NEDERLAND - The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, to take action on several funding matters related to upcoming special events, including staples like the Nederland Farmers Market’s Harvest Fest and the NederDays of Art. 

Funding requests

The NDDA approved Resolutions 2025-01, -02, and -03, authorizing the use of funding for various initiatives, including $120,000 for the 2025 Summer Concert Series, $75,000 for Beautification, and $50,000 for Event Support. All amounts had been previously approved by the Authority during their 2025 budget process.  

Board Members reviewed three applications for Event Support requesting funding for upcoming events. Each applicant could ask for up to $1,000 for marketing and $1,000 for traffic control and security. 

Following the Authority’s approval of funding requests for summer events, which totaled $19,600, there was $5,400 left in the 2025 Event Support budget.  

The Nederland Farmers Market requested $1,000 for marketing and $1,000 for traffic and safety for their Harvest Fest event on October 5, 2025.

Nederland Community Library requested $945 for marketing for their Strong Women/Sterke Vrouwen historical exhibition event to take place from mid-September to mid-October.

Stephanie Andelman of Stephnet requested $1,000 for marketing for a Silent Disco event to take place in winter at a location within the NDDA district.

All three requests for funding, totaling $3,945, were approved, leaving $1,055 remaining in the Authority’s Event Support fund.     

The Authority also heard from Danielle Crouse of the Nederland Public Art Committee regarding a funding request of $1890 for the 2025 NederDays of Art event.

The funds, which come from the Authority’s Public Art budget, would cover $115 in various supplies—including a bubbler machine, wands, and sidewalk chalk—$700 for advertising, $200 for a band, and more for permitting costs and additional supplies. 

The NederDays of Art will coincide with The Mountain-Ear’s Peak to Peak Studio Tour on September 20 and 21. 

“We have a collection of artists who will be hosted by businesses in town, as well as activities and pop-up studios planned,” Crouse explained.

The Authority voted unanimously to approve the Public Art Committee’s funding request.  

BOT relations

Board members were tasked with giving their final vote on their updated bylaws and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Authority and the Town of Nederland, which have been discussed, shared several times with the Board of Trustees (BOT) for input, and revised since March of this year. 

The bylaws are meant to guide the Authority on adhering to the collaborative processes set by the Town and the BOT, including the NDDA’s audit, budgetary, and project planning processes.

The MOU specifies the Town’s role in financially managing the Authority, in overseeing administrative matters and projects, and in approving Board elections, as well as outlining the best practices for collaboration between the two entities.

After the last review of the documents, clarification was added within the MOU regarding when and how the Authority’s Plan of Development will be assessed by the BOT. 

The MOU states: “The NDDA shall conduct an annual review of its Plan of Development at a regular meeting of the BOT. This review shall include a summary of completed projects, planned projects for the coming year, any proposed amendments to the Plan and review of alignment with the Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan.

The Plan of Development must comply with Colorado law and should include a list of proposed projects and a financing strategy for each of the projects.”

It continues to detail how the Authority’s Plan of Development will not only need to be approved by the BOT in a public hearing, but that any future amendments to the plan proposed by the NDDA must also go before the BOT in a public hearing for final approval.

Additional language was added to the MOU to require the NDDA Executive Director to notify Town staff whenever there is a decision by the Authority to deviate from an established plan or direction on a project.

The Authority must receive pre-approval from the Town Manager on any project that “impacts Town-owned property or right-of-way.”

Edits were made to the MOU to also better define “public benefit” as serving a public use and providing “health, safety, prosperity, security, and general welfare of the downtown area, the inhabitants thereof, and the broader Nederland community.” 

Language was also added which stipulated that both entities would review the MOU annually along with review of the Plan of Development.

NDDA Board members questioned whether their ability to fund events will be handicapped as a result of the updated bylaws and MOU dictating that collaboration on downtown infrastructure projects be prioritized. 

“I don’t think they’re asking you not to do anything else,” Town Manager Jonathan Cain said, clarifying the BOT’s intention regarding their use of language requiring the prioritization of infrastructure.

“I think it’s just that they want to see that priority that is expressed in the ballot language and in the plan of development, and that is the part of the work of DDA’s and what they do normally; finding ways to do that is maybe the magic sauce,” Cain said. 

The NDDA voted to approve both the updated bylaws and MOU with the Town of Nederland. 

Unfinished business

Unfortunately, due to an NDDA member needing to leave early, the Authority were forced to stop their meeting early as they no longer had a quorum. 

One tabled discussion would have covered the Town establishing financial oversight over the NDDA, which includes adhering to an annual budget process, requiring a monthly financial report, and cooperating with audit procedures. 

The Authority was tasked with discussing the 2026 budgeting process, with the Town stating that the process the Authority followed last year will not be accepted.

“Last year larger budget buckets were utilized to ensure continuation and allow the board to undertake priorities that arose as the comprehensive plan and sub area plan were completed,” stated the Agenda Information Memorandum prepared by NDDA Executive Director Kate Masingale. 

“This will not be the direction this year. There is a desire to have a work session in tandem with these activities to ensure alignment of priorities.”

Masingale stated, as the meeting came to a sudden close, that she will follow up with them individually in order to collect their feedback regarding what the Authority’s financial obligations should be for 2026. 

Also tabled until the next meeting was discussion on a Request for Proposal (RFP) draft from the Summer Concert Series Committee, originally planned to be released in late August in order to begin soliciting responses from artists who wish to be a part of the 2026 concert series.

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 6 p.m. and will be held online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/downtown-development-authority.