HomeMy WebLinkAbout20242354.tiffGREAT.
WESPER Great Western Trail Authority
231 W. 4th Avenue
TRAIL
il W .
O i
Severance, CO 80546
gwtrail.com
RECEIVED
AUG 2 3 2024
WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
TO: Town Board Members of Windsor, Severance, and Eaton and the Weld County Commissioners
FROM: Tom Jones, Chr
Great Western Trail Authority
DATE: August 23, 2024
RE: Stakeholder Report
The Great Western Trail Authority (GWTA) board presents this report on our activities to IGA members
Windsor, Severance and Eaton and to the Weld County Commissioners.
2024 Highlights
Grand Opening: A Grand Opening ceremony for the Great Western Trail (GWT) was held on April 20th
during a snowstorm. Present were the mayors from all 3 towns as well as 3 Weld County commissioners.
Prior to the ribbon cutting, the Great Western Trail Foundation (GWTF), in conjunction with the Windsor
Community Foundation, sponsored the Great Western Trail Race organized by run. Windsor. This run is
scheduled to be an annual event on the trail.
Counters: The GWTA has two permanent bike and pedestrian counters along the trail near the Severance
Middle School and near the Eaton Recreation Center. Projected 2024 usage is 45,000 trips with 20% being
bicyclists and 80% pedestrian.
Community Outreach: The GWTA had a booth at Bike Everywhere Day (Windsor), Eaton Days, and
Severance Days to promote the Great Western Trail and answer questions from citizens. Each year the
comments about the Great Western Trail by citizens at these events have become more and more positive.
Resignation: Long -serving GWTA board member Steve Bagley resigned from the board in January. Steve,
a retired civil engineer, had been on the board since 2009. During his term he oversaw the construction of
the trail between Severance and Eaton. His oversight resulted in the project coming in substantially under
budget. Steve also served as GWTA secretary for many years.
Trailheads: The GWTA applied for, but was not awarded, a Colorado State Trails grant to construct 3
trailheads between Severance and Eaton at 3 county road crossings (CR's 23, 29, and 37). Estimated costs
for all 3 was $215,000.
2025 Forecast
Trail Manager: Andy Nagel, the GWTA's Trail Manager, will no longer be doing maintenance on the trail.
He will continue to participate in and/or coordinate other trail operations including:
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2024-2354
➢ Management/coordination of contract maintenance providers (commercial and/or
IGA towns)
➢ Periodic trail safety inspections
➢ Repairs to trail fencing and signage
➢ Trash removal
➢ Seeding and landscape improvements
➢ Trail user and neighbor relations
➢ GWTA administrative duties as assigned (e.g. Insurance, accounting, reporting)
➢ Grant application assistance
➢ Attendance at GWTA board meetings
➢ Events
➢ Promotions
➢ Enforcing Trail Rules
➢ Budget Preparation
➢ Liasson to Omnitrax
➢ Preparing Annual State Audit
Funding Request: Again, we thank each of the 3 towns and Weld County for your continued financial
support. For 2025, as in 2024, we are requesting a contribution of $15,000 from each town. In addition, we
are asking that each town provide maintenance (weed control, mowing) of the portion of the trail
within their jurisdiction. Six and %2 miles of the trail lie within unincorporated Weld County. There is no
formal agreement with the county for maintenance on that portion. Weld County has been contributing
$10,000 annually for GWT maintenance since 2021. For 2025, the GWTA has requested a $20,000
contribution from Weld to hire an outside contractor for weed control and mowing in the county section.
Additional Funding: The GWTA continues to seek donations for trail capital projects via the Great
Western Trail Foundation (GWTF) and investigate grant opportunities when they arise.
Trailhead: Eaton's recently updated Parks Master Plan calls for a park near the terminus of the Great
Western Trail just east of Cheyenne Avenue. It's the GWTA's hope that we can partner with the town to
develop a trailhead/park utilizing contiguous GWTA and Eaton properties.
GWTA 2025 Budget: Please see the attached proposed GWTA budget for 2025. This budget includes the
$15,000/town requested for the coming year as well as $20,000 from Weld County. In the 2025 budget there
is a line item for "Unanticipated Maintenance Expenses". Examples of these expenses over the past several
years are:
➢ $2500 — dead trees needing removal in the ROW where they were in danger of falling onto
an adjacent property (2023)
➢ $5000 — needed for stabilizing part of the trail surface that was washed out near CR 33 in
June of 2023 from a torrential downpour (2025)
➢ $5600 - #2 Ditch bridge inspection (2023)
➢ $6000 — irrigation ditch washout encroaching on the trail surface (2021)
➢ $5000 — fee for crossing the Roullard Lateral Canal (2022)
Respectfully submitted,
TowtJowes
CURRENT GWTA BOARD MEMBERS
EATON
Mark Duggan — Sales Representative
Glenn Babcock — Retired Executive, Agriculture Industry
Laura Bulzomi — Eaton Town Board Member
SEVERANCE
Stephen Gagliardi — Severance Town Board Member
Monica Pettypool, Secretary - Realtor
John Flanagan — Vice-Chr. — Construction Estimator
WINDSOR
Tom Jones, Chr. — Retired Veterinarian
Steve Wrenn, Treasurer — Weld County Deputy District Attorney
Lainie Peitz — Windsor Town Board Member
Great Western Trail Authority
2024 YTD + 2025 Budget Approved 7/10/24
Budget 2024 Actual Budget
YTD
Cash on Hand - Money Market
Cash on Hand - Public Funds
Total Cash on Hand -Be
Town of Windsor
Town of Severance
Town of Eaton
Weld Coun
Interest
Refunds-ADP/Pinnacol Assurance/CIRSA
Insurance Proceeds
Rebate on Local Construction Match -5.5 Miles
Balance of CPW Grant Due
Windsor Held Balance from CPW Grant -2021
nnin of Year
$100,000
$4,000
$270,600
$100,000
$7,374 $3,160
$104 000 $277,874 $103 160
$15,000 $15,000 $15,000
$15,000
$15,000 $15,000 $15,000
$15,000 $15,000
10,000 $10,000 $20,000
$383
$7
Total Revenue $55,000 $55,390 $65,000
Available -Reserves + Revenue $159,000 $333,364 $168,160
Advertising & Promotions $1,000 $100 $1,000
Accounting-QB0 subscription
Auto Expense
Computer & Internet Hosting
Dues & Subscriptions
Bank Charges
Grant Expense
Insurance (CIRSA)
Fees
Meals
Miscellaneous Expense
Office Supplies/Postage
Printing & Reproduction
Public Meetings
Trail Manager (Salary, Insurance, Mileage, Taxes, Payroll Fees) $15,000 $5,005 $6,000
Website
Trail Maintenance Expenses
Bridge Maintenance $2,000
Crusher Fine Maintenance $5,000
Drainage & Erosion Control
Fence Construction & Maintenance $1,000
Equipment Maintenance & Repairs $400 $51
Grading
Mowing and Trimming
Pest Management
Counter data subscription and batteries $1,000 $1,335 $1,000
Seeding $500
Sign Installation and Replacement $500 $449 $500
Trail Construction Expense $2,000
Trash Removal + Portolet fees $500 $1,365 $2,300
Tree and Shrub Maintenance $3,500 $2,500
Weed Management $2,000 $745 $20,000
Unanticipated Maintenance Expenses
$1,600
$360
$1,720
$1,434 $750
$20 $20 $20
$100
$20
$100
$100
$20
$100
$2,200 $2,508 $2,600
$1,000
$300 $300
$100 $100
$200 $200
$200 $188 $200
$600 $600
$15,000 $15,000
O 6: M Expense Subtotal $55,840 $16,060 $52,510
Net Operating Cash Flow $103,160 $317,305 $115,650
Reserved for Grant Matches * $100,000 $100,000 $100,000
Available Funds After Expenses $3,160 $217,305 $15,650
Capitalized Expenses
Trail Design, Engineering, Construction -Local Match
Severance trail link
Total Capitalized Expense
$0 $0
$0
Cash Reserve (Carryover)
NOTE:' Amount remaining from towns' grant matching contributions
$3,160 $217,305 $15,650
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