Dear Editor,

The winter recruitment for Boulder County Advisory Boards is happening now through January 7th. The boards cover a wide range of topics from waste diversion to land use to cultural responsiveness and inclusion. To see a full list of vacancies and apply go to https://boco.org/AdvBoardList.

One of the boards that has an opening is the Nederland Eco Pass Public Improvement District Advisory Committee (NEPPIDAC). This committee advises the Boulder County Commissioners on matters related to the Nederland Eco Pass. The Nederland Eco Pass gives residents of the improvement district free rides on all RTD services. The boundaries of the Eco Pass District are the same as those of the Nederland Library District. You can find a map of the district at https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/nederland-ecopassboundarymap.pdf. The Eco Pass is funded with a property tax that runs through 2023. Next year NEPPIDAC will be involved in crafting a property tax measure to go on the ballot in 2023 for continued funding of the Nederland Eco Pass.

If you are a fan of public transportation, live in the Eco Pass Improvement District and want to support the continuation of the Nederland Eco Pass Program, I urge you to apply for the NEPPIDAC opening. We meet virtually each quarter and have a fantastic liaison from Boulder County who handles communication with the county commissioners, prepares the meeting agendas, facilitates the meetings, and takes minutes. There are lots of exciting things going on with public transportation in our county and state that relate to the Eco Pass. Boulder County is considering county-wide free transit to be funded by a sales tax that would go to the voters next year. The Governor’s proposed budget includes money to fund free bus and train rides during next year’s high ozone months. RTD begins a study next year to re-evaluate their fares and equity, that may result in reduced costs for Eco Pass Programs.

If you have any questions about NEPPIDAC, feel free to contact me at karenjoanblakemore@gmail.com.

Karen Blakemore

Nederland