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Counseling Education Center asks Grand Junction to refund impact fees to finish Orchard Mesa facility
Summary
The Counseling Education Center (CEC) told the Grand Junction City Council it needs roughly $500,000 more to complete renovations in Orchard Mesa and asked the city to consider refunding impact fees and other help; staff was directed to prepare a supplemental appropriation ordinance for council review.
The Counseling Education Center asked the Grand Junction City Council on Nov. 3 for help closing a roughly $500,000 funding gap to finish renovations on a new Orchard Mesa facility that will expand local counseling capacity.
Hallie Nuremberg, executive director of the Counseling Education Center, told the council the nonprofit was awarded ARPA funding (listed in the project packet as about $996,006) and used that with other grants and donations to buy and begin renovating a historic home in Orchard Mesa. She said an originally estimated $495,000 renovation budget rose during planning and permitting to add roughly $1 million in costs because the project required change‑of‑use work, a hard‑surface parking requirement, drainage excavation, additional ADA access, plumbing and electrical scope and permit and impact fees. "Because this was not a commercial facility, the amount of additional work beyond the renovation of the building itself was where the majority of the cost was," Nuremberg said.
Nuremberg said the CEC has raised about half of the gap since June and is pursuing several additional sources — including low‑interest loans from mission‑aligned foundations, a potential $500,000 request to the state opioid abatement council with Mesa County Public Health’s sponsorship, and a recent $450,000 award noted in the packet — but still expects a remaining shortfall of about $500,000. She described contract renegotiations with the contractor, a stipulated‑sum contract to share risk on overruns, and modest contingencies on both sides as steps to limit future increases.
City staff told the council that granting the CEC’s request would be done by a supplemental appropriation ordinance and that funds could be paid from the city’s reserve balance if council gave direction. Council members praised the organization’s long service to the community and training partnerships with Colorado Mesa University. Council member Scott said he was "totally supportive" and urged staff to prepare the ordinance; other members expressed similar support.
Staff will return a supplemental appropriation ordinance to the council for formal consideration and vote; no appropriation was approved during the workshop.
The next procedural step is for staff to draft the supplemental appropriation and bring it before the council at a future meeting this year.
