John Scarffe, Nederland. The Nederland Downtown Development Authority met during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at the Nederland Community Center. Board members Jeffrey Green, Amanda Kneer, and Board of Trustees Liaison Kevin Mueller were absent.
The main agenda item was discussing promotion of a debt authorization on the ballot for the April 2016 elections. The Nederland Board of Trustees voted to place the debt authorization on the ballot during a special session on February 9, 2016.
The NDDA Board approved the question at its January meeting. Both boards approved a $2.9 million debt authorization with an overall 20-year repayment of $5.1 million, conservatively anticipated.
The debt authorization would finance projects in line with the Plan of Development, a document that governs all expenditures within the district and further described in its Master Plan, according to background. If voters approve the debt authorization, the NDDA would still need approval from the Board of Trustees for each loan it seeks for each project or refinancing.
The NDDA itemized first priority projects for possible funding through the debt authorization: Traffic Study, $60,000; Lakeview intersection project, $500,000; Underused Parking Lot Improvements, $50,000; On Street Parking -- Lakeview & Big Springs, $20,000; 1st Street Loading zone, $5,000; 1st Street Pedestrian/ADA walkability, $500,000.
Second priority items: 2nd crossing at Middle Boulder Creek, $360,000; River pathway design, $40,000; Mitigate storm water and water quality issues, $550,000 (Hwy 119, $235,000; Hwy 119 to MBC, $165,000); Conger St. Storm water mgmt, $150,000.
Third priority items: Loans, grants, and rebate programs, $125,000; Improve vehicular and pedestrian signage/wayfinding, $25,000; Event Support, $25,000; Business Incubation (bank office space & property purchase), $254,000; Beautification (public art installations, pocket parks, native planting and landscaping), $25,000; Visitors’ Center operation, $60,000: Bury 1st Street utility lines, $250,000; Amphitheater, $75,000. Total all projects: $2,924,000.
Nederland business owner Barb Hardt, the sole member of the public at the March 9 meeting, told the Board that they have had meetings and meetings and still no information is available about the debt authorization.
Board Chair Katrina Harms replied that the master plan document was the culmination of several meetings. “Since we talk about it [the debt authorization] all the time, sometimes I feel like I’m saying too much.”
Hardt said she has seen many comments on social media and one site devoted an entire thread to the subject. “If you’re going to ask for money, I want to know exactly what the money is going for, whether it’s NDDA or an actual plan, before doing another survey.”
Harms said the NDDA learned its lesson through the NedPeds pathway and storm water project. While waiting for approval for that project, the NDDA had no money to do anything, Harms said.
“If we had something vaguer, we could have turned around and started working on something else. With the flood in 2013, the Board wasn’t prepared to do anything until 2014. “All of these projects still have to go through BOT approval,” Harms said about funds from the debt authorization. “It will be public.”
Board member Susan Schneider said that even if the debt authorization gets approved, it’s not like they have permission to spend the money. “We just have authorization to borrow the money.”
Hardt asked if it will take money away from other entities like the Fire Department, and Harms said the Fire Department doesn’t lose money. Every increase in property values goes to the NDDA until 2025. Town Administrator Alisha Reis said that no money has been taken away from other areas. “That’s the big question we’ve been getting at Town Hall.”
The Fire District funds would be lower than if there wasn’t a NDDA, but they’re getting a sidewalk in front of them, so that doesn’t bother them. Reis said the NDDA district is in place until 2030.
“If you don’t vote to access those funds, they just sit there and don’t go anywhere,” Reis said. “You have to have some pot of money.” If the NDDA has projects that align with Town goals, the better it can access those funds.
Harms said a lot of the projects detailed for the debt authorization are already in the master plan. Reis said the NDDA can only access funds with a loan or debt authorization. After 2030, any money left over goes back to the Town if the debt is paid.
Harms said you need plans to get the funding, and to get the plans you have to hire someone. The NDDA funds currently aren’t enough to do that. “If we wait for another six months or years we still don’t have money to do anything.
“We could finagle money, but you would have to hire the lawyer and pay for the whole election. It would mean not doing flowers or something else,” Harms said. The NDDA envisions coming up with a program for all events for which they could produce signage, purchase a bunch of picnic tables and look at an amphitheater.
“It seems silly that each event would do the same parking signs. We could do really small signs that everyone could use. Those are the kinds of things we think could be supportive,” Harms said.
New Board member Brent Tregaskis with Eldora Mountain Resort said the question he had was whether items could be added later. “If you come up with a crazy idea tomorrow, could you add it to that list? It’s pretty broad and we have a little bit of flexibility.
“It seems to me like it makes sense. We should have enough money to begin those projects. I’m sure there’s some confusion about stealing money from one pot. I’m pretty comfortable with that,” Tregaskis said.
Harms explained that the NDDA will not be paying interest on the $2.9 million. Hardt pointed out that the Board can see how many people are excited about it tonight, and Harms said that maybe this summer people will get excited that something will happen downtown.
“We’re chomping at our bit to get something done,” Harms said. “Let’s get out our brooms and sweep First Street.” Reis replied that she has already ordered the brooms.
To promote the ballot initiative, Harms said they should do a newsletter article about the different studies done and their status. They need to clarify that.
Ballots for the April election were to be mailed Monday or Tuesday, March 20 or 21. Harms asked that each Board member do some door-to-door or telephone calling, as well as talking to people. She will divide up a list among Board members and send it out by email.
The next meeting of the NDDA Board will be at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, at the Nederland Community Center.
