What is Moving Fountain Forward?
Moving Fountain Forward is a 2009 citizen based ballot initiative that focuses sales tax money’s (0.75%, three quarters of a cent on each one dollar purchase) to three areas of transportation funding:
1. Streets Resurfacing (0.15%) – This work has been ongoing and all money accrued has been spent each year on resurfacing projects throughout the City.
2. Public Transportation (0.25%) – The City of Fountain Municipal Transit Bus Service was created in April 2012 and is funded annually through this portion of MFF.
3. Capital Projects (0.35%) – Includes 10 Capital projects, please see attached timeline for updates on each project. Estimated project costs have not kept pace with current construction costs leaving a major funding shortfall to complete projects. This is attributed to the fact that budget projections in 2009, amidst the Great Recession, were far lower than current 2018 project construction costs. NOTE:The Capital Projects portion was given a sunset date of Jan 1, 2020. In November of 2019, Fountain citizens voted not to continue this portion of the MFF special tax.
With the MFF initiative being approved in 2009 why have all the capital projects and quiet zone (train noise abatement) not been completed by now?
The City could not bond or borrow the money to immediately initiate and complete MFF Capital Projects, rather the money must accrue, before it could be utilized. Currently, the money accrued under MFF has not kept pace with the continuing rise of construction costs and in turn the City is short several million dollars to complete the capital projects.
The Quiet Zone Initiative is a series of projects intended to preclude the necessity of train conductors to sound the train horn when passing through City intersections. In Fountain, Quiet Zone projects area multi-agency process and include the approval of two major railroad companies (BNSF and UP) who do not answer to any City, County, or State Government entity. The City must meet all legal, policy and funding requirements of BNSF and UP as they own all railroad crossings in the City. We must also meet all Federal Highway Administration requirements and guidelines, and also State of Colorado (CDOT) requirements and guidelines for the building of two intersections on Hwy 85/87, which is a State highway. Approval of the City of Fountain Quiet Zone is pending completion of all safety improvements required by the railroads and the new capital project crossings (Highway 85/87and Indiana crossings). The City has continued diligently working on meeting these requirements, as well as coordinating with all equities involved to ensure we can complete the Quiet Zone Initiative in as timely a manner as possible.
Which projects have been completed?
1. Streets Resurfacing (0.15%) – 45 streets resurfacing projects have been completed. New projects are initiated annually.
2. Public Transportation (0.25%) – The City of Fountain Municipal Transit Bus Service was created in April of 2012. To date, FMT has served over 200,000 riders! Buses now travel a total of 131,102 miles per year.
3. Capital Projects (0.35%) – 10 Capital projects are included in this percentage. Download the status of these projects by clicking the link below.
Status of all MFF projects
To download the PDF file on the status of all MFF projects click HERE.
For a summary of MFF Spending Records from 2010-2023, click HERE.
Ballot Initiative
To view the ballot initiative and verbiage please download or view the PDF
here
To view the original Moving Fountain Forward proposal download or view the PDF
here.