State of the city good, officials say

FORT COLLINS — The city of Fort Collins is in good shape now and for the future, thanks to a tax measure adopted by voters in November, according to the mayor and city manager.

City Manager Darin Atteberry and Mayor Doug Hutchinson, giving the annual State of the City address on Jan. 25, said the city’s future looks much brighter following the passage of ballot measure 2B, a 0.85-cent sales tax increase that will raise about $18.7 million annually over the next 10 years.

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Among other things, the tax will help fund improvements in public safety, maintain parks and recreation programs, boost recycling and provide investment in the city’s downtown, Atteberry said.

“That $18.7 million annually will do a lot to transform this community now and into the future,” he said. “I promise we will continue to maintain transparency in our spending, and we will be accountable for every 2B dollar to be spent.”

The officials noted several accomplishments by the city over the last year, including the launch of the Colorado Water Innovation Cluster, cooperation with General Growth Properties in the redevelopment of Foothills Mall, and forward movement on the Mason Corridor transportation and development project expected to be up and running by 2013.

They also noted expansion of the FLEX bus service, which connects Fort Collins and Longmont and ties into the Denver RTD system, into downtown Fort Collins and an agreement between Windsor and Fort Collins to share costs in the rebuilding of the Interstate 25/Colroado Highway 392 interchange between the two communities.

Hutchinson, who’s retiring after six years as mayor in April, said the city continues to gain a reputation as an environmental and alternative energy leader with its FortZED project and the opening of the Rocky Mountain Innosphere — formerly the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative — where innovative companies can be incubated.

But more hard work remains, Atteberry noted, including upcoming council votes on proposed new Eastside/Westside neighborhood development standards for the city’s core areas, new floodplain regulations along the Poudre River and new green building standards.

Overall, both officials expressed confidence in the state of the city. “We are in great shape as cities go, relative to our peers across America,” said Atteberry.

“We have an awesome community and we can accomplish anything when we work together,” said Hutchinson. “The state of our city is strong and our future is bright.”