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Boulder wavering on unpopular closure rules for public property?
Dec 27th
The City of Boulder will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule that would close parks, parkways, recreation areas and open spaces from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly. The hearing will occur during the already scheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and will be held in Council Chambers, 1777 Broadway.
The public hearing will give community members an additional opportunity to express their views about the proposed rule. The hearing also will provide a forum for council members to ask questions of the city manager and city attorney and provide some direction in light of feedback they have received from their constituents.
The city manager proposed the nighttime closure rule on Dec. 16 because of increasing concerns about safety and health risks associated with encampments and other activities that occur in these locations after dark. The rule would not apply to individuals passing through the affected areas on foot or bicycle – or to events that have been approved through the city’s permitting process. Nor would it prohibit lawful activity, including constitutionally protected activity and political protests, during the remaining 18 hours of the day, between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Unlike most public hearings, council is not currently considering an ordinance related to park closures. The discussion that occurs, however, is likely to shape the city manager’s decision about how to proceed with the rule she has proposed under authority granted to her by Boulder Revised Code.
The decision to hold a public hearing was made today during a Council Agenda Committee meeting. The Council Agenda Committee includes city staff and three council members who look ahead to upcoming meeting agendas and determine how to make the sessions as efficient and productive as possible. Committee participants agreed that a public hearing would result in a more focused discussion, allowing for council questions to be informed by public comment and a staff presentation.
“We recognize that this is an important decision for our community, and the committee felt that this additional opportunity for public input would be valuable,” City Manager Jane S. Brautigam said. “I am looking forward to hearing the perspectives of community members and City Council as we work together to address important health and safety issues.”
In addition to the public hearing, the city has been collecting written comments as part of a 15-day public comment period. Written comments are being accepted by email at parksclosurerule@bouldercolorado.gov or by US mail at Parks Closure Rule, City of Boulder Box 791, Boulder, CO, 80306, until 5 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2012.
Boulder County childcare for needy gets a boost
Dec 27th
Help with childcare available for qualified Boulder County families
Funds from Ballot Initiative 1A continue to boost childcare program and promote self-sufficiency
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County Families who need help with childcare and who meet eligibility requirements are once again being invited to sign up for childcare assistance. The Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) waitlist is open for applications. CCAP is a program that supports individuals and families at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, helping them access quality childcare so the parents or guardians can remain employed or in educational programs. For low-wage working parents and guardians, or parents enrolled in school or technical training, childcare can represent an extraordinary expense.
As economic conditions have worsened, the need for childcare assistance has increased dramatically in Boulder County. Not only are more families in need of this help, but also declining wages and job losses have made more families eligible for CCAP benefits. In 2010, the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services suspended enrollment for CCAP because need was outpacing resources for the program. Later that year, Boulder County voters approved Ballot Initiative 1A, which was designed to help backfill deficiencies in state funding for county human services programs. Among other things, money from 1A, also known as the Temporary Safety Net, has been used to reopen the CCAP waitlist and to expand the program itself. More than 40 percent of the $5.1 million raised by 1A in 2011 is being used to meet additional childcare needs in Boulder County.
In order to qualify for CCAP, parents or guardians must be Boulder County residents, and must have a job, be searching for a job, or be in school or seeking training. Income caps for qualification are based on family size. As examples, a family of three with a monthly gross income of less than $2,857 or a family of four with a monthly gross income of less than $3,346 could take part in CCAP. Families who qualify pay a portion of the childcare costs based on income. A full list of requirements and more information on CCAP is available on the Boulder County website or by calling community partner Aspen Family Services (which administers CCAP’s application process) at 303-604-1043, ext. 2828.