Attachment C - Fund Our Future Prioritization Exercise of City Service Levels

Special Meeting, June 25, 2026 · item 4A: Long-Term Financial Strategy Update: 2026 Potential Ballot Items Poll Results and Fund Our Future Engagement Results Staff Time: 25 Min Coun… · 33 pages

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City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Issue

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Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire

What levels of service should the City of Boulder provide? This topic is closed

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Fund Our Future (To change the language, please click the "Set Language" button on the bottom left of the webpage) The city is working to chart a more sustainable fiscal future based on our community’s values and expectations, as well as the current economic landscape. The Long-Term Financial Strategy [opens in a new window], named a City Council top priority in 2024 and 2026, focuses on positioning the city toward long-term financial health and stability through financial planning that: focuses on taking care of what we have prioritizes flexibility of funding to meet community needs increases reliability through alternative funding mechanisms, outcomes-based budgeting, and prioritization, and develops a long-term strategy to focus holistically across citywide needs and community priorities.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Issue

We also encourage you to explore these additional materials: Fund Our Future: An Overview [opens in a new window], published March 31, 2025 Fund Our Future: A Retrospective [opens in a new window], published May 2, 2025 Fund Our Future: Investing in a Better Boulder [opens in a new window], published August 7, 2025

Fund Our Future City of Boulder

05:22

Community conversations are an integral component of the long-term financial planning. The city is asking community members to provide input on their priorities for what services the city should provide, as well as what the level of service delivery should be. This public input will be used as one component in strategic financial planning, including budgeting and long-term planning.

Service Level Trade-Ofs The City of Boulder is at an inflection point. Our list of community needs is outpacing available funds. So, we are asking you to help us understand your priorities, so that we can act as responsible stewards and exercise our professional judgment in ways that best support community sentiment. We greatly appreciate your time and input to help us understand the trade-offs we need to make as a community.

Insructions:

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Issue

There are 25 city services represented in the example budget. Of course, the work of the city is much greater than these 25 services alone. The selected services are intended to serve as a good representation of the wide variety of services we deliver each and every day. These services are grouped into 12 categories. For each you will see a description of the service provided, an explanation of the current level of service (or, what we do now), and descriptions of what increased or reduced service levels might look or feel like. These descriptions are provided below the activity on the next page. To submit your budget, you must have 100 dots. If your total does not add up to 100, please add any remaining dots where you would like to see a higher level of service. For the best results, please do not allocate all of your dots into one or two services. Note: Potential methods for reducing or enhancing service include options presented, but the city would ultimately determine which option(s) best preserve or meet operational goals, incorporating this input as one factor. Our goal with this activity is to understand community sentiment, rather than solicit specific feedback on operations. Please build your preferred budget by allocating either 3 dots or less, 4 dots, or 5 or more dots to each service. 0, 1, 2, or 3 dots

●●● 4 dots

●●●● 5 or more dots

●●●●●+

I would be comfortable with the city providing less of this service than is currently provided I believe the level of service that is currently provided should be maintained

I want the city to provide more of this service than is currently provided

To submit your budget, your total must be exactly 100 dots. If your total does not add up to 100 dots, please add any remaining dollars where you would like to see a higher level of service. For the best results, avoid allocating all of your dots into one or two services. You will also be asked follow-up questions. Please note that this is an engagement activity intended to receive community input, and not a statisically-valid polling survey.

To begin the activity, please click on "Take The Survey" below. (To change the language, please click the "Set Language" button on the bottom left of the webpage)

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Issue

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Accessibility Statement 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, 0 + please visit Accessibility | City of Boulder or contact accessibility@bouldercolorado.gov.

There are 25- services grouped into 12 categories, the descriptions of which are provided below 0 + the activity on this webpage.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index + To0 submit your budget, you must have 100 dots. If your total does not add up to 100, please add any remaining dots where you would like to see a higher level of service. For the best 0 + results, avoid allocating all your dots into one or two services.

>3 0

5+ 0 0

0, 1, 2, or 3 dots + 4 dots 5 +or more dots +

Sheltering & Day

Snow & Ice Response 0

Rental Assistance

Affordable Housing

Open Space

Re-Housing 0

I would be comfortable with the City providing less of this service than I believe the level of service that is currently provided should be mainta I want the City to provide more of this service than is currently provided

Education

Services Youth & Older Adult

Aquatic Programming

Rec

Family Resource

Youth Services

Age Well Centers

Schools

Initiatives

Arts & Cultural Grants

Wildfire Response

Wildfire Preparedness

Older Adult Case 0

Mgmt

Business Incentives

Land Management 0 + Paramedic Response

Police Patrol

SAMPS Encampment

Research

+ Circular Economy

Energy Programs

Pavement Mgmt

Facility Maintenance

Permit Review

Download Please build your preferred budget by allocating either 3 or less, 4, or + 5 or more dots to each service. 0

Snow and Ice Response for Roadways, Bikeways and Pedestrian Access

Rental Assistance

Affordable Housing Investments

Sheltering and Day Services

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index 0

Re-Housing

Education, Outreach, and Involvement for Open Space Visitors, Youth, and

Families 0

Indoor Aquatic Programming

Youth and Older Adult Services Indoor Recreation Programming

Older Adult (60+) Case Management

Age Well Centers

Family Resource Schools

Youth Services Initiatives (YSI)

Business Incentives and Financial Assistance

Arts and Cultural Grants

Wildfire Response

Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation

Paramedic Emergency Response

Police Patrol Emergency Response

Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) - Encampment Abatement

Land Management Science and Research

Circular Economy and Zero Waste Services

+ next +

Energy Community Programs

Pavement Management Services

Ongoing Maintenance of Facilities

Building Permit Review

Download

Once you have allocated all dots, please click "Next" on the bottom of the page 0

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Snow & Ice Response (one service) Snow and Ice Response for Roadways, Bikeways and Pedestrian Access Back to top What This Service Does: Clears snow and ice from priority roadways, multi-use paths, and off-street bikeways Maintains select sidewalks, RTD bus stops, and pedestrian crossings Adjusts service based on storm size to support safe travel across Boulder If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Some roads would no longer be plowed. Fewer miles of multi-use paths and bike lanes cleared. Less hand-shoveling in pedestrian areas. Plowing may be limited to a single lane on multi-lane roads. Plows may not deploy unless 2 inches of snow have accumulated. Roads may not be fully cleared. What We Do Now — 4 dots Provides 24 hour snow and ice response during and after storms by priority. Priority 1 routes include major arterial streets, high-ridership transit corridors, emergency response routes and protected bike lanes, and are plowed continuously during storms less than 3”. Priority 2 routes add remaining transit corridors, key crosstown bike routes, steep streets, and critical connections, and are serviced in storms greater than 3”. Priority 3 routes add lower-volume and moderately steep streets in large storms greater than 8”. Clears all maintained multi-use paths every 12 hours. Shovels select pedestrian areas every 12 hours after 2 inches of snowfall. If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Responds to more streets during smaller storms. Clears steeper streets that are not currently serviced. Temporarily limits on-street parking during storms to improve plowing efficiency. Adds covered storage to protect equipment and extend its lifespan. Creates additional material storage sites to reduce travel time and fuel use.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Expands multi-use path and pedestrian area service. Improves weather monitoring technology and cross department staffing.

Housing Stability & Afordability (two services) Rental Assistance Back to top What This Service Does: Helps tenants address housing challenges through rental assistance, mediation, and legal support Prevents evictions by offering financial and conflict resolution services Supports housing stability for renters facing financial or legal barriers If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Fewer renters would receive financial assistance or mediation services. Reduced support could lead to more evictions and unresolved housing issues. Access to eviction prevention services would decline.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Assists roughly 450 households each year. Provides financial help to prevent eviction and maintain stable housing.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Offer larger or more frequent payments to support renters in crisis. Extend assistance for longer periods to prevent evictions. Serve more households.

Affordable Housing Investments Back to top What This Service Does:

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Manages grant funding that supports affordable housing development and preservation Coordinates application and funding for housing projects Works with local and regional partners to advance affordable housing goals If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Fewer affordable homes built or preserved. Long-term affordable housing goals may go unmet. Access to affordable units for residents would decline.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Oversees more than $20 million annually to support affordable housing projects. 37% of new homes built in Boulder in the last 10 years have been permanently affordable. Maintains affordable housing partnerships.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Support building or purchasing more affordable homes. More low income community members could live and remain in Boulder. Expanded capacity to meet future housing needs.

Homelessness (two services) Sheltering and Day Services Back to top What This Service Does: Provides sheltering and housing-focused day service for people experiencing homelessness, including: Day services, night-time sheltering and winter weather responses at the All-Roads facility. Basic need services (meals, laundry, showers, etc.), housing case management, resource and housing navigation, peer support, respite care and retention services. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Limited beds available to people experiencing homelessness, leading to increasing camping and unsheltered homelessness. Decreased Day Service Center operating hours. Potentially impact the ability to shelter people in critical weather conditions.

What We Do Now — 4 dots In 2024, the city’s Homelessness Team directed funding and policy resulting in 63,193 bed nights and 682 Coordinated Entry screenings. The Day Services Center serves approximately 120 people per day, providing basic needs and connecting individuals with social service and housing providers.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Provide more behavioral health, case management, and program navigation services, along with increased year-round beds.

Re-Housing Back to top What This Service Does: Securing and sustaining housing and supportive services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Funded programs include local housing vouchers, tenant supportive services, transitional housing, peer support and clinical retention services. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Fewer housing placements, services and decreased ongoing client management.

What We Do Now — 4 dots In 2024, the Homelessness Team directed programming including weekly case conferencing between housing providers and service navigators to prioritize housing placements, and programming for peer interactions, retention services and leasing activities. In 2024, 264 people exited from homelessness.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Implement programs from the Homelessness Strategy and increase housing

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

options, including the support and retention efforts.

Recreation and Wellness (three services) Education, Outreach, and Involvement for Open Space Visitors, Youth, and Families Back to top What This Service Does: Connects residents and visitors with Boulder’s public lands through education and outreach Provides volunteer opportunities that support stewardship and responsible recreation Promotes visitor safety and sustainable use of open space trails and ecosystems If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Fewer opportunities for local teens through the Junior Ranger Youth Corps Reduced volunteer. programs across the system. Fewer or no school field trips for Boulder Valley School District students. Shorter hours at the Chautauqua Visitor Center Fewer staff and volunteers providing safety and rules information on trails.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Support over 6 million trail visits each year. Offer free hikes, volunteer events, field trips, and safety / wayfinding support. Employ about 110 highschool students each summer as Junior Rangers. Train roughly 1,700 volunteers each year. Deliver more than 350 educational programs, including Spanish language and accessible options.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Hire more local youth for outdoor summer roles. Increase volunteer opportunities and public involvement. Expand school programming and community education offerings. Increase staff and volunteers present on the trails.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Indoor Aquatic Programming Back to top What This Service Does: Provides swim lessons, aquatic fitness classes, and lane rentals at all three recreation centers Ensures that swimming programs and waterbased recreation are accessible to the entire community Supports both recreational swimmers and organized team practices If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Reduced access to coldwater lap lanes. Fewer lapswim lanes available. Laplane availability would drop to approximately one lane per 13,000 people or more.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Operate three coldwater lap pools and two warmwater leisure pools. Support drop-in swimming, scheduled programs, and team training. Current availability equals roughly one lap lane for every 4,920 residents.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more More lap lanes as recreation centers are renovated or rebuilt. Warm-water pool space expanded for lessons, therapy, and open swim. Potential facility for competitive swim.

Youth and Older Adult Services Indoor Recreation Programming Back to top What This Service Does: Offers a wide range of recreation programs at facilities throughout the city Provides accessible opportunities for fitness, learning, and connection Reduces financial barriers for youth ages 2–17 and older adults ages 60+ If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Discounts for youth and older adults would be reduced.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Fewer youth and older adult individuals could participate in programs. Some programs may be consolidated or removed at select locations.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Recreation centers saw approximately 460,000 visits in 2025. Provide more than 1,500 programs/ serve 10,000 participants. Offers 40% discounts for youth and 25% discounts for older adults.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Provide deeper discounts for youth and older adults. Introduce free facility access for youth. Expand programs and increase youth and older adult participation across the community.

Older Adult Services (two services) Older Adult (60+) Case Management Back to top What This Service Does: Provides case managers who help adults age 60+ and their caregivers navigate resources Offers counseling on available options and short-term case management support If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Low income older adults and caregivers would wait longer for financial help with food, rent, healthcare, and other needs. Delays in accessing benefits and resources could lead to housing or health emergencies. Responsiveness for urgent needs would decline.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Provided 509 hours of direct case management to 272 clients in 2024.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Delivered 290 hours of information and referral support to 477 clients. Completed 42 home visits and 750 drop in appointments. Responded to 10,063 helpline calls. Distributed over $100,000 in financial assistance.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Faster access to financial assistance for needs like food, rent, and healthcare. More timely help navigating benefits and local resources. Stronger support for older adults to maintain stable housing and well being.

Age Well Centers Back to top What This Service Does: Provides programs and services for older adults at two centers Provides meal site at the West Age Well Center If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Decreased programming for health and wellness, aging in place, lifelong learning, and technology education. Longer waitlists and lower participation in programs.

What We Do Now — 4 dots In 2024, the centers received 10,628 calls, offered 1,364 onsite / 46 online programs to 7,440 people and served 12,652 meals. Provided volunteer opportunities to 74 people who delivered 1681 hours of service.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Increased programming for health and wellness, aging in place, lifelong learning and technology education. Targeted outreach to Latino older adults to further inclusion and belonging.

Youth Services (two services)

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Family Resource Schools Back to top What This Service Does: Provides basic needs case management and support services, counseling, afterschool and other programming with focus on academic achievement, physical and mental health well-being, and parent engagement and education. The program is served through Boulder Valley School District elementary schools in Boulder. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Number of households served would decrease. Basic financial assistance would decrease along with the capacity for referrals to service partners and the ability to serve students through classes and mental health therapy hours.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Currently serve approximately 124-150 households (784-1000 individuals) through 205 basic needs financial assistance requests provided during the school year. Respond to 1,500 requests for support services/referrals to community partners; afterschool programming serves approximately 1,400-2000 students through approximately 185-200 classes.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Number of households served would increase, including enhanced services through community partners, and additional classes.

Youth Services Initiatives (YSI) Back to top What This Service Does: Provides recreational opportunities for low-income youth and families as a community benefit service, where program costs are primarily subsidized by taxes to reduce financial barriers and support equitable access to recreation. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Decrease service delivery hours or reduce program offerings at locations which impacts the number of youth served.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

What We Do Now — 4 dots Deliver approximately 644 hours of programming annually, serving 3,350 lowincome participants at 3 Boulder Housing Partners sites and three manufactured home communities.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Provide more annual programming at current service locations.

Economic Development (two services) Business Incentives and Financial Assistance Back to top What This Service Does: Provides direct funding to support business attraction, retention and expansion, including loans to small, women- and minority-owned businesses If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Decrease the average number of incentives and limit the availability annual of microloans to approximately 7 per year. Limit the availability of microloans in a given year.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Provide $200,000 annually for incentives and financial assistance opportunities. This supports an average of 15 businesses (approximateky 5 rebates and 10 microloans) with an average amount of $46,000 per recipient.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Expand the city’s economic development toolkit to include new incentive types. Increase the number of annual incentives to 25+, allowing for larger redevelopment and broader support for women- and minority-owned startups.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Arts and Cultural Grants Back to top What This Service Does: Provides direct funding to artists, arts organizations, and creative experiences to ensure a vibrant, inclusive, and economically strong community If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Decrease the number of supported artists and organizations by about 25% (to ~120), leading to fewer public performances. Less classroom art funding and reduced support for emerging artists.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Invest $2,000,000 annually in this programming, which provides direct financial support to over 160 artists, organizations and classrooms each year.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Increase the grant pool by 25%. Allow for the expansion of "General Operating Support" grants and increase funding for venues, cultural spaces, festivals, and youth art programs to 200+ recipients.

Wildfre (two services) Wildfire Response Back to top What This Service Does Wildfire response Human-caused ignition prevention Evacuation and dispatch Incident management team and departmental operation centers Water for fire suppression and consumption

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Reduce wildfire specialized response coverage. Incidents between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. would require specialized on-call response with a 1+ hour response time.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Provide 7-day-a-week wildfire coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Gunbarrel. Incidents outside this timeframe require a specialized on-call response with a 1+ hour response time.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Provide 24-hour specialized wildfire response coverage from locations across the city.

Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Back to top What This Service Does Reduces wildfire risk through forestry projects, targeted fuel reduction treatments, home assessments, community preparedness and homeowner education programs, wildfire prevention initiatives, homeowner grants, wildfire recovery and cross-department wildfire resilience planning. These activities align with Boulder’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which prioritizes resilient landscapes, fire-adapted communities, and safe and effective wildfire response. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Limit prescribed burning. Slow detailed home assessments and homeowner wildfire risk reduction grants. Minimize community preparedness programming. Deemphasize wildfire ignition prevention.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Treats hundreds of acres annually through forest thinning, grassland mowing, livestock grazing and ditch fuels management to reduce wildfire risk. Conducts wildfire ready home assessments and provides wildfire preparedness

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

outreach and develops wildfire resilience community programs. Homeowner grants program distributes $2,000 to eligible homeowners each year for wildfire home and landscaping projects. Supports post-fire recovery efforts. Wildfire ignition prevention through education, enforcement, infrastructure improvements and early detection.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Expanded fuels treatments on city land to accelerate risk reduction across priority landscapes, especially within the Wildland Urban Interface. Implement additional community programs to connect neighbors with resources, reduce home ignition risks, and foster collaboration with fire professionals to create safer communities. Enhance neighborhood education, volunteer coordination, and community preparedness. Accelerate wildfire prevention efforts.

Public Safety (three services) Paramedic Emergency Response Back to top What This Service Does: Dispatches paramedic professionals to support people who need emergency medical services Restores of a patient’s pulse and circulation during emergency cardiac care If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Delays in advanced cardiac care could reduce the likelihood of restoring circulation for patients experiencing cardiac arrest. Could result in fewer patients with restored pulse and circulation prior to hospital

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

arrival.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Current emergency medical response system provides coordinated care between firefighter paramedics and ambulance providers, delivering CPR, defibrillation, and advanced life support designed to restore circulation for patients experiencing cardiac arrest.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Improved availability and coordination of advanced life support resources could increase the likelihood of restoring pulse and circulation for patients experiencing cardiac arrest and support improved patient outcomes.

Police Patrol Emergency Response Back to top What This Service Does: The Boulder Police Department provides police services throughout the city, including responding to calls for service, routine patrols, and proactive policing If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Fewer officers or a lower police presence, leading to longer response times and less proactive policing.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Current police patrol emergency response times from call to first response vary depending on call type: Priority 1 (threat to life or property): 5:56 Priority 2 (threat to life or property that occurred 5-20 mins prior; non-injury traffic crashes; and quality of life incidents like actively happening noise or traffic complaints): 21:58 Priority 3 (incidents over 20 minutes old – typically handled with a phone call from the responder): 20:22

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Add more officers or increase police presence, which could lead to shorter response

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

times and more proactive policing.

Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) - Encampment Abatement Back to top What This Service Does: The city follows a standardized protocol to identify and clean encampments in public spaces to mitigate the significant health and safety concerns they can present to all community members. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Maintain a small team focused on health, safety and environmental protection, primarily near Boulder Creek and other high-impact or areas. Service would shift to a more targeted and reactive approach.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Approximately 1,300 clean-ups each year in response to reports made through Inquire Boulder, the city's non-emergency information and request system.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Extend operations beyond business hours to provide more proactive and consistent coverage. Address recurring conditions more quickly, respond to emerging concerns across a broader area and better sustain improvements over time.

Climate & Environment (three services) Land Management Science and Research Back to top What This Service Does: Conducts, supports, and applies long-term scientific research and monitoring to guide open space management, track ecological conditions, reduce wildfire risk, understand

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

human use of public lands, engage the community in stewardship, and protect wildlife habitat for iconic and rare species This research informs management of more than 46,000 acres of public land If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Reduce monitoring and research, limiting the city’s ability to apply science-based decision making. Make land management decisions with limited progress tracking and without local research. Limit support for external research partnerships.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Maintain a portfolio of research and monitoring projects to support wildfire resilience and stewardship of diverse ecosystems. This portfolio informs decisions related to wildlife management, recreation impacts, invasive species control, wildfire mitigation and post-fire recovery. Funds a research grant program supporting partnerships with peer agencies and academic researchers.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Improve data analysis and reporting. Strengthen the connection between scientific findings and land management decisions. Enhance detection of emerging threats such as invasive weeds and wildlife changes. Evaluate the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation. Proactively apply science-based stewardship strategies. Greater public engagement and education.

Circular Economy and Zero Waste Services Back to top What This Service Does: Offers practical tools and services to facilitate material reuse and waste reduction, fostering a circular economy Services include business advising, reuse incentives, reusable bag distribution, increased Zero Waste access, infrastructure support and repair options

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Limit access to waste-reduction advising, reuse, repair, and Zero Waste programs, disproportionately impacting lower-income households and small businesses. Increase reliance on disposable goods. Slow growth of local reuse and materials recovery businesses. Raise disposal costs. More material would go to landfills, driving higher emissions.

What We Do Now — 4 dots In 2024, 45% of waste and 73% of deconstruction materials were diverted from landfill.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Reduce household costs through expanded reuse, repair, and Zero Waste access. Strengthen local repair and reuse industries. Keep more dollars in the local economy. Reduce landfill methane, lower embodied carbon and demand for virgin materials, decrease pollution and waste transport.

Energy Community Programs Back to top What This Service Does: Provides commercial and residential grants, rebates and advising, partnering with Boulder County, Xcel Energy and others Supports energy upgrades, sustainable transportation, EV and electric lawn equipment adoption, EV charging expansion, housing quality improvement and increased renewable energy installations, especially for low-income and nonprofit groups If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Lower-income households disproportionately impacted through increased energy burden and limited access to cleaner technologies. Residents, nonprofits, and businesses would face higher operating costs, reduced support and fewer opportunities to benefit from local.

What We Do Now — 4 dots 400-500 residents and 100-200 businesses advised annually.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

56 million kilowatt hours (kWh) cumulative annual energy savings; more than 100 megawatts local solar and storage installed.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Provide additional support to residents and businesses to lower household energy burdens. Expand access to solar and storage. Retain more wealth locally by supporting contractors, workforce development and businesses. Drive faster emissions reductions, reduce strain on infrastructure, improve air quality.

Municipal Infrasructure (two services) Pavement Management Services Back to top What This Service Does: The Pavement Management Program inspects and rates 300 miles of streets on a three-year interval to understand existing conditions and guide repair timing Conducts curb and gutter repair and ADA-compliant curb access ramp upgrades New road striping or other bicycle, pedestrian and transit upgrades If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Pavement conditions would not meet the city’s goals in this area. Pavement and street maintenance timing would be once every 12-14 years instead of once every 9-10 years.

What We Do Now — 4 dots Boulder currently maintains a Pavement Condition Index of 75 – indicating condition is “Good” with a relative remaining life of 10 to 15 years. The Pavement Conditions Index is a rating system used to indicate the general condition of pavement infrastructure. Ratings range from 0 to 100.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Elevate pavement conditions above goal of 75. Pavement and street maintenance timing would be once every 7-9 years instead of once every 9-10 years.

Ongoing Maintenance of Facilities Back to top What This Service Does: Maintains over 1.8 million square feet across approximately 75 buildings with an average age of 50 years The cost of owning, operating, and maintaining buildings escalates significantly in buildings aged 25 to 30 years. Many buildings in the city’s portfolio are, or will soon become, increasingly expensive to operate and maintain compared to their total value. If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less Prioritize keeping buildings serving first responders, critical operations (fire, police) and the community (recreation centers) operational. Non-critical building failures could result in limiting in-person services, temporary shut downs, or equipment and weather-related failures. Stop improvements to meet energy efficiency goals.

What We Do Now — 4 dots The City’s building portfolio is in “fair” condition overall based on industry standards. 3 buildings have renovation and replacement dollars being saved. Maintenance actions are mostly responding to failures and breaks. It is anticipated the portfolio will be “critical” by 2033 based on results of the capital planning study.

If Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more All buildings would have renovation and replacement dollars being saved. More preventative maintenance. Improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuels in city buildings.

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Development and Permitting (one service) 0

Building Permit Review Back to top 0 + What+ This- Service Does

Permit- review and customer coordination to ensure all new construction conforms to city codes and standards. +

If Services Were Reduced — 3 dots or less + Increased time for plan review by several weeks. 0 + Plan review criteria is set by code and cannot be changed. 0

What + We - Do Now — 4 dots Provide a 5-week review period and coordinate about 450 new construction permits 0 + monthly. 0

If + Services Were Increased — 5 dots or more Creation of different building permit review tracks with reduced time for review based 0 + on criteria (e.g., type of project, etc.). 0

Download Check out our guidelines for civility 0

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Responses (536)

Survey

How challenging was it to make choices between which services to add budget to or reduce budget from? (Not technical issues or website challenges) back submit Very challenging

Not very challenging

Enter other text here Not challenging at all Other

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

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Characters left: 255

Did your budget accurately represent your beliefs on the services the City of Boulder should provide? Yes, my budget accurately represents my beliefs about what services the City of Boulder should provide No, my budget is not very representative of what I think the City of Boulder should be doing Other

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Characters left: 255

If your budget is not an accurate representation of your beliefs, what is the reason? Enter other text here The services listed did not include some or all of the services I would like to see prioritized I believe we can fund more services at a higher level without making trade-offs I believe we can fund more services at a higher level without making trade-offs by raising additional revenue in the form of taxes and/or fees Not applicable - my budget is an accurate representation of the service and service levels I would like the City to provide

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Other

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Characters left: 255

Would you prefer to increase the budget through additional revenues such as taxes and/or fees for higher levels of service, or to keep the budget the same? I would prefer increasing the budget through additional taxes and/or fees in order to increase services I would prefer keeping the budget the same, which means reducing some services in submit order to increase others

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I would prefer to keep the budget the same because I believe we can fund more services

Enter other text here at a higher level without making trade-offs or collecting additional revenue I would prefer to reduce the budget, which means reducing services

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

Other

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Characters left: 255

Is there any other input or feedback you would like to provide?

Optional demographic questions below

Enter other text here What is your age range?

Enter Under other 18 to 24 text here 25 to 34 35 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 and over I prefer not to say

Download Which race(s) and/or ethnic group(s) do you mos identify with?

Enter other here American Indiantext or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Latine/Latinx/Hispanic Middle Eastern or North African Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander White Two or more

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Other

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Characters left: 255

City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

How would you describe Enter other text hereyour annual household income?

Enter other text here Less than $25,000 a year $25,000 to $49,999 a year $50,000 to $99,999 a year $100,000 to $149,999 a year $150,000 a year or more I prefer not to say

Do you own or rent your home? Own

Enter other text here Rent

Other

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Characters left: 255

I prefer not to say Thank you for your participation. This questionnaire will be closing April 19, 2026. Results of community engagement will be shared late spring 2026, and we look forward to incorporating this feedback as a component of the city's Long-Term Financial Strategy.

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City of Boulder Open Town Hall - Fund Our Future 2026 - Community Questionnaire - Index

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