A new police station, better storm drainage, upgraded sidewalks and many other construction projects are all needed in the city, but paying for them is challenging.
There are an estimated $210 million in long-term projects that are not listed on the city’s five-year plan, said Assistant City Manager Amber Blake.
“We currently don’t have a mechanism to pay for these needs,” she said.
As part of Cities and Towns Week, Durango City Council and city staff will hold a series of meetings to hear from residents about their priorities and ask for ideas about how to fund projects in the future, she said.
Staff plans to focus more on construction projects that are funded by general city tax, such as new city buildings and upgrades to streets and sidewalks. The city’s website and online security are also funded by general sales taxes.
The Parks and Recreation Department, city utilities and transit all have dedicated sources of funding.
While the city holds annual budget meetings, Blake expects feedback from these meetings to help the city prioritize projects for several years.
Unlike annual budget planning, the city’s focus is going to be high level rather than project-by-project planning.
“We’re casting a much larger net,” Blake said.
The meetings will cover how the city currently funds projects and some of the options for raising revenue, such as increasing sales taxes and property taxes. But the city is also interested in creative ideas.
“People in the community may have revenue-generating ideas that we haven’t thought of,” Blake said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
If you go
Sept. 10-17: Virtual City Hall survey
Sept. 11: Community forum about parks, open spaces, the trails and recreation master plan at 6 p.m., at Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
Sept. 11-15: Information boards and surveys at Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
Sept. 12: “Council on the Town” discussions with community members
Sept. 13: Surveys at the Green Business Round Table. More information at
http://www.sanjuancitizens.org/gbr
Sept. 14: Public forum at 5 p.m. at Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., before the SkaBQ featuring Rob Webster.
Sept. 15: Community conversation and city showcase with Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at 5 p.m. at Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
Sept. 21: Kiwanis pancake breakfast at La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
For more information and to find a full schedule of “Council on the Town,” visit
http://www.durangogov.org/CitiesandTowns
.
