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Home My WebLink About10206RESOLUTION NO. 10206 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ARKANSAS RIVER EXHIBIT IN THE ISLANDS OF LIFE BUILDING AT THE PUEBLO ZOO, AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION TO GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER EXHIBIT, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL TO EXECUTE SAME WHEREAS, Paragraph 11 of the City of Pueblo Zoo Management Agreement between the City of Pueblo and the Pueblo Zoological Society approved on September 1, 1998 through City Council Resolution No. 8570 requires the City to approve any change, alteration or improvement at the Pueblo Zoo having a cost of $25,000 or more; and WHEREAS, City Council approves the plan submitted by the Pueblo Zoological Society and authorizes the submittal of a grant application for the Arkansas River Exhibit in the Islands of Life Building at the Pueblo Zoo; and BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: SECTION 1 The City of Pueblo hereby approves the plan submitted by the Pueblo Zoological Society for the construction of the Arkansas River Exhibit in the Islands of Life Building at the Pueblo Zoo. SECTION 2. The grant application requesting $70,000 for the construction of the Arkansas River Exhibit at the Pueblo Zoo is hereby approved for submittal to the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund. SECTION 3_ The President of the City Council is hereby authorized to execute and deliver the grant application on behalf of the City of Pueblo, a Municipal Corporation, and the City Clerk shall affix the seal of the City thereto and attest same. INTRODUCED Auaust 23. 2004 M CITY CLE Michael Occhiato Councilperson �J�I & I NaMikE m Background Paper for Proposed RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM # DATE: AUGUST 23, 2004 DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT /JIM MUNCH PLANNING DEPARTMENT /JIM MUNCH TITL A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ARKANSAS RIVER EXHIBIT IN THE ISLANDS OF LIFE BUILDING AT THE PUEBLO ZOO, AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION TO GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER EXHIBIT, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL TO EXECUTE SAME � Should City Council approve the Arkansas River Exhibit in the Islands of Life Building at the Pueblo Zoo and agree to submit a grant application to the State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund to assist in funding the construction of the Arkansas River Exhibit? RECOMMENDATION Approval of this Resolution. CLL��3•ITI;L7 On September 1, 1998 City Council approved Resolution No. 8570 authorizing the City to enter into an agreement with the Pueblo Zoological Society (Society) for the management and operation of the Pueblo Zoo. The term of the agreement was extended on July 14, 2003 by Council to continue through December 31, 2013. Paragraph 11 of the agreement requires the Society to receive approval from the City for any alteration or improvement at the Zoo having a cost of $25,000 or more. As part of the renovation of the older buildings and structures at the Pueblo Zoo, the Society is working to complete the rehabilitation of the historic Animal House building which will result in a $2.9 million complex of exhibits called the Islands of Life. The Society has previously presented their master plan for the rehabilitation of the historic buildings at the zoo to City Council at work sessions, but Council has not approved specific alterations and improvements in compliance with the agreement. The first exhibit planned in the Islands of Life rehabilitation is the Arkansas River Exhibit. In order to construct this exhibit, the Society is requesting the City to apply for a $70,000 grant from GOCO to assist in funding the Arkansas River Exhibit in the Islands of Life Building at the Pueblo Zoo (see attachments). The Society will provide funds in the amount of $38,270, as the local match for the project. Total project cost is estimated at $108,270. The Arkansas River Exhibit will interpret a linear island through a short-grass prairie habitat, with many animals spending most or all of their lives in the confines of this riparian ecosystem. The exhibit will display living animals native to Colorado —spiny soft - shelled and snapping turtles as well as pocket gopher and bullsnakes. Glass exhibit walls will allow visitors to view the turtles as they swim underwater, while the habitat of the pocket gopher and bullsnake are designed to create the illusion that there is no barrier between them, thus dramatically illustrating their predator -prey relationship without harm to either animal. A replicated plains cottonwood will tower over the exhibit and be used to explain the importance of this tree. Visitors will "discover" mounted birds, insects, and other animals that find shelter among the branches of these giant trees. Construction of the exhibit will require fabrication of artificial rockwork and the cottonwood tree, installation of glass viewing windows and a filtration system, construction of a holding/keeper access area, addition of cage "furnishings ", and development /installation of educational graphics. If the project is funded by GOCO, the Society will maintain the exhibit in the same manner as other exhibits, as required by American Aquarium and Zoo Association, the accrediting agency for zoos and aquariums. FINANCIAL IMPACT The Zoological Society is not asking the City to contribute cash to this project. The current City policy has authorized the Society to bid, enter into a construction contracts and complete capital projects without the City administering the necessary financial obligations. The City will be required to approve an ordinance establishing a capital project budgeting and appropriating the GOCO grant amount and the Zoo's matching funds, totaling $108,270. Once the project is completed the City will be reimbursed the $70,000 grant funds from GOCO. The Planning Department staff will perform necessary administrative duties associated with monitoring the grant. LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUMMARY FORM PARTICIPANT INFORMATION 1. Applicant: 5. Primary Partner (if any): City of Pueblo Pueblo Zoological Socie 2. Applicant Address: 6. Partner Address: 211 East D Street 3455 Nuckolls Avenue Pueblo, CO 81003 Pueblo, CO 81005 3. Applicant Contact Name: 7. Partner Contact Name: Jonnene McFarland Primary Contact? YES NO Primary Contact? X YES NO Title: Title: Executive Director Telephone #: Telephone #: (719) 561 -1452 x104 Fax #: Fax #: (719) 561 -8686 E-mail: E -mail: director @pueblozoo.org Attended Technical Assistance Workshop? Attended Technical Assistance Workshop? YES NO Location/Date: YES X NO Location/Date: In the past, but not in 2004. 4. County: 8. City: (If applicable) Pueblo Pueblo PROJECT INFORMATION 9. Project Title: ARKANSAS RIVER EXHIBIT AT THE PUEBLO ZOO 10. Grant Request: $ 70,000 Total Project Cost: $ 108,270 11. Brief Description of Project (In 250 words or less, describe the components of the proposed project): At the Pueblo Zoo the $2.9 million rehabilitation of an historic exhibit building will result in Islands of Life, a complex of exhibits illustrating a variety of habitats in isolation. The Arkansas River will be interpreted as a linear island through the short-grass prairie, with many animals spending most or all of their lives in the confines of this riparian ecosystem. The exhibit will display living animals native to Colorado —spiny soft - shelled and snapping turtles as well as pocket gopher and bullsuake. Glass exhibit walls will allow visitors to view the turtles as they swim underwater, while the habitat of the pocket gopher and bullsnake are designed to create the illusion that there is no barrier between them, thus dramatically illustrating their predator -prey relationship without harm to either animal. A replicated plains cottonwood will tower over the exhibit and be used to explain the importance of this tree. Visitors will "discover" mounted birds, insects, and other animals that find shelter among the branches of these giant trees. Construction of the exhibit will require fabrication of artificial rockwork and the cottonwood tree, installation of glass viewing windows and a filtration system, construction of a holding/keeper access area, addition of cage "furnishings ", and development/installation of educational graphics. 12. Will Conservation Trust Fund dollars be used in this project? No If yes, how much? ti. : . III 13. Authorized Signature: f-z (From appl' ant organization) Printed Name and Title: Randy Thurston President of Cit_y Council Date.: 8 -26 -2004 Fall 2004 Great Outdoors Colorado Local Park and Outdoor Recreation Grant Application Page 5 (return to GOCO)