Agenda Memo

City of Boulder City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: December 4, 2025 Agenda Title Consideration of a motion to approve the 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues.

Staff Contact • •

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

Draft Motion Language Staff requests council consideration of this matter and action in the form of the following motion: Motion to approve the 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues.

Executive Summary At its November 13, 2025, Study Session, City Council requested that staff bring proposed amendments to the 2026 Policy Statement to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee for review. In the interim, Council provided guidance to place the 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues (including staff-recommended changes), on the December 4, 2025, Consent Agenda for initial adoption.

Council Action Options Option

Outcome

Approve motion language as drafted

If the motion is approved, the 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues, as revised with staff amendments, will be adopted.

Define and adopt a modified motion

Council would need to define any modifications or amendments to the draft motion language. This will likely require staff to bring back an amended version at a later meeting date.

Deny the motion or take no action

If this motion is denied, the 2026 Policy Statement. As currently drafted, the statement would not be adopted.

Refer back to staff

If council refers this item back to staff, council members would need to define desired revisions for this draft alongside a recommended meeting date for future approval of the 2026 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 The Policy Statement aligns with and furthers several key priorities within the citywide strategic plan.

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. Staff 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). At the November 13, 2025, study session, staff presented an updated version of the draft 2026 Policy Statement. During that study session, City Council requested that staff bring additional proposed amendments to the 2026 Policy Statement to the

Intergovernmental Affairs Committee for review. In the interim, council provided guidance to place the 2026 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues (including staff-recommended changes), on the December 4, 2025, Consent Agenda for initial adoption.

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: •

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 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.

Each year, city staff review the policy statement and make recommendations for updates. Updates often occur due to changes in state or federal law within the last year, evolving industry practices and standards, needs or inefficiencies in state laws, regulations that departmental staff identify, outdated language and information. 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.

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.

Workplan Considerations The 2026 policy statement is included in the City Manager’s Office draft workplan for 2026. No other workplan items are expected to be deprioritized to accommodate this item.

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’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee (IGA) will meet in December or early January to discuss additions to the policy statement as requested by council members during the November study session.

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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