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Nicole Speer elected as Boulder’s mayor pro tem
Boulder City Council members elected Nicole Speer as Boulder’s next mayor pro tem yesterday.
Community members endorsed Speer during a public hearing, saying Speer was a leader and an advocate for progressive change. The Mayor Pro Tem takes on mayoral duties in cases where the mayor cannot fulfill them.
According to the Daily Camera, the mayor and mayor pro tem have the same legislative powers as other council members, but have more leadership and ambassador responsibilities.
Colorado Nursing Home Pushback
The State of Colorado is pushing back against allegations that the state discriminates against disabled people, by not helping them transition from nursing homes to at-home care.
Last week, The Colorado Attorney General’s office filed a 31-page rebuttal to a Federal lawsuit, according to Colorado Politics.
The Colorado filings say that the state has a comprehensive and effective plan that helps Medicaid patients return to the community.
Polis, Dem Govs Urge Cannabis “Rescheduling”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis and five other Democratic governors are urging the Biden administration to reclassify cannabis.
In a letter signed by Polis and the governors of Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Louisiana, they urged that cannabis be rescheduled as a Schedule 3 substance.
It is currently classified as a Schedule 1 dangerous drug, along with substances like heroin, LSD, and peyote. The governors’ letter said that while opioids killed some 80,000 people last year, marijuana didn’t kill anyone.
Changing cannabis to a Schedule 3 substance could remove financial and legal barriers to the marijuana industry, the governors said.
Polis Introduces Housing and Public Transportation Vision
Gov. Jared Polis introduced a plan, during a press conference Thursday, to increase public transportation and reduce housing issues.
The plan, titled Roadmap to Colorado’s Future: 2026, focuses on removing exclusionary zoning practices to encourage a mixture of housing in one zone. Polis says, “We have too many obstructions that get in the way of building more homes, especially starter homes – homes in the 200,000, 300,000 range.”
Polis says this would reduce eviction rates by providing more affordable housing in Colorado, but local governments have voiced their disapproval.
They say zoning laws should be decided by local governments, not the state.
In addition to housing, the roadmap encourages more walkable neighborhoods and an expansion of public transit.
The roadmap outlined goals for the state until 2026, when Polis’ second term as Colorado governor is set to end.
Broomfield City Council Approves 1stBank Demolition
The Broomfield City Council has authorized the search for a contractor to demolish the 1stBank Center.
The city of Broomfield originally spent around 45 million dollars building the 6,500 seat entertainment venue in 2006. After years of losses, they decided to close the center and demolish the building in May.
According to the Daily Camera, the city will likely build restaurant, retail, and recreational buildings on the 11 acres of land.
Broomfield City Council has tasked its Urban Renewal Authority with finding a contractor to develop the land, which will be split into two parcels.
Construction will begin on only one lot of the land, ensuring that traffic doesn’t get out of hand for nearby neighborhoods.
At the end of the construction process for the 1stBank Center, the city will have spent about $135 million, according to the Camera.
Ram Gets Stuck On Boulder County Home
A home in Boulder County experienced an unusual sight this week. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, a bighorn sheep was stuck on the roof of the home for more than 24 hours on Tuesday.
CPW says they’re not sure how or why the ram was on the roof, but they have a guess it’s connected to mating season.
This time of year is mating season for sheep and ram behavior is unpredictable, according to the CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose.
She says it’s likely the ram was just looking for the best place to find a mate, and the home’s roof served its purpose.
