During the March 5 Salida City Council the Community Development Director Glen Van Nimwegen introduced an annexation agreement resolution that would cover a proposed RV park known as Angler’s Ridge. “Per the title, we basically used the Sprout agreement to craft the first amended agreement for the project that you heard in a little bit more detail at your last council meeting,” said Van Nimwegen.
Van Nimwegen said the Sprout Tiny Home project, which was “very similar to this,” received zoning and annexation approval in February 2016. Approximately eight months later, “they came forward with a plan development for the details of the project. What we’ve done is provided you an amended agreement, and some of the changes are, basically, changing the reference from the tiny home project to a proposed RV park,” said Van Nimwegen.
Amendments were made to how water and sewer to the property would be served. The original agreement had plans for a forced-main from the project to the sewage treatment plant, according to Van Nimwegen.
“Public works staff has taken a closer look at that, and feel that can be served with a gravity-main,” Van Nimwegen said, adding that it would also serve “adjacent properties. We removed any reference to constructing a sewer lift station, that ultimately the city would have to maintain,” so there are savings there for Angler’s Ridge, said Van Nimwegen. He added that language was provided for “what the affordability means and how we would check on” the 12 and ½ percent RV units, he explained.
“We’re relying heavily on the county housing director to basically monitor that process, and present to council once a year … what those numbers are,” Van Nimwegen said.
The amended agreement kept a requirement to construct D&RG Drive, and open space within the development for public trails along the Arkansas River frontage, he explained.
“They have to collect any applicable city occupancy or sales taxes,” Van Nimwegen said, adding a requirement to notify renters of the sewer treatment facility.
Comments from the council on topics presented by the applicant at the last meeting had been addressed. “Those things we heard Feb. 19, we’re putting them in the agreement as well,” said Van Nimwegen.
Councilman Justin Critelli made a motion to approve the resolution for the first amended Angler’s Ridge annexation agreement with the additional changes.
Those amendments included, as read aloud by Critelli, “… the owner agrees to provide options for leases with different time periods such as three, six and 12 months. Offer for sale park model homes that are designed for all-year use with skirting, freezeproof utilities, and offer various housing options including RV trailers, mobile homes, park models and tiny homes on wheels.”
Council Member Cheryl Brown-Kovacic added that she appreciated having the amendments, adding she hoped these were satisfactory without confining. She also appreciated the owner’s willingness to “work with us.”
Council member Harald Kasper added that this gave another angle on affordable housing. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
The city council also made a motion concerning the six-month review of Salida City Administrator Drew Nelson, to hire outside human resources firm, Mountain States Employment Council (MDEC), to handle the review. The city has an existing relationship with Mountain States.
“They do that professionally for any wide-ranging number of municipalities and organizations across the state,” said Mayor P.T. Woods, adding a level of expertise would be added from the organization. “My recommendation is that we work with that and have our municipal attorneys coordinate with them to design and move that process forward.”
Brown-Kovacic commented that she was familiar with MDEC and knew that they do “a 360 independent evaluation and that they have done this at a number of private corporations as well as a number of government agencies and municipalities,” adding that she believes they had excellent procedures that have worked in the past.
“I think it’s very appropriate for us to do an independent evaluation at this point,” Brown-Kovacic said.
Council members Critelli, Kasper and Dan Shore agreed.
Brown-Kovacic made the motion to authorize their legal counsel to move forward with arrangements for employers counsel to assist us by conducting an independent employee review.
The motion was seconded and passed with a 6-0 vote.
Brown-Kovacic also asked that the criteria used for the evaluation be made publicly available.
The city council also adopted, on second reading, Ordinance 2019-05 regarding Municipal Court Code Changes.
City Attorney Nina Williams gave some background to the changes. “This is an ordinance relating to municipal court and violations carrying a possible penalty of imprisonment due to Colorado House bills 16-1309, a defendant’s right to counsel in certain cases,” said Williams. She added that in these cases the state legislature has concluded municipal courts must provide counsel and pay for indigent persons when the penalty is imprisonment.
No member of the public spoke during public comment.
Brown-Kovacic moved to adopt the ordinance, it was seconded an unanimously approved.
The council next reviewed the first reading of Ordinance 2019-06 for updating Salida Municipal Code Concerning Alcoholic Beverages.
Woods clarified that he owns a distillery in downtown Salida, however, he is subject directly to the state’s liquor code, and not the city, and therefore would not be affected on this issue.
Williams explained that this served to update the city code with recent changes to the state liquor code, “Mostly due to the changes from Title 12 to Title 44.”
Kasper made a motion to approve the ordinance first reading. It was seconded and passed by a unanimous vote.
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