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PLAN-Boulder CountyThe Boulder County Peoples Advocate September, 2006Boulder County public affairs news and analysis |
In this issue
City Ballot Issues Head to November Vote
Boulder voters will likely have four local issues to consider on the Nov. 7 ballot, including:
Annexation by Vote Initiative
Supporters of an initiative to require public votes on major annexations collected more than enough signatures to put the question to the city electorate. Under the City Charter the city council could vote to simply enact the requested ordinance, seek amendments to the proposal or vote to refer it to the voters. At their August 1 meeting council members voted 5 to 3 against putting the issue on the ballot. Because the petition has enough signatures, however, it will go before the voters regardless of the council's vote.Casting votes against placing the issue on the ballot were council members Ageton, Bohannan, Polk, Ruzzin and Stoakes. Voting to send the issue to the public were Eldridge, Gray and Schultheiss. Councilman Shaun McGrath was absent. Some of the opponents spoke against the initiative on policy grounds, with council member Suzy Ageton cited her concerns over too much "direct democracy."
Boulder Speaks Out - Sponsoring Organization for the Annexation By Vote Initiative
Boulder City Council's Aug. 1, 2006 Public Hearing on the Annexation By Vote Initiative
BARA: Annexation By Vote is headed to the November ballotDrinking Water Initiative
Council members voted 5 to 2 to place on the November ballot an initiative seeking to overturn the 1969 vote of the people to fluoridate Boulder's drinking water. Voting in favor of "direct democracy" on this issue were council members Ageton, Eldridge, Polk, Ruzzin and Schultheiss. Voting against forwarding the issue were council members Bohannan and Stoakes. Gray and McGrath were absent for the vote.Fire Training Center Sales Tax
On a unanimous vote (with McGrath, Ruzzin and Stoakes absent) council members approved placing a sales tax issue on the November ballot to fund a shortfall in costs for phase 1 construction of a new training facility for Boulder County firefighters. The tax equates to 1.5 cents on a $10.00 purchase and would be in effect for one year. The proposed training facility would be located on a site adjacent to Boulder Reservoir, west of Diagonal Highway. It, and another facility under construction in Longmont, will replace the current fire training facility on Lee Hill Drive in north Boulder.Carbon Tax
To implement the city's Climate Action Plan the council voted unanimously to place a carbon tax on the fall ballot. The tax will fund energy conservation efforts designed to bring Boulder into compliance by 2012 with goals set in the Kyoto agreement on climate change, at which time the tax will sunset. The tax will be based on the amount of electricity used by residents and businesses in Boulder.
School Districts Seek Bond Approval
The Boulder Valley School District board voted to place a $296.8 million bond issue on the November ballot. Funds from the bonds would be used to repair and renovate schools in the district. If voters approve the bonds would be repaid over a 25-year period through county property tax revenues. The last Boulder Valley School District bond issue vote was in 1998.
A citizens committee has developed a list of schools that will receive funds from the bond issue. One controversial project may be a proposal by the BVSD staff to demolish and replace Casey Middle School at 13th and High streets. Part of the school campus includes an historic building originally constructed in the early 1920s as Northside Intermediate School. The BVSD has been the subject of criticism in Boulder for closing historic neighborhood schools and replacing them with suburban campuses in eastern Boulder County. Rumors are once again circulating about the possible demise of Boulder High as well.
Can BVSD be trusted with $300 million?
BVSD Board Approves Resolution 06-22 Authorizing Ballot Issue
BVSD Education Facilities Master Plan
The Mountain Ear: School's needs listed
Taxpayer Impact from the BVSD $296.8 Million Bond Issue
Open Discussion on the Boulder Valley School District
City Keeps Conflict of Interest Status for Former Attorney
At the Aug. 1 meeting the Boulder City Council approved a recommendation by city attorney Ariel Calonne not to waive the conflict of interest status of former city attorney Joseph DeRaimes. The vote to maintain the status was 7 to 1, with Jack Stoakes being the lone dissenter. Councilman Shaun McGrath was absent.
DeRaimes is currently in private practice and represents the Boulder Area Rental Hosuing Association. The landlords group is opposing some proposed changes to the Boulder nuisance abatement ordinance that would impose stricter controls on rental properties with excessive noise, litter and other neighborhood disturbances. DeRaimes, as city attorney, drafted the current ordinance which he now claims has unconstitutional provisions. Representing a client against the government for which he had worked is considered a conflict of interest by City legal staff.
Chapter 2-7 Code of Conduct, Boulder Revised Code
Council Proceedings, Aug. 1, 2006 - Items 7A and 10 (pages 6 and 8)
Transit Village Schedule Set by Council
Boulder City Council expects to take final action in December on the proposed Transit Village area plan. Consideration on how to develop the RTD commuter rail and bus rapid transit stations near 30th and Pearl streets in east Boulder, plus the surrounding 160 acres, has been underway for several years.
At their meeting on August 15 council members approved City staff's recommended schedule, including a series of public hearing leading to votes by the Transportation Advisory Board, Planning Board and ultimately City Council. Staff will present four development options to the public, although a "mix and match" approach may combine popular features of each concept. The City will also publish a 12-page insert in the Boulder Daily Camera on September 19, outlining the options and soliciting public comments.
Meetings scheduled to obtain citizen comments are:
RTD plans to build a parking garage and bus terminal on Pearl Street just west of the BNSF railroad crossing. The commuter rail station will likely be located on the west side of the railroad tracks between Pearl Street and Valmont Road, north of the bus station. Service to the rail station will start by 2014 with bus rapid transit likely to begin before then.
Transit Village Area Plan Home Page
Council Approves Prairie Dog Lethal Controls
At the August 29 special meeting of the Boulder City Council a staff recommendation for controlling prairie dogs on City land was unanimously adopted. The prairie dog component of the Urban Wildlife Management Plan will allow City staff to use lethal controls on animals in ten prairie dog "complexes" where they are intruding into City facilities such as athletic fields. City staff will attempt to relocate the prairie dogs before exterminating the colonies.
The staff proposal was opposed by some environmentalists and animal rights activists, including Keep Boulder Wild. Those residents and organizations sought to delay implementation of lethal controls until the City completes its ten-year update of the Grassland Management Plan so that more relocation options might be found.
Due to concerns about the proposal raised by members of the City's Environmental Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Open Space Board of Trustees the Council instructed City staff to come back within two years with a plan to address those issues.
Prairie Dogs & Wild Birds Wildlife Protection Ordinance
Prairie Dog Lethal Control Permit Application Form
The Humane Society of the United States: Blast Boulder's Prairie Dog Killing Plan
City Starts Planning for RTD Local Connections
With the forthcoming RTD commuter rail and bus rapid transit due to be operational in about eight years Boulder planners are considering means to connect local bus, bicycle and pedestrian facilities to the planned stations. At the August 15 City Council meeting City staff presented a report on the FasTracks Local Optimization process (FLO in bureaucratic jargon).
Council members generally supported the process. There are a number of aspects in the proposal but generally they include adoption of the Transit Village area plan, modifying the City's Transportation Master Plan to incorporate FLO priorities, exploring funding mechanisms for FLO projects and starting a discussion about expanding RTD's rider pass programs. One area of concern is that changing the Transportation Master Plan to address FLO priorities may displace some current planned projects in other parts of the city.
On a motion by Mark Ruzzin, council members voted unanimously (with Robin Bohannan absent) to approve the FLO process.
FasTracks Local Optimization (FLO) Work
Across the country people are concerned about the lack of good local journalism in their communities. In many cases the problem revolves around out-of-town corporate ownership of newspapers, radio and television stations that puts higher priority on profit than quality. The concentration of so much of the nation's media under a few corporations also limits the diversity of views and often results in a pro-business slant on the news. Boulder, with both of its daily newspapers owned by the same firm, is no exception.
PLAN-Boulder County is pleased with the response from Boulder County residents to the Peoples Advocate. We'll keep working to let you know how your city and county representatives are voting on important issues, and we'll continue to provide detailed information on the nuts and bolts of public process.
In order to spread the word we encourage those of you who are receiving this publication to pass it around. Please forward the Peoples Advocate to your friends and associates. Encourage any community organizations in which you are a member to distribute the Peoples Advocate to their membership.
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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. Eric Karnes, Editor
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