City Council Minutes 2003 06 03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Louisville City Council Meeting June 3, 2003 Page 4 of 10 Schonbrun addressed the ordinance, which would reduce by 50% the fees currently imposed on regular multi-family users and eliminate the school use tax, however, Balfour would pay all of the other City fees. He emphasized that the senior housing has less impact on parks, police library and roads and outlined the benefits the Lodge at Balfour offers to the City of Louisville. He stressed that Balfour Senior Care is Louisville-based, with two facilities employing 200 employees. He stated the project cost is in excess of 20 million dollars and without the ordinance the project cannot go forward. Davidson called for public comment. Mabel Fickbohm, 1855 Plaza Drive, Louisville, CO, a three-year resident of the Balfour Retirement Community, explained she and her husband moved to Balfour for the skilled nursing care in addition to assisted living services. She explained there are couples that live separately in different parts of the Balfour Campus, according to the level of care required. She expressed her satisfaction with Balfour and looks forward to the Lodge and its amenities, such as the theatre, and swimming pool. She asked Council not to tax the Lodge to a degree that it could not be built. Dr. Pat Ryan, 786 Club Circle, Louisville, CO, former superintendent of the Boulder Valley School District, and an eleven-year resident of Louisville, stated his wife has been a resident of the skilled nursing wing of Balfour for three years. He voiced his satisfaction with the level of care she receives and spoke in support of the Lodge at Balfour. He stated taxes are needed to provide necessary public services; however there should be a fair relationship between a specific tax and the property's use. He commended the City for supporting the seniors. Greg Fickbohm, 826 West Tamarisk Street, Louisville, CO, a 27-year resident stated he has seen much change in Louisville and noted the three most positive changes have been Avista Hospital, the Recreation Center and the Balfour Retirement Community. He explained most people are not introduced to the retirement community until the need arises. He reported on his research that provided a range of the care, quality, and cost of senior facilities. He expressed his satisfaction with Balfour and urged Council to approve the Lodge proposal. Patricia Demchak, Louisville Times Newspaper reporter, asked the following questions: 1) Would the savings be passed on to the senior residents? 2) A definition of age with respect to congregate care vs. other types of care? Davidson explained the cost of water across the nation is different and the rates differ from city to city. He explained the City charges tap fees to fund capital improvements to its water facilities, and in comparison other cities might have low tap fees but higher water user fees. 4