- Melissa Emerson, , Community Liaison Community Dialogue Looking for an opportunity to share your experiences of living in a Fort Collins neighborhood? CSU's Off-Campus Student Services and the City's Neighborhood Services are teaming up to host a community dialogue and we are looking participation from students and long-term residents. Colorado State University is a vital part of Fort Collins, bringing economic benefits, cultural opportunities, and an ever-changing energy to the community. However, with differences in lifestyles between students and non-student residents, the City and University know there is potential for conflict and tension in our neighborhoods. We hope to provide an opportunity for residents to share their experiences, successes, and frustrations about living in a Fort Collins neighborhood where students and long-term residents co-exist. It is our hope that increased understanding of neighbors' experiences will lead to better communication between students and long-term residents throughout the community.  
- Ginny Sawyer, , Neighborhood Administrator The City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services will host a Landlord Education Series. The series is a two-day, eight-hour class designed to inform and empower local landlords to operate successfully within the complex and ever-changing northern Colorado rental market. The class will take place on Friday, November 7 and Friday, November 21 from 8:30 to 12:30 both days. This is a two-part training so please plan on attending both days. The cost is $20 and confirmation will only be sent after payment has been received. If you would like to register, payment (cash or check only) can be dropped off at Neighborhood Services at 281 North College, second floor or mailed to: Neighborhood Services, PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please make checks payable to City of Fort Collins. To date, almost 150 landlords have taken this class and the feedback has been very positive. By working with landlords, Neighborhoods Services hopes to provide the resources and information necessary for both landlords and tenants to be successful and have a positive rental experience. This training will include topics and information on tenant selection-- where to find tenants, screening and background checks; rental housing codes-- what does the code say, what are housing inspectors looking for; nuisance codes including the Public Nuisance Ordinance; and leases and evictions. Owning a rental property is a very challenging business. This course can help give you the information to make your business successful, and will help give you the tools to make sure your rental complies with local codes and ordinances. The series is open to all landlords, but is geared to those who own a few rental properties or are new to renting and may not be aware of the legalities and the preventive steps that can make renting successful for all parties involved.  Economic HealthClaire Thomas, , Publicity Marketing Specialist Wondering what's happening in the City's Economic Health Office? Want to learn about exciting, innovative local businesses? Then the City's Economic Enewsletter is for you! Just go to fcgov.com/business and look for the sign-up box. It's free, it's brief, it's all about the City's economic news. 
- Lynn Suess , Customer Service Representative Q: How much is it going to snow this winter? A: We don't know, but anytime it snows enough to cover your sidewalk it needs to be shoveled. Q: When exactly do I need to shovel my sidewalk? A: If your sidewalk is covered in snow 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling it needs to be shoveled. Q: What if it snows while I'm on vacation over the holidays? A: You should make arrangements with neighbors because if it snows enough to cover your sidewalk it needs to be shoveled. Q: Will Neighborhood Services give me a warning about snow shoveling? A: Once each snow season Code Compliance Officers will leave sticky notes reminding folks that when their sidewalk is covered in snow it needs to be shoveled. Q: Only one warning? A: Yes, only one warning. If it snows enough to cover your sidewalk a second time and you don't shovel within 24 hours of the snow stopping, Neighborhood Services will send a contractor to shovel and you will be sent the bill. Q: So, really, anytime it snows enough to cover my sidewalk it needs to be shoveled within 24 hours of the snow stopping? A: Yes. Anytime your sidewalk is covered in snow it needs to be shoveled within 24 hours of the snow stopping.  Winter Air Quality - Fight the Brown Cloud- Ginny Sawyer, , Neighborhood Administrator Cooler temperatures can bring on the brown cloud in our community. Not only do the temperature drops result in inversions, which can trap air but the cooler weather also means more people are burning wood fires and idling their cars. If you have a wood burning fireplace, the City asks that you burn clean, dry wood in a good hot fire. Don't leave your wood stove or fireplace unattended for long periods of time or damper it down too much, since this produces more smoke. Residents should also be aware that the installation of a fireplace or wood burning stove or insert, requires the owner to obtain a building permit through the Neighborhood and Building Services. The following are helpful burning suggestions and legal requirements: - Burn only clean, dry wood in a small hot fire. It is illegal to burn trash, which includes cardboard, plastic, newspaper, office paper, and treated wood. - Only stoves certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency may be installed in Fort Collins. - After the first 15 minutes of start up, City Code requires smoke from your chimney not exceed "20% opacity" (smoke should be barely visible when looking at it with your back to the sun). - Consider replacing or removing your wood burning unit. The City of Fort Collins offers a zero interest loan program, called ZILCH for this purpose. You may be eligible to borrow up to $2,300 interest-free. Please visit fcgov.com/zilch to learn more. Limiting unnecessary vehicle idling will also help with our air pollution during the colder months. Let your car warm up by driving slowly rather than letting idle for long periods (this may require an investment in an ice scraper!) In our town it can also make a difference to turn your car off while waiting for the train to pass. All of these measures will not only save you gas but will help to keep our air cleaner! Please do your part to keep Fort Collins healthy. If you have additional questions, please see fcgov.com/woodsmoke.  Dirt Yards & Dilapidated Fence - New Ordinance- Beth Sowder, , Neighborhood Services Manager In case you haven't heard, the City Council passed a new ordinance that regulates dirt yards and dilapidated fences on developed lots. Basically, this means that a significant amount of a yard (more than 20%) that is visible from the public street or sidewalk must be covered with some kind of plants, shrubs, trees, grass, or other ground cover material like mulch, gravel, paving bricks, etc. In addition, any section of fence visible from the public street or sidewalk must be maintained in good condition and does not have missing or broken slats, sections or posts. Violations will not include yards or fences that can only be seen from an alley or a neighboring property. These codes address physical deterioration of properties that affect the well-being and quality of neighborhoods in Fort Collins. Violations will be given a reasonable amount of time for compliance and extensions will be granted for mitigating circumstances such as weather or working with assistance programs. Enforcement will begin on January 1, 2009 and will focus on alternative resolutions for violations through assistance programs and volunteer help. Voluntary compliance is our goal, and the use of enforcement will be used as a last resort to gain compliance. Violations are considered civil infractions and subject to civil penalty. City Council is very interested in providing assistance to low-income or disabled homeowners. Once this ordinance goes into affect, there will be financial assistance available to qualified applicants to assist with compliance. In addition, we will continue to offer many volunteer opportunities to those who need some help or those who would like to offer some help.  Leaves Leaves Leaves- Ginny Sawyer, , Neighborhood Administrator I look out my window and see the leaves haven't started to fly but it is only a matter of time! Soon there will be leaves in the street, on the sidewalks, carpeting your lawn, in the storm sewer system and in roof gutters. It will be time to trade in the lawn mower for the rake and time to figure out what you're going to do with all those leaves. One thing NOT to do is rake leaves into the street! The City's Streets Department will thank you because excessive leaves can clog the street sweepers and cause storm sewer inlets to back up and flood. Another tact to avoid is sending leaves to the landfill. Avoiding the landfill helps to divert waste and helps support the community's recycling goals. So what options are left? Natural Resources continues to host an online Leaf Exchange at fcgov.com/recycling/leaf-exchange.php. Here you can find people who want leaves, usually for mulch operations, and you can post any leaves you have available. This website is a great resource for diverting leaves from our landfills and drainage systems. Check it out!  21 Years of Cans Around the Oval!- Melissa Emerson, , Community Liaison This year marks the 21st year of Cans Around the Oval. This event, sponsored by Colorado State University, is the largest food drive for the Food Bank for Larimer County. Last year, 127,000 pounds of food was collected to benefit county residents. Cans Around the Oval has grown from a small student project to one of the largest and most effective food drives in the state. The straightforward goal of this event is to gather as much food for the Food Bank as possible between September 17 to October 17. Every year, the need for food grows in our community. The Food Bank's several income-contingent programs serve a Larimer County family every 33 seconds. The Food Bank fed 10,000 individuals in August 2008 alone; most of these residents are either elderly and on fixed incomes or children. Cans Around the Oval is a wonderful opportunity to show concern and support for our fellow citizens in need. This year's event intends to raise the bar for community involvement by raising 150,000 pounds of food for distribution. There are many ways to pitch in as a community member that are quick and simple. First, keep your eyes out for collection bins around town at various retail locations and simply donate cans of non-perishable food to those bins. CSU students will be blanketing the community going door to door in an effort to raise awareness and gather cans for the drive. Watch for the canvass in your area and have your cans, or tax-deductible monetary donations, ready to give. For more information on Cans Around the Oval, please visit slice.colostate.edu/slice/volunteer/cans.aspx or contact the Student Leadership, Involvement and Civic Engagement office, at CSU (970-491-3579) for details or questions. The call to help our community is upon us, and we all have an opportunity to answer! 
It's National Community Planning Month, See Planning in Action, Talk One-on-one with Local Planners - Becca Henry, , Urban Designer From where you live to how you get to work, your decisions are all influenced by planning. Many citizens do not realize the impact planning has on their daily life. In an effort to join the community with its local planners, various City of Fort Collins planning departments are offering three FREE tours of our great neighborhoods and streets. This is an opportunity to meet local planners and have one-on-one conversations about the many projects within the city, past and present. The tours will highlight various projects including recent urban design winners, South College Corridor Plan, and the evolution of neighborhood planning. This is an opportunity to recognize how planning shapes Fort Collins, and the work of planners and the planning profession in creating communities of lasting value. The City of Fort Collins encourages you to take advantage of this terrific occasion and be part of National Community Planning Month.
 Homecoming & Family Weekend It's Easy Being Green With a new day and new time, you'll need a few new ideas to make sure you enjoy every moment of Homecoming and Family Weekend. The parade starts on Friday evening, October 10 at 5 pm and travels from Mountain, south on Howes, through the CSU Oval and on to campus. Homecoming Parade - Friday, October 10, at 5pm Arrive early, prime parade viewing spots are a hot commodity! Arriving early gives you a better chance of finding a good place along the parade route. Don't forget the camp chairs! Plan for road closures. Take a few moments before getting in your car to plan an alternative route to avoid the following road closures. What's the best plan for avoiding traffic and road closures? Avoid driving! Plan on taking Transfort into work, ride your bike, or carpool. Closed at 1pm - Meldrum (from Cherry to Mountain) - Howes (from Cherry to Mountain) - Maple (from Meldrum to Mason) - Laporte (from Meldrum to Mason) - Mountain (from Meldrum to Mason) Closed at 4pm - Howes (from Mountain through Laurel) - Mulberry (from Meldrum to Mason) - Laurel (from Meldrum to Mason) - Use Alternative Transportation Parking There will be no parking allowed along the parade route and in the staging area, but that doesn't mean there is no place to park. The parking structure at Mason and Laporte is an affordable option in a great location. The first hour is free, and each additional hour costs $.50. Family Festival - Friday, October 10, 6:30 at 9pm One of the best changes to this year's event will be the addition of the Homecoming Festival. After the parade, at the intersection of University & Meridian Avenues, the fun continues with the Homecoming Pep Rally featuring Head Football Coach Steve Fairchild and members of the team. Enjoy hours of Festival fun including music, games, food and more! Explore the family-friendly offerings of RamTown before wrapping up the celebration with the bonfire, fireworks show and Lighting of the "A." There is no charge to attend the Homecoming Festival; however, a $15 per person registration fee covers the cost of dinner, drinks and dessert, with plenty of options for the whole family. Don't Forget the Game! With so much going on this weekend, it's easy to forget about the main event: CSU vs. TCU. Kickoff is at 1:30pm. Buy tickets, check out the other events and get the complete scoop on all things Homecoming at www.homecoming.colostate.edu.
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