NEDERLAND - The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) received the last reports for the year from Town staff during their meeting on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

Town Administrator Jonathan Cain also delivered the State of the Town Address, which highlighted Nederland’s successes over the last year and detailed the direction of strategic planning for 2025 and beyond. 

Cain’s staff report noted the success of recent events organized and managed by the Town of Nederland, including the Holiday Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Mountain Market.

It was also reported that the contract with Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of being finalized after the Board approved reducing the Town’s law enforcement coverage to 50% during final approval of the 2025 Budget on December 10. 

Community Planner Britt DeMinck offered further information regarding issues with the installation of Level 3 EV chargers in the Visitors Center parking lot. Though installation by contractors went smoothly, the chargers are not coming online due to an internal computer issue, according to the supplier. 

DeMinck expects the chargers to be online by January 9, 2025.  

Trustee Luke Miller asked for clarification as to when NedRINK is expected to open for the winter season. Cain answered on behalf of the Parks Department, employees of which, he stated, were making ice at the rink “as we are meeting.” Cain spoke of being “cautiously optimistic” that the ice rink would be open before Christmas. 

The State of the Town Address covered the ongoing progress of Nederland’s long list of capital improvement projects, plans, studies, and assessments. 

In 2024, Nederland worked to adjust staff salaries to be closer to state averages and to be regionally comparable. Professional development plans for Town staff were created and implemented. Cain also stated that staff evaluations for 2024 were currently being completed. 

As for securing the Town’s water rights, which is the Board’s second Strategic Goal, Nederland filed with Colorado water court early in 2024 and are currently in the process of attempting to secure water rights toward the ultimate goal of creating a Nederland Reservoir. 

Cain also noted that the long-awaited water and wastewater rate study, developed by Raftelis, will be released early in 2025 and will include recommendations for new rate increases.  

The Town’s efforts towards providing affordable housing in 2024 include the pursuit of a housing coordinator in collaboration with the Town of Lyons, and work by DeMinck in identifying Town-owned lots for potential housing development. 

The Address also mentioned that in 2025 the Planning Commission will see more proposals for changes to Nederland Municipal Code pertaining to land use and zoning related to housing development. 

A brief synopsis on the ongoing development of Nederland’s many plans was provided to the Board.

The Marketing and Branding Strategy Project was completed in 2024. The Tourism Management Plan is still in development and should come to the BOT for approval in March of 2025. The final draft of the Comprehensive Plan and attached Subarea Plan will be on the agenda by February. The Safer Main Streets initiative is delayed and expected to be completed by July of 2025. 

Other Town plans in development in 2024 include the Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan, which is set to be finalized in conjunction with the completion of the Comprehensive and Multimodal Transportation Plans; and the Emergency Operations Plan, now being designed in collaboration with Boulder and Gilpin Counties and with the Nederland Fire Protection District.

The Streets Department’s Summer Road Improvement Plan was also successfully implemented in 2024. This included the construction of drainage ditches and the addition of aggregate to many roads. The Town is also working on a driveway culvert installation program, which is a 2025 goal for the Streets Department.  

The Big Springs Egress Study, identifying and planning emergency egress routes out of the Big Springs neighborhood, was not competed by the Town’s engineering consultants JVA in time for the December 2024 deadline. 

More analysis is required before JVA can finalize and design two practical routes, with the goal of meeting with community stakeholders and having two routes as “shovel ready” as possible by next summer.  

A location for a potential second bridge across Middle Boulder Creek also needs to be selected and made shovel ready in 2025 in order for the Town to be able to reapply for Congressional funds for the project.

The Parks Department will continue to monitor the progress of Guercio Field’s restoration in 2025, as well as applying again for a grant for improvements to the rink and tennis courts. They will also continue to work on providing ADA-compliant playground equipment in Chipeta Park. 

Cain added that he is hoping to pursue a Historic designation for Town Hall, with the incentive of using that designation to make headway on addressing urgent maintenance for the building. He stated that a structural assessment of Town Hall needs to be completed in 2025.

The Address concluded with highlights of some successes in 2024, including the completion of the 2025 budget process; the completion of the lead service line inventory project that labeled Nederland as “lead free”; the work done together with Gilpin County on the housing authority feasibility assessment; the completion of a municipal election and special referendum election; the installation of the grit removal system for the wastewater treatment facility; and the transition of a new Town Administrator.   

Nederland Parks Department employee Mark Schlossler’s service to the community was honored by Cain and the BOT in the approval of Resolution 2024-44, which officially recognized Schlossler’s exceptional service, his commitment and reliability, his leadership ability, and his kindness, as the Town designated him Nederland’s Employee of the Year for 2024.

“Mark has been my MVP,” Parks Manager Nicki Dunn said. “The Parks Department can not do what it does without his knowledge; I’m very lucky to have him as my employee.” 

“We have a lot of great town employees, but Mark has a magnificent beard,” Cain joked.   

“You are definitely a clear asset for what makes Nederland the incredible place that it is,” Trustee Kristopher Larsen added.

“Thanks for all the work that you do,” added Mayor Billy Giblin.   

The Board then voted on the adoption of the Multimodal Transportation Plan (MTP). The Town contracted Fehr and Peers on June 6, 2023, to develop the MTP as a “comprehensive vision for enhancing Nederland’s transportation system,” with a focus on accessibility, safety, and sustainability. 

The process, funded through the Denver Regional Council of Governments 2022 - 2025 Transportation Improvement Plan, involved extensive task force meetings of community stakeholders and public engagement events and surveys, as well as the release of an interactive online map. 

Larsen stated his belief that the MTP should serve as a useful guide when the Town’s priorities elicit the need for it, as many of the recommendations made in the plan are for improvements that are not as urgent as other infrastructure needs. 

Trustee Tania Corvalan expressed that the MTP be used as a springboard for fresh ideas by Board members with inherent knowledge of Town, as opposed to being used as a strict, binding document.

After the Board briefly discussed the viability of some of the recommendations made within the plan, including pedestrian-activated crosswalks and new roundabouts, the BOT voted unanimously to approve the MTP.   

Trustees then returned to their discussion of Ordinance 869, amending the Use Group Table within Nederland Municipal Code to prohibit mining and milling on property zoned as Industrial. 

The matter had been discussed by the Planning Commission, which then recommended it to the BOT on November 20, 2024 for a final vote. 

There was some concern raised by property owners during public comment during the meeting that the loss of mining and milling could potentially decrease the value of the property to potential buyers.

Corvalan wished to know if any other potential uses were to be considered by the Planning Commission regarding Industrial-zoned property, primarily mixed use, to promote the potential development of more affordable housing units.

DeMinck and Cain specified that Commissioners are to assess Nederland Municipal Code in 2025, particularly regarding land use, once the Comprehensive Plan is complete, approved, and implemented. 

The BOT voted to approve Ordinance 869. 

The Board approved an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with Boulder County to continue the Co-Responder Program through 2025. Though the Department of Local Affairs grant which paid for the program expired in November 2024, the BOT wished to continue with the program and approved $120,000 for it in 2025. 

Due to “unforeseen cost increases,” Boulder County informed the Town of Nederland that, despite having previously quoted $115,000, the program would now cost the Town $137,942.35 for the next year. 

In addition to approving the amendment, the Board also directed Town staff to pursue potential grants to fund the program going forward. 

The BOT also approved an update to the Town’s Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) in order to be compliant with changes made to Colorado Revised Statutes 24 - 72 - 201. 

According to the Agenda Information Memorandum prepared by Town Clerk Macy Caligaris and Town Attorney Jennifer Madsen, the changes are made specifically “to assist Town staff to respond to the CORA requests in the timelines set in CORA.” 

These changes include requiring the requester to add “specificity” with their requests, to submit their requests in writing, and to implement a new hourly rate for “staff time over one hour for research and retrieval of records.”

The Nederland Board of Trustees meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting will occur in January and can be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/board-of-trustees.