Posts tagged County Commissioners
Boulder County schedules oil and gas hearing
Feb 16th
Boulder County, Colo. – The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on March 1 to consider terminating, renewing or otherwise amending the temporary moratorium that has been placed on Boulder County’s processing of applications for oil and gas development in the unincorporated county.
As part of this proceeding the commissioners will consider the need for staff to continue evaluating, drafting and processing appropriate amendments to the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Code governing future oil and gas development.
What: Public hearing on oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County
When: Thursday, March 1 at 4 p.m.
Where: Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder
The hearing will also be streamed live at www.bouldercounty.org/government/pages/hearings.aspx.
The commissioners will first hear presentations from county Land Use, Parks and Open Space, Transportation, and Public Health staff on their roles in overseeing oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County. The presentations will include information on past and anticipated future drilling statistics and trends, observed impacts of oil and gas operations, application of current regulations, and concerns about future trends, impacts and regulatory needs.
Residents and other interested parties will then have time to comment (three-minute limit per individual speaker). Comments may be also submitted to commissioners@bouldercounty.org.
On Feb. 2 the commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on the processing of the required development plans for local oil and gas permits under the county Land Use Code (Resolution 2012-16) and released a statement detailing their concerns about the potential for significantly expanded oil and gas drilling within the county.
Visit www.bouldercounty.org/live/property/pages/oilgas.aspx for more information.
No consensus for GMOs, pesticides, “experimental farming” in #Boulder County’s cropland policy
Dec 13th
Commissioners to consider Cropland Policy at Dec. 20 public meeting
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Commissioners will deliberate on public testimony and comments received concerning the Cropland Policy Advisory Group’s (CPAG) policy recommendations for Boulder County Open Space croplands on Dec. 20 from 1-3 p.m.
What: Public meeting for the Board of County Commissioners to consider the proposed Cropland Policy for Boulder County Open Space agricultural lands
When: Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m.
Where: Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St.
Alternative viewing: Watch the meeting live online the day of the deliberations
The meeting on Dec. 20 is open to the public, but no further public testimony will be taken. All comments submitted to the commissioners via regular mail, electronic mail, phone calls and in-person testimony leading up to the Dec. 20 meeting date will be taken into consideration.
The meeting will be Web streamed live on Dec. 20. Members of the public can view the meeting online at:www.bouldercounty.org/government/pages/hearings.aspx. A taped version of the meeting will also be posted on the website as part of the commissioners’ video archive.
Background
The CPAG, consisting of nine members appointed by the commissioners, held meetings over a nine-month period to create a comprehensive Cropland Policy for Boulder County Open Space agricultural lands. The policy recommendations address soil health, economic sustainability, pest management, program administration, water, livestock, recreation and natural resource protection on agricultural lands. Through a consensus process, CPAG developed more than 80 policy recommendations. Three areas failed to achieve consensus: genetically engineered crops, use of certain pesticides, and experimental farming practices.
On Dec. 8, the county commissioners held a public hearing attended by more than 500 people, many of whom signed up to speak. At the hearing, the commissioners and attendees received a staff presentation on the county’s existing practices and programs, an overview of CPAG’s recommendations and a summary of input from the Food and Agriculture Policy Council (FAPC), the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC), and Parks and Open Space staff. The presentation was followed by 8 ½ hours of open public comment.
Members of the public have been providing input over the nine-month period, and all comments have been recorded as part of the public record. In addition to the many open meetings and hearings held by CPAG as they formed their recommendations for the cropland policy, several subsequent public meetings have been held to consider the draft policy: a staff presentation and joint public hearing on Nov. 15 to FAPC and POSAC, FAPC deliberations on Nov. 16, POSAC deliberations on Nov. 17, and the public open comment hearing with the Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 8.
For a copy of the Cropland Policy provided to the commissioners and information about the policy, please visit the Cropland Policy website or contact Resource Planner Jesse Rounds at 303-678-6271 or croplandpolicy@bouldercounty.org.
Boulder protesters need a permit for courthouse camping
Dec 7th
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Courthouse plaza has been a venue for protest and assembly for more than 100 years and the Board of County Commissioners strongly supports freedom of expression and rights to peaceful assembly.
For nearly three weeks, a protest group has located tents in the plaza in support of the nationwide Occupy movement and Boulder County has asked only that protesters follow established rules for use of the plaza.
City of Boulder ordinances state that public camping is illegal. Boulder County has not given its permission for overnight and residential use of its property and has supported the city police department’s enforcement of this regulation. Dogs also are not allowed and neither is using the plaza as a restroom.
More than 30 tickets have been issued and arrests have been made for repeat offenders and those with outstanding warrants, but no serious crimes have been reported or observed. Because gatherings of more than 25 persons are required to obtain a permit, Boulder County will be notifying protesters of their need to apply for a permit for use of the Courthouse plaza. Permits generally allow use of the plaza from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. and Boulder County encourages people to freely gather and discuss issues peacefully during those times.
“The ability to assemble and protest is a value we hold in high regard and such an important part of our culture,” Commissioner Ben Pearlman said. “People have experienced unprecedented economic difficulties recently and we respect their desire to gather and protest, whether as part of the Occupy movement or any other cause.
“But we have an obligation to enforce the camping and other regulations in front of the Courthouse to preserve public health and safety, regardless of the subject matter of a given protest or who is participating in it.”
Protesters will be provided with the use of county property policy and the permit application. Conditions of approval may include the protection of health and safety for participants and the public and to mitigate impacts on county property.