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Untitled Jackie Sedley
Housing advocates withdraw measures to close Boulder airport
The Airport Neighborhood Campaign has withdrawn its petitions for two contentious ballot measures this fall – both related to closing the Boulder Municipal Airport.
One initiative – “Repurpose our Runways” – sought to decommission the airport, and the other – “Runways to Neighborhoods” – would have converted the land it is on into a neighborhood for affordable housing.
While both measures’ petitions did gather more than the minimum signatures required to qualify for the ballot, and City Council voted to advance the measures, the Campaign has decided to shift from this year’s election.
According to a statement on their website, the Airport Neighborhood Campaign has shifted from this year’s election because of the City of Boulder’s lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration, which was filed late last month. That lawsuit will determine whether or not the City has the right to close the Boulder Municipal Airport, despite the FAA’s orders.
The Campaign says they want to allow time for resolution of the City’s litigation against the FAA, before asking voters to decide the future of the airport.
Anxiety grows over delay in $1.7M contract for downtown Denver revitalization
The Denver City Council postponed a vote on a $1.7 million contract to revitalize the 16th Street Mall, a central retail area downtown this week. The Downtown Denver Partnership, which proposed the contract, plans to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support local businesses, enhance building facades, and organize community events.
The decision to delay follows increased scrutiny from some council members, who recently raised concerns about the transparency of ARPA fund allocation and the effectiveness of the proposed measures in tackling downtown issues like office vacancies, construction disruptions, and public safety.
The council will revisit the contract on September 9, coinciding with the planned reopening of additional sections of the 16th Street Mall after significant renovations.
Colorado lawmakers block progressive tax proposals, preserving tax cut deal
The Colorado House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to a property tax bill yesterday afternoon, after about three hours of debates.
It is largely the same as the compromise bill that the House Appropriations Committee passed on Monday. Both bills are meant to satisfy conservative backers of two ballot initiatives, who agreed to take those initiatives off November’s ballot if lawmakers pass additional cuts this week. Those initiatives would pose much deeper tax cuts than those being discussed in the current session.
The special session revolving around property tax relief started on Monday.
On that first day, Colorado lawmakers rejected progressive tax proposals aimed at reducing property tax breaks for wealthy homeowners. The decision protected a $255 million tax cut deal meant to prevent conservative groups from advancing deeper cuts through November ballot initiatives. Progressive Democrats criticized the move, arguing it overlooked relief for the middle class. The deal is designed to prevent budget shortfalls that could impact local services and school funding.
We will have more of the property tax special session later in the magazine.
Denver releases 220 more e-bike discount vouchers
Denver released 220 additional e-bike discount voucher Tuesday as part of its program to encourage sustainable transportation. The program offered up to $1,200 for low-income residents and $300 for others to purchase new e-bikes. City officials advised residents to pre-register and upload proof of Denver residency and income documents to increase their chances of securing a voucher.
Since the program’s inception, nearly 9,000 vouchers have been redeemed, and surveys suggest significant reductions in car use, with e-bike users cutting an average of 3.4 car trips per week. The next batch of e-bike vouchers will be released on October 29.
Water contamination halts surgeries at three major hospitals on CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus
Water contamination at three hospitals on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora this week is leading to postponed surgeries due to concerns about sterilization equipment. UCHealth’s University of Colorado Hospital and the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center discovered black flecks in their washers, which had previously been linked to plastic contamination at the VA hospital, causing disruptions earlier this year.
These flecks raised concerns about the potential for infection from using improperly sterilized equipment. Children’s Hospital Colorado also postponed non-emergency surgeries as a precaution. Aurora Water is investigating the issue, but water quality tests have not indicated widespread contamination in the city’s supply. So far, no known cases of patient harm have been reported.
