Good Monday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the Colorado Chautauqua — check out its spring deals.
In today’s edition: A nature-based homeschool program in North Boulder called Sage has shut down after the city cited safety violations and said it was operating as an unlicensed school. Supporters say it was a spiritual learning community, not a school — but its schedule, structure and size raised red flags. The closure is now spotlighting a murky corner of Colorado’s education system, where families seek flexibility and freedom — and the rules aren’t always clear.
Also today: Boulder City Council is urging the county to rethink how it spends its $30 million in opioid settlement funds. In a letter approved last week, councilmembers called for fewer, larger investments in transformational solutions — not dozens of smaller grants. The move follows a rise in overdoses and growing criticism that the current process favors government agencies over community-based groups working directly with youth.
Plus lots more news, Below the Fold:
- Hot, sunny start: Highs in the 80s through Tuesday before midweek storms.
- Bodycam fight: Boulder gets statewide backing in lawsuit over police footage fees.
- Housing petitions dropped: Residents abandon two 2025 ballot measures over delays.
- Council measures: City may refer tax extension, new property tax and board rule changes to November ballot.
- Wildfire tour: Nederland fuels reduction site visit set for May 17.
- Street redesign: City to share 30th Street safety proposal at May 21 open house.
- Things to Do: Concerts, plant sales, theater and a fire talk — plus Mahler, wildflowers and a spring market this week.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
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Boulder homeschool shuts down after city cites violations, raising questions about oversight and what counts as a school
The shutdown of Sage after code violations spotlights a gray area in Colorado’s alternative education landscape. Continue reading…
With overdoses rising, Boulder leaders push county for bolder use of opioid funds
City council calls for fewer, larger projects to address the opioid crisis as critics say current funding model spreads resources too thin. Continue reading…
Hot, sunny start to the week
We’re in for a stretch of warm, sunny days. Highs will reach the mid-80s today and Tuesday, with mostly clear skies and light afternoon breezes. Nights will be mild, dipping into the 50s, with a few gusts possible after sunset. A great couple of days to be outside before a chance of afternoon showers and storms returns on Wednesday.
Boulder gets statewide backing in fight over body camera fees
The Colorado Municipal League, which represents nearly every city and town in the state, has joined the City of Boulder in fighting a lawsuit that seeks to compel the city to release police body camera footage of alleged officer misconduct at no cost.
In a legal filing last month, the group argued that requiring cities to turn over footage at no cost “will have a significant detrimental fiscal impact on local governments statewide.” Colorado Counties, Inc. and the County Sheriffs of Colorado also joined as amici curiae. The involvement of these organizations highlights the statewide stakes of a local dispute over the public’s access to police records.
The lawsuit stems from a request by Yellow Scene Magazine for footage of the December 2023 fatal police shooting of Jeannette Alatorre. According to the city’s response, fulfilling the request would require reviewing 267 hours of footage and cost an estimated $8,016.
Yellow Scene sued, claiming the city’s fees violate Colorado’s 2020 Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, passed in the wake of nationwide protests over police killings. The law aims to increase transparency by giving the public access to footage of police use of force. It does not explicitly allow fees.
Boulder argued that the fees are necessary to cover the cost of redacting sensitive material, such as blurring faces and muting audio for privacy reasons. The city cites a separate state law allowing “reasonable fees” for responding to public records requests, and typically charges $30 per hour to review footage. Read more on BRL.
Boulder residents drop campaign for stricter housing project requirements
A group of Boulder residents has ended its campaign to place two housing-related measures on the November 2025 ballot, citing delays by the City Attorney’s Office as the main reason for abandoning the effort.
One proposal would have required developers to pay new fees associated with the public infrastructure costs of their projects. The other would have mandated affordable housing commitments when single-family homes are converted into duplexes or triplexes.
Emily Reynolds, the campaign manager, alleged the City Attorney’s Office used “delay tactics” by taking the “maximum amount of time to consider our rewrites,” which she said cost the campaign valuable time. Ballot campaigns often work with city attorneys to finalize language that complies with city code and avoids legal issues.
“We knew it was a heavy lift with so much going on nationally, but the City Attorney’s Office delaying our effort by a full two months, forcing rewrite after rewrite, was the chief reason we weren’t able to get the initiatives on the ballot,” Reynolds wrote in an email to Boulder Reporting Lab.
Reynolds said the group first submitted its ballot language on Feb. 10, but final approval took until April 7. To qualify for the ballot, petitioners needed to collect 3,401 signatures from registered Boulder voters by May 28. The campaign used paper petitions, citing technical issues with the city’s online signature-gathering tool. City officials did not respond to a request for comment before publication. Read more on BRL.
City council may send three tax and governance measures to fall ballot
The campaign for the housing measures has become the second group this year to pull plans for a 2025 ballot measure. Earlier this month, proponents of a West Pearl pedestrianization initiative also ended their effort, citing economic uncertainty. A separate campaign that would allow Boulder to terminate its 2020 franchise agreement with Xcel Energy and seek an alternative energy provider appears to still be collecting signatures.
Meanwhile, Boulder City Council is considering referring three measures to voters: one to give council more authority over board and commission appointments, another to extend the 0.3% Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety sales tax, and a third to create a new property tax for capital projects in public spaces. Read about the potential taxes here.
City to share proposed redesign of North 30th Street at May 21 open house
Boulder is inviting public feedback on a recommended redesign of North 30th Street, one of the city’s highest-risk corridors for serious crashes. The proposal aims to improve safety for all travelers.
An in-person open house will be held Tuesday, May 21, from 5–7 p.m. at Junkyard Social Club. A virtual option will launch in mid-May. Feedback will help finalize the design before it goes to the Transportation Advisory Board and city council.
Nederland wildfire project site visit this Saturday
The Boulder Watershed Collective and partners are hosting a public site visit on Saturday, May 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, to showcase wildfire risk reduction work near Nederland. The Middle Boulder Creek Fuels Reduction Partnership Project spans about 200 acres of high-risk land west of town, including public and private properties in the Tucker and Elk Draw area, Arapaho Ranch, and nearby U.S. Forest Service land. Learn more here, or register for the site visit.
☀️ 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.
Remembering Clela Rorex: Monday, May 12, 6:00–8:00 p.m., Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. Read More
Boulder – Courageous Colorado Listening Tour: Tuesday, May 13, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. Read More
Junkyard Monthly Fusion Partner Dance: Tuesday, May 13, 6:30–9:00 p.m., Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave Suite A. Read More
What Clear Skies Can Teach Us: A History of Urban Air Quality: Wednesday, May 14, 7:00–8:30 p.m., NSF NCAR Mesa Laboratory, 1850 Table Mesa Dr. In person and virtual. Read More
An Evening with Jess Williamson: Wednesday, May 14, 7:00–9:30 p.m., eTown, 1535 Spruce St. Read More
Hikes for Seniors: Wildflowers on the Trail: Thursday, May 15, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Walker Ranch Meyers Gulch Trailhead, 7250 Flagstaff Rd. Read More
Songs of Protest and Defiance from MahlerFest 38: Thursday, May 15, 3:00–4:30 p.m., Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. Read More
Motus Theater Presents: “The Meaning of Courage”: Thursday, May 15, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Congregation Har HaShem, 3950 Baseline Road. Read More
Zoë Keating: Thursday, May 15, 8:00 p.m., Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. Read More
Boulder Ballet: Queen of Hearts: Friday, May 16, 7:00–8:30 p.m., also Saturday, May 17, 2:00–3:30 p.m. and 7:00–8:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 18, 2:00–3:30 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. Read More
An Acoustic Evening with Nahko of Medicine for the People: Friday, May 16, 8:00 p.m., The Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St. Read More
BVSD Plant Sale: Saturday, May 17, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., also Friday, May 16, 4:00–6:00 p.m., BVSD Greenhouse, 6500 Arapahoe Rd. Read More
Pop Up Vintage and Consignment Sale: Saturday, May 17, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Pop Up Vintage and Consignment, 7648 Chatham Way. Read More
CU Yard Sale at Resource Central: Saturday, May 17, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Resource Central Materials Reuse Facility, 6400 Arapahoe Road. Read More
Firefly Handmade Boulder Spring Market: Saturday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., also Sunday, May 18, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Pearl Street Mall, 1303 Pearl Street. Read More