City News
This is news from the city of Boulder, about the city or any of its departments
Boulder offers vets a free 90-day rec pass
0Boulder Parks and Recreation launches recreation pass program for veterans and active duty military personnel
The Boulder Parks and Recreation Department will offer a special recreation facility pass program for veterans, active duty and reservist military personnel beginning Monday, May 21. Boulder City Councilmember Tim Plass proposed the program, which was approved by City Council on May 15.
The program includes a one-time, free, 90-day recreation facility pass for post-9/11 veterans who are City of Boulder residents. It also offers a 25 percent discount on annual passes for all military personnel and veterans who reside in the City of Boulder or Boulder County. The program is not retroactive for current pass holders. The passes provide entry to all three city recreation centers, two outdoor pools and the Boulder Reservoir.
“We are honored to offer this program and provide an opportunity for returning veterans and other service personnel to participate in health and fitness programs in our local community,” said Alice Guthrie, recreation superintendent for the Parks and Recreation Department.
To qualify, applicants must have served in one of the following branches of service, identified by the Department of Defense:
● Army
● Navy
● Air Force
● Marines
● Coast Guard
● National Guard
● Merchant Marines
To receive the free 90-day recreation pass, applicants must go to the Parks and Recreation administrative offices at 3198 Broadway Ave. and show a DD-214 form with separation date and a photo ID. To receive the 25 percent discount, applicants must bring either a DD-214 form, valid Veterans ID from the Veterans Affairs Office or valid Active Duty or Reservist ID to one of the three city recreation centers (North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway Ave., East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive or South Boulder Recreation Center at 1360 Gillaspie Drive).
The Parks and Recreation Department also offers veterans a variety of therapeutic recreation programs through the EXPAND (EXciting Programs, Adventures and New Dimensions) program.
For more information on the veterans and active duty military personnel facility pass program, visit www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
Clothing still required at former nudie lake, however
0On-trail leash restrictions lifted at Coot Lake
Wetland closure still in effect
The temporary on-trail leash restrictions put in place for wildlife protection and nesting birds surrounding the wetland west of Coot Lake are lifted, as of Wednesday, May 16, 2012. While the wetland area itself remains closed to all activity, the trail is now under the standard Voice and Sight Control regulation. Violation of city of Boulder wildlife closure area may result in a summons by enforcement personnel.
At their March meeting, members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended that staff review the status of the nesting season on May 15, and if no nesting activity was confirmed at Coot Lake, then the leash restrictions would be reviewed and potentially lifted.
As the season is still early for some species nesting such as American bitterns, monitoring reports have indicated that there have been few sightings of Northern harrier that also use wetlands as nesting areas. Staff and nearly 22 raptor monitor volunteers will continue to monitor this and other areas for potential nesting sites as the season progresses.
The Parks and Recreation Department wishes to thank the general public for compliance of wildlife related restrictions to help promote healthy and functioning habitat areas. Wetland habitat around the Boulder area supports a wide diversity of wildlife species as well as exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the year.
For more information, please contact Matt Claussen, urban resources manager, 303-413-7258.
Boulder water festival for students to be held on Wednesday
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20th annual Boulder Water Festival teaches students how to conserve and protect water
More than 1,100 4th and 5th grade students from 45 classrooms in 17 Boulder area schools will participate in the 20th annual Boulder Water Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, at the University Memorial Center (UMC) on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus, 1669 Euclid Ave.
The nationally recognized water festival engages local students in hands-on activities about where Boulder’s drinking water comes from and how to protect and conserve this valuable natural resource. Students attend a series of classes to discover the geography, history, and science of water; explore the Boulder Creek watershed and its geology; and study the animals and plants that rely on water for survival.
Participating classes also complete the “Operation: Water Festival” program, a standards-based series of pre-festival classroom learning activities. The program provides a complete teacher’s packet featuring lesson guides, student worksheets and trivia questions for each water topic. Topics include fundamental water awareness, conservation, pollution prevention and flooding. Student “Water Agents” receive a certificate upon completion of the classroom activities.
A key benefit of the “Operation: Water Festival” materials is a take-home book for families. The book encourages students to work with family members to complete activities related to local water resources, conservation and protection.
“Students really have a complete learning experience,” said Samantha Messier, science director for the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). “This provides a great learning tool to help students learn about one of our most important natural resources in Colorado.”
The Boulder Water Festival will commemorate its 20th anniversary as part of the statewide celebration of 2012, The Year of Water in Colorado. Nearly 19,000 BVSD and Boulder area students have participated in the festival since its inception in 1992.
Festival sponsors include the City of Boulder, the Keep it Clean Partnership, Northern Water, the UMC, CU Boulder’s Office of Community Relations and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
For more information, contact Curry Rosato, City of Boulder watershed outreach coordinator, at 303-829-9316.
Boulder Colorado: Seth Brigham restraining Order hearing moved to mid June
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famed civil rights attorney David Lane prepares mutil-million dollar suit against city of Boulder.
The city of Boulder vs Seth Brigham restraining order hearing scheduled for Tuesday May 15 has now been moved to mid June. The city psychologist is in therapy until then and cannot be available. The city has submitted depositions from council members including Macon Cowles. Cowles has made reference to an AK 47 and it was not clear if cowles intended to shoot Brigham with an assault weapon.
councilman Macon Cowles accused of threatening Seth with an AK-47 and acts of misusing city PEG funds by Brigham
The city has also gone through of 25 years of Brighams writings and excerpted quotes from Brighams poetry, articles and fiction. Legal experts tell Boulder Channel 1 news that the city would spend $25,000 to $50,000 just collecting depositions. They could spend an additional $50,000 preparing form the Hearing. They city will spend $100,000 before it evens gets to court.
Brigham’s attorney David Lane will virgorously defend Seth. They have decided to move ahead with a law suit against the city. This will cost Boulder an additional $100,000 to defend. Their likelihood of winning according to constitutional expert is zero and the city could stand to lose 1,000,000 to 5,000, 000 million dollars in this kind of suit.
K C Becker city council woman accused of hiding funds by brigham
Since the city is financially broke this money will have to come out the city 25,000,000 emergency fund.
Both the restraining order hearing and law suit by Brigham has opened the door for other first amendment suits against the city and could produce a spate of them.
The city has a history of human rights violations with Brigham and other free speech advocates: namely the Public access TV producers group where Brigham got his start of challenging the city .
Seth Brigham has been a columnist for Boulder Channel 1 and has participated in other investigations of the city including a 2006 congressional inquiry conducted by the US congress.
Brigham said late Monday May 14th that he was not going to back off. He said he would abide by the temporary restraining order, but that it was the city and not him who was in trouble.
Meanwhile , a ground swell of support seems to be rising. Former city of boulder Human Rights chair rob Smoke plans a protest tomorrow night at city council. Boulder weekly has a cover story coming out on this situation on Thursday. Westword has been writing about it daily. the Daily Camera seems to have sided with Brigham too.
Boulder channel 1 News has covered Brigham’s travails since 2005.
Boulder has enough water for now
0City of Boulder’s water supply expected to meet community needs for 2012
The City of Boulder’s water supply is expected to meet community water use needs throughout 2012, despite below-average mountain snowpack levels. However, given this year’s dry weather pattern and low snowpack, the city will continue to monitor for drought conditions through 2012 and beyond to assure that water demand projections are on target. In addition, Boulder’s water customers are asked to continue to use water wisely.
Snowpack measurements on May 1, 2012, in the city’s Silver Lake Watershed averaged about 50 percent of what is typical for this time of year. As a result, peak spring streamflow levels will be lower than average.
Arapaho Glacier and Boulder Watershed are good for now
However, last spring’s exceptionally high snowmelt runoff completely filled the city’s reservoirs on upper Boulder Creek, and the reservoirs stayed full longer, leaving storage levels above average at the beginning of this year. Current measurements indicate that the city’s reservoirs are still projected to fill as the snowpack melts. Additionally, Boulder will have access to an above average amount of water from its western slope supplies, through the Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) system.
The city compared the evaluation of the current water supply conditions with its Drought Response Plan, which factors in water reserve needs in the event of a multi-year drought. While it was determined that a drought declaration and water use restrictions are not necessary at this time, water customers are still encouraged to continue using water wisely as they have for the past decade. The community’s water conservation efforts have kept water use at least 15 percent below 2000-2001 levels, since the 2002 drought.
The city recommends water-wise practices by sticking to the following outdoor watering guidelines:
- Water your lawn in the evenings or early mornings, after 6 p.m. or before 10 a.m., and water your lawn every three days.
- Do not over water. Do not water when it is raining or when the soil is already wet.
- Trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens can be watered more effectively with a hand-held hose or low-volume non-spray irrigation, after 6 p.m. or before 10 a.m.
- Check your sprinkler system and make sure it is working properly and that you are only watering landscaping and not the surrounding areas like streets or sidewalks.
For information about the city’s water conservations program, including rebates, strategies and tips, visit www.bouldersaveswater.net.
Inside Boulder TV News on BC1
0This week on Inside Boulder News: The city launches bear education initiative; OSMP explains plan to protect Flagstaff during USA Pro Cycling Challenge; council considers two tax ballot measures; 30th Street Transportation Project wins national recognition; and Parks and Recreation gets to work on interim disc golf course.
Boulder cops arrest one of their own
0Boulder police officer to face attempted first degree murder charge
Boulder police have issued an arrest warrant for Boulder police officer Christian McCracken, who has been in custody at the Broomfield County Jail since he was arrested last weekend on domestic violence-related charges.
McCracken had previously sustained a head injury at the hands of Trevan Hunter, a CU student who’d refuse to to leave The Sink, a popular Boulder restaurant, or pay his $3 bar tab.
McCracken was arrested by Broomfield police in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 28 after allegedly stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, both of whom are dispatchers at the Boulder Police Department.
At the time of McCracken’s arrest, Boulder police began a criminal investigation into information that he may have planned and taken a significant step toward committing a homicide against the new boyfriend. After consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, it was agreed that probable cause existed to obtain an additional arrest warrant.
- Trevan Hunter caused McCracken to sustain a head injury during his arrest.
“While we are concerned and saddened by the need to arrest one of our own officers, we are primarily focused with the safety of our employees and members of the community,” said Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner. “As information became available, it became increasingly apparent that we needed to act quickly. Our detectives, in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, did a great job in putting this case together.”
McCracken was arrested at the Broomfield County Jail this morning on new charges of suspicion of Attempted First Degree Murder (one count), two counts of Stalking and one count of Harassment.
The case number is 12-5679.
At this time, McCracken will remain in custody at the Broomfield County Jail. His bond has been set at $500,000. Boulder police are also conducting an internal personnel investigation into the case.
Boulder grabs the gold ring on energy merry-go-round
0SmartRegs/EnergySmart programs win national award for innovation
The City of Boulder’s SmartRegs ordinance and the EnergySmart service were presented with the J. Robert Havlick award for Innovation in Government by the Alliance for Innovation at its annual conference in Kansas City, MO, on April 18.
Innovation Awards are chosen from the 70+ applications received by a multi-member selection committee consisting of city and county managers from across the United States and Alliance staff. The selection committee looks for local governments that have shown a dedication to stretching and improving the boundaries of day-to-day government operations and practices, implementing creative business processes, and improving the civic health of the community.
These programs “won the 2012 J. Robert Havlick Award for Innovation in Local Government for demonstrating a pragmatic and progressive approach for long-lasting energy savings in their community,” said Karen Thoreson, president of the Alliance for Innovation. “The work combined the successful and innovative approach of utilizing a regulatory platform, financial incentives and technical assistance tools for homeowners and renters in order to achieve measurable and meaningful results.”
In September 2010, Boulder City Council adopted three ordinances requiring all of Boulder’s rental housing – approximately half of the city’s housing stock – to meet energy efficiency standards by 2019. The new “SmartRegs” requirements went into effect in January 2011, and are part of the Climate Action Plan’s (CAP) “Reduce Use” strategy area, which was established to promote energy-conserving behavior in homes and businesses throughout Boulder.
To help homeowners, landlords and tenants navigate the new SmartRegs ordinance, the city and Boulder County created a SmartRegs path through EnergySmart. EnergySmart services provide efficiency solutions for homes, whether rental or owner-occupied, commercial businesses, and property owners in all Boulder County communities, resulting in permanent improvements to the existing building stock. The EnergySmart service provides people with an energy assessment, as well as an expert Energy Advisor who recommends upgrades specific to each property, helps with rebate and financing applications, and even helps collect bids from contractors to perform energy upgrades.
Some of the key results in the City of Boulder from 2011’s SmartRegs and EnergySmart efforts include:
- 678 owner-occupied units participated in the EnergySmart services, with 67% completing upgrades.
- 2,081 renter-occupied units participated in the EnergySmart service as a result of the SmartRegs policy, with 33% completing upgrades.
- Owner-occupied units that participated saw an average annual energy savings of 714 kWh of electricity and 226 therms of natural gas (equivalent to $219 per year).
- Renter-occupied units that participated saw an average annual energy savings of 217 kWh of electricity and 72 therms of natural gas (equivalent to $63 per year).
- 1,687 services were provided to 960 individual businesses.
- Commercial property owners and businesses receiving quick installs saw an average annual energy savings of 421 kWh of electricity (equivalent to $52 per year), and 14,930 kWh of electricity for businesses receiving upgrades (equivalent to $1,318 per year).
The results achieved through both EnergySmart and SmartRegs demonstrate an innovative approach to complementing a policy requirement with assistance and funding to ease the burden of compliance.
EnergySmart aims to reach at least 10,000 homes and 3,000 businesses throughout Boulder County by June 2013. It is designed to stimulate local economic growth; increase energy efficiency investment in Colorado; and advance the state’s energy independence through energy upgrades. EnergySmart is a collaborative partnership throughout Boulder County, funded by a $25 million grant from the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Program, combined with contributions from the City of Boulder’s Climate Action Plan tax and the City of Longmont.
The Alliance for Innovation is an international network of progressive governments and partners committed to transforming local government by accelerating the development and dissemination of innovations. They seek out innovative practices, challenge existing business models, exchange knowledge, and provide products and services that help members perform at their best.
For more information on EnergySmart programs and services, visit www.EnergySmartYes.com, or call 303-544-1000 for residential information and 303-441-1300 for commercial information. More information about the Alliance for Innovation can be found at www.transformgov.org.
Bear facts: Feed them and they will come
0Pilot program increasing education and enforcement on bear attractants begins this week
The City of Boulder and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife are partnering on an Urban Black Bear Education and Enforcement pilot program that begins on Saturday, April 28. The purpose of the program is to explore the effectiveness of education and enforcement on improving the ways residential trash is secured and other bear attractants are minimized in western Boulder. The pilot neighborhood includes approximately 600 residences west of Ninth Street, north of Baseline Road and south of Arapahoe Avenue.
On Saturday, April 28, staff and volunteers will begin going door-to-door in the pilot neighborhood and provide residents with information on removing bear attractants from their property. They will also discuss the existing state and city laws requiring trash to be secured from bears. Increased enforcement of the trash regulations will begin in June.
A public open house to provide information and answer questions about the pilot program will be held on Monday, April 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Flatirons Elementary School, 1150 Seventh St.
Residents are encouraged to participate in an online survey to help determine effective strategies to keep bears out of trash at www.boulderwildlifeplan.net.
Some tips for preventing human-bear conflicts include the following:
- Store trash indoors or in a way that does not allow bears to scatter it. (This is required by city ordinance.)
- Store birdfeeders indoors at night from April to November.
- Store pet food inside.
- Keep BBQ grills clean.
- Keep garage and home doors closed.
For more information about the pilot program, contact Val Matheson, City of Boulder Urban Wildlife, 303-441-3004.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers information on how to safely coexist with bears. For more information, visit http://www.wildlife.state.co.us/bears.
If you experience problems with bears or other wildlife, call Boulder Police Department 303-441-3333 or Colorado Parks and Wildlife 303-291-7227.
Boulder pooch poo-poo park closing for upgrade
0Valmont Dog Park closing May 7 for three-month renovation
The dog park at Valmont City Park, located at 5275 Valmont Road, will close May 7 for major renovations and improvements. The dog park is scheduled to re-open in August (contingent upon weather-related construction progress).
Improvements at the dog park will include widening parking lot access, a new entry plaza, fencing, surfacing, landscaping and water hydrants. A portion of the new park will also include an enclosed, irrigated turf area, low berms, a new 16-foot square shade shelter, and two smaller shelters. The shelters are funded by the Capital Improvement Bond passed in November 2011.
To view the construction plans for Valmont Dog Park, please visit: www.BoulderParks-Rec.org and click on the “Parks” link on the left side, and scroll down to “Dog Parks.”
While under construction, dog guardians are encouraged to use the city’s other dog parks at:
- Foothills Community Dog Park, 7th Street and Silver Lake (between Locust and Lee Hill);
- East Boulder Community Park, 55th Street and Sioux Drive (south of the Community Center);
- Howard Heuston Dog Park, 34th Street, south of Iris Avenue (un-fenced dog park – voice and sight control required).
For more information, call Jennifer Bray, Parks and Recreation, at 303-441-4160.
