Town News

Catch Up With Council June 11, 2024: Climate Action Plan Update, Ordinance Amending Limitations Between Schools and Liquor Licensed Facilities, and More

Slopeside Hall Tour at the Frisco Adventure Park

Town of Frisco Capital Project Senior Manager, Addison Canino, led Town Council and staff on a tour of Slopeside Hall which is currently under construction at the Frisco Adventure Park and is expected to be completed in the late fall of 2024. This space will allow the Town to better support youth camps and afterschool programs, as well as community events and needs in both the summer and the winter. The space also allows staff to move out of the “temporary” office space they have occupied in the basement of Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge since 2010, supporting a better work environment and encouraging staff retention.

Climate Action and Resilience Plan Update

In 2019, Frisco Town Council adopted the Summit Community Climate Action Plan (CAP) which has five focus areas that have led both Frisco and the community’s sustainability efforts throughout the last five years: renewable energy, building energy, transportation, waste, and forests. While these principles are still applicable, a lot has changed since 2019, and it is time to reevaluate the community’s goals and priorities and develop a plan that is more specific to Frisco. Additionally, several other sustainability and environmental plans have been developed since adoption of the Community CAP, including an EV Readiness Plan, Climate Equity Plan, and Town of Frisco Energy Action Plan.

In March 2024, the Town entered into an agreement with Iconergy to develop and complete the first Frisco specific climate action plan, the Frisco Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP).  A climate action and resilience plan can be leveraged as a long-range planning tool to guide town wide policy and decision-making. The Town recognizes that an updated plan which includes strategies and goals from more recent plans while looking to the future with creative, new strategies for Frisco specifically, will better guide the Town in decision making. The consultant will take on the following steps to create this plan.

1. Task 1: Project Management: The Iconergy team will be responsible for the general management of the project and coordination with Environmental Programs Town staff, including providing necessary information and input to staff, scheduling and attending meetings, creating a project schedule, and communicating with staff.

2. Task 2: Greenhouse Gas Inventory: The Iconergy team will develop and present both a community-wide and a local government operations Greenhouse Gas inventory for 2023.

3. Task 3: Existing Conditions Analysis: The Iconergy team will complete a comprehensive analysis of the existing plans, guidance, and data including past GHG Inventories, climate trends and projections, and adopted climate, and natural hazard mitigation plans.

4. Task 4: Public & Stakeholder Engagement: Outreach will target those who live, work, or play in Frisco, with a specific emphasis on workforce and bilingual outreach. Although findings from the Climate Equity Plan may be used, additional bilingual outreach to the Town workforce will be pursued. This outreach will begin with a community survey and an online business workshop at a time this summer that works best for locals businesses.

5. Task 5: Greenhouse Gas Modeling (BAU and emissions reductions from proposed strategies): The Iconergy team will evaluate the Town’s existing GHG reduction targets, work with staff to adjust as necessary for the CAP, and model emission reduction strategies to achieve targets.

6. Task 6: Cost Analysis, Measurement, and Strategy Prioritization: The Iconergy team will describe anticipated costs associated with each selected strategy modeled in Task 5. Additionally, the Iconergy team will identify available grants, rebates, tax incentives, or other funding sources to assist in implementing this plan in the future.

Also, the Town of Frisco has received a grant award from Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to do this Frisco specific plan.

7: Task 7: Plan Document: After information is compiled and alternatives analyzed, Iconergy team will draft the plan for presentation to the Town which will be a user-friendly plan in written and electronic form with graphics, diagrams, pictures, tables, and other appropriate narrative content and realistic implementation strategies that are appropriate and achievable.

8: Task 8: Plan Adoption: The consultant will present the plan at a public hearing with the Town Council to officially adopt it.

The purpose of this June 11 update was to receive feedback from Town Council on the development of the Frisco Climate Action and Resilience Plan and to allow Colorado State University Institute for the Built Environment staff, who are working with Iconergy, to give a brief presentation on the outreach strategy and answer any questions. Council urged staff to release the plan survey after the Comprehensive Plan survey closes and schedule any business engagement workshops when businesses are less busy.

Current Boards & Committees

Frisco Town Councilmembers and Town staff collectively have representation on over 30 boards and committees throughout Summit County and beyond. A list of those boards and committees and Frisco representation may be found in the council packet.

Town of Keystone Entry into Summit County Housing Authority Intergovernmental Agreement

The purpose of this work session discussion was to receive direction from Council regarding the newly formed Town of Keystone entering the existing Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Summit Combined Housing Authority (SCHA).  SCHA’s mission is to “enhance this county by helping those who define our community attain a safe, long-term housing solution and build a community in which to thrive.”

In December 2023, Ken Riley, President of Keystone Incorporation Committee emailed the SCHA on behalf of the Town of Keystone requesting a conversation be started regarding the Town of Keystone moving forward into an IGA. The SCHA Board and the Town of Keystone have had ongoing discussions over the past five months regarding this topic. Most recently, the SCHA board requested Keystone provide answers to specific questions they had which are provided in Attachment 2. Town Council expressed that they were open to Keystone joining the SCHA board.

Ordinance Amending Limitations Between Schools and Liquor Licensed Facilities

All applicants interested in applying for a liquor license in the Town of Frisco are subject to Federal and State laws and regulations, as well as Frisco’s Town Code. Colorado Liquor Code, Title 44, Article 3, Section 313, titled “Restrictions for applications for new licenses”, establishes a 500 foot distance limitation between certain types of schools and campuses and liquor-licensed facilities, but expressly provides that the governing body of a municipality may “reduce or eliminate” any of those limitations, or may “eliminate” one or more types of schools or campuses from the distance limits.

The Frisco Town Council, through adoption of Ordinance 89-28 on November 21, 1989, established a distance of 250 feet to schools, instead of the otherwise applicable 500 feet under State law. During the work session on March 26, 2024, Town staff’s research revealed a number of Colorado municipalities have completely eliminated the distance limitations for liquor licensed facilities that would otherwise be applicable under state law. Also, this distance requirement has proven challenging in Frisco, as there is now a school located in the business district on Frisco Main Street. During the March meeting, Town Council provided direction to staff to bring back an amendment to this code to eliminate the distance requirement.

Council approved Ordinance 24-08, eliminating this distance requirement, on first reading, and the second reading will by during the June 25, 2024 Town Council meeting.

Frisco Town Council Meetings: Ways to Participate

Frisco Town Council meetings are available to view via Zoom and YouTube, and are also held in person to make Town Council meetings easier to access for everyone.

The public can provide comment during meetings via Zoom or in person (not YouTube), and a public comment period will be available at 7:00pm; during the consideration of ordinances; and at the discretion of Town Council during work session items, which are discussions that don’t require a formal vote by Town Council and do not require public comment. Again, this hybrid approach is intended to make Town Council meetings more accessible, and meeting recordings will typically also be made available the day after a meeting in the meeting archive with agenda topics bookmarked to the discussions in the video.