Loveland council approves consent agenda 7-1 after debate over Parcel 504 tax-credit item

The Loveland City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to approve its full consent agenda, including a resolution for a temporary sales-tax-credit financing deal for Parcel 504. The package also included board and commission appointments, housing and landmark ordinances, a Comcast cable franchise ordinance, CDBG funding recommendations, broadband grant agreements totaling $3,079,317, and the city’s April 2026 revenue review. Ward 2 Council Member Sarah Rothberg cast the lone no vote.

Before the vote, Rothberg asked for a public explanation of Item 4.7, the Parcel 504 resolution that drew criticism during public comment. Per the agenda context, the city attorney described it as a credit-PIF financing mechanism tied to the business assistance agreement approved in February for Realberry and intended to support Costco Wholesale locating at Parcel 504.

That explanation emphasized that the earlier agreement did not bind the council to approve the resolution. The council could still decide whether to "see that deal through" or deny it, and the city would retain oversight of the related bond issuance, including the ability to reject proposed public improvements it considered unnecessary or inconsistent with the agreement.

Rothberg then asked whether the council was voting to give the McQuinnies taxpayer money. The attorney rejected that characterization, saying the sales-tax dollars would be used for public improvements benefiting Parcel 504, whose ultimate tenant would be Costco. Rothberg responded that those were revenues the city would not have without the agreement.

Ward 3 Council Member Caitlin Wyrick said she appreciated staff’s work on the Costco deal and called it more aggressive than past arrangements, but said she did not support using local tax dollars for agreements involving "some of the biggest companies on our planet." Even so, when the roll was called, Wyrick voted yes on the consent agenda. The seven recorded votes other than Rothberg’s were yes.