Boulder County has restricted public comment at two of its advisory boards, narrowing what had been a broader forum for residents to raise concerns.
At its Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee, known as POSAC, public comment will now be limited to items on the board’s formal agenda. The change, announced at the board’s April meeting — its first since November — aligns POSAC with most other county advisory boards.
The same change applies to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, which will also limit public comment to agenda items.
Boulder County’s boards are made up of volunteer residents who advise county commissioners and staff but do not make final decisions.
Nearly all of Boulder County’s 29 boards and committees already limit public comment to agenda items. POSAC had been the most notable exception and one of the most well-attended. One of the committee’s stated purposes is to provide a forum for public input on open space decisions. Established in 1967, POSAC helped shape the county’s first open space plan and has helped guide decisions affecting more than 100,000 acres.
Until last month, meetings included time for general comment, where residents raised issues ranging from the county’s use of herbicides to horseback riding access at the county fairgrounds and the design of new construction at Prairie Run open space.
“I find that public feedback improves the outcome of the work of Boulder County Parks and Open Space,” POSAC member Kristine Johnson told Boulder Reporting Lab. “It’s part of the reason POSAC exists in the first place.”
Johnson said more open-ended feedback can differ from input gathered through county-led surveys or public processes.
“A lot of that is very directed,” she said. “When the county has an open house or does a survey, often the feedback is channeled toward certain options or outcomes which the county has deemed as desirable. However, when the public comes to POSAC, they are allotted a small sliver of time to give their undirected feedback.”
She said that feedback has influenced county decisions in the past, most recently leading to a new trailhead location at Prairie Run and consideration of alternatives to pesticide use at Red Hill.
Under the new policy, public comment will be limited to agenda items brought to POSAC by parks staff for a vote.
“We’re just bringing it in line with the other boards and commissions,” Boulder County spokesperson Gloria Handyside said.
The change also applies to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, the only other county-run board that had allowed general comment, though it typically receives less public input. The board reviews development proposals affecting historic sites and landmark applications and advises on preservation issues.
Handyside suggested the change is intended to make public input more effective.
“A general comment to POSAC that isn’t on any of their agenda items doesn’t really go anywhere,” she said. “This will help ensure that POSAC is receiving input on items that are within POSAC’s scope.”
The change follows a six-month gap in POSAC meetings after staff canceled several meetings. Some former POSAC members said the pause made it harder for residents to raise concerns.
Tony Lewis, who served on the committee from 2020 to March 2026, called the changes to POSAC’s open comment rules “extremely worrisome.”
“It’s effectively limiting public input, because staff, not POSAC, gets to decide what’s on the agenda,” Lewis said. “If they don’t want to talk about weed management, guess what? Weed management is not going to show up on the agenda.”
“People need a venue,” he said. “They need an avenue to express their concerns.”
Christel Markevich, a local land restoration advocate who has opposed the county’s use of herbicides, said the change could reduce opportunities for residents to share information with the board.
“With the rule change, residents will have even fewer opportunities and less time to share the research results and explorations of other groups with the POSAC board members,” she said, adding that open comment helped keep the board informed on evolving issues.
“The role of POSAC needs clarification,” she said. “Do we want POSAC to be a rubberstamp for BCPOS practices, or do we want POSAC to help BCPOS improve their work by questioning their practices?”
Both Lewis and Johnson said there have been instances when community feedback raised at POSAC prompted the board to ask staff for more information or pass concerns along to county commissioners.
County staff are encouraging residents to bring broader concerns directly to the commissioners.
“We want people to be using their time in a way where it’s being heard by the decision-makers,” Handyside said.
Commissioners accept general public comment twice a month: at monthly townhalls across the county and during regular public meetings held during the workday.
In total, about two hours each month are set aside for open comment.
By comparison, the City of Boulder offers 45 minutes of open comment at each of its roughly four monthly council meetings, which are held in the evening.
“By comparison, the City of Boulder offers 45 minutes of open comment at each of its roughly four monthly council meetings, which are held in the evening.”
City of Boulder has open comment time only at their regular sessions (usually 2X/month). Every other council meeting is a study session at with no public comments are heard. And it’s kind of apples and oranges anyway. Public comment at city council meetings doesn’t ever affect the meeting agendas or seem to influence improvements in policy or processes. (Sometimes city staff will follow up on individual concerns, though.) The Parks and Open Space board’s previous open comment policy seems useful for that type of board.