Good Wednesday morning, Boulder. Lots of BRL news today — let’s get into it.
A downtown Boulder parking lot could be replaced by a boutique hotel, a move city officials say aligns with economic vitality efforts, Amber Carlson reports. Developer PassCo Properties has offered $5.2 million for the Spruce lot at 2121 Broadway, the city’s busiest surface parking area.
Supporters say the project could boost downtown’s vibrancy, especially as Boulder vies to host the Sundance Film Festival. But critics may worry about losing a well-used lot. The proposal faces multiple city reviews before a final decision in June.
In other news: Boulder City Councilmember Taishya Adams has been cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation found she did not violate the city’s code of conduct by blocking residents on Instagram and limiting access to her book group. Special counsel determined that because neither activity was conducted in her official capacity, she was free to restrict participation.
Lastly, the Boulder County Democratic Party’s vacancy committee has selected a new state senator for District 17, filling the seat vacated by Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who resigned amid an ethics investigation. The committee convened March 18 to choose from nine candidates. The newly appointed senator is… keep reading to find out.
Below the Fold:
- Tipped wage bill: Lawmakers backtrack after labor pushback.
- Bridge House café: Closes, meal pickup moves.
- Police use of force: Chief links rise to mental health, addiction.
- NOAA firings: Judge reinstates workers, but they stay on leave.
- Boulder’s future: Weigh in on growth, wildfire policy tonight.
- Kids Film Fest: Arts Hub seeks short films from young creators.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– BRL Team
Boutique hotel could replace downtown Boulder’s busiest parking lot
A private developer has offered to buy the popular downtown Spruce parking lot, and city officials will soon decide whether to approve the sale and set requirements for the proposed hotel. Continue reading…
Boulder councilmember cleared of wrongdoing after blocking residents on Instagram, limiting book group access
A special counsel determined that Councilmember Taishya Adams’ social media activity and book group were not conducted in her official capacity, allowing her to restrict access. Continue reading…
Katie Wallace wins Democratic vacancy appointment for Boulder County’s Senate District 17
Wallace, a longtime organizer and former policy aide from Longmont, will replace Sonya Jaquez Lewis following her resignation amid an ethics probe. Continue reading…
Blustery winds linger, warmer days ahead
It will stay breezy today and tomorrow, with gusts up to 30 mph, but calmer than earlier this week when high winds triggered Red Flag warnings.
Today will be the last semi-cold day for a while, with highs in the low 40s and a slight chance of snow this afternoon. Tomorrow warms up to the high 50s, and by next week, temperatures could reach the 70s.
Colorado lawmakers scale back bill that would have cut tipped wages in Boulder
Facing strong opposition from fellow Democrats and labor groups, sponsors of a bill that would have lowered the tipped minimum wage in Boulder and other cities with higher local minimum wages made significant changes late Friday night, March 14.
House Bill 1208 seeks to decouple tipped and non-tipped wages in cities with local minimum wages. Currently, when a city raises its minimum wage, the tipped wage rises automatically — something that happened recently in Boulder. Restaurant owners say this has placed additional financial strain on an already struggling industry. The original bill would have required Boulder and similar cities to reset their tipped wage to the state’s lower level, which labor advocates argued would amount to a pay cut for thousands of workers.
Under the revised bill, cities would no longer be forced to cut or freeze tipped wages. Instead, municipalities would have the option to lower them, provided they remain above the state’s tipped minimum of $11.79 per hour. The bill maintains Colorado’s existing rule that tipped wages must be at least $3.02 less than the local minimum wage but gives cities flexibility to lower that amount. The idea is to help struggling restaurants and make it easier for cities to raise regular wages without automatically increasing tipped wages, too.
Labor groups that fought against mandatory wage cuts view the amendments as a victory. Read more on BRL.
Bridge House closes community café, relocates grab-and-go meal pickup
Bridge House has closed its café inside Boulder Community Hospital, citing low foot traffic. The nonprofit, which provides services for people experiencing homelessness, had operated the café for several years, using its revenue to support its programs. Many of the café’s offerings will be relocated to Bridge House’s Community Table Kitchen at 5345 Arapahoe #5 later this spring.
The Community Table Kitchen serves meals to food-insecure individuals and operates a catering business that helps fund Bridge House’s programs, including job training and transitional housing support. A reader recently reached out to Boulder Reporting Lab concerned that the kitchen itself was closing. Not to worry – only the café is shutting down. Scott Medina, a Bridge House representative, said the kitchen is “thriving.” And it still has the Café at the J at the Boulder JCC.
Boulder police chief ties use of force to untreated mental illness, addiction
In 2020, the City of Boulder adopted new use-of-force training aimed at emphasizing de-escalation over physical force. The changes followed an incident in which a city police officer drew a gun on Zayd Atkinson, an unarmed Black college student who was picking up trash outside his home.
Despite the policy shift, police use-of-force incidents in Boulder have not notably declined, according to recently released city data. The most common remains an officer drawing a firearm.
City officials point to several possible explanations: Calls for service have increased, cases of resisting arrest are up, and assaults on first responders have more than doubled since 2020.
Another key factor, according to Police Chief Steve Redfearn, is Colorado’s lack of access to mental health and drug addiction treatment.
“We’re seeing more people dealing with those issues,” Redfearn told Boulder Reporting Lab. “It’s much more likely, despite our best efforts, that we may see an increase in uses-of-force.” Read more on BRL.
Fired Boulder NOAA workers temporarily reinstated – but not working – while judge investigates
On Monday, Boulder NOAA employees who were fired as part of Trump’s mass firings of federal workers were temporarily reinstated after a federal judge ruled they were terminated illegally. U.S. District Judge James Bredar found that probationary employees were fired without proper procedure and ordered their reinstatement for 14 days while he considers longer relief.
However, reinstated NOAA employees are not returning to work quite yet. Instead, they’ve been placed on paid administrative leave. The Department of Commerce, which also oversees National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offices in Boulder, warned employees that if the judge’s decision is overturned, they could be fired again. The agency also assured them that any “indebtedness” owed to the federal government due to their brief reinstatement would be waived. Read more on BRL.
Today: Weigh in on Boulder’s future and wildfire policy
Boulder residents will have two opportunities tonight to provide input on key city policies shaping the community’s future.
- Boulder Comprehensive Plan: The city and county are hosting office hours on the Boulder Comprehensive Plan, which guides growth and development for the next 20 years. Residents can ask questions and share feedback with the project team today, March 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the East Boulder Community Center Ballroom.
- Wildfire building code updates: The city is updating its building codes to align with the International Wildland Urban Interface Code. Boulder Fire-Rescue and Planning & Development Services staff will be available to answer questions today, March 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building. RSVP is required.
For those unable to attend in person, a virtual session on wildfire policy is scheduled for today from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Calling young filmmakers: Arts Hub Kids Film Festival set for May 10
The Arts Hub Kids Film Festival is accepting short film submissions from young filmmakers in kindergarten through high school for its May 10 event in Lafayette. Films must be 3 minutes or less and G-rated, with no restrictions on genre.
The festival features a red carpet, film screenings, awards and a Q&A with selected filmmakers. The early bird submission deadline is March 25, the regular deadline is April 14, and the late deadline is April 25. Winners will be announced at the festival on May 10.
☀️ 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.