In 2023 the city entered into an agreement with WEX Bank to provide fuel cards for each city vehicle which can then be used at any participating gas station in their network. WEX tracks the expenses and provides one invoice to the city monthly for all fuel purchases. The program is currently being utilized by the Police Department for efficiency and as another means of having officers visible in the community. This action will encumber funds in the amount of $167,700 for all WEX purchases in 2025.

The city provides on-site fuel tanks at the Public Works Shop to allow for fueling of city vehicles. Purchase and delivery of fuel is provided on a periodic basis from Senergy Petroleum of Arvada, Colorado. Senergy was selected as the preferred vendor based on a procurement process through the Colorado Multiple Assembly of Procurement Officials (MAPO) in 2022. This action will encumber funds in the amount of $124,900 for fuel purchases, including delivery to the Shop, in 2025.

The city purchases and applies deicer materials each year as part of its snow and ice control efforts. The city has participated in a cooperative bidding process through the Colorado Multiple Assembly of Procurement Officials (MAPO) to obtain the best pricing. The city will utilize a City of Fort Collins contract with Central Salt to purchase materials for 2025 in an amount not to exceed $135,000.

The City’s various facilities require consistent custodial service. Ensuring clean and hygienic public and workspaces is fundamental to the safe operation of the city organization and community services. Staff is recommending approval of a contract to S&B Confluence d/b/a Jani-King of Colorado in the amount of $419,350 plus a contingency for unforeseen items of $12,000 for the 2025 calendar year.

The City currently contracts annually for mowing, weed prevention and mitigation, and trash pickup in various right-of-way areas. Terracare Associates, LLC was selected in 2023 through a competitive bid process. This amendment accepts a request for a 3% increase in compensation for 2025.

On May 14, 2013, an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was reached between the County of Jefferson, the City of Arvada, the City of Lakewood, and the City of Wheat Ridge establishing the Jefferson County Regional Crime Laboratory (JCRCL) in an effort to regionalize forensic crime laboratory services. A second amendment is requested to allow the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) to become a party to the IGA.

The Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CIRSA) provides property and casualty coverage for the City of Wheat Ridge. The total premium payment due for 2025 is $581,329 and is split into quarterly payments.

The City offers employees a number of benefits in order to attract and retain a high-quality workforce. In 2023, the City joined the Colorado Employer Benefit Trust (CEBT) to provide a greater choice than previously offered of medical plans along with dental, vision, employee assistance program (EAP) and life insurance coverage. January through December billing is estimated and budgeted in the amount of $2,517,979. Staff requests approval of the estimated 2025 total expenditure so that monthly payments can be made in a timely manner.

The applicant is requesting to modify the underlying zoning for certain areas of Clear Creek Crossing to refine allowed uses, setbacks, street, plaza, and multi-modal requirements. The intent of these changes is to relocate the main restaurant and entertainment district to the western edge of the site and to create a premiere pedestrian corridor to connect users from W. 40th Avenue.

In 2023, the Colorado General Assembly approved the Colorado Natural Medicine Act, creating a regulatory structure for natural medicines and the operation of licensed healing centers. Under the Act, the City may regulate the time, place and manner of healing centers licensed by the state, but the City may not prohibit the uses entirely. This ordinance allows healing centers in the City’s commercial, industrial, and mixed-use zone districts in a manner similar to medical offices. The ordinance also memorializes the state-enacted separation from schools and daycares.

Applewood RV Resort, LLC is requesting approval of an amendment to the Prospect Park Place ODP at property located at 11600 W. 44th Avenue. The purpose of the request is to amend the existing zoning to expand RV camping uses onto Lot 1, located on the northernmost portion of the site.

This ordinance creates a new Article XIV (14) in Chapter 26 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws that establishes a new zone district, the Mixed-Use Lutheran Legacy Campus (MU-LLC) zone district. The zone district regulations establish development standards for the future redevelopment of the former hospital site based on the adopted Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan and City Council consensus. Approval of this ordinance will allow for the Lutheran Legacy Campus to be rezoned to the new MU-LLC zone district in the future.

This ordinance clarifies that board and commission members who change their personal residence to another council district within the city may continue to be a member representing the district for which they were appointed until the end of the term for which they were appointed.

The City is required to periodically review the Wheat Ridge Municipal Traffic Code to ensure conformance with State of Colorado Traffic Ordinances. The newest version of the Model Traffic Code was adopted by the State of Colorado in 2024. To stay consistent and up to date with the newest Colorado Traffic Codes and to ensure the citizens of Wheat Ridge are best served by the updated Model Traffic Code, adoption of the newest code is recommended.

Per the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws, membership in the police pension plan does not currently extend to recruits entering the academy. Recruits are therefore placed in the civilian plan for approximately six months, then enrolled in the sworn plan. This is administratively burdensome for staff and challenging for recruits. This ordinance amends the code to allow recruits to enroll immediately into the police pension plan.

Each year City Council Members elect by a majority vote a Mayor Pro Tem who serves until their successor is elected. The election is conducted according to Section III (B) of the City Council Rules of Order and Procedure as follows: B. MAYOR PRO TEM 1. At the first or second Regular meeting in January of each year, the Council shall elect a Mayor Pro Tem who shall serve until their successor is elected. The procedure shall be as follows: a) The Chair will announce that the floor is open for nominations for the position of Mayor Pro Tem. b) Nominations will be taken from City Council members by voice. No second is needed. c) Each nominee will have the opportunity to address the Council. d) A motion and second is then in order to elect one of the nominees to the position of Mayor Pro Tem. If the motion is not carried, additional motions are in order until a Mayor Pro Tem is elected by a majority of Council present.

State statutes require that each municipality annually establish the location for posting public notices, as well as the newspaper in which the notices will be published. Local government entities are also allowed to publish notices on-line for public meetings. These include meetings at which the adoption of any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action occurs or at which a majority or quorum of body is in attendance.

This resolution acknowledges the climate emergency and reaffirms City Council’s commitment towards taking actions to reduce Wheat Ridge’s contribution to climate change and mitigate its impacts on the community.

Staff has developed proposed enhancements to the Community Partners Grant Program for City Council’s consideration.

In late-2023, all Capital Improvement Program (CIP) responsibilities were aligned to be delivered by the Public Works Department from the beginning of a project (planning, design, environmental) through the end (construction and close out). The city has recently hired several new staff to oversee and manage the CIP who will be introduced at the Study Session. Staff will also provide a brief overview of the planned CIP activities for the upcoming year.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 26 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS, CONCERNING REGULATION OF NATURAL MEDICINE SERVICES AND HEALING CENTERS

Request for approval of a Specific Development Plan for a Bonfire Burritos drive-thru restaurant in Planning Area 6 of the Clear Creek Crossing development.

The Economic Development Division of the City Manager’s Office and its consultant, Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA), have completed a final draft of an Economic Development Strategic Plan. This strategic plan is being branded as the Wheat Ridge Prosperity Plan (the Plan) and is being developed as a stand-alone document to be used by the City Manager’s Economic Development Division. PUMA and City Staff will provide an update primarily on the Plan’s Implementation Matrix, which can be found in Section A of the Appendix (Attachment 2). The final recommended plan will be presented to City Council at a future date for adoption.

Additional services are needed from HDR, Inc., to complete the valuation and acquisition negotiation for various land parcels needed to construct the Ward Station Multi-Modal Improvements project.

On-going design support services are needed from the design engineer, HDR, Inc., through the remainder of the construction phase for the Improve Wadsworth project.

The design plans and associated documents for the Ward Station Multi-Modal Project are approximately 90% complete. Due to on-going coordination issues with various agencies, it is necessary to approve a contract with Short-Elliot-Hendrickson, Inc. (SEH) for professional design services to complete the design of this project.

On-going construction management services are needed from AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for the 2025 construction period of the Improve Wadsworth project. A new contract has been established to specify deliverables associated with these efforts.

The calendar of the City Council meetings is adopted by a motion of the City Council annually. Adopting the meeting calendar for the year is more efficient and enables the Mayor, Council, and staff to schedule other events and travel in advance. The Council will be able to amend the calendar by motion throughout the year, if necessary. The following City Council meetings that conflict with observed City holidays or other known events during the year are recommended for cancellation. • Study Session, January 20, 2025 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day • Study Session, February 17, 2025 – President’s Day • Regular City Council Meeting, May 26, 2025 – Memorial Day • Study Session, September 1, 2025 – Labor Day Council may want to also consider the following City Council meetings that conflict with other meetings or community events: • Regular City Council Meeting, March 10, 2025 – National League of Cities Conference • Regular City Council Meeting, March 24, 2025 – Jeffco Schools spring break • Regular City Council Meeting, December 22, 2025 – Christmas holiday

Over the course of the last three years, the City has evaluated its systems and business processes in order to streamline and modernize essential organizational functions. The City has selected five systems to drive efficiency and modernize business practices across the enterprise. The fourth system to be purchased and implemented is Paycom which will modernize employee operations and practices including personnel, payroll, recruiting, onboarding, performance management and training.

Chapter 21 of the city’s municipal code provides for construction and other work activities within or upon the public right-of-way while protecting the integrity of the roadway network and city-owned infrastructure. This ordinance adds or modifies language to the municipal code to address various construction-related provisions and streamlines the licensing provisions.

The City’s Community Development Department manages the licensing of building contractors. Currently there are 14 license categories and over 3400 active licenses. This ordinance simplifies the licensing framework.

The City was approached by Kyle and Erin Ballew for a proposed retail development, DOP’s Sweet Spot, at the southwest corner of 38th Avenue and Johnson Street. The 29,810 square foot parcel is owned by the City of Wheat Ridge and was rezoned to Planned Commercial Development in 2008. Permitted uses on the subject property include any land use allowed in the City’s Restricted Commercial zone district. This proposed retail use would be a permitted use. Only 25,378 square feet of the parcel would be sold and the remaining 4,432 would be retained by the City for regional drainage. Section 16.5 of the City Charter states that “The City shall not sell or dispose of municipally owned buildings or real property for a public purpose, without first obtaining the approval, by ordinance, of three-fourths of the entire council.”

The applicant is requesting to modify the underlying zoning for certain areas of Clear Creek Crossing to refine allowed uses, setbacks, street, plaza, and multi-modal requirements. The intent of these changes is to relocate the main restaurant and entertainment district to the western edge of the site and to create a premiere pedestrian corridor to connect users from W. 40th Avenue.

In 2023, the Colorado General Assembly approved the Colorado Natural Medicine Act, creating a regulatory structure for natural medicines and the operation of licensed healing centers. Under the Act, the city may regulate the time, place and manner of healing centers licensed by the state, but the City may not prohibit the uses entirely. This ordinance allows healing centers in the City’s commercial, industrial, and mixed-use zone districts in a manner similar to medical offices. The ordinance also memorializes the state-enacted separation from schools and daycares.

Applewood RV Resort, LLC is requesting approval of an amendment to the Prospect Park Place ODP at property located at 11600 W. 44th Avenue. The purpose of the request is to amend the existing zoning to expand RV camping uses onto Lot 1, located on the northernmost portion of the site.

During the 2024 Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP), four roadway segments met the criteria to receive traffic calming based on the program’s eligibility requirements. These four projects will be constructed in 2025.

The 2E fund, established to separate and track revenues and expenditures commensurate with the 2017 sales tax bond issuance, has a remaining balance of approximately $12.6 million. In discussions with Council prior to the 2J bond issuance, it was agreed that $7.4 million would be used to pay down the 2017 bonds and approximately $5.2 million would be transferred to the CIP Fund to defray remaining costs of the Improve Wadsworth project. This resolution authorizes the necessary supplemental appropriations to defease the remaining debt service on the 2017 bonds, complete the transfer to the CIP Fund and close the 2E Fund.