November 13, 2025 — City Council Study Session

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[5:19] to tonight's study session of the Boulder City Council. I am Taiisha or council member Taiisha Adams and thank you for joining us. We have two items on tonight's agenda. First, we will hear information on the civic area concept plan and phase 2 scope. Our second item is the 2026 policy statement on regional, state, and federal issues to review and discuss. Before we go into our work item, I would like to outline how the meeting will be conducted. We will review the staff's presentations and then we will have time for questions. At the end of the presentation, we will conduct our

[6:00] council discussion with staff. If you have questions, please wait for staff to complete their presentation. We will now turn to our city manager, Nuria Rivier Rivera Vandermire to introduce our first item. Nuria. >> Thank you so much, Council Member Adams, and good to see everybody. Our first item for tonight is an item that so many people in community have uh been excited about, have weighed in on. There has been a lot of engagement and so I will send it right over to our lovely director of parks and recreation Ally Rhodess who we cannot see her camera. I don't know if she >> I'm working on >> ah I figured you might be [laughter] uh I'll just be a voice in the background right now. But that's okay because this is brief and I'll figure out my video uh when we have time. But folks, I'm Ally Rhodess. the director of parks and recreation and I am so honored to be here with you tonight to talk

[7:01] about the civic area. Uh I have lived in this town just a year shy of 30 years and I one of the things I love about Boulder is that we are always trying to be great and I know that it was in a desire to be great that city council approved this project in the next trunch of funding when voters approved it with 70% approval in 2021 the next round of the community culture resilience and safety tax. Uh and so we're eager to dig in tonight and show you a concept plan that addresses some of the most dated infrastructure in our community that uh creates an amazing connection between the hill and downtown and that economic activity that is happening on both connects our community to each other and to nature. And so we want to remind you on this process slide here uh that this is a project 10 years in the making. In 2015, we finalized a civic area plan and we said when that plan was approved that we would steadily march towards the vision that it outlined. And so there's

[8:02] the civic area park plan. Phase one development happened in 2018 and we kicked this project off two years ago. We did significant analysis. We have done a whole lot of community engagement and we're here at the pink today where we're marching forward in two directions. one is uh related to the redevelopment of the east bookend and we talked to you all about that in April and really we're at the phase where we're drawing the boundary for where we'll make the next investment in the civic area and so tonight our team is going to share with you the concept for the whole park because we do want it to feel like one cohesive amazing public space and you're going to see the recommendations for the $18 million investment and those will be continued to be reviewed as we develop the park management plan and total cost of operations So to share more about the park concept plan, I'm going to hand you to Mark Davidson, our senior planning manager. He's representing an incredible team of landscape architects led by our project

[9:00] manager, Shihomi Kuryogawa, who you all have met. Uh we're sad she's not here, but super happy she's enjoying the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We're also joined by a national design firm with a local office here in Boulder represented by Principal Nate Cormier. So Mark, >> thank you Alli. Mark Davidson, park planning manager. I'm going to walk you through the presentation tonight where Nate Cormier, who is the principal of our consultant firm, Rios. I'll take you through uh the initial questions. That's to have those in the background in your mind, the project background, and then Nate and I will work on the key drivers. He'll take you through the concept plan, and then I'll pick back up the recommendations and next steps before we have the facilitated discussion. So what are the questions for council tonight? First one is does council have feedback on the concept plan for the civic area and that is the concept plan for the whole study area. Secondly, does council have feedback on the elements advancing into construction in phase 2 for the

[10:02] civic area that is the $18 million that have been allotted for the project. So let's just do a brief project background. And I know a lot of us are familiar with this, but it is goes just to put a pointer on where the project is and what the study area is. So you see there the civic area being the heart of the downtown and basically south of Pearl Street and then if you look under the hill and the uh CU along with the uh conference development that is an important connection to the civic area and you'll see that green arrow from conference development the civic area being the arboritum path which is a critical critical connector that is part of this project. The other thing I want to point out which Alli touched upon is the civic area itself. Not only is it a major place for the community to gather, it kind of highlights Boulder's natural beauty in terms of the amazing Boulder Creek and the iconic flat irons where you've got beautiful views of those from most of the areas in the site.

[11:02] What you see in this slide is focusing in kind of zooming in on the civic area itself. [clears throat] And I'll just work through the different projects that are going on so you get a sense of it. In 2018, in blue, you'll see that that was phase one where we basically did a multi-use space, a bit of creek restoration, and developed the playground next to the library. Today, we're going to do a little reveal. What you see in pink is what we're recommending as staff for the implementation of phase two. That is the work that will go forward for construction. And you see that mostly in Central Park and 13th Street and then some circles around the park. These are gateways, signage, wayfinding that will help unite Pacific area as a whole. And then the yellow on the far right hand side is the public private partnership for the East Book End. All of these we'll touch on in more detail in the presentation. And here's where we're at in terms of the project schedule. We're getting towards the end of the year tonight and as part of the engagement process, we've been asking for prioritization of what

[12:01] goes forward in phase 2. In 2026, we will move into design, development, and construction drawings for the amount allotted for the project. And then finally, we'll move into construction in 2027. Part of moving into construction in 27 will be uh probably in February is our hope. And obviously, we will make sure we don't impact the inaugural Sundance Film Festival. Okay. What are the key drivers for this concept plan that has emerged over the last few months with the uh major community engagement for window 3? I think we're all familiar with this but it is the three uh inputs into the design. We have the community engagement, we have the policy guidance, we have the technical site analysis. Something that overlays this which uh council actually brought up to us in uh two years ago when we started the project was to make sure we engage with this uh framework sustainability equity

[13:01] resilience and that is running through the project and has been fed into the design. So in terms of the policy as this is a major area in the heart of downtown there obviously is quite a bit of policy that runs through this. I'm not obviously going to read every single plan in there, but the 2015 civic area plan has probably been our major guidance along with obviously taking into account all the other policies that apply to the civic area. In that 2015 park plan, there were seven guiding principles and they are what has really driven the design of the space and how we think about the space activation. What is interesting about the seven principles is uh both council as yourselves in 2014 affirmed these principles and when went out in uh let's see window one for engagement the community itself also affirmed these and with that we made the commitment to weave equity through each of these principles to ensure that exists and

[14:00] that really wasn't a focus of the 2015 plan but is something that was emerged later. So we've ensured that is part of how we think about the principles. So here is where the engagement has actually occurred. There's been three windows. In window one, we asked for the big ideas. What do people think of this space? What could this space be? It was kind of a brainstorming on how the civic area could become the heart of the downtown and really support community identity, community activation, community enjoyment of this space. In window two, we really started to narrow in working with the community to say, okay, of all these ideas, which ones are important and that wasn't prioritizing at that one point. It was just to get a sense of what's important, what do you want to see advanced into a concept plan? And that's where we are today. So, in window 3 over the last few months, we've worked with the community and said, "Hey, we've got the $18 million. It probably covers about 20% of the site of all of these great things in the concept plan. Which other things do

[15:00] we really need to bring forward?" And that's what you'll see in the staff recommendation tonight. As we did the engagement, there was obviously an equity focus. It is uh as part as part and parcel now of our work, we include the racial equity instrument. We work with uh historically excluded groups, two community connectors, the community connections in residents and key city uh community- based organizations to get their input. We also worked with uh youth and older adults And part of that was thinking about the multigenerational feedback. And an example of that was uh two months ago we had a roll and stroll event for people experiencing disability, families with children experiencing disability and older adults. And we did a walk around the civic area to get feedback on how we can think about universal design is just one example of that work. At this point, I'll pass you over to Nate from Rios to take you through the concept plan analysis and the concept plan itself. >> All right. Thank you, Mark. And uh what

[16:00] an honor to be here with all of the council members this evening. I'm Nate with Rios. Uh before we dive into the concept plan, just a few of the 10,000 foot level discoveries that the team made as we uh spent time on site and engaging with city stakeholders and with the community. The first was really the need to overcome barriers whether that's views into the civic area uh physical barriers to circulation disconnections. How are we healing and weaving elements of the civic area back together? The second was second uh big lesson learned was there's such a a broad um range of experiences in the civic area roughly organized around the idea that more upstream to the west is more natural. It ties into your larger natural systems. Uh this morning my my team here in town uh took me out for some ice bathing in the creek uh just just to the west. And then at the other end of the extreme you've got be mocha and Pearl Street and downtown and all this vibrant urban energy. And so this nature culture

[17:00] gradient making sure we're allowing for all those experiences here in the civic area is critical. And that plays into this idea that the creek itself has different personalities, different opportunities that are available along the creek. and we want to weave together the rest of surrounding downtown, pull that into the civic area at the same time that we're taking those um those elements of Greek ecology and bringing them out into the city as well. So, what are the gateways? What are the uh what we call funky moments, elements of history and art and culture that animate the space that all need to be addressed and woven together. Next slide, please. So that ultimately it really is about unifying the civic heart of Boulder. That you know when you've arrived, you know that there's diversity, many voices, many uh different experiences on offer anytime you visit the civic area. Um but also that they uh they cohhere. They really come together. They build on the investments you've made in phase one. Those should feel harmonious and a

[18:01] part of everything else you see us uh adding over time, but really it becomes something that everybody it's very recognizable and uh very easy to access and move through and feel safe and welcome and invited to the civic area. Next, so now we get to um reveal and and discuss the the design itself. This is the overall concept for the civic area. And you can see, of course, there's the the main um footprint of the civic area as well as we've always been including this critical connection up the hill to the university with the arburetum path. We're going to take you on a tour. We'll start at that west end, the more natural end of the gradient. We'll move through the social uh space we call Boulder Beach, which is complementing phase one with improvements on the south side of the creek. Uh we'll take a look at that connection up to CU and then we'll come back and end in the east end which is also the area as Mark described is the likely it's our recommendation based on all the community feedback uh as to the

[19:02] place to take that next step with phase two of detailed implementation. So this is just a a map of those zones uh before we dive in. So starting at the west end again this is a place more about nature discovery immersion uh there are overflow channels more meandering the nature the personality of the creek uh is less channelized here has more opportunities for ecology uh and exploration we've got a a perspective view of what that might be like next. Oops. Oh maybe we lost that view. [laughter] Uh sorry. Um, and we'll take a the next chapter is the Boulder Beach. So, uh, this one is really emphasizing the social life of the civic area in in ways that you use the phase one park today, but expanding. You can see roughly the the footprint of the lawn in front of the stage at phase one. really expanding

[20:00] that to, you know, two or three times that size on the south side by replacing the parking lot with uh a much more generous um shared picnicking area. Uh taking the edge of the creek itself and making these accessible shallows. So, eddies and places where all users can get down and interact with the creek. And then we have an an iconic opportunity for what we call the nature hub. This is a place for education, camps, restrooms, potentially some concessions, food and beverage that support all of that enhanced social life along the creek. And of course, great views uh to the mountains from there. And next, we'll look at the arburetum path. So, this is uh taking what is now uh from Broadway down to the creek. There's a shared use path, but if you've ever walked there, um it can get pretty busy. And so peeling those two users apart. So we'll have one path that's for the bicycles and and ebikes and those

[21:01] things and then another path for the pedestrians and then continuing the pedestrian uh corridor up all the way to CU. So connecting to the conference center and creating um really taking what the inspiration of this um arboritum and elevating the ecology there giving dramatic views of the mountains and overlooking the ball fields. uh while at the same time creating safe separate mobility for the bike path and the pedestrians. Next I think we have the east end. Okay. So really excited to look at ways that in partnership with a potential public private uh development on the other side of 13th turning 13th which is currently where you have your farmers market and other activities into a festival street. So this could be a curbless zone that continues to be a marketplace, but also so much more. So many other ways to occupy and make that part of a whole

[22:01] porch that overlooks an expanded flexible green. So where right now the ditch divides uh spaces that sometimes feel a little bit like leftovers. By unifying those, you take this dramatic um icon of the B historic bandshell and make that the backdrop for a great big festival grounds that you could imagine all kinds of community gatherings and activities taking place here. Next, we have a uh this is a view of uh 13th as a festival street. On a day-to-day basis, there'll be some sort of shade canopies creating more seasonal comfort. to the right you're seeing that porch area, some decks in amongst the uh large mature trees. So, they're shaded and comfortable. You could imagine, you know, getting your food or your drink from the farmers market or from perhaps with the redevelopment of the uh east bookend a market hall and bringing that out to enjoy uh in the shade of the trees uh and with this dramatic view of the flat irons in the distance. And then this is you know during market

[23:00] activation how that space is really flexible and usable as a continues to be a critical uh home for the farmers market and other you know could be used for lots of other activities as well. So back to you Mark with another layer of the activation. Yeah, thank you Nate and great description of the concept plans and what you're seeing here is uh what emerged from uh cultural landscape work and then storytelling and discussing the history of the site was how do we provide an art history and cultural story walk. So you see here that this is overlaid over the complete uh concept plan all the way up through the arboritum. It'll be night and dynamic storytelling trying to reveal the various layers of history, both good and bad, positive and negative, but how it all weaves together into the story of Boulder and those who have come before us. So, I'll just move to the final section now, which is the recommendations for phase two. Nate's covered them in detail, so I'll just be providing the overview of where the recommendations

[24:00] are aligned and how the community prioritized those decisions for the recommendation tonight. What you see here is the various uh types of folks we reached out to for engagement window three we did you know pop-up events inerson events etc and we simply said to the community please help us prioritize what is important to move forward based upon the current funding for phase two of the project and in it you see on this bar chart now the top five Boulder Beach the farmers market providing a year-round market hall nature play and what's seen there as a nature hub is a place where there's park amenities, critical things like restrooms, concessions for recreation, and a focus on youth activities. With that information, we were able to lay that out spatially. And now what you see is those priorities laid out across the concept plan for the site. Boulder Beach, yes, had emphasis, but that frankly could be uh not within the current costing and some complications with uh flood plane analysis. And the

[25:00] fact that the Central Park and 13th Street area had the second, third, and fourth most popular items led us to concentrate in that area. And here you see what we're recommending, which you know, I did the reveal in that early slide. You see the uh basically 13th street is a festival street. This ribbon almost prominade moving out that incorporates nature play, water play, a place for people to gather for food and beverages. And then you see how the band shell and the seating can be updated and improved making it more accessible, more activated. And then just the little circles around the site are examples of where we want to do gateways, wayfinding, and weave in aspects of that storytelling I touched on earlier. Obviously, that's where the major funding will go for the physical development of the site. Something we heard from the community was, hey, can you do a little bit more with the space activation as well? And this is the idea that parts of that Boulder Beach area,

[26:01] the arboritum path could be activated through pop-ups or small maintenance needs that come up. Part of this has come through the success of the Wildwoods nature nature play area which is next to the farmers market on Central Park. I think most of you might have seen it now. That's a pop-up that will last for about 12 months. Has been a great way to act this activate the space, make it more welcoming, increase safety. And then the final thing I'll mention is in in sense of that sort of unifying the civic area. What would that look like? Well, in 26 we'll be doing a park renaming exercise and that'll be part of the window for engagement in this case with a special focus on youth helping us to think about the renaming of the civic area similar to what we saw for Primos Park up north. And then here the final slide is a really important slide that in the top left quadrant you see the design work we're doing. We know we don't want to get to ribbon cutting and just basically open up the park to everything. Instead, we'll be doing a park management c plan which also looks at three other key

[27:00] aspects of park management. Taking care of what we have. What are the operations? What's the total cost of management? What are staff roles and responsibilities to keep this maintained in terms of space activation? I've touched on things like pop-ups, but it'll be like what are volunteer activity, youth programming, educational programming, and recreation services. And then finally, how do we think about social behaviors? Creating a socially uh progressive space that also is uh basically, you know, in terms of for the community feeling like a safe place. And so I'll just touch on next steps. Q1 26 we'll be moving into design development. And in parallel to that, we'll be doing the park renaming and branding effort. In the fall of 26, we'll be doing the final design shareout where the implementation of phase two in terms of those construction drawings and the final design will emerge that will allow us to begin construction in early 2027. And with that, I'll pass it over to

[28:01] councelor Adams to lead us and facilitate us through the questions for councils and any other discussion. >> Wonderful. Thank you so much, Mark. This is so exciting and really looks um incredible. I look forward to our council discussion. Um council members, we have two questions. Does the council have feedback on the concept plan is the first and the second is um the actual elements advancing the construction on specific to phase two. So, we're going to start uh we have 70 minutes total and we were going to we're going to start with the first question on feedback on the general concept plan. >> Ryan, would you like to kick us off in >> Thank you. Ju just kind of a point of order. C can we do questions to staff before we address their questions? >> Maybe that can be a part of your feedback. >> Okay, great. I don't need to go first. I just wanted to ask about that.

[29:01] >> Okay, Tina. >> Hi. Um, thank you for uh going through the plan. Um, so I am going to start with a question also. Um, how do we envision some of the activation when the weather isn't as good? So we, you know, we have um different climates here and we have windy days and rain uh and extreme heat and cold. Do we have some areas where we can be a little bit more nimble uh and and not as good weather? >> No, I appreciate that question. Uh it's come up quite a bit as we think about it. We actually held an engagement event in the spring where we nearly all got blown away. So we totally understand that. uh the 13th Street, Festival Street, that will have canopy structures to provide for all year round use and obviously to protect from elements of the weather both in terms of sun and rain. And then there'll be smaller areas

[30:00] around the site that are uh basically like uh shade structures that provide for that little bit of sort of semi-enclosure. It's not permanent enclosure. And then as we start to think about um how do we move people around the site as a whole, we'll also be looking for those small interventions gateways where people can take some shelter. So there won't be like full enclosure of the site as it were, but we are looking for those opportunities from both sun and rain and frankly uh looking at windbreaks as well that can support that. >> Okay. And then with the year- round farmers market, what is the structure in terms of who will the farmers market eventually own the space or will that always be city loan owned with the farmers market as a tenant like or or what is that structure look like? >> No, I appreciate that. I I can speak to the structure, but first off, perhaps I can ask director Rhodess to respond on like ownership and how we'll work in partnership with the farmers market. Yeah, I'll just share this.

[31:00] >> I forgot I'm not supposed to unmute. We're sharing a speaker. That's on me. I'm a tech uh guru tonight. Uh so the relationship with the farmers market right now is that we're close partners. They, you know, we McKenzie and her team have been actively involved throughout the project and we're not anticipating any changes in ownership or um management. However, we do intend to deepen the partnership and there's a lot more work to happen before that, you know, that last graph graphic Mark showed with the park management plan. We're eager to talk to all of the anchor partners, including the library district and others about year- round activation. And so, that's some of the work ahead of the next two years is really to flesh out what all those relationships look like. >> And then, yeah, in terms of the structure, in all honesty, you know, as we move to design development, we'll be delving into the exact details of that. What we've heard at the moment from folks, not just from the farmers market, but for a year- round event, Festival Street, is there needs to be some enclosure, but not total enclosure. So, it might be a series of canopies.

[32:01] >> Okay. And then I'll just um provide my feedback if that's okay, Council Member Adams. Uh so, I um I really appreciate the focus on maintenance and especially we it's great to be adding restrooms. We've we've had issues with those uh in public spaces. So, the fact that we're going to be working to finding that um solution is is great. And u making sure that we have long-term maintenance and that it feels accessible to uh people, especially around the children's play area adjacent to the library where I've probably heard the most feedback uh with less access there. Um the other piece is the I love that we're having an art, culture, and history walk that's defined. I I think it's great when you can come to a new place and be given a walk that that's clear where you go that's very well marked. Um I hate being like detailed like this, but I do think that we attract a lot of runners. So if at some point it could include mile markers and provide a three mile run and a five mile run, there seem to be a lot

[33:01] of enthusiasts uh for something like that. Um, and [clears throat] then the last part is just um when I think of the heart of Boulder, I think of it as the civic area plus Pearl Street. So, I'm glad that it's connected well with Pearl Street, but I do um want to continue to think about as we activate parts of the civic area through more food and possibly retail that it it does create some kind of competition with Pearl Street. So, how do we ensure that we're maintaining the economic vitality in both places and that we're not cannibalizing each other? So, that would be my only thought that I'm that I have. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thank [clears throat] you, Tina. Matt, >> thanks, Tasa. Um, so question. So, I I want to pick up on the maintenance thing. I think that's something we've been hearing pretty loud and clear from community uh over the last year plus is just maintenance. So, it's good to see that there's a there's will be a

[34:00] maintenance plan with this. But, I'm just wondering how does this maintenance fan fit into a larger one because I think if we're going to do maintenance here, it makes sense that, you know, while we're talking about fund our future, we're also funding our present and that includes maintenance. So, I like that we're touching here, but there's a lot of other infrastructure that that uh needs more a lot of love. of and so I just want to make sure that this isn't the new thing that we take care of, but we also have the plan for maintaining and keeping up that standard with everything else. So I just want to make sure that we're we're going to do both and not just have the shiny object get the polish. Um uh because I think the community will will want more than that. Um so that's that's something I'm hoping to see. A question I have about connections to the hill. I see that in uh slide 34 and I'm curious as to better connectivity. I mean, so much of what we might do with a DDA and all of these things are are creating these economic connections. Could you maybe describe a little more about what that maybe looks like in terms of just better connectivity? Um,

[35:01] that's been a trouble area. It's been an area that people have had some issues with safety, the bike chicanees maybe not the best. So, I'm just kind of wondering what are we talking about here? Just some surface repaving or a really broad rethink of how we're connecting those areas? >> No, Matt, I appreciate that. It's it's a great question, isn't it? because it has been an area that's been neglected for a while and it's it's sometimes hard to even envision what that could look like. We've we've spent a lot of time thinking about a number of things in terms of first off, yes, it's it's some kind of commuter route, isn't it? Either for bikes, pedestrians, uh bike taxis to get people up and down the hill. And when we do that, we've looked at the also the elevated aspect of this. And again, that ties into making sure it's also universally accessible. Then as you start to branch out from that, what are the opportunities in this area? And there seems to be two that have really emerged. One, let's think of the Highline. Obviously, we don't have, you know, the $100 million for the Highline, but there is ways to think about the way the Highline activated the space off to the sides, places to rest, places for people to gather, places for art to

[36:01] occur. And then as we start to think about more on the ground in the arburetum, it is interesting. It's actually about six acres in total. Central Park's about eight or nine acres. It's not quite the same rectangular space that's easy to design in, but we've looked at opportunities where thinking of that idea as an arboritum, is this a place where we start to think about a future arburetum from a climate perspective. Can we start to grow things from our park operations team that would support Pearl Street and do that in-house as it were? Can we where we're already working with Boulder High School and New Vista High School on looking at food carts in the area and growing food with students and creating outdoor classrooms and these frankly could be lowcost high impact uh sort of pop-ups I mentioned earlier. So the the goal is thinking about food, thinking about climate as well as the sort of commuter route and how do those spaces interact. >> Wonderful. I I appreciate that. Um, next question kind of feeds on that, you know, connecting route to to things and I I see we have a lot of focus on the west side of 13 and we talk about new

[37:01] development on the east side in those buildings. What's the timing and synergy between these two things? Because I I I can see that there's one shared infrastructure, but also overlapping impacts and so I just wanted to know what's that timing on the east side of 13th in comparison to what you're envisioning for the west side and the park side. >> Yeah. No, I appreciate that, Matt. you're talking about the public private partnership on the Eastbrook end and what we have at the moment is we you know I think we came to council last April to discuss that as a separate item to move that public private partnership forward as a thinking about the land use initially and we're at the point where in December we'll be able to do the RFI the request for information with developers to start to get their feedback once we get their feedback and the ideas that will lead to a request you know RFP a request for projects and that will hopefully with those ideas coming in there'll be a synergy between 13th Street, Central Park and how we all work together because let's think about this, you know, we're not looking to do construction till 2027. So that gives us a couple of years to work on how those

[38:01] spaces interact to make sure they're not separate or they're not duplicating services. >> Okay, I appreciate that. And just general comments, I I like how this has uh shaped I think the community involvement and and and the way the community is is telling us what they want. I I think that's great. And I think this is a great opportunity for us to show that we're listening and that community has shapes can shape the outcome of this stuff. And so I just look forward to having the this done so that we get to prove that when community is a part of this process at the early stages, they get to see the fruits of that labor um and and see it come to life. So So I appreciate the great work here and I love a lot of aspects of what's happening, especially the year around farmers market. I mean, I there's just we've been we've been begging for something like that for so long. So, to see that it's right in front of us is is fantastic along with some of the other activations. So, I think this has so much uh synergy with everything else we're doing in terms of our cultural and economic department um or development department and just all the things with

[39:00] parks and you name it. So, I really happy that this is continuing to move forward and uh excited to see this come together. >> Thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you, Matt. Uh Mark Okay. Um, first, it's a very exciting concept. Um, I'd love to see it uh be realized, but my first question uh is about the money. Um, I see we've got $18 million allocated for this phase of the development. Um, do we have a a a projection as to what the entire project in all phases will cost? >> Thank you, Mark. Yeah, I'll actually defer that to Nick. Cormier from RIS. Uh they've been putting together project costs and frankly working nationally have a better sense than ourselves uh in terms of what the typical cost is of a large downtown civic area. If Nate, if you're able to respond to that. >> Uh it's quite a wide range is the the the starting point. We actually did go

[40:01] through an exercise with Ally and Mark where we benchmarked uh phase one work against national uh comparables. um everything from Clyde Warren Park in in Dallas at a thousand dollars a square foot because it's covering a freeway to honestly your phase one was one of the most efficient uh and we you know all apples to apples in terms of bringing them to a a common comparison year. Um but some of the other recent projects that we've delivered um a central park for downtown Palm Springs was around $250 a square foot. uh a similar 2 acre urban park in in downtown Houston about $300 a square foot. So it they can really be up there. You got your phase one in the ballpark of around $50 a square foot which is these days would be a steal. Um, and so I think, you know,

[41:00] that gives you some sense of like, you know, we're we're I would say as we looked at the 18 millionish that we're looking at for phase two, we're in the hundred 100 and change. So less than a more urban urban park in a in a large city. Um but really with the type of amenities we're describing, you know, structure over uh 13th and repaving, there's more heartscapes a there's a little it's more involved than what your phase one was. So we imagine something a little more intensive. It's more along that gradient we described. It's more at the urban end of the type of improvements that we're describing. >> Well, this Oh, go ahead, please. No, I was going to say moving beyond per square foot prices. What does it look like in terms of total dollars? Oh, >> so I'll jump in there, Mark. We've not paid for costing for the whole park because we know we don't have funding to develop the whole park. And so, even developing the costing costs money and so we, you know, we paid for a concept plan for the whole park so that we could

[42:02] then narrow in on a project that is [clears throat] deliverable with the funding that's been allocated. And as we explore future phases, just like we do with all capital projects, we'll have to look at cost estimating at the time of funding, right? Because it it's going to escalate between now and then. And so we don't have better answers than square foot because we've not paid for the costing. >> Yeah. just a as a as a just rule of thumb, you know, looking at the plan, if you put your fingers over that east east end that is the focus of this phase 2 and say that's in the 20 million range, you probably have threeish more bites like that. If you were building it all now, um, and so, but as Ally described, this is something that's going to happen over time. You may make different decisions about whether there's a nature hub. there'll be more evolution in in thinking as you learn things from each of the phases that you do, but it's in that order of magnitude if [clears throat] you were to try to bite off the the whole remainder. >> We we have a lot of competition for our

[43:00] CCRS fund. So, it'll be interesting to make those choices because my recollection of the 2026 budget is that we had the $18 million allocated for this and then we had nothing for a couple of years and then there was a if my memory serves, which it often does not, there was another $6 million uh transfer funds that were going to be available. Um, >> it was just the $1 million. Mark, >> I'm sorry. >> It was just the $18 million. >> That That's fine. Um my next question is um uh all of this is wonderful but it's not going to have much meaning if we do not have effective uh public safety. Um, this this park has many more places to be and to recreate and sort of little nooks and crannies and that raises issues with respect to how people are

[44:00] going to be uh safe in this environment and uh do we have such a program? Do we have we begun to contemplate that? And and what does that entail? Are we going to need more >> uh Please, >> I'm happy to hear. I'll start that conversation, Mark, in terms of a response and then I'll throw it over to Alli or Mark Wolf or anyone else on the team to respond. The the first thing which I mentioned as one of my last slides is when we've done previously in my career anyway, when you've done design, you've got ribbon cutting and then you're like, now how do we manage the space? It's not very effective and it leads to uh unintended consequences and frankly doesn't do the design justice. You'll see from the very beginning here we've put a lot of effort into thinking through as we do the design what is space activation or how do we manage uh the rules and regulations and the ranger patrols police patrols and how do we think of frankly the operations not just from new stuff we're adding but the existing stuff as well and so we're putting that

[45:01] together over this course of the next year so that even a year before ribbon cutting we've really thought through space activation park operations an example I could give is the pop-up Wildwoods nature play area. Uh since that's been in place over the last six months, and obviously it's not just the nature play area, it's working with our police department, the utilities department, our rangers, all teaming together. Uh I heard this morning, and someone correct me if I've got the figure wrong, there's been a 50% reduction in incidents since the more activation and more management of that space. So, we're even starting to see at this point before the design's complete, that sense of doing this in tandem, in parallel, working together. So, when we do get the design on the ground, it it's not just a ribbon cutting. If people are like, great, this place belongs to me. This is a space I've known about. I've actually been in the engagement. I'm seeing what I asked for come to life and now I can participate in the space. And Ally, please feel free to add some more detailed information to that if it's >> I just I know our teammates gave the

[46:01] figure. It's a 55% reduction in ranger contacts for rule violations this summer over last summer. And again, it's not just as a result of the um nature play area that our team designed and built. I'm going to brag on them because it's super impressive. If you haven't seen the Wildwoods play area, I hope that you do. Um but really, we know that positive activity is one of the number one drivers um that creates more pro-social behaviors. And so, you know, between the Wildwoods area, the partnerships I mentioned earlier with the farmers market, the library district, we activation. So the long story short to your question mark is is that we're already on it and I think the data shows that this summer already the civic area we've seen improvements and really what I hope that we can address over the next couple years are the perceptions of safety that the civic area is a safe place. Please come downtown. Please come play in the wildwoods and go to the farmers market because it it is a safe place for our community. >> I intend to hang out at the beach. Um [clears throat] um this uh I just lost this as as you

[47:00] were presenting. Um are we doing something with the library parking lot that >> not in this phase not in this phase the the concentration of work is in Central Park and 13th Street? We will be looking at gateways. So there might be like a gateway or signage in that area but not we are not touching the parking lot. My last question um with respect to the public private partnership um what are we offering and what are we expecting in terms of of responses? >> Yeah, I'm happy to take that response. Um and folks can chip in at this point. We're actually saying that's part of this RFI, the request for information. We're actually asking the developers to come to us with ideas. We're not trying to have a fixed point. You know, it's it's not a good stage to have a fixed point. as the ideas come in and the potential for collaboration emerges, that'll more be in the RFP when we put out the request for proposals when we can sort of definitively say here's how we want to work together or here's how you can work together, you know, here's how you can do things on your own or potentially here's how you might

[48:00] collaborate with nonprofits. So, it'll be a few months more down the road before we're able to definitively say how we'd work together. >> Okay, that that are those are my questions and thank you. It's a very interesting project. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mark. Mayor Brais, >> thanks Taiisha. Um, couple quick ones. So, one is the uh the band shell. You're talking about enhanced band shell or band shell enhancements. What specific kinds of things are you thinking about? >> Yeah, it's a great question. Uh, we wish there was uh a few more dollars to enhance the band shell in terms of like a green room or audio. In truth, there isn't enough funding to do that. So instead what we focused on and what we've actually we went to the historic landmarks board and have spoke with uh historic uh community members not historic but historic members of the community. And so we've really focused on the idea of um how do we activate this space so it's enjoyable so people can come and actually have a good time. It's it's difficult with the way the

[49:01] current seating arrangement is. It's a little bit difficult in front of the band shelves actually to dance based upon the surface. So what you see in the design is hardening the surface in front of the dance in front of the band shell and then you see some grass terraces heading up the hill. These grass terraces will serve as seating and then in fact even the seating originally was green. It'll reflect that idea of being more natural and it'll allow people Frankie to use the space in a way that is also universally accessible. So it'll also increase the access to it. So it's more of a gentle intervention to increase uh make the space more usable. >> So replacing the existing benches with the grassy terraces. >> Exactly. >> How will we get splinters at concerts without the benches? I'm just sorry. [laughter] Um and next question. Um actually Mark asked my financial question. So thanks for that Mark. Um, so I'm uh excited about the connection ideas you've got going up uh towards the arburedom and the different pathways and

[50:01] the boardwalk and that all looks fantastic. I know that's not in the funded phase two improvements. Do we have any sense when and how we might be able to get to to that uh phase of improvements? Yeah, I'll again I'll respond to that and other folks can chime in but it is one of the great examples where you know we've been having a discussion with CU is there a partnership opportunity there uh to think about how we can activate this space and then it does seem like a really great project that would be uh open to grant funding especially with the new go funding that has gone from like a million dollars to up to3 to 7 million. So there is grant funding and then obviously partnerships are a sort of main avenue at the moment and if anyone else has any other thoughts please chime in >> and and is that are those opportunities that we're going to be actively seeking in the like sooner rather than later. I think that yes um we are we did say we would advance um as part of the project the sort of schematic design for the arburidum which then helps you know it

[51:01] if you've got the schematic design in place it gives you a better opportunity to get the grant money or work with a partner. So that'll be something we'll be advancing over the next year. >> That's great to hear. And then just my feedback is just thumbs up. I think you've got some fantastic uh ideas coming through in the civic um area overall the concept plan and I know you you have added some additional things to like the phase one area and so I don't know when we're going to get to them but they look really positive. So um you know it'll be a lot of work over the years to find the funding um and the resources but I think the concept plan looks fantastic. So thanks for all the great work. Yeah. And Aaron, can I just clarify is when you mentioned the benches for the banchel, I do want to be clear to the landmarks board for anything related to changes in that uh landmark district. >> Of course, we would. Yes. Not a a guaranteed thing by any means. >> Exactly. Yeah. >> Welcome. Thank you, Tara. >> Well, there's nothing like going fifth and everyone asks all your questions

[52:00] already. It's okay. But I'm gonna segue off of uh Mayor Brock's comments and then I'll talk about everything else. So phase four, does that mean it's fourth or does that not mean it's fourth? Because to me it's one of the most I know I guess maybe I'm excited that the community is so excited about the beach and etc. and so am I uh the farmers market, but phase 4 to me is crucial for getting people from the hill to downtown. So, is it fourth? >> Sorry. Sorry. I apologize. Our graphic maybe wasn't as clear as it could have been. The only phasing that's been discussed so far is phase two. Those were just naming the the the large parts of the park because we've done big presentations on boards at the park and stuff. And so, it's been helpful to just as wayfinding like when you see the one graphic you know which station to go to. So, it's simply named station for you know to so you know where to go. But it

[53:00] is uh it'll hopefully >> let me cross out this whole speech. Hold on. No, I'm kidding. [laughter] I didn't have a speech. >> Let me just one thing on that though is that I think we share your sense of importance for that connection and it is I think it's one of our my key functions next year is to identify additional funding to begin those improvements because it's such an important connection. >> It is. I remember I don't know if council member Adams remembers we were first discussing the um arboritum and basically we said what arborum finally there are flowers there but wouldn't it be awesome we didn't say what arbor but you can't really tell it's an arbor you know what I mean >> so it's exciting there are flowers there but I'm was really excited to hear that you have plans for the arboritum to be more of an arboritum community gardens food growing an actual botanic garden will be so incredibly exciting to me. Um especially I'm so when I ride my bike down that treacherous path, there is

[54:00] this one turn where I hope that I'm not going to die. Seriously, every time. So excited that it's not fourth. Yay. Um, okay. Moving on to um the I know Mark mentioned the Boulder Beach parking and you didn't want to talk about it, which is totally fine. You don't have to, but um I'm curious about the parking for the 13th Street area as well. Are we just counting on the lots that are right to the other way? >> Um what's our plan? Because if you I think this is I think this is going to be so popular that I just hope we have a place to put people >> even if it's far away and we have to you know people have to take scooters to the park or whatever. >> Actually that's a a nice segue. There's a few thoughts we've got and and we're still assessing it in all honesty. Um but we are looking parking as a whole and so we're looking at adjacencies for parking and how do you utilize it beyond you know just the civic area. Uh Nate

[55:01] touched on the public private partnership work we'll be doing. there is the opportunity there to think about some kind of parking parking garage that might be a little bit longer term but you know working with our partners how might that emerge and then the last thing I'll mention is the you touched on it the mobility hub how do we frankly ask people to say maybe don't drive your car maybe take a scooter maybe take a bike maybe take a bike taxi so the mobility hub would provide a place where you can store your stuff safely and then head off to the farmers market or to the play area so we're just putting all of those sort of into the hopper as we move into design development to truly think that through. >> Okay. Um, great. So, I have two things I want to say. First of all, the bike valet parking I'm hoping is going to be better than it is now slash bigger. Is it? >> Uh, I would I would I'd like to say yes. I'd say as we come back in fall of Q of 2026, hopefully we'll be able to fully answer that question and you'll be happy with the answer. >> Okay, great. And was there anything else about that? I'm trying to remember. Oh,

[56:00] yes. I had a a recent experience and you know anecdote Tara here I am where I had to I bought a lot of peaches and it was so heavy all the peaches in my bag that I couldn't figure out how to get to from my car which is parked away from from the farmers market. So now I'm wondering what do we do about the older people, seniors, etc. and how do we get our stuff to these far away places because I can't take a scooter with like you know I can't I'd like to feel I was that person but you know I'm not that person. So I'm another thought would be like what to do about those type of small and like Tina said these are small little details but all my experiences you know I'm just thinking about as you know as a older person and how that was a really hard for me um plus I bought a lot of jam which was quite heavy. No, I I do appreciate that. We actually just at Burke Park, you know, to the south of the city um with a Frisia center there,

[57:02] we've had feedback from old adults that even the walks along the paths there could do with a few more benches just for resting in between or when people go out for strolls. So, we do recognize how do we take care of an aging population with more frankly uh programming support as well as physical design of the site. Mhm. Well, I will say that I asked two young people to carry my bags and we wound up becoming friends. They were women. They were in a band and I each gave them a peach and so they were really excited about that. So, you know, utilizing young people is not al is also not a bad idea, which I made two new friends. But I'm going to end with the absolute wonderful Wildwood Park, which Mark, if you've never been there, it is incredible. I spent a lot of summer days there with my grandchildren and they absolutely loved it. And I think what I love best about it is just free play and making up games just from the structure. Um, some of those games involved throwing your little kids throwing

[58:01] themselves off of very high pieces of wood, but you know, there there should be some of that in a kid's life. And so I just wanted to thank the parks and wreck department for giving us such a wonderful structure to enjoy our summer. >> I do appreciate that. And as a park planning manager, I have to say we followed all AATS standard code for the site in terms of safety. And uh if you don't mind me just saying uh part of that project was our forestry team in the city who you know have to take down trees that are unsafe or dying and they were at the time chipping them and we're able to partner with them where they started to collect the trees for the site. So everything you're seeing in there was free and the total cost if you take out inhouse staff labor was $14,000 which typically would be about $200,000. So what was exciting was it sounds like it was successful but it was also sustainable and we were able to be pretty costefficient in that process. I'm going to suggest one more thing and

[59:01] then I promise you that's it for me is since you did a lot of homemade stuff you could actually what would be great if I was a kid which sometimes I act like one I would want new stuff every year so that way the the kids would say well what's new here and since you did it in such an efficient and like you you reusing way with uh you know you know wood products that were already dead dying um that will be another great thing that we could have change in the park so the kids are always looking forward to it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Tara. Ryan, [clears throat] >> okay. Uh have a few questions. Tina um prompted a a thought which which is about the um interaction between the market and whatever businesses in in this space. uh and the visav Pearl

[60:01] Street and that there might be a cons a concern about competition. I suppose I'm wondering has the team heard any concerns about that? Um can I guess can you just yeah speak to your thinking on that as a as a as an issue? >> Yeah, I'll leave it to >> Yeah, I'll just share. So we have included downtown Boulder Partnership as one of the you know priority community organizations that we've talked to and presented on the civic area plan a couple of times including you know their board and participants many of the restaurant owners and we've not heard that concern. >> Okay. Um thank you. uh related and forgive me if I missed this, but um can you talk about the more about the the physical uh pedestrian experience of connecting between Pearl Street and the area um with respect to potential for you know calming measures raised sidewalks or or

[61:00] if we are thinking about that yet um and that's for a later date I don't know just could you comment on what what how are we thinking about what will need to happen in that space. >> Yeah, we're we're mindful of it when we haven't advanced it yet. There is uh Pearl Street will be starting to get advanced in 2026 for you know in in readiness for the 27th 50th anniversary. So minor maintenance maintenance repairs there and then obviously as we develop Civic we're trying to be mindful of that but at the moment there isn't projects on the book to actually physically fund the connections in terms of improvements. uh it's more just focusing on the two areas themselves. And if there's anyone else on the team who'd like to speak to that from transport, let me know if I've missed anything there. So, is there a conceptual plan though that I realize hasn't been funded, but is there are there concepts for how the pedestrian experience will look any different? Uh I would say what we're trying to do is think of as we do the park management

[62:02] plan and think of space activation what are the opportunities to go beyond civic and let's just say there's a you know electric train that runs around the area that someone thinks of that could go to Pearl go to Civic head around the arboritum but we haven't got to like actual describing what projects would look like or programs at this point. >> Okay. >> Right. I'm thinking that's also one we can get back to you on because I do know that um in coordination Mark has been working very closely with his colleagues in transportation to mobility and aligning CIPs and of course they've got the 14th Street project with the um RTD expansion and those connections. And so I do think that there are things being conceived that and we can get back to you maybe with a little more information. >> Okay, fine. I actually no need to get back to me specifically. I'll just make a comment on this when we get to comments for your consideration. >> Great. Um, thank you. And then I think my last question is also on the access and transportation front. Can you talk about the um the the transit the public

[63:02] transit experience um with with respect to how and where are people arriving and or leaving the area using transit now? And then how, if at all, do you expect for that to evolve as we go forward? >> Yeah. No, it's a great question. I think part of this will be the East End development and whether that, you know, what type of parking occurs there and what capacity that can accommodate if that project moves forward. We also have the existing parking on site which will remain because obviously phase two just focuses on the uh central park area and 13th Street and I mentioned earlier the mobility hub that is one of the key things we've been working with our transport partners on. Um how do we think about ways to bring people into the civic area other than by car and then have a safe space where they can park whatever form of transit they're on. And uh when I've worked on this in the past sometimes is you know you got

[64:00] charging stations, bike repair kits, etc. as you do that to also encourage people to come down and have opportunities for additional services as they do that. >> Can you say a little more though about the the public transit that the experience of who's using the bus? So, I'm talking about the bus right now. If you're coming to the park, for example, I look at the the northeast corner of 14th and Canyon, the the you know, our biggest mo uh transit hub for for the region is right there. Um, can you like But anyway, I'm just thinking about h where and how are people accessing physically with transit now? How will that evolve? >> Yeah, to be honest, I I'll defer to our transport people if they're here to respond to that or otherwise, we're again would be happy to get back to you with more information on that as we research it. >> And I think Brian, yeah, it goes back to the previous point on with the 14th Street expansions and the expanded bus bays. It's it really is just about making sure there's good wayfinding as

[65:00] the any east bookend development happens for the major arrivals that happen with 14th Street and the RTD station. And then Nate, if you'll confirm with me, the rest of the design leaves existing stations. So the arrivals on Broadway that are right there mid central park, that's going to stay and they're thinking about that connection and welcomingness. >> Yeah. Pathway connects that right into the central park. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, okay. That's all I have for questions. So, just a few comments. Overall, I think it's great. Um, agree with what Aaron said and, um, it's wonderful. So, and I'll just maybe highlight a few things. I like love the restrooms, the plan first to have accessible restrooms that are open. Um, I the the the probability that we'll have a a year- round farmers market. Sounds like this is this is something we continue to work towards. I think that sounds really excellent. Um, and I do I do think Tina has a good point about um, yeah, just

[66:02] more generally having a a good integrated plan with the whole downtown district with respect to restaurants, businesses and the whole kind of economy, making that cohesive. Um and then I guess I would say sort of a related point is just yeah I'll be I think it will be a success factor for this will be that there is a um a a calm positive experience for people who are walking, riding a bike, rolling in some way between the two. um which in which currently there is a you know four-lane arterial separating uh the spaces and it needs you know that's going to need some real attention. Um so anyway I I don't wouldn't I know we're not ready for that detail yet but just that that that if and when this comes up again I would um expect this to be an important part um at least when it's appropriate for us to be to be looking at. Um then on the

[67:04] transit front also just as a you know suggestion if if the if if we're effective in in our overall efforts to to create more transit oriented development where more people can get around without a car and the bus service works really well. um you know, we are going to enjoy having um a lot more people, a lot more shoppers, but a lot more people being in the in the area and wanting to come to the area without a car, but that's going to depend on a really good capacity for for buses, transit in general to be able to stop, let people off, get, you know, go about their business. Um, and you know, from a regional standpoint, the the downtown Boulder Station, I mean, this this this could become um a really exciting place to have a farmers market and and more going on nearby as people

[68:00] uh, you know, eventually maybe we'll have coordinated bus service to a ski train coming out of Arvvada. Um, we can have people doing all kinds of, you know, hub um, use of of that area as a hub. So, I'll just be, you know, really excited to think about um what what do we what is the what is the experience of somebody using transit um as we this community builds a more transit oriented future. Um so, look forward to that in our next um next iterations. And I think I just had one more thought and it was um there was a little bit of discussion about safety perception of public safety. And I would encourage that um we um we we embrace the these questions and and not just in terms of the future um phases of this work but but today and and become more um as a community or sorry as a as a as a as a government more um I I don't know um sort of

[69:03] visible in our responses to these uh maybe that's not the right metaphor uh but vocal vocal in our responses to um what's going on with public safety. Is it is it safe to be in the civic area right now? Um what's the difference between real safety and perceived safety? And just making this more a part of of how we communicate with the public about what's going on downtown. Um I think that is going to be a prerequisite to asking folks to trust us that it's it's going to be good in the future. and I do trust it, but I think, you know, there's just um there's some work we have to do to to talk about it. Thank you to the team. I think this is really great. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Ryan, Nicole. >> Thank you. Um and thanks to um Alli and Mark for answering my questions, a lot of them earlier today. I appreciate that. Um one of the things that so I just have feedback at this point. Um, one of the things I'm really excited about is the way that um, and I see this

[70:02] in in parks especially, but really in everything we're doing these days, um, that we are parks aren't aren't just playgrounds, right? U we're, we're creating them so that they are u meeting the um, infrastructure needs that we have for economic things, social things. Um, they're incorporating climate resilience and disaster mitigation. Um, and I think that is really um, awesome and commendable and very forward thinking that we're doing that and really investing proactively into things that are going to last for many many um, decades to come u versus just building a one-off thing. So, I really appreciate that. U, just a couple of specific things I'm pretty excited about the public restrooms because we've been hearing about that need for a long time. So, I'm very excited about that. Um, and then also the year-round farmers market, having a space for something like that, I think would be a wonderful thing for the community, especially as we think more about our local food systems. Um, and then having more small spaces for people to gather in smaller

[71:01] groups. Um, I really like that component as well. Beyond that, what I'm most excited about is more about the way that we're going about doing all this versus specific um specific components of it. And so it's bleed it blends a little bit with number two. So I'll probably be quiet for for the the second question, but um using sustainable materials. Um I love this in that it's more um it is it is more aligned with our climate goals. Um but also to Tara's point, they can um as as they run out, they can be replaced with new things, and kids love new things. Most of us do. So um I think that's that's a really exciting part of that. and it feels like we're getting a lot of bang for our buck there when um when when we're going about that. Um I really appreciate the climate resilience component of it. So as we're working on this space that we're going to have um a space that can bounce back more easily after floods um and need less uh sort of

[72:02] repair and restoration because it's really designed with flooding in mind and with with being a part of that system. Um, I really appreciate the universal design components coming in. I think that's going to make it much more accessible um to a lot of our community, especially as our population is aging. Um, and I think that fits so well to some of Ryan's points with the downtown um, station expansion because that will offer people a nice way to to get down there. Um, I already mentioned that incorporating small spaces. Um, I I think that's just it's so I I hear that from community, too, that they're really looking for those kinds of places. Um, so I also appreciate that we're fulfilling our commitment to voters and in building all of this infrastructure. Um, it will be more sustainable. It will be more equitable. It will be more resilient when it's all done. Um, and I think all that is right in line with our financial strategy and where we're heading with that, too. So, that seems like really good alignment, too. Um, and

[73:00] then just given how much of our budget still depends on sales tax, which we will hopefully address over time, but for now it is so important that we're getting a space that is attracting people and bringing them in um so that we are generating that revenue that then funds all the other things that that we do um within our city. So, I think this is wonderful work. I'm really excited to see it all move forward and just thank you for everything that you've been doing to bring in all kinds of different feedback and try to figure out how to do this um all with our budget as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you very much um Nicole and I will just wrap us up um with uh some feedback I have. Um, in general, I concur with uh my colleagues on just the awesomeness um of of the approach and the concept and just the thoughtfulness as as it relates to particularly some of the fiscal piece. I really appreciate like we can't cost out everything

[74:00] because that costs money too. So, let's really work uh with what we have. And so, um I feel really good about that. I echo the bathrooms, the maintenance, the connection to the hill, um the um the uh food component. And I I and this is where I'll pivot to feedback. Um although I am I am um more focused than well no I've always been focused on agriculture but um even more so after the latest bruhaha with SNAP and food accessibility and availability. Um and just really hopeful that we can continue to strengthen um and prioritize, right? Like it's not just a nice to have to have a a food market, right? That there are other things that that our community significantly benefits by having that food market all year round. Um, and so again, just um, yes, it's it's great for

[75:01] climate, but it's also great for um, some of the uh, human services that we know um, are not going to be supplemented um, federally or at the county level anymore. And so just really wanting to maximize as much of our our city space uh, to address the food uh, security, affordability, and quality. Um, so I would just love to to as we're looking um you know as you're thinking about how to prior prioritizing um that space, I didn't see that space in the um or rather in in phase two um as a priority. So I would love to see that. Um the other piece is um the ditch. So um you know there's the ditch where they want to have it covered versus not covered, the little the little green space there. And um as a former commissioner Colorado Parks and Wildlife, I know a very much what it's like to have to balance the needs and wants of a variety of different interest groups. But the group that I feel like

[76:01] needs a little bit more um support are the the voiceless. And so I'm going to go with our habitat and our wildlife that actually benefit from that water flowing through that little piece right there. Um, and I do feel like there's a sufficient amount of green space on the one side, then on the other side, and there's a brick. Like I just um I just have some concerns around um covering ditches if if we don't have to. Um and um and yes, I know there's an argument, well, there's water over there. Well, I'm so sorry, but there's more humans. Uh and we need more habitat, and we need it everywhere we can possibly get it. So, I'm I I would not uh although I appreciate the survey, um those people are not necessarily um uh experts in in habitat and habitat restoration and biodiversity. And although this is the west side, we still have significant um connectivity issues. So, anytime I can uh preserve uh

[77:02] something that we already spent a lot of money doing with ditches in the first place, uh I would rather do that. Um and then lastly the um engagement and I again just blown away by the level of engagement and there was but there was one group that I didn't hear very much uh and again it it could be an oversight but I do want to lift it up and that's our indigenous and our tribal. So indigenous especially um you know it's interesting somebody mentioned in this in the presentation that you know we want to hear from our community and our community this community wouldn't exist without the stolen land that we are on. We still owe a debt and I would just love to see us really being thoughtful about both the indigenous and tribal which are two separate. Tribal is our sovereignty. I was I'm I'm looking forward to more engagement in 2026 and would be very disappointed if there's no tribal engagements until 2027 because that's not a relationship if I don't talk to you in years at a time. Um and I think um certainly for our indigenous

[78:01] you know I I know that parks and open space respectively do a lot of work. um in relationship building etc with our indigenous population. But again I just want to honor that that relationship is different than our other stakeholders and interest groups because of the debt that we owe which I calculated roughly uh 300 million not not including water not including minerals not including agricultural per the trek historic loss report of 1.17 trillion for the state of Colorado. Um I just back of the envelope city of Boulder and that's around 300 million. So anytime we're talking about tribal and indigenous I just want to remind us all that we owe a debt and this is not charity. Um and so you know I I've heard Rick uh his last name isn't isn't Hess I can't remember his last name. My apologies Rick. Uh who's with the s people of the sacred land and led that work and research. Um but you know he talked about tribal in embassies. I know Denver is considering something,

[79:00] but um you know, as we're looking at buildings in that area, perhaps there is an opportunity to um secure more space for our indigenous um and tribal uh community members so that they don't have to uh so that they have more agency and sovereignty when they're on their their stolen indigenous lands. Um and um and yeah, again, I I know that we tend to go above and beyond as a city. you know, most don't even most cities don't do travel consultation. So, I want to honor the work that we do as a city to go above and beyond. And yet, I always just go back to is this 300 million, how does this attack, how does this address the 300 million again, that doesn't even calculate water or agriculture or minerals. Um, and so, um, I just would love us to to to think creatively about how we can pay back some of that debt through this incredible work. Um, that was it for me. Uh, restrooms. Oh, food forests. So, although I appreciate

[80:00] the idea of having one food forest somewhere, um, I'm just always very interested in how we can create more food growing throughout our community. Again, we saw what food insecurity uh, the escalation of that. Um, we have some mitigation uh, with the opening of the government. However, I think we can um anticipate certainly with the increased health care costs that we can all anticipate in 2026 um that we're going to continue to see food insecurity, food affordability, food quality. Uh and I I bring up the quality issues because um you know again the escalation in um different uh diseases etc because of the toxins and pollutants in our food. Um so I'm always just looking for that. So would just love to see uh again I think the partnership with um the Boulder market is fantastic and I love um you know the direction again for the market but I don't want that space to just be the only space where food is um and really just thinking creatively about the ways that

[81:01] we can um spread food again it's biodiversity it's it helps humans it also helps um it helps everybody. So, but in general just really blown away and even with the fiscal constraint component just recognizing um you know there's a I think that there's a lot we can do. Mark you mentioned those partnerships with CU Boulder. I know that food is a part of their is certainly a part of Chancellor Schwarz big top three uh food, energy, and water. Um and and certainly uh I know we can work with the the business chamber and the Latino chamber um to think creatively about how we can uh potentially partner to activate. I also wanted to just briefly follow up with Ryan's comments around perceived versus actual safety. And I just really appreciate the numbers uh and and going to the numbers and really relying on facts over feelings. Um and the facts are that the numbers are down. Um, but I will I also honor that sometimes, you know, when I'm when I'm riding my bike

[82:01] home from the from our council meetings, um, you know, I can see how people have a perception of not feeling safe, but I have never had any instances or issues um even though it may look like um it's not safe some during some times of day. So, I really want to honor um and respect that. And then lastly, trash is on my mind and composting and recycling for some reason. I know this isn't a big issue, but I just for this particular area in this particular project, but it was something that I hadn't didn't really see covered. Um, and so as a representative of ARAB, which is the resource conservation advisory board, I'm always thinking about our recycling and composting. Um, and how we can accelerate that. I know people have been really confused. Um, and so I don't know. Um and then you know I I love the um education spaces as well and curious if there's also partnership opportunities with Boulder Valley School District on some of the outdoor schools like you had mentioned before and and again I think there's a real opportunity to um Jonathan Cohen mentioned last week

[83:01] the whole of government approach and that that intragovernmental um and and um I really think this has really rich opportunities to to deepen those partnerships and weave our communities stronger together. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um All right. Well, that ends that. Well done, everybody. We are uh I want to thank um Mark and Ally and the rest of the parks team uh for continuing to raise the bar um on um you know, not only on process, you know, to me equity is about power and power is about process. And I think you all do just an exemplary job of showing um the the equitable process um that is used to engage people throughout iteratively and not waiting to the end. So just want to always commend you all for for the incredible work and the example that you all show. Um and now we are going to uh take these 11 minutes and move them

[84:01] over. Oh yes, mayor. Yes, mayor. >> Um I think there was the second question for us from city staff. Um oopsies then we are behind so we have 10 minutes to >> I think a lot of us covered it already but there is still that >> I feel strongly many of you mentioned um the monetary component so if there's an additional component that has not already been discussed that you would like to add feel free to do so in the next 11 minutes Um I I can go if that's right. >> Yes, of course, mayor. >> Um well, I mostly covered all in my earlier remarks, but just in the specifics of the phase 2 um construction, just that um I think the the 13th Street concept is extremely exciting. And then I'm particularly interested to see what comes forward from the public private partnerships um

[85:00] on the eastbook end. So, uh it' be really uh fascinating to see who comes forward with what and uh look forward look forward to evaluating those because there's huge opportunities and then that um atrium market hall uh experience is going to be phenomenal. So, very excited about that as well. That's it. Thanks. >> Thank you, Tara. >> Quick question to staff. This was asked before, but I already forgot what they said just to be clear. So, when are we going to see that atrium marketplace open? Because I'm so excited. How long do we have to wait? >> I think there's confusion. They think it's funded. >> Yeah, just to be clear, the atrium market is part of the public private partnership east book end. So that will be working with the developers to see what emerges there. So we'll have to sort of hang fire and see where that comes together. And as I mentioned earlier, we've got a you know one to two year timeline to pull all that together and make sure it works in tandem with the phase two civic area project. >> Okay. Thanks for clearing that up because I guess I would have been depressed if I didn't know tonight.

[86:01] Thank you. >> Thank you, Tina. >> Yeah, just um I'm excited for it and I know staff is always good at reaching out when they need to let us know, but if there comes an issue to that would help support a public private partnership that would be creating a district just to let us know early so that we understand what we might be looking at and what the structure of that might be. >> Of course. Yes. Thank you, Tina. Any other comments or feedback for phase two? Awesome. Well, thank you. Oh, we're not we're going to move these nine minutes over. So, thank you again, Mark, Ally, and the team uh for continuing to raise the bar um and navigate us through this. Also, we just need it's always important to have something joyous to bring us together around. So, we have so many

[87:01] things that are not fun. Um, and so to have something that bring that's centered in joy, that's joy centered, um, that brings different interest groups across our community together is always a positive thing. And with 2026, I'm also curious how we can align this work with the 250 uh commemoration of the state of Colorado and the um and the um the United States of America. Sorry. [laughter] But uh but I just again I just lift that up because you all do so much great activation anyway that I see some really beautiful synergies um around those items. So, thank you so much. And now I'm going to go back to Nuria, I believe, and Heather, maybe. Not sure. >> That would be correct. Script was a little thin after that. I'm not really sure. >> No, no. I was trying to find my button [laughter] with it. >> Uh, thank you so much. And I just

[88:00] appreciate you lifting up the joy of this project, Council Member Adams, because it is in fact a joyful project. A lot of engagement went into that. For our next item, I um want to welcome our uh intergovernmental officer, Heather Staer, who is new to presentation. I uh ask that you all be very very nice to Heather as she presents our 2020 2026 policy statement on regional, state, and federal issues. So, Heather, I give you the mic. >> Thank you so much. Can you all hear me? All right. Awesome. Well, first hurdle conquered. Um, thanks Nuria. Um, thank you everyone. My name is Heather Staer, intergovernmental affairs officers for the city of Boulder. I'm very pleased to be here today to present our proposed 2026 policy statement on regional uh, state and federal issues. Um, so I think that E, you have my slides.

[89:00] um whenever you're ready. And then also if we could ensure that uh Will Coin is promoted to a panelist that would be awesome [clears throat] and you can go ahead and move to the next slide. All right. So our goals for this evening um are to receive direction from council to finalize the 2026 policy statement and then also prepare council a bit to prepare to participate in advocacy efforts in 2026. Next slide, please. So, the purpose and use of the 2026 policy statement, um, our city's policy statement creates a framework that's intended to provide clear guidance uh for staff and council as well as the community on how the city will handle various issues and topics that we encounter on the regional, state, and federal levels. Um, its intent is to ensure consistent decisionmaking and consistent messaging in the advocacy space.

[90:01] It allows for quick response time which is crucial for effective advocacy work. Um, it also ensures that we use the majority of our political capital on identified priorities. Um, you'll see here on the slide we use the policy statement to guide our work with various regional, state, and federal partners. Um the policy statement is primarily housed within the city's advocacy team and we'll work to translate that into action. Um working with many different partners both inside and outside of the city. So next slide please. Uh so this is the city's advocacy team. You'll see several new faces including my own um and some some familiar faces here for most of you. In addition to myself, we have um Megs Valor um and Megan Wilson Outcalt. Uh both have agreed to help me this year in the advocacy space in addition to their regular full-time jobs at the city. So,

[91:02] I'm grateful for their help. Uh we also have our lobbying teams um which support our efforts. Will Coin with Headwater Strategies um is in the center bottom row there um at he helps us out at the state capital. and then Christian Chin and Brett Garson with Smith and Garson as our lobbyists um on the federal level in DC. Next slide please. And then of course we have our council advocacy. Um as our leaders, you have a large role to play in the city's advocacy efforts. Um because of your positions, your voices and your relationships amplify our collective message. Um because of that, it's very important that we're speaking with one voice when it comes to advocacy on behalf of the city. Part of my job is to help coordinate that messaging uh through various means. Depending upon the strategy, you may be asked to testify at the state capital or to help educate elected officials on city

[92:00] programs, etc. Of course, we also have our intergovernmental affairs committee, which we work directly with on policy. Um, a quick reminder that Tuesday, December 2nd, is our breakfast with our state legislative delegation. Um, and will be a great opportunity for council to advocate on some of our priorities that we'll be discussing this evening. Um, we also work very closely with advocacy partners outside the city which are listed here. Um, so I just want to quickly go over some principles of effective advocacy that I hope to promote in 2026. Um, so developing and maintaining strong relationships with elected officials. Having some solid relationships with decision makers is really a foundation for any kind of successful advocacy. Um, and when I say solid relationships, it doesn't mean that we always agree with one another. Um it does mean however that we have open communication with one

[93:00] another and a level of trust that will enable conversations to take place. Um second point here staying aligned. So we're always stronger when we row in the same direction. Um the most effective organizations have one message and they know what their priorities are so they can work towards them together. And then finally strategic actions. This is an area that I will be focused on a lot and coordinating with each of you. Um, each political entity has only so much political capital to use in a year. Our policy statement priorities should reflect where we want to use the majority of that political capital each year. Um, so having an overlay of strategy over our entire advocacy program really ensures that we're positioning the city for success now and in the future. Um, I don't know if Will is on yet, but I think he was going to give us a little um, uh, preview of what to expect in 2026. So, E,

[94:01] >> just got him. >> Y, awesome. [laughter] >> Perfect. Take it away, Will. >> Hi, everybody. [clears throat] Um, my name's Will Coin and hold on. Here I am on video. Are you all able to see me now? >> Great. >> You can see. >> Um, I just wanted to talk real quickly about upcoming things to expect in the state legislature. Uh, as you can imagine, this is a question I get all the time. I think for any of you all that have spent any time around the state legislature, I think that the answer, you know, is always the same. It's everything everywhere all at once. The legislative process is very small D democratic. Every member of the general assembly gets to introduce five bills. Every one of those bills is live. It's guaranteed a hearing and a vote. So, we're very, very different than a lot of big state legislatores or the United States Congress. So, there will be probably upwards of 700 bills coming in

[95:02] the next session, similar to what's been happening in the last few years. Um, many people don't know we pass more laws at the state legislature here than any state in the entire country. We have an almost 80% passage rate. So, a bill gets introduced, it's probably going to get negotiated down, but it is much more likely to pass than it is to fail. Um, so it really like when it comes to issues, it's very hard to talk about which issue is going to pop because they're going to be so so many. The biggest defining issue right now is all about the state budget. I think uh I'm sure that you all are quite familiar because it has such an impact at the local level as well. Um we've got arguably the tightest budget that I've seen in my 20-year career down there. Last year they had a very difficult job of balancing almost a billion dollar budget shortfall. And that was before the big beautiful bill passed in

[96:00] Congress, the Trump bill that um really whacked the state uh additionally here by almost a billion dollars because it our tax uh code is heavily linked to the federal. That combined with an everinccreasing case load uh responsibility for the state means that the budget coming into this year is again really challenged. So [clears throat] I think it is more true now than at any point in my career that if a bill comes forward with a new program of any kind that requires general fund expenditure, it is almost for sure not going to pass. So that will be a pretty pretty key dynamic in the coming year. There's also just a handful of quick political dynamics I'll mention before Heather keeps going. First of all, it is Governor Jared Pulse's final year. Um, the city of Boulder should really enjoy having their own resident as governor for one more year. Um, I think it's really key because I think we

[97:01] will see a real test of the governor's power. Um, as each week passs in the state legislature and he heads toward true lame duck status. I think you could already sense and feel in a lot of the discussions out there that he'll be facing a lot more push back than he might otherwise. The second thing is that there's a very intense, relatively new um debate happening within the Democratic caucuses in the legislature between moderates and more progressive caucuses. And I think it's likely the natural outgrowth of Colorado really becoming a more solidly blue state and having really sizable Democratic majorities. as that matures, the fight between moderates and progressives has um really become a a defining thing that I think we'll see this session. And last thing to mention is just it's an election year. Um obviously we have those every two years, but it's a big big deal and there's a bunch of members

[98:00] um five or six different state legislators that are running for either state constitutional office or for the US Congress. So, as always, it will be a big giant fat mess, but it's great to see you all. Thanks for including me, Heather, and we're uh continue to be proud to represent the city of Boulder. >> Thanks so much, Will. Um sorry, I wasn't saying to advance the slides. Could you advance the slide? [laughter] All right. So, we're going to go over some recommended changes uh for the policy statement for 2026. I'm going to go over policy priorities first. I've mentioned before, but our policy priorities are where we intend to use the most political capital in any given year. So, for 2026, our staff is proposing one regional, four state, and five federal policy priorities. Um, just a note uh that in the slides, new languages in red and underlined. Um, you also have in your materials a summary of substantive changes, which can be a

[99:00] helpful guide. Um you'll also have the draft policy statement that has all the changes reflected in that document if you'd like to follow along. Um so for our regional policy priorities, they have largely stayed the same. There is still a lot happening in this space in terms of housing, mental and behavioral health. So we felt it was appropriate to keep them another year. Oh, if you could advance the slide. I'm so sorry. [laughter] So you'll see that all of that language has stayed the same. Uh, next slide please. Um, for state policy priorities, um, we've opted to keep policy priority number one the same from last session, uh, which is fully fund and protect the city's ability to reduce and prevent homelessness. Um, we didn't really see much success in this space last last session due to the budget. Um, House Bill 1032, which was improving infrastructure to reduce homelessness, died. Um, but I'm hopeful that these efforts will be taken up again. I do

[100:01] believe that we'll see another version of 1032 this upcoming session. Um, and there'll be more opportunities to push these policies. So, we've kept that the same. Um, the second policy priority here is establishing an on bill repayment program for accessible energy upgrades. This bill was lost last session, but it will run again this session. So, we're working through the finer points of that policy now. Um, but generally the ideal will remain the same in that we're trying to create a program that can remove obstacles of having to pay upfront costs for energy efficient renewable energy or electrification upgrades. Um, ultimately making those upgrades more accessible and contributing to the city's climate goals. Next slide, please. Um here we go. Um so our third policy priority is new. This is protect

[101:00] essential state funding. And what Will was talking about with the state budget, um the states coming into this session, we heard today with a $1 billion deficit. Um so we need the ability to work to protect funding that is important to city programs and to community. Um, a note here that we've added language in response to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee request to include funding that addresses community members basic needs. Um, so you'll see that uh added as well. And then our fourth state policy priority is artificial intelligence. We know that there will be cleanup legislation around Senate Bill 205, which is consumer protections for artificial intelligence. next session. Um, we've heard from our staff that Senate Bill 205, as written, will have some pretty severe impacts to the city's current uses of AI technology and could increase the city's liability to unacceptable levels. I think because California has passed AI legislation, we could see a policy that more closely

[102:01] follows what they're doing. Um, but we'd want to ensure that any policy we see um, as a city, as a deployer of the technology, um, we don't take on unreasonable amounts of liability and that the definitions are narrow and clear. So, we've added that into our state policy priorities. Um, just a note, we have removed the priority on banning assault weapons from last session because of the passage of Senate Bill 3. Um, but I'll note that that language around gun violence prevention still lives in the policy statement in the new 49. Uh, we also removed the the priority on vulnerable road user fees. Due to the tight state budget, it's very unlikely that this will come forward again because it requires uh a lot of funding. Uh, but the language does still exist in policy item 67, furthering the city's vision zero action plan. So, those were some things that we removed. Um, next slide please.

[103:01] So, federal priorities. Um, our first federal priority is to support congressionally directed spending request. We have begun the process with our budget team to identify with departments unmet funding that could be pursued through CDS. Um, there was a question on timing for that in the intergovernmental affairs committee. So, typically January through February, members of Congress will announce that they're accepting CDS requests and then most offices have deadlines in March or early April for constituents to submit requests. So, we're well ahead of the curve on that and we're making progress there. Um, the second federal priority we have we've identified is a holdover from last year uh around the Northwest area mobility study projects. We've updated some of that language um to add Colorado 7 as it's likely the next priority for the Northwest Area Mobility Study Corridor. And then our third priority there is to support the passage of the surface

[104:01] transportation reauthorization bill. Uh we do think it's important to advocate for some specific changes within this bill. Specifically, staff has noted uh a lot of challenges with the pass through of federal dollars from the Federal Highway Administration through S DOT down to local governments. CD dot places a lot of additional criteria um which ultimately slows down the projects and makes them more expensive. So, we'd like to see those dollars being distributed directly to locals. Um there was some question in intergovernmental affairs committee whether um that would put us in a more vulnerable position in terms of clawbacks from the federal government. I did run that question by our federal lobby lobbyists and the answer I received was no uh not more than we already are. Um so we'd also like to see some prioritization of those funds for maintenance and resilience improvement projects over some expansion projects. Um, we'd like to see some additional support in this legislation to bring rail crossing treatments up to

[105:01] standard. Um, transit electrification programs amongst others. Um, we've also specified funding for transit operations to support service frequency and reliability. Um, and investment in passenger rail expansion, specifically highlighting the front range passenger rail. Next slide, please. All right. Um actually can you go back one? Thank you. Okay. So uh our fourth um federal priorities to clean uh support clean water and drinking water state revolving funds. And I'm going to hand this over to Megan Wilson Alcult to talk about. >> Thanks Heather. And good evening city council. My name is Megan Wilson Alcult and I'm the water quality senior manager for utilities. Um and we added this uh federal priority to support full authorization of the state revolving funds or SRFs. Um those are funded by Congress and administered by states and

[106:01] they provide lowinterest loans for local drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Over the past few years, the way that some water projects are funded has changed and SRFs have not been fully funded. So this language just supports that full authorization for critical water infrastructure needs. >> Awesome. Thank you. Um, and then our fifth federal priority came from our intergovernmental affairs committee. We wanted to increase our activity and support for the federal labs in Boulder who are facing increasing challenges in terms of funding cuts. So, we've pulled some existing language into the policy priorities here. Next slide, please. Um, so I'm moving now from priorities to the general language of the policy statement. I don't have time to go over each of these in great detail, just highlight them, but I'm hap happy to answer any questions on them uh during our discussion. We've added some language in the policy principle section just to more accurately reflect our

[107:00] current fiscal environment. Next slide, please. Um changes to our building climate resilience um came from staff. They recommended adding language to reflect updates in the work that they do uh in hardening of infrastructure, making sure we're including economic resilience in the climate resilience discussion and food and supply security language which is consistent with the Boulder Valley comprehensive plan. Next slide, please. Um engaging in climate action efforts, we've added language around polluter accountability. We know that there have been talks at the federal level from oil and gas companies around limiting local government's ability to initiate climate liability lawsuits um or enacting liability shields. So, we've added language to address that and preserve local control in this area. Next slide, please. Um we've added language which reflects our human rights ordinance. Um note that

[108:01] this change was made after the intergovernmental affairs committee met, so this is new for everyone. Um, also at the request of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, we did add language that states that we are opposed to laws or policies that impose funding limitations or restrictions on programs based on gender, gender identity, or that create barriers to service. Next slide, please. Uh, this request came from staff. It adds language to our existing policy to make sure that we're considering survivors of crime or domestic violence in our immigration language. Um, and then we've also updated this section with more relevant language to better describe what we're seeing at the federal level in terms of laws, executive orders, guidance, etc. Next slide, please. Um, this is an ongoing effort from last year. There may be legislation to establish an enterprise which would place a fee on lead bullets. Uh the money being used for CPW uh for habitat

[109:01] acquisition and management to support rare or endangered species. If that does move forward, it will probably run in 2027. Um but we wanted to add some language into our policy statement to reflect that. Next slide, please. Um, so we know that there's FCC proposed rulemaking and a notice of inquiry on the federal level. Um, we're looking they they are looking for ways to reduce um state and local control around the placement and design of wireless facilities. Uh we've heard from staff that if that's implemented, these changes could require us to substantially revise our wireless facility regulations, um our review processes, and could greatly affect the city's ability to limit the visual impact of these facilities within the community. So, we've added language to allow us to oppose those efforts. Next slide, please. um staff recommendations to add uh language to safeguard state and federal

[110:01] transportation funding and to make updates in terminology in the transportation section. Next slide, please. Um we've uh this is a staff recommendation to because we are starting to see automated vehicles in the region. staff is suggesting updates with more specifics related to managing those vehicles related to safety tools to enforce local traffic laws and the city's ability to enforce equity focused requirements. Um, and that they don't take away from transit and other non-vehicle modes of transportation. Next slide, please. Um, this is also staff recommendation. We've added language to our vision zero action plan to support measures to ensure that ebikes and micromobility devices are safely integrated into the transportation system. Um, this is going to have an emphasis on education and safety for youth. Next slide, please.

[111:03] And I will send this over to Megan Wilson Outcall to talk about. >> Thanks. Um this was also a staff recommendation to add um just a little bit of language around economic feasibility as it relates to water quality regulations and that just recognizes that as those regulations become more stringent the cost to comply can become burdensome to the community especially without an adequate planning horizon. Um and this language also mirrors and lends support to ongoing efforts at the state level to consider the feasibility of implementing water quality regulations. Next slide. Thank you. Thanks, Megan. So, that concludes our presentation. Um, and I will hand it back over to Council Member Adams. >> Awesome. Thank you so much. Um, we have question. Thank you so much for that presentation. Um, wonderful first inaugural uh, presentation and we have

[112:01] three questions. Um, and we have until 9:00. So, we have a good amount of time um for them, but I just want to be um want to get us right off the gate um with my fellow council members about just how much time uh we're going to take on the first round. Really want to make sure that everybody has a chance um to to provide their feedback. So the first question is does council have any questions about how the proposed policy statement is used to engage in advocacy efforts? The second question is does council have any questions or concerns about the principles, priorities, positions and then the third is proposed additional uh additions to the policy statement. So we'll take the first one um around any questions that you have about how about the how how the proposed policy statement is used [clears throat]

[113:00] to engage in our advocacy efforts. Matt, >> thanks TA. Um Heather, [clears throat] Will, and Megan and Megs and everybody. Thank you guys so much. Um and Heather, it's just great to have you on the team. Um you know, your experience and professionalism pays on this. Um it's great to have you and it's going to be a tough session in front of us for sure. My question is really just more for those of us that maybe uh for council who isn't on intergovernmental affairs who maybe isn't used to working with your predecessor and and will and headwater strategies but also for the public who's listening in terms of how we structure the policy statement. Is it better for your work in working with legislators and knowing how to sort of take what's written and run with it in terms of going uh for a positive uh outcome or to resist or oppose? Is it better to be very general on a subject or be hyperdetailed and specific? what's the better way for us to structure the writing of our policy statement to best equip you with the tools but also

[114:02] flexibility um to deal with what is very an agile and sometimes uh uh uh rapidly dynamic situation on uh at the capital. So that's maybe a question for Heather and Will because I think there's a challenge for how how prescriptive are we versus how general and where's that sweet spot for for how best to allow you to do your job uh on behalf of the city. Thank you, Council Member Benjamin. Um, I think in terms of a policy statement, it is better to have uh more broad statements around uh the city's positions um that can be filled in with details in conversations with our intergovernmental affairs committee, for example. Um the the challenge that we see if you get too prescriptive in a policy statement is that you are constantly having to go back and re-edit and take things out that are no longer relevant and you can back yourself almost into a corner if you get too prescriptive. Um because policy is not I

[115:03] mean I like to know I like to think that I know everything that's going to happen with policy but that's not the case right and Will can attest to that. Um so if we get too prescriptive we're not able to be as flexible as maybe we need to be whereas we have general statements around what the what the city will support versus oppose. We can be a little bit more flexible in terms of the details. So that would be my recommendation if we're looking at um construction of a policy statement. We have a very large policy statement, 50 pages plus. Um so adding more and more and more and more on to um onto it, it it just becomes a little bit uh unmanageable at at some point. So >> perfect. And that was going to be really you let into my follow-up question is just terms of keeping what's right in front of us and what's pragmatic or possible or what we sense is coming from the legislature versus a wish list of

[116:00] things >> because I know that there's a lot of things that we all advocate and want to see happen but may not be anywhere near in front of us or actionable. Yeah. >> And so I'm wondering is there a place to so we don't have this obese policy statement. Is it useful to have that be what's maybe the pragmatic stuff in front of it and then maybe have a separate thing that is our, you know, utopian wish list of things that at some point we would love to see happen versus having this, you know, you're bringing the King James Bible to the Capitol uh every time to plant in front of our legislaturator's lap. So, I'm just sort of wondering how do you envision th those tensions of wanting all the things in there versus what's really actionable? So I think in terms of um things that we really want to be actionable and we know are predicated on political interest and like um things being moving forward. We really want to make sure that our policy priorities reflect um uh legislation that we anticipate versus more of a perhaps a wish list for the future. I think it's

[117:01] okay in our general policy statement to have language that, you know, if we happen to encounter this issue, this is how the state how the city will react. um as long as we're keeping it um not too prescriptive. But definitely in those policy uh priorities section, we want to make sure that that's predicated on political interest, on um the idea that these things will move forward um in some way or shape or form. We anticipate these things will move forward in some way, shape or form in this upcoming session. >> Thank you for that clarifier. I appreciate it. Thanks, Hunter. >> Thank you, Tina. Yeah, I had um just one [clears throat] a couple of questions. So the in the following up a little bit with what Matt was asking about. So in the in the situation where we as a city council have prioritized something but there's not pending legislation. Um and for instance last year we pursued

[118:00] legislation at the end of the session with a relationship with the legislature and let's say now like what would be the process you would envision for us if we really wanted to originate legislation and develop it and carry it through um including the identification of a sponsor and the language development. >> Um thank you. I appreciate that question. So, initiating legislation, I would imagine that we would want to put that into our um policy uh priorities section. Um but we'd want to do that relatively we want to identify that relatively early on. Um so perhaps uh when the intergovernmental affairs committee meets um we can identify if we want initiated legislation because we do have to identify sponsors and they will have their bill list probably around December um finalized. So if we want a spot in that bill list, we need to we need to talk to them early to um ensure

[119:01] that there's interest. So, um I'm happy to develop more of a um a process for specifically for initiated legislation for the city. Um if that would be helpful and with timelines. >> I I'm just one voice. So, um yeah, >> we can >> but I think it's a really good idea. >> Okay, great. Mhm. >> Um, and then the second thing I think probably falls in the more work category, so I apologize for that in advance, but because of the impacts of the JDC um, decisions on the budget, is there a way for us to receive something even if it's a forwarded article, but that gives us an an update on what is the progress of the budget changes and um, just so we're looking at the same information as we're learning about what's at risk. from the state budget and moving forward and and I don't even know if that would be in your group or not. So,

[120:01] >> thank you for the question. Absolutely. We are going to be monitoring the state budget. Um Magg's Valor uh has I guess she she volunteered and I really grabbed hold of that so she can't back out of it now. Um [laughter] but she is going to be uh monitoring the JBC and decisions from the JBC this session. Um I know that Will and his team also have opportunities to monitor JBC actions. So we'll uh work with them to ensure that we're on top of what's happening there. Um, we also coordinate with some of our outside um, advocacy partners who provide updates on what's happening with the JBC in more specific terms around transportation um, and uh, local government. So, we can consolidate that and I can include those in um, my regular updates to council um, or more frequently if that's needed.

[121:02] >> Thanks. That's that's great. Thank you. Okay, not seeing any further hands for question number one around the how. Going to go ahead and move us to um number two, which are questions or concerns around the principles, priorities or positions contained in the proposed policy statement. And again because we are a self-governing body I invite us to really uh try and stay within you know three to five minutes for this because we have an additional question after around proposed. I also want to remind you that we can continue um by using the hotline and other mechanisms to continue these conversations before we have to vote uh I believe tenatively scheduled December 4th. So, um, on that note, um, again, I will, uh, do some kind of signal, not sure what it is yet, [laughter] when you've hit that 3 minute mark

[122:01] and, uh, and then you can self-regulate from there. All right. Who would like to kick us off on questions or concerns around principles, priorities, or positions contained in the proposed policy statement? Mark. >> Well, [clears throat] I guess I get it by default. Um, my concern is with um, uh, paragraph 22, which attempts to create a formula for those occasions on which we will surrender our home rule authority. Um, doing so is an exceedingly rare event. I believe I have only seen it once, and that was last year. um and in a document that is um facing out. This is a particular provision that faces in and is basically telling us how we should analyze um those situations.

[123:01] Um I don't think we should be codifying the conditions under which we surrender our home rule authority. I think each case, it's not that it'll never happen again, but each case should be unique and should be discussed on its own merits. Uh, I think the second paragraph of of that section gets it right where we say that, quote, "The city supports state policy changes that incentivize and encourage local governments to adopt land use policies such as transit oriented development." Um, I think that's the proper approach. I think we don't need and shouldn't be adopting a formula in advance as the conditions under which we agree to surrender that home rule authority. It's not something we need to do and I don't think we should do it except in the rarest of circumstances. And as I said, this is this is not an outwardfacing policy. It's essentially our internal procedure and I'm not sure it's really

[124:00] appropriate in this document. And again, it's not that it was will never occur again. um it it occurred last year, but uh each of those situations I think is relatively unique and broadcasting to the world that we have a specific policy on how to do this. I I don't even think it's accurate. I think each of those conversations is going to be independent and u and separate. So that's my concern. >> Thank you, Mark. Tina. >> Yeah, thank you. Um I echo Mark's concern also just about um we do see examples where we do and don't support uh local control and a good example was the solar panel legislation. We of course support solar panels, but in that case it didn't work with our local uh zoning is my understanding and and so we obviously support the intention but in this case the way it was written was not something we did because of a local

[125:00] control issue. So, um I thank you Mark for bringing that up. Um my other concern which I'm not I'm not sure it it doesn't so I really like how you structured this is the priorities being actionable at the top um at at the forefront as the priorities. I do wonder if we should place our um our commitment to anti-discrimination laws including gender expression and gender identity closer to the front of the document. Um just to elevate that particular piece, um we we are seeing some evidence that there might be some statewide initiatives that are counter to our anti-discrimination language in our city and our our core values. So, um I might be interested in just seeing that up to the front. And part of this is because to your point when you have a document that is so dense and long uh where you are in the first five or six pages does kind of give you a better pull position

[126:00] whether um so I think that would be my only suggestion. Uh and and over time I would like to see this document shorter. I think it's unlikely a legislator would read it from front to end but um if we hear feedback that legislators think this is the right length then then carry on. Nicole, >> um I didn't have a question until I heard Mark and Tina and now I do. Um that policy point 22, um we put that in back when there was a lot of land use legislation coming up, right? Um, so I I guess to that point, if you know, if if it still feels relevant to have to have that in there, um, if if we're going to see more coming up and and stuff like that, I would be I'd be comfortable with leaving it in. Um, though I certainly understand the concerns. Um, there will likely So, there's quite

[127:02] a bit of fatigue at the legislature around land use policies. Um there'll probably be a little bit of legislation dealing with some smaller issues around land use this year potentially um lot splitting um lot sizes things like that. But there will not be this kind of overarching um land use bills that deal with local control, you know, so heavily that we've seen in the past. Um, so that would just be my my prediction. >> Can I ask just one follow-up question to that? Um, Heather, I think to this point about it being really long. Um, you this is kind of on on your on your work plan, right, of just thinking about how we trim this back from 70ome items. Is that right? So, some of that may just

[128:01] unfold. Anyway, >> I think just generally as we're looking towards the future and future updates, uh, we'll want to make these concepts a little bit more broad than specific. That's kind of just the the idea that I had. >> Okay. Thank you very much, Ryan. I also um now have a question after um hearing Tina speak and Tina you you've flashed another light bulb for me um on your your your sort of u vision of a legislator looking through all of this and I I suppose I have considered um what I think is is one of the values of the the document is to provide essentially Heather you the direction to know in in the moment. This is what we've agreed that we care about, what we want to advance, is it's to do

[129:01] it now, you know, outside of things coming at us as quickly. Um, and so while I understand that all else equal a shorter document is easier than a longer document, it's also the case that um what the job now is in part is is to specify our positions so that you have and our lobbying team has what it needs to know what we you know specifically want to accomplish. Is that that so sorry for the long preamble but that's the question. Do I have that right? Yeah, I think there's a balance, right? Um, having some specifics in there is not a bad thing. Of course, if that's um, to your point, something we really, really care about within that policy, it's absolutely okay to call it out. Um, just generally, I think it's important to have larger buckets of um, than smaller buckets. That's all. >> Thanks, Heather. Just sorry, but my my question is about the use. Do I have it

[130:01] right? That >> a purpose of this document is to give you and the advocacy team the instructions about what we wish to pursue now while things aren't coming at us and so that you know that you have a majority vote or or better that these are the things we want that that's the purpose or a purpose of this. >> Absolutely. It's to provide guidance to staff to me and also to council and then also setting uh expectations with community I would say as well. >> Okay. Thanks. That's all I have. >> Thank you for this one. >> Thank you so much, mayor. >> Oh, sorry. I jumped the gun there, Tisha. I apologize. Um, so just wanted to just uh real quickly agree with Nicole that I think there is value in that item number 22, even if though we don't expect a lot of action this year in the housing area at the legislature. It does, I think, outline some areas in which we might be supportive if certain kinds of things did come through. So, I I just think it is performing a useful function. That's it.

[131:04] All right, got through questions relative to Oh. Oh, right. I have questions. Um, I was curious. Um, obviously we know we are now past November 11th and the negotiation on the Colorado Colorado River Basin was not reached. And so just curious um where that is because our state is negotiating. So there's a state component to that and then there's also obviously the federal component to that. So just curious where where that conversation was where it landed why we don't have anything any direction do you feel like you have the direction that you need around water um water literacy is something um or climate literacy sorry is something that we had I think in our council priorities it got uh woven in somewhere um but that means we talk about it and and we advocate for it so although I appreciate

[132:02] all of the other topics I just was a a little underwhelmed by uh one-third of our of our water shed and water resources not being meaningfully considered in advocacy. >> Thank you for that. I'm not sure that I could give an update on the Colorado River at this moment, but >> Oh, no. Not my point of >> You mean in in terms of advocacy? >> I meant like when you when I'm not on the intergovernmental team, although I hope to be in I hope to be one day. Um but um I'm just curious if that conversation came up around um if those negotiations failed, what positions did we want to take, if any? Um as a part of that and um and just water in general. Um you know, again, there's other topics that are are significantly more addressed and and yet we don't actually need them as humans to survive. So, >> um we did not discuss that during the intergovernmental affairs committee.

[133:01] That topic um did not come up. Um I will say that primarily the state is in charge of negotiating on the Colorado River as you know. So, we have not taken an active role in that to this point. Um, so that's what I have and I know that Joe uh Tedduchi is on if there are specific questions that he can answer around water water um issues. >> Okay. And again, I am aware of the city of Boulders's negotiation process and protocols from the incredible um water supply overviews study session that we had a few months ago. So I don't need to have that reiterated but more so to just say um you know do we want to take a position and and um and you answered my question around were those were there water conversations in those in those intergovernmental affairs and anyway there's that but there's also other pieces and I again I do want to commend that there is information in our current policy proposed priorities

[134:02] around the um water infrastructure water affordability. I mean, I'm not suggesting it's not there, but there's just some big pieces that I just was curious um if we wanted to to take a broader position on and also having a contingency plans because I think that's the other the other piece. If it goes not our way, do we what's our plan? So, um so thank you very much and and Joe, you're welcome to to hop on if there's anything you needed to clarify with that. Hey there, Joe. >> Good evening. Thank Thank you, Council Member Adams. I don't really have anything to add to that. We're we're for sure aware of the Colorado River situation and monitoring that closely. And as as you and I have discussed in some of our individual conversations, um working through the state, working

[135:00] through Northern Water and um really relying on them to kind of take the lead on on these issues is is where we're at. >> Okay. And then while I have you, you're still you're still on. um curious in the AI conversation if there were any conversations around um water consumption um and tracking and reporting related to water consumption. I know that other cities and states have been challenged around this particular topic. Although I appreciate um some of some of the business community's concern around cumbersome policy, again I want to honor short-term gains over long-term sustainability. Yeah, for for sure we're aware of that and we know that around the country there are some massive uh data centers that use incredible amounts of water and so um [clears throat] we're monitoring that issue. Um, one of the primary ways is through the Colorado

[136:01] Water Congress that we're a part of. And so, um, we continue to talk about that with with the water congress and and just keep an eye on that issue as well. >> Okay. Um, that's are all those were all my questions. Any other questions or concerns? Um, I will say I am concerned about the length, but maybe it's more so just the structure. Um, so that to your to Tina's earlier point of upfronting the parts and then having something a little bit more in the weeds. Um, I also just would love to, you know, just have some some concerns around the connectivity. Um, almost like a dashboard of like when things are moving and where they are. Um, I also just wanted to lift up the other side um of Ryan's pieces around being more specific. There were a couple of instances last year where we weren't specific and things moved and um I would

[137:02] have liked a touch point before we moved and I had to ask in retrospect and I just there's a line and I just want to be cautious. I would rather be more prescriptive um than have something move forward so far down that we didn't have a chance to really have a chat before it before it already left the gate. So, I just wanted to lift up that concern as well and try and find and strike the the balance that's going to work for everybody. All right, seeing no additional hands for questions or concerns about the principles, priorities or positions, I'll move us to our last piece, which is the proposed additional policy statement. And we are doing great on time with 45 minutes to go. So, >> I was going to say seeing no hands, meeting ajourned. Just kidding. Um, Nicole, [laughter] >> yeah, I sent mine out on hotline um last night anticipating that I may not have

[138:00] much of a voice. Um, and I was just curious about um if people had any questions around um what I sent out, really just trying to um for places where we're entering new policy like for the automated vehicles um ensuring that we are also considering some of the safety concerns that come with that um in terms of privacy. Um, and then, uh, also just trying to think a little bit more broadly about the federally funded jobs that are in this community and the impact that has on our local economy. And so recognizing that they're not just connected to the federal labs, but also coming through federal grants. So, um, thank you very much to Heather, um, for helping me craft some language around that. Um, but I was [clears throat] just um those those were things I was interested in uh seeing if if people um would be open to including as well as just a couple typo changes. Um, and then Heather, you had also mentioned um potentially adding something about safety net services to um the regional

[139:03] policy just to to kind of align with um well, I think you didn't say this, you said it could be added there, but for me, it it helps align with um the the focus on um safety net uh services and programs throughout some of the other parts of the document is to to make sure we're noting that we're also looking for some regional alignment there. Um, so I had one additional suggestion there on um just a really minor uh wording change which I can pull up um which was basically just to uh in the regional priorities section of the draft 2026 policy statement, we specify some words um that increases access to we could just add social safety net resources comment including behavioral health services and then it felt like it would just tie it all together with everything else that's in there. So, I don't know what the best way is to like do we do like a straw poll on the things

[140:01] that I suggested. Um not sure how to move forward there because I know Ryan, you had some as well. So, Tisha, however you'd like to handle that. >> Well, I will say because um I just have some concerns around trying to wordsmith everybody's thing um in the next 45 minutes. I just don't think that that's going to that's realistic. So curious, Heather and Nuria, if there are processes or procedures that have been used in the past at this stage that will allow like maybe compiling or you know I know you sent the redline version and so um just really wanted to um and then also obviously Teresa as it relates to is it an out of three is it an out of five because we can't make policy changes at this stage at this meeting. though. >> Yeah, that's a good question and I will um probably anticipate Teresa's question on not nods and votes that >> in a study session we would not have that but we would have likely a straw poll to see if there is

[141:02] >> um a majority of council that would like us to move forward on any particular suggestion. Um, so that's generally what we would do at this juncture in terms of a study session. >> To your point, council member, there have been several of those uh placed >> um in a a hotline. So certainly we could address those and see it. it. I would have to take back and think about if we do not know if there is collective desire to incorporate those changes tonight, what mechanism we would have to bring them back to you in time for a December 4th meeting. >> So, can I for offer a process clarification? Yeah, >> Maria. So I think historic previously we

[142:01] we so we get another bite at this apple in the early part of 2026 >> usually that allowing a new council to seat and then th those opportunities to arise. And so I think from the intergovernmental affairs committee the the thought was generally that we we would we sort of had a crafting we had had sort of remnants we had some early trimming some stuff that we saw forecasted coming in and that's what this is here. And so for small little things, I'm sure we could probably make make those little changes, but for the bigger substantive ones, I think it may be most appropriate just given how we've historically done that that those items come back to the intergovernmental affairs committee and then we have the time and opportunity to work with Heather and the team to fold them in to figure out how they're going to figure out the viability and where they might come and then have those ready for the next iteration of this when we do it in early 2026. keeping in mind there isn't going to be a ton of momentum and really until the the you know we get into the you know later Q1 of of next year going

[143:00] into that legislative session. So to your point TA not to word smith now. So I just want to offer that as there's still remedy for this to us work through it that doesn't have to be done now and we don't have to then feel crammed and pressed against the December deadline knowing we can do this later and that gives a a chance to help uh uh craft some of this with Heather and the team going into that next meeting. So, I just I offer that out. That's how we've done them historically, and I don't know if that's still viable now. >> Off of that, or >> Well, I I have one, too. Just >> I'm sorry. I'm I appreciate all of this. Um, so I very much like Matt that that suggestion and and um Teresa, just want to hear from you on on your thoughts as it relates uh from a legal perspective. >> Yeah, thank you, Council Member Adams. Um so it's certainly appropriate to take a straw poll with respect to particular direction. Um and so that that would be helpful and appropriate tonight so that

[144:01] um our um intergovernmental affairs officer can begin to draft because otherwise with without that straw poll we don't know what to draft and what not to draft. >> Okay. Alternatively, Teresa, I'm sorry. Alternatively, Teresa, would it also be um a straw pull on whether or not to um do either some minor changes to move forward or to move some to a later time, right? All of those are strongholdable. >> That's right. That's absolutely right. >> Okay. Um, I guess where I'm going with this is my concern, and Ryan, this is to your thing, there's a lot of things in there, and I just have some some concerns around going through each of those things in the next 40 minutes. So, I'm I'm not going to, you know, I just want to be realistic about that. So I'm just wondering maybe if we can ask in the

[145:03] straw poll something like are we comfortable with that direction going back to the intergovernmental affairs for the refinement that Mark uh that Matt had mentioned and then we get another opportunity um early December and uh January. >> May I call a queue on that for just a second. >> I think other people are ahead of your call Mark. Yeah, Mark. >> Oh, >> sorry Mark. >> Um Nicole and also people have lot their hands up from before so it's also hard to figure out um where we are particular piece. You're a colloqui as well. All right, Nicole, Ryan, and Tara. Um, yeah, I was just I my my recollection and um certainly Nuria Teresa, please correct me if I'm wrong, but we've typically used this study session as the opportunity to talk through um potential changes to the policy statement um before it has come up like to talk through as a full

[146:01] council. Um and so I mean if if we want to change that's that's cool. Um I just didn't come in with the understanding of that. um the the larger ones that well larger larger points that I asked for um really for me are more in getting this to be um consistent and to a place where u where I feel like um it it would be easy to move forward in December. >> Okay. Well, I guess we'll just take it one one to one then. Um Ryan, are you qualifying as well? Are you agreeing with >> Yeah, my hand was up for the for the item, but also did want to call agree. I would agree with Nicole. I mean, you just got a few items here. You could vote them up or down. Seems this would be the time to give give direction. >> So, can we get that? >> Hold on. Hold on. >> Do you mind just pulling that email back up to the top? >> You can, Tara. Just one moment. And if you could just not talk over me, I appreciate it. Um, Ryan, do you mind

[147:00] clicking that email back up to the top of our emails if you just wouldn't mind because I just want to have that fresh to do those parts. Um, Nicole, I believe I have yours. And Tara, I'm not I'm not comfortable with discussing it tonight because even though I read the the hotlines, I didn't read them twice. I wasn't prepared. I w I didn't know that I was supposed to have studied them to make this kind of a decision. for some of the smaller ones that are no-brainers. I would call them for instance a safety net or um they call your enlarging of the um labs to be everything related to labs etc. That's different than the bigger policies which I personally don't even want to take a stroll poll tonight because I don't know I haven't really thought it through. I appreciate that. What we can do is we'll just take the bites that we that we feel are appropriate that people feel comfortable on and then if there are bigger items that we feel like we need that we don't have enough information to

[148:00] make a decision on we can uh move that back to the something else. Mark >> just very quickly uh Teresa is it a serial meeting if we respond to some of this on hotline? Yes. Unfortunately, it is a serial meeting and so that would be inappropriate. >> Okay. >> All right. All right, y'all. Well, let's go ahead and start with Nicole. Nicole, you are back on. Can we go to your recommendations? >> Yep. Um, so I would just add that. Well, yeah, the Yeah, however you want me to go through it. I'm happy to. >> I know. I'm just trying to figure out what is the easiest structure for that. Um >> if it's I'm happy to like say them and then you know you could kind of >> let's do it. >> Okay. >> I know. Well, I almost wanted to do it like as a package like >> you feel comfortable with the package of

[149:00] changes Nicole recommends because if the answer is yes, then they all >> be quick. >> But if it doesn't then we go item by item. So >> whatever you'd like to do. >> Let's try that way. Um, I would like to propose a straw poll for the um the approval of Nicole's recommendations to go to the next stage, which is going back to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee for the refinement um and ready for the next stage of voting. >> One, two, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Look at that. Well done everybody. >> May I ask just a clarifying question? >> Sure. >> Does that mean that this comes back in December when we approve it? >> I would assume that we just said that it's going to be incorporated by the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee into the next version for voting. That was my understanding of what we just stled on.

[150:02] >> Okay. >> Mark, do you have a clarifying question or is that an old hand or is that an old hand? can't hear you, but it was a old hand. Matt, >> appreciate uh appreciate that. Just to clarify, um Heather, do we have an IG meeting scheduled between now and when the next scheduled vote is for this? >> I don't believe that we do. So, we would need to schedule another one. >> Okay. So, just for everyone's clarity, like we've got, you know, uh a holiday uh week that we're gone. So, we really only have one week left. So, I just want to be practical with regards to when that might get scheduled. You've got four council members, Heather, Will, City attorney's office, city manager's office. These are generally harder to uh schedule. Not to say we can't, but I just want to just be clear that this isn't going to be a rapid boom boom boom. We've got it taken care of. So, hedging that, I just want to be mindful that we may not get to it, but we'll

[151:01] try. I don't and I don't want to speak for staff, but I just want to point out the scheduling complexity that might be there um on that front. uh since we don't have that scheduled and so it may roll over but I just want to raise that >> and to your earlier point Matt going back to just the eb and the pace and flow [clears throat] for the session I do believe we can get it in a great place before uh we have to we have to really position on that um >> y and we normally do this in February following the retreat right so we have that wonderful session that that does good job to really fine-tune this as the session really picks up >> I agree um point clarification. Is the vote scheduled on December 4th or I just wanted to get a point of clarification on that. >> If I may, Council Member Adams, um it the vote could be moved and the deadline for December 4th is today and so um any any changes couldn't be incorporated before the deadline.

[152:01] >> Wonderful. Thank you, Teresa. took the words out of my mouth reminding us that we create the calendar and that we can move these items around. [gasps] [sighs] I feel much better about it. All right, Mayor Brockett, >> thanks Tisha. So, Teresa, to to the point that you just made, we don't have to um we have we need enough time to be able to do this, right, for the December 4th is not a time frame by which we could do this. So, um, it is it okay based on the the direction that council just gave, uh, for us to send it to the IGA and then bring it back to council, but not by December 4th, but on a a slower timeline than that. That probably involves, you know, a couple months, maybe 10 weeks, something like that. >> Yes, sir. That would be perfectly appropriate. And, um, CAC could just take notice of that. Staff could update the agenda. >> All right. I would only May I

[153:01] >> Yes. Sorry, Mayor. Of course. >> I would only say that um one of the reasons we picked December 4th was so that we would have a policy statement to share in time for the legislative breakfast, which is December 2nd. Now, we can just provide the one that we currently have and share that we do not have an update. So, that is perfectly fine. But just just know that. >> May I make a followup? >> So, follow suggestion if I might. Perhaps we could on December 4th pass the staff presented revised policy statement and then pledge that the IG will work look at this as soon as is practically possible and come back to council with potential changes uh in the very early part of the year. >> Perfect. >> Awesome. >> Can I just get clarification? The staff pledged >> staff proposed is what I thought I said. Got >> it. Okay. Uh, mayor, is your hand up also for proposed additional items to the

[154:00] policy? >> Just that process thing. >> All right. We're back to you, Ryan. Do you want to try and do the wholesale or do you want to go item by or do you want to prioritize your items? >> Well, thanks. Thanks, Terra. Maybe I'll just say summarize. So, um, I sent a hotline to propose nine items. Um, so first of all, I love I love the statement as it is. Um and but I would like to propose nine additions. So, five of those are in the climate realm, and those are items that are supported by current positions, but they specify substantive outcomes that I do not think are implied by what's in there. And I they relate to topics that could come up. And I would ask for us to decide if we want to, you know, have a position on these now in the um, you know, in the calm rather than than later or or guess at it. Um, and then there were also two on housing, one on collash, and one on

[155:01] wildfire. And I did intend to put those in a template that could be just dropped into the statement. Um, so anyway, that's what's there. And, um, I'd be happy, Taiisha, however you want to go at it, but I just thought I'd explain what what's there. Why don't we go section by se because you kind of have sections. So do you want to do can we start with the climate change and climate and community resilience section which is the beneficial electrification structural transition from natural gas to electrification use of home electrification underground thermal technologies and plugin residential solar devices. So that's section one. Um, >> oh, please go ahead. >> Oh, I was gonna entertain a straw poll for folks that would be interested in having that section move forward uh in the next iteration. >> Sorry, Taiisha, could I >> do you have a point of clarification? >> Yes, I do. I I just wonder um with

[156:02] Nicole's suggestions, we were uh sending them to the IG. >> Sorry, to the IG. Yes. Seems like for consistency sake, we might also uh look at sending Ryan's suggestions to the IGA. >> Yes, that's my apologies. That's what I was doing the straw poll for to send the information to the RGA to the IG. So, section one, climate change and community resilience. Uh, sorry, other hands up for Mark or Tina. Are you asking a question or Thank you. Mark, are you asking a question? Tara, are you asking a question? I'm trying to do the straw poll. So, I'm just >> Yeah, but >> So, I guess I'm opening to questions for section number one for Ryan potentially. I'm just trying to figure out what >> I'm going to start with. Mark, did you What's your hand, honey? >> I thought Aaron's suggestion was that we were sending the document with nine suggestions from Ryan. >> Oh, see, I thought Okay. No, I I I Okay.

[157:00] No, that's not what I was suggesting. I actually was suggesting going section by section in the big buckets, but if people feel comfortable just to taking the whole thing and moving it over, I'm fine with doing it that way as well. Um, so I amend my straw poll >> now and then I'm going to go to Tina. Don't worry, I'm I've facilitated for 30 years. I promise I will do this. Well, Tina, >> you're doing great. Um, my question is when we are voting to send it to IGA, does that mean that we anticipate that each of the points in Ryan's package will be reflected in the policy statement or will there be some vetting with staff or um a possibility of not moving it forward? I just need to know what we're doing. It was my understanding that it would go to IGA for consideration and then that group uh would take based on the additional research feedback and present us with a iteration that we can vote on um at the next availability. That was my

[158:00] understanding. >> Okay. Thanks. >> You're welcome. >> Tara. >> Yeah. I have a question. Um Ryan's first section sounded very detail- oriented to me versus the broader uh request that we had from Heather. Um so do I bring that up here or do I just tell the folks at uh the IG >> or you cannot vote on the straw poll? >> What's that? You can vote no on the straw poll as as another mechanism of saying because as as we discussed right and as Heather said there are advantages to being specific in instances and there are advantages of being more broad and we as a council need to decide when we want to be specific and when we want to be more broad. So >> I actually trust the I is that the is that the acronym? >> The intergovernmental affairs. Yes. >> Yes. Okay. I trust the IGA, but so I'm fine with it. I was just wondering if

[159:00] that was too specific, maybe from Heather's point of view before we take these very many sections and pass them along or should I let Heather talk to the IG about it? I think that's what I'm saying. [laughter] Heather, >> thank you. Um, and Ryan and I talked a little bit about this and as I mentioned, you know, there's no specific formula to follow. I think there's a balance in finding um in being broad enough to be flexible but not too broad so that we don't have direction. So, I'm happy to explore um drafting uh these with the IG committee. Um, but I I don't have a specific to say yes, this is too specific or this is not too specific. It's just general um advice. >> And Heather, if I'm not mistaken, at the

[160:00] when you have a particular topic, you bring staff with you to discuss there. So there will be some discussion >> of the topic with the IG committee in play. >> Absolutely. Thank you, Nuria, for pointing that out. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Tisha, can I just say before I go forward on on my behalf here or whatever the behalf of of having presented these, I also trust the um what is written here are are specific outcomes that this council might wish to say we want them to happen or not. So if this the council does not wish to stand for these these items that like that's that's the council's will. But I would just ask you to to consider that these are not specified and they're not implied by what is in the um by what is in the current um statement. So happy to go forward however you want from here. >> Mark >> um another question for Teresa. May I also infer that any communication on for

[161:00] instance these nine items with the IG is a serial meeting? >> Yes sir. You may infer that. >> Okay. Then then let me ask the following question. Other than doing each one tonight in great detail, which I I don't think is the will of council, um how does one communicate comments on a document of this type, which is a very substantive document. Um and I would say that that a number of these I I think to be well taken and a couple I think are more problematic. How does one communicate? Um >> sure. I I believe there are two options here. Um you could each individually communicate with council member Shuhard, >> okay, >> about these and or you could each communicate individually with Heather about these and Heather could gather that information and and receive that input. >> Man, >> thank you Mark. Great question. Thank

[162:00] you, Nuria. Great process. Heather, do you feel comfortable with that? and Ryan. >> Yes. >> Wonderful. >> I feel comfortable on my end. >> Wonderful. Um, anything else, Mark? >> No, that's it. >> Okay, Nicole. >> Oh, yeah. I just had um one more question going back to >> Okay. >> one one of my additions, but I don't know if this time. >> No. Can we get through this first before we and actually we I want to open up to others who haven't done a hotline um to share there any additionals there. Um okay so let's go back to uh straw poll to move the nine uh policy considerations to the IGA for consideration. If you have additional feedback, you can direct them directly to Ryan and or Heather. Uh, can I get a show of hands if you'd

[163:00] like to advance? One, two, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight. It advances. Thank you so much, Ryan. I especially love the solar piece because solar development is under and we need to be more explicit around that. also Nicole Ash. Um, all right. Uh, Nicole, before we come back to yours, which I appreciate, I just want to open up to, uh, folks who have not made any proposed additions to the policy statement yet before we go into logistical refinements. I have some. Okay. So, um I've already mentioned the water piece and um one just really grateful to see that there. Um but I do think that we need to get specific about water consumption for data centers and I know Joe you indicated elsewhere but we

[164:00] know there it's a fight right now in Aurora uh on this issue. So I just want to um I would love to see a little bit more there there. Um I've already spoken to you Heather around the agricultural component and the food systems. I know that the food security network is working on a food uh a food security plan or a food plan um for Boulder County. I believe they'll have that done January 2026. So um it's wonderful to know that we have a little bit more flexibility in time um to to finalize these because again um I would love to get some more um community and expert um feedback on on the agricultural front. Um, I also, as a former member of the Rocky Flout Stewardship Council, would be remiss if I I didn't lift up the need to to address the the polluter and polluter accountability. Uh, particularly around the orphan wells and just knowing that in fiscal year 24, we spent about we the city the state of Boulder, sorry, the state of Colorado

[165:01] spent about 15 million um on decommissioning the old oil fields and equipment and plugs and all of those things. and um just would love to continue to push on the polluter piece. Again, I know polluter accountability is on there. Uh but I just wanted to get really specific around that and the irony of the coal ash piece is not lost on me. Um and then lastly for the food and supply um component, which I just loved seeing in there, um it was great to see it strengthen um the supply chain, but I actually would offer a reduction of food miles. um and trying to trying to um make sure that more of our food stays in state um and and and are actually feeding feeding our communities and feeding our families. Uh I also didn't see anything around mobile food practices and just zoning. I know that um the Flat Iron Farmers Coalition Policy Committee um in some of the conversations that we've had

[166:01] mentioned some of the barriers that they've had around zoning um whether that be for composting or housing, housing on farms or you know or near farms or um and there's a transit component as well. So, um I'll probably um submit a hotline um but unfortunately um the the plan isn't going to be available until January. So, um you know, I can certainly lift up the pieces that um we've already discussed, but I did want to just lift up um that um that group is and has been working over the last two years um on that work um and you know have have done such an incredible cross-section of our community. So, um although I love all of the enthusiasm around the farmers market, um there is a significant work that needs to be done on on our food systems um based on what we just saw um with this the snap kafuffle. So, I just wanted to um lift that up as well. Um

[167:00] trying to think if there's anything else. Um, and then I just wanted to echo Nicole's, and this is a nice segue back. Um, Nicole's concerns around um, security and cyber security and and um, you know, I just really have have some concerns around um, yeah, data data security and cyber security at the uh, uh, yes and cameras and all the different things that we are doing and tracking and um, just would really love to to get a little bit more there. there. Um Nicole, is there um wanted to follow up with you on um on whatever it is that you wanted? >> Thank you. Yeah. Um I just wanted to the the one thing with the automated vehicles language like I because we've never talked about that before as a council. It's the first time that that's coming to us as a policy and I was wondering if we could just spend a a couple minutes talking about that piece of it because I would love to see this come back with it. Um since it's it's

[168:00] not like a brand new thing. It's at it's it is a um something that to me feels like a really big omission in what um what has been put together for this new area of the policy that's not existed before because I think the whole automated vehicle thing it's never it's never shown up before. So I was just wondering if we could talk about that and see if there would be support for putting that part in. not to do a um a big uh you know go through line by line on everything else but because that one is brand new and we haven't ever talked about it before out as a council. I know has but we haven't. Um so I would I would love to just spend a couple minutes chatting about that one and see if there would be support and bringing that back for um just straw poll to see if it's worth staff bringing that back on the fourth. >> I'm sorry. I thought we just did your whole package. Wasn't that in it? >> But I but I thought that was to send it to IGA to to review and and discuss

[169:00] which >> I'm happy to have a discussion right now. We still have 15 minutes. But I just I thought that we I mean it's still we can have a discussion now. It's still going to go back to RGA and then then come back to us. Did you >> Well, then this this is what I'm asking is if we could have that piece of the discussion because it's a brand new policy position that's never been in in our document before. um versus other things that I think are like tweaks or expansions of of other statements that are in there. >> Sure. >> Um so I I just I can happy to make a pitch for it just in case um other people didn't get a chance to to read um before, but basically the because we are we're talking about how automated vehicles how there may be some state legislation to regulate them. A lot of it is around um how it kind of integrates into our transportation system. But one of the big concerns that I have because of how these are being used in other um authoritarian states is that um they they they can easily turn into surveillance um mechanisms, right? And you are you're getting audio,

[170:00] visual, biometric recording not just of what's inside the vehicle, but also what's outside of the vehicle. Um which can very quickly be weaponized. Um and so it's just to as as that legislation is moving forward because I understand that it it will be discussed this um in this next session that there's also a component that is um encouraging us to advocate for some some very basic digital um safety mechanisms within that uh like the data should be um deidentified, aggregated um any data collected shouldn't be shared with third parties or the federal government unless there's a valid court order or a warrant. Um and then uh the other one was that the data collected by um these automated vehicles need to um comply with all existing Colorado laws against uh around data privacy and enforcement and that data collection analysis shouldn't be used in a manner that results in disproportionate

[171:00] surveillance. Those were the main ones. It's my very quick pitch. >> Heather, I see your hand up. I just wanted to clarify I have not seen language related to a potential bill this session just based on kind of the the chatter. There was a a article in the Denver Post recently. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw statewide legislation, but I just wanted to make it clear that I am not 100% certain that there will be legislation this session. >> Okay, got it. Thank you. Does anybody have anything to add? Tara, I think this is a big subject that I would need more information even though I appreciated Nicole your um paragraph about it. So, I don't feel comfortable with something so new

[172:01] without really thinking it through, hearing the pros and cons. Um it's to me it's too big to just say sure let's do it. So that's just my two cents of it. Um I'm not saying I'm against it or for it. I just don't have enough information. Then um just one may I do a quick colloquia response to that. Then I wonder if we might be able to pull like just hold this one until we can um IG can have a bigger conversation about it and bring back um something that also incorporates this piece of it. >> I'm sorry Teresa point of clarification. I really thought that we had already put that to all this to IGA. Am I I'm I don't I'm trying to understand, >> you know. I I I believe so. >> And that similarly to Ryan's, if we have

[173:02] questions, we can go to Nicole or to Heather. >> Correct. >> So, this is more of just an open discussion right now. >> Okay. Thank you. Tara, do you have anything else before I go to Ryan on this? All right. Ryan, >> thanks. I just Nicole made me think of something. Well, um, was Heather's reply about that we don't know if there's is maybe not likely that there's um active legislation happening on this. I guess my question is to Nicole, does that matter? Because I think what you're saying is this is something that um we need a position on irrespective of um what you know whether there's an active bill, but I don't could you just speak to that? Yeah, I mean for me it's that it um we're talking about the automated like this is new, right? This is a new section that's coming in to me. This is a big omission in that in that in that component. So, you know, does it matter if there's not, you know, legislation? Not really. But

[174:01] also, um this this does feel to me like it's a critical missing component of um how we think about uh uh policy positions around automated vehicles. Thanks, >> mayor. >> Yeah, thanks for that, Nicole, and I really appreciate you flagging this particular issue. And I think, you know, we had direction from council to go to the IG on this. And I think what we can do is commit to uh scheduling an IG committee meeting um in the um fairly near future so this does not lag a really long time. And so certainly it sounds like there's not going to be a bill introduced like in week one. So I think we do have some time to get ahead of this um before it becomes a pressing issue. If if that um I think we can work with that. >> Um you know again I think that this is this is I mean this is one of the reasons I've been bringing up the issues around AI and data. Um and actually made

[175:01] me think about from the AI policy ownership and authorship concerns. Um I know I'm hearing from our arts community around ownership and authorship copyright violations um and also um from um you know others. So you know I would love to explore the intersect you know as the AI policy component continues to evolve um just the ownership and authorship intellectual property components which I also are big gap in that particular policy. Any other comments or questions about the data collection safeguards and consumer privacy. All right.

[176:01] Any other proposed additions to the policy statement? All right, seeing none, anything else that we need to do for the good of the order, Nuria or Teresa? You all good to close. >> All right. >> I would just compliment Heather on her first presentation to council. >> Thank you. [laughter] >> Congratulations. Um, and thank you all for this robust conversation. Have a wonderful rest of your evening. Thank you to my fellow council members, staff, to all of the public and the listeners. Um, have a wonderful rest of your day. >> Thanks all. >> Thanks.

[177:00] >> Good night everybody. >> Thanks TA.