City Council

City of Littleton Littleton Center 2255 West Berry Avenue Littleton, CO 80120 Meeting Agenda - Final City Council Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:30 PM Council Chamber Regular Meeting 1. Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Special Business Item a) ID# 25-015 Motion to appoint new council member Title: Motion to appoint new council member Body: From:James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Colleen L. Norton, City Clerk Presentations:Kyle Schlachter, Mayor PURPOSE: To formally appoint a new council member, filling an at-large vacancy. LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED: High-Quality Governance DISCUSSION: Section 28 of the city charter requires a vacant city council seat to be filled within 30 days of the effective date of the vacancy, therefore the position must be filled on or before February 6, 2025. BACKGROUND: Gretchen Rydin provided notice of her intent to resign her at-large seat, with her last effective day of January 7, 2025. She was elected to a four-year, at-large seat in November 2021. As required by the city charter, within 30 days of the effective date of the vacancy, council must appoint a qualified resident to fill the remainder of Council Member Rydin’s term which expires in November 2025. City of Littleton Page 1 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 The Littleton City Clerk received applications from twenty-one citizens expressing interest in filling out the remainder of the term. Council was provided all resumes and associated documents for each candidate for review and, after such review, narrowed the field to seven (7); Josh Stewart, Joel Zink, Denise Weed, Keely Quinn, Merrill Stillwell, Jesse Stommel, and Curt Samuelson. Interviews were held before the six (6) remaining members of council for the seven (7) candidates on January 9, 2025. Prior Actions or Discussions Council was provided an update on the vacancy process at the December 17, 2024 regular meeting. FISCAL IMPACTS: N/A STAFF RECOMMENDATION: N/A ALTERNATIVES: Failing to fill the vacancy by February 6, 2025, would be a violation of the city charter. PROPOSED MOTION: Proposed Motion: I move to appoint, in accordance with Section 28 of the City of Littleton Charter, Joel Zink to fill the vacant at-large city council seat to serve the remainder of the current term which ends on November 18, 2025. 5. Swearing in of New Council Member Roll Call 6. Proclamations - None 7. Public Comment If you wish to address city council under Public Comment, please sign-in on the public speaker form before the call to order for this meeting. Public Comment is an opportunity to express opinions regarding issues that are not part of public hearings on tonight’s agenda; a separate opportunity will be provided for comment for any public hearing. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. We expect comments to be civil. Disrespectful or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. The city council is not authorized under the Colorado Open Meetings Law to discuss, comment, or take action at this meeting on any issue raised by public comment that is not part of tonight's agenda. The Mayor may refer the matter to the city manager and/or city attorney for immediate comment after Public Comment, or to staff to obtain additional information and report back to council as appropriate. 8. Comments / Reports City of Littleton Page 2 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 a) Council Members b) Mayor c) City Manager d) City Attorney 9. Scheduled Appearances - None 10. Consent Agenda Items Consent agenda items can be adopted by a simple motion. All ordinances must be read by title prior to a vote on the motion. Any consent agenda item may be removed at the request of a council member. a) Resolution Resolution 08-2025: Amending the 2025 Fee Schedule 08-2025 Title: Resolution 08-2025: Amending the 2025 Fee Schedule Body: From:James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Kevin Orton, Budget Manager Presentations:Kevin Orton, Budget Manager PURPOSE: Does city council support amending the 2025 fee schedule with updates to development review fees? LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED: High-Quality Governance DISCUSSION: Fees are charged to customers, citizens, and other parties for certain city services. The purpose of a fee is to help defray the cost of the city providing those services and not to raise revenue for general services. Fees must be evaluated to ensure that the fee is commensurate with the service provided. City Council adopts a fee schedule that details the fees that will be charged for the fiscal year period of January 1 through December 31. The fee schedule, however, does not encompass all city-wide fees such as library and museum fees or license fees such as liquor and medical/retail marijuana. Last year, council requested study sessions in future years to consider fee-setting policies and approaches. Staff completed a cost of services study to evaluate development services fees. Development services user fees include subdivision review, site plan/rezoning review, master development plan review, major and minor City of Littleton Page 3 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 plan amendments, historic district designation, tax credit application, variances, and other miscellaneous development review fees. The results of that study were presented to City Council at the January 14th study session with recommendations to adjust the 2025 Fee Schedule based on the results of the study. BACKGROUND: Prior Actions or Discussions The current 2025 fee schedule was adopted by Resolution No. 124-2024 on December 3, 2024. FISCAL IMPACTS: The actual revenue impact of the new fees on revenues will depend on development activity. On an individual permit level, the changes can be summarized as follows: · Combining Public Works and Community Development fees into one fee to reflect the staff re-organization of development services from Public Works to Community Development · 20 fee decreases (average decrease of $725.50 per fee) · 55 fee increases (average increase of $2,155 per fee) · 6 fees with no change · 8 additional fees to reflect work already performed by development review staff o ICC Test - Class A: $100 o ICC Test - Class B: $100 o ICC Test - Class C: $100 o ICC Test - Class D: $100 o Class M (Municipal ROW): $400 o State License - Plumbing: $50 o State License - Electrical: $50 o State License - Arborist: $150 A red-lined version of the 2025 Fee Schedule with proposed amendments is attached as reference for comparison purposes. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the resolution amending the 2025 fee schedule. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Adopt fee amendments as proposed. 2. Adopt differing fees. 3. Maintain the 2025 fee schedule as adopted on December 3, 2024. City of Littleton Page 4 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 PROPOSED MOTION: Proposed Motion: I move to approve Resolution No. 08-2025 amending the 2025 Fee Schedule. b) Resolution Resolution 07-2025 Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between 07-2025 the City of Littleton and Douglas County for use of the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Title: Resolution 07-2025 Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Littleton and Douglas County for use of the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Body: From:James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Doug Stephens, Chief of Police Presentations:Doug Stephens, Chief of Police PURPOSE: This IGA is necessary for the police department to utilize the Douglas County Sheriff’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC). The EVOC is the driving track used by LPD personnel for emergency vehicle operations training. It includes a high-speed track and additional areas for lower speed precision driving. LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED: Safe Community DISCUSSION: Littleton Police Officers are required to complete annual training in the operation of emergency vehicles. Training includes lecture, low-speed maneuvering, and high-speed operations of police vehicles. The training requires a special facility designed for high-speed operation of vehicles. Douglas County owns a facility which is operated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The LPD has utilized this facility through a mutual agreement for several years to train its sworn personnel in emergency vehicle operations. There is no other facility near the City of Littleton which can support the necessary requirements for this training. BACKGROUND: The LPD has utilized the Douglas County EVOC for several years to complete mandated annual training in emergency vehicle operations. Prior to this facility being built, the LPD partnered with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office to use their driving track located near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. The Douglas County EVOC is far superior to the ACSO track in terms of location, size, capabilities, and safety. FISCAL IMPACTS City of Littleton Page 5 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 There is a $700 charge per use of the Douglas County EVOC. The LPD has 3 sessions reserved for 2025 for a total of $2,100. These charges are incorporated into the LPD’s existing training budget for 2025. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approving the resolution which approves an IGA with Douglas County. ALTERNATIVES The LPD could enter into a similar agreement with Arapahoe County for use of their facility however that facility is not as suitable as the Douglas County EVOC due to its location, size, and a design which reduces safety compared to the EVOC. PROPOSED MOTION: Proposed Motion: I move to approve Resolution 07-2025 approving an IGA between the City of Littleton and Douglas County for the use of the Emergency Vehicle Operations Center. c) Resolution Resolution 03-2025: Approving a License Agreement between the City of 03-2025 Littleton and Denver Water for construction on Denver Water property for the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project Title: Resolution 03-2025: Approving a License Agreement between the City of Littleton and Denver Water for construction on Denver Water property for the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project Body: From:James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities Brent Thompson, City Engineer Aaron Heumann, Transportation Engineering Manager Presentations:N/A PURPOSE: Does city council support a License Agreement with Denver Water to construct on Denver Water property for the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project? LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED: Safe Community; High-Quality Governance DISCUSSION: The Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection project will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity at the Platte Canyon Road intersections City of Littleton Page 6 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 with Mineral Avenue and Bowles Avenue. The Columbine Trail runs along the west side of Platte Canyon Road from south of Mineral Avenue to Bowles Avenue, while the Mineral Trail runs along the north side of Mineral Avenue, terminating at Platte Canyon Road with the connection to the Columbine Trail. This project will improve these trail connections and crossings at the two project intersections through a combination of realigning approaches, raised pedestrian crossings, sidewalk/trail extensions, updated pedestrian ramps, updated striping, and signal equipment and operational improvements. Denver Water owns a 100-foot band of right-of-way along the west side of Platte Canyon Road extending from their facility in the northwest corner of the Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection to the south through the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection. With the addition of a channelized island in the northwest corner of the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection to accommodate a raised pedestrian crossing, there is a small portion of the Denver Water property that will need to be utilized for construction at this location. CDOT owns Platte Canyon Road (SH 75) and will have ultimate ownership and maintenance responsibility for the infrastructure proposed within the Denver Water right-of-way. As a result, CDOT and Denver Water are entering into a License Agreement to address ownership and maintenance responsibilities. However, since the City of Littleton is acting as the local agency and managers of this project, the city needs to enter into a separate License Agreement with Denver Water to obtain permission to conduct construction on Denver Water property. There are no costs associated with or required as part of this License Agreement. BACKGROUND: The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) identified the Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection as a safety concern that met the conditions for FASTER funding. FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery Act of 2009) established the Road Safety Fund to support the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of projects the state determines are needed to enhance the safety of a state highway, county road, or city street. This state distributed funding source is specifically intended for addressing safety issues, such as addressing a pattern identified by crash history or interactions between vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists. The Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection project proposes upgrading the traffic signal system, providing geometric safety improvements, and upgrading the pedestrian and bicycle facilities. CDOT also identified the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection as a location requiring pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements, along with capacity improvements. CDOT identified HSIP (Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program) as the appropriate program to fund this work. The purpose of the Colorado City of Littleton Page 7 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 HSIP is to provide for a continuous and systematic procedure that identifies and reviews specific traffic safety issues around the state to identify locations with potential for improvement. The ultimate goal of the HSIP process is to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities by eliminating certain predominant types of crashes through the implementation of engineering, enforcement, education, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) solutions. The Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue project involves adding dual southbound left turn lanes, relocating and improving access to bus stops, and upgrading the pedestrian facilities at the intersection. The city entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with CDOT in 2018 for design and construction costs in the amount of $2,450,000 associated with safety, operational, and mobility improvements at these two intersections on Platte Canyon Road. The city hired a consultant to undertake the design of these projects in 2020. As the city and consultant proceeded through project design, a small portion of Denver Water property was identified where construction would need to occur. While Platte Canyon Road is a CDOT roadway, since this project is funded as a local agency project, the city must enter into a License Agreement with Denver Water to allow construction on this parcel. However, CDOT will have ultimate responsibility for maintaining Platte Canyon Road and is also working on a License Agreement with Denver Water. At this time, the design has been completed and all required clearances have been obtained from CDOT. In addition, the project has been put out to bid and a contractor has been selected to complete the construction for this project. As a result, construction is anticipated to begin in early 2025 and be completed by the summer of 2025. Prior Actions or Discussions An IGA with CDOT for design and construction of the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project was approved by city council as Resolution 72-2018 on November 6, 2018. An amendment to the IGA was approved by city council as Resolution 34-2021 on August 17, 2021. FISCAL IMPACTS: N/A STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the resolution approving the License Agreement with Denver Water to allow construction on Denver Water property. ALTERNATIVES: If this License Agreement is not approved, the city will not be able to construct the portion of the project on Denver Water property, requiring added costs for redesign City of Littleton Page 8 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 of the project and potential delay to construction. PROPOSED MOTION: Proposed Motion: I move to approve Resolution 03-2025 approving a License Agreement between the City of Littleton and Denver Water for construction related to the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements project on Denver Water property. d) ID# 25-013 Motion to approve minutes of the January 7, 2025, regular city council meeting Title: Motion to approve minutes of the January 7, 2025, regular city council meeting Body: Prepared by: Wendy J. Shea-Tamag, Deputy City Clerk RECORDING SECRETARY’S CERTIFICATION: I hereby certify that the attached minutes are an accurate representation of motions made and action taken at the January 7, 2025, regular meeting of city council. I have also reviewed the video recording for the January 7, 2025, regular meeting of the Littleton City Council and certify that the video recording is a full, complete, and accurate record of the proceedings and there were no malfunctions in the video. PROPOSED MOTION: Proposed Motion: I move to approve the minutes for the January 7, 2025, regular meeting of city council. 11. General Business a) Resolution Resolution 02-2025: Adopting the 2025-2026 Tri-Cities Homelessness 02-2025 Plan of Action Title: Resolution 02-2025: Adopting the 2025-2026 Tri-Cities Homelessness Plan of Action Body: From:James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Mike Gent, Deputy City Manager Presentations:Mike Gent, Deputy City Manager PURPOSE: To adopt an updated Tri-Cities Homelessness Plan of Action with the Cities of Englewood and Sheridan, and Arapahoe County that outlines a strategic plan and projects to guide the efforts of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Coordinator and the focus of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group. City of Littleton Page 9 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED: High-Quality Governance; Safe Community DISCUSSION: In 2021, councils from the cities of Englewood, Littleton, and Sheridan adopted the original Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan. Over the course of the last three years, the cities partnered with Arapahoe County, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), and nonprofit service providers and achieved success in many components of the first action plan, including the development of a Tri-Cities Homelessness Coordinator position which oversaw the management and completion of strategic plan components. The second iteration of the plan includes action items from the original plan that were yet to be completed; new action items, primarily focused on developing a long-term financial and governance model; and performance metrics to track the success of action plan items launched under the original term of the action plan. The proposal for the second iteration of the action plan includes 16 projects organized into three of the original action plan themes: (1) Governance (2) Single Adult system (3) Family System The updated action plan also includes approximately 25 metrics which connect to the four themes of the original action plan, which will be reported on quarterly to show long-term progress in achieving goals identified in the development of the action plan. BACKGROUND: The original action plan was projected to cost approximately $750,000, which did not include funding that the cities provided for workforce development projects, such as the launch of CrossPurpose and Bridge House Ready to Work, which received funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Additionally, funds originally identified for some action plan action steps were not expended, and could presumably be expended to finalize those projects in the second iteration of the action plan: • Create an online platform to request homelessness services- Single Adult theme ($10,000); • Pilot a safe parking program- Single Adult theme ($25,000); • Strengthen outreach to landlords- Single Adult theme ($25,000); • Peer-based support model ($25,000); • Sponsor a permanent supportive housing feasibility analysis- Single Adult theme ($50,000); and • Designate a lead service provider- Family theme ($50,000). City of Littleton Page 10 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 The total budgeted cost of the second iteration of the action plan is expected to be $185,000. The majority of the funding for these projects comes from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), and ARPA funds must be expended by the end of 2026, which is when the action plan will end. Staff believes that most other action plan items can be carried out with existing staffing levels and resources, contingent on maintaining the position of Tri-Cities Homelessness Coordinator, the cost for which is estimated at approximately $120,000 per year. The development of governance and financial sustainability models, included in the Governance theme, will help the tri-cities develop a long-term approach to funding the Tri-Cities Homelessness Coordinator, as well as long-range funding for the navigation center. The majority of the projects included in the action plan that require seed funding are not expected to need substantial resources from the cities to continue into the future. Prior Actions or Discussions July 6, 2021 - Study session on the draft Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan September 21, 2021 - Adoption of Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan March 1, 2022 - Approval of the IGA for Provision of Homelessness Coordinator Services March 7, 2023 - Approval of amended IGA for Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan November 21, 2024 - Study session on the draft 2025-2026 Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan December 17, 2024 - Approval of an amended Tri-Cities Homelessness IGA between the cities of Englewood, Littleton, Sheridan, and the County of Arapahoe, Colorado FISCAL IMPACTS: No additional fiscal impacts are expected beyond those already approved in the most recent intergovernmental agreement. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the resolution adopting the 2025-2026 Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan. ALTERNATIVES: Adoption of the action plan outlines a strategic plan and projects, to guide the efforts of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Coordinator and the focus of the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group. Delay in approval of the updated action plan may pose a challenge to future collaboration within this initiative. PROPOSED MOTION: City of Littleton Page 11 Printed on 7/31/2026 City Council Meeting Agenda - Final January 21, 2025 Proposed Motion: I move to approve Resolution 02-2025 adopting the 2025-2026 Tri-Cities Homelessness Plan of Action. 12. Ordinances on Second Reading and Public Hearings - None Speakers wishing to address council as part of a public hearing will be limited to three (3) minutes and will be called upon when the mayor opens the public comment portion of the hearing. 13. Adjournment The public is invited to attend all regular meetings or study sessions of the city council or any city board, commission, or committee. Please call 303-795-3780 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting if you believe you will need special assistance or any reasonable accommodation in order to attend, or participate in, any such meeting. For any additional information concerning city meetings, please call the city clerk’s office at the above referenced number. City of Littleton Page 12 Printed on 7/31/2026