October 28, 2025 — Boulder Urban Renewal Authority Regular Meeting

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[0:00] um and take Thank you, Selena. Um you can call the meeting to order and take roll call. What we're going to do today is just provide a little bit of background as to why um we are calling a meeting of uh the Bolden Urban Renewal Authority and what the purpose of the meeting is before you go on to the rest of your agenda. But you want to kick things off, David, and get us uh formally organized then uh we'll jump into it. >> Okay. This is David Beak. I'd like to call to order meeting of the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025 for a special meeting. And um I guess I'll take a roll call of Tara Winer >> present >> and Tom Clau >> present. Do I need to take a roll call for the others on the call?

[1:01] >> Not. That is your that is your board. >> Okay. And I will turn things over to Mark Wolf to describe what the purpose of the meeting is and take things from there. >> And then, sorry to interrupt Mark, just so everyone knows, my name is Sarah Guyger. I joined the city attorney's office at the end of April and um Mark if you were designated as the secretary I assume you were going to bring that up but just um to let everyone on the board know that'd be great. >> Yes. Um we are the theme of today is getting is some housekeeping and that is one of them is uh instead of the city manager you get me. Uh and again just so you all know I'm Mark Wolf, our assistant city manager that will serve as the secretary for Vera um for this meeting and going forward just to help

[2:00] us move things. Um and I'm joined by some new faces as well in addition to Sarah which is u she's been awesome. What now? It's been what at least six months Sarah? >> Not quite. I think my first day was April 28th but >> okay >> getting there. jumping. Yes, jumping right in, helping us with all things economic development, including uh Bureau. Um you have met uh Jennifer and Selena previously. Um I know we've got Elliot, Marcela, and Rean. If you want to just introduce yourselves really quickly and we'll get into it. >> Sure. Uh hi everyone, Regan Brown. I have been with the community vitality department for going on four years now, but I will be transitioning into the city manager's office um working on economic development initiatives. So will be very involved with bureau moving forward. Nice to meet

[3:02] everyone. >> Nice to meet you. >> Hi. Uh I am Marisella Pares. I am uh a economic vitality program manager working with Jennifer. Um I joined the city about two and a half months ago. Um happy to be here and we'll continue working with uh economic development and the new uh um organization of the city manager's office. >> Nice to meet you. Good evening or afternoon. I'm losing track of time. I've been at a conference. I think it's all coming together. Uh Elliot Labonte uh currently in community vitality with Rean and we'll be following Rean over to city manager's office. Also working on economic development. So looking forward to working with you all in the very near future.

[4:00] >> Nice to meet you, Ellen. >> All right. >> Should I introduce? Hi everyone. I'm >> didn't see you Matt >> hiding in the corner. >> Apologies. >> Not at all. >> My name is Matt Shazansky. I'm also with Community Vitality helping to get uh things set up for your next steps. >> Nice to see you, Matt. >> All right, now we're ready to roll. Um so hopefully we are sticking within the hour today. Um this is your formal agenda. So David, you'll roll through these here soon. I'll provide a little context and I'll pop this agenda back up um in a second. You really have uh two main items to take action on uh today. Uh you'll be considering two different resolutions. Uh one is to to authorize uh the bureau executive director to negotiate and execute agreements uh related to um our condition studies. Uh we'll explain a little bit more about

[5:00] that. uh and then also preparing us for the future uh by amending bylaws uh to look at the number of commissions. So we'll explain the purpose as to why we're we're here and calling this meeting, but this is to try and take some burden off of all of you uh and to to help get us I would call modernize uh our urban renewal uh authority. Uh so some recent context uh for you um 2025 2026 uh city council priorities listed two that really hit and intersect with uh bureau. Uh one is uh uh creating an economic development plan and enhancing our programs. Uh this includes developing new strategies to support economic vitality across the the city. uh addressing commercial vacancies, uh broadening small business support, and expanding our tools, uh which will be very relevant to our conversation today. And then also thinking about the health and vibrancy of our commercial

[6:02] areas. Um enhancing connections between the hill and the downtown and exploring those new tools to support uh healthy commercial areas uh across the city. Uh we've had a couple council conversations um as Tara will remember um one in April uh updating our economic vitality strategy. Uh that included uh a conversation around uh our commercial district analysis. Um both of those documents called for further explor exploration of using tax incremental financing which is the mechanism behind urban renewal. It's also the mechanism behind a proposed downtown development authority. So, we are con considering the use of both of those tools uh moving forward. Uh and uh we we heard good support from council at that meeting and also um with a call to to move even faster. So, you'll see Jennifer and I have some help and support. So, we've

[7:01] moved some things around internally to help really advance the work of economic uh development across the city. Um and with that will be some updating of our our tools. Um and so we continued that exploration into July um where council received a a more detailed update on um several of these uh items including expanded incentives um our work towards a downtown development authority and then um briefed uh them on the steps needed to consider urban renewal going forward which um we have supported through research um and a huge you Thanks especially to to Sarah and Jennifer and Matt which have really uh helped us get to this point today in uh figuring out the steps we need to take uh to support Burea into the future. And I won't spend a ton of time on this but just so you know this is um one

[8:02] initiative in in the context of a broader constellation of work that we are doing. Um we are looking at new ways to uh support our small businesses interaction with the city through process improvement. We are engaged um with a consultant to provide some analysis uh to that end. Better communication across the board. Um our affordable commercial program pilot um is well underway. And so thinking about the future of that work, um individual district support, thinking about the evolution of our general improvement districts, how they can continue to support maintenance and capital projects and other uh general business support within these areas. Uh and then uh economic development work, which I mentioned a lot of this, but a number of those kind of district geographic based tools that we are looking into. um Bureau being one of those that is available to us.

[9:01] So in order to get us to the point to be able to use uh urban renewal um we uh have some steps to take. I I think the good news and what we have uh learned uh is uh this board through your existing authority can take several actions to help set us up for that future. um one is to uh help advance um this work. So if we are to consider generally urban renewal, not saying whether or not we actually have areas that um we will use urban renewal, but just to just to consider urban renewal, you all can take some steps today to to set us up for that analysis. Um there will be a time in the future where we would consider whether or not to establish new urban renewal areas. Uh but that work can't happen with this composition of the board. We will have to make some structural changes to um get under compliance with state law uh in order to

[10:00] establish new urban renewal areas. So, our goal with a couple resolutions that you'll see today, one is to allow us to move some of the work forward to do the study uh to consider whether or not there um are potential new urban renewal areas within the city. Um, and the other is really focused on the structure of the board and amending our bylaws to uh put us in the the position to be able to recruit for new bureau members in our normal board of commission window for recruitment in December and January. Um, we'll have a lot of appointments to make as we'll be expanding the board composition to comply with state law from our current five seats to 13. uh and we'll explain a little bit more about that. So that's really the purpose today. Um happy to to get into more of the content um on the individual topics. Um happy to take questions on kind of the overview here. Otherwise, we'll go

[11:00] through the agenda and uh Jennifer will be providing a little bit more detail on the two resolutions that you'll be considering. >> I do have a question mark. Um if uh we can't really appoint any new bureau members until December January um I don't know whether there are any meetings that are proposed to review applicant requests between now and then. I am concerned about continuing to be the u the chairperson if I have to recuse myself in the event that the firm that I'm working for now which is Coburn partners um Coburn Architecture and also u uh I I don't know whether a former client of mine as an applicant would would disqualify me from, you know,

[12:00] serving. But, um, you know, both of those seem like they might be conflicts of interest. And if I were chairperson and if there are only three of us needed for a quorum, that is of concern to me. >> Yeah, appreciate that, David. And something we might be able to follow up on with with Sarah here. I I think the good news is that we we don't have any pending applications that will require um this board's review at least in the next few months. Um certainly that could change but not at the moment. Um so the additional meeting you'll you'll need at least one additional meeting to consider some of the changes that we'll talk about but it will be focused on these types of changes and not individual development review applications. >> Sounds good. Anyone else have a question?

[13:10] >> Uh, okay. Do you want me to go from here, Mark? >> Yeah, you can take it from here and we can go through the agenda. I'll stop sharing and um I'll pop back up the slides as we need them. >> Okay. Um well, I was plan to read from that slide to go through the >> I'll bring it up now. Well, okay. So, first item on the agenda is to approve the minutes from our September 6, 2024 meeting.

[14:00] Um, I assume that we can just approve those on a roll call vote and not need to read them into the record. Is that correct? Yeah, you just need a motion and a second technically, but yeah, you don't need to read them. >> I would like to move to approve the minutes uh from the what was it? September >> trying to find the date here. Sorry. >> September 6, 2024 meeting of Bureau. >> Uh second that second. Okay. >> All right. Um all in favor say I. I Okay, minutes have been approved. The next is consider of the the resolution authorizing bureau executive director to negotiate and execute agreements to conduct condition studies. And

[15:01] do we need to read that resolution into the record? >> We can. Or if you'd like, I can talk through it a little bit. I know everybody we sent the packet. Did everybody have a chance to look through it? >> I did. Yeah. >> Yes. >> So, would you like me to to read through these or do we want to go right to the resolution? >> I'm comfortable going right to it. How about the other board members? >> Yep, I'm comfortable with that. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Okay. So Mark, maybe the next next couple of slides I have the resolution or a suggested motion. One more. You want me to read it? >> Sure. >> Okay. I move to adopt your resolution one. I think that's one. Um, series 2025, a resolution authorizing the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority to

[16:00] negotiate and execute agreements for the purposes of commissioning and conducting one or more condition studies to determine in areas within the boundaries of the city of Boulder, meet prerequisites appropriate for urban renewal areas under the urban renewal law, and to assist with the creation of new urban renewal areas. Actually, >> what >> I think we're missing just a couple words before the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority should be >> sentence. >> It should be the slide just doesn't have the It should be the executive director. >> I have the updated in front of me. I can read it. >> Okay, you can read it. >> Okay. Uh, I move to adopt Bureau Resolution 1 series 2025, a resolution authorizing the executive director of the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority to negotiate and execute agreements for the purposes of commissioning and conducting one or more condition studies to determine if areas within the boundaries of the city of Boulder meet prerequisites appropriate for urban

[17:01] renewal areas under the urban renewal law and to assist with the creation of new urban renewal areas. Yes. >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor of the motion say I. >> I. >> I. >> I. >> The M motion passes. >> Thanks for catching that, Sarah. So do we want to go to the second? So the second resolution we this is just an introduction and an opportunity if anybody wants to discuss it. And this resolution would be to amend the bylaws to expand the number of commissioners to comply with state current state regulations. um we need two meetings in order to pass

[18:02] this resolution. So, this would uh require a motion to consider it at the next meeting and then we'll want to talk about setting up a meeting within the next week or so um whenever anybody's available to to do that at the next bure beer meeting. >> Okay. Um, does anyone have any questions about expanding the the beer board to 13 members? I actually have a question about that. Um so the um well I assume that Mark will be acting as the executive director. Is that what um you said in your introduction or is

[19:00] >> it's actually the city manager. Okay. >> Al who's currently the executive director. So, um Mark's the the acting secretary, but >> Okay. Okay. Um and um city council is also going to be involved in um making those appointments or making some number of those appointments and then the rest of them will be um members that are listed in in the resolution. Is that correct? Right. So, the statute requires the mayor to appoint 10 of the members and have the governing bodies. So, that would be city council ratify those um appointments and approve them. And to your question earlier, David, the mayor

[20:01] actually appoints the chair as well for the next round of appointments. >> Okay. And then the other three um must be representatives of taxing authorities within the city and um the potential urban renewal areas. So that would be um an appointed person who was elected to the school board um one of the county commissioners and then a representative of the other special taxing districts. >> Okay. And so our board won't really be involved in any of those appointments. Is that correct? I think that's up to potentially council you all in what um I haven't been involved here in the specific recruitment efforts and appointments, but it it does leave room if if council's interested um in having

[21:02] you all review andor be involved in that process to some extent. >> Okay. Um maybe we could make suggestions to the mayor if they're having if he's having trouble finding um people who are interested in serving on the board. But apart from that, I don't know what other there would be a role for us. >> Okay. Uh, so is there another resolution that um you'd like one of us to make a motion of? >> Yeah, it would be for this for the second resolution. And here's the suggest motion. >> I can read it. Is this the real one or

[22:00] the Just kidding. >> This one looks accurate. Yes. Okay. Um, I move to consider the amended bylaws as presented today at the next bureau meeting during which time a resolution will be presented to amend the bylaws. >> I'll second. >> Okay, we have a motion that's been seconded. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> I. >> Okay, that motion passes. >> Great. Uh, this is our Go ahead, Sarah. >> I was gonna say, do you all wanna can talk about dates for the next meeting while we're on? >> Sure. >> Sure. Um, we want to schedule that now and save everybody some back and forth. >> There's only three of us. Let's do it. >> That would be great.

[23:01] >> Did you want to do it next week? Is that what you're saying? >> Well, yeah, we could do it as early as next week. Um, I'll just throw out a few suggestions and see how they land. Is that okay? >> No. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Uh, Wednesday the 5th at noon. >> Good for me. >> I can't do Wednesday the 5th at noon. 00 am. >> Good for me. >> Good here. >> Me as well. >> Um, Jennifer, what's the backlog for the publication because I know we got to get the a notice in the Boulder camera, right? Or Selena, I don't know if you know that. >> Yeah. So, go ahead, Jennifer. >> No, go ahead, Selena. >> So, um, I could probably put one in for this upcoming weekend. Um, and I think that that'll cover us at least.

[24:02] >> Great. Thank you. >> Thursday the 6 at 9 works for me, too. >> Great. >> All right. We will plan on that. >> Great. >> It should be a really short meeting because it's just the bylaws, right? >> Yes. Um because I don't we're not going to have the IGA done by then, but >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. That'll be a quick and then this slide just previews and this will come a little bit later. Um I think the simplest way to describe this is there will be activities that will cost money uh that the city will need to cover uh on behalf of Bureau uh before there's uh we're several steps away. But in the event that new urban renewal areas are created, uh we'll want to create an IGA that establishes some some ground rules

[25:00] for the reimbursement um if uh the city covers bureau activities. So it's pretty standard um relationship between urban renewals and uh municipalities. And so um we'll be putting that together. that likely is your last official action that we'll need before the end of the year uh before we can do those uh appointments. Um so just look for that. We'll provide more information, but just wanted to give you um a sense of of that last piece. >> And that's an IGA between the city of Boulder and BER. Is that correct? >> That's correct. Yeah, because they are technically separate entities. Okay, >> quick question. Um, do we think we only need 30 minutes or the full hour? >> I think 30 should be adequate. >> Okay, >> sounds like it.

[26:05] >> Okay, does that conclude today's business, Mark? >> It sure does. We're a fast bunch. Yeah, you're all very efficient. >> Okay, so do we need a motion to adjourn then? >> I would like toot. Yeah, go ahead. I'll second it, David. >> Okay. All right. All in favor? I >> I >> I. >> All right. We are journ. Thank you very much everyone. >> Take care everybody. We'll talk soon. Appreciate your time today. You're >> welcome. Bye bye.