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MorningMagazine_2024-12-16 Jack Dawson
Boulder County budget rises to $708 million
Boulder County’s 2025 budget was approved by County commissioners last Wednesday, Dec. 11. The $708 million dollar spending plan marks 8% increase from this year’s budget.
With the new funding, the County will invest in wildfire mitigation, affordable housing, and bikeway projects.
County employee expenses remain one of the largest elements of the budget, including cost-of-living adjustments and a living wage of at least $50,000 annually for full-time employees.
Not all departments made the final cut. Safety net services in the City of Boulder will see reductions in funding. This includes All Roads – which runs the city’s largest shelter – and the Emergency Family Assistance Association – which gives financial assistance to renters facing eviction.
Additionally, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson’s $5.4 million request to staff a new 60-bed jail module was shut down.
County officials say the cuts were made due to declining state and federal contributions.
All budget adjustments go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
CU Football star Travis Hunter wins Heisman trophy
Colorado Buffaloes football star Travis Hunter has won the Heisman Trophy. The award, which recognizes the best player in college football, was presented to Hunter Saturday night.
According to 9News, Hunter leads the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 touchdowns.
The other finalists included Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward.
Hunter also recently won the Bednarik Award for the top defensive player in college football, as well as the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best wide receiver.
Hunter helped the Buffalos in their first winning season since 2016. Next, the Buffs are heading to the Alamo Bowl Dec. 28th to play Brigham Young University (BYU).
DA’s push for more beds in Colorado Youth Detention Centers
Prosecutors say the need is largely a result of an uptick in juvenile-related violent crime.
The Colorado District Attorneys’ Council is working with a bipartisan pair of lawmakers from the Colorado legislature on a bill that would allow the state to hold 324 youth at a time in pre-trial detention. Right now, they have 215 beds available.
Prosecutors are concerned that due to a lack of beds for violent youth offenders, authorities are being forced to release teens who may pose a threat to themselves and others.
Juvenile justice advocates argue that the issue is not within the detention centers themselves. Rather, they point to the state’s lack of available treatment beds and foster homes, which cause teens in any of the state’s 14 youth detention and commitment facilities to stay past their release date.
According to The Denver Post, Gov. Jared Polis asked for $1.7 million in his proposed budget released this fall to increase the bed cap for youth detention.
Colorado water regulators consider change that may increase toxins in rivers
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is considering putting an end to rules that prevent polluted groundwater from being discharged into the state’s rivers and streams.
Eliminating the regulation of how owners of underground structures handle contaminated groundwater could allow PFAS chemicals, arsenic and other contaminants directly into stormwater systems without treatment – eventually making its way into public water.
Environmental advocates, as well as former members of CDPHE’s Water Quality Control Division, worry that the change could harm the South Platte River and other Front Range waterways.
CDPHE oversees 113 long-term dewatering permits that require building owners to measure how much water they are discharging, and test for pollutants, and treat water if levels exceed approved contamination limits. According to The Daily Camera, if approved, the new policy changes would remove all permitting, reporting and treatment requirements for owners.
The Water Quality Division is accepting public comment on the proposed changes until this upcoming Saturday. If you’d like to voice your thoughts, you can email the Division’s director, Nicole Rowan, at [email protected].
Green energy center brings jobs to Broomfield
A new green energy center recently opened in Broomfield.
Peak Energy researches and develops a new kind of battery that uses sodium ion instead of lithium, which is meant to be more accessible and safer.
The expansion to Broomfield aligns with the city’s sustainability goals and will bring more jobs to the area, according to CBS News Colorado.
The company plans to begin working with customers in the area next year, and intends to use solar and wind farms to charge the sodium ion batteries. Their hope is to then get the batteries up and powering Colorados grids.
