It’s Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Good morning, Boulder. I hope you’re well.
For today, we cover a neighborhood in Sugarloaf that was without electricity for some 80 hours thanks to the heavy snow that fell last Thursday and Friday. Though temps didn’t drop low enough to make frozen pipes an immediate concern, almost everyone in the Millionaire neighborhood relies on well water with electric pumps, and some are on oxygen tanks that require batteries to function — batteries that must be recharged. With roughly 50 inches of snow falling in the area, residents were stranded in the dark and the cold.
Despite the significant impacts of the power outage, residents said very little communication was provided by Xcel Energy. Apart from an initial message acknowledging the outage, Xcel offered few updates on why it remained out for so long, even as it worked to restore power to tens of thousands across the state.
Also, Boulder’s occupancy limits could be voided by state law. A bill in the statehouse, heading soon to Governor Polis’ desk for signing, would end limits that Polis said especially hurts renters. The City of Boulder has not taken a position on the bill.
I hope you have the very loveliest of days.
— Tim, reporter
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Featured stories
‘A level of danger that was uncomfortable’: Enduring 80 hours without power, while on oxygen, in Boulder County’s massive snowstorm
While many in the Millionaire neighborhood in Sugarloaf have backup power options, the four days without electricity during and after the March 14-15 snowstorm pushed those systems to the brink. The storm highlighted the particular perils weather extremes can pose for vulnerable residents. Continue reading…
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In other news
60s and sunny
Wow. What weather we’re having. Talk about spring, huh? The 60s will continue through Saturday with sun making up for lost time. Come Sunday, it’ll rain, but that’s like four days away, and who can even think that far in the future?
Boulder’s occupancy limits may soon be illegal
Colorado lawmakers in the House and Senate have passed a bill that would outlaw cities like Boulder from imposing occupancy limits that restrict the number of unrelated people who can live together.
Proponents of the measure see it as a way to increase housing affordability by allowing people to share housing costs among more individuals. Opponents of the bill argue cities with loose local control will be negatively impacted.
Assuming House lawmakers sign off on amendments made in the Senate, the bill will head to the governor’s desk. Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign it. In this year’s state of the state address, he advocated for “ending discriminatory occupancy limits that especially hurt renters.”
The Boulder City Council in August 2023 raised the city’s occupancy limits on how many unrelated people can live together from as few as three to five across much of the city.
All lawmakers representing the City of Boulder and Boulder County have voted in support of the bill. Organizers with the Bedroom Are For People campaign, which sought to raise the city’s occupancy limit through an unsuccessful ballot measure in 2021, have testified in support of the legislation. The City of Boulder has not taken a position on the bill, according to Carl Castillo, the city’s chief policy advisory.
Under the bill, cities would still be able to restrict the number of people who can live together based on “demonstrated health and safety standards, such as international building code standards, fire code regulations, or Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment wastewater and water quality standards.” The law would take effect in July 2024. Read on BRL.
Boulder honors victims three years after King Soopers mass shooting
The Boulder Strong Day of Remembrance will be held this Friday, March 22, to mark three years since the tragic mass shooting that took the lives of 10 people in our community. The event is free and open to the public.
The event will feature speakers, live music and a moment of silence to honor the lives lost too soon:
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
Suzanne Fountain, 59
Kevin Mahoney, 61
Lynn Murray, 62
Rikki Olds, 25
Denny Stong, 20
Neven Stanisic, 23
Eric Talley, Boulder police officer, 51
Teri Leiker, 51
Jody Waters, 65
“March 22 is a day to pause, come together and acknowledge the collective loss, trauma, and healing we have experienced as a community. It is a day to honor the victims and support all those whose lives were forever altered on that day,” said City of Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett. “It is also a day to reflect on the resilience and strength our community has demonstrated in the three years that have passed since that tragic afternoon.”
The Boulder Strong Resource Center is also available to provide healing and support services for those affected by trauma related to the mass shooting. The center is located at 2935 Baseline Road in Boulder.
Event details:
When: March 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Where: Via livestream or in-person at eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St. in Boulder.
City plans to begin churning out modular homes this fall
Construction is underway on a modular home factory at 6500 Arapahoe Road that the City of Boulder says will be up and running this fall. Modular homes, prefabricated buildings that can be assembled more efficiently, have the potential to drive down home construction costs as the city seeks to meet affordability goals. BVSD plans to provide students with educational courses at the factory.
The city had planned to open the factory early this year. But weather caused construction delays, according to the city. Last year, residents sued the city in an effort to block the project from moving ahead, citing concerns over potential environmental impacts. A judge last year dismissed the lawsuit and allowed construction to proceed.
Wonderland Creek floodplain redrawn
Following extensive flood mitigation along the creek, including a $30 million project completed in 2019 to modify the floodplain, the City of Boulder has released an updated 100-year floodplain map for Wonderland Creek, stretching from Foothills Parkway to Winding Trail. The new map shows less risk of flooding for structures that were previously at risk.
“Flood mitigation projects can take decades to complete, which makes it difficult to see the benefits this work brings to our community in real time,” said the city’s engineering projects manager, Brandon Coleman. “The new floodplain map is a tangible result of our efforts to enhance our community’s safety and brings to a close a fifteen-year project on Wonderland Creek.”
These updated floodplain maps will be used to determine federal flood insurance rates. The new maps may also mean residents no longer need flood insurance.
Claim your Gross Reservoir money
If you’re impacted by the Gross Reservoir expansion project, now’s the time to get your allotment of the Gross Reservoir Community Mitigation Fund. Eligible residents have only six weeks left, with a deadline of April 30. Currently, 50 claims remain unfilled. But don’t go applying willy nilly for cash. If you didn’t get a letter telling you you’re eligible, you’re probably not.
Parks and Rec is hiring 150 people for summer positions
The city is looking to hire lifeguards, dance instructors, cashiers, maintenance crews members and more. For some jobs, the city is seeking applicants as young as 15. Job listings can be found here. I worked as a camp counselor at the Boulder Reservoir back in 2012 teaching sailing and windsurfing. I knew how to do neither, so don’t be intimidated in your application.
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