Newsletter 6 – Nearly one year as a City Councilor

March 24, 2020

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The coming days & months will be challenging and unsettling for all. I had originally planned to discuss the progress that staff and City Council have made on several topics; and I will do so later in this newsletter. However, my primary focus is to encourage everyone to stay healthy and take the measures necessary to protect our community.

The City website (see links below) has sections dedicated to the conversation about health and safety concerning the COVID-19 virus as well as a weekly Friday update video. Please visit the site as it has information about the status of City services and departments, which meetings have been cancelled, and the schedule for meetings that will be held virtually & available for public viewing, as well as links to public health information and resources.

https://durangogov.org/emergency

https://www.durangogov.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2056

Staff is currently working on a way to incorporate public comment into City Council meetings and all City Council meetings will be virtual and broadcast as usual. There will be video updates every week on DGov, the City website, and online in the Herald.

Even though we need to maintain social distancing, please continue to communicate with family and friends, including those who may suffer more from isolation. Communication creates connection, understanding and community.

I will not be holding office hours until further notice to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Please continue (or start) to communicate with me by email. kimbaxter@durangogov.org

As always, if you wish to share my newsletters with others, please do. And if they would like to be added to my list, they can request that by emailing me. If you would prefer not to be included on my newsletter list, please let me know, and I will remove your email.

Update on the 2020 Budget:

- The 2020 Budget was presented to Council on Friday, 3/13 for review and questions.
- The errors and inaccuracies in the previously adopted budget (3 – 2 vote) have been corrected and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs has reviewed it. A major issue with the budget was that the starting fund balances were inaccurate. With the hard work of the Interim Finance Director, Wayne McKethan and Devon Schmidt those fund balances have been corrected and now balance with the 2019 CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report).
- The 2020 Revised Budget will be presented to City Council on April 7^th for adoption.

The impact of correcting the fund balances is that some Enterprise Funds and Operating Funds (such as the Parks & Rec fund) have lower balances than originally thought. The effect of this will be a need to reconsider Capital Project prioritization and to do a critical assessment of on-going maintenance and operation costs.

N Art Bridge Update:
In response to Council direction following the March 2, 2020 meeting, two additional options are being analyzed by staff and consultants:

- Continue the river trail behind the Recreation Center up E 2^nd Ave and across 32^nd
  - This option could create a one-way street or local traffic only on E 2^nd Ave thereby preserving parking on both sides and allowing for construction of the river trail on the east side of the street.
  - Also being considered is a bridge across 32^nd St at E 2^nd Ave to connect to the Animas City Park N Art trail.
- With the property on the north side of the existing 32^nd St Bridge @ E 3^rd St for sale, an option that was previously considered is now being looked at again.
  - This trail would continue from Memorial Park, go under 32^nd St as an underpass, then loop around and cross the river on the 32^nd St Bridge.
- Bids on the current bridge project will be opened on March 24.

Council is currently scheduled to discuss the options and the bid at the April 7^th City Council meeting. (This meeting will be a virtual meeting and will be broadcast live.) The purpose of the discussion will be to determine next steps. It is quite possible that the putting the project on hold until the intensity of the situation with COVID-19 has decreased significantly may be the next step.