Matters Memo

City of Boulder City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: February 12, 2026 Agenda Title City Council Community Engagement Update and Discussion

Staff Contact • •

Ryan Hanschen, Community Engagement Manager, Communication & Engagement Pam Davis, Assistant City Manager, City Manager's Office

Executive Summary The purpose of this item is to share an update on the performance of recent council engagement opportunities through the Chats with Council program, clarify opportunities for council to engage with community members, and identify opportunities for engagement in 2026 that balance council interest and staff capacity.

Questions for Council 1. From the menu of options provided by city staff, which opportunities are council members most interested in participating in during 2026?

Alignment with City Plans and City Council History Sustainability, Equity and Resilience (SER) Framework and Citywide Strategic Plan Alignment SER Framework Goal Area Responsibly Governed

Citywide Strategic Plan N/A Staff Notes N/A

Alignment with Additional City Plans The Chats with Council program aligns with the city’s Engagement Strategic Framework by helping to cultivate respectful relationships between council and community members in an equitable and transparent way, using the most appropriate engagement tools and strategies for each opportunity. The program also furthers the city’s Racial Equity Plan goals by improving community access to decision-makers and focusing on high-quality community engagement that is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming.

City Council History City staff most recently discussed the Chats with Council Program, and council’s interest in continuing the program, during a business meeting on Feb 15, 2024. The memo for the item can be found here: Feb. 15, 2024 Memo—Discussion on 2024 Chats/Walks with Council Council members also received a recap of 2024 Chats with Council in the following Information Packet: Information Item Dec. 19, 2024—Summary of 2024 Chats with Council and 2025 Preview Summaries of 2025 Chats with Council for the first three engagements of the year can be found below. The final three Chats with Council from 2025 are summarized in this memo. -

Update on March 7, 2025 Chat with Council Update on March 18, 2025 Chat with Council Update on May 19, 2025 Chat with Council

Council members received a brief summary of a pilot Community & Council Forum in the following memo: April 24, 2025 Memo - Economic Development Plan & Program Enhancements Update: Economic Vitality Strategy Review Council members most recently received updates from Community Connectors-inResidence in the following Information Packets: -

Information Item Dec. 24, 2025 – Community Connector-in-Residence Update Nov. 14, 2024 Memo – Engagement Strategic Framework

Analysis Summary of Final Three Chats with Council of 2025 In addition to the Chats with Council summaries linked above, staff are providing a summary of the final three Chats with Council from 2025. Open House with Council at Rocky Mountain Equality - Date and location: Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 10:00 – 11:30 am at The Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains (3340 Mitchell Lane Boulder, CO 80301) - Participating Council Members: Mayor Brockett, Council Member Marquis, and Council Member Schuchard - Engagement Summary: This educational open house learning opportunity provided council members with a chance to meet the staff at RMEQ and learn more about the wide array of services, programs, and advocacy efforts that RMEQ provides for the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Colorado. Since the meeting was an educational opportunity, council members refrained from discussing city business and decision items in compliance with open meetings laws. RMEQ staff provided a tour of their facility for participating council members and discussed their ongoing workplan, legislative efforts, and programming opportunities. Chat with Council and Youth - Date and location: Monday, Nov. 17 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Boulder High School - Participating Council Members: Council Member Schuchard and Council Member Wallach - Engagement Summary: In partnership with the city’s Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB), city staff planned a youth conversation with council members over dinner. Members of YOAB assisted with promoting the event and with facilitating and notetaking during the session. The themes that youth participants highlighted from their conversations included the following: o Homelessness, school safety, and immigration issues all surfaced as priorities for youth attendees. o Youth appreciated the opportunity to get to know council members faceto-face and appreciated that they listened actively and took the time to hear their opinions. They expressed that youth often feel that politicians and decision makers do not take them seriously since they cannot vote and that they really appreciated council members’ time. o Many participants shared that the engagement gave them hope about their ability to use their own voices to shape their communities.

Chat with Council – CU Civic Engagement Fair - Date and location: Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at the CU Boulder Rec Center - Participating Council Members: Council Member Marquis and Council Member Winer - Engagement Summary: City staff and council members staffed a table at the annual CU Boulder Civic Engagement Fair. Council members answered students’ questions about local government and their experiences as elected officials. City staff also provided information about volunteer opportunities and boards/commissions applications during the event.

Summary of Community & Council Forum Pilot Program An initial Community & Council Forum was piloted on Sept. 26, 2024, in alignment with the following objectives: -

Increase opportunities for meaningful engagement by responding to community desire to engage on council decisions sooner in the decision-making process. Strengthen decision-making process by hearing diverse community perspectives from individuals and organizations who have valuable and perhaps underrepresented input with council that could shape projects and outcomes.

Analysis of participant, council, and staff evaluations found that: -

77% of community, council, and staff identified that community perspectives were included sooner in this city and council decision-making process.

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81% of council and staff heard community perspectives that they hadn’t heard before, or infrequently hear, during this Community & Council Forum.

This forum focused on the city’s Economic Vitality Strategy. Staff shared a brief presentation and responded to participant questions ahead of small group dialogue with council members and community participants. Participant input was collected, and the following themes were identified – equity, vibrancy, resilience, and innovation. These input themes helped to further shape the Economic Vitality Strategy. Additionally, the National Civic League highlighted this pilot as a case study on their website: ‘Local Democracy in Boulder Gets a New Look A Reimagined Study Session: Deliberative Community and Council Forum.’

Options for Future Council/Community Engagement The menu of options for council and community engagement throughout 2026 is included below. Based on council interest in specific options, staff will draft an engagement plan that reflects both the will of council and staff capacity. Chats, Walks, and Rolls with Council -

Convenient and informal drop-in opportunities for community members to engage with their elected officials through brief, two-way conversations about issues that matter most to them. Chats may focus on a specific topic, location, or partnership (and outreach) with a local community organization.

Council-initiated Chats -

Rapid response engagement opportunities for council to engage community members on specific and time-sensitive topics.

Office Hours -

Opportunity for community members to meet with council members in a small group setting, at a pre-set time and location.

Community & Council Forum -

Opportunity to include diverse community input earlier in council decisions. Replacing a Study Session, Community & Council Forums focus on one specific topic and include a brief staff presentation, time for clarifying questions, and small group dialogue with council and community members.

Community Connectors-in-Residence -

Updates from Community Connectors-in-Residence are designed to amplify the community strengths and community issues experienced by historically excluded

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communities in Boulder. Updates may be included in a council meeting or shared with council as an Information Item. Dinner Gatherings are an opportunity for individual council members to hear from and build relationships with Community Connectors-in-Residence.

Matrix of Opportunities for Staff Supported Council Engagement Chats & Walks & Rolls

Councilinitiated Chats

Office Hours

Community & Council Forum

Purpose

Chats focus on specific Responsive Open-ended communities; to specific and conversation timeWalks and Rolls sensitive topics feature specific locations

Include diverse community perspectives earlier in decision-making

Topic or Focus

Council nominates, staff confirm with partners

Initiated by at least three council members

Community Council and member initiated staff identified

Frequency 6 per year (max)

2 per year, with at least a month in between

n/a

Council Member #s

At least 3 1-2 council Full council council members, 2 members, recommended (3 others may join or more must be open meeting)

2-3 council members

Community Ideally 20Member #s 40 participants

Ideal for larger Ideal for groups of individuals or community small groups members

1 per year

20 participants, more may observe

Planning/ Biannually staff At least 3 Contact City will solicit council council Council Requests suggestions for annual members must Administrator to planning cycle express set up interest and commit to participation

Biannually staff will solicit council suggestions for annual planning cycle

Staff Staff coordinate Support – logistics Planning

Blurb and Calendly customized as needed

Staff coordinate logistics

Staff Facilitation as needed, Potentially Support – participant sign-in, loose During note-taking, facilitation as photography, needed customized resources provided, potentially activities

n/a

Facilitation of forum and small groups, note-taking, photography,

Staff Recaps provided, Support with Support – support with individual follow up After follow up as needed questions as needed

Support with follow up questions as needed

Recaps and evals provided to council and participants

Staff Subject Matter Experts

Often SMEs participating

Invited SMEs as available

n/a

SMEs participating

Outreach

Staff create materials (e.g., social media post, flyer) and outreach through partners

Staff create Blurb template Staff create materials (e.g., and Calendly link materials (e.g., social media provided webpages, flyers, post, flyer) and social media posts) outreach and outreach through city through city channels channels and through partner organizations

Staff coordinate logistics

logistics

Lead-time Annual planning cycle Three weeks Three days for Planning

Six months

Location

Staff and partners identify and confirm

Council nominates, staff confirm

Council identified and Council scheduled Chambers

Security

Potential for BPD presence as anticipated

Potential for Info provided BPD presence to participating as anticipated council members

BPD present, same as regular council meetings

Refreshments

Water and snacks provided

n/a

Dinner provided

n/a

Anticipated Fiscal and Workplan Impacts The Chats with Council program, as currently administered, does not significantly impact the city’s budget, as the costs associated with each engagement event are usually nominal and related to providing food and interpretation services when appropriate. Future changes to the program could result in changes to budgetary impacts. In terms of workplan impacts, the current Chats with Council program is included in the CMO/Communication & Engagement workplan. Any changes to the program will need to be considered through the lens of staff capacity given the relatively small team that administers the program. Please reference the matrix above for additional information related to the level of staff engagement required for each potential option. A Community & Council Forum would not significantly impact the city’s budget, as the costs associated are nominal and related to providing a meal for participants. A Community & Council Forum is not currently included in staff workplans. Moving forward with this event would need to be considered through the lens of staff capacity. An update from Community Connector-in-Residence, or council members participating in a Community Connector-in-Residence Dinner Gathering, would not impact the city’s budget. Updates and Dinner Gatherings are included in Communication & Engagement and Office of Equity and Belonging staff workplans.

Equity Analysis Each of these options for council engagement reflect leading-edge practices as described in the city’s Engagement Strategic Framework, specifically meaningful and

inclusive community engagement. These options are primarily designed to meet community members where they are and to reduce barriers to participation (e.g., location, session structure, time of day/week, language access).

Climate, Resilience, and Sustainability Considerations Staff have not identified any material impacts to climate, resilience, or sustainability as a result of this program.

Community Engagement Participant data confirms continuing community interest in Chats, Walks, and Rolls with Council as well as Community & Council Forums. Community participation in Chats with Council has consistently met staff expectations (between 10-40 participants) over the past two years. For the Community & Council Forum in September 2024, 19 of 20 planned participants joined the opportunity. Participant data does not yet exist for Council-initiated Chats or Staff Supported Office Hours as these opportunities have not yet occurred.

Next Steps for City Council Following council consensus regarding which opportunities they’re most interested in for 2026, staff will meet with the Council Committee on Engagement and a Welcoming Council Environment, on Feb. 25, 2026, for counsel and implementation support. Staff will then design and implement these council engagement opportunities.

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