Boulder County
News from Boulder provided by county information services, county commissioners and more
Couple robbed at gunpoint on Flagstaff
Nov 18th
Boulder County Sheriff’s Deputies responded and found two victims, a male and female couple, who reported that they had parked at the Realization Point Trailhead and began hiking up Flagstaff Summit Road toward the Flagstaff Amphitheater.
They stopped briefly at an overlook, where two males approached them. One of the males, described as about 6 feet tall and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, shined a bright flashlight at them and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at them.
The other male, described as about 5’8” tall and wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, ordered the couple to place all of their belongings on the ground. The male then picked up their belongings, and both suspects ran back down toward the trailhead.
The victims remained where they were, and saw an unknown description vehicle driving down Flagstaff Road. The victims recalled that when they parked at the trailhead, a silver possibly Toyota SUV was also parked there, which had since left. After a few minutes, the victims contacted another couple who were hiking down Flagstaff Summit Road, and used one of their cell phones to call 911.
Anyone with any information pertinent to this case is asked to contact the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at (303) 441-4444.
Help needy to have a good holiday season
Nov 13th
Boulder County, Colo. – With the holidays approaching, Boulder County programs that work with low-income families are once again reaching out to local residents and businesses in hopes of making the holidays a little brighter for families in need.
These programs are greatly appreciated by the people who participate in them, and Boulder County encourages members of the community to join in the effort to brighten the lives of individuals and families who would otherwise do without over the holiday season.
The following programs help provide basic needs such as groceries and household items for families, seniors and people with disabilities in our community, as well as clothing, toys and games for children:
· The Family-To-Family (F2F) Holiday Program, in its 39th year, serves the county’s low-income and basic needs families and individuals who are clients of the Child Protection, Adolescent, and Adult Protection (elderly and disabled adults) programs. Last year F2F served over 450 families (totaling more than 1,400 individuals).
As the program prepares to turn 40 next year, Family-To-Family is seeking more opportunities to give families the primary voice in decisions affecting their lives. Recognizing that many parents relish the opportunity to purchase presents for their own children, and teens and disabled or elderly adults clients have long preferred the chance to shop for themselves, F2F is asking donors beginning this year to support clients who would prefer to receive gift cards and do the holiday shopping themselves. The program typically seeks a contribution of $75 per participating individual or family member, and donors can use that figure to determine the number of individuals they wish to support. For more information, call 303-441-1050 or email Debbie at dramirez@bouldercounty.org or Lou at lcrnkovich@bouldercounty.org.
· Family Self-Sufficiency’s (FSS) Holiday Gift Sponsor program serves Boulder County families in the Family Self-Sufficiency program who are working to gain education and skills to help them achieve higher wage jobs and better living situations for their families. For the holidays, the highest-need FSS families submit a “wish list” that sponsors can shop from. Donors spend a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $100 for each person in the family. Sponsors purchase items on the list – or, for donors who find that a full family sponsorship is more than they can take on, the program also gratefully accepts cash donations or gift cards (e.g., grocery stores, Target, Wal-Mart) to help with groceries and basic household needs, as well as cash donations to assist with basic needs for FSS families throughout the year. To sponsor or make a donation for an FSS family, contact Katie Frye at 303-441-3923 or kfrye@bouldercounty.org.
· Boulder County Housing Authority Senior Services assists low-income seniors. Many of these seniors have expensive medications and other high medical costs, and buying groceries and other basic needs can be difficult. Gift cards to local grocery or discount retail stores go a long way in helping a senior make ends meet during the holidays. For more information, contact Kris at kdurso@bouldercounty.org at 303-519-7152.
· The Casa de la Esperanza Learning Center provides academic support and enrichment opportunities for over 30 families on-site plus another dozen families in a nearby neighborhood of south Longmont. These families are seasonal farm workers employed in the local dairies, farms and greenhouses. As the growing season comes to a close in the cold months just before the holidays, the Casa de la Esperanza families face economic difficulties and must endure winter on a very tight budget. Donations of school supplies, winter clothing, grocery gift cards, and presents for children are greatly appreciated. If you can help in any way, please contact Carlota Loya-Hernandez, Program Coordinator at 303-678-6220 or cloya@bouldercounty.org.
Annual donors to these worthwhile holiday giving programs include individuals, families, sports teams, clubs and hobbyist groups, faith-based organizations and local corporations and businesses. Donations are tax deductible, and contributions of any size are gratefully welcomed.
Flood rebuilding Hazard Mitigation Review applications to begin November 4
Nov 2nd
Boulder County, Colo. – Updates to the Boulder County Land Use Code were recently approved by the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners to allow for the rebuilding of structures in the unincorporated areas of the county that were destroyed or severely damaged in the September 2013 flood event. The interim changes aim to ensure that public safety and properties are protected through hazard mitigation.
The Land Use Department will begin accepting appointments for onsite pre-application meetings for the Hazard Mitigation Review beginning Monday, November 4. Affected property owners should call the Flood Rebuilding and Permit Information Center at 303-441-1705 to sign up for an appointment.
Flood-impacted residents of unincorporated Boulder County who have questions about the rebuilding process are encouraged to call, email or stop by the Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center to speak with a staff member. The center is staffed by functional experts in onsite wastewater (septic) systems, floodplain regulations, transportation (including bridges and driveways), planning and building codes.
Flood Rebuilding & Permit Information Center:
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. M–F
Location: Boulder County Land Use Department, 2045 13th St., Boulder (map)
Contact: floodrecovery@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-1705
The purpose of interim regulations is to allow for the rebuilding of destroyed or severely damaged structures without formal Site Plan Review, when it can be done in a safe manner through Hazard Mitigation Review. The regulations allow for flexibility for damaged structures to be rebuilt in different locations if significantly better from a risk hazard standpoint, and would retain applicability of the County’s floodplain development regulations.
After receiving public input the Board decided to not have a specific end date for these provisions; however staff has committed to additional regulation revisions in the coming months to aid property owners who were affected by this disaster.
As of October 31, preliminary damage assessments by the Land Use Department showed that, in unincorporated Boulder County approximately 72 properties have structures that were destroyed or significantly damaged, and 145 properties have structures with major structural damage. The numbers of destroyed or significantly damaged properties are still preliminary and incomplete – and will change – as more damage assessment is done and data is refined. Hundreds more properties were flood-affected but did not experience structural damage.
Visit www.bouldercountyflood.org for rebuilding resources and more information on flood recovery.