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Howdy, #Boulder. It's basically like Florida outside, so why not put your soul in a swampland, too, and follow along with my city council coverage tonight?
We've got one big item: Picking a flood mitigation plan for CU South. It should be fairly straightforward since council already discussed options in February (sans public hearing) but I'm looking forward to seeing how they complicate it. boulderbeat.news/2020/06/12/bou…
We've got some shorter discussions, too:
BHP joining the Ponderosa mobile home park redevelopment project
City selling 2 more sections of 30Pearl to a private developer, as planned
City selling Pleasant St parking lot for $2.7M to developers of Uni Hill hotel
New petitioning rules that aren't exactly new, just a clarification that staff read them wrong in advising current campaigns
Possible votes to review plans for 100 apartments at the current Rally Sport site, and plans for 4 single-family homes in South Boulder
And an update on Xcel negotiations

It's gonna be a long night.
This is our last meeting before summer recess. Two whole weeks off!
Getting a slightly late start today, if you're watching the online or TV broadcast. bouldercolorado.gov/boulder8
We're gonna start the meeting with a declaration about Juneteenth. I assume you, my woke followers, already know what Juneteenth is but here's a refresher if not: pbs.org/wnet/african-a…
I was talking with a friend this week about the appalling lack of black history (or literature) in my K-12 education. I read one book by a black author and remember one report on George Washington Carver, both assigned in "advanced" classes.
My H.S. World History class literally started with my teacher dressing up like God and re-creating the cre-evolution of the world (a mix of creationism and evolution) and then skipped ahead to European history.
Young is tying in Latin America to Juneteenth for some reason. "Latinos need to engage in self reflection on the ways anti-blackness shows up in our families and communities."
I think Young asked council members to honor Juneteenth with their Zoom backgrounds. I see that Mayor Weaver did, and Friend is using her usual background meant to signal inclusion. Joseph has a Pride Month flag.
But after watching these ppl fumble around on Zoom, it could easily be ineptitude instead of apathy.
46 ppl signed up for the CU South public hearing.
That's more than an hour and a half.
Has anyone updated their city council Bingo cards to reflect virtual meetings? I know "technical difficulties" was on the old one, but that doesn't cover everything that could go wrong on these Zooms.
Now in open comment. 19 speakers. List here: www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/June_16_O…
Todd Conklin, from the police oversight task force: "Every city must do everything it can to reform its police department. ... Many more steps need to be taken in order to reform the Boulder police department."
Asking that task force's, well, task, be expanded to include creating a "strategic plan" for wider reform ... "one that ensures justice for those who are tired of waiting for it."
Young q to Conklin: What about giving that responsibility to the civilian oversight panel?
Conklin: We've been already talking about these issues. We'd like to lend a hand. Mentions no-knock warrants, use of force policies, specifically.
Next two speakers are from the oversight task force as well.
Sophia Pelecanos supporting defunding the police, which is really about funding other things. (Mental health care, social services, etc.)
Shawn Rae Passalacqua echoing that. "We want trained, non-armed professionals going to all non-criminal cars." Cops can't go unarmed (per state law), "so why should they go at all?"
"Boulder's not a utopia; Boulder is not exempt." Please pull funding from the police and put it toward other services.

Those past two quotes were actually from Sarah Fardi; Passalacqua was reading them.
RJ Boyle adding to those requests for shifting spending around from the police to things like affordable housing.

"Boulder's problem with exclusion are deeply tied to its housing policies."
Boyle: "I know the pandemic has made people yearn for going back to normal. This is my greatest fear. I do not want to go back to normal."
Raffi Mercuri, the chair of Boulder County Dems, says the group has supported Bedrooms Are For People ballot initiative. Asking council to refer it on the ballot, which they have declined to do.
With that action and requiring in-person petitioning, "Boulder democrats can plainly see your decisions have put political expediency" ahead of citizens' rights to participate in democracy, Mercuri says.
Paul Culnan warning against a settlement with Xcel. We've also got Patrick Murphy (now) and Leslie Glustrom (later) who will undoubtedly speak on the muni.
End the Muni (Murphy's ballot initiative) gathered 63% of required signatures in 37 days. We would have made it, Murphy said, if we hadn't lost more than a month to COVID.
Neesha Schnepf is with Bedrooms Are For People, which seeks to amend Boulder's occupancy limits. She's taking issue with the discrimination inherent in the law that defines family as legally married or related by blood.
"Many queer ppl, myself included, are estranged from their blood families and create their own chosen family," she says. Occupancy limits should be based on the structure, not on an outdated, narrow definition of family.
Another member of the police task force: Michelle Denae Morrissey. "Education and love are not the answer. Self-interest drives policy that benefits that self-interest."
Also asking for council to "expand the mandate" of the task force to include wider reform.
Maura Downey talking about cannabis equity. There are no black-owned cannabis business in Boulder; only 2 in Colorado, she says. In Denver.
Downey talking about other cities that have passed equity laws and reparations taxes on cannabis.
Oakland, Calif: Half of permits must be issued to equity applicants.
Evanston, Illinois: Reparations tax funds ppl arrested/jailed bc of war on drugs.
Leslie Glustrom is talking about the muni, but she starts out by asking to shift from police response to non-armed, trained responses to non-criminal calls.
Kyren Bogolub is also with Bedrooms Are For People. They've got a lock on volunteers with interesting names.

She's a CU Grad student spending 35% of income on rent, but that's going up soon. Her income is not.
Occupancy limits are built on the idea that all students are disruptive to the community, Bogolub says, but we contribute a lot. We keep CU running, we keep the federal labs running, we contribute to innovation.
John Henry Vansant: Defund the police needs a rebrand. Let's call it what it is, he says: Redirecting dollars to mental health care, addiction services, housing, etc. People support these policies.
He lives in Tantra Lakes affordable housing. Police are a constant presence there, he says. Imagine if there were trained social workers there instead, he asks, to help residents.
Joe Kent is here. We'll touch on this later, but it's about South Boulder Road property that is being annexed and the proposal for development there. Staff wants more than 4 single-family homes there, the current proposal. SPOILER: Neighbors don't want it.
Jake Brady participated in a "group privilege walk" in Boulder on Sunday. (He's from Bedrooms Are For People)
One thing I hate about this format is I can't see the faces of council members when ppl are speaking.
Don Cote is speaking. Surprised it's in open comment and not at the CU South flood public hearing.

He's in favor of ending the muni.
Jeffrey Kenney is our last speaker. He's been boating on the Boulder Rez for several years. He has issues with the three-hour limit (I think) or possibly the "high use" of the Rez for people who don't own boats.
There are too many rentals of small watercraft (paddle boards, mostly) from Rocky Mountain Paddleboard, Kenney says.

Did anyone have disgruntled boat owner on their council BINGO card?
What an excellent way to end open comment. @threadreaderapp please unroll. Thanks!
Oh wait, jk, City Manager Jane Brautigam is giving some background and new info.
Police oversight ordinance will be brought back in September for study session and November adoption (that's not new, just a reminder)
What's new: Thursday, June 25 city is hosting a virtual town hall to meet the final candidates for independent police monitor. The public is invited to attend.
Brautigam also invites community to engage in the update of the police master plan, starting now-ish. Or soon.
Councilwoman Friend asking about the task force's request to expand its mandate. When can we talk about that? she asks.

Brautigam: It can be scheduled after the summer break.
Friend q 2, about Boulder County Dems' request to place Bedrooms Are For People on the ballot. When are we revisiting petition?

Carr: Their deadline is Aug. 5. If they've met the signature requirement, I'd recommend council place it on "for safety."
Not really sure what that means: If they have the signatures, they make it onto the ballot...?
Swetlik likes the suggestion for looking at cannabis equity. Maybe we can ask our new cannabis board to look at that, he says.
Brockett seconds Friend's ask to look at expanding the scope of the police oversight task force.
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