Environmental News
Environmental News from Boulder, Colorado
Boulder gets heavy hitter law firm for first swing at Xcel
Jan 23rd
The City of Boulder has selected the law firm of Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC to help the city as it begins potential condemnation proceedings for the electric utility system within city limits that is currently owned by Xcel Energy. The firm will advise the city in all matters related to the acquisition of electrical distribution facilities and will work to determine the fair value of those facilities.
The city has retained this counsel to provide expert assistance as it moves towards potential municipalization of the electrical distribution system in Boulder, which stems from the passage of ballot items 2B and 2C in November. The city has said it intends to hire outside legal counsel, as well as engineering consultants, to perform some of the work necessary to determine the final costs associated with acquiring Xcel’s system and starting a city-owned electrical utility. City Council will not make a decision about whether to issue bonds to pursue municipalization until those costs are known.
If the city decides to proceed with asset acquisition, and a price cannot be negotiated with Xcel Energy, Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC will file all legal actions that may be necessary to work through the condemnation process. The firm will work closely with city staff and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) counsel, engineers and appraisers as the city creates a separation plan and conducts negotiations.
Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC was chosen from a field of 10 original submissions that was narrowed down to three finalists after a review of all credentials. In evaluating submitted proposals, the city looked at whether the firm had prior experience representing governments in condemnation proceedings, and the nature and extent of its practice in Colorado.
Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC has more than 30 years (as individuals and then as a firm) of service helping governments, urban renewal authorities and utility companies to acquire property for public projects in a timely manner and at fair prices, and has previously represented the City of Boulder in condemnation proceedings. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report designated the law firm as “Best Lawyers Tier One – Eminent Domain and Condemnation, and Litigation – Eminent Domain and Condemnation.”
The firm and its individual members have served as lead counsel for a number of high-profile public projects that required acquisition of multiple parcels in numerous jurisdictions under time restraints imposed by bond financing or other public financing. These include E-470, T-REX, Prairie Waters, FasTracks, the White Cliffs Pipeline and the Rocky Mountain Express Pipeline.
For more information on Duncan, Ostrander & Dingess, PC, visit www.dodpc.com. Visit www.BoulderEnergyFuture.com for more information on the city’s work related to potential municipalization.
TV weathermen don’t want to know which way the wind blows
Jan 23rd
Members of drafting committee have reportedly threatened to resign;
Forecast the Facts campaign calls on the AMS Council to offer a full explanation
Boulder County gets ready for global warming
Jan 19th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Environmental News
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Public invited to comment on Climate Change Preparedness Plan
Draft to be discussed at meetings in Boulder and Longmont
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County is developing a Climate Change Preparedness Plan to help local residents and communities better prepare for changing environmental conditions.
A team of local consultants reviewed science pertinent to the Front Range and developed a list of recommendations for the community. The strategies outlined in the draft plan will be available for public review at two January meetings and for comment online until Feb. 24.
Anyone who lives or works in Boulder County is invited to provide feedback on the draft plan by mail, online, or at one of two public meetings:
Boulder
When: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Boulder County Courthouse, third floor hearing room, 1325 Pearl St.
Longmont
When: Thursday, Jan. 26, 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Boulder County Parks and Open Space, 5201 St. Vrain Road
A draft of the plan and a survey link are available on the plan’s webpage. Or visit www.BoulderCounty.org, click on the “Sustain” button and scroll to “Energy and Climate.”
For additional information, contact Sustainability Planner Lisa Friend at lfriend@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-3522.
Comments will also be accepted at P.O. Box 471, Boulder, CO 80306, Attn: BOCC Climate Change Preparedness Plan.
For assistance with accessibility, contact the Human Resources Division at 303-441-3508 at least 48 hours before either scheduled event.