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PLAN-Boulder CountyThe Boulder County Peoples Advocate Dec. 1, 2005Boulder County public affairs news and analysis |
In this issue
Colorado voters went to the polls (or to their mailboxes) on November 1 to cast ballots for a variety of state and local issues plus municipal elections in many cities and towns. On the state level voters approved Referendum C to help Colorado state government recover from some of the consequences of TABOR. They also rejected Referendum D, which would have allowed state government to issue bonds for various projects, mainly for roads and highways.
In Boulder County voters easily passed both state referenda and also approved a measure to allow the county government to retain revenues collected in excess of the TABOR formula. They also approved extending term limits to three terms of four years for various elected county offices. In the City of Boulder voters rejected a city employee-generated initiative on wages.
The most attention in Boulder County was placed on city elections. Longmont voters favored the status quo, generally retaining a pro-development tinge to city government. Louisville voters, on the other hand, elected a slate of City Council candidates committed to control growth and limit the future size of the city.
In Boulder four of five incumbents sought reelection, with Councilman Gordon Riggle retiring. Voters retained Council members Suzy Ageton, Tom Eldridge, Shaun McGrath and Andy Schultheiss. Richard Polk was elected to fill Riggle's seat after campaigning on a platform of moderation and promising to make decisions based on "reason and pragmatism rather than ideology."
Polk's main competitor was Macon Cowles, chairman of the Boulder Planning Board and a well-known community environmental activist. Cowles was endorsed by PLAN-Boulder County and the Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group and was not endorsed by the Boulder Daily Camera and Colorado Daily, both of which supported Polk.
Turnout in the election was 42.8%, down from about 58% in the 2003 city elections. The number of registered voters increased between 2003 and 2005, reflecting voter interest in the 2004 federal elections. Many of those new voters did not participate in the 2005 city election, especially in precincts around the University of Colorado. The following five candidates were elected:
Suzy Ageton 54.1%Five candidates, including Cowles, lost. Their percentages were as follows:
Andy Schultheiss 50.3%
Tom Eldridge 49.5%
Shaun McGrath 49.4%
Richard Polk 40.2%
Macon Cowles 36.3%In the Cowles versus Polk contest for the fifth and final available seat, Cowles defeated Polk in 36 of the city's 87 precincts and tied him in two. Polk won 49 of the 87 precincts over Cowles. Newcomer candidate Eugene Pearson, also endorsed by PLAN-Boulder County and the Sierra Club, polled a respectable 6,979 votes and actually ran ahead of Polk in 18 precincts and tied his tally in two.
Eugene Pearson 26.8%
Shawn Coleman 14.7%
Nabil Karkamaz 13.2%
John Klein 6.0%
Ageton won all 87 precincts, followed by Schultheiss with 86 wins, McGrath with 84 precincts, Eldridge with 82, Polk with 50, Cowles with 37 and Pearson in nine. Karkamaz won in three precincts and Coleman in one. The leading candidate in 43 of the 87 precincts was Ageton, followed by McGrath in 19, Eldridge in 13 and Schultheiss in 12.
Geographically, Cowles showed his best strength in central Boulder, neighborhoods along the North Broadway corridor, older sections of University Hill, CU precincts, Martin Acres, the Baseline Road corridor, Highland Park, parts of Table Mesa and northeast Boulder (excluding Gunbarrel). Polk⤁s vote was strongest in precincts east of Foothills Parkway, in Frasier Meadows, parts of Table Mesa, Chautauqua and some north side neighborhoods along 28th Street.
The problem for Cowles was that turnout in his strongest precincts was well below the citywide average of 42.8%. In the 36 precincts in which Cowles ran ahead of Polk the turnout was only 38%. Had Cowles' favorable precincts turned out at a better rate his 1,022-vote losing margin to Polk might have been much less, but very high turnouts in those precincts would have been required to change the outcome of the election. Pearson suffered from a similar lack of turnout. In the 18 precincts he carried the turnout was only 29.4%. In 2007 the seats of five Council members will be up for election, those of Robin Bohannon, Crystal Gray, Richard Polk, Mark Ruzzin and Jack Stoakes.
2005 Boulder County Election Results
Council Changes Course on CATV Closure
The Boulder City Council may reverse its October decision to kill community access television (channel 54). After receiving public response to their decision, council members at their November 8 meeting decided to perform a graceful political pirouette. By a unanimous vote (with council members Eldridge, McGrath and Stoakes absent), the council approved a motion directing staff to develop options for council to create a process to locate or create a new provider to operate channel 54.
The city's new 2006 budget has no funding for CATV, however, so the council will now be pressed to come up with a method to keep channel 54 from going dark on January 1. Several community groups are apparently interested in submitting proposals to operate community access television in Boulder, which has been funded by cable television franchise fees.
Community Television of Boulder (CATV) Channel 54
Boulder Council Selects Leaders
Boulder City Council members were sworn in on November 15, including newcomer Richard Polk and four members who were re-elected on November 1, Suzy Ageton, Tom Eldridge, Shawn McGrath and Andy Schultheiss.
Council members also voted to select a mayor and deputy mayor to serve until after the 2007 city elections. Mark Ruzzin was reelected unanimously as mayor, continuing in the position he has held since 2004, when Will Toor resigned as mayor after his election to the Boulder County Commission. Suzy Ageton was elected Deputy Mayor, replacing Tom Eldridge who decided not to seek another term in that position for health reasons.
Ageton was selected on a five to four vote, defeating council member Robin Bohannon. In addition to her own vote, Ageton was supported by council members Eldridge, Polk, Ruzzin and Stoakes. Bohannan received support from council members Gray, McGrath and Schultheiss.
CU South Campus On City Agenda
The long-festering dispute over the University of Colorado's potential development of the South Campus property at Table Mesa Drive and US-36 may involve the City of Boulder in a mediator role. Boulder County commissioners and CU administrators, currently locked in a court battle overland use and environmental regulations for the site, requested Boulder City Council to assist in resolving the dispute out of court.
At its November 7 meeting the Boulder City Council authorized city staff to enter into discussions about how the land's future use could benefit the university while at the same time conforming to community wishes. Prior to CUs acquisition of the South Campus site local governments had identified the land as potential open space.
Quarterly Report of CU-Boulder Planning Projects
Longmont Considers Southern Bypass
Longmont planners are seeking to preserve the possibility of building a highway south of town to serve as a bypass around congested sections of Ken Pratt Boulevard. Planners have drafted a letter to county commissioners voicing concern that a pending purchase of 29 acres of land for open space by Boulder County could complicate the future construction of the highway.
The concept for a southern by pass has been under discussion in Longmont for years. The tentative corridor would run from the Diagonal Highway at Airport Road east to US-287 or County Line Road, helping commuters from Weld County who work in Boulder. No specific route has been determined. Allowing the road to be built through county open space would result in serious environmental complications and could require approval by Boulder County voters.
Boulder County is currently working on a transportation plan for the area south of Longmont that will probably concentrate on expanded transit options and some improvements to existing roads, such as an interchange at Diagonal Highway and Colorado Highway 52. The study may also consider extension of RTD bus service to southwestern Weld County, which is the location of extensive residential development around the towns of Dacono, Firestone, Frederick and Mead. The $80,000 transportation study, funded by the county, Longmont and several other Boulder County towns, may be ready in February.
LongmontFYI - Southern bypass still city dream
Roadway System Candidate Projects
Boulder Staff Drafts Crosswalk Guidelines
Boulder's transportation staff submitted an initial draft of new pedestrian crosswalk guidelines to the Transportation Advisory Board. The guidelines seek to create an objective method of adding or removing crosswalks based on a series of technical, geographic and demographic factors. Boulder has a reputation for being one of the country's most pedestrian-friendly communities.
The guidelines were discussed by TAB members at the board's meeting on November 14. The staff will incorporate comments from the board and from Walk Boulder, the pedestrian advocacy organization, and present a final report in December. Most of the comments by board members were supportive of the guidelines, as was the Walk Boulder statement.
Under the proposed guidelines the city staff will consider various means of improving pedestrian access across streets. These methods will include marked crosswalks using the ⤦zebra stripes, crosswalks marked with state law signs reminding motorists that pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks and walks marked with flashing yellow lights triggered by pedestrians. On the busiest thoroughfares the city may consider other options, such as traffic signals, overpasses or tunnels such as those in use on Foothills Parkway and Broadway.
Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Installation Guidelines
PLAN-Boulder County is pleased with the response from Boulder County residents about the Peoples Advocate. We'll keep working to let you know how your city and county representatives are voting on important issues, especially since local news coverage in Boulder County is often so deficient.
In order to spread the word we encourage those of you who are receiving this publication to pass it around. Forward the e-mail to your friends. Encourage any community organizations in which you are a member to distribute the Peoples Advocate to their membership. Let us know what you think about the publication. To be added to the e-mail list to receive the Advocate and notice of PLAN-Boulder's programs, contact David Cook.
Eric Karnes, Editor
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The Boulder County Peoples Advocate is published monthly by PLAN-Boulder County and distributed free to persons interested in local public affairs issues.