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Work Systems Section Community and Economic Development
Arvada’s future prosperity and quality of life will be significantly influenced by the City’s ability to ensure that development meets safety requirements, design values and standards, infrastructure needs, and supports the local economy to implement the community’s vision.
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PRINCIPLES AND SERVICES:
To support community and economic development, the City of Arvada:
• Uses the Comprehensive Plan to guide planning, land use code decisions, development management, and informational and resource services that are delivered to residents, businesses, the development community, decision-making bodies, and neighborhood partners to achieve a well-planned, aligned, sustainable, and livable community for current and future generations . • Ensures the alignment of all City Master Plans providing an aligned and integrated approach to the achievement of strategic and operational targets . • Applies a high-performing development review process that maintains the community’s standards for safety, vision, and quality design which ensures a quality and timely review for the developer . • Supports the community’s vision by cultivating an environment that attracts and retains private-sector investment, a talented workforce, and an engaged business community . • Maintains and protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public by ensuring safe buildings in the community, while providing excellent customer service .
Click here for more information about Arvada Economic Development
Budget Summary
REVENUES BY TYPE 2019 ACTUAL 2020 ACTUAL 2021 REVISED 2022 BUDGET Licenses, Permits and Fees 2,378,743 2,458,417 2,341,653 2,341,653 Charges for Services 633,843 613,568 375,000 325,000 Miscellaneous 10,453 (141) - - Total Revenues $3,023,039 $3,071,844 $2,716,653 $2,666,653
Revenue Highlights
• Licenses, Permits and Fees include charges for building permits, plan inspection fees and other miscellaneous permits. The reduction in 2021 reflects lower activity due to decreased building activity . The 2022 budget assumes a return to a minimum level of activity . • Charges for Services include plan review fees including building, zoning and engineering . The City of Arvada is a land locked City with only infill projects remaining. A lower level of planning activity is expected . • The annual budgeted revenue is built upon a base level of service . This guarantees that on-going expenditures are not funded by growth .
EXPENDITURES BY TYPE 2019 ACTUAL 2020 ACTUAL 2021 BUDGET 2022 BUDGET Personnel $3,964,933 $4,296,863 $4,349,845 $4,648,702 Services and Charges 436,097 354,837 342,601 351,767 Supplies and Expenses 280,534 256,454 363,462 407,672 Contracts and Leases 211,656 220,333 204,537 188,500 Capital - 21 1,326 1,353 Other - - 3,886 3,963 Total Expenditures $4,893,220 $5,128,508 $5,265,657 $5,601,957
Employees
Expenditure Highlights
37 .00 36 .00 39 .00 40 .00
• Personnel include salaries and benefits for all of the CED employees. This includes the programs of economic development, building, development review, long range planning and administration . The increase in budget for 2020-2022 includes budget for 100% staffing levels.
• A large part of the Service and Charges category are support expenses to run the CED operations including credit card fees, software support and fees . The drop in 2021 represents budget cuts related to
COVID-19 with a reinstatment of a portion of the budget in 2022 .
• Contracts and Leases include the outside building inspection contract, the retail consulting contract and professional services related to the development of the Land Development Code . The Code rewrite project was completed in 2020 allowing the budget to return to normal levels .
Challenges
Approaching full buildout with focus shifting to redevelopment and infill. Finding a balance between new development and established neighborhoods .
Advantages
Opportunities for community engagement .
Interdisciplinary development review process .
Focus on infrastructure planning Dedication to long-range land use .
Strategic Result 1
Annually 95% of development project approvals conform to the City’s Comprehensive Plan
COMPLETED MILESTONES: a By 12/20, complete and implement the updated Land Development Code through adoption and remapping MILESTONES: • By 12/22, Create a sub-area plan for NW Arvada focused on place making • By 12/23, fully align Master Plans contained within the City’s Comprehensive Plan
Performance Measures Target 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Staff recommendations to City Council are adopted by City Council 98% 98% 98% 98% 99% 99%
Comprehensive Plan implementation strate gies will be initiated, on-going or complete 90% N/A 97% 98% 98% 98%
The team proactively updated several areas of the Comprehensive Plan (CP) in May and June of 2020 in association with the approval of the new Land Development Code (LDC) . The new LDC updated all zoning districts within the city and, as a result, some of the zoning was inconsistent with the intent of the new zoning . As a result, the team updated several areas in the CP to provide better continuity between the new zone districts and the CP .
During 2020, no comprehensive plan amendments were requested by a developer .
Strategic Result 2
By 12/21 85% of development customers rate the development review process as ‘good’ and/or ‘excellent’
MILESTONES: • By 12/21, 90% of development reviews will be returned to the applicant within 15 business days • By 12/20, implement a development customer service survey with at least a 50% response rate • On an ongoing basis, resolve all temporary certificates of occupation (TCO) within 6 months of issuance
Performance Measures Target 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Building permit inspections will be conducted on the day scheduled 98% N/A 97% 94% 99% 99%
1st review of non-over the counter commercial building permits will be within 20 business days 20 N/A N/A N/A 14 18 Development review comments will be returned to the applicant within 15 business days 15 N/A N/A N/A 20 15 Development review applications will be ap proved within the designated review tracks 90% N/A N/A N/A 68% 47%
Community and Economic Development Work System Summary
Improvements have been made in two of the performance measures with the other two showing reductions . Incomplete development applications have lead to a majority of the delays .
By tracking the average time it takes an application to be approved from the time it is submitted, we can see the low, high, and average length a time it takes an application to get through the city development review process . This can help us set the expectation for developers up front so they better know what to expect . We can also use this data to look for ways to improve our review times, and analyze whether or not we are allocating the appropriate resources to development review .
Performing and providing inspection results to customers in a timely fashion helps ensure corrections can be completed as soon as possible and the inspection and construction process can proceed quickly for our customers .
Strategic Result 3
MILESTONES: • By 12/21, develop a resource plan to ensure appropriate implementation • By 6/22, complete City Council led meetings to identify potential locations and community interest in the development of pocket neighborhoods • By 12/22, create a policy framework with choices for potential financial operations and/or modifications to development standards congruent with community input
This is a new City Council measure created during the 2021 retreat. Milestones have been identified and measures will follow in the upcoming budget cycles .
Community and Economic Development Work System Summary
Strategic Result 4
By 12/25, fully align the City’s economic development efforts with the community’s vision expressed in the Community Survey and Business Survey
COMPLETED MILESTONES: a By 12/20, complete and implement the updated Land Development Code through adoption and remapping MILESTONES: • By 12/21, establish a community outreach program that helps the community define its economic development goals
Performance Measures Target 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Annually facilitate the development of 150,000 square feet of new commercial real estate . Community Survey - Planning for growth that add value to quality of life Community Survey - Creating a competitive business environment 150,000 N/A 355,796 505,611 224,939 225,392
75% N/A 62% N/A 64% N/A
75% N/A 81% N/A 83% N/A
Community Survey - Impact of growth change 65% N/A N/A N/A 62% N/A
The City of Arvada performs a biennial community survey . The results of the survey are used to help the City identify the areas where the City delivers excellent services and areas that need to be improved . The City was rated as a 3 .5 star community in the 2017 and 2019 survey . The 2021 survey will be completed in the fall .
Meets or Exceeds Target Just Under Target Does Not Meet Target a Complete
