Boulder County Commissioners · Meetings
Business Meeting
August 25, 2026 · Regular meeting
Commissioners spend most of the meeting rewriting the county administrator job posting after Boulder County's top staff exit.
The Board of County Commissioners put a $1 million debt question for the Eldorado Springs wastewater plant on the November 2026 ballot. Commissioners approved a consent agenda and made several board appointments. They spent most of the meeting line by line editing the recruitment position profile for a new county administrator, after the prior administrator left on August 11. Sitting as the Boulder County Housing Authority, the board heard about a HUD funding shortfall, approved a rent increase, and reviewed the Yardi software conversion. In an afternoon work session, Parks and Open Space staff briefed the board on the 2026 drought and water rights, and staff asked the board to give direction on future ag and ditch policy.
Summarized by a language model from the meeting transcript.
- 12 votes, 1 not unanimous
- 22 agenda items
Votes
Agenda
Call to Order
9:30 a.m. Morning Session
Business Meeting
Eldorado Springs Public Improvement District Discussion Items (Sitting as the Eldorado Springs Public Improvement District Board of Directors)
- 4.aCounty Attorney's Office - Resolution 2026-003 referring the question of debt authorization to the November 3, 2026 ballot and approving and certifying ballot language▶ 0:01:04The board, sitting as the Eldorado Springs PID Board, approved Resolution 2026-003 as amended, sending a $1 million debt question to district voters on the November 2026 ballot to fund wastewater plant repairs, paid back through a new local improvement district special assessment.passed 3-0 Vote details
Commissioners' Consent Items
- The board approved the consent agenda, covering two fuels mitigation grants, a clean transit grant application, a ballot resolution on expanding the Board of County Commissioners, and an IDD funding memo.
- 5.aCommunity Planning and Permitting - 800369 Town of Superior Strategic Fuels Mitigation Grant Program Spring Cycle 2026
- 5.bCommunity Planning and Permitting - 800372 LWOG dba The Watershed Center Conifer Hill Strategic Fuels Mitigation (SFMG) Grant Spring Cycle 2026
- 5.cCommunity Planning and Permitting - Grant Application - Clean Transit Enterprise Grant for the FY 2027 SB24-230 Local Transit Operations Program
- 5.dCounty Attorney's Office - Resolution 2026-056-fixing the ballot titles according to the Initiative Petition to increase the membership of the Boulder County Board of Commissioners from 3 to 5 members for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election and certifying
- 5.eHuman Services - 2027 IDD - A&I Avenues - Funding Approval Memo
Commissioners' Discussion Items
- 6.aCommissioners' Office - Appointment to the Community Action Programs Administering Board▶ 0:15:05The board appointed Mark Lester to the Community Action Programs Administering Board, the only applicant for a private-sector seat.passed 3-0 Vote details
- The board reappointed Lindy Hinman to the Board of Health, citing her current leadership through priority-based budgeting, over two other qualified applicants.passed 3-0 Vote details
- The board approved seven appointments to the Workforce Development Board, following staff recommendations after department review.passed 3-0 Vote details
- 6.dCommunity Services - YMCA Worthy Cause Funding Agreement Amendment, Release and Termination of Restrictive Covenant, Release of Deed of Trust, and new Deed of Trust▶ 0:20:34The board approved substituting collateral for the YMCA's Worthy Cause funding agreement, moving the lien from the Longmont property to a Boulder property, while confirming the YMCA's contractual duty to keep providing Longmont childcare stays in place.passed 3-0 Vote details
- 6.e▶ 0:28:43County Attorney's Office - Request for direction regarding the BOCC’s willingness and procedure to appoint a board member to the Mountain View Fire Protection District Board pursuant to CRS Sec. 32-1-905(2)(a)The board gave informal direction that it would be willing to fill a vacant seat on the Mountain View Fire Protection District board if asked, and would consider the district's two existing candidates rather than opening a new recruitment. No formal vote was taken.
- The board approved Resolution 2026-054, granting a requested name change, by a 2-1 vote after Commissioner Loachamin pulled it from the consent agenda to register her no vote.passed 2-1 Vote details
- 6.gHuman Resources - County Executive Recruitment (Approval of Position Profile and Authorization to Initiate Recruitment)▶ 0:43:09HR staff presented a draft recruitment position profile and timeline for a new county administrator. The board spent most of the meeting revising the profile section by section and approved it with changes, leaving the timeline and salary range for a later meeting.
Confirmation of Executive Session Topics
- Staff confirmed for the record that executive session topics noticed for the August 18, 2026 meeting were discussed as scheduled.
Authorization for Executive Session
- The board authorized an executive session on August 26, 2026 at 1:11 p.m. for instructions to negotiators on the collective bargaining agreement with the Boulder County Employees Union.passed 3-0 Vote details
Public Hearing of the Boulder County Housing Authority (Sitting as the Boulder County Housing Authority Board of Directors)
- 9Public Hearing of the Boulder County Housing Authority (Sitting as the Boulder County Housing Authority Board of Directors)▶ 3:22:52Sitting as the Housing Authority, the board heard updates on a HUD funding shortfall, the Yardi software conversion, Prop 123 compliance, and Willoughby Corner. The board acknowledged the termination policy for insufficient funding, approved a rent increase of up to 4 percent, and directed a shortfall letter be signed.
1:00 p.m. Afternoon Session
Parks and Open Space - Drought/Water Rights
Commissioners' Office - Policy Team Legislative Wrap up
Conversations by topic
November 2026 ballot
County Attorney staff Olivia Lucas presented Resolution 2026-003, sending a debt question to Eldorado Springs voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Staff lowered the ask from a $1.2 million not-to-exceed amount to $1 million, after strong feedback from the advisory committee and public that the number should match the actual loan need.
“we've changed our recommendation... we are now seeking debt authorization of a million dollars rather than the 1. 2”
County governance
HR Director Christine Scarlett and Deputy Natalie Springett presented a draft position profile for the new county administrator, after the prior administrator left on August 11. Commissioners spent over two hours revising wording on duties, unions, the office structure, near-term priorities, and minimum years of experience, eventually setting a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible public-sector experience with at least 5 years as an executive.
“eight years of progressively responsible experience in public sector administration and executive management”
Commissioner Stolzmann asked that the recruitment profile note the pending ballot measure to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members, so out-of-state applicants understand the governing body they would report to. The board agreed to add this language.
“the potential expansion of the Board of County Commissioners... from three to five commissioners”
Housing and land use
Housing Authority Director Susana Lopez Baker reported that Boulder County met its full Proposition 123 unit commitment of 125 units, mostly through the Willoughby Corner project and rehab work in Lafayette. The state asked the county to reconfirm its Prop 123 commitment for the next reporting period.
“our Boulder County, our unit commitment was 125 units and BCHA did provide all 125 units”
Housing Authority operations and finances
Housing division manager Kelly Schulz explained that HUD held back about $1.4 million from the agency over several months, leaving an estimated shortfall of about $280,000 after a $457,000 reserve release. The agency has paused new voucher issuance except for VASH and foster-youth vouchers, and about 25 to 29 emergency housing voucher households may face termination at year end if the shortfall is not resolved.
“we're estimating the shortfall for 727, 000 dollars”
Finance Director Sean already reported the Housing Authority is now close to self-sustaining on core operations, and expects to cut its county subsidy request by about 25 percent, from $2.1 million to $1.5 million. The agency will also ask for a one-time $5.3 million payment for the Willoughby Corner water purchase, due when the first phase 2/3 building permit is pulled.
“we would be looking to reduce our subsidy to the tune of probably 25 percent or so from roughly 2. 1 million down to 1. 5 million”
Drought, water rights, and agriculture
Parks and Open Space staff told the board that 2026 had the lowest snowpack on record, and some junior irrigation ditches got as little as 4 to 7 days of water all season. Tenant farmers reported hay yields down 30 to 40 percent, and staff said the county has used its own unleased water and rented Colorado-Big Thompson water to help affected tenants.
“Colorado had the lowest snowpack on record”
Commissioner Stolzmann asked staff to study rewilding parts of the ag land portfolio as leases end, to reallocate scarce water and reduce wildfire risk, and asked how the board could fund ditch capital projects and better inform new property owners of their ditch easement duties. Staff agreed to bring back options and possible one-time funding requests.
“what process could be used to elevate to the Board of Commissioners... opportunities to grant ditch companies... wildfire mitigation funding or open space funding”
Wildfire and Xcel
The county's ditch wildfire mitigation program, now in its second year, cleared woody debris from about 12 miles of ditches in 2026 at a cost of about $50,000, covering 31 separate projects listed in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
“the woody debris and slash piles have been removed from about 12 miles of ditches at this point, uh, totaling over 232 tons”
Early childhood and child care
The board approved moving the YMCA's Worthy Cause funding lien from a Longmont childcare property to a Boulder property at 2850 Mapleton Avenue, after commissioners confirmed the YMCA's contractual duty to keep providing early childhood education in Longmont survives the collateral change.
“why MCA's obligation to continue providing childcare in Longmont remains a contractual obligation under the funding agreements”