Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by Uttecht Physical Therapy, providing concierge, in-home physical therapy to help you stay active and independent. Schedule your free consultation.
Leading today’s edition: A coalition of current and former elected officials and community leaders has launched a signature-gathering effort to put a measure on the November ballot that would expand the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners from three members to five. State law allows counties with more than 70,000 residents to make the change with voter approval, and four of Colorado’s eight eligible counties have already done so.
Supporters say adding commissioners would improve representation, ease workload pressures and help the board function more effectively under open meetings rules. Opponents, including two sitting commissioners, argue the change would increase costs, slow decision-making and fail to address deeper barriers to political representation. The proposal comes as the county faces a growing budget deficit and recent layoffs, raising questions about governance, transparency and whether more seats would meaningfully improve representation. Brooke Stephenson reports.
Also today: Arctic air has arrived, bringing the coldest temperatures of the season and periods of light, fluffy snow through the weekend. Keep reading for timing, accumulation and what to expect on the roads from BoulderCAST.
More, Below the Fold:
- Winter at last: Cold, light snow and flurries.
- Xcel warned: Council OKs letter over outages, climate misses.
- Docs deal: CU residents land first-ever workplace agreement.
- Heads up: Detours hit 28th and Pine Monday.
- Big plan: Public weighs in on Boulder Valley Comp Plan.
- Arts noms: Boulder Arts Week deadline extended.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
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Effort underway to put Boulder County commission expansion on 2026 ballot
Supporters say expanding the commission from three to five members would improve representation and capacity. Critics say it would be costly and slow decision-making. Continue reading…
Arctic air and occasional light snow settle in for the weekend
Winter has arrived! Arctic air slid into the Front Range overnight and will stick around all weekend long. Temperatures are starting out near 10 this morning and won’t climb much — Boulder stays in the teens, while parts of Denver may reach the 20s.
Light snow should develop later today as the atmosphere moistens. Flurries will give way to a longer stretch of light, fluffy snow this evening into Saturday morning. Moisture is limited, but high snow ratios will help it accumulate. Most of Boulder can expect 1-2 inches, with a bit more possible west of Broadway and/or in the Foothills. Watch out for slick roadways developing late tonight into Saturday morning. It doesn’t take much snow to make roads slick, especially when it will be too cold for mag chloride to be fully effective.
Saturday will be the coldest day of the weekend, with highs only in the low to middle teens and skies staying mostly cloudy with occasional flurries or light snow. Clearing Saturday night will allow temperatures to plunge to near or slightly below zero, especially in the usual low-lying cold spots (Gunbarrel to Longmont and the Foothills).
Another push of Arctic air arrives on Sunday, keeping highs in the teens or lower 20s. A second round of light snow is possible during the day, but any accumulation would be minimal.
We’ll begin to thaw out early next week with highs returning to near 40 degrees or better by Monday.
City council approves letter to Xcel over power shutoffs and climate targets
Boulder City Council approved Thursday night a sharply worded letter to Xcel Energy criticizing prolonged power shutoffs, missed climate targets and rising customer costs, calling the situation “simply not acceptable,” as we reported this week. The letter urges Xcel to reduce the frequency and impact of wildfire-related outages, accelerate grid hardening and undergrounding, and make progress on emissions goals.
The council stopped short of recommending Boulder exit its franchise agreement with Xcel, which voters approved in 2020, though the city will have multiple opportunities to reconsider that relationship in the coming years. The letter has drawn a mixed response, with some residents welcoming the rebuke and others arguing that a letter alone falls short given repeated outages and missed commitments.
“I’m looking forward to the next step of talking to Xcel about it,” Councilmember Ryan Schuchard said.
CU resident physicians secure first-ever workplace agreement
Resident physicians at the University of Colorado reached a first-of-its-kind workplace agreement this week, formalizing protections for doctors in training that had never previously been put in writing.
The Housestaff Association, which represents about 1,300 residents and fellows at CU-affiliated hospitals, signed a memorandum of understanding with the university’s medical education leadership after nearly two years of negotiations. The agreement establishes a formal dispute resolution process, guarantees protected communication between trainees and administrators, and gives residents a role in how stipends and wages are set.
“This is a historic win for medical trainees and public-sector workers in Colorado,” said Dr. Carlos Estevez-Celi, a chief resident and co-president of the association.
Housestaff leaders say the agreement lays the groundwork for future improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions and patient safety, while they continue to push for full collective bargaining rights.
Detours start Monday at 28th and Pine as intersection rebuild begins
The City of Boulder will begin reconstructing the intersection of 28th Street and Pine Street on Monday, Jan. 26, kicking off detours for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in all directions.
The project is aimed at improving safety and includes a raised crosswalk and concrete curb extensions to improve pedestrian visibility and reduce crashes. Once construction is complete, Pine Street will only allow right turns in and out of the intersection, a change intended to reduce left-turn collisions.
Intersection work is expected to wrap up in February. The project is part of the broader 28th Street Improvements Project, which is scheduled to be completed by mid-2026.
Public hearing Tuesday on proposed changes to Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan
Residents will have a chance Tuesday, Jan. 27, to weigh in on proposed community-requested changes to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, the city and county’s joint blueprint for land use, housing and growth that is updated every 10 years.
A public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. at the Boulder County Courthouse and online. Community members submitted 34 requests for changes last year, ranging from land-use maps to policy and text updates. A draft of the updated comprehensive plan is expected in March, with formal adoption beginning this summer.
The hearing comes as Boulder officials prepare for a major shift in housing policy. As BRL has reported, a recent city and county survey found strong support for allowing more housing density in neighborhoods that have long been limited to single-family homes. City leaders have said the updated plan is likely to loosen density restrictions to help boost housing supply, a move that has drawn both support and concern from residents.
Public comment will be accepted in person and online. Speakers can register in advance, and written comments can be emailed to planner@bouldercounty.gov and should reference Docket BVCP-25-0001.
Boulder Arts Week extends award nominations to Jan. 28
Nominations for the Boulder Arts Week Awards, known as the “BAWies,” have been extended to Jan. 28. Community members are invited to submit nominees in four categories recognizing support for the local arts scene, art and activism, innovation and a higher-education student in Boulder.
Winners will receive a $1,000 stipend and promotion during Boulder Arts Week, which runs April 3-12, 2026. Submit nominations here. Art-related events can also be added to the official Boulder Arts Week calendar here.
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