City appoints community group, launches plan to restore facilities
May 2nd
Like many cities, a decade of stagnating revenues and material cost escalation has resulted in a backlog of maintenance projects for Boulder.
The city is following a multi-year plan to finance and complete needed repairs to city facilities, and the city manager today appointed a 16-member community stakeholder group to advise the City Council and staff on priority projects.
“Tough economic times forced the city to defer maintenance in order to provide important community services,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “As a result, many of our buildings, parks, roads and other facilities require significant attention to avoid much higher costs later.”
Brautigam explained that the city plans to initiate needed maintenance and repairs over the next several years. The first phase includes using existing city revenue to finance accelerated work to fix significant deficiencies that could pose health and safety risks if left undone. Currently, the city has over $60 million in unfunded significant deficiencies and approximately $150 million in unfunded high-priority projects.
Boulder said it has the funds to finance some of those projects next year without raising taxes. Bonds supported by existing revenues could be issued to pay for up to approximately $60 million in repairs in capital improvement projects.
To help determine which projects should receive immediate attention, Brautigam appointed a 16-member Capital Investment Strategy stakeholder group to advise staff and City Council about how to prioritize maintenance and repair projects.
“This is a community issue that requires input from a cross-section of our city,” said Brautigam. “We’re looking at this project through the perspective of businesspeople, students, parents, renters, homeowners, board and commission members, as well as nonprofit organizations to ensure our priority list reflects community needs.”
The 16-member Capital Investment Strategy stakeholder group will review the projects and advise council on which maintenance and repair efforts should be included in this first phase using existing dollars. It also will make recommendations about how to effectively invest in Boulder’s capital improvement program for the next several years to ensure the city can catch up and sustain a maintenance and improvement program.
The following individuals were appointed to the Capital Investment Strategy Stakeholder group from a pool of nearly 50 applicants:
Leslie Brown
Natalie (Tally) Costa
Steve Fenberg
Nino Gallo
Cynthia Huseck
Dan King
Michael Kruteck
Kristin Macdonald
Victoria Marschner
Miriam McGilvary
Michael Minard
Bill Shrum
Max Taffet
Leonard Thomas
Bob Yates
Jessica Yates
Dan King, owner of the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, has agreed to serve as chair of the stakeholder group. For more information about Boulder’s capital improvement program, visit www.bouldercolorado.gov/cip.
Boulder police arrest three in connection with February assault on University Hill
May 2nd
Boulder police arrest three in connection with February assault on University Hill
Boulder police arrested three men Friday night in connection with an assault that took place in February after a snowball-throwing incident in the 900 block of 13th Street.
A group of young people walking home a little before midnight on Feb. 19, 2011, were throwing snowballs at each other across 13th Street and over a dark-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was stopped at a stop sign. Witnesses say the Jeep started down the road, but made a U-turn about a block away and came back toward the group.
According to witnesses, a man jumped out of the Jeep and hit one of the male members of the group across the face with a liquor bottle, cutting his face and causing him serious bodily injury.
Orlando Bustamante-Bello (DOB 3/28/1989) was arrested at the Millenium Hotel on April 29 and faces charges of First Degree Assault in this case. He was taken to the Boulder County Jail where bail was set at $20,000.
The driver and passenger in the Jeep also face charges. Initially, they told police they had picked up an acquaintance and given him a ride, and that the acquaintance was the attacker. They later admitted that they had lied to police to protect their friend, Bustamante-Bello.
Adam Nedelka (DOB 4/06/1990) and Danny Goldberg (DOB 1/04/1990) were also arrested on April 29. Both men face charges of Accessory to a Crime (First Degree Assault). They were taken to the Boulder County Jail. The case number is 11-2284.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Detective Heather Frey at 303-441-3369. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted via the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
May is Historic Preservation Month
May 2nd
At the May 3 City Council meeting, Mayor Susan Osborne will declare May “Historic Preservation Month.” The declaration will kick-off the city’s involvement in the national, month-long celebration. This year’s theme is “Participate in Preservation.”
For a complete listing of Boulder County historic preservation events throughout the month of May, visit www.boulderplandevelop.net and click on “Historic Preservation.”
The annual Historic Preservation Month keystone event – The Heritage Preservation Awards Celebration – will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 9, 2011, at the Chautauqua Community House. As part of the awards celebration, the Boulder County Heritage Preservation Roundtable will present the “2011 Square Nail Award” to the Haertling Family for the preservation of architect Charles Haertling’s legacy. Haertling is best known for the remarkable collection of late Modernist organic architecture he designed in and around Boulder County.
The City of Boulder and Boulder County will also acknowledge special preservation projects and historic properties that have been landmarked during the past year, including:
TEC, Inc. for its historic context and survey work of Post WW-II residential subdivisions in Boulder;
the rehabilitation and upper story addition of the historic building at 1143 13th St.; and
Mary Riley Mc Nellan, Silvia Pettem, and Mike Greenwod for the Dorothy Gay Howard (Jane Doe) grave marker in Columbia Cemetery.
For more information about Historic Preservation Month, contact James Hewat at 303-441-3207.
