Transcript

0:00:32All right, commissioners, are you ready? Yes, we are. And we are recording buenos were here this morning for a meeting of the board of county commissioners. In Boulder county. Today's Thursday, November 20, 2025. And we are here at the third floor hearing room of the county courthouse at 1325 Pearl street, and all three county commissioners are present for. This business meeting, I'm going to go ahead and call us to order and move us. To item number two, which is our 09:00 a.m. public hearing. And second. Reading on an ordinance amending the Boulder county local minimum wage ordinance and. We have. Let's see here. We've got. I believe. Maybe I should check here on the agenda. My calendar said that we had a public hearing, and then later. A separate meeting. But it looks like this is all put together in one item. Go ahead, Natalie.

0:01:34Natalie's bringing commissioner's deputy for the record chair. Yes, that is correct. Just because of the volume of public comment we may receive today. We're holding one public hearing that could run into the afternoon slot. Okay, thank you. It looked like there was two different meetings set up on the calendar, so that's great. Thank you for that. So we've got the public hearing, which means we're going to have a presentation. From staff in regards to this amendment. And then we'll have public comment. We've got folks in the room and we've got folks. Virtual. It sounds like we've got about 3 hours of public comments. Scheduled just for folks who. Are trying to plan how they'll be able to participate. In linearly like in this C seven, not CI. Barbara interpret interpretation. I'm sorry. I don't know if there's going to be interpretation here. In the room, so I just wanted to make sure the folks that are here for interpretation could ask or could announce that.

0:02:38Why don't you go ahead and come to the. Word, but. Consumer. If there are someone in zoom, that will be another interpretation system. But we're here. This morning. Estamosa kia samanyana. Lucian Delez. Cervicio Denta. Despanio Lengler english espanol Sierliana cesita tamaton. La mesa. Gracias. Thank you. Okay. Gracias. So if anybody else joins us. And must be graceful and helpful to make sure that folks know that there's interpretation equipment. Here in the room, and it sounds like on zoom, it'll just show up for folks. Okay. Thank you. So we are here on this amendment. So we'll go ahead and just from a planning standpoint, I think what we're going to do is take all of the public comment in the room, and then we'll move to virtual. So just again, for planning purposes. And what was the other thing? I just wanted to make sure. We've.

0:03:41Okay, we'll go ahead and turn it over to Seth then for a presentation. Thank you. Yes, thank you. Good morning, commissioners. I'm Nick Robless, policy analyst in the commissioner's. Office. And thanks for this opportunity to make a brief presentation before your consideration of ordinance 250. One an ordinance to amend local minimum wage requirements. As you can see with this presentation outline, Mark Resin and I will be taking turns presenting. We will provide a brief background. We will also go over the amendment, take questions from the board, and then open up for public comment. Good morning, commissioners. Mark Rosin, commissioner's office staff. This slide provides you with a bit of a breakdown of the timeline. And engagement that the county has been doing with the local minimum wage. initiative going back to 2019 when state law was changed to eliminate the state preemption on local governments implementing a local minimum wage at the october 14 2025 public hearing that you held staff presented information about the state legislation the history of the county 's engagement with the consortium of Cities and discussions at that forum around developing a countywide regional wage, and we also presented. Extensive information about the extensive community engagement process that was conducted in advance of the commissioners adopting ordinance 2023. As noted in the staff memo for today's public

0:05:19hearing, throughout 2023 and into 2024 the communities of Boulder, Longmont, Lewisville, Lafayette and Erie. Explorer development of a regional wage with only the city of Boulder moving forward with a wage that began January 1, 2025. And also, as noted in the staff memo and also in the recitals for ordinance 2025, Since adoption of the 2023 ordinance, the commissioners have continued to receive community feedback on the county local minimum wage, with the board ultimately deciding to hold a public hearing on October 14, 2025. To consider the future of the county's local minimum wage. At that hearing, the board reviewed five options. for amending the county minimum wage schedule and on october 21 the commissioner's directive staff to bring forward an amendment to the county's existing local minimum wage ordinance that matched option five which you are considering today as ordinance 2025 This slide provides a short summation of reasons for reevaluating Boulder County's minimum wage. Many community members, especially small businesses, Small business owners and local farmers have serious concerns about business viability. With the wage schedule set forth in the 2023 ordinance. And secondly, there are now two jurisdictions within Boulder county that have adopted a local minimum wage, as I mentioned earlier, the city of Boulder and Boulder county. But these wages. Are not aligned and not projected to align in the future. I

0:07:09wanted to speak briefly about the feedback that we have received since. The public hearing on October 14. Since then, individuals shared their feedback through emails, Boulder County's online feedback form, and through voice messages. For those in support of maintaining the 2023 minimum wage schedule, the following themes are mentioned. Cost of living concerns, dignity of labor, honoring previous commitments to wager increases and economic justice. A quote that represents the themes. Is please protect the 2026 wage increases. This is vital for helping families afford rent, food and childcare. For those in opposition to the wage increases provided by the 2023 Ordinance, the following themes were identified impacts on small businesses and farms, unfair competition that neighboring jurisdictions have, lower wages, and fears of job losses and reduced hours. One individual stated, the wage increases as originally proposed are unsustainable for small businesses and restaurants. Some of the comments we received also indicated support of the draft ordinance stating your decision to moderate. The wage increases. The wage increase keeps the wages rising while protecting small farms. I'd like to speak briefly about the overview of the first reading ordinance 2025. So, as you can see. This demanded ordinance will create alignment between this Boulder county local minimum wage and the city of Boulder. Local minimum wage for 2026, with a 1.5% increase from 2025 wages. 2027 and

0:09:00beyond, the wage will increase through the consumer price index. And the alignment between the county and the city creates the opportunity for other cities and towns within Boulder county to align with the county and city and create a countywide wage beginning in 2027. Should it be helpful for the commissioners? This slide compares the 2023 wage schedule as adopted in ordinance 2023. To the amendment to the wage schedule included in ordinance 2025. And commissioners. We'd like to point out that earlier this week, Staff made minor changes to the ordinance that was submitted to the records team on Monday. The ordinance number was updated, several typos were corrected, and a correction was made in recital d of the ordinance. And then lastly, at its deliberation on October 21, the commissioners noted two action items for 2026, including supporting and engaging with a regional wage discussion with the municipalities in the county and also looking further into opportunities for the county to support its local businesses and farmers.

0:10:18Finally, that concludes our presentation, and we are happy to take any questions. Thank you, Mark and Nick, for the presentation, the materials. Any questions? Commissioners for staff. Not at this time. In recital. C in talking about our ordinance adopting a local minimum wage, it says that. We have consulted with surrounding local governments. Can you tell me what local governments we've met? With regarding this wage change. Natalie Springt, commissioner's deputy for the record, I'm happy to answer that question. In consultation with the county attorney's office and with other ordinance outreaches. Outreach that the county has done in the past, I believe one specific to massage parlor regulation, maybe about a year. Ago. Our consultation for this process. Was via email. Notifying all of our municipalities and towns within the county of Boulder County. Of the first reading and second reading of the local minimum wage and requesting that they either provide feedback directly to me as the commissioner's deputy or via our online survey form. So we have contacted every town and municipality within the county.

0:11:46And I believe we have a record of that email correspondence attached to the agenda packet today. Yes. Thank you. And thank you for the question. So in addition to the outreach that Natalie spoke to, Staff. Nick and I are in regular communication with staff in the municipalities who have been engaging in this conversation, so we've been keeping them aware of the conversation on the staff side. With the other local governments. So that includes city of Boulder, Longmont, Erie, the five or six communities that were engaged in the 2023 2024 process. So we haven't talked to Brimfield, which is one of our surrounding local governments. Adams county, Larmer county, and we haven't really consulted with, we've sent an email to local governments in our jurisdiction regarding this ordinance. We haven't consulted with anyone outside of the county and have been, as I mentioned, communicating. Updates and asking for input on what the other local governments might be considering. Thank you, Commissioner Levy. I have more questions in that same section, but I'm happy to come back after Commissioner Levy's questions. Yeah. Thank you. Just on the surrounding jurisdictions. While I did not consult with Adams County, Broomfield City, county of Broomfield, rather. In Jefferson county specifically about. This ordinance. Following the adoption of our local minimum wage in 2023. And throughout 2024. And possibly 2025. I'd

0:13:20have to go back and look at my notes. I was in touch with. Broomfield in Adams county to. Follow their process. And just consult with various, the mayor and some council members in Broomfield about what they were planning to do. I did not consult specifically about this ordinance, though. Thanks. Yeah, I just read in. The paper that Longmont appeared to not be consulted with from the news reporting on it. So just in that same section, it indicates that we consulted. With small and large businesses. I just wonder what those small and large businesses were. Again. Our outreach was to the partners. And organizations that have been part of the conversation for the last number of years. I'm certain you'll hear in the public hearing this morning from businesses and others. That are aware of. The proposed change and have been engaging with staff through forums like the Nawat local improvement District Advisory committee and other arenas where staff engages on a regular basis. We did not. Have sit down meetings, so to speak, or virtual meetings directly with specific businesses. Or other entities like that.

0:14:42The engagement was at a higher, broader level. Through established forums like the Lid committee and other forums like that to gather information and to make. Community organizations and businesses and others aware of the ordinance and the potential action of the commissioners and then just last question is like which workers and labors unions did we consult with regarding this? Again, the same level of outreach was done. Through as was done with the business community. With the labor and with the labor community. We've had regular, ongoing conversations with. A local denver based organization that supports. The Living Wage coalition, so we've been in communication through that forum. Thank you. And I think commissioners, just for additional information in the record, I did also provide a list of all of the local union organizations that I had reached out to about today's second reading. And public hearing comment, as well as all of. The various chambers. Of commerce as well around the region. And just to clarify, so is that similar? You sent an email versus consultation? Yes.

0:16:05Great. Thank you. And I'll just add in that if it's helpful, we had a conversation hosted by the county on trying to think of what day it was Tuesday afternoon this week. Just as part of what I heard as an ask from the board to start having some more. Formal conversations. And consultation around what? Small businesses, local farmers. Organizations or needing around this topic of what we continue to hear on rising costs. I just want to share that to Tuesday afternoon. And small business development court. Some of the chambers small businesses from Hygiene NYwA were there to kind of share their stories. And engage. Around the broader topic of rising costs, but also we had some conversation around minimum wage as well. Just in conversations. To hear from folks during this process. Any additional questions for staff? Okay, great. I think let's move to public comment. We've got public comment again. For anybody who's joined us. We'll do public comment in the room first and then we'll go to the virtual public comment, depending on how the time goes here. We will most likely take a break because we've got about 3 hours of public comments. Scheduled. So just again, for planning purposes for folks.

0:17:26The blue indicates pool time. So that just means somebody is set up and those folks are here. To be represented by one speaker, so the clock will show up on the screen for folks. To pay attention to, please, and this is public comment in regards to an ordinance amending the Boulder county local minimum wage ordinance. And when we get closer to the virtual, then I'll share the phone number again for folks who might be moving between devices, and a reminder for speakers to get close to the microphone, and you might need. To move it around just to get close. Not just hear you in the room, but also for the archiving and the recording that's. Happening. A reminder, we do have interpreters here, both in the room and online, of anybody. Needs that. And we will move to Michael Moss first. Good morning, commissioners.

0:18:26Staff and members of the community. My name is Michael Moss, owner of Kilt Farm in Nywat. And president of the Community Farmers alliance, representing farmers who grow more than 90% of the vegetables in Boulder County. And before I say anything else, I want to begin with something sincere and simple. Thank you. Thank you for reopening this conversation. Thank you for listening, really listening to the people who live, work and grow food in the county. Thank you for being willing to re examine a heart. Issue with clear eyes and open minds. This is public service at its best, and today we are here because. That commitment brought us back together. Let me be absolutely clear. We support fair wages. We support the dignity of work, and we support raising the minimum wage. At kill farm. Like many others, we already pay above minimum wage because our workers are skilled, dedicated. And essential. But fair wages and farm survival are not opposing ideas. They rise together or they fall. Together. And the ordinance before you today allows for both to rise. It raises wages every year by the rate of inflation. Protecting workers from inflation. It gives farms and small businesses the people who help feed this county, who hire first time workers. And who steward open space. A realistic chance to survive. It also creates a

0:20:03wage schedule that nearby municipalities can. Realistically adopt. That is not compromise. That is good governance. I want to share something about our world, the world of farming, that people don't often see. On farms, labor is more than a line item. It's not a number on a spreadsheet. It's people. It's the hands that harvest the carrots, wash the greens, plant the onions, fix the irrigation lines, serve our customers and keep the farm moving. To show you what that means. In practice, labor makes up 50% to 55% of our revenue. Not our costs, our revenue. That is nearly twice the national average for small businesses. And unlike other industries, we can't raise prices whenever we need to. We can't. Move production overseas. We can't automate the harvest. We compete every day with farms across the front range.

0:21:08California, Arizona and Mexico. If our costs rise too quickly, we can't just absorb it. We can't just. Be more competitive. We go under. And when a farm closes, we don't just lose a business. We lose open space, cared for by people who love it. We lose jobs for teenagers and adults alike, we lose. Food grown right here in Boulder county, we lose part of our identity. The ordinance before you recognizes that reality. It says we can lift wages and keep local food production. Alive. I want to speak directly to a few arguments that we've heard in the past and we will surely hear again today. They say the county should adhere to the $25 minimum wage. And cities should follow. I understand that sentiment, and I respect the intention behind it, but policy cannot be built on what we hope other jurisdictions might do. It must be grounded in what they have already done and the reality is unmistakable. Every city in this county except the city of Boulder. Chose not to adopt that path.

0:22:24If we cling to a schedule that no municipality is willing to join. We don't lead. We stand alone. Real regional leadership means creating a wade structure that cities can align with, so we rise together. They say even $25 an hour is not enough to live here. That's true. Absolutely true. And it will still be true even if we raise the minimum. Wage faster. Wages alone cannot fix the cost of housing. Childcare, health care and transportation. If wages grow faster than the business is paying them, we end up with fewer jobs and fewer paychecks. The ordinance raises wages sustainably. It assures that jobs that support those wages stay here. They say higher wages help the economy. Yes. When the jobs remain local. But if farms and small businesses shut down, workers lose their jobs and not spending power disappears. A moderate wage policy means more local jobs, more local paychecks, and more money staying in Boulder county. They say the commissioners should be bold. Boldness is important, but boldness must be grounded in reality. Boldness without sustainability is not progress. It's collapse. This ordinance is bold and sustainable. It raises wages, protects workers, and preserves the foundation of our local economy. When we talk about farms, we're not talking about nostalgia. We're talking about the soil that stores carbon, the open space. We're all proud of

0:24:13the schoolchildren who tour our farms, the families we feed, the restaurant partners who depend on us. And the next generation learning where their food comes from. Local farms are part of the public good of this county. By supporting this ordinance, you are protecting not just our farms, but the entire local food system that makes Boulder County Boulder County. The ordinance before you today is not about slowing down progress. It's about shaping progress so it endures. It says we can lift wages and keep local businesses alive. It says workers and employers are not enemies. It says Boulder county can lead with compassion and pragmatism, fairness and stability. Commissioners, you have done hard, thoughtful, courageous work. You've listened, you have adapted. You have chosen a path that honors both the dignity of worker and the future of our farms. Today, we urge you to pass this ordinance.

0:25:16Working with us. To make Boulder County a model for fair and sustainable local economies. And today I want to say on the behalf of Community Farmers alliance, we support you. We appreciate you, and we stand firmly behind this ordinance. Thank you for your leadership, thank you for your service, and thank you for building a boulder county where workers, farms, families and businesses can all thrive together. This is boulder county we all believe in. One where fairness and stewardship work hand in hand. Thank you. Thank you. Next is. Alejandra bibi. Good. Hi. My name is Alejandra Beatty. I am president for the Boulder area and Labor Council. Representing. I think we're now at 3000 working families in our area because of the growing number of unions in our area. Shout out to the Boulder Public Library workers who recently voted to unionize. I stand here to share a couple of different perspectives with you. I'm not going to. Thank you.

0:26:36I'm going to say, what the heck. What the heck is going on here? I'll again remind you the same letter that we have sent you as part of the self suspiciency wage coalition. We should have been consulted even back when this first started. In the early summer and in the early fall. We could have been there along with you. Along with the same businesses that have brought concerns to you and figured out a better path. Forward because we're going to continue to emphasize. Cutting wages will never help anybody. They won't help the workers that are currently struggling, and they're not really going to help these small businesses because better wages help businesses. That's what the economic study showed. That was done for this local area, it will help the local economy. So if we talk about suppressing and changing a wage schedule. How is that going to help? That local economy. Now, we could have been working on solutions to help. The Nywat businesses together.

0:27:35But we didn't. You took plenty of meetings with them. You. Didn't ask for meetings for us. Yes, we did get an email saying that this public hearing was here. This is why I did my best to try to organize. In the middle of the day. As many workers as I can, but guess what? Most of them don't think it's worth coming here, and I don't blame them for. Feeling that? Because I don't think they think that you care. It's just too bad, because a few years ago, I think that is what they heard. But that's not what they're hearing now, and I'm doing my best. To organize for them and to be that voice for them. But I get only four more minutes. Left. And even if I added more time, it's still not enough time to make sure that you understand what's going to happen to workers when we start talking about cutting their wages? It's not going to be. A good perspective. It is not going to help this economy, but it's also not going to help these small businesses because wages are what drives their profits. This is what helps them. Unless they happen to sell only to rich people. So I'm going to, again, continue to emphasize. That we need to build that regional approach. We have good people that got

0:28:51elected in Longma and Lafayette that I think are ready to come back to this program. And I think that it's time for us to really work on a solution that works. Together. I have tried to share my contact information multiple times. With the supposed opposition. And aviate to see any engagement from their end. I'm hoping that some other small businesses are willing to talk with us about what are the things that we could go after that. Actually help them. Things like rent in this area, commercial rent and rent for workers that might be a good target for us. Let's talk about. Doordash and how much they charge for restaurants. Let's talk about that. But let's not continue to subsidize off of workers wages. So I'll begin with the remaining two minutes. Just try to remind you, too. Of what? Again, workers are going to experience, as you all know, For the county. Since I work for your workers union, you're facing a loss of federal funds. So now you have workers that are about to face this year. A problem of. Trying to pay for their living costs while losing social benefits. You all very much aware of this. They're also going to face now they're not going to get a raise in January. Meanwhile, we're looking at small businesses that are talking about in

0:30:15five years when $25 comes around, I would think in five years, we can come up with a good plan. I think we can even do it in a year if we all sit down and figure. It out together. But if we continue to argue over these scraps, we're going to be looking at the wrong target. So I really want to encourage all Boulder residents for the county. This is important for us to put workers. First in this community before we turn into a place that. Is only about rich people and not about the working families. That really helped make this a thriving and living community. I'll see my time for the rest of this. Because, again, I know that most of the workers that I advocate for don't feel like this process is going to help them. But we're going to do our best to try to be their voice. Thank you for your time.

0:31:12Thank you. Next is Kristen hinter. Good morning. My name is Kristen Rencher and I'm one of the co owner veterinarians. At Longs Peak Animal Hospital in Longmont. We have owned the business since March of 2020. We purchased it, and the practice itself has been part of Longmont community since 1971. Our hospital literally sits across the street from city of Longmont city limits. Our competitors are all located within the city limits, which aligns with the state's minimum. Wage, which is set to 1516 and 2026, as you already know. Our hospital employs 27 people besides ourselves. Of these, 24, employees are hourly. We are already exceeding the proposed minimum wage requirement of 1682 for over 90% of our staff. And our current staff costs are approximately 60% of our total revenue annually. 60%. If the new minimum wage ordinance is not accepted in the 1799 minimum wage goes into effect on January 1. The increases we would implement would cost our business enough that we would have to cut at least one staff member in order to be able to afford it. This job cutting would continue with the rate of one to two positions per year. And by 2030, when the minimum wage wages set to be 25, we anticipate having a workforce of at least six fewer employees than we do now.

0:32:59Six. With six fewer staff members to support our veterinary team, our ability to see appointments that our current rate will be impacted, and with fewer patients being seen, we won't be able to generate enough revenue to stay in business. It's impossible for us to raise our prices high enough to cover the increases each year. While staying competitive. We take pride in being able to offer fair wages along with an excellent benefits package. That you don't often see in privately owned small businesses. For example. We cover medical coverage for our employees, and we pay 80% of the premiums. Not only will we have to cut jobs, but we're going to have to drop a lot of those benefits that we currently offer. And so the employees that we do keep are going to have less in the way of their benefits. In closing, I'd like to say that our staff is the best in the industry.

0:34:00We appreciate them beyond words, and I would love to be able to pay them all much more than we currently do. But in today's economy, an increase in our prices would undoubtedly cause us to lose customers. To our local competitors. We're asking you to please pass this amendment. Ordinance on minimum wage requirements. It will definitely mean the difference between our business being able to thrive. And our business failing over the next three to four years. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Nexus Nicholas Little. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Nicholas Little. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning. I think this might be my 6th or 7th time here, so hopefully you're not sick. Of my face by now, but we'll be looking forward to. A meaningful break after this. I first just want to thank you. For listening to us over. We started this process last. March. And through the spring, the summer and the fall, our whole community came together, and we made the case we explained. How our community was being hurt by this policy that had been set. And in all of that, You guys, listen to us. Here we are today. And. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity, that you did listen and that you guys have demonstrated leadership. By showing that you are capable

0:35:44of engaging and listening to the community. So I want to thank you for that. And with this new proposed policy, We support it. This definitely gives our community a chance to. Heal. We did lose a couple of restaurants, but now. With this revised wage policy. The feedback that we are hearing from everybody is okay. We can work with this. And we as a community think this will provide us with the opportunity to succeed going forward. So we hope that. You continue? To pass this policy, and with that, we hope to see that. Our empty, vacant buildings will be filled up with restaurants again, and we can return to a thriving. Community that we were prior. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Alison Steele. Hi, my name is Alison Steele and my brother and I run the Nile up market in Nylot. He's here with me today. Our store employs 40 people in unincorporated Boulder county. I'm here today to say thank you. When we first heard about the minimum wage ordinance, Two years ago, we had a lot of concerns. We were worried about competing with large corporate stores in Longmont that were not affected by the new wage ordinance we were worried about. Rising payroll. We were worried about having to raise prices, the impact on our farming communities around us. And

0:37:28the jobs that would be lost. We were very worried. And you listened and you acted. Thank you. Your response has renewed our faith. In local government. We feel that this amended ordinance is a good compromise, and hopefully it can lead to a more regional minimum wage. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Bruce Warren. Commissioners. My name is Bruce Warren. I live at 7321 Dry Creek Road in Nywa. I'm a 50 year resident of Nylon. I've had a business in Nylot for 50 years. I appreciate you being willing to revisit this ordinance. Again, as the other speakers have mentioned. I want to thank you for doing that. Also thinking we have to stop meeting like this because we've been coming here since March. And. You listen to what we had to say and the real impacts I'd like to address. A couple of things that I've heard today. The issue for us in Naiwat is not. So much. That. The wages. That are currently in effect are the schedule. Is a bad thing. It's that it carves out. Simply unincorporated Boulder county because you don't have the authority. To enact this for the entire county. If that were the case, we would be having a different conversation. I went to the meeting.

0:39:09That was held in Nywat before the original ordinance was enacted. That was the outreach to the community. But I can tell you that most people in Nywood had no idea about it, and the speakers were largely people who represented unions. And to tell you the truth, there's very few people in the unincorporated county. That are union workers. But that's what we heard that night. I heard from one business. Owner that night, I tried to sign up to speak. I was told that there were too many. Speakers already and there was no more room to speak. I could send an email, which I did. But in the future, when this comes back around, as I'm sure it will, I would urge you to do two things. That I don't believe were done originally, and that is to include specific outreach to deny what business association, which I think comes under the definition of a chamber of commerce. And also to the Nylop Local Improvement District Advisory committee, which. You appoint that makes recommendations for spending. The 1% sales tax that's collected by the retail businesses in Naiwan because those are the people that are really affected, and those are the people. That engage on a daily basis with all of the businesses in Niwan. The last thing I want to say is I do appreciate your

0:40:42willingness to revisit this issue. As other speakers have said, I think that restores confidence in government when. People are willing to look at past decisions and consider revisions based on actual experience. So thank you. For that. Thank you. Next is Jim Schaefer. And I'm Jim Schaefer from Nywat, an unincorporated Boulder county. Thank you for reevaluating the impact of the minimum wage ordinance. Your choice of option three will help stabilize the county's small towns, and option three will help maintain algaculture in Boulder County. Option three will both save jobs and potentially increase jobs going forward. Those jobs that were lost, 50 jobs that were lost in the face of an eventual $25. An hour minimum wage. Option three does not affect any union jobs since there are no unionized facilities in the rural county. So please save jobs, save small towns, save agricultural Boulder county by adopting option three. Thank. You. Thank you, Nick, this is David Skaggs. Good morning, commissioners. I'm David Skaggs.

0:42:02I live outside Nywat, Colorado, and I also want to express my appreciation for your open mindedness to revisit this issue. I know. It's not been an easy matter for you. Easy matters get resolved before they get to the county commissioners for consideration. Perhaps I'm channeling. Having watched the first few episodes of the American Revolution. On public television the last two nights and channeling Ken Burns, but I think it's appropriate in these days to express some appreciation when representative democracy works. And I think this is an example of representative democracy. Working the way it's supposed to. Not that it resolves all differences, but it comes. Up with a workable compromise, which is what you have done. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next is Annette Gaffner. Hi. My name is Annette Gaffner, and I'm a resident of Nawak. Colorado. I just wanted to. I'll make my comments very brief. I just wanted to thank the commissioners for the courage to make adjustments on your previous perspectives and listening to the small business. Businesses. And farmers of unincorporated Boulder county. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Next is Darrell monley. Dariel. Doesn't look like that person's here right now, so we'll move next. To Mary Faltonsky. Good morning. My name is Mary Faltensky. I'm a Boulder county resident, a retired. Boulder county employee and a member of

0:43:49the board of Boulder Progressives. Thank you for the opportunity. To speak today. I would like to start by thanking the three of you for your leadership on this issue. Two years ago, you led the state by passing an increase to the minimum wage in Boulder county. Additionally you wrote into your strategic plan a desire to encourage municipal partners to follow your lead and align their local wage requirements. To match the county. Today. I urge you not to backtrack or slow your progress by following the decisions of less equity minded local partners. I've had the opportunity to work for you to advance the prospects of very low income. Boulder county residents. I greatly respect that. In your strategic plan documents and your public statements, you strive for a community where every resident, including those facing the greatest challenges, can flourish. I know you're aware that families in the county are struggling to make the rent even.

0:44:52With the increases. Our minimum wage is well below the stated living wage of 26 36 an hour. Working families are living. In overcrowded and often substandard housing. Because of the housing costs in Boulder County. I am well aware that Boulder county is facing real budget deficits. Services have been cut and staff laid off. Yet the remains of sentiment in the community that the county can fix the big problems that others cannot. Do not allow the same voices that say you aren't doing enough to help the needy. To paradoxically push you backwards from your strong stand to support low wage workers. When we prioritize business profits over the basic wages of employees, remember that the cuts to minimum wage will only increase the county safety net burden. Desperate families will have to rely on your county services even when they're working full time. Business owners like to imply that nonprofit or government workers don't know what it's like out there for the working man. I will, Perry, with the truth that I know what it is like for the single parent who works in a restaurant.

0:46:12That family survives here in Boulder county because the county administers housing childcare health insurance and food supports. It is not unfair to ask employers to pay a fair wage. Your thoughtful efforts do not need to be watered down. Please keep your existing ordinance intact and maintain the current minimum wage schedule. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Amy Tisdale. Go ahead and try that. We've got a mic at the front table. Is this working? Yes. Okay, great. Okay. Good morning. My name is Amy Tisdale. Excuse me. I am the co owner of Redwigan Farm, along with my husband, Wyatt Barnes. We live on our farm in unincorporated Boulder county and been growing vegetables here for 21 years. This season we provided jobs for 20 people. I want to thank the commissioners for considering an amendment to the minimum wage increase. This process has the appearance of pitting small businesses against lower wage workers when the reality is that we are all struggling. I support a higher minimum wage, but we need a more moderate rate of increase in order for farms and small businesses to survive. We are in this place because of decades of bad policy and we can't catch up. Overnight. It is very difficult.

0:48:02The people who know nothing about my business. Are saying that I can just absorb the cost of wage increases. Or raise my prices. It's not as simple as that. I'm already barely scraping. By. Both my farm and me personally. Most of my employees are paid at a higher rate than I am able to pay myself. As for raising prices. We are in the middle of an affordability crisis. How does it make sense for me to increase prices on my healthy vegetables? A steep wage crease has a disproportionate effect on small businesses. A more sustainable approach would be a combined a moderate wage increase along with addressing the root causes. Of the high cost of living. I am a good employer. I care deeply about my employees and do everything I can for them. Family farms and small businesses are part of what makes our community strong. While the original minimum wage increase was well intended, it would be detrimental to our businesses and therefore to our community. I look forward to working together on sustainable solutions that would have a positive impact on our community. Again, I appreciate your willingness. Consider an amendment to the original increase. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Steve gabler.

0:50:07Good morning. My name is Steve Gabler. I'm the owner of Garden Gate Cafe in Nywat for the last 25 years. What I really wanted to make clear today is. The fact that living wage and minimum wage are not the same almost. Everybody takes that and they try to make them both the same. They are not. You do not get to enter into the workforce and automatically get a living wage. You have to work up to that. You have to build to that. I wanted to say thank you for listening. To us. I really, really do appreciate it. I wanted to make it clear that also this was only about unincorporated Boulder county. There are no union jobs. Unincorporated Boulder county. So I don't even understand. Why the voices are being heard that don't have skin in the game. I also have confusion that we had 1200 responses. Our group was accused of being highly funded.

0:51:06We're all volunteers. We have no funding, so. There's a lot of misinformation out there that nobody is going about. I also really. Despise the fact that we were used as a test mule to get the other municipalities. To come along, but thank you so much for the consideration and the progress that we've made. Thank you. Next is Claire Poundstone. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Claire Poundstone. I'm here on behalf of United Food. And commercial workers local seven, even though we don't have any stores or businesses within unincorporated one, we hope that will change, and two, our members, which are 22,000 strong across the entire state. Work and live in these communities. They are part of these communities. They shop at these communities. Labor speaks for all workers, not just the ones that happen to be organized. And I'm here today also as a proud cu boulder alum who has lived in Boulder county for many years. Prior to today, and I urge you to reject any effort to roll back the minimum wage ordinance. Or delay the scheduled increases. This community made a commitment through you to ensure that people who work full time can better afford the basics. Rent, groceries, transportation, childcare. Rolling back or stalling wage increases doesn't just freeze numbers. On a pager spreadsheet. It freezes families in place.

0:52:42It means parents working two or three jobs instead of being home with their children. It means seniors on fixed incomes competing. With younger workers for low wage jobs. It means more people struggling, even while they're working every single day. And even as those struggles are going to increase based off what's going on nationally. We often hear that raising wages harm small businesses, but the truth is that fair wages strengthen the local economy. That's what all the empirical data says. And Boulder, unincorporated or incorporated, is not immune to actual data. When workers earn more, they spend more at those local shops, at those restaurants, at those service providers, at those farms, that money circulates. Right here, supporting the very businesses some claim to protect. What truly harms small business is. High turnover, unfilled positions and a workforce stretch so thin it can't keep up. Rolling back wages now, after years of rising housing and food costs would be a step backwards, widening inequality and pushing more working families to the brink. Don't take the short sighted approach and handicap the limited progress that has been made.

0:53:57Be a leader, especially at a time that we are seeing a strong shift towards more progressive candidates, more progressive policies in recent elections. This is the time to push those other municipalities and localities to go with you. Maintain your prior commitment and keep your promises. I ask you to stand with workers, stand with families. Stand with the long term health of the community. And protect the minimum wage ordinance. That was just past two years ago. Keep the increases in place. Something does need to be done to assist in affordability and sustainability for local farmers, businesses and families alike. But workers making the bare minimum of what is required to be paid should not have to bear the brunt of that lope. Lopez. Hi there. My name is Darcy Lopez, and I'm the union steward at Table Mesa King. Supers here in boulder.

0:55:08Normally I do speak on behalf of the union, but I also work at a double breasted. Store. So we have a union and the nonunion side of the store. 65% of our workforce. Are part timers, and most of those part timers are college students. So I am here today to speak on behalf of our union and nonunion. People. And. One of the things that we've passed on our last contract was. Education leave so our college students can leave and go do an internship and they can come back. To work at the store. And they can keep their seniority. However, a lot of our college students complain that they can't. Find. An internship. Many of these internships are on campus and they can't make the money. That they're making at a grocery store. The Kroger company, even though most of the time I don't have anything good. To say about the croques. They did do something really good. Our contracts are tied in with the Denver minimum wage. And so our workers can get hired at $0.40 higher than the Denver minimum wage. We here in Boulder? Actually make a little bit more. It's about twenty five cents. Fifty cents more here in Boulder because the company realizes that people follow the money and it's very difficult to hire actually here in Boulder, Colorado. And we

0:56:52also have higher night premiums after 06:00 p.m. and. We have. Higher Saturday premium. So Boulder is considered to be progressive. In most instances, and I would like for a boulder. To progress the minimum wage. For our college students and for the workers. I know you have a lot of difficult stories here. And a lot of options to weigh in, but I am. Here representing the young people, the 20 year olds, 18 year olds, and they are our future and I have a fantastic gentleman working for me. He is a physics major. He is a junior. Of course, we don't need scientists, right? We don't have. Problems in this world. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Matthew Logan. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

0:58:04My name is Matthew Logan, and I serve as the senior policy manager at New Era Colorado. A national leader in getting young people activated in our political process and an enduring champion of economic justice. I wanted to start off first by commending your leadership in your communities, especially in the efforts to raise the minimum wage in Boulder county for our workers. You understood that in one of the most expensive counties in the state. Ensuring your constituency had a livable wage was vital for them to thrive in our communities. He led the way in this work, and that is why new era Colorado is in strong opposition. To the ordinance before us today. Our mission is to advocate for those who are underserved, and that includes especially underpaid. Workers. We urge the commissioners to keep the existing minimum wage schedule in place because the high cost of living already burdened citizens across this state and our country, especially for younger folks. Tremendous cuts to federally funded social programs for working people have left them significantly vulnerable.

0:59:12To the immense economic hardships that our communities are facing. This includes cuts to essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP. They're vulnerabilities most recently exposed in the recent government shutdown. Coloradons are and will continue to feel this economic pain. Citizens veteran in our country are gripped by a pervasive economic uncertainty at a time when our state and municipalities are confronting. Mounting budget crises in the face of harmful, sweeping budget cuts from our state and federal governments. Our leaders must be bold in champion solutions. That ensure members of the communities have livable wages and to significantly improve. Their standard of living in what? Are very unprecedented and challenging times. I understand that there is a lot to weigh here in this community. But I do call on this board to meet the moment, to fully engage with their neighbors. With all coalitions, advocates, community leaders. And especially workers. That these amendments would have a detrimental impact on and to keep the minimum wage schedule intact. If it wishes to remain. A regional leader in building a fair economy for all. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Mark Davis. Venice. Hello. My name is Mark Daris Penis. I'm the owner of esoteric culinary Garden. Out on Belmont Road, unincorporated Boulder County. And. We are a small farm.

1:00:56Thankfully, a little less small every year. And we grow predominantly for restaurants. I was honestly just incredibly relieved at the action taken after the last meeting. My concern was really for the future. Of. An agricultural economy. In Boulder county for farms that don't exist yet. I think. I was very fortunate to be able to. I kind of feel like a unicorn, like I started. This farm in 2018. And even since that time, many farms have gone out of business. My concern is that we're barely even beginning to meet the needs. Of our local communities and businesses for locally grown food. And in order to do that, we need to build businesses. In order to build those businesses, especially in the beginning. High labor costs can really cripple that growth trajectory for a business, and I've been fortunate to be able to. Take my starting wage for farm laborers up. From where we were in 2018, 2019, which was at that point, 17 $18 an hour.

1:02:22Up to now where we're able to pay people. 25. $27 an hour. And that's something that I could only do because I was. Able to develop my business. In those first six or seven years or whatever it's been. We got to be able to. Get off the ground. As farm businesses specifically, which is all I can speak to. And with regards to restaurants. I'm so grateful to be standing alongside the businesses in the Nywalk community because. I've seen multiple restaurants come and go in. One fara, which I worked with really closely. It was so sad to see. Them close. They were trying to do everything. As best as they possibly could. To all their local sourcing, they supported many farms. So that was a great tragedy for the local community. And that's something I would love to be selling more produce in the county. And that's not going to be possible if restaurants can't do what they do. As well. So thank you for listening and thank you for taking the action that you did, and. I appreciate where we are today. Thank you. Bye.

1:03:42Thank you. Next is Jane. I don't know if it's cinky or Cinke. Mason. I do believe it's in k, commissioner. Thank you. Thank you, Sink. I appreciate that. Thank you, Mason. Good to see you guys again. It's pretty cool that. We have the opportunity to overtone a popular vote with a simple majority of two out of three people talk about no kings. I think it's pretty interesting. We keep hearing about farmers and. Restaurants totally understand. But those are two industries that historically. Are always fighting the bottom line. Like you look back 100 years ago. The farmers are talking about the banks and all this stuff, and they're talking about intrinsic core issues. If you look at like 400 years ago with the kings and the serftums and all that stuff, it's always like the farmers saying, like, hey, we need help. We need help, we need help. And right now. Desert. This type of. Meeting kind of pits us against each other instead of looking at the actual things that can fix. What the intrinsic issues are. And the issues is a lack of a social welfare net for rural America. But. The amendment of which you guys are offering. Does not solve. Or create any more of a social welfare net, it actually harms the vast majority of people. And I think that's pretty

1:05:06unfair. I don't see how you guys are able to overturn a popular vote. How come we only care about poor people on November 4? But then November 20 rolls around and we don't care about them no more. I think that's kind of ridiculous. So then why don't we create some sort. Of. Fundamental change to improve the quality of life for rural America. To improve the quality of life for restaurant owners and farmers. And that's what I would really like to see. I will take up the rest of my minute and 30 seconds. Really? That's it? So thank you, guys. I believe we should be taking up our full minute. Our full three minutes, right. All right, are you guys allowed to respond at all, or is it only one way we're. Just associated public comment right now. Okay, one way. All right. Well, thank you.

1:06:04Thank you. Next is Paul Givens. Hello, commissioners. My name is Paul. I'm a bolder, unincorporated county resident, and I'm here to talk about minimum wage, and something that's important to me is people viability not business viability. I think we should be concerned about the people of the county more. Than. The business of the county. I've done some community workarizing. I've talked to over 100 workers in the county about this. And. Their eyes light up when they see that the wage is going to $25 and they talk. To me about how much that's going to help, and then they're devastated when they hear that you're considering lowering it again, and I just wanted to add a little. Pathos there. This is something that dramatically affects people's lives. I also had only two weeks to organize a response to this, and for every one worker that's getting up here and talking today. There's a hundred that couldn't make it because they're not on the schedule. They couldn't take time off. They had to take care of a sick kid. So why are we rushing this? I also am incredibly surprised that the opposition here talks about $25 being not enough to live here, like they recognize that themselves, which means. That something needs to give. And I think it's time for some hard truths, like everyone in

1:07:32this county deserves to. Earn a living wage when they work. And if we are subsidizing failing businesses because. We want to make sure that people. We want to make sure that those farms, which are great, it's ridiculous. We need to be making sure that people can live before we make sure that businesses can survive. And if the business people here really care about their workers, which they are professing to do. Why are they not working? To work on incorporated areas, raising their minimum wage instead of fighting for their workers to be impoverished. I want to say that a small business closing. Is not a tragedy. A child not being able to eat is a tragedy, and that's what we're starting to look at here. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Autumn Archer. Good morning, everybody.

1:08:36I am Autumn Archer. I am the elected labor co chair for Boulder Democratic Socialists of America and I am here today to speak on behalf of all of our workers in Boulder County. I think that this amendment. Is horribly misguided. In its approach to resolving these issues. I also feel that the inadequate amount of time. That we were given. As labor organizers and that our unions were given as well, and our local workers generally were given. I'm hearing a lot of a misconception that unions. Are organizations that only speak for their members, and this is just simply not true. We represent all workers when we're arguing. For better wages, for better working conditions, for workplace safety. We are not just doing that in the narrow context of the workers that we directly represent. We are talking about it in the context of setting a standard.

1:09:35Maybe it's just like one. Narrow fight today, but we're setting a standard for what all workers deserve. Without listening to unions, without also taking in the feedback of workers directly. We really risk missing the full picture of what our community needs. And when I'm out? Talking with workers in the community, and I'm out organizing like I am today with Starbucks. Workers united, many of which who have come out on short notice and. Have lended their time to me to help speak to the council directly on this issue. It really just comes down to a feeling of economic despair has set in across the entire community. Every worker that I talk to, whether it's Longmont, it's boulder, it's. Louisville or it's Lafayette is feeling the pressure, the loss of federal protections and federal money programs like.

1:10:31Snap is risking sending thousands of families here in Boulder, just straight off the edge of a Cliff. Where they are no longer able to afford food, they're no longer able to pay rent. And that is a struggle that will endure whether or not the minimum wage goes up to $25. An hour, and I wanted to end today. On the words of our state senator, Senator Hitkin Looper, who came down and spoke to one of our protest pickets. I think it was very wise when he said that owning a business, it is a privilege. It's a privilege that many should aspire towards and should have the ability to achieve. But paying rent, being able to afford food, child care. These are not privileges. These are things that you absolutely need to live. And so all we're asking for is that you hear our voices and that you listen to us as we ask. You to please reconsider. This vote on this particular amendment and to work with us in the future to help make sure that small businesses remain viable, but workers can also get paid.

1:11:37Thank you. Thank you. Next is Nicole Spear. I don't see Nicole here in the room. We'll go next to Kaylee. Bishop. Is Kaylee. I don't see Kaylee either. Anthony Beck. We'll go next to Elias. Lindgren. Next to fred smith. Michael graham. Kai ot. Hello. I am kai ott. I say dumb pronouns. I am located in La Hayette. I'm. Proud to be part of a union that is fighting to rage. To raise the minimum wage across the country. We are here today. Representing dozens of baristas across the county who weren't able to attend today, but wish to have their voices heard by this body. I've never personally been. One to stand up for myself. Having autism makes it very difficult to be heard and seen. Recently, I've been pushed to speak up for me, my family, my friends. We've had too many times that I've been in and seeing community members hurt. Because of others. Like. 26 36 is the amount of minimum wage that we're supposed to be at, but we are at a fraction of that right now. The cost of living hasn't kept up with increasing living prices like rent, groceries, medical expenses. I've had to choose personally between paying bills and getting groceries because currently we have poverty. Wages. We understand the concerns of small businesses, and

1:13:53it shouldn't come at the cost of fair wage for all of our friends and families across the county. This affects not only teenagers, but parents. Seniors, veterans, most of us are living paycheck to paycheck already. How are. We supposed to afford the cost of living without fair wages? I want to remind some of us. That. This isn't just in Nawat. This is across the whole county. That includes everyone. In Lafayette. That includes everyone in Boulder City. That includes all of us. Right. We are asking you to actually think on how this will truly affect our working class citizens. Please do what is best for the people who elected you. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Next is Lily Arasa. Hi. My name is Lily, and it's Aris Rottenum. Thank you. I'm a resident of Balda county, and I graduated from CU this spring. I think when we think of wages. We often think that workers wage is a reflection of their marginal productivity. But in Balda county our work. Workers don't face perfectly elastic labor supplies, so employers are always setting the wage they have. All the power, which is inherently monopolistic, and I think something that we all agree contributes. To further inequality. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Andrew Brandt.

1:15:34Morning, supervisors. My name is Andrew Brandt. I'm a boulder resident and I'm feeling. Very fortunate and privileged this morning, because even though I was laid off eight months ago along with nearly 300 of my coworkers that my former employer. Today, I find myself incredibly fortunate to be employed at a job where I earn more than the median. Household income in Boulder County. That being the case, I'm sure you're wondering why it matters to me. What? You do with the wages of our most economically fragile and at risk people in our community, our neighbors, our friends, and even total strangers who earn the minimum wage. Well, I'll tell you why I support keeping the wage schedule from ordinance 2023. Four. More than a year ago, before the 2024 election, before the tariffs and the chaos that brought us to the brink of a recession. 81% of voters told Pew Research that the economy is very important to how they would vote. How many do you suppose would answer that question the same way today? So it shocks and horrifies me that the county would do this to the least capable of standing up to themselves. The ones who can't get paid time off to work. To testify in person on a weekday morning. It did not elude my notice that ten days ago, you gave an

1:16:55extra million dollars in emergency funding to community food share and the family resource. Centers. That's great. So why would you take an action that would surely result in driving even? More people into poverty and food insecurity, forcing more people to take advantage of these services. So let me remind you of a few facts before I wrap up. 41 million people rely on snap benefits to survive the month. 19,000. Of them in Boulder county, including many who earn the minimum wage. Meanwhile, the federal government is still trying to end snap benefits. USDA secretary Brooke Rollins just on Tuesday said that the department. Would completely deconstruct the SNAP program. SNAP benefits only provide about $360 a month. To qualifying households and cost taxpayers $36 a year, a small price to pay for people like me to ensure that millions don't starve in the streets. So I know you shop at the same grocery store as I do.

1:17:55Could you feed your whole family for $360 a month. Did you know that raising hourly pay by $3 could make snap unnecessary. Did you also know that nationwide, 14,500 full time employees of Walmart receive Snap benefits. Taking money from the impoverished members of our community is an act of cruelty. And economic aggression against the most vulnerable people who live here. It's unquestionably wrong. As you all know it. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Christian Tui. Good morning, commissioners and staff. Thank you for your time today. Thank you for reconsidering. The. Initial increase to minimum wage. My name is Christian Tui. I'm a longtime board member. Of Boulder County Farmers markets, and I'm speaking today as a board member of community farmers alliance. Excuse me for just a moment. I apologize. There's the clock. The clock hadn't. Started. So checking. Thank you. That's right. I'm speaking today as a board. Member of the community farmers Alliance.

1:19:06And as a family farmer in Boulder county. My family owns two in Sons organic farm in hygiene. Colorado, unincorporated Boulder County. I was born in Boulder, I grew up in Boulder county, and we just had our 20th anniversary on the farm in May. We sell at the farmers market in Boulder to local restaurants, and we've had a CSA. At times, especially during the pandemic. My family understands that it is expensive to live in Boulder county, and we want to pay our workers fairly. We don't exploit our workers, we treat them as friends. Many are paid above minimum wage, and every single one of them makes more per hour than I do. Due to the nature of this work, as Michael alluded earlier, A small, diversified farms around the country typically pay 50% to 75% of their gross income. On labor, which doesn't leave much for other expenses. Especially unforeseen ones. We deal with the same challenges as everybody else, and many farm owners in this area are eligible for SNAP, Medicaid and other assistance programs based on their income. Often the difference between a viable year for us or a major financial loss is a single hailstorm. Or an early freeze. There's just so many things that are out of our control that. Maybe. Many other business types don't have to deal with to the

1:20:31same degree. We can't just relocate our business somewhere else either. This is our home. This is land. That we've been taking care of. We're stewards of it. We hope to stay here. Pass it along to the next generation. And I do thank you for considering this change to the minimum wage increase to align with city boulder. It's a compromise that I think can help everyone. So instead of becoming the highest in the region and one of the highest in the country. It's a more moderate change. That will let us all stay in business and provide jobs, but also help our workers. Without this, our ability to keep farming is very much at risk. Because increasing our single largest expense by 73% over six years. Just doesn't work. It calls into question many families continuity on their farms for the next generation. And it's also deeply discouraging to think that possibly just because our life's. Work.

1:21:31Farming is in a high margin endeavor. It. And we don't deserve a place in this county. Boulder county is known nationally for valuing food and agriculture. Our own comprehensive plan. And the residents say we value farmers and agriculture, but without changing this policy, all of that is a risk. Without viable farm businesses, there will be nobody to take care of. The land and provide the local food, and those farm jobs will go away. Again, thank you for your consideration here and all of the work that you do. I know it's. Thankless. Thank you. Next is Emilia Sobez Chuck. Hello. I'm Amelia. I've lived here in Boulder for five years. During my time, I've been and out of jobs, but the last year, I've been. Sorry. A year. And a half. I've been at Starbucks as a barista. While working there, I've become a shift, but was short lived. With the promotion, I've become overwhelmed with stress. And I had to step down. As a shift with stepping down. I went back to my original pay from 21 to 1750, the 350. My pay might not seem like a big difference, but affected my life. Now I lived paycheck. To paycheck over the last three months. I had to choose groceries over saving over my health over just enjoying my life.

1:22:55Friends. Sorry. This is just my life. The family's friends and businesses are already affected with the harsh way of living. Now, with this passing, I can't imagine how this would have helped the people of Boulder county and not harming it. Thank you. That's all I have to say thank you. Next is Lynn Siegel, and then we'll go back to the list. We had a few. People that were gone that maybe have come back, and if you hadn't gotten an opportunity. To sign up, you'll still be able to come up and speak in person, so just. To clarify. Thank you. Go ahead, Lynn. Lynn Siegel. I've been talking here about my retrofit for the last year, which still isn't. Fixed from the city of Boulder due to the county's implications ten years ago. And being gaslighted.

1:23:43But. I've heard the minimum wage discussion a lot. And I'm confused. And I'm curious. And I think curiosity is the best. Quality anyone can have. And now what I see here is that wages don't need to go up. Costs need to go down. Way down. Phenomenally down. So that. We as a community. As an international community, including Gaza, where they don't even have water to drink. That's injustice, and it's happening while I'm living here real time, and. That cannot continue. Now. Stephen Tebow and WW Reynolds and Linda Gibbons White and the folks who own boulder. Need to have some kind. Of. Impact on them that makes them do the right thing. For this community. I don't think it should have to be a civil war, but maybe it does need to be. Because this is just not right that this has gone on for so long and that it continues. Like this, and there's no reason for it. And I agree with the person that, well. Sinke on voting for him in the primaries against Joe Negus. I think you agree with me. There should be. Five seven. City county commissioners. This feels like kings.

1:25:33And yet these same people go out on no King's day. I've seen you. There, Marda. This is really. Pitting people against people in this community. It's so uncivilized, it's. So unnecessary. It brings down all of our lives. Why do we have to? Say we don't want higher wages here and we don't want higher wages there. There needs to be a regional minimum wage if that's going to be the case, and there needs to be one that accommodates. Out of the county, folks. But what really needs to happen is what I said. Costs need to go down. The one person spoke about the hospital and. Thank you, lan. Your time is up, and we're going to. Go back to the list. There were a few people. If we can start. So if your name is listed in yellow there, we're going to be looking for you. Now Dariel Monley. Doesn't look like Darryls arrived. Nicole Spear. Good morning, commissioner.

1:26:57Excuse my voice. Recovering from a cold. As you know, my name is Nicole Spear. I'm a recently reelected member of Polar City council. But I'm here today in my personal capacity. My views don't necessarily represent those of my colleagues or those of the council. As a whole. Thank you for hearing from everyone today. This is one of the hardest parts of being an elected. Official. You're leading an impossibly challenging times under scrutiny that's often biased and unfair. You're asked to solve problems you didn't cause at a time when every system we thought we could rely on. As brain workers are being forced to choose between feeding their children staying housed or buying the medication that keeps them alive. Small businesses are. Forced to choose between underpaying their workers or being undercut by corporate change. That exploit economies of scale. And local leaders like you are forced into impossible arbitration. Ask to balance survival for workers and survivor for small businesses in a system designed to make sure that both lose. Our local businesses do need solutions, and so do our workers. But pitting workers against small businesses? As a race to the bottom. And if we race to the bottom, we all lose. I know Boulder and the other municipalities did not have your back for that. I'm sorry. Boulder should not be the floor,

1:28:15especially as the city with the highest housing prices in the county. I appreciate that you're not considering going below us, but this change is not a solution. To the problems our workers and small businesses are facing. Lowering the minimum wage is like putting a band aid on a gushing wound in the short term. It may seem helpful, but it's not fixing the fundamental threats that workers and small business owners are both facing corporate greed and the structures that incentivize it. We're in this mess because for hundreds of years, so called solutions have been one sided. They've. Pitted. Workers against businesses and communities against their leaders, while billionaires and massive corporations take everything. While we are arguing over crumbs, they are taking the whole pie. We have to choose. A new way where small businesses and workers are coming together to solve the problems that are impacting all of us. Whether you leave the ordinance as is or move it forward, please commit to bringing small business owners. And workers together to identify real solutions to the crisis of greed that's devastating all of us. If workers and small business owners keep fighting each other, we will be stuck in a never ending loop, taking one step forward and two steps back while the. Wealthiest extract more and more from our community. But if we choose

1:29:29inclusion and collaboration and work together, to solve our joint problems. We will all survive. Small businesses and workers, please convene the conversations and create the space to bring the different sides together. Because our fates are tied together every one of us. And moving forward. It has to be all of us, or none of us will make it. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Kaylee Bishop. Anthony beck. Elias lincoln. Fred smith. Michael graham. Yeah. I'm Michael Graham. I'm resident of. We live in a time where. The cost of living is just skyrocketing on multiple fronts. With snap cuts. With. Rising health care costs. I think just the mere prospect that. A wage increase that has been promised. To. For next year. The prospect of that could be cut is just unconscionable to me, and we already had people who. Are supporting this community with their labor and don't even have the opportunity to live in their community. I think the backtracking of this plan. Will pave the path forward to leave out so many people to. Dry. I just can't comprehend. The pain, though, because by the decision. That's all I really have to say today. Thank you. We don't have anybody else signed up on the in person list, but if there's anybody who didn't get an opportunity to sign up

1:31:40that is here and would like to speak in person. On the ordinance amending the Boulder county local minimum wage ordinance. You are welcome to join at the podium. It doesn't look like we have anybody additional. Requesting to speak in person. We went through the list that folks who had signed up originally and don't have any additions here, so. We are going to do virtual public comment, but first we're going to take a five. Minute recess and just take a break here, and then we'll come back to virtual, folks. And just a reminder, if there's somebody who wanted to join, virtually the phone number to do. That is 8335-6864 and then if you are on the phone, you do have to hit star nine to raise your hand and star six. To unmute so you can get in line there, and we'll be back in five.

1:32:26Minutes. Right now it's 1035, and we'll resume at 1040 this morning. Thank you. Commissioners. Are you ready? We are, and I'm just going to ask the hearing room if. You all could sit down and get ready so we can have. Thank you. And we are recording. Great. Thank you. So that we can have our virtual participants join us. In public comment. I'm going to wait for you all to just give us an opportunity so everybody can be heard is the key in the recording, and archiving can happen as well. Thank you so. Virtual. Just a reminder to state your name, please, before you speak. You've got a clock. In front of you on the screen. And you each have three minutes to speak. And so we'll go ahead and start with. Catherine Khler. Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm Kathy Kaylor. I live in Nawat. Over 50 years. And family has lived in Boulder county since 1869.

1:34:13Thank you for your support of NYwa unincorporated. Ruling in Boulder County. We have much. Heritage and history working together. And we appreciate it. Small businesses and agriculture are Nywat's roots. They are what we built. The area on and today. Our Tesla centennial anniversary year. They are still going. Relatively strong. There are small businesses. With unique. Characteristics. We are not corporations or big box stores. In the past. 50 plus years. You've worked with nylod area. And the tdrs open space. Trails. The street and drainage projects in 1993. Low income senior housing. Project. And support. For the small farms. In Nawat hygiene. Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont areas. Working together just makes us all better. It is appreciated. When you take time out of your busy schedules to come to the areas and talk with us. We've had meetings, whether it be lunch at the tavern or at Nywat hall, and. We appreciate when you come. I think Claire and her daughter enjoyed writing in the 4 July parade several years ago. And Marta. Has had great conversations, I think, with residents and Boulder county sheriff's office, and she donned the Swat. Gear in 2024. So thank you very much for. Taking work on the unincorporated. Wage ordinance.

1:36:36And. We appreciate it and working together. Is much stronger for all of us. And we appreciate it. Thank you. Happy thanksgiving to everyone. Thanks, Catherine. And just to clarify, that's the national night out event that happens all around. Our region. Katie Thomas is next. Hi. I hope you guys hear me. I'm Katie Thomas. I am a veterinarian and co owner of Left Hand Animal Hospital in Nywat, Colorado. And thank you so much for taking the time. Here on an incorporated Boulder County. We are under the guise of all of Boulder county and we don't have a city. To determine what is best for what happens in our area, and truthfully, most of our areas. Rural. It does give me great joy to give people directions to Naiwat and they ask. How many roads there are, and then they drive through and realize that. It's teensy tiny. We do have our workers. We treat our workers like family, as many of the other small businesses have.

1:37:53The projected financial impact of the proposed minimum wage increase on left hand and other businesses and unincorporated Boulder county is significant. I understand the proposal's goal is to improve the quality of the life for minimum wage. Workers. But. That doesn't all necessarily filter down to minimum wage. There potentially could be other opportunities and other resources. Programs for reduced rent, improved access to competitive housing for minimum wage workers, reduced food cost. Reduced childcare costs, micro loans. Education subsidies and subsidized health services. In these alternatives would directly help low wage workers. As we went through on our side and started evaluating the proposed minimum wage increase, The future cost. To our business were notable. And because of that, we would need to increase automation, potentially hire more part time workers or reduce our benefits package. And we try to provide health care. In an area that doesn't provide. Have opportunities for healthcare coverage in many veterinary hospitals.

1:39:16We have the ability for folks to go out and volunteer, and we pay them for that. Volunteer. Time, and these are things we're very proud of. And we do get a number of high school students and entry level students that say, shoot, I think I want to be a veterinarian. It brings us great joy to be able to have those workers come on and we would be unable to do so if this was kept in. Its original form, so thank you for just giving some time. To this and hearing us all, and I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next, Erin Dreystud. Hi, I'm Erin Dreysta. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you. Thanks. I am owner of aspen moon farm. In unincorporated Boulder County. And wow. This is a really beautiful and heart wrenching conversation that is happening today. And I do want to share that. I have been very hesitant to speak out because. I agree with everything. Everyone has said about. Needing to increase wages for people and for families. At the same time. I do need to advocate for my own farm, which I also think is a valuable part of our community. This is really tough.

1:40:46I feel like there are a lot of gaps. In understanding what's happening here today and a lot of misunderstandings. So I feel like there are two different conversations happening. And maybe the commissioners can speak to some of that clarification after the comments. It's my understanding that. This minimum wage proposed increase. Is only affecting unincorporated Boulder county, which is only small businesses, only small farms and small businesses. There are no large corporations that will be affected. So no Starbucks, no king supers, IBM. I thought was an unincorporated Boulder county? Because it looks like it is, but it's not. It's actually annexed city of Boulder locations. So I would be happy to support an increase of minimum wage if we do it together. As a state. I'm absolutely on board with that, but having it. Only. Be required of these small businesses and farms. It just doesn't make sense to me. I just want to share that we will be out of business by 2030. If it continues to go up to $25 an hour. And I don't want that to be the case. It just is.

1:42:15But like one gentleman said, If that means I would rather go out of business than have a child not fed, I absolutely agree with that. However, I would argue that. Having that child have the opportunity to eat good, fresh vegetables that are healthy and fruits. Is a very important option as well. And we are a big part of the Boulder county farmers markets on Saturday. Then we have a ton of snap and wick benefits that people come and shop with us using. So I think that is. A value. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Mira Blair. Hi. My name is Mira Blair. I'm here to urge you to keep your commitment, to raise the minimum wage to $25 an hour by 2030. In unincorporated Boulder County. We heard from a farmer earlier who mentioned paying workers $18 an hour back in 2017 and that that was essential for them to be able to start their business. Just up about into perspective with inflation. $18 an hour in 2017. Is worth $24.08 today.

1:43:42So by 2030, inflation will erode purchasing power, which means that your commitment to $25 an hour by 2030 will actually. Be worth less in real terms than $18 an hour was in 2017. So you're not even maintaining the wage standards that existed seven years ago, and we're. Falling behind on them. So to move forward with freezing the schedule. And fall even further behind. Is just frankly unacceptable. For what we stand for as a county. And what we stand for as a community. The remarkable thing is that every single business owner who has spoken today here admits that they already pay above the current minimum wage, and many are paying close to $25 an hour right now. So I'm not exactly even sure what they're fighting for. Especially given that this wage increase isn't going to hit that maximum for another five years. So the minimum wage is a floor and it's a guarantee for the most vulnerable workers. It's not what most businesses actually pay.

1:44:49Freezing. The schedule doesn't protect businesses. It just abandons workers who are already barely getting by the economic landscape and the inflation. Will continue to escalate over the next five years. And we all know this freezing wages right now isn't responsible budgeting. It's just condemning workers to fall further and further behind while costs keep rising. I want to talk about what we're also not addressing. Which is that we have 42% office vacancy right now in the city of Bolter and. Downtown, sitting at 29% vacancy. Debo Properties owns three. And WW Reynolds owns another 3 million sqft, including multiple locations in downtown Iowa, where I used to live. These massive landlords can sit on empty buildings indefinitely because most of this property is mortgage free. And they collect tax breaks while small businesses struggle. So I don't understand why we are putting the burden onto workers instead of taking any action to address the real issues. That are pressing small businesses, which. Is costs for them as well from landlords. We're on the path to becoming Aspen and Vale, where the class stratification is. So extreme. It's dystopian. Workers, your time is up. Next is Michael Miller.

1:46:16Hello. Good morning. My name is Michael Miller, and I'm an electric labor co chair of the Boulder democratic Socialist of America, speaking on behalf of the workers that could not make it today. To ask the coin commissioners to maintain the original minimum wage schedule. I would like to start off by thanking the commissioners for their leadership on passing the. Original wage schedule back in 2023. Not only was this the correct direction to support the working people and families of Boulder county. It also showed a willingness to hear from inform policy around what working people had to say through a strong stakeholdering process. However, the current backtracking on that wage schedule and the process that is followed has revealed a willingness to undermine those same workers and shows a lack of understanding for how dire the conditions for us in Boulder county really are. Boulder is the most expensive city on the front range with average rents being $2,400 a month currently, with other costs of living, such as. Groceries, childcare, transportation and medical needs consistently on the rise to any temporary pause or reduction from the original wage schedule would harm working families and is a step in the wrong direction. These increases to the minimum wage are what working families are relying on and looking to our county government for helping to keep up

1:47:32with. These rising costs, and that's not even reaching the point where we're making a wage that allows workers to thrive. Currently, the living wage for even just one individual with no children. In Boulder county is $26.18, which is even below the original wage. Schedule's proposed goal of $25 by 2030. I bring this up to highlight that anything less than what? Was originally proposed and planned on will only widen the gap between what workers make and what they need to survive. All of this doesn't even begin to factor in year over year increases in those same base cost of living, as well as cuts to programs and funds that support the same workers and their families and are often a crucial backstop to make up that existing gap. With attacks on snap WIC major scale blocks of Medicaid and soaring health insurance costs. It becomes even harder to. Plan for and meet all of the basic needs under current minimum wage and definitely for anything less.

1:48:25Many individuals have seen recent doubling or even tripling of healthcare costs. With the reductions in the quality of their care and coverage being drastically higher in price than what they have today. Boulder county should be proud, having led the way in making a wage schedule that gives dignity to the labor. That we do in the region and recognize the struggles that we already face to make ends meet. Instead of. Stepping back from the commitment that you made to support the Workers of Boulder county, we must encourage the cities of our region to share in this commitment and leadership, to raise the standards for all will Boulder county maintain its leadership and commitment to the working families of the region and keep the original wage schedule, or will you allow us to fall further behind, allowing an affordability gap that. Is nearly impossible to close or grow even wider. We are asking for you to maintain the original. Schedule that allows working families to survive in the face of rising costs and attacks on the supports that keep us all afloat. Please make a future where workers can not only survive, but they can thrive. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Christine bur. Burke. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Okay, thank you. Yes. Hi. My name is Christine Burke. I've. Been a resident of Boulder

1:49:35county for six years, including. An unincorporated Boulder County. And when I first moved to the area, I worked two part time jobs, one that paid me. $16 an hour and one that paid me $19 an hour. And. I was stressed about finances every single month. I think this has already been. Echoed by many individuals speaking this morning. But we live in an expensive place. It is hard to make ends meet. It is stressful every month to think about what you have to pay just to get by. And I also want to speak to the farmer who spoke earlier from Aspen moon. I love your vegetables. I enjoy being. A customer of your wonderful business. Before I lived in the front range, I was a farm worker on a small family farm, and. I wanted to work for Aspen Moon because I would love to work on a small farm and frankly, the economics of it didn't make sense. But again, even though now seeing now, I just looked at your postings. You are paying right now over $18 an hour. You're paying eighteen dollars to nineteen. Dollars an hour for your lowest paid worker right now. Which is above the county minimum wage, and I see you putting the effort in to pay your workers well, and to the previous speaker, Mira. You're on

1:51:18track right now trying so I don't understand. The pushback when I see the example you're already giving of trying. And again, what someone else spoke the idea of pitting small. Businesses against workers who are trying to make ends meet to live here. Is not the solution for our community. And so I urge the commissioners to think about working families, to think about working individuals, and come up with better solutions that. Are not going to harm small businesses or workers. There need to be better solutions, and I encourage you to keep the original. Commitment to have $25 an hour be the minimum wage by 2030. Thank you. Thank you. It looks like Aidan Reed, Matthew Bynum and Dan Thomas are not located right now. Online. So we'll move to William McGrew. Hello? Can you hear me?

1:52:17Yes. Perfect. Thanks for giving me the opportunity. To talk about this issue. I just wanted to share something. I'm on vacation right now. With my family. And before I logged in, I told my wife. What I was doing. I was going to log in virtually to testify. On why the county? Should continue. Raising the minimum wage. To $25 an hour, and she was kind of taken aback. She thought she heard me wrong. She was like, wait, at midday on a weekday? That's what's being discussed. That's what's being decided. It's just kind of ridiculous, to be honest. How many minimum wage workers can take off on a weekday? To talk about why they need to make more money. And. It just really saddens me. I feel like, in many ways, Boulder County. Has been a leader in this push. We've been a leader in setting our standards high. And recognizing that we need to do better. By our lower wage. Essential workers, and it's adens me to see this kind of a process. Where the. Opportunities to testify on what this means. For people, for their life, for their ability to pay rent, for their ability to put their children through child care. That it's being done in a way where they often. Don't have the opportunity to talk about why that's important to

1:54:05me, so. I just wanted to say that. Would you mind just stating your name for the record? I don't believe I got that. Thank you. Sure. Yeah. My name is William McGrew. Thank you. I live in boulder. Lived here for about ten years, went to see you. Sorry. He was asking if he can be here. I hear you. The screen kind of rose for you're going in and out just a little bit now. But we heard his name is William McGrew. I guess that's what you were. Asking for. Thank you. You can continue. I just hadn't heard your name. Yeah, I just wanted to kind of. Voice my support for continuing the planned raise to $25 per hour. And we need to do right by our workers. So thank you. Thank you. Next is Douglas Hamilton. Hello, my name is Doug Hamilton.

1:55:20I live in Boulder, also here, speaking on my personal behalf, but. I'm also the chair of the Boulder Library District. And I just want to say, before I jump into my spiel, That. We, as a trustee of the library district, We were following your lead when we raised our minimum wage to $22.42. And I've heard Claire Levy speak at council meetings, and all of you urge our local places, local communities. To keep the minimum wage high. And I will say we had two speakers at our public hearing. For our budget. Last this week and both said we're paying our workers too much. So. I would say we are not. And I would encourage you guys to continue your leadership under this minimum wage. And we stand in a moment of choice about what kind of county we want to be committing to a local minimum.

1:56:21Wage of $25 an hour by 2030 is about more than a number on a paycheck it's about dignity, stability and the health of our local. Economy when workers earn enough to cover rent, food, childcare, transit, health care, family. 's are less stressed. It's a mental health issue. Fewer people rely on emergency services. And our local businesses benefit from stronger, steady customer demand. A predictable phase. Path to $25 gives workers breathing room while giving employers plans time to plan and to adapt. The commitment is already rooted in the county's work. The Boulder county commissioner's unanimously adopted a schedule that face increases at $25 by 2030 and ties future increases to inflation after that. A plan disguised, designed to respond. To the real rising cost of living for families. Faith keeping that goal protects the promise we have made to the lowest paid residents of our unincorporated Boulder county and hold open the possibility of countywide standard that ensures fairness whenever people. Live and work. Wherever people live and work. During the hearing, county commissioner Stoleson's urgency, saying succinctly the time for action is now. And Marda Lutherman stressed collaboration working with small businesses employers together so that they can thrive which is called a union, actually.

1:57:52The county must adhere to their first instinct and stay with the schedule of wage rates that they agreed to. Do you know why Democrats keep losing? The working class. It's because. They abandoned them when the time is tough. And. It's because they want to align with big businesses and millionaires and billionaires and listen to their voices, which we've heard. You have done since March. So that's the end of my time. But please stick with your $25 by 2030. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Dave Anderson. Hi. I've lived in Boulder since 1964, when I was 13 years old. If you don't. Mind just stating your name. Thank you. Oh, I'm Dave Anderson. Lived in Boulder since. 1964, when I was 13 years old. And. My mother and my sisters and I worked at Cu. My mother. Was. Housing custodian. I was a lower level library employee. And I've been active in the labor movement. And which, given the weakness of it, I think we've been able to accomplish. Above our weight. And I'm a member of DOSA. And anyway, so I would say that. We need to really glad that. You committed. To that. Wage schedule. And. As you, I'm sure, know that it's based not on the federal minimum wage. Which is an inadequate measure. But the self sufficiency standard. By a Denver based

1:59:53think tank called. Center on law and policy dedicated to fighting poverty. And. They base it on all basic necessities, food, housing, child and healthcare, transportation, taxes and other miscellaneous things. The reason why I emphasized that. Is that I think it's really important that. We have decisions that are evidence based. In these trumpian times. I know you have difficult decisions, but I urge you to keep the standard. Thank you very much. Thank you. Looks like Shelby Bates is not available. Next is Pete Carney. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Hi. My name is Pete Carney, and I live in Boulder. I'm speaking today to oppose the changes you're planning on making to the minimum. Wage schedule. I implore you to keep the same schedule that has already been committed to the one that workers are counting on. We should be proud that we're leading the way as a county in supporting our workforce. Not turning our back on them now. The minimum wage doesn't affect me personally, but I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this.

2:01:16Position, and it does affect so many of my neighbors and community members who interact with daily. They deserve to be able to make a decent living to support themselves and their family. Even. With these minimum wage increases on the current schedule, people will not be living in luxury, but they might be able to afford to live here and not stress as much where their next meal will come from. We all know how expensive it is to live here. With all the cuts that the federal government has made to snap and other programs that help those making low wages as well as a continuing increase of food prices. We should be standing firm on our commitment to guarantee a livable wage in Boulder County. I understand that businesses are pushing back on this because it will increase their cost to operate. However, these increases are happening gradually every year and won't hit $25 an hour until the year 2030. Also, this is not generally the largest cost that businesses have to deal with. Rent is what is killing most businesses. We should be taking action on this by raising taxes on empty commercial property. So that wealthy landlords cannot sit on these properties to drive up rents. Landlords would rather leave. Properties. Empty for years to lower their taxes by taking a loss on these properties

2:02:40than charge a reasonable rent to a business that will provide jobs and economic growth. We've also heard lots of farm owners speak today about how this minimum wage schedule will hurt them the most. I don't deny that they are struggling, and I feel for them. However, we should be finding ways to support our farmers in ways that don't target and hurt the most vulnerable in our county. I also want to mention that these very businesses will benefit from our workforce making higher wages. These workers will have more money to spend at these businesses, and the businesses themselves will be more resilient because of lower turnover and higher employee satisfaction. AgaIn. Please do not make any changes to Boulder County's minimum wage schedule. Now is the time to lead on this issue. Not backpedal out of fear. We must support our workers. Thank you. Thank you.

2:03:36Next is Matt Kelly. Good morning. My name is Matt Kelly, and I am a resident of the city of Boulder. I moved to Boulder a year and a half ago to follow my wife, who had found work. Here I am. Finishing my degree remotely and teaching at the same time. My wife and I love it. Here we have found intergenerational community of friendly, supportive and welcoming people, and it's our hope to raise a family and live our. Lives here in Boulder, one of the biggest obstacles we face is affordability. Our biggest expense is rent. And our biggest concern is whether and how we'll be able to afford to buy a home in the future. I do not know how someone making $17 an hour here in Boulder or in the county. Could make it. This is why I'm here to urge you to keep the current wage. Schedule. I want to put this decision in the context of the current economic and political moment in the United States and Colorado. We're living in a moment where prices are rising and services are disappearing. For everyone who isn't ultra rich. It has been difficult to see our political leaders in Colorado join in on reducing wages for workers in the more expensive parts of our state.

2:04:46Now is a political moment where leaders need to fight back and advocate for those that the federal administration is leaving behind. I was glad to hear Michael Moss's words this morning as a representative of our local farmers. My wife and I are so grateful that we live in a community that produces food locally. We've been regular CSA subscribers and regular attendees. To the Boulder farmers market. I agree with Michael Moss. Fair wages and thriving farms need not be opposed. But as Michael agreed, even $25 an hour is not enough to live in Boulder. The way forward isn't slowing down wage growth, it's finding different means for alleviating the pressures faced by local businesses. I urge the county to keep the wait schedule and to search for other ways to address the burdens faced by farmers, restaurants, vets and other small businesses. Rent is out of control in Boulder, in Boulder county and in the front Ra. Range. Regulation of or penalty for leading units sit empty. Could be a way to push down rent. Prices, as well as campaigning to repeal the state's rent control ban. Tax increases on our wealthiest community members can also fund support structures for local producers. I think the concerns Michael Moss our local farmers and our local restaurants raise are serious. But as noted by earlier commenters owning a

2:06:03business. Is a privilege, but paying for rent, groceries, childcare and healthcare is a necessity. I urge the county to keep the current schedule. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Hunter Donovan. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Hunter Donovan, and I'm a political science and communication major here at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I've done a lot of work with civic engagement groups such as New Era Colorado and Colorado Girl State and I've lived the reality of being a low wage worker in Boulder County. I worked at a minimum wage job at Walgreens. On the hill in Boulder last spring, and I'm currently working two jobs just to keep up with the cost of living here. This experience is why I'm here today, because pausing the minimum wage increase, and especially cutting tipped wages, would have an immediate and painful impact on workers. Like me and thousands of others across the county. I want to start by acknowledging the county's.

2:06:59Leadership in. Raising the minimum wage in the first place. This decision recognized something essential, that workers should be able to meet their basic needs in the community that they serve. At the time, Boulder county conducted a thorough stakeholder process. Workers, advocates and community members were included but that hasn't been the case. Now. Workers have not been meaningfully involved in these new discussions, even though the proposals on the table would be what most drastically affect our lives decisions at this time should never be made without the people who are most impacted. And right now is absolutely not the time to slow wage growth. Living in Boulder county between the rents, groceries, transportation and cost of insurance continue to rise. Many students, including myself and working families, are barely hanging on. On top of that, federal policies that include cuts to snap, Wick and Medicaid and many other programs that low worker, low wa. Wage workers rely on. At the same time, businesses, including restaurants, are receiving additional tax breaks. Workers are also losing support while corporations are gaining the benefits. And pausing wage increases here would only widen that gap when I worked at Walgreens earning a minimum wage paycheck. I remember how it felt impossible.

2:08:08Rent consumed almost everything that I earned. And I was constantly living. In constant calculation of how I could afford groceries this week or what I would have to prioritize and put back. Could I take fewer hours to focus on school, or would I have to pick up more chefs just to be able to get by financially. Even now, when working two jobs. I ask those same questions, and I know many people in Boulder feel the same pressure every single day. Workers are also counting on the schedule 2026 increase. It's already been posted publicly, so people could plan for it. Many are budgeting with that in mind, pausing that increase, even temporarily. Will have many shifts and would pull the rug under thousands of workers who are already doing everything. They can to stay afloat in one of the most expensive counties in Colorado. Boulder county has always itself been a leader. Rolling back wage increases would undermine the leadership at a moment, workers need support the most. Instead, it should stay the course, keep the existing wage schedule. In place and fully engage workers and advocates before considering any changes. I'm asking as a student worker and someone who wants a feature and boulder to protect. Wage increases and protect people who make this community work. Thank you. Thank you. Next is nail cease. Hello.

2:09:19My name is Niall Cease. I'm a resident of the city of Boulder, and I'm. Also a member of IBW Local 68 and a delegate to the Boulder Area Labor Council. I am grateful to have a union to protect me so I can take time out of the work day today. To speak today. Which is not the case from any other working class individuals. I think it is wrong to take away a promise. Wage cut increase to our county's. Most vulnerable workers at this time. Cost for essential goods such as housing and groceries are still on the rise and will likely never go down. This is hardest on our lowest wage workers, who are already struggling the most. The only way to combat higher prices is with higher wages. We cannot allow these workers to be priced out of the area if they are not guaranteed a fair living wage for their work. They will be forced to move to other areas of the state. And our businesses will not have as many people to work for them like what is starting to happen in some Colorado mountain. Colorado's mountain towns. Everyone should be able to live near where they work. The further way anyone has to commute, the more pollution and traffic they will cause.

2:10:31Boulder county should not implement a wage decrease and stays an example for the rest of the state. And be a leader. And the country and in fairness for workers. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Charlie Burnon. All right, looks like I'm up. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Charles Brennan, and I. Serve as the director of income and housing policy for the Colorado center on Lawn Policy. I want to focus at the core of my testimony on the economic evidence, because much of the conversation that we've heard today has not really centered too much on the data, but on warnings about. What might happen if Boulder county continues with its already approved minimum wage schedule. We often hear that raising wages will trigger job losses, business closers, and unaffordable price increases. These are framed as unintended consequences, as if negative outcomes naturally follow.

2:11:40When government acts to help workers economic research on the minimum wage in recent decades does not support this framing and in fact, highlight. Highlights how conversations regarding the minimum wage often ignore the positive unintended consequences that. Arise from minimum wage increases. In the economic literature, minimum wage increase is so little to no net job loss once you look across the full wage distribution. Jobs that disappear below a new wage floor reappear at higher wages, and businesses mainly adjust through small price increases, reduce turnover, modest wage compressions and productivity improvements, not widespread closures or layoffs. Other positive effects include higher consumer spending, reduce household debt, and meaningful reductions in poverty. In Boulder county. Many economic challenges, from road construction enclosures to the post pandemic economic volatility and federal terrorist policy are also causing issues for businesses.

2:12:28Where is the discussion of how we address those issues. The Richmond Federal Reserve bank found consumer spending in the United States fell slightly between December 2024 and June 2025, decreasing by 0.7% after account. Accounting for inflation. This indicates that spending is down across the country, not just here in Boulder county. Or nylot as our national economy continues to worsen and states across the country and two into recessions. How long will we point to the local minimum wage in unincorporate? Fuller county and not other factors as the only issue facing small businesses. One often overlooked cost driver facing many businesses are credit and debit card swipe fees, especially as consumers are increasingly using credit and debit rather than cash as their preferred payment method. Last year, businesses nationwide paid $187,000,000,000 in credit and debit card fees, an 8.8% increase compared to a year prior Visa and Mastercard fees alone. Have tripled since 2014. For many small merchants, these fees are the second highest operating costs after labor, and these feeds add nearly $1,200 per family each year. The laws in Colorado limit how much these can be passed on to consumers through higher prices. And so these costs get borne by businesses. When we overlook other major cost pressures for businesses. Swipe fees, commercial rents, exploited landlo. Landlords, supply chain markups, insurance premiums, just to name

2:13:41a few, and focus solely on wages. We misdiagnose the source of hardship facing our communities. The result is a narrative. Where the minimum wage becomes the default culprit regardless of the data. And small workers are paid against one another. I urge you to keep the existing policy in place and ensure that any future reconsideration includes the full community, especially those who. Will be most negatively impacted by a change to this policy. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Scott Moss. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Scott Moss, professor, University of Colorado Law School speaking for myself, not for the university. Two points. One is that without taking a view on what the minimum wage should be right now, My suggestion would be to align more fully with the city of Boulder, because the very first speaker talked eloquently about not being aligned as a problem. But the current proposal, proposal five, Aligns the city and county next year at $16.82. But then in 2027, the city goes up 8%. The county would go up on the inflation, which assures that there will forever be a divergence between the city and the county.

2:14:58In an unalignment. And that amount of unalignment will change every year. So it's not even predictable. I thought when I heard the county was thinking of lowering the current schedule, they were doing. It to a line, and I'll set aside any policy debates about what is the living. Wage, et cetera. But if you're coming close to alignment and aligning for one, year. That value would seem best served by making 2027 align. With the city, a boulder at plus 8% then align with CPI going forward. Second point again. Not addressing the merits of what the weight should be. But I do not speak for the state. Now, I was directed the division of labor standards and. Statistics until three months ago. But in that capacity, I read the law on local government. Minimum wages advised in localities, consulted with Baldwin at the time, the city and the county. I get that the county put in good faith efforts to get feedback and consult with many people.

2:15:54But the nature of this being. A fairly leap breaking proposal in the fall and maybe the late summer, is that I don't. Believe that consultation was done. Some statutes just require posting things. Others require consulting with named people. And groups. And here the statutory requirement isn't just a post and get feedback. Or attends the meetings. It's that a local government shall consult with surrounding local governments and what I heard is that the county consultant only with governments within the county, not surrounding governments at all. That's the other counties. So I think at a literal level, the county didn't. Consult with surrounding local governments. Also, there's a requirement to consult. With labor unions. My understanding is that didn't happen. I'll stay incorrect if it did, but. I also know it's public record. Who asks? The division of labor. Standard statistics. What and? They're tasked with helping effectuate this. The county did not ask the division if their consultation was sufficient. And the risk is this. If you pass this law. Maybe I'm wrong. And the consultation was sufficient. If it's not, then any worker paid this lower minimum wage. Can file a wage claim that they were. Underpaid. If the enagm was valid, they be owed the old minimum wage and then all yield have done is subject to all these restaurants and other businesses to

2:17:07wage claims that if you lower the minimum wage of buck or two, everybody can file a claim for a buck. Or two and get triple damages. In other words, I worry this is a bit of a sirens call to businesses where you're setting them up to face wage claims. Within an act of question. Mobility. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Becca Mitchell. Hi. My name is Becca Mitchell. I'm a four year resident of Boulder, and I'm. A professor in the business school at Cu Boulder. Boulder has become the most expensive city on the Front range. The average rent for a two bedroom is around 240 a month on the median home in prices climb past 935,000 workers are already stretched thin, and now their wages are under threat again. And for context, the average server in the metro Denver area. Earns about 39,000 a year, including tips in Boulder. That barely covers rent, let alone food, transportation or savings. Workers don't support rolling back these wage projections. And advocate for a stronger minimum wage. A major part of this problem, from my understanding, is the commercial real estate landscape dominated by a small number of property owners. According to the commercial market report, commercial rents and prime areas have more than doubled over the past decade. Far out. Pacing inflation and wage growth. Downtown vacancies

2:18:28rates hover around 30%. But landlords keep sore friends empty rather than lower rents. The squeeze is a small businesses who then try to cut labor cost us to survive. And you can see the effects walking around. Town. Just last week on Broadway, I was walking between Sprus and Pearl, nearly every storefront was closed. I've watched restaurants cycle on and off Pearl street turnover. That should make rents more flexible. But not less. But landlords are not adjusting. This is more about than just wages. It's about the kind of boulder that we want. To have. I don't personally want to live in a community where people who support our local economy can't even live here. And speaking. As a researcher on organizations who studies workforce dynamics, we know exactly what happens when workers can't. Afford to live anywhere near their jobs. Turnover tenses spike, burn over rises, and businesses lose. Talent faster than they can train it.

2:19:17That instability drags on performance, customer service, culture, and long term growth, underpaying our workers to compens. Compensate for rising commercial rents. As in a sustainable business model. It's just a short term patch that creates long term operational problems. Decades of organizational science show that when wages don't cover the basic cost of living needs. Absenteeism goes up, engagement goes down. Service quality declines. None of this helps with struggling small business. If Boulder wants a resilient local economy, workers need wages that allow them to actually stay. In the community. And businesses will benefit from that stability just as much as workers do. I recognize that restaurant owners and small businesses aren't the villains here. A lot of them are genuinely struggling, but business ownership is a privilege, and it shouldn't justify policies that harm thousands of workers to protect a handful of businesses. Several of those businesses say they already pay above minimum wages and the $25 rate that they're worried about doesn't take effect for the next five years. County supported subsidies options. Would be were reportedly offered and rejected by the business coalition. Opportunities to collaborate have been dismissed. Thank you. Next is Devin Kukraja.

2:20:35Good morning, commissioners, and thank you from hearing from the people of our community. My name is Devin. Kirkraja and I serve as the Boulder chapter chair of new era. Caller item but I am also here in the capacity of a student at CU Boulder who is concerned about the lives of students. I am here today in opposition to the amendments to this ordinance that would cut wages. For Boulder workers. And not only threatens the ability of tipped workers to make a living in a community where it is difficult enough to survive but would also further strain the county's finances. Workers in Boulder take many different shapes and sizes, but one thing brings many of them together. Living paycheck. To paycheck. The affordability crisis that is facing the nation is also affecting boulder and amendments to this. Ordinance that would reduce wages, but only push those on the edge of society closer to the brink. Or even over the edge. Of the students that I mentor, many of them have had to find minimum wage tip jobs in the city of boulder in order to support themselves and begin paying off their loans. These are hardworking determined students who are splitting their time between classes and work just to make sure that ends meet. But by curtailing the proposed minimum wage increases, it is simply going

2:21:41to make the lives. For those students even harder. I understand that it is an impossibly difficult time for everyone in Boulder county, especially for the officials like yourselves. But backtracking on this ordinance and reducing the already almost unlivable. Minimum wage for Boulder residents would not help our county thrive. Rather, it would push these minimum wage workers to rely more and more on county, state and federal resources. In a time when SnAP, Medicare, Medicaid, and other types of federal funding is at risk, it is irresponsible to move backwards on wage increases for boulder workers. As mentioned previously, owning a business is often a privilege, but affording rent and groceries while working a minimum wage could be the difference between life and death for many. These students are our future. In order to keep them and their innovation in Boulder, we need to keep wages up. I urge you to keep your promise to boulder workers to increase wages for all. The minimum wage workers in Boulder county. Also, by continuing this discussion and maintaining solidarity between businesses and workers, we can find a real solution that.

2:22:45Does not overly benefit one group at the expense of the other. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Hannah Miller. Hi. Can you hear me okay? Yes. Okay. My name is Hannah Miller and I live in Boulder. According to MIT's living wage calculator, a living wage in Boulder county right now. For one individual with no dependence is 26 36 an hour since I moved to Boulder in 2018. I have worked in retail customer service as a lab technician and then as a PhD student and I've never. Made over $18 an hour. During this time. I was also paying off student loans and medical bills and to make end meets. I have worked multiple jobs throughout my time in Boulder and I am much more privileged than many others living in this area. I moved here with a college degree. I have no dependence and had financial resources to both within my uni. Union as well as the grad school at CU when needed. I also found my way into a housing co op four years ago that has dramatically offset my living expenses. And while I love the community I built in my home, I realized that not everyone can or wants to share a home with eight other humans when you're in your thirty s to be able to live in the city where you

2:24:00work. Boulder is the most expensive city. In the Front range. Despite this, in 2020. Four, the city set its local minimum wage to 1557, which is the lowest locally set wage. In the state. You are all leading the way. When you adopt a local minimum wage ordinance in 2023, I understand that the county is now out on a limb with the local. Municipalities not following suit but jumping to a decision to cut wage increases without properly consulting the working community is. Unacceptable when workers. Are struggling to make ends meet. The recent passage of HR one is already impacting folks, especially minimum wage workers and new people are also being, now people are also being hit by cuts to snap wick scalebacks to Medicaid and soaring health insurance costs. There are other ways to support local businesses and farmers that don't directly harm workers, such as implementing a vacancy tax to penal. Penalize speculative empty space, create commercial land trust to keep space affordable. And implement rent stabilization and good cause protections for small businesses and paying a worker's fair wage, as many people have already expressed, will ultimately help businesses. Since workers spend their money locally, it's very well established that with a strong wage floor, you end up with a stronger local. Economy. So I ask you, county commissioners, is Boulder county here? To

2:25:20protect workers and families and subsequently local businesses. And I ask you to please keep the existing minimum wage schedule in place and work with local businesses, business owners, and farmers to make these changes. Sustainable for everyone. And do your proper research. Talk to the low age workers in our community and advocate for them. Don't just hold a meeting on issues that impact them directly in the middle of a day on a Thursday. Do a thorough stakeholder process as you consider whether to change the wage policy as you did. When you were initially considering the local wage, please choose to maintain Boulder County's world a leader in building a fair economy. And let's make sure Boulder can be a home to anyone. And not just the wealthy and privileged. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Sophie Schrader. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. My name is Sophie Schrader, and I live here in Boulder. I am here today because I'm deeply concerned about any proposal to pause or lower the planned wage increases. As a boulder resident, I see every day how high the cost of living has become. Rent, food transportation. Everything continues to rise.

2:26:28It's already difficult for many of us to afford to live in the community where we work. Rolling back wage increases would push even more families to the edge. Workers deserve to meet their basic needs in the place they live and serve. And while families face increasing costs and cuts to programs like Medicaid and snap vaccines, including restaurants, are simultaneously seeing greater tax. Benefits. At the federal level, this imbalance makes the local minimum wage even more important. When the county originally set its wage policy, you conducted a thorough stakeholder process that has not happened. This time workers, community members and the organizations that support them all. Deserv. Deserve a real opportunity to weigh in before any changes are considered. People are planning their lives around. A scheduled wage increases, including the 2026 adjustment already posted on the division of labor website. Changing course now would create uncertainty and increase real hardship. So today I respectfully urge you to consider keeping the existing minimum wage schedule in place, or. Even increasing that wage schedule. Fully engaging low wage workers and the community before considering any changes. And continuing Boulder County's leadership in building a fair and livable local economy. Thank you. For your time and for listening to those Yankal boulder home. Thank you. Next is Kelly Kramer.

2:28:23Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Hi. This is Kelly Kramer. I live in Boulder, in the city. Of Boulder. I've been living here for almost 20 years. And. I live in affordable housing. And so, again, I kind of want to echo some things that people said in the past. About. I feel like I do represent. A lot of folks who couldn't make it today due to having to work full time. And not being able to get the time off. I just want to thank you for. My opportunity to speak today. I've just been really listening to this conversation, and. I also feel. As Nicole Spear said, that this is just such a difficult times and a difficult situation because. We do feel. Pitted against each other, workers against small business owners. And I kind of refuse to get into. That debate. I think that we are all in this together. And I feel. For the small business owners, especially the farmers. I used to be a farmer. My family owned a small farm. I was born and grew up in Minnesota. And I worked on small farms, organic vegetable farms, so I saw that side of it as well. We looked into buying land here in Boulder, and it just seemed impossible. Based on. The real estate costs here as well. So I do sympathize

2:30:06with all sides of this argument, but ultimately I do stand with the workers. I am a worker myself. I work in the childcare and education industry. Where? Early educators are some of the worst paid in our industry. And I feel that we work really hard. We do very important work. We're always there for the kids. We're getting sick all the time. It's. Not easy work, and we deserve a livable wage, even though. I have privilege because I come from generational wealth. Most of the people within. My community who do this work. Don't. And I know how hard it is for them to live and to pay rent. And. To. Buy the food. And I'm not talking about just junk food, because junk food is cheap. And I thought the farmers raised a good point about how. Yes, it's important to have nutritional food, fruits and vegetables from farmers market. But most people can't afford that because that's the most expensive type of. And so, again.

2:31:14It comes down to the workers, I really encourage you to maintain. This schedule the way it is and not amend or freeze. The minimum wage increase because the bottom line is we have to take care of our workers and thank you very much. Thank you. Next is Jeanette Lathrop. Hi. My name is Jeanette Litrope, and I am a senior researcher and policy analyst. For the National Employment Law Project, or NELP, as we're called. Nel pass over. Five decades of experience in research and advocacy for pro worker labor policies. Labor centers, including the minimum wage. On behalf of Neil, but I'd like to urge you to vote no on any amendments. To the current minimum wage law, which would cut or delay the scheduled increases. MIT has a living wage calculator, and according to that estimate, Boulder County's minimum wage is nearly $10 below the wage needed for a single adult. To make ends meet. This gap could shrink to 450 under the current diminimoid schedule.

2:32:22Making Boulder county the Boulder county minimum wage. One of the strongest and most pro worker policies in the country. But if you amend the schedule, to cut wages. This cap will remain wide and will hurt workers or families and their communities. The minimum wage is one of the most researched topics in the field of economics over the past. Decades, I feel, has developed increasingly more sophisticated approaches to analyzing the impact of minimum wages of higher minimum wages. These new studies overwhelmingly show that the minimum wage. Increases. Raise workers wages without affecting employment. And this is true for small businesses as it is for large businesses. And some of the newer research has even found that higher minimum wages can increase the number of jobs when higher pay increases the ability of underpaid workers to purchase goods and services and that translates to increased demand and the need for additional workers and additional work hours at local businesses. I have submitted written testimony which I urge you to read with additional details about the impact of higher minimum wages, including the potential for minimum wage policies to address poverty. And public health concerns. So I'm going to keep my remarks really brief. And I just wanted to conclude by saying that I urge you to keep the minimum wage on a path to 25 by 2030.

2:33:40And to see if this policy not as zero sum game. Where workers gains equals businesses losses. But it's a policy that can benefit not only workers but also businesses in the local economy. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Kathy Partridge. Good morning. I'm Kathy Partridge. I'm here today as a resident of Longmont. Colorado. I lived in Boulder county for 30 years, an unincorporated Boulder county, and I've been a resident of this area for 50 years. I want to thank the county commissioners for having this hearing and. I want to express. My support for continuing the. Ordinance as it previously stands and opposing the amendments that have been presented today. I'm a leader in together Colorado. Together Colorado is a nonpartisan, multiracial, multifaith community organization working to place human dignity at the center of Public Life in Colorado. Faith drives us to organize for a better world for our children and our children's children. Leaders with together Colorado organized to create a society where everyone can thrive without exception. We desire a world where all people live a life of dignity, one where the people. Have, where all people have the freedom, the ability, the right to flourish physically, emotionally and spiritually. Commissioners, you've heard a lot of data today, and I just wanted to add on top. Of that. This idea of people in our

2:35:24community with dignity and the ability to flourish physically, emotionally. And spiritually. I feel like this has not been centered enough in this conversation. As we talk about our lowest wage and most vulnerable workers throughout a boulder county and the adjacent municipalities where we just saw our neighbors struggle in fear with the loss of snap funds. What is dignified about that? What is allowing a family to flourish physically, emotionally and spiritually when people can't earn enough money to provide bread for their table, for themselves and their kids. We've been talking about Nywat Colorado, one of the wealthiest spots in Boulder county, where some of these businesses lie. The folks who are working, who are talking about are probably not able to pay the 2400 a month average rent for an apartment there, but I think that the folks who live. In that one of the wealthiest spots in Boulder county may be able to cover the costs of. The possible extra charges at businesses that are paying their folks a fair wage. Just want to note.

2:36:35It's one of the in Boulder County. Only less than 8% of students at Nywat elementary are Latino, and only 9% are what is said by the school district is disadvantaged. This is a very privileged and isolated place that we're talking about. And I feel like. There's plenty of dignity there, and we need to be centering the dignity of the folks who are going to be most hurt. In January when they don't see the increase that they're expecting. Thank you. Next is Susan Gibson. Good morning. Thank you. My name is Susan Gibson. I live in unincorporated Boulder county in a mobile home park. I've lived here since 1996. Here in the mobile home park. Many of my neighbors actually work for near minimum wage. Few people work for minimum wage, but a lot of the people here are working as cooks. Work and healthcare as aids.

2:37:38We have people living here. Who work in retail. Basically a large number of my neighbors work for almost minimum wage. I invited them all to come testify today, but I'm not surprised that none of them could actually. Make it here for various reasons. But. Our lot rent in this mobile home park here in unincorporated Boulder county has actually doubled in the last seven years. And in February it will get to the point where. We'll have tripled in the last ten years. And none of my neighbors who work in restaurants have had their pay double or triple in that time. So. I really commend Boulder county for having had the courage to go ahead and go. With this increased minimum wage ahead of everyone else in the county, and instead of backing down and matching. The sort of cowardly decision that the city of Boulder made.

2:38:40We need to go out there and encourage the other cities of Boulder county to match Boulder county. Please don't back down. The people who work. For a while, there were called essential workers. Are suffering. It's not just our lot rent that's increased, of course, you know. That. Our energy bills have gone up. Our grocery bills have gone up. These people all have children. It's harder and harder and harder for people who actually do the hardest jobs in Boulder. County to continue living here and. I sympathize with all the small businesses. I used to own two small businesses. I always paid my employees more than I paid myself. I know how that is. And I appreciate all the people who've called out the fact that landlords are generally a bigger problem than anything else. Yes. So please stay strong. And don't. Don't change the decision you already made. Thank you. Thank you. Nexus Aiden wall. Hello.

2:39:44My name is Aidan Wall. I am a resident of unincorporated Boulder county and the co chair of the Boulder democratic socialist of America. I must say, I'm happy to be here and it's not lost on me. That many of my fellow workers simply cannot be here this morning because. They are keeping this county running. I could say. Over the last year, my rent has gone up and my food costs have nearly doubled next year. My health care costs are set to triple. That's right, Triple. As a service worker, I'm reliant on the generosity of others as people, much richer than me, have decided that I am to be paid less than the minimum wage because I earn tips. Living in Boulder County. I have little to no savings in my bank account, and things continue to get tighter for myself and others. Living with that insecurity that if your car breaks down, there's nothing you can. Do. Weighs on people. The business class simply needs minimum wage workers to keep this county going and operating.

2:40:52So my question is, why don't they think we deserve to earn enough to live in? Their communities. There are communities as well. We do the work, we keep things running. I heard one farmer say he earns nearly as much as people on snap benefits. But the fact that. 's neglected to mention. Is that these farmers own land. And nobody earning minimum wage owns land, much less their homes. This will continue if the wages stay as they are or increase at a much lower rate than proposed. One thing that we have in common with the small business owners is that we are all being squeezed by landlords, property conglomerates and big businesses who are raising the cost of living and cost of goods for everyone in this county. But it must be stressed that it hits the workers and those earning minimum wage much harder than it hits any business owner out here because they own their business and many of us own little more than our debt. Again, I have to say thank you to all of those who were able to make it. I find it fully undemocratic that this process was scheduled for the time that it was. During the day on a Thursday, because obviously this gives an advantage to the business class. I urge this council to keep the wage as

2:42:22scheduled and not to adopt the proposals that were decided with the business class in mind. Thank you. Thank you. That was Aidan. And then. We've got. We'll go back to thank you. We'll go back to the list of virtual folks who. Weren't able to find online. Or on their phones at that time and just go down through those folks. So if there's, anybody? Who's on the phone? Please do. Raise your or. I'm sorry. Hit star nine. To raise your hand and then star six to unmute in case we missed you. So I'm just going to go through that list in order. And Aidan Reed? It looks like it's. Now available. Oh, no. Is that correct? And I'm going to lean on staff in the background because it looks like we've got a few people that have their hands up. To review the list, who has spoken and then who still needs to be. Heard. Hi.

2:43:39Chamber to mean? This is Brianna Barber, Commissioner's office staff. I think we have five. Or six people that have been able to join the hearing. The first being Aidan Reed, who is in the virtual room. That person would just need to unmute and so maybe we can give them another few minutes or a few seconds to unmute. And then we can move on. To dan. Actually, Dan left. We can move on to Shelby Bates, and I'll continue to promote people. As I see them. And will you just clarify? The last person on the list. That just finished. It was a different aid, and thank you. There's the clarification that's being asked for in the room. Thank you. So much. Hi. Can you hear me? We can hear a voice. Okay. This is Shelby Bates. I live in the city of boulder. And I am here.

2:44:43Thank you for the time to speak today. Yeah. And sorry I wasn't here. I was at work, like many people have already said. Thursdays during the day are a hard time. So I am here really just to encourage you all to keep the schedule in place for the minimum wage increases going forward. I think the biggest thing that many people have talked about is just how hard it is to live. With low wage in Boulder. I moved here about eight years ago, and at that time I was making around $20 an hour. Since then, my wages have increased, but I was really excited when it came out that by. The wage could be up to $25 an hour. Because I know when I moved here that would have made a huge difference for me. I qualified for many public support, such as Medicaid, the low income breakpast and a variety of other public supports. And so I think. Thinking of those times and then thinking of folks. Now, just considering how many of those supports are at risk given the federal government. I think now is not the time to take back increases in wages and to really lean in to prioritizing those increases and supporting our low income workers. So they can continue to be part of our community. I also want to just

2:46:04really speak up on behalf of. Bipoc communities and say that that represents. A larger sector of our low wage workers than the general population. And so I think a big piece of this for me is looking to protect our communities of color and their abilities to live. In boulder county. And continuing to just prioritize that at a time when so many of them are being targeted again by the federal government. So I think those are my main points. I will also echo what other folks have said my rent has gone up $700 a month since I moved into a one bedroom apartment. And so, again, I think you all know, I think you've heard from a lot of folks the same things, and they will just end by really encouraging, again, keeping pace with the schedule. That's in place right now and including more low income workers in these discussions. Thank you. So much. Thank you. It looks like maybe the next speaker is Andrew Bernstein. Hello, everyone. Good morning. Let's see.

2:47:19My name is Andrew Bernstein. I'm a resident of the city of Boulder. I am also the vice chair of the Boulder Parks Recreation Commission. Although I'm speaking today strictly on behalf of myself and my fellow workers. And I'm coming before you to ask that you not amend the schedule. There are competing ideas here in Boulder and Boulder county. On the one hand, We demand world class amenities. Restaurants, cultural events, locally grown, organic foods. And then, on the other hand, there's a tremendous resistance to recognizing that great amenities cost money. We all know that housing other costs have increased a lot in recent years, and yet many of our elected officials sidiously defend Haber and other aggressive policies. Why? Because Boulder has increasingly. Seen concentration of wealth and the money class is able to exert their will over our policies. At the cost of our most vulnerable residents. And I think. The fact that we're considering this amendment at all is evidence of that. The result of our wealth and equity is that home ownership and even housing stability is difficult to access for many of the people who make our city and county want to replace federal scientists. University professors and the thousands of people who operate those venues, restaurants and who work on our farms. With that in mind. I submit that the proposed

2:48:30changes to the wage increase schedule would be a self defeating policy. The proposed changes to the schedule will have the obvious result of exacerbating our structural and wealth inequities and will make it harder for the people who make boulder run to live here and ultimately drive them away. I do feel for the small business owners and the farmers. And the restaurant tours who operate. On slim margins. But I ask what will happen when there is no labor to work in those kitchens, dining rooms and fields. After all, we know that the wage needed to live in a place is not adequate to attend to someone's needs, that person will be forced to leave and we'll find work elsewhere where the wages can support them. The current wage schedule does not reach $25 an hour for the next five years, there's. Been a lot of testimony today asserting that businesses could close or be significantly degraded if the city and county follows the schedule. I submit that. And. As evidenced by the data, others have surfaced today. Businesses across the county will largely not close and will instead use the five years to figure out how to raise prices and otherwise cover the cost. Of increased labor. Given Boulder's high per capita income, the evidence seems to indicate that Boulder residents largely have a capacity to

2:49:39absorb increased costs and will continue. To patronize restaurants and csas. I myself am a member of the Red Wagon CSA. I believe we heard from that business owner. She emailed me and. Gave me an estimate of what my CSA share might cost if the wage increase schedule remains and it is definitely within my household budget. Finally, I have to say that we've heard from a lot of business owners today. The timing of this hearing excludes many workers, and it's really a shame the county couldn't have scheduled this hearing for a time when more people impacted most by this discussion could have att. Attended. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And I'm going to ask staff in the background to let me know who else might. Be there. It sounds like we had maybe three more people. Thank you, chair lo. Jamie, this is Brianna Barber, commissioner's office staff. It looks like next. We have Nikolai smear now available to speak. They'll just need to unmute their microphone. Thank you. Hello? Can you hear me?

2:50:37Yes. Excellent. Hi. My name is Nicole Smerno, and I'm here today because, like many others, I strongly oppose amending the minimum wage ordinance. I believe that reversing or delaying the scheduled increase is short sighted and that this will cause immense harm to thousands of working people. So I urge you to respect and commit to the already established schedule. Many have already pointed out how expensive it is to live within Boulder. And I echo that sentiment. To be frank, I can't even imagine. How anyone currently making minimum wage can afford to live here. They already shoulder an enormous burden just to live. And increasing the minimum wage would significantly relieve that burden. That's why I believe that resisting such an increase is inhumane and will result in immune suffering. On purely humanitarian grounds, this increase should proceed as planned. Now I am privileged enough to make well above the minimum wage myself. But I know many and am close to many who are not. My younger brother did everything right. He went to college, he got a degree in computer science. And that hasn't helped him find a job at the industry at all. Just Simacon's needs. He has to work a minimum wage to get by day to day. My best. For instance, childhood for her entire adult life has struggled financially working dead in

2:52:24job after dead in job. Making a pittance, being exploited. And she's been miserable for it, through no fault of her own. She was just dealt a bad hand in life and as a result, she suffered. Right now, she's going to college for the same degree as my brother, and I worried that she will. Face the same difficulty. These are only two people. But there are countless more like them who share their plights, who share their experience. And I believe this all comes down to lack of a living wage that their employers refuse to pay them. I can tell you from personal experience that Brent just keeps getting out of control, rising year after year. The price of groceries is getting out of hand. Cuts to snap are only exacerbating this issue. And medical care is becoming yet more inaccessible, which has, and it's already been exorbitantly expensive in this country. But things don't have to be this way. And. You can save these people from this needless suffering. By respecting this scheduled increase, the minimum wage. I once again employee to do so. Thank you for your time. Thank you. It looks like next is Lindsay Lobeurg. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Thank you.

2:53:54Hi. My name is Lindsay Loberg. First. Thank you for your leadership. In moving to raise the minimum wage to ensure that workers in Boulder county continue to move towards the self sufficiency wage here to encourage you to keep that commitment. I'm one of the co directors at Boulder Rescue. We're a local food access. Nonprofit. We employ twelve people, so I'm also here to speak as a small business owner. And our lowest paid staff member right now is paid well over the $25 per hour rate. Testing question, which other speakers have noted were PC four in five years, right? If we keep this schedule, which I encourage you to do, and we've accomplished this by. Prioritizing age equity and placing hard limits on paid disparities between our highest paid staff and our lowest paid staff. And I think if our small nonprofits do it, other businesses can do it as well. They may need to use other strategies to do it, or we may need to use other strategies. To do it. Other speakers have mentioned rental costs, which we all know are better addressed by landlords and policy changes rather than workers. But that's not to say that this has been easy. And, in fact, it's been really challenging for us. And one reason is that. It's challenging because the demands on human service nonprofits

2:55:19are unrealistic and unsustainable and those are ultimately felt by our sectors, workers and workers in general. Who are paid low wages. Most relevant to the conversation today. That's because employers pay wages that are below what it costs them is. And what workers deserve. Frankly, low wages paid by investors account for the majority of the needs for social safety nets. Including snap, which we've all been hearing. And managing the recent upheavals. Right. And the second reason is that those social safety nets in the US are and have been right, like this isn't a recent development. They're insufficient. So let's talk about the first thing right, if we're talking about what one adult and one child needs to live in Boulder we're talking about. Hourly wages. These numbers are from 2022, by the way, are more in the $33 an hour range. For a self sufficiency. So we're already pacing to be well under what it actually costs county. And to look more at how social. Safety nets are insufficient. And are best mitigated. The concerns with social safety nets are both. That's mitigated by sofa aggressive wage increases. We can. Look, I'm running out of time, so I'll just say snap, we can look at how snap can easily be disrupted for political vocation. And in the county, we're really dealing with that now. We encourage

2:56:56wage increases as a sustainable. Thank you, Natalie, your time's up. Next is Lauren. Pilling. Commissioners. This is Bryanna Barber, commissioner's office staff at this time, we have gone through all the speakers and everyone left in yellow is not present in the virtual meeting and I've put out a couple notes in the chat to see if anyone else would like to speak. And at this time, no one else is indicating that they'd like to give public comment. Thank you. And I gave an additional just reminder of how to use the digital piece earlier before we started with the recall of folks here in yellow, so we'll go ahead and close. Our virtual portion of the public comment area. And then we'll give staff an opportunity. And we actually already had folks in the room. That hadn't signed up participate. So we're done with the public comment. But we'll go back to staff if. There's any comments or response, and then if commissioners have any questions, and then we'll just go back to. Commissioners for deliberation because we are being asked to make a decision in regards to this. Item number two. Thank you, commissioners. Staff does not have any follow up to the public testimony.

2:58:18Thank you. And I do see David Hughes. Yes, I do have one comment. David Hughes, Deputy County Attorney I heard there was a question about. The statutory provisions related to consultation. To clarify the applicable statutory language under Colorado provides statute section eight 6101. The statute says before enacting a minimum wage law. A local government shall consult with surrounding local governments and engage stakeholders, including chambers of commerce, small and large businesses, businesses that employ tipped workers, workers, labor unions and community groups. There's no further definition of the word. Consult in the statute. It would be common to just apply. The dictionary definition. Of consult. Which is essentially to get information. Or advice or. To seek information or advice. My understanding. Is that staff? Has reached out via meetings. And emails. To all of these local governments and organizations. Fairly long list, including the Boulder Chamber, Nywat Lid, Longmont Chamber, Lewisville Chamber, Erie Chamber Lafayette Chamber Latino Chamber Northwest Chamber Alliance Colorado Chamber Women's chamber teensters 455 cwa. Cieu. 105. Colorado Winds, City of Boulder, Longmont, Erie, Lewisville, Lafayette, Superior, Netherlands and lions. So that is my understanding. And there's also. Further specified. In the staff memo meetings that have taken place since the original. Minimum wage ordinance was adopted. Interactive meetings between. The county and other stakeholders. So that was some

3:00:44further information. On the issue of consultation that I understand. Was raised during the course of. Me. Thank you. Okay, great. And it doesn't stop. There was nothing additional. Commissioners. Any questions for staff yet, commissioner? Solemn. Thank you. Thank you. Attorney Hughes, I have a question. So with regard to what a surrounding local government is, do you have an opinion on that? We heard. We did not consult with our adjacent local governments earlier in the hearing. We're missing your audio. Permanent. Yeah. Can you hear me now? We can. Okay. Yeah. The statute just says surrounding and again. That information. That word is not defined. So again, you'd be applying how the definition is commonly used. All right, so the jurisdictions that surround us should have been consulted with Jefferson County, Adams County, Broomfield. Larrymer County. Who's to the west of us? Sorry? Gilpin County. Grand County. I mean, there are.

3:02:05Lots of things that surround us that we've not asked any questions of or emailed. Or consulted with in any way. The statute. Does not specifically mention counties. So it just talks about. Any local government shall consult with surrounding local governments. So it's a matter of entrill. To statutory interpretation. In terms of what constitutes the surrounding local government. I think typically, since we're talking about. Wages within an unincorporated area. It would be certainly a logical interpretation to consider. The consulting local governments to be ones within the county. Such as cities. But again, that's a matter of steps for interpretation. And the last question I have for you is just we heard from one person in their testimony. About some potential legal risk to businesses in addition to potential legal risk to counties. If workers challenge a change in wages on the basis that we've not followed state statute. And procedure. What is the risk to businesses in a wage claim there, and what would the risks of the county be there. I would be hesitant.

3:03:29To provide legal advice. To third parties in terms of what their risks might be. Based on the county's actions. I would advise them to seek advice from their own counsel on those types of issues. Thanks. Thank you. It doesn't look like there's additional questions. Thank you. All right, let's move into discussion. Deliberation. Would either of you like to get us started? In other words, I'm happy. To. Thank you, everybody. Thanks, staff, for bringing this back. After the board made some requests to just consider and we've gone through a process. And we've heard a little bit about it today just in regards to the last few years of conversations and meetings, and I do want to share with folks who are asking about the time of day. We had a town hall on Tuesday evening, and I was actually expecting. That Longmont hub to be full.

3:04:38And we had a good turnout, but even an evening meeting. From 530 to 07:00 p.m. the room wasn't packed. So I hear the question around timing, and we have been trying really hard as a board of county commissioners. To create all these access opportunities and try and give people an opportunity. And I also acknowledge that during the work day is hard, and we do a lot of business, just like our neighboring jurisdictions. Cities, towns and counties around us during the day, during business hours for our staff, who's also working business hours, our typical business hours. I should say. But also want to acknowledge that we got hundreds of emails and calls and a lot of different. Interaction in regards to just this item for today, which is the second rating after a first reading. And a lot of different discussion, et cetera. So just want to appreciate all of the input. That we've received. And I'm happy to start us just in regards to the conversation. For me. I feel like. There is some misinterpretation and maybe some perception around what may be happening here.

3:05:49So I just want to kind of calm the storm because I've had some folks reach out and email stating that. Please commissions don't eliminate this minimum wage. How could you go back? Against workers, and I just want to be really clear. And I kind of go back a little bit of a step because in Colorado, the state minimum wage is fourteen point eighty one cents. And so. When I started in these conversations, conversations here in Boulder county that had started before I got here. In 2021. But when I did get invited into those conversations, The ask still then, for some areas of state of Colorado and certainly around the United States of America was to get to $15 an hour. And the state of Colorado is still not there. And so I just want to kind of put that into perspective of. Where this conversation has been, but also want to clarify the question around sustainable wage and self sufficiency wage and livable wage and what I have been. Under. The interpretation and also the ask was about minimum wage. About a four, so that a person would know, this is where I'm going to be. And I know that. I won't be making less than this amount. That by no means. In my mind.

3:07:09Says that somebody can't make more, that somebody can't get a bonus at work. That somebody can't get extra paid. We heard a bunch of different suggestions or solutions or ideas about how folks could make more. And so I just want to be really clear that for me a minimum wage is really that. It's the floor and part of that goal. Working with the board of county commissioners and hearing from a lot of our different elected officials community members small businesses. Focus on unincorporated Boulder County. And I really appreciate. Folks in unincorporated Boulder county continue to be in dialogue with us about what that need. Is. I do believe and agree with a lot of folks that we heard today. That people have created this kind of contention and conflict and pinning one against the other.

3:08:06And my perspective is that I see that a lot. In significant issues here in Boulder county in local government, and sometimes it's about growth versus antigrowth, and sometimes it's about business, corporate versus small business, and sometimes it's. About. Racial equity versus ethnicity, and sometimes. It's about land use versus all the different things. And my ask is still the same. That agreeing with some of what we heard today that we have and are living in a significantly challenging time. With federal impacts that are happening to people who are being removed. Wrongfully detained. And taken out of their communities, even here in Colorado. So there are a lot of issues and so I just want to say I hear you and I agree with you, and we have a lot of challenges, and we have an opportunity in Boulder county to come together, to be in unity.

3:09:02To be in solidarity. I want to appreciate again the folks who joined on Tuesday because there was people on all sides as well, but. There was a real openness to conversation to figure out what I also heard people talking about. Which was collaboration. And an opportunity. Were together and figure out where the partnerships may exist, because that is really what the end of 25 is going to be. That is the hall for 2026 as we continue. To all of us have friends and neighbors and people in our communities that shop at our business. Or that we want to shop at our businesses or eat at our restaurants, et cetera. Who. Will be challenged in all the different ways. And so my hope is that we can kind of refocus on what we might do together and how we might address some of. These major issues and be sure that we are clear and that our language is correct. So. What I am really looking forward to is an opportunity to get to a regional. Minimum wage. For Boulder county, an unincorporated Boulder county, is a really small portion. Of that. But when I think about hygiene and when I think about Nywa and I think about. The Merck up in Jamestown. I'm trying to figure out how do we support an incorporate Boulder county because

3:10:22that's the purview that we have, and we also have an ability. To influence our partners here in our region of Boulder county, which are the cities and towns and to get back to that table. Last time we were here, that was one of the pieces that I had mentioned, we have new council members, we have some new elective leadership. And so how do we bring those folks? On board. I've asked and I heard it, and so it'll be a logistical question later, but I did hear a couple of pieces of potential direction, and so. I think because we haven't been able to, as a board of county commissioners, decide how we're going to move forward in the direction of two items. One was. How do we move forward? Who will be the lead commissioner in regards to getting back? To that regional goal. For Boulder county, just S's unincorporated Boulder county, but our region of Boulder county, and then also, what is our opportunity as board of county commissioners when we think about our strategic priority of economic stability and social stability to really come together and support small businesses as well. And so that's really what I'm looking forward to, and I just want to remind folks that here in the state of Colorado, the minimum wage right now is 1481 and we have

3:11:38been able to collectively move workers in unincorporate Boulder county currently to a dollar and 76. Since additional to that in a minimum wage here, an unaccorporated Boulder County. And so I actually don't look at this as going backwards. I am not advocating to eliminate. Our minimum wage ordinance. But I do appreciate what has been brought forward, and I do think. It has been compromised to get to something that would be. More manageable given the economic times and where we are and what I hear. Unencarpitable county business owners asking so that they can be part of the solution. And I'm going to take folks out their word and give folks the benefit of the doubt the same way that I hear and acknowledge what workers are dealing with. As unincorporated Boulder county workers. And so that is just where I'm coming from right now. And I don't. Know if there's another commissioner that wants to kind of talk about what you're. Thinking in regards to this before we take. A motion. Yeah, I will. I'm happy to jump in next. And. I'll just say at the outset here, just so it's clear. Where I want to go. The direction that I want to go is that I do support the ordinance that was presented for first reading and now second reading. There are a lot of

3:13:09reasons why, and it's very complicated, and this is by no means easy, and I just want to acknowledge that. There were aspects of what every single person. Said, who testified here. That really strongly resonated with me. Nobody was wrong. And. That's what is so challenging about. This situation. I do believe also that. There are some folks that may have a misunderstanding of what is happening here. As commissioner Lohuman addressed. There was a gentleman. He's no longer here, but who I believe had the impression that. The current minimum wage and the current minimum wage schedule was the result of a vote. A popular vote. It was not. It was the result of an ordinance that the county commissioners passed pursuant to state statute after going through the stakeholding process. Consultation with local governments, et cetera. I'll just say. As an aside. If the lack of record of consultation with all of the surrounding counties. Is a fatal flaw to this ordinance, then I would say our existing ordinance is also not valid. Because I don't believe we consulted with all the counties that surround Boulder county when we enacted that ordinance either. We're not going against a popular vote. We are not affecting wages in the city of Boulder or in any other. Jurisdiction in Boulder County. This only applies to people who are working in

3:15:13unincorporated Boulder County. And as best as our staff and all the folks. That they've consulted with and tried the data sources and everything, including the color Department of Labor and Employment. Which Mr. Moss used to lead. As best as they've been able to come up with. As far as the total workforce. In on corporate or Boulder county. It does not exceed 20,000 people. I highly doubt that it's even that high. Given the very few businesses that we actually have in unincorporated Boulder county. So just to clarify, those two points. That this is not going to affect. The folks that testified about. Their inability. To work in Boulder. And afford the cost of living. It's not going to affect our wages. I'm also really supportive of. Efforts to unionize. At Starbucks. All these companies that. Are large multinational corporations. There's just about nowhere in the world that you can go where there isn't. A Starbucks. Those are not the kinds of businesses that we're talking about here in an incorporated boulder. County. The businesses that we're talking about are farmers. They are small, independent businesses. We do not have chains. They don't have those deep pockets.

3:16:58In those reserves. We have a national problem, we have a state problem, we have a local problem with affordability. And to everybody that talked about the corporate structure, the tax structure. All of the. Forces, neoliberalism, all of the forces that have brought us to where we are today. Where wealth is concentrated. Where good jobs are hard to find. We can only do the things that we can do here locally. If there were a way to bring down rents. Here in Boulder and Longmont, in all the places where we're seeing the loss of small, independent businesses. The businesses that may boulder. What it was. They're all leaving. Our downtown is being taken over by national chain stores. If there were a way to reverse that. I'd be first in line to do that. That's not what we hear as county commissioners can do. I. Have to believe. The businesses and the farmers who are businesses that came to speak to us today. I trust them. And I believe them. I do not think they are making up the fact that they cannot afford. The schedule of wage increases that we passed back in 2023. And I will not ignore people who come to us in good faith. Basically open their books to us. And ask us to change course. I think it's my duty as an

3:18:53elected official to listen. To people who are affected by the policies that we enact. I can't affect Starbucks, I can't affect Walmart. I can't affect. You're lucky that if you work at King Supers and you have a union to support you, and I support unions. They're fabulous. They've really done great things. For everybody in our country, but I can only do the things that I can affect. I think it's interesting. That we have not had any testimony. From anybody. That works. For one of these farms, one of these small businesses in Nai Watt saying don't. Do this to us. And I don't think it's just because. It's a hearing on a Sunday or on a Thursday morning. I think it's because they want to keep their jobs. And that's what they're worrying about. I also want to just address the self sufficiency standard that people are looking at to benchmark wages. That was produced in, I believe, the date on it. I don't want to lose my place here in this table, but yeah. It's the 2022 edition. So it's out of date and. The self sufficiency wage for a single adult in Boulder county when this was produced. Was $19.44 an hour.

3:20:38We're not there. We're not going to be there. Where it is right now. It is an analysis of the cost of meeting basic needs. And. If you actually read the whole document. There's a great deal of emphasis on the role of wage supports in allowing people to meet their basic needs at the wages that are prevailing. We need to double down. On preserving Medicaid, on preserving Snap, on expanding access to childcare. Supports. On utility supports. All of the things that are signs of market failures. In this country. But to say to the small, independent business people that. Are doing their part and trying. To live their dream. That they need to bear the brunt of those market failures and the misplaced priorities in our tax codes and in all the various aspects of our economy.

3:21:45That is not fair. It's not their burden to bear. And I do not believe that they are contributing to that problem. The testimony we heard from Scott Moss, from Charlie Brennan, et cetera. This is theoretical testimony about. What wage? Minimum wage increases due in our economy. And I've read those studies, too. And yes, they say that when you increase minimum wages and workers have more in their pockets, That everybody thrives. You have to be careful. And policymakers. Most policy makers know this about generalizing from academic research. To local decisions. And while that general principle may be true that increased wages help everybody do better, Increasing wages for this small group of businesses in incorporated Boulder county is not going to put enough money. In those few workers pockets. To help the economy of Boulder County. So I've read that research. But you got to be careful about taking things like that and generalizing. I don't know where this concept came from. That owning a business is a privilege. And. Getting that against. Wages for workers. Owning a business is hard. If you've ever done it. It's not easy. And. There are people who. For whom that opportunity was handed to them. But for the businesses that we have, an unincorporated Boulder County. Nobody gave them a handout. And it made life easy for them.

3:23:55They're struggling to meet their costs, just like everyone. Else's. So, as I said, I do support. The proposal that was brought to us today. We publicized this meeting. Well, we publicized our first reading. We took testimony. I don't recall the date, but earlier in the fall on a range of options. Before deciding on this one to bring forward. In a revised ordinance. I think there's been ample publicity about it as far as the fact that the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment chose to publish wages for the coming year as early as they did when what they're supposed to be calculating is what? The wage increase. Will be based on. The current increase in the CPI. I can't explain why they would publish wages that early. But. That's not a promise or a commitment to workers. So. I want and hope that we will continue to work to address the cost of living that we will continue to work on behalf of. Preserving the safety net, increasing the safety net, doing what is within our power as county commissioners to do. And as far as the effort to come to agreement on. A local regional minimum wage. I look forward to taking that on. And I believe that this revision. To our minimum wage. Puts us in a much better position to lead those conversations.

3:25:44When we are not so far out of step with every other community in Boulder County. And. When we at the time had not expressed any willingness to reconsider our local minimum wage. It was very, very difficult, and I can say this. From experience and from efforts. And advocating. With other local governments. It's very difficult to get people to come to the table. When there hasn't been any expression of willingness to compromise. So I think that's probably enough. Here this morning. Thank you. Mr. Salzman. Any additions? Thank you. The time to be bold and brave is now. We should be having a discussion about how to raise wages for workers, how to help and mentor young people in our community, and how to support our local businesses. Raising wages for our lowest paid workers is not a slogan, a club or a cause. Raising wages is critical and necessary for the success of our community. Wealth disparity and intergenerational inequity are currently harming the people of Boulder county. And increasing wages is one of the many efforts that we need now to counter the threats that the people are experiencing. Increasing minimum wage is the most powerful thing we could do to thwart a recession. It's one of the most powerful things we could do to show young people that were dedicated to their future and

3:27:06success. And one of the most powerful things that we could do to help businesses. Boulder county standard practice is that we hold hearings when. There's much interest in the afternoon or evening. We've done this for many different types of hearings and this is what we standardly do. This meeting was held 09:00 a.m. on a Thursday. State law requires that before enacting a minimum wage law, a local government shall consult with surrounding local governments and engage stakeholders, including chambers of commerce, small and large businesses, businesses that employ tipped workers, workers, labor unions and community groups. We've simply not done that in plain terms. And in any reasonable interpretation of the law, we have not done. This. We've had countless calls to work on a regional wage, and we've not. Done this. We didn't even have a commissioner present at the Longmont Fishbowl. Exercise. And after this hearing was posted, Long asked what we were doing and then proceeded to say, that they were going to cancel any of their consideration of raising wages. William McGrew appropriately called us out today for holding this hearing outside of our standard practices. And without properly including all parties. Scott Moss continued on and correctly pointed out that the proposal not only lowers wages, but puts us out of alignment with every jurisdiction, including Boulder. He also correctly pointed out

3:28:21that consultation was not done and that. This should be delayed for us to follow the law. The very real issue. He points out about the process underscores that the county's failures not only hurt workers, but put the businesses at very real legal exposure. I personally met with every surrounding local government when we initiated our first ordinance, and you likely will. Recall commissioners that we split the jurisdictions up to be able to do just that. We did follow process and procedure. When we adopted the first wage. This time we did not. Commissioner Levy, you were questioning why CDle would have posted the wages in July. This is because they are required by law to do this. We changed our wages. We had a resolution that was passed duly following the law, and they were required to post them in due time. I don't. Remember if it's July or August, but there's a specific schedule, and it's the summer before January. Workers have been counting. On the wage increase that they've seen posted and had no due notice that we were planning at the 11th hour to change wages. In fact, if new things came up today that we wanted researcher information on we have no time to continue the hearing to get that information because we will not meet the required posting deadlines. What should be

3:29:27done? What could we do now? We could dedicate time to work on a regional minimum wage. No commissioner has spent time working on a regional minimum wage to date. We could convene. Groups of local governments, businesses large and small, chambers of commerce, businesses that employed tip workers, workers, labor's unions and community groups. We could develop a business support program to help businesses while enabling higher wages, we could commit to take action along. Alongside other neighboring jurisdictions next summer, and we could make a motion to continue the resolution indefinitely and tell the county has done the required work. The reality is that you can get a job at buckies today with no skills or previous training for several dollars an hour more than our minimum. Wage in Boulder county. The reality is that most businesses in Boulder county, including those that argue. Argued to lower workers wages are still paying well over the minimum wage. Yet still there are people that are earning minimum wage in Boulder county. And it's not the 16 year old privileged person that we've had a picture painted of these hearings.

3:30:24It's primarily women. Middle aged women and immigrants. The reality is that if Boulder county lowers wages today, other jurisdictions will lower and delay wage increases. So while you can write off the workers that work in unincorporated Boulder county, this does not only affect them, and I think they're important as well. The reality is that the wages need to be higher. Lowering wages and harming workers is not a model for. A fair local economy. The commissioners only have met with business interests, and this is not a fair process and completely ignores the required legal process on how we should act and lead. Making laws that force an economy to push contributing workers onto poverty programs is not the way to structure a fair market. So I would make a motion that we continue the hearing until we followed. Our proper legal procedures to make changes to the wages. Thank you. And I heard a motion. Is there a second? When I don't hear a second on that motion. Go ahead. Thank you, terror lo tree.

3:31:33That motion fails, evidently for lack of a second. I want to make sure I have the correct ordinance number that was in Esribe ordinance. 2025. Is that correct? I move that we approve ordinance 2025. On second reading. And I'll second that. Is there any additional discussion? Certainly. I would make a substitute motion to strike the wages listed and to change the wages starting January 1 to 19.5 cents and then previously follow our currently adopted wage schedule. So we have a new motion and a second. Is there additional discussion? To. The substitute. You did a substitute? Motion, but I don't think there was a second. Well, I don't second that. So I think that motion would die for lack of a second and then leave the original motion. On the table. So we've got the original.

3:32:40Well, not original motion, but it was the second motion that was seconded. All in favor? Aye. In opposition. No. Thank you. And so, any additional comments on this item? I know everybody got an opportunity to say words. I just want to make sure. I think I've said enough. Okay. Thank you. And so, with that. We've completed item two, and there's no additional items on our agenda, so I'm going to go ahead and adjourn our business meeting.