Homelessness discussion
Boulder City Council could discuss the logistics of an alternative sheltering program on Feb. 8 after punting on a decision to pursue one (or not) at its Jan. 18 meeting.
The Council is considering a variety of program iterations, including different shelter approaches, service levels and site selections. According to a presentation to council on Jan. 18 by City staff, the estimated one-year cost for the program ranges from $277,000 to $3 million.
Alternative sheltering programs, also known as Safe Outdoor Spaces (SOS), are intended to increase shelter capacity for people who don’t use traditional congregate sheltering and often have fundamental services like sanitation facilities, waste management, water access, community spaces and food. Boulder staff also recommend overnight staffing and access to supportive services like case management to help folks reach permanent housing.
While recent discussions are the closest the City has gotten to implementing a project, there are still major details that need to be worked out, such as how it would be funded.
“There is not adequate available funding for the implementation of an alternative sheltering program at this time,” City staff wrote in the Jan. 18 agenda item. One-time funding might be available for the first year, but money for ongoing years would require cutting existing programs or finding a new funding source outside the City, according to the agenda item.
The Feb. 8 meeting will provide an overview of the City’s homelessness strategies, which could include more direction on the alternative sheltering program from the council, according to City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. There is no deadline for an affirmative decision.
Wolf locations revealed
Wolves were recorded in watersheds overlapping parts of Jackson, Grand, Routt, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Eagle and Summit counties, according to the new Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map.
The map, published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Jan. 24, uses GPS collars from 12 wolves — 10 came from the state’s reintroduction initiative and two were previously roaming around North Park — to display watersheds they have been in over the last month. It’s the first time the canine’s general whereabouts have been made public.
Collars record wolf positions every four hours. “Packet” locations are then transmitted to CPW every 16 hours. For a watershed to indicate wolf activity, one GPS position from a wolf’s collar needs to be recorded within its boundaries. Specific GPS data will not be shared.
The map will be updated on the fourth Wednesday of every month and display data from the previous month.
More news:
• One of the National Science Foundation’s first Regional Innovation Engines, the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine, will be headquartered in Colorado. The designation could bring $160 million to the region over the next decade for place-based research and development.
• A grassroots group is launching a petition to decommission the Boulder Municipal Airport and convert the site to a mixed use neighborhood. The City released a community conversation report about the airport earlier this week.
• The Colorado Forward Party is the state’s newest minor political party, as of Jan. 25.
