Greeley City Council Special Meeting – July 14, 2026: Civic Campus City Hall COP Resolution

The Greeley City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers at City Center South, 1001 11th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado, with hybrid participation available via Zoom. Mayor Dale Hall presided; all seven council members were present. The council considered a resolution reaffirming the city’s commitment to constructing a new City Hall as part of the Civic Campus Project and affirming the city’s intent to issue Certificates of Participation (COPs) to fund the project. The resolution passed 6–1, and a related authorizing motion passed 7–0. The meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m.

Discussion Items

• Staff presentation and timeline: Deputy City Manager Kelli Johnson and Senior Strategic Advisor John Hall reviewed the project’s origins in the 2032 Downtown Master Plan and coordinated talks with Weld County and Greeley School District 6. The city hall portion is budgeted at approximately $83.6 million and would be funded through COPs. Staff said the earliest they could return for COP authorization was September, with COP ratings and posting in October and receipt of funds in November. Delaying to December would push receipt of COP funds roughly three additional months and require an interim bridge funding structure.
• Debt and financing context: Chief Financial Officer Allena Portis said West Greeley debt payments are modeled at approximately $1.2 million in 2027, about $5 million in years two through five, and $7.3–7.8 million in years six through eight. Civic Campus COP payments are modeled at approximately $4.1 million beginning in 2029, increasing to approximately $7.9 million annually through 2031. Repayment sources include food tax, quality of life tax, and the general fund beginning around year ten; food tax and quality of life tax are the primary sources through approximately 2046 for West Greeley.
• Partner costs and testimony: Richmark developer Adam Fraser estimated that making School District 6 and Weld County whole if the city did not build its city hall or parking garage would be approximately $8 million, including roughly $4 million for horizontal work needed for District 6’s certificate of occupancy. Hotel developer Walker Thrash said he had invested slightly over $500,000 in the project, with total hotel development costs of about $28 million; he had briefly withdrawn after investors lost patience, restructured with a joint venture partner, and would recommit if the resolution provided a definitive COP issuance date. School District 6 Superintendent Deirdre Pilch said the district had spent about $4 million on encumbered costs, its first COP payment was due the following month, and it was fully committed to downtown; she would bring the full school board together to reassess if the city did not move forward. District 6’s Jeff Kirtley said design development documents were complete, a construction estimate was expected within days, construction documents were expected by September, and the district’s COPs had already been issued. Downtown Development Authority representative Bianca Fisher praised the collaboration, including over 140 internal coordination meetings; Superintendent Pilch cited more than 150 meetings as evidence of the partners’ effort. John Hall said the combined project would bring over 1,000 employees downtown, generate about $2 million annually in sales tax, and produce roughly $12 million in construction-period economic impacts over four to five years.
• Council deliberation: Mayor Pro Tem Melissa McDonald said she was concerned about holding West Greeley and Civic Campus debt at the same time, but if the council was ready to give its word to proceed, it should proceed now. Councilmember Johnny Olson opposed adding roughly $80 million in new debt while the city faced about $90 million in West Greeley COP debt; he said the West Greeley debt resulted from a February referendum that halted zoning after the COPs were issued, and he would have no hesitation supporting downtown if not for that debt. He also said the city should make District 6 and Weld County whole. Councilmember Ryan Roth said he was not fully persuaded by downtown economic projections and had significant hesitations, including unresolved assumptions about affordable housing and diversity goals, though he agreed sooner was better than later. Councilmember Brian Rudy said he had never seen a four-way public-private partnership of this scale and viewed the project as a major economic driver. Councilmember Craig Huddleston noted construction costs were escalating about five percent annually, so a six-month delay could add roughly $2 million; hotel developer Thrash said a half-point interest-rate increase would not break the deal, but additional delay without a hard commitment date would unravel the capital structure. Councilmember Deb DeBoutez moved to adopt the resolution as presented, and Mayor Pro Tem McDonald seconded.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution reaffirming the city’s commitment to the new City Hall as part of the Civic Campus Project and affirming the intent to issue COPs passed 6–1 on a roll call vote at 7:38 p.m.; Councilmember Olson voted nay.
• Motion authorizing the City Attorney to prepare required resolutions, agreements, and ordinances and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to sign them passed 7–0 by voice vote at 7:38 p.m.
• Next steps: staff will finalize predevelopment work, complete the land exchange agreement with School District 6, execute land trades, schedule a development agreement for council adoption, and return in September with COP authorization documents. COP ratings and posting are targeted for October, with receipt of funds in November.
• The special meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m.; the council then convened for its regularly scheduled work session.