Posts tagged review
Public hearing scheduled for Climate Change Preparedness Plan
Oct 6th
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.
County releases draft Land Use Code regulations for oil and gas development
Sep 17th
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.
CU Law School students and alumni to teach high school students statewide about the Constitution
Sep 13th
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.