Members of Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel are considering suspending their review of internal investigations into officer misconduct, an indication that the politicized appointment process that culminated in the removal of a panelist this week could jeopardize the city’s civilian oversight of its police department. During a regularly scheduled meeting on Friday, co-chairs and founding members […]
Posted inPolicing
Boulder City Council removes Police Oversight Panel member, prompting threat of legal action
The Boulder City Council has voted to remove a member from the Police Oversight Panel, the latest flashpoint in a dispute that has dominated Boulder headlines for months. The decision was seen by some as a rebuff to the community organizations that helped appoint the member, and it may prompt a lawsuit against the city. […]
Posted inNews Bites
Boulder’s occupancy limits would largely remain in place under Colorado land-use bill
The state House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee on Tuesday passed the Colorado land-use bill 9-4, after a flurry of amendments reinstated many of the upzoning requirements that were stripped from the bill as it wended its way through the Senate. The bill now heads to the Appropriations Committee. The committee also approved an […]
Posted inNews Bites
Special counsel defends investigation into Boulder Police Oversight Panel member
Boulder officials on Tuesday, May 2, provided city councilmembers with a memo that seeks to answer their questions regarding an investigation by a special counsel into a member of the Police Oversight Panel. The investigation was triggered by a group of residents who lodged complaints alleging the panelist, Lisa Sweeney-Miran, is biased against police. The special counsel, […]
Posted inHousing
Boulder Meadows resident sues mobile home park owner over alleged wrongful eviction
A resident who was evicted from the city’s largest mobile home community in North Boulder for late rent has filed a lawsuit in Boulder County District Court alleging the park owner violated Colorado law. The suit marks the latest fight over the rights of those who live in some of the city’s most affordable — […]
Posted inHow We Work
Boulder Reporting Lab’s publisher named a Reynolds Journalism Institute 2023-24 fellow
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute has named Stacy Feldman, founder and publisher of Boulder Reporting Lab, to its 2023-24 class of RJI fellows. The program gives individuals and their news organizations the opportunity to partner with RJI on “practical innovative projects for community-centered news, journalists and the communities they serve.” Chosen projects typically involve […]
Posted inNews Bites
Gov. Polis signs four gun bills into law; three were sponsored by Boulder lawmakers
Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun bills into law on April 28, 2023. Three of the laws were sponsored by Boulder lawmakers: a three-day waiting period for gun sales, expansion of the “red flag” law, and a measure that makes it easier to sue gun manufacturers. “Waiting periods are a necessary buffer when someone in […]
Posted inClimate Change
Boulder’s free Pollinator Advocates program enlists locals to help save native insects and birds
The City of Boulder is enlisting Boulderites for the second year of its Pollinator Advocates training, a program trying to protect native insects and birds while fighting climate change — but time is running out to apply. The training, running from May to late August, will provide classroom learning on what pollinators need to thrive […]
Posted inLocal History
The ‘forgotten history’ of rent control in Boulder
On April 25, 2023, a Colorado legislative committee voted against a bill that would have allowed cities to set annual limits on rent increases, marking an end to this year’s debate over rent control — and a familiar defeat for Boulder. The City of Boulder was among few local governments publicly supporting the bill. Boulder […]
Posted inNews Bites
Boulder County health officials push for update to meth cleanup regulations in public spaces
Boulder County Public Health is working on an update to the state’s regulations for cleaning up methamphetamine contamination, particularly in public spaces such as the Boulder Public Library. “Everything we see points to meth exposure in public spaces not being a significant health risk,” Bill Hayes, an air quality coordinator for the Boulder County Public […]