Longmont improvements face huge budget constraints

Certain Longmont improvement projects will be delayed due to budget shortfalls, city council was told Tuesday night.

Staff explained during a council workshop that the projects that will be delayed has not been determined, but economic constraints mean that major projects are falling short by millions of dollars.

“We’re going to be digging in as staff, really working these issues,” City Manager Harold Dominguez said. “... I think we’re going to really have to challenge ourselves with this. But I am telling you all that we’re going to delay projects and/or shift schedules to meet this need.”

For example, the city has yet to purchase land for the First and Main Transit Station. The city has $7.45 million budgeted, but current estimates have the cost at $8.75.

As land costs are continuing to rise and time ticks on grant money from the Regional Transportation District, Dominguez said this purchase needs to happen.

At the Safety and Justice Center, the city has committed $575,000 for a remodel, but the work cost estimates are closer to $2.3 million.

Longmont has $13.7 million for the Coffman Street busway and multimodal improvements, but estimates are closer to $19.6 million. The city has received a $6.6 million grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments that is also time constrained.

Work on Boston Avenue Bridge is expected to cost $12.5 million, but only $8.5 million has been budgeted. The city’s work on that bridge is the local match for the Army Corps of Engineer project for the next phase of Resilient St. Vrain.

For railroad quiet zones, the city has $4.5 million set aside but will cost around $10 million, according to recent estimates. That project may be able to be spread out more, as it depends on the schedule of the BNSF Railway.

The city manager did warn that if the funds are not ready for the quiet zones when the railroad company is ready, the city may lose that opportunity.

Another project is the Nelson Flanders Water Treatment Plant expansion, which had $50.6 million budgeted and currently estimated to cost $93.7 million. There’s also the Montgomery Water Tank work, which has $1.4 million budgeted and an estimated cost of $20-25 million.

To fund these project shortfalls, the money will need to come from somewhere. Staff did caution that funding the improvement projects would come at the cost of delaying management of current assets — which could impact conditions and potentially services.

No decisions were made about which projects to prioritize, but Dominguez cautioned that significant work would be needed in the coming months and that projects would be delayed or rescheduled to meet these needs.

Mayor Joan Peck requested that staff compile a list of what they believed should be prioritized.