Department of Public Works
Reference: IGA with the City of Commerce City and Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Funding of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00) via Resolution 2017-120 Commitments
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Christopher Montoya, Assistant Director of Public Works
Date Prepared: March 21, 2022
PURPOSE
Consider the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City of Commerce City for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant and contributing four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) as committed in Resolution 2017-120, where the City of Commerce City will act as the lead local agency and has executed an IGA with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA
Financially Responsible
Supportive, Sustainable Infrastructure
Strong Regional Relationships and Partnerships
BACKGROUND
Transportation infrastructure has lacked funding on all levels of government for the last several years. To stretch the dollars as far as possible states, counties, and local agencies are innovative with funding methods such as public private partnerships and other collaborative methods.
Resolution 17-120 was adopted by City of Brighton City Council on October 17, 2017 in support of the US 85 and 120th Avenue interchange, the City of Commerce City has taken the lead role and executed and IGA with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). It is intended to have local match contributed for the groups local match in the following amounts; Adams County in the amount of $1,250,000.00, Commerce City in the amount of $1,250,000.00, and the City of Brighton in the amount of $400,000.00 for a total local match of $2,900,000.00, with CDOT contributing an additional $1,000,000.00. The funding is in support of the right-of-way acquisition and preliminary design services, in addition to the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant.
The seven agencies of Weld County, Adams County, CDOT Region 1, CDOT Region 4, Commerce City, Thornton, and Union Pacific have partnered to create a project of improvements identified in the US 85 Access Control Plan and US 85 Planning and Environmental Linkage study. Project would have two primary elements: modifications to railroad crossing and US 85 highway access; and an interchange at 120th Avenue and US 85. Specifically, along US 85 within Weld County roadway/railway crossings of the Union Pacific Railroad and access to US 85 would be modified at more than ten locations including Weld County Road 2.5 and Weld County Road 4. The interchange at 120th Avenue would also be grade separate at 120th Avenue from the railroad and US 85. This combination of projects would create several two-mile long segments of railroad free of roadway crossings, increasing safety and reducing conflicts of trains occupying roadway crossings. The project has an estimated cost of more than $100 million and is consistent with the findings and recommendations of the US 85 Access Control Plan and the US 85 Planning and Environmental Linkage study.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adams County Road and Bridge Sales Tax is a recurring funding source that has annually brought over $1 million in revenue the last few years and is projected to grow 1% this year. The Adams County Road and Bridge Sales Tax is a 0.5% tax collected within Adams County; the revenues are distributed proportionately to the cities that collect the sales tax and must be used for improvements to or the building of road and bridge projects. Adams County Road and Bridge Tax revenues can only be used on road and bridge projects, is separate from the traffic impact fees and bridge crossing fee revenues and Highway Users Trust Fund (HUTF) revenues.
The funds can be supported by the collected revenues with minimal impact relative to the revenues collected.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
There is a recurring revenue source that has the ability to fund this request to leverage a $400,000.00 contribution into over $12 million in progress of transportation improvements. The future completion of the project would provide a significant benefit to the transportation network in and surrounding Brighton including improved safety, reduced congestion, and improved freight movement. Based on the availability of funding and improvements generated, along with the collaborative nature of the project, staff recommends approval of the IGA with the City of Commerce City and the $400,000.00 payment. Any additional funding in the future will require an additional IGA and is subject to budget appropriation. Additionally, the $400,000 payment will be a reduction of the original commitment of $3,000,000.00 through the City of Brighton Resolution 2017-120.
OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
1. Approve the IGA with the City of Commerce City and supplemental payment of $400,000.00.
2. Deny the IGA.
3. Require modifications to the IGA be prepared.
ATTACHMENTS
• Resolution
• IGA
• Executed IGA between the City of Commerce City and CDOT
• PowerPoint Presentation