Posts tagged review
Boulder County: Emergency warning sirens to be tested beginning April 1
0March 26, 2013
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County and the City of Boulder will begin audible testing of the countywide emergency sirens at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 1. The test is the first of the annual season of monthly emergency audible siren tests, which take place on the first Monday of each month from April through August.
The audible siren tests will occur twice on each testing day, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., on April 1, May 6, June 3,July 1 and Aug. 5.
Siren tests ensure that all systems and procedures are working properly during the season of peak flood danger. The tests also promote public awareness of the warning sirens located throughout Boulder County.
Louisville, Superior and Jamestown sirens will only participate in the first audible test of the season on April 1. After this test, residents in these communities will not hear the sirens unless there is an emergency.
Should Boulder County experience severe weather during one of the planned audible tests, the siren tests for that day may be cancelled. For updated information, visit www.BoulderOEM.com.
Residents are encouraged to review their own emergency preparedness plans and discuss what they would do in the event of a flash flood or other emergency. For more information about personal preparedness, visitwww.readycolorado.com.
About the countywide alert system
Used to alert residents to potential danger from a flood or other immediate threat, there are 25 outdoor warning sirens in place across Boulder County, including in Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Louisville, Lyons, Marshall, Eldorado Springs, Superior and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
All Boulder County sirens undergo weekly tests throughout the year, using a software program that performs a “silent” test.
For more information, visit www.BoulderOEM.com.
Related posts:
City of Boulder News Briefs
0March 15, 2013
City to host open house on revised floodplain mapping for Upper Goose/Twomile Canyon Creek
The City of Boulder will host an open house to collect public input on revised floodplain mapping for Upper Goose/Twomile Canyon Creek from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at the Foothills Elementary School Library, 1001 Hawthorn Ave.
City staff will provide information about how the proposed floodplains in the area have changed and how the revised mapping may impact property owners and residents in the area. If adopted, the proposed map would add 279 properties to the floodplain and remove 259. The property owners that may be impacted have been notified.
Public input will be requested on the proposed changes to the floodplains. After input is collected and analyzed, the mapping will be revised as appropriate and presented to the Water Resources Advisory Board and Planning Board later in 2013. A final recommendation to City Council will follow.
Floodplain maps are periodically updated and revised to reflect changing conditions, such as new topography, land development, updated mapping studies, impacts of flooding, and construction of floodplain improvements. The city strives to update its floodplain maps every 10 years.
For more information, contact Kurt Bauer at 303-441-4232 or visit www.boulderwater.net and click on “Projects & Programs.”
City of Boulder Planning & Development Services Center closed Tuesday, March 19 for staff training
The City of Boulder Planning and Development Services (P&DS) Center will be closed on Tuesday, March 19 for a staff work and training session to enhance core customer service functions such as processing development review and permit applications. The services center will resume regular hours of operation at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20.
The PDS Center is open during the lunch hour and continuously available to customers from:
- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Anyone who enters the services center before 4 p.m. will be served. Customers who are working through the Land Use Review (LUR) and Technical Document (TEC) processes can schedule an appointment with a project specialist ahead of time by contacting Administration Supervisor Karlin Goggin at 303-441-4053.
Planning Development Services coordinates all of the development-related functions across the city’s Community Planning & Sustainability and Public Works departments. The customer services provided include building applications and permits, comprehensive planning, development review, GIS mapping services, historic preservation, inspections, licensing and zoning information.
All customers are encouraged to use www.boulderplandevelop.net before visiting the services center to access information and download applications and forms.
Related posts:
CU Boulder study: More power leads to more dehumanization (No sh*t, Sherlock)
0March 6, 2013
The study, to be published in the May issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, found that participants given more powerful roles in two experiments attributed fewer uniquely human traits — characteristics that distinguish people from other animals — to their peers who were given less powerful roles.
“I think a lot of us have the intuition that some powerful people can be pretty dehumanizing,” said Jason Gwinn, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and lead author of the study. “But our goal was to test if power, when randomly assigned to ordinary students, would have that effect. That would say something about power itself rather than about the sort of people who have the drive to take power.”
The researchers enlisted about 300 CU-Boulder students taking an introductory psychology course to participate in two experiments. In the first experiment, students were assigned to be either a manager or an assistant for a mock hiring task. The assistants were asked to review resumes for an open job and then list the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant. The managers then reviewed the list made by their assistants and made a final decision about whom to hire.
In the second experiment, participants were asked to play a game and were assigned to be either an allocator or a recipient. For the game, one allocator and one recipient were tasked with splitting a pot of money. The allocator, the higher-power role, made the first offer, suggesting how the money be split. If the recipient, the lower-power role, accepted the offer, both people received their share of the money. If the recipient declined the offer, neither person received any of the money.
At the end of each experiment, the participants were asked to rate each other on 40 traits. The result was that students in higher-power roles assigned fewer uniquely human traits to the students in lower-power roles than vice versa. Examples of traits considered to be more uniquely human, as defined and tested in a 2007 Australian study, include being ambitious, imaginative, frivolous and insecure. Examples of traits that are less uniquely human — those that could be used to describe a pet as well as a friend, for example — include being passive, timid, friendly and shy.
The question of whether power leads to dehumanization has part of its roots in the renowned Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971. Twenty-four male students were randomly assigned to play the role of either inmate or guard in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. During the study, the guards were psychologically abusive to the prisoners, many of whom passively accepted the abuse, despite the fact that the participants knew that they were all students at the same elite university.
Though the guards were described as dehumanizing the prisoners, the term “dehumanization” was well defined at the time and the experiment was not designed to allow the researchers to confidently state that it was the increase in power that lead to the dehumanization. By contrast, Gwinn’s study, now available online, was designed specifically to test the relationship between power and dehumanization.
Gwinn cautions that the researchers cannot yet say whose perspective is being changed by the power differential imposed on participants in the CU study. It’s possible that being in a position of less power makes a person see those in power as more human rather than the other way around, or that both people are affected.
“We haven’t pinned down why this happens,” Gwinn said. “We don’t know whose perception is being affected.”
Charles Judd and Bernadette Park, both professors in CU-Boulder’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, co-authored the study.
Related posts:
Lively fight waged against sex ed bill
0February 21, 2013
by Ron Baird, news editor
in News
by Todd Engdahl on Feb 19th, 2013. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org
Already hyped up from nearly two days of gun-control debate, the Colorado House Tuesday leapt into a morning-long wrangle over sex education.
Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver
The Democratic-controlled House gave preliminary approval to House Bill 13-1081, but not before Republicans tried a blizzard of amendments to remedy what they see as the bill’s weaknesses.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, would create an expanded set of standards for human sexuality education that schools and districts would have to follow if they used grants from a fund that also would be created by the bill. The new requirements wouldn’t affect districts that continue to use existing health and sex education standards. Parents would have to be informed about use of the new program and could opt their children out of classes.
Do your homework
Pre-amended text of the bill
Memo explaining the bill
EdNews coverage of Feb. 7 committee hearing on the bill
Supporters believe current sex-education efforts are not as effective as they could be and that stronger programs are needed to reduce teen pregnancy and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.
The measure is supported by groups such as Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains; One Colorado, a LGBT advocacy group; the Colorado Association of School Nurses; and Denver Health.
It’s opposed by such groups as Colorado Family Action, the Colorado Catholic Conference and the Douglas County schools.
Republican opponents of the bill were unhappy with what they see as insufficient emphasis on abstinence (referred to during the debate as “sexual risk avoidance”), a lack of review mechanisms for the program’s effectiveness, a possibly biased oversight board and a lack of parent representation on the board. Some Republicans also are uncomfortable with the bill’s requirement that sex education be inclusive of gay and lesbian students.
Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument and a former policy analyst for Focus on the Family, led the charge against the bill. She repeatedly challenged Duran, often in a snide tone.
At one point Stephens referred to a Duran statement as “gobbledygook.”
During another exchange, Duran said, “Representative Stephens, I answered your question.”
“No you didn’t, no you didn’t,” Stephens responded.
Late in the debate, Duran just stopped answering Stephens’ questions (as is allowed by House rules).
Here are some other sound bites from the nearly four hours of debate:
Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument
“This is just a Planned Parenthood jobs bill,” Stephens said. It’s an outrage of epic proportions.”
Defending the bill’s inclusiveness, Rep. Sue Schafer, D-Wheat Ridge, said she was speaking as “a gay mother and a gay grandmother.”
Arguing against sex education in early primary grades, Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, said, “Don’t take away the innocence of children.” At another point Priola said, “As a practicing Catholic I feel it abhorrent that birth control is even used.”
“First-graders should not be taught sex in our public schools,” agreed Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch.
“There’s a radical individualism in this bill. … It undermines the natural rights of parents,” said Rep. Stephen Humphrey, R-Severance.
“I’m amazed that in 2013 … we’re going on and on about this issue. I think we need adult sex education,” said Rep. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, who holds a doctorate in reproductive endocrinology from Colorado State University.
The debate also was marked by multiple parliamentary time-outs as House leaders decided whether various amendments and maneuvers were within House rules. At several points Republican members were making substitute amendments for changes proposed by their own colleagues.
Three amendments were passed, all with Democratic approval. One clarifies that the bill doesn’t change state health education standards and the second would add one parent to the oversight board created by the bill. As a nod to McNulty, Duran also allowed what she saw as a meaningless amendment about sex ed for students in early grades.
The bill will need a final House roll call vote before moving the Senate.
Related posts:
Boulder Chief of Police: Department supports charges against officers who killed elk; apologizes to community
0January 18, 2013
Statement from Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner:
As you know, Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett has announced that his office will file charges against the two Boulder Police officers involved in the shooting death of the Mapleton elk on January 1st. The officers face three felony charges in addition to a number of misdemeanor charges.
The Boulder Police Department fully supports the decision of the district attorney to pursue charges in this case. It’s the right decision, and the Department has assisted and cooperated fully with the Colorado Division of Parks & Wildlife and the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers Sam Carter and Brent Curnow have been on paid administrative leave since January 3rd, while the case has been investigated, as dictated by department policy and contractual due process.
Effective immediately, I have placed Sam Carter and Brent Curnow on unpaid administrative leave.
We realize that this case has hit a sensitive nerve in the Boulder community, and I want to reassure our community that I understand their concerns and that I intend to hold these officers accountable for their actions.
While the criminal investigation has (mostly) wrapped up, there is still an internal personnel investigation underway at the Boulder Police Department. This investigation is different and separate from the criminal investigation, and has to do with whether these officers may have violated rules, policies or procedures. We needed to proceed cautiously with the internal investigation because we didn’t want to interfere with the criminal investigation. The Boulder Police Department provided some of the evidence for the criminal case and cooperated fully with investigators.
We hope to move quickly now to complete our internal personnel investigation. Once that is finished, there is a review process that includes a combined community and department member review panel which will provide recommendations to me on the final disposition. If the allegations are sustained, the discipline for such allegations – including being untruthful – would typically be termination from employment.
We apologize for this unfortunate incident. We want our community to know that we take their concerns very seriously and that we’re working hard to correct this situation.
Related posts:
Boulder County Commissioners reject agreement with Denver Water Board on the proposed Gross Reservoir expansion
0January 8, 2013
Boulder County, Colo. – Last night, the Board of County Commissioners declined to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the Denver Water Board regarding the proposed expansion of Gross Reservoir.
After hearing to more than six hours of public testimony over a span of two public hearings – Dec. 20 and Jan. 7 – and receiving more than 200 written communications from Boulder County residents, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously decided not to support the IGA.
The intergovernmental agreement was signed by the Denver Water Board on December 19, 2012, and would have served in lieu of review of the reservoir expansion project under the Boulder County Land Use Code. The IGA had been negotiated by the staffs of Boulder County and Denver Water as a way to address the impacts of the project and to define appropriate mitigation measures, but ultimately didn’t go far enough in protecting the quality of life for residents in the area in the opinion of the County Commissioners.
While they acknowledged some benefits that would result from the proposed agreement, the County Commissioners indicated that the terms of the proposed agreement did not do enough to protect the health, safety and welfare of their constituents or the environment and that they thought it was premature to enter into any agreement before the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which is due later in 2013.
Following the release of the final EIS, the commissioners will work with county staff on a thorough response to the findings, and continue to work with members of the public to address ongoing concerns about the impacts of the proposed project.
Visit www.bouldercounty.org/property/build/pages/moffatgrossiga.aspx for more information. To view the archived video from last night’s hearing, visit the hearings page and select the business meeting for Jan. 7 at www.bouldercounty.org/gov/meetings/pages/hearings.aspx.
Related posts:
Boulder Planning and Development office to be more user friendly
0January 4, 2013
City announces new hours and appointment scheduling at the Planning & Development Services Center
In response to customer feedback, the City of Boulder’s Planning & Development Services Center will be testing extended business hours and advance appointment scheduling in 2013. The services center, which is currently closed for lunch from 12 to 1 p.m. daily, will be open during the lunch hour beginning Monday, Jan. 7. The services center will be continuously open and available to customers from:
· 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and
· 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Anyone who enters the services center before 4 p.m. will be served. The new operating hours are based on the schedules of the industries served and are consistent with those of neighboring communities. City staff will be evaluating the success of the changes on an ongoing basis and will announce any proposed revisions as necessary.
In addition to the new hours, customers that are working through the Land Use Review (LUR) and Technical Document (TEC) processes will be able to schedule an appointment with a Project Specialist ahead of time by contacting Karlin Goggin at 303-441-4053 or goggink@bouldercolorado.gov.
“The services center is committed to providing excellent customer service and continuous improvements,” said Administrative Services Manager Aimee Kane. “We are excited to offer our customers expanded business hours and services to better accommodate their needs and schedules.”
Planning & Development Services coordinates all of the development-related functions across the city’s Community Planning & Sustainability and Public Works departments. The customer services provided include building applications and permits, comprehensive planning, development review, GIS mapping services, historic preservation, inspections, licensing, and zoning information.
All customers are encouraged to use www.boulderplandevelop.net before visiting the services center to take advantage of the many services that are available online.
Related posts:
0
January 4, 2013
Two Boulder police officers put on administrative leave during personnel investigation
The Boulder Police Department is continuing its internal personnel investigation regarding the killing of an elk on the evening of January 1, 2013 in the area of Ninth and Mapleton. Although personnel investigations can take weeks to complete, the Boulder Police Department is taking some administrative action immediately.
Officers Sam Carter and Brent Curnow have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation.
Once the investigations are completed, the information is forwarded to the employee’s chain of command for review and recommendations to the Chief of Police. After this review, the report is reviewed by a panel made up of both citizens and sworn officers who also make recommendations to the Chief. The Chief of Police will make the final decision as to the disposition of the case and whether disciplinary measures may be appropriate.
The Boulder Police Department will not be making further statements while the investigations are pending.
Related posts:
Boulder Walker Ranch Management
0November 8, 2012
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department will host a review of the Management Alternatives proposed by Parks and Open Space staff for the Walker Ranch Management Plan Update.
What: Walker Ranch Management Alternatives meeting
When: Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m.
Where: Boulder County Transportation office, second floor 2525 13th St., Boulder
Staff will give a presentation of the management proposals followed by a question-and-answer period.
Ideas received at a public open house in 2011 have been incorporated into the proposals. Staff will present those proposals at this meeting and take public comments and questions. This will not be the last opportunity for public input.
Based on public responses to the alternatives and information gathered during alternatives review, staff will develop and update the plan and present a draft final management plan to the public in December. A 30-day comment period will follow the December presentation. The final proposal to the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee and the Board of County Commissioners will be scheduled in early 2013.
For more information about the Walker Ranch Management Plan Update, visit www.bouldercounty.org/os/openspace/pages/walkerplan.aspx or contact Resource Planner Jesse Rounds at 303-678-6271 or jrounds@bouldercounty.org.
Related posts:
Public Review of and Feedback for the Mathematics Core Instructional Materials Adoption
0October 31, 2012
by Ron Baird, news editor
in News
|
All BVSD students, school faculty and staff, parents, and community members are invited to participate in the adoption of the core instructional materials for mathematics by reviewing the materials and providing feedback to the committee.
Community members may examine the materials being considered for adoption in the following three ways: 1) Examine the materials in person by attending a Public Review Open House
Times for all review sessions: 4:00-7:00 pm
Location: Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe Rd., Boulder, Professional Development Center Conference Rooms
2) Examine the materials in person between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday 3) Examine the materials online through the Math Department Website. Start at the Instructional Materials Adoption page of the Math Department website. Click the link for the math grade level/course you will be reviewing:
Click the link of the program or text you would like to review. This will take you to the publisher’s website. Reviewers may provide their feedback to the adoption committees in two ways: 1) Complete a feedback form at the Education Center during a Public Review Open House or during regular business hours. 2) Complete a feedback form online from any computer with internet access. Start at the Instructional Materials Adoption page of the Math Department website Click the link for the math grade level/course you will be reviewing. Click on the Take Our Survey Button. Fill out the form and click “submit.” |
Related posts:
CU Business Review: Colorado’s becoming “beverage”-can capital
0October 15, 2012
Consumer demand is making aluminum cans more relevant than ever, according to a report from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.
More than 92 billion aluminum beverage cans were sold in the U.S. in 2011 reflecting a decline in annual sales — particularly among standard 12-ounce cans — since the industry’s peak five years prior.
But a number of Colorado companies, including Ball Corp., are well positioned to tap new markets in the evolving industry. Ball employs more than 3,000 workers statewide, and packaging accounts for 90 percent of the company’s sales.
“Beverage industry employment is growing faster than manufacturing employment and total employment in the state and is outperforming beverage manufacturing employment nationally,” said Richard Wobbekind, editor of the quarterly Colorado Business Review.
According to the latest edition of the review, published by the Business Research Division of the Leeds School of Business, the U.S. beverage can market remains quite healthy with a unit share of just over 40 percent.
Experts attribute the sales decline of 12-ounce cans to weak economic growth, which has consumers “trading down” to less expensive products, among other factors.
By contrast, demand for specialty can sizes grew at a robust rate of approximately 15 percent last year. From the 5.5-ounce mini-can to the 32-ounce jumbo can, brand owners are leveraging the unique sizes and shapes of the beverage cans to drive differentiation in the market.
One well-known specialty package from Ball is the Alumi-Tek bottle, or aluminum pint. Brewers have enjoyed great success with the bottles, which offer re-closable caps. Craft beers and wines have increasingly found their way into aluminum cans. Even water sold in cans has grown more than 30 percent since 2008.
“The current decrease in the U.S. beverage can market is more a sign of progress than one of decline as the industry shifts away from reliance on just the 12-ounce can,” says Jim Peterson, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for Ball Corp. “Ball is expanding into new products and capabilities to meet demand.”
Peterson cites more than $175 million in investment across the U.S., including $60 million in Colorado for a new specialty can line in the company’s Golden, Colo., facility and a nearly $5 million expansion of its package research and development operations in Westminster, Colo.
Colorado beverage makers also benefit from state laws that support self-distribution, allowing young brands and small producers to go to market. New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, Colo., America’s third-largest craft brewery, started selling beer out of the back of a station wagon.
The Business Research Division of CU-Boulder’s Leeds School of Business conducts Colorado-focused economic and marketing studies, collaborating with faculty researchers, government entities, business leaders, nonprofit organizations and students. For more information visit http://leeds.colorado.edu/brd#coloradobusinessreview.
Related posts:
Public hearing scheduled for Climate Change Preparedness Plan
0October 6, 2012
Final draft to be discussed Oct. 16
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the Climate Change Preparedness Plan developed earlier this year for the county in partnership with the City of Boulder.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 9 a.m.
Where: Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder
The draft plan was released for public comment in January and February and has since been revised in response to those comments and offered to the City of Boulder for review.
“This plan is an important step toward integrating our existing public health, emergency management and resource management plans in the context of the changing climate,” said Boulder County Sustainability Planner Lisa Friend. “Thanks to this process, we’ve identified where gaps might be in our planning – whether in disaster recovery, water resource management or educating vulnerable populations about extreme heat – and we’ve already begun to close them.”
The plan is available for review on the county’s Climate Change Preparedness Plan webpage (visit www.BoulderCounty.org and search “climate change plan”). For additional information, contact Lisa Friend at 303-441-3522 or lfriend@bouldercounty.org.
Related posts:
County releases draft Land Use Code regulations for oil and gas development
0September 17, 2012
Planning Commission to review regulations on Sept. 24
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County has drafted a set of proposed Land Use Code regulations for oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County and is actively seeking review and comment from the public, industry and state agencies.
The draft regulations are available for review on the county’s Oil and Gas Development webpage.
What: Public hearing on the Draft Development Plan Review regulations addressing oil and gas development within the county’s Land Use Code
When: Monday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m.
Where: Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder
Land Use staff will present the proposed regulations to the Planning Commission, which will then consider public comments and provide recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners or provide further direction to staff.
Public testimony will be taken at the hearing (each speaker is allowed 3 minutes). Written comments are also encouraged and can be emailed tocommissioners@bouldercounty.org or submitted to staff in hard copy at the hearing.
The goal of the draft regulations is to work within the authority provided to counties and enact the most protective land use regulations possible for new oil and gas development. Boulder County recognizes the extent of state authority over these operations and seeks to create local regulations that harmonize with state regulations.
Topics addressed in the regulations include avoidance and mitigation of impacts to the county’s air and water quality, transportation system and environmental resources. The regulations also address land use compatibility issues and emergency response.
“These draft regulations are an important part of our multifaceted approach to addressing the issues associated with oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County,” Commissioner Cindy Domenico said. “We are seeking feedback so that we can enact effective regulations that protect our environment and the health and safety of our residents, and harmonize with state and federal regulations.”
Timeline
• Feb. 2 – The Board of County Commissioners approve 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 release a statement detailing their concerns about the potential for significantly expanded oil and gas drilling within the county.
• March 1 – Public hearing for commissioners to hear staff presentations and public testimony. After the four-hour hearing, commissioners direct staff to continue gathering information about the impacts of oil and gas drilling on air, water, land, roads and infrastructure.
• April 16 – Commissioners vote unanimously to extend temporary moratorium on processing of applications for oil and gas development in unincorporated parts of the county until Feb. 4, 2013 (Resolution 2012-46).
• May 16 – Planning Commission authorizes the initiation of an amendment process to the oil and gas policies in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan
• June 20 – Planning Commission reviews proposed oil and gas policies amendments presented by Land Use staff, and takes public testimony.
• July 18 – Planning Commission further reviews proposed oil and gas policies amendments presented by Land Use staff, and takes public testimony.
• Aug. 15 – Planning Commission adopts amendments to Comprehensive Plan.
• Aug. 22 – County Commissioners and Planning Commission hold a joint study session to discuss possible future Land Use Code amendments.
The county anticipates adopting a set of regulations by the end of the year. For more information about the county’s role in oil and gas development, upcoming meetings and public involvement opportunities, visit the county’s Oil and Gas Development webpage or contact Jim Webster at 720-564-2600 orjbwebster@bouldercounty.org.
Related posts:
CU Law School students and alumni to teach high school students statewide about the Constitution
0September 13, 2012
More than 75 students and dozens of alumni of the University of Colorado Law School will teach a lesson on the Fourth Amendment in more than 100 high school classrooms throughout Colorado the week of Sept. 17- 21 in recognition of Constitution Day.
Constitution Day is a national event that annually commemorates the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the United States Constitution.
The students and alumni will visit classrooms in Aurora, Boulder, Carbondale, Colorado Springs, Denver, Glenwood Springs, Grand County, Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, Watkins and Wray as part of the Colorado Law School Constitution Day Project, launched in 2011 by the Byron White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law
“The program was such a success last year that we have expanded it significantly for 2012 and hope to continue that expansion in future years,” said Melissa Hart, associate professor of law and director of the Byron White Center. “We are particularly pleased to be able to visit schools all over the state, and will maintain that priority as we expand.
“Our students and alumni are excited about the opportunity to work with high school students and teachers, and to contribute to the important goal of broadening public constitutional literacy.”
The lesson plan, which was created by law students with the guidance of Hart and several high school civics teachers, begins with a review of the basic structure of the Constitution and then focuses on the text of the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures of private property by the government. After reviewing the law, students will be guided through a debate about whether a school’s search of a student’s text messages violated the student’s constitutional rights.
In the first year of the project in 2011, the center sent 60 law students to over 50 high school classrooms to teach a lesson, which was followed by student debates involving a hypothetical situation that applied the First Amendment to a student Facebook posting.
Boulder County Environmental Sustainability Plan available for public review
0Boulder County, Colo. – After years of collaborative work with county staff, elected officials and local partners, Boulder County has released a draft of its Environmental Sustainability Plan for public comment and feedback prior to its adoption on Jan. 3.
Once adopted, there will be an extensive public review process to continue to tweak parts of the plan and develop an implementation strategy for each of the elements of the plan.
What: Public hearing to adopt the Environmental Sustainability Plan
When: Thursday, Jan. 3 at 11 a.m.
Where: Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder (map)
Comments may also be submitted to commissioners@bouldercounty.org.
The plan was drafted to articulate Boulder County’s vision to create a more environmentally sustainable community as well as provide a blueprint for achieving the county’s collective environmental sustainability goals. In addition, it’s intended that the plan will act as a launching point to help set communitywide environmental priorities and develop shared resources to achieve more regional environmental sustainability goals.
The plan addresses county internal operations as well as the environmental services provided for residents and businesses. It is broken into nine categories including air quality, climate, ecological health, energy and buildings, health and wellness, local food and agriculture, transportation, water and zero waste.
Each section concludes with policy priorities and actions that employees, residents and businesses can take to positively impact Boulder County. More specific timeframes, funding sources, selection of implementation leaders and/or partners will be addressed in an implementation plan, which will guide Boulder County employees in executing the strategies in the Environmental Sustainability Plan.
The next phase of the environmental sustainability planning process is to solicit feedback and insight from the community including key stakeholders and experts on what is missing from the plan and how to best carry out the strategies outlined.
For a copy of the plan, please visit: http://www.bouldercounty.org/sustainability/bc/pages/envsustainabilityplan.aspx
Related posts: