trend and has made several high-profile arrests of drug distributors in town.
Weapons crimes have substantially increased, according to Hall, however, this statistic also includes non-violent incidents such as someone lying on a background form.
Hall also reported that the grand opening ceremony for the new Public Safety Complex is set for September 27. More details will be released as they become available.
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All City Council meetings are recorded and made available online via the city’s website and cable channels 191 for Charter subscribers and 970 for Elevate subscribers. Replays of council meetings are also broadcast at 6 p.m. on the same channels on days that the council is not in session.
In addition, each regular meeting is archived on the City of Montrose’s YouTube channel.
Residents can watch all regular City Council meetings and work sessions live and on-demand through the city’s Public Meetings Portal.
For more city news visit CityOfMontrose.org.