The Nederland Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB) met on Thursday, August 15, 2024, to discuss their goals for 2025. The Board also discussed the action plans for upcoming projects, including details on the Saws and Slaws volunteer mitigation project taking place in September.

First, Parks Department Manager Nicki Dunn provided the Board with her staff report for the month of July.

Dunn updated PROSAB on her meeting with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regarding the recycled asphalt used in the Chipeta Park parking lot. CDPHE evaluated the site as a result of a complaint filed with the Environmental Protection Agency; CDPHE determined that the Town was not in violation and that the anonymous complaint was not valid.

The Parks Department hired two new temporary employees at the beginning of July to focus primarily on weed mitigation and trash cleanup in the downtown area. Dunn remarked that “their contributions have been vital.”

The NedRink tennis courts have undergone shot blasting treatment and have been freshly painted. Dunn noted that the next steps regarding NedRink improvements, involving staining the court concrete, will be to secure grant funding.

Dunn reported success in negotiations with the City of Boulder concerning the culvert repair required at an area of Barker Meadows Park prone to flooding. The culvert repair is expected to begin in September.

The Parks Department is currently working on widening the creekside trail, running behind the Boulder Creek Lodge to Chipeta Park, as part of a River Walk project proposed by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority.

Dunn added that her crew is also undergoing preliminary tree and weed mitigation work at Moose Meadows to prepare for the Saws and Slaws event and a youth-oriented volunteer effort to be coming through that area in the fall.

Board members discussed the measurable goals for the next 18 months within the action plans for the organization’s projects. PROSAB previously prioritized instituting a volunteer program, researching land acquisition and conservation opportunities, improving NedRink, and updating Chipeta Park with ADA-compliant playground equipment.

The action plans for both the playground equipment and NedRink improvements projects involve drafting a list of possible funding sources, reviewing and discussing those sources, and choosing the best options – all by the end of the year. It was also suggested that a part-time or volunteer grant writer be found to pursue grant funding.

CT Hutt updated fellow Board members on the September 14 Saws and Slaws event, a volunteer forest mitigation effort aimed at the Moose Meadows open space, previously known as the South Mud Lake Open Space, located between the Caribou Room and Tejas Lane.

Hutt will be meeting with some volunteers and forest mitigation experts prior to the scheduled event in order to develop a plan of execution. The Nederland Fire Protection District will also be consulted regarding the use of chainsaws during Stage 2 Fire Restrictions.

The event is estimated to require 20 to 40 volunteers for cutting and hauling dry and unhealthy wood off the trails. Hutt is actively recruiting volunteers and requesting that they contribute equipment, especially trailers or trucks, to help with hauling to the sort yard any wood which has not been donated or taken.

Hutt specified that the event is tentatively planned to begin at 9 a.m. and last through the day to 4 p.m., at which time a cookout is planned nearby at a private residence, which will offer plenty of food and drink to the hardworking volunteers.

To contact PROSAB about volunteering, visit: https:// townofnederland.colorado.gov/contacta-board-or-commission

The Board was tasked with voting whether to amend the PROSAB bylaws to institute an attendance policy requiring board members to attend, either in person or virtually, at least 10 of the organization’s monthly meetings every year of their term.

PROSAB Chair Alex Zabierek tabled the matter until more discussion can be had on the reliability of virtual meetings. Town Administrator Jonathan Cain noted that the Town was working on solutions for more stability in the online realm, including purchasing new software and equipment.

The Nederland Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board meets every third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Their next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2024. Meetings can be attended online via WebEx. For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/parks-recreation-open-space-advisoryboard.