Thread by @shayshinecastle

Howdy, #Boulder. It's been a few weeks, but we're back in action tonight with a public hearing on some ADU rule tweaks and an update on homelessness — including a motion to keep shelters open all winter long. boulderbeat.news/2019/12/21/off…

Also, not to distract from the real news, but Boulder Beat is officially one year old today!

If you'd like to make sure Boulder Beat keeps going, consider supporting me with a monthly subscription. patreon.com/shayshinecastle

Anyway, here's a Daily Camera story on the ADU rules. Basically, staff wants to make it easier to convert existing structures to dwelling units, so they need to tweak some design and height stuff. dailycamera.com/2019/11/23/bou…

There's a public hearing on that item; none on the homelessness update happening later, but expect lots of folks in open comment to address it. Advocates are asking for an end to Boulder's camping ban in light of a Denver court ruling their's unconstitutional.

And the Supreme Court affirming that a similar law in the 9th circuit constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Boulder officials are so far sticking to their guns on the camping ban, but the writing is on the wall.

We're getting started. Fairly full chambers tonight. Mayor pro tem Bob Yates is presiding bc Sam Weaver is sick.

Everybody else is here.

Announcement: Applications for Boulder's ~21 boards and commissions open tomorrow. (Pretty sure there are still vacancies from last time.)

These sound boring, but they're very important. They weigh in on many critical issues and are kind of the underrated power centers and breeding grounds for future council members.

Yate reminding folks (which I had forgotten as well): You do *not* have to be a U.S. citizen to serve on these; just a Boulder resident.

Open comment begins with Darren O'Connor, discussing a 300-signature petition to keep shelters open all winter season (Oct-May) "I hope the volume of emails is indicative of the community desire" to see all-winter sheltering, he says.

Referencing recent court rulings. "Boulder is cruel and unusual in the volume of tickets we give" for camping ... more than all cities combined in Colorado, he says.

Some great reporting on that in the Camera by Sam Lounsberry: dailycamera.com/2019/12/30/bou…

There was a substantial an increase in tickets last year, Sam reported.

"We need to follow outcomes for people. We're not finding out what happens to them." O'Connor is referencing those ticketed, but this is also true of "exits" from the city of unhoused individuals who are "reunited" with friends or family (i.e. shipped out of the city)

According to today's city council notes, Boulder for the first time (in only 2 yrs of data, so...) put more people into housing than they paid to leave the community via bus tickets or plane tickets.

More on that later. This is open comment.

Elise Edson: "Boulder can’t seem to house the ppl dying on the street." A record number of unhoused people (48) died this year; about twice the average.

Alice Guinther speaking on mobile homes and "random, uncontrolled rent increases." She's at Boulder Meadows. Four increases in past year; three times in 2019. $690 --> $725 ---> $747 ---> $776

"Mobile homes are the No. 1 unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States. Just zoning will not protect us... We need rent control," Guinther says.

Adam Swetlik, who has pushed for rent control, reminding Guinther that the state leg will be taking this up again this session. Encourages her to go.

Eileen Monyok is here to ask that Boulder support single-payer healthcare system. (Unclear whether that's at the state or federal level.) She's a PA at Clinica, sharing the story of patients.

One, uninsured, couldn't get surgery for a broken arm. She was left with a permanent deformity. Another had just gotten a raise but couldn't afford a plan on the state exchange. She went without, and then discovered she had breast cancer.

"Help the Lindas and Marias of our community. Help prevent the 45,000 deaths a year that happen" bc of lack of access to care, Monyok says — not to mention the half a million bankruptcies due to medical bills.

Mark Gelband asking council to consider Boulder's animal cruelty laws in considering expanding winter sheltering of unhoused folks. You are not providing the same level of care to humans that we require for animals, he says; you're complicit in the deaths of the unhoused.

Gelband reading the wording of the law: Animals need protection from wind, sun, rain and cold.

"It's morally reprehensible for any of you to sit up there and allow one more person to die in the city of Boulder bc they can't use a sleeping bag ... raincoat.. tarp."

"If I left my little dog Pirate out and he died, I'd be in jail or I'd have a ticket."

Bill Semple asking for Medicare for all.

Madeline Goldstein: "When the city made certain decisions in 2017, they were based on really, really bad data." (RE: keeping the shelter open in the winter or not)

"Looking at death is a really, really low bar. Can we sink any lower? ... Even if ppl aren't dying on the streets, somebody is paying for their healthcare if they're out on the streets at night."

Beyond the cost, it's ethically indefensible, Goldstein says. "You're basically saying if you're homeless in Boulder, you're illegal."

Another for single-payer healthcare. Nicole Perelman. I must be missing something that's happening on the state or federal level.

Nina Amabile also speaking in favor of all-winter sheltering.

Another for Medicare for all: Marie Adams

What's going on with this? Someone enlighten me.

Michele Rodriguez, formerly unhoused, here to advocate for all-winter sheltering. "I memorialized 48 of our 49 unhoused people the other day." And another person she knows is about to have his fingers removed due to frostbite.

"He deserved shelter. He deserved shelter year-round. We've done a lot, but we haven't done enough."

Referencing her arrest while unhoused, on charges she was recently found not guilty of. "We're not only dying from exposure to the elements; we're dying from exposure to the people." (cops)

Almost completely full chambers now. A handful of seats still open.

Rachel Daly, also here to address homeless sheltering: "I don't think the metrics should just be death. This is a human issue, there is a lot of suffering" we should be looking at and considering.

"Bc we saw so many ppl die on our streets, we not only need to make sure sheltering is available ... we also need to reconsider our camping ban."

"Remember that these people are part of our community, too."

Sara-Jane Cohen:
1. The city cannot make sleeping on public property illegal unless there are legal sleeping sites available
2. City may not impose conditions beyond reasonable conduct related to function of venues
3. These rules apply to everyone, not just "residents"

Shelter and Path to Home have eligibility requirements, so the only walk-up shelter available to all is the Severe Weather Shelter, only available half the year and when weather is bad enough.

Many people have "no legal sleep options," Cohen says.

Cohen: Just relying on bed counts is not enough when ppl can't access beds. "Boulder prides itself on being compassionate, but unfortunately on this issue, the city is providing no leadership at all."

End of open comment.

Councilwoman Young has a q: Didn't last year's mobile home legislation prevent more than two rent increases a year?
Staff not sure; they'll check.

Another q (one I have): Is healthcare currently in Boulder's lobbying agenda?
Jane Brautigam: Our lobbyist, Carl Castillo, doesn't know. But it could be added in March.

The consent agenda has some interesting items, including the first agreement between Boulder PD and the Boulder Rifle Club since 2005(!) to let officers use the range for training.

Also interesting from that: Did you know that open space rangers are also armed? They carry handguns and are fully trained law enforcement. They'll train at the Rifle Club, too, per the agreement.

I believe the Rifle Club will pay $30,000 to the city's open space department to *maybe* improve a nearby trail; the open space board doesn't want to limit what it can use the $$ for.

Boulder will also support an Edie Hooton bill to allow communities to buy energy from wherever it wants, not just who owns the distribution system. Good story in the Camera about it. dailycamera.com/2020/01/04/bou…

Gonna start a new thread for the ADU public hearing. @threadreaderapp please unroll.

Also, I'd like to toss you some cash. How should I go about that? Please and thanks!