Board of Trustees Pursues Performance Space Concept

Pam North

Nederland

The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) met on Tuesday evening, May 21, at the Nederland Community Center. Town Clerk Michele Martin reported that the ballot initiative petition for retail marijuana that she signed on March 22 had come back into her office with revisions, and that she had reviewed, approved and signed a new certificate on May 2.

The ballot's proponents are now planning to collect signatures. She also mentioned that the Nederland Winter Economic Boost (NedWEB) program will finish this month, and that it has been very popular, boosting public relations and local businesses. A post-program survey will be sent to businesses and residents, after which a progress report will be sent to Boulder County by July 1.

NedWEB , is a pilot project utilizing Boulder County Economic Development Grant funds to

create a more sustainable local economy, encouraging consumers to get in the habit of

shopping locally, and revving up commerce during the cold weather slump. Sustained, more

even, year around activity that would gain momentum and beneficially shape consumer

behavior is the focus.

Each month, from January through May, each of the first 66 presenters visiting Town Hall

with $100 worth of receipts from Nederland businesses or service providers on the

Nederland “Good Neighbor Business” list, received a voucher worth $15 that could be

redeemed like cash at any participating local retailer whose establishment displays the

NedWEB sticker. The voucher then could be redeemed at Town Hall by the business for the

$15, plus an additional $1 handling fee. The program thus encourages a customer to shop

twice.

Town Treasurer Eva Forberger gave her report on operating revenues and expenses,

and also said that year-to-date sales tax is about even with that of last year.

Police Chief Jake Adler's report noted a large number of transients in and around

Nederland with the onset of warmer weather, and that town residents should be vigilant

for any unusual or suspicious activity. Public Works Manager Jason Morrison reported that

the new sewer plant is online, with the inflow of surface and ground water adding

additional load on the plant. The south lagoon was being drained to install a line for

decanting, and the sludge removal contractor was finishing pumping out the north lagoon

in preparation for fill and recontouring.

Nederland Community Center Coordinator Dawn Baumhover's report indicated a steady

increase in participation and usership of the recreational component of that facility.

Mayor Joe Gierlach explained that his report was on the Town's website, and that the

Fourth of July celebration would have the theme of celebrating energy independence as a

substitute for the traditional fireworks, which had been viewed as too expensive and a

fire danger.

Town Administrator Alisha Reis gave a BOT goals update, citing that the lagoon draining,

decommissioning and final grading and landscaping were under review for completion in

June, and that Town staff members were working with the Saws & Slaws group and the

Nederland Fire District to mitigate fire danger around the water treatment plant, along

with the June 1, Town cleanup focusing on defensible space.

She also informed the Board that the Boulder County Commissioners had announced the

recipients of six Sustainability Grants, one of which will be awarded to the Town of

Nederland. Nederland will receive $15,000 to hire a part-time sustainability coordinator

to ensure integrated planning within their comprehensive land use plan and master

infrastructure plan, moving overall town operations more toward sustainability.

The Town of Nederland expects this effort to produce a Sustainability Action Plan

(already begun as a grassroots project within the town’s Sustainability Advisory Board),

as well as integration of sustainability into the Town’s Master Infrastructure Plan and

Comprehensive Plan.

Greg Ching, founder of The Solar Greens Company based near Nederland, gave a

presentation on his My Terrace Farmer, a small-space greenhouse which he has developed

and is marketing. The modular smart-solar structure focuses on growing healthy food in a

convenient space while reducing carbon footprint. The small-space greenhouse is

self-sufficient, self-fertilizing and self-watering and features a rainwater collection

system and shelves to accommodate plants.

The 2012 Town Audit presentation was given by John Cutler & Associates, an

independent auditing firm. Their report indicated that the Town's financial statements

“presented fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the

governmental activities, business-type activities, each major fund and the aggregate

remaining fund information of the Town of Nederland as of Dec. 31, 2012, and the

respective changes in financial position, and where applicable, cash flows thereof for

the year then ended, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the

United States of America.”

The EcoPass program was discussed. The Nederland EcoPass provides a free pass to

unlimited usage of RTD (Regional Transportation District) services, on a per year basis,

to all residents within the Nederland Library District. More than 1,200 town residents

have picked up their EcoPass so far.

The 2013 cost of the Nederland Eco Pass was $85,279, or roughly $70 per person for those

who picked up an EcoPass. The cost of a Nederland Eco Pass for 2014 is unknown at this

time, but RTD’s policy is to limit annual price increases to 10 percdent. This would mean

a maximum price of $93,807 for 2014, assuming the current geographical boundaries for the

Eco Pass remain the same.

The Nederland EcoPass has been very successful, and Boulder County would like to help

Nederland create a sustainable funding source to keep the program operating in 2014 and

beyond. To help the Board discuss potential funding options for continuing the Eco Pass

program, funding options were suggested: property tax; local improvement district; sales

tax; other districts.

For tax items that would require a ballot measure, two alternatives were mentioned:

inclusion with the Boulder County ballot; or a separate Nederland Town Issue ballot.

Given the success and popularity of the Nederland Eco Pass program, Town staff

recommended that the Board of Trustees consider and adopt an ongoing funding mechanism to

continue the Eco Pass program into 2014 and beyond.

Consideration of the application of Jody Andrews to fill a vacancy on the

Sustainability Advisory Board resulted in his appointment by a unanimous vote of

approval. A proposal for a performance space at the decommissioned north lagoon site was

discussed at length. An adjusted grading plan allows for a potential concrete pad that

could serve as the basis for staging and other performance equipment, as well as access

to on-site power for amplified music and lighted performance.

Basic power is provided to the site in the form of an existing transformer at the south

edge of the lagoon area, which once powered aerators and other machinery related to the

lagoon-based treatment system. The Board had directed staff at its May 7 meeting to move

forward with plans for earthwork to fill in the lagoon in a manner possible for it to be

used for the performance space concept. The Board also at that time set for public

hearing review of the concept at its May 21 meeting per code requirement for all new

public facilities. Pricing considerations for new facilities also were requested.

The Board members voiced various opinions about constructing a permanent venue for

entertainment and its size and configuration, and whether it was best to include the

project with current plans and funding. Noise concerns were addressed. Many letters of

public support had been submitted to Town Hall. A public hearing was opened for comments,

of which there were none. The Board approved continuing to pursue the project as a

positive element for the town.

Requests for fee waivers for Old Timers' Days Parade and the Miners’ Days events by the

Nederland Historical Society were discussed. Recommendations by Town staff were for a

full discount for the community-based Old Timers’ Days event and parade with no

extraneous demand upon Town resources and with recycling and compost recommended as much as possible for associated picnic waste.

For Miners’ Days a 50 percent discount on special events fees had been recommended,

given the fund-raising nature of the event. The Board voted unanimously for fee waivers

as per those recommendations.

A facility agreement for Peak to Peak Music Education Association (PPMEA) NedFest,

including camping allowance, was discussed and approved. This will be the 15th annual

NedFest event, and it will take place on Aug. 23 to 25 in Chipeta Park and the Guercio

Memorial Ballfield.

An ordinance adopting the 2010 Edition of the Model Traffic Code (MTC), with

amendments, was unanimously approved. The Town had adopted, by reference, the 1995

edition of the MTC. The MTC, promulgated by the Colorado Department of Transportation,

generally models and reflects state traffic laws, and it is periodically updated by the

Colorado Department of Transportation with new editions released to reflect changes in

those laws. The MTC has been updated three times since 1995 in 2003, 2009 and 2010.

The next regular meeting of rhe Nederland Board of Trustees will be on Tues. June 4, at

7 p.m. in the second-floor multi-purpose room at the Community Center, 750 Highway 72

North, in Nederland.