It’s Monday, July 8, 2024.
Welcome back, Boulder. I hope your Fourth was delightful.
First off, Jenna Sampson explains the increasingly complex and uncertain budget situation at BVSD. This is partly due to a looming ballot measure capping statewide property tax increases at 4%, which Coloradans will vote on in November.
Several factors are contributing to the uncertainty for district officials. These include a new funding formula that no longer prioritizes high housing costs for state funding, the aforementioned Prop 50, which could reduce the district’s local funding, and declining enrollment that has already placed several schools in an “advisory phase” for potential closure.
“Uncertainty is not a great place to be,” Bill Sutter, the district’s chief financial officer, told Sampson.
Also, John Herrick reported on last Wednesday’s police responses to a shooting and a stabbing. While property crimes in Boulder, such as car part theft, have declined since their 2021 surge, violent crimes, including aggravated assault and intimidation, are increasing, he has found. We also have the final unofficial results for the primary election and our Monday to-do list of events happening this week and weekend.
Have a lovely day.
— Tim, reporter
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Featured stories
Uncertainty hits Boulder Valley School District amid enrollment decline, new funding law and tax cap measure
Amid budget woes from declining enrollment, a new school funding law should bring in more state money for the district. But a history of underfunding and a property tax measure looming on the November ballot leave leadership uneasy. Continue reading…
Boulder County posts final unofficial 2024 primary election results
About 30% of active registered voters cast ballots in this year’s election, a turnout lower than in the primary elections of 2022 and 2020, according to ballot return data. Continue reading…
Boulder Police Department responds to shooting and stabbing in one morning
The incidents come as crime rates in Boulder show mixed trends, with property crimes like car parts theft decreasing, but violent crimes, including aggravated assault and intimidation, continuing to rise. 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
The temps shall rise
After that lovely day yesterday, temperatures will begin climbing toward 100 degrees. If we get there, it will be on Friday or Saturday. As is usually the case, a stray thunderstorm is possible on most days.
Police seek suspect in attempted sexual assault
Boulder police want help locating a man involved in an attempted sexual assault on the Fourth of July. Around 6 p.m., the suspect allegedly grabbed the woman, who was walking on Broadway near Baseline, and pulled her into a walking path tunnel. The victim managed to escape by using pepper spray and biting the assailant’s hand before running to a nearby fire station to call for help.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s with long shaggy hair, about 5’7″ to 5’8″ tall with an average build. Police urge anyone with information to contact Dispatch at 303-441-3333.
First Colorado human case of avian flu in 2024
An employee at a dairy farm in northeast Colorado has contracted the state’s first human case of avian influenza this year, Colorado Public Radio reported. The worker, who developed conjunctivitis after exposure to infected cattle, has recovered following antiviral treatment.
“The risk to most people remains low. Avian flu viruses are currently spreading among animals, but they are not adapted to spread from person to person. Right now, the most important thing to know is that people who have regular exposure to infected animals are at increased risk of infection and should take precautions when they have contact with sick animals,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, Colorado’s state epidemiologist, in a statement.
The outbreak is part of a larger problem, with previous human cases reported in Texas and Michigan. Colorado leads in the number of avian flu cases in dairy cattle, with 27 out of 105 licensed facilities affected. This may be because the state is actively testing for it, while others may not be.
Watch your water use in Lafayette
The City of Lafayette is reminding residents that it maintains year-round water conservation rules to preserve regional water supplies. Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and outdoor irrigation is limited to three days per week. Water runoff onto paved areas must be prevented, and using hoses to wash driveways or other paved surfaces is banned.
Last summer, Boulder Reporting Lab covered rising water rates in Lafayette due to investments in water rights, reservoirs and the need for an additional water treatment plant. City officials noted that Lafayette’s single water treatment plant operates near capacity during summer, with water usage increasing from 2 million gallons per day in winter to 10 million gallons in summer, primarily for watering lawns.
A nature-based solutions toolkit for Boulder County
Boulder County has commissioned Superbloom, a Denver-based landscape architecture firm, for $50,000 to develop a toolkit for integrating nature-based solutions into urban planning. This aims to help municipal governments address challenges like extreme heat, drought and flooding.
The toolkit will provide strategies such as replacing lawns with native plants, creating rain gardens and increasing tree canopy cover, tailored to Boulder County’s diverse climate regions.
“The climate crisis is a global problem, but its impacts are felt differently from place to place; what works for Lisbon might not work for Longmont — and frankly, what works in Longmont might not work ten miles away in Lyons,” said Dede Croissant, Boulder County climate specialist.
The toolkit is scheduled for publication in fall 2024.
EPA mandate did not sharply raise Colorado gas prices
Despite initial concerns, Colorado gas prices have not significantly increased after the EPA mandated the use of reformulated gasoline to reduce ozone emissions, the Colorado Sun reported. As of last Wednesday, the state’s average gas price was $3.41 per gallon, compared to $3.34 a week earlier. Nationally, prices rose slightly to $3.51.
Gov. Jared Polis and others had warned of a potential 50-cent rise per gallon, but the EPA anticipated only a minor increase. The reformulated gas requirement aims to cut harmful ozone-forming emissions during the summer to improve the Front Range’s poor air quality.
New hours for downtown courthouse
Starting July 12, new hours will be in effect for Boulder County’s historic downtown courthouse at 1325 Pearl St. in Boulder. The courthouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays.
If you park at CU, don’t park at Regent
The Regent Parking Garage (Lot 436) is now closed until Aug. 15 for annual cleaning and maintenance. During the closure, campus visitors will need to use other pay-to-park lots. Permit holders will receive an email with information on where they should now park their cars and trucks.
BRL’s to-do list: Happening this week and weekend
Explore ALL upcoming events in Boulder. If you have something to promote, use the self-submission form on our events page, for free.
Tuesday-Thursday | Boulder Environmental/Nature/Outdoors Film Festival | Times vary
“Boulder Environmental/Nature/Outdoors Film Festival celebrates the natural world around us – the ocean, land, nature, and the air we breathe.”
Friday | Tube to Work Day | 7:15 a.m.
“Arrive at Eben G. Fine Park, check in at the stone shelter (all you’ll need is your name since you already registered), get your wristband, pump your tube if you haven’t already, play some games, catch some flying neckties, dance!”
Friday | Downtown Louisville Street Faire – DeadPhish Orchestra | 5:30-9:30 p.m.
“A tribute to Grateful Dead and Phish, DeadPhish Orchestra is a well-established and well-loved quartet of Colorado musicians whose roots together go back more than two decades, and who have shared stages literally thousands of times.”
Friday – Sunday | Downtown Boulder Summer Sidewalk Sale | All day
“This not-to-be missed annual shopping event offers great deals from Downtown Boulder’s favorite merchants both on and off the Bricks.”
Saturday | Squirrel Nut Zippers | 7:30-11 p.m.
“The Squirrel Nut Zippers Jazz from the Back ‘O Town show is an intriguing look at the birth of Jazz, focused on the prodigious musical neighborhood of New Orleans called Back ‘O Town.”
Sunday | Birding the Post-Fire Foothills | 8-10 a.m.
“This unique bird walk at Heil Valley Ranch offers insight into fire ecology and its impact on local bird populations.”
