The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Advocacy Newsletter. This regular email showcases issues impacting business and provides insight on key issues the Chamber is tracking at the local, state and federal level.
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is a business advocate, attending every City Council meeting, standing up on key issues and sharing a pragmatic view point.
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The November 2022 ballot will include 11 state issues that have been cleared by the Office of the Secretary of State. Of that total, three propose changes to the Colorado Constitution which require a 55% approval rate to become law (denoted as “Amendment”). The balance of items propose changes to state statute which require a simple majority. Six items have been placed on the ballot via citizen-initiative and five have been referred by the Colorado Legislature.
In addition to the 11 state issues, the Fort Collins City Council has placed three items on the November 8, 2022 ballot: Moving the municipal election cycle to November of odd-numbered years; Increasing Council compensation; and Ranked Choice Voting. All three issues would change our City Charter.
After in-depth review by staff, the Local Legislative Affairs Committee (LLAC), the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (NCLA) and the Board, the Fort Collins Area Chamber has elected to take the following positions on issues:
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Please note: The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to provide education, information and analysis of local issues and candidates specifically for its members. The opinions expressed are meant to give Chamber members a perspective that advocates for the business community and the city’s overall quality of life, and to give members insight into the potential impacts of local issues and candidates. No Chamber Dues are being contributed to any of the issue campaigns.
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Local Minimum Wage Update
Fort Collins Chamber Letter to Fort Collins City Council
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce represents over 1,100 businesses that employ over 80,000 residents of Northern Colorado and beyond. Perhaps surprising, but 85% of our membership are small businesses that employ 50 people or fewer. Young entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and nonprofit organizations represent, not just our membership, but the soul of our community. Chamber members matter. And they are very concerned.
In considering a local minimum wage it has become apparent that selective national research, consultant opinion and a burning desire to achieve some measure of income equality have carried the conversation to date. With minimal direct interaction with small business owners, it is easy to dismiss the very real concerns and practical implications of establishing a local minimum wage. “Values-based decisions” for the benefit of one group may appear honorable, but they carry very real consequences that can be devastating to others.
More concerning is the cavalier attitude in dictating a minimum wage of $19 per hour without benefit of understanding what impacts it will have for both employers and employees. Both of which represent your constituency.
For employers, it means having to rework business plans, make painful personnel decisions, and adjust financial projections within a matter of weeks in the month of December. Certainly, you recognize the holiday season can be very stressful for most businesses. Good decisions are rarely made in a moment of panic. Longer-term, the uncertainty of how higher labor expenses will affect the health and trajectory of the business creates stress and anxiety that needn’t be.
For employees, it may result in an effective pay cut as public benefits are striped away. That extra $300 a month that shows up in their paycheck means losing $500 or more in childcare, healthcare, and nutrition support. For those that haven’t yet entered the workforce or not yet fully skilled, a job may no longer exist.
We agree in the goal of elevating the economic wellbeing of our base workforce, rightfully recognized as essential workers. A vibrant economy that raises all boats is the cornerstone of our mission. We invite you to a meaningful dialogue in how this might best be accomplished while treating all interests equitably and with dignity so richly deserved.
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How to Share Your Voice
A very effective way to share your voice on issues as a community member is to contact city council members. It is actually very easy to do in Fort Collins. There are at-least four ways to directly contact a city council member:
- Phone
- Email
- In-person public comment at every other city council meeting
- In-person conversation at city council member listening sessions
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Land Development Code – Phase I Update
At its October 18, 2022 Regular Session, the Fort Collins City Council will consider modifications to the City Land Use Code, which defines in great detail how, where and what can be developed within the city. Under this initial phase, staff will make recommendations to update the utility and readability of the document overall, while proposing significant changes related to residential development. A second phase will consider modifications to commercial and industrial uses. The Chamber, through its Land Use Code Task Force, has been heavily involved in this process and is highly supportive of staff recommendations.
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1041 Regulations - October 2022 Update
On November 15, the Fort Collins City Council is scheduled to consider adoption of policies that define the regulatory authority the City has assumed over activities of statewide interest. Known by the State Statute that grants local governments this authority, 1041 Regulations allow the City to subject certain projects to a local evaluation and approval process that would otherwise be considered by other governmental or quasi-governmental entities. Among those areas identified within the 1041 Statute, Council has narrowed its purview to activities that encompass domestic water, wastewater, and transportation. Think pipelines, treatment plants, storage, and highways.
Although it was widely understood at the time these powers were adopted by Council in October 2021 that 1041 Regulations would apply only to projects that encroach upon natural areas, open space, and parks within the city, that interpretation has apparently expanded to include any water or transportation project within the jurisdictional boundary of the City. This perspective is reflected in the draft policies that will be considered in November.
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Last Chance to Register
CIVIC Conversation
Topic: Fort Collins City Budget
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Monday, October 10, 2022
Horse & Dragon Brewing Company, 124 Racquette Dr. in Fort Collins
Earlier this year, your Chamber launched a monthly engagement series known as CIVIC Conversations. This initiative grows from concern that discussion of important community issues is being increasingly driven by the often anonymous and vitriolic nature of social media and personal grandstanding intended to draw eyes and ears – not feedback.
CIVIC Conversations have been very well received, so now we invite you to take the program home or on the road during this fall election season!
Join us on Monday, October 10 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm at Horse & Dragon Brewing Company where we will release the Conversation TO GO packet on Ballot Issues. You will receive the full conversation packet and gain knowledge about ballot issues so you can have a conversation at your own home.
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Since the 1960s, the City of Fort Collins has enforced residential occupancy limits of no more than three unrelated individuals. The ordinance, known as You + 2, applies to both owner-occupied and rental housing units regardless of the number of designated bedrooms. In certain locations and under other special provisions, property owners can apply for a special permit that allows increased occupancy. |
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Do you support limiting residential occupancy to 3 unrelated individuals?
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