The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) met on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at 7 p.m. to hear an update on the Town’s contract for full-time law enforcement coverage, and to choose a third-party consultant group to assist in the drafting of a Comprehensive Plan update.

The BOT approved a contract with Godot Communications, Inc. (GCI), a consultant group needed for the development of Nederland’s branding and marketing campaign.

GCI was chosen from 15 proposals; they estimate the job will take three months to complete, with 80 hours being dedicated to community engagement, 80 hours to the design of the campaign, 40 hours to devising a marketing plan, and 40 hours to education and outreach. GCI proposed a fixed bid of $25,000, which will be partially funded from $20,000 awarded to the Town from the Tourism Management Grant.

Trustees also approved a Request for Proposal for IT support for the Town to be released on September 6, with a due date of September 27, 2023.

The Board also formally expressed support for Boulder County Parks & Open Space’s initiative to submit a grant application to the State Historical Fund to potentially fund the architectural drawings required for the structural rehabilitation of the historic Tucker cabin and property.

Division Chief for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Jim Chamberlin and Commander Robyn VanDerLeest presented an update on the Town of Nederland’s pending contract with BCSO for full-time law enforcement coverage.

On March 21, 2023, the BOT repealed their previous decision concerning the level of staffing from BCSO, originally made on February 28, and opted for one full-time sergeant, three full-time deputies, one backfill deputy, and 50% of dedicated time from a detective.

After the approval of this level of law enforcement coverage, Trustees unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with BCSO.

On February 28, during a presentation by Chamberlin, it was stated that a full-time sergeant would be assigned to Nederland by the summer. It is now projected that a sergeant will be hired by October.

VanDerLeest, who has been with the department since June, took questions from Trustees regarding when Nederland can expect full-time law enforcement coverage.

With the due date for applications in mid-September, there is currently one applicant for the sergeant position. BCSO expects a decision to be made by the end of September and a sergeant to be in place by mid to late October.

Regarding when the Town can expect dedicated day shift deputies, Chamberlin stated that BCSO is expecting several new graduates from the academy, which, VanDerLeest added, would open up the possibilities of “seasoned” deputies applying to work in Nederland.

Christian Gardner-Wood, Director of Legislative Affairs and of the Community Protection Division (CPD) of the District Attorney’s Office, presented information on the services provided by the CPD, which serves Boulder County by protecting the rights of at-risk community members, mitigating individual disputes, and providing outreach and education to help community members from becoming victims of crime.

Gardner-Wood indicated how the CPD offers assistance in resolving disputes between consumers and businesses, and also prosecutes crimes against older adults, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ population, including hate crimes, caretaker neglect, financial exploitation, and other complex financial crimes, as well as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

The CPD also provides community education and outreach, including referrals to legal and community resources, and presentations for any community organization on topics such as identity theft, wage theft, contractor fraud, bullying, internet safety, elder abuse, and scams and frauds.

According to Gardner-Wood’s presentation, there were 2.4 million fraud reports in 2022, which was a 30% increase from 2021 and resulted in an $8.8 billion dollar loss, $1,400 median loss per victim.

The BOT was tasked with reviewing proposals from third-party consultants to assist in the drafting of an update to the Town’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The update is funded by $100,000 from the Department of Local Affairs Energy/ Mineral Impact Assistance Fund grant.

Trustees heard presentations from two consultant groups selected from proposals sent between July 19 and August 16, 2023: SE Group and Norris Design.

Project Manager Kate Berg, Principal in Charge Elena Scott, and Project Planner Matthew Siegle from Norris Design presented first. Scott indicated that she had worked with the Town of Nederland on the original 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Ethan Mobley of Norris Design was also present and stated his expertise as a fire protection engineer with his own team consisting of fire prevention specialists.

Norris Design ensured that, based on their prior experience and knowledge of the Town and its community, the comprehensive plan update would reflect the community’s vision for sustainable growth. They offered a three-phase, 15-month schedule for the drafting of the update, which involves four months for the discovery of information, eight months to discuss and draft the update, and three months to review and finalize the update.

The three-phase timeline would include weekly meetings with Town staff, 10 to 12 committee meetings, and community open houses. It will result in an updated comprehensive plan, a central business district (CBD) sub-area plan, a three-mile plan, land use code updates, and updated GIS mapping.

As examples of their work with municipalities similar to Nederland, Norris Design highlighted the Town of Yampa’s Comprehensive Plan, which saw a focus on housing needs and on economic growth in a “vibrant” downtown; and on the Town of Gypsum’s Comprehensive Plan, which also contained a Downtown and Market District plan and language supporting wayfinding and transportation initiatives.

In conclusion, Norris Design noted their knowledge of Boulder County, of working with mountain communities, and of understanding municipal budgeting and growth management, as the direct experience that can benefit the Town of Nederland.

Cheney Bostic, owner of urban planning firm Studio Seed, Carly Sieff of transportation planning firm Fehr and Peers, and Gabby Voeller, project manager for SE Group, presented as SE Group. Mark Kane is also the Principal in Charge and worked previously with the Town in developing the 2013 Comprehensive Plan.

SE Group has expertise in designing ski resorts and specializes in community planning and design with a focus on resort towns, trail and recreation planning, and environmental impact assessments. Studio Seed has worked in urban planning and design throughout Colorado for 17 years, with experience in Idaho Springs, Lafayette, and Superior. Fehr and Peers has experience in developing multimodal transportation plans for the front range.

Their collaborative efforts are expected to deliver an artful, informative, and accessible comprehensive plan through balancing the wants of visitors with the needs of locals, which includes a CBD sub-area plan that focuses on CBD growth through boundary expansion, housing development through code change, and coordinating with the comprehensive plan process to preserve Nederland’s character.

As examples of their work, SE Group indicated the Town of Fruita’s Comprehensive Plan, which saw a focus on allowing different housing types and on trail connectivity, and on the Town of Minturn’s 100 Block Sub-area Plan, which also involved a design standard guideline for their downtown, which SE Group represented with a 3D model rendering.

After Trustees heard both presentations and asked clarifying questions, a motion was made to direct Town staff to complete contract negotiations with Norris Design. The motion was seconded but failed on a 3-3 vote.

A motion was made to direct Town staff to complete contract negotiations with SE Group. The motion was seconded and passed 4-2.

Trustees discussed the requirement of revisiting their decision to approve Ordinance 837, rezoning 100 1st Street from High Density Residential (HDR) to Central Business District (CBD) to allow for the possible construction of a paid parking lot.

A referendum petition urging the BOT to repeal their decision was formally submitted on May 5, 2023. A protest of the petition was submitted on June 14, and a hearing was held on June 20, 2023, which resulted in the petition being declared sufficient.

The BOT must decide whether to repeal their decision of approving Ordinance 837, returning the lot’s zone classification back to HDR, or to hold a special election within 60 to 150 days of August 17, 2023.

Ron Mitchell, owner of the lot in question, sent a letter to Trustees asking for them to repeal their original decision. With 100 1st Street classified as HDR, Mitchell would submit a planned unit development application to the Planning Commission to request using the lot for paid parking.

Trustees gave a nod of four in favor of repealing their approval of Ordinance 837, which will be drafted in an ordinance to be voted on during the next scheduled meeting on September 19.

Town Administrator Miranda Fisher led the Trustees in a discussion concerning the Town committing to Proposition 123, which is the program that controls the State Affordable Housing Fund and provides municipalities access to sustainable funding for affordable housing projects.

The Town must commit to increasing affordable housing by 9% over a period of three years, which would be November 2026 if approved; and to commit by November of this year in order to access project and program funding for use by the local government as well as by “local housing partners such as nonprofits, developers, residents, and other third-party entities.”

Trustees gave a nod of four in favor of committing to Proposition 123, with the baseline goal of seven affordable housing units to be constructed within three years, which the BOT felt was their most tangible goal. This item will return on the consent agenda of the board’s next meeting.

The Nederland Board of Trustees meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Their next scheduled meeting is on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 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