UFR TPR September 3rd, 2026 Meeting Minutes
Meeting Location:
Morgan County Assembly Room
231 Ensign St., Fort Morgan, CO 80701
Attendance: LARIMER COUNTY: Eric Tracy, Kristin Stephens, MORGAN COUNTY: Tim Malone, WELD COUNTY: Denise Staley, Evan Pinkham, Kevin Ross, Lynette Peppler, Samantha Brown. CDOT: Antigone Peebles, Amanda Cabot, Cecil Gutierrez, Heather Paddock, James Usher, Jim Eussen, Josie Thomas, Neysa Bermingham, Spencer York, MULLER ENG: Cody Davis, Kelly Maiorana, NECALG: Karissa Coe, NFRMPO: Becky Karasko, Elizabeth Relford, CITY OF BRUSH/TOWN OF HILLROSE: Dale Colerick, CITY OF BRUSH: Patrick Heisler, ESTES PARK: David Greear, FORT LUPTON: Chris Cross, FORT MORGAN: Brent Nation, Matt Underwood, PLATTEVILLE: Troy Renken, WELLINGTON: Bob Gowing, Patti Garcia, Cody Bird
Introductions and Determination of Quorum - Chair Commissioner Malone
Chair Commissioner Malone called the meeting to order at 1pm. Introductions were made around the room, and a quorum was determined to be present.
Entities present
Larimer County, Morgan County, Weld County, CDOT, City of Brush/Town of Hillrose, Estes Park, Fort Lupton, Fort Morgan, Platteville, and Wellington.
Approval of UFRTPR June 4, 2026, Meeting Minutes – Chair Commissioner Malone
Motion: Approve the June 4th, 2026, Meeting Minutes. Motion was moved by: Vice Chair Commissioner Ross and seconded by: Troy Renken. Motion passed unanimously.
Transportation Commissioner Announcements (Cecil Gutierrez, CDOT)
Commissioner Gutierrez informed the group that the budget has been approved, and the 10-Year Plan (YP) has also been approved. He also noted that a compromise was reached regarding Initiative 175, and as a result, the measure will no longer appear on the ballot. While not all details of the compromise have been released, he is hopeful that more information will be available to share with the group at the next meeting.
Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) / Safe Routes to School (SRTS) update (Neysa Bermingham, CDOT)
Neysa Bermingham provided an overview of upcoming fall grant opportunities: Safe Routes Activating Communities, Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). All programs are federally funded reimbursement grants open to local and tribal governments, schools, school districts, and regional transportation entities.
The Safe Routes Activating Communities Program is a new 12‑month capacity‑building effort for small or under‑resourced communities to improve walking, biking, and rolling routes. It includes peer learning, expert guidance, development of a Safe Routes Action Plan, and Early Action Funding of $10,000. Applications are open through September 30, 2026, and no match is required.
Call for SRTS and TAP projects will open in October due to pending federal Surface Transportation Funding Bill renewal. A single application will be used for both programs and assigned to the appropriate funding source. Applicants must submit a letter of interest and complete engineering and compliance review before final submission. Funding will cover fiscal years 2027–2029.
Neysa highlighted updates to scoring criteria, including bonus points for communities that designate themselves as Neighborhood Centers through Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and consideration of new strategic growth laws related to community development and housing needs.
Neysa requested one scoring committee representative from each TPR. Evan Pinkham was selected to represent UFRTPR. For newsletter sign‑ups or questions about active transportation funding, participants were directed to active.insights@state.co.us.
UFRTPR Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grant Award Cycle Discussion (Evan Pinkham, Weld County)
This discussion is a continuation of the conversation held at the June UFRTPR meeting regarding the CMAQ grant program, which provides annual funding to counties in non‑attainment areas: Weld and Larimer. Historically, the group selected one project per county on alternating years. Recently, however, the group has considered using out‑year funds together to support larger, more impactful projects.
Evan revisited this topic and proposed a plan for the upcoming call for projects. He explained that combining FY27 and prior funds with FY28, FY29, and FY30 would total $5,048,453.00, allowing the amount to be evenly split between Larimer and Weld County. Consolidating these future funds would enable both counties to pursue larger projects more effectively.
The group agreed this approach would be more beneficial and decided to move forward with utilizing the out‑year funds.
2026 Intermountain West Ozone Conference (Elizabeth Relford, NFRMPO)
Elizabeth Relford, Executive Director of the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO), informed the group about the upcoming Ozone Exchange Conference, scheduled for October 26–28 and jointly hosted by the NFRMPO and the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. The event is being organized in partnership with Colorado’s Air Quality Enterprise, Intermountain West MPOs, and air quality agencies across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. The conference was created in response to growing concerns that ozone levels in the Intermountain West are no longer improving despite significant reductions in human-made emissions. It is open to anyone interested in ozone issues, standards, and regional air quality challenges. The conference will take place at the Pedersen Toyota Center in Loveland, CO, with scholarships available to support participation. Day one will focus on planning, day two on research, and day three on public health communication and future actions. Registration is currently open, with late registration beginning October 5. Organizers are seeking additional sponsors to help offset event costs and appreciate those who have already contributed.
Community Roundtable
Weld County (Vice Chair Commissioner Ross)
Weld County is wrapping up several major road projects, including the WCR 77 project in Grover, which received state grant funding and is nearing completion. The county is also making steady progress on its partnered projects with the state along WCR 52 near Fort Lupton. In addition, Burlington Northern has approached the county with interest in developing an interchange at WCR 8 and I‑76, and early discussions are underway as they explore potential grant opportunities to advance the project. The Justice Center continues to move forward as well, and the county has hired JE Dunn Construction as the construction manager/general contractor for the effort.
CDOT (Amanada Cabot)
Amanda introduced herself as the newest member of the CDOT Region 4 Planning team. She previously served as a fellow at CDOT headquarters and has experience working on the 10-Year Plan. Amanda brings a background in communications and holds a master’s degree in environmental sustainability.
Fort Morgan (Brent Nation)
Fort Morgan completed a major storm sewer project over the summer, which required work across two state highways and an interstate. Brent expressed appreciation for CDOT’s support throughout the project, noting that several unexpected issues required temporary closures of both state highways and interstate ramps. The storm sewer has now been installed, and the roadway has been fully patched.
Morgan County (Chair Commissioner Malone)
Morgan County expressed appreciation that CDOT Region 4 will be moving forward with Phase Four of the I‑76 overlay this fall.
Heather Paddock (CDOT)
Heather confirmed that crossovers will be constructed this fall, with bridge work beginning in the spring. CDOT is still finalizing the construction and maintenance agreement with the railroad, so most of the project’s major work is expected to occur next year.
City of Brush/Town of Hillrose (Dale Colerick)
The town continues heavy roadway maintenance with one more intensive year ahead. Highway 34 will be briefly closed on October 3rd for Oktoberfest pending permits. Drainage projects are planned in Hillrose.
Wellington (Patti Garcia)
Patti shared her appreciation for having Elizabeth Relford and Commissioner Stephens speak to the Board of Trustees, providing helpful information on TPRs and MPOs for new members.
The Cleveland Avenue project is in its first quarter, bringing major downtown changes, with winter shutdown planned and work resuming in spring. Local businesses are struggling during construction, and community support is encouraged.
Wellington is also concerned about the upcoming I‑25 overpass project, as it is the town’s only east‑west access. CDOT has included a pedestrian overpass in the plans, allowing walking and biking access, which has been well‑received.
Cody Bird added that they are advancing their transportation master plan and have completed phase two of public engagement. They are now moving into project prioritization and implementation recommendations, along with a transportation impact fee study. The plan is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and they look forward to sharing the results.
Larimer County (Commissioner Stephens)
Larimer County reported progress on multiple Owl Canyon segments, with construction planned for fall 2027–2028. A key segment was removed from the 5‑YP due to a failed sales tax, but a new ballot measure may restore funding. Additional HSIP projects are underway, including guardrails and Bingham Hill widening. Several other projects are awaiting CDOT concurrence or grant approvals. Commissioner Stephens encouraged attendance at the Intermountain West Ozone Conference.
Public or Additional Comments
No public or additional comments were made at this time.
Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at: 2:02 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Samantha Brown
Secretary