Fort collins mayor - emily francis
Fort Collins Mayor - Emily Francis
Took office: January 13, 2026 (term: 2026–2028)
2026-05-15
- Traffic camera debate at CSU: Mayor Francis was invited by the CSU Debate Club to discuss the city's use of speed and red light cameras. She defended the cameras against the club president's opposition, citing 40 traffic deaths and nearly 400 serious injuries as justification. Fort Collins has cameras deployed at six intersections under a 2023 state law authorizing expanded traffic camera use.
Sources:
- CSU Debate Club invites Fort Collins mayor, discusses traffic cameras — Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Fort Collins mayor joins CSU debate club for event — KCSU FM
2026-05-27
- Water Shortage Watch ongoing: Fort Collins Utilities' voluntary Water Shortage Watch — the city's first in nearly five years — remains in effect. The watch was triggered by low snowpack in the Cache la Poudre and Colorado River watersheds. Residents are asked to water lawns no more than two days per week, avoid irrigation 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and use shutoff nozzles. No penalties or rate increases yet; stricter restrictions possible if conditions worsen.
Sources:
- Fort Collins Utilities announces voluntary water reductions — Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Voluntary Water Shortage Watch — Fort Collins official
- Fort Collins issues Water Shortage Watch — North Forty News
2026-05-30
- Budget and infrastructure actions (May 5 council meeting): Council unanimously adopted a $378,057 mid-year budget appropriation from the Airport fund for six airport priority projects, and also unanimously approved federal and state funding appropriation for the Taft Hill Corridor Improvements project (Horsetooth Road to Brixton Road).
- Flood Awareness Week (May 24–30): Council declared the week of May 24–30 as Flood Awareness Week — relevant as the city continues managing water-shortage conditions from low snowpack.
- Summer Moves regional challenge (May 20): Fort Collins joined a regional "Summer Moves" active-transportation challenge.
- Water Shortage Watch ongoing: The voluntary Water Shortage Watch first issued May 1 remains in effect with no escalation announced. Conditions from the Cache la Poudre and Colorado River watersheds continue to be monitored.
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council May 5 agenda — Fort Collins official
- News — City of Fort Collins
2026-06-01
- City Council regular meeting June 2: The next regular City Council meeting is Tuesday, June 2 at 6:00 PM. No specific agenda items confirmed yet; check the official meetings portal for full agenda.
- Water Shortage Watch continues: Fort Collins' voluntary Water Shortage Watch (the first in nearly five years) remains in effect — no escalation announced. The city continues asking residents to water no more than two days per week and avoid irrigation 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Summer drought conditions are being monitored; Larimer County's countywide fire restrictions run through July 21.
Sources:
- Council Meetings — City of Fort Collins
- Water Shortages — Fort Collins Utilities
2026-06-05
- June 2 City Council meeting recap: Francis presided over a meeting with only four members present (Francis, Mayor Pro Tem Pignataro, Hoeven, Nelsen; Conway, Fudge, and Potyondy absent). Key actions:
- Flock license plate camera vote postponed to June 16: The item was pulled before the meeting — yet 17 residents showed up to oppose it during public comment. City Manager DiMartino redirected them all to general public comment so they could be heard. The vote is now scheduled for June 16.
- Resolution 2026-076 (business assistance incentives) passed 4-0
- Summer meeting cancellations passed 4-0: Regular meetings July 7 and August 4 will not be held.
- Timnath IGA: ~$400,000 intergovernmental agreement for I-25/Harmony Road/Weld County Road 74 corridor and traffic study.
- Ordinance 058 passed 4-0: Extends the window to petition a court to set aside a default judgment from 7 to 14 days.
- Flock license plate camera vote postponed to June 16: The item was pulled before the meeting — yet 17 residents showed up to oppose it during public comment. City Manager DiMartino redirected them all to general public comment so they could be heard. The vote is now scheduled for June 16.
- Upcoming — URA Finance Committee June 11 (4 PM): Francis chairs the Urban Renewal Authority Finance Committee; next meeting is June 11.
- Water Shortage Watch still voluntary: No escalation to mandatory restrictions as of June 5. Fort Collins draws ~50% of its water from the Poudre River, remainder from Horsetooth Reservoir via CBT Project. Track escalation at: fcgov.com/utilities/water-shortage-planning
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council Postpones Flock Vote, Updates Business Incentives — Strong Towns Fort Collins
- Water Shortage Planning — Fort Collins Utilities
- From Bad to Ugly: What a Record-Low Snowpack Means for the Poudre Watershed — CPRW
2026-06-18
- Flock cameras voted out — Francis part of 6-1 majority (June 16): Mayor Francis was among the six votes to immediately cancel the Flock Safety contract and remove all 15 ALPR cameras from Fort Collins. District 1 Councilmember Chris Conway was the sole dissenter. Following the vote, the chambers erupted in applause. Staff were directed to stop data collection immediately, initiate contract cancellation, and halt any new surveillance technology procurement until a citywide surveillance policy is developed and adopted.
- Surveillance policy now on the city's agenda: The council cannot deploy any new surveillance technology until the comprehensive policy is finalized. No timeline set for when that work will be complete.
- Summer council schedule: Next regular council meeting is July 21 — the July 7 meeting was cancelled at the June 2 regular meeting. The June 23 Work Session (4th Tuesday, 6 PM) is the next scheduled event.
- Water Shortage Watch: Still voluntary. No escalation to mandatory restrictions announced.
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council votes to cancel Flock camera use, remove cameras — CBS Colorado
- Flock cameras are out in Fort Collins, as council votes to end contract — AOL
2026-06-20
- Flock regional context (KUNC, June 19): Denver dropped Flock earlier in 2026 and chose a new vendor; Boulder is evaluating its deployment; a state privacy bill failed (opposed by DAs). Fort Collins' citizen-led policy reset is the most aggressive local approach in Colorado so far.
- June 23 Work Session — agenda not yet posted: Juneteenth holiday on Thursday likely delayed the usual Thursday 5 PM posting. May appear over the weekend. Next Regular Meeting with votes: July 21.
- Water Shortage Watch: Still voluntary. No escalation.
Sources:
- Fort Collins drops Flock surveillance — KUNC
2026-06-23
- No work session tonight — confirmed: The Municode portal never posted a June 23 meeting. As of today, no agenda appeared — the expected 4th-Tuesday work session did not materialize. The next council event is the July 7 Regular Meeting (6 PM, votes/ordinances — previously noted as cancelled, but July 7 is back on the standard schedule; the June 18 log entry referenced a July 7 cancellation, but only July 7 appears nowhere in the Municode cancellation records — verify closer to date). Next confirmed meeting: July 21 Regular Meeting (6 PM).
- Water Shortage Watch: Still voluntary. No escalation.
2026-06-24
- Community listening sessions today: Councilmembers Josh Fudge (D3) and Melanie Potyondy (D4) are hosting informal community listening sessions at the Lagoon Concert Series tonight (June 24). These are informal constituent engagement, not official council proceedings.
- Water Shortage Watch: Still voluntary. No escalation to mandatory restrictions. The city's supply may last through 2026 without mandates if voluntary conservation holds.
2026-06-30
- Surveillance policy development timeline clarified. Following the June 16 vote to cancel the Flock contract (6-1), the city has established a formal policy development process:
- July 28 (tentative work session): Council receives first update on surveillance policy work
- July–September 2026: Community and stakeholder input period
- October 2026: Draft policy updated with community feedback
- November 2026: Council work session to review revised draft
- December 2026: Council vote on surveillance policy adoption
No new surveillance technology can be procured until the policy is finalized.
- July 28 (tentative work session): Council receives first update on surveillance policy work
- Housing affordability initiative: The Ad Hoc Committee on Affordable and Sustainable Growth (established April 2026, running through end of 2027) continues its two-track work plan. Goal: 7,000+ housing units over the next 10 years (1,540 to address current gap, 5,466 for projected demand). Context: 64% of Fort Collins rental units were under $1,000/month in 2010 — only 13% by 2023; 58% of renters are currently cost-burdened.
- Next regular meeting: July 21 (6 PM). No meetings scheduled between now and July 21. Sign up to speak by 5:30 PM that day; written comment: cityleaders@fcgov.com. Agenda expected to post ~Thursday, July 16 at 5 PM.
- Water Shortage Watch: Voluntary restrictions still in effect. Outcome of drought conditions being monitored.
Sources:
- After ending Flock contract, Fort Collins begins surveillance policy review — 9News
- Fort Collins City Council Sets Its Course for 2026–2027
- City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Affordable and Sustainable Growth — ourcity.fcgov.com
2026-07-01
- Council dark through July 20 — confirmed via Municode. No Regular Meeting, Work Session, or special meeting is scheduled between today and July 21. July 7 and August 4 were both cancelled by the 4-0 June 2 vote. The only nearby item is a July 23 Urban Renewal Authority Board meeting (Francis chairs URA's Finance Committee, so this is on her radar even though it's not a full council session). Next Regular Meeting: July 21, 6 PM — first votes since the June 16 Flock decision; agenda expected ~July 16.
- Water Shortage Watch unchanged: Still voluntary, in effect since May 1. No escalation.
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council Meetings — Municode portal
2026-07-02
- July 14 Work Session now on the calendar. A Work Session on Tuesday, July 14, 6 PM has appeared on the Municode portal where none was listed as of July 1. No agenda posted yet (expected ~July 9). Discussion-only, no votes. July 21 Regular Meeting still not yet posted; agenda still expected ~July 16.
- Water Shortage Watch unchanged: Still voluntary, in effect since May 1. No escalation.
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council Meetings — Municode portal
2026-07-17
- July 21 Regular Meeting agenda posted (6 PM), Francis presiding — first voting meeting since June 16. All-consent agenda (32 items, no separate discussion items); Francis will open general public comment (Section G) and read a Disability Pride Month proclamation (5 PM, 4 PM reception). Biggest-dollar items: $72.5M Southeast Community Center appropriation (Ord. 070), 314 N. Howes conveyance for affordable housing (Ord. 098), $500K reserves for a Midtown property acquisition (Ord. 075), and the One Water long-term rental policy (Res. 2026-095). Full breakdown and participation mechanics in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- Surveillance policy returns to Council at the July 28 work session (first update since the June 19 Flock contract cancellation). Discussion only, no vote.
- Water Shortage Watch unchanged: Still voluntary, in effect since May 1.
Sources:
- July 21 Regular Meeting agenda — Municode
- Fort Collins City Council Meetings — Municode portal
2026-07-28
- Work Session (6 PM, CIC), Francis presiding. Three discussion items, no votes: the first surveillance-technology governance framework since the Flock cancellation, a Real Estate Strategic Framework, and a tobacco/age-restricted products licensing program. Full breakdown in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
Sources:
- July 28 Work Session agenda — Municode
2026-08-06
- Upcoming: Aug 11 Work Session and Aug 18 Regular Meeting (agendas not yet posted). See Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
2026-08-07
- Aug 11 Work Session (6 PM, CIC), Francis presiding. Two discussion items, no votes: a Downtown Parking Optimization Update (options for the downtown system; fine increases pending for September, paid on-street pushed to 2027) and a Community Report on Innosphere and the NSF ASCEND Engine. Full breakdown in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- Transfort's redesigned network starts Aug 17, with Dial-A-Ride Sunday service ending.
Sources:
- Aug 11, 2026 Work Session agenda — Municode
- Transfort announces finalized Bus System Optimization Plan — fortcollins.gov
2026-08-12
- Aug 11 work session: staff scaled the downtown parking plan down to one pilot lot at Oak & Remington, with any broader paid-parking expansion pushed to 2027–2028, after the July 21 turnout against metered Old Town parking. No votes taken. Detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- Transfort's redesigned network starts Aug 17 — five days out. Dial-A-Ride Sunday service ends; Dial-A-Taxi vouchers drop to $15.
Sources:
- Fueled by feedback, Fort Collins eyes parking options — BizWest (Aug 11)
- Transfort routes & schedules
2026-08-15
- Council and staff drafting a tobacco / psychoactive-product retail licensing ordinance. Covers tobacco, intoxicating hemp, kratom, synthetic cannabinoids, and psilocybin lookalikes sold at smoke shops, gas stations, drug stores, and grocery stores; the stated aim is reducing minors' access. Coloradoan, Aug 14. Not scheduled — no work session or first reading, and it's not on the Aug 18 agenda. Detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- Transfort's redesigned network starts Monday, Aug 17. Dial-A-Ride Sunday service ends, Dial-A-Taxi vouchers drop to $15, service area expands; existing clients outside the new boundary keep door-to-door service.
- Mountain Vista closes between Giddings and Busch starting Aug 17.
- Aug 18 regular meeting agenda unchanged since posting. Aug 25 work session still has no agenda.
Sources:
- Fort Collins Considers Kratom Crackdown Rules — 1310 KFKA (Aug 14, 2026), citing the Coloradoan
- Transfort routes & schedules
- News — City of Fort Collins
2026-08-16
- Correction — council did not reach agreement on the Oak & Remington paid-parking pilot, so it isn't moving forward as proposed. The Aug 12 entry described staff's proposal without the outcome. Staff will develop revised pilot options with the DDA and downtown businesses and return to council December 2026; large-scale parking changes wait until the College Avenue Waterline Project finishes in 2028. Detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
Sources:
- Fort Collins City Council not moving forward with paid-parking pilot program — 9News
- Fort Collins delays plans to charge for parking in popular Northern Colorado shopping district — CBS Colorado (Aug 13, 2026)
2026-08-17
- Transfort's redesigned network is live today — grid-based routes, more frequency on high-demand corridors, timed to the CSU and PSD starts. Routes 14 and 18 wait until 2027. Dial-A-Ride Sunday service has ended; Dial-A-Taxi vouchers are now $15.
- Mountain Vista is closed between Giddings and Busch as of today.
- She presides at tomorrow's 6:00 PM regular meeting; agenda detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- No new city news releases since Aug 13.
Sources:
- Transfort routes & schedules
- Aug 18 Regular Meeting agenda — Municode HTML
2026-08-21
- Aug 25 work session — Francis presides. Two items: the proposed ELCO wholesale water agreement to serve Montava (4,000+ units), and data centers / Land Use Code / PRPA Large Load Policy. Discussion only, no votes, no public comment. Full agenda detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
- No individual news.
Sources:
- Aug 25 Work Session agenda (HTML)
2026-08-24
Aug 18 Meeting Outcomes
The action agenda read this run. Roll call 6-0 (one seat not present), consent calendar items 1–25 adopted 6-0 with nothing pulled, Ord. 101 (ADU grants, $240,000) adopted on second reading, both executive sessions approved, adjourned 9:14 p.m. Also: a Rental Housing Program Update staff report, and the proclamation declaring Aug 26 Women's Equality Day.
Item-level detail in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
Aug 25 Work Session
Tuesday 6 PM, discussion only. Wholesale water agreement with ELCO to serve Montava (4,000+ units), and data centers — where staff note Fort Collins' peak demand is about 325 MW on a hot day and the Land Use Code still has no definition of "data center."
No individual news for Francis.
Sources:
- Aug 18 Action Agenda (PDF)
- Aug 25 Work Session packet (PDF)
2026-08-28
Sept 1 Regular Meeting — 26 consent items, nothing scheduled for discussion
The agenda posted. As presiding officer, Francis runs a meeting with no Planned Discussion Items — 9 second readings, 13 first readings and 7 resolutions all on the consent calendar, passing in a single vote unless a councilmember pulls something.
Consent items that carry weight: Ordinance No. 118 moving residential review to Basic Development Review across most zones, Ordinance No. 120 / Resolution 2026-110 extending Montava's Anheuser-Busch Foundation purchase-closing contingency up to two more years, Resolution 2026-111 initiating the 147.5-acre Strauss Lakes annexation, Ordinance No. 109 on councilmember obligations to report non-routine staff contacts, and Resolution 2026-112 amending the Council Rules of Procedure — which govern how Francis runs meetings and how long the public gets to speak.
Proclamations at 5:00 PM: Suicide Prevention Month, National Preparedness Month.
Item-level detail and participation mechanics in Fort Collins City Council - Anne Nelsen.
No individual news for Francis.
Sources:
- Sept 1, 2026 Council Regular Meeting agenda (HTML)