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07.09.24 UHCAMC MinutesCITY OF BOULDER BOULDER, COLORADO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES Name of Board/Commission: University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission Date of Meeting: July 9, 2024 Contact Information Preparing Summary: Lauren Kennedy, 303-413-7492 Board Members Present: Tell Jones, Ted Rockwell (Chair), Andrew Shoemaker (Vice-Chair), Danica Powell, Trent Bush Board Members Absent: Staff Present: Cris Jones, Director of Community Vitality (CV) Kristine Edwards, CV Operations and Maintenance Senior Manager Elliott LaBonte, CV Senior Manager of Business Services Matt Chasansky, CV Senior Manager of Cultural Vibrancy and District Vitality Reegan Brown, CV Senior Project Manager Lane Landrith, CV District Vitality Specialist Lisa Wuycheck, CV Executive Assistant Lauren Kennedy, CV Board Specialist Christopher Scott, CV Budget Analyst Samantha Bromberg, CV Senior Project Manager Guests Present: Jake Hudson-Humphrey, The Hill Boulder Public Present: Mary Cooper Ellis University Hill Neighborhood Association Lynn Segal Type of Meeting: Hybrid The meeting was called to order at 4:03 p.m. A quorum was present for the conduct of business. Agenda Item 1: Roll Call Lauren Kennedy, CV Board Specialist took roll call; all commissioners were present. Agenda Item 2: Procedural Items A. Approval of the May 7, 2024 Meeting Minutes • Bush made a motion to approve the May meeting minutes as presented in the meeting packet. Second by Shoemaker. There was no discussion. The motion passed unanimously. Agenda Item 3: Public Participation Mary Cooper Ellis, University Hill Neighborhood Association gave an update about the Moxy Hotel, and how community members are happy with how clean the area looks. Additionally, there is concern with the reduced police presence due to shifting resources to North Boulder. There is also concern about the fireworks being set off in the neighborhoods for several days surrounding July 4th, and the apparent lack of police intervention stopping the fireworks from being set off. Ellis brought up Interim Police Chief Redfearn’s statement indicating that the police department would not be reducing police presence on the Hill, and that there were many recruits going through the police academy who will be ready for street deployment soon. Ellis gave an update on the Lime scooters, saying the program is running smoothly. Agenda Item 4: Consent Agenda Consent Agenda – Topics will not be discussed unless there are questions posed by the Commission. Please reference the consent agenda memo. • UHCAMC had no questions or comments regarding the consent agenda. Agenda Item 5: Fund Financials The fund will not be discussed unless there are questions posed by the Commission. Please reference the packet attachment. • UHCAMC had no questions or comments regarding the consent agenda. Agenda Item 6: The Hill Boulder Update Jake Hudson-Humphrey, from The Hill Boulder, updated the commission about the most recent The Hill Boulder Newsletter for Spring 2024. He discussed the successful 30% Open and 10% Click rates, and the 233 current subscribers. Hudson-Humphrey discussed the On the Rise event on June 22, and how successful that event was. He brought up that the team is aware of and addressing the power and lighting issues faced during the event before the next events in July and August occur. Hudson-Humphrey discussed the positive impact the opening of the Moxy Hotel on the Hill has had on the City’s presence in Google search results, and that the team is working on a hospitality webpage. Hudson-Humprey discussed the Hill Crosswalk Mural project at Pleasant St. & Broadway Ave. He shared the final design for the mural, and discussed the changes that were made throughout the iterations, including removing local businesses’ logos from the design. UHCAMC Responses: • Bush asked for clarification on which lights were out for the On the Rise event, and Reegan Brown, CV Senior Project Manager answered that it is the area that Bush mentioned, and they are working on fixing the issue. • Tell Jones asked if the mural is crossing Broadway, and Hudson-Humphrey clarified that it will be crossing Pleasant Street. • Rockwell asked what the proposed timeline for the mural project is, and Brown answered that the project should be finished in two to four weeks. Hudson-Humphrey confirmed this information. • Shoemaker asked why the mural included imagery from some institutions on the Hill, but not others, and Hudson-Humphrey clarified that they could not use logos with words in the design due to safety concerns and regulations from the City of Boulder’s Transportation Department disallowing text on the road. He continued that this design was the best outcome despite the limitations the team faced due to the transportation regulations. The commissioners briefly discussed the merits of the regulation and the impacts on the road and drivers. • Cris Jones clarified that the overall estimated time to completion would be closer to six to eight weeks due to the vinyl printing, but the applications will be quick once the material is produced. Agenda Item 7: Matters from Staff A. DRAFT 2025 Budget Recommendations Elliott LaBonte, CV Senior Manager of Business Services updated the commissioners about the General Improvement District and the 2024 Budget, including the process, the Capital Improvement Program, and the UHGHID revenues and expenses. LaBonte discussed the roles and responsibilities of the General Improvement District including providing a general parking program for community members and commuters through various means. He went over the accomplishments, including: • Expanding funding • An ordinance change to the land-use standards on the Hill • 100th Anniversary for The Sink • The Final ULI Tap Report • A reduction in crime of 29% He went over the work in progress, including: • The Way Finding project • 14th Street parking lot repairs • Roots Music Festival Shoemaker asked who pays for the 14th Street lot repaving, and LaBonte answered that there is a savings account that CV puts $9,200 into every year, and that account is funding the maintenance of the lot. LaBonte discussed the budget process, and that the city is currently in the Department Budget Development phase of the process. Cris Jones added that the commission will contribute to memos from the Finance Department to City Council regarding feedback from the commissions and suggested language for the budget. LaBonte presented the funds and broke them down into District, City, and Other categories. The newest Arts, Culture & Heritage fund falls under the City category. LaBonte discussed the revenue and expenses of the budget and brought up the fact that the funds are all currently debt free. He presented the proposed the Community Vitality budget and explained the increases to the budget compared to last year and clarified that the 21% increase in internal services is due to new calculations from Central Finance regarding cost allocations for attorneys, communication staff, IT, and other related groups. Powell asked for clarification on the differences in numbers in this presentation and the meeting packet, and LaBonte confirmed that the presentation has the most up-to-date numbers. LaBonte discussed the proposed UHGID budget, including the decrease in parking revenues, the increased revenue from investment earnings, and the increased expenses for internal services similar to the Community Vitality budget. Rockwell asked if the increase in UHGID internal expenses is comparable to the other funds, and LaBonte confirmed it is a lower increase than the other funds, but the increase is still significant across the board. Shoemaker asked for clarification on the numbers from the presentation and them not being the same as the numbers from the fund financials attachment, and LaBonte clarified that the fund financials are broken out by program area for reporting in the budget book, and the UHGID budget presentation is broken out by expense type category, so the considerations for each category and report are different. Shoemaker asked for clarification on the difference in numbers for capital, and LaBonte answered that the 2024 budget has many revisions due to unspent money from 2023 rolling over to 2024. LaBonte discussed the summary of the 2025 budget changes, including: • Realignments through shifting EcoPass savings to support maintenance operations and shifting credit card processing fees to the general fund. • Enhancements through the continuation of the Ambassador and Outdoor Dining Pilot Programs, EcoPass expansion to part-time employees, and the Arts + Culture gap year and program extensions. • Capital highlights of Hill focused streetscape renovations and revitalization, CMGC projects, security enhancements in garages, and 1% for public art on capital projects. LaBonte presented the 2025 budget highlights, including the focus on realigning an underutilized budget, the new sales tax for Arts, Culture & Heritage, the expansion of Capital programs, enhancements focused on supporting businesses and employees, and upcoming Ballot Initiative #50 - Voter Approval to Retain Additional Property Tax Revenue which will put a 4% cap on revenue growth. LaBonte discussed the 2025 to 2030 Capital Improvement Program, including information about the possibility of gaining more funds and using them to make improvements to the district. Shoemaker asked how the percentage of funding paid by the district is calculated, and LaBonte answered that Community Vitality considered other large capital investments when calculating the percentage. Shoemaker asked about the Street Scape renovations, and if there are going to be plans available. Cris Jones answered that part of the funding will go to conceptualizing plans for projects in the district. Powell brought up the fact that irrigation will be a high cost, and LaBonte added that the plans will include looking at flora that does not require a high amount of irrigation to lower the costs. Shoemaker asked for clarification about how much each district is contributing, and LaBonte answered that each district contributes while attempting to not overspend. Cris Jones added that there is a lot of opportunity for projects with the funding, and LaBonte added that they are looking to start planning projects now so that they can hit the ground running as soon as the budget is approved in October, while staying flexible in the planning in case the budget needs to be changed. Rockwell stated that it is a recurring theme for the commission is to look forward at the district fund and reserve and see some headwinds coming in the future. He elaborated that the commission will need to start planning on generating funding for the district in order to keep the area in good condition. He also stated that he supports the idea of making capital expenditures a priority. Powell moved to approve the 2025 proposed budget, Rockwell seconded, there was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. B. District Outlook Project Update Matt Chasansky, CV Senior Manager of Cultural Vibrancy and District Vitality updated the commission about the cross-district work and that the timeline has been changed, with a due date of the September 19 City Council meeting. Cris Jones expanded on the discussion with information about options for upcoming plans that could come up in the conversations with City Council and other stakeholders. Shoemaker asked if there is anything the commission can do to make sure the City Council understands that the situation may become dire in the coming years, and Cris Jones answered that the commission can draft recommendations and resolutions to present to City Council. C. Revenue Optimization for the 14th Street Lot Samantha Bromberg, CV Senior Project Manager and LaBonte updated the commission about the possibilities for revenue at the 14th Street Lot. They gave information about the location, current fees, lot size, and utilization rates. Bromberg discussed the changes from 2023 to 2024, and Cris Jones clarified that the low revenue in 2023 could have been due to leasing the lot to a construction company in 2023. Bromberg discussed customer feedback of businesses, employees, and residents having difficulty finding parking on the Hill and customers being unaware of the lot location. She presented the parking fees for lots in the surrounding area to give commissioners an idea of the fees that could be charged at the 14th Street lot. She gave the commissioners opportunities to explore, including: • Making monthly or quarterly permits available • Revising time limits and/or pricing • Improving wayfinding • Exploring event pricing She discussed the drawbacks to event pricing, including: • Costs that come with marketing the parking • The distance of the lot from event locations at CU • Concerns about tailgating in the lot She compared the Pleasant St. model to the 14th Street lot and discussed the options that came from that comparison. Bromberg recommended introducing a small number of long-term permits, exploring dedicating some of the spaces as permit-only parking spots, and exploring reducing the time limit for non-permit spaces of raising the pricing to $2.00 per hour to match CU’s pricing. Powell asked if selling spaces to the Moxy Hotel is an option, and Cris Jones answered that they did not respond when asked by the city. Cris Jones clarified that the City will treat the Moxy as any other business, so if they were to open up spots in the lot for sale, they would have to be open for sale to all businesses and private citizens in the district. Rockwell brought up the fact that the permits will get bought up quickly, and LaBonte discussed the market and following the trends to make sure the City doesn’t force other entities, such as CU and businesses on the Hill, to raise their parking rates in response to the City’s parking rates. Rockwell asked if Bromberg had any information about how many employees for businesses on the Hill currently use the lot, and Bromberg answered that it is likely low due to the 4-hour limit and shifts usually being longer than 4 hours. Rockwell stated that there needs to be a lot of communication with the Hill businesses about the parking program changes so that employees can utilize the parking spots. Rockwell asked what the demand for parking is going to look like once the garage for the Limelight Hotel opens, and Bromberg responded that her team will treat the lot with the same performance- based pricing process as the downtown area, and will be flexible and responsive to the parking needs in the district. Shoemaker said that he believes raising the pricing to $2.00 per hour is the best recommendation, and Powell added that people are happier to park in surface lots than garages due to perceived danger in garages. Rockwell asked for clarification on next steps, and Cris Jones added that he believes the recommendation to lift the 4-hour time limit and raise the fee to $2.00 per hour will resonate well with the community instead of trying to charge a $10 flat rate. Shoemaker said that he supports the idea and added that he believes the rate will not drive CU to raise their rates. Rockwell shared information about his employees’ struggles to buy parking permits in the area, and Bromberg added that the area is difficult to park in for many people. Cris Jones brought up the fact that the lot will be competing with free street parking in the summer, and Bromberg clarified that the lot can serve businesses and employees in the district by limiting who can buy the permits. Rockwell asked if there can be a weekday permit, and Cris Jones clarified that this is not a product that the City currently offers in any lot due to the limitations of the current parking fee processing system, and the transition to the new system. He went on to discuss the changes in the utilization since Covid, and seeing the lots being used less now during the weekdays compared to the weekends. Bush shared that he had chosen a location for his business that is outside of the Hill area due to the parking limitations. LaBonte added that this lot will help provide access to community members to visit the Hill. Powell asked if many people use the Boulderado’s valet parking, even if they aren’t staying at the hotel, and Cris Jones answered that the team does not have that data. Powell stated that valeting could be an option in the lot to keep the area staffed and utilize every space. Powell asked if City Council needs to approve any of the decisions UHCAMC makes for the lot, and Cris Jones answered that the recommendations will be included in the annual update to City Council for their review. Bromberg added that the pricing changes could start in January of 2025. Rockwell pointed out that he would like to review the effects and outcomes of the price adjustments in a year. Kristine Edwards, CV Operations and Maintenance Senior Manager reiterated that the parking demand has changed since Covid. Agenda Item 8: Matters from Commissioners A. UHCAMC Bi-Monthly Meeting Update Rockwell updated that the check in was good. The commission discussed the upcoming check-in dates. Tell Jones stated that he is grateful to the City for how quickly the work the commission is doing is coming to fruition. Agenda Item 9: Next Commission Meeting Next Commission Meeting: 4 p.m. Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The public will be remote. Next Bi-Monthly UHCAMC Check-In Meeting: 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 13, 2024. The public will be remote. Agenda Item 10: Adjourn There being no further business to come before the commission at this time, Rockwell moved to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 5:41 p.m. Approved by: _____________________ Ted Rockwell UHCAMC Chair Attested: ___________________ Lisa Wuycheck Executive Assistant Date:_____9/24/24___Date: _________________ ted rockwell (Sep 25, 2024 16:20 MDT) ted rockwell Sep 25, 2024 07.09.24 UHCAMC Meeting Minutes Approved Final Audit Report 2024-09-25 Created:2024-09-24 By:Lisa Wuycheck (wuycheckl@bouldercolorado.gov) Status:Signed Transaction ID:CBJCHBCAABAAKX9QdCOHSiBkLkXLy-jIDNQ3rbSWfB_j "07.09.24 UHCAMC Meeting Minutes Approved" History Document created by Lisa Wuycheck (wuycheckl@bouldercolorado.gov) 2024-09-24 - 5:28:39 PM GMT- IP address: 161.98.4.6 Document emailed to ted rockwell (ted.rockwell@colorado.edu) for signature 2024-09-24 - 5:29:10 PM GMT Email viewed by ted rockwell (ted.rockwell@colorado.edu) 2024-09-24 - 9:14:52 PM GMT- IP address: 104.28.48.215 Document e-signed by ted rockwell (ted.rockwell@colorado.edu) Signature Date: 2024-09-25 - 10:20:50 PM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 128.138.104.221 Agreement completed. 2024-09-25 - 10:20:50 PM GMT