Public safety

Gold Hill resident Chris Hill said two businesses are drawing large crowds and causing traffic, parking, and noise problems beyond what the small town can handle. Commissioner Stolzman said residents should call the sheriff's non-emergency line for noise enforcement, and Commissioner Levy said Code Enforcement has opened an investigation.

Mayor Pro Tem Winer asked why photo radar enforcement is being eliminated. Staff and Police Chief Steve Redford said the program's costs outpaced its revenue and the department will use officers on patrol instead, prioritizing complaint-driven neighborhoods.

The budget adds $552,000 ongoing for three new police lieutenant positions to supervise each watch, supporting the reimagined policing plan, plus funding to replace firefighter breathing apparatus and continue firefighter health screening.

A downtown resident asked council to adopt a bear-management policy similar to Durango or Aspen, saying 911 told him Boulder's policy is that bears roam freely, and urged a bear hotline and enforcement against attractants like unsecured trash.

A resident described 15 noise complaints on his block in one year that do not appear in city data, and said police gave only a warning after students set a bonfire. Staff (Nuria/Jen Ross) said they collect noise violation data and reach out to rental property operators as complaints approach the nuisance-ordinance threshold, but this data is not routinely reported to council; council member Matt Benjamin asked staff to verify what happened with the bonfire warning.

Matt Benjamin asked about the city's maximum fire suppression capacity. Mike Chard said first-response engines can protect about 5 homes in the first 20 to 30 minutes, county mutual aid raises that to about 15, and regional mutual aid can reach 35 to 40 homes within one to two hours.

Heather Staer described state Initiative 85, which would raise felony penalties for fentanyl offenses, remove some Good Samaritan protections, and mandate treatment for certain drug felonies. Nicole Speer later said the district attorney, sheriff, and several current and former Boulder County legislators oppose it because it could impose an 8 to 32 year sentence on a first offense.

“basically treated the same way as a high level drug trafficker”

Speaker Peggy Dera asked the board to promote the 2025 Gun Violence Prevention and Parents of Students Act on secure firearm storage. Board President Rajpal noted BVSD already adopted a gun-safe-storage resolution in 2021 and regularly sends BeSMART messaging, so no new resolution was planned this year.

County Attorney Kevin McCaffrey asked the board to approve representation for two Sheriff's Office employees sued by a former detainee, one for alleged medical malpractice and one for alleged denial of a kosher meal. He said the investigation found both employees acted within the scope of their duties and in good faith.

Boulder Association of Firefighters president Brian Marin said the union negotiated the collective bargaining charter amendment directly with city leadership instead of pursuing a signature petition, calling it a win-win that gives firefighters a guaranteed seat at the table.

Staff proposed reducing the Juvenile Assessment Center from a 24-hour secure model to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours, cutting three staff and $400,000. Loachamin and Levy asked for a workgroup with the Impact Partnership before any change, worried about who handles youth crises overnight. The board asked staff to return with more analysis instead of counting the full savings now.

“Boulder County will still need an after-hours juvenile response system.”

Council member Adams said she has been waiting seven months for a public safety update that council approved in January and was supposed to occur twice a year, citing it as an example of items getting delayed on the agenda.