The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 6 p.m. to take action on budget requests for various initiatives, including restorations on the covered bridge and creation of a performance space; and to finalize their 2023 budget.

The NDDA voted to approve three requests for special event funding and traffic control funding for upcoming events. The events include the Nederland Fire District Auxiliary (NFDA) National Night Out, the Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival, and Teens, Inc. hosts the Ned*Ned. The requested funds would help offset marketing and equipment costs for the events.

The NFDA requested $725 for their National Night Out event, which took place on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, in Chipeta Park and featured an opportunity for the community to meet with first responders and leaders of the Nederland area.

The Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival, to be held on Saturday, August 20, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Chipeta Park, requested $1000 for traffic control funding, for flaggers and parking attendants, as well as $1000 for event funding for sound equipment rentals and for marketing. The event will feature more than 50 community-run booths and three musical acts, with games and interactive activities. Event organizers are planning for up to 500 people to attend.

The Teens, Inc. Ned*Ned, a Half Marathon through Old Town which takes place Saturday, September 10, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., requested $1000 for special event funding and $1500 for traffic control funding to pay for Boulder County Sheriff’s officers. This is the 40th year of the Ned*Ned marathon and its sixth year being run by Teens, Inc., with organizers expecting up to 350 participants for this year’s event.

NDDA Board Member Steve Rowntree addressed the next phases of the Wayfinding Plan. Phase Two of the town-wide accessibility/walkability plan would consist of designing and mapping a signage expansion throughout town and beginning the bidding process for installation of the signs.

The NDDA was tasked with voting on whether they wished to continue Wayfinding into phase two with the current third-party consultants Merje, or to seek out other alternatives. They also were asked whether they approve the Wayfinding committee researching App developers for a smart-device application to help drive Wayfinding in Nederland.

NDDA Vice Chair Andrew Dewart wished to assure that Merje would be producing designs for signage that include construction details needed for contractors to be able to provide accurate bids for the scope of work. NDDA Chair Barbara Hardt desired for Merje to include language in their proposal pertaining to working with the Town of Nederland and Colorado Department of Transportation on assuring legality of the proposed sign placements.

The matter of whether the NDDA approves Merje continuing to consult the Wayfinding Committee through the project’s phase two was tabled until their September 14 meeting.

The NDDA was presented with a request for $20,000 in funding for much needed maintenance repairs on the roof, entryways, and overall structure of the Nederland Pedestrian Bridge. The covered bridge has not had any maintenance repairs since being built in 1988. The bridge requires assessment by a structural engineer.

The NDDA suggested budgeting $20,000 from their 2023 budget for the project at their July 13, 2022, meeting and discussed the potential of splitting the cost with the Town, per approval from the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT). Town Administrator Miranda Fisher cautioned the NDDA about considering sharing the costs of the restoration project with the Town at this time due to the BOT’s current discourse over securing new routes of revenue.

There was discussion amongst the NDDA concerning borrowing $20,000 from the Wayfinding project’s budget to fund the maintenance of the covered bridge this year to expedite the process as opposed to budgeting for the project in their 2023 budget. The NDDA moved to table the discussion until their September 14 meeting to allow for Town to secure bids for the maintenance, which would result in more accurate financial numbers and timeline for the repairs.

BOT Liaison to the NDDA Tania Corvalan and NDDA Vice Chair Dewart presented to the BOT a request for $8000 in supplemental funding for the Performance Space Committee. The desired funds would be utilized to hire JVA, the Town’s engineering consultants, to provide a site survey, topographic map, and design plan for the proposed construction of a performance space between Guercio Field and Barker Reservoir.

Nederland’s current floodplain map indicates that roughly two thirds of the proposed site is within the floodplain. The Performance Space Committee requires JVA’s assistance in understanding the selected site’s limitations to construction. The $8000 in requested supplemental funds would have to come from the Wayfinding project’s 2022 budget, considering there are no funds for this project in the NDDA’s 2022 budget.

There was discussion among the board about considering another, more practical location for a permanent performance space, including Guercio Field. However, the NDDA were in agreement that an assessment of the usability of the current location in question should still be done by JVA. The NDDA moved to approve the $8000 in supplemental funding for the Performance Space Committee.

NDDA Executive Director Kate Masingale presented to the NDDA the draft 2023 Budget, which required review and a motion of approval to be finalized. Once finalized the 2023 Budget will be brought to the BOT for approval in September.

Masingale detailed to the NDDA an itemized breakdown of the 2023 Budget, separated by Administrative expenses and Proposed Capital Projects, with comparison to the 2022 budget. Administrative expenses, which includes personnel wages, office supplies, and IT costs, remained similar to the 2022 numbers, at a total cost of $33,301.41 for 2023 with a projected mill levy income of $33,600.

The budget for Proposed Capital Projects rose to a total of $370,000 for 2023, with budgets for projects like Beautification, Public Art, and Traffic and Safety Support increasing by $5000 to $10,000 from last year. The Performance Space and Covered Bridge projects were also added to the 2023 budget, with their amounts expected to increase after considering the cost of administrator hours for each project.

The NDDA moved to approve their 2023 Budget draft, which will be voted on for approval by the BOT in Town budget- focused meetings in September.

NDDA Treasurer Ron Mitchell proposed the NDDA increase the Town’s Certificate of Deposit by $250,000, increasing the line of credit to $500,000. The CD interest rate received would be 0.5% and the interest rate paid on the line of credit varies according to the Wall Street Journal daily published prime rate, with it being set at 4.75% on the day of the meeting, Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

Mitchell advocated that the discussion not waver based on the cost of the proposal but instead stay focused on the Town’s need for establishing commercial credit. The proposal suggests the Town borrow from the line of credit on one day and then pay it back the next day as part of a long-term plan to establish credit which could be utilized as a secondary source for funding big-ticket projects that exceed the reach of the NDDA budget.

NDDA Board Member Scott Papich questioned if the Town has ever needed to borrow from its current $250,000 line of credit, which it has not. Board Members also noted that the NDDA’s 2022 budget covered all expenses and projects, with their 2023 budget projected to do the same for next year. Though there currently are no projects in 2023 expected to go over- budget, Mitchell mentioned that unnamed future projects in 2024 and 2025, as well as the proposed Performance Space project, could come with exceptionally big price tags.

The NDDA voted 3 - 3 on the issue of increasing the Town’s Certificate of Deposit, with a tie vote resulting in the denying of the proposed increase. The issue will be brought forth again as an Action Item on the Agenda for the NDDA’s September 14 meeting.

Masingale brought to the NDDA the proposal to change their bylaws to allow for the increase of Board members from nine to eleven, including one alternate. The matter was suggested as an option at their June 8 meeting, but on July 13, the NDDA was mostly in agreement that increasing their membership was not a priority at this time.

NDDA Chair Hardt noted that the recent tie vote on an Action Item off their Agenda was a good example of how an alternate member would be advantageous to the Board. The NDDA was split on the issue of increasing their membership and moved to table the discussion until November.

Town Administrator Miranda Fisher and NDDA Executive Director Masingale developed an application for Nederland businesses to fill out for access to the $12,000 of funds made available by the 2022 Boulder County Economic Vitality Grant. The funds, which can be utilized to cover operating costs, provide employee bonuses, and purchase PPE, will be split evenly based on how many applications are received by the September 9 deadline.

The NDDA reviewed the application and application process and approved for Town staff to release the application for access by Nederland business owners on Friday, August 12.

NDDA Treasurer Mitchell indicated in his Treasurer’s Report for August 14, 2022, that the Financial Report is incomplete due to the need to work with Masingale on producing a financial statement to present to the Town’s bank. Mitchell stated that the goal was to provide the bank accounting reports on how Town money is spent in order to establish better credit.

Masingale noted that the NDDA’s Financial Report is part of the Town’s report and that the report has been finalized. Masingale added that due to there being no project or reason to report to the bank at this juncture Staff time could not be dedicated to Mitchell’s request.

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 14, starting at 6 p.m. and will be online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center. For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/ government/boards-and-commissions/ downtown-development-authority