Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by Boulder Bookstore’s February Reading Retreat — a weekend of book clubs, mountain time, performances, authors and food, happening Feb. 27-March 1.
Leading today’s edition: We’re taking a closer look at two bills moving through different stages of the state legislature. On housing: No Boulder City Councilmembers support a Polis-backed bill in its current form that would override local zoning to speed up housing construction, but a majority want to stay engaged to push amendments. Councilmembers are seeking stronger guardrails and more local control, citing concerns about affordability, building height, sprawl and potential abuse by nonprofits or investors. John Herrick reports.
The other, introduced by Boulder state Sen. Judy Amabile, would limit how police use Flock license plate cameras and other tools to track people’s movements, aiming to add guardrails while preserving law enforcement’s ability to respond to active situations. Privacy advocates call it a step forward but say it still leaves gaps, while Boulder is set to consider renewing its Flock contract this spring. Brooke Stephenson reports.
Finally: South Boulder residents, including many children, packed city council chambers last night to urge the city to fully replace the aging South Boulder Rec Center, calling for a new facility that includes a pool and gym. City officials say the center needs a $30 million replacement, but funding and specific amenities remain undecided.
Plus more, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Springlike warmth sticks around.
- CU regents: Labor rights, ICE flights draw protests.
- Water rules: New Boulder watering limits, juniper ban take effect March 7.
- Black History Month: Art, memorials and events across Boulder and Longmont.
- Bike to Work Week: Free breakfasts, giveaways and a community walk.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
Do you love reading, bookclubs, the mountains, meeting authors, and food? Join us for a Reading Retreat this February at Chautauqua! The weekend will feature book club conversations with Laura Pritchett and Ramona Ausubel, performances by Stories on Stage, an afternoon at Boulder Bookstore with publisher reps and booksellers, a live taping of the Radio Book Club featuring Thea Weiss, and dinner at Dushanbe Tea House. Find out more info and purchase tickets here.
Boulder City Council seeks changes to Polis-backed bill that would override local zoning to speed housing
The HOME Act would allow some housing projects to bypass local zoning and public hearings. Boulder councilmembers say they want changes to add guardrails and more local control. Continue reading…
‘My constituents do not want Big Brother’: Boulder Sen. Amabile’s bill would limit police use of Flock cameras
Initially drafted with automatic license plate readers like Flock in mind, the bill would restrict access to historical location data, though privacy advocates warn it leaves gaps. Continue reading…
South Boulder residents fill council chambers to call for a full rec center replacement, including pool
City officials say the South Boulder Recreation Center needs a $30 million replacement, but funding and amenities remain undecided. Continue reading…
February or April? Springlike warmth to persist into early next week
Our stretch of quiet, unseasonably warm weather continues into the weekend as a stubborn ridge lingers over the West. Today brings mostly sunny skies, light winds and highs in the mid‑60s — another February day that feels more like April.
On Saturday, a weak, moisture‑starved shortwave will brush Colorado. It won’t bring cold air or precipitation, but it will spawn some wave clouds and increase winds near the Wyoming border where fire danger may briefly elevate. Boulder stays warm and mostly calm with highs again in the mid‑60s.
Sunday and Monday look similar: sunny, dry and warm as the ridge slowly breaks down. Highs remain in the 60s, and Monday could even flirt with 70 degrees.
Overnight lows will be equally mild in the mid-30s throughout the extended period.
Changes arrive next week as models show a meaningful pattern shift with a more active, farther‑south storm track. Several disturbances should bring light mountain snow and a cooldown for Boulder by midweek. Only modest moisture chances are expected east of the divide, though.
While welcome, this shift won’t erase our deepening Mountain snowpack deficits or the statewide drought. That would take a lot more than what’s shaping up for next week.
Boulder approves new waterwise rules, changing when and how residents can water
The Boulder City Council, on third reading, officially approved changes to the city code aimed at promoting water conservation and wildfire resiliency. The ordinance passed unanimously on second reading Jan. 8 after councilmembers requested revisions and will go into effect March 7, marking the first major update to the city’s landscaping code in more than 20 years.
Key changes include prohibiting daytime watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from May 1 through Sept. 30 to reduce evaporative water loss. Low-volume drip and subsurface irrigation systems will still be allowed. Kentucky bluegrass and other high-water-demand grasses will be permitted only in designated functional turf areas, such as playgrounds and parks.
For fire prevention, highly flammable juniper trees must be removed as part of new development or redevelopment projects, and new juniper plantings will be prohibited citywide. The city will also move its list of approved landscape plants out of city code and into city manager rule, allowing for more frequent updates.
CU regents pressed on labor rights, ICE-linked airline contract
Public comment at the University of Colorado Board of Regents meeting was dominated by calls to expand collective bargaining rights for faculty, staff and student workers and to end CU’s contract with Key Lime Air, a regional airline that also transports ICE detainees. More than 100 protesters gathered outside ahead of the meeting, with speakers urging regents to stop doing business with companies involved in deportations.
Two regents have said they plan to bring forward a proposal to expand collective bargaining, but they need additional support for it to pass, with a vote expected in June. Regents also heard appeals to cancel the Key Lime Air contract, which CU says was awarded through a competitive bidding process and is set to renew annually through 2028. Read more on BRL.
Black History Month events roll out across Boulder and Longmont
Black History Month is underway in Boulder with art exhibits, public history and community events centered on the theme “A Century of Black History Month Commemorations.” Highlights include a new art exhibition at the NoBo Bus Stop Gallery opening tonight, a public memorial honoring two civil rights pioneers, and a slate of events organized by the Executive Committee African American Cultural Events (ECAACE).
From now through Feb. 27, the NoBo Bus Stop Gallery will feature Black Future in Art: Excellence Beneath My Feet Lives Within My Bones, showcasing work by Joseph H. Graves Jr. and Kevin Johnson, with a free opening reception tonight from 6-9 p.m. A companion exhibition opens Feb. 19 at the Dairy Arts Center, with a reception on Feb. 20.
A “Bench by the Road” honoring Mrs. Mildred Nilon and Dr. Charles Nilon — CU Boulder’s first Black librarian and first Black professor — will be installed Feb. 16. The in-person event is full, but a livestream will be available via the Museum of Boulder.
ECAACE, which has helped fill a gap since the dissolution of Boulder’s NAACP, is hosting additional events throughout the month in Boulder and Longmont, including a live KGNU broadcast, a Black homeownership discussion, a children’s reading event, a panel on unity and civil rights, and a curated dining event highlighting Black culinary professionals.
Winter Walk & Bike to Work Week kicks off in Boulder
Winter Walk and Bike to Work Week begins Monday, celebrating what is typically cold-weather commuting by foot, bike and other sidewalk wheels across Boulder. The main event is Winter Walk and Bike to Work Day on Friday, Feb. 13, when dozens of local businesses will host free breakfast stations for commuters from 7-9 a.m. Participants can also enter a giveaway by pledging to ride.
The week wraps up Saturday, Feb. 14, with a 15-mile community walk across Boulder, starting at Human Kind Coffee in Gunbarrel and ending at Illegal Pete’s in South Boulder, followed by a group dinner. Shorter walk options will be available. Registration is free but required.
☀️ Explore events in Boulder and use the self-submission form on our events page to reach thousands in our community — for free! To have your event featured on our Monday to-do list, make sure to submit it to our events calendar.