Study Session

Staff presented the bike security project. Boulder has 21% of residents commuting by bike, and staff held 15 registration events and visited 16 bike shops. Bike theft is down 14% and recoveries are up 13% year to date, against goals of 10%.

“So far in 2026, we are seeing 14% less bikes stolen year-over-year with the year year-to- date recovery of stolen bicycles at 13%.”

Tara Winer asked why the theft chart covered only January to August and asked for full-year 2024 and 2025 totals. Staff said the window allowed a like-for-like comparison and promised full-year data. She also worried that police understaffing would end the work in 2027, and police said the work will continue.

Ryan Schuchard asked that secure bike parking be built into future network planning and suggested a possible ordinance on bike registration at sale. Transportation staff said limited resources prevent a standalone parking plan but parking will be considered in projects. Police said some shops register bikes at sale and the city cannot mandate it.

Nicole Speer asked about enclosed bike lockers a company could install. Staff said they are watching such options and that new approaches would need new resources. Tina Marquis asked whether emotos can be registered, and police said yes and they would be returned.

Police acknowledged the department is understaffed but said officer effectiveness on bike theft is rising and the work will not stop. Matt Benjamin asked about ebike theft and bait bikes, and police said they use bait ebikes in hotspot areas without giving tactics. Police said targeted operations led to two arrests in six operations.

Fire chief and staff introduced Wildfire Ready 2030. It has four strategies, 25 programs, 10 tier one programs, and 137 projects. The WUI risk index splits the western interface into 12 sections ranked highest, very high, and high.

“Under that northstar, we have four wildfire resilience strategies and 25 wildfire resilience programs.”

Staff described the new home hardening implementation hub, organized around resident actions, with a cost calculator and no need for a prior home assessment. Staff also presented 14 measures: 55% of homes in the priority sections assessed and 20% hardened by 2030. Tier one programs already receive over $10 million a year.

Assistant City Manager Pam Davis described four program areas for 2027 enhancement: home risk reduction, community preparedness, WUI fuels management, and tactical evacuation. The budget already carries about $1.4 million. Staff are pursuing $1.85 million more, made of $1.25 million in grants and about $600,000 realigned from the open space fund. A community wildfire defense grant could bring up to $10 million in 2028.

Tina Marquis asked how residents would hear about an evacuation if cell service fails and how city messages align with school district plans. Disaster management staff listed layered alerts, radio, sirens, and door-to-door response, and said schools are moving toward a defend-in-place option. Rob Kaplan asked about making alerts opt-out, and staff said the software is opt-in and they will look into it.

Ryan Schuchard asked what council must provide to elevate contractor quality control. Staff said no policy action is needed, they cannot endorse contractors, and they will expand contractor training and a delivery model like Energy Smart. Matt Benjamin asked about two standards, the WUI code for new builds and IBHS for existing homes. The fire chief said they are not in conflict and staff will crosswalk them.

Matt Benjamin asked staff to raise the targets, to 100% of assessments and about 36% hardened. Staff said they can raise targets if participation allows. Rob Kaplan asked about the fuel treatment standard, and staff said 90% removal of dead and down wood over 3 inches within 100 feet of homes and about 80% at 300 feet.

Taishya Adams asked how recovery and relocation planning links to wildfire planning, and about phasing hardening neighborhood by neighborhood. Disaster management staff described sheltering, a disaster assistance center, and long-term recovery. Staff said the 16,000 homes in the interface cannot all be hardened, so effort is focused on key areas. Staff also said federal community wildfire defense grants cannot pay for work that touches buildings.

Ryan Schuchard asked staff to focus on the hardening goal, with contractor standards, automated reporting, troubleshooting barriers, and possibly paid third-party assessors. Matt Benjamin urged persistent outreach to the roughly 2,000 front-line homes and said a mandatory hardening ordinance is the unspoken need. Rob Kaplan suggested tiered goals: 100% of IR1, 75% of IR2, and 50% of IR3.

“until we get to something like a mandatory home hardening ordinance, uh we have to do everything short of harassing folks”

On the third question, Matt Benjamin asked for a spring analysis of the two codes, 100% assessment and 36% hardening targets, risk-tiered aspirations, an honest path to a mandatory ordinance, and bolder prescribed fire goals. Mayor Brockett, Taishya Adams, Tina Marquis, Tara Winer, and Nicole Speer supported higher targets, quarterly reporting, evacuation and recovery planning, and neighborhood preparedness. Staff will return in spring 2027 with grant results and a budget adjustment.

Tina Marquis asked whether fire risk will appear in property searches and whether rental licenses can require hardening. Staff said they are considering tying rental licenses and permits to hardening, as with SmartRegs, but need capacity. Taishya Adams asked how council could give direction, and the city manager said five council members can give a direction by a nod of five.

Staff said the approved 2027 budget already holds about $1.4 million in wildfire enhancements. The extra $1.85 million depends on grants and a $600,000 realignment from the open space fund, to return in the adjustment to base in spring 2027.