City Council Agenda and Packet 2020 09 29 SP

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The City was forced to close its facilities for a period of time as the State of Colorado enacted a Stay at Home Order to limit the spread of the virus. While necessary, this act affected not only the City's facilities but a number of local businesses, as well. The City has since reopened its facilities but many programs and services have returned in a limited capacity. It is anticipated that we will remain in the current state with minor modifications until a vaccine is available to the public. The temporarily closure and limitation of business activities has significantly reduced many of the City's revenue sources. As a result, the City made a number of reductions to the 2020 budget to address declining revenues. Staff has used this as a starting point for the 2021 /2022 budget, as well. There is still much uncertainty about the future economic condition of the city, but we will continue to evaluate the situation and make financial and service level adjustments as needed. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be long-lasting and far- reaching and the majority of industries, including local government, will be affected. While the pandemic has greatly affected the City's operations, we are still in good fiscal health and the prudent use of revenues enabled the City to address budget shortfalls by utilizing reserves without significantly reducing the operating budget. As we recover from the public health crisis over the next few years, the City will focus on maintaining services in core areas, as well as the City's assets; its infrastructure, facilities, land/open space, parks and its human capital. To focus our efforts, staff has updated the Strategic Plan to reflect the City's Priority Initiatives for the duration of the 2021-22 biennial budget. Community and organizational recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is prominent among the list of priorities in the coming years. In addition, the Priority Initiatives supported through the proposed budget reflect additional investments in sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, technology continuity and security, and various capital projects such as transportation improvements, raw water supply and Open Space trail improvements. To achieve the City's mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing the quality of life in our community, it is critical that the City continue to invest in its existing resources while planning for the future. Capital Projects The proposed budget includes the following: • Parks, Recreation & Open Space 0 1041" & Empire trail and shoulder improvement for $1.6 million o Soft surface trail management plan for $1.18 million through 2026