🔎 Boulder police are closing complaints before independent review

Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by Bank of Colorado, a family-owned community bank that has served Colorado communities since 1978. With 45 locations statewide, it’s committed to helping individuals, families and businesses thrive. Learn more.

Leading today: Boulder police have closed at least 21 complaints against officers before independent review under a process outlined in a draft policy that remains under legal review but has been in use since late 2025. Police officials say it allows supervisors to resolve minor issues more quickly. But it is the latest change to concern members of the city’s civilian oversight panel. Last year, the department also began closing certain misconduct cases without panel review when the monitor and police department agree that a complaint is unfounded or the officer should be exonerated. John Herrick reports.

If you missed John Lehndorff’s guide to Boulder County farm stands in this week’s Nibbles, first, sign up here to receive future editions. We’re sharing the guide here, too. It features 28 farm stands across the county offering fresh produce, eggs, flowers, meat, honey and more, plus a handy map to help you plan a summer farm-stand road trip.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

BoulderCAST: Hot weekend before monsoon relief.
Bike paths: Heat buckles Boulder’s multiuse paths.
Boulder Canyon: One killed in three-vehicle crash.
Nonprofit grants: County opens $8.5 million grant pool.
Climate workshop: Applications open for resilience training.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

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Boulder police are closing complaints against officers before independent review

Department officials say the process allows supervisors to resolve minor issues quickly. Police Oversight Panel members warn it weakens safeguards built into Boulder’s independent oversight system. Continue reading…

28 Boulder County farm stands worth a summer road trip

Where to find fresh produce, eggs, flowers, meat, honey and other locally made goods, often straight from the people who produced them. Continue reading…

A hot, sunny weekend — but the delayed monsoon arrives early next week

It’s shaping up to be another hot one in Boulder as a stubborn ridge pattern keeps us locked under dry, sinking air. Today will be our seventh straight day in the 90s, with highs right around 92. Skies stay almost entirely sunny aside from a few harmless late-day cumulus clouds. Overnight lows will be mild in the mid‑60s.

The weekend will only turn up the heat. Saturday is set to reach 94 while Sunday will sizzle toward 98, marking a secondary peak of this prolonged heatwave. Storm chances stay near zero east of the Divide as persistent easterly flow keeps all the moisture pinned to the higher terrain.

The shift we’ve all been waiting for arrives on Monday as deeper subtropical moisture finally breaks through — effectively kicking off monsoon season along the Front Range, a week or two behind schedule. Expect increasing clouds, daily thunderstorm activity, and a welcome cooldown into the 80s by Tuesday or Wednesday.

— BoulderCAST

Boulder warns cyclists as heat buckles multiuse paths

The City of Boulder is urging cyclists and other users to take care on multiuse paths as high temperatures cause sections of concrete to buckle or rise, creating hazardous bumps. The city has received reports of bicycle crashes and is asking riders to slow down and stay alert, especially during hot afternoons.

Crews have posted signs at known hazards, but additional sections may buckle as temperatures rise and then settle overnight as the concrete cools. The city expects the problem to continue during hot weather and plans to prioritize repairs once temperatures ease.

Report buckled pavement through the city’s nonemergency dispatch line at 303-441-3333.

One person killed in three-vehicle crash in Boulder Canyon

A 37-year-old Nederland woman was killed and another person was injured in a three-vehicle crash on Boulder Canyon Road on July 15.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Colorado State Patrol. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will release her identity after notifying her family.

The crash happened near milepost 34 as a Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Sienna traveled west and a Dodge Ram towing a trailer traveled east. Investigators said the Ram’s brakes failed, causing the driver to lose control and the trailer to swing into the westbound lane, where it struck both vehicles.

The Ram and trailer rolled, the Sienna went off the road and the Ioniq was pushed into a rock embankment. The Ram’s 27-year-old driver was uninjured. The Sienna’s 22-year-old driver was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.

The crash closed Boulder Canyon Road between mileposts 30 and 37 for about 10 hours Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating.

Boulder County nonprofits can apply for $8.5 million in grants

Boulder County is accepting applications for approximately $8.5 million in grants supporting housing, health and family well-being programs in 2027.

Eligible nonprofits must have a physical address in Boulder County and serve county residents. The funding can support rental and legal assistance, child care, tutoring, counseling, wellness programs, family resource centers, shelters and other services.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 21.

The available funding represents a partial rebound from the $7.9 million the county planned to distribute in 2025. But it remains $3.8 million, or about 31%, below the $12.3 million distributed in 2024. The county made deep cuts amid budget constraints and declining state and federal support, even as nonprofits reported growing demand for emergency shelter, mental health care, food assistance and other services.

The Community Partnership Grant is funded through the county’s general fund and Human Services Safety Net mill levy.

Boulder workshop helps vulnerable communities prepare for climate threats

Two local organizations are accepting applications for a six-session workshop focused on helping communities prepare for climate-related threats.

The Community Resilience Intensive is intended primarily for people from communities disproportionately affected by climate change, including disabled, immigrant and low-income residents. Participants will learn about water harvesting, permaculture, bioremediation and multicultural approaches to addressing wildfire, drought, flooding and environmental injustice.

Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability, or FLOWS, and Once and Future Green will host the two- to three-hour sessions Aug. 7-9 and Aug. 28-30 in Boulder. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate and $500 stipend.

Food, childcare, transportation assistance and interpretation will be available. Applicants must be at least 16 and able to attend all six sessions.

Applications are due Sunday, July 19. For questions or application assistance, email info@weareflows.org.

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