New information delays council decision on transportation authority until next week

Greeley City Council delayed a decision on participation in any transportation authority Tuesday night after some council members felt they didn't have enough time to consider new information presented by a resident committee.

The council members said they would like more time to consider an updated proposal that doesn't include Fort Collins after a presentation of the proposal by John Daggett, a planning manager with the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is putting forward one of three options to fund transportation in Greeley and northern Colorado.

Fort Collins City Council decided not to be included in the planning organization's transportation authority last week.

Greeley City Council has set a deadline of next Tuesday's regular council meeting to make a final decision on inclusion in any transportation authority.

The planning organization's proposal for a regional transportation authority is just one of three options to fund road maintenance in Greeley. The other options include a Weld-only proposal and a Greeley-only proposal. All would levy a sales-tax increase on Greeley residents.

Councilwoman Pam Shaddock said she needed time to absorb the 10 pages presented by the planning organization's "Citizens Steering Committee" on Tuesday night. In addition, Shaddock said she has concerns about the proposal, especially the calculations presented that project how much money a sales tax increase would raise.

"I'm not comfortable with the calculations, I'm not comfortable with the legality of it, and I'm not comfortable that maybe we're underwriting Centerra," Shaddock said, referring to the large shopping center in Loveland.

Councilmembers Carrol Martin, Jan Branham and Ed Phillipsen said they were leaning toward the Greeley-only increase.

"I don't want to help Centerra, I want to help our city out," Martin said.

If no decision was made Tuesday night, there were glimmers of how councilmembers might decide next Tuesday.

At least five members expressed sentiment that they probably won't be in favor of inclusion in the planning organization's regional transportation authority.

Several members, including Mayor Tom Selders, also expressed doubt that written agreements between governments, a necessary step of any transportation authority, could be drafted in time to get the transportation authority on the ballot.

"A point and time has to come where we close the door," Selders said.

More to come

Greeley City Council set a deadline Tuesday night to make a decision on a transportation authority by the end of its meeting next week at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers, 919 7th St.


Source : http://www.greeleytrib.com