🗳️ Meet the 19 candidates running to lead Boulder

Good Monday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the Downtown Boulder Partnership, which is gearing up for the Pearl Street Stampedes. Come downtown for the first Stampede on Friday, Sept. 11, and kick off CU’s home football season on the Pearl Street Mall.

Before we get into today’s reporting, we’re celebrating a big weekend for BRL: General Excellence for the second year in a row and 22 category awards from the Colorado Press Association, including 10 first-place honors. We’re grateful to our readers, supporters and donors for making this work possible. Thank you!

Leading today: Nineteen candidates have qualified for Boulder’s 2026 municipal election: six for mayor and 13 for five city council seats, guaranteeing at least two newcomers. It will be Boulder’s first regular municipal election held in an even-numbered year, and those elected will be the first to receive sharply higher pay. BRL is introducing you to nearly every candidate through concise profiles covering their backgrounds, priorities and positions. We also examine the proposed $400 million bond measure, the clearest dividing line so far, and the endorsements beginning to shape the race. We’ll update the profiles throughout the election.

In BRL Opinion: Former Boulder City Councilmember and Colorado House Speaker KC Becker argues that the city’s proposed $400 million bond asks voters for too much money with too few specifics.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

Weather: Showers and storms today; warmer by Wednesday.
Undergrounding: Three Boulder-area projects slated for completion by late 2027.
Civic Area: Boulder seeks developers for its “east bookend.”
Rec centers: South Boulder closed this week; North Boulder pool work continues.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

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Kick off each CU home football game eve with the Pearl Street Stampedes! Join members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band, CU Spirit Squad and CU athletic teams as they bring the energy of Folsom Field downtown. The Stampedes travel along the Pearl Street Mall, filling the bricks with music, cheers and Buffs’ pride. Wear black and gold, then stay downtown to grab dinner, shop and celebrate one of Boulder’s favorite fall traditions. SKO Buffs!

Meet the 19 candidates running for Boulder mayor and City Council in 2026

Six seats are at stake in the city’s first even-year municipal election, with council pay set to more than triple in December. Continue reading…

Boulder Reporting Lab wins General Excellence for second straight year, plus 22 category awards from the Colorado Press Association

BRL’s 10 first-place honors span public service, breaking news, data, education, environmental reporting and Nibbles, its weekly food newsletter, with investigative journalism also recognized among Colorado’s best. Continue reading…

Stormy Monday gives way to warmer, drier weather

Monday is expected to be mostly cloudy and cooler, with a high near 81 and a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Storms are likely into the evening before tapering off around midnight, with an overnight low near 58. Some storms could bring brief heavy rain and strong wind gusts.

Tuesday will be partly sunny, with a high near 83 and a slight chance of afternoon storms. Sunshine returns Wednesday with a high near 86, followed by highs near 89 Thursday and 90 Friday.

Boulder seeks developer for Civic Area’s ‘east bookend’

The city has issued a request for proposals to redevelop city-owned properties at the east end of the downtown Civic Area, just east of Boulder Creek Park.

The “east bookend” is bounded by 13th and 14th streets, Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue. It includes the Dushanbe Teahouse, the Boulder County Farmers Market and the historic Storage & Transfer Building, which currently houses the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

The city envisions a mixed-use destination supporting community gatherings, local businesses, arts and culture, and connections to nature. Development teams are being asked to prioritize partnerships with arts and cultural organizations. Local businesses and arts groups interested in connecting with potential developers can complete an interest form.

The city also wants to support year-round operations for the farmers market. Teams may submit optional proposals for the Civic Area’s “west bookend,” which includes the West Age Well Center and two vacant residential buildings.

Nine teams responded to an earlier request for information, though participating in that process is not required to submit a proposal. Proposals are due by 4 p.m. Oct. 30.

South Boulder Rec Center closed this week; North Boulder pool work continues into November

The South Boulder Recreation Center is closed through Sept. 7 for annual maintenance and is expected to reopen Sept. 8. Its outdoor tennis and pickleball courts are tentatively scheduled to reopen Sept. 11 after being resurfaced and restriped.

The South Boulder Rec Center. Credit: Brooke Stephenson

At the North Boulder Recreation Center, the leisure pool and sauna are tentatively scheduled to reopen in early September, while the lap pool and hot tub are expected to remain closed until Nov. 1. The extended work includes repairing leaks beneath the lap-pool deck, replastering the pool, repairing filters and tiles, installing a new heat exchanger, servicing the sauna and deep-cleaning the aquatic area. The rest of the recreation center remains open.

Xcel plans to bury three Boulder-area power lines by late 2027

Xcel Energy expects to complete three projects to bury power lines in and around Boulder by the end of 2027, part of an effort to reduce wildfire risk and limit the effects of public safety power shutoffs.

Construction began in June on a 1.7-mile stretch along 75th Street between Windhover Lane and Lookout Road. The new line will help maintain power to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which nearly spilled sewage into Boulder Creek during Xcel’s first public safety power shutoff in April 2024. The project is expected to be completed in early 2027.

Xcel is also finalizing designs and permits to bury 5.5 miles of line along U.S. 36 between Jay and Neva roads. The line runs through a high-wildfire-risk area and has been de-energized during every Xcel power shutoff affecting Boulder. Construction is expected to begin before the end of this year and finish by the end of 2027.

A third project would bury portions of a line along Colorado 93 near Eldorado Springs, Golden and Marshall Road. Xcel is also considering adding a Thomas Lane segment, where a powerline was identified as one of the Marshall Fire’s two ignition sources. That work may not be feasible because the line lies in a floodplain, according to a city memo.

Xcel representatives presented the project timelines to Boulder city councilmembers at an Aug. 27 study session.

📚 As Boulder’s power grid falters, Xcel begins major undergrounding projects

📚 Boulder’s powerlines pose wildfire risk. Why are so many still above ground?

Commentaries are opinion pieces from community members and newsmakers. They reflect the views of the authors, not BRL. Want to submit one? Here’s how.

KC Becker: Boulder deserves a better bond proposal, not a $400 million blank check

In 2011, the city gave residents a real role in shaping a detailed capital plan. It should do so again before asking voters to authorize $400 million in debt. Continue reading…

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