Thread by @shayshinecastle

You can read about that here: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1326325…

And here: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1326393…

Wallach Sigh-O-Meter: 2

Wallach: "I know it's not Boulder's style" to be heavy-handed. We'd prefer "persuasion," but we're in a situation we didn't think we'd find ourselves in.

He and Friend (who brought this forward) have no specific ideas. Weaver's asking for them.

Friend: Can we ask staff to bring forward suggestions? "The community knows we're not really enforcing the health orders" outside of parties on the Hill. "You can pretty egregiously violate the health orders and expect there won't be a consequence."

"I don't think I'm the expert on knowing what's working around the country or the world ... but I'd like to know what the options are," Friend says. "It might seem compassionate to turn a blind eye to offenses, but that forces the whole community into lockdown."

Mayor Weaver to Interim City Manager Chris Meschuk: Can staff provide some info on what you're doing now? And what info you have about possibly going above and beyond?

Meschuk: We're sharing info and approaches regionally. During the CU outbreak, feedback from uni police was that our enforcement approach was "recognized as one of the best models in the state."

BoCo is moving into a more restrictive level, just under Stay-At-Home. "The most important aspect is there is no allowing for gatherings," Meschuk says. That's where spread is occurring.

Meschuk: We can take this convo back to our team and look to see if there are additional approaches.

Maybe we can educate people who are "out and about" during the holidays.

He says*

"We have very limited resources, especially in the police dept to be writing tickets or dedicating officer resources," Meschuk says.

Police spending this year is the city's single largest expenditure (excluding utilities, which pay for themselves). 14% of total budget; 25% of discretionary dollars.

$36.8M budget for that dept

Of course, idk what other cities spend on police, so maybe that is relatively small.

Anyway, back to COVID. Some of the updated restrictions include gyms at 10% capacity or no more than 10 ppl in classes.

No gatherings, as previously stated.

Swetlik suggesting the removal of rental licenses from a property with repeated parties. "If that's legal."

City Attorney Tom Carr: We're working on that right now with 13 nuisance properties. We're only on the second stage for 1 of those. They're in settlement talks.

Most properties complied after we gave first-stage notice, Carr says.

Brockett: "I know resources are limited, but we're reaching levels of unchecked community spread. More enforcement seems appropriate right now."

Friend: "Obviously we want to be as data-backed as possible. It seems like people passing one another outside on a trail" is not where COVID is spreading. We want to go after "egregious violations where COVID is more likely to spread."

Weaver: I think staff is "routinely" looking at best practices for enforcement. "It really does seem like staff is brainstorming every week."

Reminder: The city put together a bunch of COVID response teams a few months back.

We'll get our next health briefing at the Dec. 1 meeting.

Weaver: "It's very hard to get people to comply."

OK, that's a wrap on this one. @threadreaderapp please unroll. Thanks!