Matters Memo

City of Boulder City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: November 13, 2025

Agenda Title 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues – Review and Discussion

Staff Contact • •

Heather Stauffer, Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, City Manager’s Office Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, City Manager, City Manager’s Office

Executive Summary This is an opportunity for council to discuss and provide input on the city’s proposed 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Policy Issues (the Policy Statement). The proposed Policy Statement is included as Attachment A with substantive policy changes from the 2025 policy statement highlighted using strikethrough and double underline formatting. Substantive changes to the Policy Statement positions are summarized in a table included as Attachment B. Staff will incorporate the Council input received at this meeting and return to request approval of the Policy Statement at Council’s December 4 business meeting. Once approved, the Policy Statement will be available to inform and provide authority for city efforts to advocate for the stated positions as opportunities arise during the remainder of 2025 and throughout 2026. Beyond direct advocacy of government officials, the city will use the Policy Statement’s authority to build coalitions and attempt to influence positions adopted by the intergovernmental organizations it belongs to. By

doing so, the City of Boulder will enhance its voice and leverage its influence to advance its policy positions.

Questions for Council 1. Does council have any questions about how the proposed Policy Statement is used to engage in advocacy efforts? 2. Does council have any questions or concerns about the principles, priorities or positions contained in the proposed Policy Statement? 3. Does council wish to make any revisions to the proposed Policy Statement?

Alignment with City Plans and City Council History Sustainability, Equity and Resilience (SER) Framework and Citywide Strategic Plan Alignment SER Framework Goal Area The Policy Statement is meant to further and align with each of the seven SER Framework Goal Area as staff use it to advance the city’s policy priorities. Citywide Strategic Plan As with the SER Framework, the Policy Statement aligns with and furthers several key priorities within the citywide strategic plan as the city’s intergovernmental affairs efforts advance strategic policies and partnerships in furtherance of the plan’s priority actions.

City Council History On September 26, 2025, Council’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee (Mayor Brockett and Council Members Benjamin, Folkerts, and Marquis, the “Committee”) convened to receive an update on the status of the city’s 2025 policy advocacy efforts as well as a summary of anticipated 2026 state legislation. The committee also engaged in a discussion of changes to the proposed 2026 Policy Statement, all of which has informed the proposal before you. Staff have included two additional items for council’s consideration which were not initially considered by the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Those changes are noted in the summary of substantive changes document under policy positions 23 (new) and 28M (as reordered).

Analysis The purpose of the City of Boulder’s 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues (the “Policy Statement”) is to inform city advocacy on policy decisions that, while made outside the city’s jurisdictional authority, have potential to significantly impact the city. This includes legislative decisions by the Colorado General Assembly or the U.S. Congress. It also includes non-legislative decisions made at the federal, state

and regional levels, including those of Colorado agencies (e.g., Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Public Utilities Commission, Department of Transportation, Department of Regulatory Affairs); federal agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission); regional governments (e.g., Regional Transportation District); and intergovernmental coalitions (e.g., Colorado Municipal League, Metro Mayors Caucus, Northwest Mayors and Commissioners Coalition, Colorado Communities for Climate Action). The Policy Statement is also used to inform decisions on judicial cases the city should participate in as an amicus curia, including whether to sign on to an amicus brief. The city offers the Policy Statement to regional, state, and federal policy leaders for reference when considering decisions impacting the City of Boulder. Strategic, targeted, and/or abbreviated versions of this information will also be created throughout the year for use in specific communications. The Policy Statement will be developed and finalized in advance of the convening of the 2026 Colorado General Assembly and the Second Session of the 119th U.S. Congress. Consequently, it does not address legislation by bill number. Instead, it describes the city’s goals on various policy matters as well as examples of specific approaches it would support or oppose to achieve those policy goals. With the coordination of the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, it will be used by city officials to inform communication of city positions on proposed bills and non-legislative regional, state and federal policy decisions. Council may revisit the Policy Statement at any point. Before doing so, council will normally refer proposed changes to its Intergovernmental Affairs Committee to deliberate on each change and to make a recommendation to the full council informed by a staff analysis. Council created this committee for the purpose of convening on an ad hoc basis with the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, and other city staff as necessary, when one or more of the following circumstances exist: 1. There is an immediate need for council members to participate with staff to develop a strategy to advance or defeat a proposed policy that is clearly addressed by the city’s Policy Statement or other council-approved policy documents; or 2. A decision is expected to be made on regional, state or federal policy that affects a matter that council has previously provided general direction on and that could significantly impact the city but is one that council did not provide sufficient specific direction on and with timing that will not allow for council direction to be obtained. In these limited situations, the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer may turn to the committee for direction on such policy proposals so that the city can advocate accordingly. Council is to be informed whenever such committee

direction has been provided, and council may choose to subsequently revisit such direction. City staff also turn to Council’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee for input on revisions to the Policy Statement and to plan agendas for meetings with regional, state and federal policy makers. Council will consider adopting comprehensive revisions to the Policy Statement once a year, typically no later than October. The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will also regularly meet in December or January following City Council elections (after new council members have had the ability to be appointed to the committee) to determine whether further revisions are necessary. Council will then consider such additional changes in February, soon after the Colorado General Assembly has convened. When adopting the Policy Statement, council members may vote to support the statement in its entirety and commit to supporting all positions when speaking on behalf of the city. In doing so, however, council members are nonetheless encouraged to express any reservations or personal opposition they have to one or more positions. As in previous years, staff recommend that council consider modifications to the Policy Statement using the six criteria described below: 1. Uniformity with current city council goals; 2. Expected relevance in the upcoming year; 3. Uniqueness of issue or impact to the City of Boulder; 4. Viability or likelihood of achieving the policy goal; 5. Opportunity for providing funding for the City of Boulder; and 6. Availability of metrics of success that would allow the position to be deleted from future Policy Statements if achieved. Departures from these criteria should be made in unique circumstances as determined by council, such as when adoption of a city position is important to support regional partners, even while the policy in question is otherwise of limited consequence to the city.

Policy Priorities Policy priorities are combinations of one or more policy positions to which the city will commit its greatest attention and political capital in the given year. City staff and council’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee recommend the following regional, state and federal policy priorities for 2026. 2026 Regional Policy Priority Countywide Housing and Human Service Partnership Goals

Housing and human service needs are vast, complex and transcend local government boundaries. They are best addressed collaboratively, with the county and municipalities working in partnership to invest staff time and resources, with meaningful contribution from non-profit organizations. This is particularly important as the nature of the work often involves overlapping “lanes” of responsibilities. Given the importance of clearly and uniformly communicating expectations, the city offers the following list of the priorities for working with Boulder County and its neighboring local governments. Housing and Homelessness The city is an active partner and collaborative leader in planning and implementing regional strategies that enable community members to obtain and/or maintain affordable housing. While the city's priority is to address the needs of community members living in Boulder and Boulder nonprofit agencies serving city residents, successfully achieving city goals also requires increased investments for housing insecurity elsewhere in the county. •

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Create permanent supportive units throughout the county in communities beyond Boulder and Longmont (e.g., matching units to the 105 units recently created in Boulder and Longmont). Maintain support of joint housing-focused sheltering operations to complement and support city and nonprofit investment. Assist individual and family households to prevent homelessness through funding for eviction prevention and rental assistance services to address countywide need beyond City of Boulder investments.

Safety Net and Mental Health The city appreciates leadership from Boulder County in conducting behavioral health needs assessments, planning, and implementing structures and strategies to help serve diverse community members. While the city is committed to continuing its own safety net and behavioral health programs and investments, the county is in a unique and critical position to enable larger-scale investment and advocacy initiatives to address these problems across the region. •

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Complement existing funding options from local, state and federal agencies by pursuing new funding sources for behavioral health needs countywide. Priorities for new funding include large-scale collaborative projects and services (e.g., treatment) that leverage public and private funding streams and are difficult to secure with existing funding. Work with cities countywide to establish joint priorities for state and federal government action that increases access to behavioral health services (e.g., increasing provider reimbursement rates and reducing barriers to care).

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Find ways to maintain and then increase funding to nonprofit organizations to provide basic needs services (e.g., health services, childcare, family services and food) that are critical to the well-being of low-income community members in Boulder and throughout the county; each is important, and collectively, they can be indicators for positive mental health. Provide early communication of material changes to county budgets impacting service providers operating withing the city.

2026 State Policy Priorities 1. Fund and protect the city’s ability to reduce and prevent homelessness The city supports state action that incentivizes local governments to maintain shelters and directly invest in supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. It also supports increased statewide coordination of efforts that result in funding and programming for prevention and supportive services, expansion of mental and behavioral health prevention and treatment, transitional and permanent supportive housing options, and proposals that affect targeted populations, including the challenges presented by family, youth, veteran, and single-adult homelessness. 2. Establish On-Bill Repayment Program for Accessible Energy Upgrades Building weatherization and upgrades to electric technologies like heat pumps are critical to reaching climate goals and ensuring a resilient future for Colorado. However, they often come with thousands of dollars of up-front costs, even after incentives and tax credits, making them inaccessible to folks who cannot cut a check on day one. Establishing an On-Bill Repayment (OBR) program would enable energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy upgrades without upfront costs, making these solutions more accessible to homeowners and businesses. 3. Protect Essential State Funding As the state faces increasingly severe budget shortfalls, it is essential to protect state funding that city projects and priorities rely on, and funding that ensures community member’s basic needs. This includes Proposition 123 State Affordable Housing Funds, Transportation funding including the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) and funding used to support multimodal transportation projects, PreK-12 education funding, Medicaid funds, GOCO lottery funding, and cigarette tax revenues.

4. Artificial Intelligence Actively advocate for revisions to SB24-205, Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure policies that uphold consumer rights and civil liberties, and policies that support the city’s implementation of AI technology. 2026 Federal Policy Priorities 1. Support Congressionally Directed Spending Requests Support for the city’s 2026-2027 congressionally directed spending requests. 2. Support for Northwest Area Mobility Study Projects Support transportation improvements recommended by the Northwest Area Mobility Study, specifically the CO7 Corridor connecting Boulder to I-25 and Brighton and Northwest Rail Line (B Line) in conjunction with Front Range Passenger Rail. 3. Support Federal Transportation Funding Passage of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill – Strongly support direct federal transportation funding to regional and local governments to expedite funding to support project timelines. Federal funding should prioritize maintenance and resilience improvements over expansion projects, with streamlined and efficient environmental and permitting processes for safety, accessibility, and multimodal infrastructure projects. The city supports increased federal support to bring rail crossing treatments up to current standards, including improved at-grade and new grade separated crossings of railroad tracks, like pedestrian underpasses. The city supports continued federal investment in transit electrification programs and expanded funding for transit operations to improve service frequency and reliability. Additionally, the city supports federal investments in passenger rail expansion, particularly the Front Range Passenger Rail project, to enhance regional connectivity and reduce traffic congestion. 4. Support Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) Support full authorization of SRFs to ensure long-term funding mechanisms for water infrastructure projects and defray the costs to local ratepayers. 5. Continue funding and support for federally funded labs located in Boulder The city’s economic vitality policy strongly supports the federally funded laboratories located within the city. These institutions—and the research, researchers, and staff they sustain—are essential to the economic and intellectual vitality of Boulder, Boulder County, the State of Colorado, and the nation. The city recognizes and deeply values the scientific contributions and the significant economic, educational, and community benefits the labs generate. The laboratories maintain close collaborations with the University of Colorado Boulder and other research organizations, creating a unique concentration of scientific expertise and innovation found in only a few locations nationwide. Sustained federal investment in these laboratories is critical. Reductions in

funding or program support would negatively impact both the local economy and the nation’s scientific leadership.

Anticipated Fiscal and Workplan Impacts Adoption of the Policy Statement, and the staff work that follows, are integrated into the City Manager’s Office’s annual workplan.

Equity Analysis The first policy principle listed in the Policy Statement is Equity, Racial Justice and Social Resilience. When using the Policy Statement as a guide for intergovernmental affairs efforts, city staff consider equity implications as described in the Policy Statement: “Equity, Racial Justice and Social Resilience – Dismantle institutional and systemic racism, prioritize voices, experiences, interests, and needs of communities that have been historically excluded, and reduce the vulnerabilities of groups most susceptible to natural or human caused stressors.”

Climate, Resilience, and Sustainability Considerations Climate, resilience, and sustainability are woven throughout the Policy Statement and comprise 13 distinct policy positions under “Climate Change and Community Resilience.” As staff use the Policy Statement throughout the year, climate and sustainability consideration are a key factor in policy analysis and recommendations.

Community Engagement In alignment with past practice, staff did not conduct community engagement regarding the 2026 Policy Statement update.

Next Steps for City Council City Council will have an opportunity to advocate for its 2026 State Policy Priorities when it meets with its state legislative delegation for a breakfast meeting on December 2, 2025. Council may consider adoption of the 2026 policy statement at its December 4th meeting.

Digital Accessibility The City of Boulder is committed to digital accessibility. Some content may not be fully accessible due to technical limitations or issues. For alternate formats or accommodations, please visit Accessibility | City of Boulder or contact accessibility@bouldercolorado.gov.

Attachments Attachment A- Proposed City of Boulder 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues (substantive policy revisions reflected) Attachment B- Table of Proposed Substantive Policy Position Changes