The City’s current three-year Microsoft Enterprise Agreement expires on September 30, 2023. This three-year renewal continues the City’s subscription of Office 365 (including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams), inclusive of implementation and support. Due to the COVID-19 emergency and the increase in remote workers, staff recommended migrating to Microsoft’s cloud computing solution with Office 365 and Teams with this renewal. During the cyber-incident recovery, staff completed the move from on-premises systems to the Microsoft 365 environment. Office 365 and Teams enables staff to collaborate remotely to a greater degree.

A project to replace the Recreation Center’s heat recovery units (HRUs) was included in the 2023 budget. The scope of the proposed project was developed by the Facilities staff with evaluation by an external mechanical engineer. Six heat recovery units will be replaced with new, energy efficient units through this project. Due to the long lead time to manufacture the units, installation will not occur until the spring of 2024. Staff recommends awarding a contract to Reliant Mechanical Services, LLC of Denver, Colorado in the amount of $1,250,000 plus a staff-managed contingency of $62,500 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $1,312,500.

A project to update the Courts administrative area was budgeted several years ago. The scope of the proposed project was developed by the Facilities staff in consultation with Courts staff. New flooring, painting, and lighting will be installed as well as modification to the two transaction windows where staff assists patrons to make them more functional and ADA accessible. New office furniture will be provided through a separate contract. Staff recommends awarding a contract to Seven Point Construction, Inc. of Centennial, Colorado in the amount of $121,700 plus a staff-managed contingency of $24,340 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $146,040.

A project to update the Courts administrative area was budgeted several years ago. The scope of the proposed project was developed by the Facilities staff in consultation with Courts staff. New flooring, painting, and lighting will be installed as well as modification to the two transaction windows. New office furniture will also be procured and installed for the space, through this contract. The furniture and appurtenances are being purchased through OfficeScapes, Inc. in accordance with the cooperative purchasing contract for Steelcase materials through Sourcewell. Staff recommends awarding a contract to OfficeScapes, Inc. of Denver, Colorado in the amount of $83,772.34 plus a staff-managed contingency of $4,188 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $87,960.34.

The applicant is requesting approval of a zone change from Commercial-One (C-1) to Mixed Use-Commercial Interstate (MU-C Interstate) for the property at 4735 Kipling Street. The applicant is the property owner. The purpose of the zone change is to enable reinvestment by allowing a wider range of uses, encouraging a better utilization of land, and ensuring high quality urban design. The applicant intends to repurpose the existing buildings for multi-unit apartments.

The proposed ordinance updates Chapter 2 and Chapter 26 of the Code of Laws to revise the City’s subdivision and development review requirements. The ordinance accomplishes three main goals: 1) to prioritize meaningful public engagement and education intended to inform the public of impactful subdivision applications, 2) to reduce reliance on public hearings when the proposed uses and designs are permitted by the underlying zoning, and 3) to reduce duplication and unnecessary cross-references within the Code to ensure it is easy to understand and administer.

The City’s code regarding the taxation of basic local telecommunication services requires revision. The current code is based on the false premise that Lumen (formerly US West, Qwest, and Century Link) is still the primary provider of telephone lines in the City. Based on this premise, competitors are charged a per line rate computed from Lumen’s number of lines and the flat occupation tax paid by Lumen per ordinance 1997-1072. Due to the rapid decline of land lines provided by Lumen, the per line charge to other providers has risen substantially. Furthermore, the current code is confusing as to how cellular lines are treated from a taxation perspective. The types and means of delivery of telecommunication services has evolved significantly since the City enacted its telecommunication occupation tax code in 1997. The current code does not reflect the status of the telecommunications industry nor is it consistent with Wheat Ridge’s municipal neighbors. Staff recommends an update to the tax code to ensure equity, simplicity, revenue preservation and ease of administration for both telecommunication providers and City staff.

The Parks and Recreation Department wishes to submit three applications to the Jefferson County Open Space Trails Partnership Program to request funding for three trail projects across the city. A City Council resolution of support is required for the applications.

On July 5, 2023, Kristi Davis from District II resigned from the Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority d/b/a Renewal Wheat Ridge, effective immediately. The vacancy was posted for a term of four weeks on the City of Wheat Ridge website and promoted through various channels from July 17-August 11. Appointments to the Authority are made by the Mayor, subject to approval by a majority vote of the entire City Council. There is one applicant from District II, who newly applied, and two applicants from other districts who applied in January during the regularly scheduled reappointment process. If, after reasonable advertisement, no applications are received from residents within the relevant City Council district vacancy on the Authority, any otherwise qualified resident of the City may be appointed.

The City was awarded a Revitalizing Main Streets grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in the amount of $70,000 to reconstruct the sidewalk on the south side of 38th Avenue at Reed Street and install an enhanced crosswalk across 38th Avenue on the east side of Reed Street. The full cost of the project, $85,126, exceeds the grant amount. A supplemental budget appropriation is required to accept and appropriate the grant and supplemental in the 2023 budget.

In 2022, the City was awarded federal funding through the State of Colorado Department of Early Childhood’s Child Care Stabilization and Workforce Sustainability grant program for the Sun Camp and Licensed Preschool childcare program through June 30, 2023. The Department of Early Childhood has offered additional grant funding in the amount of $37,586.79 for these programs through September 30, 2023. A resolution approving a supplemental budget appropriation is required to accept and appropriate this additional grant funding.

A contract was previously awarded to David Evans & Associates, Inc. (DEA) for the 32nd Avenue Bike Lanes project. After the contract award, the City received a transportation improvement (TIP) grant providing additional construction funding and the ability to provide better bike/ped facilities for the westbound direction. The TIP grant federalizes the process and increases the environmental clearance process. An amendment to the 32nd Avenue Bike Lanes contract with DEA, in the amount of $132,868, is being presented for consideration to includethe additional design and environmental work associated with the TIP grant.

A contract for the repair of the Recreation Center parking lot was approved by City Council in June 2023 in the amount of $485,900.72 plus a staff-managed contingency of $48,500 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $534,400.72. Staff is requesting that the contingency amount be increased by an additional $55,000 to account for additional work on the project that has been identified since contract award. Specifically, the project would install additional ADA-accessible parking stalls, enhanced striping for electrical vehicle parking, and drainage improvements along the rear access road to the facility. This would increase the total not-to-exceed amount of the contract to $589,400.72.

On October 25, 2021, City Council passed ordinance 1723, adding a new article XIV to Chapter 11 and updating use schedules in Chapter 26 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws to establish a hotel licensing program. Sec. 11-569 of the Code requires Council to review the implementation of the ordinance on or before June 30, 2023, and every 18 months thereafter. Council conducted a review of the ordinance on June 12, 2023, and provided consensus for some updates to the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws.

On July 17, 2023, City Council directed staff to move forward with a ballot question for the November 2023 election to extend the City’s one-half of one cent (0.50%) sales and use tax for 20 years and to issue debt to finance up to $75 million in public infrastructure improvements. These improvements would include sidewalk, bike lane and street improvements along primary street corridors, sidewalk gap construction and other sidewalk maintenance along major pedestrian corridors and routes to schools and drainage and floodplain infrastructure improvements at priority locations in the City. To include this question on the 2023 ballot, the City Council must set the final ballot language and submit it to the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder by September 8th. Setting the ballot language by ordinance requires a first reading on August 14th and a second reading and public hearing on August 28th to meet this deadline. The attached ordinance accomplishes this.

The City owns the former Bank of the West property at 7575 W. 44th Avenue and is proposing a zone change from Commercial-One (C-1) to Mixed Use-Commercial (MU-C). The zone change will result in a zoning that matches surrounding zoning and enables redevelopment of the site by expanding permitted uses.

The proposed ordinance updates Chapter 2 and Chapter 26 of the Code of Laws to revise the City’s subdivision and development review requirements. The ordinance accomplishes three main goals: 1) to prioritize meaningful public engagement and education intended to inform the public of impactful subdivision applications, 2) to reduce reliance on public hearings when the proposed uses and designs are permitted by the underlying zoning, and 3) to reduce duplication and unnecessary cross-references within the Code to ensure it is easy to understand and administer.

In 2022, the city worked with its respective Senators and House Representative to obtain an additional $4 million in federal funding for the Improve Wadsworth Project. This funding, approved in December 2022, is via congressionally directed spending (CDS) through the Highway Improvement Program within the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus funding bill. An amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is necessary to add these funds to the project budget.

Councilmembers Hoppe and Dozeman requested to add to a future study session a presentation from the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation. Kathie Repola, ExecutiveDirector of the Foundation, will be at the August 21 study session to provide suchpresentation.

Addressing housing affordability is one of the City’s and State’s most pressing issues. Colorado voters enacted Proposition 123 in 2022 that will make several hundred million dollars available for affordable housing statewide starting in late 2023. For a project to be eligible for these funds in Wheat Ridge, the City must file a commitment to increase its supply of affordable housing over the next three years to the State of Colorado, Division of Housing. This commitment is due by November 1, 2023.