Transcript

0:00:15All right, Commissioners, are you ready? Yes, thank you. And we are recording. See if it works now. We'll do this. I'm out of press conference. Good morning. Today is October 22nd. This is a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County. And we are here for a Public Hearing on our 2027 proposed budget. We will take testimony for as long as it takes to get through everyone as a reminder. Three minutes each, and we'll ask everyone to start by stating their name for the record. Commissioner Locumenez. Yeah, thank you for reading my body language. I just had a quick question because the way I interpreted the docket this morning was there was a Public meeting first, so just a clarification for what I'm reading on the screen and read in the packet. Thank you. No, yeah, let's get clarification. I did not scrutinize it to that extent. That is correct. We're going to complete the Road and Bridge or Public Works session that we did complete last week, and then we can move on to Publicity. All right, well, that explains why we have Public Works at the table. Thank you, Commissioner Locien.

1 Call to Order

2 9:00 a.m. Morning Session

0:01:33OK, so yeah, we have some work to finish that we didn't finish last week. And then we will move to the Public hearing. Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. Today, we'll continue our budget work session with the focus of Completing the Discussion of Public Works, Road and Bridge Projects, an ongoing maintenance needs. With that, I'm going to turn it over to Christine, who will walk you through the presentation. Good morning, Commissioners. Christine Obendorf with Deputy Director of Engineering within Public Works, myself, Rachel Gadecki are here on behalf of Steve Durien, who could not make it. We also have online for questions. Mark Schisler for any traffic questions in addition to Robert for any other questions for resurfacing or subdivision. Rachel is here actually on behalf of TJ McKean, just as overarching. Summary here, is that we're here to present on the decision points for Fund 111, the Road and Bridge Fund, and these funds can only be used on items for our road and bridge infrastructure within the County. It is for appropriate, parent appropriation RM1, which includes our Maleven 12 and 13. And we have our capital budget request, and as an overview. One other thing I wanted to say is that TJ McKeon, he heads up our road maintenance division. And my engineering division, we work closely together, as well as ended with as

2.a Public Meeting on the 2027 Office and Department Budget Presentations

1 Road and Bridge Projects and Maintenance

0:03:22separate divisions with different things that we have to take care of. No worries. To define capital requests, as we have here in these decision points, the request are over 50, 000 dollars in capital purchases or investments improvements per OFM guidance. They are here to improve existing infrastructure, address failed infrastructure, or support day - to - day maintenance requirements such as snow removal or deciphend. The requests are a result of many, many conversations with local state agencies, such as the biohaid flood district CDOT. Our partner agencies, it's along the superior so forth. And then also our PIDs. The prioritization program of these requests do align with several plans, including the five - year fleet replacement plan, traffic capital, investment plan, rotary surfacing major and minor structures, roadway chip ceiling plan, and we hope that these are all drafts or in works. We hope to have the more finalized next year. And a huge, huge thank you to Melissa and Jillian and all those at OFM for all their support. They work with us frequently daily with Rachel, and we really appreciate their assistance. As an overview here, we have eight decision points. The fifth one actually is a compilation of a few, and Rachel will go into those at a later part of the presentation. With the first one here, we'll kick it off with Rachel,

0:05:00she can explain what we have here. Good morning, Rachel Gudecki, capital improvements, program manager for Public Works Department. The first request you'll see is for a little less than three million dollars, and this is also going to be a recurring request, request, and it is for road maintenance equipment. And there is a detailed list there, and we definitely investigated using electric vehicles as available and is could be accommodated. And that is in relation to our fleet, capital plan, and the fleet study. Okay, thank you. I think let's take the screen by screen. Commissioner's questions on this request. I support the plan. I just had a question. Thank you. Good morning. Just a question, because you just mentioned electrification on a couple of, because of course we're seeing Countywide in different fleet proposals and requests. The way I interpreted what you just said is that there wasn't any electric vehicles in this list, but I don't want to misinterpret. There are the Chevy Silverado trucks listed there with the EV. Those are electric vehicles. It's mostly the larger equipment for performing heavier duty that we cannot.

0:06:27It's not available at this time. Okay, thank you. And then I saw an email, I think earlier this week, just in regards to fast charging. Um, that was being installed here at the County. Will this fleet be serviced by that first charging. I am uncertain, but I believe that that is what fleet is accomplishing. And so if I remember correctly, this statement was that if we order new vehicles, they are equipped to do the fast charging. But that location would service these. I'm just trying to figure out how they all connect from an interdepartmental piece of investment. And I'm uncertain if it have the fast charging at road maintenance is building right now, but we can definitely verify. We do. Okay. Okay. Yeah, my question was just about the new charging system that I saw that was being invested. And so, okay, thank you. Good, okay. Just, you know, what you've shown here is there are actually two new pieces of equipment that are not replacement. Correct. And is this new work we're doing? What is - So for instance, the grapple truck, um, that is used for removal of, um, animals that were hit by vehicles or road debris. And right now we have to take two workers and two pieces of equipment to accomplish the work. So by purchasing this grapple truck, we,

0:07:56um, anticipate that we'll get to address items faster and more efficiently. So that was the thought behind that. But you are correct. That was not, it is a new piece of equipment. Okay. And I mean, it's 230, 000 dollars. Do you have any idea how often it'll be used? I mean, you've described a pretty limited purpose for it. But, it's also, the debris that we see on sides of road. So, um, I would say we, we clean up quite a bit of debris. Year long, year round. So it isn't just, um, I gave two examples, but I know it can be used a lot more for even just loading up a material. Okay. And then if you could just explain, uh, the distributor truck? Yes. That distribute your truck will be used for dust control.

0:08:53Currently, we contract that out. So we looked at this as a cost savings. Um, so we don't have to incur the contracted cost. We can actually self - perform that work in - house. Okay, thank you. Okay. So I guess you're looking for thumbs up or down on each of these. I believe so. Any other questions. Okay. I don't have additional questions. Right. And any objection, uh, keeping this or any, any individual items that you'd like to remove. I don't have any additional questions. I'm happy to support this slide. Okay. Same. Commissioner Stolzman has nodded. I waited already. Okay. I was the first one to win. Yeah, you said support the plan. You did. Okay. Decision point number two or ranked number two is our road resurfacing program. Um, this is been discussed several times in the last couple of years through work sessions. This is a one time request of 13 million dollars. And it is, um, continuing implantation of the Rotary Servicing Program that in order to keep maintain our pavement condition index and it meets good governance. I apologize. I'm getting tongue tied here. This request does assume that we'll receive additional funding from other sources such as the interest income that has come in the past for FY25 and 26. Um, I'm just going to go to a couple other slides

0:10:32here first to kind of help frame this picture a little bit. This might look familiar from previous work sessions. This is, um, the funding level outcomes for pavement condition index. So at seven and a half million, which is what we've received in 25 and 26, we can address six miles, which on an annual average PCI change, we actually go down. And to maintain our road surface at that, um. At the, um, at the 70 percent level, we would need 10 million dollars a year. And then to catch up and to keep on moving, we need 13 million dollars a year. So those are the key takeaways from the slide. And I think the only, you've presented this a number of times. So the only reason I know this is that you've presented this. The one thing you said is that the 10 million maintains 70 and what the 10 million does, I think is maintains the status quo. And then the 13 million gets us to 70. Thank you for that correction. A number of times I just wanted to thank you for the correction.

0:11:36Yes, you got me. And then here also team capacity regarding the 13 million dollars. We are very confident that we can actually utilize that 13 million dollars. And to get it done. Which and the reason why we're have this slide up here is because we have headed at seven and a half million. This would be increase. And just that question there. And we plan on focusing on locations that have minimum and non - complex design needs. So, um, sticking within the current imprint of footprint of the roadway itself, we're already starting some of the design and geotechnical findings. This year. So we can get advanced of the construction season. And then utilize our contracted resources, which we have on board too. So with that, do you have any questions or comments? Okay. Sure. Questions, comments.

0:12:28Thank you. I did have a question on this, um, set of slides. And it's the, it looks like maybe page 10 of 65 in my packet for today, which is not the same as what we're looking at. But it was maybe the third one you just showed us the team capacity. Thank you. Okay. So that last line on here, I had highlighted in my notes, Contractors to Implement Construction of the Work and then just hearing you talk about the distributor track and trying to move some of the work in - house. And that's been like an ongoing conversation here at the County. What can we do versus with our own staff versus contracting out just generally Countywide? And I feel like we've made a lot of progress on that area. So just trying to understand here, if the board was to move forward on these, you know, from 7. 5 to 13 million to really address the pieces that you're presenting as good governance with this particular need, wouldn't we need more staff? And I heard Steve wasn't able to join in this meeting. And this is capital, but I just want to put that out there and you all can talk about it as the budget session continues perhaps versus. I can actually address that now. Okay. Like, yeah. So, um, I'm going to

0:13:45use this year as an example. So we have, um, three resurfacing projects that we were able to do with that seven and a half million. We had an estimate at the beginning of the year of what we thought they would actually cost. They came in less than expected, which was quite a surprise. Um, so my group, we coordinated with road maintenance and determined that the remaining could actually go into a road they were not planning on doing this year. So capacity wise, um, road maintenance does have the equipment to do the resurfacing themselves for some roads, but not, um, tens of miles of roads. So that's why we have to do, um, hybrid of sorts, both contracted work as well as in - house work. And the same would be the case here. Some of that money would be used with roadmates themselves to help where we can. But in order to get things done quickly and efficiently within a year, we definitely would need to contract out. It would not need to increase our staff levels in order to do that. We have that staff. Or I say we have that staff, um, road maintenance. They are, they're not fully staffed at the time, but they have enough positions in order to do it.

0:15:01Okay. That was, that was my follow - up question on that. Thank you. Okay. Commissioner Stolzman. I appreciate all the work that's gone into this looking over the course of the year of how we can get our pavement condition on track for our good governance goals and just maintaining our assets. And so I'm supportive of the 13 million things. Commissioner Lochuamine, the rear quest is 13 million, I believe. Yeah. And I'm in support of what you're requesting here. Okay. And no questions for me. And yes, I support that. Okay. Thank you. Moving to our number three. And I will leave that to Rachel. Um, thank you, Commissioner Lochschmidt, because you gave me a wonderful segue to this. Um, this is the complement to doing the Road Resurfacing Program. So road maintenance will focus, um, chip sealing the roadways. So while Christine's group manages contractors to do full depth reconstruction for roads, road maintenance focuses on their daily maintenance activities as well as chip ceiling roadways.

0:16:12So, um, this optsher or this choice number three, chip ceiling roadways, we were able to accomplish, um, segments throughout the County this year because we were funded for it. And so this would be a reoccurring request for us to continue the chip ceiling of roadways. And chip ceiling of roadways helps roadways not deteriorate further. It doesn't necessarily improve the condition. The pavement condition index, but it helps maintain the roadways as they're at. So there is a slight difference between what Christine's team does and what road maintenance activities are. So this would be a reoccurring request for a million dollars. Okay. Thank you. Any questions. No questions. All right. And do we have a thumbs up on this recurring expense? I mean, will you say recurring, but every year we will make a decision whether to include this in the budget. I heard that differently. So just to clarification for me on the side of it says recurring, it means that we are putting it in there as the recurring commitment. So that I wouldn't expect Public Works bring that item back. So just to clarification, I think is important. The other piece, my pause was just like, this is one way to kind of maintain, but it's like I would rather spend a different amount of money to do more of the full on repair

0:17:43versus like kind of putting band Aid. And I know that's just a very broad parallel to what you're doing here. But if based on the way that you're describing it. So that was just what my pause was. And just to keep it, like you said, kind of maintain for that amount of mileage. And it brings me pause and that's part of, it sounds like the full maintenance of rock. But just if you could clarify what we would be approving here on the recurring versus one time, cause I heard the other one is at one time. Correct. This would be reoccurring. So we would, um, set aside every year for the budget to do or to perform chip ceiling of the roadways. And is this an additional mount? Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, I was just going to draw an analogy. Just I've spent far too much time studying roadways and resurfacing things like this, but I sort of think of the chip seal more like the painting of your house. Like you would go to reside your whole house when the siding is, you know, failing and you can put your hand through it or water's getting inside. But if you keep up with painting it from time to time, you don't have to do that, um, replacing of all the siding. And while both are

0:18:52expensive painting your house is expensive, replacing the siding is way more expensive. And that's how the analogy I would draw with the chip seal versus the full rebuild. So the full rebuild is like when you do your whole new siding, the chip seals like painting your house just to keep up with it so that you don't have to get new siding quite as soon. So it extends the life of it. So I think you have to have both. I mean, I would, I love the idea of having really great roads and having Christine's team have the resources they need to keep up with them too. I support what you're saying. But even if we did that, we still have to do this. This is the routine maintenance aspect. Yeah, that's what, that's where I had gotten to in my comments. And so I understand that the need for different types of maintenance. I just, it just brought me pause as like exactly what I think you're trying to recap of if we had enough money to do more of the deeper work. It would probably last longer. And I do have a little bit of understanding about just general maintenance. I appreciate that. Um, and could you just clarify that last question I had, which was, is that million dollars in addition to another amount

0:20:00that's already in the budget for this particular item of chip seal? We do not have any money allocated for a chip ceiling program currently. Okay. All right. Then I'm supportive of, I guess I was surprised by that. And, and I'm supportive. Okay. And I just want to clarify what I said, which I mean, we do one time expenditures for projects that we're going to do it. And then it'll be done and we'll never do it again. And this, what you're asking for is that we, um, we put a million dollars a year into the budget so that we can maintain the roads and not let them deteriorate. However, every year it's up to us if we want to continue anything that's in the budget. It may not be prudent to do that. But, but that's, uh, that's always within our discretion. But I support this.

0:20:54I mean, we're going to spend all this money to bring our roads up to better condition. Let's make sure what they stay in that condition. I mean, this just happened in front of my house for a road that was resurfaced. Like, I don't know, five years ago. And so it happens. It's a pretty routine thing. So I think we have three yeses on that. Number four traffic capital maintenance. Uh, this is number rank number four increase our budget for traffic capital maintenance. This is a one - time request. And again, we're going to continue to address the backlog of the age and family traffic infrastructure. This includes roadway striping signals guardrail pedestrian crossing treatments and so forth. Um, it also, you know, many of the things we do through striping, it seems almost mundane, but striping is huge when it comes to, um, vision zero goals. And this is good governance. And this program is funded from the FEMA flood revenue. Okay. Thank you. Um, questions on number four. I don't have any questions. I support. Thank you. Okay. Commissioner Stolzman. I support this as well. It would be nice in the quarterly report to get an update on what this is actually going toward us at one time. It's pretty broadly displayed. And I understand that this would go quickly to any of those

0:22:17things. Um, but just in one of the quarterly reports, it would be nice to know what treatments this applies to. And I can address some of that now. So, you know, what we're doing is we have a very old and aged traffic signal. Throughout the county. So right now we're going to continue replacing things. And I understand there's concern about whether or not we continue with some traffic signals at some locations. And that's also considered. Well, that's, that's all true too. But we approved the funding for the traffic signals as the budget amendment. So that's a separate project. And that's part of why I think having this in the quarterly report as to what this goes to would be helpful. Definitely. Great. Good. And no questions and I support this as well. Um, just to reiterate number five, we'll address a little separately further than the presentation. So number six is the Overland at South String Creek construction. This is a one - time request.

0:23:17It will replace the Overland Road structure at Sell St. Rain Creek, improving flood resilience, increasing site distance and elevating the roadway profile. Again, this is good governance. Okay. Questions. No questions. Okay. No questions for me. I'm supportive of item six. Thank you. I also support item six. Same here. Thank you. Thank you. Item seven, 95th Street over the newish structure replacement design. This is going to be a design build request. It's a one - time request for, um, reconstruction of a 66 year old irrigation structure on North 95th Street. And it was identified as functionally obsolete. We'll be adding recoverable shoulders with space for pedestrian cyclists and emergency responders. This is also being done in advance of one of the transportation sales tax list items that is to, um, add recoverable shoulders in luck 95 on the north County. Okay. Thank you questions. Thanks Christine.

0:24:22I don't have any questions. I'm supportive of item seven. Also supportive. Okay. Same. Thank you. Thank you. Keep moving. And then here we have, um, decision point for Summerlin PID subdivision paving. This is, um, out of RM 12 appropriation. It's a one - time request. Currently Summerlin PID subdivision is on the November ballot initiative. So that is contingent. This is contingent upon that of course. And it's a rehabilitation project that replaces the deteriorating pavement in that, uh, neighborhood. As a reminder, come back to us. So the County pays up front, but we get those funds back as the PID collects their fees. Thanks for the reminder questions, concerns, support. I think my curiosity is just around, I guess, while knowing right under two weeks, if this is a need and then our total, like our final budget, I think is until December 4th. So I'm supportive of it right now, but I'm guessing it'll just, we'll see that those final needs based on that. So I think maybe that's what you're looking for. It's just direction right now to keep it in versus take it out this morning. Thanks. I support the plan. Yeah. I support the plan. Okay. Now we'll get into that budget request, which is that number five item. And I'll hand it over to Rachel. Thank you. Um, the operational request

0:26:07that we have support the annual operations for road maintenance team, um, as a note, previously we road maintenance team has been able to, um, cover some overages. Due to, um, underspending and some other accounts. But, um, we are seeing an uptick. In costs for contracting for utilities. So this is why we're presenting this to increase the actual base operating budget for the road maintenance crews. And this is a summary. And we have a slide for each one. So the first one, um, as you remember from last presentation, we were able, we were approved to purchase a printer. And so now we would like to increase the material that we can purchase in support of that printer. And so we can keep more, um, printing of the signages in house. I'm going to suggest that we go through all five of your operating requests. Yeah. Excellent.

0:27:17Um, 5B is the utility sewer request. Um, as we are about to embark on, um, construction for the vector waste building that's going to be at the same campus. Um, we're going to see an increase in our sewer utility fees or our sewer utility costs. And, um, again, same thing with the utilities same scenario, the electric utility cost are increasing as well. And then, um, this testing is outsourced to a contractor and the contracting costs are also increasing. And then lastly, as part of our asset management system and the rollout of that program, uh, we purchased new iPads for the crews to work from. And with that, we increased our telecommunications cost to give them a broader, um, inclusive data package. So that would be the request for this is to increase that. Okay. So we have five requests totaling 51, 000 dollars commissioners. Any questions or concerns. I support drewing up the budget. For me, this is a piece of our newer director in the last budget cycle who was like just trying to figure out where the budget needed to be. And so I'm, I'm supportive of doing the increases of, for me, it was just kind of a, let's see if we can get it about right. And this seems very close.

0:28:55And so if the 51, 000 dollar difference to address some of those issues, I'm supportive. No concerns for me. I support these expenditures. And oops, there we go. So there we go. This is just a summary of everything we just went through. And then here we have some slides that, um. Jillion may want to. Do. We'll train in here. Yeah. Jillian? I'm not sure. Last few slides similar to what we discussed with the transportation sales tax just felt meaningful to address like the funding sources for the increase in, in work in the Road Bridge category. Um, so this slide here just addresses the ongoing funding sources that historically have supported this work. Um, I will note these are all as of a couple of weeks ago. So we continue to revise all of our revenue budgets as we move towards adoption, um, particularly HUTF, I believe we have some updated numbers for final adoption. Um, but generally there's been about 20 million dollars of ongoing funding to support this category of work. If you want to go ahead. So addressing the increase in road resurfacing and maintenance of roads and bridges, um, there's kind of these three options that we're kind of identifying for 2027. Also on this slide highlighting, um, the me, the potential to discuss other ongoing

0:30:39revenue resources to support this type of work if this is, um, the level of investment the county would like to maintain into the future. Um, so there is Roden Bridge Fund Balance identified of 14 million dollars. We are also, um, anticipating and have received most of the six million dollars in FEMA reimbursements identified today. That will be the last of the flood recovery dollars. Um, and then item number three is a continuation of the allocation of interest income to Roden Bridge, uh, that the board supported for 25 and 26. Any questions on those. Revenue sources or discussion on. Thank you. So just the way I heard you describe that thing still in is those are potential funding sources for the one time and then also the recurring capital and or operating for that particular fund.

0:31:40So there was a 24 million number. There was a 20. 8 million number. And then this just quick mat looks like 27. 5 million. So it my, just let me know if I'm correct in my thinking here. Is there, there is enough money if we were to use those different funds that are allowable for Roden Bridge. Okay. So blast, oh, sorry. Well, so then all I was going to say is so then at some point, well, in this budget, this decision by December 4th ish will make a decision if there's somewhere else that we can or we're allowed to and or want to use the difference of that funding. I do think so this last side kind of demonstrates the full picture. Thank you. All of what's been requested by, um, Public Works staff is represented in that total expense figure as well as, um, personnel costs that are anticipated to grow next year. All of the components on the previous slide one through three are assumed in the revenue for 2027 in this picture.

0:32:45So we are kind of seeking guidance to, if, if the board is supportive of the increased 13 million dollars in investment and road resurfacing, we believe this is the option to fully fund that in 2027 is a continued investment of the interest allocation, use of fund balance and those FEMA reimbursements. And now that I'm here, I don't know that I answered your question. No, I think that would be right. I mean, the only question I would have then is on the interest income at that 7. 5 million. If we say yes to road and bridge, what are we saying no to. Funding other general fund costs is where that revenue would have returned to in 2027. Based on prior border approval. But this, it looks, and maybe I'm just simplifying this. It looked as though there was not a full 7. 5 million dollar gap.

0:33:48Based on the other funding sources. So there is some space in how much of that interest allocation you would like to direct to Road and Bridge. We could certainly look at just balancing this fund. I think long - term, it's clear when you start to look out past 2027, if there is a desire to fund the 1 million dollar investment in chip seal on an ongoing basis or continue this increased level of funding for road resurfacing, the 20 million dollars in ongoing resources are not sufficient to support that level of work long term. So we didn't refine the interest to just balance this fund. We just assumed that that would support future your work. Okay. So happy to adjust that accordingly as well. Thank you. Okay. Commissioner Stolzman. We've been spending a lot of time talking about how to, um, approach this. And I appreciate the deliberate approach. We have. And, uh, and I support this, um, this plan as well. Um, just so and we, so this does not change the mill levy, the Road and Ridge Mile Levy, which I think was one of our goals. So happy that we've achieved that. So, uh, I think you have a guess on this. And.

0:35:18That concludes the. So those are the, that's, that was the unfinished business. And now you're going to do a general overview presentation. That will then lead us to Public Common. Appreciate your patience waiting for us to finish our work. We do not plan to give another overview presentation. We did attach to the agenda, the presentation materials that we're shown on October 1st, just for ease of access. So everybody had the materials handy. Okay. All right. Great. It's posted in the Agenda online. If anyone wants to go through this, it's been presented before. And, uh, okay. So now we'll take Public Testimony. We have quite a number of people signed up. And we're just going to take people in the order in which they signed up, uh, I said at the outset, um, allow three minutes each. You'll see upon the screen some folks have nine.

2.b Public Hearing on the 2027 Recommended Budget

0:36:22Some folks have six. Um, it's not because we like them more than anyone else. Uh, you are allowed to pool your time with, uh, with other people. So, um, so that's why that looks the way it does. I will remind you, please just start by stating your name for the record. I'll also, uh, remind those in the hearing room that we, uh, appreciate it. If you do not, uh, you know, express support, you know, clap cheer moan unless you're in pain. Um, but, you know, we just want to, we want to hear your testimony and then, you know, let's just keep trying to get through it so that we can hear from everybody on this really, really important decision. We have to make. So the first person we have is online and that would be edward Yagi.

0:37:22You've been promoted and it looks like you're on muted. So, um, we're going to start the timer. And appreciate a few would go ahead and start. My. Audio and video, um, yes, they are. They are. They're fine. Uh, my name is Edward Yagi and I'm co - owner of sixth generation family property in Alance Park. Border County's short - term rental regulatory program is a case study and gross use of taxpayer resources. Gross misuse of taxpayer resources. The County Wasted approximately 5 million dollars developing debating administering processing and forcing and repeatedly rewriting a punitive ego - driven regulatory regime that was never necessary in the first place while collecting only a paltry tens of thousands of dollars of licensing fee. For County began developing its STR regulations in 2019. The first regime took effect in 2021 and instantly proved utterly unworkable. The county then spend years misadministering and readministering that system not processing applications, conducting land use reviews. Inspecting properties, coordinating department's monitoring rental activity and holding hundreds of meetings, including dozens that took blistering complaints from the public. After a two - year review, the County undertook another major regulatory rewrite. The replacement system took effect March 5, 2024. Taxpayers paid for years of policy development, political debate, planning work, legal work, land juice view, application processing, inspections, enforcement, monitoring and regulatory redesign, and

0:38:58thousands of hours of complaints and complaining again and again, because you consistently refused to listen to facts, reason, and ignored all of the complaints. The numbers tell the story. Using 80 dollar per hour total employee cost, which includes but is not limited to salary benefits and lost opportunity costs. Two full - time county employees working continuously for five years costs two employees times 2080 hours times five years times 80 or 1. 66 million dollars. And that's got to be conservative. The original policy process also involved dozens of Senior County personnel attorneys and elected officials. Allocating times 2080 times five times 10 percent times 80 is 832, That brings the five year policy development labor to two and a half million dollars, again, conservatively. And that is before counting the actual work of processing licenses. The licensing system itself consumed enormous resources. Boulder County's own records document how labor intents of your system became. Many individual licensed application packets were hundreds of pages long. Some STR VR applications required land use review in addition to licensing.

0:40:12County materials described some applications is requiring a high level of staff effort with certain cases taking dozens of persons over many months. In 2023, I did a detailed analysis showing me 510, 400 dollar be in processing costs. That calculation used a 29 dollar per hour assumption. So extremely conservative. I laid out that you were spending around 10, 000 dollars in taxpayer money to approve one STR of your license. Recalculating the underlying labor 80 dollars per hour gives about 320, 000 dollars for the land use processing labor. That's 1. 4 million of labor represented by historical analysis at the policy development labor two and a half million plus 1. 4 is 3. 9 million dollars. Then you have to include contractor monitoring enforcement inspections administration technology costs earrings, public notice work later policy revisions, website redesign website management and continuing operation of the program by a dozen entities, including the challenge in your Public Health Department, who I will get to in a moment. And the overall taxpayer cost has to be about 5 million dollars.

0:41:27We taxpayers paid for the planners. We paid for the lawyers. We paid for the admin staff. We paid for the land use reviews. Taxpayers paid for the inspections taxpayers paid for enforcement taxpayers paid for outside monitoring. Taxpayers paid for years of policy development Public debate. We paid for the county substantially rewriting the system more than once. And what did we taxpayers get back. You've only issued about 200 licenses 165 of them short - term rentals which pay 125 dollar year in fees. Even after three years of collections and a one - time initial application fee of 350, that's around 145 grand or nothing against the 5 million you wasted. Bloated and in many ways illegal and unconstitutional monstrosity. Taxpayers are carrying 97 percent of the modeled costs while licensees are paying roughly 3 percent. This is not financial disappointment. This is not a minor administrative expense This is a multi - million dollar county enforce gross misuse of taxpayer funds. This is a multi - million dollar fiscal failure and you three commissioners let it happen even though I and dozens of others warned you showed you pleaded with you not to do it. And that's the good news the bad news is much worse.

0:42:45Last year Boulder County began illegally imposing new on - site water treat on - site wastewater treatment system - related Vacation rental licensing requirements and they knew legal authority no due process and no evidence that the fee was based on actual administrative costs. These are all separate serious violations of multiple Colorado state laws. You restricted taxpayer rights without justification extorted illegal fees and forest policies without due process delayed access to Public records and refuse to carry out your duties forcing taxpayers to file lawsuits simply to compel you to do your jobs. At a time of budget costs that wasted costs are enormous and consumed getting a whole lot worse. At least one lawsuit has already been filed with extensive and eye - popping details of Boulder County's bad faith and taxpayer abuse. Additional mitigation could cost tens of millions of dollars and damages in legal fees that we taxpayers have to pay while Boco employees have committed the wrongdoing get off scot - free Maybe.

0:43:49That's far more money than even the 13 million dollar shortfall crisis you think you're dealing with now. At least 15 County officials were directly involved or had legal oversight of your septic tank scandal to specialists in Boulder County Public Health their supervisor the five Public Health Board directors specials to the Landy's Department His Department head bail case telling attorney Ben Purelman off U3 County Commissioners and whatever financial technician physically processed the feed collections. Yet eight months after I brought this to your attention There's been no explanation, no refunds No accountability and refusal to release documents under the Colorado Open record Act. I've actually commissioners now too many times to count What are you going to do now. Continue your cover up and protect the guilty or make your failures refund the money you stole Hold individuals accountable and support an independent investigation. Your silence is broken only by your laughter literally. At my Public comments on the morning of June 4th All three of you stated that you were meeting with the Board of Public Health Leader that day. At the start of the afternoon joint session with Public Health Commissioner Stoltzman at least said she would like to discuss septic tanks if we have time. Fortumment was met with jitters and laughter Everyone's chuckles can be heard and heard in the meeting recording at

0:45:05time 405 to 410 I hope taxpayers watch it for themselves It's all online. Breaking the law was discussed no more. Clearly commissioners leaving loader and you think extorting legal fees under the color of law systematically breaking at least three Colorado state laws and almost certainly selling level financial with product is funny. And now you're treating you're happy face for a frown because you have to fire a few dozen County employees. Are you kidding. After more than half a decade in charge you can't balance the budgets that you asked for you proposed you made You voted to approve including 5 million dollars wasted on your war on vacation rentals that if this was a just world which he a dozen County employees in jail for financial management mismanagement at this moment Spare us all. You have shown in your refusal to answer questions the financial incompetence of your management your clear prioritization of control fantasies over the Public interest and your seer hypocrisy that you do not belong in public service. Please resign preferably today so that the long - suffering taxpayers of this County and probably many equally suffering County employees can find someone else to a base state laws and balance the county budget And while you're at it just repeal the str VR program. Several of its remaining provisions are illegal and only

0:46:25wait to be proved so in court with more millions of dollars wasted. And no one accept that creep Matt Jones and that Jasmine Rodenberg ever even wanted it in the first place. This concludes my remarks Thank you. All right Thank you Next we'll hear from Brianna Barber. Commissioners. My name is Brianna Barber I have worked in this office for the past seven and a half years. And I am a proud member of the bargaining Committee for the Boulder County employees Union. Thank you to all my fellow union siblings for being here today It takes courage to speak about these issues in front of leadership This is our chance to share a concerns and I urge you Commissioners to carefully consider these comments as you make the final budget decisions in the coming months The past few years have been challenging for everyone We appreciate your efforts to manage the county and we know your job is difficult But many employees feel their concerns are not being fully heard I want to begin with talking about layoffs Our union members and CWA leadership in DC have carefully reviewed the County's finances And based on this data do not believe that layoffs are necessary. You recently told the daily camera that only 10 to 15 layoffs are needed for the 2027 budget Down from an earlier

0:47:59estimate of about 50 I appreciate your efforts to lower this number by closing vacant positions and adjusting your accounting practices And I believe we can work together to avoid the remaining layoffs and protect the services those employees provide We recognize that you have the legal authority to implement layoffs and that future revenue and spending may not align However, we do not accept that layoffs must happen in November or December of this year just before the holidays Or that such drastic measures are necessary to address budget concerns Because of the budget impacts of BCEU's layoffs article and this being our unions number one issue I want to clearly list our specific demands for the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. Severance We are asking for two weeks of pay for every year of service The County has stated it won't need to make any more large cuts and won't require layoffs in the future So this seems like something we can mutually agree on 60 days layoff notice The county's current policy is 30 days and we have reduced our original request from 120 days Two years of recall rights This is the period during which an employee can be recalled to work if the position reopens Without having to reapply or restart their service time We want layoff decisions to be made based on Seniority This method

0:49:18is objective I've heard you say seniority is inequitable But many of the people who are being laid off are driven away from the organization by your decisions Our BIPOC people Women older adults bilingual workers and LGBTQ Plus employees Thinking of the future I have also considered that we may have four new Commissioners starting in the coming years And we will likely need to expand our staff to keep up with the workload Each time new commissioners start they bring their own goals The Learning Curve is steep The demand on staff is significant We need to workforce with the capacity to take on more tasks when and if that happens If you give laid off employees longer recall rights You could fill open positions with previous staff Better yet You could halt the layoffs so we can remain resilient and prepared We know that the services we provide are vital to the community We want to keep staff so that we can keep doing this important work When I was sitting in your budget presentations and reading through your proposed reductions I kept thinking You're shrinking our government at a time when we desperately need it It feels like you're dodging Boulder County You are cutting out services and programs that our community relies on Your cutting services for vulnerable seniors and isolated older adults You're cutting

0:50:32youth services at the alternative sentencing facility You're cutting money for ADA accommodations You're cutting 4H Youth Core and AG programming Your cutting sustainability and climate equity programming as well as Public Transportation You're cutting money for zero waste and water quality You're cutting disaster recovery management and non - profit support All when you consistently come in tens of millions of dollars over budget It was a political decision to make these steep cuts one that you didn't have to make Next I would like to address the challenges faced by our hourly and seasonal Workers at the County We can't ignore that hourly in seasonal workers at Boulder County Do not receive benefits and have and face significant challenges These employees do not get holiday pay and must take unpaid leave when the county closes During negotiations leadership has implied that hourly in seasonal workers are temporary Or this is their first job or it's a short time gig However, this is often not true For example many election workers return multiple times each year to support fair and safe elections And Parks and OpenSpace seasonal workers often return year after year hoping to secure full - time positions Sosanoal Workers in the Parks and Open Space Department performed dangerous and physically demanding work At a minimum these employees should receive floating holiday pay or 14 to 17

0:51:57paid holidays per year adjusted to ours worked. When we ask leadership what could be provided to hourly in seasonal workers as an improvement to their working conditions We did not receive a clear answer Progresses needed for these employees They deserve protection insurance and equitable pay Even a few days of holiday pay would make a meaningful difference Please don't forget about these people when you approve the 2027 budget. Switching gears a little bit My next request is that you do not cut the racial equity programs of the off or the Office of Racial Equity Funding any further Please pay stipends to our racial equity ambassadors and cultural brokers to recognize their important work. Boulder County employees union appreciates their commitment and passion for transformation And we support any stipends or bonuses they request Now switching gears again to bargaining I would like to share some of my experiences at the bargaining table as they relate to the budget We have been actively negotiating with the county for 17 months There have been numerous sessions were negotiators have returned to the table without offering compromises or changes Stating only that commissioners have no appetite for this and that this is the direction received from you The contract negotiations have been prolonged because employees needs are not being met And we remain committed to improving their working conditions

0:53:24despite resistance It doesn't get talked about enough that the commissioners have severely limited the number of stewards that conserve as representatives Many of the bargaining committee members are also being stretched thin by steward request Please stop putting limits on the amount of stewards we can have Generally unions like to have a 1 to 10 ratio And when I ran a report yesterday They're about 1600 people in our unit right now We are limited to I believe a dozen stewards This is union busting Before I thought you might not have known about the impact of these policies in the slow progress of the bargaining table Now I'm starting to believe you do know about these effects and you're still making the decision despite all the harm. I You all have said that you value practical solutions from the public I would like to offer these suggestions I'm not an accountant and the county's budgeting process is difficult to follow But I'll try. 1. Re - evaluate approved capital and building projects Prioritize only essential projects and postpone others where possible Some of these approvals are difficult to accept Especially knowing they may come at the expense of employees Pause the Community Connections Publication as it is a significant expense While evalue the magazine protecting vital services and employees jobs as a higher priority. Review the funding

0:54:46approved for fleet vehicles as this is another significant expense that could be reduced. Consider offering the voluntary Severance incentive program one or two more times to employees so they can leave the organization with dignity and choice Implement voluntary week - long furloughs for full - time employees and daily furloughs for hourly employees allowing staff to take time off if desired While enabling the county to save money Services can continue during these furloughs and the budget can be adjusted as needed They can positions can continue to be evaluated on a case - by - case basis I recently learned from our department head that the county may continue to use the same priority - based budgeting model This raises serious concerns as the model did not include sufficient stakeholder input Has your terms conclude I understand you may have future political or professional goals if you seek endorsements from labor unions We ask that you demonstrate greater willingness to compromise as we finalize our contract long after your terms of the County end we will remain We will be responsible for addressing the outcomes of your decision Please leave Workers in a better position than you found them as that is not currently the case Thank you all I appreciate. Okay Thank you and again please know Audible responses Anthony Beck. And let me just also

0:56:11request so the order of speakers is on the screen And so that we really can hear from everybody please be prepared to come forward Uh, when the previous speaker is concluding Um, so good morning Anthony Yeah Good morning Commissioners My name is Anthony Beck I am an asset management system technician at Boulder Parks and open space Uh... Boulder County Parks in open space Uh... Sensei spoke to you last I work at a desk now Like all of you So we have something new and common Although I am still have a lot of affinity for my folks who work in the field Um. I'll be speaking to you for a minute So I'm gonna I'm gonna take my time Um as I was thinking about this last night A thing that occurred to me is that how Public comment is one direction And I know this isn't how this thing works But I kind of thought Dane how nice would it be if You know I could ask you questions And then like hear back your response to that question Because I probably am gonna ask you a few questions of the course with this Um.

0:57:12Kind of the theme of what I want to talk about is how budgets aren't neutral They're a story A budget isn't just Um making numbers match numbers It's a question of what numbers are you trying to make match which numbers budgets aren't neutral They tell a story So the question I would ask y'all and ask all of us as we consider the budget is What is the story we're trying to tell here Um. The story I hear from you all is we are 13. 2 million dollars over budget. That's two percent of the total budget. So I wonder why that 13. 2 million dollars feel urgent I mean it certainly does feel like a lot of money But you know I want to add that number to the story Our reserves are currently at 2.

0:58:0426 times their minimum of a of I think the minimum is like 48 and a half million and we have 110 million dollars in reserves. So a story I could tell there is we could be 13. 2 million dollars over budget for the next four and a half years Do nothing before we end up at the mandated minimum now Am I saying we should do that? No. But I offer the story that like maybe there's not the level of urgency that I hear told by the story of you all in County Management Right. And I'm not saying my story is is neutral Right like budgets aren't neutral stories are neutral this story I'm telling is not neutral Um, the story I'm telling is that I you know I want a county with excellent services where when somebody in our community needs something that is the counties to provide It is accessible and abundant for them to go access that Um, I want this County to be a place where everyone who works here is proud to work here Where it's the envy of the front range where someone says you work at Boulder County That's great great place to work. Um I want the lowest paid employees among us to make a living wage Um, currently living wage and Boulder County is calculated at 2709

0:59:37an hour for a single childless adult I am a third year seasonal who has small pay bump for other experience Um, and I make 2680 currently so still as a third year seasonal I make blow what is calculated as the living wage for a single adult here in Boulder County Uh, that is for a single childless adult if you are a family of two adults both working with one child that living wage jumps to 2959 And that would be with both parents working never seen their child So what the story tells me is me and my colleagues can't afford to sort of family here And you know it's kind of just something down the road possibly in the future for me because I'm in that circumstance where I don't know how the numbers will work out on that I don't know how to tell that story with these numbers But if the numbers allowed me to tell the story that I could start a family I would maybe consider that story But I currently can't.

1:00:40Um So my story My question again is what story are you trying to tell with these numbers? Because it feels urgent But again if we take in some of these other numbers I would question why does it feel so urgent? Um, I'd like to look at a few things that I have seen on the listed budget cuts and ask What story do these specific cuts tell. Um? There is 1. 352 million dollars cut for line item is called fiscally constrained wages or raises Um. And I would ask who's whose raises are fiscally constrained Um, best information I was able to find is that the County Attorney's salary from 2024 to 2025 Um, raised by 12 percent which is almost three times what bargaining unit members got in 2024 to 2025 And this is on a salary that was already 250, 000 It's now 283, 000 So I ask why that race wasn't physically constrained as an example Um, I know that line item doesn't say whose raises are fiscally constrained But I'm curious. Youth Corps, the youth core program at Parks Open Space was cut 60, 000 And I guarantee that program's going to feel that And this is a program that young folks This is like a gateway for young folks into a career in conservation And as our climate changes We're going to

1:02:18need a lot more of us working in conservation That's a longer term question of how we're going to fund this But like we are going to need people working in conservation as we continue to need to correct some of our RONs and how we've You know related to the more than human world here Um, and that's a door that's like closing a little bit. Um Between lines P26 and P27 And this is the extension office Uh that was in total over 400, 000 dollars of cuts And I don't know if they're in the room But I'm aware of participants and 4 - H programs and those horticultural programs that are going to feel the loss of that program And it's... I'm sure heartbreaking for them. Um. The Climate Equity Fund 1 million And as I mentioned, like we're going to need to fund Uh... Climate equity and know what we're doing When we talk about...

1:03:21What the future looks like as the climate continues to change And making sure that things are equitable as we look forward that climate equity fund Uh... Gives grants, as you know, to folks who are most impacted while contributing the least And it's a real shame to see that number go down. And this is a big question I have There's like when I ask What story are we telling here? Um... From 2024 to 2026 Uh... The Public Health Budget has gone down by 35 million dollars The sheriff's budget has gone up by 45 million dollars And that's not exactly a one - to - one But those numbers. Tell a story to me Um... They tell a story that we are defunding the things that keep people well And we are. Up in funding into things that enforce On people who are unwell. So I'm curious now I would love You know if this was a two - way dialogue I would be very curious to hear What story do you think that number tells? What story are you trying to tell with that number? Um...

1:04:33And I even Yeah, I haven't even talked about seasonals. At Parks and Open Space and elsewhere in the County Which is Where I work But I was... What I heard was that our bugging Committee was told You all had no appetite to give seasonals floating holidays Um... I've worked for you three years And it would really change my attitude toward a holiday If it was like Oh cool A holiday instead of like Dane A day I can't work And if Edward Edwards numbers are accurate I'm I need to learn more about that issue Cause about 10, 000 dollars to approve a short - term rental I calculated what cost lesson 3, 000 dollars to give a seasonal employee 8 Floating holidays over the course of a 9 - month season So I think it's doable And I could keep going But yeah Thanks for your time. Okay Thank you Anthony Elizabeth Rio Sprucks.

1:05:36Good morning Commissioner Stoltzman Levy and La Chamin Thank you so much for having me My name is Elizabeth Rios Brooks I work at Parks and Open Space And I am a Union Steward I'm here because I care about my coworkers And I want the county's decision to reflect the value of their work I recently hired an hourly employee That experience has made me think carefully about what I am asking someone to commit to. And what the county offers them in return I recruited someone because their skills and contributions matter I believe in our work And I'm excited about what we can accomplish together But I also feel responsible for the person accepting that invitation I want them to be able to afford to work here. I want them to have opportunities to rest and care for their family I want the brilliant hardworking people we recruit season after season Uh... To have the financial ability to stay. In Parks and open space We rely heavily on seasonal labor like you heard These employees are essential to our ability to function They pull weeds They maintain facilities They clean bathrooms They spend long days doing demanding physical work Oftentimes outside Many work on the front lines Caring for Public spaces Interacting directly with the people who use them While earning among the lowest wages in our

1:06:58workforce. We need them Our department could not function as it does without them I want that dependence to be part of every conversation about what they are paid What benefits they receive and how they are treated Much of their work becomes invisible Precisely because they have done it well. When someone goes for a hike at Walker They want to enjoy the trail The landscape and time outside. They may never think about who maintained the facilities or clean the bathroom before they arrived. They may never see the repetitive tasks, the physical effort or the work that will have to happen again tomorrow A clean bathroom can become dirty in an afternoon Weeds They keep growing Facilities keep needing attention Keeping a place welcoming requires people to show up and do that work Over and over and over again. The Public sees the place they came to enjoy I want us in this room right now to see the people whose labor makes that experience possible. And I want us to recognize that being seasonal does not make their work less necessary or they're living expensives less real Whatever assumptions we once made about seasonal work We need to look at what these jobs can support today In today's day and age Especially with the rising cost of living A season's earnings do not necessarily carry someone

1:08:25through the rest of the year Housing, groceries, transportation, health care continue to cost money after this season ends Living here is super expensive I don't have to tell y'all that. The cost of maintaining a life in this community places real pressure on people earning hourly wages We cannot build our staffing plans around an assumption that employees have another source of income Someone else paying the bills or enough savings to absorb every interruption and work If we depend on seasonal employees, their ability to support themselves It has to matter to us We have seasonal employees who have gone an entire season without taking a single day off from their scheduled work. I just want to pause there An entire season without having a paid day off Sometimes that means nine months or more During that same period I needed to go to Puerto Rico to be with my mother for a doctor's appointment And I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to go Being there really mattered to me Having the ability to take that time to make a difference in my own family To take care of myself and my mom. Their parents need them too, right? Seasonal Workers have appointments Family responsibilities Days when their bodies also need rest. Those needs to not become smaller because their employment is hourly or seasonal

1:09:44For someone who loses wages wages when they take time away every absence requires a calculation Can I afford a smaller paycheck this week? What bill is coming up? What will have to wait. I'm grateful for the support that allowed me to be there for my mom and Puerto Rico I want my coworkers to have meaningful support when their family needs them too I think the 4th of July shows another difference in how employees experience working for the same county For those of us who receive paid holidays It can mean time with family a chance to rest or revisit to a park Our peaks stay the same. For an hourly or seasonal employee who does not receive holiday pay and cannot work that day It means literally losing income. That is a day they wanted to work A day that they were available to work A day of wages they may have been counting on. We get a paid holiday They get fewer paid hours The county observes a holiday and that employee observes the cost.

1:10:42That is not a vacation for someone who wanted to work and needed that income Their rent stays the same Their groceries cost the same A holiday does not pause their financial responsibilities The people caring for the places where we spend our time off should also be able to afford time off themselves As someone who recently hired an hourly employee I am thinking about what I can do personally I can communicate clearly I can listen to their concerns and take them seriously I can recognize someone's contributions And I can stand here and advocate for them But individual supervisors cannot create county - wide benefits Good intentions cannot replace paid holidays or dependable access to pay time off. Those decisors require y'all They require county leadership They also belong in our budget discussions When experienced employees cannot afford to return We lose knowledge We lose skills We just heard from Anthony that he has come back year after year When positions disappear work is postponed are added to someone else's workload Residents and taxpayers experience those decisions whose services we can provide In cultural resources where I work that continuity really matters building relationships Learning a place and understanding its history take time Following through requires people with the capacity to do it Across Parks and Open Space caring for land and serving the Public requires the

1:12:07sustained investment in people BCEU's budget research raises questions about the county's financial projections and describe substantial reserves and a AAA credit rating. I'm asking you to respond publicly to those findings and work with our union I'm asking for a specific action for hourly and seasonal employees Work with us, work with BCEU on paid holidays and meaningful access to pay time off We all deserve rest We all deserve paid time off Address situations where County Holiday prevents employees from earning their expected hours Let's develop a solution together. Include hourly and seasonal employees in that work Ask what they need to stay and what would make returning possible Let's incorporate their voices until this conversation that I feel are often just left on the sides marginalized. Let's provide a Public Response identifying who will lead this work and when employees can expect an update I recently asked someone to join this County because I believe their work will make a difference I want the county to meet that commitment with fair treatment with dependable support with appreciation.

1:13:19Our seasonal employees already demonstrate their value every day Year after year when they decide to come back We depend on them Our employment practices and our budget should reflect that. Thank you. Okay Thank you so much. Okay We can just take a quick break Okay Yeah it seems like maybe we need to take a quick break So let's do it's 10 14 Can we be back in say three minutes? 105. Okay five minutes 10 We'll make it 10 20 Alright Thank you for your patience. Workers of America. Are Boulder County Workers on their budget and finance analysis. And the research needed for collective bargaining. I have been in the labor movement for 15 years. CWA for the last eight where I support our Public Sector Workers all around the country. In Bargaining, legislative political and new organizing research support. I love helping to support our Public Sector members, especially when we can partner with commissioners such as County Executives and Leaders. In order to ensure that democracy at work, the real vision behind unions in the Public Sector, allows us to work closely together to ensure that the workers who provide the services that everyone relies on, and they rely on themselves. Have a real seat at the table in order to bring their expertise to difficult context, such as the structural deficit you all

1:15:05are dealing with today. So again, thank you for allowing me to speak today. I want to talk about how this budget has been explained to the Public because the explanation matters as much as the numbers. In September of last year, the County announced a structural deficit of 30 to 40 million dollars and said it would take three years of workforce cuts to close it. That announcement came before the county ever sat down with its workers. Six months later, the county's own budget instructions called 2027, the second and final year of cuts. In August, your CFO wrote to this board that the structural deficit resolves in 2027. Three years became too. And yet, as recently as last week, the daily camera reported that the county needs 30 to 40 million dollars in savings over the next three years. Both of those things can't be true at the same time. So why did three years become two.

1:16:09Not because anything dramatic changed. It happened because the county's projections were two pessimistic, which is what they've been every year for six years running. Here's what I mean. In 2025, the County Budgeted a 38 million dollar draw on the general fund The audited result was 16. 5 million, which is 22 million dollars better than budgeted. The year before, it was 30 million better. Budgeting Conservatively can be prudent, but when projections miss in the same direction, six years in a row, they aren't forecasting a deficit. They're building a cushion. And workers are being laid off. Let's put this in perspective. The 2027 gap is 13. 2 million dollars in a general fund of about 267 million. The general fund ended last year with 110 million dollars in reserves. That's more than twice the 48. 6 million, your own policy requires. And 61 million above the floor.

1:17:12This County holds a triple A credit reading. The highest there is. There is no budget cliff here. There is a management challenge. Calling it a structural deficit that requires requires layoffs is a choice. The county says workers are 70 percent of general fund costs. The workers should absorb 70 percent of the cuts. But being proportional to cost isn't the same as being proportional to cause across everything the county spends, workers are about 46 percent of cost. Gap. When the tax approved criminal justice reform investments were built, it brought an estimated 13 million dollars a year in new staffing costs into the general fund with no dedicated revenue to pay for them. That one cost is larger than this entire year's target cut. Which brings me to the sheriff's office. Sin's 2022, the sheriff's office has added 73 positions. The sheriff, as an elected official, declined to take part in the county's efficiency review. We're not here to criticize that. Our union represents workers across the county. We think not making cuts was the correct read of the broader context. There is not an emergency that requires cutting the workforce. We're asking you to apply that same judgment to everyone else. The cost of getting this wrong is real. Last year, the County cut 63 jobs.

1:18:4430 found other county jobs. 28 did not. Those were Boulder County employees coworkers. And they lost their jobs at a county that by every audited measure could have kept them. Now the county plans 10 to 15 more layoffs before the end of this year. In the same week these cuts were finalized. This board approved one time spending for Buffalo fencing, a wildlife crossing and a family justice center. We support those projects, but they show that this county has choices and it's making them every week. So I hope you're listening to the Boulder County employees in the room and their asks of you. The people who built county's reserves and its AAA credit rating are the same people delivering its services every day. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you very much. Next we'll hear from Melanie Nyman.

1:19:49Good morning. My name is Melanie Niemand. It's like Neymand Marcus, if that helps. I work for Public Health and I am a member of the bargaining committee as well as a steward. I have never studied economics or finance, but I know one thing about organizations'values. For years, we've been told that Boulder County has a structural deficit and then drastic measures are necessary. But when I look at the staffing numbers, I see something different. I see a county making choices about what it values and what it doesn't. I invite you to listen to me actively. It's hard to talk to you when everyone is looking down. I'm just looking at what you gave us. Okay. Thank you. For those who aren't aware, Boulder County has been slashing its workforce for years. We've repeatedly been told that these cuts are necessary because of budget constraints. But according to Kate Diedrich's staffing analysis between 2024 and 2026, Public Health lost nearly 23 percent of its positions. And human services lost nearly 32 positions. Meanwhile, the sheriff gain nearly 46 positions, an increase of almost 11 percent. Community services also gained another 22 positions. And I believe those are all community justice services positions. After all those changes, the net reduction in County - wide staffing was just 11 positions, less than one half of one percent. Think about

1:21:31that. Public health lost nearly a quarter of its positions, but the Countywide Workforce barely changed. That doesn't mean the county has no finite shall changes, but it does mean the budget isn't just about cutting costs. It's about deciding where that money goes. These aren't just budget decisions. Their statements about what this county values. And what I see is a county shifting resources away from Public Health and Human Services while expanding law enforcement and other departments. I'm not seeing law enforcement shouldn't be funded. I'm seeing it shouldn't come at the expense of the services that help people stay healthy, housed, and out of crisis in the first place. At Public Health, we've lost mental health programming. We've lost OASIS. Our precious LGBTQIA youth support program. We've lost teen pregnancy prevention services. These programs all helped people who often have nowhere else to turn. And now after losing nearly a quarter of our positions, Public Health is being included in yet another round of cuts through what the county is calling its efficiency's project. I'm one of the employees caught in that project. The Communications and Website Professionals are being put through a process that feels like something straight out of the hunger games. We're being asked to apply for restructured positions and compete against our long - term colleagues for fewer jobs. And the message about

1:23:05what's included and what will happen have changed so many times that I'm not even sure who I'm competing against. When I spoke here in July, I mentioned that I hated the word efficiencies because the way you can keep cutting people and expect to get the same amount of work done or more efficiently. But then I realized why that word bothers me so much. It's the e indoj. The government efficiency, Department of Government Efficiency. And just like Elon Musk with his chainsaw, I worry that Boulder County is cutting first and thinking about the consequences later. The proposed structure shows just three website specialists and one graphic designer serving the entire County. We currently have two people with graphic design skills in Public Health, and we already struggled to keep up with the demand. What happens when departments can't get the communication support they need. People will start designing their own materials. They'll turn to AI, brand standards, and accessibility will suffer. And the quality of information residents receive will decline. And what will happen when the county has to turn around and hire people back. Will all this disruption actually save money? I talk a lot about the fact that I've worked for Boulder County for 24 years. Those 24 years have made me extremely good at what I do. I know what it takes to

1:24:35provide good public service and to know how much institutional knowledge walks out the door when experienced employees leave. Communications professionals make complicated work look easy. When we're doing our jobs well, most people don't even notice the work happening behind the scenes. But they will notice when it stops happening. I also want to talk about what this process has done to the people who work here. In April, Communication staff were told we were part of the efficiency's project. We were told decisions would be made in June. And then we were told October for months we've been living daily with the possibility of losing our jobs, our health insurance, and the careers. We've been building for decades. It's exhausting. I've watched my colleagues struggle under the weight of this uncertainty. People are anxious, demoralized, and having difficulty doing the work they care deeply about. And I don't think you fully understand what that feels like. The last time I spoke here, I talked about being a single mother worried about losing my health insurance. Commissioner Lochimeen responded by telling me that she too had been a single mom who was laid off. I know you may have intended to be replating. Sorry, I do have to ask you to stop just to be fair to everybody. Aaron Paul, and you're welcome to submit your comments to us.

1:26:08Melanie's tall. Hello, County Commissioners. My name is Aaron Paul. I've worked for Boulder County in the Assessor's Office for over eight and a half years. I am also a Boulder County employees union member. Today, I want to share what access to healthcare and pay time off has meant in my life. And why I believe every county employee deserves to have the same opportunities considered for the 2027 budget. One of the things I value most about my job is the benefits. I get. They've been enormous difference, both in physically and mentally. For several years, I lived with an injury that drastically limited my mobility. It wasn't until I had health insurance that I could see a specialist, have surgery to repair the injury, and go through the physical therapy to rebuild my strength and become active again. I've also struggled with my mental health for much of my life. I live paralyzed by the fear of other people's judgment. To the extent that I hid parts of who I was from the world, and even for myself. It's through the care and support I've been able to access that I've started to understand myself in ways I never thought possible. I'm learning how to recognize my needs, regulate my emotions, and set healthier boundaries. I'm learning how to care for myself with compassion instead of fear.

1:27:52I'm learning how to be vulnerable with others. I still have a long way to go, but I'm committed. Because I can afford to be. Flexibility to rest and recover without sacrificing my income. These benefits haven't just helped me stay healthy. They've helped me build a life that feels more like my own. That's huge. I haven't always had these benefits. I actually started in the assessor's office as an hourly employee working 30 hours per week. And it wasn't until four and a half years later that I was offered the full - time status that came with all the benefit healthcare benefits and paid time off I rely on so heavily today. Looking back, I can't help wondering how much sooner I could have started healing if I'd had access to those benefits. I can't change those years. But I wish I'd had the same opportunities in that I have now. I know four other employees just within the assessor's office, who also spent multiple years in similar hourly positions before eventually becoming full - time. Currently, our office staff's two hourly employees, both of whom work 30 hours per week. One has been here almost three years. The other for two.

1:29:34When I asked why they've stayed, they talked about supportive coworkers, compassionate supervisors, and pride in the work that they do. These are dedicated employees who contribute to our office every day, and yet they don't receive the same basic benefits. The assessor's office isn't the only county department we're seeing employees put in years of work without benefits. Just one example, we know hearing from Anthony and Elizabeth. That in the parks department, some of whom are here today, who work full - time hours, sometimes nine months out of the year, and return year after year to perform skilled, sometimes dangerous work. All without health care benefits, paid vacation, or even paid holidays. I think about how much I've depended on this things. And I wonder how so many of my co - workers manage without them. What sacrifices are they making. What care are they putting off?

1:30:43How much harder is it for them to take care of themselves and their families. Our union has repeatedly asked the county to provide healthcare coverage or even stipends paid vacation and paid holidays to hourly and seasonal workers. In the county has repeatedly rejected those requests. I want Boulder County workers and the public to understand that these protections have been brought to the bargaining table. And county leadership has chosen not to agree to them. We're now asking for something much smaller. Paid holidays for hourly and seasonal employees. It's a modest step compared to what these workers need and deserve, but it would make a meaningful difference. Commissioners. I know the county faces difficult budget decisions. As you can consider the 2027 budget, please remember the people behind the numbers. I've experienced firsthand what access to healthcare and paid leaf can make possible. I want all of my coworkers to have those opportunities too. Please work with our bargaining committee to provide paid holidays for hourly and seasonal employees. And take meaningful steps toward ensuring that every boulder county worker has the support they need to thrive.

1:32:11Thank you for listening. Okay, thank you very much. Alejandra Beattie. Good morning. Morning, thank you Commissioners for listening Alejandra Beatty, your president for the Bulldog Area Labor Council. And a recent mafia resident. I've been on a little bit of a tour this week, supporting public sector workers, and I'm scared about what I'm hearing. Tuesday it was supporting the Boulder Library workers who were also facing layoffs. Last night, it was at the stop firing vets where we were reminded of stories from veterans who supported our federal agencies and went through horrifically often experience the doge effect and the impact to the jobs that we continue to still experience. And I am reminded just how important it is that we support our public sector workers better than what we have been doing. As someone with family that's been in both military service and government service, it horrifies me to see how these workers are being treated. And what I see, what I'm worried about is this thread of, well, but we've got budget cuts. We've got austerity.

1:33:28We don't have enough money to pay for these things. And it's worrying me because I think that some of that is work that we need to do, but we also need to think about what our true priorities. And our way engaging our community and our workers in making those decisions. And I don't think we're doing that well at this county level right now. And I'm asking you, and I'm asking the community to fix this, because we need to do this right away. Public sector jobs have two benefits in our communities, not only is it providing jobs to all of these wonderful people. They're then in their community spending those salaries as our taxes giving us a double impact. Then of course, the services they provide. There's a reason why I have clean parking trails that I can walk on. There is a reason why my facility facilities that I come to are well staffed. There's a reason why I can go get my license plate fixed. In a relatively short amount of time, because you've staffed it. But if you remove those people, those services are gone, but there's also the family services that we provide. And when we start to take those jobs away, we're going to have even bigger impact to the community.

1:34:48And so I'm looking to the community right now and saying we need your help. We need to make sure that we're listening to this workers and taking into account what their ideas are and putting them onto the table. Because to hear that there's 110 million dollars sitting in a rainy day fund and we're not going to use it. That disappoints me. I also want to make sure that we also are taking into consideration that these budget cuts sound like it's all going to be fine. We're going to fix this right away. But again, let's remember, we are providing services to this community. And if we start to degrade those services, there is a compounding effect to the people that get those services that you are probably not able to take into account, especially when we take into account what the federal level has done. We see what is going to already start to happen for those who are medicaed services, where many are pushed off.

1:35:47Now what do those people do when they need help? They're going to end up trying to come to county services and they're not going to find them. Or if they try to find them, it's going to take them weeks and weeks to get help. Now, this is again, where I want to talk about what the stop firing vets is trying to emphasize by removing all of those jobs, they then may now the federal government is making sure that the few services that they do provide take months and months to happen. And if we start to see that happening at the county level, that is going to impact more and more of our community members who are going to find it harder and harder to stay here in Boulder and to stay in this county, pay taxes to help build, rebuild us and to help us provide the tax revenue that we need in order to keep going. So I urge you to reconsider the jobs that you're losing because it's actually going to have a triple whammy effect. And I don't want to see that as both a resident and as your labor council president.

1:36:52So again, I'm asking the community to help us because we need to look at these things better. Yes, there are inefficiencies we need to look at, but that's not use the doge impact and the do - it - the doge way. Let's look at making these decisions together and look at, let's listen to our workers who know where the money is and what we can do better in order to make sure that we can still build a thriving and inclusive community. Thank you for your time. Okay, thank you. Jaed Kelly. Commissioners. My name is Jade Kelly. I'm the president of CWA Local 7799, and I'm here proudly standing alongside all of my siblings scissors and brothers in Boulder County employees union to ask you to reverse these proposed buzzer cuts and instead invest in workers. Our community and produce a public good, a public budget for the public good of Boulder County. For the past 80 years, the University of Michigan has conducted a nationwide survey of consumer confidence, and I'm sad to say that in 2026, confidence in our economy has hit an all - time low. Worse than the pandemic worse than the 2008 housing crisis, the worst.

1:38:18Which is more than double the 80 - year average of 31 percent. It might come as a shock to you, and I've heard politicians confused by these devastating poll numbers about our future and go as far to question whether working people are exaggerating our struggles. Because most traditional economic indicators are pretty good. Unemployment has remained low. GDP is up. Corporate profit just had the highest five years of record - producing profits. And even inflation has come back down to 3. 7 percent. But I promise you, commissioners, if you speak to any working person, we get it. Wages are low and have not kept up with inflation, particularly for part - time and seasonal employees. But that story is only one piece of the story. It is more than groceries and gas. The heart of this problem is the privatization of our public services. In this country, in this state, and yes, in Boulder County, budget cuts like these are draining our pocketbooks. As workers, we pay for services that other countries and other states do not have to. Education, healthcare, insurance. After school programs, transportation, garbage collection, childcare, ambulances, search and rescue, even some firefighting calls are all coming out of our paychecks in ways that our government can and should be doing more to provide. And these proposed budget cuts not only puts more

1:39:36hardship on the backs of us as working people who depend on public services. But these proposed layoffs of essential, critical, loyal county workers in foster care, social work, communications, operation and administration are only going to increase poverty and Boulder County and make services harder to reach for those who need them in a crisis. This austerity strategy is not new. Our country has spent an estimated 15 trillion dollars in tax cuts in the past 50 years at a federal level and a lot more when you look at the state and local level. While slashing public services in the name of fiscal responsibility. What does that gotten us as a community? Is producing an economy that does not work for 77 percent of Americans. And these cuts have always been handed down with that narrative of fiscal responsibility and a promise of growth for our economy. But after 50 years of failure, I think we gave it a fair shot. I think it's time we question that narrative and try something other than a conservative economics from the Reagan administration. Instead, invest in our local community. Boulder County has a AAA credit rating. The highest possible rating.

1:40:44Only one percent of counties in this country have this rating. Our county's net worth group from 897 million in 2020 to 1. 4 billion in 2025. Our general fund ended in 2025 for the 110 million. More than twice the minimum reserve we are required to keep. In the most recent two years, the county outperformed its budget by 30. 2 million in 2024. In 2021. 9 million in 2025. This structural crisis is built on projections that have been consistently incorrect and overly pessimistic. This manufactured budget crisis disappears completely when you use these historical numbers instead of projected ones. I urge you to question these false assumptions and deserve, I'll deliver a lot more scrutiny before ending someone's livelihood and putting the cost of incorrect projections on the backs of working people. We cannot keep making life more expensive for working people and calling it fiscal responsibility.

1:41:46In 2026, we cannot afford this status quo. We need to combat the past 50 years of conservative economics, which means investing in social programs. Funding programs that reduce poverty and supporting policies that are pro worker, pro - labor, which means we need commissioners that listen to their union and the people on the ground who keep Boulder County working, dedicating their lives to making this a better place and fully funding the programs that allow residents to be healthy, safe, secure. Live with dignity and able to meet their commitments to their families and themselves. Trust me. I know the three of you did not run to slash budgets and continue the status quo. But you cannot build an affordable county by making county workers less secure in its services harder to reach. You have a better path available. Paid time off. No layoffs. A public budget for the public good. That is how you invest in Boulder County. And that is a leadership we are asking you to provide. Thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Rob Alexander.

1:42:59Okay, there we go. Good morning commissioners. Uh, Rob Alexander. I'm here on behalf of your extension advisory committee that I'm currently the sheriff. I've been part of that committee for. Over 20 years. Um, I've always been very proud of the way the Boulder County has supported extension. For decades. And more than any other county in the state. And I think the public has enjoyed that support and there's been a lot of public service, um, out of extension. Um, I don't envy your position. Right now. Um, in my, uh, sympathy goes to you for that. But I, I'm concerned about the extent of the cuts to extension. With only 12 point six full - time equivalence, the proposed cut is for 3. 6. Full - time equivalence, which is, uh, the county funded positions. It's a huge cut, those reductions are going to have very significant impacts. On the services that extension provides to the public, um, 4 - H horticulture, the ag agent, the small acreage program. Those are significant and integral to the open space program. And to private, uh, landowners and, uh, private folks in general. The 4H program. The position proposed being reduced is a communications and coordination position. There's absolutely essential in the complicated world of communication with 4H between parents for each members, leaders.

1:45:17Uh. It's going to have a devastating effect on 4H. I can't imagine. A halftime. Dedication to. Agriculture. Or small acreage, um, in the past, both those positions have contributed significantly. To open space and non - open space. Issues. There are a lot of online, um. Options for accessing extension services. But it is not the same as what those staff folks can provide. And the quality and the availability, the connections between extension staff and CSU specialists is a significant benefit of having staff on board. Um. I've often wondered, and this is a suggestion. And, but I've often wondered with. Extension being part of parks and open space. Why extension is not funded by parks in open space. Um, parks and open space, uh, I understand that there's, um, full - time equivalent positions reductions. And that's due to the tax funding. And that's great.

1:46:52And I'm glad for that. But, uh. Extension is going to suffer reductions in the amount of 415, 000 dollars. And no full - time equivalent reductions. It seems disproportionate. Anyway, my suggestion is that you would consider the possibility of making some or all of the extension positions funded by Parks and Open Space tax. And that is the extent of my comments. Thank you for your time. Okay. Thank you. Yes. Thank you very much. For joining us. Pat Butler. Pat Butler. Boulder County unincorporated Boulder County. As I'm completing my 41st year as a master gardener in the county extensions 51 year old program, I've submitted written comments about the importance of, um, the master gardener program. But I want to emphasize four points. First, the program supports Master Garden of volunteers who have provided thousands of hours and have individually assisted almost 4, 500 gardeners in the county as well as providing more community - based services like maintaining the three demonstration gardens that help showcase the landscape sustainability for gardeners all over the county. Second, we as Master Gardeners provide science - based information that, uh, is specific and tailored to each individual gardeners circumstances and needs. And that is, in contrast to the often, uh, irrelevant, um, generic, unreliable. And sometimes, uh, inaccurate information that people can get on the web. We're constantly correcting what people have

1:49:16told us they have seen on the web. Third, while extensions professional staff, um, particularly the horticulture staff are valuable resources for master gardeners and the general public. The master gardener coordinator position is a sinon qua non of the program, volunteers could not function without that coordinator managing the volunteer and training opportunities and communicating with us, um, weekly at least throughout the season. So if the county is unable to fund the entire set of proposed cuts to the extension office, uh, I hope you can at least fund the part - time, um, administrative. Master gardener coordinator position. I understand that the county, um, hopes to restore some budget cuts in the next few years as the financial situation stabilizes. Unfortunately, a program involving almost a hundred volunteers where we maintain our skills through annual training and service cannot, um, sustain even a single year, but certainly a multi - year hiatus and resurrecting the program would be very difficult in the future. So I hope you can at least fund the master gardener coordinator position at extension for next year. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Janet Heimer. Janiheimer. As a long time, Boulder County resident and taxpayer, I want to express my concern about the proposed 13. 2 million in county cuts. Before approving further reductions, I asked you to consider using a measured portion of

1:51:03county reserves to protect essential services and avoid additional harm to residents who rely on them. I recognize that these decisions are difficult. In the past year, there have already been cuts at the federal county and local levels. The county reportedly has approximately 200 million in reserves. If reserves are intended for difficult periods, this is an appropriate moment to consider using a limited and transparent portion of them before making deeper cuts to programs and facilities that residents rely on. Although I do not have specific examples of these cuts and how they will affect low income residents my 30 years serving with underrepresented communities tells me the impact is real. I understand the county is considering consolidation of departments and resources. While this may appear efficient on paper, it often weakens public communications and access to services.

1:52:17In more than 30 years of working in the county and speaking with nonprofit leaders, I have seen budget strategies intended to reduce spending can have serious consequences for low - income households. Years ago when the county services were consolidated and bolder, people on the outlining areas were not served well. There was significant public pushback and the services were decentralized and residents were receiving the services and support they needed. I believe internal consolidation would have similar impact. The county experience with housing and human services is another example. In 2008, the two were combined as part of a broader shift toward integrated services. In 2024, the county recognized that both programs were large and complex enough to require separate leadership. The decisions better reflected the scale of work. And in my view, better served residents. The county has sufficient reserves to avoid another 13. 2 million in budget cuts. Current fiscal pressures should be treated as temporary where possible and use a measured proportion of reserves to be consistent with their purpose during this difficult time. I urge you to be responsible, transparent decisions that make that the resident residents first and protect services. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Janet. Uh, Lionel Alvarado. I don't see anyone coming forward or being promoted on the screen.

1:54:10Alberto de los Rios. I'm not sure who's... Okay, there we go. Can you hear me? Hello? Hello? Get sweet and hear you. Thank you. Oh, thank you so much. Well, good morning, commissioners. Thank you for being here. My name is Alberto de los ruidos. I'm a county employee. And a county resident. First, I want to start by saying thank you for sitting at the table with bargaining employees and for listening to some of the needs. Thank you for the cost of living adjustment. I know you care deeply about our community. And this is a great way to ensure that many employees are able to continue the amazing work that they do. At the same time, I have a couple SW today as our leaders. I ask that you continue to be in conversation with each other, to be at the table and lean in, especially when it's challenging and uncomfortable. I ask that you encourage kindness, courage, and compassion.

1:55:12I ask that you speak against wars and humilitarian crisis affecting the people in our country. Congo, Palestine, Iran and beyond. I ask you that you continue to find solutions to financial priorities with our compromising our workforce. We can increase reserves without layoffs. We can be more efficient with operations, without shrinking the amount of talented people we have. It is always important to consider the long - term ramifications of letting go of people who have poured so much love and effort into the community work that we do. Please continue to upholding your values and racial equity, public health and sustainability by stopping budget cuts and financially supporting this initiatives in the short and long - term. I know that it might seem enticing to cut as many programs as possible. And I invite you to think about what are the impacts? What are the people who will no longer benefit. What does this money say about who's being seen and who is being unseen in this process? Who was asked about the impact of this? How is community and how our employees being affected by the long - term implications of letting go of some of these life - saving projects that we have in our amazing community. I also ask you to support and recognize the work of our seasoner and hourly employees by expanding

1:56:32their benefits. I know that it is not much and I please ask you to consider, how can they be recognized for the amazing work that they do and also get in the amount of rest that we all deserve and need, especially in this time. I know that you are also to serve rest. So think about how it would feel to feel seen and recognize and to be told that you also deserve rest and that you can keep your job and make a living. I believe that we can find a way forward by coming together, taking a human - centered approach and prioritizing both the people that we serve and those who we serve every day. Thank you so much. Okay, thank you. Gabrielle Eastwood. Hello. I'm Gabby Eastwood. I'm a second year seasonal at Parks and Open Space and I work on trails and run volunteer projects. Um, I just want to reiterate how meaningful it would be to have some sort of paid holidays for seasonal employees. Um, I really appreciate all of my colleagues today advocating for us as a seasonal. It is very frustrating to look forward on the calendar and see those holidays as just lost opportunities for wages. Um, for example, in November we have election day and veterans day and Thanksgiving, which are all holidays, which I will be

1:58:01unable to work and unable to make money while my full - time colleagues do get that benefit. Um, so it would make a big difference to start there for benefits for seasonals. And again, I do feel the support of my colleagues at Parks and OpenSpace, but don't necessarily always feel supported by the county as a whole for the work that I do. Um, and I know, um, the county also benefits a lot from returning seasonals. We do provide a lot of services. We do skilled labor. We do difficult manual labor and having even one returning on a crew, um, makes a big difference. It makes things move faster, makes the learning process easier every year. So yeah, thank you for considering. And that'll, Alyssa Hunter. Good morning, commissioners and everyone here today. My name is Melissa Hunter with the community planning and permitting department. Um, I would like to reiterate, um, everything that my peers have said today, your decisions affect every county worker, every family that depends on a county paycheck and every resident who depends on the services that county workers provide. Last week in bargaining, the county said no to basic layoff protections for county workers. That was a no to 60 day notice before layoffs. That was a no to two years of recall rights for workers who lose their jobs.

1:59:37And that was a no to sefference of any kind. Let's think about what that means. It means workers who have dedicated their years of their lives to serving this community could be left scrambling to pay rent or a mortgage to put food on the table and to support their families with little or no protection from the county if the county decides to eliminate their jobs. On a personal note, my husband and I both work for the county. And we have all of our eggs in this basket. My husband was one of the first employees to be terminated in May of 2025. By the way, that was without opportunity for a steward to be present in the meeting. Gratefully he was able to be transferred to another team at the time. But at the time we were blindsided, scared and angry. And frankly, we still are.

2:00:29We also have zero assurance that this will happen again. Is this how you want to treat your county your county employees and keep the county running? Boulder County employees choose to work here so that we can support our neighbors and our communities. And we see ourselves as part of the community rather than outside of it. The decisions you make towards us show the community how you feel about them. I am thinking about these layoffs every day. And a part of my job is to set up eco passes for all Boulder County employees. I know who these employees are. And I have the displeasure of deactivating the eco passes of people who no longer work here. My heart sinks every time I see name as an emails of the coworkers that I have to deactivate. And every time I think was it their choice to leave or was the rug pulled out from under them. And what makes it even more frustrating is that our union has done the research. We have raised serious questions about the county and its reserves and its ability to weather financial challenges. Why are layoffs being treated as the answer before alternatives have been seriously considered? County workers deserve better and my ask is to reconsider, um, those things that I mentioned earlier and help create a contract that recognizes

2:01:47our service and protects our livelihoods. Thank you. Okay. Thank you so much. Severin Mangold. Good morning commissioners. My name is Severn Mangled. I'm a member of the Boulder County Housing Authority team here under Bolter County Division of Housing. And this one I appreciate you guys for taking the time to listen to us today, uh, as we provide feedback on the budget as it pertains specifically to Boulder County employees and services. I'm speaking alongside my fellow BCEU members that are here with us today and to voice my support for continuing improvements to the ongoing collective bargaining discussions. Uh, it's been roughly about three months since I last spoke and what I began to notice is a trend with negotiations, specifically that not much has gotten done when it comes to effectively compromising with the bargaining collective.

2:02:38Meaning after meeting, uh, the BCU is met with little progress and compromise from Boulder County. And it continues to feel that Boulder County, uh, treats the BCEU as an obstacle that needs to be avoided, uh, rather than engaged with. It feels that Boulder County continues to make minimal effort to address our demands. And at times flat out refuses to provide any action as we've heard today with other folks'speeches. Uh, which continues to surprise me for an organization that consistently pats itself on the back in the public eye for a job well done, uh, if the county truly believes that they're doing right by the employees and the taxpayer, then we need more progress. And fewer roadblocks on our journey to the union contract and may have reminded the public that Boulder County continues to refuse to any lay of protections or even offering paid leave for both seasonal and hourly workers. As we've already heard, some of which Boulder County Housing Authority has hired. And what I imagine is a response to having to make, uh, tough budget cuts. And, um, you know, I'm glad that we have those seasonal workers. So they do great work on our team. They take care of our properties.

2:03:42They keep them clean and well trimmed. The landscaping has done well. And we want to make sure those folks are taken care of. It's just like all the rest of our, uh, employees within the housing authority. And so again, it astounds me that essentially, especially when we're lucky enough to work for our county that has one of the strongest local government, uh, credit ratings, uh, in the nation. It also makes me wonder why with the general fund reserve over 110 million dollars that we're still engaging in layoffs at the levels that we are, uh, and I understand it's not feasible to solely rely on the exist general funds to fix the deficit at hand. But why not take a more conservative approach and utilize some of that excess to slow down the pace of layoffs or at least reduce the impact on employees, especially when it's coupled with a 12. 7 percent property tax increase revenue increase between 2022 and 2025. So I just want to close with directing our attention, uh, to some of the things that we're asking, which include, but are not limited to, uh, specifically larger layoff notice of at least 60 days. Uh, two year recall window as well as PTO and sick time for season on part - time employees as well as vision, dental, medical, other benefits for

2:04:49those parts and employees. So I hope, uh, you take that into consideration. You do right by the taxpayer and the employees here. Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much. Cynthia Gerand. Greetings, Boulder County Commissioners. My name is Cynthia Durand. I've gardened in Boulder County for nearly 30 years and I've been a master gardener for four years. I know you face difficult decisions and I'm asking you to preserve funding for the master gardener program. As a volunteer, I've helped residents by phone, email and in - person at the Longmont office. And at clinics at Magoccan's at Ace Hardware in Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, and Lafayette. We answer questions about trees, soil health, pests, and caring for gardens. Many residents return year after year with their questions, bringing in plant samples and photos of their gardens. They count on us. Friends and neighbors turn to us for help in choosing trees, protecting beneficial insects and planting water - wise gardens. I'm honored to be a part of the volunteer group. Nearly 100 active volunteers bring a combined 800 years of experience. Each of us receive 60 hours of science - based training from CSU, and we take continuing education courses every single year. County support allows us to put that knowledge to work for the residents. I know that you value the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan. Our work

2:06:24supports the plans themes of sustainability. Climate action, and equity. We help residents conserve water, improve soil, manage invasive species, and support biodiversity. We also help them choose trees and other plants that thrive here. Our help desk and clinics offer information to all residents throughout the county. And our food growing efforts provide thousands of pounds of food for families in need. Our program also puts into action the plans guiding principles. We actually aligned with all seven of these principles connecting social, environment, and economic. Well - being encouraging stewardship of our natural systems, and also providing equitable access to community resources. This program is more than helping somebody with a plant problem. It's about putting science to work, getting to know people, learning from each other and having someone to turn to. These relationships are a huge part of what the program offers Boulder County. I know you face difficult budget choices. This program has a tremendous multiplier effect. It allows nearly 100 trained volunteers to share hundreds of hours of time and expertise with residents. Please preserve funding for this program. At the very least, please maintain funding for the coordinator of the Master Gardener program.

2:07:55It helps care for our land, feed our families, and continue building our community. Thank you very much. Okay, thank you. Jonathan Singer. Oh, I'm sorry. I jumped ahead. Yeah, so sorry. Look, he's coming up too. No, that's okay. Okay, thank you, sorry. Thank you for, I was so ramped up, sorry. Um, yeah, so, um, Amy Saunders, um, I've been at Boulder County residents since 1976. I know looking at me, it's hard to believe that. Um, for the last 25 years, I've been a master gardener. So I recognize the county's financial challenges. I really do. Um, my concern is whether the proposed elimination of the master gardener coordinator. So I would set a very nicely here with that, um, speaker before accounts for the services and accountability that this provision provides within the extension office. And I think too, that maybe there is a little bit of misinformation about how this is funded. So I don't know if you're familiar with the land grabbed universities. And when each state has a land grant university and it's funded through federal dollars. And part of that funding that you get from your federal dollars is by law to have the extension office for your community, for each of these counties. So the laws that the Senate bill, okay, sorry. First, so the intent

2:09:24of sustainability, as you all know, the commissioners on this board do no harm. The sustainability sites initiative do no harm. We also have the Colorado Senate Bill 23178 that addresses water wise landscaping with NHOAs. The Senate bill 24005 or sticks certain non - functional turf and invasive plant installation. These laws involve community scale. Is this going off and out? Okay, this, uh, these laws involve community scale landscape policies and implementation, sustainability outreach can help HOAs and organize communities navigate those requirements. And the position that's doing that at the extension office, that's a really large volume of information and a professional has to take care of that. The master gardener position is a little bit different. It's sort of like your constituents at home. You have constituents at home and use different language in your home constituency that's different than your neighborhood that's different than your community that's different than your district and your state. So when we're dealing with this, it's like the difference between landscape architecture and landscape design. We're really working at the home front with these master gardener coordinator. And it serves a huge function in supporting these train volunteers. I've been here long enough where we did not have a sustainability or a master garden or coordinator. Three minutes is not long enough. Um, and so through phone calls, walking consultation

2:10:50class is what Rob has said, what Pat said, um, we're, we're, we're doing what you all have asked in your sustainability initiatives. Commissioner Levy, your open space stewardship connects to tree health and resilient landscapes. That's what Master Gardeners do out in your communities. Commissioner, sorry if I pronounce this wrong. I'm sorry. Your climate equity work connects to a accessibility education for individual households. And that is one of the main providers of the coordinator, the accessibility component. Thank you for your time is up. Yeah. Thank you. I realized that that clock does seem to speed up as soon as you start speaking. Jonathan singer. Thank you, commissioners. I'm Jonathan Singer and I'm the Associate Vice President of Public Policy and Strategy at the Boulder Chamber. And I'm asking you to preserve the county funding for our chambers of commerce, not just in Boulder, but, um, across Boulder County. I completely understand having served in public office.

2:11:56The challenges that you individually face as you look at this, um, budget cliff right now. And before I say anything else, I just also want to recognize the time that everyone here has taken, um, many people are working during the day. And you've sacrificed a little bit of your time to hopefully make this budget a little bit more vibrant and a little bit more inclusive of the concerns of our community. Specifically to our chambers, um, you saw a letter earlier, uh, last week that talked a little bit about, um, what our return in investment truly is. And when I ask you to think about that, it's not just about what happens in Boulder, but I'm going to start there. Um, we're combining forces with Louisville and Lafayette and Nyewatt to bring our businesses together to talk about the newest, most exciting opportunity we have, which is the Sundance Film Festival. What does that mean for the county specifically? That is additional sales and property tax revenue that is coming in. Um, the small investment that is made to our chambers of commerce and to our economic development partners, supercharges this economy and actually brings more money into the county budget to pay for many of the things that are actually being discussed today. So, um, we understand that while these are significantly, um, challenging times,

2:13:22um, a complete reduction makes little sense. And we seek to partner with you to find where the targeted, um, returns on investment can be better illustrated and better explained to bring this community together and to build a stronger budget moving into 2027. Thank you for your time. Okay. Thank you very much. Sean Velasquez. Good morning commissioners. I'm Sean Velasquez, Community Health Specialist with Boulder County Public Health Tobacco Prevention Team. I'm here today to speak a few words from my colleague and sister in the union, Cape Bright Weiker, who unfortunately had to leave a little bit early this morning. Kate is a bowler county resident and a nurse care coordinator with the children, uh, with special needs program, where she served for nearly 10 years. She was hired for a 0. 6 part - time position, 24 hours a week with benefits. As a mother of four children, three of whom were adopted at birth and have developmental disabilities. Her personal experience directly informs and enhances her work. This lived experience allows her to guide families through complex disability applications. IEP meetings and evaluations with deep empathy and insight. Part - time employment is essential for her to balance her duties as a caregiver and as a nurse, without sacrificing her health or standard of care.

2:14:51In the past couple of years, Boulder County Public Health has pushed for all employees to be either full - time or hourly. Shifted to hourly status, part - time staff lose all benefits. Conversely, moving to full - time status is not sustainable for employees like her. The nurses that she works with have been given no choice in the matter. On her specific team, leadership has indicated that regardless of program growth, no additional nurses will be hired as long as any part - time nurses remain. She is that part - time nurse. This policy puts her in a really tough spot. She misses the way it felt to work at Boulder County when employees were not tormented year after year with threats of potential layoffs. She misses feeling safe and secure in what hoped she had hoped to be her job until she retired. She hopes that a culture will one day return to a place where employees feel safe. Nurses and other employees at the family health division dedicate immense time and heart to serving Boulder County families. However, current trends prioritizing efficiency over equity have left staff feeling vulnerable, undervalued, and fearful of retaliation if they speak up. When she was first hired, Boulder County offered stability and respect for work - life balance.

2:16:11She requests that Boulder County reconsiders these rigid staffing policies, allowing structured part - time roles with benefits, supports equity, and helps to retain experienced staff. I am also asking for basically employees. 60 days notice, and severance pay is a reasonable request. Those of us at Boulder County Public Health, we love the work that we do. We love the community that we work with, and we ask that you continue to work closely with the union, to protect our jobs and allow us to keep serving the community that we love so dearly. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Uh, is there anyone joining us in the hearing room who did not sign up to speak, who would like to speak now. I don't see anyone coming forward. Let me just check and make sure we don't have anyone online who want to speak. My chair, Levy, Brianna Barber, commissioner's office staff. At this time, meeting that is raising their hand to give comment. Thank you for checking. Okay, thank you very much for your help this morning. Uh, so we have concluded our public hearing on our budget.

2:17:25And actually, I'm going to ask Armando, because I don't know the date when we will be returning here to take further consideration. I believe it's November 2nd. November 2nd, and he's going to check that. Um, we will not be taking any... It's November 5th. November 5th, okay, alright. So that's when we will next be taking action on our budget. Uh, I want to thank everybody for coming for your really excellent testimony. And really for your decorum and respect for everyone in the room. Uh, so we have a hearing at one o'clock this afternoon. Um, Landy's hearing, and we will now be in recess until one o'clock. Oh, I'm sorry. If I may really quickly, I just wanted to ask if, if you could share for folks what the other ways before November 5th or for, um, either staff or the public to share their input in regards to the budget before any decisions are made, please. Thank you. Yes. Uh, you can go to the website under the website under the budget. There is a link and you can actually submit email or any comments that you need for the budget. Thank you. Yeah. And we do receive those form stack entries. So you can be assured that the commissioners do read them. All right, so we are in recess until one o'clock. Thank you.

2:19:02Oh, you are coming. It said two on my calendar, so I thought you weren't. Yeah, so. I had a phone call. And lost track of time and at a certain someone sat in my office and gave me some news that I didn't like. Oh no. Drink, Trina. Okay, I'm so sorry. Did you, are we already in a... He gave an announcement, and we're just about to start. Okay. All right. Commissioners, are you ready? We are. And we are recording. All right, we are back from recess for our afternoon hearing docket, and we are here for Community Planning and Permitting HP 26 - 005. This is a request to landmark, a property in Boulder County. And we will hear from our wonderful historic preservation planner. And you have up to 20 minutes if you need it. And then the applicant can also provide information for up to 20 minutes. We'll just find. The hearing document.

3 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Session

3.a Community Planning and Permitting - HP-26-0005: Bowman House

2:20:23And then we will take Public Testimony of any and close the Public Hearing, deliberate on this request and make a decision here today. I need to ask whether any of the commissioners have disclosures to make on this? I have no disclosures. No disclosures, thank you. Okay, I have known either, but I'm very excited to hear about it. So Jessica, go ahead and start. Thank you. Good afternoon, Commissioners. This is a Kinnon, Historic Preservation Planner with Community Planning and Permitting. And I'll be presenting dot get HP - 26 - 005, the Bowman House. The request is for landmark designation of the House. It's located at 109 Sentinel Rock Lane. It is zone forestry, and the owner and Applicant is Nick Martin. The properties located northwest of Boulder in the Foothills. It's in the Boulder Height subdivision.

2:21:23And the parcel is 2. 2 acres in size. Construction on the Bowman House started in 1960, and it was built by the original owner Ronald Ray Bowman and a friend based on the design by nationally known architecture. Bowman, shown here on the left with his family in 1972, was a physicist and worked at the National Bureau of Standards before starting his own company. In 1978, his company won an industrial research award for a temperature probe for radio frequency heated material, which shown here on the right. Boulder scientists and scholars were largely responsible for the abundance of modern architecture in Boulder and Boulder County. Titian Publicris Stu came to Boulder in 1954 and first worked with James Hunter before opening his own firm. He assisted Walter or Roberts with using the location of and the Architect 4, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. After becoming friends with Encar architect, I Ampey referred Papacris due to internationally known architect, Marcel Breuer. Papa Christu relocated to New York City in 1965, becoming a partner with Boyer and Associates in 1974. The Bowman House was designed in the Sonian architectural style created by Francoyd Wright in the 1930s. The style was meant to be more affordable and efficient and attainable by the male class. Several of the characteristics of the Sonian - style found in the House are large

2:23:04overhanging eaves, naturally appearing wood, clear - stery windows, a horizontal orientation, and a strong connection between the interior and the exterior. Bowman deviated from Papa Christie's design slightly by adding the stained glass windows and a second fireplace, as well as some other details. Bowman designed the details of the fireplaces in such a way that the underside of the lips on the hoods have holes whose area roughly matches the area of flu and pulls the smoke through in a circle for a secondary burn, creating an early smokeless fire. And here are a couple of photos from during construction with the stained glass on the left. And the guy's pouring the cement on the right. The Bowman House went through a rehabilitation project starting in 2025. And on September 17th, 2026, just last month, the project led by architect Mike Pichet won an AIA Colorado Award of Excellence in the category of historic preservation and restoration under 5, 000 square feet. Overall, the House's design has not changed significantly since it was finished nearly 60 years ago, and I have a very short video. To show.

2:24:41I wasn't expecting a commercial. Let's see. And I don't have the sound. Oh, bummer. Moder. Of an important mid - century residence. Honors its dramatic setting in the foothills of Boulder, Colorado. Originally designed by architection Papacristo. The home rests within a rocky meadow, surrounded by native grasses, Ponderosa pines, and granite outcroppings near the Sentinel rock formation. Expansive pains of glass frame panoramic views across Boulder and the Front Range. Dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior while reinforcing the home's deep connection to the landscape. Let me close that one moment. Okay. Sorry about that. My first attempt at momentaring a video. Um, and here's a few recent photos of the house. Um, the South elevation. The East elevation. The north elevation. And the West Elevation. And. Um, here's one of the matching fireplaces. So to the significance, the House qualifies for landmark designation under Criteria 1, 4 and 5 and 7 of Article 15 of the Land Juice Code. Criterion 1, the House's significant for its association with the development of modern architecture and Boulder County. Criterion 4, the House's significant as a fine example of eusonian style architecture. Criterion 5, the House's significant as a modern, I mean, I'm sorry, as a design by nationally known architect and master of local modernism, Titian Public Christu. And Criterion 7, the House's significant for its innovative design of Secondary

2:27:12Burn fireplaces. The historic preservation advisory board reviewed the application at their October 1st, 2026 meeting and voted unanimously to recommend an approval. And staff and HP recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approved docket HP - 26 - 005the Bowman House under Criteria 145 - 7, and subject to the two standard conditions and the staff report, and that concludes my presentation, um, if you have any questions. Thank you very much. Any questions? I don't have any questions, thank you. I don't have any questions. I'll just, I'm trying to stay on track of what we're here for in regards to the historical preservation. I guess maybe I do have one question just in regards to land use. And when I look at it, it's a beautiful house. Um, super interesting history. Uh, and looking at the original, I was thinking like an older historic, like, cause that's typically what we see, and you all come forward.

2:28:14But certainly agree with the criteria. I think, um, the question I have is, in general in our land use, and I'm looking at P in the back, we don't have that much exterior lighting that's permitted, and the windows, like it definitely has like this lighting effect. Um, so I was just curious about that. And in the historic preservation, maybe that's not part of what's looked at, but it just seemed a little bit in conflict with what we would normally see in land use code. So thanks, Pete. Good afternoon. Pete LaRonge Community Planning and Permitting Senior Planner. Um, yes, typically if this were a new build, uh, we would find ways to mitigate and reduce that, uh, lantern effect. However, since this is a potentially, uh, historically landmarked structure, there is some leeway on that. Um, if the applicants were to come back later, we would look at waste potentially mitigate through low E or low transmittance glass or that sort of thing. Uh, but since again, it's historic. We do have some leeway in what's allowed. Yeah, thank you. I appreciate that. I think what's on my mind is then for folks who do development outside of this or neighboring parcels or want to discuss adjacency or anything like that in the future. It, it would look like Boulder County's. If this was to move

2:29:41forward, that it, that Boulder County approves this type of lantern effect was the word I was looking for. So thank you. And just that exterior lighting because it's just in a new build that it'd be hard to get that type of, um, similar effect approved without mitigation. So, um, so it's just a curiosity. Yep. Thank you. Welcome. I don't have any questions. It's love the photos. And love the house. So you are the owner and APACA. Yeah, I'm the current caretaker, the House. Um, I didn't come prepared for a presentation. I've never been to one of these before. So I didn't know how it worked. Um, for me, I'm a passionate. Oh, could you just say your name for the, I'm Nicholas, uh, Martin. Yeah. I bought the house from Ronald Bowman, the gentleman that originally built a house with Tish and Papa Cristo. Um, I lived to only a couple doors away. So I was aware of the house when it came up for sale. Um, and he only moved out of the house because he had to move into a nursing home. He recently passed away. We did an interview with Jessica with him at one point, um, to document, you know, his, the build process. I have all, you know, probably a hundred original photos of the build process. Um, and for

2:30:56me, it's more about keeping the history alive with the House. And I want to ensure my promise to Ronald when I bought the house was, I do everything I could to, to restore it. Cause it was falling apart at the point of, um, if we didn't put it back together, it would have, you know, rotted away. So, um, we, we essentially restored the home using all original materials like saved all the hinges, all the door handles, did everything and just put it back together. Um, made it, you know, efficient to modern standards without changing the glass and did everything we could to ensure it lasts for another 50 years. So my goal in this process is to, um, do what I can to ensure it goes beyond me. And how stays as it is because it is truly a unique and special, um, time period, with the mid - century, I guess the very many mid - century homes probably historical, having historical designation at this point. But I believe it's the, it's the next generation of homes. And this one, um, in particular is absolutely stunning in person and living in the home feels like, you know, an extreme privilege to be able to experience and feel that design every day. So I'm hoping to preserve it and do everything I can to pass

2:32:12it on to the next generation. Good. Thank you. Um, any questions for our applicant? I don't have any questions, but appreciate you being here. Cool. I also don't have any questions, but grateful for you bringing this forward. Thank you. Yeah. Same. Yeah. Let's see if we have any public testimony. We don't. So, uh, we can close the Public hearing portion of this case. Anything additional to add on this. I don't have anything additional. Thank you. Okay. You did a great job of explaining it. And you always get the last word as the applicant. All right. Thank you for your time. I appreciate the opportunity. Okay. That's perfect. Uh, okay. So commissioners, any discussion or deliberation before we make a decision. I mean, I'm happy to just get us started. Thank you for the presentation, the information, the criteria that was pulled is, I agree with.

2:33:08I didn't have any questions or concerns about that piece. And it was helpful just to understand that the HP board was unanimously in agreement with this application as well. So I'm supportive and of this item, this docket. Yeah. Thank you. I agree, Criteria 145 and seven of Article 15 fit perfectly here. It is amazing to have read the packet and seen the photos in here and then contrast that with the restoration work you've done. And it just looks like it was meant to. And so that's really wonderful and inspiring. So thank you. Yeah. Um, as far as deliberation and a decision, I think the, the memo lays out that it does qualify for landmark status. And that does come with a couple of conditions that I think you're aware of, um, exterior alterations would have to get a certificate of appropriateness to make sure it's consistent with the architectural style. And, uh, you know, and the fact that you're allowed to do regular maintenance to prolong the life of the landmark. So those are pretty standard conditions for this kind of situation. Um, it is a remarkable house. And that is a style that resonates quite strongly with me. And I'm really grateful that you took on this project and that the House will live on. I think we're ready for a motion on HP

2:34:3426 - 0005. Move approval. Second. All in favor. Aye. Okay. Thank you, Jessica. Thank you. Thank you, Nicholas. Thank you. I appreciate it. We're done. Uh, this is our last Public Matter. So we're adjourned.