It’s Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.
Good Friday morning, Boulder. It’s another lovely late-summer Friday, so let’s dive in and get a jump on the weekend.
At last night’s city council meeting, budget talks dominated, with councilmembers once again hearing that the city’s finances are on shaky ground. Sales and use tax, the city’s largest revenue source, has plateaued while operating costs keep rising. The proposed 2025 budget is still nearly $600 million, but some of the city’s ambitious plans, including efforts to improve road safety, hang in the balance.
John Herrick explored this in his interview with Boulder’s outgoing transportation director, Natalie Stiffler, the third person to hold the role in three years. Stiffler warned about the budget crunch affecting unfunded bike projects, street repairs and more. Related: You’ll also find updates on the Iris Avenue redesign, councilmembers’ specific budget concerns, the latest dispatch from Jenna Sampson on the King Soopers trial, last night’s hit-and-run crashes and more.
Finally, if you missed the announcement Wednesday, I’m Brooke, BRL’s newest reporter. I’ll be in your inbox regularly and out in the city meeting as many people as I can. If there’s something you think I should cover, or just want to say hi, shoot me an email at brooke@boulderreportinglab.org.
See you Monday.
— Brooke, reporter
P.S. Not a subscriber to BRL Today yet? Sign up here.
The Museum of Boulder’s 80th Anniversary Celebration on October 5th will feature interactive displays showcasing significant historical figures, such as Martha Maxwell and A.A. “Gov” Paddock, bites and bubbles, a silent auction, a performance by the astonishing Professor Phelyx, and exclusive Museum of Boulder announcements.
Featured stories
Departing transportation director warns of Boulder’s financial strain as street safety projects hang in balance
Natalie Stiffler, Boulder’s outgoing transportation director, led key street safety projects but departs as the city faces financial challenges, which could delay progress on new infrastructure and maintenance. Continue reading…
Boulder Reporting Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization that empowers our community through non-partisan, locally focused journalism that informs and connects.
In other news
Boulder City Council gives feedback on $589.5m 2025 budget plan
The Boulder City Council last night provided initial feedback on the city manager’s proposed $589.5 million budget for 2025, highlighting some of their priorities and concerns as officials navigate rising costs and flattening revenue.
Councilmember Mark Wallach said the city needs more investment in wildfire resilience, citing Boulder Reporting Lab’s reporting on the growing challenges homeowners face as insurance companies raise rates or drop coverage due to wildfire risks.
“I think we’re going to have to be able to continue to demonstrate that we are acting aggressively to address this problem in order to maintain the interest of our insurers, who are looking to basically run away at this point,” Wallach said.
Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Speer questioned the city’s growing spending on its encampment removal program, Safe and Managed Public Spaces. The program’s budget is set to rise to $3.7 million, up from $3 million last year.
“I’ll continue to make this point that we’re spending more money every year on a program where the problem we are trying to solve just keeps getting worse,” Speer said. “We are seeing more tons of trash. We’re seeing more encampments.” Read more on BRL.
King Soopers trial: Prosecution expected to rest case today
Jenna Sampson has been in the courtroom every day covering the devastating trial. She has sat through the witness testimonies, the security and bodycam footage, and in dispatches published by BRL, she is reporting what she’s seeing. We’re publishing part of yesterday’s report here. As a warning, it is somewhat graphic, so skip if you’d prefer. You can read all of them from this week here, and weeks one and two here. The prosecution is expected to rest its case today, with the defense beginning to bring in witnesses on Monday, Sept. 16.
Sara Chen believes the mass shooting was a source of entertainment for Ahmed Alissa.
Chen is a pharmacist, and as a floater, she works wherever needed. That day she was assigned to the Table Mesa King Soopers. She arrived early and got the keys, but before long, someone told her there was an active shooter. People dispersed, but she froze. All she could manage to do was duck down.
At one point, she heard yelling and zeroed in on it.
“This is fun!” she recalled the shooter yelling multiple times. “This is so much fun!”
This led her to a realization: “We were his entertainment.”
Jennifer Jacobsen thought he looked more determined than anything. She tried to use the phrase “he looked like he was hunting,” which is a phrase other witnesses have used as well, but the defense objected to the term because it makes an assumption about his actions.
Jacobsen had checked out and left the store in unison with Kevin Mahoney. They didn’t know one another, but they shared a few smiles and laughs about how they seemed to be performing everything in lockstep since leaving the store and getting to their cars, which were parked side by side. She shared a joke that she made when she went to pull down her manual trunk while Mahoney only had to push a button to close his. “We both chuckled,” she seemed to fondly recall.
Once their trunks closed, their lives diverged dramatically. Kevin went to return his cart. Jacobsen looked over after hearing noises, saw Alissa shooting into Neven Stanisic’s work van. More shots. She peeked out over her dashboard and made eye contact with the shooter, but Tralona Bartkowiak had pulled up onto the ramp and was getting out of her car, which seemed to catch his attention.
“He seemed to shoot whatever was moving,” Jacobsen said. Read more at BRL.
Man arrested after driving pickup onto Folsom Field following multiple hit-and-run crashes
Boulder Police have arrested a 48-year-old male after a series of hit-and-run crashes that ended with him driving his pickup truck onto Folsom Field.
The incident began around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday when police received reports of a blue pickup involved in multiple crashes near Foothills Parkway and Arapahoe Avenue. Witnesses said the suspet struck trees, signs and nearly hit a person before fleeing. After evading officers, he was spotted near Colorado and 28th Street, where he rammed a gate to enter Folsom Field. Following negotiations, the suspect surrendered and faces multiple charges, including vehicular assault and reckless endangerment.
Boulder announced as one of three finalists to host Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027
Boulder has advanced as one of three finalists to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027 for 10 years, the Sundance Institute announced today. The other finalists are Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah, and Cincinnati, Ohio. “Boulder is the next natural home for the Sundance Film Festival,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a news release.
Boulder’s bid, led by Visit Boulder with support from state and local partners, including the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, aims to create local jobs, boost Boulder businesses and attract tourists in the winter.
Plan to add a protected bike path to Iris Avenue advances to city council
The City of Boulder’s plan to redesign Iris Avenue, aimed at making the street safer for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, was endorsed by the city’s Transportation Advisory Board on Monday, Sept. 8. City council will have a chance to weigh in on the plan when TAB presents its recommendation and findings on Sept. 19. If the council “calls up” the project, a vote on moving it forward will take place in October.
The redesign would reduce Iris Avenue from four lanes to three and add a center turning lane, a change that staff reports typically results in a 19% to 47% reduction in crashes. They said this is a safety improvement for drivers as well as cyclists, and the change is projected to slow traffic along Iris by less than a minute.
The plan also includes a 10-foot-wide, two-way bike lane along the north side of the street from Folsom to Broadway. The bike path would be separated from the street by a vertical barrier, such as a tall concrete curb like the one installed on Baseline Road last year. Read more on BRL.
Suspect identified in stabbing near Tenderfoot Trail, authorities say no public threat
A suspect has been identified in a stabbing that happened Wednesday morning on Chapman Drive at the Tenderfoot Trail, west of the City of Boulder. The sheriff’s office is not releasing the identity of the suspect due the on-going nature of the investigation but does not believe there is any threat to the public at this time. He was described as a white male around 60 years old. He and the victim, a male hiker, are known to frequent the same trail and had encountered each other in the past. As of Wednesday afternoon, the victim, who was stabbed multiple times, was being treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. Read more on BRL.
Authorities investigating Stone Canyon Fire after one death, 74-year-old man still missing
Boulder County authorities are still investigating the Stone Canyon Fire, which began on July 30, near Lyons, the sheriff’s office said on Thursday. One fatality has been confirmed, with remains found at a home on Eagle Ridge Road. Due to the condition of the remains, identification has been difficult, the sheriff’s office said. Detectives are also searching for a missing 74-year-old man who lived in one of the homes destroyed by the fire. Officials said they won’t assume the missing man and the remains are the same person until they can confirm it.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The fire destroyed five homes before being contained after burning about 1,500 acres. The Alexander Mountain Fire near Loveland, which started around the same time, was allegedly caused by a ranch worker who was arrested this week for arson, among other charges.
Reminder: Downtown Boulder’s Fall Fest returns this weekend
Downtown Boulder’s Fall Fest returns to the Pearl Street Mall from Friday, Sept. 13, to Sunday, Sept. 15. The event will feature live music, a beer garden and the Firefly Handmade Fall Market with over 100 artisans. Performances include Chain Station on Friday and The Reminders on Saturday. Family-friendly activities, including inflatable games, will be available Saturday and Sunday.
Explore ALL upcoming events in Boulder. If you have something to promote, use the self-submission form on our events page, for free.
