Timnath council backs $300,000 for economic development, holds off on $5.5 million river park

Timnath Town Council members agreed at an Oct. 27 budget work session to round the 2027 economic-development allocation up to $300,000, with flexibility in how it is spent. They also held off on committing $5.5 million to an Old Town river park until a master plan is done.

The mayor said the original budget had $100,000 for consulting services, $75,000 for Old Town Main Street and $50,000 for an economic-development consultant, a total of $225,000. Raising the consultant amount to $100,000 would bring that to $275,000. Council members supported rounding up to $300,000, allowing money to move among the uses and keeping $75,000 for the Main Street organization. A staff member said the change was doable and would reduce fund balance by a minimal amount.

On the river park, the mayor introduced a proposed future $5.5 million allocation for an Old Town Community River Park and Crossing, as an initial phase tied to the Old Town master plan. One council member backed the concept but wanted the master plan to give more detail first. Another said finishing the plan should be a top priority next year and that the council needed more information before deciding whether to dedicate $5.5 million. Council Member Dennis Strachota argued for speed, saying "I think we need to, we need to move expeditiously on the master planning." The mayor summed up the discussion as favoring the master plans and trying to move them up, but waiting for more information before assigning a dollar amount to the park.

The trims came against a tight financial backdrop. The mayor said the town faces a slowing economy, rising costs, growth-driven demand for services, continued reliance on sales-tax revenue and a need to transition away from development-authority support. A council member said the town should reach a 25% reserve fund and that moving projects into 2029, 2030 and 2031 brings it closer. The member added that staff had already cut 3 or 4 positions and several million dollars before the budget reached the council. Staff projections after the proposed adjustments show working-reserve balances closer to 25% while capital projects continue to be funded from the general fund.

On Old Town planning, the sale of the firehouse station had not gone through. The town had earlier indicated it wanted to use $300,000 from the sale for an Old Town master plan and its implementation. Staff proposed cutting future-year funding for redevelopment of town properties by $30,000 a year starting in 2028 to go toward that planning work. A staff member said the budget also holds a separate $75,000, for a total of $375,000 with the master plan money. Strachota said he did not want to "reduce the $300,000 that's being allocated for the master plan to be used for other purposes" and wanted it coordinated through the Main Street board.

Staff also recommended delaying or trimming several parks and transportation items. Annual transportation improvements would fall from $400,000 to $250,000, with the safety action plan continuing. Wild Wing Park improvements would move from 2028-2029 to 2030-2031, and Timnath Ranch Park, also called Peanut Park, would shift from 2028-29 to 2029-30 with a smaller scope. A $550,000 reroute of the Poudre River Trail around Community Park would be deferred while the town looks at a possible system-wide approach in the long term.

The council supported keeping a proposed 5% combined cost-of-living and merit increase rather than cutting it to 4%. The staff recommendation was to keep the new Visual Communications Specialist position, noting the town spends about $60,000 a year on contracted services the job would bring in-house. Council members also supported letting police overfill positions to cover vacancies and extended leaves, as long as hiring stays within budget. A separate recommendation would delay hiring that specialist and a Public Works Maintenance Worker 1 by four months, saving four months of pay for each.

Staff recommended keeping the requested police drone. The police chief said it could be used at crime scenes, in searches for missing people and children and for other police operations. The chief said the purchase would not be immediate, that the department has one certified operator and that it wants to train more. The chief said the department has not explored a partnership with Poudre, and that it lacks the capability and call volume for a first-responder drone program like Fort Collins', but he would consider asking. Strachota asked that the drone policy return to the council before the drone is acquired. Asked about a policy, the chief said, "There won't be a drone going anywhere without a policy in place."

During public comment, a resident urged the town to look at park access in northern Timnath. The resident said families near the planned 23-acre Peanut Park would be about a five-to-10-minute walk from Timnath Community Park, which has a splash pad, sports courts, playgrounds and restrooms. Residents in Kitchell Lake, the resident said, drive 15 minutes or more to reach similar facilities. The resident said town financial records show $6.7 million spent on Community Park and $6.6 million on Wild Wings since 2020. The resident asked the council to assess walking access, set a public timeline and funding strategy for a park serving northern Timnath, and weigh geographic equity in the 2027 capital budget: "every part of Timnath deserves to have reasonable access to meaningful recreation."

The town plans to bring the budget forward for first reading two weeks after the work session. A staff member said the 25% community-center reserve target is a forecast and that the reserve policy should return to the Finance Committee to confirm whether 25% is appropriate.