Good Friday morning, Boulder.
Leading today’s edition: When the Caribou Village Fire tore through Nederland on Oct. 9, it destroyed the interim home of the Wild Bear Nature Center, Boulder County’s only free, all-ages nature education center. Still, the nonprofit is continuing its outdoor programs and field trips while ramping up fundraising to complete a new net-zero-energy facility near Mud Lake, expected to open in 2026. A memorial for the animals lost in the fire will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, at Chipeta Park. Por Jaijongkit reports.
Also today: CU Boulder faculty leaders are urging the university to join a new alliance of Colorado universities that would collectively resist what they describe as growing federal interference in higher education. The proposed Mutual Academic Defense Compact would pool legal and financial resources to respond to Trump administration policies and so-called “loyalty oaths.” After a small amendment, the Faculty Assembly postponed its vote until Nov. 20. Brooke Stephenson reports.
In BRL Opinion: Former councilmembers and others argue that Boulder should stop accepting FAA grants and plan to repurpose the 174-acre Boulder Municipal Airport site after 2040, when federal obligations end, saying the land could help address the city’s housing, transportation and equity challenges.
More, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: A few nice days ahead of a gusty cooldown.
- Environmental talk: CU panel explores restoring trust in environmental communication. (sponsored)
- Budget squeeze: Councilmembers OK $521M 2026 plan, add new fees.
- Food aid: Polis launches $10M plan to aid food banks amid SNAP freeze.
- Library union: Boulder library staff seek union recognition.
- Gunbarrel library: New branch opens Friday; party Saturday.
- Bus boost: East Arapahoe adds new bus and turn lanes.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
Jenny Robins is running for Boulder City Council to bring focus back to good governance, safety and sustainability. As Chair of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board and a longtime community volunteer, Jenny has a proven record of service and collaboration. She believes in fiscal responsibility, supporting small businesses, protecting open space and making Boulder more affordable for working families. Learn more about her vision and get involved at JennyForBoulder.com
‘Nature did not burn down’: Wild Bear presses on after Nederland fire destroys its home
The Nederland nonprofit is continuing outdoor education programs and ramping up fundraising for a new nature center after losing its longtime home in the Caribou Village Fire. Continue reading…
CU faculty urge university to join statewide ‘defense compact’ resisting Trump higher ed policies
The Boulder Faculty Assembly is urging CU to join other Colorado universities in a Mutual Academic Defense Compact and reject federal efforts to align university policies with Trump’s agenda. Continue reading…
Jill Grano, Laura Kaplan, Lisa Morzel and Philip Ogren: Boulder should put its 174 acres of airport land to better use
The city-owned site could help address housing, traffic and equity challenges if Boulder regains control from the FAA. Continue reading…
A few nice days ahead of a gusty cooldown
Even with a small low spinning across southern Colorado today, Boulder’s weather will stay pretty quiet. If you’re out and about, glance up. All the clouds will be drifting in from the east, a rare sight around here to not be accompanied by precipitation. Sunshine should break through later in the day with seasonal temps in the low 60s.
Tomorrow is shaping up to be a weekend favorite, with sunny skies, light winds, and highs pushing toward 70 degrees.
By Sunday, a larger storm system will swing into the Pacific Northwest, but current guidance keeps it north of Colorado. The mountains will pick up some snow, but Boulder looks to stay dry under downslope conditions. That said, expect cooler temps and gusty winds to kick in as we head into early next week.
And for those of you wishing for the first snowflakes in town, no signs just yet. It definitely looks like we’ll be waiting until November.
The Future of Environmental Communication in Challenging Times (sponsored)
As polarization, distrust and disinvestment erode public understanding and concern for critical environmental issues, how might we chart a better path forward? Please join the Center for Environmental Journalism for an engaging discussion with five esteemed panelists – co-sponsored by the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information – on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7pm. This will be held in ATLAS 100 and is free and open to the public.
Council approves $521 million 2026 budget, adds demolition and transportation maintenance fees
On Oct. 23, the Boulder City Council adopted City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde’s proposed $521 million budget for 2026 in an 8-1 vote. Councilmember Taishya Adams voted against the adoption.
The vote finalizes a spending plan that slightly increases the city’s overall operating budget compared with 2025, but also includes departmental cuts and eliminates 19 mostly vacant positions. The cuts include reductions to the general fund for the first time since the Covid pandemic, aimed at closing a projected $7.5 million shortfall.
Rivera-Vandermyde called it “the hardest budget I’ve ever worked on in my professional career,” aside from the pandemic. The reductions come as sales tax revenue — Boulder’s largest single revenue source — has flattened, and more than $50 million in federal funds remain undistributed, creating added uncertainty for city finances. Additionally, property tax is rising at one of the lowest rates Boulder has seen since 2011.
The 2026 budget also relies on two new fees with potentially far-reaching policy impacts. One would charge property owners who demolish single-family homes and replace them with larger ones a fee of $15 per additional square foot. The other is a transportation maintenance fee for property owners, calculated based on the estimated number of trips a property typically generates, and expected to raise $6.2 million a year to help fund long-delayed maintenance projects. Read more on BRL.
Polis administration allocates funds to support families amid halted SNAP payments
With the federal shutdown halting November food assistance for more than 600,000 Coloradans, the Polis administration announced new state measures to help prevent hunger and support food banks already under strain.
On Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis announced a plan to allocate up to $10 million in state funding to food banks and pantries statewide, extend WIC nutrition access through November, and launch a new philanthropic partnership through Feeding Colorado. The state also released a map showing where Coloradans rely most on SNAP.
The action comes as Boulder County’s major family resource centers warn that food insecurity is rising sharply and that their food banks are already at or near capacity, even before the SNAP freeze.
Boulder library workers formally request board recognize their union
Boulder Public Library District employees on Oct. 21 formally asked the library board to voluntarily recognize their union and codify collective bargaining rights.
Workers said they reached majority support within a week, with 62% of staff signing union membership cards. They also asked the board to adopt a proposed policy that would clarify a process for union recognition and affirm the workers’ right to bargain a contract with the district. In testimony to the board, workers emphasized the simplicity of the policy and the benefits of the clarity that it would provide.
“We hope you all agree that having the right to collective bargaining is something every worker should have the right to choose to do,” said library worker Christine Burke. “Still, even if you may feel differently, we hope you can see that having a clearly outlined and fair process will ultimately benefit everyone.” Read more on BRL.
Gunbarrel Library opens its doors this weekend
Meanwhile, Gunbarrel’s long-awaited library opens to the public at 9 a.m. today, with a grand opening celebration set for Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6500 Lookout Road.
Saturday’s free, all-ages event will feature live music from local bands On the Dot and the B-Flatirons Clarinet Quartet, food trucks, carnival games, face painting, and visits from Pete the Cat and Heatherwood Elementary’s mascot, Sparky. Firefighters will also be on site with a fire truck, and attendees can enjoy crafts, storytime, yard games, and a Q&A with local artist Bree Angela, whose work appears in the library’s children’s area. Costumes are encouraged, and food will be available.
East Arapahoe getting new bus and turn lanes
The city is converting underused right lanes on Arapahoe Avenue between 28th Street and Cherryvale Road into combined bus and right-turn lanes to improve traffic flow and bus travel times. The work, coordinated with CDOT resurfacing to reduce costs and disruptions, is scheduled for today and Nov. 6-7, weather permitting.
Drivers can expect nighttime lane closures with flaggers directing traffic, though business and local access will remain open. The city says the changes aim to reduce conflicts between buses and cars while making right turns safer and faster.
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