John Scarffe, Nederland. At the Board of Trustees’ regular meeting on Tuesday, August 19, they heard strong opposition to a proposed Buds, Burgers, and Beers festival. Fourteen Nederland residents, including three school principals, urged the Board to vote against the event.

Buds, Burgers and Beers (BBB) is a proposed festival that seeks to include the marijuana industry while not making it the central component of the event. Organizers think that as part of the evolution of legal marijuana in the state of Colorado, marijuana will become a normal part of culture rather than something seen as different and unique.

This festival will encourage this normalization by including it with other popular cultural items (burgers, craft beer and music) rather than making marijuana the focus. The Buds, Burgers and Beers festival would be conducted by Fab Fests, LLC, a Colorado company owned by Boulder resident and entrepreneur Allan Wright, owner of Zephyr Adventures, which has been in operation for 18 years as an organizer of food and drink events around the world.

The Executive Director of the festival would be Boulder resident and attorney Allan Parr. Mr. Parr runs his own business law firm and has previous experience as an investor in the marijuana industry. The Event Manager is Kendal Norris, an experienced event manager who has conducted a large variety of events in Colorado and beyond, including festivals focused on alcohol such as an upcoming festival at Sanitas Brewing.

The applicants have met with Town staff and the marshal and applied for the necessary permits for use of the Guercio Ballfield for serving alcohol. The applicant revised the operating plan after the meeting with the Trustees.

Organizers have agreed to delay the festival until 2015. The date could still be the first Saturday after Labor Day but could also be moved earlier in the summer, which might make for more time between festivals and vacation season.

Organizers would attempt to make this a Zero Waste event. The park space between Guercio Ballfield and Barker Reservoir would be available for use. This would provide for increased numbers of festival attendees.

Organizers plan to implement creative ways to reduce impaired driving as much as possible.

Town Administrator Alisha Reis said after passing the event proposal through the four Town advisory boards, two recommended approval, and two recommended against it.

On July 16, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) unanimously recommended approval, noting suggestions such as promoting it as a family-friendly festival (under age 21) that would hire local bands, local vendors, and leave zero trace.

On July 17, the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB) unanimously recommended denial due to a feeling that the Town does not have a suitable location for a festival of this nature, especially to propose it next to the Teen Center. On July 23, the Planning Commission (PC) also unanimously recommended denial due to potential for liability and impact to the residents and neighborhood, yet recommended two conditions if the Board were to approve it: smoking must be contained in a tent within the fencing, and the event must end by 8:30 p.m.

On July 31, the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) recommended approval by a vote of three to one, to include a Zero Waste policy they provided. SAB believes this festival satisfies a need for social and economic sustainability, and making the event "Zero Waste" increases education and awareness of environmental sustainability and meets the Town’s Envision 2020 goals.

This would be the first event of its kind in the Town of Nederland, if approved. Wright has attended three of the four meetings, and the revised proposal has lots of changes in it based on all of those.

During the public comment period, Jerry Riffey, drug and alcohol counselor, said he prepared a formal letter. “We’re opposed to it. It celebrates the use of drugs and alcohol and that’s not good for the kids,” he said.

Julie Guftason of Barker Road spoke as a concerned mother. Both of her children grew up in Nederland. “It’s been a great community to raise small children, but when I think about their future, I’m concerned,” Guftason said. “I worked this summer with a lot of youth and saw it be used illegally, and they don’t even try to hide it. I’d like to think the community would be supportive.”

She said she had a hard time explaining the message of Buds, Burgers and Beers, to her children. “I’m not sure we should be experimenting with these activities. It’s not in the best interest of the families.”

Resident Theresa Bradley said the Board should set a precedent that this not be near a school – any school. Conversations her peers are having include maybe going down to Boulder because there is a lot of pot smoking in Nederland schools.

“We have enough of this kind of an event,” Bradley said. “This is enough of this type of event – advertising smoking and drinking in its name. That’s different than letting adults use them. I would hope that the Board would consider our kids first.”

Susan Davis Churches. DDA member, property owner, and nonprofit volunteer, designed signs for Nederland. She says no to this event. “I’m here as a parent of two teens. Just wait.”

Adam Fels, new principal of the Nederland Middle/Senior High School, said he has spent most of summer hiring and supporting programming. Before that, he has come to Nederland to dine and has frequented the town for 15 years.

Fels understands the need for economic development and the need for a Town brand. “I welcome the opportunity to partner with you and forge strong alliances between the Town and School,” Fels said. “I find no way that I can support this. Our reputation has been as a trail blazer. . . . We’re promoting a consumption event only. Its convenience makes me nervous as a school principal. This event will only make this harder for me and my teachers.”

Stephen LeFaiver, director of Teens, Inc., is totally against this event. “Our parking lot can’t be used. Only 16 percent of voters say they have smoked marijuana since legalization. . . . This goes totally against all of our values.”

George Oschner, parent of two teens, said the goals of festival are to normalize marijuana and make money for organizers. Boulder has said no to this proposal. “We’re going to celebrate with alcohol and weed right next to your school. It’s been painful to watch people take their kids to Boulder schools. Let’s not give them another reason,” Oschner said.

Marnie Copeland said this goes against the social campaign at TEENS, Inc. “This will not help our data or our outcome. I’ve worked for 17 years in the treatment side of things, most of whom were dealing with substance abuse.”

Tracy Brewer urged voting against it and Jolene Norman said it is not right for our town. Katrina Harms, Downtown Development Authority chairman, spoke in favor of the event.

“We’re lucky we have a new performance center coming on line. This is a professional group who worked closely with staff. Events like this give businesses a little boost.”

Trustee Charles Wood said he was leaning toward not approving it. Because it’s about advertising consumption and driving up here, and we take a risk because they come here for consuming. “We’re exposing ourselves to some kind of other legal problems.”

Trustee Peter Fiori said he wanted to play the Devil’s advocate. “It’s a wasted opportunity if we turn this down – education about marijuana being better than alcohol. We are doing harm by not admitting the truth and reality of the situation.”

Marijuana is already normalized, and he sees it all the time. “We do owe the kids something better – an opportunity and trust. We’ve been having this drug war for 50 years, and it has failed. “We jail more people than China. Has it worked? More and more people are using drugs. This is an opportunity to say marijuana isn’t the same as cocaine, etc.

“They will kill you. I’m going to back down. Think twice about what you say to your kids about drugs. We’re socially not ready for this festival this year. The proximity of the school is very unfortunate.

“I’d like to vote for this event but we’re not ready socially for this.”

Trustee Topher Donahue said he has talked to a lot of people in the community, and almost 100 percent say that’s a horrible event. What if it were an educational event? “I didn’t want Nederland to be the epicenter of marijuana legalization,” he said.

“We get to be the guinea pigs, and our kids are going to be the guinea pigs. We have to deal with this. Nederland already has that reputation. I would vote yes if we did a number of things to it. . . .If we had transportation and it would happen when Chinook West is not in school, I would vote for this festival.”

Trustee Randy Lee said a consumption-oriented event is fundamentally wrong and is irresponsible to the core to invite people here, get them intoxicated and then say, “I hope you make it home.” It’s one thing to be accepting and another to be promoting it.

Trustee Keven Mueller clarified the DDA recommendation that we should promote this as a family event. It’s uncomfortable to promote and approve a non-family event. “The community has come out and said this is a bad idea,” Mueller said.

The Board denied the application for a special use permit for Buds, Burgers and Beers.

The next meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, at 7 p.m. in the Nederland Community Center. For more information about the Nederland Board of Trustees meeting, go online and see other articles in this edition of The Mountain-Ear.