Karen Gerrity, Nederland Town Administrator. As we begin 2020, it is a great time to reflect on the many accomplishments of 2019 and what we have to look forward to this year. 

The completion of a voter-approved Biosolids facility to improve the treatment process at the Waste Water Facility utilizing a Division of Local Affairs grant for $950,000 and a 0% loan for the project was the biggest infrastructure news of the year.  Construction of the new facility was completed and a ribbon-cutting took place in December, 2019. In 2020, the landscaping will be completed at the Waste Water Treatment Facility and staff will continue to focus on energy efficiency projects as outlined in the Master Infrastructure Plan. 

Upgrades to the water intake structure at the Water Treatment Facility continued in 2019 and several valves and hydrants were repaired and upgraded. In 2020, a Division of Local Affairs grant application will be submitted in the hopes of securing funds to complete a rate study to ensure the Town’s utilities remain fiscally sustainable. 

Last year the Town utilized funds raised through a voter-approved road tax to employ environmentally friendly road stabilization techniques on non-paved roads. In 2020, the Town will begin a $1.5 million grant-funded Transportation Improvement Project to improve multi-modal, ADA accessibility from the RTD Park-n-Ride to the Visitor’s Center. The Nederland Downtown Development Authority will contribute over $100,000 for the repair of Jefferson Street. 

In Community Development news, at the October 1, 2019, Board of Trustee meeting, Ordinance 798 was passed which amends “Article V of Chapter 6 of the Nederland Municipal Code, concerning business licensing, to establish a short-term rental licensing program and impose a penalty for violations thereof, and amending Chapter 16 of the Nederland Municipal Code, concerning short-term rental as an accessory use”. The ordinance does not take effect until March 16, 2020, allowing Town Staff time to implement the licensing provisions. Ordinance 804, amending Chapter 16 of the Nederland Municipal Code re: accessory dwelling units and repealing ordinance number 802, passed on January 7, 2020. Tungsten Village, a Boulder County Housing Authority affordable housing project, is currently under construction and projected to be open by the fall of 2020. 

The Community Center replaced the faulty roof which was located over the multi-purpose room and all emergency lighting units and exit signs in the building were replaced in 2019. This year the staff will continue working with the fire inspector to ensure maximum safety for users of the space. 

The Nederland Police Department added a used Tahoe to the fleet and all officers completed POST training hours with most having double the minimum required hours. This year Officer Jennifer Fine-Loven was promoted to Sergeant and the Police Department will audit and purge the evidence and property room.

The Town Clerk Department updated the website to make it more user-friendly. In 2019, the Town History page, music scene, adopt-a-bench, and boards and commissions pages were updated. In addition, staff created website pages for important Town concerns such as the CDOT CO 119 project and Elections 2020, which included icons on the home page that linked people directly to those webpages. In 2020, the Town Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk will continue to make updates to the website, with the goal of having all the information up-to-date by the end of the year. The Town Clerk will also oversee the April 7, 2020, election. 

In an effort to meet the goal of 100% Renewable Energy by 2025, the Town signed a Community Solar Garden Subscription Agreement with Oak Leaf Solar and the solar garden was completed in 2019. The system generates bill credits which are applied to monthly invoices from our Public Service Company for electric services. The Town continues to work with Xcel Energy to find ways to collaborate to reduce energy consumption and costs. Town facilities continue to be upgraded with new lighting for energy efficiency. In 2020, the Town will hire a part-time Sustainability Coordinator using grant funds from Boulder County, thanks to a submission by the Sustainability Advisory Board. 

The Town of Nederland was accepted into the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) Program. This program provides support in the form of technical (not monetary) assistance and the grant application was a collaboration between the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) and the Town. 

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB) collaborated with local nonprofit Wild Bear Nature Center and Town staff to write and submit a grant to Great Outdoors Colorado for $350,000 to improve Town parks. If awarded the grant, the funds will be used to create “gateways” to Nederland on the east end through the Barker Meadows Park as well as on the northern end of town through Wild Bear Nature Park. The Town will be notified in spring 2020 regarding the status of this grant application. 

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) hired part-time Executive Director Hope Jordan, secured an $11,475 grant from the county for their Tourism and Recreation Program (TARP), and district voters reauthorized the mill levy to support operations. Entering 2020, the NDDA is negotiating with sign fabrication firms to create unique wayfinding signage, funding the rehabilitation of Jefferson Street and the Visitor Center Parking lot, engaging engineers in planning parking around the shopping center, enhancing beautification in the district to include grass cutting, weed eradication, sidewalk sweeping, and litter removal, and updating the NDDA website and business directory. Follow its 2020 programs and progress at nederlanddowntown.org.

While much was accomplished in 2019, the Town looks forward to a productive 2020 as we continue to work with area residents, volunteers and business owners to identify and address the community’s needs. 

(Originally published in the January 23, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)