📸 Boulder delays Flock camera decision as privacy debate grows

Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by INSTAAR, the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, which will screen the climate documentary “Chasing Time” on Sept. 3. Reserve your spot.

Leading today: Boulder is behind schedule in choosing a vendor to operate its automatic license plate reader network, delaying a decision that could replace more than 40 cameras supplied by Flock. The company faces growing scrutiny over privacy and law enforcement access to its data. A planned trial of competing systems never occurred, and the city has no firm deadline for selecting a vendor.

The decision rests with the city manager, leaving the Boulder City Council with no direct say over the contract. But surveillance and privacy are emerging as issues in Boulder’s November election, with two mayoral candidates calling for the council to exercise more authority. Brooke Stephenson reports.

Also today: Nearly a century after stone pillars were erected along Arapahoe Road to honor Boulder County’s World War I veterans, Colorado has formally recognized the route as the “Road of Remembrance.” As local groups search for veterans’ descendants ahead of a Sept. 15 dedication, historian Silvia Pettem tells the story of brothers Carl and Clyde Cass.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

BoulderCAST: Storms possible through the weekend.
County budget: Town hall ahead of $13.2 million in cuts.
Bridge delay: Arapahoe closures moved to next week.
Climbing fall: Man rescued after falling 90 feet.
Bear safety: Leashes required on some trails.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

Support our Boulder journalism

See the story of a changing planet through the eyes of a legendary photographer. Join INSTAAR for a screening of the Academy Award-shortlisted documentary “Chasing Time,” followed by a Q&A with James Balog, the film’s subject and founder of the Extreme Ice Survey.

Boulder delays license plate reader decision as scrutiny of Flock intensifies

After facing privacy concerns, Boulder invited companies to compete for its license plate reader contract and planned to choose a vendor by September. The city now says the process will take longer. Continue reading…

A century-old Boulder County war memorial is finally getting its due. Now the search is on for 1,500 families.

Colorado has formally recognized the long-forgotten “Road of Remembrance” as local groups search for descendants of the 1,500 World War I veterans it honors. Continue reading…

Daily storm chances hold through the weekend

A gradually weakening but still meaningful monsoon moisture plume remains in place across the Front Range, keeping Boulder in a cooler-than-normal, storm-supportive pattern through the weekend. Expect afternoon and evening storms each day, some capable of producing heavy rainfall, hail and localized flooding.

Today brings the highest storm potential, supported by lingering monsoon moisture, modest instability and weak flow. Highs will be in the lower 80s, with a 60% chance of late-day storms.

Rain will become more scattered Saturday and Sunday as the deeper moisture wanes, but Boulder still has a 30% to 50% chance of afternoon storms rolling off the higher terrain. Temperatures will remain below seasonal norms, with highs near 80 degrees and overnight lows in the mid-50s.

Early next week, Boulder may get a day or two of dry weather, with temperatures warming into the mid- to upper 80s. That is still nothing like the heat we endured for weeks before this pattern shifted.

—BoulderCAST

Boulder County commissioners to hold budget town hall amid plans for another $13.2 million in cuts

Boulder County residents can ask commissioners questions on Tuesday, Aug. 18, about the 2027 budget, which is expected to bring another round of layoffs and potential program cuts.

The county plans to reduce expenses by $13.2 million next year, the same amount it cut from the 2026 budget. The county ultimately adopted a $745 million budget for 2026. Those earlier reductions resulted in 62 layoffs, dozens of voluntary departures and cuts to social service programs. Officials have said about 70% of the coming reductions are expected to come from personnel.

The in-person town hall will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Superior Civic Space, 2250 Main St., Suite 1001. Chief Financial Officer Armando Guardiola will give a brief presentation before commissioners take questions about the budget or any other county issue. No registration is required, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

The recommended 2027 budget will be presented to commissioners Oct. 1, followed by a public hearing Oct. 22. Learn more about the town hall.

Arapahoe Avenue bridge work postponed

The City of Boulder says overnight closures for bridge construction on Arapahoe Avenue, previously scheduled for Aug. 12 and 13, have been postponed. Westbound Arapahoe Avenue between Cherryvale and Old Tale roads will now be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on the nights of Aug. 19 and 20.

Climber seriously injured in 90-foot fall at Eldorado Canyon

Rescue crews evacuated a 29-year-old climber from Eldorado Canyon State Park on Wednesday after he fell about 90 feet near the Vertigo rappels. Responders treated the man at the scene and carried him across unstable terrain to an ambulance.

Crews also rescued the man’s climbing partner, who was stranded without a rope. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Mountain View Fire Rescue and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group assisted with the rescue.

Dogs must be leashed on some Boulder trails during bear season

Seasonal leash requirements will take effect Saturday, Aug. 15, on several Boulder open space trails in sensitive bear habitat.

Dogs must be leashed in Skunk Canyon up to the Mesa Trail, Shadow Canyon South from the Mesa Trail, upper portions of Doudy Draw Trail and sections of Gregory Canyon, Saddle Rock, Amphitheater and Bluebell-Baird trails.

The requirements, intended to reduce encounters between dogs and bears during a critical foraging period, will remain in effect through Dec. 1. The city also encourages residents to secure trash containers and take other bear-safety precautions.

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