Study Session Memo

City of Boulder City Council Study Session Summary Meeting Date: October 23, 2025

Agenda Title Consideration of a motion to accept the September 25, 2025, Study Session Summary regarding City of Boulder Wildfire Ready Initiatives Updates

Staff Contact • • •

Jamie Barker, Public Information Officer, Boulder Fire-Rescue and Communications and Engagement Michael Calderazzo, Boulder Fire-Rescue Chief Pam Davis, Assistant City Manager

Draft Motion Language Staff requests council consideration of this matter and action in the form of the following motion: Motion to accept the September 25, 2025, Study Session Summary regarding Wildfire Ready Initiatives Updates.

Presentation Summary City of Boulder staff across departments highlighted the ongoing work towards wildfire resilience in the Sept. 25, 2025, Study Session for Wildfire Ready Updates. The presentation provided the City Council with specific information related to 2025 completed and currently ongoing wildfire resilience work. The city continues to make progress in advancing wildfire resilience through the implementation of the Community

Wildfire Protection Plan and funding from the Climate Tax. Please find the Sept. 25, 2025 Study Session memo in its entirety by clicking here.

Questions for Council and Direction Received City Council expressed appreciation for the overview of current and completed Wildfire Ready projects and programs. Members emphasized that wildfire resilience remains a top city priority and reiterated their support for maintaining and expanding the resources dedicated to this work. Overall, Council conveyed that they value the City’s progress to date and want to ensure that the Wildfire Ready initiative continues to receive the visibility, funding, and coordination needed to build community-wide resilience. A key theme of the discussion centered on the importance of public-facing information and community engagement. Council encouraged staff to make wildfire preparedness resources more easily accessible to residents, such as through displays at local hardware stores or other community locations. They also stressed the importance of providing materials in multiple languages and formats so that information is inclusive and accessible to all Boulder residents. Members supported the idea of continuing to develop a public-facing webpage that would document ongoing projects, highlight measurable progress, and showcase the City’s success stories in wildfire preparedness. Council also discussed the relationship between wildfire planning and the upcoming Comprehensive Plan update. Members noted that as Boulder continues to grow, especially within the Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI), there is a need to closely link development decisions with fire resilience strategies. With increasing housing density and buildings located in closer proximity, Council emphasized that the City must pay greater attention to land and fuels management as part of responsible growth and community safety. Resource needs and funding were also a major focus. Council asked staff to explore options for scaling up wildfire hardening programs while balancing the need to act quickly with the need to keep costs manageable. Members requested a more detailed budget breakdown that shows how wildfire-related spending is distributed across departments, including funds from the Climate Tax Initiative and beyond. Council reaffirmed its commitment to the Wildfire Ready program and encouraged staff to continue pursuing additional grant opportunities and partnerships to strengthen the City’s capacity. Another area of interest was the need for clear, measurable outcomes and data tracking. Council members asked how the City measures progress in Detailed Home

Assessments, specifically, what percentage of homes have implemented recommended hardening measures and how those outcomes are being tracked. They expressed interest in understanding how grant funding, preparedness programs, and collaborations with the Office of Disaster Management contribute to measurable community resilience. Council also highlighted the importance of aligning evacuation planning with fire resilience efforts, particularly as population density increases in the WUI. Members raised concerns about city-managed open space near Nederland and south of Eldorado Springs Drive, emphasizing that these areas border critical water infrastructure and must be included in resilience planning efforts even though they are outside of technical city boundaries. Training and on-the-ground risk reduction were additional discussion points. Council encouraged continued investment in prescribed burn training and city staff noted expanding this work south of the city to both reduce fuel loads and build experience conducting more complex burns near neighborhoods. Members also expressed interest in seeing greater emphasis on ignition-reduction strategies throughout the community. In closing, Council reaffirmed its commitment to wildfire readiness and encouraged continued communication about the City’s progress. Staff will continue refining measurable goals, public-facing communication tools, and data tracking. Council members were invited to consider which 2025 Wildfire Ready successes most resonate with them as examples to share with the community, and to identify what additional information or resources would help them champion the City’s wildfire resilience work in conversations with residents.

Next Steps for City Council At this time, there are no planned action items for council, though as the city continues to understand and assess landscape and development regulations within the WUI and the city, more conversation may be needed.

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Attachments Attachment A –Wildfire Ready Successes Talking Points