[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6565203,"mediaKeyId","3224515-db83d4e9d7f962c636dca77288d79d4b","parentId",3224515,"title","Aurora advances plan for new animal shelter; staff seeks up to $27 million in COP financing","audioSeconds",1181,"startMs",740870,"endMs",1922645,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3224515-db83d4e9d7f962c636dca77288d79d4b&start=740&end=1922","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3224515-db83d4e9d7f962c636dca77288d79d4b/thumbnail_740870.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6565203/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Aurora-advances-plan-for-new-animal-shelter-staff-seeks-up-to-27-million-in-COP-financing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6565203-b4dea159645403c47962e531514740d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168431&Signature=Z5YfqL~0rw7d0G6b7MUyQrPZp~RX4Y~WDAaEODDJp3w2wUQr1gYrVlSI5bG~ajkAv1CyR-XAfxL8eZNjIFazHUAOUskwXg~JaaM~EJPyW8aZLz2MXWv~0x6lMOWVUrsVoXaCNznpByRWwkWw8CQKUr2~sMpLiUVdTzMZr6oSL1TDdbKmBNREB7eCtR4vhTe8UppT~Sk3RzO2ZU4AAW-PKELQ6Uup2eKHyWUbLthmtSN7bb3rYHUjgZrG5C-~6w5PCyPXvC5hCTsMuRaGqC4AklmqMemhwcwgZNxu0kuY38HoPPRTgKLH0a45E5WOVJlzgH0eyjBgYGFB2fMPj1B4dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Aurora City, CO","date","2025-05-08T02:08:00Z","article","Aurora City staff presented plans for a new animal shelter and introduced an ordinance authorizing lease-purchase financing (certificate of participation) of up to $27 million to help pay for a roughly $51 million project, Teresa Sedmack said at the Finance Committee meeting.

\"The ordinance which I have introduced, allows for the financing, with COPs, We just lease purchase as you know, in the maximum amount maximum borrowing amount of $27,000,000. It states a maximum interest rate of 6%.\" Teresa Sedmack said. She told the committee staff's financial adviser indicated current market rates would likely be about 4.8% if the city went to market that day.

City project staff described the proposed facility as a modern, roughly 38,000-square-foot shelter with capacity for about 250 animals, separate spaces for cats and dogs, improved customer experience and indoor/outdoor animal areas. Jessica Prosser told the committee the current shelter is out of compliance with state requirements, the facility has been operating under waivers and that renovation of the existing building is not feasible.

Prosser gave a summary of the funding plan: approximately $39 million in construction costs within a total project cost of about $51 million; roughly $11 million in soft costs and specialized equipment. Proposed funding sources in staff materials included project-specific impact fees, $5 million from the capital projects fund, about $2.9–3.0 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that must be expended by the end of 2026, an estate gift, and $27 million in COP debt issuance.

She described the preferred site as existing city-owned land near the current shelter (near Chambers and Airport), and a projected timeline with final design wrapping up in early 2026, a construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) procurement in the summer, and a construction window of about 18 to 24 months.

On financing terms, Sedmack said the ordinance sets a $27 million maximum borrowing amount, a maximum interest rate of 6 percent and a maximum maturity of 30 years. She reported a 4.8 percent market estimate from the city's financial adviser and said debt service at that rate would be approximately $1.7 million per year.

Council members asked about reducing the requested COP by pursuing contributions and intergovernmental agreements. Roberto (staff) said staff would open conversations with neighboring jurisdictions and Arapahoe County, and that the city had reviewed an existing 15-year-old funding agreement with Arapahoe County and the county is already providing some funding and sending animals to the shelter from unincorporated areas.

Several council members requested staff pursue a range of options including county contributions, contractual agreements with nearby cities that contract for animal services, and possible congressional-directed or other federal appropriations for eligible vertical components. Sedmack and other staff said they would follow up but cautioned that interjurisdictional approvals could take longer than the city's COP schedule.

A majority of committee members expressed support for moving the project forward to additional council consideration, while one member said they were undecided and emphasized other city priorities such as fire-station response standards. No final council vote on the ordinance or COP issuance occurred at the committee meeting; Sedmack said the COP element is expected to come to council for action (staff indicated June as a likely time frame for the financing step).

Clarifying details from staff included a $51 million total project estimate, approximately $39 million of construction costs, about $11 million in soft costs and equipment, COP maximum $27 million, ARPA allocation approximately $2.9–3.0 million (some ARPA funds already spent on preliminary design), required ARPA expenditure by end of 2026, estimated debt service of about $1.7 million per year at a 4.8% rate, and a projected 18–24 month construction window after procurement and grading.

The committee advanced the item for further consideration and asked staff to pursue potential contributions and partnerships before finalizing the COP issuance amount.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Management & Finance Policy Committee Meeting - May 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Aurora City staff presented plans for a new animal shelter and introduced an ordinance authorizing lease-purchase financing (certificate of participation) of up to $27 million to help pay for a roughly $51 million project, Teresa Sedmack said at the Finance Committee meeting.","taxTitle","Aurora City, Douglas County, Colorado","taxId",5767,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6565208,"Aurora sales tax up about 6% in March as variable business receipts drive gains",455,36600,492175,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3224515-db83d4e9d7f962c636dca77288d79d4b&start=36&end=492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3224515-db83d4e9d7f962c636dca77288d79d4b/thumbnail_36600.jpg","/articles/6565208/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Aurora-sales-tax-up-about-6-in-March-as-variable-business-receipts-drive-gains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6565208-eef05eb6504e102badb1cf31dd8e2335/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168431&Signature=OcrC4qC8GVLMZN6DWenf9XnXfOPcsMCqYEh-Nu4WNwBOId3CPPnIU6XTONTV~-cXKZGwvmVG~4whzl~K~OUqdmuOATYR1vsvG9WyqlkT0R3kEAr6783qrldVImfiqwgGG6YoVCHgZD7Gof1FnUqvnTBgWpr4YIVsJauerCH7VuIyGCIZBqRHnzMokcUi5tIK5zStFTaFDgxFzd~cfNZsRWmXRZdRMCrjR49O0ifkM-azakDjHV8ASCrb6A4OjWHJGiiwyHFau9QG-uw8A4rbVSNtP0T5OdTK7XTVY4krJuRKBjK-UWGyYHQAu152r~gXjY4RdsZ-YSDTXLtDS8wtcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Aurora City collected $22.4 million in sales tax in March, about $1.3 million (6%) more than March 2024, driven largely by one-time, variable business-to-business receipts, city finance staff reported at the Finance Committee meeting.

\"In total I tracked $2,950,000 of variable sales tax collections in March,\" Bill Levine, with the Aurora finance department, told the committee. He said the same companies accounted for about $800,000 in March 2024, producing a roughly $2.1 million increase year over year for the month.

The higher March receipts reduced the city's year-to-date shortfall against budget from about $2.5 million to $1.5 million, Levine said, but he cautioned that variable receipts are by definition irregular. \"The bad news to make sure this is clear is that it's not clear that those trends will continue,\" he said.

Levine described the variable receipts as mostly business-to-business transactions that can spike month to month. He said that for the first three months of 2025 the city has collected about $9.3 million from taxpayers he classifies as \"variable,\" compared with about $3.5 million in the first three months of 2024.

Committee members asked sector-specific questions. Levine said the electronics-and-computers sector is composed of two subgroups: larger, consistent retail sellers (for example Best Buy, Apple, HP, Microsoft) that are down 2.1% year to date, and a variable subgroup — often business-to-business sales — that is up about 67% year to date. Combined, he said, that sector is up roughly 28%.

\"The consistent piece would include companies like Best Buy,\" Levine said. \"Within that sector, year to date, my consistent electronic and computer companies are actually down 2.1%, but my variable are up 67%.\"

Committee members asked whether large retailers report single-category receipts. Levine said he receives a single total from a taxpayer such as Best Buy and allocates the whole amount to the sector for internal tracking, acknowledging the approach is imperfect.

On the budget outlook, committee members and finance staff discussed a previously cited potential shortfall on the order of $25 million for the fiscal year. \"I wouldn't contradict that number,\" Levine said when asked if recent months change that projection. Greg Hayes, participating on the call, said he believed operating shortfalls were roughly $5.5 million to $6 million based on current trends.

Levine said the city's sector tracking shows 10 of 15 sectors are negative year to date; the gains are concentrated in industrial sales and computers/electronics, and mostly from variable receipts. Committee members pressed staff on timing: Levine and finance staff said numbers are typically finalized around May, with May–June the window for revising revenue projections.

The committee did not take formal action on the revenue update; the presentation was informational and staff answered clarifying questions.

Clarifying details reported by staff included the $22.4 million March total, $2.95 million of variable receipts in March, $800,000 variable receipts in March 2024 for the same companies, year-to-date variable receipts of $9.3 million in 2025 versus $3.5 million in 2024, and a year-to-date budget shortfall reduced to about $1.5 million through March.","City finance staff reported $22.4 million in March sales-tax collections, a roughly $1.3 million (6%) increase from March 2024, driven primarily by unusually large, variable business-to-business receipts; staff cautioned the trend may not continue.","actionData","errors"]

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Aurora advances plan for new animal shelter; staff seeks up to $27 million in COP financing

Aurora sales tax up about 6% in March as variable business receipts drive gains