City of Boulder
At the Oct. 17 meeting, council will…
Hold a second and final public hearing on the city’s 2025 budget. Boulder’s planned spending for next year is $589.5 million, including $190.2 million in capital investment projects.
If no changes are made, council will vote to adopt the budget as it stands.
On Oct. 24.council will…
Discuss its 2025 federal and state lobbying agenda.
Each year, the city releases a statement that informs its advocacy for issues outside its own jurisdiction. In 2024, the city’s statement highlighted building climate resilience, reducing greenhouse gas emissions statewide, funding pathways to reduce homelessness and increased funding for multimodal transportation, among other priorities.
Review a recent update to Police Oversight Panel bylaws. On Sept. 9, the panel unanimously approved updates that allow for earlier public comment on cases, the creation of ad-hoc committees, allowance for emergency or special meetings and the suspension of their bylaws if necessary.
Boulder County
On Oct. 22, commissioners will…
Hold a public hearing for Boulder County’s proposed 2025 budget. The recommended budget stands at $644.4 million, $8.6 million less than in 2024.
This budget decrease includes a $4 million cut in funds for local social service providers in 2025, which stems from a 36% reduction in the county’s Community Partnership Grants. These grants help fund homelessness services, mental health programs and housing supports in the county.
Commissioners can still make adjustments to next year’s budget, and plan to hold a Nov. 14 work session before adopting the final budget in December.
On Oct. 24, commissioners will…
Hold a public hearing and vote on the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Plan, an 8.5-mile multi-use trail connecting the two municipalities. This item was rescheduled from an Oct. 10 meeting.
Longmont
On Oct. 15 council…
Held an informal city council pre-session to further discuss raising the local minimum wage. Five of the six members present, including Mayor Joan Peck, voiced that wages should be higher, but they would wait to address the issue in 2025. “Let’s think about it this year,” Peck said.
During a lengthy public hearing on Aug. 27, council heard a presentation from the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest on the potential community impacts of raising the local minimum wage, followed by a public hearing. In the end, council made no decisions on the issue.
If Longmont were to raise the local minimum wage, which is currently $14.42, city council would have to approve a measure before the state mandated deadline of Jan. 1 2025, which is unlikely to happen now that the city has solidified its budget for next year. Read more here: https://boulderweekly.com/news/boulder-county-minimum-wage-efforts-stall/
Lafayette
On Oct. 15 council…
Approved the 2025 budget, which calls for $121.5 million in city spending, a 7% increase over 2024.
Full-time city employees, including police and firefighters, will receive a 4% pay raise. The city added four new full-time positions for 2025, bringing its total number of employees to 277.
As part of the financial plan, fees will increase next year for waste removal, water reclamation and stormwater services.
The budget also eliminates a discount for businesses that file on-time returns for sales, lodging and storage tax. City staff said large businesses were the biggest beneficiaries of the discount, and estimated $270,000 in annual savings for the city.
Louisville
Louisville Planning Commission
On Oct. 10, the Commission:
- Passed a series of ordinance changes to comply with Colorado’s Natural Medicine regulations. City council will take a preliminary vote on the matter Nov. 4, with a public hearing and final vote scheduled for Dec. 3.
Natural medicines include psilocybin and other substances described in SB 23-290. State law allows for the supervised use of natural medicine at licensed facilities, referred to as “natural medicine healing centers.” The state law does not allow a local jurisdiction to prohibit such centers; however, municipalities can regulate the time, place and manner of operation of these businesses. - Unanimously voted to continue the hearing for the Coal Creek Village, the largest current development plan within the city, to Dec. 12. Commission members discussed the need for further traffic studies and emergency access consideration to adequately address resident complaints.
Louisville City Council
On Oct. 15, city council:
- Approved a Planned Unit Development for 15-single family homes and 21 townhomes. The unnamed development will occupy a 3.69 acre parcel on the south side of the city between the railway line and Courtesy Road. The Historic Preservation Commision approved demolition of a number of buildings on this site in 2023, clearing the way for this “urban neighborhood” application.
- Gave direction on the city manager’s $88.2 million proposed operating and capital budget. This forms a large part of the full city budget, to be considered for approval and adoption at the Nov. 4 meeting.
All agenda items are subject to change. Karen Norback and Mark Cathcart contributed reporting.