Boulder County Commissioners · Meetings
Business Meeting
August 4, 2026 · Regular meeting
The board approved an Xcel easement without undergrounding and started budget cuts for a $13.2 million county deficit.
The board approved routine morning items, including two appointments and Ben Pearlman as interim county administrator. Xcel Energy asked to move power lines for the 120th Street road project. Commissioners questioned why Xcel did not bury the lines in a wildfire risk zone, but they approved the $19,957 easement. In the afternoon, staff presented over 40 proposals to close a $13.2 million general fund gap. The board accepted some cuts, such as merging business analyst and contracting teams, and rejected others, such as cuts to youth corps crews and hazardous waste hours.
Summarized by a language model from the meeting transcript.
- 6 votes
- 28 agenda items
Votes
Agenda
Call to Order
9:30 a.m. Morning Session
Business Meeting
Items to Note for the Record
- The board noted the resignation of two members from the Community Action Program administering board.
- 4.bCommissioners' Office - Resignations from the Foothills Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council▶ 0:00:35The board noted the resignation of two members from the Foothills Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council.
Housing Authority Consent Items (Sitting as the Boulder County Housing Authority Board of Directors)
- 5Housing Authority Consent Items (Sitting as the Boulder County Housing Authority Board of Directors)▶ 0:00:48
- 5.aHousing - Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Homelessness Resolution Program -Youth Housing Stability Set-Aside, Grant Application▶ about 0:00:00Sitting as the Housing Authority board, commissioners approved a DOLA grant application for youth housing stability funds.
Commissioners' Consent Items
- The board approved the consent agenda, items 6A through 6N, in one vote.
- 6.aClerk and Recorder's Office - US Alliance for Election Excellence Grand
- 6.bCounty Attorney's Office - Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Docket LU-26-0006: Apple Valley Stream Restoration
- 6.cCounty Attorney's Office - Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Docket ZON-25-0037: 878 Klondyke Avenue
- 6.dCounty Attorney's Office - Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Docket ZON-25-0038: 856 Klondyke Avenue
- 6.eHousing - 2026 BCHD Request to Reallocate DOLA THR Funding to Family Bridge Housing Memo
- 6.fHousing - 2026 DOLA THR Family Bridge Housing Bid Waiver Request
- 6.gHousing - Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Homelessness Resolution Program -Youth Housing Stability Set-Aside, Grant Application
- 6.hHuman Resources - RFP-281-26 Award Recommendation
- 6.iInformation Technology - Intergovernmental Agreement Between City of Boulder, Colorado and Boulder County, Colorado for the Exchange of Fiber and Telecommunications Infrastructure
- 6.jOffice of Financial Management - RFP-281-26 Award Recommendation
- 6.kParks and Open Space - Zweck Amendment to Option Agreement
- 6.lSheriff's Office - 2026 Colorado Dept of Local Affairs POMH Grant Application
- 6.mSheriff's Office - Joint Agreement Establishing the Boulder Office of Disaster Management
- 6.nTreasurer's Office - Ratification of Authorization to Cancel Tax Lien Sale Certificate of Purchase No. 97-0348 along with rescinding the related Treasurers deed issued October 14, 2010, as Reception No. 03105651.
Commissioners' Discussion Items
- 7.aCommissioners' Office - Appointments to the Foothills Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council▶ 0:01:19The board appointed Cassandra Dickerson and Cameron Moran to the Foothills Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council.passed 3-0 Vote details
- 7.bCommissioners Appoint Interim County Administrator, Ben Pearlman, Commencing August 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM▶ 0:03:25The board appointed County Attorney Ben Pearlman as interim county administrator, starting August 11, 2026, after Jana Peterson's resignation.passed 3-0 Vote details
Confirmation of Executive Session Topics
- The board confirmed that executive session topics noticed at the July 21 meeting were discussed as scheduled.
Authorization for Executive Session
- The board authorized an executive session for legal advice on the Avis automated vehicle identification system on county roads.passed 3-0 Vote details
Public Hearing for Liley, Roberts (Simi), Thompson (Tommy) 2026 Xcel Easement Takings (For 120th Street Shoulders Reconstruction)
- 10Public Hearing for Liley, Roberts (Simi), Thompson (Tommy) 2026 Xcel Easement Takings (For 120th Street Shoulders Reconstruction)▶ 0:07:12The board held a public hearing and approved a $19,957 easement to Xcel Energy for the 120th Street power line relocation, over concerns about wildfire risk and undergrounding.passed 3-0 Vote details
Work Session
- 11.aCommunity Services Department - Mental and Behavioral Health Tax Advisory Committee and Bylaws Presented▶ 0:44:21Staff presented a Community Impact Board and technical advisory cohort to guide mental and behavioral health tax spending. Commissioners gave mixed direction on board size, name, and whether volunteers should score grant applications.
1:30 p.m. Afternoon Session
- Staff and commissioners worked through more than 40 proposals to close a $13.2 million general fund deficit for the 2027 budget. The board gave item-by-item guidance, accepting some cuts and rejecting others.
Office of the County Administrator - Efficiencies project update and recommendations, and general fund budget reductions recommendations
- 1Office of the County Administrator - Efficiencies project update and recommendations, and general fund budget reductions recommendations▶ 2:05:29
Conversations by topic
Wildfire and Xcel
Xcel Energy needs to move power poles so the county can widen 120th Street with paved shoulders. Commissioners asked why Xcel did not bury the lines, since the area is a wildfire tier two zone. Xcel staff said underground work would cost more, take months longer, and is not required for this type of rebuild. The board approved the $19,957 easement but asked Xcel to discuss burial options earlier on future projects near 93rd, 75th, and 95th streets.
“This, this really isn't an Excel energy project. This is a Boulder County project.”
Transportation and parking
Staff proposed cutting one of four road design engineers who deliver projects funded by the transportation sales tax. Levy opposed the cut, saying it would reduce the county's ability to finish safety projects already on the list. Loachamin asked what the cut would mean for commitments the board had already made.
County governance
Loachamin raised a possible ballot measure to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members. She questioned cutting the county's policy and lobbying staff now if the county might later need more staff to support additional commissioners. Staff confirmed the measure would not affect the 2027 budget even if voters approve it.
Housing and land use
Staff proposed cutting permitting staff, citing a 10 to 14 percent drop in site plan reviews over three years and new solar permitting software. Levy worried that wait times would grow again if review volume returns to past levels. Staff said fees and current review times would not change under the proposal.
Staff proposed cutting the general fund subsidy to the Boulder County Housing Authority by $500,000, down from an original $1 million ask. Stolzmann wants to end the general fund subsidy entirely and instead use the dedicated housing tax to cover the cost. Levy and Loachamin want more budget detail from the Housing Authority before deciding.
Public safety
Staff proposed reducing the Juvenile Assessment Center from a 24-hour secure model to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours, cutting three staff and $400,000. Loachamin and Levy asked for a workgroup with the Impact Partnership before any change, worried about who handles youth crises overnight. The board asked staff to return with more analysis instead of counting the full savings now.
“Boulder County will still need an after-hours juvenile response system.”
Downtown and the economy
Staff proposed cutting economic vitality grants, county fair funding, and multicultural awards run by the commissioner's office. Loachamin defended the economic vitality grants, citing support from the Latino Chamber of Commerce for small businesses facing new state rules like the Cottage Food Act. The board kept both proposals in the budget for further review.
County Budget Reductions
Staff presented over 40 proposals to close a $13.2 million general fund gap for the 2027 budget. The board approved centralizing business analysts and contracting, and cutting software licensing costs. Commissioners rejected cuts to youth corps crews, extension programs, the volunteer coordinator, the Community Connections newsletter, and hazardous waste facility hours.
“Ongoing cuts are unfortunate. They are difficult and they are necessary.”
Mental and Behavioral Health Tax Implementation
Staff proposed a 30-member Community Impact Board plus a smaller technical group to score grant applications for the mental and behavioral health tax. Stolzmann and Loachamin want county staff, not volunteers, to score applications to avoid conflicts of interest. The board asked staff to add treatment providers and court or probation seats and to pick a new name other than Community Impact Board.
“What if stories are just data with the soul.”