CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Transcription

1 City and County of Broomfield, Colorado CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEMORANDUM To: From: Prepared by: Mayor and City Council George Di Ciero, City and County Manager Kevin Standbridge, Assistant City and County Manager for Community Development Meeting Date Agenda Category Agenda Item # September 9, 2008 Special Reports 13(b) Agenda Title: Brunner Farmhouse Response to Dr. Massarotti Summary Broomfield resident Dr. Michael Massarotti sent a letter to Mayor Quinn expressing his concerns with the remodeling of the Brunner Farmhouse. This letter was distributed by Mayor Quinn to City Councilmembers, and is attached to this memorandum for reference. Mayor Quinn and staff have had an extended discussion with Dr. Massarotti regarding the costs of remodeling the Brunner Farmhouse and the process by which decisions were made regarding the remodeling. In the interest of keeping the City Council informed, attached for the City Council s information, is a response to Dr. Massarotti s letter from Mayor Quinn. Prior Council Action Financial Considerations Alternatives Proposed Actions/Recommendations

2 May 16, 2008 Mr. Patrick Quinn, Mayor One Descombes Drive Dear Mayor Quinn, I have been a resident of Broomfield since I have watched our City grow and develop from a bedroom community to a vigorous City and County. During my time as resident, decisions made by previous Boards, for the most part, have been insightful, forward thinking and justifiable for the benefit of our community in general. I do have an issue that I am bringing to the attention of the current Council- namely the expenditures associated with the so-called Brunner House. I requested information from administration regarding this project and I sincerely appreciate the comprehensive response by Mr. Kevin Standbridge. He was very professional in the manner he addressed my numerous questions including minutes from previous Council meetings and costs associated with the relocation and renovation of the facility. I find the costs associated with this project staggering, to say the least. Information provided reveals an expenditure of General Fund dollars approaching one-half million dollars with recurring annual maintenance costs of approximately $10,000. I do recognize the funds for the Brunner House were allocated by a previous Council. Obviously, it is too late to close the "barn door" on this project; however, documentation reveals a project with incremental costs that apparently were not anticipated, considered or simply left out when the recommendation was made to fund the Brunner project. A comprehensive assessment of incremental and/or longitudinal costs should be required before any administrative recommendation is considered. What started out as approximately $250,000 project will result in expenditures in excess of $500,000 for the Bruner site.

3 I was told that the Brunner facility provides meeting space for groups in the community. I have been given reports that show the weekly use of the facility over a number of months. I would encourage Council to review the actual number of hours weekly \(not only topical schedule\) that the facility is used for meeting purposes. In addition, administrative staff converted volunteer time to dollars for the facility \(a formula for conversion was not offered\). This convers\ion, while interes\ting, deflect\s focus from the actual expendi\ture of General Fund dollars on the Bruner project. Certainly, no one needs to be reminded that fiscal responsibility is reflected in the manner public funds are expended, particularly, when abundant revenue seems to be available. Please know I am not against historic site preservation. I am in favor, however, of thoughtful consideration of recommended projects in light of relative priority particularly those which are beneficial to the more fundamental needs of our community. I am confident that you will share this communication with other members of the Council. Thank you for doing so. Respectfully, Michael C. Massarotti, Ph.D Park Place Home phone Cell phone XC: Mr. Di Ciero Mr. Standbridge File

4 1Y o OFFICE OF THE MAYOR One DesCombes Drive Phone: \(303\) Fax: \(303\) info'cibroomfield.co.us 0 OLOPJP0 September 4, 2008 Dr. Michael Massarotti 1370 Park Avenue Broomfield, Colorado Re: Brunner Farm House Dear Dr. Massarotti: Let me start by apologizing for not formally responding sooner to your letter. Let me assure you however that the letter was sent to all of the Councilmembers the day I received it from you and it has been on my mind ever since. The City and County of Broomfield is tasked with providing a daunting range of services to its citizens from roads to recreation, from jails to health and human services. Providing these services as efficiently as possible and in a fiscally responsible manner is certainly my number one goal, and I am confident that goal is shared with the City Council. The Community demands that. As the City Council works with the community and the staff to decide issues and make financial commitments on behalf of the community it does, and will continue to, demand that the staff provide the long-term and peripheral financial implications of its decisions. You have no doubt noted these sections in the packets we receive from staff. Long before I became Mayor the City Council and staff prepared a twenty-year Long Range Financial Master Plan \("Financial Plan"\). To my knowl\edge, this type of plan is uniqu\e. The Finan\cial Plan addre\sses the finan\cial well being of the community when it reaches build out. The Financial Plan allows all of us to know that many of our community s goals are achievable at build out - such as the 40% open lands goal. But this goal and many others can only be achieved if each of the separate components are achieved. So when City Council deviates from the Financial Plan there are long-term implications that may impact our ability to achieve our collective goals. That is why I and Council fully understand the concerns expressed in your letter about the planning and the severe budget overruns on the Brunner Farm House. So, as you requested, I have sat down with staff and discussed the Brunner Farm House overruns and why they occurred. As you note in your letter, this project has been completed in an incremental fashion since the farmhouse was moved to its current site in As you may recall, the home was scheduled for demolition as part of the development of the Brunner property on West 1 20th Avenue. The farmhouse was offered to Broomfield by the developer of the property with a very short time for the City Council to make a decision to accept the offer of the farmhouse, or see it demolished. There was not sufficient time to work with the community, as is our customary practice, to identify potential uses for the home and the resulting level and expense for remodeling. The Council made a difficult and strongly debated decision to preserve a

5 Dr. Michael Massarotti September 4, 2008 Page 2of2 portion of Broomfield s past - to save the home from demolition and accept it and its future obligations. This occurred during a period when citizens were lamenting the loss of historic Broomfield structures. Successor City Councils discussed numerous potential uses and remodeling scenarios for the Farmhouse. There was no simple answer as the costs of stabilizing and remodeling the farmhouse were better understood. The City Council did appoint a citizen s task force to review the situation and make a recommendation for the use of the farmhouse. The task force recommended that the house be restored to its near original condition and used as a museum. The City Council did not accept this recommendation because if its concerns with the estimated cost. As the structure was slowly deteriorating, the City Council then made a decision to stabilize the structure. This was the next step further committing Broomfield to the ultimate remodel of the farmhouse. It was becoming more difficult not to finally remodel the structure. Finally, a City Council decided to see the farmhouse put to beneficial use by completing the remodel at a much lower cost than the previously proposed use as a museum. The Council s decision was contingent on volunteer participation in the remodel. This was accomplished and the farmhouse will, I believe, increase in value to the community as a link to our past and focal point for community based activities. For example, the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities, which has over 20 member community organizations, calls the Brunner Farmhouse its home. But as you suggested, I will recommend to Council that staff provides us with periodic updates on the actual use of the house to ensure that our sizable investment is utilized to its fullest extent. The decision process applied to the Brunner Farmhouse is not the model for how the City and County of Broomfield conducts its business. As you note in your letter, "decisions made by previous Boards, for the most part, have been insightful, forward thinking and justifiable for the benefit of our community in general." I agree with your observation. In conclusion, I share your concerns, and I plan to present your letter and this response to City Council on September gth to remind us what happens when we do things in an incremental fashion. Thank you for taking such a keen interest in this matter and sharing your thoughts with me and the City Council. 2inn Mayor