10-Year Capital Improvement Program

On January 8, 2025, the Frisco Town Council gathered for a retreat where they discussed and prioritized capital projects to be completed over the next 10 years. Staff noted the following direction and feedback from Town Council:

1. Council understood and agreed that there are certain annual line items in the capital plan that they would like to budget for each year because they are annual and core priorities. Examples of recurring priorities include environmental sustainability, trail enhancements, walkability improvements, technology purchases, vehicle and equipment replacements, police vehicle upgrades, and building facility improvements.
2. Council agreed with the list of “Unfunded Projects – Critical” that staff identified as needed and critical for operational success over the next 10 years. This list is in addition to the projects already identified in the approved five-year capital plan and prioritizes maintaining Town infrastructure and avoiding deferred maintenance. This list includes:
   • Recapitalization (remodel or relocation) of Town Hall
   • Island Grill/Lund House and Marina bathroom improvements
   • Parking improvements and minimal pavement in the “Eye of the Needle” parking lot at the Adventure Park, located next to the skate park and below the bike park
   • Lighting improvements at the Adventure Park tubing area
   • Marina Park playground replacement
   • Recapitalization (remodel or reimagine) of the Community Center at 3rd and Granite
   • Frisco Backyard work- fire mitigation and trails
3. During the retreat, Council also gave direction regarding the “Unfunded Projects – Need Direction” list that included the following:
   • Support for improving the “boneyard” area at the Adventure Park, which is currently used for maintenance and snow storage needs. This area is crucial to the Town’s annual operations and not open at this time for alternative planning efforts.
   • Council gave direction to possibly use the historic structures currently in storage by disassembling the structures and using them as appropriate in new construction.
   • A total of $3,000,000 will be recommended in the Housing Fund for future potential property purchases.
   • The Town will continue to collaborate with Summit County on a countywide solution for micro-transit.
4. The Council expressed their support of using debt mechanisms to complete high priority capital projects. This information is presented in the scenario one that prioritizes the Complete Streets project on Granite Street.
5. The Council expressed their support in exploring a tax increase to support the funding of capital projects and/or ongoing operational expenses. This question is being posed to Council to address the ability to fund and accelerate future capital projects.
6. Council supported changing the threshold of a “capital expenditure” from $5,000 to $25,000. Staff will propose an amendment by resolution to the Town’s financial policies in March 2025.

Upon further review, staff also recommended the following projects to be added to the 10-year Capital Improvement Program from the list of unfunded capital projects:

• Ten Mile Drive improvements
• Burying overhead lines in partnership with Xcel
• Adventure Park maintenance shed “carport” addition and adding a fuel system
• Adventure Park additional stand-alone public restrooms and a shade structure between the bike park and skate park

As a result of the feedback gathered at the January 8 Town Council retreat, staff has compiled two scenarios that prioritize Councils feedback, the strategic plan, and vision of the Town. These scenarios include:

• Scenario 1: Utilizing Certificates of Participation (COPs) to accelerate projects. In this scenario, Granite Street Complete Streets is identified as a high priority project. By financing (borrowing) the project, it can be accelerated to be constructed in 2027 – 2028 to coincide with the Exit 203 project. This financing would also allow for a Town Hall project to be completed within the 10-year program, with construction in 2033.
• Scenario 2: This scenario would not include borrowing/financing. The Complete Streets project on Granite has been identified by Council as a high priority, but without financing this project cannot be accomplished until 2029-2030. This scenario is presented for purposes of comparison so Council can contrast timelines with or without the acceleration afforded by financing. Without financing mechanisms, the capital program is limited to approximately $5,000,000 annually.

Section 8-4 of the Town’s Home Rule Charter requires a five-year Capital Improvement Plan to be submitted to the Town Council at the same time as the submission of the proposed budget and to adopt the plan by resolution. During the October 22, 2024 Town Council meeting, the five-year Capital Improvement Plan was adopted, noting that the plan can be updated at any point in time by Town Council. To accurately plan for future projects, staff requested that Council review and prioritize capital projects for the next 10 years, rather than just the five years as required. Doing so will ensure proper financing strategies are established to account for project priorities over the next 10 years. Staff will present a resolution adopting the updated Capital Improvement Program during spring 2025. Adoption of this plan will guide future budget discussions, financing decisions, and project priorities.

Questions for Town Council

1. Are these Council’s top priority projects? If so, are they assigned to the right year?

Council discussed and gave direction that these priorities outlined above seemed appropriate and ready to be put into a 10-year plan. There was discussion about timing on the Granite Street project and whether it would work to do this in 2026 and 2027 when there is also a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) construction project at Exit 203, which is expected to span 2026, 2027, and 2028 with no closures of Exit 203 or detours to Exit 201 planned by CDOT. Public Works leadership stated that they felt it was possible with strategic planning and phasing and that they will continue to investigate completing the Complete Streets/Granite project in 2026 and 2027. Town Council would like to not string out road construction in Frisco over five years and would therefore like Exit 203 and Granite Street to be completed concurrently.

2. Which scenario(s) does Council support or does Council want to see additional scenarios explored? Town Council discussed whether to issue debt to complete capital projects, especially larger projects like Complete Streets/Granite improvements and the Backyard Plan fire mitigation and trail improvements. Town Council expressed hesitancy about going into more debt and had extensive discussion about phasing projects to “pay as you go”. Council gave staff direction to just go into debt for Complete Streets/Granite Street project only at this point.

3. Is Council supportive of exploring a tax increase to support the funding of capital projects and/or ongoing operational expenses? If so, a community survey would be prepared by a third party to gauge the community support and additional work sessions would be held with Council to discuss and review strategy.

Town Council gave staff direction to hire a third party to learn more about the community’s support for a tax increase.

Flavored Tobacco Products Ban Update

Summit County Youth & Family Services met with Town Council during the February 25 work session to provide more information on a possible flavored tobacco product ban.

Flavors mask the harshness of tobacco, making it easier to get addicted and harder to quit.

• 81% of youth who have ever used tobacco products started with a flavored product.
• 93.2% of youth (ages 12-17) who have ever used e-cigarettes reported their first product was flavored.

An ordinance around banning flavored tobacco would be intended to:

• Prevent youth from ever starting to consume tobacco by making it less attractive and harder to access and;
• Help those who want to quit using tobacco and;
• Reduce smoking related health disparities faced by communities of color, LGBTQ, and other marginalized communities.

Colorado cities have already passed comprehensive flavored tobacco ordinances, including Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Carbondale, Basalt Edgewater, Snowmass Village, Golden, Boulder and Denver.

Town Council gave direction to the Town attorney to return with amendments to the existing ordinance to include a prohibition of nicotine product discounts and ban flavored tobacco products.

602 Galena Street Agreement & Ground Lease

This was a discussion of 602 Galena, which is owned by the Town of Frisco (purchased from the State in partnership with Summit County) and is intended to be developed into workforce housing units by NHP, a national, housing non-profit, with a $1 a year lease of the land to NHP for 65 years. This discussion was based on the drafted development agreement, which reflects the changes that have needed to be made as the project has changed. Currently, as proposed, this would be a 54-unit project at 120% AMI with rents set at 100% AMI with a proposed cost of $31 million. NHP is seeking $18+ million in bond funding, in addition to the grants that the Town has secured. There is also an ongoing discussion about a $3.2 million loan from the Town to NHP for this project. NHP has said that there is still a gap of about $4.9 million in funding that NHP is still seeking. The goal is to begin building in May 2025, if funding and the development agreement can be finalized in the upcoming months.

No Council decisions were made, and the need for a future executive session for purposes of negotiation will be scheduled.  

Candidate Selection for Councilmember Lisa Holenko & Andrew Aerenson’s Vacant Seats

Councilmember Lisa Holenko resigned from Frisco Town Council on Monday, January 13 due to the needs of her family and the recent death in her family. During their January 14, 2025 meeting, Town Council decided to move forward with an appointment process and not a special election to fill Ms. Holenko’s vacancy.

On February 2, 2025, Councilmember Andrew Aerenson resigned from Frisco Town Council, as he is moving to another area of Summit County, out of the jurisdictional boundaries of the Town of Frisco. During the February 11, 2025 Town Council meeting, Council decided to make an appointment to this seat, rather than having a special election. Subsequently, Town Council decided to move forward with an appointment process to fill Councilmember Aerenson’s vacant seat and to select from the eight candidates who completed the application and interview process that was initiated to fill Ms. Holenko’s Council seat. Those eight individuals were interviewed during the February 11 Town Council work session and regular meeting.

• Alex Beach
• Durant Abernathy
• Robyn Goldstein
• Robin Capel
• Jamie Callahan
• David Arnold
• Zach Ryan
• Calle McCartney

During the February 25 meeting, Councilmembers presented their top three candidates, to fill both Councilmember Aerenson’s vacant seat, as well as Ms. Holenko’s vacant seat.

Robyn Goldstein (for 1^st seat) and Zach Ryan (for 2^nd seat) were selected to fill the two vacancies and will be sworn in during the March 11, 2025 Town Council meeting. Robyn Goldstein and Zach Ryan will serve until April 2026, with both seats up for reelection during the regular election process with a two-year term for Aerenson’s previous seat and a four-year term for Holenko’s previous seat.

Council expressed a deep appreciation for everyone who participated in the process and encouraged those who were not selected to stay involved and consider running for Town Council in 2026.

Ordinances Making Supplemental Appropriations to the 2024 & 2025 Budgets

The Town Council approves a budget each year in the fall, and from time to time, it is necessary to make changes to the budget. Per the Town’s Charter, these changes must be adopted by Council ordinance. Below is a list of those budget changes.

2024 Supplemental Appropriations

These supplemental appropriations were discussed with Council during the 2024 calendar year. Ordinance 25-03 will amend the 2024 budget by the amounts listed below.

Housing Fund Expenditures – $2,100,531

1. Purchase of 216 Galena Street cabins – $2,100,531

Nicotine Fund Expenditures – $152,322

1. Increase in ‘First Steps’ Childcare Tuition Assistance – $102,322
2. Grant to FIRC for food insecurity – $50,000

2025 Supplemental Appropriations

Rolled Over From 2024 Budget

In this instance, the supplemental appropriations listed below relate to projects budgeted in 2024 but not completed in the 2024 budget, so these funds are then proposed to roll over to the 2025 budget. Ordinance 25-04 will amend the 2025 budget by the amounts listed below.

General Fund Revenue – $40,490

1. Grant – Comprehensive Plan – $17,033
2. Grant – Climate Action Plan – $33,457
3. Bag fee reduction (Walmart discontinued providing single use bags) – ($10,000)

General Fund Expenditures – $651,161

1. Comprehensive Plan – $22,293
2. Climate Action Plan – $88,925
3. Unspent reusable bag fees (dedicated to waste reduction) – $12,628
4. Unspent Municipal Emergency Response Team (MERT) contributions – $13,799
5. Incomplete road resurfacing – $175,000
6. Street light repairs – $17,496
7. Bridge improvements – $137,100
8. Facilities repair & maintenance – $183,920

Capital Improvement Fund Expenditures – $5,816,868

1. Backyard plan – $144,229
2. Vehicles/Equipment – $1,523,837
3. Public Works wash bay – $11,491
4. Old Town Hall remodel – $955,263
5. Summit Boulevard Llghting – $62,375
6. Main Street lighting upgrades – $86,626
7. EV chargers at Public Works & on 3rd Avenue – $388,345
8. Slopeside Hall construction- $1,407,749
9. Highway 9 sidewalk improvements – $162,331
10. Park improvements – $464,968
11. Town Hall improvements – $10,000
12. Fiber infrastructure design – $66,096
13. Complete Streets design – $533,558

Water Fund Expenditures – $776,087

1. Capital improvements, including PFAS mitigation design, water tank access road, & Lagoon Drive water line replacement – $658,368
2. Water system repairs not completed in 2024 – $117,718

Housing Fund Expenditures – $2,864,646

Residences at Granite Park construction – $2,864,646

Town council approved Ordinances 25-03 and 25-04 on the first reading. The second reading is scheduled for March 11, 2025

Sale of Residences at Granite Park to Colorado Department of Transportation

In partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Town of Frisco entered into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on June 8, 2022, for the purposes of a joint workforce housing development of 22 rental units located at 619 Granite Street. Under the IGA, the project, then known as Granite Park, would split the ownership of the 22 units equally between the Town and CDOT, with each entity owning 11 units. For purposes of continuity through the design and build portion of the project, the Town maintained ownership of the project, including all 22 units, until occupancy was permitted and ownership of CDOT’s 11 units would be transferred to them.   

As the project is coming to a close, the Town must authorize through Ordinance 25-02, the sale of the 11 CDOT units, per Colorado Revised Statutes 31-15-713(b). This action is in agreement with the jointly approved IGA and gives staff authorization to move forward with the transference of deeds.

Town Council approved Ordinance 25-02 on the first reading. The second reading is scheduled for March 11, 2025.

Frisco Town Council Meetings: Ways to Participate

Frisco Town Council meetings are available to view via Zoom and YouTube, and are also held in person to make Town Council meetings easier to access for everyone.

The public can provide comment during meetings via Zoom or in person (not YouTube), and a public comment period will be available at 7:00pm; during the consideration of ordinances; and at the discretion of Town Council during work session items, which are discussions that don’t require a formal vote by Town Council and do not require public comment. Again, this hybrid approach is intended to make Town Council meetings more accessible, and meeting recordings will typically also be made available the day after a meeting in the meeting archive with agenda topics bookmarked to the discussions in the video.