The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) Board of Directors met for their monthly meeting this past Wednesday evening, January 12, 2022, where budget proposals for Beautification were approved unanimously, while other committees’ budget proposals were left tabled for next month. Additionally, the board voted unanimously on contractual changes to aid the progression of the Public Art Committee’s downtown mural project, as well as approved minor but necessary changes to the current DDA Grant application process, mostly in regards to special events and festivals.

After the Board approved the consent agenda, Ari Goodman presented ADA information involving Nederland’s and the Peak to Peak region’s current resources as well as goals and solutions towards better ADA compliance.

The presentation was headed by Goodman, who is the administrator for the Center for People With Disabilities (CPWD), as well as by Nicki Dunn of the Nederland Parks and Recreation Department. First, Goodman dove into the purpose of the ADA, as well as the definition of “disabled” and of unlawful discrimination towards disabled individuals.

Goodman’s presentation continued with stating the goals of CPWD and detailing its many services across the Peak to Peak region. CPWD services began here in Nederland more than two years ago, using peer support groups and other solutions to address the area’s homeless encampments.

CPWD’s main mission is to provide independent living for those who are disabled through coaching and support; they provide referrals for mental health throughout the region, as well as assistance in navigating the abrasive SSI/ SSDI government systems. They also assist with home modifications for the recently disabled. See more about their mission and aspirations for the area at their website, CPWD.org, or call 303- 442-8662. They have offices in Boulder, Longmont, and North Metro, as well as satellite locations in Broomfield, Westminster, and Nederland.

Dunn continued the presentation by first raising awareness of the accomplishments in ADA compliance for which Nederland should be proud. Her proudest achievement, she said, is the improvement to Chipeta Park, most notably the fully accessible Kids’ Fishing Dock, which has already seen its full accessibility used during the recent fishing derby. Other town improvements include the Visitor Center bathrooms, an updated website with direct access to Parks and Rec for accessibility issues, and the upgrades to Tungsten Village apartments and the town library, which are now perfectly ADA-compliant.

There was some discussion on where the town can improve, though the issue of Nederland’s sidewalks was brought up as a number one concern. Other hope for improvement was directed at Chipeta Park and the proposal of new playground equipment.

Town Administrator Miranda Fisher concluded the ADA presentation with a further discussion of solutions towards being more ADA-compliant. Infrastructure development, including the Revitalizing Main Street grant and the Safer Main Streets grant, was one such suggestion. Other solutions include educating businesses on the benefits and funding opportunities for being ADA-compliant, and a proposal to outline a written commitment by the community to be ADA-compliant.

The first action item on the Board’s agenda was to vote on committee matters and membership. No committees were voted to be removed and a Chamber of Commerce committee was suggested to be added. Vice-chair of the Board, Andrew Dewart, stepped up to fill the open spot as the head of the Performance Space Committee.

Board member Rea Orthner presented the budget for the Beautification Committee’s summer flowers project. This year Nederland will be hiring the design and maintenance expertise of a trained horticulturist, Andrea Duran of Duran Hobby Acres, who designed Black Hawk’s flower display last summer. The budget also includes $13,000 allotted for a professional gardener tasked with the upkeep and care of the summer flowers. This position has yet to be filled. The Board voted unanimously to approve the 2022 Beautification budget of $25,000, which is approved to go to resolution at next month’s meeting.

Board member Danielle Crouse presented next both a budget proposal for the upcoming mural campaign and bridge mural restoration, as well as a proposal for minor contract changes addressing total compliance with business owners before proceeding with the mural project.

The Committee’s proposed budget for four murals on two properties, which include concrete walls on Dave Poe’s community garden and on the Tebo Shopping Center property, was tabled to be reevaluated and restructured before being brought back to action next month, mostly due to concerns over the approved budget amount vs. the proposed budget.

Crouse laid out the desired changes to the contract between the DDA and local Nederland business owners, which address concerns over access and ownership to any and all PR photos that may be taken on the property during the painting of the mural, as well as artist ownership over their own biography and statements for future press releases highlighting the murals.

The most important concern with the contract was the need for language that specifies an agreement from the business owner that the building won’t be sold during the production of the mural, or if the property is sold, that the contract legally changes hands to the new owners. The Board approved these changes unanimously.

The next action item was initially over minor changes to the DDA Grant Application process to include a checkbox to specify whether an applicant needs parking services for the desired event they are applying for. This motion was approved and passed unanimously. The board listened to information brought by Frozen Dead Guy Days coordinator Amanda McDonald regarding the Town’s fees to hold such festivals, and how the town’s requirements need to be defined in the event application process.

The most glaring issue noted by MacDonald is the exorbitant cost for police presence, making it harder for festival organizers to meet their goals. Proposals were given by many Board members in order to find the appropriate balance to resolve this issue, as festivals bring a great amount of revenue to Nederland’s businesses.

Such proposals include cleaner language on a redesigned grant application, and the idea of allocating more money to Nederland’s police budget in 2023, specifically in preparation for Frozen Dead Guy Days. NDDA Treasurer Ron Mitchell proposed allocating at least $5000 weekly for the festival budget specifically for traffic control, though not all Board members were in agreement.

The desire to have a central algorithm or set of rules for funding that would encompass all types of events, based on either a percentage of projected event revenue or on festival production costs, seems approachable for the Board but just out of their reach for this meeting. But the idea of the NDDA and the Board of Trustees needing to work together on a solution to provide more substantial funding for festivals has been proposed and taken positively by the majority of the Board.

The final action item was presented by Wayfinding Committee Chair Steve Karowe, accompanied by a representative and designer from Merje and detailed the progress on Phase One of Nederland’s Wayfinding project. Merje is a major design firm that specializes in city planning; they’ve designed signage campaigns from Austin, Texas to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Phase One, which had a $23,500 approved budget, was for Merje to analyze and assess the needs of the town and then to develop a preliminary plan and schematic design.

With designs for the town’s directional and traffic signage as well as parking signage and advanced parking kiosks falling within budget, the Board then hit a wall in regard to the proposed budgets for Merje’s upcoming phases, all of which would take longer than three years to complete.

The presentation included an interactive budget table which included a town map and highlighted all the areas for proposed sign installation, all of which is considered by Merje to be a preliminary decision before Phase Two of “going out into the field.”

Rea Orthner proposed a public meeting in order for local town members to review Merje’s proposal for themselves, though the Merje representative remained hesitant on that matter considering the delicacy of the current phase of their overall plan. There were also concerns raised by members of the Board that the size of the project, despite part of the main objective being to direct others into local businesses, may fall beyond the jurisdiction of the NDDA.

With further discussion over the proposed budget for the Wayfinding Committee and Merje’s Phase Two for the Wayfinding project not yielding any results, the matter was voted to be tabled until next month’s meeting.

The next meeting of the NDDA will be on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, starting at 6 p.m. For more information please go to: https://nederlandco.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=434