NEDERLAND — Every month, in addition to the two meetings of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Nederland’s other advisory and statutory boards meet to move forward on their individual priorities, each of them meant to reflect the many different facets of the Town’s main goals—a focus on parks and recreation, on Nederland Municipal Code, or on downtown growth.

In recent years the Town has attempted to unite these boards under foundational planning documents and assessments. These expensive endeavors involve hiring third-party consultants to gather public feedback and crucial data on subjects ranging from the desired redevelopment of the Central Business District and infill development for affordable housing, to transportation and quality-of-life improvements. 

Now, after the BOT and Town staff worked through the majority of 2025 to restructure these boards’ bylaws and strategic plans, the Mayor and Trustees have expressed their concern with several boards’ abilities to align with the encompassing goals for all of Nederland. 

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) 

The NDDA has faced scrutiny from the BOT for several years, mostly due to disagreements regarding the Authority’s effectiveness in its mission, “to promote economic development and improve the infrastructure of downtown Nederland,” and disagreements over the organization’s mission itself.

Traditionally, such organizations work as funding mechanisms for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to be funneled into projects that prevent property blight and that add improvements to a downtown center which ultimately stimulates the local economy. 

While the NDDA has had success in funding local events, supporting beautification and street art initiatives, and creating the Summer Concert Series, many on the BOT, and some on the NDDA Board, argue that such projects are more attuned to a chamber of commerce. 

After years of the same arguments, and after attempts to schedule formal work sessions to commit to collaborative efforts, the BOT has decided to discuss the possibility of dissolving the NDDA altogether. 

On August 18, 2026, the Executive Director of the NDDA, Kate Masingale, and the Chair of the Board, Andrew Dewart, made their case to the BOT to consider working more closely with the Authority, and applying additional administrative power from the Town, instead of dissolving the organization entirely. 

During that meeting, Town staff were directed to reach out to business owners within the NDDA’s boundaries in order to gather feedback that may impact the BOT’s decision regarding the Authority’s future. 

“Before considering next steps, the Board wants to better understand whether the NDDA is working for the businesses it is intended to serve and what changes, if any, could make it more effective,” states a letter to downtown business owners from Town Manager Jonathan Cain.

The draft of the letter was a point of discussion during the BOT’s September 1 meeting, as the Board reviewed the letter for any final revisions. The letter laid out three specific questions to business owners: “Is the NDDA working effectively for your business or property?” “What should the NDDA be accomplishing for downtown?” and “What organizational structure do you think would work best?”

 Due to the BOT’s meeting reaching the four-hour mark at that point, the Trustees tabled the review of the letter meant for business outreach until an as-of-yet undetermined future meeting.

Filling the vacancy

In an interesting twist in the ongoing discussion surrounding the NDDA’s possible dissolution, both Masingale and Dewart applied for the position on the BOT that was open due to the recent departure of Matthew Kennedy, who had only served a few months into his four-year term.

The Board—having already decided to fill the empty seat by appointment, rather than by special election—had no choice but to interview both candidates and choose one. Both Masingale and Dewart expressed being committed to resigning from the NDDA if they are selected as a Trustee. 

“My leadership at the NDDA has given me a deep operational understanding of Nederland’s budget and local government mechanics,” Masingale wrote in her cover letter to the Town. “I am highly focused on supporting town staff by structuring clear, actionable paths especially for the Downtown Subarea Plan so staff can draft policies efficiently and succeed. That is the Board of Trustees role in a council manager government.”

“I would bring a practical, collaborative, and fiscally responsible perspective to the Board of Trustees,” Dewart wrote in his application for the position. “I value listening for understanding, respectful disagreement, transparent discussion of tradeoffs, clear responsibility, and measurable accountability.”

After each candidate answered the Board’s pointed questions, the BOT voted 3 - 2 to appoint Andrew Dewart to the open seat. Dewart’s term on the NDDA will automatically be made vacant. Masingale had officially resigned from the Authority prior to the September 1 meeting.)

Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA)

The NDDA was not the only board in the BOT’s sights for dissolution in the name of alignment and efficiency.

On September 1, Trustees also discussed the possibility of having the function of the quasi-judicial BZA be enveloped by the Nederland Planning Commission.

According to the Town, the BZA’s primary function is to handle disputes regarding land variances and property zoning appeals. Because the Planning Commission’s role as the authority on land use and municipal code is closely aligned with the duties of the BZA, and because of the infrequent need for the BZA to convene, the BOT was considering whether the board was redundant. 

“The Town receives very few variance applications or other matters requiring action by the BZA,” the Agenda Information Memorandum (AIM) by Community Planner Britt DeMinck reads. “Given the limited workload, maintaining a separate board requires the Town to recruit and appoint volunteers, provide training, maintain board membership, and convene meetings for a body that may have few matters to consider.”

This point was hit home for the BOT during their process for appointing Trustees as liaisons to the other boards, when Trustee Billy Giblin, who had previously served on the BZA for several years prior to serving as Trustee and Mayor, confessed that the BZA had not had a reason to meet in several months.  

“Assigning BZA responsibilities to the Planning Commission would reduce these administrative requirements while allowing a single commission already familiar with the Town’s zoning regulations, land use policies, and development conditions to hear variance applications and zoning appeals as needed,” the AIM reports. 

DeMink, who has led the BZA meetings for four years, reiterated how the group has not met in at least a year, and that three out of the five members of the BZA were termed out in June, with one of those three former members now serving on the Planning Commission. 

Trustees briefly discussed the matter and, before directing Town staff to begin the process of winding down the BZA, ensured that the remaining members of the BZA would be informed before the group’s dissolution; and that members of the Planning Commission would receive a “crash course” with Town Attorney Jennifer Madsen on how to perform the quasi-judicial duties of the BZA.