Good Wednesday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the Downtown Boulder Partnership, which is gearing up for the Pearl Street Stampedes. Come downtown for the first Stampede on Friday, Sept. 11, and kick off CU’s home football season on the Pearl Street Mall.
Leading today: Boulder’s proposed $552 million budget for 2027 would eliminate 24 positions — including 13 that are filled — and reduce pool hours to help close a projected $6.3 million General Fund gap.
The plan still includes nearly $20 million for affordable housing at Alpine-Balsam, raises for city employees and additional wildfire mitigation funding. It comes as city finances take center stage in Boulder’s election and voters consider a $400 million bond measure for major capital projects. John Herrick reports.
ICYMI: Por Jaijongkit reported last week on what the budget squeeze means for Spruce Pool, which will remain open in 2027 but currently has no funding beyond then.
Also today: We’re taking you inside one of Boulder’s newest restaurants. At Temaki Joint on Baseline Road, longtime Denver-area chef Duy Pham pairs affordable sushi hand rolls with reservation-only omakase dinners. Gabe Toth reports.
More local food coverage arrives every Tuesday in Nibbles, written by longtime Boulder food writer John Lehndorff. The newsletter tracks the openings, closings and other changes reshaping Boulder County’s dining scene. Sign up here and catch up on yesterday’s edition about Lafayette’s Sunday farmers market.
Plus more, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Sunny and cooler, with a high near 80.
- Megan Trussell: A state review reaffirmed the ruling that her death was a suicide.
- Foothills Trail: Weekday closures run 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Watering: No sprinklers from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through Sept. 30.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
Kick off each CU home football game eve with the Pearl Street Stampedes! Join members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band, CU Spirit Squad and CU athletic teams as they bring the energy of Folsom Field downtown. The Stampedes travel along the Pearl Street Mall, filling the bricks with music, cheers and Buffs’ pride. Wear black and gold, then stay downtown to grab dinner, shop and celebrate one of Boulder’s favorite fall traditions. SKO Buffs!
Boulder’s proposed 2027 budget would cut 13 filled jobs and trim pool hours
The city manager’s recommended budget seeks to close a projected $6.3 million General Fund gap through staffing and service cuts, as well as using revenue from voter-approved taxes to cover more expenses. Continue reading…
Boulder’s new Temaki Joint pairs affordable sushi hand rolls with high-end omakase
After more than two decades in Denver-area kitchens, chef Duy Pham has brought his French training and Japanese influences to a new Baseline Road restaurant. Continue reading…
Dry, sunny and briefly cooler
A weak cool front is moving south through the Boulder area this morning, bringing drier air as the monsoon plume shifts south. Temperatures will be slightly cooler, with afternoon highs near 80 degrees, marking our first below‑normal day since mid‑August. Skies remain sunny with no storm potential.
Overnight lows will fall into the mid-50s, well within the comfortable zone, so open those windows.
Dry weather continues tomorrow, but the cooler temperatures will not hold. Highs rebound into the low 90s.
Monsoon moisture will return late Friday through the weekend, reintroducing low‑end late‑day storm chances. At least temperatures will be reasonable over the weekend, staying largely in the 80s but perhaps even some 70s.
CBI review reaffirms suicide ruling in Megan Trussell’s death
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has reaffirmed the suicide determination in the case of Megan Trussell, an 18-year-old CU Boulder student who died in February 2025.
In January 2026, Trussell’s family requested an independent review under a new state law concerning missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. Her parents believe the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office did not adequately investigate the possibility that Trussell was murdered and have questioned the coroner’s conclusion.
The seven-month CBI review examined the full investigative record, including digital evidence, cellphone analysis, campus access records, body-camera footage, search documentation and forensic files. A multidisciplinary cold-case team and independent medical specialists also reviewed the case.
CBI found no evidence of homicide or physical assault and no unfinished investigative steps that would alter the conclusion that Trussell died by suicide.
Trussell’s parents, Vanessa Diaz and Joe Trussell, have long questioned the county’s investigation. After CBI released its findings Sept. 4, Diaz requested records related to the review. The family also plans to continue a private investigation and is seeking autopsy photos and records for an independent review.
Part of Foothills Trail closed weekdays for reroute project
A section of Foothills Trail between the trailhead and the North Sky Trail junction will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays for construction. The closure, intended to protect visitors from rockfall, is expected to last two to four weeks. The trail will reopen in the evenings and on weekends.
The work is part of a project to reroute the North Foothills Trail away from low-lying wetlands and onto a path that better follows the land’s natural contours. The new route is also designed to improve mountain biking and neighborhood access from 2nd Street, reduce muddy conditions and limit erosion.
Construction began in June and is expected to continue through December. Most sections of the old trail will be permanently closed and restored with native vegetation.
Boulder reminds residents: No daytime sprinkler use through Sept. 30
Boulder residents may not use sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. through Sept. 30 under the city’s daytime watering rule. City staff are responding to reports of daytime watering and other water waste by educating residents about the rule.
Amid Boulder’s continuing Drought Watch, the city recommends watering nonfunctional grass no more than twice a week. Watering early in the morning or at night reduces evaporation, while trees should remain a priority because drought damage may not become visible for several years. Find more conservation tips on the city’s Drought Program page.
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