Tweet

Shay Castle

15 Jun, 38 tweets, 5 min read

It's 80 degrees in my house, but I'll still be tweeting #Boulder city council tonight. Heat makes me snarky. You've been warned.

Interesting meeting tonight. A few things on the ol' consent agenda that are interesting, like the appointment of 2 ex-Planning Board members to vote on CU South issues (2 current members are recused bc of conflicts)

And our city attorney finalists will be named, too — that's a last-minute add I missed.

Then a vote for council to call-up (review) the partial redevelopment plans at Diagonal Plaza. That should be fun.

And two public hearings: Updating and expanding NEWR (the eviction prevention services) and "clarifying" the language of a tax on vapes so that more places will have to pay it. Including pot shops, which I wrote about last week: boulderbeat.news/2021/06/11/bou…

We've also got a non-controversial historic landmark of 96 Arapahoe Ave with a public hearing. Building kinda looks like crap IMO but no one cares so we'll breeze right through that.

Oh and this is the last meeting for City Attorney Tom Carr, who may already be retired...? I thought he was waiting until June 30 but he's saying on the pre-meeting chatter he's unemployed so...?

And the meeting host reminding us that Carr no longer works for the city of Boulder, perhaps bc he is calling in from a bar and drinking a beer.

That would explain why he didn't answer my last email... Bon Voyage!

Unpopular opinion, but I kinda liked ol' Tom. Not all the thing he did and said, but he amused me.

Watching him argue at the PUC was like watching a petulant child and embarrassed me as a citizen of Boulder, but I like a high-ranking official with some sass.

Getting started for reals now. Council is going to do a declaration for Carr, who was with the city for a decade. That's why he's here.

First a declaration of Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, which was the end of slavery in the U.S.

The Senate voted to make it an official, public holiday today. npr.org/2021/06/15/100…

Boulder County's first Juneteenth event is Saturday. Little bit about it in my newsletter from this weekend, if you're interested: mailchi.mp/9075ceefd481/x…

Dr. DeAndre Taylor, from CU, is speaking now. "We want to honor the history of America, because Juneteenth is American history."

Also says Saturday will be a "celebration of Black excellence" in addition to an educational event.

Mary Young is reading Carr's declaration, and she calls his East Coast accent "endearing." Sometimes it "sneaks out.... to everyone's delight," she says.

No one will give a more honest tribute of Tom than I.

Idk where Tom is, but he's not dripping in sweat so it ain't here.

He's outside.

"It's been a great honor and privilege" to work in Boulder, Carr says. "I will miss you all greatly, and thank you very much."

A short speech. See, this is why I like this guy! Also, he always answered my emails and calls.

Journalists are easy to please... just talk to us, keep it brief and don't be a jerk about it and we're pretty much OK.

Friend: I was so impressed and wowed by his intellect and ability to pick up something new," she says of Carr during his work on the assault weapons ban.

Young: "You may very well be the hardest working person I know."

OH... maybe Carr is *not* retiring...? Young says the county of Washington is getting "the best" city attorney "they possibly can." I was not aware.

He came from Seattle, if you remember, after he lost a bid for his third(?) term. CA's are elected officials, there.

DUDE, how did I miss this?? co.washington.or.us/BOC/carr-appoi….

It's been a busy year. Guess I'll update my (unpublished) story....

Hugs and kisses all around from council members to Carr.

Wallach: "I hope there's less stress in the job than we're always putting on you in the new job."

A little lawyer humor to round out this farewell.
Wallach: Can you still curse like a New Yorker?
Carr: I take the Fifth.

(Me: Groan)

WTF, Chief Deputy City Attorney David Gehr is leaving, too?? He applied for Carr's job 10 years ago.

He's retiring June 30, according to Brockett, who is reading a declaration now.

Gehr: "I came into this organization with a certain amount of humility, and I hope to be departing with a similar amount."

What a freaking sweetheart. Humility is an under-rated attribute, not one you hear often at city council meetings.

Yates (an ex-lawyer): "You're one of the rare lawyers who is also nice."

Gehr will be staying in Boulder post-retirement.

Nagle: You have a humility that should probably be learned by many others, including myself.

Gehr: "In closing, in terms of the theme that Bob Yates brought up, I would say present company of lawyers excluded, idk why 90% of the lawyers make the rest of us look bad."

LOL some actual funny lawyer humor there. What a good dude. Enjoy your retirement, David! We only worked together a few times, but you were always exceedingly kind and patient.