NEDERLAND — The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) met on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, to discuss their upcoming election and to make a decision regarding the current empty seat on their own Board.

But first, the BOT recognized and congratulated this year’s Town of Nederland 2025 Employee(s) of the Year.

Town Manager Jonathan Cain read the proclamation made in recognition of Nederland’s Community Planner Britt DeMinck and Treasurer Rita Six.

“Rita Six, Town Treasurer, has for the past two years played a central role in strengthening the Town’s financial operations, guiding the organization through a challenging fiscal environment with clarity, professionalism, and sound judgment, while managing the Finance Department with consistency and care.

“Six has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her willingness to step forward, support colleagues across departments, and uphold the highest standards of public service with steadiness, grace, and professionalism,” Cain proclaimed.

“Brittany DeMinck stepped into a complex role and quickly built strong working knowledge of the Nederland Municipal Code, navigating challenging land use matters and emergency response conditions related to the Caribou Fire.

“DeMinck has consistently demonstrated a collaborative approach to her work, supporting colleagues, engaging thoughtfully with the community, and contributing to a culture of problem solving, trust, and shared responsibility.” 

“You do fantastic work throughout the year that often goes unrecognized,” Mayor Pro Tem Nichole Sterling added. “Thank you.” 

Empty seat 

Trustees were tasked with appointing one of two applicants interested in the seat previously held by Trustee Aaron Tye, who submitted his resignation on November 18. Trustees previously approved Tye’s position being filled by appointment, rather than by special election or to remain operating as a Board of six until the next scheduled municipal election. 

The application process was open from November 19 to December 10, with two applicants—Meg Fox and Andrew Joslin—submitting their interest in the available term, which only lasts until April of 2026. Trustees previously noted, however, that any applicant would also be expected to consider a run for a full term on the Board in April. 

Fox moved to Nederland three years ago, and, having volunteered for the Nederland Farmers Market and serving as a member of the Public Art Committee, wishes to “jump in with both feet” as far as committing to service on a Town board. 

Sterling asked how Fox would handle disagreements on certain recommendations from Town staff and regarding “highly polarized” community issues, to which Fox held communicating in a respectful manner as a precedent. 

To Trustee Luke Miller’s question about Fox’s capacity to absorb a large amount of information, Fox stated that she was looking forward to it, as she was curious to learn about the inner workings of the Town government. 

To Trustee Kristopher Larsen’s questions about the time commitment of a Trustee, and whether Fox would consider running in the regular election in April, 2026, Fox answered that she would be able to fulfill the time commitment and that she was interested in running in the election, regardless of the outcome of the night’s vote. 

Joslin is Fire Marshal with the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) and an 11-year resident who, in recognizing the similarities between how the NFPD and the BOT operate,  wants to contribute more to the community in a different way.

Sterling asked the same questions regarding how Joslin would handle disagreements and heated community issues, to which Joslin stated that, as a Trustee, Town staff needs to be treated as subject matter experts in regard to their recommendations, and that when facing scrutiny from the public he finds it best to find common ground as a base for discussion.    

To Trustee Tierney Maris’s question as to what skills Joslin would bring to the Board, Joslin answered that it would be his ability to listen. 

Trustee Tania Corvalan asked of any potential conflicts of interest that could arise due to Joslin’s work as Fire Marshal, considering the position’s adjacency with several Town-related matters, certain projects that require collaboration or input from the NFPD, and dealing with building inspections and code. 

Town Attorney Jennifer Madsen noted that there are no laws prohibiting Joslin from serving on the Board, and that when discussing particular matters as a Trustee he would have to refrain from advocating as a member of the NFPD, and would have to recuse himself from voting on any matters where there is a potential conflict.    

A motion was made to appoint Fox to the vacancy on the BOT, which was seconded but did not pass. The following motion to appoint Joslin to the open seat was seconded and approved. Mayor Billy Giblin officially swore in Joslin, who promptly joined the Board for the remainder of the meeting.  

Trustees expressed that they hope both appointee Joslin and applicant Fox enter the running for Trustee in the upcoming municipal election.

Giblin’s, Corvalan’s, and Trustee Maris’ terms on the Board are all ending in April of next year. The regular municipal election, which will include the vote for two Trustee seats and the next Nederland mayor, is currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Nomination Petitions will be released on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, and are to be submitted to Nederland’s Town Clerk by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 26.

Written requests for an absentee ballot can be submitted to the Town Clerk starting Wednesday, January 7, 2026, by written request, emailed to townclerk@nederlandco.org, or mailed to P.O. Box 396, Nederland, CO 80466. The last day to request an absentee ballot will be Friday, April 3.

NDDA position

The Board was set to vote on the appointment of Ron Mitchell to one of three vacant seats on the Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA). Mitchell was the only person to apply for the position, which has been open since late Summer of 2025. 

Mitchell has previously served on the NDDA from 2020 to 2024, and was a major part of the organization’s inception back in 2005.

In July of 2024, Trustees voted against the NDDA’s recommendation and appointed Everett Nielsen to the open seat, rather than approve another four year term for Mitchell. At that time, Corvalan and Sterling argued heavily for Mitchell and even directly questioned other members of the Board as to why they voted against him. 

Mayor Giblin stated then that a change was needed for the NDDA, and that “infighting and dysfunction” had impeded the Authority’s ability to operate efficiently and effectively. 

In the year and a half since the decision to reject Mitchell was made, the NDDA has struggled to keep a full board, and in the fall of this year had many issues maintaining quorum in order to hold a meeting.

As the Authority’s main project—the town-wide Wayfinding initiative—has yet to be implemented, the main focus of the NDDA board has been to update their bylaws and define their working relationship with the Town. 

Before the matter would have been quickly passed through a blanket approval of the Consent Agenda, Mayor Giblin made a motion to table the matter and strike it from the agenda due to the Authority having yet to weigh in on Mitchell’s application and provide Trustees with a recommendation.

NDDA Executive Director Kate Masingale stated that Trustees had previously voted to appoint Dwight DeBroux to the Authority in a similar manner, through the Board’s Consent Agenda, on July 1, 2025. 

Town Clerk Macy Caligaris reiterated that whenever there are fewer applicants than there are open positions on the board in question the matter goes to the BOT on the Consent Agenda for vote; the matter only goes to the particular advisory board for review and formal recommendation when there are more candidates than available positions.

Giblin’s motion was seconded but did not pass, as concerns of consistency regarding the fair treatment of NDDA Board applicants were raised. Giblin then moved to change the issue to an official Action Item for further discussion, which was seconded and approved. 

“The culture grew quite toxic and Ron was part of that dynamic,” Giblin said, discussing how he was feeling “challenged” by the decision to appoint Mitchell. “I don’t believe Ron will be a productive member of the group at this time.”

“When we deter from the process, that’s discrimination,” Sterling stated, in relation to the matter being scrutinized rather than moved forward. “I think it’s inappropriate, honestly.”

A motion was made to approve the appointment of Mitchell onto the vacant seat on the NDDA Board, which was approved by a 4 - 2 vote. 

Minor subdivision

Trustees were tasked with voting on a minor subdivision application regarding the property at 95 West 1st Street being subdivided into three lots, to adhere to the conditions set by the Ralph Meyerton Living Trust. 

The Planning Commission, as well as Town staff, previously assessed the minor subdivision application according to the criteria outlined in Nederland Municipal Code (NMC) Section 17-36. 

These criteria highlight whether the proposed minor subdivision meets the legal definition of a minor subdivision; that the split lots each conform to the requirements of their zoning designation; that, in the event of development, adequate water and wastewater utilities can and will be provided; and that any development on the property would conform to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. 

Both the Commission and Town staff found that the subdivision application from Mark Meyerton met all the criteria. As neither the Nederland Fire Protection District nor the Town’s Utilities, Parks, or Streets Departments had any objections to the pending approval of the application, Commissioners unanimously approved the minor subdivision on November 19.

Though it was clarified by Community Planner Britt DeMinck that there currently are no plans for development on the land, in the event of any future development Nederland’s Downtown Subarea Plan recommends flexible use for Industrial property zones, which would allow for an expansion to the Use Group Table within municipal code, pending review by impacted property owners and Nederland officials.  

Trustees had no questions or concerns regarding the minor subdivision application and approved it unanimously. 

Home occupation businesses

The Board also voted to approve Ordinance 883, amending NMC Section 16-76 to allow “home occupation” businesses to operate in Neighborhood Commercial (NC), General Commercial (GC), and Central Business District (CBD) zoning districts.  

Such businesses were previously allowed only in residential zoning districts, until a question over the legality of a local bakery stand was brought before the Planning Commission back in September. During that discussion, Commissioners directed Town staff to draft the ordinance.

The Nederland Board of Trustees meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Their first meeting of the new year  is scheduled for Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 7 p.m. and can be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/board-of-trustees.