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Jan. 27, 2011 – State of the City of Boulder Colorado emphasizes sustainability, economy and opportunities in 2011
City Manager Jane S. Brautigam and Mayor Susan Osborne delivered the State of the City in the Library Theater this morning, outlining the highlights of a year that included two major wildfires, award-winning construction and improvement projects, a commitment by voters to continue funding valued city services and a decision to explore supply-side energy options.
Both Brautigam and Osborne spoke of challenges, difficult decisions and collaborative leadership in the face of recent wildfires and a still uncertain economic future.
Speaking of the devastating Fourmile Canyon Fire, Brautigam said, “Firefighters from around the nation set up operations at the new regional fire training center. More than 1,100 firefighters responded, including 70 city firefighters. A significant amount of city resources were used to protect Boulder County and city residents. During the Fourmile Canyon Fire, city staff supported around-the-clock emergency operations and services to the community. While 169 homes were destroyed, not a single life was lost in any of last year’s fires.”
The mayor emphasized partnerships that formed in 2010 with local government, the business and technology communities and residents. Collaborations, such as the bid to bring Google ultra high speed Internet to the city, and a spirit of shared innovation helped Boulder stand out, both at home and abroad.
“Our international reputation as an innovator continues to make Boulder a destination city and enhance our economic sustainability,” Osborne said.
Standing in front of a backdrop of video and photographs from the year past, the city manager told the audience that Boulder was able to maintain a flat budget for 2011 but must continue to “be prudent in how we manage resources.” The city will continue to look for ways to close a gap between expenditures and revenues to maintain long-term sustainability.
Both speakers looked ahead to 2011 with optimism, particularly about the community’s commitment to charting an energy future that draws more power from renewable sources, promotes local decision-making, stabilizes rates for consumers and puts customer service and reliability in the forefront.
“We heard the community’s desire to lead by example, and to more fully explore Boulder’s energy options before entering into another long-term franchise agreement,” Brautigam said.
The mayor thanked voters for their support.
“We asked voters to approve a replacement tax on Xcel for five years to provide the time needed to analyze, discuss and make decisions as a community about our energy future. This may ultimately mean a renewed partnership with Xcel to meet our community goals, municipalization to provide our community with more direct control over its energy decisions and investments, or possibly a different option that we have yet to develop. . . . It was a tremendous vote of confidence from this community, and we are grateful for the overwhelming support that was shown for the Utility Occupation Tax. Without your support, the city would have eliminated 50 positions this year and significantly reduced city services and programs,” she said.