Thread by @shayshinecastle

This last year is going to be a catch-all of the remaining proposals.

First: Nuisance abatement (trash, parking, noise, parties)
This started as part of the Uni Hill work, which got a lot of attention after 2021's riot. It's already ongoing, so may not need to be a new priority.

Some of the ideas, tho, would require more resources. Like Winer's request to shift to a patrol-based model, vs. complaint based.

Winer: "I feel passionately about this bc the community is combining occupancy with nuisance." For us to reform occupancy, "we need to get nuisances under control."

Chief Herold: There are retaliation issues on the Hill with a complaint system. This would let officers to pursue noise ordinance violations if they had probable cause to believe they are happening during the day.

NRV: That would mean additional officers or staff, right?
Herold: If we were fully staffed, at 190 where we should be, we have a robust Uni Hill team. But we're not currently.

Especially if we change the noise ordinance and a really solid chronic nuisance ordinance, Herold says, our existing officers could handle this.

"This is a real issue on the Hill," Herold says. We need to "alleviate the pain" of those residents.

Joseph: I do not support this punitive approach. I work with police officers every day as part of my job, and I respect them. But I don't want more cops patrolling. Can we expand the ambassador program we have downtown?

Speer echoes that. "I really want to see more people following the safety codes and things we have in place. I also think there are more models to look at and consider."

Bergman: What I heard was to make it easier for officers who see issues to file a complaint. Increased patrols is a separate area.

Winer: I think you guys are misunderstanding. I don't think we need more police on the hill. I just think when they hear a lot of noise, they should be able to write a ticket. Right now they can't, right?

Herold: Yes. During certain times of day, we need a complaint from a resident to write a ticket. I'm not advocating for more police on the Hill. I do think we need code changes to address retaliation for complaints.

We need a code change and a refresh of our chronic nuisance ordinance, Herold says.

The retaliation issue is bc a community member who complains has to sign an affidavit or be a witness in court, Herold explains.

Friend: We've looked at a non-police code enforcement officer for this, too. What we're talking about today is: Do we want to keep moving this work forward?

That's all for nuisance stuff.
Next: Living wages for council, residents

Specifically, a 2022 or 2023 ballot measure to pay CC a living wage. And some form of compensation for board and commission members.

That could (and might) be added to the work of the election commission.

Friend: That's what the blue ribbon panel is already supposed to be looking at. Idk why we sat on this for a year, but I'd like an update on why we didn't start and when we can.

Yates: I think the board/commission pay is a heavier lift and a separate conversation. Maybe the blue ribbon group can handle that, but it's gonna take more time.

"I don't want to be too grumpy with staff for not launching that," Yates says. We planned on starting it at this time. "I think we're on schedule."

As time ticks down to when we're *supposed* to go on a quick break, we are talking about which commission will discuss council and board/commission pay.

We are already thinking about board/commission pay as part of our racial equity work, NRV says.

Quickly (I hope): A higher min wage in Boulder

This was a Swetlik proposal in 2019. Joseph revived it this year.

Brockett: There are some great discussions going on with county commissioners and other cities in the area. "An impressive array" of places are interested in a minimum wage ballot item, possibly this year.

"We don't need this on our workplan right now," Brockett says. But wants council to informally agree to be part of this county-led consortium.

With that, a break! 7 minutes. ARGH
See you at 10:15

That left me NO time to eat. But we're back.

Next few items are maybe already ongoing: Resiliency against disasters.

Among these:
- Improving warning system
- Expanding building code requirements for houses in/near the urban-wildland interface

Also updates on CU South flood mitigation.
Utilities director Joe Tadeucci saying quarterly updates can be done.

Every time this guy comes back to council, he sounds a little more sad and beaten down.

Climate is part of this, too. Boulder just updated its goals and plan. Some related ordinances may be forthcoming this year.

Possibly a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, and requirements for new buildings to be all electric. Again, those might fall under other work.

"We've certainly heard a lot on leaf blowers from the community," NRV says.

I respect that they are annoying and REALLY bad for the environment. I'm just trying to imagine a world in which I had time and mental capacity to think, "I'll email my local gov't about leaf blowers."

Then again, I'm not in a leaf-blower part of town.

Next item: A head tax; that is, a tax on large employers.

"We don't have enough money to do everything we want to do," Speer says. "How do we go about getting that?"

Her proposal is specifically on publicly traded biz in Boulder.

A head tax has been proposed for years in Boulder, Yates says. It never went forward bc "it was a tax in search of a purpose."

Speer provided that: To offset impacts of high employment in Boulder. On housing prices, transportation, etc.

Financial strategy committee may take this up.

Some more info from the *last* time a councilwoman considered this. boulderbeat.news/2019/01/10/cou…

Friend. I'm a little leery bc this has been tried and failed and repealed elsewhere. And it's been used in the past in Boulder to say let's discourage people from coming here.

Wallach concurs.

Which is interesting, bc in the past this has been a darling idea of slow-growth factions. Just shows how complex and changing local politics are. (Which is great. Complexity is good!)

Worth noting that these slow-growth council members are decidedly more pro-business than past ones.

Benjamin: This presupposes that these big biz being in our community are a harm.

Actually the biggest employ in Boulder are gov't entities: CU, the city itself, federal labs

Which I believe would be exempt

It's not at all my intention to push biz out of our community, Speer says. Larger corporations have giant gaps between what they're paying execs and workers.

Calls out King Soopers, which just ended its strike.

Speer: "I don't mean to say larger biz aren't being generous, but things like food and housing and schools should not be things we should have to donate for. They should be things that we prioritize and provide in our community."

Last priority before we get to ranking (finally!): The Boulder airport.

Specifically, Wallach wants to decommission it so we can build housing there.

He's just asking for a study. (But taking many minutes to do so.)

Friend wants to know how much we're using it for emergencies (like the recent fires).

Idk if my patience is just wearing thin or council members are *actually* talking more, but WRAP IT UP PEOPLE. We've got 1 hour to rank all these things.

And I have a story to write, a newsletter to publish and website to update.

Brockett: This is something I could potentially support if it was limited in scope and not too much of a burden on staff and resources.

Current cost estimate for contractors: ~$75K

Yes, we are still talking about the airport.

Finally moving on to stuff that's already happening.
Staff recruitment and retention — "It's my No. 1 priority," says NRV.

Broadband - Yates is going to revisit in 2023, bc it's too early. Construction of the fiber backbone will wrap in 2022.

Assault weapons ban redo / gun control - Coming back to council this spring

COVID-related stuff -
Outdoor dining (staff working on 3-yr extension pilot)
Triggers for returning to in-person meetings (working on criteria; more info in the next month or two)

"It feels like what we've been doing is going with our gut, rather than health guidance," Friend says. I'm asking that "data-backed, scientific" guidance be established.

Also: Vaccine passports

"My understanding is the county didn't want to take that on and passed it down to cities," Friend says
NRV: We are having those conversations with public health and biz.

Honestly not tweeting anything else until we get to the ranking portion of this meeting, which we were supposed to start at 10:30! I'm too cranky.

@threadreaderapp please unroll. Thanks!