NEDERLAND - The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) met on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to discuss their organizational structure as it relates to their bylaws, and to continue defining their working relationship with the Town of Nederland. The Authority was also faced with filling the vacancy on their board left by Barbara Hardt.

Hardt resigned from the NDDA on January 8, which not only left a seat open, but also made available the Vice Chair position. 

Applications for the open seat were accepted from January to March 3, which yielded four applicants: Kyle Busey, owner of Busey Brews; Ron Mitchell, owner of several properties in the Central Business District; Jason Suss, local realtor and co-owner of the RE/MAX Alliance in Nederland; and John Thompson, owner of Mountain Man Outdoor Store. 

Board members briefly interviewed Busey, Suss, and Thompson. Mitchell had withdrawn his application prior to the meeting. The Authority voted to recommend Kyle Busey for the open seat, and approved a motion to recommend Thompson in the event there is another open seat before the next regular election. 

The Board of Trustees (BOT) have the final decision as to membership, which will be made during their next meeting on Tuesday, March 18.

The group then elected Scott Papich as Vice Chair, a position to be held until the Authority’s annual election in July this year. 

The last iteration of the NDDA’s bylaws from 2018 was reportedly never approved by the BOT. As a result, Board members were tasked with discussing suggested language to include in a new draft as to how to the Authority cooperates with the Town when being audited, and regarding the BOT liaison to the NDDA having full voting rights on the Authority.   

Town Administrator Jonathan Cain described how the NDDA operates as a different entity from the Planning Commission or the Town’s advisory boards due to its nature serving as a quasi-judicial entity that is an extension of the Town. 

Cain noted that the NDDA’s budget, bylaws, plan of development, and board appointments fall under the purview of the BOT, and that having the BOT liaison be a voting member on the Authority serves to maintain the Town representation on the NDDA and the working relationship between the two entities. 

Most Board members were in agreement with the suggested additions to the bylaws. A motion was made to move the discussion to action, as the Authority was eager to move forward.

The motion was approved, and a second motion was then approved to have NDDA Executive Director Kate Masingale work on the draft bylaws and gather feedback from the BOT.

Because of the Authority’s agenda focusing on updating its bylaws, the NDDA’s attorney suggested that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be drafted between the NDDA and BOT. 

The intention is for the MOU to address matters that will not be covered in the bylaws. These include clarification of the Town’s role in the financial management of the Authority, in administrative and project oversight, on the process for BOT approvals of NDDA matters, and on the best practices for collaboration between the two entities. 

Cain and Masingale detailed how the MOU can work in tandem with the NDDA’s Plan of Development and Work Plan, and how it can create “organizational guidance” as an updatable living document.

Board members were quick to move the discussion to action, and voted to approve Masingale and the attorney working with Town staff to draft the MOU. 

In the spirit of collaboration, the Authority also voted to team with the Town of Nederland in having both websites rebuilt on the CivicPlus platform. (The BOT had voted unanimously on February 18 to contract with CivicPlus to create the Town’s new website.)

Both the Town and NDDA are required to comply with HB21-1110, which dictates that government entities provide fully ADA-compliant accessibility to government information by July 1. CivicPlus provides built-in ADA tools, as well as tools for engagement and streamlined access to Nederland municipal code.  

It was noted that the option to collaborate with the Town on this matter would be more cost effective for both groups, although the two entities have yet to agree on the cost split. Cain stated that a cost agreement will be drafted and brought to the Authority at their next meeting. 

Trustee Tania Corvalan, BOT liaison to the NDDA, delivered information on the possibility of the Authority hosting a Fourth of July event. Corvalan has begun sourcing prospective vendors that would supply either a drone show, a laser performance, or fireworks. 

Corvalan took Board members’ suggestions, including weighing public input, especially in regard to the opinion of fireworks, finding out whether the drone companies have a refund policy in the event of weather-related cancellations, and inquiring about the logistics of a laser performance, particularly the location. 

This matter will return to the Authority’s agenda at their next meeting, though a special meeting may be called if a vendor needs to be secured expediently.

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 6 p.m. and will be held online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/downtown-development-authority.